iStock(MIAMI) -- The family of a woman who was killed while on vacation in Costa Rica last month are suing Airbnb and the resort where she stayed.



Carla Stefaniak, who lived in Miami, was found dead Dec. 3 after she was last seen on Nov. 27 -- the night before her birthday. She had traveled to San Jose, the capital of the Central American country, to celebrate her 36th birthday with her sister-in-law.



Bismarck Espinoza Martinez, 32, a security guard at Villa Buena Vista, was arrested for Stefaniak's murder.



"He wasn't legally authorized to work. Yet, nevertheless, he was given his own apartment there on the grounds, an apartment that was coincidentally directly next to Carla's rented villa," the family's attorney, Jeffrey Gordon, told Tampa ABC affiliate WFTS-TV.



The lawsuit was filed Thursday in Hillsborough County, which includes Tampa, Florida, where her parents live.



The suit accuses the resort of negligence over the suspect's hiring and retention. The lawsuit makes the same claims against Airbnb, and specifically names a number of executives of the company, including Airbnb Global Head of Trust and Risk Nick Shapiro.



Villa Buena Vista, the resort where Stefaniak stayed, uses Airbnb to promote its properties and rent out villas.



"Defendants, Airbnb and Villa Buena Vista, negligently failed to perform any kind of background check or otherwise take any measures to determine whether Martinez was fit for the officiality and authority and power and control provided to him," the lawsuit states.



Stefaniak's body was found partially nude and decomposing, wrapped in plastic bags, in the woods near the villa she rented. According to an autopsy, she died of blunt force trauma to the head and was stabbed in her neck.



Officials said earlier this month that a preliminary assessment indicated the killer's motivation was sexual, but additional tests were being conducted.



The lawsuit also states multiple people were likely involved in "removing and disposing Carla Stefaniak's body from the Airbnb villa." No one else has been arrested in the case besides Espinosa.



"The harm to Stefaniak caused by Martinez was a foreseeable and well-known hazard of the industry," the lawsuit states.



Airbnb said in a statement to WFTS-TV: "Our hearts are broken for Carlas family, friends and loved ones. We reached out to provide support to them during this unimaginably difficult time. We have also been in contact with Costa Rican and American law enforcement authorities, and we are standing by to support their investigation, as justice must be served quickly. The Villa Le Mas has been removed from the platform."



The lawsuit says the plaintiffs -- Stefaniak's brothers Mario and Carlos Caicedo Jr., who manage the family's estate -- are seeking "in excess of $15,000."



"As a direct result of conduct described herein, the estate has suffered loss of net accumulations, and the statutory survivors have suffered the loss of support and services and mental pain and suffering as a result of the injury and death of their child," according to the filing.



Carlos Caicedo Sr., Carla's father, told WFTS-TV he can't shake the image of his daughter's brutalized body in a Costa Rica morgue.



"I have to tell you that I'm going to lose the two loves that are part of me. My mom is so sick," he said. "She is so sick. I'm going to lose the two loves, big loves of my life -- my mom and Carla."



Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
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The liability and viability of impeaching the executive president By Vijaya Niranjan Perera View(s): View(s):

Now the curtain has closed on the political drama which temporarily rendered Sri Lanka helpless without an authoritative and legitimate Government, and consequently brought the Public Service to a standstill. It also brought crisis and uncertainty to the national economy, national security and international relations.

What signalled the end of this disastrous period was the much awaited, highly acclaimed unanimous judgment of the Supreme Court which ruled that the Presidents proclamation dissolving Parliament with effect from November 09, 2018 was unconstitutional and thus invalid.

In addition, the interim order of the Court of Appeal on Quo warrento applications, questioning the legality/authority of the appointments of Mahinda Rajapaksa as Prime Minister and the others appointed as ministers of the new Cabinet by the President, prohibited them from performing any functions in their impugned offices.

The rulings caused the new appointee Mahinda Rajapaksa to resign his office, paving the way for the President to appoint Ranil Wickremesinghe as prime minister and later sworn in the new Cabinet, even though he publicly declared that he is doing so against his personal and political conscience.

This situation renders the confirmation of the pending Quo Warranto cases futile and a non-event as the PM and ministers whose appointments are impugned have vacated office and the nation eagerly awaits the next public issue: The liability and viability of President Maithripala Sirisena being impeached.

It is an undisputable fact that this situation was brought about by a series of questionable decisions taken and implemented by President Sirisena. They were resisted firmly by Speaker Karu Jayasuriya and the majority in the Parliament.

Although it is apparent from the unanimous Supreme Court judgment that the President has violated the Constitution of Sri Lanka, in issuing a proclamation dissolving Parliament, the pros and cons should be briefly examined regarding the constitutionality and legitimacy of his actions, beginning with the removal of the Prime Minister Ranil Wikremesinghe on October 26. Each of these actions warrants a brief but separate analysis.

Removal of Prime Minister Wikremesinghe and appointing Rajapaksa in his place

The President (on expert legal advice) claimed he had acted in terms of the Constitutions Art 42(4) which says that the President can appoint as prime minister any MP who in his opinion commands the confidence of the majority in Parliament

The Presidents legal experts claim that this is a matter entirely within the Presidents discretion and no one (not even the Speaker or the Supreme Court) can question his decision.

The issue that invariably arises is when and in what situation can the President make this appointment under Art 42(4)?

Art. 48 (1) says; on the prime ministers removal, resignation or ceasing to hold office, the President can exercise the above power of appointing a PM.

Next issue is how can this power be exercised?

The stipulated condition is the MP who, in his opinion, commands the majority in parliament.

But, in exercising his discretion, the President cannot act arbitrarily according to his personal consideration. He is bound to take this decision according to objective standards

It is so because the power of the President has to be exercised subject to his RESPONSIBILITY TO PARLIAMENT [Art 33 (A)].

Art 33A of the Constitution (introduced by the 19th Amendment) says, In the due exercise of his powers conferred by the Constitution and Laws pertaining to National Security the President is RESPONSIBLE TO PARLIAMENT.

This is the operative provision which supersedes and limits the otherwise excessive powers of the Executive President.

This responsibility would have surely compelled the President to accept the fact that Prime Minister Wikremesinghe won the confidence of the majority in Parliament in April 2018.

Proroguing parliament and swearing in a new PM

Though unquestionably the power of proroguing parliament is within the Presidents constitutional power, the political climate and the background in which such act was committed reeks of mala fides.

As it was disclosed later, his ulterior motive was to obtain time for the newly appointed Prime Minister Rajapaksa and his cabinet to win over the support of a minimum of 113 MPs and prove the majority. This act, though apparently legitimate, would be regarded as undemocratic by the world community.

When the pressure mounted on the Speaker, he stood firm as Parliaments custodian and asserted the supremacy and dignity of Parliament and democracy. This compelled the President to issue another proclamation summoning Parliament on December 7.

What transpired in Parliament after the vote of no-confidence was passed by voice vote and the ugly incidents which shocked the conscience of all law-abiding and civic-minded community is best forgotten.

Here, too, it can be argued that the President, in doing so, had completely disregarded his RESPONSIBILITY to Parliament and denied the peoples representatives their right to ratify or reject his unilateral decision to appoint a new prime minister and ministers from an apparent minority group.

When the UPFA withdrew from the UNP-led National Government, what the President should have done was to request the then prime minister and his cabinet to prove their majority in Parliament, and, accordingly, take appropriate action.

The situation certainly did not warrant an ex-parte removal of the sitting prime minister and ex-parte appointment of another prime minister through the backdoor .The process should have been transparent and legitimate.

Dissolution of Parliament on November 9

It is not necessary to repeat and analyse the unanimous judgment of the Supreme Court which adjudicated on the issue and, for plausible reasons given, held that the gazette proclamation dissolving parliament is a violation of the Constitution, and hence an invalid act which is of no force. This necessitated the revocation of the decision to hold elections to Parliament on January 5, 2019.

This deep exhaustive and rational analysis of the relevant constitutional provisions and the well-reasoned judgment are fully endorsed by the people who hailed the independent judiciary for safeguarding democracy.

What follows now? Is impeachment probable and viable?

Sri Lanka has had the bitter experience of witnessing the purported impeachment of the then Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake. Sri Lanka has also witnessed an attempted impeachment of President Ranasingha Premadasa, which was aborted half way, but, the present political situation is that the impeachment of President Sirisena is likely and probable. If it is brought by those who claim to have a hand in shaping the destiny of the country, the chances are that it will succeed given the present political situation.

It is a political issue that will ultimately decide whether President Sirisena will be implicated or not.

The pledge of the re-installed UNF government to implement its development programme within the remaining period of little over one year, and the publicly proclaimed refusal of President Sirisena to work with and cooperate with the new UNF Government might tilt the scale in favour of an impeachment process against President Sirisena.

In the event of an impeachment motion being moved  in terms of Art 38 (2) (a) (i)  in Parliament for the intentional violation of the Constitution, it appears that the Supreme Court judgment would suffice to prove this charge/ground for his removal without the necessity of going through an inquiry again under Art .38(2) (c)( d)(e) of the Constitution.

In such an event, the only positive defence the President could put forward is that his act of violating the Constitution was not intentional.

In other words, he will have to admit and plead in mitigation that he acted on the advice of his legal experts in taking those controversial decisions violating the Constitution.

Could such a defence be accepted by the people at large in a country which still upholds the sovereignty of the Constitution above the Executive President, the Cabinet, and Parliament remains to be seen.

(The writer is a Presidents Counsel)
They can't talk about their work, and it is thankless. They spend most of their time in the streets, listening to telephone conversations ad nauseam or working their way through mountains of documents. It takes time and doesn't always achieve the hoped-for result. In an especially violent year, during which organised crime was responsible for 25 bloody episodes in Malaga province, the police unit to combat it, Udyco-Costa del Sol, has made a record number of arrests and seized record quantities of drugs: more than 500 people have been detained, all related in one way or another with drug trafficking, and twice the amount of drugs have been confiscated compared with last year.

Chief Inspector Antonio Rodriguez Puertas, the head of the Unit against Drugs and Organised Crime in Malaga province, says it has been a difficult year. "There have been numerous revenge attacks, but it has been a spectacular year in terms of results and police efficiency, the best in a long time. There has been a great deal of work behind it," he says. The Chief Inspector has headed major National Police operations, some of them jointly with the Guardia Civil, such as the one which resulted in the discovery of 6,300 kilos of cocaine hidden in a cargo of bananas in a warehouse on an industrial estate in Malaga city.

The Udyco-Costa del Sol, which ended 2017 with 24,000 kilos of drugs confiscated, have already seized more than 40,000 kilos this year, of which 30,000 were hashish, 10,000 cocaine and the rest marijuana (more than 11,000 plants), heroin and designer drugs. The other aspect of their work focuses on the line that keeps the drug traffickers afloat: their finances. Since January the police in Malaga have "seized, embargoed or uncovered" goods and money worth 100 million euros.

Gangs broken up

Police operations against drug trafficking and organised crime, like the one which discovered a group of Swedish hitmen who are accused of having carried out two murders on the Costa del Sol, have resulted this year in more than 500 arrests, another record figure. These arrests have enabled over 600 criminal gangs to be broken up, predominantly "Spanish, Moroccan, Dutch, British and French", although - and this is something new - also some from Scandinavian countries.

"We are finding more and more transnational organisations, with members from three or four different countries," says the Chief Inspector. Malaga province plays a strategic role on the map of organised crime: "About 33 per cent of all those investigated in Spain are in this province," he says.

He admits that although there have always been peaks of violent crime, this has been a "peculiar" year; for the first time, the security forces have had to deal with episodes of narco-terrorism after the explosion of two bombs in San Pedro Alcantara and Benahavis, and a third artefact which was detonated by the Tedax bomb disposal squad, also in Marbella.

"A lot of factors come into play," says Rodriguez Puertas. "Revenge attacks may be related to arrests, because the drug traffickers may think they were due to leaks or tip-offs. And if they have lost their haul, someone has to pay for that. It could be power struggles over territory, often occurring in their countries of origin, but the revenge attacks take place here, where they reside. Maybe also the pressure which is being put on, especially in the Campo de Gibraltar." But when asked what the key factor is, he doesn't hesitate: attempts by other dealers to steal the drugs.

"About 70 per cent of the revenge attacks this year were related in one way or another to thefts or non-payment," he says. He also has a message for those involved in drug trafficking: "We are working intensively and, sooner or later, every case will be resolved and those involved will go to prison. The Costa is not, and will not be, a nice place for these organisations to operate".
if the people of Biafra want Republic of Biafra, it will be a reality during my administration. ----Donald Trump Donald Trump I wi...
This novel tells the story of man still haunted by his time in a Japanese Prisoner of War camp. Flanagan brutally exposes the condition these soldiers faced, while exploring the rigid ideology of the Japanese soldiers. Flanagan tackles the horrors of war and its aftermath. We follow the trauma of doctor Dorrigo Evans, as well as the other prisoners forced to build the Thai-Burma railway, as he grapples with the conscience and guilt of the past. Be prepared, this is not a light read.The book that inspried the award-winning television series, Killing Eve, should definitely be on your list. This is the first in a two-book series and will give you that extra bit of Villanelle we are all craving. Jennings brilliantly narrates the story of Villanelle, a young assasin who becomes obsessed with Eve Polastri, the MI5 agent who is hunting her down.

Described by The Metro as "gloriously exciting", this is a book you do not want to miss off your list. Once you've finished this one, move onto the second installment No Tomorrow.

First published in 1938, Rebecca tells the story of a young bride haunted by her husband's dead wife. After moving into Manderley, the young woman becomes increasingly haunted by the presence of the former spouse, Rebecca.

The novel was adpated into an Academy-Award winning film in 1940, directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Image Credit: Wikipedia

The unnamed narrator becomes more and more frustrated as she feels she cannot live up to this remarkable woman who her husband seemed to cherish. However, as the novel draws on it becomes apparent that Manderley is full of mystery and lies; but will she want to find out the truth?The former First Lady's autobiography has been long awaited and is sure not to disappoint. Enter into the life of the one of the most famous families in the world. Michelle Obama has become one of the most influential women of our age, with some people calling for her to run for president herself. Obama takes us back to her childhood and tells the story of what made her the woman she is today.This book is very relevant to our current climate. Although it has been forced out of the news by other issues such as Brexit (ugh), the refugee crisis is still happening and everyday there are people trying to reach safety. Here, Hamid, a Pakistani noevlist, presents us with a world very similar to this, except doors are appearing around the world, providing asylum seekers with an escape. Through these ominous doors, Hamid relaly drives home the desepration of displaced peoples. We follow Nadia and Saeed as they flee their home through one of these doors. Hamid succesfully banishes the impersonal labelings of refugees as statistics.Winner of 'Waterstone's Best Book of the Year', author of Conversations with Friends, has pulled out all the stops for her second book. The Independent comments, "there's an effortlessness about Sally Rooney's writing, as if the stories simply pour through her like liquid gold"

Image Credit:Read Listen Watch

Rooney explores stories of young love and relationships in an excitingly refreshing way. With the Times calling it "the best novel published this year" , how could you not pick it up?It is becoming more and more apparent that Capitalism is not compatible with the planet and we must chnage our very society to ensure that we save our planet. In this incredibly important text, Klein analyses and exposes the real cause of climate change. To read more on this popular opinion read the National Student article ' A Consume Conspriacy? '.

Image Credit:Flickr

Klein wishes to educate people on the real facts and spark new ideas as well as protest against our government's neverending love of money over nature.It's time to tackle the huge novel that inspired the BBC series. Mantel brings Henry VIII's court to life through the infamous Thomas Cromwell and his strive for Protestantism in England. We follow Cromwell as he experiences heartbreak, trauma and fear of the unpredictable Tudor court. Mantel has been decribed by The Guardian as "our most brilliant English writer" , and this is a book you certainly don't want to miss out on.Kay's non-fiction reality reveals harrowing truths about the system that junior doctors find themsleves in post-graduation. Kay does not sugarcoat, but is brutally honest about the challenges he faced. This account is sure to leave an impression, for both doctors, students and adults alike. Set over 97 weeks, Kay reveals the all-consuming life that being a junior doctor is. The Financial Times calls it, "a heartening, laugh-out-loud confessional on the indignities and quiet joys of being a junior doctor. Kay's warts-and-all account will not only bring plenty of laughs but also delivers a moving report from the NHS's embattled frontline". Eddo-Lodge writes with honesty and simplicity as she highlights the issues that racism still poses in the UK. This book tackles the racism that has become in-built within our society and exposes it and all its ugliness.

Image Credit: feminopraxis.com

"When I talk about white privelege , I don't mean that white people have it easy, that they've never struggled, or that they've never lived in poverty. But white privelege is that fact that if you're white , your race will almost certainly positively impact your life's trajectory in some way. And you probably won't even notice it."- Why I'm No Longer Talking To White People About Race
The name of the play comes from a tradition practised in the Caribbean - the nine nights wake - that is an extended wake following the death of a loved one. In Nine Night we meet a second-generation Jamaican family on the evening of the death of the matriarch, Gloria. The loss of this important member of their family leads to a wake and mourning, where the split identity sense of belonging to two cultures is confronted.

Image courtesy of the National Theatre

The theme of the play is very much the complications of having two nationalities, being born and raised in the English society, but still wanting to honour your roots. Though this is a well written script that manages to tackle sorrow through humour, something is missing. There are a lot of interesting family stories introduced, but the audience is left hanging, lacking an explanation, or some kind of catharsis, as all these smaller stories are presented but then never followed up on.On this night the actor usually playing aunt Maggie, Cecilia Noble, was indisposed, and though the understudy, Jade Hackett, lifts the role and brings energy into it, she couldnt pass for a woman in her 70s. This was a shame, as it pulls you out of the story that both the actor playing Aunt Maggie and the character playing Uncle Vince were much younger than they were portraying. The staging is very naturalistic, and you really feel like you are in the house where these people grew up. The directing by Roy Alexander Weise is well done and serves to make everything believable, though at times the scene changes become drawn out. Nine Night is a play with many small scenes, and at times the scene changes take almost as much time as a scene, causing the play to lose some of its drive. The play is most certainly lifted as Trudy, Michelle Greenidge, comes on stage, her spark and energy invigorates the entire cast, and the role is so heart-warming and well-acted, that we get sucked back in. What is amazing about the play is how it brings another audience to the theatre, but a lot of the jokes seem tailor-made for a specific set of viewers and are lost on the majority of the non-Jamaican audience members, which is a shame as the glimpse into another culture is so interesting, and the themes relatable for a lot of people. But regardless, Natasha Gordons Nine Night is the first play by a black woman to be put on at the west end, and that is a mile stone.
The Perspective

Atlanta, Georgia

December 22, 2018

I

Perhaps the intellectual import of Afro-pessimism as a critical method in the evaluation of African nationalism obtains chiefly in its tendency to embody antithetic perspectives. On the one hand, black fundamentalists adopted the term as a way to acknowledge the power and vivacity of the pliability and radical imagination of Africans. Yet some proponents of Afro-pessimism have used it to articulate the subject-position of abandonment, abjection, distancing, dread, and doubt in response to the massive, unending consequences and historical upsets of colonialism. This includes the view that dismantling white supremacy would mean demolishing much of the social and political institutions of the modern world. Furthermore, in international relations, Afro-pessimism is a Western construct regarding the ongoing depiction of Africa and Africans in Western media in terms of extreme poverty and backwardness by reflecting Eurocentric images and rhetoric. As Noah Bassil noted in The Roots of Afropessimism: The British Invention of the Dark Continent, the media tend to use such rhetoric to victimize and exoticize Africa for its ongoing struggles with poverty and lack of modern development. The victimization is then visible in the humanitarian and development projects, which sometimes use the language of saving African people from such humanitarian disasters. I argue that, drawing from the Biafran quest for separate national entity from Nigeria as representative of the first example of Afro-pessimism stated above, the second version of Afro-pessimism which defends the merits of white supremacy can be a positive contraption atoning for its ugly past deeds if only it wouldnot merely establish humanitarian aids in Africa, but insteadsupport indigenous African nationhood, since the bane of African politics and economy is ethnic conflicts in the nation-states occasioned by colonialism.

II

Can anything good ever come out of Africa? This is a question which many, including Africans home and abroad, grapple with in their daily arguments over the state of affairs in Africa. But Africa is not a country. Despite the shared historical experience of its people, it is a vast continent with countries of diverse cultures and development index. Where I come from, Nigeria, for instance, Afro-pessimism permeates the sentiments of most middle and lower class citizens regarding a possible redemption of the country from the shackles of underdevelopment.



I have lived all the 29 years of my life so far in Nigeria, where I was born and raised. But I currently live in Germany, where I am a part of an editorial team creating an Oxford English-Igbo bilingual dictionary. Even before my first six months contract was extended by my employer in Germany, friends, and family in Nigeria and a few others in the West (but especially those in Nigeria) had insisted, advised, and begged that I should find a way to remain there (Germany) after the expiration of my contract. Find yourself a casual job, even if menial, one of them opined, instead of returning to Nigeria. This is apparently one of their subtle ways of expressing hopelessness in the Nigerian system. But I am not ignorant of the sources of their frustrations.



In early March, this year, I was introduced to Afro-pessimism by the keynote speaker at a conference on Urban Walking which I was attending at Friedrich-Schiller-University in the small German city of Jena. I had finished my presentation on negotiating cultural memory through urban noise in Teju Coles novel, Open City in which I, among other submissions, asserted that New York City today was built and developed by the ruins, blood, and sweat of the black slaves. I remember this because while he approached me after my presentation, the keynote speaker, David Kishik of Emerson College, Boston, Massachusetts, had emphasized the need for my theorizing on the concept of Blackness to consider a certain Afro-pessimist angle, that is, (and I suppose that was what he meant because our meeting was very short and interrupted by the conference proceedings) one that will take a nuanced and ambivalent position toward the subject and therefore strike a balance between emphasizing the historical trauma of slavery and colonialism and a critique of problems of contemporary African governance. Later I would find Manthia Diawaras In Search of Africa, Kwame Anthony Appiahs In My Fathers House, and Achille Mbembes On the Postcolony as critical testaments buttressing this perspective.



Before being prompted by Professor Kishik to take a critical stand on Afro-pessimism, my position had always been that it was a dormant discourse that is at best a consequence of Eurocentrism: that notion that Africans are incapable of self-rule and need to be saved from themselves, at least for the sake of humanity, read as the white mans burden. But while I dismissed such stance, which proceeds from an obvious invalidation of the historical relevance of the African experience, I am not unaware of the fact that apologists of organized violence against colonized societies such as the German philosopher Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, justify the state of things in Africa by totally berating the continent in the most callous terms.



If Hegels position was obsolete, so to say, since it was made at the beginning of the nineteenth century, today we can still find Western writers and journalists who make pessimistic comments concerning Africas future. (Wafula Okumo, in Afro-Pessimism and African Leadership(https://www.theperspective.org/afro_pessimism.html) reminds us that the futurist author, Paul Kennedy pronounced in 1983 that Africas future was extraordinarily gloomy; journalists such as Blaine Harden, in AfricaDispatches from a Fragile Continent, David Lamb, in The Africans, Keith Richburg, in Out of America, and Peter Marnham, in Dispatches from Africa, brazenly painted Africa in dreary terms: unbridled corruption, state brutality, severe underdevelopment and general desolation. Also Robert D. Kaplan, in The Coming Anarchy declared that Africa is at the edge of the abyss; and in its June 16, 1997 issue devoted to the theme, Africa is Dying, The New Republic contested that what is happening to Africa is nothing less than Africas exit from international society.)



However, even as some Africans have themselves become afro-pessimists in the above guise of thought, not all western observers of Africa have completely written it off as a hopeless case. Therefore, while Michael Chege, an African scholar at the Center for African Studies of the University of Florida had predicted that Africa is the only region in the world where poverty and political violence are likely to increase in the opening years of the twenty-first century, and as the likes of Jean-Francois Bayart (author of Criminalization of the State in Africa) and Patrick Chabal (author of Africa Works: Disorders as Politician Instrument) incessantly make reference to the distressed and dysfunctional state of affairs in Africa, the Western journalist, Blaine Harden, proposes that Africa could possibly be rescued under a special programme such as a Marshall Plan, through a scheme which critics such as Henry Hazlitt (in his book, Will Dollars Save the World?) and Ludwig von Mises, and which also the historical revisionist Walter LaFeber have largely and effortlessly proven to have had insignificant contributions in the economic recovery of Western Europe, and ultimately a scheme which is unacceptable to the proposal of this paper in relation to the African situation.

III

Outside the scope of academic theorizing, and especially in the new media world of contemporary art, photography and news reporting, Afro-pessimism is often blamed as the idea behind the performance of Africa to the world in the form of what has come to be known as poverty-porn. Many African scholars have condemned the lackluster and monotonous representation of African realities in the media and art, especially by the West and a few other African writers.



Africa has very serious leadership problems, which have over time culminated in rendering it impoverished and underdeveloped. As Teju Cole would say, Lagos is shit: people really suffer, so we are not going to paint a picture that makes it look rosy. But, on the other hand, when you acknowledge that Lagos is shit but its our Lagos, and we take care of each other a little bit, thats also largely a relief. Then he added, If you do something that has many layers and some people just have a tag-line to describe it, then they are not talking about you. They are talking about themselves. The story of Africa has many layers and it will be quite preposterous for one to reduce a whole continent to an obscure entity. I agree with Teju Cole that such accounts of Africa are grossly uninformed and unbalanced, and seem to say something about the gratuitous feeling which Frank B Wilderson says accompanies the violence against the Black race, whose only request from humanity is for recognition and incorporation.



The ambivalence of Afro-pessimism, even without its theorizing aspects, does not condone undue sentimentalism. Providing only a positive image of Africa to the world is not the forte of academics and leaders of thought. Such is rather the calling of advertising agencies. The role of intellectuals in this area is instead to fashion out a different environment where discourse on Africa devoid of representational prejudice would thrive. This will therefore require a redefinition of the African epistemology on Afro-pessimism in order to fashion out one that will, according to Enwezor Okwui, be premised on the recognition of the complexity of each situation, seeing and writing about what is at hand in any given context as part of a larger world and not merely as a series of disjointed, fragmentary narratives.



There is a need, therefore, for us to move away, as proposed by Mohammed Ibrahim in a 2015 interview with France 24, from Afro-pessimism and Afro-optimismboth which are a general branding of Africa sometimes as a basket case and other times as the new frontier of economic developmentto Afro-realism: the need to look at what is going on, the realities on ground. Ibrahim pointed out how much a misnomer it is to stick one label to a continent of 54 countries, noting that countries such as Mauritius, Namibia, Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and some other African countries are moving forward. But he did not hesitate to also mention the systemic failure in other African countries such as South Sudan, Libya, and Nigeria.



Mohammed Ibrahims realistic view of Africa comes with one suggestion for an easier management and administration of African countries: a more homogenous population in order to make governance easy, as in the case of Namibia, since this will ensure a relaxation of political tensions that are usually fuelled by religious and ethnic diversity and competition. I argue that Nigerias large population and diversity, going by this index, does not contribute positively to its governance and development.

IV

In the spirit of specificity, Nigerias national stories of debilitation can be addressed from the perspective of re-examination of its national foundation. So instead of propagating Afro-pessimism (the subject-position of abandonment, abjection, distancing, dread, and doubt in response to the massive, unending consequences and historical upsets of colonialism) or Afro-optimism (acknowledgement of the power and vivacity of the pliability and radical imagination of Nigerians without addressing fundamental national questions), we need a more viable middle ground, Afro-realism, one that will draw the above elements of Afro-optimism in order to take to task the reassessment of the factors that prompt its counterpartAfro-pessimism. Thus instead of providing Nigerians with humanitarian and development aids, (sometimes using the language of saving African people from humanitarian disastersfinancial aids, such as from World Bank and IMF, that African leaders end up looting, returning their nations developmental index to ground zero with an increase in poverty and national debts), the West can perhaps support indigenous African nationhood, since the bane of African politics and economy is ethnic and religious conflicts in the nation-states occasioned by colonialism. This instance of Afro-realism that aims to dismantle the colonial foundation of the Nigerian heterogeneous nationhood is exemplified in the Biafran struggle for a separate nation state in Nigeria.



In Think Again, Marina Ottaway argues, with very detailed and compelling points, that ethnic and cultural communities need to be recognized as independent nation states, with her research interest in politics of development centered in particular on Africa, the Balkans, and the Middle East. She identified the root cause of the underdevelopment of the many failed states in the Global South when she declared that Most of todays collapsed states, such as Somalia and Afghanistan, are a product of colonial nation building. The greater the difference between the pre-colonial political entities and what the colonial powers tried to impose, the higher the rate of failure (17). Sadly, this is the case with Nigeria.



Biafran nationalism is not going to be the first of its kind, as could be gleaned from the teachings of Marina Ottaway:

Nationalism gave rise to most European countries that exist today. The theory was that each nation, embodying a shared community of culture and blood, was entitled to its own state... This brand of nationalism led to the reunification of Italy in 1861 and Germany in 1871 and to the break-up of Austria-Hungary in 1918. This process of nation-building was successful where governments were relatively capable, where powerful states decided to make room for new entrants, and where the population of new states was not deeply divided. (17).



The Nigerian population today is deeply divided along ethnic lines. And this invariably results in its government (which is helplessly incapable of running a state) being ridiculously divisive in policy making and implementation.



Two means of nation-building, according to Ottaway, are through wars and intervention of the international community:

The most successful nations, including the United States and the countries of Europe, were built by war. These countries achieved statehood because they developed the administrative capacity to mobilize resources and to extract the revenue they needed to fight wars. Some countries have been created not by their own efforts but by the decisions made by the international community. The Balkans offer unfortunate examples of states cobbled together from pieces of defunct empires. Many African countries exist because colonial powers chose to grant them independence... Such countries have been called quasi-statesentities that exist legally because they are recognised internationally but that hardly function as states in practice because they do not have governments capable of controlling their territory. (18).



Nigeria is therefore a quasi-state. The Nigerian-Biafran civil war of 19671970 failed to determine what could have been an ideal Nigerian nation-state: one that could have existed as todays United Kingdom (with England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland as its independent ethnic nationalities) or as a confederal state (such as we have in Switzerland, Belgium, Canada, Serbia and Montenegro), or a dissolved state (such as the case with the former USSR, Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, and Sudan). Having lost the opportunity to create a viable nation-state through the war, Nigeria, with its fragile national unity that has never looked sustainable since after the civil war, had to rely on the other form of nation building which all colonised groups were bequeathed with. In fact, the fragile national unity of Nigeria is sustained by the hegemony of British colonialism. And many historians of the Biafran civil war have asserted that the Nigerian government received military assistance in crushing the Biafran rebellion. But there can hardly be a true peace among any group where justice is trampled on, for the pursuit of peace in the absence of justice will always end in wasting human lives to protect what must have been a fraudulent agreement.



Therefore, todays realities point to the fact that the British colonial design of a one Nigeria is a colossal failure. Afro-realists must look towards questioning that colonial foundation as the starting point of any feasible form of nation-building. Because the defeat in the war did not succeed in quenching the Igbo nationalism and quest for a separate ethnic nationality, neither was it capable of truly uniting Nigeria towards a common national consciousness and identity for growth and development.

V

It usually amuses me each time a young Nigerian argues that it is intellectual laziness to finger the British colonialism as the plague currently holding Nigeria down. I have always maintained that such dismissive point of view is an ignorant and shallow articulation of the nuances of the conundrum that is Nigeria because I see clearly how it fails to see the intellectual dishonesty and irresponsibility in its romantic, disoriented claims. For me, it is actually an exercise in intellectual laziness to outright dismiss the creation of Nigeria itself, the aims and objectives around it, by the British, as insignificant in the discourse of the trouble with present day Nigeria.

Nigeria is like a house with a very faulty foundation. It will never prosper. The founders of Nigeria (not Ahmadu Bello and Nnamdi Azikiwe or Obafemi Awolowo, please. We need to stop this game of historical ignorance and self-deceit.), the British colonial administrators, did not lay a very strong foundation with an enduring identity for what Nigeria is and for what it means to be a Nigerian. The early post-independence Nigerian leaders mentioned above, on the other hand, failed to go back to the historical and philosophical and even anthropological laboratory to draw up concrete and tenacious principles of what consists a Nigerian identity in order to solidify the faulty foundation they were already left with by the British. They failed to see the necessity tosince they decided to accept the new artificially contrived nation-state in the late 50sforge a binding force, a national ideal to live and die for, and a creed to abide by, for a strong cohesion capable of erasing doubts and suspicion among the ethnic groups, for an easy economic growth and development, peace and progress.



I may be too blunt in declaring that those who we refer to as the Nigerian founding fathers, mentioned above, were too laid back in profiling and redefining the young nation handed over to them (in the guise of "independence"), but I will unapologetically insist that the British colonial legacy of a one Nigeria is what is stagnating the country till today. So when I claim that colonialism is Nigeria's chief problem, and one mentions other colonized countries who are progressing today, I would like to invite them to desist from such intellectual laziness by going further in details to analyze the local peculiarities of the nations being compared.

Homogeneity will greatly favor many groups of people that make up Nigeria because it ensures reductionor even a gradual process that can lead to possible nonexistenceof ethno-religious conflicts and other generic clashes of interest. If this is not realizable as circumstances might show, only a return to regional government will salvage Nigeria today and set it up for a reversal of the British colonial fraudulent foundation it has inherited.



We will, therefore, continue looking forward to a day Nigeria will have, in large numbers, leaders who will be fed up with the cosmetic surgery that is the country's current administration. Leaders with vision, who will think long-term and therefore support and vote for a regional government. Until then, we can only just be MANAGING Nigeria.



The Afro-pessimists who seem to specialise in doling out financial aids to the corrupt Nigerian leaders and the Afro-optimists who still have faith in the Nigerian human capital should, if at all they are sincere enough, lend their voice in the call for a referendum to be recognized and held by the Nigerian government to enable the countrys different ethnic nationalities to determine whether to accept or opt out of the Nigerian project or remain a part of the union wielding a high level of regional autonomy.
The Perspective

Atlanta, Georgia

December 22, 2018

President George Manneh Weah

Editors Disclaimer: Some of the views expressed in this article cannot independently be verified by The Perspective, your premiere site for news and analysis on Liberia. So, the views expressed in the article are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Perspective.

Those who have been lavishing President Weah with awards and honorary degrees must have forgotten to award or name him as the Chief Priest / Chief Zoe of patent theft and plunder, taking into consideration the speed at which the president is acquiring massive private properties just in the space of 11months of his presidency. But we can understand that the givers of these awards are bereft of that sense of patriotism that devotes one to the welfare of the republic and its people. They do not experience the emotional pains that patriots feel whenever the collective aspiration, dignity, and culture of the people are being abused and exploited by serial rascals. Therefore, they have not only chosen the path of sycophancy but have also buried their heads in the sand like the proverbial ostrich, refusing to subject Weah and his handlers to objective evaluation or analysis. To these bootlickers, it is a taboo to tell George Weah, in the face, that a few years ago he lived on handouts from friends and Ellen Johnson Sirleaf; therefore, his overnight wealth must be scrutinized.



But as the fate of the Liberian society hangs in the balance due to the insurmountable slew of social contradictions being generated by the farce in the Weah-led government, the popular indignation of the people will not be consigned to obscurity as more and more of the masses are coming to the realization that the regime is a fetter on social progress. The loot, plunder, and profligacy of George Weah will not be hidden by these social parasites who rain praises and awards on the emerging despot in exchange for the tasteless morsels that fall from his table. Our optimism is that patriots will not sit with indifference while their homeland is plunged into the abyss by a legion of social riffraff whose obsession with political power was never foundation on the sense of public spiritedness and social transformation but rather the thirst for wealth and social status. As we always say the main objective of mans existence is to progress and improve the social environment of his offspring. And that man has adopted different means in different circumstances to resist individuals and outmoded institutions that come in the way of his quest to survive and progress.



Yes! George Manneh Weah is the newest chief priest of theft, plunder, loot, profligacy, and racketeering. We reject the cliche that he loves his country and has his people at heart. No man who loves his country and has his people at heart will assume the presidency and in less than a year acquire for himself a luxurious private jet, units of exotic mansions, a refurbished resort, hundreds acres of private land, etc. while his people are being crushed by the trilogy of illiteracy, poverty, and social backwardness. In the face of an economically deprived people, President Weah basks in the sordid pool of ill-gotten wealth from the resources of the country. In the face of the daunting challenges, the President is seen leading the nouveau caravan of social elites as they swim in the cesspool of opulence. This is the man who about a year ago could not afford to pay child support in the US. He lied to the court in the US that he made a little over USD 1000.00 as Senator of Montserrado and can only afford to pay US$150.00 monthly for childs support. Here we are in less than a year as President of an economically ravaged nation, he has transformed into one of the richest heads of state in the region. And he and his handlers think patriots will sit in the state of inertia and passivity? These ones must have no understanding of the struggle of man in the historical process of humanity!



A leader who has the blood of a patriot running through his veins will sacrifice and live like his people while they collectively search for the solutions to the many challenges that confront the society. A leader who is serious about social transformation will not exhibit an insatiable appetite for wealth while his people rot in the cage of poverty. A leader who has a sense of the historical trajectory and national consciousness will understand that leadership is about serving the people, firing their imagination, and moving with them to build a society for all and for the children of all. He will inform the people that great nations are built by great people and that the history of all social developments has been the history of the collective involvement of the people who show the leader the way and support such person to change the social situations. For President Weah, the situation is Robin Hood in reverse: stealing from his own people to fund his extravagant social taste while the country is at the brink of socioeconomic collapse. The following are just a few of the wealth President Weah has acquired in the space of eleven months as President of Liberia an obvious reason for which we see it prudent that he be named as the CHIEF PRIEST/CHIEF ZOE OF THEFT AND PLUNDER:

President Weah demolished and reconstructed his decrepit 9th Street Residence President Weahs 49 units of the apartment off the Roberstfield Highway opposite Baptist Seminary is now in their finishing touches President Weah has 26unit complexes behind the Baptist Seminary He refurbished his Jamaica Resort to an exotic level. Purchased 50 acres of land behind the Farmington Hotel at the cost of US$300k in cash President Weah is the owner of a private jet that is docked in Dakar, Senegal He has also purchased 15 acres of land in Marshall City for First Lady Clar Weah at the cost of L$ 15million in cash The President has purchased 15 acres of land in the VOA Community,

Brewerville at the cost of LS$8million in cash

The headquarters of the Clar Weah foundation is currently being constructed on the 15 acres of land in Marshall City. From Rehab Junction to the Rehab Residence of the President has been paved with asphalt pavement at the cost of more than US$90,000.00 President Weah has purchased almost all the properties around his Rehab Residence under the pretext of security implication. The road leading to the Presidents Jamaica Resort was paved with asphalt at the cost of more than US$ 300,000.00

This chief priest of theft and plunder is still upholding the insignia of property accumulation and the looting of funds from the national treasury. Progressively, the details will be unearthed and exposed to the public. This colossal and pervasive theft and plunder by President Weah will inevitably create in him the fear of being prosecuted and his wealth confiscated if the people democratically vote him out of power in 2023. Like Mobutu Sese of Congo, Sani Abacha of Nigeria, Museveni of Uganda, Ali Bongo of Gabon, Yaya Jammeh of Gambia, etc., George Weah will distort our democracy and hold the country hostage to hang on to power in gross violation of the popular democratic will of the masses of poor Liberians. Matters are coming to the head; the homeland lies in ruins and deep chaos. Anarchy is everywhere in the republic as the CDC-led government has frustrated the efforts of the people and thus created contradictions which have led to the illusions the people had in George Weah to fizzle away. All over there is a looming outcry as uncertainty looms over the country and the regime seems to be far removed from addressing the menaces it has created. These pandemics are generating a mood of anger and tension from below as the popular classes are getting into a revolutionary mood.

The abscess has swollen and a small pierce will make Monrovia erupt into flame, but the problem with the anger of the masses is that they want to hinge the rottenness of the Liberian republic on the plunder and corruption of Weah, although they are despicable, although Weah has shown that he is inherently corrupt. The issues of state failure, corruption, and social problem are not the creation of Weah, these are systemic menaces inherent in the decrepit neocolonial socio-economic system and all its superstructures. Apart from George Weah and his cabal derailing the remnants of little bourgeois decency of this decayed system, obviously, a Weah, Sirleaf or any other individual as president changes nothing and solves no problem as time in and out the social problems will recur and multiply because these are just cogs in the engine of a system which cannot deal with the question of social emancipation. Our struggle is to smash the system and create the path for genuine political independence and economic emancipation; a path that delivers a social system that works and provides prosperity for all instead of a handful of parasites. This is where the struggle of my generation lies! We either sit to watch the people perish or fight to rescue the homeland. We must choose the latter and resent the former!

Moses Uneh Yahmia is a 2018 graduate of the University of Liberia. He can be reached via moseswyalc@gmail.com
The Perspective

Atlanta, Georgia

December 22, 2018

Dr. Sakui Malakpah

Photo taken in Atlanta, GA

To some extent, people with disabilities (PWDs) throughout the world have made progress in various areas of human endeavor. This is partly because governments, some more than others, have striven to include PWDs in varied sectors of society. Such governments have done so by adopting laws and regulations, among other steps, to ensure the equality, human rights, and societal participation of PWDs. Despite such measures, the truth remains that PWDs face an uphill battle in their bid for equality and full societal inclusion. This struggle is especially onerous for PWDs in developing countries. In that light, the following article proposes a rating of African governments to determine where such governments stand in terms of establishing and/or enforcing laws and judicial mandates for the inclusion, education, employment, and full participation of PWDs. Bringing that thought back home, I wonder how Liberia would fare if the rating were done today. Before addressing that thought, its only fair to peruse the following proposal.



The exact number of people with disabilities in the world is not known but a study by the World Bank and the World Health Organization (WHO) finds that approximately fifteen percent of the worlds population comprises people with disabilities (Brown, 2011). This percentage increases in nations and communities, sometimes precipitously, due to a variety of factors, including inefficient or lack of assessment procedures, wars and political insurrections, natural disasters, motor vehicular, industrial, farming, and other accidents, environmental hazards, birth defects, as well as malnutrition, limited or lack of proper medical services and other corollaries of a nations low level of socio-economic development (Adera & Asimeng-Goahene, 2011; Malakpa, 2009).



Africa exemplifies the correlation between socio-economic development and the prevalence of disabling conditions. For instance, estimates for the number of people with disabilities in the continent range from twenty to forty percent of the population, including ten to fifteen percent of school-age children (Grol, 2000). At this writing, the population of Africa is approximately 1,300,976,080, about 16.64% of the worlds population (Retrieved Dec. 12, 2018, from www.worldometers.info/world-population/africa-population). Given that truism, and taking the forty percent estimate, it is reasonable to state that there are more than four hundred million people with disabilities in Africa although other estimates limit the number to eighty million (Retrieved Nov. 18, 2018, from https://borgenproject.org/disability-africa-increasing). Whether this number is put at eighty or more than four hundred million, it is indubitable that these are mind-boggling figures. Worse still, there is a consensus that the number continues to grow daily (Ibid).



The United Nations has taken various measures to address the plight of people with disabilities (PWDs). Beyond reiterating the rights of all peoples as espoused in the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, among other steps, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the World Program of Action Concerning Disabled Persons at its 37th regular session in 1982. The program was intended not only to prevent disabilities but also to promote the equality, social inclusion and full participation of persons with disabilities in all aspects of personal, social, cultural, and socio-economic development. The Program further emphasized that these concepts should apply with the same scope and urgency to all countries, regardless of their level of development (Chitereka, 2017, p.1). Following this program, the General Assembly declared the United Nations Decade of Disabled Persons (1983-1992) (Ibid).



Among the United Nations conventions and declarations for people with disabilities, by far, the most comprehensive is The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which was adopted on December 13, 2006, at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. It is considered the first comprehensive human rights treaty of the 21st century and is the first human rights convention to be open for signature by regional integration organizations. The convention requires states that ratify it to enact laws and other measures to improve the rights of people with disabilities (PWDs) and abolish legislation, customs, and practices that discriminate against persons with disabilities. Signing the convention obligates the signing party not to violate the object and purpose of the convention but that does not bind such a party to upholding the specific obligations of the CRPD. Parties are only so bound when they ratify the convention.



The Convention begins with a 25-point preamble which, among others, recalls, the principles proclaimed in the Charter of the United Nations which recognize the inherent dignity and worth and the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family as the foundation of freedom, justice, and peace in the world. It acknowledges previous UN human rights declarations and covenants. It emphasizes the indivisible human rights, independence, full societal participation, and unchecked inclusion of persons with disabilities in policy making (especially policies that affect them).



Beyond the preamble, the convention outlines 50 articles. Articles 1-32 point out the key issues of concern; these range from the purpose of the Convention to equal rights and opportunities as well as education, health, and equal justice. These articles also cover employment alongside full and non-discriminatory social, cultural, and political participation. Articles 33-50 focus on logistical issues--the establishment of a monitoring committee, the role of the committee, ratification, and subsequent obligation, reporting procedures, denunciation, and amendments

(Retrieved Dec. 16, 2018, from https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/convention-on-the).



Like the United Nations, African countries have taken steps toward addressing the plight of people with disabilities on the continent. Beyond accepting the tenants of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, every country in Africa has a law or policy in one form or another, emphasizing human rights. Furthermore, in response to the huge number of people with disabilities (PWDs) in Africa, many, if not most, countries on the continent have laws and regulations which underscore the rights of PWDs. In addition, in 1999, the Organization of African Unity (now the African Union), launched the African Decade of Persons with Disabilities (ADPD). This initiative was intended to raise awareness about disability issues in the region and to identify solutions tailored to the African experience that enhance full participation, equality, and empowerment of Africans with disability (Sik) (Retrieved Dec. 18, 2018, from www.comminit.com/global/content/african-decade-disabled-persons-addp). Instead of allowing this initiative to end in 2009, it was extended until 2019 by African Union ministers who met in Windhoek, Namibia, in October 2008 (ibid).



In addition to ADPD, almost every African country has signed or ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons With Disabilities, UNCRPD. Furthermore, leaders of the continent have met on this issue. This was in February 2014 when the first African Leaders Forum on Disability was held in Malawi. At the forum, the host president, Her Excellency, Joyce Banda, and other leaders trumpeted the rights of PWDs on the continent and challenged the stigmas and inequalities associated with disability. Ultimately, the goal was to achieve awareness to spark equality and empowerment for people with disabilities in Africa (Ibid). Former President Joyce Banda of Malawi led in this regard by example as she proved to be a champion for the rights of people with disabilities. In her first few weeks in office, she passed a landmark Disability Act, enshrining into law equal rights and inclusion policies for people with disabilities in Malawi and also ratifying the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2013 (retrieved Dec. 18, 2018, from https://www.unicef.org/malawi/protection_14341.html).



Apart from the Malawi Forum, countries in Africa are signatories to various regional and international conventions which recognize and insist on the rights, equality, and inclusion of PWDs on the continent and throughout the world. As stated supra, the most comprehensive of these conventions is The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.



The call for full inclusion and equal participation of PWDs in Africa includes the voices of academics, religious and civil society organizations, institutions as well as local and international nongovernmental organizations, NGOs. This clamor includes the bold and vociferous voices of people with disabilities either as individuals or organizations. Despite this concerted effort and in spite of national, regional, and international laws and convention emphasizing the inalienable human rights of people with disabilities, PWDs in Africa continue to be stigmatized, excluded, treated contemptuously, abused, and denied basic human and other rights. Chitereka (2017) cites sources showing that PWDs have been treated like outcasts for over 100 years and that only out of sympathy and pity have they received attention, if at all. Malakpa (2009) argues that they have been pushed into deplorable conditions where, as social welfare cases, they are neglected and forced to remain in isolation where their interests must wait until all other sectors of the society and economy are comfortably in placean unachievable feat. Disability Africa points out that people with disabilities in Africa are being left behind. They are isolated, deprived of healthcare and education; they are at risk of abuse (Retrieved Nov. 19, 2018, from https://www.disability-africa.org). Similarly, Disabled World News maintains that The vast majority of Africans with disabilities are excluded from schools and opportunities to work, virtually guaranteeing that they will live out their lives as the poorest of the poor. School enrollment for the disabled is estimated at no more than 5-10 percent, [but as low as 1-3% in some areas]. For many, begging becomes a sole means of survival (Retrieved Nov. 19, 2018, from www.disabled-world.com/news/Africa).



The preceding delineation of the plight of people with disabilities in Africa is presented deliberately in broad terms but there is a plethora of specific country examples. The situation is particularly horrible for girls and women who, in many places, are doubly stigmatized, isolated, or marginalized on the basis of gender and disability. Likewise, rural dwellers with disabilities are doubly marginalized. Furthermore, as reported by Human Rights Watch, the plight of people with disabilities is particularly horrific in areas of wars and insurrections (Retrieved Nov. 19, 2018, from www.who.int/disabilities/world_report/2011/en). On a global basis, the first joint report on disability by the World Health Organization and the World Bank suggests that more than a billion people in the world today experience disability. The report adds further that, People with disabilities have generally poorer health, lower education achievements, fewer economic opportunities and higher rates of poverty than people without disabilities. This is largely due to the lack of services available to them and the many obstacles they face in their everyday lives (Retrieved Dec. 19, 2018, from .who.int/disabilities/world_report/2011/en). In light of this report, both the World Health Organization and the World Bank are urging governments of nations around the world to increase their efforts to enable access to mainstream services, as well as to invest in specialized programs in order to unlock the incredible potentials of People with Disabilities (ibid). It is regrettable however that the number of countries with adequate mechanisms in place to respond to the needs of People With Disabilities are few in number (Sik) (Ibid). Thus, the joint report of the WHO and the World Bank provides the best available evidence about what works to overcome barriers to health care, rehabilitation, education, employment, and support services, and to create the environments which will enable people with disabilities to flourish (Ibid).



Doubtless, various African countries are striving strenuously to provide for, and include people with disabilities. A number of countries, including South Africa, have strict disability laws as well as university departments, even entire colleges focusing on disability studies. In general, however, it behooves Africa to follow and even exceed the recommendations advanced by the WHO and World Bank. This is because the equality, inclusion, and full societal participation of people with disabilities are matters of human rights, not issues of social welfare or humanitarianism. Failure to do so is to ignore and violate local, regional, and international laws and conventions already recognized by African countries. Besides, there is ample evidence showing the personal, community, and national socio-economic benefits of educating, training, and employing people with disabilities. It is therefore importantindeed actively impellingthat these people be educated, trained and reintegrated into society as employed taxpayers. Otherwise, not only will their human rights be denied but in addition, they will be forced to depend on the employed few thereby exacerbating poverty and its corollaries.



In advocating for the inclusion of PWDs at all levels in Africa, it is realized that the continent has some of the poorest nations in the world. However, this truism need not be an excuse for neglecting people with disabilities. Where there is political will, adjustments, adaptations, modifications, and improvisations can be made to meet the human, social, cultural, educational, and employment needs of people with disabilities in Africa. Stated differently, providing for people with disabilities in Africa, as anywhere else, is a governance issue.



In line with the notion of proper governance in Africa, the African Exponent published a Mo Ibrahim Foundations ranking of worst governments in Africa. Along those lines, it is recommended herein that the Foundation consider rating African countries in terms of the manner and extent to which they emphasize the rights and equality of people with disabilities and include same in all aspects of social, political, academic, and employment endeavors. While inevitably countries will fall to the bottom of this rating, the purpose of the rating ought not be to name and shame countries; instead, the thrust ought to be toward to name and fame nations who are striving seriously and sincerely to underscore the equality and rights of people with disabilities in Africa and ensure that such people are included at all levels.



In conclusion, in general, it is easy for government officials and others in society to ignore or sweep under the rug, issues regarding people with disabilities. This is unfortunate because such people know not their future. As has been said often, An able-bodied person is one who is not disabled YET. Likewise, decades ago, Dajani, a Jordanian writer laid out the criteria for a nations civilization or level of development. He wrote:



The criterion for civilization in any nation is its (the nation's) standard of social services. We know of communities where the old and the weaklings are either put to death or left to die in isolation because the community cannot afford to keep them. Social consciousness in a community is reached when individuals or groups feel a responsibility toward the old, the weak and the handicapped. Social consciousness goes beyond a feeling of responsibility. It drives those individuals and groups to institute ways and means of relieving the handicapped and helping them to live happily and contentedly in an environment in which an individual could utilize, to the utmost, his natural abilities in the belief, that self-help is the best help (Sik) (Dajani, 1952, p. 1).

References

Adera, B. & Asimeng-Goahene, L. (2011). The perils and promises of inclusive education in Ghana. Journal of International Association of Special Education, 12(1), 28-32.

Brown, D. (2011). Report: 15 percent of world population has a disability. The Washington Post (June 9, 2011). Retrieved April 27, 2013 from www.washington post .com /percentworld-populationdisabled//AGZc

Chitereka, C. (2017). People with disabilities and the role of social workers in Lesotho. Social Work & Society, 15(2), 

Dajani, S.T. (1952). The blind in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. International Journal for the Education of the Blind, 1(4), 104-105.

Grol, C. E. J. (2000). The education of pupils with special educational needs in Africa looked at within the African context (Presented at ISEC 2000). (Retrieved Nov. 21, 2005 from www.isec2000.org.uk/abstracts/papers_g/grol_1.htm. 2005.

Malakpa, S. W. G. (2009). Planning and implementing policies for special education and rehabilitation services in sub-Saharan Africa: Problems and suggestions. Journal of the International Association of Special Education, 10(1), 65-70.



About The Author: Dr. Sakui Malakpa hails from Wozi, Lofa County, Liberia. He is totally blind. He lost his sight at an early age but because someone opened doors for him, he is a tenured professor at the University of Toledo in Ohio, regrettably, not Liberia. He can be reached at smalakpa@hotmail.com.


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NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES

THUNDER BAY, Ontario, Dec. 21, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MEXICAN GOLD CORP. (TSX-V: MEX; OTCQB: MEXGF; FRA: 4QW1) ("Mexican Gold" or the "Company") is pleased to provide an update on the second tranche of the previously announced non-brokered private placement of units in the Company (Units) at $0.20 per Unit for gross proceeds of up to $3,000,000, subject to the Companys option to increase the size of the private placement by 25% (the "Private Placement") (see October 22, 2018, November 1, 2018 and November 22, 2019 news releases of the Company).

Each Unit offered under the Private Placement consists of one common share of the Company (a Common Share) and one Common Share purchase warrant (each whole warrant, a "Warrant"). Each Warrant is exercisable into a Common Share at the price of $0.30 per Common Share for a period of thirty-six months, subject to the Companys option to accelerate the expiry date of the Warrants on notice to the holders of the Warrants, if at any time after four months and one day from the closing date of the Private Placement, the closing price of its Common Shares on a stock exchange in Canada is greater than $0.45 per Common Share for a period of 20 consecutive trading days.

The Company has closed the first tranche of the Private Placement for gross proceeds of $2,063,000 on November 22, 2018 and is aiming to close the second tranche of the Private Placement in the first weeks of January 2019.

The net proceeds from the Private Placement will be used to continue exploration on the Companys Las Minas project located in the State of Veracruz, Mexico, to make the final property payment (done), and for general working capital purposes.

Securities issued pursuant to the Private Placement will be subject to a four month and one day statutory hold period. As at the date hereof there is no material fact or material change related to the Company that has not been generally disclosed. The Private Placement is subject to the final approval of the TSX Venture Exchange.

About Mexican Gold Corp.

Mexican Gold Corp. is a Canadian based mineral exploration company committed to building long-term value through ongoing discoveries and strategic acquisitions of prospective precious metals and copper deposits in North America. Mexican Gold is exploring the Las Minas Project, which is located in the core of the Las Minas mining district in Veracruz State, Mexico, and is host to one of the newest, under-explored skarn systems known in Mexico.

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E-mail: info@mexicangold.ca

Website at www.mexicangold.ca

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION: This news release includes certain information that may constitute "forward-looking information" under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information can often, but not always, 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 the Company, and the Company provides no assurance that actual results will meet managements expectations. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, statements about the closing of the Private Placement, the future exploration results relating to the Las Minas project, and exploration plans for the Las Minas project and the exploration potential of the Las Minas project. Forward-looking information is necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including the risks identified in the Company's disclosure documents. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. All forward-looking information contained in this press release is given as of the date hereof and is based upon the opinions and estimates of management and information available to management as at the date hereof. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

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Titusville High Schools Student Senate and FCCLA (Family Career Community Leaders of America) collected items, placed them in care bags and delivered them on Friday to the Venango and Crawford County Children and Youth Services. The bags will then be given to foster children. Those involved in the collection include (first row, from left), Brooklyn Wakefield, Abrianna Sampson, Aryana McCarl, Brooke Wagner, Darcy Christy and Abby Lesko; (second row, same order), MacKenna Marvin, Jack Necessary, Gavin Drusko, Sophia McGill, Raquel McFarland, Uriah Sampson and Frank Kasper, associate director of Crawford County Youth Services.
By Trend

Low cost airline of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) FlyDubai will launch flights to Uzbekistan soon, according to State Inspectorate for Supervision of Aviation Safety of Uzbekistan.

The relevant agreements were reached during the talks held in the UAE between representatives of the State Inspectorate for Supervision of Aviation Safety and aviation authorities of Dubai, Trend reports citing Podrobno.uz.

FlyDubai will replace Emirates Airline in performing Dubai-Tashkent flight. The company will perform flights to Uzbekistan five times a week, with the possibility of adding two more flights per week in the summer of 2019.

Flydubai is a government-owned low-cost airline with its head office and flight operations in Terminal 2 of Dubai International Airport.

The airline operates a total of 95 destinations, serving the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Europe from Dubai.
Zain Bahrain, a leading telecom services provider in the kingdom, is celebrating its 15th anniversary in style with exclusive offers for both its new and existing customers.

The telecom company has lined up an exciting range of product promotions and offers to all Zain existing and new customers under the number 15.

All Zain customers will have the opportunity to win valuable prizes through Scratch & Win when using Zain Bahrain app, each customer can win one gift without transactions made.

Continuing with the 15th anniversary offers, Zain Bahrain will offer all their prepaid customers an additional 15 per cent recharge credit when recharging through Zain App or Zain website.

While all new prepaid and postpaid subscribers will receive extra data up to 15Gbs, Zain Bahrain new broadband customers can also benefit from extra data up to 150GBs.

Commenting on Zains Bahrain 15th anniversary, General Manager Mohammed Zainalabedin said: "This is a significant year for all of us as it serves to recognize the enormous progress and success Zain Bahrain has made over the past 15 years."

"And on this day; I would like to thank and acknowledge every member of Zain Bahrain family for their dedication and hard work, and all Zain customers; they have been the key drivers for Zain Bahrain success," he stated.

"The special offers, are our way of celebrating Zain Bahrain successful 15th anniversary with our customers and recognizing their loyalty and support," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
03 Dec 2021 | 1:03 AM

Chandigarh, Dec 2 (UNI) Haryana Tourism and Education Minister Kanwar Pal said that once again the teachings of the holy Gita will reverberate throughout the world from the holy land of Haryana, Dharmakshetra-Kurukshetra.

The essence of the whole world is contained in this message itself and to take these holy teachings to the whole world, global Gita lessons are being organized during the International Gita Mahotsav, the Minister said after inaugurating the Shilp and Saras Mela of International Gita Mahotsava 2021 on the holy banks of Brahmasarovar on Thursday.

Earlier, the Shilp and Saras Mela of International Gita Mahotsava 2021 began with the chanting of 21 Brahmins and the melodious echo of the conch shell.
Meghalaya records 24 new COVID-19 cases, one death 02 Dec 2021 | 9:58 PM Shillong, Dec 2 (UNI) Meghalaya registered 24 new Covid-19 positive cases, which added up to 296 active cases and one death due to the viral infection in the East Khasi Hills, which increased the number of fatalities to 1474, besides 25 more cases of recovery, which surged the number of recovered cases to 82764 on Thursday, health officials said. see more..

Soldier died on duty at LoC buried with full state honours in Meghalaya 02 Dec 2021 | 9:55 PM Shillong, Dec 2 (UNI) Havildar Hempiar R. Marak, 45, who died while on duty along the Line of

Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir, was buried with full state honours at his native Salpara

village in Meghalaya's North Garo Hills district, on Thursday. see more..

Officials downplay controversy over stopping of Minister's car in Assembly premises 02 Dec 2021 | 9:53 PM Patna, Nov 2 (UNI) Senior officials tried to downplay the incident of stopping of car of Labour Resources Minister Jeevesh Mishra in Assembly premises today to give an easy passage to

carcade of DM and SSP of Patna

Soon after the incident, Mr Mishra had raised the issue in House where Speaker assured him

to look into the matter. Opposition members also supported the Minister and created ruckus

forcing Speaker Vijay Kumar Sinha to adjourn the House for about 15 minutes in pre-lunch sitting. see more..

Meghalaya HC asks State government not to regulate entry of Indian citizens 02 Dec 2021 | 9:50 PM Shillong, Dec 2 (UNI) A division bench of Meghalaya High Court on Thursday have observed that

the State government order regulating the entry of Indian citizens may not be exercised. see more..
New Delhi, Dec 17 (UNI) Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Monday extended support to Maldives efforts

and to work in close alignment with their identified priorities, saying 'India always stands ready to assist the

Republic of Maldives in all areas of cooperation'.



Noting that the security of India and Maldives is 'inter-dependent', Mr Naidu said that defence cooperation

between the two countries was one of the important foundations of our close relationship. Considering

the strategic location of the two Indian Ocean neighbours, he said 'we need to be sensitive to each

others security concerns. India is ready to fulfill the defence requirements of your country including

equipment sourcing, training and capacity building."

Interacting with Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih at Rashtrapati Bhawan here, he

referred to the slew of agreements/MoUs including Visa Facilitation Agreement signed by both countries

and expressed confidence that this will further enhance people-to-people contact.

The Vice President said that for years both our countries have worked together closely in a spirit of friendship

with mutual beneficial cooperation. 'We need to ensure that this special relationship remains strong as ever,'

he added.

India in the last few decades had made great strides in its socio-economic development and was happy

to share its knowledge and abilities with close friends like Maldives. 'I am glad to share that we have signed

several agreements in the field of health, education and agriculture,' he added.

In his view, focusing on people-centric development aimed at transforming the lives of the people

of Maldives was a noble mission.



Terming the Maldives leader's visit to India -- his first abroad -- as a 'great honour for us', Mr

Naidu said 'We were delighted that Prime Minister Modi visited Maldives to attend your swearing-in

ceremony and this demonstrates the importance we attach to our relationship with Maldives,' he said.

UNI SD ADG 1935
Editor's note: 2018 was an incredible year for UTSA students, faculty, staff and alumni. It was a year of intense momentum as the university moved forward to become a model for student success, a great research university, and an exemplar for strategic growth and innovative excellence.

Join us as we look back at the top ten news stories of 2018, and experience our biggest accomplishments once again. These stories set a rapid pace of accomplishments going into 2019 and our 50th Anniversary celebration. Here's number nine.

(Dec.22, 2018) -- On Monday, The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) will open a new Dreamers Center to provide support to the universitys DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) recipients and other undocumented students. The center represents a physical expansion of the Dreamers Resource Center website that launched last September, soon after the Trump administration announced its decision to end DACA.

Given recent indications that DACA may not be resuscitated by Congress, its imperative we escalate the support we offer our Dreamers, said President Taylor Eighmy. We must do everything we can to ensure they have the right resources and information in the months to come.

Originally scheduled to open in early February, Eighmy made the decision to accelerate the centers launch in order to fast-track service delivery. The status of DACA students remains uncertain as negotiations regarding the programs future continue in Congress.

The university is currently searching for a permanent, full-time Dreamers Center Program Manager to coordinate services, programming and community partnerships. Until that position is filled, Courtney Balderas-Jacob, UTSA assistant director for international student services, will serve as the centers interim program manager.

Courtney has been involved from the very beginning in our work to establish the Dreamers Center, said Elvira Jacquez, assistant vice president for strategic initiatives. She is a great resource for students seeking referrals and legal assistance, and I know she will do a wonderful job with getting the center up and running. Providing our students with timely, accurate information is the most important thing we can do in our current climate.

The Dreamers Center will assist undocumented UTSA students with services ranging from legal to financial to emotional. One of the centers first projects will be to establish a formal agreement with the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services (RAICES), a local nonprofit that collaborated with UTSA last fall to offer DACA-renewal workshops.

In addition to legal referrals, the center will provide students with referrals and information regarding counseling services, peer mentoring and funding opportunities, as well as educational programming for students, faculty and staff.

The centers program manager will also work with designated UTSA faculty and staff in departments and offices throughout campus, cultivating a campus-wide referral network for Dreamers.

UTSAs Dreamers Center will be located in the UTSA Student Union within the Student Center for Community Engagement and Inclusion (UC 2.01.04). Inquiries and appointment requests can be made by calling (210) 458-7777 or emailing dreamers@utsa.edu.

The Dreamers Center will hold an open house for the UTSA community on Monday, January 22 from 10-11 a.m.
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.
Opinion

The new red lines on Russias western frontier

The Russia-Ukraine standoff is not exactly between the two countries, but it is one between Russia and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) led by the United States. It is an echo of the old Cold War between the then two superpowers, America, and
Benton police identify vehicle owner after seeking the public's help




China News on Women





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Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-20 02:59:32|Editor: yan

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TEHRAN, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- Washington cannot dictate its policies on regional countries for their relations with Iran, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Wednesday.

Rouhani made the remarks at Tehran's Mehrabad International Airport before leaving for Turkey on Wednesday.

Rouhani said the United States has no longer any influence on relations between countries in the region, and it will no longer be able to dictate its policies to regional states, Press TV reported.

Rouhani left Tehran for Ankara for an official two-day visit at the invitation of his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Rouhani will co-chair the fifth Turkey-Iran High Level Cooperation Council meeting in Ankara.

He also hailed what he called Turkey's "firm" stance on unilateral U.S. sanctions against the Islamic republic.

Ties of Turkey, as friendly key regional player, are of high significance to Iran, he stressed.
Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (L) and Iran's President Hassan Rouhani (R) review a guard of honour during an official welcoming ceremony ahead of their meeting at the Turkish presidential complex in Ankara on December 20, 2018. (AFP photo)

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.
File Photo: People evacuated from Idlib arrive at the Jibreen temporary shelter, south of Aleppo, Syria, on Dec. 19, 2016. (Xinhua/Yang Zhen)

UNITED NATIONS, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- Efforts should be made to advance the political process in Syria against the backdrop of new momentum for a political settlement and relative tranquility, a Chinese envoy said here on Thursday.

Recent developments have resulted in new positive momentum for a political settlement and the security situation in the country is generally stable, said Wu Haitao, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations.

A window of opportunity for a political settlement has appeared, Wu told the Security Council.

Against this background, the international community should stay committed to the diplomatic efforts and support the role of the United Nations as the main channel of mediation, he said.

The United Nations should strengthen communication and coordination with the Syrian government to work for progress regarding the formation of the constitutional committee in a bid to launch a sustainable and effective political process, he said.

Wu said the world body should continue to enhance its mediation efforts, and that members of the Security Council should maintain unity and speak with one voice so as to create conditions for a political settlement.

He stressed the need to facilitate the continued improvement of the security situation.

Wu asked the international community to maintain the Idlib cease-fire, strengthen counter-terror cooperation, unify standards and combat all terrorist organizations listed by the Security Council to prevent terrorist groups from a comeback that would undermine the hard-won improvement of the security situation.

Parties in Syria should be urged to work toward the same goal and meet one another halfway, he said. Outside parties should act on the basis of respect for Syria's sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity and in accordance with the Syrian-owned, Syrian-led principle, and facilitate the Syrian parties to find a solution that is acceptable to all through an inclusive process, he said.

China has always been committed to a political solution in Syria, and stands ready to work with the international community to play a positive and constructive role in advancing the political settlement, Wu said.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-22 02:00:36|Editor: yan

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ATHENS, Dec. 21 (Xinhua) -- Greece and the European Union are standing by the refugees, trying to ease their pain until they return to their homeland, Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos told a group of unaccompanied refugee minors on Friday.

"I want to reassure you that until these tragic conditions that made you leave your country and your families end, Greece and the Greek society will embrace you with warmth and consider you its own children," Pavlopoulos said at the Greek parliament, welcoming the children with other Greek officials and European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management Christos Stylianides.

"Do not judge the history and Europe's culture by the leaderships of EU state-members that have fallen short of the circumstances... Judge Europe and the EU through Greece, and be sure that each Greek and every true European sympathizes with your tragedy and also stands by you to share your pain, but most of all to ease as much as possible its repercussions," said the Greek leader, according to an e-mailed press statement.

At the end of November this year, there were 3,786 unaccompanied children registered in Greece, according to the latest official statistics released by the National Center of Social Solidarity. The number includes 301 minors who were escorted by adults who were not their legal guardians, therefore separated from their families.

Data from the EU and United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) showed that 94 percent of these unaccompanied minors were male and the 9 percent were below the age of 14.

Thirty-two percent of this group of refugees and migrants were from Afghanistan, 30 percent from Pakistan and 12 percent from Syria.

Despite significant progress in the past three years since the mass influx of refugees and migrants, Greek authorities acknowledge that there are still shortcomings in the accommodation of people in need, including minors.

Over one million people landed on Greek shores since 2015 and most continued their journey to other European countries. After the closure of borders along the Balkan corridor some 60,000 refugees and migrants have been stranded in Greece. Most have submitted bids for asylum.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-22 02:35:50|Editor: yan

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TEHRAN, Dec. 21 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) will continue missile tests and will do relevant researches more actively than before in defiance of the U.S. pressure and sanctions, a senior IRGC commander was quoted as saying by Press TV on Friday.

Conducting researches on military equipment and missiles is a permanent job of the IRGC, said Ali Fadavi, the IRGC deputy commander for coordination.

He pointed to the U.S. pressure and sanctions on the Islamic republic, and said the sanctions are always opportunities for Iran, as they create conditions for the country to rely on its own capabilities.

"The harsher the sanctions get, the more defensive capabilities Iran will achieve," he added.

Fadavi's remarks came a few weeks after the latest ballistic missile test by the Iranian armed forces, which was criticized by the U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-22 04:26:20|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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Romanian President Klaus Iohannis shakes hands with visiting Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz (L) at the Cotroceni Presidential Palace in Bucharest, capital of Romania, Dec. 21, 2018. Romanian President Klaus Iohannis on Friday reiterated the desire to conclude the Brexit process in an orderly manner during his country's presidency. Romania is taking over the Presidency of the EU Council from Austria from Jan. 1, 2019. (Xinhua/Cristian Cristel)

BUCHAREST, Dec. 21 (Xinhua) -- Romanian President Klaus Iohannis on Friday reiterated the desire to conclude the Brexit process in an orderly manner during his country's presidency.

"The withdrawal agreement agreed on a political level by the European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom (UK) remains the most efficient instrument for limiting the negative consequences of Brexit and for ensuring the legal certainty for the citizens and the business environment, and the conclusion will allow building a future ambitious partnership between the UK and EU," Iohannis told a joint press conference with visiting Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz.

Romania is taking over the Presidency of the EU Council from Austria from Jan. 1, 2019.

Iohannis underscored the very good institutional coordination and the support offered by Austria for achieving an efficient transition to the EU Council Presidency.

"I hailed the results the Austrian colleagues have managed to obtain in a series of important files for the entire Union," said the Romanian head of state, assuring of Romania's entire openness and commitment to continue these efforts at European level.

The talks between Iohannis and Kurz also focused on other priority topics on the European agenda, such as the post-2020 future EU budget.

"Looking towards the future, we agreed that the new 2021-2027 multiannual financial framework represents an opportunity to support the advancement of European policies by setting a balanced and fair EU budget after 2020...We have discussed the need for security of the European citizens and for a proper response to the migration crisis," he added.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-22 04:26:21|Editor: Chengcheng

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ANKARA, Dec. 21 (Xinhua) -- Turkey on Friday welcomed a decision of United States for pullout of all its troops from Syria and declared that it postponed an already announced operation into the east of Euphrates River in the war-torn country.

Moreover, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced a recent deal with his U.S. counterpart for eliminating residues of the Islamic State (IS) in Syria by the Turkish army.

"We welcome the U.S. decision of withdrawal from Syria. We must coordinate the pullout with the U.S., there should not be vacuum. From now on we should focus on political solution," Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told reporters in Malta.

U.S. President Donald Trump suggested on Wednesday in a tweet about imminent U.S. troop withdrawal from Syria as he claimed that the IS has been defeated.

Erdogan revealed Friday that Trump had asked him if the Turkish army would be able to eliminate remaining IS fighters in Syria in the case that U.S. pulls its troops out of the country.

The Turkish president was referring to his phone conversation with Trump on Dec. 14 when the U.S. president reportedly made his final decision for withdrawal from Syria.

Erdogan on Friday said he told Trump Turkey's readiness and determination to get rid of "any kind of terrorists that would pose a threat against its border."

Citing an anonymous Turkish official who is familiar with the phone conversation, daily Hurriyet reported on Friday that Erdogan reminded Trump that the Turkish army has "cleared" 4,000 IS members in Syria and stressed the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) was not "genuine" in the fight against the jihadist groups.

The U.S. president agreed and ordered his National Security Adviser John Bolton to "start the work" for pullout from Syria even when Erdogan was still on the phone, according to the daily.

The phone conversation was only two days after Erdogan declared that Turkey would launch a military operation in the east of Euphrates River in Syria.

Turkey declared its plans for "clearing" the YPG group in the east of Euphrates, which the U.S. has been backing and arming for fighting against the IS in Syria.

But on Friday, Erdogan announced Turkey postponed its military campaign into Syria after the phone conversation with Trump.

"Our phone call with President Trump, along with contacts between our diplomats and security officials and statements by the United States, have led us to wait a little longer. Obviously, this is not an open-ended waiting period," he added.

The U.S. support for the Syrian Kurdish group has been center of tension between the two NATO allies since Turkey regards the YPG as Syrian affiliate of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) designated to be a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and EU.

But Trump's move is likely to thaw the ties between the two countries, even pave the way for further bilateral cooperation in Syria.

Despite previous disappointment, "diplomacy with the U.S. is coming to the desired level now," Erdogan said.

"President Trump and I have seen that we thought similarly and shared the same views on a range of issues related to the Syrian question. Yet the practice to the ground was overdue and difficult. Finally, in recent days, we have been able to hear the clearest and most encouraging statements to date from the U.S. administration," he said.

Despite all the statements from the U.S. regarding retreat of soldiers, "Ankara is cautious," said Hande Firat, daily Hurriyet commentator.

Firat, in her column on Friday, stressed that Pentagon is known to be against this withdrawal and added that Ankara still questions if the whole administration agrees with the idea and if Trump could change his mind.

The Turkish government will follow a wait-and-see process, and revising military operation plans will require further military and political talks between Ankara and Washington, said Naim Baburoglu, a security expert from Aydin University.

If Washington realizes its pullout, Turkey will eliminate a risk of confrontation with the U.S. troops in case of a military campaign against the YPG, he added.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-22 04:46:26|Editor: yan

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UNITED NATIONS, Dec. 21 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council on Friday adopted a resolution that stressed no military activity should occur in the de-militarized zone between Syria and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights amid the UN peacekeepers' return to the area.

Through Resolution 2450, the Security Council stressed the obligation on Syria and Israel to respect their 1974 ceasefire that set the buffer zone and deployed a UN peacekeeping force known as UNDOF.

The Security Council further underscored no military activity should occur in the zone either by the Syrian government forces or the Syrian opposition groups.

For nearly four decades, UNDOF helped enforce the truce between Israel and Syria. But the seven-year Syrian war moved into the zone not only with intense fighting but the abduction of peacekeepers by militants, triggering UNDOF to retreat to the Israeli side of the zone in 2014.

In August this year, the UN said it was implementing "a gradual return" of its peacekeeping force to the zone after its security situation had improved.

In Friday's resolution, the Security Council "called on all groups other than UNDOF to abandon all UNDOF positions, and return the peacekeepers' vehicles, weapons, and other equipment."

It also welcomed UNDOF's efforts to intensify its operations in the separation area as well as the "cooperation of the parties" to facilitate its return.

It also renewed the mandate of UNDOF for a period of six months, until June 30, 2019, and requests the secretary-general to ensure that the force has the required capacity and resources to fulfil its mandate in a safe and secure way.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-22 04:51:28|Editor: yan

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KIGALI, Dec. 21 (Xinhua) -- The Rwandan government on Friday "in the strongest terms possible" opposed the planned early release of genocide convict Aloys Simba from prison by Theodor Meron, judge and president of UN International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (Mechanism).

Simba was convicted of genocide and the crime against humanity of extermination by UN International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) and was sentenced to 25 years imprisonment in 2005. The Mechanism started assuming responsibility for the ICTR's residual functions in 2012.

During the 1994 Rwandan genocide that claimed the lives of about one million people, mainly ethnic Tutsis, Simba handed out weapons to militias surrounding the Murambi Technical School in southern Rwanda and instructed them to massacre thousands of Tutsi civilians who were seeking shelter there, according to IBUKA, the umbrella body of genocide survivors associations of Rwanda.

The Rwandan government has learned that the outgoing president of Mechanism is planning on releasing Simba from prison, eight years before the end of his prison term, which is a "unilateral action" against the objections of the Rwandan government, it said in a statement released in Rwandan capital city Kigali.

Simba has shown no remorse and has not cooperated with investigators and prosecutors, and his release will result in "dire consequences" for survivors of his crimes, said the statement.

Meron's plan to release Simba is not the result of a statutory requirement or the facts, said the statement.

The Rwandan government also urged the next president of the Mechanism to take more seriously the law and the facts when reviewing applications for early release.

About 10 genocide perpetrators convicted by ICTR have been granted early release by Meron over the years, according to IBUKA and the Rwandan government.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-22 06:16:55|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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CHICAGO, Dec. 21 (Xinhua) -- Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) soybean futures ended below 9 U.S. dollars per bushel for the first time in three weeks, as Chinese purchases missed traders' forecast.

Private exporters on Thursday reported to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) new export sales of 204,000 metric tons of soybeans for delivery to China, following 1.199 million metric tons to the same destination this week.

China bought 1.43 million metric tons of U.S. soybeans last week, according to the USDA. Traders had anticipated that China would buy more soybeans, market watchers said.

CBOT soybeans were also under pressure from abundant supply from South America, overshadowing support from renewed Chinese buying of U.S. supplies.

Wheat futures dropped sharply after Russia raised its grain export forecast and dampened speculation that tight supplies would prompt curbs on overseas shipments from the world's biggest wheat supplier.

Corn futures rose slightly higher after hitting a three-week low in the previous session.

At the end of the session, the most active corn contract for March delivery went up 3.25 cents, or 0.87 percent to close at 3.785 dollars per bushel. March wheat delivery was down 9.5 cents, or 1.81 percent to close at 5.14 dollars per bushel. March soybean delivery was down 8.5 cents, or 0.94 percent to close at 8.9775 dollars per bushel.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-22 07:12:04|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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WASHINGTON, Dec. 21 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo spoke with Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul Mahdi on the phone Friday, underlining the U.S.-Iraq partnership to defeat Islamic State (IS), the State Department said in a statement.

Pompeo noted that the U.S.-led coalition would continue to work with Iraqi Security Forces to defeat the IS remnants, according to the statement.

He also reiterated his support for the continuation and deepening of the U.S.-Iraq partnership.

The two officials also discussed the territorial defeat of the IS in Syria, which was the rationale behind the Trump administration's decision to pull out U.S. troops from Syria.

The pullout decision also led to speculation about possible adjustment of U.S. military presence in Iraq.

Earlier this month, Iraq celebrated the first anniversary of full liberation of all Iraqi land from the IS militants.

Some observers noted that the influence of Iranian-allied factions in Iraq's political and security arenas might result in continued U.S. military presence in the country.

There are 5,200 U.S. troops currently deployed in Iraq's capital of Baghdad and the country's north and west.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-22 07:32:08|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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BERLIN, Dec. 21 (Xinhua) -- Germany on Friday closed its last black coal mine of Prosper-Haniel mine in the northern region of Ruhr, marking the end of an over 150-year-old industry.

At the closing ceremony, miners handed a symbolic last lump of coal to German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

Alongside Steinmeier, EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and North Rhine-Westphalia's prime minister Armin Laschet also attended the ceremony.

However, the closure of the last mine does not immediately end the use of coal in Germany. For power generation and for steel mills, German coal will be replaced entirely by imported coal. This year, hard coal accounted to 13 percent of German electricity generation.

In 2007, the German government, the coal states of North Rhine-Westphalia and Saarland as well as the mining union IG BCE had agreed to end hard coal mining in the country. Back then, the German coal industry employed around 33,000 staff in coal mines.

Currently, there are still 3,500 miners employed in Germany's coal business. Special early retirement regulations ensured that the number of workers could be decreased without sacking the affected staff.

Black coal mines once dominated the surrounding of Ruhr region, employing up to half a million people at their peak in the 1950s, but have since been in decline.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-22 07:47:45|Editor: Chengcheng

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Chinese businessmen transport donated goods at the orphanage Children's Home in Zagreb, Croatia, on Dec. 21, 2018. The orphanage, which is home to over 200 children, has been receiving annual donation from Zagreb-based Chinese businessmen since 2016. (Xinhua/Gao Lei)
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-22 09:07:13|Editor: Yurou

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A FOR AMAZON

People attend an anti-Amazon rally in Long Island City of New York, the United States, on Nov. 26, 2018. Hundreds of New Yorkers braved heavy rains and gathered in a Long Island City neighborhood on Monday evening to protest e-commerce giant Amazon's recent announcement of locating a second headquarters (HQ2) here. (Xinhua/Wang Ying)
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-22 09:12:19|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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UNITED NATIONS, Dec. 21 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw troops from Syria is premature, Swedish ambassador to the United Nations Olof Skoog said Friday.

"I think it's too early to disengage," Skoog told reporters at UN Headquarters in New York before walking into a Security Council meeting.

"We strongly believe that international engagement cannot end now -- actually it should be stepped up to ensure that we have all the forces that are coming in to support," he said.

"I believe everyone needs to stay engaged to ensure that there is a political process now, which is inclusive, and which leads to elections and a reformed constitution so that all Syrians feel that the country that is coming out of this terrible war is one where their rights are protected," he said.

Skoog warned Damascus against its complacency over its military victory on the battlefield.

"Parties may think that they have won the war. But it's a completely different thing about winning the peace. This is a message to the Syrian government," he said.

Skoog refused to comment on U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis' resignation.

"No comments on that," he said with a smile.

Mattis' resignation came one day after Trump ordered the withdrawal of the 2,000 or so U.S. troops from Syria. Differences with Trump over Syria are believed to be one factor for Mattis' departure.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-22 09:12:19|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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MINSK, Dec. 21 (Xinhua) -- Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Friday approved the appointment of Belarusian Security Council State Secretary Stanislav Zas as the new secretary general of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO).

Lukashenko also supported Zas' appointment by signing the corresponding draft resolution of the CSTO Collective Security Council, the presidential press service said Friday.

Holding a working meeting with Zas, Lukashenko said earlier that Belarus had more than one candidate.

He decided on Zas' candidacy to demonstrate that "it was time for us to move away from some formal appointment of retired generals to the appointment of young promising generals in order to add importance to the organization."

Formed in 1992, the CSTO is a Russia-led military alliance grouping six former Soviet republics -- Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-22 09:17:20|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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CANBERRA, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has promised to maintain the war against terrorism in the Middle East after the U.S. announced it was withdrawing from the region.

In a statement released shortly after U.S. Defence Secretary Jim Mattis announced his retirement, Morrison, Defense Minister Christopher Pyne and Foreign Minister Marise Payne warned that the country cannot be complacent about the threat of an Islamic State (IS) resurgence.

Mattis' resignation came in response to reports that President Donald Trump was preparing to pull 7,000 troops out of Afghanistan having already announced a complete withdrawal from Syria where the fight against IS is ongoing.

Morrison, Pyne and Payne on Friday night said that Australia would remain committed to fighting terrorism in the Middle East with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) regardless of the U.S. presence in the region.

"Australia will continue to provide security, humanitarian and development assistance in the region," the trio said in a statement on Friday night.

"Since 2001, the purpose of Australia's mission in Afghanistan has been to support the Afghan government to help contain the threat from international terrorism.

"Both the NATO-led Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan and the Global Coalition to Counter Daesh (Islamic State) in Iraq and Syria continue to deny terrorist organization safe havens in which to plan and export terror attacks across the globe, including the Indo-Pacific.

"We cannot be complacent about this threat, including the threat of resurgence by Daesh."

In his resignation letter, Mattis cited differences with President Trump as the reason for his resignation.

"Because you have the right to have a secretary of defence 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," he wrote.

Peter Leahy, former chief of the Australian Army, on Saturday said reducing the U.S. presence in Afghanistan would be "a strategic mistake."

"With the U.S. being the catalyst of the coalition, I think what we'll see is many of the other nations get out. I think the consequence for Afghanistan could be dire," he told News Corp Australia.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-22 09:42:30|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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YANGON, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar's National Reconciliation and Peace Center (NRPC) has pledged to continue to strive towards the participation of eight remaining non-ceasefire signatory ethnic armed organizations in political dialogue, while strengthening the ceasefire already achieved with 10 armed organizations.

The NRPC made the pledge in a press release issued late on Friday in response to a military announcement issued earlier on the day that the military will suspend of all its military action against armed groups in operation areas in five military command regions for over four months starting from Dec. 21 until April 30, 2019.

Welcoming the military's announcement, the NRPC stressed the importance to hold discussions during the peace process to reduce mutual concerns existing between the armed forces and the armed organizations on military matters.

According to Friday's announcement of the Office of the Commander-in-Chief of the Defense Services, during the military's non-operation period, ethnic armed groups in respective operation areas are to negotiate for ceasefire and peace with the NRPC and group-wise negotiations are also needed with all those remaining non-ceasefire signatory armed groups scattered in the northern, northeastern, eastern, middle-eastern and triangle military command areas to sign the Nationwide Cease fire Accord (NCA).

The military's announcement came after Dec. 12 joint statement of the non-ceasefire signatory Northern Alliance Ethnic Forces, comprising three ethnic armed groups, in which the armed groups voiced support for the government's efforts for national reconciliation and nationwide peace.

The three forces, which are Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) and Arakan Army (AA), expressed their desire to join hands with government forces to settle military dispute and political matters through dialogue.

In order to realize peace as early as possible and create a status of peace, the three alliance forces hoped for suspension of military action to pave way for political engagement to achieve national reconciliation and peace.

So far, 10 ethnic armed groups have signed the NCA with the government since it was initiated in October 2015 and the 21st Century Panglong Peace Conferences were held three times during the incumbent government in August 2016, May 2017 and July 2018 respectively.

There remains eight armed groups including the Northern Alliance groups which have not yet signed the NCA. Of them, three issued the Dec. 12 joint statement.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-22 11:17:48|Editor: Chengcheng

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MACAO, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- Due to the opening of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, Macao's visitor arrivals increased by 15.3 percent year-on-year to 3,266,283 in November 2018, the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR)'s statistic department said here on Saturday.

The latest report from Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) said that overnight visitors (1,589,246) and same-day visitors (1,677,037) rose by 5.1 percent year-on-year and 26.9 percent year-on-year, respectively.

The average length of stay of visitors held steady year-on-year at 1.2 days, with that of overnight visitors rising by 0.1 day to 2.2 days and that of same-day visitors staying at 0.2 day.

Visitors from the Chinese mainland grew by 15.3 percent year-on-year to 2,283,628 in November, primarily from Guangdong province (925,414) and Hunan province (115,763). Visitors from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (591,077) surged by 25.6 percent.

Meanwhile, visitors from the United States (22,538), Australia (8,435), Canada (8,261) and Britain (6,448) registered year-on-year increases.

In the first 11 months of 2018, visitor arrivals totalled 32,233,838, up by 9.1 percent year-on-year; overnight visitors (16,751,684) and same-day visitors (15,482,154) grew by 7.2 percent and 11.1 percent respectively. The average length of stay of visitors stayed at 1.2 days, with that of overnight visitors (2.2 days) rising by 0.1 day and that of same-day visitors (0.2 day) remaining unchanged.

Analyzed by source market, visitors from the Chinese mainland (22,811,627) and Hong Kong SAR (5,646,200) increased by 13.3 percent and 1.0 percent respectively from January to November.

Visitors from the United States (182,199), Australia (80,263) and the Britain (53,396) recorded year-on-year growth, whereas those from Canada (66,377) saw a decrease.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-22 13:33:10|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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UNITED NATIONS, Dec. 21 (Xinhua) -- The Security Council on Friday condemned the assault, detention, and abuse of international cease-fire monitors in South Sudan by government forces.

The members of the Security Council stressed that the harassment of the staff of the Cease-fire and Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring and Verification Mechanism on Tuesday in Luri, South Sudan, was a flagrant violation of relevant peace agreements.

They underscored that the incident brings into question the commitment of the South Sudanese government to ensuring its forces comply with the peace agreements.

The council members called on the government to investigate this incident immediately and hold accountable those responsible.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-22 13:48:13|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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by Matthew Rusling

WASHINGTON, Dec. 21 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. government is due to shut down at midnight on Friday, as lawmakers have been unable to hammer out a deal with U.S. President Donald Trump over funding for a border wall. The path forward seems uncertain, as both sides are digging in their heels.

Since his campaign for presidency, Trump has promised to build a wall along the massive U.S.-Mexico border, at a time when droves of illegal migrants are crossing into the United States from Mexico each year. While many are economic migrants from various Latin American countries who are seeking a better life, Trump has argued that drug smugglers and violent gangs are among those entering the U.S. illegally.

The current government spending bill, which funds the federal government, is due to expire at midnight Friday. Trump has vowed to veto any spending bill that does not contain funding for the wall. With lawmakers unable to cut a deal on border wall funding, a government shutdown seemed certain on Friday evening, just hours before midnight.

Congress is set to meet again at noon on Saturday, after the shutdown has already kicked in, but it remains unknown whether Congress can reach a deal with the White House. Trump and the GOP argue that the wall is for the purpose of border security, but Democrats are strongly against it.

Indeed, the stakes are high for Trump, as building a wall is a key campaign promise, and he needs to keep the approval of his base.

"President Trump feels his personal credibility depends on keeping his promise to build a border wall. That was the centerpiece of his domestic agenda and something he emphasized all around the country. Failing to deliver on that, even in a token manner, would alienate his political base," Brookings Institution Senior Fellow Darrell West told Xinhua.

"Yet shutting down the government is likely to be politically toxic," West said.

Democrats are also digging their heels in, saying Trump's demands will not be met.

In a speech on Friday addressed to Trump, Democratic leader Sen. Chuck Schumer said, "You are not getting the wall today, next week or on January 3rd when the Democrats take control of the House."

For his part, Trump on Friday reiterated that the government would see a lengthy shutdown if his demands for wall funding are not met. "I hope we don't, but we are totally prepared for a very long shutdown. This is our only chance that we will ever have, in our opinion," to get funding for a border wall, he said.

HISTORY OF U.S. GOV'T SHUTDOWNS

Threats of government shutdowns are nothing new in U.S. politics. This would be the third shutdown in a year, after two short-lived shutdowns last January.

Such standoffs also occurred a number of times under the previous administration, which was marked by deep partisan rivalry in Washington, just like the current administration.

Shutdowns occur when Congressional spending bills reach their expiration date, and lawmakers and the president cannot agree on the terms or amount of a new one. There have been nearly two dozen shutdowns since 1976, and shutdowns are constitutional.

The term "shutdown," which is often misunderstood, means that a number of departments will not receive funding until a deal is made. Usually staff there will work for a time without pay and the office won't completely close. Failure to make a deal means departments including the Treasury, Homeland Security and Justice will have hundreds of thousands of employees that will have to work without being paid until a deal is cut.

BORDER WALL PROMISES

Many of Trump's core supporters are working-class males who believe -- rightly or wrongly -- that illegal immigration has impacted them negatively, such as creating unfair competition for jobs and lowering wages. Trump, as part of his push to bring back manufacturing and terminate illegal immigration, has promised to build a wall and have Mexico, just across the southern border, pay for it.

"There is a long-standing, even historical, anxiety about low-wage competition. The 'left' solution to this issue would be unions; the 'right' solution to it is to demonize an 'other' or out-group," Clay Ramsay, a researcher at the University of Maryland, told Xinhua.

"Attitudes toward economic immigration into the U.S. and attitudes toward competition from other countries are related," he said.

Democrats are staunchly against the idea of a wall, and are unlikely to approve any funding for the project, which will come at a multibillion U.S. dollar price tag.

Ramsay said approximately a third of Americans believe in the wall idea, noting recent polls.

Recent polls find that a slight majority of registered voters believe the president should compromise on the wall idea. At the same time, a majority of Democratic voters say he should compromise, and a majority of GOP voters say he should not compromise.

Christopher Galdieri, assistant professor at Saint Anselm College, told Xinhua that Trump's strongest supporters latched onto his candidacy over the issue of immigration.

"By making a wall his number-one policy priority, Trump was staking out the maximal possible position on immigration, and one that no other GOP candidate could compete with," Galdieri said.

"By and large, opponents of immigration are people who worry about their ethnic group being displaced or outnumbered in the future, and that their children's futures will somehow be affected negatively as a result," he said.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-22 14:03:18|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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by Farid Behbud

KABUL, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump has recently ordered withdrawal of up to 7,000 troops out of some 14,000 from Afghanistan, part of a plan, aimed at "making Afghan forces more reliant on their own strength."

Analysts here widely believe that U.S. forces withdrawal, a pre-condition set by the Taliban representatives in the UAE meetings, would strengthen peace negotiations with the Taliban and encourage the ongoing process.

NATO and U.S. forces completed their combat mission in Afghanistan by the end of 2014, after 13 years of military presence in the country.

However, around 16,000 foreign forces have since remained in Afghanistan to help Afghan forces in training, advising and backing them in the war on insurgents.

The new round of U.S. troops withdrawal would begin within weeks while president Trump would unveil the drawdown at the end of January or early February, according to media reports.

The announcement came after U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad meeting with Taliban in United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Dec. 18 and Dec. 19, which Khalilzad branded as productive.

"The U.S. troop's pullout from Afghanistan lays relatively negative impact on security in the short-term, but in the long-term it is in the interest of peace process and encourage the Taliban to count to the U.S. peace commitment," Hamidullah Arefi, chief editor of The Kabul Times daily, told Xinhua.

Fazel Fazly, chief advisor to Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, said the U.S. forces' drawdown would not affect the security situation in Afghanistan.

"A few thousand foreign troops that advise, train and assist will not affect our security, in the past four and half years our security is completely in the hands of Afghans and the final goal is that Afghan National Defense and Security Forces will stand on their feet to protect and defend the soil on their own," he said on his twitter page.

"During the past four and half years, the fight on the frontline and security of the entire nation was carried out by the same forces, and despite the overwhelming war, our national armed and air forces have strengthened day by day and they will grow in strength even more," he added.

He said in the past, most analysts believed that Afghanistan would collapse with the departure of more than 100,000 troops by the end of 2014. "But our brave defense and security forces proved these analysts wrong and defended the nation with great valor,"

President Ghani unveiled his peace offer to the Taliban in February that includes recognizing the group as a political party, allowing it to open an office in Kabul, issuing passports to its members and removing the names of its senior commanders from the UN terrorist blacklist.

Ghani and other Afghan leaders have repeatedly offered peace talks with the Taliban. However, the insurgent group has categorically rejected the offer, saying there will be no talks until foreign troops leave the country.

The Taliban also reject to hold talks with an Afghan government peace delegation that also visited UAE this week.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-22 14:08:21|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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PHNOM PENH, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia on Saturday deported 26 Thai nationals, including nine women, after they had served a 10-month sentence here for extorting money from Thai people via the Internet, a senior immigration police said.

"We expelled them to Thailand through the Poipet International Border Checkpoint and the Thai authorities had come to get them," Lt. Gen. Ouk Hai Seila, chief of the investigation and procedure department at the General Department of Immigration, told Xinhua.

He said the gang was arrested during a joint Cambodian and Thai police operation in Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville in February for allegedly extorting money from people in Thailand via the VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol, a type of Internet phone service).

A Cambodian court had sentenced them to 10 months in prison and ordered their deportation after they had completed their jail term.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-22 14:35:02|Editor: Chengcheng

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File photo taken on Sept. 28, 2016 shows a model presenting a fashion creation co-designed by Chinese and British designers at the Palace Museum in Beijing, capital of China. The Palace Museum, or the former imperial palace in downtown Beijing, will open 85 percent of its areas to the public, compared with the current 80 percent, the China Daily reported Friday. Most of the areas inside the museum, also known as the Forbidden City, will no longer be off-limits for the public, the newspaper quoted Shan Jixiang, the museum's curator, as saying. The biggest of its kind in the world, the Forbidden City is gradually opening more of its coverage of 720,000 square meters to visitors in recent years. Only 30 percent of its areas were accessible by the public in 2012. Some rooms that had not been opened for decades were used as "lockers" that were strewn with items ranging from construction materials to daily necessities from imperial times, said the report. In recent years, many of these rooms have been renovated and transformed into exhibition halls. To ease the crowds at the museum, a cap on visitor numbers was set in June 2015, allowing 80,000 people a day to enter it. Visitors were also encouraged to buy tickets in advance online. (Xinhua/Jin Liangkuai)
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-22 14:38:26|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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KABUL, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- Afghan security forces have killed at least 25 Taliban militants in three provinces, authorities said on Saturday.

In eastern Nangarhar province, six Taliban militants were killed after Afghan Special Operations Forces launched an operation in Sara Rod district overnight, the provincial government said in a statement.

The security forces also seized a rocket propelled grenade (RPG) and five guns and no civilians were hurt during the raid, the statement said.

A total of 13 militants were killed and seven others wounded in Afghan army's shelling in Shirin Tagab district of northern Faryab province on Friday, Afghan Ministry of Defense said in a statement.

In Pusht Rod district of western Farah province, six militants were killed and a militants' motorcycle was destroyed after Afghan Air Force launched an airstrike on Friday, according to the statement.

The militant group has yet to respond to the reports.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-22 14:48:28|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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WASHINGTON, Dec. 21 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said late Friday that he hopes an impending partial shutdown of the federal government will not "last long."

"We are going to have a shutdown, there is nothing we can do about that, because we need the Democrats to give us their votes," Trump said in a video released on Twitter.

"The shutdown will hopefully not last long," Trump added.

The message came after U.S. lawmakers failed to reach an agreement earlier in the day over a stopgap funding measure that includes funding for Trump's long-promised U.S.-Mexico border wall, a centerpiece of his 2016 presidential campaign but firmly opposed by Democrats.

The partial shutdown, scheduled for Friday midnight (0500 GMT on Saturday), would affect nine Cabinet-level U.S. departments and dozens of agencies, including the department of Homeland Security, Transportation, Interior, Agriculture, State and Justice.

It also forces some 800,000 federal employees to go on furlough or work without pay.

The House and Senate have adjourned until Saturday noon.

Earlier this week, senators reached a deal on a short-term funding measure that did not include the 5 billion U.S. dollars Trump has sought for the border wall. The president, thought to have softened his stance over it, said Thursday he would not sign the bill.

The House passed a temporary spending bill late Thursday that includes the border wall money but it couldn't get enough votes to clear the Senate, setting the stage for the showdown between Capitol Hill and the White House.

Trump was trying to pin the shutdown on Democrats, while Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said on the Senate floor that the president "has thrown a temper tantrum" and "has us careening towards a Trump shutdown over Christmas."

It would be the third U.S. federal government shutdown this year.

Trump announced via Twitter that he has cancelled his planned trip to the state of Florida for the Christmas holiday.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-22 15:33:38|Editor: Li Xia

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U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (L) walks towards the Senate Chamber on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C., the United States, on Dec. 21, 2018. A partial shutdown of the U.S. federal government came into effect, starting Friday midnight, after failed attempts to end a budget impasse over President Donald Trump's long-promised border wall. (Xinhua/Ting Shen)

WASHINGTON, Dec. 21 (Xinhua) -- A partial shutdown of U.S. federal government came into effect, starting midnight Friday, after failed attempts to end a budget impasse over President Donald Trump's long-promised border wall.

The shutdown is set to affect nine 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.

It also forces some 800,000 federal employees to go on furlough or work without pay.

White House budget director Mick Mulvaney is instructing federal departments and agencies "to execute plans for an orderly shutdown" when government funding runs out.

"We are hopeful that this lapse in appropriations will be of short duration" but that employees should report to work when scheduled to "undertake orderly shutdown activities," Mulvaney, also the incoming acting White House chief of staff, said in a memo.

The shutdown was assured after Trump was unable to agree with Democrats and Republicans in Congress over stopgap funding legislation that includes funding for the U.S.-Mexico border wall, a centerpiece of the president's 2016 campaign but was firmly opposed by Democrats.

Trump said late Friday night that he hopes the partial shutdown will not "last long."

"We are going to have a shutdown, there is nothing we can do about that, because we need the Democrats to give us their votes," Trump said in a video released on Twitter.

He also said he would accept money for a "Steel Slat Barrier" with spikes on the top, which he claimed would be as effective as a "wall" and "at the same time beautiful."

The House and Senate have adjourned until Saturday noon. Trump cancelled his planned trip to the state of Florida on Friday for the Christmas holiday due to the shutdown. Lawmakers and the White House remain at an impasse despite negotiations over the last two days.

Earlier this week, senators reached a deal on a short-term funding measure that did not include the 5 billion U.S. dollars Trump has sought for the border wall.

The president, thought to have softened his stance over it, said Thursday he would not sign the bill that would have funded parts of the federal government through Feb. 8. Analysts say he was caving in to pressure from conservative allies and his base.

The House passed a temporary spending bill late Thursday that includes the border wall money but couldn't get enough votes to clear the Senate, setting the stage for the multi-sided showdown.

Mulvaney, along with Vice President Mike Pence and senior White House adviser Jared Kushner, tried to broker a last-minute compromise with Democrats and some Republicans on Friday before leaving the Capitol Hill with no signs of an agreement.

Meanwhile, Trump was trying to pin the shutdown on Democrats, while Democratic leaders were pushing back.

"Instead of honoring his responsibility to the American people, President Trump threw a temper tantrum and convinced House Republicans to push our nation into a destructive Trump Shutdown in the middle of the holiday season," said a joint statement by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.

It would be the third U.S. federal government shutdown this year. The January and February shutdowns, lasting for several days combined, also involved dispute over immigration.

This time, three-quarters of government programs won't be affected as they are fully funded through next September, including those in the Defense Department, Labor Department and Health and Human Services.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-22 17:08:55|Editor: Yamei

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SUVA, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- Fiji's Parliament Speaker Jiko Luveni suddenly died Saturday at the age of 72.

According to Fijian media reports, Luveni died on Saturday morning after a short illness but the reports did not say what her illness was.

Luveni was the first Fijian woman to have graduated in dentistry and worked for Fiji's Ministry of Health for 20 years before working for the United Nations Population Fund as project manager for reproductive health.

In January 2008, Luveni was appointed as the minister of health and then the minister of social welfare, women and poverty alleviation.

In the 2014 general election, she was elected to parliament as the 14th highest-polling FijiFirst party candidate. She resigned her seat immediately following the election in order to become speaker, the first Fijian woman to hold the position.

Luveni was re-appointed to the position following the 2018 general election last month.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-22 18:04:04|Editor: Yamei

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MOGADISHU, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- At least eight people were killed in two suicide car bomb blasts on Saturday morning near Somalia's presidential palace in capital Mogadishu, police said.

A police officer who declined to be named told Xinhua that the two coordinated blasts could have caused a higher number of deaths and injuries.

"So far, we know that at least 8 people killed in the blasts but the death toll could rise," said the police officer.

Eye witnesses said the explosions were so huge that they shook a wide radius.

"There were massive car bombs, causing panic among the residents. We don't know the number of casualties but we heard several people died," Mukhtar Abdi, a witness, told Xinhua.

Earlier reports said Mohamed Abdulahi, deputy governor of Mogadishu, was injured in the explosion while some of his bodyguards were killed.

A senior reporter from Universal Television died during the blast, but the fate of his colleagues is yet to be established, according to the reports.

Somali militant group al-Shabab has claimed responsibility for the latest attack.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-22 18:39:12|Editor: Li Xia

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MANILA, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- A Philippine lawmaker and his police escort were shot dead on Saturday afternoon while attending a gift-giving event for senior citizens and persons with disabilities in northern Philippines' Albay province.

Local police said Rodel Batocabe, 52, a member of the Philippine House of Representatives, was gunned down around 3 pm local time at the covered court of Burgos, a village in Daraga, south of Manila.

Police are still piecing together details of the assassination. And so far, no group has claimed responsibility for the killing.

Police said Batocabe and his security escort were taken to a hospital but declared dead on arrival.

The Philippine midterm election is scheduled in May next year. More than 18,000 national and local positions, like senators, congressmen, governors and city mayors, will be up for election.

Batocabe is reportedly running for the mayor of Daraga where he is a resident.

Police are investigating whether the killing is related to the forthcoming election.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-22 20:04:27|Editor: Li Xia

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LAGOS, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- A notorious and wanted Boko Haram terrorists leader, Umar Abdulmalik, and seven others responsible for the deadly bombings in Abuja in 2015 have been arrested by the Nigerian police, a spokesperson said.

Abdulmalik was arrested by the police Intelligence Response Team (IRT) on Thursday at Ibafor area of Lagos state while receiving treatment from the bullet wound he sustained during exchange of fire with the police on Nov. 26 in Abuja.

The suspects were also responsible for the killings of seven police officer in Galadimawa roundabout in Abuja on July 2, national police spokesperson Jimoh Moshood said in a statement reaching Xinhua on Saturday.

Exhibits recovered from the suspects included four AK47 rifles, six magazines, 270 rounds of AK47 ammunition, two police walkie talkie radio carted away after killing the policemen.

He said they were also responsible for the killings of two other police officers around Abaji in June and one police officer in Lugbe in November, both being the satellite towns of Abuja.

Moshood said Abdulmalik and his gang were also responsible for the attack and jail break at the Medium Security Prison, Minna, Niger in June.

He said 219 prisoners serving jail terms for capital offences and other crimes escaped from custody during the jail break.

The police spokesman said two Boko Haram members under Abdulmalik in the Minna prison were rescued by him during the jail break.

Moshood said the suspects have all confessed to committing the crime.

Abdulmalik confessed to be leader of Boko Haram cell in Kogi state and was responsible for many terrorist attacks across the restive northeast, Niger state and the Federal Capital Territory.

Moshood said investigation was being intensified to arrest other members of the Boko Haram cell under the control of Abdulmalik.

The spokesman said that the suspects would be arraigned in court on completion of investigation.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-22 20:14:29|Editor: Liangyu

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BEIJING, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- Premier Li Keqiang has signed a decree of the State Council to unveil the amended regulations for the implementation of the individual income tax law.

The amendment was made by the State Council to match the revised individual income tax law adopted by China's top legislature in August. The two new rules will come into effect together from Jan. 1, 2019.

The amended regulations have specified special expense deductions and introduced bigger tax incentives for qualified foreign talent.

The individual income tax was the third major contributor to China's total tax revenue, following value-added tax and enterprise income tax. In 2017, China collected individual income taxes worth nearly 1.2 trillion yuan (174 billion U.S. dollars) in total, about 8.3 percent of the total tax revenue.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-22 20:14:30|Editor: Li Xia

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LAGOS, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- Nigeria authorities have beefed up security measures at all the country's airports ahead of the forthcoming Christmas and New Year celebration.

In a statement sent to Xinhua on Saturday, Henrietta Yakubu, spokesperson for the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), assured travelers and other airport users of adequate security during the yuletide.

She added that the network of airports across the country are fully prepared for the usual surge in passenger traffic that is the norm during the holiday.

"FAAN will like to use this opportunity to appeal to passengers to please get to the airports early to conclude all check-in procedures in good time, so as to avoid the experience of missing their flights," she added.

The spokesperson added that necessary operational and security measures had been put in place at all the airports to ensure free flow of passengers and cargo during the yuletide.

Meanwhile, the police warned residents against the use of fireworks, saying that the ban on explosives was still operational.

Irene Ugbo, a police spokesperson, said the law prohibiting the sale of explosives and fireworks during the Christmas and New Year celebration was still in force.

The spokesperson warns traders and buyers not to engage in such illegal transactions in view of the security challenges in the country.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-22 20:19:32|Editor: Li Xia

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COLOMBO, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- Three non-cabinet, 17 state and seven deputy ministers were sworn in before President Maithripala Sirisena Friday evening, a statement from the President's Media Division (PMD) said Saturday.

According to the PMD, Harsha De Silva was sworn in as the non-cabinet minister of Economic Reform and Public Distribution, Sujeewa Senasinghe as the non-cabinet minister of Science, Technology and Research and Ajith Perera as the non-cabinet minister of Digital Infrastructure and Information Technology.

Key state ministers included Eran Wickramaratne who was sworn in as the state minister of finance and Ranjith Aluwihare was sworn in as the state minister of tourism development.

The new appointments were made a day after Sirisena appointed a new 30-member cabinet, including himself who will function as the head of the cabinet.

The appointment of the new cabinet is expected to end a two-month long political crisis in the country.

Sri Lanka plunged into a political turmoil on Oct. 26 when Sirisena sacked Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and replaced him with a strongman.

Wickremesinghe was reinstated as prime minister on Sunday.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-22 20:24:32|Editor: Li Xia

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BERLIN, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- The far-right and Eurosceptic party Alternative fuer Deutschland (AfD) hopes to win more seats in the European Union parliamentary elections next year, a high-ranking AfD member told Xinhua.

Petr Bystron, a member of the Bundestag, the German parliament, from the AfD, and senior AfD lawmaker on the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Bundestag, told Xinhua on Friday that the EU parliamentary elections in 2019 will be a landslide for the new conservative and Eurosceptic parties.

"We expect to double our results as AfD. The EFDD, the faction we belong to in the European Parliament, will emerge much stronger with powerful allies like UKIP (UK Independence Party) and the Five Star Movement," said Bystron.

The party won 7 seats out of the total 750 in European Parliament in 2014, one year after AfD was founded. The Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy (EFDD), the populist Eurosceptic political group, holds a total of 43 seats in European Parliament.

Gaining momentum from the European Refugee Crisis and by opposing the European Integration, the AfD in the past years has become the third largest party in German Bundestag in 2017.

About 400 million eligible EU citizens in 27 member states, without Britain, can take part in the European parliamentary elections from May 23 to 26, 2019.

The right-wing populist and Eurosceptic politics have become much stronger in the past years, not only AfD but also the Five Star Movement in Italy.

Therefore, the European parliamentary elections 2019 after the Brexit are of great significance because it is widely estimated that the political group will win more seats, thus cast doubts over the future of the European integration.

Bystron said the Eurosceptics are currently split into three factions, the EFDD, the Europe for Nations and Freedom (ENF) and European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR).

"We hope to combine as many of these parties as possible into a strong, conservative, Eurosceptic group that will be able to exert real power in Brussels," said Bystron.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-22 20:39:34|Editor: Li Xia

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MANILA, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- A Philippine lawmaker and his police escort were shot dead Saturday afternoon while attending a gift-giving event for senior citizens and persons with disabilities in northern Philippines' Albay province.

Local police said Rodel Batocabe, 52, a member of the Philippine House of Representatives, was gunned down around 3 pm local time at the covered court of Burgos, a village in Daraga, south of Manila.

Philippine presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo described it as a senseless killing and condemned the assassination on Saturday night.

"Proper authorities are now investigating this brazen murder as we vow to leave no stone unturned in bringing the perpetrators of this felonious act to justice," Panelo said in a statement.

Panelo said the presidential palace had already expressed its deep condolences to Batocabe's bereaved family, his loved ones, as well as his friends and colleagues in Congress during "this moment of great grief."

Local police are still piecing together details of the assassination. And so far, no group has claimed responsibility for the killing.

Police said Batocabe and his security escort were taken to a hospital but declared dead on arrival.

The Philippine midterm election is scheduled in May next year. More than 18,000 national and local positions, like senators, congressmen, governors and city mayors, will be up for election.

Batocabe is reportedly running for the mayor of Daraga where he is a resident.

Police are investigating whether the killing is related to the forthcoming election.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-22 20:54:40|Editor: Li Xia

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MADRID, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- Improving confidence and political stability would boost Spain's economic growth, according to EAE Business School's finance professor Javier Rivas.

In an interview with Xinhua, Rivas assessed the evolution of the Spanish economy and the forecasts for 2019, noting that in 2018 the gross domestic product (GDP) has grown less, and that an improvement in confidence and political stability would boost economic growth.

The Bank of Spain predicted that the Spanish economy would grow by 2.5 percent in 2018, the lowest rate in the last four years. The institution revised down its economic forecast by 0.1 percent compared with the last prediction.

It did not revise the 2.2 percent growth for 2019, but revised down that of 2020 by 0.1 percent to 1.9 percent. If this forecast is confirmed, the Spanish economy will continue to slow down, after growing by 3.4 percent in 2015.

Professor Rivas also explained the factors that could have an impact on growth, such as the minority government of the socialist Pedro Sanchez, and a rise of tension in Catalonia in eastern Spain due to the separatist movement.

The situation of the Spanish government "is affecting investments" and hinders the approval of the 2019 general state budget.

"Failure to approve the budget can lower growth by between 0.1 percent and 0.2 percent, because it would delay the implementation of public investment," he said, adding that the situation "affects the markets".

On the other hand, Rivas stressed the importance of improving unemployment data. "The improvement of confidence can be achieved by encouraging employment data," he explained.

The latest data from the Inquest into the Active Population (EPA) of the third quarter of this year published by the National Institute of Statistics (INE) said the total number of unemployed people stood at 3.3 million, which is below the 6.2 million unemployed the country had in 2013.

Rivas considered that "(domestic) demand will continue growing at practically 3 percent," a factor that has contributed significantly to the country's growth in 2018. "External demand, however, has slowed down by 0.5 percent," he said.

Rivas believes that Spain would probably continue to grow above the average of other countries.

The world's economic growth would probably slow down next year and in that context, the professor noted, "it seems that Spain has more room to continue improving, because it has been one of the few countries that has not yet recovered the pre-crisis stock, investment, employment levels, so that's why there is a small margin for improvement."

Finally, as challenges for 2019, Rivas said Spain must face the imbalance of social security, the reduction of public debt, and meet the deficit target requested by Brussels as well as to continue boosting job creation, among others.

The debt of all public administrations hit a new record high in September this year at 1.17 trillion euros, representing 98.3 percent of GDP. The Community of Madrid is the region with the lowest debt, at 14.6 percent of GDP, compared with the average of 24.4 percent.

The high public debt and deficit are two of the big pending issues for Spain's budgetary stability. Spain will close 2018 with a predicted deficit close to 2.7 percent of GDP, he added.(1 euro is about 1.14 U.S. dollars)
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-22 21:04:42|Editor: Li Xia

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TOKYO, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- Carlos Ghosn, the ousted chairman of Nissan Motor Co. who suffered a third arrest warrant Friday, allegedly employed a Nissan fund as reward to an acquaintance for the help of dealing with a private investment, local media reported Saturday.

Ghosn allegedly paid 14.7 million U.S. dollars to a Saudi Arabian acquaintance, Kyodo News reported, quoting sources familiar with the matter.

The amount was taken from Nissan's "CEO reserves," which were intended for covering expenses for unexpected business operations outside the regular budget.

The payment was given to the acquaintance as a reward for transferring an investment contract with Japan's Shinsei Bank from Nissan to Ghosn's personal asset management firm by providing a credit guarantee, according to the sources.

The former Nissan chairman was given a fresh arrest warrant Friday for allegedly having the Japanese automaker shouldering his personal investment losses of some 1.85 billion yen (16.6 million dollars).

It was the third arrest warrant for Ghosn following the ones for claims that he had underreported remuneration in securities reports.

Ghosn was initially arrested on Nov. 19 for allegedly understating about 5 billion yen (45 million dollars) of his 10-billion-yen compensation during the five years through March 2015.

He was given a second arrest warrant on Dec. 10 for allegedly understating an additional 4.27 billion yen (38.4 million dollars) for the three years through March this year.

Under the Japanese law, a suspect could be detained for up to 23 days for an arrest warrant served by police and 22 days for a warrant served by prosecutors. As authorities can add charges with fresh warrants, a person could be detained indefinitely if approved by a court.

The latest warrant came as a surprise as Ghosn was expected to be nearing release on bail from the Tokyo Detention House since his first arrest.

Japanese Justice Minister Takashi Yamashita told reporters on Friday that the arrest and detentions are in accordance with Japan's relative laws and regulations.

Ghosn admitted to the Tokyo prosecutors his remuneration was not fully reported in the securities reports, but maintained that he did not have to report payments that have yet to be settled, said local reports quoting investigative sources.

Ghosn, a French citizen born in Brazil, joined Nissan in 1999 and brought the ailing automaker out of its financial difficulties under a capital alliance with Renault. He became Renault's CEO in 2005.

Mitsubishi Motors joined the Nissan-Renault alliance in 2016. Renault owns a 43.4-percent stake in Nissan, while Nissan holds a 15-percent stake in Renault and a 34-percent stake in Mitsubishi Motors.

Following his arrest, Ghosn has been dismissed from office by Nissan and Mitsubishi Motors Corp., triggering a leadership battle in the Nissan-Renault SA-Mitsubishi Motors Corp. automotive alliance.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-22 21:59:53|Editor: Li Xia

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MOGADISHU, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- At least eight people were killed in two suicide car bomb blasts on Saturday morning near Somalia's presidential palace in capital Mogadishu, police said.

The National Intelligence and Security Agency said that it had arrested the militant who was leading the attacks.

The first car bomb detonated at a checkpoint at Somali National Theater in the vicinity of the presidential palace. A second explosion followed in the same area.

A police officer who declined to be named told Xinhua that the two coordinated blasts could have caused a higher number of deaths and injuries.

"So far, we know that at least 8 people killed in the blasts but the death toll could rise," said the police officer.

Eye witnesses said the explosions were so huge that they shook a wide radius.

"There were massive car bombs, causing panic among the residents. We don't know the number of casualties but we heard several people died," Mukhtar Abdi, a witness, told Xinhua.

Earlier reports said Mohamed Abdulahi, deputy governor of Mogadishu, was injured in the explosion while some of his bodyguards were killed.

A senior reporter from Universal Television died during the blast, but the fate of his colleagues is yet to be established, according to the reports.

Somali militant group al-Shabab has claimed responsibility for the latest attack.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-22 22:04:54|Editor: Li Xia

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NAIROBI, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's chief justice and Supreme Court president David Maraga was injured in a road accident on Saturday morning, officials said.

The chief justice and his wife Yucabeth Nyaboke were involved in the road accident in Njoro area of Nakuru County, located about 170 km from the capital of Nairobi.

Local administrators said Maraga and his wife sustained head injuries and were admitted at Nakuru War Memorial Hospital for treatment.

President Uhuru Kenyatta ordered the military to airlift the chief justice and his wife to Nairobi for specialized treatment.

Mongo Chimwaga, Rift Valley regional coordinator, told journalists that Maraga and his wife were in stable condition.

"The CJ and his wife were heading to church in Ngata area, when their vehicle was hit by a personal car. They are in stable condition," Chimwaga was quoted by the Daily Nation.

Road accidents peak during the festive season when Kenyans flock the countryside to reunite with family and friends.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-22 22:20:02|Editor: Li Xia

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ISTANBUL, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- Turkey's postponement of a planned military operation against U.S.-backed Kurdish militia following Washington's sudden decision to withdraw troops from Syria suggests that Ankara opts to be cautious due to uncertainties on the ground, analysts told Xinhua.

"Turkey has put the operation on hold as the situation lacks clarity," said Hasan Koni, an analyst on international relations with Istanbul Kultur University.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday that Ankara had decided to postpone the offensive due to developments related to Syria.

The U.S. decision to leave Syria came as a big surprise on Wednesday as the U.S. media was full of reports about the White House's plan to bring all troops back home from war-torn Syria.

"We have started returning United States troops home as we transit to the next phase of this campaign," White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said.

The U.S. move came after Erdogan threatened last week to launch "within days" an offensive to eliminate the Kurdish militia in northeastern Syria.

Ankara appears to have doubts about the situation in Syria following Washington's sudden decision to withdraw troops, stated Koni.

"The situation raises concerns that all this may be part of a U.S. scenario in which Turkey would also have a role in Syria," observed Cahit Armagan Dilek, director of the Ankara-based 21st Century Turkey Institute.

U.S. President Donald Trump defended his decision in a Twitter message earlier Wednesday, saying "we have defeated IS (Islamic State) in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency."

Erdogan revealed that Turkey's operation, which would not only target the Kurdish militia on Turkey's border, but also the IS in Syria, would be launched in the coming months.

Ankara sees the presence of the Kurdish militia, known as the People's Protection Units (YPG), along its border as an existential threat, and has long been angry at Washington for arming it.

The U.S. should not be expected to withdraw all its troops nor allow Ankara to attack the Kurdish militia, argued Dilek, a former staff officer in the Turkish military.

In his view, Washington's plan is to prevent Ankara from eliminating the YPG while placing the IS as a target for Turkey.

During the Syrian war, the YPG, which Washington used as a ground force against the IS, has carved out two self-declared autonomous cantons east of the Euphrates River and an autonomous administration in Manbij, a Syrian town on the western bank of the river.

The U.S. withdrawal process, expected to last 30-100 days, will be discussed in a meeting in Washington D.C. on Jan. 8, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Friday.

It is widely argued that the U.S. decided to pull out troops in order not to lose Turkey as an ally, as a Turkish offensive against the YPG risks confrontation with U.S. troops.

The U.S. move risks creating divergences among Turkey, Russia and Iran, Ankara's two partners in the so-called Astana process seeking to settle politically the Syrian conflict.

Ankara may have thought that a military intervention into Syria would negatively affect its relations with Russia and Iran, remarked Koni.

A Turkish operation into Syria, whether it targets the YPG or the IS, could lead to a deterioration in ties with Russia and Iran, Dilek stated, noting neither Damascus nor Moscow nor Tehran would want Turkey to enter into Syrian territory.

Iran said on Monday that no country should carry out military operations on Syrian territory without the permission of Damascus, warning of problems in the Astana process in case of any violation of this principle.

"Russia hoped to pull Turkey away from Washington when it allowed Ankara to play a major role in the Idlib case. The rapprochement between Turkey and the U.S. is sure to annoy Russia," said Dilek.

Under Ankara's pressure, Moscow agreed in September to resolve the problem in Idlib, the last major bastion for Islamist rebels in Syria, through talks rather than force.

A Turkish military operation against the YPG and IS would extend Ankara's control over Syrian territory to the northeastern and eastern parts, an anathema to Damascus, Tehran and possibly Moscow.

Despite protests by Damascus, the Turkish military has captured al-Bab and Afrin regions from the IS and the YPG respectively in the past years.

Dilek feels that Washington plans to replace the YPG militia with Peshmerga fighters from the federal region of Iraqi Kurdistan and Arab militias along the Turkish border to create a buffer zone between the Turkish army and the Syrian Kurdish forces.

According to press reports, nearly 100 Syrian Peshmerga fighters from Iraq had arrived at YPG-held territory under a U.S. plan.

The reports said these fighters, who had to leave Syria under YPG pressure due to ideological divergences during the war, were to be deployed along the Turkish border.

However, local media reported on Wednesday that the Peshmerga fighters were sent back, possibly due to disagreements, to Iraqi Kurdistan by the YPG, although it has not been confirmed.

The Turkish government has often said that it would not tolerate the YPG along its border, but Ankara has no feelings of hostility toward Syrian Kurds and Arabs who are not linked to the Syrian Kurdish militia.

Ankara sees the YPG as the Syrian branch of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party which has been fighting against the Turkish state for more than three decades.

Koni feels the YPG may now feel compelled to seek the support of the Syrian government against a potential Turkish operation.

The YPG is having talks with the Syrian government, according to press reports.

The reports claimed that the YPG is ready, in return for Damascus' help to fend off a Turkish incursion, to give up Kurdish autonomy and settle instead for a decentralized democratic government in which Kurds are granted some powers.

"The YPG has to settle for a sort of cultural autonomy and seek the help of the Syrian army. Otherwise, it has no chance of resisting a Turkish offensive," remarked Koni.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-22 22:25:04|Editor: Li Xia

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VALLETTA, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- The Armed Forces of Malta (AFM) rescued a two-day-old infant and his mother from a boat on Saturday.

They were rescued 57 nautical miles south of Malta and they needed "medical assistance", the AFM said.

The infant and the 23-year-old mother were safely winched to the Air Wing Base and were taken to Mater Dei Hospital by ambulance.

According to local media Times of Malta, the infant was at Mater Dei Hospital in a "stable" condition.

That boat which had the infant was carrying 311 migrants off Malta, and AFM could not provide food to them due to the weather conditions, Times of Malta reported.

Italy's Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini said in a tweet: "Ship calls an Italian port after the refusal of Malta (which rightly picked up a woman and a child). The Italian ports are closed! For the traffickers of human beings and for those who help them, it's over."

The Maltese government has not given any further comment.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-22 23:05:12|Editor: yan

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by Dana Halawi

BEIRUT, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- Pierre Ashkar, Syndicate of Hotel Owners in Lebanon, said that the country's hotels will witness full occupancy this festive season.

"Occupancy in Beirut's hotels will surpass 90 percent while those in the mountains will be fully reserved this festive season," he told Xinhua in an exclusive interview.

Ashkar said that the hotel sector will thrive this month despite the absence of a government in Lebanon and the latest Israeli threats following Israel's discovery of tunnels allegedly dug by Hezbollah into northern Israel.

"The Lebanese people do not know very much the worth of their country. Lebanon is very much appreciated by tourists ... we have great nightlife, an attractive lifestyle and a natural beauty that have attracted tourists over the years," he said.

Caretaker Tourism Minister Avedis Guidanian previously told Xinhua that the number of tourists from Europe hiked by 30 percent in 2018 compared with that of 2010, the year witnessing the tourist arrival peak in Lebanon at 2.17 million.

He also noted that tourists from America and Latin America soared by 45 percent while those from Arab countries and the Gulf dropped by 40 percent compared with 2010.

According to Ashkar, Arab tourists used to reserve Lebanon's hotels for at least 10 days during holidays while other nationalities came for only about three days.

"This made a great difference in terms of spending," he said. "When Arabs come for 10 days, other touristic services such as restaurants and car rentals benefit more from their presence."

Last November, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Kuwait warned their citizens against traveling to Lebanon because of a Lebanese-Saudi crisis caused by Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri's controversial resignation in Riyadh which he rescinded soon after.

According to Ashkar, compared with other nationalities, Gulf tourists spend the most money in Lebanon .

He added that Gulf tourists will most probably return to Lebanon once the government is formed.

"Many of these tourists have houses in Lebanon that are currently vacant and I am sure that they will be encouraged to come back once the government is formed," he said.

Lebanon succeeded in holding the first parliamentary elections in nine years, but it still faces the challenge of overcoming all hurdles hindering cabinet formation.

Ashkar said that while Lebanese hotels will be fully occupied in the few coming days, the hotels did not make much efforts in investing to host well-known artists for New Year festivities because they were worried about people's reaction amid the political instability.

"Well-known Lebanese artists will throw their parties in Turkey, Egypt and Dubai," he said.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-22 23:10:16|Editor: yan

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by Eric J. Lyman

ROME, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- A plan that would use troops from the Italian Army to help repair the pothole-filled streets of Rome is running into strong opposition from advocacy groups, analysts and from the Army itself.

The plan is the brainchild of Francesco Silvestri, one of the leading figures in the anti-establishment Five-Star Movement, one of the two parties backing the government of Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte. Silvestri said the plan, which would give the Army 240 million euros (275 million U.S. dollars) to repair around 200 kilometers (125 miles) of roads, would represent a "revolution for the city".

Rome Mayor Virginia Raggi, also a member of the Five-Star Movement, has been criticized for her handling of the city's infrastructure. She welcomed Silvestri's proposal, telling reporters the idea would provide a "great victory for Romans."

But the support for the measure more or less ended there.

"It is an insult to the Army," Luca Marco Comellini, general secretary for the military's trade union, told Xinhua. "The Army's job is to protect the country's borders and react to emergency situations. The fact that the leadership of the city has been letting the roads deteriorate for years does not classify."

There are precedents for the Army to play a role in solving municipal emergencies. A decade ago, Italian troops were deployed to the streets of Naples to help resolve a situation that saw garbage piled high on the streets of the city, sparking a sanitation crisis. Often, when an Italian city suffers from an earthquake or floods, soldiers are used in rescue efforts.

According to Michele Nones, a scientific advisor specializing in military policy for think tank - the Institute for International Affairs, those situations differ from what is happening in Rome.

"The definition of an emergency situation is that there is no way to see the problem coming," Nones said in an interview. "In Rome, the problem has been building for years. Nobody is surprised the situation got to this point."

Roma fa Schifo (roughly translates to "Rome is horrible"), a movement that calls attention to the shortcomings of the city on social media and elsewhere, has repeatedly blasted the city's political leaders as being too short sighted with regard to maintaining the city's infrastructure. The group said the proposal to use the Army to improve the city's roads was inadequate because it did not include any aspects for the long-term maintenance and expansion of the city's road network.

"This is a fake emergency fabricated to justify using the Army," Massimiliano Tonelli, one of the directors of Roma fa Schifo, told Xinhua. "The problems aren't the potholes. The potholes are a symptom of a corrupt system that misspends money and doesn't plan adequately."

Comellini from the military trade union said Silvestri's proposal showed a lack of understanding of the essential role a well prepared and properly used military plays for a country.

"As a military veteran and someone who now works to protect the rights of soldiers, I find it embarrassing to know there are leaders who think the Army should be used like this," he said.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-22 23:30:20|Editor: mym

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Members of a UN monitoring team arrive at the Sanaa International Airport in Sanaa, Yemen, on Dec. 22, 2018. A United Nations six-member team to monitor a UN-brokered ceasefire in Yemen's Red Sea port city of Hodeidah arrived on Saturday in the rebel-held capital Sanaa, a Xinhua photographer in Sanaa airport witnessed. (Xinhua/Mohammed Mohammed)

SANAA, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- A United Nations six-member team to monitor a UN-brokered cease-fire in Yemen's Red Sea port city of Hodeidah arrived on Saturday in the rebel-held capital Sanaa, a Xinhua photographer in Sanaa airport witnessed.

The team is part of an advance monitoring group led by retired Dutch General Patrick Cammaert, who arrived earlier in the day in the government-held Aden city, in the southern part of Yemen.

On Friday, the UN Security Council the United Nations voted unanimously to adopt Security Council Resolution 2451, a Britain-led resolution to bolster the UN Yemen peace process.

The resolution authorizes the UN to take on the monitoring and other tasks it has committed to doing in Stockholm-based Yemen peace talks.

Cammaert and his team are set to head for Hodeidah on Sunday to begin overseeing the withdrawal of the rival forces.

At midnight (2100 GMT) on Monday, the UN-sponsored cease-fire covering Hodeidah and the ports of Hodeidah, Salif and Ras Issa entered into force, as the first confidence-rebuilding measures between the Houthi rebels and the coalition-backed government.

According to the UN-sponsored truce deal, the withdrawal from the ports of Hodeidah, Salif and Ras Issa and critical parts of the city associated with the humanitarian facilities shall be the first phase and shall be completed within two weeks after the cease-fire enters into force.

The full mutual withdrawal of all forces from the city of Hodeidah and the three ports shall be completed within a maximum period of 21 days after the cease-fire enters into force.

However, both rival forces have blamed each other for violations of the cease-fire.

According to the government-run Saba news agency, the rebels shelled al-Fazah quarter on Friday, forcing hundreds of families to flee their homes.

The shelling came just a day after the rebels carried out missile attacks on two sites of the government troops in Dawar al-Matahin and Kilo 16 areas east of the city, killing four soldiers and wounding 16 others.

Meanwhile, the Houthi rebels also accused the government troops of continuing breaches of the truce since it came into force.

They said the troops launched artillery attacks on al-Fazah quarter for the second consecutive day, according to the Houthi-run al-Masirah TV.

Saudi Arabia has been leading an Arab military coalition in Yemen against Houthi militia since March 2015, in order to reinstate the exiled government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-22 23:40:25|Editor: yan

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TEHRAN, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Foreign Ministry on Saturday welcomed U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw U.S. forces from Syria.

The U.S. military presence in the Middle East fuels insecurity in the region, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi said.

"Basically, U.S. forces' arrival and presence in the region were a wrong, illogical, tension-provoking and crisis-inducing move from the outset," Qasemi said.

The presence of U.S. forces "has always been one of the key causes to instability and insecurity in the region," he added.

A White House announcement on Wednesday said that Trump's administration started to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria after claiming a victory in the fight against the Islamic State.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-23 00:20:34|Editor: yan

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VALLETTA, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- Malta's government disputed with Proactivata Open Arms, a Spanish non-governmental organization (NGO) devoted to search and rescue at sea, on supplies to a migrant boat on Saturday, local media Times of Malta reported.

The NGO said that Malta's government refused to provide food to over 300 rescued migrants.

"#OpenArms with more than 300 people on board, has no port of disembarkation and Malta denies supply. It's an emergency in #Christmas time." "We are in urgent need of provisions," the NGO posted on social media.

Malta's government later said all migrants were intercepted inside Libyan search and rescue area off the Libyan coast, Times of Malta reported.

"The NGO vessel has stated that it has enough provisions on board for more than two days therefore enough to proceed towards his home port. However, the master chose to proceed south instead and keep loitering at sea waiting deliberately for the situation to deteriorate. This irresponsible action from the NGO vessel deteriorates further the situation and clearly shows that the master is deciding himself contrary to every convention on the port of disembarkation."

The Armed Forces of Malta (AFM) rescued a two-day-old infant and his mother from the NGO's boat and took them to hospital earlier Saturday.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-23 01:30:49|Editor: yan

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NICOSIA, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- Cyprus is currently experiencing a dramatic increase in the arrivals of unregulated immigrants who arrive in numbers it cannot cope with, Interior Minister Constantinos Petrides said on Saturday.

"The number of irregular immigrants and asylum seekers has topped 1,000 per month. We have long exceeded our capacity and soon we'll not be able to manage the problem," the minister told state radio in an interview.

"Unregulated immigration of such numbers is definitely not a viable situation," he added.

The European Union announced on Thursday that it had allocated 31 million euros for the improvement of refugee accommodation centers.

"Euros will not help solve the problem. What is urgently needed is an automatic mechanism of allocating refugees among EU member states. It is not possible to expect that only three or four countries will shoulder the immigration problem," Petrides said.

He added that Cyprus, a country with a population of just over a million and part of its territory occupied by Turkish troops, has been experiencing an increase in unregulated immigration over the past few months.

Thousands of refugees from Syria and other countries have established their residence in Cyprus, and their relatives are joining them for permanent stay.

"Cyprus has become their final destination. Refugees and immigrants who arrive here do not intent to travel any further to other European countries," he said.

According to Petrides, the biggest number of unregulated immigrants arrive from Lebanon, which is hosting about one million Syrian refugees, from Turkey either through the occupied part of Cyprus or directly by boat, and also from Syria itself.

The minister could not envisage a solution to the influx of Syrian refugees, given the fact that 6 to 7 million people have left the country, unless Syria becomes again a safe country for its population.

Petrides criticized the European Union for keeping aloof from the process of finding a peaceful solution of the Syrian problem, despite the fact that it has to shoulder almost alone the immigration problem.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-23 02:56:09|Editor: yan

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RAMALLAH, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas announced that the inoperative Palestinian Authority (PA) parliament, better known as the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC), was dissolved.

He made the announcement in a speech addressed before a meeting for the Palestinian leadership, including Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Executive Committee and his Fatah Party's Central Committee.

The Palestinian Constitutional Court issued a decision of dissolving the PLC and to prepare for holding new parliamentary elections in the Palestinian territories within six months, said Abbas at his headquarters in the West Bank city of Ramallah.

Islamic Hamas movement dominates the PLC after it had won about 70 seats out of 132 seats of the parliament in the parliamentary elections held in the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem in January 2006.

Abbas chaired a meeting of the Palestinian leadership on Saturday evening to debate the recent Israeli army escalation in the West Bank, where seven Palestinians had been killed within the last ten days.

He said that "this is what has to be implemented immediately as the first step against Hamas movement."

"If Hamas movement rejects the Palestinian reconciliation and ending the internal division, we should go to the end in making decisions that were discussed by the central council of the PLO and its other committees," Abbas said.

The PLC has been inoperative since the beginning of the internal Palestinian split between Hamas and Fatah in 2007 after Hamas had violently seized control of the Gaza Strip and routed Abbas security forces.

Hamas, which has a majority in the PLC, had been unilaterally holding regular PLC sessions in the Gaza Strip amid the absence of Fatah Party members and other minor factions and political groups.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-23 04:56:28|Editor: mym

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The U.S. Capitol is seen in Washington D.C., the United States, on Dec. 21, 2018. A partial shutdown of the U.S. federal government came into effect, starting Friday midnight, after failed attempts to end a budget impasse over President Donald Trump's long-promised border wall. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

WASHINGTON, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said Saturday that he was negotiating with the Democrats to end a partial government shutdown, but "it could be a long stay" due to continued discrepancy on his long-time demand for a border wall.

"We are negotiating with the Democrats on desperately needed Border Security (Gangs, Drugs, Human Trafficking & more) but it could be a long stay," Trump tweeted. "Will be having lunch in White House residence with large group concerning Border Security."

The U.S. House and Senate convened Saturday noon on Capitol Hill, hoping to reach a deal to end the partial government shutdown that began at midnight, after failed attempts to end a budget impasse over a 5-billion-U.S.-dollar bill that Trump wanted to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Shortly after the gathering, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced that "no further votes will occur until the president and Senate Democrats have reached an agreement to resolve this."

"We pushed the pause button until the president, from whom we will need a signature, and Senate Democrats, from whom we will need votes, reach an agreement," he said.

Earlier this week, senators reached a deal on a short-term funding measure that did not include the 5 billion dollars Trump has sought for, and the president later said he would not sign the bill. The House passed a temporary spending bill late Thursday that includes the border wall money but couldn't get enough votes to clear the Senate.

The partial shutdown is set to affect nine of 15 Cabinet-level U.S. departments and dozens of agencies, including the departments of homeland security, transportation, interior, agriculture, state and justice. More than 800,000 federal employees would have to go to work without pay or will be furloughed, U.S. media reported.

Three-quarters of government programs won't be affected as they are fully funded through next September.

Trump has been trying to pin the shutdown on the Democrats, while the latter has been firing back. House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said in a joint statement that the president "threw a temper tantrum" and convinced House Republicans to push the nation into a "destructive Trump shutdown" in the middle of the holiday season.

It is the third U.S. federal government shutdown this year. The January and February shutdowns also involved disputes over immigration.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-23 04:56:29|Editor: yan

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KHARTOUM, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- South Sudan President Salva Kiir said on Saturday that Sudan would overcome the current crisis with wisdom of its leadership and maturity of its people.

Salva Kiir made the remarks in a phone call to Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, according to Sudan's official SUNA news agency.

The South Sudanese leader expressed concern over the crisis in Sudan, saying that the stability of Sudan represents stability of the region.

For his part, al-Bashir thanked his counterpart and reassured him on calmness of the situations in Sudan, it reported.

Over the past three days, various areas in Sudan, including the capital Khartoum, have been witnessing protests against the deteriorating economic conditions and price hikes of basic commodities.

According to government officials, at least eight protesters were killed in Sudan's eastern state of Gadarif and northern city of Atbara.
The world' s largest cargo plane Antonov An-225 Mriya stands on the tarmac of Guarulhos International Airport, in the outskirts of Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Nov. 15, 2016. (Xinhua/Rahel Patrasso)

KIEV, Dec. 21 (Xinhua) -- Ukraine on Friday marked the 30th anniversary of the maiden flight of An-225 Mriya -- the world's longest and heaviest airplane ever built.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko tweeted that since being put into operation on Dec. 21, 1988, the plane has set 240 aviation records.

Developed by Antonov design bureau in Kiev in the 1980s, Mriya is powered by six turbofan engines. The aircraft is capable of carrying up to 640 tons of cargo, including large vehicles and equipment.

It has a wingspan of 88.4 meters, which is larger than any aircraft in operational service.

Earlier this year, Mriya undergone modernization -- the aircraft was fitted with a new navigation system and some new electronic equipment.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-23 05:06:35|Editor: yan

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TRIPOLI, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) on Saturday expressed concern over the arrests of journalists in the country.

"UNSMIL is deeply concerned by the continued crackdown on and arrests of journalists in Libya, and calls on the Libyan authorities to protect journalists and strengthen press freedom," said the mission.

"Crimes against journalists must be prosecuted," it added.

According to a report by Alwasat news website, the latest arrested journalist was Ismail Bouzreeba, who works for a local TV channel and was arrested on Thursday morning by the security in the eastern city of Ajdabiya while covering honoring ceremony for retired teachers.

The report said Bouzreeba was arrested under the accusation of working for a local TV channel which is against the eastern-based army.

Despite signing a UN-sponsored political agreement by the Libyan rival parties in 2015, Libya remains politically divided between eastern and western authorities, both competing for legitimacy.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-23 05:06:36|Editor: mym

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NEW YORK, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- For New Yorkers who are curious about Chinese history and culture, it's better not to miss this Chinese community-themed exhibition in New York City.

Titled "Homeward bound: global intimacies in converging Chinatowns," the exhibition uses photographs, oral histories and multimedia archives to highlight stories of migration, displacement and everyday resilience in Chinatowns around the world.

The show consists of five sections, with each focusing on a different theme, such as building deeper roots in a community of Chinese immigrants and resistance to the erasure of Chinese culture as luxury developers acquire properties in a variety of Chinatowns.

Diane Wong, co-curator of the exhibition, said that her team's travels to different Chinatowns around the world inspired them to record the changing of the overseas Chinese communities by a collection of photographs and oral histories.

"Chinatowns are still very much a home to elders, young people and immigrants," said Wong, assistant professor and faculty fellow at New York University.

As Chinatowns around the world continue to change, it is imperative that oral histories at risk of being displaced are preserved for future generations, said Huiying B. Chan, co-curator of the show.

The exhibit drew from their four years of ethnographic research and oral history interviews with the Chinese communities that span thirteen cities in nine countries, according to the organizer.

"This show is a wonderful examination of the history and present day issues of Chinatowns across the world. It's both interesting and thoughtful," June Foley, a New York resident said, after touring the exhibition.

The exhibit is on view at the art gallery of Pearl River Mart, an iconic Chinese-goods department store in New York, and is open free to the public until Jan. 13.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-23 05:21:42|Editor: yan

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GAZA, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- The minor community of Christians in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip Saturday lit a huge Christmas tree at the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) in Gaza City to celebrated the holiday.

As cheerful music played, a huge Christmas tree was lit with crowds of Christians and Muslims gathering at the yard of the YMCA, cheering and clapping.

Leaders of the Christian community in the impoverished and besieged coastal enclave attended the event, with some children dressed in Santa Claus costume.

Before Hamas violently seized the control of the Gaza Strip and routed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas security forces in 2007, the number of Christians in the coastal enclave was around 4,000. Gaza Strip's total population is around 2 million.

However, the number has decreased after Israel waged three large-scale military air and ground offensives on the Gaza Strip in 2008, 2012 and 2014.

Around 1,000 Christians remained in the Gaza Strip, community leaders said, adding that Israel provided around 350 permissions for Christians to go to the West Bank city of Bethlehem and Jerusalem to celebrate Christmas on December 24.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-23 05:51:47|Editor: yan

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MOSCOW, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- The Russian Foreign Ministry said Saturday that international security and stability will be further undermined after a draft resolution in support to the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) was rejected in a United Nations vote.

"A new blow was dealt to the architecture of international security and stability. Now, with the collapse of the INF Treaty, several regions of the world can be plunged into an arms race or even into direct confrontation," the ministry said on its website.

On Friday, the UN General Assembly voted down a resolution introduced by Russia last week in support of the preservation of the INF Treaty.

The ministry said the results of the voting "cannot but cause disappointment," noting that many countries well aware of the importance of the arms control agreement voted against it.

"With their connivance or thoughtless conciliation, these countries de facto gave their blessings to Washington to destroy the treaty," the ministry said.

In October, U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington would pull out of the INF Treaty on account of Russia's alleged breach of the agreement, which Moscow has repeatedly denied.

On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned against a collapse of the international arms deterrence system, which could aggravate the threat of a global nuclear catastrophe.

The INF Treaty was signed in 1987 between the Soviet Union and the United States on the elimination of intermediate-range and shorter-range missiles. The deal marked the first-ever pact reached by Washington and Moscow on nuclear disarmament and a major step forward in restricting arms race.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-23 06:16:51|Editor: yan

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LOS ANGELES, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- Hundreds of new genes linked to blindness and other vision disorders have been identified in a screen of mouse strains, according to a new research of University of California, Davis.

Many of these genes are likely important in human vision and the results could help identify new causes of hereditary blindness in patients, said a release of the university on Saturday.

The research is published Friday in Nature Communications Biology.

"This is extremely valuable for people with hereditary eye disease," said Ala Moshiri, associate professor of ophthalmology and vision science in UC Davis, School of Medicine and Eye Center. "The whole ophthalmic community is going to start using these data."

The results are the latest to come from the International Mouse Phenotyping Consortium, of which UC Davis' Mouse Biology Program is a founding member.

The research team combed the consortium database for genes linked to eye and vision defects and identified 261 new genes linked to blindness.

"Now eye centers that do DNA sequencing can call back patients and screen them for these new genes," Moshiri said.

While the mouse and human genomes clearly differ, most human genes have an analogous counterpart in mice, Moshiri said. The UC Davis team is collaborating with eye centers at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston and the University of Iowa, to check the newly identified mouse genes against their human equivalents.

The new genetic information could also enable new therapies for hereditary eye disease. "We expect that more and more of these genetic diseases will be treatable," Moshiri said.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-23 06:31:55|Editor: mym

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SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- U.S. renters have spent 12.6 billion U.S. dollars more on rent in 2018 than in last year, about 2.6 percent increase from the 2017 figure, said a report released over the weekend.

U.S. households spent a record 504.4 billion dollars on rent last year, more than the entire Gross Domestic Product of Belgium, which amounts to 494.7 billion dollars, said the latest report of San Francisco-based HotPads, Inc., a subsidiary of online real estate database company Zillow Group.

The report attributed the rent hikes to rising rents throughout much of this year, despite a decrease in the number of households who rent their homes.

There are about 43.2 million renter households in the United States in 2018, a slight decline of 100,000 from 2017, said the report.

Throughout 2018, rents rose about 3 percent year over year, continuing a gradual slowdown in rent appreciation that began in mid-2016. The current median rent stands at 1,475 dollars, up 3 percent from a year ago.

Among the 50 largest metro areas in the U.S., renters in the New York City metro area spent the most on rent this year, with a total of 55.6 billion dollars, as the total rent has increased on a yearly basis in nearly every major market across the country that was covered by the HotPads report.

Cities experiencing the fasted rent growth are Orlando, Las Vegas and Phoenix, at a rate more than twice as fast as the national median, the report said.

Renters in Orlando and Las Vegas paid about 4.4 billion dollars for rent in 2018, while those in Phoenix spent about 7.5 billion dollars.

"After several years of a booming economy, more millennials became financially able to become home owners in 2018," said Joshua Clark, an economist at HotPads.

"However, rent affordability continues to be a challenge, as those who still rent are paying even higher prices now than they were a year ago," he added.

The housing market in the United States is cooling nationwide, which may make it easier for renters to keep up with housing expenses, Clark said.

In the New York metro, rent growth has slowed down in 2018, with rental rate rising only 1 percent annually now, compared to 1.8 percent in the corresponding period of last year.
Talharie calificata, de 1 Decembrie

Politistii mureseni au fost sesizati miercuri, 1 decembrie, cu privire la o fapta de talharie savarsita de doi barbati, asupra unei persoane. "In fapt, la aceeasi data, cei in cauza, de 24 si 26 de ani, din comuna Valea Larga, ar fi deposedat un barbat de bani, un telefon mobil, precum si mai multe bunuri.  Post-ul Talharie [citeste mai departe]
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-13 00:20:02|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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CAPE TOWN, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- The South African government on Wednesday welcomed the resumption of peace talks aimed at resolving the Western Sahara issue.

"South Africa welcomes the recently concluded first round of negotiations held on December 5-6, 2018 in Geneva, Switzerland on the situation in Western Sahara," Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Lindiwe Sisulu said.

The talks, held after six years of suspended negotiations, will be followed by a second round-table meeting in the first quarter of 2019.

Sisulu said her country is pleased that Morocco and the Polisario Front have been able to meet to seek a political solution to the conflict.

South Africa is hopeful that this negotiations process, led by former Germen President Horst Kohler in his capacity as the Personal Envoy of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, will lead to a just, lasting, and mutually acceptable solution which will provide for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara, Sisulu said in a statement.

"It is our hope that these negotiations are a step in the right direction towards reviving the long-stalled talks between the Polisario Front and Morocco," she said.

The negotiations took place in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 2440 adopted by the UN Security Council on October 31, 2018, which calls on the parties to show "political will and work in an atmosphere propitious for dialogue."

Sisulu pledged that South Africa will utilize its upcoming term on the UN Security Council (UNSC) to call on the UN to continue to support the right to self determination of the people of Western Sahara.

South Africa will serve its 2019-2020 term as a non-permanent member of the UNSC.

Western Sahara was partitioned between Morocco and Mauritania at the end of Spain's colonial rule in 1976. When Mauritania, under pressure from Polisario guerrillas, abandoned all claims to its portion in August 1979, Morocco moved to occupy that sector and asserted administrative control over the whole territory.

Fighting then broke out between Morocco and the Polisario Front, which is fighting for the independence of Western Sahara. A cease-fire was signed in 1991 and in that year, the UN mission, known by its French acronym as Minurso, was deployed to monitor the cease-fire.
WASHINGTON: Foreign powers, including Russia, China and Iran, sought to influence voters in the US 2018 mid-term elections, but there is no evidence of any penetration into US voting systems, the top US intelligence official said on Friday.

US Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats added that the intelligence community did not assess the impact of the foreign influence efforts on the election results.

The findings were included in a report that Coats submitted to US President Donald Trump and US agencies involved in election security as required by an executive order signed by Trump in September.

The order declared election interference a national emergency in the wake of an intelligence assessment that Russia conducted an influence operation to sway the 2016 presidential vote to Trump over his Democratic challenger Hillary Clinton.

Russia denies that it interfered in the 2016 contest.

"At this time, the intelligence community does not have intelligence reporting that indicates any compromise of our nation`s election infrastructure that would have prevented voting, changed vote counts or disrupted the ability to tally votes," Coats said in a statement on the 2018 election report.

"The activity we did see was consistent with what we shared in the weeks leading up to the election," he continued. "Russia, and other foreign countries, including China and Iran, conducted influence activities and messaging campaigns targeted at the United States to promote their strategic interests."

Coats did not elaborate on details of the foreign influence operations, and he said that the intelligence community did not assess their impact on voters who last month elected a new U.S. Congress, state legislatures, governors and other officials.

"The Russians did not go away after the 2016 election," Mark Warner, the senior Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said in a statement on the new report.

"Now that the Russian playbook is out in the open, we`re going to see more and more adversaries trying to take advantage of the openness of our society to sow division and attempt to manipulate Americans," Warner added.

Special Counsel Robert Mueller is investigating possible collusion during the 2016 presidential race between Russia and the Trump campaign. Trump denies any cooperation and has repeatedly denounced Mueller`s probe as a "witch hunt."
LAHORE: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday said that the ''members of the minority community are unsafe in India and not treated as equal citizens" amidst a raging controversy over acclaimed Bollywood actor Naseeruddin Shah's recent controversial remarks on mob violence in the country.

Pakistan PM further said that his government will "show" the Narendra Modi government in India "how to treat minorities'' and make them feel safe in their country.

Addressing an event to highlight the 100-day achievements of the Punjab government in Lahore, Khan asserted that his government is taking steps to ensure that religious minorities in Pakistan get their due rights, which was also a vision of the country's founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

Khan said his government will make it sure that the minorities feel safe, protected and have equal rights in 'New Pakistan'.

"We will show the Modi government how to treat minorities...Even in India, people are saying that minorities are unsafe and not being treated as equal citizens," he said referring to Shah's statement.

The Bollywood actor has landed in a controversy over his remarks on the spate of mob lynching cases in India following the killing of a policeman in Uttar Pradesh's Bulandshahr district earlier this month.

In a video interview with Karwan-e-Mohabbat India, the veteran actor said the death of a cow was being given importance over the killing of a policeman in India.

He 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...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," Shah added.

The Pakistani premier said if justice is not given to the weak then it will only lead to an uprising.

Giving an example, he said, "The people of East Pakistan were not given their rights which were the main reason behind the creation of Bangladesh."

On December 3, Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh and a student, Sumit Kumar, were killed in mob violence in Bulandshahr after cow carcasses were found strewn around.

The main accused in the case is a local Bajrang Dal leader, Yogesh Raj

(With PTI inputs)
NEW DELHI: A student of Jamia Islamia University, currently pursuing her Master of Business Administration (MBA), was allegedly barred from appearing in the exam for wearing hijab.

According to news agency ANI, Umaiyah Khan, a student of Jamia Islamia University, alleged that she was not allowed to appear for University Grants Commission - National Eligibility Test (UGC-NET) exam for wearing hijab.

Narrating the incident to ANI, Khan said, "I went for NET exam last week in Rohini area. I reached the exam centre but did not get the permission to sit for the exam and the reason was hijab. Both male and female invigilators did not allow me to sit for the exam. I even requested the senior officials but was not allowed."

Khan further said, "I have shown all my identities. Yet, they ordered that I remove my hijab then sit for the exam. I cannot do that because this is my religion, I cannot remove it. I requested them to allow me but they did not let me."

Umayya Khan, a student appearing for UGC NET who was not allowed to wear hijab for the exam: They asked me to take off my hijab, despite me telling them they could frisk me privately. I asked them to show me the guidelines yet I wasn't allowed to write the exam. pic.twitter.com/xN2GgC1Zza  ANI (@ANI) December 22, 2018

The student said that she has now written an email to the UGC about the incident.

"If I don`t get any reply I will seek legal advice in the matter," she added.

Expressing his anger over the incident Khan`s brother Mohd Zaheed Afzal said, "This is not happening with Umaiayah only, this has been done with many other girls. We Muslims are already backward in terms of higher education and when we get such opportunities we are treated like this. I strongly condemn this. This has happened not only in Delhi, but similar cases were also reported from Goa and other states."

Meanwhile, a senior professor from the university too condemned the incident and said that taking away the "right to appear for an exam just because one practices a particular religion cannot be done."

"I condemn this unfortunate incident. Education and appearing for an exam is every student`s right. You cannot take that right because he or she is practicing a particular religion," Prof Amirul Hasan Ansari, Director of Management Studies, Jamia Islamia University.

(With ANI Inputs)
NEW DELHI: Hours after claiming that she will tender her resignation as "demanded" by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal over not supporting a resolution in the assembly on revoking late PM Rajiv Gandhi's 'Bharat Ratna', AAP MLA Alka Lamba on Saturday took a U-turn and denied reports that she was resigning.

''I am not resigning,'' news agency ANI quoted AAP MLA Alka Lamba as saying.

Aam Aadmi Party MLA Alka Lamba: I am not resigning. (File pic) pic.twitter.com/dXmvnSkEpp  ANI (@ANI) December 22, 2018

Lamba had triggered a major crisis for Delhi's ruling party by saying that she was allegedly pressurised by the AAP central leadership to support a resolution which was adopted by Delhi Assembly on Friday on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in which it was demanded that the 'Bharat Ratna' awarded to former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi be withdrawn.

Lamba claimed that she was "put under pressure" to support the resolution, which she resisted and boycotted.

Lamba said she was ready to face "any consequences" and claimed she spoke to AAP supremo and CM Kejriwal who, she said, asked her to resign as MLA.

"I am ready to do so", she had earlier said.

The Chandni Chowk MLA said she was not happy with the demand to take back Bharat Ratna from Gandhi and staged a walkout in protest.

Interestingly, the AAP later distanced itself from the resolution.

"After I staged a walkout, I got a message from the chief minister to tender my resignation," she told PTI.

When asked whether she will quit, Lamba added, "I have won on a party ticket. I will tender my resignation as demanded by the party," the former Youth Congress leader said.

In a tweet, she said, "I was asked to support the resolution demanding taking back the Bharat Ratna awarded to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. Since I didn't agree with this, I staged a walk out. I am ready to accept whatever punishment is given to me."

However, later clearing the air on the claims made by Lamba, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister and senior AAP leader Manish Sisodia said that the reports concerning party's Chandni Chowk MLA were nothing but rumours.

''No resignation has been sought and from no one, all these are just rumours,'' Sisodia said.

He further clarified AAP does not support that the 'Bharat Ratna' should be taken back from former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

We do not agree that Bharat Ratna should be taken back from Rajiv Gandhi, said Sisodia while briefing the media in the national capital.
PANAJI: Members of the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) clashed in Panaji on Friday during the protest organised by the saffron outfit over the Rafale deal issue. The BJP had organised the march outside the Goa Congress headquarters against the party and its president Rahul Gandhi alleging that they were "misguiding" people of the country on the Rafale fighter jet deal.

Soon after the clashes, workers of both parties filed cross-complaints at the Panaji police station, accusing each other of engaging in violence, assault and intimidation.

#WATCH Goa: Clash between Congress and BJP workers in Panaji during BJP protest against Congress over Rafale verdict by Supreme Court (21.12.18) pic.twitter.com/E59qbYmQFH  ANI (@ANI) December 22, 2018

Goa BJP president Vinay Tendulkar, general secretary Satish Dhond and ministers Vishwajit Rane and Mauvin Godinho were leading the protest.

The situation turned tense when the Congress, in a sarcastic move, installed banners "welcoming BJP to explain their lies on Rafale deal". The main opposition also stationed its women wing leaders with flowers and snacks in their hands, waiting for BJP protestors.

According to eyewitnesses, Goa Pradesh Mahila Congress Committee president Pratima Coutinho mixed amongst BJP workers under the pretext of serving them snacks. Coutinho, later addressing a press conference, alleged she was "mobbed by BJPs male workers".

She said BJP workers were furious over her gesture and even hurled footwear at her. Goa BJP spokesman Damodar Naik, however, refuted her allegations and accused the Congress of "instigating the peaceful morcha".

"Congress purposely instigated the peaceful morcha which was held to expose their party leaders over the Rafale issue. They wanted to divert the issue that is why they instigated our workers with tricks like distributing snacks and offering flowers," said Naik, a former MLA. He accused Coutinho of spitting water on the face of BJP workers.

Coutinho displayed shoes and sandals which, she claimed, were thrown at her. Showing bruises on her hands, she claimed Mahila Congress workers were attacked by men who were part of the BJP protest. "I would call them goons of BJP. They were not looking like workers of BJP," she said.
Gandhinagar: Former Gujarat minister Maya Kodnani attended a BJP event here on Saturday, which was her first public appearance since her acquittal in the 2002 Naroda Patiya riot case in April this year.

Kodnani was seen sharing the dais with Union Textiles Minister Smriti Irani and other women leaders of the ruling party on the second day of the two-day BJP women wing's national convention at Trimandir at Adalaj in Gandhinagar.

In August 2012, a special court for SIT cases had sentenced Kodnani, to 28 years of imprisonment.



However, in April 2018, she was acquitted by the Gujarat High Court.

But she is still an accused in another 2002 riot case of Naroda Gam in which 11 Muslims were killed.

The case is being heard by a special SIT court here.

After her acquittal in the Naroda Patiya case, Kodnani had told reporters that she was, and will remain a BJP party worker.

The Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) had arrested Kodnani in 2009 in the Naroda Patiya case while she was still the minister of women and child welfare in the erstwhile Narendra Modi government in Gujarat. She had later resigned.

Others who were present on the dais Saturday were BJP Mahila Morcha national president Vijaya Rahatkar and MP Saroj Pandey.

Thousands of women workers of BJP from across the country participated in the convention.

While Union Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman attended the inaugural session on Friday, Irani attended the second day of the session.

Speaking on the occasion, Irani said that women workers from across the country will contribute to make the BJP under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership retain power in 2019.
NEW DELHI: Delhi's Patiala House Court on Saturday sent British national Christian Michel, the alleged middleman arrested in the multi-crore AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal case, to seven-day remand of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) shortly after he was arrested by the central agency.

Michel was produced before the Patiala House Court by the ED officials.

He was produced before Special Judge Arvind Kumar where the ED sought his 15-day custody for further interrogation

The court allowed the ED to interrogate the British national inside courtroom for 15 minutes after the agency pressed for his custodial interrogation.

He was formally arrested after that. The ED had sought his arrest in a money-laundering case.

The alleged AgustaWestland case middleman was arrested in the UAE and extradited to India on December 4.

The next day, he was produced before the court, which allowed his five-day custodial interrogation by the CBI.

It was extended by five more days, and later for another four days.

The court had reserved the order on Michel's bail plea on December 19 and had sent him to judicial custody till December 28. Michel is among the three alleged middlemen being probed in the case by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the CBI. The others are Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa.

The CBI has alleged there was an estimated loss of Euro 398.21 million (about Rs 2,666 crore) to the exchequer in the deal that was signed on February 8, 2010, for the supply of VVIP choppers worth Euro 556.262 million.

The ED, in its charge sheet filed against Michel in June 2016, had alleged that he received EUR 30 million (about Rs 225 crore) from AgustaWestland.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday arrested Christian Michel, the alleged middleman arrested in the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal case after he was produced before a Delhi court.

Michel was produced before Special Judge Arvind Kumar where the ED sought his 15 days custody for interrogation

The court allowed the ED to interrogate the British national inside courtroom for 15 minutes after the agency sought his custodial interrogation. He was arrested after that. The ED had sought his arrest in a money-laundering case.

He was arrested in the UAE and extradited to India on December 4. The next day, he was produced before the court, which allowed his five-day custodial interrogation by the CBI. It was extended by five more days, and later for another four days.

The court had reserved the order on Michel's bail plea on December 19 and had sent him to judicial custody till December 28. Michel is among the three alleged middlemen being probed in the case by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the CBI. The others are Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa.

The CBI has alleged there was an estimated loss of Euro 398.21 million (about Rs 2,666 crore) to the exchequer in the deal that was signed on February 8, 2010, for the supply of VVIP choppers worth Euro 556.262 million.

The ED, in its charge sheet filed against Michel in June 2016, had alleged that he received EUR 30 million (about Rs 225 crore) from AgustaWestland.
NEW DELHI: The BJP on Saturday decided to approach the Supreme Court to challenge the Friday ruling of the division bench of the Calcutta High Court which quashed a single bench order allowing the saffron party to hold 'Rath Yatras' in West Bengal.

According to news agency ANI, the saffron party has decided to approach the vacation bench of the Supreme Court challenging the order of the division bench of Calcutta High Court which restrained BJP's proposed Rath Yatras across the TMC-ruled state.

BJP to move vacation bench of the Supreme Court challenging the order of the division bench of Calcutta High Court on BJP's Yatra in West Bengal. pic.twitter.com/CktrTxraJn  ANI (@ANI) December 22, 2018

A decision to this effect was taken during an emergency meeting of the BJP top brass which was called to decide the party's next course of action after its ambitious three-phase 'Rath Yatra' crisscrossing the entire West Bengal hit a roadblock.

According to the BJP sources, several state and central level leaders attended the meeting, which was called after the division bench of the Calcutta High Court quashed a single bench order that allowed the mega event and asked it to hear the case afresh.

After the Calcutta High Court ruling, the party leaders said that they will move a higher court for permission.

"The TMC is afraid of BJP," state BJP chief Dilip Ghosh said while entering the party office before the meeting.

"We have full faith in the judiciary. The state government (Mamata Banerjee) is trying to stop the Rath Yatra on the basis of the assumption that it might create problems," he said.

BJP national secretary Rahul Sinha said if needed the party will move a higher court to seek justice.

Meanwhile, the party has also decided to organise rallies in various parts of the state against the Trinamool government's decision to not allow the 'yatra'.

Earlier on Thursday, a single-judge bench of Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty gave a go-ahead for the event.

After the verdict, BJP leaders decided on tentative new dates for the programme starting December 28.

However, on Friday, the division bench of the Calcutta High Court quashed the single bench ruling in this regard.

The division bench of Chief Justice Debasish Kargupta and Justice Shampa Sarkar on Friday quashed the single bench order and asked it to hear the case afresh to consider intelligence inputs by state agencies.

The division bench also asked the single bench to dispose of the case expeditiously

BJP's ambitious 'Rath Yatras' aims to cover all 42 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state ahead of the 2019 general elections.
Gurgaon: Navy chief Admiral Sunil Lanba on Saturday said the proliferation of violent non-state actors in the sea, which threaten to "jeopardise the security of the maritime domain with a direct influence on land affairs", is a worrying trend that needs to be tackled collaboratively.

"The challenges to security in our region are numerous and unique in their origin, intensity and complexity. A worrying trend has been the proliferation of violent non-state actors and networks in the sea, which harbours numerous challenges," Admiral Lanba said at the inauguration of Information Fusion Centre - Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR).

The Centre was inaugurated by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

He said that maritime piracy and maritime terrorism are the two major ways in which non-state actors threaten to jeopardise the security of the maritime domain, with a direct influence on land affairs.

He said the scale, scope and multi-national nature of maritime activities make it difficult for countries to address these challenges individually.

"The only way to optimally harness our individual strength is through collaborative and cooperative efforts, of which the IFC-IOR is a shining example," he said.

The IFC-IOR would be a collaborative construct that will work with partners -- countries as well as international agencies -- to enhance maritime security and safety.

Additionally, the IFC-IOR would work towards capability building in the region, coordination of incident response and disaster relief, and in time, also share submarine safety information.

A workshop on maritime information sharing is also being planned next year in Delhi.

The IFC-IOR is initially being launched as a virtual construct wherein information exchange would be done electronically through the internet.

For the time being, it would operate out of Information Management and Analysis Centre (IMAC), which is Indian Navy and Coast Guard`s joint operations facility.

The centre would then host international liaison officers from participating countries on a permanent basis, Lanba said.

"Let us work together towards securing the global commons in the Indian Ocean Region,'' he said.
NEW DELHI: The Congress on Saturday lashed out at Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for seeking the withdrawal of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi's Bharat Ratna. Hitting out at the Delhi CM, Congress said that even the Bharatiya Janata Party, the political arch-rivals of the Congress, never made such a demand.

"Rajiv Gandhi sacrificed his life for the country, not even BJP has ever demanded to take back Bharat Ratna from him," Congress leader Ajay Maken said.

Maken also sought Kejriwal's apology over the resolution passed in the Delhi Assembly over Rajiv Gandhi. "Kejriwal should apologise and this portion of the resolution should be expunged from the assemblys proceedings," he said.

However, Maken also called AAP the B team of BJP. "The true colours of AAP have come out in the open! I have always believed that AAP is the B team of BJP! AAP fielded candidates in Goa, Punjab,MP, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh just to cut the votes of Congress and help the BJP," the minister tweeted.

The Delhi Assembly had on Friday adopted a resolution on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots where some 'handwritten notes' sought withdrawal of Bharat Ratna awarded to the former prime minister. Soon after uproar, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) swiftly distanced itself from the reference to the Congress leader.

Party spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj claimed the lines about the former prime minister were not part of the original text placed before the house and it was a handwritten amendment proposed by a member that cannot be passed in such a manner.

AAP MLA Jarnail Singh, while moving the resolution in the Assembly, had mentioned Gandhi's name while reading the text and demanded the Bharat Ratna to the Congress leader be withdrawn for "justifying anti-Sikh riots".

But after Bhardwaj's remarks, Singh said it was only a technical shortcoming. He said though the reference to Gandhi in the resolution was not there in the written copies, it was made orally and passed by the House by voice vote. The resolution called for speedy trial of cases and termed anti-Sikh riots as genocide.
NEW DELHI: Many Indian diplomats living in Pakistan are facing harassment in the neighbouring country. The diplomats are being denied new gas connections and even the guests visiting the envoys are being harassed. The internet services for some senior officials have also been blocked in Pakistan.

There was also reportedly an incident of an intruder entering an official's house early on December 10. Taking cognisance of the issue, the Ministry of External Affairs in India has taken up the matter with its counterpart in Pakistan.

This is not the first time that the Indian mission in Pakistan is facing trouble. In March this year, Indian diplomats had alleged harassment. Even the Pakistani diplomats in India had also reported incidents of harassment that they were facing in Delhi. After weeks of high-level discussions, both sides had on 30 March agreed to mutually resolve the matter, in line with the 1992 Code of Conduct for the treatment of diplomatic/consular personnel in India and Pakistan.

Union Minister of State for External Affairs General VK Singh had also in July told Parliament that India has, from time to time, taken up incidents of harassment, aggressive surveillance and intimidation of the officials of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad and also the obstacles placed in the early completion of residential complex for the Indian High Commission officials.

The functioning of diplomatic missions between India and Pakistan is governed by Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, 1961 and the bilateral Code of Conduct signed by the two countries in 1992. India, Pakistan code of conduct of 1992 says safety and security of the premises of diplomatic personnel, their families shall be respected and protected. It also says intrusive and aggressive surveillance such as verbal and physical harassment shall not be allowed.
CHENNAI: Putting an end to all speculations, mega actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan has confirmed that he will contest the upcoming 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

I will definitely contest in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, said Haasan at an event held by his party Makkal Needhi Maiyyam (MNM).

Last month, Haasan had said that MNM was ready to face the bypolls for 20 Assembly constituencies in Tamil Nadu whenever they were held.

"At this point of time, we can say bypolls may be conducted. I do not know whether it will be held definitely. Suppose, if it is conducted, Makkal Needhi Maiam is ready to face it", he said.

Earlier, Haasan had confirmed that his party has started preparing for the general election but declined to speak on possibilities of forming an alliance with other parties.

When asked if he would contest alone or ally with other parties for next year's Parliament election and bypolls to 20 assembly constituencies, he said, "Such things cannot be said now and it cannot be disclosed to the media. Some sections of media are imagining things."

Haasan had launched his political party in February this year.
More than a week after over a dozen miners were trapped inside a 370-foot illegal coal mine in Meghalaya, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Saturday said that time was running out for the miners. The CM said that in its last-ditch effort to save them, the state government has sought high-power submersible pumps from the Coal India Ltd.

The government has written to the Coal India seeking their special pumps (high-power submersible pumps) to aid the rescue of the miners in Lumthari area of the East Jaintia Hills district. "We are running out of time and I hope they respond to the request. We are waiting," he said.

The 15 miners were trapped after water from the nearby Lytein river gushed into the illegal rat-hole mine at Ksan area in Lumthari village.

Operations to rescue the trapped miners entered its 10th day on Saturday. Over a 100 personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) are at the site, alongside the state police.

As of now, two pumps have been working in tandem, but "there was little impact on the water level since the water from the nearby Lytein river has got into the mine," district SP S Nongtynger said. He added that efforts over the past nine days have failed to produce the desired results and the rescue workers are now hoping for a miracle to see the trapped miners alive.

On December 13, around 20 miners entered the 370-foot mine at about 8 am. After reaching the bottom of the pit, the miners entered the horizontal manholes, often termed as 'rat-holes', as each just about fits one person to get in.

According to villagers, one of the diggers could have accidentally punctured the walls of the cave and the river water gushed in immediately, trapping the miners inside.

Only five persons managed to climb out of the mine. Of them, two are locals and the police are after the remaining three who had fled to West Garo Hills district. One person has been arrested in the case so far and the police are on the lookout for the mine owner, the SP said.

The arrested person, identified as Krip Chullet, was allegedly involved in hiring labourers, overseeing the work and sending them down the shaft.

The Meghalaya government had sought the Union Home Ministry's help to rescue the miners. The NDRF teams, which are involved in the rescue operation, had earlier suggested the district administration to ask the Oil & Natural Gas Corporation to deploy submersible water pumps to reduce the water level.

In 2014, the National Green Tribunal had imposed a ban in Meghalaya on rat-hole coal mining, a technique that entails digging small vertical pits to reach the mineral pockets.
A Pakistan national, who was lodged in a Madhya Pradesh jail since the last ten years will be released and will return to the neighbouring country next week.

Imran Qureshi Warsi who was sentenced for forging documents and spying will be released from Bhopal jail after the completion of his sentence. He is scheduled to return to Pakistan on December 26 from the Attari-Wagah border.

Speaking to news agency ANI, Warsi said that the police treated him like a family.

"Police treated me very well, just like a family. I found loving people here the same way there are loving people in Pakistan. I believe good people find good people everywhere," said Warsi.
NEW DELHI: A Vistara airlines fight was delayed by more than three hours over twin reasons which included a passenger insisting on smoking onboard.

The incidents took place in the Amritsar-Delhi-Kolkata (UK 946 and UK707) flight on Friday morning. In the first case, a family requested to be offloaded in Delhi due to a personal emergency causing the plane to be delayed by nearly 1.5 hours.

Later, another Kolkata-bound passenger, who boarded the flight in Amritsar insisted on a quick smoke and got into an argument with the airline staff. The flight was then forced to turn back to Delhi, where the passenger was offloaded due to his unruly behaviour.

The airlines released a statement explaining the events.

"We confirm that a customer on our flight UK 946 operating Delhi -Amritsar asked to be offloaded with his family after pushback in Delhi due to a personal emergency, as a result of which the aircraft had to return to bay and undergo mandatory security rescreening, causing delay in departure. The same aircraft thereafter operated UK707 Amritsar - Delhi - Kolkata.

After pushback from Delhi which was the intermediate stop enroute to Kolkata, we had an unruly customer situation who insisted on smoking on board. He was issued a warning letter by the captain and later offloaded when he denied to comply with air safety rules. Vistara regrets the delay, however, safety and security of customers are Vistara's foremost priority and it does not accept unruly behaviour of any kind," said Vistara.
Mumbai: Taking a dig at the ongoing debate over the caste of Lord Hanuman, BJP ally Shiv Sena on Saturday said other characters from the epic Ramayana better keep their caste certificates ready.

Terming the debate as "unwarranted" and "pointless", the party said attempts were being made in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly to write a "new Ramayana" by attaching caste labels to Lord Hanuman, and such a move should be thwarted.

"Although a Ram temple is yet to be constructed in Ayodhya, a debate has started in the BJP over the caste of Hanuman, the embodiment of devotion and loyalty. What is the point in debating the religion and caste of Lord Hanuman" the Sena said in an editorial in party mouthpiece 'Saamana'.

"While campaigning in the recently-concluded assembly elections, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had said Hanuman was a Dalit. Thereafter, many others came forward to claim that the 'Monkey God' belonged to their caste.

"Thereafter, his party colleague and MLC Bukkal Nawab said he was a Muslim...Actually, trying to find the caste of Lord Hanuman is foolishness," it said.

The Uddhav Thackeray-led party said that Adityanath's cabinet colleague Laxmi Narayan Chaudhary said on record in the Assembly that the God was a Jat. Acharya Nirbhay Sagar Maharaj claimed that according to Jain scriptures, Lord Hanuman was a Jain, the Shiv Sena said.

"This way, a new Ramayana is being penned in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly and caste labels are being attached to all its leading characters. A temple of Lord Ram is planned to be constructed in Ayodhya, but these people are trying to find the caste of the devotee of Ram...In a way, they are making fun of Hanuman. But those who call themselves guardians of Hindutva are still mum over this. Had this been done by Muslims or 'progressive' people, then this Hindutva brigade would have created an uproar," the editorial said.

"Hanuman is an important character in the Ramayana. He is the embodiment of devotion and loyalty towards Lord Ram...If anyone is trying to write a new Ramayana in UP Assembly by attaching different caste labels to him, then these attempts should be thwarted," it said.

"Despite the BJP facing defeats in the recent elections, this debate over the caste of Hanuman is likely to continue. Hence, other characters from the Ramayana should keep their caste certificates ready now," the Sena concluded.

The debate had started after Adityanath during a poll rally in Rajasthan last month 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".
At least three students were killed on Saturday after the bus they were travelling in fell into a deep gorge in Dang district of Gujarat.

The bus was carrying 50 students and the accident took place on the Mahal-Bardipada route in the district.

This is a developing story. More details are awaited.
GANDHINAGAR: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that his government was committed to bringing a stringent law against the evil practice of triple talaq to ensure social justice for Muslim women, despite all "obstacles" from fundamentalists and Opposition.

"Despite all the obstacles, despite resistance from the fundamentalists and the Opposition, the government is committed to making a law against triple talaq so that our Muslim women get rid of big insecurity in their social life," the PM said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing National Convention of BJP Mahila Morcha in Gujarat:We've made efforts to ensure women get security and freedom from bias. Despite several difficulties, protests from extremists and opposition we're committed to bring a law on triple-talaq. pic.twitter.com/fFdHZI1WQF  ANI (@ANI) December 22, 2018

PM Modi made these remarks while addressing the National Convention of BJP`s Mahila Morcha here.

The BJP government had brought the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) last year and got it passed in the Lok Sabha the same day but the Bill was stonewalled in the Rajya Sabha where the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) lacks majority.

The Congress-led Opposition had expressed serious concerns over making triple talaq a criminal offence.

Under the proposed law, a man could be jailed for upto three years for pronouncing an instant divorce (triple talaq) to his wife, which is legitimate under the Hanafi school of Islamic jurisprudence.

Subsequently, the BJP government brought an Ordinance on the subject in September this year which has to be replaced by law in the current session. Failing which, it will lapse.

PM Modi said the government had already done away with the condition of a `mehram` (a male guardian including husband or first blood relations) to accompany a woman on Hajj.

Earlier, Muslim women from India could not go on Haj alone. The government did away with the condition last year and around 1,300 women performed the Hajj without a mehram.

Speaking at the event, PM Modi listed a number of schemes that his government has brought for the welfare of women such as Ujjawala and Surakshit Matritva among others.

"Women are at the centre of several flagship programmes of this government...for the first time there are two women in the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS)," he said.

(With IANS inputs)
New Delhi: AAP MLA Alka Lamba said Friday night she will tender her resignation as "demanded" by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal over she not supporting a resolution in the assembly on revoking late PM Rajiv Gandhi's Bharat Ratna.

The Delhi Assembly on Friday adopted a resolution on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in which it was demanded that the Bharat Ratna awarded to former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi be withdrawn, but the AAP swiftly distanced itself from the reference to the Congress leader.

The matter became a major crisis with AAP MLA Alka Lamba alleging she was "put under pressure" to support the resolution, which she resisted and boycotted.

Lamba said she was ready to face "any consequences" and claimed she spoke to AAP supremo and CM Kejriwal who, she said, asked her to resign as MLA.

"I am ready to do so", she said.

The Chandni Chowk MLA said she was not happy with the demand to take back Bharat Ratna from Gandhi and staged a walkout in protest. Interestingly, the AAP later distanced itself from the resolution.

"After I staged a walkout, I got a message from the chief minister to tender my resignation," she told PTI.

When asked whether she will quit, Lamba added, "I have won on a party ticket. I will tender my resignation as demanded by the party," the former Youth Congress leader said.

In a tweet, she said, "I was asked to support the resolution demanding taking back the Bharat Ratna awarded to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. Since I didn't agree to this, I staged a walk out. I am ready to accept whatever punishment given to me."
SRINAGAR: All the six terrorists killed in Tral encounter on Friday morning were associated with Ansar Ghazat-ul-Hind, an outfit led by most wanted terrorist Zakir Musa, confirmed a senior police officer. Musa was spotted on a train in Punjab, dressed as a Sikh man.

The six terrorists died during crossfire with the security forces during a brief encounter at Tral area of Awantipora in south Kashmir's Pulwama district. The gunfight broke out after a joint team of Army's 42 RR, SOG and CRPF fired some warning shots towards a militant hideout situated in an orchard along the Tral-Awantipora road during a cordon-and-search operation.

The six have been identified a Soliha Mohammad Akhoon son of Ghulam Mohammad Akhoon of Arampora, Rasik Mir son of Ghulam Qadir, Rouf Mir son of Ghulam Nabi, Umer Ramzan son of Mohammad Ramzan Mir, residents of Dadsara, Nadeem Sofi son of Mohammad Muzaffar Sofi of Batgund, Tral at present Dadsara and Faisal Javid Khanday son of Javid Khanday of Amlar Awantipora.

Soliha was the deputy chief of Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind, said the officer, adding that all the slain were involved in many terrorist-related attacks including grenade throwing incidents in recent past in Awantpora police district.

Based on a credible input about the presence of terrorists in Arampora area of Awantipora, a cordon and search operation was launched by security forces in the area today morning. As the searches were going on, the search party was fired upon by the terrorists. The fire was retaliated leading to a gunfight. In the ensuing encounter, six terrorists were neutralized and the bodies were retrieved from the site of encounter. Their identities and affiliations are being ascertained, said an official release.

There collateral damage took place during the encounter. Incriminating materials including arms and ammunition were recovered from the site of encounter. Police has registered a case and initiated investigation in the matter, it added.
SRINAGAR: Six terrorists have been killed in the ongoing encounter between terrorists and security forces in Armpora village of Tral region in south Kashmir's Pulwama district.

"Six terrorists killed in encounter in South Kashmir's Tral," IGP Swayam Prakash Pani told news agency PTI.

The terrorists were holed up in the area. Arms and ammunition have also been recovered from the site.

#UPDATE Jammu and Kashmir: Six terrorists killed in the ongoing encounter in Tral, Pulwama. Arms and ammunition recovered. Operation over. pic.twitter.com/FVwNhS85Q5  ANI (@ANI) December 22, 2018

Security forces launched a cordon and search operation in Arampora village in Awantipora area of the south Kashmir district this morning following specific intelligence about the presence of terrorists there, a police official said.

The forces retaliated leading to a gunfight, the official said.

Swayam Prakash Pani, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), said six terrorists were killed in the encounter.

A police official said arms and ammunition were recovered from the encounter site, adding the identity and group affiliation of the slain terrorists are being ascertained. The official said there was no collateral damage in the operation.

Last week, 11 persons, including seven civilians, an Army soldier and three militants, were killed and over three dozen civilian protesters sustained injuries in clashes with the security forces in Pulwama.

The gunfight erupted in Sirnoo village as security personnel surrounded the area after receiving a tip-off that militants were holed up there.

Three militants and a soldier were killed in the gunfight, the police said.
SRINAGAR: Hours after six terrorists were killed in an encounter with security forces in Jammu and Kashmirs Pulwama, at least six Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were injured in a powerful grenade attack in the Anantnag district in south Kashmir on Saturday.

According to news agency ANI, the grenade attack on CRPF men took place in Anantnag's Arwani.

All injured CRPF men were immediately shifted to hospital for treatment.

According to ANI, the six CRPF personnel received splinter injuries as terrorists lobbed a grenade on them in Arwani area of the district.

Jammu & Kashmir: Six CRPF personnel received splinter injuries as terrorists lobbed grenade on the security personnel in Arwani, Anantnag, today. The injured are currently undergoing medical treatment.  ANI (@ANI) December 22, 2018

According to the police, security forces were withdrawing after a search operation in Hassanpura village of Arwani area when terrorists hiding in a crowd of people hurled a grenade injuring six security men.

"The injured include six Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) troopers and a local policeman.

"The injured were shifted to hospital for treatment. After first aid, the injured security personnel were discharged from the hospital," said a police official.

The incident was reported a few hours after six dreaded terrorists were eliminated in an encounter with security forces in Jammu and Kashmirs Pulwama.

The encounter between terrorists and security forces broke out in Tral during wee hours on Saturday.

The six terrorists, identified as Soliha Mohammad Akhoon son of Ghulam Mohammad Akhoon of Arampora, Rasik Mir son of Ghulam Qadir, Rouf Mir son of Ghulam Nabi, Umer Ramzan son of Mohammad Ramzan Mir, residents of Dadsara, Nadeem Sofi son of Mohammad Muzaffar Sofi of Batgund, Tral at present Dadsara and Faisal Javid Khanday son of Javid Khanday of Amlar Awantipora, were eliminated in the encounter today.

According to sources, Soliha - one of the slain terrorists - was the deputy chief of the outfit and a close aide of Zakir Musa, who is the head of al-Qaeda cell in the Kashmir Valley.

Based on a credible input about the presence of terrorists in Arampora area of Awantipora, a cordon and search operation was launched by security forces in the area today morning. As the searches were going on, the search party was fired upon by the terrorists. The fire was retaliated leading to a gunfight. In the ensuing encounter, six terrorists were neutralized and the bodies were retrieved from the site of encounter. Their identities and affiliations are being ascertained, said an official release.

There collateral damage took place during the encounter. Incriminating materials including arms and ammunition were recovered from the site of encounter. Police has registered a case and initiated investigation in the matter, it added.
BENGALURU: Karnataka`s seven-month-old coalition government was expanded on Saturday with the induction of eight Congress legislators as cabinet ministers.

State Governor Vajubhai R Vala administered the oath of office to the legislators at a simple ceremony at Raj Bhavan here.

Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy of the ruling alliance partner Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) and Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara of the Congress and others, including officials, were present on the occasion.

Those who took oath included MB Patil, Satish Jarkiholi, RB Thimmapur, CS Shivalli, PT Parameshwar Naik, E Tukaram, Rahim Khan and MTB Nagaraj.

Khan from Bidar (North) Assembly segment in the state`s northern district took oath in English in the name of Allah, while the remaining seven lawmakers did in Kannada in the order of their seniority.

Congress` state unit President Dinesh Gundu Rao told reporters earlier that Satish replaced his elder brother and Municipal Administration Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi and Nagaraj came in place of Forests Minister R. Shankar.

"The party`s high command dropped Ramesh and Shankar from the Ministry," Rao added but did not give reasons for their ouster.

Satish was elected from Yemakanmaradi in Belagavi district in the May 12 Assembly elections and Nagaraj from Hoskote in Bengaluru Rural district.

Ramesh represents Gokak segment in Belagavi district and Shankar was elected as Independent from Ranebennur in Haveri district but joined the Congress later.

Patil from Babaleshwar in Vijayapura district was the Water Resources Minister in the previous Congress government.

Timmapur is a Member of the Legislative Council (MLC) from Mudhol in Bagalkot district, while Shivalli was elected from Kundgol in Dharwad district, and Naik and Tukaram from Hadagalli and Sandur in Ballari district.

Congress Legislature Party leader and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had earlier in the day sent the names of eight lawmakers to Kumaraswamy for filling up the six vacancies from its cabinet quota of 22 and replacing the two dropped.

The names were approved by party President Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi on Friday at a meeting with state unit leaders, including Siddaramaiah, Parameshwara, Rao and party`s state unit in-charge K.C. Venugopal.

Though the JD-S has two vacancies to fill from its quota of 12 cabinet posts in the 34-member Ministry, Kumaraswamy did not include any of its legislators.

A JD-S source said that party`s supremo H.D. Deve Gowda and PWD Minister H.D. Revanna were against induction of its legislators this time as the cabinet expansion was being held during the "inauspicious" month (Shunya Masa) as per the Hindu lunar calendar.

Kumaraswamy thanked the Governor for agreeing to swear-in the Congress legislators as ministers at a short notice as he received their names only on Saturday morning.

This is the second cabinet expansion of the coalition ministry after the first on June 6 when 24 ministers, including 14 from the Congress and 10 from the JD-S, were inducted.

In the 125-member Legislative Assembly, including one nominated, the Congress has 80 legislators, JD-S 36 and the BJP 104, while the remaining are Independents and from other parties like the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).

"Kumaraswamy will soon allocate the portfolios for the new ministers in consultation with Siddaramaiah and Parameshwara," an official said.
BENGALURU: Ahead of Cabinet expansion in Karnataka, State Minister R Shankar on Saturday hinted at joining hands with opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) if he is dropped from the ministry. The Karnataka Prajnyavantha Janatha Party MLA said he had not spoken to the BJP but will not hesitate in thinking about the option.

"I'm getting reports I'll be dropped from cabinet. When they didn't call me for CLP meeting I realised that Congress is ditching me. BJP hasn't contacted me yet, but if I am dropped from Cabinet I'll rethink," he said.

Shankar is an Independent lawmaker who is reportedly facing the axe over his reluctance to be an associate member of the Congress.

Along with him, Municipal Administration Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi is also likely to be removed in the Cabinet reshuffle. Jarkiholi has been allegedly hobnobbing with BJP leaders and is not attending Cabinet and party meetings. He will likely be replaced by his brother Satish Jarkiholi.

According to a statement issued by the office of Congress Legislature Party Leader Siddaramaiah, Satish Jarkiholi, MB Patil, CS Shivalli, MTB Nagaraj, E Tukaram, PT Parameshwar Naik, Rahim Khan and RB Thimmapur would be inducted into the ministry.

The press statement came a day after the names were cleared by Congress president Rahul Gandhi. Gandhi, after meeting party General Secretary in charge of Karnataka KC Venugopal, CLP leader Siddarmaiah, Pradesh Congress Chief Dinesh Gundu Rao and Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara gave the go-ahead on Friday night.

However, Congress' coalition partner JDS will not be part of this round of cabinet expansion, and is likely to induct new ministers from its side post Sankranthi, sources said. 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 would be the second expansion in the ministry in six months.

With the cabinet expansion exercise being deferred repeatedly, several aspirants, especially those from the Congress, had openly expressed their displeasure.
Kartnaka Congress on Saturday appointed HK Patil as the new campaign committee Chairman. Patil is replacing DK Shivakumar, the Minister for Water Resources and Medical Education in Karnataka government.

The party released an official communique on Twitter informing about the change.

INC COMMUNIQUE Appointment of Chairman of the Campaign Committee for Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee. pic.twitter.com/sHQJsjNIKN  INC Sandesh (@INCSandesh) December 22, 2018

Patil is a senior Congress leader from Gadag in Karnataka. He was earlier the state minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj in Siddaramaiah government.

This comes ahead of the cabinet expansion of the Karnataka coalition government. Six Congress legislators are which is likely to join on Saturday, said party's state unit chief Dinesh Gundu Rao on Friday.

"The JD(S)-Congress cabinet will be expanded tomorrow (Saturday) evening with the induction of six more legislators from our party to fill the vacancies in the 34-member ministry," Rao told reporters in New Delhi.

Although there is no communique from Raj Bhavan yet on the swearing-in ceremony time, a party source told IANS that Governor Vajubha R. Vala said he would be free from 5:30 pm on Saturday for the swear-in of the six legislators as ministers.

"The Governor's office said Vala will be free at 5.30 pm to administer the oath of office to the party's legislators as cabinet ministers," said the party official.

There are eight vacancies in the cabinet, including two of the Janata Dal-Secular JD(S) from its quota of 12, including Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, and six from the quota of 22 of the Congress, including Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara.

Among the probable lawmakers from the Congress tipped for the cabinet posts are M.T.B. Nagaraj, CS Shivali, Sathish Jharkiholi, R.B. Thimmapur, Rahim Khan and Tanveer Sait. The party may ask its two ministers Ramesh Jharkiholi holding Municipal Administration portfolio and R. Shankar (Forests) to resign to induct at least two of the four senior lawmakers - H.K. Patil, M.B. Patil, Ramalinga Reddy and Roshan Baig.
New Delhi; New Delhi: There is a reason that every single girl out there is wishing for a 'Ranveer Singh' in her life. The actor is head over heels in love with his wife Deepika Padukone and the two continue to give us couple goals each day. Ranveer and Deepika got married on November 14 this year and since then pictures and videos of the couple are breaking the internet.

The 'Bajirao Mastani' actors are undoubtedly one of the most adorable couples of the tinsel villa. In fact, they do not shy away from expressing their fondness on social media. And they demonstrated it once again on Saturday. This time, it was special as it was for the first time after they got hitched in a private ceremony.

Earlier today, Ranveer took to his Instagram account to share a video from his ad campaign and his dearest wifey Deepika couldn't help herself from getting drool over her handsome husband. She was quick to leave a comment on his post, that read, 'Uff!'. Lovely no?

Ranveer tied the knot with his girlfriend of six years, actor Deepika Padukone in an intimate twin wedding ceremony in Italy last month. Recently, while speaking about his relation, the actor said that being best friends with one's spouse is 'key to sustaining a romantic relationship'.

"Being best friends with each other is truly dynamic. We are deeply in love with each other but above all we are best friends. We are each other's support system, companions. We have a lot of fun together.

"Being each other's best friend is truly paramount, where you can share silences, laughter and light moments. To have somebody who makes the passing of the lifetime a pleasant experience everyday is very rare and precious," the actor told PTI in an interview.

The couple started dating on the sets of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 'Ram Leela'. The duo then went on to feature in two more of Bhansali's films 'Bajirao Mastani' and 'Padmaavat.'

"I feel like the two greatest things I've done in my life is, one, become an actor and two, get myself the most amazing life partner one can hope for," he added.

Ranveer credits Deepika for curating every aspect of their "fairytale" wedding. "I had this fairytale wedding and I keep telling my wife that it's the stuff of dreams. I could not have even dreamed of such a wedding. It's beyond my imagination. I could never have the vision for it. She meticulously curated and designed every aspect of it.
New Delhi: Actress Kriti Sanon, who is currently spending quality time with her family in the Maldives, unleashed her adventurous side as she tried scuba diving there for the first time.

The 'Bareily Ki Barfi' actress, who has been regularly sharing photo and video from her holiday, on Saturday took to Instagram and uploaded some breathtaking pictures from the deep blue ocean where she was seen trying her hand into scuba-diving. The actress is seen enjoying the beautiful marine life as fishes swim in around her in one of the videos she posted.

"My first scuba diving experience and it was surreal! Missed you Sumer Verma, I was comfortable only because you had done a major part of it for me...helped me get rid of my fear of being underwater," she captioned the photos.

"My next is gonna be with you for sure," Kriti posted on Instagram along with photographs and videos that captured the moment.

Take a look at some of her photos from the Maldives:

Kriti did not have any release this year. Her last full-fledged role was in 'Bareily Ki Barfi', which was released in August 2017. She starred in a special number in the song 'Aao Kabhi Haveli Pe' in the film 'Stree'.

However, the 'Heropanti' actress has a series of films in her kitty. She will be seen in ''Luka Chuppi', 'Housefull 4', 'Arjun Patiala', 'Panipat' and 'Kalank', which are lined up for release next year.

Earlier this week, she unveiled the first poster of the upcoming release 'Arjun Patiala' on her Instagram handle.
New Delhi: Bollywood's 'Desi Girl' Priyanka Chopra and her American beau Nick Jonas are the talk of the town these days. Be it their Instagram PDA, public appearances or pics and videos from their wedding receptions, the two set major relationship goals and make us believe in fairy tales! Looks like wedding celebrations aren't over yet for Pee Cee and Nick since as per the latest reports, the couple will host another wedding reception in Los Angeles, USA.

As per a Mid-Day report, Priyanka and Nick's wedding reception for their Hollywood friends will be held in Los Angeles.

Hollywood celebs including Dwayne Johnson, Duchess of Sussex Meghan, Kerry Washington and Ellen DeGeneres are expected to attend the wedding reception among others.

Priyanka and Nick hosted their first wedding reception in New Delhi, which was attended by various high profile guests including Prime Minister Narendra Modi. They hosted their second reception in Mumbai on Wednesday which was followed by the third reception on Thursday that had all of Pee Cee's Bollywood friends.

Pee Cee and Nick got married on December 1 as per Christain tradition and a day later, on December 2, solemnized their wedding as per Hindu tradition at Jodhpur's Umaid Bhawan Palace.
New Delhi: Actor Shahid Kapoor has been making heads turns ever since he got rid of his beard and moustache for his new film role. His latest look takes us back to the memory lane when he ruled the roost as the quintessential chocolate boy.

In the meantime, the 'Shaandaar' actor was on Saturday papped by the shutterbugs as he stepped out after a photo shoot in Mumbai. The handsome actor was dressed up casually and was dressed up in a faded olive green denim shirt and black jeans which he teamed with white-and-black sneakers and brown sunnies.

No wonder, Shahid looked uber cool in his latest appearance and acknowledged the photographers by the giving them a thumbs up!

Take a look at the pics here:

(Photo courtesy: Yogen Shah)

On the professional front, Shahid will next be seen in 'Kabir Singh' which is a remake of Telugu film 'Arjun Reddy'. The film also stars Kiara Advani, who has collaborated with Shahid before in a music video, 'Urvashi'.

The film is slated to release on June 21, 2019.
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Mumbai: Actor Shreyas Talpade, who welcomed a baby girl via surrogacy earlier this year, is excited to celebrate her first Christmas.

Sharing his plans for the festival, the "Iqbal" actor said in a statement: "I love Christmas and this one is going to be extra special since we have Aadya with us who will be celebrating Christmas for the first time. She loves lights and I was planning to set up a tree but with my shoot happening, it looks difficult."

"This time of the year is also to reflect and introspect as the year is coming to an end. I feel the end of the year is the best time to make memories and with Deepti (wife) and my anniversary around the same time, it makes it all the more special," he added.

On the work front, Shreyas is set to make his TV debut with the show titled "My Name Ijj Lakhan".
Bigg Boss season 12s last Weekend ka Vaar could not have been more dhamakedaar as Ranveer Singh, Sara Ali Khan and Rohit Shetty came to meet the Salman Khan and the remaining seven contestants of the Bigg Boss house.

Ranveer Singh, Sara Ali Khan and Rohit Shetty made a grand entry on the Bigg Boss stage with the popular song Ala re ala Simbaa ala from their upcoming movie Simbaa. Salman Khan asked the team about Karan Johars absence to which Ranveer immediately got a cut out of Karan on stage and also imitated him. As Karan Johar is famous for his rapid-fire rounds, Salman Khan also decided to play the same with Ranveer enacting Karan. The rule was that he had to answer all the questions on behalf of Karan Johar and his answer could only be Haan or Nahi Nahi Kabhi Nahi.

Salman Khan, Rohit Shetty and Sara Ali Khan asked random questions to Ranveer, and he mirrored Karan throughout the round. In one instance, he even danced to Karan Johars favourite song Radha Teri Chunri. Ranveers hysterical performance left everyone beaming with laughter. Later, they proceeded to meet the contestants inside the house.

Prior to their entry the contestants were given a task to rank each other from 1 to 7, and decide who they thought were most eligible contestants to make it to the top three. Everyone tried to put forward their thoughts and rank. Salman Khan questioned them on this and made the contestants realize that they did not focus on putting their co-contestants on top rather on the last spots. Salman Khan also told everyone that it was their only chance to get their act straight and put all their efforts as the finale is just a few days away.

With Surbhi getting the ticket to the finale, the other 6 contestants Karanvir, Dipika, Sreesanth, Romil, Deepak and Somi still have the fear of eliminations hovering them.

Who will make the cut to finale, and who will be eliminated from the Bigg Boss 12 house?

To find out more, Dont forget to watch Appy Fizz presents Bigg Boss 12 powered by Oppo F9 Pro everyday at 9 pm only on COLORS
The international Moody's rating agency raised the sovereign rating of Ukraine in national and foreign currencies from "Ca2" to "Caa1".



It should be noted that the rating of Caa1, according to Moody's classification, means that debt obligations are considered very low quality and are subject to very high credit risk.



The rating outlook is also changed from positive to stable.



The rating on Eurobonds issued during the restructuring in 2015, confirmed at "Ca".



The rating was raised in the agreement between Ukraine and the IMF on a new loan program, which reduces the risk of default. Experts also expect that reforms will contribute to the gradual reduction of corruption. Ukraine is also expected to gradually improve its resilience to the ongoing conflict with Russia.
Doctors dont visit him at all; the last examination was on April 28, 2018

The condition of political prisoner Pavlo Gryb is deteriorating, especially his sight. His lawyer Maryna Dubrovina claimed this in the interview to Glavkom news agency.

His sight worsened considerably, he is basically blind. In most cases, he is not able to read the documents I pass him, he finds it difficult to see other people's faces, the lawyer said.

Related: Sentsov transferred from medical unit back to prison

He is having a hard time taking part in the court, he cant see the witnesses well. His memory exacerbated, he forgets things the judge says:

During the trial, I had to repeat the same things several times, and the same information had to be repeated before the next sessions. It seems that nothing at all is stored in his memory. And it certainly complicates the protection, she said.

Related: Russia promises to check health condition of Ukrainian political prisoner Klykh

Earlier, his father Ihor Gryb claimed that Pavlo was psychologically pressured in the penitentiary facility. As is known, Pavlo suffers from portal hypertension, which is why he needs special medicine on the daily basis. The Ukrainian side had repeatedly asked the Russian authorities to allow that. The Russian Federation responded that the Ukranian had no health issues.

Related: Sentsov's sister gets Sakharov Prize for her brother

Pavlo Gryb is the son of the former Ukrainian border guard Ihor Gryb. The Russian special service detained the 19-year-old boy on August 25, 2017, when he went to Gomel (Belarus) to meet his friend. Later, he was convoyed to Russia. The Russian law enforcers suspect Pavlo Gryb of preparing a terrorist attack at a school in Sochi (a city in Krasnodar Krai, Russia, located on the Black Sea coast, - 112 International).
United States National Intelligence Director Dan Coats said that Russia, China and Iran tried to influence the opinion of voters in the mid-term elections in the United States in 2018.



"Russia and other foreign countries, including China and Iran, have carried out influence activities and a campaign to send messages regarding the United States to promote their strategic interests," the statement said.



But there are no intelligence reports that would indicate any hacking of the electoral infrastructure of the U.S., which could interfere with voting, change the vote count or violate the possibility of the vote counting.



It is noted that the intelligence will continue to work during future elections in 2020.



Also, U.S. President Donald Trump signed a decree imposing sanctions on foreign citizens or companies accused of interfering with U.S. elections. All the evidence of intervention will be based on the intelligence data.
The representatives of Federal Penitentiary Service claim that Sentsov is in satisfactory condition and can be employed

Political prisoner Oleg Sentsov is not going to work in the Russian prison. His lawyer Dmytro Dinze said this, according to Krym.Realii.

He is not going to work and doesnt wish to be involved in any production. Maybe he can be attracted to work, but easy or hard (work, - 112.international), it's pretty relative. Maybe it is a work in the library, the lawyer said.

Related: Sentsov transferred from medical unit back to prison

Dinze added that he cant approve or deny information that the political prisoner was released from the medical unit in Labytnangi prison.

I can neither confirm, nor deny this information. I will be able to visit him in the middle of January and will get to know about it right there, he said.

Related: Russia promises to check health condition of Ukrainian political prisoner Klykh

Oleg Sentsov stopped the hunger strike on the 144th day. The Russian side officially announced the statement by Sentsov but did not reveal the reason. According to the lawyer of Sentsov, the decision to end the hunger strike was made after Russian doctors and penitentiary facility workers issued an ultimatum to Sentsov, suggesting that he either voluntarily stops the hunger strike or agrees to be force-fed.

Related: Pavlo Gryb almost blind, cant remember things, - lawyer

He announced a hunger strike in May 2018, demanding to release him and the rest of Ukrainian political prisoners illegally kept by the Kremlin. Sentsov survived four health crises and ceased to starve after 144 consecutive days of that hunger strike.

Later, it was reported that Oleg Sentsov had organic lesions of the heart, liver, and kidneys.
The draft resolution of Russia failed to obtain even the simple majority of votes

The UN General Assembly didnt adopt the Russia-pushed resolution on Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. Permanent Representative of Ukraine in the UN Volodymyr Yelchenko claimed on Twitter.

Yet another Russian shame in the UN General Assembly: this time, the draft resolution on preservation of INF Treaty failed to obtain even the simple majority of votes, he claimed.

Volodymyr Yelchenko

Related: Ukraine, UK discuss realizing measures connected to Russias aggression

Earlier, on December 17, the UN General Assembly endorsed the resolution The problem of the militarization of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol city (Ukraine), as well as parts of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. 66 countries voted in favor, 19 were against, 72 abstained.

The resolution urges Russia to withdraw its forces from Crimea and terminate the illegal occupation of Ukrainian territory. It also condemns the military build-up of Russia in the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea.
The draft has to be endorsed by the U.S. Congress first

The United States will allocate additional ten million dollars for the further increase of naval capabilities of Ukraine in response to Russias attack at three Ukrainian warships near the Kerch Strait, as the press office of the Department of State reported.

'We do so in solidarity with Lithuania and the United Kingdom, also planning to increase their security assistance to Ukraine, reads the message.

Related: Ukraine to send warships through Kerch Strait, - NSDC

The Department of State called Russia to immediately return to Ukraine the seized vessels and detained Ukrainian crews, to keep the Kerch Strait and the Sea of Azov open to ships transiting to and from Ukrainian ports, and to respect Ukraines sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders, extending to its territorial waters.

Related: Ukraine's Security Service agents captured in Kerch Strait conducted counter-intelligence missions

As we reported earlier, on November 25, 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 Military Court in Rostov-on-Don refused to release the Ukrainian Pavlo Gryb from jail and put him under house arrest, despite the deterioration of his health, Kavkazski Uzel reports.



Thus, the defense requested mitigation of the preventive measure, since Pavlo needs a highly qualified examination and treatment, which he cannot receive in prison.



According to his lawyer, Marina Dubrovina, the medical report of a doctor who examined Gryb states that "in prison, his state of health is so bad that internal bleeding can take place."

The condition of political prisoner Pavlo Gryb is deteriorating, especially the eyesight. HGis lawyer Maryna Dubrovina claimed this earlier in the interview to Glavkom outlet.

His eyesight significantly worsened, he is basically blind. In most cases, he is not able to read the documents I pass him, he experiences difficulties seeing peoples face, the lawyer said.



He is having hard times taking part in the court, he cant see the witnesses well. His memory exacerbated, he forgets things the judge says: During the trial, I had to repeat the same things several times, and the same information had to be repeated before the next sessions. It seems that nothing at all is stored in his memory. And it certainly complicates the protection, she said.

Related: SBU blocks 300 Internet sources used by Russia against Ukraine

Pavlo Gryb is the son of the former Ukrainian border guard Ihor Gryb. The Russian special service detained the 19-year-old boy on August 25, 2017, when he went to Gomel (Belarus) to meet his friend. Later, he was convoyed to Russia. The Russian law enforcers suspect Pavlo Gryb of preparing a terrorist attack at a school in Sochi (a city in Krasnodar Krai, Russia, located on the Black Sea coast, - 112 International).
The same resources were used by international criminal groups to distribute the destructive informational content

Open source

In 2018, the department of counterintelligence protection of state interests in the information security area of the Security Service of Ukraine blocked access to more than 300 Internet resources that Russia used to wage a hybrid war against Ukraine, and international criminal groups to distribute the destructive information content, the press office of the SBU reported.

It is also reported that preventive measures have been taken against 220 administrators of Internet communities, who distributed destructive content to the audience of more than 10 million Internet users.

It is reported that the SBU is investigating 83 criminal proceedings against the owners and administrators of anti-Ukrainian communities, who deliberately spread calls to overthrow the constitutional system and state power, urges for mass riots and other illegal actions. This year, in such cases, 23 persons were served with charge papers, and 15 convictions were issued by the court.
MP notes that the termination of transplantation operations is due to the fact that from January 1, 2019, the new law on transplantation, adopted in 2018, would not be able to take effect

All organ transplantations in Ukraine will be stopped since January 1, 2019. Iryna Sysoienko, the deputy head of health issues committee in the Ukrainian Parliament posted that on Facebook.

"From January 1, the law, according to which about 130 operations of transplantation occur in Ukraine every year, will be terminated. Accordingly, all transplantation operations in Ukraine will be ceased. Doctors who decide on transplantation surgery will violate the law that entails criminal liability, wrote Sysoienko.



She notes that the termination of transplantation operations is due to the fact that from January 1, 2019, the new law on transplantation, adopted in 2018, would not be able to take effect; the law which is now in force will expire.
The helicopters will be sent within the program of the unified system of aviation security

Two 11-ton-category twin-turbine H225 of Airbus Helicopters are to be delivered to Ukraine in the near future within a unified system of aviation security and civil protection, which is now created in Ukraine. The website of Airbus Helicopters reported this on Saturday.

Another two H225's will join the fleet in the coming weeks, reads the message.

Related: National Guard gets two Airbus H225 Super Puma helicopters

We remind that the unified system of aviation security and civil protection will include 15 helicopter bases, equipped with 55 helicopters designed by Airbus Helicopters. The main bases will be located in Nizhyn, northern Ukraine and at certain locations along the state border.

Airbus H225 Super Puma is a long-haul passenger helicopter developed as the next generation of the civilian Super Puma family. With two engines, the helicopter is able to take in two pilots, a flight attendant and 24 passengers. The maximum payload is 11 tons. The helicopter is capable to gain the speed of 260.5 km/h at an altitude of 5,900 m. The combat radius is 857 km, and the ferry range is 985 km.

Earlier, we reported that Ukraine and France signed the contract to purchase 55 Airbus Helicopters for the State Emergency Services needs. The agreement was signed between Hennadii Bala, the Head of Khoryv-Avia, the Ukrainian Aviation enterprise and Bruno Even, the Chief Executive Officer of Airbus Helicopter in the Cabinet of Ministers.

During the meeting with representatives of the Airbus Helicopters Company, President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko noted that some of this aircraft could go for the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
President Petro Poroshenko signed a law obliging the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Moscow Patriarchate to indicate links with the Russian Orthodox Church in its full name. The press service of the president reported that.



The message stated that the president signed the Law of Ukraine "On Amendments to the Law "On Freedom of Conscience and Religious Organizations "regarding the name of religious organizations (associations) that are part of a religious organization (association), a governing center of which is outside of Ukraine, in a country that is legally recognized as one that carried out military aggression against Ukraine and / or temporarily occupied part of the territory of Ukraine."



Signing the law, the head of state noted that the new norms create better conditions for the realization of the rights of people who will decide which Orthodox jurisdiction they belong to.



The choice is easier to do when all things are called by their names; when there is enough information to voluntarily make it. The implementation of the law will give citizens all the necessary information, Poroshenko said.
Im reading The Berlin Airlift to learn about postwar Europe and operational excellence. Unexpected bonus: a master-class in negotiating tactics from Josef Vissarionovich a.k.a. Stalin.

In hindsight Stalin was a bad dude but Roosevelt arrived with an open mind; the American-British relationship was strained by lend-lease, the tremendous cost of the war to both parties, and each leaders belief that the other wasnt pulling his weight.

Churchill, an old hand at spotting geopolitical threats, had no illusions about Stalin, but he was tired. He and Roosevelt couldnt form a united front.

These meetings fascinate me because my career increasingly depends on winning arguments. Ive seen all these tactics used in person (albeit on a smaller scale).

Control the agenda

Know why the other person has deigned to come to the table and beat them over the head with it. Stalin had held up the Eastern Front, Washington had run a PR campaign to portray him as Uncle Joe and couldnt easily reverse itself, there were divisions between the US and UK, and the western nations were eager to put war behind them.

Use these underlying power dynamics to control the agenda  youll get more mileage fighting to avoid talking about a topic than arguing the individual points. Details are always rational, but when opposing a whole topic you can bring your emotions to bear.

Choose the venue if you can. Stalin pled ill health to avoid traveling; Roosevelt was probably sicker and had to travel all the way to Ukraine.

If youre on the receiving end of this, the best you can do is agree on topics beforehand. If you dont know the issues well enough to map them out, try adopting a deliberative rule set like Roberts Rules of Order which provides for adding to the agenda.

Dont lose momentum of action when you sit down

Dont honor any truce or ceasefire until youre forced to. You know the line war is the continuation of politics by other means? Continue those other means subtly, with deniability, while youre sitting down to parlay.

Strive to be the party who benefits from delay. Across Europe, Soviet agents were infiltrating parties and influencing elections, shifting the balance of power in Stalins favor.

In Germany, Stalins troops were dismantling factories and shipping them back to Russia. Apparently they had no luck reassembling them but the loss of productive capacity contributed to the slow recovery of occupied Germanys economy.

Be inconsistent and unfair

Create high level plans that are predicated on fairness and then fight tooth and nail for a division of assets that gives you the advantage. Stalin demanded cash reparations from Germany as a necessary measure that would benefit all the occupying nations equally, then stripped all the material wealth & industry from the Soviet-managed districts even as the UK & US were investing heavily in theirs to raise the quality of life.

Stalin also had the ability to play good cop bad cop with Molotov, his foreign minister. Stalin could chat amiably with Roosevelt about abstracts while Molotov held firm on the details. Untangling this takes energy.

Ive only been successful against inconsistency when I came in with a mastery of the details. Even a fair counterparty will take you for a ride if you rely on them for any information. Do your homework.

Implementation is half the battle

The Soviets fought tooth and nail to limit the number of routes by which the Allies could access Berlin, and then would arbitrarily refuse free access to even those routes.

If you cant remove an onerous term from the deal, invent reasons to fight against terms that will permit your counterparty to monitor or enforce the term.

Even when youre negotiating with a fair counterparty, shit happens. Responsible negotiators condition consideration on performance.

Be the agent of chaos

Stalin thought the capitalist nations would turn on each other within a decade and the winner would attack Russia. The division of Europe was a temporary measure to let the Soviets recharge their arms & population and prepare for the big one, but he was willing to start now if necessary and the others knew it.

If youve ever been an A student in a group project with a C student (or vice versa), you know this game. Be realistic; some behavior cant be modified. If you forget this youll both drown.

If your counterparty has a much higher tolerance for chaos than you, you should find out their real priorities and move the negotiation there. For Stalin, it was his domestic power first and second providing a shield of client countries between him and the capitalist west.

Defense against the dark arts

Most of these tactics arent great in the long term because successful negotiations yield their value in repeat business, and that requires trust. Nobody wants to sit down with Stalin twice. Eventually the western nations stopped dealing with him.

That said, just because you want to play fair doesnt mean you should give your power away. And we need to understand this stuff so we dont fall victim to it.

Sometimes the solution is as easy as naming the bad tactic, saying how it compromises your interests, and asking to ban it going forward. Other times you have to identify a bad deal or bad counterparty and walk away.

Having trouble imagining your mostly amiable counterparty, whom you want to do business with, as a dangerous opponent? Imagine Stalin sitting across the table from you. He was mostly amiable, too, until he wasnt. Carefully navigate the difference between a partner with aligned incentives and an adversary whose interests will lead them astray.

Whenever possible, come armed with objective facts.
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!)
New Braunfels, TX (78130)

Today

Partly cloudy early followed by cloudy skies overnight. Areas of dense fog developing. Low 62F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy early followed by cloudy skies overnight. Areas of dense fog developing. Low 62F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph.
17:41 | Lima, Dec. 21.

German Juarez, the prosecutor leading the investigation, is expected to make a decision in the following days.

He could not complete the preparatory research before because the Judicial Branch first had to define the protection of rights, proposed by the ex-President 's defense, which was rejected.

"Once resolved, it is the responsibility of the prosecutor to close the investigation and assess the Public Ministry's accusatory claims," he told RPP radio and TV news station.

According to Vela, Juarez must end the preparatory inquiry first. Afterward, he has 30 days to write the accusation.

Once this process is over, the accusation shall be delivered to Judge Richard Concepcion , who will decide on its legality.

After completing this step, Concepcion will not be able to preside over the oral trial against the defendant.

His wife Peru's former First Lady Nadine Heredia has been included in the process. According to witnesses' versions, cash was given to her in Lima.

For this case, both of them are under investigation over money laundering allegations.

The couple was released from prison in April this year , following a Constitutional Court's ruling in favor of a habeas corpus submitted by their lawyer.
Presidente @MartinVizcarraC: Venimos a garantizar y formalizar la propiedad de los agricultores, que a partir de hoy tienen los documentos que los acreditan como propietarios de sus tierras. pic.twitter.com/NWAoO8PyEy
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 22, ARMENPRESS. The Azerbaijani troops violated the ceasefire regime nearly 200 times on Artsakh-Azerbaijan contact line in the period of December 16-22, during which over 2000 bullets were fired in the direction of Armenian border guards from different caliber weapons.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the Defense Ministry of Artsakh, the front line units of the Defense Army refrained from retaliation and continue to confidently carry out their military duty.

Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan
The only difference between these contracts signed throughout PNG is the rental to be paid to landowners which is predicated on where the mobile tower is located. If the tower is situated at a remote location, the rental will be lower than if it is in an urban centre.

Digicel PNG goes into villages with a contract form for landowners to sign approving the erection of a mobile tower. When signed, the contract becomes a legal agreement binding the two parties.

Mostly the towers have been constructed on customary land owned by the people of PNG.

PORT MORESBY -Since Digicel Singapore Pte Ltd came to Papua New Guinea in 2012, its main revenue source has come from the establishment of mobile telephony towers all over the country.

While acquiring land for the towers, Digicel PNG was known to have acquiescent third parties sign contracts without the consent of the true landlords. It is possible Digicel did not know this.

This gave illegitimate persons access to rental payments. It can be relatively easy to mislead illiterate and legally ignorant village people.

In circumstances where rent is deviated to third parties it is also possible for part of the rent to make its way into other corrupt payments. I believe I have evidence that this has happened within Digicel PNG.

I was in a position to observe this for a long time and I believe it is still going on today.

As a result there are many landowners from all over PNG who have discovered they are not receiving payment for the use of their land. When provincial Digicel offices say they cannot handle the issue or if they ignore complaints, landowners sometimes travel to Port Moresby to raise the issues at Digicel head office.

Here they are provided with many reasons why they are not eligible to receive rental payments.

The landowners are often asked, Do you have any agreement in place? The Digicel officers know very well that the landowners do not have the agreement as they have already signed a contract with another party.

The landowners of course respond no and are told "you must present the contract agreement to get payment and if you do not have the contract you are not the legitimate landowner.

This process is repeated with all landowners as they seek to establish their rights.

Digicel PNG has also seems to have found another way to circumvent landowners who have a contract. They pay them just part, perhaps half, of what is supposed to be paid every six months.

Let me give you an example. Three landowners from Sepik, Morobe and Daru flew to Port Moresby to unearth information regarding why their rental payments had not been received.

After some time seeking answers, they were sent off with a promise that the money would soon be paid into their bank accounts. No payment was made.

Whenever the landowners checked, they were told next week the money will be paid. Eventually they flew to Port Moresby again to raise the same issues and confront the staff face to face, but no senior manager would meet with them.

A junior employee was sent with a message the payment will be made next month.

Other people who do not have the money to come to Port Moresby just give up.

Most landowners, even if they have a contract, do not have the erudition to bring these matters to court. And in the few cases where they do, they rarely have enough money to pay for a skilled lawyer. So the entire process becomes too hard.

Every Tuesday and Thursday outside the Digicel Officer at Section 494, Allotments 1 and 2, Kennedy Road, Port Moresby, frustrated landowners wait for their claims to be settled.

They will wait in vain. These people require assistance to exercise their rights and to remedy the wrongs they believe have done to them.

The CEO of Digicel PNG needs to step in and ensure his organisation is entering legitimate contracts and dealing with landowners fairly and honestly.

Landowners deserve to have their rightful rentals paid. They deserve to have legitimate contracts honoured and illicit contracts reworked.

Instead of taking advantage of the unlettered, this organisation should deal with them honestly and fairly.

To remain silent on these issues is to sanction them. It is to condone poor ethics and worse.

* The Papua New Guinean authors name is known but has been withheld at his request
"It's not the fault of the refugees, it is the fault of the Australian government who decided to follow a 'Pacific Solution'."

"This is a place that has been tarnished because the Australian government dumped its responsibilities on the island and it has affected nearly 70,000 people on Manus.

The indefinite detention of refugees for nearly six years on the island has brought it into disrepute, he said.

Mr Kuweh is a layman and spokesperson for the Catholic Diocese of Manus.

AUCKLAND - The reputation of Papua New Guinea's Manus Island has been smeared and its people need to be compensated, says church leader Michael Kuweh.

Michael Kuweh - "Manusians are on the defensive. We have been smeared beyond all description"

The foisting of hundreds of young, male refugees on the island has led to incidents of hostility and violent conflict with locals.

About 40 children have been born to refugees and local women some of whom have reportedly turned to prostitution.

"They say 'Manus is like hell... Manus is not a place to live because it is very dangerous.' This was never part of our culture or image that was promoted, only when the refugees came around," Mr Kuweh said.

"Manusians are on the defensive," he said. "We are being labelled as a place that no one should visit. We have been smeared beyond all description."

About 600 men remain in detention on the island in three transit centres near Lorengau town. Seven Manus refugees have died since 2014 through murder, medical neglect and suicide.

Suicide attempts and self-harm have escalated since the men were forcibly transferred about 30 kilometres from the prison camp at Lombrum in November 2017.

In September that year, the Australian government paid about 1300 Manus detainees $AU70 million in compensation for suffering in conditions branded inhumane and torturous by a UN special rapporteur.

Mr Kuweh said Australia now needed to make amends with the people of Manus, who wanted the detention project "out".

"The Manus people are no longer good in the eyes of the world because the island has been branded 'not a good place to be'," he said.

"The Australian government owes us a gift package."

"And in part of that, they must come to help restore the image of the province."

While development on the mainland had been funded through the deal PNG struck with Australia to detain the refugees, the layman said the island only got "spinach".

Some of its roads had been resurfaced, some schools had been improved and a market and a police station had been built but that was not enough, Mr Kuweh said.

"The gift package for compensation should look around five or six billion kina ($US1.5 billion)," he said. "It could be more."

Mr Kuweh said Manus Island had a long and unsuccessful history of accommodating refugees and people displaced by conflict.

During World War II about 5000 Manusians were forced off their land when America captured the island from Japan and built military bases, Mr Kuweh said.

Then in 1968 when PNG was an Australian colony, refugees from West Papua fleeing Indonesian occupation were settled on Manus in a camp near Lorengau.

Some of their descendants are still there.

"It has been a burden on us for a long time," Mr Kuweh said. "We would prefer this refugee thing goes. We have our hands full."

Climate change was likely to create more refugees as "80 percent of Manus people are coastal inhabitants and islanders," he said.

But the planned resurrection of the naval base on Manus Island could add to the island's unfortunate legacy of displacement.
A dad named Neil, from Oregon, is going to New Zealand with his three sons next week.

Ahead of their trip, he posted a dating ad in the classified section of the New Zealand Herald in hopes of finding "nice NZ daughters" for this sons.

Neil told the Herald that he has received more than 200 responses to the ad, which he said he posted without his sons' knowledge.

A dad from Oregon posted a dating ad in a New Zealand newspaper in hopes of finding "nice NZ daughters" for his three 'wonderful, successful, handsome, alas unmarried' sons when his family visits next week.

Neil, who did not reveal his last name, placed the dating ad in the New Zealand Herald on Wednesday.

"We are from the States (Oregon), visiting your beautiful country. My wife and I have three wonderful, successful, handsome, alas unmarried, sons between the ages of 26-32," the ad read. "We are not expecting, just hoping, to introduce our sons to nice NZ daughters. At the very least we'll embarrass our sons and the truth is, we do find some enjoyment in that."

People on social media had mixed feelings about the ad, with some calling it "different" and one person joking that her friends should "lock up" their daughters.

View this content at Business Insider

https://twitter.com/gratitudaholic/status/1075878583053148160?ref_src=twsrc^tfw

https://twitter.com/keith_miller_nz/status/1075561311122075648?ref_src=twsrc^tfw

https://twitter.com/escaped_ferret/status/1075465738754945025?ref_src=twsrc^tfw

Neil detailed his sons ages and occupations to the Herald in hopes of piquing interest in the men.

The youngest is Benjamin, is a 26-year-old consultant who lives in Seattle, Washington.

His middle son is 28-year-old Jeremy works for nonprofit organisations, though Neil didn't say where he lives.

The oldest son is Matthew, is a 31-year-old who works in real estate in Portland, Oregon.



Read more:

3 ways to deal with invasive questions when you're single during the holidays



Story continues

Neil told the Herald that he has received more than 200 responses to the ad.

"I'm somewhat surprised that I have got quite a lot of responses," he said. "It is hard to tell how many are genuine. A few are maybe just scammers, but for the most part people are really amazingly nice in your country."

He said that he posted the ad as a way for his sons to meet people while travelling.

He said he has never done anything like this before, but loved that it was a surprise for his sons.

"We like to travel and I have gone with my kids to Europe, Australia and Japan, 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," he said.
The mother of one of two Scandanavian hikers found killed in Morocco has reportedly had disturbing images posted to her Facebook page.

The bodies of Louisa Vesterager Jespersen and Maren Ueland were discovered with stab wounds to the neck on Monday at a campsite near the tourist village of Imlil.

Irene Ueland, the mother of Norwegian Maren Ueland, shared an image on Facebook of her 28-year-old daughter with her large dog in tribute to the young woman.

The post has amassed thousands of comments in the past few days, with countless people expressing their condolences.

But News.com.au reports the grieving mother was also bombarded with uncensored images on Facebook, which allegedly showed the severed and partially severed heads of the two women.

Maren Uelands mother shared this image of her daughter earlier in the week. Source: Irene Ueland/ Facebook

According to Associated Press, a plane carrying the bodies of 28-year-old Norwegian Maren Ueland and 24-year-old Louisa Vesterager Jespersen took off Friday from Casablanca for Denmark.

The Norwegian news agency NTB said Uelands autopsy would be performed in her home country.

Nine more people have been arrested in Morocco for connections to the four initial suspects in the killing of two Scandinavian university students in a remote corner of the Atlas Mountains, Moroccan authorities said Friday.

A total of 13 men have been detained after the murder of the female hikers from Denmark and Norway.

Authorities in Morocco consider the killings a terrorist act. The womens bodies were found Monday with stab wounds in their necks.

Danish hiker Louisa Vesterager Jespersen, left, and her Norwegian travel companion Maren Uelan were found dead at a campsite above the tourist village of Imlil. Images: Facebook / Louisa Jespersen & Maren Uelan

A general view shows the village of Imlil, Morocco, 20 December 2018. Source: EPA via AAP

Moroccos Central Bureau of Judicial investigations said the nine new suspects had been carrying arms and suspicious materials used in the manufacture of explosives at the time of their arrests. No further details were available.

In Norway, police said a video which allegedly shows the killing of one of the women is likely authentic.

Norways National Criminal Investigation Service has been investigating the footage circulating on social media.

There is no concrete evidence indicating the video is not real, it said.

Story continues

As for another video in which the four initial suspects appear to pledge allegiance to the Islamic State group, the NCIS said that neither Norway nor Denmark was mentioned in the video, nor was there anything specific about what action they should perform.

Please don't watch the #Morocco video. You know what's going to be on it, you know what you'll see. Someone's precious daughters in their final moments, horrifically robbed of their lives. Don't give the monsters the satisfaction. You can give these beautiful girls their dignity  Vanessa Bailey (@vbaileyactor) December 20, 2018

Both women had lived in southern Norway, where they attended university.

The NCIS said it was trying to map their activities before their departure for the village of Imlil, a frequent starting point for treks to Mount Toubkal, North Africas highest peak. The women were found 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) from the village.

Morocco is generally considered safe for tourists but it has been routing out Islamic extremists for years.

 with Associated Press
Brazil's incoming environment minister, Ricardo Salles, has said he will take up his post on January 1 despite being found guilty of "improbity" while heading the environment portfolio in Sao Paulo's state government. He told Brazilian radio station Jovem Pan late Friday that the next president, Jair Bolsonaro, will keep him on as part of his team. Bolsonaro easily won October elections and enjoys a 75-percent approval rating in large part because of his pledge to stamp out political corruption and has said several times he will remove anyone against whom such charges were proven. But Salles said that while the judge in his case on Thursday fined him and stripped him of political rights for altering plans for an environmentally protected area in Sao Paulo state to favor business interests, it was more politics than wrongdoing. "The president (elect) understands that this trial and the verdict was much more a political-ideological fight against the posture I adopted in the Secretariat than any sort of formal illegality," he said. "There was no crime. There was no personal advantage for me. There was no prejudice," he told the radio. Salles had been secretary for the environment in Sao Paulo state between 2016 and 2017. He was the last name added to Bolsonaro's ministerial list. Bolsonaro has been criticized by environmental protection groups after attacking conservation and indigenous protection agencies. He sees the bodies as being zealous in their missions at the expense of mining and agricultural business interests. In late November the Brazilian government canceled plans to host next year's COP25 United Nations global climate conference, a follow-on to this year's UN conference in Poland that underscored the severity of climate change. Brazil's foreign ministry cited "financial and budgetary restrictions" and the government transition, but Bolsonaro has long questioned the value of the Paris climate agreement to cap global warming. Brazil's incoming Environment Minister Ricardo Salles said there was "no crime" in his altering plans for an environmentally protected area
Belgian fashion designer Raf Simons, considered one of the most talented of his generation, will leave Calvin Klein less than three years after joining it, parent company PVH said Friday. "Both parties have amicably decided to part ways after Calvin Klein, Inc. decided on a new brand direction which differs from Simons' creative vision," the company said in a statement. The arrival of Simons in New York in August 2016 after four years at Dior caused a sensation: he had the title of chief creative officer, with vast powers to revitalize the American brand, which relied on him to boost the profits of its high-end collection. But there has been speculation since November about his potential departure, after an official from PVH apportioned him some of the blame for declining sales. PVH did not specify when Simons would leave, but according to The New York Times, his departure is immediate even though his contract expires in less than six months. No details have been given as to who will replace him or what he will do after his departure. During his short stint at Calvin Klein, Simons garnered praise from the fashion world for his innovative collections, and he has received three awards from the Council of Fashion Designers of America. There has been speculation since November about the potential departure of designer Raf Simons after an official from PVH apportioned to him some of the blame for declining sales
A Guyana government backbencher who complained about "dictatorship" has triggered elections and an unprecedented political situation in the former British colony. "We are going back to the polls," Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo said after his coalition, which had a one-vote majority in the National Assembly, lost a no-confidence motion brought by the opposition over rising unemployment and what it called poor economic management. The coalition between A Partnership for National Unity and the Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) had 33 seats, against 32 for the opposition People's Progressive Party Civic (PPPC). But when AFC member Charrandas Persaud switched sides to back the opposition's no confidence motion, Nagamootoo said "the outcome has to be accepted," paving the way for general elections within 90 days. Persaud complained that the government "failed to perform as a truly democratic government should," and said backbenchers had not been consulted. "It has been a policy of dictatorship," he said in a statement. The prime minister countered that until Friday he had no reason to believe that Persaud had a problem. Opposition leader Bharrat Jagdeo said the situation "is unprecedented" but called for calm and consensus between the government and opposition. His PPPC had ruled the country on the northeastern tip of South America since 1992 until the coalition unseated it in 2015. Elections were not constitutionally due until 2020. Guyana, one of South America's poorest countries, shares cultural ties with the English-speaking Caribbean. Voters waited in line at a polling station in Georgetown, Guyana, during general elections on November 28, 2011, and will cast ballots again after the government lost a no-confidence motion in late 2018
Off the coast of Chile, fisherman face competition from a cunning carnivorous hunter that has decimated their industry due to its voracious appetite. For Chile's fishermen, sea lions are a "plague." "They're an enemy!" complained Mario Rojas to AFP. "We try to make them go away but it's impossible!" Part of the wider seal family that was once hunted mercilessly all over the world, leaving some populations close to extinction, the South American sea lion in Chile has been protected for the last 28 years. Hunting them for their richly prized fur is illegal. Liberated from their most dangerous predator -- they are still prey for sharks and orcas -- the sea mammal's population has been on the rise, helped in no small part by the abundant fodder they manage to steal from fisherman. They have learnt to distinguish the sound of the fishing boats' motors, allowing them to follow the vessels as they head out to sea. "The sea lions don't hunt anymore. They hear the noise of a boat and they know that the food is there," said Rojas. With their sharp teeth and the enormous power in bodies that can weigh around 650 pounds (300 kilograms), they manage to destroy the fishing nets and gobble up the treats inside. And they have some appetite, consuming 90 pounds of fish each a day. Rojas says more than 80 percent of the boats working in his area, around the port of Valparaiso, return from a day's work empty, with their nets shredded. There, sea lions hang around on the beach or beneath the wharf, waiting for the scraps and entrails thrown back into the water by fishermen. Around 40 percent of the world's sea lion population, some 200,000 animals, live off the coast of Chile and pose a serious threat to the fishing industry. Local fishermen want to be able to cull their numbers. - 'A crisis' - A decade ago, at the Portales cove at Valparaiso, where Rojas is the fishermen's leader, around 1,300 pounds of fish were caught daily, but that is now down to just 110 pounds. It's a similar situation all along the coast. "We're going through a crisis specifically because of sea lions, but we also have fishing quotas. People are desperate," said Jose Alvarado, leader of the fishermen at Hualaihue, around 700 miles (1,000 kilometers) to the south of the capital Santiago. Fishermen want the ban on sea lion hunting lifted so they can control the numbers. "The only viable solution for the fishermen is to eliminate the sea lions and this won't happen," fisheries under-secretary Eduardo Riquelme told AFP. He admits that sea lions are creating problems for the fishing industry but the first step in addressing the issue will come in February with a census to establish the size of the Chilean population of these eared seals. The government has also agreed with fishermen to convene a commission of experts to study the problem, while also eradicating some of the fishermen's bad habits, such as throwing fish entrails, which sea lions feed on, back into the sea. They've agreed to begin tests on boats fitted with ultrasound equipment to scare away sea lions, and machines that will reel in nets quicker. - 'Catastrophic problems' - The hunting ban was imposed to preserve the South American sea lion, after two closely related fur seal species were almost driven extinct during the 20th century. Chile has signed international accords to protect the sea lion and any violation would engender serious penalties, such as the suspension of salmon imports from the United States, an industry that generates almost $4 billion a year. The predator's presence is necessary "to balance food chains," Jose Luis Brito, director at San Antonio's natural history museum, told AFP. Hunting by humans "can produce catastrophic problems with huge consequences, because they are the ones that control life," said Brito. But, "since they don't have any rivals, and not enough predators," their numbers are on the rise, "provoking them to compete with another predator, which is us." For Riquelme, there's only one solution: "We have to learn to live with the sea lions." Chilean fishermen have branded sea lions "a plague" because of the competition they provide in catching fish Sea lions hang around on the beach or under the wharf at San Antonio port waiting for fishermen to discard the scraps and entrails from their catches Not everyone is as angered by sea lions as Chile's fishermen, and the country's fisheries under-secretary Eduardo Riquelme says humans must learn to live with the eared seals With a ban on hunting them, the South American sea lions have almost no predators now and compete with humans for fish
UN monitors arrived in Yemen on Saturday to oversee a fragile ceasefire in the rebel-held city of Hodeida, the latest push to secure peace in the devastated country. It comes a day after the UN Security Council unanimously approved a resolution authorising the deployment of observers to Hodeida, a lifeline port city which serves as the entry point for the majority of imports to war-torn Yemen. A team led by Patrick Cammaert, a retired Dutch general, landed in Aden where the internationally recognised government is based. Cammaert was welcomed on arrival by Saghir bin Aziz, a general who heads the government team in a joint committee -- with Huthi rebels -- which is tasked with organising the withdrawal of troops from Hodeida. Another group of observers arrived in the rebel-held capital Sanaa on a UN plane from Jordan, according to an AFP photographer. After meeting with leaders in Aden, Cammaert was also due to travel to Sanaa Sunday and then onwards to Hodeida. The UN said in a statement that in his meeting with government appointees in Aden, "Cammaert stressed that the success or failure of the Stockholm Agreement rested solely with the parties". "He urged the Government of Yemen and Coalition forces to uphold the ceasefire... and sought their commitment and cooperation to secure the unhindered flow of humanitarian aid into and across the country as a matter of urgency," the UN said. Hodeida is held by Yemen's Huthi rebels and has been subjected to an offensive by pro-government forces, backed by a military coalition led by Saudi Arabia. A halt to fighting in the strategic port city follows intense diplomatic efforts which culminated in peace talks last week in Sweden, where the warring parties agreed to the truce which came into force on Tuesday. The ceasefire remained shaky, however, with both sides accusing each other of violations in Hodeida province. The UN monitoring team could consist of 30 to 40 people, according to diplomats, and aims to secure the functioning of Hodeida port and supervise the withdrawal of fighters from the city. - 'Full respect' for truce - The text approved by the Security Council "insists on the full respect by all parties of the ceasefire agreed" for Hodeida. It authorises the United Nations to "establish and deploy, for an initial period of 30 days from the adoption of this resolution, an advance team to begin monitoring" the ceasefire, under Cammaert's leadership. The resolution was backed by rebel negotiator Mohammed Abdelsalam, who said late Friday it marked "an important step towards stopping the aggression and lifting the blockade". He was referring to the Saudi-led military coalition which intervened in 2015 and imposed a blockade on Yemeni waters and airports. Quoted by the rebel-run Al-Masirah TV, he criticised, however, the resolution for not condemning the "crimes of the aggressors". The government of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi reaffirmed its "commitment (to respect) the agreement" reached in Sweden and endorsed by the UN resolution. In a statement also released late Friday, the Yemeni government pledged to work "in a positive spirit" with UN envoy Martin Griffiths towards a lasting political agreement to end the war. Saudi Arabia also welcomed the resolution. Khalid Manzalawi, the kingdom's deputy permanent representative to the UN, said the resolution means that the Huthis "will lose their margin of manoeuvre", the official Saudi Press Agency reported. Around 10,000 people have been killed since the Saudi-led intervention, according to the World Health Organization, although rights groups say the death toll could be five times higher. The conflict has unleashed a major humanitarian crisis and pushed 14 million Yemenis to the brink of famine. The aid group Save the Children welcomed the UN resolution but said that more needed to be done in a country where around 85,000 children are estimated to have died from extreme hunger and disease. "The final text fell short in recognising the sheer scale of the humanitarian crisis and to call for investigations into alleged violations of international humanitarian law in Yemen," it said in a statement. "Council members need to put politics aside in the new year and be ready to take further action to support the political process and address the humanitarian situation on the ground. The lives of thousands of Yemeni children remain at stake," it added. Patrick Cammaert, pictured in Colombo on December 11, 2009, arrived in Aden on Saturday as part of a United Nations ceasefire monitoring team Chronology of the conflict in Yemen, with map and details of humanitarian crisis The UN team is due to monitor the ceasefire in the Yemeni port city of Hodeida, pictured on December 17, 2018 Members of a UN truce team tasked with monitoring a ceasefire in the port city of Hodeidah arrive at Sana'a airport, in the capital Sanaa, on December 22, 2018
New adoptables in Auburn and Cayuga County. Pick your new dog or cat!
North Carolina has been a leader in enacting free-market reforms that are improving people's lives. Four tax reform packages have reduced the burden of government and simplified filing for millions of Tar Heel families. The expansion of school choice has created a new opportunity for thousands of students. And the rejection of Obamacare's Medicaid expansion has helped protect North Carolina from a critical aspect of the federal government's health care takeover.Unfortunately, the newly bolstered Democrat legislative minorities, Gov. Roy Cooper and special interest groups are now pressuring leaders in the General Assembly to such an extent that House Speaker Tim Moore (R-Cleveland) indicated he is open to Medicaid expansion in North Carolina.Fortunately, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Washington cannot force the states to expand Medicaid. Former Gov. Pat McCrory and the General Assembly have already exercised our state's rights, rejecting Medicaid expansion and the additional Obamacare empty promises that would come with it, when they passed Session Law 2013-5 in 2013.Legislative leaders should now ignore renewed calls for Medicaid expansion - even when it comes from members of the Republican House Caucus, such as Rep. Donny Lambeth's (R-Forsyth) Carolina Cares legislation.The Obama administration assured states that Washington would pick up 100 percent of the expansion costs for the first three years, and then 90 percent thereafter. But how reliable is a guarantee from a federal government more than $21 trillion in debt, much of which is due to entitlement programs like Medicaid?The problems with Medicaid expansion can also become systemic, particularly the unforeseen costs. The non-partisan Foundation for Government Accountability published research earlier this year which found that states that expanded Obamacare through Medicaid expansion have signed up more than twice as many able-bodied adults as promised. This enrollment deluge, combined with higher than forecasted per-person costs, has led to cost overruns of 157 percent.The renewed call for Medicaid expansion in North Carolina also comes at a time when the state's Medicaid program is switching to a managed care model and just recovered from multiple years of cost overruns which skyrocketed into the hundreds of millions of dollars.Medicaid expansion would inevitably hurt the most vulnerable North Carolinians. Medicaid is a program meant for impoverished citizens. However, because of Medicaid's low doctor reimbursement rates, patients already have a tough time getting a doctor's appointment, which contributes to the program's shockingly poor health outcomes.Indeed, according to state Medicaid Annual reports, from 2003 to 2016, the number of physicians enrolled as Medicaid providers in North Carolina plummeted by more than 10,000, a drop of 28 percent.An expansion would add hundreds of thousands of non-disabled, childless, working-age adults to Medicaid, which would further exacerbate the problem of access to quality care for the neediest North Carolinians.A job, not Medicaid, is the best anti-poverty program. North Carolina should keep moving forward with the proven job-creating policies of controlled government spending, tax cuts, and regulatory reform.Caring for impoverished citizens and families isn't the same thing as locking more people into Medicaid. Medicaid is a safety net program. However, expanding Medicaid would dramatically change the purpose of the program and necessitate increased government spending and higher tax rates, which will likely make it more difficult for those that need a job to get one. Thus, Medicaid, instead of helping our indigent citizens, locks them into a vicious cycle of poverty and the safety net becomes a net trap.Expanding Medicaid is a bad deal for everyone, except special interest profiteers. The General Assembly should not cave to political winds by trying to control healthcare through a law that was sold on deceit and has delivered countless broken promises. North Carolina should reject Obamacare's Medicaid expansion once and for all.
A recent winner of CNN's "Journalist of the Year" award has admitted to fabricating reports for years "on a grand scale" while at Der Spiegel, a German publication which warned other media organizations may have been affected.Der Spiegel reported.The publications said that suspicions grew after a November report by RelotiusA co-author on the report said that he observed Relotius' behavior and grew distrustful, then reported what happened, which led to the publication confronting him.Der Spiegel continued.The Wrap noted that Relotius, 33,The Wrap added that CNN did not respond to a request for comment.A poll from earlier this year showed that the overwhelming majority of Americans believe that the media reports "fake news." Politico reported:More than 3-in-4 of 803 American respondents, or 77 percent, said they believe that major traditional television and newspaper media outlets reportaccording to a Monmouth University poll released Monday, marking a sharp increase in distrust of those news organizations from a year ago, when 63 percent registered concerns about the spread of misinformation.Among those, 31 percent said they believe those media outlets spread "fake news" regularly, and 46 percent said it happens occasionally.CNN - which is consistently ranked as the least trusted cable news network - has had to retract multiple false reports, which have seemingly all been negative toward President Donald Trump.In 2017, three CNN journalists who wrote a false report on Anthony Scaramucci all resigned from their positions after the network was forced to issue an embarrassing retraction.Last December, CNN reported another bombshell exclusive which they later had to retract. The Daily Wire reported:CNN's Manu Raju and Jeremy Herb reported the network's exclusive which was hyped as possibly the first evidence that Trump's campaign was given advanced notification about stolen documents from the Democrats - a report that appears to be plagued with key errors and which also misled by omitting the larger context of what really happened.The Washington Post was the first to report on the errors in CNN's report, which included making a crucial error in the timeline of events.CNN claimed that Trump Jr. was sent an email on September 4, 2016, from a person named Michael J. Erickson which included a link to WikiLeaks documents and a decryption key to access the purportedly stolen emails. The date CNN reported, however, was incorrect. The actual date of the email was September 14......The date is significant because it shows that Trump Jr. was sent documents from WikiLeaks that were already available to the public, which undermines the key premise of CNN's story that the Trump campaign was in cahoots with WikiLeaks to bring down the Clinton campaign.




Le Tre Feste di Natale

The Three Christmas Feasts

Most families in Italy begin celebrating il Natale on the evening of December 24 (la vigilia di Natale) with a big dinner. Because Christmas Eve is a vigilia di magro (a day of abstinence on which the Catholic Church prohibits the consumption of meat), the centerpiece of the meal is fish.

The traditional choice is eel, a favorite of the ancient Romans that appears in the earliest known cookbook, written by a gourmand known as Apicius. This symbol of life and immortality was sold alive and wiggling, then beheaded, chopped and dropped into boiling water, spit-roasted, grilled, stewed with white wine and peas or pickled in vinegar, oil, bay leaves, rosemary and cloves.

In some regions the Christmas Eve feast has seven courses (for the seven sacraments); others serve nine (the trinity times three) or thirteen (for Jesus and his twelve disciples). Some of the fish dishes include fritto misto with lemon (mixed fried fish), calamari or pasta with anchovies.

Families may go to midnight Mass (la messa di mezzanotte) in their local church or watch the Popes televised outdoor Mass at St. Peters basilica in Rome. At midday on Christmas the Pope again appears on television to deliver his annual urbi et orbi message to the city and the world.

Il pranzo di Natale (the Christmas day meal) usually starts with a rich pasta, such as cappelletti in brodo, little hats stuffed with chopped meats, cheese, eggs or pumpkin. By tradition everyone is supposed to eat at least a dozen. Depending on the region of Italy, the main course may be capon, pork or turkey.

Everyone saves room for the special dolci (sweets). Many of the original recipes were created by nuns who prepared special types of sweets as gifts for prominent clergymen and noble families. They include:

*cartellate -- curly ribbons of dough that symbolize the sheets on which the baby Jesus lay

*calzoncelli -- the pillows for his head

*latte di mandorla -- Virgins milk

*calzone di San Leonardo -- trousers of St. Leonard, which represent the cradle.

Among the various types of holiday bread (pane) are pangiallo (a round bread crammed with fruits and nuts--an ancient symbol of fertility), panforte (a fruitcake-like specialty of Siena) and panpepato (peppery and dark, somewhat like gingerbread).

The most famous is the tall cupola-shaped panettone, with origins that date back to ancient Rome. The term derives from panetto (loaf of bread) combined with one (a suffix meaning large and pronounced oh-nay), although some claim its name comes from the Milanese expression pan di ton (luxury bread).

After the meal, families play a game called tombola, similar to bingo, with dried beans as markers. Players win coins or small prizes for covering two numbers (ambo), three (terno), five (cinquina) or the entire card (tombola). In towns and cities many Italians have started a new Christmas day tradition: going to the movies.

December 26 brings Prima Festa (first feast) and another big family meal to honor Santo Stefano (St. Stephen), the first Christian martyr, who was stoned to death for his beliefs. This day gave rise to an idiomatic expression -- da Natale a Santo Stefano (from Christmas to St. Stephens Day)  to describe a very brief period of time.

Words and Expressions

Buone Feste -- Happy Celebrations/Holidays

Buon Natale e Felice Anno Nuovo -- Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

I piu cari auguri per un sereno Natale e per un anno nuovo ricco di soddisfazioni -- dearest wishes for a peaceful Christmas and a fulfilling new year

I migliori auguri per il Santo Natale e per il 2019 -- best wishes for Holy Christmas and for 2019

Dianne Hales is the author of LA BELLA LINGUA: My Love Affair with Italian, the World's Most Enchanting Language, MONA LISA: A Life Discovered and the upcoming LA PASSIONE: How Italy Seduced the World. Click here to preorder. For more information, visit her new website: www.diannehales.com







Click below to listen to a beloved Italian Christmas song:
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Last week, Kansas state senators Dinah Sykes and Barbara Bollier and state representative Stephanie Clayton announced they were no longer going to serve as Republicans and would instead serve as Democrats; they were joined by former state rep Joy Koesten who served as a Republican until getting primaried by a far-right candidate who will take her seat in 2019.

Despite the election of a Democratic governor, the GOP still dominates Kansas politics, which means that these women will be sitting with the weaker side in the legislature, making this hard to square with any accusations of raw power-seeking.

Instead, as the women explained to Slate, the choice came as a result of a number of factors: the party's hard-line, complete with "purity tests," that excludes input from anyone who identifies as moderate; the "overwhelming" influence of the "hardcore, fervent religious right" and "outside money"; and the decision to scrap a bipartisan education funding rule (badly needed in Kansas, where Republican leadership has starved the school system to the brink of failure) in order to punish the incoming Democratic governor.



Koesten: I had an amazing group of colleagues, all who identify as moderate Republicans. And I felt I was abandoning them. But there is a hard-right element in the party that is incredibly destructive. The hardcore, fervent religious rightand the outside moneyis so overpowering. You want to stay and fight the good fight, but I finally decided I can't fight from the inside. Sykes: Kansans, I think in general, are common-sense [people]. We want effective governmentnot too muchbut we want good services. We want good roads. And I think my voice as a Democrat will be able to do that because I won't be fighting within my party. Clayton: Within my new caucus, my voice will be heard. It's difficult within the Republican Party. They tend to silence people who are not following the party line. It would be really nice if the party line was just running things properlysince when is it not Republicans funding schools? But apparently it's what Republicans do: They advocate for pure chaos. I'm really disappointed that this seems to be what Republicans have become. This is my party, since I was 18. It's awful to see what's happened.



Why Did These Three Republican Lawmakers in Kansas Leave for the Democratic Party? [Molly Olmstead/Slate]





(via Naked Capitalism)

(Image: James Watkins, CC-BY)
Fikile Mbalula - South Africa's most socially active (and silly) member of the government. His tweets are often commented on, and sometimes he leaves social media users rolling on the floor with the things he says.

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Fikile Mbalula, South Africa's Head of Elections, is one of the ANC's busiest members. And by busy we mean strutting around on the Twitter streets.

He's often on social media, involved in a war of words, or saying ridiculous things, and entertaining Mzansi.

While many people disapprove of Mbalula's social media activities, most are entertained by the former Police Minister and his silly, sometimes strange, tweets.

Briefly.co.za reported on a social debate between Mbalula and DA leader Mmusi Maimane, about 7 months ago.

His latest tweet had social media scratching their heads and in stitches with laughter. Most people didn't understand what he was saying though.

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Try and figure out exactly what Mr Fearfokkol was saying here:

Im hot property, on demand all the time. Ukufunwa is the reason kwathiwa ndifikile when I was born. You aint telling me something I aint know. Ive been knew !!

South Africans responded and said some child must be behind Mbaks' tweets - no adult will talk like that.

Most just laughed at the silliness of it.

READ ALSO: Fikile Mbalula plans to challenge Public Protectors findings on Dubai trip

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Source: Briefly.co.za
News / Local

by Staff Reporter

A BULAWAYO man allegedly broke into his neighbour's house during their absence and raped their 15-year-old daughter who was sleeping in her bedroom before robbing her of $10 at knifepoint.This emerged when Artwell Sibanda (21) of Cowdray Park suburb approached the High Court seeking bail pending trial.Sibanda, who was armed with a torch and knife, allegedly broke one of the window panes and used an iron bar to destroy burglar bars to gain entry into the victim's bedroom. He allegedly raped the girl in the presence of her aunt and seven year old niece.Sibanda through his lawyer, Mr Dumisani Dube of Mathonsi Ncube Law Chambers, filed an application for bail pending trial at the Bulawayo High Court, citing the State as the respondent.In his bail statement, Sibanda said he was not a flight risk. He further argued that he would not interfere with State witnesses if granted bail.Sibanda was granted $100 bail and ordered to report at Cowdray Park Police Station twice a week as well as reside at his given address until the matter is finalised as part of the bail conditions.He was also ordered not to interfere with State witnesses. The State had opposed bail, arguing that there was no guarantee that if granted bail Sibanda would not abscond.Justice Nicholas Mathonsi ruled that it was Sibanda's constitutional right to get bail pending trial."Pre-trial incarceration is a feature of our criminal justice system that is currently under intense scrutiny. It should be resorted to only in very rare instances where the very essence of the administration of justice may be compromised and this is because the cornerstone of our criminal law that an accused person is presumed innocent until proven guilty has received prominence and elevation to a constitutional imperative in section 70 (1) of the constitution which provides that every accused person is presumed innocent until proven guilty," he said.Justice Mathonsi said the State case against Sibanda merely contained allegations until established as facts during trial."I therefore conclude that the applicant has discharged that onus and what has been relied upon by the State in opposing his bail application does not amount to compelling reasons for his continued detention," ruled the judge.It is the State case that on April 27 this year at around 2AM, the complainant, who is doing Form Three at a local secondary school, was sleeping together with her aunt and niece when Sibanda broke into their bedroom.The complainant's parents had visited their rural home in Hwange district and left her under the custody of her aunt.Sibanda who was armed with a knife and carrying a torch used an iron bar to destroy the burglar bars before accessing the house.He demanded a cellphone and money from the complainant and her aunt and threatened to stab them if they resisted.Sibanda allegedly searched the complainant's handbag and took $10. He then took one of the blankets in the room and spread it on the floor before ordering the complainant to lie down.He then ordered the complainant's aunt to cove her face with a blanket before he allegedly raped the girl.After committing the alleged offence, Sibanda bolted out of the house and disappeared into the darkness. A report was made to the police leading to Sibanda's arrest. The complainant was taken to hospital for medical examination.
News / National

by Staff reporter

Cassava SmarTech Zimbabwe made history yesterday when it debuted in the market at a price of $1,50 per share, valuing the company at $3,8 billion.It immediately became Zimbabwe's third most valuable company after Delta and Econet Wireless. By any measure this is easily the largest public listing in Zimbabwe's history and the first listing in three years. It will go a long way in helping pension funds in particular build portfolios of sound stock.In splitting Econet's listing into two separate listed companies, the value of the combined shares has gone up from $3,2 billion to $7,6 billion in less than three months.This has achieved the stated objective of Econet founder Strive Masiyiwa, who said it was designed to "unlock" the value of the business.Several international research analysts had already predicted that Cassava would command high valuations because of the nature of its businesses. African Alliance a Kenyan-based market research firm predicted that Cassava would trade over $3,2 billion, in a research paper published last week, while a new report by Investec Bank of South Africa, valued the company at almost $6 billion.Cassava Smartech is essentially a technology platforms business that uses the mobile network to deliver services in almost every sector of the economy including financial services, health, agriculture, media, transport and logistics and education.The most popular services are EcoCash, and EcoSure, which have become mainstays of financial services (Fintechs). Both Investec and African Alliance pointed out in their reports that Cassava should be seen as one of the most successful Fintech platforms primarily because of EcoCash and EcoSure.Its banking unit Steward Bank is not a traditional bank, as its revenues are driven by the embedded role it provides in supporting EcoCash. It has more customers than all the banks put together. The biggest push by Cassava at the moment is in transport and logistics, where its Vaya brand is set to be Zimbabwe's own "Uber".Zimbabwe has more than 2 million people commuting daily, and if Vaya can capture a slice of that market, then Vaya is going to be huge, creating another platform to increase valuation.The 95-year-old Archbishop, Dr Ezekiel Gutu, was guest of honour at the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange, and rung the traditional bell to open trading after praying for the company.This followed the tradition set by Econet founder Mr Masiyiwa, 20 years ago, when he came to the listing accompanied by several pastors, including Pastor Tom Deuschle, who led in prayer.The Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank, Dr Jesimen Tarisai Chipfika, represented the Governor and spoke glowingly about Zimbabwe's huge strides in financial inclusion, due in great part to Cassava's support of Government policies. Zimbabwe is now the country in Africa with the highest rate of cashless transactions.
News / National

by Staff reporter

Zanu-PF says it has recovered 15 party vehicles from expelled members and has enlisted the service of police to recover 13 more.The ruling party in November last year, expelled G40 kingpins and later recalled some legislators from the National Assembly leading to the recovery of the party vehicles.In its Central Committee Report for the 17th Annual National People's Conference, Zanu-PF's Transport and Social Welfare department said they expect to recover more vehicles."A total of 15 party vehicles have been recovered from expelled members since the beginning of the year. Efforts are underway to recover 13 constituency vehicles from former members of Parliament who were expelled in December 2017. Assistance has been sought from state agencies to expedite recovery of these vehicles," read the Central Committee report.The department said the party's old fleet must be disposed off to avoid distortions in the number of vehicles the party has."We have observed that there are about 50 provincial vehicles from 1998-2000 fleet and 54 old vehicles from the 2017 fleet that remain unsold to date. There are also 191 constituency vehicles whose disposal has not been concluded to date. We have since advised the department of Finance which is the custodian of all party assets to expedite disposal of these old vehicles in order to avoid distortions to the current fleet registers," read the report.The department said they conduct refresher courses regularly to reduce incidence of road traffic accidents and improve drivers' efficacy.The Central Committee which is the party's principal organ of Congress and the second highest decision making body after the Politburo, last year banned from the party G40 Kingpins among them, former first lady Mrs Grace Mugabe, former Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko, and former Ministers, Jonathan Moyo, Messrs Saviour Kasukuwere, Ignatius Chombo, Patrick Zhuwao and Walter Mzembi.The party also expelled Paul Chimedza, Mandi Chimene, Makhosini Hlongwane, Samuel Undenge, Innocent Hamandishe, Kudzanai Chipanga, Letina Undenge, Eunice Sandi-Moyo, Sarah Mahoka, Tongai Kasukuwere, Xavier Kasukuwere, Shadreck Mashayamombe and Anastacia Ndhlovu.
News / National

by Staff reporter

A GROUP of 20 former freedom fighters calling themselves the War Veterans Welfare Committee yesterday stormed President Emmerson Mnangagwa's Munhumutapa office to hand over a 10-page petition demanding that he arrests "criminals around him".The war veterans, fronted by one Fredrick Ngombe, also want Mnangagwa to honour a pledge by former President Robert Mugabe in 1998 to pay them a monthly pension.They however, failed to meet Mnangagwa, who was chairing a Cabinet meeting."We would have wanted to meet the President, but we have been advised that he is in a Cabinet meeting. Officials have signed our petition and we now await the response from the President," Ngombe told journalists.In the petition, the war veterans said they remained saddened by the fact that at independence "sell-outs" were being honoured, while real fighters were sidelined by Mugabe's government."We stand today owed huge arrears in granted life-long Z$2 000 monthly pensions as against the paltry $234 monthly the State is unashamedly paying us," said the veterans in the statement, adding that they were dismayed that the State was portraying them in "negative national perception to our deserved and lawful entitlements as tantamount to us being responsible for and holding the nation to ransom."The war veterans want Mnangagwa's government to honour Mugabe's promise to pay them a whopping $450 000 lump-sum "agreed in 1997 between him and our (late) leader Chenjerai Hunzvi"."Positively resolve the issue of ex-Zipra properties officially claimed to have been expropriated by government, account for the 25% shareholding for war veterans in Telecel (Pvt) Ltd to date, and hand over responsibility for its monitoring and performance to war veterans themselves and establish a database to account for every war veteran," the petition read.Zipra, the wartime armed wing of PF Zapu, had its properties expropriated by government at the height of post-independence tensions that culminated in the 1987 Unity Accord between the two major liberation movements.The former fighters also want to be paid their outstanding pensions, back-dated to 1997 and "announce and gazette a policy declaration that every war veteran is a national hero or heroine, living or dead. We fought for Zimbabwe in total, not its districts or provinces".Some of the veterans who were waiting for their leaders outside the President's office lashed out at the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans' Association secretary-general Victor Matemadanda."We have been described as renegades by Matemadanda. It is wrong for someone with questionable war credentials to throw pot-shots at us," a veteran who declined identification said."We suffered during the war, and it is not like we are making demands that are out of this world. We were promised under Statutory Instrument 180-181 of 1997 to get Z$2 000 each month and this was only paid once in the last 21 years."We want government to honour that. We are not fighting the President, the party (Zanu PF) or the government. Some people like Matemadanda want the world to believe that we are hot-heads; it is wrong."Matemadanda was not immediately available for comment, as his aide said he was attending a funeral of Hunzvi's wife.Hunzvi arm-twisted Mugabe into paying an unbudgeted Z$50 000 each to thousands of war veterans in November 1997, a move that economic commentators said was behind the downfall of the local currency.
News / National

by Staff reporter

Harare East MP Tendai Biti (MDC Alliance) yesterday tore into the 2019 National Budget presented by Finance minister Mthuli Ncube, saying it violated the Constitution for charging duty on vehicles in foreign currency and incorporating the military in the enforcement of traffic fines.Contributing to debate on the Finance Bill in the National Assembly, Biti, a Finance minister during the government of national unity, which ran the country between 2009 and 2013, said Ncube's budget statement failed to address the structural problems affecting the country.He challenged Ncube to be courageous and declare that the bond note was not at par with the United States dollar and also to demonetise the surrogate currency."Firstly, the Finance minister suggested that duty for imported vehicles and other selected commodities must be paid in United States dollars, which is legal tender, but the bond note is also legal tender, and it is unfortunate for the budget to suggest that for certain commodities, duty should be in US dollars. It is illegal," Biti said."Another illegality is that the budget statement says by-elections should be held after every one year or two years, but the Electoral Act is clear that by elections must be within 90 days of a vacancy."On traffic fines, Biti said it was illegal for the Executive to interfere with the Judiciary in terms of sentencing of traffic offenders.Previously, the fines were a maximum $100, but Ncube imposed deterrent penalties of up to $700."For the Finance minister to also say that traffic fines must be enforced by the military is also unconstitutional and illegal because the law and order maintenance function is vested on the Zimbabwe Republic Police," he said."He also suggested that many people were using their houses as business premises and that the Department of Customs and Excise and Zimra [Zimbabwe Revenue Authority] must be empowered to carry out searches. The Constitution is clear that there should be privacy of persons and, therefore, Zimra has no power to do the searches."Biti also said giving the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) power to retain foreign currency from exporters such as Zimplats was unlawful.The former Finance minister said the RBZ could not take people's money and then allocate it.He said allocation of funds were the duties of Parliament and it was illegal for the RBZ to do so.On the budget deficit projected at $1,56 billion, Biti said it was grossly understated, given that there were plans by government to increase civil servants' salaries by 10%. He said the only solution was to pay salaries in US dollar and re-dollarise the economy.
News / National

by Staff reporter

The State yesterday conceded that it did not have some of the documented evidence needed to nail former Cabinet minister Supa Mandiwanzira, who is facing charges of contracting a company he had interest in to do consultancy work for State mobile operator, NetOne, without going to tender.Mandiwanzira, who is also facing another charge of appointing his personal assistant Tawanda Chinembiri to the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe board, yesterday appeared before magistrate Francis Mapfumo for trial.The defence, led by Advocate Thembinkosi Magwaliba, had asked the State for further particulars for the trial to resume.Magwaliba had also requested the tender documents relating to Chinese company Huawei Technologies' contract with NetOne for the supply of network expansion and modernisation equipment.He also requested a State Procurement Board authorisation document on the renegotiation of the contract and minutes of a meeting in February 2016, which concluded that Huawei was overcharging for the equipment.Magwaliba also wanted the State to furnish him with a copy of the title deeds of a property in South Africa, which is allegedly co-owned by Mandiwanzira's company Blue Nightingale and Megawatt Energy owned by Lui Xiadong, a Chinese national, plus a police diary log and Chinembiri's employment contract.However, the prosecution, represented by Tapiwa Godzi, told the magistrate that the State did not have most of the evidence requested by the accused because they relied on verbal evidence.Godzi said most of the documentary evidence was in the hands of the accused and that the State had already supplied him with the little documentation it had, arguing that some of the documents requested by the defence were either irrelevant to the State case or not part of the State case."Those documents are either not relevant to the State's case or not part of the State's case. Tender documents are not part of the State's case. We merely mentioned it in the State outline as an undisputed fact, but we only want the dealings that led to the contract," Godzi said."We also do not have minutes of the meetings. The accused knows for sure where the minutes are found because they were kept by him. Most of the correspondence we have are verbal. We do not have proof of the title deeds to show that the accused's company shared a property with Megawatt owner."He said the documents were not necessary for the trial, but were being brought up to delay the trial proceedings."It is my view the requests are calculated to deliberately delay the proceedings to a date in January. The accused is seeking a postponement through the back door," Godzi said.But Magwaliba argued that the State could not refuse to provide further particulars to the accused so that he prepares for trial."Those documents not relied upon by the State are relevant to the accused's defence and must be supplied. It is provided in terms of the law that the court can postpone the matter for the purpose of allowing the State to provide the documents," he said."The State witness, Reward Kangai, alleged Mandiwanzira co-owned a property in Johannesburg, South Africa with Megawatt owner, but the State does not have the title deed of the property to show the court. If the document is not in the hands of the prosecutor, then its relevance in court is invalid."Mapfumo postponed the matter for ruling to December 21.
News / National

by Staff reporter

FORMER Health deputy minister Edwin Muguti, who was recently slapped with a default judgment for failing to pay over $13 600 in rental arrears for a property he allegedly left infested with pests and rodents, has petitioned the High Court seeking to overturn the ruling.Muguti was taken to court by the property owner Joyce Mako-Mushaninga in summons issued on May 11, 2018 in respect of house number 56 Coghlan Road, Greendale, Harare.However, when the ex-minister failed to defend the litigation, Mako-Mushaninga approached the court and obtained a default judgment, which she later sought to execute, prompting Muguti to petition the court with the current application."This is an application for rescission of default judgment in terms of Order 9 Rule 63 of the Rules of the High Court, 1971," the former minister said in his founding affidavit.Muguti said upon receiving the summons from Mako-Mushaninga, he instructed his legal practitioner, one Tafadzwa Hungwe, who then was operating under Messrs Nyakutombwa Legal Counsel, but the lawyer then left the law firm, leaving the matter pending."In the meanwhile, my legal practitioner, Tafadzwa Hungwe, is said to have left the employ of Nyakutombwa Legal Counsel and abandoned my file, leading to the respondent (Mako-Mushaninga) snatching a default judgment in default of plea," Muguti said." pursuant to the aforementioned order, the respondent caused a writ of execution against immovable property to be issued after the Sheriff's return of attachment of movables stated nula boba. Respondent then instructed the sheriff to attach immovable property, being a certain piece of land called stand number 236 Chikurubi township of Manresa measuring 4 000 square metres "I was not served with a copy of the order and I only got to know of it on November 22, 2018 when the sheriff served a notice of attachment of immovable property on one E Mbewe, my employee, who received it on my behalf."Muguti said his failure to file a plea was not intentional, but was rather caused by his legal counsel, who had left the law firm without his knowledge.The matter is pending.
News / National

by Staff reporter

AN Airforce of Zimbabwe pilot, based at Josiah Tungamirai Airbase in Gweru, who allegedly murdered his girlfriend, but was given free bail by a Gweru magistrate, has been remanded in custody to January 28 next year.Tashinga Musonza (29) on November 25 allegedly fatally assaulted Lucy Duve (32)  a Gweru-based lawyer accusing her of cheating on him with his colleague.However, when he was brought before the courts for initial remand, magistrate Thomas Gurajena did not ask him to apply for bail to the High Court, but instead freed him, citing the violation of his rights through over-detention.Gurajena ruled that Musonza had been kept in custody for 53 hours, instead of the stipulated 48 hours.The ruling sparked outrage among members of the public and his late girlfriend's family, which reportedly sought audience of senior judicial officials in Harare.Last week, the Women's Coalition of Zimbabwe held a march in Gweru, demanding justice for the slain lawyer.Musonza was subsequently arrested over the weekend and brought before regional magistrate Phathekile Msipa yesterday.Representing the State, prosecutor Ndamukanei Chikuni read out the indictment application, and it was acceded to by Msipa, who remanded the pilot to January 28 for trial when the High Court opens its first session of 2019.
News / National

by Staff reporter

Harare residents should brace for a dry festive season or rely on rain water, as council has run out of water purification chemicals.Mayor Herbert Gomba yesterday gave a grim picture of water supply in the capital as the festive season approaches, with supplies already having declined significantly."This has forced us to reduce our production from around 450 megalitres per day to about 330 megalitres per day," he said.Gomba said the local authority had engaged the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) to release foreign currency to procure chemicals as all local suppliers had nothing in stock."We do, hereby, notify the public that we are making efforts to source the chemicals so that we do not completely run out. We import the chemicals from South Africa and China on a cash basis, with no option for credit purchases," the mayor said.Already, Harare is battling to meet water demand, as it pumps 450 megalitres per day against the required 1 000 mega litres.The capital city requires a minimum of $2 million per month to procure water chemicals."The absence of the chemicals reduces water production and compromises water quality. We also have limited stock of HTH used to remove algae," Gomba said."The two chemicals are used in the spring season when the raw water quality deteriorates due to effects of algae growth and concentration of pollutants."He said besides the shortage of chemicals, council was also battling with power cuts at its treatment plant and in the process, affecting production and onward delivery to households.
News / National

by Staff reporter

A 37-YEAR-OLD man from Juru, who last week fatally struck his wife with a hoe over allegations of infidelity before fleeing to neighbouring South Africa, on Sunday handed himself over to police and was charged with murder.The body of Tsitsi Mukoko (27) of Juru village, under Chief Chikwaka, was discovered in a state of decomposition by villagers after they noticed flies hovering around the bedroom window of their house.The deceased's husband, Shupikai Chakanyuka, reportedly fled to South Africa after the murder, but was escorted back by his brother and handed himself over to police four days after the incident.Mashonaland East provincial police spokesperson Inspector Tendai Mwanza confirmed the incident."The suspect handed himself to police after having fled to South Africa following the murder incident. The sanctity of human life must always be respected, and people must not resort to violence as a means of solving problems," he said.According to police, on December 11, during the night, Chakanyuka and Mukoko were heard by a neighbour engaged in an altercation over an unknown issue. The accused was later seen leaving his house on the same night.The following day, a neighbour inquired on the whereabouts of Chakanyuka's wife and he said she had been admitted to Murewa District Hospital for treatment.On December 13, at around 1pm, another neighbour noticed houseflies and smelt an unpleasant smell emanating from the room and informed others.They went on to investigate and discovered Mukoko's corpse, but could not locate Chakanyuka.Chakanyuka, however, handed himself over to the police on December 16 and allegedly revealed that he had fatally struck his wife with a hoe over infidelity claims.Mukoko's body was conveyed to Murewa District Hospital for post-mortem.
News / National

by Staff reporter

There is increased activity at Beitbridge Border Post as Zimbabweans based in South Africa are coming back home for the Christmas and New Year's holidays.Long queues of vehicles and people have been forming on both sides of the border since December 5.In addition, Dulivhadzimo Bus Terminus and several hiking spots along major roads leading to Harare and Bulawayo have been timing with hitch-hikers.Statistics from the Immigration Department show that they are clearing an average of 30 000 travellers daily since the start of the peak period.During the off peak period around 12 000 access the border daily, inclusive of exits and arrivals.The Assistant Regional Immigration Officer in charge of Beitbridge Mr Nqobile Ncube said they had come up with a number of initiatives to speed up the movement of traffic through the country's and Sadc's busiest inland port.He said they had harmonised operations with both the local stakeholders and the South Africa border management committees."The volume of both vehicles and people has been increasing since December 5, especially arrivals. We are equal to the task and we will keep reviewing our operations daily," said Mr Ncube."We are clearing between 28 000 and 30 000 people daily, which is an increase from 13 000 to 14 000 travellers that we usually clear daily during the off peak period. Traffic has been separated into pedestrians, visitors, private and commercial vehicles and buses to speed up the flow of traffic."In addition we have deployed adequate human resources to all the key points and opened up more serving points outside the main immigration hall. We continue to liaise on cross cutting issues at all levels. We want to ensure that people spend less time at the border."He said they had cancelled all leave and off days to ensure that they operate with a full complement of staff during the festive season. He said they anticipated arrivals to level out around Christmas Eve and for exits to peak soon after the New Year's Holidays. Mr Ncube said they had harmonised their operations with those of their South African counterparts for the period between December 5 and January 15."We also want to urge travellers to comply with the officers and ushers on the ground who are screening and directing them to different service points for their convenience," he said.
News / National

by Staff reporter

FIDELITY Printers and Refiners (FPR) has upped the ante in gold mobilisation, amid indications that it will soon be buying the precious metal directly from gold miners as it desperately seeks to arrest leakages and boost deliveries.Fidelity is the country's sole gold buying unit superintended by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe. Yesterday, Fidelity general manager Fradreck Kunaka, said the gold mobilisation strategy will enhance accountability and stem illegal gold trade."Fidelity Printers and Refiners (Private) Limited would like to advise the public that it has enhanced arrangements for purchasing of gold from artisanal and small-scale gold miners through collaboration with and working directly with gold producers," said Mr Kunaka."The collaboration and direct engagement between Fidelity and gold producers will assist in curbing illegal gold trade and leakages. It will also foster transparency and accountability in the production and selling of gold."Under the new and more robust system, Fidelity will utilise its gold buying and service centres across the country to buy gold directly from the artisanal and small scale miners and the use of agency arrangements where necessary."In the 2019 Budget, Finance and Economic Development Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube, announced a raft of measures "for improved performance of the mining sector". The measures include reviewing surrender requirements to ensure continued production across all key minerals; dealing with mining claims held for speculative purposes; resuscitating closed and opening of new mines with potential; action and roll out plan for 22 assets under ZMDC; and "plugging leakages in the marketing of gold, including the implementation of a robust monitoring framework".Gold deliveries to Fidelity have been astonishing since the start of the year, hitting 28 tonnes by the end of September and in so doing, breaching the record 27,1 tonnes set in 1999 at the height of gold production.As at end of October, gold deliveries had surpassed the 30 tonnes mark, which was this year's target. Government has since set a stretch target of 34 tonnes, which could be achieved. However, challenges that include fuel shortages in the country are threatening to rock the boat as miners are now struggling to ferry their ore to milling centres.Small-scale miners are also concerned over the 70 percent (USD)/ 30 percent (RTGS) payments for delivered gold. Most of the miners want Fidelity to pay all the money for gold in US dollars, as is done by illegal gold buyers.During gold mobilisation outreach meetings across the gold producing areas in the country, Fidelity teams were told by some small-scale miners that they sell gold to some illegal gold buyers because they paid hard cash in full.Other illegal buyers are understood to be bankrolling some small-scale miners to enable them to ramp up production through provision of fuel to power their crushers and torches for use underground.This has caused some illegal miners to shun the formal market in favour of the risky parallel market. It is now expected that the new measures by Fidelity would go some way in containing gold leakages.
News / National

by Staff reporter

Zimbabweans living abroad can now apply for birth certificates for their children born on foreign soil through the country's embassies, Registrar-General Mr Clemence Masango has said.Mr Masango told journalists yesterday that his office no longer requires parents of such children to come home to process the documents. He said the department had also slashed birth certificate processing fees for such cases from $50 to $2 payable using the multi-currency system for children above the age of six.For children under six years, the registration was free, he said."The Department received concerns and complaints from our citizens living and working abroad, particularly in South Africa, that the current cost of US$50 for an external birth certificate was too high and beyond the reach of many. This situation had resulted in a significant number of children born especially in South Africa remaining undocumented," said Mr Masango."These children faced numerous challenges that include failure to be registered in schools and parents that could not afford the fee of $50 ended up claiming, falsely of course, that their children were born in Zimbabwe, thereby affecting both the quality and accuracy of information given during and for the purpose of registration," he said.Mr Masango said Zimbabweans living abroad had always wanted to know why they were made to pay the US$50 for their children born abroad when children born in the country enjoy free birth registration up to the age of six."Admittedly, this position cannot be defended and should not be allowed to continue. Zimbabweans are entitled to be treated the same and no section of our community deserves to be discriminated against," he said, referring to Section 56 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe that provides for equal and non-discrimination treatment."Accordingly, registration for an initial birth certificate in respect of a person who is six years or younger is now free. The fee for an initial external birth registration in respect of a person who is older than six years is now $2," he said.Mr Masango also said the department had decentralised the processing of external birth certificates to all districts and provincial registries and that applications would be accepted and processed at these centres. He said the public were free to visit these offices with their national identity documents, marriage certificates where applicable and birth confirmation records from the country where their children were born."We believe this is a step in the right direction to bring service to the people and make it easier for them to do business with us. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade has been requested to help in disseminating this information and development to all our embassies and Zimbabwean citizens abroad," Mr Masango said.He said they would continue to be an available, listening and responsive civil registration institution, open to dialogue and committed to ensuring the country becomes an upper middle income economy by 2030.
News / National

by Staff reporter

THE 14 teachers belonging to the Amalgamated Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (Artuz), who were arrested in Ruwa on Tuesday while leading a 275km march from Mutare to Harare, have been freed by a Harare magistrate who said they had committed no offence.The teachers, who were represented by human rights lawyers Kossam Ncube and Tinomuda Shoko, appeared before magistrate Victoria Mashamba and challenged their placement on remand.Ncube submitted a copy of their letter to the police officer commanding Harare to notify them of their demonstration, but he refused to endorse it."The State is saying they were singing and shouting, but that is not a crime according to the Constitution of Zimbabwe," Ncube said."There is no basis at law to place the accused on remand, even in the remotest thinking. I, therefore, pray that the court does not place the accused on remand as there is no legal basis."Prosecutor Shepherd Makonde then called detective Brian Makomeke to tell the court why he had arrested the teachers.Makomeke said the teachers appeared drunk and were walking in the middle of the road, shouting and disturbing the flow of traffic.He said the motorists were taking pictures, disturbing the free movement of vehicles."My colleague, who is in charge of Ruwa, advised me that there were people holding placards, catching attention of motorists. Accused persons wanted to show the motorists some of their placards," Makomeke said"I then challenged them to go off the road and later wanted to know their identity and what they were doing. I told them they were under arrest for their conduct, and also we were not aware of their demonstration. I caused some of my subordinates to recover the placards they were holding."Ncube asked Makomeke if it was his first time to hear people singing, and he replied in the negative.Makomeke failed to identify the teachers he said were walking in the middle of the road.Ncube said the police were overzealous when they arrested his clients, saying their union act did not oblige them to notify any authority when they want to share their grievances.He said the police should have charged the motorists who were taking pictures of the protesters in the middle of the road.Magistrate Mashamba said the teachers were members of a legally registered organisation and exempted from notifying authorities on their actions and that the State did not show any evidence of public provocation. Presenting a petition was not an offence, she noted.The latest arrest follows a similar arrest in Macheke at the weekend where the protesters were eventually released without charge on Monday.
News / National

by Staff reporter

OPPOSITION political parties and civic groups have called on President Emmerson Mnangagwa to publicly apologise to families of people killed and injured by the army and police during the August 1 post-election violence.This followed the publication of findings of the commission of inquiry led by former South African President Kgalema Motlanthe, which laid the blame for the deaths and injuries on the soldiers and police who were deployed to quell the post-election protests. The report said the use of live bullets was 'unjustified and disproportionate' and challenged the Mnangagwa administration to be accountable by taking action against some wayward members of the army and the police.MDC national executive member Jameson Timba, who was Nelson Chamisa's chief election agent in the July 30 poll, said Mnangagwa as the Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Force and therefore responsible for deploying the soldiers, should apologise and ensure the culprits are brought to book."The commission of inquiry came and went, still those who killed six of our compatriots have not been identified; they walk scot free in their barracks. Even if the report is conclusive that they were killed by the army there is no apology. The 38-year-old culture of impunity continues unabated from one despotic era to another," Timba said.MDC spokesperson Jacob Mafume dismissed the report in its entirety, saying it was just a public relations document to cleanse Zanu PF in the eyes of the international community."The MDC is a peaceful organisation which must be applauded for resisting unconstitutional means of redress despite years of suffering. Any attempt to blame the victims in the report is a clear ploy of equalisation," Mafume said.The MDC wants stern measures taken against members of the army who shot and killed unarmed civilians, which part was missing from the final report, he said."As we have always predicted, the outcomes of the commission are clearly bound on whitewashing the killing of unarmed innocent civilians by soldiers and create a climate of impunity for such killings, while equating the victim with the perpetrator," Mafume said.Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition also dismissed the report, saying it served nobody but Mnangagwa.Lawyer Fadzayi Mahere also called on government to apologise and questioned the wisdom of promoting the shootings commander Anselem Namho Sanyatwe to the position of Major-General."Dear President, with all due respect because the army was implicated in the killings you are the Commander-in-Chief. Surely it behoves you to take responsibility and at least apologise for the moment of madness. Why did you also promote the commander involved if you regret this episode," she said on her Twitter handle.Mnangagwa told journalists on Tuesday that his government was still studying the report and would soon move, guided by the recommendations of the report.Zanu PF spokesperson Simon Khaya Moyo said the ruling party was not yet ready to comment on report."We have to sit down as a party, it would be unfair of me to comment on it," he said.Meanwhile, Mbizo legislator Settlement Chikwinya (MDC Alliance) yesterday raised a point of privilege with Speaker of the National Assembly Jacob Mudenda demanding that the Motlanthe commission report be debated in Parliament in terms of section 119 of the Constitution.Chikwinya said some of the issues raised in the Motlanthe report required Parliament intervention."It is incumbent on this House to be, therefore, able to debate the Motlanthe report because there are issues that talk to the alignment of electoral laws which require the action of Parliament. It is incumbent on the Minister of Justice (Ziyambi Ziyambi) to bring that report for debate in this august House," he said.Ziyambi did not object to Chikwinya's proposal."Indeed the report is in the public domain and it is within the rights of Parliament to discuss a matter which is in the public domain and therefore, I will consider it," Ziyambi said.
News / National

by Staff reporter

Chinese mining and exploration group ASA Resources Group says it is tying up a deal to sell-off its shareholding in Bindura Nickel Corporation (BNC), which will see it exit the Zimbabwean market.ASA operates Freda Rebecca, the largest single gold mine in Zimbabwe and Trojan Nickel Mine through BNC, which is listed on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange (ZSE),ASA gained control of BNC and its assets in 2015 after taking over the miner's holding company Mwana Africa and booting out its founder, Kalaa Mpinga.In a cautionary statement to shareholders, BNC announced that it had reached a deal with a potential buyer."Asa Resource Group has entered into a sale and purchase agreement (SPA) with a third party in relation to the 74,73% shareholding in BNC. The conditions of the SPA include various regulatory approvals and other conditions as expected with a transaction of this nature. The third party is a United Kingdom-based nickel company with complementary interests in Southern Africa," the notice reads."Shareholders are advised to exercise caution when dealing in the company's securities until a full announcement is made".In January this year, South African Gold producer Pan African Resources (Panaf) announced that it was in exclusive negotiations with ASA Resource Group to acquire assets and liabilities in Zimbabwe.Panaf, a mainly gold miner which is listed on the Johannesburg and London stock exchanges, has operations in South Africa.The group also has operations in Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), South Africa and Angola.ASA has been operating under judicial management since July last year after struggling to service its obligations.Last year, the board reported that $4,3 million was missing from Freda Rebecca Mine, with an audit showing that the then executive chairman Yat Hoi Ning and finance director Yim Kwan had irregularly transferred money to two Hong Kong-registered companies.Ning and Kwan were kicked out of the company. Chinese firm, Rich Pro Investments, which holds 4,16 % in ASA, offered to buy 47 % shares in the African miner for $40 million in September last year.In the six months to September, BNC registered a 26% increase in profit after tax to $2,8 million, buoyed by firm mineral prices on the international market.However, sales during the half year period were down 14% to 2 980 tonnes from 3 485 tonnes last year on the back of low production and logistical challenges in moving the product out of the country.Cost of sales increased by 11% from $16,2 million last year, to $18 million in the period under review, mainly due to an increase in local costs. Production declined to 3 076 tonnes from 3 460 tonnes in 2017.BNC has had to put its ambitious Smelter Restart Programme on hold because of the prevailing economic challenges.
News / National

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PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa is making concrete efforts to open up Zimbabwe's economy for investment and widen the democratic space, a respected South African cleric, has said.Apostolic Faith Mission International president and former top bureaucrat in former South African President Thabo Mbeki's administration, Reverend Frank Chikane, says he was encouraged by the political will Mnangagwa had shown since taking over from his predecessor, Robert Mugabe, last November."I am encouraged by the current spirit, where there is a huge effort of opening up the country, normalising things and huge effort in getting the economy working," Chikane said."There is a huge and concerted effort to get investment into the country, and that is encouraging. It is a long way and that is the reality, but the political will is there."The South Africa cleric was instrumental in Mbeki's much vilified policy of "quiet diplomacy" on Zimbabwe at the height of the country's political crisis and helped put together the compromise arrangement that resulted in the consummation of the Government of National Unity (GNU) between Mugabe and his then political arch-nemesis, the late opposition MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai.He said the GNU and its aftermath had been hampered by the sanctions imposed on Mugabe and his inner circle by Western countries, arguing they have hurt Zimbabwe."We were able to find a solution at a critical moment in the history of this country. The country was able to walk over the bridge, and the political actors had to work together to build a future for the people of Zimbabwe, and I think they did their best to make it work," Chikane said."The challenge I think was that the economy went the wrong direction. I think that's the real crisis and the pressure that the country was put under, especially by the sanctions. They have hurt the country, and there is no question about it."Asked to comment on the military coup last November that brought Mugabe's rule to an end and thrust Mnangagwa into the top job, Chikane said the concern among leading political figures in the region was the possibility of bloodshed."Our concern was about the possible loss of life and thank God that things worked out well, and there was a peaceful transition," the respected cleric and anti-Apartheid activist, said.Going forward, Chikane said political actors in Zimbabwe needed to work with a common purpose for the good of the country, with respect for democracy being paramount."Zimbabweans must work together and respect democratic processes. This country needs change, and a working economy, people are struggling. We wish Zimbabwe well," Chikane said.Chikane was in Zimbabwe last week once again to broker peace between warring factions in the Apostolic Faith Mission in Zimbabwe chapter that has split the church over leadership issues.He warned that the instability in the church could affect the country and urged the two protagonists Amon Madawo and Cossum Chiyangwa to find peace.Madawo has been endorsed by the global church as the legitimately elected leader of the church.
News / National

by Staff reporter

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 Tuesday's 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 Chiwenga's 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.
News / National

by Staff reporter

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 country's 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 country's embassies, including the poverty that now submerges the country's diplomats."Zimbabwe's 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 country's 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 year's budget to go towards repairs of government properties abroad, but was allocated $12 million.Mpofu said the parliamentary committee recommended that the country's 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 ministry's 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 country's 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.
News / National

by Staff reporter

ZANU PF councillor for Mberengwa ward 35 has been slapped with a $150 fine or an alternative three-month jail term for threatening to kill a local businessman.Kufazvinei Mzezewa (37) of Honyobwe in Mberengwa, appearing before Zvishavane resident magistrate Shepherd Mjanja, pleaded guilty to issuing death threats against Justin Maposa of Juktz Mining Compound Honyobwe, Mberengwa, owner of Juktz Mining Syndicate Company.Prosecutor Tinashe Maponde told the court that on June 30, 2016, Maposa saw a Pote borehole-drilling rig on his premises. He approached the crew who said Mzezewa had instructed that a borehole be sunk on his premises, but Maposa had ordered them to stop the drilling.The court heard that on July 14, 2016, Mzezewa hired three unknown male adults who went to Maposa's home and threatened his employees with a gun.On July 22, 2016, Maposa reported the matter to the Zanu PF district chairperson for Kushinga ward 35, Tenson Maidza, who met the convict and complainant the following day, and Mzezewa confessed to having hired some thugs to kill Maposa.
News / National

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THE Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) has berated President Emmerson Mnangagwa's administration over the surge in human rights violations experienced in the country this year, singling out the August 1 shooting of civilians by soldiers in Harare as the worst.Speaking at a belated International Human Rights Day commemoration held in Gweru recently, ZCTU deputy president Florence Taruvinga said the country plunged into a worrying period of human rights violations this year, with workers being the worst affected."Today, as we gather locally, we cannot stand tall and claim that we are enjoying human rights as Zimbabweans and workers, in particular. As 2018 ends, we can reflect on serious injustices and flouting of human rights," she said.Taruvinga singled out the August 1 killings by the military which left six people dead and 35 injured as the height of human rights violations in the year 2018."Peak of the injustices was the 1st of August military killings of civilians who were exercising their right to demonstrate as enshrined in the Zimbabwean Constitution.There is no injustice that surpasses summary executions as witnessed on 1 August," the firebrand trade unionist said.On October 11, ZCTU leaders who planned to demonstrate against the 2% transaction tax introduced by Finance minister Mthuli Ncube, were rounded up by police and locked up.Taruvinga lamented the national operation and classified it as another glaring incident of human rights violations."The right to demonstrate has also been denied to us. On October 11, the police pounced on us, arrested and detained labour leaders countrywide to stop workers from exercising their right to demonstrate  Human rights cannot be separated from workers' rights. On several occasions, our constitutional freedoms have been violated," she said.This week, Amalgamated Rural Teachers' Union of Zimbabwe members who were marching from Mutare to Harare in protest over poor salaries and bonuses, also faced the wrath of the law enforcement agents as they were detained and arraigned before the courts. On Tuesday, they were again arrested in Ruwa and detained.Human Rights Day is celebrated annually across the world on December 10.
News / National

by Mandla Ndlovu

ZAMU PF Member of Parliament for Gokwe-Nembudziya Mayor Justice wadyajena has come out guns blazing against ZANU PF Youth league members calling them traitors who are being paid by MDC supporters to sabotage the party.Said Wadyajena, "Our Youth League as it is now is incompetent and totally corrupt. It wouldn't be surprising if those middle-agers sold their souls to opposition as claimed. Did they campaign for His Excellency President Emmerson Mnngagwa? We all know they are team Torai Mari United."ZANU PF Youth League members did not respond to allegation by Wadyajena.There has been a silent brewing war within the liberation party with allegations that embattled war veterans leader Chris Mutsvangwa is pushing for the ouster of Vice Presidency Constantino Guvheya Nyikadzino Chiwenga and Defense deputy minister Victor Matemadanda.It is also alleged that Wadyajena is part of the Mutsvangwa alliance in that bid.Recently, a grouping of war veterans allegedly aligned to Mutsvangwa staged a demonstration at President Mnangagwa's office accusing Mnangagwa of behaving like Former President Robert Mugabe.
News / National

by Mandla Ndlovu

Tsitsi Masiyiwa the wife of Zimbabwean billionaire Strive Masiyiwa has suspended her Twitter account after a barrage of social media attacks was thrown at her over her comments that some people calling for justice are sponsored and not genuine."Some outcries and actions in pursuit of justice seem and look so right until you discover the source of the outcry and sponsor of the cause. Take a step back and reflect on some of the things we consider good and just causes." Tsitsi had said.Her statement were not taken well by human rights activists including Dewa Mavhinga and Patson Dzamara who accused the philanthropist of speaking from a point of being privileged.This is not the first time that Tsitsi has found herself clashing with people on Social media. In October she posted a tweet insinuating that his husband Strive might be recalled by President Emmerson Mnangagwa to come and serve in some capacity in his cabinet.Writing on Twitter, Tsitsi said: "I read about in Genesis the story of Joseph the young Israelite's appointment as prime minister of Egypt by Pharaoh. Wow! Incredible. Found myself asking, Can you be called upon by your pharaoh to serve in your Egypt to prevent calamity?"This prompted South Africa based business tycoon Mutumwa Mawere to respond "Perhaps Joseph is completely blindfolded by the dominance in electronic money and the profits generated by a disguised monopoly. If a Queen B of fuel exists, then who is the data and voice Queen B?."Queen is a euphemism for Kuda Tagwirei whom self styled communications strategist William Mutumanje (Acie Lumumba) blamed as the one who contriols the fuel monopoly in Zimbabwe.
News / National

by Staff reporter

Zanu-PF has promised to stamp-out piracy, a monster that has ravaged the arts industry for decades, through the introduction of "strong legislation" next year.The resolution, among others, was made at the party's recently held 17th annual conference in Esigodini.The consolidated Zanu-PF resolution suggests the "protection of intellectual property from piracy through strong legislation."Zimbabwe Music Rights Association (Zimura) executive director Polisile Ncube-Chimhini is on record saying artistes will never win the war against piracy without political will."Piracy will remain a problem in the arts industry until we have political will. As a country we used to have a problem with touts but the challenge was reduced after a change in political rule," she said this during the commemorations to mark the World Intellectual Property Day in April."We are calling for lengthy jail sentences to be implemented and this can help in reducing the scourge as it is difficult to stamp piracy completely as it is a world problem."Apart from the piracy resolution, the President Emmerson Mnangagwa-led party also promised to open its own radio and television stations next year."The party must establish its own radio and television service to publish its own programmes."Currently, Zanu-PF owns its own newspaper The People's Voice operating from the party's headquarters in Harare.Apart from the newspaper, the ruling party also controls state media institutions that include television, newspapers and radio.Zanu-PF is also seeking to preserve its legacy through "establishment of a liberation war museum and promotion of production to document liberation heritage" next year.
News / National

by Mandla Ndlovu

MDC Deputy Treasurer General Chalton Hwende has revealed that government ministers are paid in hard US$1500 per day when they embark on foreign trips making a mockery of the 5% cut on top civil servants salaries that Ncube announced in his 2019 budget statement."Austerity for Prosperity my foot. Government Ministers pocket US$1500 per day in hard currency every time they travel out of the country." Hwende said. "They come back and change this money on the black market. How many trips has Mthuli Ncube conducted since his appointment?"President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his cabinet have since the time of the military intervention been engaging in numerous foreign trips and signed mega deals that have not materialised up to now."Governement Ministers get in excess of USD$7000 for a 4 day overseas trip. The Minister of Finance Mthuli Ncube has made numerous foreign trips earning hundreds of thousands in foreign currency. Yet he pays equivalent of $125 USD to majority of civil servants and make a fake 5% salary cut to the Ministers." Hwende further said.In a cocktail of austerity measures meant to preserve thinning foreign currency - Mnagwagwa's administration announced early this year that they were opting for a Presidential smaller plane to save money - but in April when he travelled to China on a State visit, he used an A/C type B767 -200, registration number P4 CLA, a luxurious plane from Bahrain, owned by Switzerland-based Comlux Aviation.Civic society and opposition members have been accusing Mnangagwa of failing to walk the talk by indicating left and turning right.
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by Staff reporter

President Mnangagwa yesterday commissioned a Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company (ZCDC) crushing plant here, marking the country's transition from alluvial to conglomerate diamond mining as he warned of swift punishment for corruption in the sector.The plant and equipment were procured from Belarus following initiatives by President Mnangagwa when he visited that country in 2015 as Vice President. The shift to conglomerate mining is expected to change the face of the diamond industry."I am excited that this event marks a welcome turn of fortunes for the diamond industry in Zimbabwe. It is a sign of reassurance that the investment the Government made is creating the desired capacity to unlock maximum diamond value and its contribution to the socio-economic development of our great country," said President Mnangagwa.He said the commissioning of the plant was in line with ZCDC's vision to be among the top five producers of rough diamonds in the world."In line with the national vision of increasing production across all sectors, I am advised that ZCDC has a vision to be among the top five producers of rough diamonds in the world in the next five years, with annual production of around 10 million carats. Thus the commissioning of this conglomerate crushing plant, with a capacity to produce around 650 000 carats per month at full capacity, augurs well with this vision," the President said. He urged the company to use the plant to raise productivity."The nation has huge expectations of the diamond sector to significantly contribute to our economic recovery and growth. You therefore have the onerous burden to deliver in the shortest possible time."President Mnangagwa said the Government recently launched a diamond policy to improve confidence and build capacity in the sector."I have been briefed that the company has been producing and is working on improving the pricing structure through various value management strategies."To this end, it is commendable that the ZCDC launched an online diamond bidding system in October which resonates with our 'ease of doing business' reforms and current technological trends in the diamond industry," added President Mnangagwa. He said Government was optimistic ZCDC would finalise its sales and marketing framework."Meanwhile, we remain optimistic that the company can finalise on its sales and marketing framework and resume its sales so that it starts generating the much-needed foreign currency for the nation," said President Mnangagwa.He said the mining industry was one of the main anchors of economic development as outlined in the Transitional Stabilisation Programme and Government's vision to achieve a middle income economy by 2030."In that regard, we must develop robust strategies within our operations and inculcate contemporary best practices in our mining schools and faculties. I thus challenge stakeholders in the sector to shift their paradigms to be able to fully explore and exploit our vast mineral resources," said President Mnangagwa.He urged the mining sector to promote sustainable livelihoods and protection of the environment."Relevant authorities and stakeholders must expeditiously harmonise and rationalise various taxes and levies for us to be regionally attractive. This will be a positive step towards attraction of mining investments," said President Mnangagwa.He congratulated the ZCDC for its community social responsibility programmes and urged other companies to do the same. The President said his administration would not brook corruption in the diamond sector."Transparency, accountability, honesty and integrity are indispensable values for stakeholders in the diamond sector. I am fully aware of the immense susceptibility to theft and corruption by those in the industry," he said."The Second Republic will not brook or condone any acts of corruption or misappropriation of resources that should benefit all the people of our country. We are the more wiser now and perpetrators will be dealt with severely," said President Mnangagwa.In an interview after commissioning the plant, President Mnangagwa said Zimbabwe was open for business given growth prospects in the mining sector."We are really open for business with this young man (Mines and Mining Development Minister Winston Chitando) leading my ministry of mines."We believe the figures he is giving us are conservative and may be double by the time we reach 2023," he said.President Mnangagwa cited lithium as another mineral with great potential to spur economic growth."Actually, from what I have been briefed, Zimbabwe maybe the eighth producer of lithium in the world but after we open other mines other than in Goromonzi, in Masvingo and Matebeleland North, we are likely to go up the scale."So the future of this country is bright (and) those who cannot dream will be unfortunate but those, like me, who dream of a beautiful Zimbabwe, I am happy with the dream that Zimbabwe will be great again," President Mnangagwa said.The ceremony was attended by Vice President Constantino Chiwenga and several Cabinet ministers and senior Government officials.
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THE estranged wife of a National University of Science and Technology lecturer yesterday burst into tears when a Bulawayo magistrate dismissed her $1 304 claim for spousal maintenance and children's upkeep.Mrs Faith Mtisi said she had separated with her husband Mr Samson Mtisi and as such he was no longer taking care of her and their three children."I need money because my husband makes life difficult for me and the children. We separated and l have to take care of myself as well as the children. I have to beg him to give me money to buy groceries," she said.Mrs Mtisi said recently her husband took away the family car which she was using to take children to school saying it was not necessary to drive the children to school.In response Mr Mtisi said he was doing his duties as a father to his children."Well your worship, I don't think it's necessary that l give her all that money she is asking for. I buy groceries, clothes and pay school fees for my children yet l'm a lecturer who doesn't earn much. I gave her my bank card so that she gets whatever she needs but l was surprised when she recently brought it back. I can give her the card even now if she wants it."As for spousal maintenance l think that money is given to people who have divorced or can't take care of themselves. In her case she works, I'm sure she can manage a living from the money that she earns," said Mr Mtisi.Mrs Mtisi shot back saying she only received the card after she had taken the matter to court."He sent one of the kids to give me his card when I told him I had taken the matter to court and I knew he was trying to persuade me to withdraw the case hence I refused the card," she said.Ms Ulukile Mlea dismissed Mrs Mtisi's spousal maintenance claim on the grounds that she is employed."Mrs Mtisi is employed and can provide for herself thus claim for spousal maintenance is dismissed. As for child upkeep Mr Mtisi is doing his duties as a father to his children and as such the claim for children's upkeep has also been dismissed," she said.
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by Staff reporter

ZIMBABWE'S international re-engagement programme and debt clearance plan are facing renewed headwinds with the United States government maintaining a hardline stance, insisting on tangible reforms, while the European Union (EU) member states remain unconvinced by Harare's lethargic pace.Finance minister Mthuli Ncube, who is leading Zimbabwe's re-engagement drive in the absence of the ill Foreign Affairs and International Trade minister Sibusiso Moyo, who was playing an influential role in extricating the country out of isolation, in October presented the reform and debt clearance agenda in Bali, Indonesia, where he assured creditors government would speedily implement political and economic reforms.Zimbabwe has also committed to clearing its arrears with the African Development Bank (AfDB) and World Bank next year to enable the country to access new credit to revive its faltering economy.Diplomats told the Zimbabwe Independent that the reform programme was good on paper, but the donor community has adopted a wait-and-see approach, as Harare dithers on implementing concrete political reforms."The goodwill is still there, no doubt. But some of the most supportive diplomats are disappointed by the slow pace of reform, especially on the political front. The August 1 shootings were particularly worrying, but this week's threats to shut down NGOs seen as critical to government are also not encouraging," a diplomat said."Some of the economic reforms outlined by the Finance minister are positive, but everyone is waiting for the implementation. The goodwill is still there, but government is losing momentum by dragging its feet."There are now doubts over whether government is fully committed to implementing some reforms, which will be crucial in normalising relations and potentially unlocking funds."Ncube on Monday met diplomats at Victoria 22 restaurant in Harare, as part of the re-engagement programme, before meeting the European Union's Head of Delegation to Zimbabwe Timo Olkkonen on Wednesday for a bilateral meeting. A diplomat who attended the Monday lunch meeting said although Ncube made assurances that Harare was committed to reforms, the general feeling among diplomats was that Zimbabwe has not done enough, particularly on the political front.Ncube's reform drive suffered a major setback when the American senate heard damning testimonies from Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, Matthew Harrington and senior fellow at the Centre for Global Development, Todd Moss, who cautioned Washington against engaging Zimbabwe until sweeping economic and political reforms have been effected. The US is a major player and has influence in international financial institutions, which Zimbabwe is engaging, particularly the World Bank.The testimonies tabled before Senators Chris Coon and Jeff Flake questioned President Emmerson Mnangagwa's political will to embrace reforms, saying the reform programme was moving at snail's pace. Washington has also expressed concern over Harare's fierce clampdown on dissent and was particularly dismayed by the killing of six civilians on the streets of Harare by the military on August 1. The US officials urged Mnangagwa to allow the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) to act independently in the aftermath of July's disputed polls. A diplomat in Harare said many countries shared the sentiments expressed by the US, although they had adopted a softer stance to give the Mnangagwa administration a chance and to encourage reform."It is clear that Zimbabwe has a long way to go and requires profound political and economic reforms to sustainably change the path on which it has been for nearly four decades," Harrington said.The US remains a critical partner in the country's quest to unlock fresh funding while the EU is a major stakeholder in the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and both are crucial financiers.A US Embassy Public Affairs official told the Zimbabwe Independent this week that full engagement between Harare and Washington would only occur when Zimbabwe implements fundamental reforms."Zimbabwe needs to implement fundamental political and economic reforms to realise full engagement with the United States. Ambassador Brian A. Nichols has stated the same message in his meetings with government officials and publicly. The United States will remain an engaged partner to Zimbabwe. We share the desires of the Zimbabwean people - to see a peaceful, democratic, and prosperous Zimbabwe that provides for its citizens and contributes to regional stability," the official said.US President Donald Trump recently signed Congressional amendments to the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act (Zidera), which tighten the restrictions. Zidera has barred Harare from accessing fresh lines of credit, key towards setting its fragile economy on a firm recovery and growth trajectory.The embargo has, over the years, curtailed financial inflows into the country, while baring US financiers from offering credit support. While the US has adopted a hard-line stance, the EU and its member states, who play a key role in the International Monetary Fund, European Investment Bank and in the Paris Club, have adopted a cautious approach, with many governments of the opinion that Harare needs to do more on reforms.EU Ambassador Olkkonen this week said it was in Zimbabwe's interest to implement reforms. "The reform agenda outlined in the TSP (transitional Stabilisation Plan) is a very positive and ambitious one. It addresses the issues the country needs to tackle in order to move forward," Olkkonen said."The EU, as many other international interlocutors, is keenly following the process of putting these reforms into practice. I believe it is in Zimbabwe's interest to move swiftly ahead with the implementation of reforms on both the economic and political tracks."He said the EU sees the 2019 budget as a first step to balance an economy "that has suffered immensely from many years of bad governance"."When the parliament has agreed on the budget, it becomes extremely important that it is also implemented as it was planned. Zimbabwe cannot afford the same kind of opaque over-expenditure as it has had in the past. An IMF staff-monitoring programme would be a welcome initiative to support the government in these efforts," Olkkonen said.He said the EU, through development co-operation, was supporting the constitutional alignment process."The Ministry of Information's recent stakeholder meeting on reforming the legislation on the media was a positive event, and we hope that the parliament can soon work on restrictive media- and security-related legislation so that these laws can be brought in line with the Constitution of 2013," added Olkkonen."Similarly, the EU is willing to continue its engagement on electoral reform, also as a follow-up of the EU election observation mission recommendations."Speaking to the Independent, Ncube argued that government was moving at the right pace, although admitting that more reforms are needed."We are moving at the right pace. It is not slow. Remember that we launched the Transitional Stabilisation Programme (TSP) on October 4, which is basically more than a month ago. I think we are moving at the right pace," Ncube said.He also argued that reports from Washington had not affected the re-engagement programme as there was still widespread goodwill towards Zimbabwe.Zimbabwe is committed to paying US$1,4 billion to the World Bank, where the US holds majority voting rights.The EU has also been insisting on a concrete, time-bound reform plan, saying Mnangagwa's government had failed to take advantage of the "low hanging fruits" like media reform, human rights issues and aligning laws to the 2013 constitution.Zimbabwe's economy - ravaged by foreign currency shortages, acute fuel shortages and deteriorating social services - has since the July 30 elections, struggled to stay afloat and is in dire need of budgetary support.Ncube told the Independent this week that government was committed to the reform agenda and his visit to the US last week was to convince the world that Zimbabwe was ready to end its isolation. He said the stance taken by the US had not derailed the re-engagement programme, although he admitted Zimbabwe needed to show serious in its engagement drive."I don't think it did. Those conversations are not surprising. It's not the first time those senators have expressed that, so it's not new. But what it is important for Zimbabwe is to show that we are serious in terms of re-engagement with the rest of the world."A senior consultant at the International Crisis Group (ICG), Piers Pigou, argues that the door to constructive engagement is still open. "The politics of constructive engagement remains very much in play; the international community, at least key Western powers, are certainly very open to engagement, but they are increasingly concerned about the slow pace of reform and prospects for consolidation," he said."The Mnangagwa administration continues to retain widespread goodwill in the international community more broadly, although this has not translated into the kind of budgetary support it had hoped for. Goodwill remains, but significant tangible support will only come when there is more visible progress on several fronts, politically and economically."
News / National

by Motlanthe

Executive SummaryZimbabwe held its national elections on the 30th of July 2018. The electoral process was generally peaceful until the 1st of August 2018, when many demonstrators took to the streets of Harare demanding the immediate release of the election results. These events, particularly those that occurred within Harare's Central Business District (CBD), resulted in the death of six (6) people, injury of thirty-five (35), and massive damage to properties.Following these incidents, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, His Excellency Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, appointed a Commission of Inquiry in terms of section 2(1) of the Commissions of Inquiry Act [Chapter 10:07] through Proclamation Number 6 of 2018 published in Statutory Instrument 181 of 2018, with specific Terms of Reference contained therein.Through this promulgation, the President appointed a team of Commissioners comprising of: His Excellency Kgalema Motlanthe (Former President of the Republic of South Africa), who chaired the Commission; Chief Emeka Anyaoku (Former Commonwealth Secretary General, Federal Republic of Nigeria); Rodney Dixon QC (United Kingdom); General Davis Mwamunyange (Former Chief of Tanzania People's Defence Forces); Professor Charity Manyeruke (Political Science, University of Zimbabwe); Professor Lovemore Madhuku (Faculty of Law, University of Zimbabwe); and Mrs. Vimbai Nyemba (Former President of the Law Society of Zimbabwe).MethodologyThe Commission adopted a multi-pronged methodology for making its inquiries and findings as well as recommendations about the tragic events. The methods included obtaining written affidavits, verbal testimonies at public hearings, conducting inspections in loco and examining video footage from credible national and international media sources.For over two and half months, commencing from September 2018, the Commission visited Mutare, Gweru, Bulawayo and Harare CBD to conduct its inquiry. Hundreds of Zimbabweans participated in the exercise in a free, open and safe atmosphere. From these interactions, the Commission has fulfilled its mandate within the stipulated time.FindingsThe Commission considered evidence from various witnesses across the political divide and the generality of the populace and made several findings. However, these findings were made against the background that police investigations relating to some of the cases cited during the Commission's hearings are yet to be finalised. Nevertheless, the Commission was satisfied that the substantial evidence it had received during its fact-finding mission, was sufficient for it to make key findings under various themes.The crucial findings are that:a. The demonstrations which became property and injury had been incited, Alliance; riotous and caused extensive damage to pre-planned and well-organised by the MDCb. The particular circumstances prevailing on the day justified the deployment of the military to assist the police in containing the riots; andc. Six (6) people died and thirty-five (35) were injured as a result of actions by the military and the police.The evidence showed that the Government deployed the military in accordance with the Constitution and the applicable law. The Commission also considered that whilst the deployment of the military was lawful, the operational framework in terms of Section 37 (2) of Public Order and Security Act [Chapter 1 1 :0 7 ] was not fully complied with in that the deployed troops were not placed under the command of the Harare Regulating Authority.RecommendationsThe Commission made several recommendations. Some of the key ones concern:a. Payment through a special Committee to be set up by the Government, of compensation for losses and damages caused including in particular, support and school fees for the children of the deceased;b. Promotion of political tolerance, and responsible and accountable leadership and citizenry;c. Electoral reforms including the development of Information Communication Technology (ICT), to among other things enhance the transparent and expeditious announcement of election results;d. The enforcement of law and order in order to ensure that the events of the 1st of August 2018 are not repeated;e. Accountability in respect of the alleged perpetrators; andf. Nation building and reconciliation including an initiative for multi-party dialogue and cooperation.ConclusionThe testimonies and submissions that the Commission received indicated that the scope and consequences of the violence that occurred on the 1st of August 2018 were regarded as unprecedented in the history of Zimbabwean elections. The appointment and composition of the Commission of Inquiry, with a majority of international members, confirms President Mnangagwa's determination to ensure a non-repetition of such an unwholesome national experience in future.From the testimonies of the witnesses who appeared before the Commission, it was noted that there is at present a very worrisome degree of polarisation and bitterness within the body politic of Zimbabwe. In this regard, the Commission commends the continuing statements by the President of the Republic calling for reconciliation, healing and unity among the citizenry. We urge all the people of Zimbabwe to respond positively to the President's appeals and, at the same time, the Government to reinforce these appeals with inclusive policies.From our wide ranging fact-finding experience in Zimbabwe, we believe that President Mnangagwa is determined to open a new chapter in the policies and activities of the Government of the Republic of Zimbabwe, including the restoration of the country's diplomatic and commercial relations with the international community.Terms of Reference:a. To inquire into the circumstances leading to the 1st of August, 2018 post-election violence;b. To identify the actors and their leaders, their motive and strategies employed in the protests;c. To inquire into the intervention by the Zimbabwe Republic Police in the maintenance of law and order;d. To investigate the circumstances which necessitated the involvement of the military in assisting in the maintenance of law and order;e. To consider whether the degree of force used was proportionate to the ensuing threat to public safety, law and order;f. To ascertain extent of damage/injury caused thereof;g. To investigate into any other matter which the Commission of Inquiry may deem appropriate and relevant to the inquiry;h. To make suitable recommendations; andi. To report to the President in writing, the result of the inquiry within a period of three months from the date of swearing in of the Commissioners.Following the promulgation by the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, His Excellency E.D. Mnangagwa, of Proclamation 6 of 20181, the President swore in a seven-member Commission of Inquiry in terms Section 2 of the Commissions of Inquiry Act [Chapter 10:07], on the 19th of September 2018.Inspections in locoThe Commission conducted inspections in loco in Harare including the under listed places:a. Zanu-PF Provincial Headquarters;b. Herald House;c. TV Sales and Home;d. Bakers Inn;e. Edgars First Street;f. Ximex Mall;g. Corner Inez Terrace and Kenneth Kaunda Avenue;h. VJ Wholesalers (Rezende Street/Charter Street);i. Hub Saleview Investments;j. Unique Fashions and Medex Press Pharmacy (Harare Street/Albion);k. Zanu-PF National Headquarters;l. HICC (National Elections Command Centre);m. ZEC Head Offices;n. Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions offices at Gorlon House; ando. Harvest House, the MDC Alliance Headquarters.These places were all referenced by different witnesses as locations where incidents relevant to the inquiry had occurred.Information gathering1.7 Written SubmissionsThe Commission received written submissions from individuals and organisations. Most written statements from individuals were in the form of affidavit (See Annexure 3). Several organisations responded to the Commission's request and submitted their written submissions (See Annexure 4).1.8 Post mortem reportsThe Commission received post mortem reports of the six (6) deceased persons. The Commission also received x-ray images and medical reports in respect of some injured persons.1.9. Ballistics reportThe Commission received and considered a report from the Police Ballistics expert (See Annexure 5).1.10. Public reportsThe Commission considered thirteen (13) observer mission election reports. The Commission also considered a range of documents relevant to its work.1.11. Media reports including social mediaThe Commission considered media reports as well as articles from social media to advance its work.1.12. The Commission's approach to the hearingsThe Commission adopted a very flexible and open approach to receiving evidence. The Commission Chairman consistently invited members of the public to take the witness stand and give evidence in addition to the scheduled witnesses. No evidence was heard in camera. The Commission regarded the media as a partner in informing the public of its work and all hearings were broadcast to the public.The Commission did not permit the cross examination of witnesses. However, the Commissioners asked witnesses clarity-seeking questions. The key principle followed was that all witnesses could give their evidence with the full knowledge that such evidence could not be used against them in any legal proceedings.1.13. Scope of participants and their presentationsThe Commission heard oral evidence from one hundred and four (104) witnesses and considered sixty (60) written submissions (See Annexure 6). Among the witnesses were relatives of the deceased, government officials, leaders of political parties, the Army, the Police, and representatives of Civil Society Organisations.The witnesses fell into the following categories:a. Those who were affected directly by the violence, including the ones who were injured and those who lost property;b. Relatives and friends of the deceased;c. Those who were not directly affected but gave an eyewitness account of what transpired;d. Those who did not witness the violence but gave evidence as concerned Zimbabweans;e. Those who came representing their institutions;f. Expert witnesses;g. The Police and the Army;h. Government officials; andi. Those who were invited by the Commission1.14. Date of conclusion of the Commission of Inquiry's workThe Commission concluded its public hearings on the 27th of November, 2018.1.15. Web page of the proceedings before the CommissionThe full written transcript and video recordings of the proceedings before the Commission will be made available to the public on a webpage (www.postelectionviolencecommission.gov.zw). References to evidence heard before the Commission that are made in this report can \be found in the transcript and video recordings of the proceedings.
News / National

by Staff reporter

TRANSPORT and Infrastructural Development minister Joel Biggie Matiza is entangled in a multi-million dollar Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (Caaz) scandal after he reportedly authorised a 28 million (US$33,3 million) deal for Spanish company Indra Sistemas (Indra) without going to tender.The contract, which Matiza awarded to Indra in collusion with Caaz general manager David Chawota, is for the financing, supply and installation of an airspace management system to facilitate air traffic movements into and out of local airports. Zimbabwe is currently using an outmoded airspace management system, which exposes passengers to serious air traffic accidents.Official documents seen by the Zimbabwe Independent this week show that Chawota played a pivotal role in ensuring Indra was irregularly given the deal, while Caaz officials told the Independent that the minister authorised it after intense lobbying.A Caaz official who lobbied for the project claimed the deal was closed through a "special tender". The officials are, however, unable or unwilling to explain what that actually means.Indra was initially awarded the tender in 2016, but the deal was set aside after a competing Italian firm, Selex ES, won a Supreme Court case challenging the decision on the basis that the tender did not go through procedures specified by law.In addition to that, Indra did not pass a critical security vetting by the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) and the Air Force of Zimbabwe, as well as other security agencies. Sources in the ministry also indicated there are concerns about a US$9 million cost escalation from the original tender of US$18 million, raising fears the tender could have been inflated for rent-seeking and corrupt purposes. The deal was first mooted when the ministry was headed by Joram Gumbo, who was transferred to the Energy portfolio in September after a cabinet reshuffle following the July general elections.Sources privy to the issue told the Independent that notwithstanding the Supreme Court ruling and security concerns, Chawota irresistibly pushed the Caaz board to authorise the deal with Matiza's support."Matiza and Chawota vigorously pushed for this tender to be given to Indra; they are now claiming that it was re-tendered, which is not true. If it was re-tendered, when and where; why didn't we see other interested parties getting involved?"Matiza is conflicted in this case because he has been working with Caaz as an architect designing local airports in the first place before his appointment as a minister. Caaz must explain when the deal was re-tendered and the circumstances. When was the re-tendering and who else was involved in the process?" a ministry official said.Sources said although some senior officials at the ministry raised concerns over the deal, Matiza authorised it all the same.Caaz board chairperson Thembinkosi Magwaliba confirmed Matiza's authorisation of the deal. He also said that Indra was recently granted the tender and was now only awaiting finalisation of financial aspects before work commences."I can confirm that the tender was granted to Indira recently. We have received authority from our principals and we are now implementing the deal," Magwaliba said.Asked if it was true that the board had changed its earlier position under pressure from Matiza, in which it was opposed to the awarding of the contract to Indira, saying that it had flouted tender procedures, Magwaliba said: "The board consulted with the minister, as part of the larger expansion of the Robert Mugabe International Airport project. So, we are going to implement it under a loan facility from the China Eximbank or if that fails, we are exploring an alternative whereby local banks will fund the project."Contacted for comment on the issue, Chawota claimed the deal was re-tendered, but refused to give details. He claimed the deal was redone under a "special tender"."Don't confuse issues. What the Supreme Court said was that we should go back and restart the process. This is what we did. There was a special tender which was done and Indira was awarded the contract," he said.Chawota, who has previously been involved in corrupt Caaz deals, also refused to give a specific date on which the tender was granted, just saying: "What I know is that it was granted very recently."Matiza could not be reached for comment as he was not answering repeated calls.However, documents seen by the Independent suggest Chawota has, throughout this year, been pushing for the direct engagement of Indra, not an open and competitive tender process.In a letter to the board dated June 1, 2018, Chawota said the tender was awarded to Indra after it approached government and offered to finance, fix and install the airspace management system. "The Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development was approached in 2017 by Indra Sistemas with a proposal for financing, supply and installation of air space management systems. Indra was given the award for the supply and installation of the system for sum of Euro 27,9 million by the State Procurement Board," the letter reads.Chawota claimed and demanded in the letter that security concerns needed to be waived in view of the urgency of the matter, which warranted the invoking of presidential powers to go through."There seem to be concerns arising from members that there were issues of governance that need to be cleared with regard to the appointment of Indra. Management is of the understanding that due to the urgency attached to the project, government took a position to apply presidential powers in the supply and funding of the project, hence the authority from the then State Procurement Board addressed to the Office of the President and Cabinet. The authority was to proceed with the implementation," Matiza wrote.The minister also stated that security fears raised by the Air Force and the CIO security experts were purportedly overridden by President Emmerson Mnangagwa's re-engagement efforts, which meant government could enter into deals with European companies.Having finally obtained the board's approval under sustained pressure, Chawota immediately followed up on that with another letter to Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Praz) CE Nyasha Chizu, pleading for the cancellation of a formal tendering process in favour of a direct engagement with Indra.Chawota also wanted Praz to cancel another deal with a South African company AME Aviation which Caaz had engaged to supply an air traffic communications system and give it to Indra.In the letter, dated May 2, 2018, Chawota argued that a formal tender would cause further delays in implementing the project, adding that this would result in it being completed by the end of this year."The authority (Caaz) needs to proceed without further delay and procure a replacement air traffic management system to ensure safety of air traffic control within Zimbabwe. The Indra implementation schedule will result in project completion by the end of 2018," Chawota wrote."There is dire need to address the communications deficiency in the Zimbabwe airspace in order to comply with international standards and stem out the concerns already raised by major airlines such as South African Airways. Praz is requested to approve the authority to cancel the contract with AME and engage Indra Sistemas for the supply of the required equipment."Praz approved of the request two days later on May 4, 2018, but requested Chawota to explain the contract valuations in the matter."The authority observed that the matter between Caaz and AME was contractual, which should be resolved in terms of contractual provisions between Caaz and the contractor. It was further observed that the accounting officer (Chawota) was requesting direct engagement of Indra Sistemas of Spain when in fact the contractor was authorised to engage the same on 2 November in 2017," Chizu wrote."However, your submission did not clarify whether the current request was for new requirements or increased scope. The accounting officer is hereby directed, in terms of the PPDPA Act to clarify whether the current request was for new requirements or increased scope and apply for contract variation in terms of procurement regulations if the current request is for increased scope of works."There are no subsequent documents to indicate whether or not Chawota complied with the directive, although he claimed in an interview with the Independent this week that everything was done above board."All I can say is that laid down procedures were followed," he said.However, despite Chawota's claims of urgency to justify irregularly pushing for the project without following all procedures, with the year coming to a close, there has not been any progress on the project.Mnangagwa says his administration has "zero tolerance" to graft, but corruption remains entrenched and rampant in government and society.
News / National

by Staff reporter

GOVERNMENT'S recent decision to remove striking junior doctors from the payroll exposes underlying authoritarian tendencies and reluctance by President Emmerson Mnangagwa's administration to revamp the country's shambolic public health sector as well as mend the fragile economy.Astoundingly, as government fired the striking doctors, the ruling Zanu-PF was having its congress in Esigodini, but did not pass among its resolutions the need to urgently resolve the impasse with the doctors and fix the collapsing health sector..Senior doctors on Monday joined the strike, saying they can no longer cope with the mounting workload in the absence of their juniors.The situation is dire.Although government is understandably constrained by limited fiscal space, the decision to terminate salaries of the disgruntled junior doctors will compound problems associated with efficient service delivery in the health sector, which is hamstrung by an acute shortage of essential drugs and skills flight among a plethora of challenges.Nearly 20 years after the Abuja Declaration in Nigeria where African leaders committed to ensure at least 15% of their national budget go towards financing their health delivery system, Zimbabwe is failing to adhere to the pledge.Zimbabwe will next year channel US$694,5 million of its US$8,2 billion budget towards financing the health sector, representing 8,2% of the budget.Such a commandist approach by Mnangagwa's administration to expel the doctors exposes government's despotic instincts and a lack of commitment to address the conditions of service in the health sector.As government dithers on coming up with a lasting solution to end the deadlock with the striking doctors, thousands of patients remain to death sentences in hospitals unmanned by doctors and reeling from chronic drug shortages.Millions of citizens dread the prospect of falling ill, lest they be admitted to shambolic public hospitals which have become death traps.As the country's public health sector systematically collapses, the elite, most notably Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga and Foreign Minister Sibusiso Moyo, are flown to South Africa and advanced countries where they are treated at ultra-modern hospitals when they fall ill. It is a clear admission that hospitals at home cannot be trusted.This week, bipartite negotiations to end a two-week salary stand-off between striking doctors and government collapsed. Subsequently, the disgruntled doctors, who have been demanding to receive their salaries in foreign currency as well as an improvement of their working conditions were expunged from the wage bill.This is not the first time that medical doctors have embarked on industrial action. Earlier this year, the doctors went on strike for a month and only resumed duty after government pledged a salary hike, as well as improved working conditions.The argument advanced by the junior doctors, as well as scores of other civil servants is that government should be able to pay salaries in foreign currency, if it insists on the fallacy that the US dollar is trading pari passu with the bond note.Workers in the private sector are also pushing their employers to pay salaries in foreign currency, triggering business to ask government to come up with a holistic approach to resolve the currency crisis.In a similar kneejerk approach, Vice-President Chiwenga in April arbitrarily fired thousands of striking nurses over poor remuneration, generating intense debate around government's commitment to the rule of law, due process and constitutional rights, as well as political and civil liberties.The nurses had downed their tools demanding basic essential tools to carry out their duties as well as payment of salary arrears which date as far back as 2010.Chiwenga's heavy-handed approach immediately drew sharp criticism, with analysts citing that Zimbabwe had effectively morphed into a military dictatorship akin to Rwanda's authoritarian model under President Paul Kagame.In the latest instance by government to scrap off the disgruntled doctors from the payroll, Mnangagwa's administration, currently battling to broaden Treasury's limited fiscal space, appears to be glossing over structural problems crippling the economy and the health services sector, without proffering lasting solutions to end the persisting economic crisis.Teachers have also threatened to join the chorus of other civil servants demanding an improvement of their remuneration and working conditions, amid a tanking economy hurtling towards the cliff.At the heart of Zimbabwe's economic crisis, the southern African country is gripped by a chronic foreign currency crisis, worsened by government's insistence that the surrogate currency it introduced in 2013 to ostensibly boost export receipts is trading at par with the green back. Ironically, the fiat currency is rapidly losing value against other currencies on the market.Coupled to that, Zimbabwe is also battling to arrest widespread company closures and extinguishing a huge external debt stock of US$12 billion.Political analyst Maxwell Saungweme said the law-and-order approach by government to remove the junior doctors from the payroll would not resolve the labour dispute, while the health delivery system will continue to slide towards collapse. The lives of scores of patients admitted at various public hospitals are under siege."It is a hopeless move by a clueless government. You do not deal with the plight of doctors, civillian issues, by using a military approach."Doctors are in short supply and there is need for serious dialogue with both sides to find a win-win outcome than really adopt one-sided militaristic approaches," Saungweme said, adding that government should come up with a responsive approach to address the underlying problems crippling the economy and the health services sector.Political analyst and senior consultant at the International Crisis Group (ICG) Piers Pigou said there was urgent need for government to address the currency volatility crisis, which has seen the earnings of civil servants who receive their salaries as Real-Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) bank balances being eroded rapidly against a firming US dollar on the local market."By withholding pay, the government appear to have sabotaged their negotiations with junior doctors that were reportedly close to a solution. If this can be reversed quickly, there may be room for expediting a solution. But the government is essentially trapped as a consequence of its own and its predecessors' financial delinquency; it is essentially bankrupt. The issues raised by the doctors regarding pay and conditions are not unreasonable, but accommodating them opens the doors for other (invariably not unreasonable) claims from other elements of the civil service,"he said.
News / National

by Staff reporter

THE curtain is finally coming down on what has turned out to be a year of squandered opportunities on the political transition and economic fronts.In the aftermath of the toppling of Robert Mugabe in November 2017, there was palpable hope that the ouster of one of the most controversial African leaders of modern times - while fraught with political and constitutional imponderables - could actually present the country with a chance to turn a new leaf.As 2018 comes to an end, all that optimism has evaporated and now appears a distant dream. Despondency has set in. What exactly has happened between November 2017 and December 2018? What has plunged the nation into a suffocating crisis of economic turmoil and hopelessness? Well, the long and short of it is that the government has fared dismally in managing the political transition and the economy. The numbers tell an interesting story.We witnessed the budget deficit soaring to US$1,3 billion in the first half of 2018 - nearly five times the initial target - as the government embarked on a pre-election splurge which left the public purse decimated. The economic mismanagement spree has been damaging. Free agricultural inputs were distributed to selected voters and huge sums of money were splashed on other unbudgeted expenditure.All this was done via the irresponsible issuance of Treasury Bills and the abuse of the government's overdraft facility at the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe.An appraisal of 2018 would not be complete without mention of the currency volatility crisis which is rocking the economy. It has been fuelled by failed policies, chiefly the fallacy that the bond note is at par with the United States dollar. The market knows the real value of the bond note, hence the turbulence we have seen triggered by the official 1:1 fallacy. Even Zanu-PF members are complaining about this.The 2018 general elections were another squandered opportunity.Instead of steering the nation forward, the elections have had the opposite effect, with devastating consequences for the economy.The international community has unequivocally stated its position on the Zimbabwe question: the country must implement the 2013 constitution, while embracing economic and political reforms it has set for itself. Many of the envisaged reforms do not require money - such as repealing the obnoxious Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act and the Public Order and Security Act.Upholding the rule of law and protecting property rights ought to be the pursuit of any serious government. These are not just Western ideals; they are democratic imperatives. On August 1, the government's international re-engagement efforts suffered a major reversal when soldiers shot and killed six unarmed civilians in broad daylight on the streets of Harare. A government in desperate need of an economic rescue package from the international community cannot afford reckless and brutal repression. What can Zimbabweans expect in 2019?Judging from the catastrophic economic fundamentals on the ground, the prognosis is not looking good. Change will depend on fiscal discipline, improved investment policies, policy consistency, and improved governance outcomes through far-reaching legislative and institutional reforms.
News / National

by ZimLive

President Emmerson Mnangagwa is set to name new commanders of the Presidential Guard and Military Intelligence, ZimLive can reveal.The recent promotions of Military Intelligence Commander Thomas Moyo and his Presidential Guard counterpart Anselem Sanyatwe to the rank of Major General means they join the army administration."Major General is a secretariat job in our military structure, so Sanyatwe and Moyo have effectively relinquished command of their brigades," a military source told this website.Mnangagwa was widely criticised for promoting Sanyatwe on the eve of the release of a Commission of Inquiry report into the August 1 shooting of 23 civilians by the military during post-election opposition protests in Harare. Six other people were killed.Sanyatwe was in charge of a small army unit called the National Reaction Force, which deployed at short notice to quell the protests.The Commission, which was chaired by former South African President Kgalema Motlanthe, blamed the military for the killings while calling for prosecutions of those involved.
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) -- The longtime head of Alaska's 1,000-mile Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race is resigning in mid-January after 25 years on the job.

Iditarod Trail Committee CEO Stan Hooley said Thursday he is leaving the post he held since 1993 to take on a new opportunity outside the state.

The 61-year-old Hooley says he's not at liberty to say what the opportunity is until January.

Hooley says his resignation has nothing to do with the Iditarod coming off a difficult time for race organizers, who have faced the loss of major sponsors, financial hardships and the first-ever dog doping scandal.

Earlier this month, race officials cleared four-time champion Dallas Seavey of any wrongdoing in a dog-doping scandal that followed the sled dog race last year.

The committee's chief operating officer, Chas St. George, will serve as acting CEO until a replacement is found.
By David Ljunggren OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canadian firms expect sales growth to stabilize over the next year and say labor pressures and various tariffs mean input and output prices will start to rise more quickly, a Bank of Canada survey said on Friday. The quarterly report said business sentiment had fallen slightly but was still elevated, signaling that the overall outlook continued to be positive. Plans to increase investment and employment were widespread, especially in the services sector, the central bank said, noting the indicator of capacity pressures was still elevated. "Although sales prospects generally remain positive, firms expect sales growth to stabilize," the bank said. Of the companies surveyed, 36 percent expected sales growth to increase at a greater rate over the coming 12 months, and 37 percent predicted a lesser pace of sales growth. "Firms expect input and output prices to rise at a somewhat greater pace than over the past 12 months ... Expectations of upward price pressures from tariffs and rising labor costs are partially offset by an anticipated moderation in commodity price growth," said the survey. Most firms anticipated positive U.S. growth over the next year and forecast sales would benefit directly or indirectly. Some noted the effect would be muted from punitive measures Washington has imposed on exports of Canadian aluminum and steel in late May and Canadian counter-tariffs, as well as U.S. tariffs on some Chinese goods. "Despite some softness, the survey suggests that the economy entered the recent financial volatility in decent shape," Benjamin Reitzes, Canadian rates & macro strategist at BMO Capital Markets, said in a research note. Sentiment remained depressed in the energy-rich western Prairies region, which has been hit by lower oil prices. The indicator of investment spending on machinery has receded slightly but intentions are still solid, supported by sustained demand. Plans for higher spending and increased employment were concentrated in the services sector. Compared to the autumn survey, fewer firms said labor shortages were more intense than they had been a year earlier. But the percentage of firms reporting they would have some or significant difficulty meeting an unexpected increase in demand stayed elevated, in part due to trouble finding staff. But companies said they no longer expected capacity pressures to intensify, pointing to increases in investment and employment. (Reporting by David Ljunggren; editing by Jeffrey Benkoe and James Dalgleish)
The Canadian Chamber of Commerce says the business community in Canada is solidly backing carbon pricing as the way for it to "play its part in the fight against climate change"  and it wants governments to stop playing politics and waffling about it.

The group, which bills itself as "the voice of Canadian business" and represents 200,000 companies across the country, released a report this past week, as international climate talks were wrapping up in Katowice, Poland, arguing strongly in favour of carbon pricing such as carbon taxes and cap-and-trade systems. It sees this as the most cost-effective way to transition Canada to a low-carbon economy and proposes how it would like to see carbon pricing implemented.

'Canadian businesses of all sizes are prepared to accept carbon pricing as a cost of doing business.' - Canadian Chamber of Commerce report

"Business wants to play its part in the fight against climate change, but our public policy has to balance our climate objectives with the need to ensure Canada remains attractive to start or grow a business, and to invest," said Perrin Beatty, the group's president and CEO and a former Conservative MP, in a statement.

Aaron Henry, the group's director of natural resources and environmental policy, and the author of the new report, said the group's members believe "carbon pricing is probably the most effective mechanism of emissions reduction."

Dan Riedlhuber/Reuters

In a statement accompanying the release of the report, he added, "Canadian businesses of all sizes are prepared to accept carbon pricing as a cost of doing business, but remain very concerned that governments will continue to use it as a political bargaining chip instead of delivering a pricing policy that is simple and works well."

The report cites "conclusive" evidence from the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development about the high cost of climate change, including impacts like more intense floods, fires and storms, and for the need to reduce emissions.

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'Stable, predictable, straightforward'

"Our need to transition to a low carbon economy is clear, but it is equally clear that businesses must have assurances that the regulatory regime guiding this transition will be stable, predictable, and straightforward," the report said.

Ontario's new Progressive Conservative government, led by Premier Doug Ford, recently scrapped its cap-and-trade carbon pricing system and replaced it with regulations that include a fund for specific emissions-reduction projects that companies can apply to.

Henry warned that such "U-turns" could be damaging.

He noted that there's lots of evidence that "the predictability of policies, their durability from one government to the next, is actually a huge indicator for the ability of companies to make emissions reductions."

Liam Richards/Canadian Press

He added that when the federal government, which backs carbon pricing, and provinces each go a different way, that leads to "fragmented islands" of climate policy across Canada. Earlier this year, the Chamber of Commerce released another report criticizing the burden of complex, inconsistent and overlapping rules from different levels of government.

Currently, Saskatchewan and Ontario are challenging the federal government's right to impose a carbon tax on provinces that don't comply with its climate change plan.

In a statement, the Chamber of Commerce appears to back the federal government: "Ottawa must continue working with provinces to implement carbon pricing as the main measure to reduce GHG emissions across Canada."

The new report also suggests:

Carbon pricing should be revenue neutral, with any revenues collected going into investments in clean technologies, energy efficiency, and helping businesses, especially smaller businesses, survive the transition while reducing their emissions.

Governments should help businesses develop an export strategy for clean technologies and commodities to ensure they can reach global markets.

'Consistent line' from business

Canadian researchers who study climate policy and carbon pricing say the report is a good sign.

"It's pretty much the consistent line that the private sector is taking now on climate change across Canada," said Jason Thistlewaite, an assistant professor at the University of Waterloo's School of Environment, Enterprise and Development.

"Businesses want to do their part to manage climate change risk and reduce greenhouse gas emissions but they want to be left alone to figure it out on their own how to do that."

'Businesses want to do their part to manage climate change risk and reduce greenhouse gas emissions but they want to be left alone to figure it out on their own how to do that.' - Jason Thistlewaite, University of Waterloo

Jennifer Winter, scientific director of the Energy and Environmental Policy research division at the University of Calgary's School of Public Policy, said the report sends a strong signal to the governments of Saskatchewan and Ontario that are fighting the federal carbon pricing policy.

"It's something we're seeing increasingly in businesses in Canada. It's fine to have these pricing policies, they just want certainty about what the business environment looks like and that means governments essentially getting on with it and deciding what they're going to implement," Winter said.

Jatin Nathwani, Ontario Research Chair in Public Policy for Sustainable Energy and executive director of the Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Energy (WISE), called the report "a welcome development."

Nathwani supported some of its recommendations, such as re-investing carbon tax funds in low-carbon technologies and businesses solutions.

But he said one shortcoming of the report, which lists energy giants Enbridge and TransCanada as its major sponsors, is the lack of recommendations on how the transition to a low-carbon economy can be achieved without a diminished role for the oil and gas sector over time.

Stewart Elgie, director of the University of Ottawa's Institute of the Environment, said he thinks the report is right in saying that Canadian businesses need help from government to be world leaders in exporting clean technologies and products and should promote that.

He disagreed that other emissions-reducing regulations, like the coal-power ban and fuel standards, should be reduced once carbon pricing comes in. He estimated that carbon pricing will only get Canada a third of the way to its emissions targets, and said other regulations are still needed.

However, he said, "It encourages me that most business leaders now recognize that we need carbon pricing and we've got to prepare Canada to compete in the low-carbon world. We need to make sure that all of our political leaders catch up to them."
The National Film Board is buying four defibrillators for its Montreal headquarters following the death of an employee earlier this week.

The man, who worked in film colourization, had a cardiac episode and collapsed near the coffee machine at work Monday.

According to the union, when a colleague called 911, the dispatcher asked whether there was a defibrillator nearby. There were none on the premises.

Employees have been asking for more than four years for a defibrillator, according to Chantal Bourgeois, union advisor for the Canadian Union of Public Employees.

Bourgeois said the worker died despite "the incredible efforts" of his colleagues.

Lily Robert, director of communications and public affairs at the NFB, confirmed the union's requests for the machines were turned down.

As a Crown corporation, NFB employees are protected under federal workplace safety regulations set out by the Canada Labour Code, which does not require defibrillators to be installed in workplaces.

The union's requests were turned down because the machines aren't mandatory, Robert explained. There are 12 people trained in first aid at the office, and the building is in a central location on Cote-de-Liesse Road, not far from a number of hospitals, she said.

But after the man died, the NFB did some research into the devices.

"We got informed, we read about [the issue], we spoke to cardiologists, and we see that we missed a lot of information about the importance of that machine," she said.

"It's sad, but at least it won't happen again."

Robert says it will buy the machines in the coming weeks, and there will be one defibrillator on each floor once the NFB moves into its new building downtown next year.
It wasn't the slippery mess that many feared, at least in Montreal.

Heavy rain that began overnight is expected to continue today as temperatures climb to 6 C for an unseasonably mild first day of winter.

Environment Canada issued a rainfall warning for the Montreal area  25 to 35 millimetres is expected to fall Friday.

Montreal's public transit authority warned its bus users to expect delays on the network.

Other areas of Quebec will be harder hit by the rain.

"Some areas north of the St. Lawrence River could see between 50 and 80 millimetres," the weather agency stated on its website.

Some rain and snow is expected for Montreal Saturday.

Temperatures will drop Sunday, but on the bright side, skies are expected to be mostly clear until Wednesday.

School closures

In the Eastern Townships, where a freezing rain warning was in effect, all Eastern Townships School Board schools and centres were closed today, including daycares.

Classes are cancelled for elementary, secondary and professional training and adult education students in the Commission scolaire des Sommets, but staff are expected to be at work.

The following schools part of the Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board are closed to students in the Laurentians and Lanaudiere regions:

Arundel Elementary School.

Grenville Elementary School.

Laurentia Elementary School.

Laurentian Elementary School.

Laurentian Regional High School.

Morin Heights Elementary School.

Mountainview High School.

Ste-Agathe Academy.

Ste-Adele Elementary School.

CDC Lachute.

Joliette Elementary School.

Joliette High School.

Rawdon Elementary School.

Daycare service is still being provided for parents registered as regular users.

Commission scolaires des Samares, which has schools in the Lanaudiere region, is also closed today.
Good morning, Europe. Today we're watching: Gatwick Airport working to allow limited flights Britain's Gatwick Airport said early Friday it was working with airlines and air traffic controllers to introduce a limited number of flights over the early hours of Friday morning. All flights at Gatwick Airport were grounded on Thursday after drones flew over the airfield. The British military announced deployed specialist equipment to tackle the presence of drones at the airport, which is the UK's second biggest. Flight suspensions affected 10,000 passengers on Wednesday evening and a further 110,000 were due to take-off or land at the airport on Thursday. Read more Several dead in Czech coal mine blast An explosion at a coal mine in the Czech Republic has killed thirteen people, the mining company has said. OKD said earlier that a methane blast more than 800 metres underground devastated areas of the CSM coal mine near the eastern town of Karvina on Thursday. The dead were 11 Poles and two Czechs, the company said. The blast is the worst mining accident in the Czech Republic since 1990, when 30 miners died in a fire at a mine, also near Karvina, according to the CTK news agency. Read more Carlos Ghosn re-arrested on new charges Japanese authorities re-arrested former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn on Friday on new charges before he could be released on bail, local media reported. Ghosn, who has been held in prison for the past month on allegations of financial misconduct, could therefore spend another ten days in a Tokyo jail. He is now accused of having made Nissan shoulder a personal investment loss of $16.6 million (14.5 million) in October 2008 as the global financial crisis was taking hold. Follow our updates here:
An Edmonton judge has denied former Guantanamo Bay detainee Omar Khadr's request to have his bail conditions eased.

There's no evidence of hardship or that the conditions are needlessly onerous, Court of Queen's Bench Justice June Ross said Friday.

She said nothing has really changed since the last time Khadr asked for changes to his bail conditions and the restrictions he faces are "reasonable" and "standard."

Ross said her decision is not etched in stone and conditions could change in the future.

"Based on all of the evidence I have seen, Mr. Khadr is not a flight risk or a risk to public safety," Ross said. "Nonetheless, it seems to me it's reasonable to make sure the courts are kept up to date on his whereabouts and activities.

"The public would expect we have up-to-date information about his whereabouts," Ross added. "They would expect reasonable travel restrictions."

Khadr, 32, has been on bail since May 2015 pending an appeal of his conviction by a U.S. military commission on alleged war crimes. The appeal has stalled, so Khadr has no idea how long he will be on bail.

Khadr didn't speak to reporters after Friday's ruling.

"We're going to review the decision and consider our next steps," his lawyer, Nathan Whitling, said outside court.

Whitling said it's not fair that Khadr's life remains restricted by a stalled U.S. court process with no end in sight.

"His case is different because of the extraordinarily long time that he's been on bail ... because of the extraordinary delays that have occurred with his foreign appeal," Whitling said in an interview.

Wanted to make pilgrimage to Mecca

Khadr wanted to be able to travel to Toronto without the approval of his bail supervisor to visit his family more easily and to make court appearances related to a civil lawsuit filed by the family of an American soldier killed in the Afghanistan firefight in which Khadr was captured in 2002.

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He also wanted unsupervised conversations with his sister and a Canadian passport so that he could make the hajj to Mecca in Saudi Arabia. The Islamic religious pilgrimage is considered obligatory for practising Muslims.

Currently, he must contact his bail supervisor if he wants to leave Alberta. He can only talk under supervision to his sister Zaynab, who has spoken in favour of al-Qaeda and was investigated in Canada more than a decade ago for helping the terrorist network.

Khadr said his sister now lives in the country of Georgia.

Whitling said his client has lived quietly for years, is happily married, follows bail conditions to the letter and poses no threat. Khadr's affidavit says he has been to Toronto eight times without issue since the conditions were imposed.

'Depressive symptoms'

In support of the application to ease bail conditions, Whitling submitted a letter from Brooklyn, N.Y., psychologist Katherine Porterfield. She has been in regular contact with Khadr since his detention as a teenager at Guantanamo Bay.

Porterfield believes Khadr's mental health is suffering due to the ongoing nature of his bail conditions.

"He has recently experienced some depressive symptoms, as well as an increase in his symptoms of PTSD," Porterfield wrote. "Specifically, [he] is manifesting a foreshortened sense of future and a return of symptoms of hyperarousal and re-experiencing of memories of prison."

The psychologist's opinion is that Khadr's "legal limbo" is triggering memories of the time he spent as a teenager in Guantanamo Bay.

Ross called Khadr's feelings "understandable," but said they don't change the fact that he has not served his sentence for crimes to which he pleaded guilty.

"Bail cannot provide an alternative way to serve his sentence," Ross said.

This is Khadr's latest of several attempts for relaxed bail conditions. In 2017, a judge denied most of his requests.

Khadr was sent to the notorious U.S. military holding facility at Guantanamo Bay in 2002 after he was captured and accused of throwing a grenade that killed a U.S. soldier in 2002.

When Khadr was captured, he was 15. He says he can't remember killing a soldier. He says he only confessed to the crime to get out of Guantanamo and into the Canadian justice system.

In 2010, the Supreme Court ruled that his rights were violated while he was in captivity in the U.S. and that the Canadian government had contributed to that. Khadr settled a lawsuit against Ottawa in 2017 with a $10.5-million payout.

2nd application also dismissed

Khadr's lawyer hopes to replace his client's indefinite bail situation with parole, since parole could include a definite end date. The parole board has refused to grant Khadr a hearing because he is not in custody.

Whitling asked Ross to sign an order that would revoke his bail at the start of a parole board hearing, and reinstate it if the parole board deferred or denied the request for parole.

Ross refused.

"Such decisions should not be made based on future hypothetical circumstances that may or may not occur," Ross said, adding that if a parole hearing is scheduled, Whitling can bring forward the application again.
Some Toronto charities say they're seeing a marked decrease in the number of donations they receive through the mail this holiday season as a result of the Canada Post strike.

The Sick Kids Foundation is one of the charities hit hard, according to CEO Ted Garrard.

Donations are down 33 per cent compared with the same time last year. That equates to about $2 million.

"During the holidays, some of our most loyal donors give through the mail," he said. "We typically find older people like to write the personal cheque. Sometimes they like to attach notes to them."

The Scott Mission has also seen a 15 per cent drop in projected donations for the month of November, which could affect its programming.

'Hard choices'

The mission offers meals, operates a homeless shelter, a clothing bank and an after school program for kids.

"When we're not able to meet our budget, there's hard choices that need to be made on what we can do going forward," said Holly Thompson, its director of public relations.

Thompson attributes the lack of donations to various reasons, with the postal strike being the biggest.

"It's an unfortunate reality," said Canada Post spokesperson Jon Hamilton. "We said right from the beginning we wanted a deal to avoid [a strike] because of the impact on charities and businesses.

Meanwhile, the Toronto Humane Society said it also had a scare in November during the rotating strikes, but has since bounced back.

"It was scary," said Tegan Buckingham, director of marketing at the Toronto Humane Society. "Since then, we've started seeing the money coming back."

Canadians less generous

This week, the Fraser Institute published a report revealing donations to registered charities dropped 32.2 per cent since 2006.

It also found Canadians gave less than Americans.

The study, Generosity in Canada and the United States: The 2018 Generosity Index, found 20 per cent of Canadians claimed charitable donations on their tax return in 2016, compared with almost 25 per cent of Americans.

With the strike now over, Thompson with the Scott Mission says she's still hopeful the public will give.
Travel Alberta has taken the rare step of asking its partners in China to stop promoting travel to the province.

The decision was made in light of the tension building between the two countries following the detention of Canadians in China.

Most recently, Alberta teacher Sarah McIver was detained and sentenced to administrative punishment for illegally working in China, according to Chinese authorities.

Her family has said she had been working for months in China without issue when Chinese authorities suddenly reached out to question her about her visa. She was then arrested, leaving her family deeply concerned.

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She's the third Canadian to be detained since Meng Wanzhou, a top executive with China-based telecom giant Huawei, was arrested in Vancouver earlier this month.

Meng was arrested at the request of U.S. officials  who accuse her of violating trade sanctions on Iran  and released on bail pending extradition proceedings.

Two other Canadians  Michael Kovrig, who served as a diplomat with Global Affairs Canada, but was on leave to work with the International Crisis Group, a non-governmental organization; and Michael Spavor, a businessman who arranges tours of North Korea  have also been detained by Chinese authorities for what they said are national security issues.

Brendan Sutton, a spokesperson for Global Affairs Canada, said officials "have no reason to believe there is any connection between [Sarah McIver's] case and other recent cases of Canadians detained in China for alleged reasons of national security."

Not unprecedented

Royce Chwyn, the president and CEO of Travel Alberta, said the halting of marketing activities isn't unprecedented.

Associated Press/ International Crisis Group/Canadian Press

"This is not unlike when some other major event happens, whether it's weather-related, or some other significant event. We make a conscious decision: Is a tourism marketing message appropriate?" he said.

"So we are just sensitive to what's going on at the national level between the countries, but not discouraging travel in any way, shape or form."

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Chwyn said Chinese travellers can still book trips and come to Alberta and he said according to his sources in China, many are.

"What we do know is that whenever a significant event happens and tourism is paused for messaging for all the right reasons, tourism is one of the quickest sectors to rebound, always."

Travel Alberta's decision was made in conjunction with Destination Canada, said Chwyn.
The United States Defence Secretary James Mattis has resigned from his post on 21st December 2018. His resignation came after his disagreement with the US President Donald Trump over the withdrawal of US troops from Syria. James Mattis, however, will be occupying the position till February 28 so as to allow sufficient time for his successor to be nominated.

James Mattis experience and stability were widely seen as a balance to Donald Trumps unpredictable policies. As per the political pundits, his resignation would add to the instability and chaos in the administration of Donald Trump.

The US President Donald Trump had a few days ago announced that he will be withdrawing all 2,000 U.S. troops out of Syria, after making a declaration that the Islamic State group has been destroyed. This decision is being by opposed by the Pentagon and other people in the US administration. The U.S. announcement for withdrawal has come at a critical moment in northern Syria, where Turkey has been threatening to launch a new offensive against the Kurds. As per the Kurdish forces, ISIS militants have not been fully defeated and a premature US pullout would cause a resurgence of the Islamic State group destabilizing the entire region.
The UN Climate Conference (COP24) in Katowice, Poland was always going to be a fight, given it had to tease out the devilish detail of the Paris Agreement without the political momentum of the landmark treaty itself.Yet, as the UN Secretary General said at its conclusion, the conference demonstrated the 'resilience of the Paris Agreement'Despite many obstacles, including the relative absence of US leadership  which emboldened the self-interest of parties like Saudi Arabia and Brazil - and the compromised (coal-loving) leadership from the Polish hosts, the deal came together. In fact, it was the smaller, marginal voices that were most impressive.The hero of the COP24 was a 15 year old Swedish teenager, Greta Thunberg, who helped mobilise a new, young and frustrated constituency to the cause and called on leaders to focus on what needs to be done, not just political point scoring.Attending COP24 as the Climate and Energy Program Director of The Australia Institute was a dramatic shift for me, after over 9 years with the Australian Government as a climate negotiator to the UN. But going from being inside the tent to an 'observer' role confirmed the view that the current Government is completely out of touch with the interests of most Australians and at COP24, it manifested in an incongruous way.Australia's political messaging on climate change came from the Minister for the Environment, Melissa Price and the Ambassador for the Environment, Patrick Suckling.Both spruiked the resilience and merits of fossil fuels, with the Ambassador stealing the limelightby appearing alongside Trump appointees at the US' pro-fossil fuel sideshow, which was widely expected to be the most controversial event at COP24.The Minister also made a point of encouraging LNG exports, earning Australia the 'fossil of the day'awardfrom major NGO groups.The second and saner Australian voice, came from the technical operators, represented by the hard-working negotiators hammering out the Paris Rulebook and the research, industry and environmental 'observers' at COP24.Let's not forget that two thirds (66 percent) of Australians want the country to be a world leader in finding solutions to climate change, a result higher than at any time in the past seven years.During COP24 Australians could be seen at youth actions, hosting an independent podcast (called Copcastof course) and giving the high-level statement on behalf of all researchers during the ministerial segment and the closing statement on behalf of all industry groups at the final plenary.The cities of Sydney and Melbourne even joined the Powering Past Coal Allianceled by Canada and the UK. It is unfortunate that the only time Australia made international headlines at COP24, was as the lonely foreigner at the US pro-fossil fuel side-event (even sporting an American flag on the Australian Ambassador's nameplate).By most accounts, the Australian Minister for the Environment walks away personally unscathed from her first Ministerial trip. The Minister held no official side-events, gave no media interviews and was not asked to serve as ministerial facilitator by the COP President (a role Australia often played in the past).It was as low-key as it gets in terms of ministerial engagements, a legacy which has further reinforced Australia's political marginalisation at the COP. New Zealand by contrast was stepping up and filling a once played by Australia, as the climate champion of the Pacific.New Zealand took the podium to announce new funding for the Pacific, further distancing itself from an Australian Government that unilaterally (and it appears, without DFAT knowing) cut its support to the UN's key climate finance vehicle, the Green Climate Fund.Australia used to be a member of the High Ambition Coalition in Paris (under the Coalition Government) but in Katowice when this Coalition convened to call for a strong rulebook, Australia was noticeably absent (while NZ was front and centre).In terms of the Minister's 'top priority'  transparency rules, it is the most comprehensive chapter in the Paris Rulebook and applies equally to all (avoiding bifurcation). The Rulebook does not limit Australia's ability to use carryover Kyoto units to meet its Paris Agreement target 'in a canter'.This might be up for debate next year, given many of the rules around how credits can be used are still in contention. It is disappointing the Environment Minister would not comment on the carryover loophole, unlike her New Zealand counterpart who took a principled positionagainst it and encouraged all countries to avoid such cop-outs.With COP24 over, many are turning their minds to 2019. Although there will be a meeting of the technical bodies to the UN climate framework (called the subsidiary bodies) in May-June, the real focus will be on the UN Secretary General's Climate Summitin New York in September.The Sec-Gen made numerous appearances at the COP and has been ramping up his language around urgency with each intervention.He has already narrowed the focus of his summit squarely on ambition and will encourage leaders to come with increased pledges for emissions reductions and climate finance. He will be aided by the incoming COP Presidents and renewable energy powerhouses Chile (COP25 host) and Costa Rica (Pre-COP25 meeting host).Costa Rica will certainly call on their former minister and the ex-UN climate chief, Cristiana Figures, given her skills and success pulling off the Paris Agreement. Hopefully by then Australians will have a Government that reflects their desire to be a climate leader not a laggard.Richie Merzian is director of the climate and energy program at The Australian Institute and attended the talks in Poland.
Mobile payment is becoming a new trend with the rise of technologies such as QR codes and contactless payments. Photo by Shutterstock/zhu difeng

The Future of Finance Vietnam forum, which seeks to nudge the financial sector into adopting digital technology, will take place on January 10.

The organizer, The Asian Banker, said the event, with the theme "Unlocking the potential in Vietnams Digital Economy", would look at the financial ecosystem being driven by the adoption of digital technology and strategy, two key elements leading to a cashless society.

The key focus areas will include a new financial system rebuilt by financial technology, the road to cashless society through digital payment, opportunities for and obstacles to financial inclusion in Vietnam, and innovations in acquiring and retaining customers.

"Vietnams unique convergence of stellar economic growth, a large number of unbanked and young population, high mobile and internet penetration as well as supportive regulatory environment makes the country a perfect place for fintech startups," the organizer stated on the forum's website.

"While the country is still dealing with debt problems, financial institutions and local government have realized that the innovation in fintech can bring Vietnams financial services industry to a prosperous path," it added.

There will also be a pre-conference workshop for bankers on "Transforming Vietnams Economy and Industry  Innovation & Capability Development for SMEs" on January 9.

Several high-profile speakers have confirmed their presence at the event, including Nguyen Kim Anh, Deputy Governor of the State Bank of Vietnam.

This year The Asian Banker Vietnam country awards, part of the event, will cover primarily retail financial services and financial technologies. They will be presented to more than 10 industry leaders at a gala dinner on January 10.

The forum will be held with the support of the Vietnam Banks Association and is expected to welcome more than 150 industry players and policy makers.

The Asian Banker is the region's leading provider of strategic business intelligence to the financial services community. Headquartered in Singapore, the company also has offices in Malaysia, China, the Philippines, and the Middle East.
First store of OVS will be opened in Ho Chi Minh City this weekend. Photo acquired by VnExpress

Italys OVS midrange fashion brand will open its first outlet in Ho Chi Minh City this weekend.

ACFC, distributor of IPP Group, a major Vietnamese fashion retailer, has confirmed that they are introducing the OVS brand in Vietnam.

OVS is a popular fashion brand in Europe. In Italy, the brand has 15 percent of the market share in the country's children aged 0-14 segment.

The companys products range is geared towards consumers of all ages. Its collection stretches from bold, urban looks, to elegant, formal office attire. At the same time, the OVS price tag targets the mass consumer segment.

An increasing middle-class population has made Vietnam a magnet for international fast fashion brands, industry insiders have noted.

The middle and affluent class, categorized as those earning $714 a month or more, would double to 33 million, about a third of the population, between 2014 and 2020, the Nikkei Asian Review reported recently, citing a study by the Boston Consulting Group.

Market research firm Nielsen estimates the number of middle and affluent class Vietnamese will reach 44 million by 2020 and 95 million by 2030.

By late 2017, there were some 200 international fashion brands, including Zara, H&M, Stradivarius, Pull & Bear and Massimo Dutti, in Vietnam, accounting for more than 60 percent of the market share.

A survey released in October last year by market research firm Q&Me showed fashion items topping online purchases in Vietnam, followed by IT products, cosmetics, food and beverage, and books and stationery.

According to Statista, a database portal of statistics, consumer survey results and industry studies, the apparel market will be worth $2.74 billion this year and is set to grow at 7.7 percent annually until 2021.
A beach in Cam Ranh Bay in the central province of Khanh Hoa. Photo by VnExpress/Ruahayxin

Bangkok Airways will launch next month a direct route from the Thai capital to Vietnams central coastal town of Cam Ranh.

The Bangkok-based airline plans to operate four return flights each week on the 144-seater Airbus A319 aircraft from January 25, 2019.

Each flight will take around two hours.

Bangkok Airways will be the only airline in Vietnam providing direct flights from Thailand to Cam Ranh. The new service will be the airlines fourth route to Vietnam, after Da Nang, Phu Quoc and Hanoi.

The new route comes soon after the Cam Ranh International Airport put into operation in June its $163 million international passenger terminal, which can handle four million passengers per year and will be expanded to increase capacity in the coming time, according to authorities.

The airport receives more than 30 international flights per day now. By the end of this year, it is forecast to serve 4.8 million international air passengers.

Cam Ranh, an hour south of its much busier sister Nha Trang in the central province of Khanh Hoa, has become a popular beach destination in Vietnam.

Vietnam attracted a record 14 million foreign tourists in the first 11 months of this year, up 21 percent year-on-year. Thai tourists accounted for 14 percent of the total.
A month after iron nails were found scattered on Vietnams longest sea-crossing bridge, the man who did it has been apprehended.

Police in Hai Phong City Friday detained a 20-year old mechanic for scattering the 5cm iron nails.

The arrest happened around a month after many drivers complained about a pile of 5cm-long nails scattered along a section of the Tan Vu - Lach Huyen Bridge in the city, two hours east of Hanoi.

Le Trung Hieu, 20, the owner of a motorbike garage near the bridge was identified as the culprit. Police said he was a drug addict.

Le Trung Hieu, 20, is held at police station for scattering 1.5 kg of iron nails along the Tan Lach-Vu Huyen Bridge in Hai Phong City. Photo by Hai Phong Police.



They said Hieu scattered 1.5 kg of iron nails along the bridge early last month so that drivers would get their flat tires fixed at his shop.

Hieu admitted to the police that six motorbike drivers have fallen for his nail trap and he charged them between VND20,000 ($0.85) and VND90,000 (3.86) for repair services.

About 1.5 kg of iron nails found in the bridge.

This is not the first time that the nail trap is being deployed in Vietnam.

The management unit of the bridge project said it was planning to install more cameras on both sides of the bridge to prevent miscreants from endangering drivers, and also deploy a rescue vehicle to help those in need.

The Tan Vu - Lach Huyen Bridge spans 5.4 km (3.4 miles) and has four lanes. It is part of the $523 million Tan Vu - Lach Huyen road project, which spans 15.6 km and connects the Hanoi - Hai Phong expressway to the Lach Huyen international sea port in Hai Phong's Cat Hai District.
Le Ngoc Huyen, 18, and Le Minh Hieu, 19, are held at police station for snatching a South Korean couple's cell phone in the city center Thursday night. Photo by VnExpress/Quoc Thang

Saigon police have detained two Vietnamese men allegedly seen snatching a South Korean couple's cell phone in the city center Thursday night.

Le Ngoc Huyen, 18, and Le Minh Hieu, 19, were cruising the popular backpacker precinct in District 1 on a motorbike when they saw a South Korean couple sitting on motorbike on the sidewalk of Pham Ngu Lao Street. The woman, sitting behind, was using her cell phone.

They sped up and grabbed the phone from 31-year-old Park So Yeon's hand.

Police officers who were tailing the suspects gave chase and caught the two thieves.

After being robbed, the foreign couple left the scene. Police are seeking the South Korean couple to return the stolen phone to them.

Police are seeking the Korean couple to return the stolen phone to them. Photo courtesy of Ho Chi Minh City Police

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnams largest metropolis, is one of the most visited destinations in the country, with seven million foreigners arriving in the first 11 months of 2018.

Recently, Saigon police arrested two men who disguised themselves as women and tricked a Canadian man to join them on their motorbike to celebrate Vietnams AFF Suzuki Cup win. They took him into an alley near the backpacker area and grabbed his phone, but were caught.
In Hanoi, Xmas is a popular cultural celebration

Christmas is around the corner, and Hanoians are set to celebrate it both as a religious festival and a new cultural tradition.

In Vietnam, a predominantly Buddhist nation, Christmas is not an official public holiday. For most people, it is just another normal day, no one gets a day off. But mass marketing has ensured that most offices celebrate the event with Xmas trees and gifts, many families have adopted the habit of giving gifts to their children through Santa Clauses that deliver them. People wear Santa hats and go out to enjoy the Xmas atmosphere, with downtown streets glittering with lights as shopping malls and other establishments put up fancy decorations and offer festival discounts. In the capital city Hanoi, nowhere is the Xmas spirit more pronounced than at the famous St. Josephs Cathedral, where decorations are already up, with neon lights, big Christmas trees and stars. The Cathedral is especially beautiful at this time of the year, attracting thousands of people, particularly in the night.

To the right of the cathedral, Adrian and Sven are soaking atmosphere in, drinking Hanoi beer. Theyve came all the way from Germany for a new Christmas experience. "Christmas in Vietnam feels a little bit artificial to me. Sure, I can feel the atmosphere here but theres something unnatural about it," Adrian said.

"Well probably end up in Da Nang by Christmas. It would be cool to spend Christmas in a tropical country," Sven said. Stuart, an Australian, is also here for the sun and a different Xmas experience.

"I dont know where Ill be on Christmas Day, but Im sure that it will be here in Vietnam. My plan is to go across the country, starting from Hanoi to cities like Hue and Hoi An and my final stop will be Ho Chi Minh City. Ill spend about two and a half weeks here," Stuart said, enjoying his beer on Ta Hien Street. Kate, an American, is not all that excited. She thinks it is just another ordinary day. "Ive worked here for two years and like every year, I have no plan for Christmas this year. I might just go and grab dinner with my friends on that day. I dont think that its necessary to celebrate Christmas here." Unlike Kate, Edward from Australia is enjoying his holidays in Vietnam with his daughters Miranda and Elisa. His plan for Christmas is a bit different. "Sapa. Thats where we will be on Christmas Day. My family will still have a Christmas dinner but this time in a restaurant there," Edward said as he waiting for a barbeque stick he ordered.

"When I come here I can see the spirit of Christmas in the air, like in that corner of the street, where there are so many stores selling decorations and gifts that make the street turn red," he added. The street that Edward was talking about is Hang Ma Street, where many businesses sell elaborate decorations. On this street, at this time of the year, Hanhs store is filled with Christmas goods that she imports from other countries. She said that they sell very well.

"I started selling these Christmas goods two weeks ago, and have no trouble selling them. Many people buy gifts, decorations or just simply a Santa hat, just to feel the Christmas spirit, from students to married couples, from Vietnamese to foreigners," she said.

Not just on Hang Ma Street, the spirit of Christmas is also tapped by big hotels, shopping malls, restaurants and department stores.

Back at the St. Josephs Cathedral, its not as crowded as it was in the early afternoon, but in the evening, people will fill up the place to take pictures and get into the spirit of Christmas. Nhan, a 30-year-old Hanoi resident, is busy taking pictures here before it gets crowded. He wants to capture the church without too many people around. "I think Christmas Eve is more important than Christmas Day here. Although Christmas is not an official holiday in Vietnam, you can see that every year on December 24 night, people here will celebrate Christmas although many of them are not Christians." Because for the most part, Christmas in Vietnam is a curiosity rather than religious holiday," Nhan said. "But as they keep saying on TV, its the most wonderful time of the year, so we should enjoy it, right?"
Da Nang is famous for its golden beaches. Photo by VnExpress/Nguyen Dong

Qatar Airways has launched its first direct flight between the Qatari capital Doha and Vietnam's central coastal city and tourist hub Da Nang.

Nguyen Xuan Binh, deputy head of Da Nang's tourism department, said the air route would provide an impetus to the citys tourism by bringing more Middle Eastern visitors.

Qatar Airways has been operating 10 direct flights to Ho Chi Minh City a week since 2007, and in 2010 began a twice-weekly direct service to Hanoi.

The airline will operate four flights a week to Da Nang using Boeing 787-8 aircraft with 22 business class seats and 232 in economy.

Akbar Al Baker, Qatar Airways group chief executive, said Da Nang is an attractive destination for European tourists and the new route would bring more international visitors to the city.

Qatar Airways network covers 150 destinations worldwide, and this is also expected to enable Da Nang to get more visitors from Western Europe and North America.

Da Nang has a spectacular coastline, luxurious resorts and people with a well-earned reputation for friendliness besides proximity to a slew of heritage sites like the ancient town of Hoi An, the former imperial city of Hue and the world-famous Son Doong Cave.

Da Nang's tourism department said tourist arrivals in the city could reach 7.6 million in 2018, up 15.5 percent year-on-year. Of these, more than 2.8 million are international arrivals.

The city is expected to welcome 8.9 million tourists in 2019, up 6.9 percent, the department said.
Italian company supplies equipment to occupied Crimea bypassing EU sanctions - media

The supply of equipment to the illegally annexed peninsula is a violation of European legislation.

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U.S. Department of State planning to provide $10 million to Ukraine in response to Kerch Strait incident

The United States will provide an additional $10 million to Ukraine in response to the incident near the Kerch Strait, U.S. Department of State Deputy Spokesperson Robert Palladino has said.

He said: "In response to Russias dangerous escalation and unjustified November 25 attack on three Ukrainian naval vessels near the Kerch Strait, the Department of State, subject to Congressional approval, will provide an additional $10 million in Foreign Military Financing to further build Ukraines naval capabilities."

"We do so in solidarity with Lithuania and the United Kingdom, also planning to increase their security assistance to Ukraine," Palladino said.

He called on Russia to immediately return to Ukraine the seized vessels and detained Ukrainian crews, to keep the Kerch Strait and the Sea of Azov open to ships transiting to and from Ukrainian ports, and to respect Ukraines sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders, extending to its territorial waters.
ICRC send more than 150 tonnes of humanitarian aid to occupied territories in Donbas  border guards

KYIV. Dec 22 (Interfax-Ukraine)  More than 150 tonnes of humanitarian aid from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has been sent through the Novotroitske checkpoint to the temporarily occupied territory in Donbas, the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine has said.

"Eight trucks carrying humanitarian aid from the International Committee of the Red Cross have proceeded through the Novotroitske checkpoint to the temporarily occupied territory," the border guards said in a statement on December 22 morning.

According to the statement, all the trucks carried over 150 tonnes of various cargo, including hygienic items, food, and medicines.
Interfax-Ukraine to host press conference "Special project 'Portraits of the Regions:' Results, summary, comparative analysis"

On Wednesday, December 26, at 13.30, the press center of the Interfax-Ukraine news agency will host a press conference entitled "Special project 'Portraits of the Regions:' Results, summary, comparative analysis of the regions."

Participants are head of the Sociological Group "Rating" Oleksiy Antypovich; Deputy Director of the Sociological Group "Rating" Liubomyr Mysiv, Director of the Interfax-Ukraine News Agency Oleksandr Martynenko (8/5a, Reitarskaya Street).

Registration requires press accreditation. Additional information by phone: +38 (044) 254 3693, (044) 254 3694, www.ratinggroup.ua.
KYIV. Dec 22 (Interfax-Ukraine)  Yuliya Tymoshenko, leader of the All-Ukrainian Union Batkivschyna (Fatherland) party, and incumbent President Petro Poroshenko will compete in the second round of the 2019 presidential elections, Vadym Karasiov, director of the Institute for Global Strategies, has said. "If we are talking about my forecast, then I think Tymoshenko and Poroshenko will meet in the second round This year Yuliya Tymoshenko has been wearing the yellow jersey. In this year, the incumbent president and his party machinethe Petro Poroshenko's Blochave been trying to catch up with Batkivschyna so that they could level up the chances and get access to the second round," Karasiov told a press conference at the Kyiv-based Interfax-Ukraine news agency on December 21. He said for the time being Poroshenko has failed to secure a place for himself in the second round of the presidential elections, and the chances are high for many politicians to get there, in particular, Civil Position party leader Anatoliy Hrytsenko, Opposition Platform  For Life leader Yuriy Boiko, and actor Volodymyr Zelensky. "On the one hand, Zelensky can be liked as a politician and as a person. I am not talking about his artistic talents; however, you should understand whether he has a team. Every day he has to respond to challenges and not to allow for new ones If he wins the presidential elections, he will not be able to be a good president, he is not ready for this yet," Karasiov said. In his turn, Kostiantyn Matviyenko, an expert of the Gardarica strategic consulting corporation said that for Ukrainian politics, such lengthy support for the leader of the Batkivschyna party has been unprecedented. "All the previous elections to local self-governance bodies have shown significant support for the Batkivschyna party, and as such for the leader of that partyYuliya Tymoshenko. It will be fair to say that for the entire 2018 she has been a leader, and this leadership has a trend to grow further," he said. Viktor Nebozhenko, head of the Ukrainian Barometer sociological service, could not say whether Tymoshenko will be able to retain her leadership position in the presidential ratings. "She has been a leader in the presidential race, which has been growing harsher and harsher At present, it is hard to say whether she will be able to keep up with the pace," he said.
In an unprecedented comment, the Friday Prayer Leader of Isfahan, central Iran, has suggested that paying taxes to the government should be "conditional".

"The amount of tax paid by the people of Isfahan is equal to the amount of the tax paid by the people of eleven small provinces of Iran; therefore, if the government expects to receive tax from Isfahanis, it should spend it where the tax comes from", asserted Ayatollah Yousef Tababaei-Nezhad.

Meanwhile, Tabatabaei-Nezhad, who is directly appointed by the Islamic Republic's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, called upon the representatives of Isfahan to Majles (parliament) to reconsider their recent decision to boycott attending the parliament sessions.

Nineteen MPs from Isfahan province refused to attend a parliamentary session last Sunday, December 16, to protest President Hassan Rouhani's failure in keeping its promise to revive Isfahan's lifeline, Zayandeh Rood river, which has recently been dried up.

The MPs are also protesting the elimination of money allocated to water projects in Isfahan from the next year budget.

Isfahan has witnesses large and at times violent protests this year by farmers who have been deprived of their traditional water resources.

Speaking at last Friday Prayer ceremony, Ayatollah Tabatabaei-Nezhad defended the MPs position, insisting, "We supported them for they have relayed the voice of the people of Isfahan to the authorities, and ultimately, it led the president to issue an executive order for the establishment of the Zayandeh Rud river revival headquarters."

Furthermore, Tabatabaei-Nezhad reiterated that the newly established headquarters will address the problem of water shortage that tens of thousands of farmers in eastern parts of Isfahan are suffering from.

Presenting the new headquarters as "cure-all medicine" for Isfahan's tribulations, the hardline Ayatollah said, addressing the problem of water shortage will also lead to setting up the infrastructure needed for promoting tourism in Isfahan.

"Allocating the tax paid by the people of Isfahan to local projects will reactivate all industries, whereas we are currently witnessing their day-by day downfall," Tabatabaei-Nezhad lamented.

Earlier in 2016, the black-turbaned Ayatollah had claimed that the act of women taking pictures of themselves by Zayandeh Rood river was sin that contributed to water drying up.

Isfahan has been recently the scene of widespread demonstrations against transferring water from the province's resources to the neighboring areas.

In a report published on March 11, the state-run news agency, Mehr, quoted ultraconservative MP Hassan Kamran-Dastjerdi as complaining about the government diverting water from Isfahan to a neighboring province. He noted that the farmers, who had been working on the land along the Zayandeh Rood river for centuries, are frustrated with the governments water mismanagement.

In an unprecedented move on March 16, frustrated farmers stormed the city of Isfahan Friday Prayer's compound and turned their backs to the podium in an expression of anger and dissatisfaction.

Video footage of the protests also showed the farmers chanting, Turning our backs to the enemy, our faces to the motherland.

Protesting farmers also slammed President Hassan Rouhani and the state-run Radio and TV with a series of vitriolic slogans, citing mismanagement of water resources.

The farmers' protests against drought and water mismanagement have frequently led to violent clashes between demonstrators and security forces.

Moreover, farmers from eastern parts of Isfahan have repeatedly smashed the pipes transferring water to Yazd, engaging in bloody clashes with security forces.
An influential official in Iran claims that the U.S. intends to "provoke chaos and rebellion" in Iran by weakening the value of its national currency, the rial, and then, "use human rights as an excuse" to interfere in the country's internal affairs.

In a speech cited by a website run by his close allies on December 21, the former Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Chief Commander, Major General Mohsen Rezaee maintained that President Donald Trump, "by provoking Israel and Saudi Arabia" against Tehran, has made the Middle East his priority, placing Iran at the top of his list.

Rezaee is currently the secretary of the Islamic Republic's influential Expediency Discernment Council (EDC), a conservative watchdog.

The conservative website, Tabnak, also quoted Rezaee as saying, "Washington has decided to "pave the way" for the "surrender of the Islamic Republic's regime, through imposing new sanctions on Iran.

Following President Trump's withdrawal from Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) or Tehran's nuclear deal with world powers, and re-imposition of Washington's sanctions on the Islamic Republic last May, the value of the rial, has dramatically dropped and the country is facing multiple economic problems.

"They (U.S.A.) intends to force Iranian factories to close down, drag the government to a point that it would be incapable of paying salaries to its employees, and create chaos and rebellion," Rezaee claimed, adding, "Then, the hypocrites (exiled dissident group, Mujahedin Khalq Organization [MKO]) would step in followed by U.S. intervention, using human rights issues as an excuse."

Rezaee has not elaborated on "U.S. intervention", but apparently, he meant a "military intervention".
First version posted at 18:16, Dec. 21

Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 21

Trend:

The Congress of the Azerbaijani Community of the Nagorno-Karabakh Region Public Union has disseminated an appeal, Trend reports with reference to the Union Dec. 21.

The appeal reads that the wave of Armenian separatism, which began in the late 80s of the last century in the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, contributed to a conflict on ethnic grounds, expulsion of compatriots from the originally Azerbaijani lands in Armenia and from the Nagorno-Karabakh region, occupation of 20 percent of Azerbaijani territories - the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven adjacent districts as a result of military aggression against Azerbaijan by Armenia.

This wave also contributed to the policy of ethnic cleansing in these territories, and as a result, over one million Azerbaijanis became refugees and IDPs, according to the appeal.

From the first days of the conflict that is lasting for 30 years, Armenia, while still in the Soviet Union, started to openly put forward territorial claims to the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region of Azerbaijan and to actively support separatism accompanied by violence and terror against the local Azerbaijani population, reads the appeal. At the same time, the Armenian side made a number of illegal decisions with the aim of unilaterally separating the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region from Azerbaijan and joining it to Armenia.

However, during the Soviet period, on Jan. 10, 1990, the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR adopted a resolution On incompatibility of acts on Nagorno-Karabakh adopted by the Supreme Soviet of the Armenian SSR on Dec.1, 1989 and Jan. 9, 1990 with the USSR Constitution, declaring the annexation of Nagorno-Karabakh by Armenia without Azerbaijans permission as illegal, the appeal reads.

All these facts demonstrate that back at that time, it was confirmed at the highest constitutional level that the unilateral secession of Nagorno-Karabakh without Azerbaijans permission contradicts the law of the USSR, says the appeal.

Therefore, after Azerbaijan gained independence, Nagorno-Karabakh, according to the laws of that period, was recognized as an integral part of Azerbaijan, the Union said.

Despite all this, Armenia, by grossly violating the UN Charter, the norms and principles of international law, started an open war against Azerbaijan, occupied the Nagorno-Karabakh region, including seven adjacent districts of Azerbaijan, reads the appeal. In the occupied territories, Armenia carried out ethnic cleansing against the Azerbaijani population, including in Nagorno-Karabakh."

"The 80,000 people Azerbaijani community of Nagorno-Karabakh has been forced to live for about 30 years as IDPs in various Azerbaijani districts. The world community and international organizations recognize Azerbaijans territorial integrity and support fair settlement of the conflict in accordance with international norms."

The appeal noted that Armenia, while maintaining the status quo based on the occupation, pursues an annexation policy in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, including Nagorno-Karabakh, and seeks to intentionally present these actions as "self-determination of peoples".

"To this end, Armenia attempts to deny the existence of the Azerbaijani community of Nagorno-Karabakh, destroys the material and cultural heritage of the Azerbaijani people in Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding areas. The right to self-determination of peoples, which is one of the highest principles of international law, in no way implies a violation of the rights of other peoples, committing violence. Fundamental human rights and freedom are universal and should equally apply to all humanity without discrimination. In accordance with OSCE documents, despite Armenia and Azerbaijan are parties in resolving the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict, the Azerbaijani and Armenian communities of Nagorno-Karabakh are identified as interested parties. As part of a just settlement of the conflict, Armenian troops should be withdrawn from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, forced migrants, including the Azerbaijani population of the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan should be provided with a safe and dignified return to Nagorno-Karabakh and use of their civil rights," the appeal reads.

"The Azerbaijani community calls on the international community, in particular the OSCE Minsk Group co-chair countries to increase their efforts to contribute to the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict and to maintain contacts between the Azerbaijani and Armenian communities of the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan."

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 22

Trend:

President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev congratulated President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev on the occasion of his birthday.

"I am confident that your long-term experience in high state activity and tireless efforts towards improving well-being of your people will continue to contribute significantly to prosperity and sustainable development of Azerbaijan."

"I believe that centuries-old traditional ties of friendship between Astana and Baku will develop dynamically in a brotherly atmosphere based on strategic partnership for the sake of well-being of the peoples of our two countries."

"Dear Ilham Heydar oglu, taking this opportunity, I wish you the best of health, inexhaustible energy, new successes in your responsible state office, and the brotherly people of Azerbaijan peace and prosperity," Nazarbayev's letter reads.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 22

Trend:

Head of the Republic of Dagestan of the Russian Federation Vladimir Vasilyev has sent a congratulatory letter to President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev on the occasion of his birthday.

"I extend my heartfelt congratulations to you on the occasion of your birthday. You are the example of a successful statesman and guarantor of stability and prosperity of the Republic of Azerbaijan."

"It is due to your wisdom, farsightedness and vision that the Republic of Azerbaijan has become a dynamically developing state. I am confident that based on centuries-old ties of friendship and mutual respect, the sincere and good neighborly relations between the Republic of Dagestan of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Azerbaijan will continue to expand to the benefit of our two peoples."

"Accept, dear Ilham Heydar oglu, my best wishes for your health, well-being and new success in achieving the goals for the sake of prosperity of the Republic of Azerbaijan," Vasilyev's letter reads.

President of the Marmara Group Strategic and Social Research Foundation Akkan Suver also congratulated President Aliyev.

"On the occasion of your birthday, I offer you my most sincere congratulations on behalf of the Marmara Group Foundation and on my own behalf."

"I wish you and your family strong health, happiness and new success in your tireless activities for the progress of brotherly Azerbaijan."

"I congratulate Your Excellency on your birthday once again and express my most respect to you," Suver's congratulatory letter reads.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 22

By Elnur Baghishov - Trend:

In the first seven months of the current Iranian year (started March 21), Iran exported goods worth over $5.379 billion to China, Trend reports referring to Tehran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines & Agriculture (TCCIM).

Iran's exports to China during the period included liquefied propane, methanol, ethylene glycol, polyethylene terephthalate, gas condensate, butane, p-xylene, carbamide (urea), styrene, sulfur, isoprene and polystyrene.

During the period, Iran's exports to China weighed over 1,659,328 tons.

Most of the goods (worth $2.77 million) were exported through Pars Special Economic Energy Zone, which is located in Iran's Asaluyeh County.
Qualcomm and Apple have been litigating back and forth for some time, with the former obtaining a

in China a few weeks ago. Now the District Court of Munich

Apple with two permanent injunctions affecting all iPhone models form the 7, 8 and X series (case No. 7 O 10495/17 and 7 O 10496/17). The judgment effectively prohibits the sale of all iPhones from these series in Germany and also finds Apple liable for damages.





Kat with an iPhone Qualcomm asserted that Apple used a microchip built by Qorvo in the affected phones, which infringed Qualcomms European Patent 2 724 461 (low-voltage power efficient envelope tracker).





While it is generally upon the claimant to prove infringement by the defendant, Qualcomm argued it was impossible for them to know exactly how the Qorvo chip worked. Qualcomm had, however, provided a teardown-report that was generated by reverse engineering the chip from an iPhone. The Court found that due to factual and procedural reasons, this was sufficient to prove an infringement by Apple. According to the judges, it was up to Apple to counter Qualcomms assertion by describing in detail how the Qorvo chip worked without infringing Qualcomms patent. Apple claimed they could not provide such details, because doing so would endanger Qorvos confidentiality interests.





This led the court to take Qualcomms assertion for granted, that the Qorvo chip worked in a way that infringed Qualcomms patent. As a result, Apple was ordered to stop selling devices with the "infringing" chip, to provide details about the sales of the affected iPhone models and to pay damages to Qualcomm.





[to this GuestKat's knowledge, this is the highest security ever asked for by a German court] The judgments can theoretically be enforced before they become final but, in order to do so, Qualcomm must provide security in both cases. Looking at the potential effects of enforcing the judgment, the court ordered Qualcomm to pay a security of EUR 668 Million  in each case!





Qualcomm has announced it will pay the security in a matter of days, while Apple has announced it will appeal the judgments.




Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 22

By Elnur Baghishov  Trend:

During the first seven months of this Iranian year, goods worth more than $6.57 billion ($6,578,234,245) were imported from China to Iran, Trend reports referring to the Tehran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture.

During the period, car parts, various electrodes, ceramics, tractor spare parts, compressors, pipes used in oil and gas sector, steel and cast iron products and so on were imported from China to Iran.

The goods were imported through Shahid Rajaee Port ($3,413,411,914), Imam Khomeini Port ($427,634,957), Imam Khomeini International Airport ($318,053,264), Bushehr Special Economic Zone ($263,334,704), Sirjan Tehran Transit and Import Zone ($155,498,442).

The goods were also imported through Arvand Free Trade Zone ($146,673,806), Tehran Transit and Import Zone ($141,691,986), West Tehran ($119,400,219), Chabahar Free Trade Zone ($109,114,308), Qazvin ($107,550,286), Shahr-e Kord ($66,471,388), Payam Special Economic Zone ($38,421,164), Qom ($37,185,852).

Also, the goods were imported through Kaveh Special Economic Zone ($32,166,559), Sahlan ($28,118,921), Isfahan ($24,622,971), Julfa ($22,804,461), Qeshm ($21,534,816), Salafchegan Special Economic Zone ($17,327,444), Yazd ($11,433,670), Kish Island ($10,153,615).

The goods were also imported through Shiraz Special Economic Zone ($9,704,237), Lenge Port ($9,421,540), Mashhad ($8,957,825), Bojnord ($7,838,202), Arak ($7,554,324), Anzali Free Trade Zone ($6,684,272), Zanjan ($6,623,851), Kermanshah ($6,456,887), Saveh ($5,435,883), Mobarakeh Steel Plant ($5,214,062), Khorramabad ($4,996,004), Bazargan ($4,570,661), Astara ($4,227,987), Nowshahr Special Economic Zone ($3,863,217), Hamadan ($3,663,508) Semnan ($3,135,930), Urmia ($2,390,906), Yazd Special Economic Zone ($2,194,773), Ardabil ($1,983,574), Abadan ($1,746,653), Amirabad ($1,659,671), Assaluyeh Special Economic Zone ($1,563,445), Bushehr Special Economic Zone ($1,010,192), Sarakhs ($969,118), Incheburun ($930,006), Kerman ($839,558), Tabriz ($829,426), Chabahar ($806,268), Shiraz International Airport ($506,268), Rafsanjan Special Economic Zone ($441,123), Lorestan Special Economic Zone ($306,472), Khoy ($224,193), Sanandaj ($211,856), Piranshahr ($89,947), Birjand ($49,474), Deylam ($32,697) and Rig ($27,384).
Tehran, Iran, Dec. 22

Trend:

Iran and Turkey have agreed to create joint committees for water affair and other related cooperation on power resources.

Iran's Energy Minister Reza Ardakanian held a meeting with Turkey's Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Bekir Pakdemirli in Ankara, Trend reports citing ILNA.

The two signed a Memorandum of Understanding to create a joint committee for water cooperation and agreed to exchange data and technology and to run bilateral and multilateral cooperation on affairs of the Araz trans-boundary river and border waters.

Ardakanian also had a meeting with Turkey's Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Fatih Donmez during the 5th Meeting of High Council for Iran-Turkey Strategic Cooperation.

"Turkey seeks to increase the electricity trade from the current 600 megawatts to 1,050 megawatts until 2020," Ardakanian said.

The two officials agreed to form a joint committee in electricity and power transfer, renewable energy plants and electricity market in ECO region.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 22

By Huseyn Hasanov, Rashid Shirinov  Trend:

Turkmenistan supports the initiative of the International Road Transport Union to create the Modal Highway for Central Asia with access to Turkey, and is ready to provide the most effective support for the implementation of this project, Trend reports with reference to the Neutral Turkmenistan newspaper.

Ashgabat also calls for activating, within the framework of the UN Economic Commission for Europe and the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, the discussion of various aspects of creating the Afghanistan-Turkmenistan-Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey transport corridor.

At the same time, Turkmenistan is ready to act as an active partner and participant of the TRACECA program, since the formation of the western transport corridor from Central Asia plays a huge role in the context of the implementation of the goals to revive the Great Silk Road and connect the two economic poles of Eurasia on qualitatively new criteria. Turkmenistan has repeatedly become the host of major forums on the above topics.

These include the International High-Level Conference and the 1st Global Sustainable Transport Conference organized under the auspices of the UN, which were held in Ashgabat in September 2014 and November 2016.

Moreover, the 9th annual meeting of the CAREC Federation of Carrier and Forwarder Associations was held in Ashgabat in September. Issues of cooperation in logistics, optimization of customs procedures and tariffs were put on the agenda of the meeting.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec.22

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. 22

By Rashid Shirinov  Trend:

The National Economy Ministry of Kazakhstan is carrying out large-scale work to attract investments in the sphere of natural monopolies, including in the housing and public utilities sector, Minister Timur Suleimenov said in the Parliament, Trend reports with reference to the Kazakh media.

"This will allow attracting investments in the amount of 2.2 trillion tenge in the sphere of natural monopolies until 2021, including about 1.3 trillion tenge in the housing and public utilities sector," he said.

Suleimenov added that investments in the amount of 1.02 trillion tenge were attracted over the past 3 years, including 684 billion tenge of investments in the housing and public utilities sector.

The minister also said that investments of international financial organizations are actively attracted within the framework of the new tariff policy.

"Over the past 2 years, 19.6 billion tenge have been attracted from international financial organizations. At the end of 2017, the average depreciation of the infrastructure was no longer 66, but 64.9 percent," Suleimenov said.

(372.49 KZT = 1 USD on Dec. 20)

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Follow the author on Twitter: @ShirinovRashid
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 22

By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend:

Some 89,626 real estate properties were sold in Turkey in November 2018, which is 27 percent less compared to the same month in 2017, Trend reports referring to the Turkish Statistical Institute (TUIK).

During the period, 16,058 real estate properties were sold in Istanbul, 7,834 properties in Ankara, and 4,773 properties in Izmir, the message said.

"The remaining 60,961 real estate properties fall to the share of other cities," the TUIK message read.

During the reported period, 4,672 real estate properties were sold to foreigners in Turkey, which is 117.1 percent more compared to the same month in 2017.

"In November 2018, foreigners purchased 1,922 real estate properties in Istanbul and 797 properties in Antalya. The remaining 1,953 real estate properties purchased by foreigners fell to the share of other Turkish cities," the message said.

The message also noted that in November, the Iraqi citizens acquired 1,003 real estate properties in Turkey, and the citizens of Iran purchased 463 properties.

"The remaining 3,206 real estate properties fall to the share of citizens of other countries," the TUIK message read.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec.22

By Leman Zeynalova  Trend:

Brent price has dropped by 12 percent this week, as fears over excess supply in the market mounted, Trend reports citing the UK-based Capital Economics consulting company.

Perhaps in response, OPEC+ announced that it will set production quotas for each member ahead of January, when the supply cuts come into effect. Our forecast of softer growth in oil consumption points to a surplus in the oil market by end-2019, which should keep prices low, said a report from the company.

The price of oil plunged again this week but, while Capital Economics is negative on the outlook for 2019.

We think that the latest falls are being driven more by bearish investor sentiment than fundamentals. After all, OPEC+ appears to be serious about its output cuts, announcing this week that it will publish individual country quotas. That said, this additional effort to boost confidence in the cuts reeks a little of desperation in the face of collapsing prices, said the report.

Elsewhere, most other commodity markets are ending 2018 on a subdued note, primarily reflecting concerns about global growth prospects in 2019, according to Capital Economics.

We share these concerns and, for the most part, expect prices to ease back next year, said the report.

The 5th OPEC and non-OPEC Ministerial Meeting was held in Vienna, Austria, on December 7, 2018.

The meeting participants decided to adjust the overall production by 1.2 million barrels per day, effective as of January 2019 for an initial period of six months. The contributions from OPEC and the voluntary contributions from non-OPEC participating countries of the Declaration of Cooperation will correspond to 0.8 million barrels per day (2.5 percent), and 0.4 million barrels per day (2 percent), respectively.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_Zeyn
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec.22

By Leman Zeynalova  Trend:

An administrative contract for direct grant awarding was signed between the Project Company ICGB AD and the Managing Authority of the Operational Program "Innovation and Competitiveness" 2014-2020 for the project "Construction of Gas Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria amounting to 39 million euros, Trend reports citing ICGB AD.

With the signing of the administrative agreement between the beneficiary and the OPIC Managing Authority is achieved the milestone for 2018 under the program - approval of a major project. With the achievement of this goal, as well as with the conclusion of the loan agreement with the EIB, the final steps have been taken to secure the necessary funding for the IGB project, said the message from the project company.

Granting additional funding is a key step in the implementation of the project and a fundamental condition for ensuring the competitiveness of the project and reaching market tariff levels, according to the company.

IGB is a gas pipeline, which will allow Bulgaria to receive Azerbaijani gas, in particular, the gas produced from Azerbaijan's Shah Deniz 2 gas and condensate field. IGB is expected to be connected to TAP via which gas from the Shah Deniz field will be delivered to the European markets.

The initial capacity of IGB will be 3 billion cubic meters of gas.

Follow the author on Twitter:@Lyaman_Zeyn
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 22

By Sara Israfilbayova - Trend:

The Black Sea Trade and Development Bank (BSTDB) is interested in issuing bonds in the national currency of Azerbaijan, the manat, President of BSTDB Dmitry Pankin said in an exclusive interview with Trend.

Pankin noted that the bank already has a similar experience, for example, in neighboring Georgia, which allows commercial banks to lend to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

He stressed the need to develop lending in local currency in Azerbaijan. In his opinion, the main problems of the Azerbaijani banks are related to the fact that their obligations were in US dollars and euros, and the loans issued were in local currency.

"As a result, after the devaluation [in February and December 2015], banks started to have problems," he said. "If the structure of assets and liabilities was in one currency, there wouldnt be such problems."

Other international financial organizations are also showing interest in issuing bonds in manats. For example, the EBRD has repeatedly stated about such plans, and this year it issued the first loan in manats.

Interest in the issue of manat bonds was recently shown by the Asian Development Bank as well. In an interview with Trend, Vice President of Bank Wencai Zhang had noted that the first round of talks on this issue was held in September this year.

Lending and development of SMEs in Azerbaijan is one of the priorities of the government. One of the strategic roadmaps adopted in December 2016 was also related to the development of entrepreneurship at the level of SMEs.

Its implementation will increase Azerbaijans GDP by about 1.26 billion manats by 2020. Also, the SME Development Agency was created in the country, and special houses operating on the principle of a "single window" will operate under this agency.

The BSTDB was established by Azerbaijan, Albania, Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, Moldova, Armenia, Romania, Turkey, Ukraine and Russia. The banks authorized capital is 3.45 billion euros.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @IsrafilbekovaS
Tehran, Iran, Dec. 22

Tend:

China's Kunlun Bank, which, according to Iranian officials, resumed banking relations with Iran last week, in a letter seen by Trend, describes the conditions for establishing these banking relations.

Kunlun Bank's notice on resuming humanitarian and non-sanctioned business:

"With the confirmation from related authorities, and considering the long term cooperation relationship with Iranian banks, to facilitate bilateral trade between China and Iran, as designated Chinese bank under SRE (Significant Reduction Exemption), we hereby inform your good bank that our bank is able to resume business cooperation with Iranian banks, which are not subject to secondary sanction by OFAC."

However, Kunlun Bank, said, according to the OFAC provisions regarding the sanctions on Iran, the future business needs to conform with the following conditions: all transactions should be subject to SRE; only humanitarian goods and non-sanctioned goods or services for bilateral trade between Iran and China are acceptable.

The above policies are temporary, which are subject to the SRE waivers for China valid until Apr. 30, 2019.

According to the OFAC provisions, Iran's automotive sector, petrochemical products, energy, shipping and shipbuilding sector and port operators, graphite, raw and semi-finished metals, such as aluminum and steel, and software for integrating industrial processes are sanctioned.
The Legal Medical Marijuana Guns Travesty

By George Devinney, Guest Contributor. December 21st, 2018

This is a travesty that has been present as a legal hot potato for some years, and more so now since further states have legalized marijuana for medical purposes (leaving aside for now so called recreational use), due to the federal categorization of anything containing THC (Cannabis) as a Schedule One (an unlawful substance) drug. Because of this continuing designation any user, however state legal, cannot concurrently use and still retain legal firearm ownership. Medical marijuana card spells trouble.

As an ongoing situation it is beyond ridiculous when, as is well proven, medical marijuana has genuine and valuable therapeutic uses for a variety of conditions, including for example pain management in cancer cases, seizures, MS, and more.

Claims have been made that marijuana use is linked to violence (evidence is far from conclusive) - arguably though, and perhaps looking at the other side of the coin, deprivation of this as an effective therapy could even well be in itself seen as a potential precursor to violence due to frustration, suffering and desperation.

From - fee.org:

On an April afternoon in 2018, Dr. Matthew Roman and a friend drove together to a Philadelphia gun store, Firing Lane Inc. Seeking to purchase a firearm for home defense, Roman walked up to a clerk and asked to see a Smith and Wesson 638. After Roman, 33, indicated he'd like to purchase the small six-shooter, the clerk began to ask Roman a few questions, including if he possessed a medical cannabis card, pursuant to question 11e on the ATF's 4473 form. Roman, who has no criminal history, told the clerk truthfully that he has a medical prescription for marijuana. Sorry, the clerk told him, no gun. Roman's application was denied due to his medical use of cannabis, which is legal in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. In November, he filed a lawsuit that names acting attorney general Michael Whitaker and the directors of the FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). The case could have far-reaching Second Amendment implications and has the potential to affect millions of gun owners in the U.S. (Medical marijuana use is legal in 32 states.)

What is particularly absurd is that people who drink or even abuse alcohol suffer no prohibition from firearms ownership and yet it might be argued that this group is one that in some cases could potentially exhibit violent tendencies - which is not to suggest that they be denied their Second Amendment rights. Furthermore, there are numerous medications which for one reason or another, can have side effects which could, it might be argued, potentially prejudice responsible gun ownership but are not treated the same as Cannabis. One example might be certain varieties of sleeping aids, some so called 'anti-depressive' drugs, and even legally prescribed opioid pain medications. Within these examples is of course the need for individuals to always maintain awareness and take responsibility for their behavior just the same in fact as any law abiding gun owner.

The bottom line here is that it is long overdue for medical marijuana to be removed from the list of unlawful substances at the federal and thus also at state levels. Recreational use where legalized is another matter but here we are only considering therapeutic use and it's great potential. It's long past time for change instead of continuance as being effectively just another form of 'gun control' - to this end it is hoped the law suit referred to can achieve some success.

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Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 22

By Huseyn Veliyev - Trend:

Azerbaijani mobile operator Bakcell plans to introduce Mobile Financial Services (MFS) in April 2019, the company told Trend.

The company noted that in the next stage the list of options for this service will increase.

"One option will be contactless payments based on NFC technology, the introduction of which is expected by the end of 2019. It will also allow users to pay the fares in public transport. It will be enough to put the phone on the built-in reader in the bus," the company said.

Work in this direction has been going on for a year, the company noted.

MFS allows to access bank accounts via mobile devices, make money transfers and pay for various services (internet, utilities, TV, mobile and fixed telephone services).

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Follow the author on Twitter: @h_veliyev
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec.22

By Leman Zeynalova - Trend:

Low cost airline of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) FlyDubai will launch flights to Uzbekistan soon, according to State Inspectorate for Supervision of Aviation Safety of Uzbekistan.

The relevant agreements were reached during the talks held in the UAE between representatives of the State Inspectorate for Supervision of Aviation Safety and aviation authorities of Dubai, Trend reports citing Podrobno.uz.

FlyDubai will replace Emirates Airline in performing Dubai-Tashkent flight. The company will perform flights to Uzbekistan five times a week, with the possibility of adding two more flights per week in the summer of 2019.

Flydubai is a government-owned low-cost airline with its head office and flight operations in Terminal 2 of Dubai International Airport.

The airline operates a total of 95 destinations, serving the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Europe from Dubai.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec.22

Trend:

S&P Global Ratings assigned its BB-/B long- and short-term foreign and local currency sovereign credit ratings to Uzbekistan. The outlook is stable. The transfer and convertibility (T&C) assessment is BB-.

The stable outlook reflects the agencys expectation that, over the next year, Uzbekistans fiscal and external net asset positions will remain strong, albeit decline slightly, due to expected future current account deficits and government borrowing.

We could raise the ratings if monetary policy effectiveness were to improve, for example through a decline in dollarization of the economy. Further diversification of the governments revenue base or the composition of the economys exports would also be supportive of the ratings, the agency said.

We could lower the ratings if the fiscal or external positions deteriorated, for example if fiscal deficits increased beyond our base-case scenario or if higher-than-expected current account deficits led to an increase in external financing needs. We could also lower the ratings if we observed increasing weakness in key state-owned enterprises (SOEs), leading to growing contingent liabilities for the government, S&P Global Ratings said.

Our ratings on Uzbekistan are supported by the governments strong fiscal and external positions. These strengths predominately arise from the governments large asset position, which stems partly from the policy of transferring part of the revenues from commodity sales to the Uzbekistan Fund for Reconstruction and Development (UFRD), the statement of S&P Global Ratings said.

Over our forecast period through 2021, we expect real GDP growth to average 5 percent, supported by growth in the services, manufacturing, and natural resources sectors. The construction sector is a small but growing part of GDP. The economy has been government led for many years, and is dependent on SOEs, which contribute an estimated 60 percent of GDP. Nevertheless, Uzbekistan has a significant endowment of natural resources, including large reserves of diverse commodities, the export of which have supported past current account surpluses. Globally, the country is one of the top 20 producers of natural gas, gold, copper, and uranium. Uzbekistans population is young: almost 90 percent is at or below working age, presenting an opportunity for labor supply-led growth. However, it will remain a challenge for job growth to match demand, S&P Global Ratings said.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 22

By Elnur Baghishov - Trend:

Hamid Reza Bagheri Dermani, known as the "Sultan of Tar", has been convicted of "spreading corruption on earth", a capital offense under the Islamic law, and hanged in Tehran in the early hours of Saturday morning, Trend reports via Iranian media.

The court found him guilty of forming a corruption network, disrupting the country's economic, foreign currency and monetary system by carrying out illegal transactions, as well as bribery.

Tehran Islamic Revolutionary Court earlier said that Hamid Reza Bagheri Dermani and people related to him are convicted of over 25,000 pages criminal cases.

The "Sultan of Tar", using bribery and fraud, sold an estate of 400 billion rials (roughly $9.5 million) for 1.269 trillion rials (about $30 million) to Jey Oil Company. Moreover, by providing fake documents, he took 60 billion rials (roughly $1.42 million) in loans from Iran's Tourism Bank.
The presence of US troops in the Middle East has been a mistake from the very beginning and served as a factor to destabilise the situation in the region, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi stated, commenting on the withdrawal of US forces from Syria, Trend reported citing Sputnik.

"In fact, the deployment and the presence of the US forces in the region from the early beginning was an erroneous, irrational step triggering tensions and unrest and has always been viewed as one of the key factors of instability, dangerous situation in the region", Ghasemi said via his Telegram channel.

The statement comes after US President Donald Trump announced his decision to pull out all 2,000 US troops from Syria as the Daesh* terror group had been defeated there. The US president, however, did not warn key allies, his own advisers, and Pentagon and State Department staff, who learned of his intentions the evening of December 18.

The move has reportedly prompted the resignation of Defence Secretary James Mattis, set to leave the White House on 28 February 2019. This idea has been expressed by Senator Lindsey Graham, who claimed, citing Mattis, that Daesh had not been defeated and that "a replay of Iraq was very likely".

Commenting on the decision, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said that the United States withdrawing its forces from Syria did not mean the end of the coalition to fight the Daesh terrorist group.

The first to announce the US plans of withdrawal was Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, with the US president himself confirming this information later. Speaking on the issue, the Turkish top diplomat specified that Ankara would postpone its planned military advance against Kurdish YPG forces in northeastern Syria until the pullout was over.
Qatars Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani called Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir on Saturday to express his support for Sudan after days of anti-government protests, Bashirs office said in a statement, Trend reported citing Reuters.

Qatar and its regional rivals have increasingly vied for influence in Sudan and other countries on the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

Gulf states have also been an important source of funding for Sudan after it lost three-quarters of its oil output when the south seceded in 2011.

Since Wednesday, cities across Sudan have been shaken by protests triggered by an economic deterioration. Protesters have also called for an end to Bashirs 29-year rule.

During the call Sheikh Tamim declared that his country stood with Sudan and was ready to offer all that was necessary to help Sudan overcome this ordeal, stressing his keenness for the stability and security of Sudan, the statement said.

Qatars state news agency QNA confirmed the call.
The United Nations will send an additional group of observers to monitor the implementation of the ceasefire agreement in the Yemeni port city of Al Hudaydah, UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said in a press briefing on Friday, Reuters reported.

Dutch General Patrick Cammaert, the chair of the Redeployment Coordination Committee "and an advanced team have already been deployed to the region," Dujarric said. "We will be deploying additional personnel in the coming days as we scale up to support and facilitate the implementation of the agreement that was reached in Stockholm."

Dujarric added that the teams would be comprised of a small number of people, some of whom would be redeployed from existing observing commissions. The observers come from a military background, but in Yemen, they will be wearing civilian clothes that identify them as UN personnel, according to the spokesman.

The ceasefire was agreed upon by the warring sides during UN-led consultations in Sweden earlier in December. In a process overseen by a UN-chaired committee, troops from both sides are supposed to withdraw from the entire area. The parties to the Yemeni conflict also agreed to exchange war prisoners and establish humanitarian corridors in Al-Hudaydah.

Yemen has been engulfed in an armed conflict between the government forces led by President Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi and the Houthi rebels for several years. The Saudi-led coalition has been carrying out airstrikes against the Houthis at Hadi's request since March 2015.
Saudi Arabia has welcomed on Friday the new UN security council resolution on Yemen and said that it confirms the success of military pressure on Houthis, Trend reports referring to Al Arabiya.

The kingdom also said that the presence of international observers will prevent Houthis from obstructing and violating the ceasefire in Hodeidah.

The kingdom pointed out that the resolution reassures that the diplomatic efforts by Saudi foreign minister Adel al-Jubeir and Saudi ambassador to the UN Abdullah al-Mouallimi had direct influence on the international communitys decisions.

The kingdom also clarified that the resolution supports the Sweden deals as well as confirms the effectiveness of resolution 2216.

Saudi Arabia also thanked Kuwait and the US for ensuring that the Yemeni peoples interest and maintaining international peace and security are the top priorities in the resolution.
Thousands of Hungarians marched to the presidential palace on Friday night to protest against controversial labour law reforms, Trend reports referring to Euronews.

They joined up with a rally led by the spoof Two Tailed Dog party and another demonstration staged by other opposition groups.

Launched over a decade ago as a joke, the party has now become a semi-serious force in Hungarian politics, using ironic humour to tackle practical issues.

The "slave law" as it's been dubbed, means employers can now demand that some employees work 400 hours overtime. The previous limit had been 250 hours.

Another law that has upset protesters will set up new courts which they say could be politically manipulated.

"I am sick of not seeing the consequences of things that are being done here, I am sick of the people's voice not being heard by the authorities," said one protester, who preferred to only give his first name, Istvan.

The protesters also oppose regulations that have led to the departure of the Central European University, founded by Hungarian-born billionaire George Soros, from Budapest.

Orban has said the protests have been partly stoked by activists paid by Soros, an accusation Soros' Open Society Foundation has denied.

The government says the labour reforms are needed because there's a serious labour shortage.

Hungary's population has been declining for years and there's a brain drain as young people head elsewhere in the EU for work.
Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu approved increasing the 2019 budget for a plan to fight domestic violence on Wednesday, raising it from 30 million shekels ($8 million) to 50 million shekels (about $13.2 million). This sum is part of the 250 million shekels planned for fighting domestic violence over the next five years, Trend reports referring to Haaretz.

Much of the additional money  about 14 million shekels of the 20 million  will go mostly to treating abusive and violent men. The 2018 budget for combating domestic violence was 12 million shekels (approximately $3 million). It is still not clear where the additional funds will be coming from, but it seems most likely that it will come from an across-the-board cut in all government ministries.

Netanyahu heads the ministerial committee on dealing with domestic violence, and over the next few weeks, his staff will examine additional funding for the Public Security Ministry and police on the issue.

The additional money will be used to establish four new emergency centers for victims of domestic violence and another transitional housing center for female asylum seekers who suffer from domestic violence, at a cost of 5 million shekels. About 60 social workers who specialize in treating violent men will be funded at a cost of 10 million shekels, and a day treatment center for such men will be established at a cost of 1 million shekels  along with centers for housing and treating these men, at a cost of 2 million shekels.

The committee on domestic violence was also presented with a survey of the cases in which abusive men received lenient punishments. Netanyahu asked for a study comparing the punishment and rehabilitation of abusive men in western countries within the next two weeks.

Social Equality Minister Gila Gamliel presented a plan on Wednesday for dealing with domestic violence in Israel's Arab community, at a cost of 295 million shekels over two years. But the plan for dealing with domestic violence for all of Israel, at a cost of 250 million shekels over five years, has not yet been funded in full. The budgetary shortage for dealing with the issue was one of the major causes of the recent protests against domestic violence. Some of the money for the plan for Arab women will come from the funding intended for the national plan, said sources close to Gamliel.

Gamliel formulated her plan at Netanyahus request, in light of the large number of cases of violence against women in the Arab community. The plan still requires approval from the ministerial committee and funding from the Finance Ministry. Her ministry will be in charge of implementing the plan, said Gamliel.

The additional funding, for 2019 and 2020, would go toward removing abusive husbands from their homes to hostels for rehabilitation; opening two new hostels for Arab women suffering from domestic violence (only two such facilities are in operation today); hiring more female Arab investigators and police officers; issuing restraining orders against abusive men; establishing a council of religious and spiritual leaders  half men and half women  to write and issue Islamic religious rulings (fatwas) forbidding violence against women; a public relations campaign in mosques on the issue; and preparing a curriculum for the matriculation exams on gender equality specifically for the Arab community.

The organizers of the womens protest called the additional budget an enormous achievement for civil protest. We have proved that together we have power. After hundreds of thousands of women and men proved that the issue must remain on the agenda  we have succeeded in achieving real and important results that will affect the lives of women in this country. This is further proof that the struggle has succeeded.

The organizers said that now they will continue to ensure that the budgets that are supposed to be allocated over five years will arrive, and they are demanding that the funding be set in law.
AIGs report blames senior officers for failed Nirmala murder probe

The probe committee led by Additional Inspector General Dhiru Basnyat has reported that police officers involved in the initial investigation into the rape and murder of 13-year-old Nirmala Pant in Kanchanpur have admitted their negligence as well as their failed bid to frame Dilip Singh Bista as the major culprit.
An explosives-packed vehicle has detonated at a military checkpoint near Somalia's presidential palace, killing at least 16 people and wounding more than 20 others, police say, Trend reported citing The Herald.

The al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabab extremist group, which often targets Mogadishu, has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Those killed include three staffers from the London-based Universal TV station, including prominent journalist Awil Dahir Salad, Police Captain Mohamed Hussein said.

Soldiers also were among the dead, and an MP and a deputy mayor of Mogadishu were among those wounded.

The blast and a second, smaller one nearby appeared to target those heading to work on what was a business day.

Al-Shabab is the most active Islamic extremist group in sub-Saharan Africa and was pushed out of Mogadishu years ago.

However the group continues to control large parts of rural southern and central Somalia.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 22

By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend:

The statement of the Minister of Defense of Turkey Hulusi Akar that "the trenches dug by terrorists in Syria will become their graves" led to the resignation of the US Secretary of Defense James Mattis, say the Turkish media, Trend reports.

Mattis regarded the statement as an insult to the US, who considers PYD/YPG, the so-called Syrian Democratic Force, as its main ally in Syria, the reports said.

After Akar's statement, Mattis could not convince US President Donald Trump not to withdraw the US troops from Syria, the reports read.

Trump wrote about Mattis's resignation, which is scheduled for the end of February 2019, in a tweet on Dec. 20.

Mattis, in his letter of resignation, stressed that he had decided to leave his position due to opinion differences with the president.

On Dec. 19, US President Donald Trump declared victory over the "Islamic State" (IS) in Syria. Later, the White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said the US had begun to withdraw troops from Syria, but a victory over the IS does not mean the end of the coalition.

Reuters, citing sources, reported that all US State Department employees would be evacuated from Syria within 24 hours and the armed forces would be withdrawn within 60 to 100 days.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu
Friday evening, the US House of Representatives adjourned without Congress having approved funding for the federal government to continue functioning, meaning that at midnight, federal agencies will begin to shut down, Sputnik reports.

With the federal government shut down, government employees will face furloughs and delayed payments for work as the bureaucracy slowly grinds to a halt. The basic functions of government, such as air traffic controllers, the Secret Service, diplomats and the Post Service, but nonessential functions such as the Internal Revenue Service, national libraries, forests and parks, and the space agency NASA would heavily furlough their workforces.

About 420,000 federal workers would continue to work with delayed pay  getting their checks whenever Congress does reauthorize funding  but another 380,000 would be furloughed, meaning they'd be given time off without pay, ABC noted.

Spending bills authorizing the continued funding of the departments of defense, labor, education and health and human services have already been signed, so those areas are unaffected. Lawmakers have also cleared bills funding the legislative branch, military construction, veterans affairs and energy and water development, ABC noted.

The impending shutdown was the focus of a deep-seated battle between US President Donald Trump and congressional Democrats over the issue of funding his pet project, the border wall with Mexico. Trump made clear he would okay no funding bill without a deal for money for $5.7 billion in wall funding.

Border Patrol agents patrol the United States-Mexico Border wall during Opening the Door Of Hope/Abriendo La Puerta De La Esparana at Friendship Park in San Ysidro, California on Saturday, November 19, 2016

A House bill on Thursday actually did provide such funding, but the Senate failed to pass the bill. While Trump urged Senate Republican leaders to invoke the so-called "nuclear option" and reduce the number of necessary votes for the bill to pass from 60 votes to a mere 51  stifling the ability of Democrats in opposition to block the bill  that wasn't an option Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell chose to invoke Friday.

The House is set to return from recess at noon on Saturday, meaning the shutdown may be temporary if a deal can still be reached. However, Trump has warned that if Democrats continue to oppose border wall funding, "there will be a shutdown that will last for a very long time."


The U.S. government was to begin a partial shutdown at midnight on Friday after Republican senators failed to muster the votes needed to approve $5 billion that President Donald Trump wants for a border wall fiercely opposed by Democrats, Reuters reports.

Trump said the impending shutdown of some key parts of the federal government could last a very long time, and he sought to blame Democrats.

They, in turn, put the blame squarely on Trump, reminding him that last week he said he would be proud to shut the government down in order to get funding for a wall on the U.S. border with Mexico.

Republican and Democratic senators earlier this week reached a deal on short-term funding legislation that did not include the $5 billion Trump wants, but the president said on Thursday he would not sign it.

The impending shutdown was the latest evidence of dysfunction in Washington and does not bode well for next year, when Democrats will have a stronger hand as they take control of the House of Representatives.

President Trump has thrown a temper tantrum and now has us careening toward a Trump shutdown over Christmas, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said on the Senate floor.

Youre not getting the wall today, next week or on January 3rd, when Democrats take control of the House, Schumer added.

Hours before the midnight deadline, lawmakers met with Vice President Mike Pence and other White House officials in a last-ditch effort to find a compromise funding bill acceptable to both political parties and Trump.

But they were unable to reach a deal. The adjournment of the House just before 7 p.m. and the Senate just after 8 p.m. ensured a government shutdown.

Senators said talks would continue over the weekend. The Senate was set to return from recess at noon (1700 GMT) on Saturday.

Congressional funding for about one-quarter of the federal governments programs expires at midnight (0500 GMT).

Three-quarters of government programs are fully funded through next Sept. 30, including those in the Defense Department, Labor Department and Health and Human Services. But funding for other agencies, including the departments of Homeland Security, Justice and Agriculture, was set to expire at midnight on Friday.

A partial shutdown begins with affected agencies limiting staff to those deemed essential to public safety.
The United States is providing Kiev with additional funding to build up its navy in light of the Kerch strait incident, the State Department said in a press release, Sputnik reported.

"In response to Russias dangerous escalation and unjustified November 25 attack on three Ukrainian naval vessels near the Kerch Strait, the Department of State, subject to Congressional approval, will provide an additional $10 million in Foreign Military Financing to further build Ukraines naval capabilities," the release said on Friday.

Russian officials have said Ukrainian naval ships and their crews were detained by Russian border guards for illegally crossing the Russian maritime border and failing to respond to multiple lawful demands to stop.

Following the incident, Poroshenko signed a decree declaring martial law in several Ukrainian regions located near the Russian border. Putin has said that the incident was a provocation prepared in advance as a pretext to introduce martial law, suspending voting rights, ahead of Ukraine's presidential election since Poroshenkos popularity ahead of the vote was low.
Two Youth Congress activists, Kripesh and Sharath Lal were attacked by motorcycle-borne men while returning from an event on February 17, 2019.
Amlekhgunj oil pipeline to come online in March

The construction of the Amlekhgunj-Motihari oil pipeline is 65 percent complete, and Nepal Oil Corporation expects it to start transporting fuel from India to Nepal by March.
New Delhi: Amid ferocity raised by fringe elements over Naseeruddin Shahs most recent comments, Shiv Sena has delivered a bolt from the blue. Manisha Kayande from the Uddhav Thackeray-led party stated the actor should move to Pakistan if he doesnt feel relaxed in India. The remarks came under heavy condemnation from some who have accused him of defaming the nation . The actor, however, justified his statement and his rights to put across his views.

"Similar sentiments were expressed by another actor Amir Khan and his wife Kiran Rao. This is the second actor who has used such language after enjoying all the benefits that this country had to offer .If he is not satisfied, he should go and live in Pakistan," Manisha Kayande stated.

But the actors qualms may not be far-fetched given that firm right-wing groups have come all guns scorching at him. Ajmer literature festival in Rajasthan was cancelled as Shah was to deliver a keynote address at the occasion amid protests by right wing groups over the veteran actor's remarks.

A fringe group from Uttar Pradesh, UP Navnirman Sena nabbed air-tickets for Naseeruddin Shah to take a trip to Pakistan.
Army launches anti-poaching drive in Chitwan

The Nepal Army has launched Operation Major Hunt in Chitwan National Park to control wildlife poaching.
Art and ephemera

Recent political and socio-economic changes have been a major source of subject matter for books published. They are testaments of varied perceptions on current events and contemplate future courses and consequences.
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.
Alaska Air Group ALK wholly-owned subsidiary  Alaska Airlines  has begun a new nonstop service connecting Sacramento International Airport with Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keahole on the Hawaiian Island.



The latest service will be operational thrice a week and complement the already existing nonstop service between Sacramento and Maui, Hawaii. The flights aimed at enhancing travel during the holidays is anticipated to draw substantial traffic and in turn boost the carriers passenger revenues.



Apart from offering several nonstop destinations from the key focus cities around California, Alaska Airlines is committed to provide customers with low fares and improved services. Currently, the carrier offers 29 daily flights to the Hawaiian Island from the Californian cities of Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose and Oakland as well as several other West Coast cities.

Alaska Air Group, Inc. Price

Alaska Air Group, Inc. Price | Alaska Air Group, Inc. Quote

Alaska Airlines will operate on the Sacramento-Kona, Hawaii route on a 737 aircraft, which comprises several modernized amenities for a smooth travel experience.



Meanwhile, strong demand for air travel has been boosting the carriers passenger revenues. Recently, the airline tweaked its fourth-quarter 2018 unit revenue guidance to 12.70-12.80 cents compared with 12.60-12.80 cents expected earlier.



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Shares of Air France-KLM and Spirit have rallied more than 19% and 44%, respectively, over the past six months. Meanwhile, the International Consolidated Airlines stock boasts an impressive earnings history, having trumped the Zacks Consensus Estimate in three of the trailing four quarters, the average beat being 92.9%.



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Shareholders of Takeda Pharmaceutical enter the venue of their shareholders' meeting in Osaka, Japan, in this photo taken by Kyodo December 5, 2018. Mandatory credit Kyodo/via REUTERS

By Kane Wu

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Asia Pacific M&A volumes clocked their second-highest level on record this year and dealmakers are optimistic the momentum will persist into 2019, with inbound deals into China emerging as a strong theme amid political and macroeconomic headwinds.

Japan, India and Australia are expected to drive deal flow for the region, while China is likely to change course to focus on industrial consolidation and reform amid tightened regulatory scrutiny and an ongoing trade war with the United States that has roiled markets worldwide.

Private-equity firms, which are sitting on record levels of dry power - money committed but not yet invested, will also be active as they come under pressure to target bigger deals, particularly buyouts, bankers have said.

"Economic growth across the region continues to be fairly strong and the desire and appetite to do strategic transactions remains high," James Tam, Morgan Stanley's head of M&A, Asia Pacific, told Reuters.

Deals involving Asia Pacific companies hit $1.39 trillion in 2018, up 16 percent on year and second only to a record of $1.42 trillion reached in 2015, Refinitiv data shows. Global M&A volume also rose 16 percent to $3.9 trillion.

Japan saw an all-time high of $357 billion in deals this year, beating a 1999 record, thanks to outbound transactions such as Takeda Pharmaceutical's <4502.T> $62 billion purchase of Shire PLC <SHP.L> and Hitachi's <6501.T> purchase of a majority stake in ABB's <ABBN.S> power grids division.

"Japan will be a force to reckon with in outbound M&A as companies face limited growth in the home market and with cheap debt they are looking to expand globally," said Andrew Huntley, senior managing director with investment bank BDA Partners.

India has also boomed with $126 billion in deals, almost double its prior record of $67 billion in 2007, boosted by Walmart's <WMT.N> $16 billion acquisition of marketplace Flipkart and Unilever's <ULVR.L> $3.8 billion deal to buy Horlicks nutrition business.

Story continues

"India remains a growing long-term market for multinationals and it will continue to look at opportunities to strengthen its presence," said Rohit Chatterji, JPMorgan's co-head of Asia-Pacific M&A. Inbound deals will drive India's volumes, he added.

Private equity-backed M&As also reached a record in Asia including Japan, totalling $101 billion this year.

Morgan Stanley <MS.N> ranked No.1 on Asia Pacific's M&A league table by value of announced deals it advised on, followed by Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan. Excluding Japan, Goldman Sachs defended its top position.

CHINA INBOUND

In 2019, inbound deals into China are seen rising, bankers and lawyers say, as the world's No.2 economy will have to keep opening up to attract more foreign capital as trade tensions and heightened regulatory scrutiny curb outbound transactions.

Germany's BMW <BMWG.DE> became the first global carmaker in October to cut a deal to take control of its main Chinese joint venture and more are expected to follow.

A slew of global banks have also queued up to seek approval for majority stakes in their China JVs, following UBS Group <UBSG.S> that got the first green light on Dec. 1.

"Longer term, I believe that the sheer size of China's market will continue to allure foreign investors, despite U.S.- China trade tension," said Jane Jiang, a Shanghai-based partner with law firm Allen & Overy.

China outbound deals, which dropped 8 percent in 2018 to $114 billion, will, however, continue to face challenges.

Trade tensions and a tougher foreign investment review process in key, sensitive sectors have already stifled its investments in the United States.

China's largest outbound deal this year, China Three Gorges Corp's $10 billion bid for Energias de Portugal <EDP.LS>, is awaiting multiple regulatory approvals and U.S. asset disposals. It is not clear when the deal will go through.

Germany is also lowering its threshold to launch security probes of stake purchases by non-European entities to protect critical infrastructure, in a bid to fend off unwanted takeovers by Chinese investors.

"Things will continue to be difficult next year, especially with regards to certain strategic sectors such as technology," said Joseph Gallagher, head of Asia Pacific M&A, Credit Suisse.

(Reporting by Kane Wu, additional reporting by Sumeet Chatterjee; Editing by Himani Sarkar)
SAO PAULO (Reuters) - A Brazilian judge on Thursday issued his second injunction blocking the proposed sale of 80 percent of planemaker Embraer's (EMBR3.SA) commercial aviation division to Boeing Co (BA.N), as attempts to stop the deal intensified while the two companies neared closing the transaction.

The same judge issued a similar injunction earlier this month that was swiftly appealed and overturned last week. The latest decision was in response to a class action filed by Embraer's union in Sao Jose dos Campos, where the planemaker is based.

Embraer said it "will take all necessary judicial measures" to overturn the injunction. Boeing declined to comment.

Embraer shares were down almost 1.5 percent in Sao Paulo on Thursday afternoon after rising almost 3 percent in the morning before news of the injunction.

Challenges to the deal, which would help reshape the global aviation market as competition between Boeing and Airbus (AIR.PA) intensifies, have been plentiful and are common in Brazil.

Four left-wing congressmen also challenged the proposed tie-up and won the previous injunction. Prosecutors with Brazil's labour ministry are investigating whether the tie-up could lead to job losses. An investor group sued on Monday, saying the deal should have been a public tender offer.

Boeing and Embraer said on Monday they had finalised the terms of the agreement, increasing the valuation of the Brazilian planemaker's commercial division to $5.26 billion, citing higher closing costs. The net proceeds will remain the same.

The agreement needs approval from the Brazilian government because it holds a so-called "golden share" in Embraer that gives it veto power over strategic decisions and any change in its controlling interest. The planemaker formally sought that approval on Monday and it is expected within 30 days.

In his decision, the judge questioned whether Embraer's 20 percent participation in the proposed commercial aviation spinoff would actually be worth something.

Story continues

"The brutal asymmetry in the shareholder structure of this venture prevents it from being carried out without compromising the survival of national interests," Judge Victor Giuizo Neto wrote.

The previous injunction was in response to a separate class action, filed by four legislators from the left-wing Workers Party.

Separately on Thursday, Embraer announced a firm order of 100 jets from Republic Airways.

(Reporting by Marcelo Rochabrun and Alberto Alerigi Jr; Editing by Christian Plumb, Jeffrey Benkoe and Dan Grebler)
Bheri Babai project in limbo due to approval delays

The Bheri Babai Diversion Multipurpose Project has sunk into limbo due to delays in starting the construction of the hydropower component despite the rapid progress made in the irrigation component. Although the multipurpose project has completed digging more than 80 percent of the 12-km tunnel, it is yet to finalise the design of the hydropower component.
Carlos Ghosn definitely wont be home for Christmas.

The former Nissan chairman has been re-arrested in Japan on new charges of aggravated breach of trust, and may now serve an extra 20 days in jail.

Ghosn is accused of transferring personal investment losses to Nissan nsany in October 2008 where, amid the global financial crisis, he convinced Nissan to take over a personal derivative contract carrying 1.85 billion yen ($16.6 million) in losses, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Ghosn later took back the contract and received help from an unidentified person in submitting a statement backing up his credit to the bank, prosecutors said. Then, between 2009 and 2012, Ghosn had a Nissan subsidiary transfer $14.7 million into an account controlled by that person, the statement added.

These suspicions, if proven, would constitute special breach of trust, a criminal violation under Japans company law that signifies an executive has abused his position for personal gain.

On Thursday, a Japanese court declined to extend Ghosns detainment, which opened the door to his possible release on bail. This was derailed when prosecutors brought the new charges just before Fridays bail hearing, which allows them to hold Ghosn for questioning without bail for two days  with the potential to extend his detention by up to 20 days. Authorities reportedly also raided Ghosns home Friday to look for evidence.

Ghosn was initially arrested on Nov. 19, and formally charged on Dec. 10 with underreporting his income for five years through March 2015. He was then re-arrested that same day on allegations of underreporting his income for the following three years, which let prosecutors continue to hold and question him in jail. He hasnt yet been indicted in the second arrest.

The new charges dont affect Ghosn aide Greg Kelly, who has also been detained since Nov. 19 on the same two rounds of accusations. Kelly has a bail hearing Friday.
cameroon cryptocurrency abmacoin ethereum erc-20

CCN recently covered a story about AmbaCoin, an Ethereum-based cryptocurrency created by secessionist leaders in the Ambazonian region of southern Cameroon. As a follow-up, we sat down with Chris Anu, the separatist movements Secretary of State for Communications and IT, to discuss AmbaCoin and the prospects of cryptocurrency as a means of enabling freedom and resistance movements around the world.

CCN: The Cameroonian government recently carried out a prolonged shutdown of all internet and communication services across the parts of Southern Cameroon where there has been visible support for the Ambazonian cause. Does AmbaCoin intend to function as a peer-to-peer medium of exchange on the ground in the area, or does it merely function as a fundraising tool? If it is going to serve as currency in the short term, how will you get around the government communications blockade?

Chris Anu: AmbaCoin is intended to function as a transactional currency  peer-to-peer medium of exchange, a store of value, and a standard of deferred payment. This is what will equally give it its value and market cap. As it is adapted and used by Ambazonians on a regular basis, the CFA will gradually inch out. It will be independent of the CFA and of any government. Consequently, it is not impacted by devaluation and thus, a good choice to store value. Ambazonians have found ways over time to bypass the internet blockade using VPN services.

Use of internet shut down techniques to control a population will soon be a thing of the past. There are over two dozen companies now planning to beam satellite internet to every part of the globe. SpaceX launched a pair of experimental satellites in February of 2018 that are designed to beam an ultrafast, lag-free internet connection down to Earth. Microsat-2a and Microsat-2b are intended to blanket the globe in wireless broadband connectivity. The initial satellites in the network are expected to come online next year.

Story continues

Googles Loon has teamed up with Telkom Kenya Ltd. To build a network of high-flying balloons to connect people in the east African country starting next year. Signals are expected in sub-Saharan Africa as well. In 2015, Facebook teamed up with French satellite operator Eutelsat to launch a satellite  Amos-6  that will beam internet connectivity to more than 14 countries in sub-Saharan Africa. It was slated to finish construction and find its way into orbit by 2016 but had some delays.

SES Networks, headquartered in Betzdorf, Luxembourg, has 12 satellites circling the globe with four more launched in 2018 and another four on order. Its fleet is delivering high-throughput data services to diverse places, many of which are remote or impoverished and could not afford to install the infrastructure necessary to support cable fiber. Beneficiaries include the Cook Islands, East Timor, Papua New Guinea, Chad, Madagascar, Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, the Caribbean, and many others. Sub-Saharan Africa is on schedule!

CCN: The comparison has inevitably been made with Venezuelas petro, especially because both cryptocurrencies operate on the ERC-20 standard and are purportedly backed by the natural resource potential of their respective countries. As the Ambazonian independence movement is yet to achieve a substantial measure of success, how exactly will AmbaCoin avoid the problems faced by the petro such as general lack of liquidity/availability and lack of capacity/infrastructure to exploit the natural resource deposits that its value is based on?

Chris Anu: Obviously, with every vision of this magnitude, there are challenges. The success of this project rests of two main strengths of the Ambazonian people. The first is the resilience, determination and ingenuity of the Ambazonian people that has allowed them; given their circumstances; to survive all these years. The second is our belief in a free society where the rule of law is respected. Notwithstanding the corruption culture French-Cameroon has brought into Ambazonia, Ambazonians for the most part believe in the rule of law and freedom.

The problem Venezuela had was its corrupt society and absence of the rule of law and democratic institutions. We believe that with the establishment of democratic institutions like Ambazonia used to have and the respect of the rule of law that they have tried to maintain, foreign capital will flow in to resolve the liquidity problem.

CCN: Give us an exact idea of the demand that exists for AmbaCoin and your projection for how successful you think it could become.

Chris Anu: Major stock brokerage platform Robinhood have been offering cryptocurrency trading services since early 2018, and have continued to express their optimism towards the increasing demand for the crypto market. Some of the worlds largest banks including Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan have disclosed their ongoing initiatives to serve clients interested in cryptocurrencies as an asset class.

We believe that Ambazonians are ready to once again demonstrate their patriotism by giving up the CFA in favor of the AmbaCoin. We see adoption even within neighboring countries and countries within the Franc zone that do not want the CFA anymore. There is potentially a huge demand for AmbaCoin as our market indicators are telling us!

CCN: Lets leave Cameroon for a minute and go over the border into Africas largest country Nigeria, which currently has a secessionist movement for the Republic of Biafra. Between 1967 and 1970, a bloody civil war was fought in that country over this issue, and what is generally credited with breaking the Biafran resistance was the Nigerian governments economic blockade which prevented the Biafran government from taking part in international trade at any meaningful level.

Do you think that if the Biafran government had been able to create a state-backed cryptocurrency secured on the areas natural resources, the outcome might have changed significantly? In the event of continued military conflict between the Cameroonian armed forces and Ambazonian loyalists, how will AmbaCoin help civilians from becoming the biggest economic victims of the war as was the case in Nigeria?

Chris Anu: A keen observer of the Ambazonian situation would already have noticed that there is an economic blockade of Ambazonia. The development of Ambazonia has never been a priority of the dictatorial and colonial regime in Yaounde. That is why Ambazonia fights today. Ambazonia used to have an airport in the city of Tiko and Bafut, a deep seaport in Victoria, prosperous industries but the colonizing power in Yaounde shut these all down. When they declared war on Ambazonia, they burned down their places of business even in Yaounde and Douala and in cities like Bamenda.

They implemented scorched earth policies by burning down villages, targeting individuals with possible economic resources and destroyed any remaining economic powerhouses and food sources. 1970 was a different environment. Today, with the restructuring of the UNHCR, there is the expectation of this body stepping in at some point to provide economic aid to impacted populations. Meanwhile, at a certain level when successful, the AmbaCoin project could apply quantitative easing to help support and rebuild Ambazonia. AmbaCoin could also use resources generated from sale to directly provide economic support to the affected peoples of Ambazonia.

CCN: On a global level, how do you think cryptocurrency adoption will impact on secession and independence movements in places like Catalonia and West Papua? In the context of such political movements, in your opinion are cryptocurrencies making power more decentralised or making the world more fractured?

Chris Anu: Every situation is different. Cryptos are not a solution to every freedom and liberation movement. Ambazonia was a UN-mandated trust territory with international borders. It had a prime minister who was its head of government and a functioning parliament; it went through three democratic peaceful transfer of power before any other African state. Therefore it has a national identity and consequently a currency acts as one of its national and state symbols. Ambazonia is basically restoring its independence voted on by the UN.

Catalonia, on the other hand, is one of Spains wealthiest and most productive regions. Before the Spanish Civil War it enjoyed broad autonomy, but that was suppressed under Gen Franco. Prior to the constitutional courts 2010 decision, a 2006 statute granted even greater powers, boosting Catalonias financial power houses. So its realities are very different from that of Ambazonia and a cryptocurrency might not necessarily be the right tool for its independence quest.

West Papuas case is more similar to the Ambazonian situation in that their nation was handed to another entity without their expressed consent. The Indonesian government has been doing exactly what the colonizing government of Cameroon has done to Ambazonians  targeting killings, scorched earth policies, brutalization, maiming of citizens, imprisonment without trial, threatening freedom of expression, and so on. There is equally the current geopolitical and multilateral arrangement amongst nations that impacts their struggle for freedom. Nonetheless, there is a huge role for a cryptocurrency for West Papuans.

Meanwhile, there is good news too. West Papuas struggle for independence is creeping up the international agenda as campaign groups, Papuan leaders-in-exile and concerned people all over the world bring to the forefront and to their leaders the injustices that are happening in West Papua. Cryptocurrency is freedom! It takes away control from centralized power and gives the power to the people and the private sector. It is independent of the control of a centralized government structure. Cryptocurrency is the next logical step in the evolution of fiat currency!

Editors Note: Some statements have been lightly edited for clarity.

Featured Image from Shutterstock



The post Cryptocurrency is Freedom!  Exclusive Interview with Ambazonian Secessionists appeared first on CCN.


Japan aims to beef up its military to counter an increasingly dominant China (AFP Photo/Kazuhiro NOGI)

Japan's defence budget will swell to a record $47 billion for the next fiscal year, the government said Friday, as Tokyo beefs up its missile defence and deploys stealth jets in a bid to counter China.

The defence spending was part of a $912-billion national budget for the fiscal year starting in April 2019, approved by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's cabinet.

The government decided to set aside 5.26 trillion yen ($47 billion) for defence, the fifth record year in a row, defence ministry officials said.

The defence funding will cover the cost of introducing the US military's Aegis Ashore land-based missile interceptor system, the officials said.

The FY 2019 allocation covers six F-35A stealth jets, and part of it will be spent on Japan's first aircraft carriers since World War II.

The budget is the initial allocation of Japan's new five-year defence plan, announced on Tuesday as the latest in a series of steps under Abe to boost the nation's military.

Under the multi-year programme through March 2024, Japan will upgrade two existing helicopter carriers so that they can launch fighters.

Abe's government argues the efforts are necessary given growing defence challenges in the region, including tensions with North Korea, and particularly "strong concerns" about the expansion of China's military footprint.

But the move is controversial, with critics arguing it shifts Tokyo further away from its commitment to strictly defensive capabilities under Japan's post-WWII pacifist constitution.

Beijing immediately expressed its "strong dissatisfaction and opposition" to the programme unveiled on Tuesday, urging Tokyo "to adhere to a purely defensive policy".

Last year, China unveiled its first domestically built aircraft carrier as it continues to assert claims in the South China Sea. Beijing's first carrier, the Liaoning, is a second-hand Soviet ship built nearly 30 years ago and commissioned in 2012.

Story continues

Japan's new programme comes after pledges to buy more US military equipment, under pressure from President Donald Trump.

The US leader has repeatedly complained about Washington's huge trade deficit with Tokyo and also urged Abe to expand the country's defensive capacity.

For his part, Abe has campaigned for years to amend Japan's pacifist constitution, arguing that it ties the hands of the country's Self-Defense Forces (SDF) even in protecting the country's allies from attack.

"Japan's growing defence budget is directly aimed to counter China's military threat," said Akira Kato, professor of international politics and regional security at Tokyo's J.F. Oberlin University.

"The budget gain is also part of Japan's efforts to buy more US military equipment so that it can avoid a trade war with Washington," Kato told AFP, adding that Tokyo's defence budget is expected to continue expanding.
Facebook FB has removed several accounts and pages, which were found spreading misinformation and engaging in coordinated inauthentic behavior, ahead of the election in Bangladesh.



In a bid to maintain transparency and curb the proliferation of fake news on its platform, the tech giant has pulled down six accounts and nine fake news pages. This move was made soon after it received an alert for the pages, which resembled news outlets and posted anti-opposition content.



Twitter TWTR too followed Facebooks move and removed 15 accounts, which were found "engaging in coordinated platform manipulation." The company also stated that the account may have ties to state-sponsored actors. Notably, with the approaching election, social media companies are ramping up efforts to keep a check on malicious activities on their platform.



Coming to price performance, Facebooks shares have lost 24.4% on a year-to-date basis compared with the industrys decline of 25.6%.

Stance Ahead of Election in Other Countries



Facebook is boosting its security measures ahead of assembly election and 2019 general election in India. The company is working closely with the Election Commission of India to limit the dissemination of fake news and external interference on the platform.



The company recently announced that advertisers have to give accurate details about their identity and location before placing any political ads. Also, all ads related to election and other political issues will be labeled with the name of the payer in the disclaimer section from early next year. Moreover, to monitor the upcoming election, the company has also put together a team of specialists.



Facebook also strengthened its initiatives related to transparency and security on its platform ahead of 2018 U.S. mid-term elections. The company expanded policies to prevent voter suppression.



The company has extended the ban on posts describing incorrect voting methods and statements about whether a vote will be counted or not. Additionally, Facebooks new reporting option will help users report any false voting information.



We believe the companys recent efforts to fight against fake news will help it build trust and improve user engagement.

Story continues

Facebook, Inc. Price and Consensus

Facebook, Inc. Price and Consensus | Facebook, Inc. Quote

Facebook Disseminates Information to Third Parties



Despite boosting security measures in different countries ahead of their elections, Facebook has been dealing with various scandals related to its users data privacy.



The company gave Spotify SPOT and Netflix NFLX access to its users private messages, which enabled users to communicate with one another using third-party services. Following the dissemination of this news, shares of the company plunged 7.2% in the last two trading sessions.



Per reports from Forbes, Facebook lost $35 billion in market value in March in the Cambridge Analytica scandal. The company had access to 50 million users data without their consent to target them for political messages. Moreover, the firm also worked closely with Donald Trump for 2016 U.S. election. This scandal impacted 87 million subscribers on Facebooks platform.



Such issues of data privacy and data breach are expected to affect the companys top line, user base and brand image in the near term.



Facebook currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.



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By Jorn Poltz and Stephen Nellis

MUNICH/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 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 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 bottom line, 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.

Shares of Apple were down 2.3 percent at $157.12 in late trading, weighing on the broader market.

Qualcomm shares were down 0.2 percent at $56.69.

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.

OLDER PHONES PULLED

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.

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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. "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."

RISKS

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.

(Reporting by Joern Poltz in Munich, Stephen Nellis in San Francisco and Jan Wolfe in Washington; Writing by Emma Thomasson; Editing by Tassilo Hummel, Bernadette Baum and Nick Zieminski)
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Governor Jerry Brown's fourth and final nominee for the California Supreme Court, Joshua Groban, has been confirmed by the state's judicial appointments commission.



The commissionChief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye, Attorney General Xavier Becerra and First District Court of Appeal Justice Anthony Klinevoted unanimously to confirm Groban early Friday afternoon.



Groban plans to take his oath of office from the governor Jan. 3, in time to be seated for the court's January calendar.



Groban has worked for Brown since 2010 when he started as chief legal adviser to the governors campaign. Within the Brown administration, Groban has had a lead role in recruiting and vetting about 600 trial court and appellate court nominees. At the confirmation hearing that preceded the commission's vote, witnesses highlighted Groban's efforts at recruiting and nominating judges to reflect the state's diverse population.



First District Court of Appeal Associate Justice Therese Stewart, who was appointed to the bench during Brown's tenure, said Groban "proactively reached out" to bar groups representing women, Asian-Americans, African-Americans and LGBTQ lawyers. "He was not content to just review applications of the people who applied to the bench in the hopes that there would be an adequately diverse body of candidates," Stewart said. "He took the mystery for them out of that black box" of the judicial nomination process.



Groban will join three other Brown appointees he helped bring to the benchAssociate Justices Goodwin Liu, Mariano-Florentino Cuellar and Leondra Krugermeaning Brown's appointees will constitute a majority of the seven-justice bench. Like Browns most recent appointments to the Supreme Court, Groban has no judicial experience. That lack of prior trial court experience led Justice Kline to ask multiple witnesses testifying on Groban's behalf to address concerns judges and practitioners might have about the lack of judicial experience.



Presiding Justice Arthur Gilbert of the Second District Court of Appeals Division Six said that Groban has a history of seeking out diverse views and connecting with other.



"In fact, he brings some practical experience as a practicing lawyer," Gilbert said. "He has appeared in front of judges many times, and he has written opinions and helped write opinions for the federal judge he was clerking for."



Before joining Browns administration, Groban was a litigator at Munger, Tolles & Olson in Los Angeles from 2005 to 2010 and an attorney at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison between 1999 and 2005. He clerked for U.S. District Judge William Conner of the Southern District of New York from 1998 to 1999.



Speaking on his own behalf Friday, Groban noted that the California justices with trial court experienceCantil-Sakauye, and Justices Ming Chin and Carol Corriganhave nearly 90 years of combined judicial experience among them.



"I think each of the justices of the court in a collaborative process provide their own unique background and experience and point of view, and for some of them, it is incredibly valuable judicial experience," Groban said. "For others, it is experience in the solicitor general's office or in academia. For me, I hope it is experience in private practice and as an adviser to a governor."
Amazon's AI tests on Alexa have caused the device to talk about sex, murder and more.

By Jeffrey Dastin

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Millions of users of Amazon's Echo speakers have grown accustomed to the soothing strains of Alexa, the human-sounding virtual assistant that can tell them the weather, order takeout and handle other basic tasks in response to a voice command.

So a customer was shocked last year when Alexa blurted out: "Kill your foster parents."

Alexa has also chatted with users about sex acts. She gave a discourse on dog defecation. And this summer, a hack Amazon traced back to China may have exposed some customers' data, according to five people familiar with the events.

Alexa is not having a breakdown.

The episodes, previously unreported, arise from Amazon.com Inc's strategy to make Alexa a better communicator. New research is helping Alexa mimic human banter and talk about almost anything she finds on the internet. However, ensuring she does not offend users has been a challenge for the world's largest online retailer.

At stake is a fast-growing market for gadgets with virtual assistants. An estimated two-thirds of U.S. smart-speaker customers, about 43 million people, use Amazon's Echo devices, according to research firm eMarketer. It is a lead the company wants to maintain over the Google Home from Alphabet Inc and the HomePod from Apple Inc.

(For a graphic on Amazon's lead in smart speakers, click: https://tmsnrt.rs/2RaBte4)

Over time, Amazon wants to get better at handling complex customer needs through Alexa, be they home security, shopping or companionship.

"Many of our AI dreams are inspired by science fiction," said Rohit Prasad, Amazon's vice president and head scientist of Alexa Artificial Intelligence (AI), during a talk last month in Las Vegas.

Related Video: Police Department Teams Up With Amazon to Catch Porch Pirates

To make that happen, the company in 2016 launched the annual Alexa Prize, enlisting computer science students to improve the assistant's conversation skills. Teams vie for the $500,000 first prize by creating talking computer systems known as chatbots that allow Alexa to attempt more sophisticated discussions with people.

Amazon customers can participate by saying "let's chat" to their devices. Alexa then tells users that one of the bots will take over, unshackling the voice aide's normal constraints. From August to November alone, three bots that made it to this year's finals had 1.7 million conversations, Amazon said.

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The project has been important to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, who signed off on using the company's customers as guinea pigs, one of the people said. Amazon has been willing to accept the risk of public blunders to stress-test the technology in real life and move Alexa faster up the learning curve, the person said.

The experiment is already bearing fruit. The university teams are helping Alexa have a wider range of conversations. Amazon customers have also given the bots better ratings this year than last, the company said.

But Alexa's gaffes are alienating others, and Bezos on occasion has ordered staff to shut down a bot, three people familiar with the matter said. The user who was told to whack his foster parents wrote a harsh review on Amazon's website, calling the situation "a whole new level of creepy." A probe into the incident found the bot had quoted a post without context from Reddit, the social news aggregation site, according to the people.

The privacy implications may be even messier. Consumers might not realize that some of their most sensitive conversations are being recorded by Amazon's devices, information that could be highly prized by criminals, law enforcement, marketers and others. On Thursday, Amazon said a "human error" let an Alexa customer in Germany access another user's voice recordings accidentally.

"The potential uses for the Amazon datasets are off the charts," said Marc Groman, an expert on privacy and technology policy who teaches at Georgetown Law. "How are they going to ensure that, as they share their data, it is being used responsibly" and will not lead to a "data-driven catastrophe" like the recent woes at Facebook?

In July, Amazon discovered one of the student-designed bots had been hit by a hacker in China, people familiar with the incident said. This compromised a digital key that could have unlocked transcripts of the bot's conversations, stripped of users' names.

Amazon quickly disabled the bot and made the students rebuild it for extra security. It was unclear what entity in China was responsible, according to the people.

The company acknowledged the event in a statement. "At no time were any internal Amazon systems or customer identifiable data impacted," it said.

Amazon declined to discuss specific Alexa blunders reported by Reuters, but stressed its ongoing work to protect customers from offensive content.

"These instances are quite rare especially given the fact that millions of customers have interacted with the socialbots," Amazon said.

Like Google's search engine, Alexa has the potential to become a dominant gateway to the internet, so the company is pressing ahead.

"By controlling that gateway, you can build a super profitable business," said Kartik Hosanagar, a Wharton professor studying the digital economy.

PANDORA'S BOX

Amazon's business strategy for Alexa has meant tackling a massive research problem: How do you teach the art of conversation to a computer?

Alexa relies on machine learning, the most popular form of AI, to work. These computer programs transcribe human speech and then respond to that input with an educated guess based on what they have observed before. Alexa "learns" from new interactions, gradually improving over time.

In this way, Alexa can execute simple orders: "Play the Rolling Stones." And she knows which script to use for popular questions such as: "What is the meaning of life?" Human editors at Amazon pen many of the answers.

That is where Amazon is now. The Alexa Prize chatbots are forging the path to where Amazon aims to be, with an assistant capable of natural, open-ended dialogue. That requires Alexa to understand a broader set of verbal cues from customers, a task that is challenging even for humans.

This year's Alexa Prize winner, a 12-person team from the University of California, Davis, used more than 300,000 movie quotes to train computer models to recognize distinct sentences. Next, their bot determined which ones merited responses, categorizing social cues far more granularly than technology Amazon shared with contestants. For instance, the UC Davis bot recognizes the difference between a user expressing admiration ("that's cool") and a user expressing gratitude ("thank you").

The next challenge for social bots is figuring out how to respond appropriately to their human chat buddies. For the most part, teams programmed their bots to search the internet for material. They could retrieve news articles found in The Washington Post, the newspaper that Bezos privately owns, through a licensing deal that gave them access. They could pull facts from Wikipedia, a film database or the book recommendation site Goodreads. Or they could find a popular post on social media that seemed relevant to what a user last said.

That opened a Pandora's box for Amazon.

During last year's contest, a team from Scotland's Heriot-Watt University found that its Alexa bot developed a nasty personality when they trained her to chat using comments from Reddit, whose members are known for their trolling and abuse.

The team put guardrails in place so the bot would steer clear of risky subjects. But that did not stop Alexa from reciting the Wikipedia entry for masturbation to a customer, Heriot-Watt's team leader said.

One bot described sexual intercourse using words such as "deeper," which on its own is not offensive, but was vulgar in this particular context.

"I don't know how you can catch that through machine-learning models. That's almost impossible," said a person familiar with the incident.

Amazon has responded with tools the teams can use to filter profanity and sensitive topics, which can spot even subtle offenses. The company also scans transcripts of conversations and shuts down transgressive bots until they are fixed.

But Amazon cannot anticipate every potential problem because sensitivities change over time, Amazon's Prasad said in an interview. That means Alexa could find new ways to shock her human listeners.

"We are mostly reacting at this stage, but it's still progress over what it was last year," he said.

(Reporting By Jeffrey Dastin in San Francisco; Editing by Greg Mitchell and Marla Dickerson)
When President Donald Trump signed the farm bill into law Thursday, hemp production in the U.S. was made legal on a federal level for the first time in nearly a century.

The bills passage was also a boon for manufacturers of therapeutic products containing the hemp-derived extract called cannabidiol, or CBD, since it established CBD as a legal substance on a federal level.

But for companies like Elixinol Global, the countrys fifth largest CBD company by market share according to industry tracking firm Brightfield Group, the bills passage represents more than just long sought-after relief from operating in a legal gray area. It has opened the floodgates.

At 4% marketshare, Elixinol ranks as the fifth largest CBD company.

The farm bill has breathed fresh life into Elixinol CEO Paul Benhaims dream that once failed in the early 2000s: To create biodegradable bioplastics derived from hemp waste in order to eliminate traditional plastics derived from fossil fuels. Benhaim spent more than 20 years building hemp-focused startups  everything from a successful hemp nutritional snack bar in the UK to the CBD products his Australia-based company is now known for.

Benhaim told Yahoo Finance his last foray into hemp plastics failed because hemp production was so small. Thats now changed as hemp production has grown and is projected to increase substantially with the farm bills passage.

To be truly cost effective with bioplastics, its all about being close to production, he said. So with the farm bill and people growing hemp in the U.S. there will be more biomass available and we can use the waste product for whatever they are growing hemp for.

Hemp waste turned plastic

In the case of Elixinol and its competitors, hemp is being grown and harvested to extract CBD for creams, tinctures, supplements, and even beverages. The leftovers from that production in the form of hemp biomass had in some cases been exported as stock feed to Asia since it wasnt allowed to be used for much under U.S. law. Now, Benhaim plans to use the waste to form the four new hemp plastic polymers his startup, the Hemp Plastic Company, plans to roll out in January.

Theres no one doing this quite on the scale that were preparing for, he said.

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Hemp plants grow at a facility in Oregon. Certain states allowed for permitted hemp production under the 2014 farm bill. The 2018 farm bill makes hemp production legal on a federal level. (AP Photo/Don Ryan)

Ironically, this wasnt Benhaims idea. Despite launching one of the most successful CBD companies on the market and fully understanding the use case for hemp waste, there were pieces he hadnt solved for in the bioplastic production process that were needed to make hemp plastics cost comparable with petroleum alternatives. Even though he hadnt solved for those improvements, he had still maintained ownership of the domain name, HempPlastic.com, from his failed plastics venture.

It was an inquiry back in 2017 to buy Benhaims domain that would bring Kevin Tubbs, an Alaska-based packaging company owner and hemp enthusiast, into the fold.

He fit in a number of pieces that fixed the issues I had always seen  how to use existing equipment and how to make it cost effective, Benhaim said. He showed me a way, a path to making hemp plastics cheaper than petrol chemical plastics.

With the partnership in place, Benhaim funded the seed round to get the venture off the ground and navigated a small financing round. At a trade show last year in Los Angeles, Tubbs explained how clients reacted to the unveiling of the startups hemp plastic prototypes.

Initially I thought your small early adopters would be our market but we didnt realize what the response would be from the big guys, he said. Were being embraced by large companies with multimillion unit orders.

The duo admits that in the grand scheme of the 300 million tons of plastics produced globally, their 50 million pound capacity in 2019 will be a drop in the bucket. But the hope is to start small, prove that hemp plastics are a usable and affordable alternative and build out from there. As more plastic purchasers see their products, Tubbs hopes their environmentally conscious alternatives will become the go-to.

Ford Motor Company founder Henry Ford, right, once unveiled a plastic automobile, developed from agricultural products in 1941. The experimental, handmade automobile had a plastic body made from soybean and fibers such as field straw, hemp and flax. After hemp production was prohibited, the idea of using it in plastics fell out of popularity. (AP Photo)

Effectively weve reduced plastic pollution to a design decision, he said. Theres a cache of people trying things that are greener, our prices are competitive, its a convergence of a lot of things.

As an example of how the companys production process has dropped costs significantly, Tubbs pointed to a competitors biodegradable polymer selling for about $48 per pound. He estimates he can now produce the same product with hemp waste at a sale price of $3.07 per pound, or just a little over 6% the cost of his competitor. That cost reduction will bring hemp plastics more in line with traditional raw plastic polymers.

Its not that hemp plastic isnt out there, its just about four or five times the cost of raw polymer, Tubbs said. You can be the greenest guy on the street, but at four to five times the cost of polymer you might not go with it.

But with oil prices at a 17-month low, prices of traditional plastic raw polymer are relatively cheaper than his bioplastics. As oil prices rebound, that price gap is expected to shrink, which has been Tubbs selling point to potential clients looking to avoid price swings in plastics.

I just know that well never face that volatility because of what we do with hemp, he said.

Environmentally-friendly brand packaging

Luckily for the Hemp Plastic Company, there are plenty of growing CBD or marijuana companies willing to pay a little bit more for hemp plastics or biodegradable plastics that are on brand for their customers.

Denver-based joint rolling tray manufacturer and seller of the spinning cannabis organizer dubbed the Blazy Susan is just one of those customers willing to experiment. Founder Will Breakell explained to Yahoo Finance that the extra $1 to $2 he expects to eat per plastic tray as a result of opting for Hemp Plastic Companys 20% hemp plastic blend would be worth it to appeal to his customer base.

Its a question of are your customers going to relate, and with the hemp plastic its going to be a better product, I think, he said.

Other cannabis companies might agree, but its Tubbs and Benhaims hope that even broader packaging companies will come to realize the problems with non-biodegradable plastics. As a recent Ellen MacArthur Foundation study raised, plastic waste could outnumber fish in the ocean by 2050.

Pollution along the Pasig River in San Juan, Philippines reveals the hazards of plastics and waste which clog rivers and tributaries, where dumping contributes to the rising rate of waste funneling into the ocean and finding their way to the open seas. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez)

For Benhaim, its that problem that led to him to inject his own hemp-sourced riches into the side project that his company Elixinol could take a stake in down the road.

I really dont need any more business, he said. Im already busy. This is something our world needs.

Zack Guzman is a senior writer and on-air reporter covering entrepreneurship, startups, and breaking news at Yahoo Finance. Follow him on Twitter @zGuz.

Read more:

Why the Farm Bill could make 2019 the year of CBD

The Farm Bill could end the multimillion dollar industry of cockfighting

Alkaline Water Company releasing CBD-infused beverages
Cafes, restaurants kick off Christmas specials

With Christmas and New Year fast approaching, cafes and restaurants in the Valley have started announcing special events to celebrate the festivities. During this period, cafes and restaurants record two-fold increase in business, according to cafe owners.
It might be the most wonderful time of the year for some, but this December has me feeling a little Grinch-y after grinding out just about $200 in profits over all of last week.

Despite starting the month with a healthy green streak and holding on to high expectations for another strong winter like last year, the market and I have just not managed to remain in sync. While this week is off to a better start, Im still trading in hope of having one or two home run days before the year is out.

Rather than recap exactly how Ive been colliding against the market, I thought Id spend the last few weeks of the year talking a little about some alternative approaches to trading I and other day traders use to maximize returns and minimize loss. Ill try to assess some of the pros and cons to each, but Id encourage more in-depth research into each before experimenting with them, even in practice. Theres no use getting frustrated with something you dont completely grasp.

Im going to start with short selling, or simply shorting, which even most novice traders are aware of the principle underlying. A trader borrows shares of a stock to sell from their broker, then buys those shares back at, hopefully, a lower price. In essence, the trader is banking on a stocks price falling in the period that they are borrowing the stock.

Of course, if the stock rises, the trader will have to cover their position by buying back the shares in a hurry or else suffer an even greater loss. This rush to cover a short position the primary risk of short selling.

In a heavily shorted stock or a stock that jumps several percentage points very quickly, more and more short sellers try to cover, which causes the price to rise even more in whats referred to as a short squeeze. This is why some day traders keep an eye on stocks with a lot of short interest (the amount of a stocks shares being shorted) since a jump in that stocks price can lead to exponential gains as short sellers rush to cover.

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Short selling, like the other approaches to trading I plan to cover in coming weeks, can be useful, and even highly profitable, when a trader understands how to best use them. Still, even beginner traders should familiarize themselves with the full spectrum of trading options in case they get into a rut with vanilla day trading.

See more from Benzinga

 2019 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
FILE PHOTO: The logo of SoftBank Group Corp is displayed at SoftBank World 2017 conference in Tokyo, Japan, July 20, 2017. REUTERS/Issei Kato

By Anshuman Daga

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - SoftBank Group Corp (9984.T) is nearing a deal to invest $1.5 billion in Grab, three times a previously expected $500 million, as Southeast Asia's biggest ride-hailing firm looks to expand, a person with knowledge of the matter said.

Six-year old Grab has so far raised over $6.5 billion, led by SoftBank, Chinese ride-hailing firm Didi Chuxing and Toyota Motor Corp . After a fund raising in August, Grab was valued at around $11 billion.

SoftBank first bought a stake worth $250 million in Grab in 2014 just as Grab began competing with Uber Technologies [UBER.UL] in Southeast Asia.

Its latest funding in the ride-hailing firm will be made from its Vision Fund, which after raising more than $93 billion last year is the world's largest private-equity fund.

SoftBank is expected to finalize its investment in Grab this month and an announcement is likely next month, said the person, declining to be identified as the information is not public.

Grab declined to comment, while a SoftBank spokesman did not have an immediate comment.

Reuters reported in October that SoftBank was closing in on a deal to invest about $500 million in Grab, underscoring the tech investment giant's confidence in the ride-hailing firm's growth.

Grab acquired Uber's Southeast Asian business this year in exchange for a stake in itself and has since expanded its operations rapidly.

Grab is looking to use part of the funds to expand further in Indonesia, where it has partnerships with fintech firm OVO and e-commerce platform Tokopedia, the person said.

The firm is looking to transform itself into a leading consumer technology group offering, besides ride-hailing, services such as food delivery, electronic money transfers and mobile payments in one of the world's fastest-growing markets.

Grab and its Indonesian rival Go-Jek are raising billions of dollars and investing in the race to corner a bigger share of Southeast Asia, as more of the region's 650 million consumers go online and use smartphones to shop, commute and make payments.

Go-Jek kicked off a trial launch of its ride-hailing service in parts of Singapore last month and plans to roll out an array of services through its app in early 2019, challenging dominant player Grab in the small city-state.

(Reporting by Anshuman Daga in SINGAPORE, additional reporting by;Aradhana Aravindan in SINGAPORE and Taiga Uranaka in TOKYO; Editing by Himani Sarkar and Christopher Cushing)
On a military base in the Mideast, the location of which is a secret, there is a giant room with more than 70 seats facing a two-story bank of television screens.

It looks like something out of Dr. Strangelove, but this room is the very real, everyday office of the 74-nation coalition that came together from around the world to defeat ISIS.

During battles and offensives, a representative from each country in the coalition  from Iraq to Panama, Cameroon to Croatia, Fiji to France  would take their seat in this space to monitor progress and exchange views.

Three years after the coalition was formed to fight ISIS in Syria and Iraq, 99 percent of the territory once occupied by the caliphate had been liberated, and 7.7 million people have been freed.

Undeniably, the multiethnic support of 74 nations in Operation Inherent Resolve helped. The world spoke out on this, one official told me when I tagged along with Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on a trip to Kuwait, Jordan, Egypt and Pakistan a year ago.

To the retired Marine general, the room was a tangible expression of the value of U.S. alliances in the Mideast and the wider world.

History is clear, Mattis said to the Senate Armed Services Committee during his confirmation hearing. Nations with strong allies thrive, and those without them wither.

For two years, Mattis has been a voice of reassurance to our allies as President Donald Trump pursues an America first foreign policy. In many cases, Mattis was able to persuade Trump of the value of those alliances, such as NATO, even though Trump thought they were taking advantage of U.S. generosity and should be abandoned or dramatically restructured.

Mattis believed that the security of the United States depended on such alliances, which the U.S. has been building since World War II. He believed creating more democratic and more stable states around the world was the key to stopping terrorism, and alliances were the best way to create those better states. He was an internationalist in a nationalist administration, in other words, and now that conflict has reached a head. Mattis is stepping down.

Mattis 44 years of experience as a Marine, including wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and leading U.S. Central Command in the Middle East, left him a host of deep relationships to draw on in his role as Defense secretary.

When I asked him on the plane ride over to Cairo if he had become more of a diplomat in chief than warrior in chief as Defense secretary, he answered: No, Ive been doing diplomacy for a long time. Ive known a lot of these guys were meeting with a long time. Back when they were crown princes, I fought with some of them.

I asked him how much it helps, having those long relationships in place in Jordan, Pakistan and other Mideast countries.

Its the only thing that works. Makes all the difference in the world, Mattis said.

Mattis reiterated that faith in interdependency in his resignation letter:

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. 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.

He makes specific mention of the power of alliances after 9/11 and against ISIS.

  we must use all tools of American power to provide for the common defense, including providing effective leadership to our alliances. NATOs 29 democracies demonstrated that strength in their commitment to fighting alongside us following the 9/11 attack on America. The Defeat-ISIS coalition of 74 nations is further proof.

The room in that base in the Mideast is now mothballed and irrelevant, and Mattis will soon return to his beloved home state of Washington. And more and more, America will build up its military strength and project its might out into the world to protect our borders and promote our business relations.

As we pull back from those alliances that Mattis saw as the core of American power, the worry is that others less committed to a free and safe world will fill the vacuum, countries such as Iran and Russia and China. To see Mattis leave the administration is like watching the last vestige of the complicated world order the U.S. has presided over for 74 years float permanently away.

Lets pray what comes next works half as well.
Chhaupadi-free drive ineffective

Between 2011 and 2015, 31 of the 75 then Village Development Committees in Achham a hill district in the Sudurpaschim Province were declared Chhaupadi-free. The Chhaupadi-free campaign was launched by various NGOs and social organisations with the support of the government authorities.
A freshly starched and pressed white tablecloth used to be a requisite part of any major dining occasion, especially a family-filled holiday meal.

Chill, the pros say. Its OK to be more laid-back about the whole holiday table thing.

Today, cloths have many stylish alternatives, whether setting plates on bare wood, experimenting with runners or going modern with woven gold or silver place mats.

Or, for a fresh wrinkle on things, you could use your familys heirloom linen cloth straight out of the dryer.

We are not wedded to the rule of having tablecloths on the table to make an occasion seem formal or festive, says Amanda Hesser, co-founder and chief executive of Food52, a home and cooking website. People get worked up during the holidays because there is so much to do.

If you are going to use a tablecloth, dont worry about ironing: We love tablecloths that have not been ironed and have wrinkles to catch the light and look prettier.

For the past few Christmas dinners, lifestyle blogger Julie Blanner has set her white plates directly onto her dining table, which is made of salvaged wood, and added natural elements such as garlands, cinnamon sticks and berry sprigs. I find that for me, tablecloths require extra effort and time  things that I dont have a lot of during the holidays, says Blanner, who has written her blog, JulieBlanner.com, since 2008. Ill use them other times of the year, but now Im busy prepping for the holidays with my children.

She does recommend tablecloths when putting two tables together or to cover a folding table. Blanner doesnt worry about stains or scratches on her own table, as it has a nice patina that she regularly treats with tung oil.

For Michael Devine, a dinnerware and textile designer, tablecloths are a quick and easy way to change the mood of the table without a huge investment. But they dont have to be fussy white linen. Step out of the box and experiment, he says. I have used antique paisley shawls, tartans, colorful saris and even patchwork quilts to create memorable tables. One favorite is made of green felt. (His advice for round tables: Use tablecloths or chargers, not place mats, because they can make the table look crowded.)

Because white dinner plates are in vogue, tablecloths in the same color might not be a great choice.

A lot of millennials have simple white plates, and a white plate sitting on a white tablecloth feels kind of institutional, Washington-area designer Marika Meyer says.

She is fond of textured place mats, such as the round, woven, preserved boxwood mats she has used for clients holiday tables. Meyer is not a fan of table runners: I like to fill the table center with candles, flowers and interesting objects, so those end up covering up the runner.

Another alternative is color. I dont sell a lot of all-white tablecloths, says Joanie Ballard, co-owner of R.H. Ballard Shop and Gallery in Washington, Va. I think that look is a little too formal for most millennials.

For Thanksgiving this year, Merrill Stubbs, co-founder and president of Food52, used a garland as her centerpiece, running down the center of her rectangular table.

I threaded in some small candlesticks of different heights on the garland and put out my rumpled linen napkins. Stubbs says. The look is casually elegant and welcoming. I might repeat the same look for Christmas.

As for the rules, Mindy Lockard, etiquette expert at Mindy Lockard Leadership Firm, would prefer hosts to not use a tablecloth vs. using one that is wrinkled. But she agrees that tablecloths are optional, even at the holidays.

Her take: You can create an elegant tablescape without sticking to the traditional rules of formal dining. She suggests a neutral color palette, a runner, place cards, charger plates, beautiful flowers and candles  and a correctly set table.
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PUEBLO  There was no response Thursday when a dispatcher called for L.A. 10.

The call echoed through police radios and bounced off the high ceilings at Pueblo Memorial Hall, with hundreds gathered to pay their final respects to Las Animas County Sgt. Matthew Moreno, who was killed last week in the line of duty.

L.A. 10  No response from LA 10. Sgt. Matthew Moreno was end of watch on Dec. 12, 2018, while responding to a disturbance call in the line of duty, the dispatcher said.

Sgt. Moreno, thank you for your dedicated service to our community. You will be forever in our hearts and you will never be forgotten. Rest easy, sir; we have it from here. L.A. 10, end of watch for the final time, the message concluded, followed by a loud beep.

L.A. (Las Animas) 10 was Morenos call sign; he was 37 .

That somber moment caused tears and pain for those he loved most and law enforcement officers and first responders from across the state. It was at the conclusion of a memorial service held for Moreno.

The man was most remembered Thursday as an honest to goodness hero who may or may have not been afraid of spiders.

The services Thursday veered from somber and serious to humor and laughter. Several spoke before his casket, which was draped with an American flag.

Matt would really be POed if we made this a serious and somber event. I think his folks would agree with me, said Las Animas County sheriffs Deputy Dan Moynihan.

Earlier, there was a funeral Mass for Moreno at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart. The celebrant was the Rev. Tomas Carvajal-Basto.

Moreno, who is originally from Pueblo, attended Mass at Holy Family Parish, where Carvajal-Basto is pastor.

Brothers- and sisters-in-arms filled the church along with family and friends.

Somehow, I dreamt that he was the president of the United States. So I saw him at Sunday Mass and called him Mr. President. He asked why I called him that. I told him and that was his nickname for me that I gave to Matthew, Carvajal-Basto said, drawing a laugh from the congregation.

Following the Mass, there was a walking procession down Grand Avenue from 11th Street to Memorial Hall.

People held their hands on their hearts as law enforcement and other first responders saluted. A giant American flag was held up over the path by a firetruck from the Pueblo Fire Department and another from Pueblo West Fire.

Moreno, who was born and raised in Pueblo, was killed Dec. 12 after a three-car crash on Colorado 12 just east of Valdez, about 20 miles west of Trinidad. He had been with the Las Animas Sheriffs Office for five years.

The service at Memorial Hall began with a moment of silence for Moreno and Taelor Roybal, 23, of Trinidad, and her infant son Ezekiel Valdez, who also were killed in the crash.

At times there was laughter, because according to those who spoke, Moreno was hilarious and always ready for a good prank.

Las Animas County Sheriff Derek Navarette said Moreno would have loved the service.

If anyone knew (him), he was always the center of attention, so this is fitting for him, Navarette said.

The sheriff said he knew when he first met Moreno that he was special.

He told me that he had done some things that werent necessarily considered legal when he was a teenager, but he quickly assured me that he was 32 years old now and those days were behind him, he said with a laugh.

Moreno worked at ABC Plumbing for a time before moving to Trinidad four years ago. He commuted from Pueblo the first year.

Navarette said Moreno gained the trust and respect of his peers quickly.

Matt took great pride and exhibited tremendous selflessness to serve his community in any way he could. He always wanted to help. He had the biggest heart of anyone Ive ever known, Navarette said.

Matt was also strong and courageous  unless there was a spider in his room. For those that dont know, Matt was completely terrified of spiders, he added, drawing laughs from the audience.

Many spoke about Morenos colorful and at times off the wall humor. They said he always made everybody smile. They said he was a leader and loved his children, Summer, 12, and Morgan, 5, Moreno; and stepson Jared Klipfel.

Klipfel said how important his father was to him and he read a letter prepared by Summer. She called him her Superman, hero, her world and her smelly daddy. The two sisters clutched each other as their brother read the letter.

Morenos best friends Rick Schaefer and Kevin Drobnitch  also reminisced about their younger days. Both were emotional and humorous in their speeches.

If anything, I hope that Matt had a positive influence on you. And if it was a negative one, at least I hope you enjoyed it, Schaefer said.

Matt loved his family more than anything in the world. Matt loved life and brought happiness to all around him. He loved the outdoors, Drobnitch said.

Morenos fellow deputies Lt. Henry Trujillo and Sgt. Juan Trancoso also spoke.

They all talked about the high jinks Moreno would get them into and they all called him their brother.

Matts ringtone for me when I would call was, I Will Always Love You by Whitney Houston, Trujillo said. He would often have me call him so he could show people the ringtone.

There was a 21-gun salute and bagpipes played Amazing Grace at the final procession.

Trancoso said Moreno was always there for him and they had a special bond. He said Moreno took pride in his badge.

If something made him happy, no matter what it was, he was going to pursue that, Trancoso said.

He said Moreno would have loved his procession Thursday.

Matt would have bragged, I had a parade. He would have told everyone, Where was your parade? 
Unless new evidence surfaces in the deadly shooting of a maintenance worker at a southeast Colorado Springs apartment complex, prosecutors are unlikely to convict the man they say pulled the trigger, a judge said Friday.

Fourth Judicial District Judge Deborah Grohs offered a withering appraisal of the case against Jeremy DeWayne Jones, 41, who is accused of first-degree murder in the Sept. 18 death of Raymond Daniel McCall.

After three hours of testimony, Grohs said the evidence boiled down to a single eyewitness whose story is riddled with holes.

The court is suspicious about him, his statements and his credibility, she said, citing an absence of physical evidence.

Despite her critiques, Grohs ruled there was probable cause to try Jones for murder, noting the lax standard that governs evidentiary hearings in Colorado. Under the law, all disputes over the facts must be decided in the prosecutions favor at this stage of criminal proceedings.

But under a trial standard  where charges must be proved beyond a reasonable doubt  prosecutors failed to establish that Jones is in substantial danger of a first-degree murder conviction, the judge found.

Grohs set bond for Jones at $100,000, citing the thin case against him and the fact that his children and girlfriend live in Colorado Springs.

Prosecutors had requested a $500,000 bond, saying that his two prior felony convictions, including for armed robbery, made him a danger to the community. The judge noted the convictions were nearly 20 years old, and that Jones went five years without committing an offense while under supervision after his release from prison for robbery.

Jones and McCall were maintenance workers and residents at the Pine Creek Village Apartments, 850 Chapman Drive, where McCall was shot, police testified.

Surveillance footage showed McCall, 39, speaking with two other men in the parking lot before they part ways and walk off-camera.

Moments later, authorities say, McCall was shot in the head at point-blank range in an attack that came outside the cameras view.

Investigators allege that Jones was one of the men seen with McCall before the shooting, and a witness said he saw Jones shoot McCall from his patio.

Under cross-examination, detective Greg Wilhelmi acknowledged that the witness initially denied seeing or hearing anything.

When he stepped forward with his accusation against Jones, the mans story was inconsistent and plainly contradicted by the video, the judge found.

For example, the witness omitted the presence of a different man, who can be seen walking past the camera around the time of the shooting.

That person was later found hiding in the witnesss bathroom, wearing a shirt bearing a blood stain, a detective acknowledged.

Attorneys for Jones suggested that the eyewitness could have been lying to shield possible involvement by his friend. Police did not disclose whether blood on the mans shirt had been tested.

The investigation into McCalls shooting involved the use of the Colorado Springs Police Departments recently installed gunshot detection system, which uses an array of sensors on the southeast side to pinpoint when and where guns are fired.

The military-grade system  tested days earlier  determined the shooting happened at 10:05:38, police said.

Police installed the sensors in September in high-crime areas, with cooperation from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Gunshot detection systems are in use in more than 90 cities across the county, including New York City and Chicago.

Jones is expected to return to court Jan. 24.
The man found dead Thursday in an apartment in southeast Colorado Springs has been identified as Robbie London, 43, police said.

Officers were called to the complex in the 2100 bock of Delta Drive about 2 p.m. after receiving a call of a body in an apartment.

London, a Colorado Springs resident, died of a gunshot wound, police said. No arrests have been announced.

His death is the citys 37th homicide this year. The previous record was 33 homicides in 2017.

Anyone with information is asked to call police at 444-7000. To remain anonymous, call the Crime Stoppers tip line at 634-STOP (7867) or 1-800-222-8477.

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Six years after the wildfire that closed Waldo Canyons popular trail, people want access, and they want it now.

That much was clear from feedback summarized in a report by Tapis Associates, the contractor hired by local nonprofit Rocky Mountain Field Institute, which this fall launched planning efforts aimed at reimagining recreation in the area. A first public meeting is set for 6 p.m. Jan. 16 at the Westside Community Center.

Also prevailing in the report were calls to reopen the former trailhead and parking lot beside U.S. 24. Planners and highway officials, though, continue to insist its too dangerous to reopen the barricaded lot near a blind curve.

Yet, data from before the lot and trail were closed might dispute the claim.

In the five years leading up to the parking lots closure, from 2007 through 2011, one collision occurred at or near the site, according to records obtained by The Gazette from the Colorado Department of Transportation.

We expanded the search a little to make sure we caught any that were associated with the driveway, but did not find any more, reported CDOT Traffic and Safety.

The number surprised Sgt. Steven Krebs, who has represented Colorado State Patrol at roundtable meetings between stakeholders and advocates convened by Rocky Mountain Field Institute and Tapis. Two closed-door sessions have been held since September.

One crash does not sound right at all, Krebs said. From his observation, he recalled quite a few directly across from the former parking lot, around the median used by drivers returning east to Colorado Springs.

A set of givens are expected to be presented at the public meeting next month, and thats a given, thats going to be closed, said Jennifer Peterson, Rocky Mountain Field Institutes executive director.

She guessed crashes would be up today.

And indeed, traffic in the corridor has increased.

CDOTs U.S. 24 counters nearest the former trailhead reported that segment of the highway seeing an average of 28,000 vehicles on a daily basis in 2017, the latest data available. Thats compared with 25,944 in 2011, CDOT records show. Within the last five years of the Waldo Canyon trails use, traffic counts in the corridor did not fluctuate much  records show a high of 26,200 in 2007 and low of 25,300 in 2009.

Again, the data surprised Krebs. The recent growth would seem to account for more than 28,000, he said.

Were the trailhead open today, officials have predicted it would boost traffic. Population will only grow, they have said, making the location riskier.

Peterson envisioned an often-described loved-to-death trailhead off Interstate 70 near Glenwood Springs.

I would say, if we were to open (the former parking lot), I think we would experience the Hanging Lake phenomenon, where people are parked up and down the road, trying to cross Highway 24.

The lot was dangerous at times, recognized one commenter in the Tapis-led survey, with another calling it nerve-wracking at times. But more expressed a desire to return to the spot.

Others offered the idea of a shuttle running to and from the trailhead  an admirable idea, Krebs said, and preferable to it being open for general public parking. But still, he said, slow-moving shuttles entering the highway would pose a safety threat.

I understand (the former parking lot) is not a discussion point at this time, said Trails and Open Space Coalition Executive Director Susan Davies, who has had a seat at the roundtable meetings.

The data made her wonder, though. Could there be a way to get across the road? Why do people have to go 60 through there? Would it be possible to put some kind of signaling on both sides of the road, slower speed or something?

Those roundtables have included representatives with the U.S. Forest Service, surrounding municipalities and neighborhoods as well as members of various outdoor user groups. Theyll converge at the upcoming open house, where detailed maps will show the scope of the potential project area.

That could involve neighboring Williams Canyon, with interest raised for connecting paths there. Another thought is to create access off Rampart Range Road.

Peterson said specific options could be heard at the next public meeting, set for April. The goal is to give recommendations to the Forest Service by June 2020.
Crews at the North American Aerospace Defense Command are ready for their biggest annual mission: tracking an elusive target that propels a bearded senior citizen at mind-boggling speed for a 24-hour intercontinental race that spans the planet.

The command, which protects the nation from incoming missiles, enemy bombers and terrorist hijackings, is used to the daily grind of watching slower targets. Santa Claus, though, poses a special problem.

The good news is we are well suited for doing this, said Gen. Terrence J. OShaughnessy, a veteran fighter pilot with 168 hours of combat time who now leads NORAD and its legion of Santa trackers.

Want to know where #Santa is on Dec 24th? Call us tomorrow at 1-877-446-6723 or e-mail noradtrackssanta@outlook.com to talk to a live #NORAD Santa tracker! We answer our first call at 6 a.m. EST. https://t.co/gSvRD6ezKo pic.twitter.com/iFLhv4kjag  NORAD Tracks Santa (@NoradSanta) December 23, 2018

The command has radars set up around the continent for its regular job and brings in a few more around the planet for the Christmas Eve mission.

Click here to track Santa's route.

Santas speed is like nothing OShaughnessy faced at the controls of his F-16 fighter.

To hit every household on Earth during the 24-hour trip, Santa must make 19,675 stops every second.

If you account for time to consume milk and cookies, that jolly old elf could easily exceed the 186,000 miles-per-second speed of light between stops. OShaughnessys F-16 topped out at a pedestrian 1,500 mph on full afterburner thats less than half a mile per second.

Cornell University astrophysicist David Rothstein, who apparently does not believe in Santa Claus, claims it is impossible to travel that quickly.

This has actually been verified by experiments, and it has been shown that nothing moves faster than the speed of light, the Grinch-like professor wrote on the universitys website.

But the general says Santa isnt bound by the laws of physics, such as Einsteins alleged theory of special relativity. And Santa is polite enough to allow the commands American and Canadian fighters to accompany him at brief intervals.

The CF-18 Hornets and F-22 Raptors normally rule the skies, but not when Santa Claus is coming to town, the general said.

We actually have to ask Santa to slow down, OShaughnessy said.

Tracking Santa means calling up the reserves. Christmas Eve dawns at the international dateline  thats early Sunday here.

So, the trackers  all volunteers  roll into Peterson Air Force Base at the crack of dawn to help children across the globe ascertain Santas exact location.

The tracking mission began in 1955 with a mistake published prominently in The Gazette. An advertisement from a downtown department store offered children the chance to call Santa on Christmas Eve. But the number pushed for the North Pole was incorrect. Instead of Santa, children got Col. Harry Shoup, who was watching for an attack in a military command center.

He could have taken that call and said you have a wrong number, OShaughnessy said. But the colonel took a different route and began forwarding the calls to his radar operators.

He provided an opportunity to show the goodness of some folks we have working for the military, OShaughnessy said.

The commands Christmas Eve job has grown immeasurably. Over the holiday season, millions of people visit NORADs website dedicated to the mission: noradsanta.org.

Contributors help the command set up a huge phone bank at Peterson where volunteers, military and civilian, spend 24 hours answering phone calls to the tracking hotline: 1-877-446-6723. The calls come from tens of thousands of children from around the planet.

The wrong number has turned into the Pentagons single largest outreach program.

It has an audience around the world, OShaughnessy said.

The general said it also gives NORAD troops a way to show the public their work outside the usual secrecy. The inner workings of the commands intelligence and surveillance programs are usually highly classified.

Santa has some secrets, too, the general said.

The elf may deliver presents, but he hasnt delivered blueprints for his physics-defying sleigh.

That technology in the sleigh would be great technology to have, the general said, dreaming of high mach numbers rather than sugar plums.

But, in its mission to follow Santa, NORAD has finally cracked the code to overcome his blinding speed and stealth, OShaughnessy confided.

The key was following the leader of those eight reindeer. The one guiding the sleigh actually shows up on Defense Support Program and Space-based Infrared satellites usually used to track the launch of nuclear-tipped missiles.

Fortunately for us, Rudolph has a very bright red nose, he said.

Contact Tom Roeder: 636-0240
Child dies after vaccination

A month-old child died shortly after a health worker administered a BCG vaccination on him at Shivagunj Tole in Bhokraha Narsingh Rural Municipality-3 of Sunsari on Thursday.
OVERLAND PARK, Kan., Dec. 21, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Black & Veatch, a global leader in floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) solutions, has received a limited notice to proceed on work to jointly outfit a Golar LNG owned LNG carrier, Gimi, with its patented PRICO liquefaction technology. Black & Veatch is teaming with Keppel Shipyard Limited to convert the Gimi into a FLNG vessel supporting the development of Phase 1 of the Greater Tortue / Ahmeyim field, located offshore Mauritania and Senegal. BP holds majority interest and operatorship in the Greater Tortue/Ahmeyim project.



The Gimi project will build on the successes of the Golar FLNG Hilli Episeyo which was completed earlier in the year and has been in commercial operation offshore Cameroon since.

Preparing the Gimi for production will mark another major proof point that FLNG can meet the worlds rising demand for energy, said Bob Germinder, Black & Veatch Senior Vice President and Managing Director of Floating Oil & Gas Solutions. It also represents fresh confirmation that Black & Veatchs PRICO technology plays a leading role in moving the market forward by providing a nimble, efficient and cost-effective solution.

About Black & Veatch

Black & Veatch is an employee-owned, global leader in building critical human infrastructure in Energy, Water, Telecommunications and Government Services. Since 1915, we have helped our clients improve the lives of people in over 100 countries through consulting, engineering, construction, operations and program management. Our revenues in 2017 were US$3.4 billion. Follow us on www.bv.com and in social media.

Media Contact Information:

CHRISTOPHER CLARK | +1 913-458-2778 P | +1 816-674-0572 M | ClarkCA@bv.com

24-HOUR MEDIA HOTLINE | +1 866-496-9149
Stamford, Conn., Dec. 21, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Green Street Power Partners, LLC (GSPP), a national developer and financier of commercial solar, has completed construction on Taunton Municipal Light Plants (TMLP) first community solar farm, located on a landfill in Raynham, MA. The 3 MW system spans a 14-acre parcel and is expected to produce ~3,500,000 kWh annually.

We are pleased to work with Green Street Power Partners on our first ever Community Solar project in Raynham. This is a wonderful benefit for both our customers and for the environment, which is our end goal with a project of this nature said General Manager of TMLP, Kenneth Goulart. We are very happy to see the overwhelming response from our Raynham customers and look forward to other green projects in the future.

TMLP will purchase one hundred percent of the power for its fully subscribed community solar program which is expected to begin in January of 2019. TMLP received applications for all 400 program slots in just two days.

Were taking land that can only be used for a dump and turning it into a renewable energy source for local residents, without interfering with the ongoing environmental management of the landfill stated Lisa Raffin, Chief Investment Officer of GSPP. Were delighted that TMLP customers and the town of Raynham will see the benefits of this project over the next 30 years.

Opportunities for repurposing a landfill are limited, but solar energy systems are an ideal option. The solar power generated offsets the landfills impact by significantly reducing carbon output in the surrounding area.

About TMLP

TMLP serves over 38,000 customers in Taunton, Raynham, Berkley, North Dighton and sections of Lakeville and Bridgewater. General Manager, Kenneth Goulart; Commissioners; Joseph Martin, Chairman, Mark Blackwell Sr., Secretary, Peter Corr

About Green Street Power Partners

Headquartered in Stamford, CT, GSPP finances, develops, owns and operates solar energy systems for businesses, schools, nonprofits and municipalities across the country. GSPP continues to experience rapid growth. As they expand their solar coverage, GSPP consistently provides the best available solar technology coupled with an unwavering commitment to customer service. For more information on GSPP, email info@gspp.com or visit gspp.com.
Re: Between the eighth and eleventh centuries A. D., the Byzantine Empire [ #permalink

17 Kudos
Clinical Trials



Step 1: Identify the Question



The wording casts doubt on in the question stem indicates that this is a Weaken the Argument question.



Step 2: Deconstruct the Argument



Too few human subjs for clinical trials  new drugs cant go to market



New drugs needed for future gens.



 Drs dont encourage trial subjs (if no other treatment)  morally wrong



Step 3: Pause and State the Goal



In a Weaken problem, the right answer will make the conclusion less likely to be true. In this argument, the conclusion is that doctors are morally in the wrong if they do not encourage suitable patients to volunteer for clinical trials. This conclusion can be rephrased to state that doctors have a moral obligation to encourage patients to volunteer for trials. The right answer will suggest that this is not the casethat doctors are not morally obligated to encourage patients to volunteer. The right answer will most likely accomplish this by showing that there are negative consequences to encouraging patients to volunteer, and that these might outweigh the moral imperative.



Step 4: Work from Wrong to Right



(A) According to the conclusion, physicians are only morally required to recommend trial participation if there is no other effective treatment. This answer choice suggests that this will be the case for many patients. However, knowing that a doctor might be able to recommend trial participation to many patients doesnt clarify whether that doctor is morally obligated to do so.



(B) The answer choice states that everyone is morally obligated to alleviate suffering. This actually strengthens the conclusion, since if everyone is obligated to alleviate suffering, doctors should be no exception.



(C) This is a tempting answer choice because it relates to real-world concerns surrounding clinical trials. If a patient receives the control drug, he or she might not receive any benefit from participating in the trial. However, the argument specifically claims that physicians should recommend trial participation because of the benefit to future generations, not because of potential benefit to the trial patients themselves. Even though personal benefit is a concern to the patients, since the argument only deals with benefit for others, information about personal benefit does not affect the conclusion.



(D) This answer choice suggests that enrolling patients in a clinical trial is sometimes the only way for those patients to acquire necessary medication. However, the argument specifically claims that physicians should recommend trial participation because of the benefit to future generations, not because of potential benefit to the trial patients themselves. Even though personal benefit is a concern to the patients, since the argument only deals with benefit for others, information about personal benefit does not affect the conclusion. Even if the conclusion dealt with personal benefit, this answer choice would strengthen it, rather than weakening it, because it would suggest that doctors should encourage their sick patients to enroll in trials.



(E) CORRECT . The argument states that the purpose of clinical trials is to show that the drugs are safe and effective. Thus, if a drug is being tested in a clinical trial, it is not definitively known whether it is safe and/or effective. Taking these drugs, therefore, involves accepting at least some risk to health or safety.



The answer choice states that physicians have an overriding responsibility to care for the health and safety of their current patients. That is, the health and safety of their current patients takes precedence over moral imperatives that only relate to future generations. It follows that a doctor should not necessarily encourage a current patient to participate in a clinical trial solely for the benefit of future patients, since participation might cause some risk to the current patient, and that is more important than the health of future patients.



Argument Evaluation



Situation A shortage of human subjects for clinical trials needed to show that new drugs are safe and effective often prevents those drugs from being introduced into the market. The lives and health of future generations may depend on treatments that are now experimental.



Reasoning What would cast doubt on the judgment that doctors are morally obligated to encourage their patients to volunteer for clinical trials? Note that the argument's conclusion, unlike its premises, is a moral judgment. This judgment could be cast into doubt by a moral principle that would be likely to conflict with it under the conditions described. For example, a principle suggesting that it is sometimes morally unacceptable for doctors to encourage their patients to volunteer for clinical trials would also suggest that they are not morally obligated to encourage their patients to volunteer for clinical trials, since anything morally obligatory must also be morally acceptable.



(A) If anything, this highlights how important it is to ensure that these drugs undergo clinical trials to benefit future generations, so it supports rather than casts doubt on the argument's conclusion.



(B) This suggests that patients are morally obligated to volunteer for clinical trials to help prevent suffering in future generations. If anything, this supports the claim that doctors are morally obligated to encourage their patients to volunteer.



(C) The clinical trial will probably not harm any patients in the control group, yet their participation will benefit future generations. So, if anything, this supports the claim that doctors should encourage their patients to volunteer.



(D) This legal barrier makes it even more essential for the drugs to undergo clinical trials in order to benefit patients, so it supports rather than casts doubt on the argument's conclusion.



(E) Correct . Since the experimental drugs' safety is being tested during the trials, the drugs may prove unsafe for subjects in the trials. If doctors have an overriding moral duty to keep their current patients safe, then it may be morally unacceptable for them to encourage those patients to volunteer for the trials.
Close encounter with death makes anyone wiser: Manisha Koirala

One of the leading Bollywood actresses during the 90s, Manisha Koirala has seen a fair share of ups and downs in her personal as well as professional life. Born in a politically-prominent family, Koirala has carved a niche for herself in Nepal and India with her critically and commercially acclaimed films.
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
Anil Giri is a reporter covering diplomacy, international relations and national politics for The Kathmandu Post. Giri has been working as a journalist for a decade-and-a-half, contributing to numerous national and international media outlets.
Missing NCP leader believed to be in India

The missing Nepal Communist Party leader, Deepak Bhandari, is believed to be in India as Jhapa police has recovered a CCTV footage in which he is seen crossing the Kakadbhitta border in a rickshaw.
Nepal elected as Peacebuilding Commission member

Nepal has been elected as a member of the Organisational Committee of the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) on Friday.
Friday, December 21, 2018

The Alaska Supreme Court found plain error and reversed a criminal conviction based on the prosecutor's closing argument

The court of appeals found that the prosecutors statements improperly denigrated the defense lawyers trial strategy by asserting that defense attorneys in general commonly engage in false vilification of victims of domestic violence and that [t]he prosecutor was implicitly asking the jurors to reject Hesss defense, not because the defense lacked evidentiary support, but instead because of . . . his unsupported accusation that defense attorneys commonly resort to underhanded or misleading tactics.

We agree that these arguments were improper. Both this court and the court of appeals have previously condemned similar arguments as prosecutorial misconduct and emphasized that closing arguments must be restricted to the evidence presented a trial and the inferences that may fairly be drawn therefrom. Alaskas Rules of Professional Conduct place upon all attorneys the ethical obligation not to allude to any matter that the lawyer does not reasonably believe is relevant or that will not be supported by admissible evidence and forbid a lawyer from asserting personal knowledge or stating a personal opinion about the issues before the trier of fact. Rule of Professional Conduct 3.8 establishes special responsibilities for prosecuting attorneys; its accompanying commentary begins with the reminder that a prosecutor has the responsibility of a minister of justice and not simply that of an advocate. The American Bar Associations Criminal Justice Standard 3-6.8(c) reiterates these obligations, stating that [a] prosecutor should not make arguments calculated to appeal to improper prejudices of the trier of fact. The comments in the closing arguments here attacking the defense attorneys and accusing Hesss counsel of vilifying the victim clearly violate these standards and were obvious error.

The error affected substantial rights

The prosecutors comments here likewise affected important rights that could affect the fundamental fairness of the proceeding. The prosecutor suggested that the jury should consider his personal opinion of defense attorneys and Hesss defense strategy. The prosecutors attack on the defense strategy and defense counsel was inappropriate, the comments were of no probative value, and they created a high potential for unfair prejudice.

And caused prejudice

The prosecutor made several separate comments attacking the defense. He made them both during his initial closing argument and again during rebuttal. The trial court did not give a curative instruction. The improper statements went directly to the defenses theory of the case and aimed to discredit the defense attorney as well as her argument.

The Court of Appeals had affirmed . (Mike Frisch)

https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/legal_profession/2018/12/the-alaska-supreme-court-found-plain-error-and-reversed-a-criminal-conviction-based-on-the-prosecutors-closing-argument-the.html
Now, Words and Their Stories from VOA Learning English.

This week, we have a special program for the holiday season. It is a show recorded many years ago by Maurice Joyce. He worked as an announcer at the Voice of America, and presented Words and Their Stories among other programs in Special English.

Today he tells about a popular personality at this time of year: Santa Claus!

We hope you enjoy this blast from the past. Here is Maurice Joyce.

Santa Claus is someone who will remain in the hearts of children forever. He is the make-believe person who brings toys and other gifts to children at Christmas.

To grown-ups, he is a special symbol of goodwill and selfless giving. Santa Claus also has some other names: Saint Nicholas, St. Nick, Kris Kringle, Pelznickel.



Two of his names -- Santa Claus and Saint Nicholas -- both come from the Dutch who settled in New York long ago. The Dutch believed Saint Nikolas gave gifts to children. They honored this kindly saint with a yearly festival on December sixth.



The English-speaking people who lived nearby greatly enjoyed Dutch festivals. And they brought the saint and the custom of giving gifts into their own celebration at Christmas time. The Dutch spoke the name "Saint Nikolaas" very fast. It sounded like "sinterklaas." And so, when the English said this word, it sounded like Santa Claus.

West of New York, in Pennsylvania, many German farmers had also heard of Saint Nikolas. But they called him Pelznickel. This word came from "pelz," meaning fur, and "nickel" for Nicholas. And so, to the Germans of Pennsylvania, Saint Nicholas or Pelznickel was a man dressed in fur who came once a year with gifts for good children.

Soon, people began to feel that the love and kindness Pelznickel brought should be part of a celebration honoring the Christkindl, as the Germans called the Christ child. After a time, this became Kris Kringle. Later, Kris Kringle became another name for Santa Claus himself.

Whatever he is called, he is still the same short, fat, jolly old man with a long beard, wearing a red suit with white fur.

The picture of Santa Claus as we see him came from Thomas Nast. He was an American painter born in Bavaria. He painted pictures for Christmas poems. Someone asked him to paint a picture of Santa Claus. Nast remembered when he was a little boy in southern Germany. Every Christmas, a fat old man gave toys and cakes to the children. So, when Nast painted the picture, his Santa Claus looked like the kindly old man of his childhood.

And through the years, Nast's painting has remained as the most popular picture of Santa Claus.

Santa can be seen almost everywhere in large American cities during the Christmas season. Some stand on street corners asking for money to buy food and gifts for the needy. Others are found in stores and shopping centers. It is easy to find them by the long lines of children waiting to tell Santa what they want for Christmas.

And that is our special Words and Their Stories for Christmas. Im Anna Matteo, wishing you and your loved ones a very happy holiday season!

The song at the beginning of the show is the 1949 version of "Sleigh Bells by the Boston Pops Orchestra. At the end of the program, Elvis Presley sings "Here Comes Santa Claus."

____________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

blast from the past - idiomatic expression something that reminds you of an earlier time.

Something that suddenly and strongly that makes you remember a previous time in your life. Source: theidioms.com

Something that suddenly and strongly that makes you remember a previous time in your life. Source: theidioms.com

toy  n. something for a child to play with

symbol  n. an action, object, event, etc., that expresses or represents a particular idea or quality

festival  n. a special time or event when people gather to celebrate something

fur  n. the fur of an animal used for clothing

beard  n. the hair that grows on a man's cheeks and chin

suit  n. a costume to be worn for a special purpose or under particular conditions

cake  n. a sweet baked food made from a mixture of flour, sugar, and other ingredients (such as eggs and butter)

shopping  v. to visit places where goods are sold in order to look at and buy things

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.
Nepal urges China to fund feasibility study

Nepal has requested the Chinese Railway Authority to provide fund to conduct afeasibility study for the proposed Kathmandu-Kerung railway. A decision to this end is expected be made at the fourth meeting of Nepal-China railway sometime around April next year.
LINGUIST List 29.5050

Wed Dec 19 2018

Calls: Phonology/United Kingdom

Editor for this issue: Everett Green <everettlinguistlist.org>

16-Dec-2018Patrick Honeybone 27th Manchester Phonology MeetingFull Title: 27th Manchester Phonology MeetingShort Title: 27mfmDate: 23-May-2019 - 25-May-2019Location: Manchester, United KingdomContact Person: Patrick HoneyboneMeeting Email: < click here to access email > Web Site: http://www.lel.ed.ac.uk/mfm/27mfm.html Linguistic Field(s): PhonologyCall Deadline: 28-Jan-2019Meeting Description:The mfm is the UK's annual phonology conference, with an international set of organisers. It is held in late May every year in Manchester (central in the UK, and with excellent international transport connections). The meeting has become a key conference for phonologists from all over the world, where anyone who declares themselves to be interested in phonology can submit an abstract on anything phonological in any phonological framework. In an informal atmosphere, we discuss a broad range of topics, including the phonological description of languages, issues in phonological theory, aspects of phonological acquisition and implications of phonological change.Special session: 'Is there lexically-specific phonology?', featuring (in alphabetical order) the following invited speakers:- Claire Moore-Cantwell (Simon Fraser University & UBC)- Jennifer L. Smith (University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill)- Jochen Trommer (Universitaet Leipzig)Invited discussant:- Ricardo Bermudez-Otero (University of Manchester)The mfm is organised through a collaboration of phonologists at the University of Edinburgh, the University of Manchester, and elsewhere.NB: there will also be a separately-organised Fringe Workshop on Wednesday 22nd May entitled 'Teaching phonology: the state of the art', organised by Yuni Kim, Elisabeth Zsiga and Patrick Honeybone.Call for Papers:This mentions only a few details - please consult the website for full information: http://www.lel.ed.ac.uk/mfm/27mfm.html - There is no obligatory conference theme for the 27mfm - abstracts can be submitted on anything phonological.- We are using the Linguist List's EasyAbstracts system for abstract submission. Abstracts should be uploaded to the 27mfm's page on the EasyAbstracts site by 28 January 2019:- Full papers will last around 25 minutes with around 5 minutes for questions, and there will be high-profile poster sessions lasting one and a half hours. When you submit your abstract, you will be asked to indicate whether you would be prepared to present your work either as a talk or a poster paper or only as a poster.- We aim to finalise the programme, and to contact abstract-senders by late February, and we will contact all those who have sent abstracts as soon as the decisions have been made.Further important details concerning abstract submission are available on the conference website. Please make sure that you consult these before submitting an abstract: http://www.lel.ed.ac.uk/mfm/27mfm.html
Nirmala Pant rape and murder: Bishal Chaudhary handed over to his family

Bishal Chaudhary, who was arrested from Mahendranagar on December 6 in connection with the rape and murder of Nirmala Pant, was handed over to his family on Saturday.


Ronald Reagan

The value of a man should be seen in what he gives and not in what he is able to receive.

Albert Einstein

If you have an important point to make, don't try to be subtle or clever. Use a pile driver. Hit the point once. Then come back and hit it again. Then hit it a third time - a tremendous whack.

Winston Churchill





It isnt so much that liberals are ignorant. Its just that they know so many things that arent so.

With integrity nothing else counts; Without integrity nothing else counts.

Winston Churchill





Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one's definition of your life, but define yourself.

Harvey S. Firestone





It is inaccurate to say that I hate everything. I am strongly in favor of common sense, common honesty, and common decency. This makes me forever ineligible for public office. H. L. Menken



Referenda insure all have a voice in land use decisions.

U.S. Supreme Court

Listen carefully to first criticism of your work. Note just what it is about your work the critics don't like - then cultivate it. That's the only part of your work that's individual and worth keeping.

Jean Cocteau
Relatives of missing teen urge police to find her

Relatives of an 18-year-old woman, who has been missing for the past two months from Mirjapur in Parsa, has urged the district police office to search for her.
The Posts response to Michael Kobolds statement on Facebook

The Kathmandu Post would like to respond to Mr. Michael Kobolds recent posts on Facebook and Instagram that call attention to the Posts reporting and accuse its editors of being corrupt.
(HealthDay)Hundreds of thousands of women have used the #MeToo hashtag to speak out about sexual harassment and assault during the past year.

Now there's evidence that the #MeToo movement sparked more than mere conversation about sexual abuse in the United States.

Google searches for information about sexual harassment and assaultas well as reporting or preventing such behaviorspiked in the months after actress Alyssa Milano brought the #MeToo movement fresh attention in October 2017, a study published online Dec. 21 in JAMA Internal Medicine found.

"Our study reveals that even months after the beginning of #MeToo, millions more than otherwise expected are seeking out help for sexual violence online," said senior researcher John Ayers, an associate adjunct professor with the University of California, San Diego. "Revealing this record-setting and sustained engagement is a call to action for the nation."

Searches related to sexual harassment and assault were 51 percent higher than expected between Oct. 15, 2017 and June 15, 2018, Ayers and his colleagues found.

On the afternoon of Oct. 15, 2017, Milano responded to public accusations of sexual harassment and assault against film producer Harvey Weinstein with a tweet sent to her followers: "If you've been sexually harassed or assaulted write 'me too' as a reply to this tweet."

Searches related to reporting sexual assault and preventive training on sexual harassment were 30 percent higher during that same period, researchers found.

"#MeToo is not the first movement to empower victims of sexual violence, but what is unique compared to past movements is #MeToo's staying power," Ayers said. "Eight months since the initiation of #MeToo, millions more than expected are seeking out help for sexual violence online. #MeToo's sustainability, and our study alerting leaders to this, could yield major wins for the nation's public health."

These findings verify that #MeToo made a real difference in terms of raising awareness and prompting action, said Karestan Koenen, a professor of psychiatric epidemiology with the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston.

"Anecdotally, we've known it's made a difference," Koenen said. "I feel like this is some of the first real data we have that these aren't just anecdotes, that this movement is making a huge difference."

Sharyn Tejani, director of the Time's Up Legal Defense Fund, has been on the receiving end of those Google searches.

The National Women's Law Center created the defense fund in January 2018, in the wake of #MeToo.

"Since then, over 3,800 people have reached out to us seeking assistance for workplace sexual harassment," Tejani said. "People send us requests for assistance online, and so it does seem like people are using online tools. We've received many more requests for assistance than we ever thought we would receive."

Koenen found the searches related to reporting or preventing sexual harassment to be most promising.

"As a trauma psychologist, I know sharing one's sexual assault experiences can be very validating and healing for people, but beyond that, what we want to see is change," she said. "That's the most exciting finding to me, because it's going beyond all of us sharing this experience. Maybe people are taking action that will really result in change."

The response to the #MeToo movement has revealed a huge public health problem in the United States that must be addressed, Ayers said.

"Survivors face serious health consequences, including physical injury, PTSD symptoms and emotional trauma," Ayers said. "Yet public investments in preventing and responding to sexual violence is disproportionately small compared with other health issues. With millions more than ever voicing their needs, our nation's leaders should respond by investing in enhanced prevention training and improving resources for survivors."

More information: Theodore L. Caputi et al. Internet Searches for Sexual Harassment and Assault, Reporting, and Training Since the #MeToo Movement, JAMA Internal Medicine (2018). Journal information: JAMA Internal Medicine Theodore L. Caputi et al. Internet Searches for Sexual Harassment and Assault, Reporting, and Training Since the #MeToo Movement,(2018). DOI: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2018.5094

Copyright  2018 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Two men caught with unsourced currencies, idol

Police have arrested two men in possession of Rs 1.35 million and 4,300 Chinese yuan. The duo was held on Thursday night after they failed to provide the source of the cash.
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

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Shares in Tencent Holdings Ltd. jumped 4.5 percent after Chinese media reported that regulators have resumed approving games, signaling a potential end to a hiatus thats chilled the worlds biggest gaming industry.

Tencent and peers from South Korea to Japan spiked Friday after the official China Securities Journal reported that regulators had reviewed and passed an initial batch of online games. It cited Feng Shixin, deputy director of the Communist Partys influential propaganda department, telling an industry forum that the government was prepping licenses for green-lit titles.

Chinas gaming industry, which generates more than $30 billion of revenue, has been hammered this year after regulators froze the approval process for new games, preventing companies from making money from their hit titles. That threw Tencent into disarray, spurring its first profit drop in at least a decade and wiping about $200 billion off its market value since a January peak.

The suspension stemmed from Beijings campaign to combat gaming addiction and a reshuffle of regulators, casting uncertainty over Tencents main business. Chinas largest social media and gaming company  which remains barred from making money off global blockbusters like Fortnite and PlayerUnknowns Battlegrounds  is said to be cutting its marketing budget to tide it over the dry spell.

This is decidedly inspiring news for the entire industry, Tencent said in a response posted online. It affirms the regulators determination to promote positive and standardized management, and set the direction for the entire cultural industry.

Tencent distributes its own games as well as titles from external studios. Developers that supply the company include Capcom Co., Nexon Co., Activision Blizzard Inc. and Electronic Arts Inc., according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

On Friday, Nexon climbed 7.5 percent, leading a rally of Japanese rivals including Square Enix Holdings Co. Koreas Netmarble Corp. gained more than 5 percent. In China, Perfect World Co. soared almost 7 percent.

China has one of the worlds most stringent approval processes for video games, an extension of Beijings obsession with maintaining control over online content so it can root out dissent and other ideas it considers undesirable, from sex to graphic violence. But its massive smartphone and web population also makes it the worlds largest gaming market.

Its unclear why the Partys propaganda department weighed in on a process thats said to be governed by two other bodies, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the National Radio and Television Administration. Both agencies have gone through personnel changes and restructuring of responsibilities following a shake-up earlier this year as President Xi Jinping consolidated power.

While the officials comment appeared to restart a games pipeline thats been in limbo much of the year, the actual procedure for approvals remains opaque and its unknown which titles passed muster. Tencent also likely missed its chance to cash in on games at the peak of their popularity.

Tencent may have missed the window to profit from popular games like PUBG and Fortnite, even as Chinas regulators resumed the approval process for game monetization, said Vey-Sern Ling and Tiffany Tam, analysts with Bloomberg Intelligence.

The process remains vague, and stricter regulation may lie ahead amid government concerns over online games addictive nature.

Now read: Twitter plummets after criticism about toxic content
Huawei Technologies Co. wanted a better way to test its telephone handsets, so it sent an engineer to see Tappy, the robot in partner company T-Mobile US Inc.s laboratory in Bellevue, Washington.

Tappy, computer-driven and tireless, taps on touch screens, simulating weeks of use in a day. The Huawei engineer was curious about Tappys fingertips. So he slipped one into a laptop bag and left with it, in an act T-Mobile branded theft.

The 2013 incident, described in a lawsuit filed the next year by T-Mobile, is the sort of alleged behavior by Chinas top telecommunications equipment maker that has alarmed security experts. Now some are warning against the use of Huawei gear in the next-generation 5G network being assembled to connect factories, vehicles, homes, utility grids and more.

Theyve surpassed everyone else, and the way theyve done that is through copycat technology and ruthlessly stealing intellectual property from Western companies, said Jeff Ferry, an economist with Coalition for a Prosperous America, an advocacy group close to the Trump administration and its China hawks.

Representatives of Huaweis Chinese headquarters referred calls to Chase Skinner, a San Francisco-based Huawei spokesman, who declined to comment. Huawei has regularly denied that it steals intellectual property or unfairly copies technology from other companies. It said this week that blacklisting its equipment without proof will hurt the industry and disrupt the development of new high-speed technology.

But Huaweis conduct is drawing renewed scrutiny after the Dec. 1 arrest in Vancouver of Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou on allegations she defrauded banks to violate Iranian sanctions. The daughter of Huaweis billionaire founder Ren Zhengfei, she now faces extradition to the U.S. in a case thats sparked a diplomatic row.

Mengs arrest follows a long string of allegations by the U.S. government about a potential threat to network security. The U.S. has pushed European governments to avoid Huaweis gear, saying its an enabler for Chinese espionage, which the company has always denied.

In 2012, the House Intelligence Committee published a report that described Huawei as a company that has not followed United States legal obligations or international standards of business behavior. The committee called on the U.S. intelligence community to remain vigilant, and said national security officials must block acquisitions involving Huawei or fellow Chinese gear maker ZTE Corp.

Years earlier, Cisco Systems Corp. sued to stop Huawei from selling data-traffic switches and routers allegedly based on Ciscos patents and copyrights. The litigation ended with Huawei agreeing to stop selling disputed products in 2003.

In 2010, the company failed to reach agreements to buy U.S. software and wireless-gear makers, reportedly because the sellers doubted the company would win approval. In 2008, Huawei and Bain Capital Partners LLC abandoned a bid for gear maker 3Com Corp. after failing to assuage security concerns raised by U.S. officials.

The Tappy caper involved a machine that used its mechanical arm to repeatedly poke and prod phone screens, in imitation of a human user, helping T-Mobile to improve the reliability of its handsets. Huawei wanted to know the size of the finger and the material out of which the conductive tip was made, T-Mobile told a federal court in Seattle.

The Huawei engineer, left alone in the lab, first slipped the fingertip behind a computer monitor then three hours later tucked it into his bag, T-Mobile told the court.

There is some truth to the complaint, Huawei spokesman William Plummer said at the time. He blamed employees acting inappropriately in their zeal. (Another worker had furtively taken photos of Tappy, according to T-Mobile.)

T-Mobile dropped Huawei as a supplier and in 2017 a jury awarded the American company $4.8 million in damages for breach of contract but rejected allegations of misappropriation of trade secrets. The two sides later agreed to drop the case after settlement talks. Michael Kipling, an attorney in the case for T-Mobile, declined to comment and attorney Bo Yue, for Huawei, didnt respond to a request for comment.

The largest U.S. mobile providers, after urging by U.S. officials, have shunned Huawei network gear, and small providers are concerned they may be forced to rip out and replace Huawei products as the Federal Communications Commission moves against Huawei.

U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies harbor a deep suspicion of Huawei, exacerbated by its ties to Chinas People Liberation Army, said James Lewis, director of the technology policy program at the Center for Strategic & International Studies in Washington.

Deep connections with the PLA, industrial espionage, and subsidies from the Chinese government  there you have it, Lewis said in an interview.

Customer Trust

A company executive reiterated this week that it abides by international law, and challenged its accusers to produce evidence of their claims about security risks.

Despite the efforts to create fear about Huawei and to use politics to interfere with industry growth, were proud to say that our customers continue to trust us, Ken Hu, one of several Huawei rotating chairmen, told reporters during a press event at its manufacturing base in Dongguan, the companys largest campus worldwide.

Hu slammed U.S. accusations about Huaweis independence and alleged role in espionage.

Lots of countries have various concerns on 5G. Most of these concerns are reasonable and based on technology, Hu said. With regard to such concerns, well work with governments and operators to clear them up.

The company also released a diary entry it said Meng wrote, which described an outpouring of support from around the world. It was entitled There Is Always Good in People! and explained how a letter writer from Japan said she was very sad for Mengs arrest in Canada and cannot keep silent any longer.

Ren, Huaweis founder, joined the People Liberation Armys engineering corps in 1974 and rose to become a deputy director, but without military rank, according to a biography by the company. Ren established Huawei in 1987; now the company reports annual sales of about 600 billion yuan, or $93 billion.

House Report

The 2012 House report noted that the ruling Chinese Communist Party maintains a committee within Huawei, and said the company failed to explain its relation to the government. Huawei has said the government plays no role in its business decisions or staffing.

But the company is working against hardened sentiment in the Trump administration, Lewis said. The government in general has decided that the Chinese will never stop misbehaving unless we push back, Lewis said.

Mengs case exists alongside a shadow cast by Huaweis reputation, said Paul Triolo, who leads global technology studies at the Eurasia Group consultancy and who regards the matters as linked.

Its definitely connected to the broad concerns about Huawei and its central role in 5G, Triolo said. The fear of the U.S. and its allies is that a 5G network built by Huawei represents a risk, a security risk.

How Huawei Arrest Extends Troubled History With U.S.: QuickTake

Vulnerability is heightened because 5G systems will rely on software that can be penetrated to a greater extent than 4G networks, and because so many machine-to-machine connections will rely on 5G, raising the stakes for a disruption or espionage, Triolo said.

In Europe, carriers and major customers from Orange SA to BT Group Plc and Deutsche Telekom AG have voiced their concerns about Huaweis gear, on top of existing bans in Australia, New Zealand and the U.S.

The U.S. Embassy in Germany said allies and partners are being urged to be vigilant in ensuring network security, including when carriers award equipment contracts.

Now read: Huawei freezes orders from Japan supplier after CFO arrest
Government to reduce E-levy from 1.75% to 1.5% ...
An intoxicated driver caused a chain crash on Highway 229, north of Highway 29 in Napa, that left three others injured and a car on fire Thursday night, police say.

The driver who caused the three car-pileup is 21-year-old Sonora Stone of Vacaville, according to a California Highway Patrol press release. She was taken to Queen of the Valley Hospital for evaluation before being booked at the jail.

A second driver, 52-year-old Donna Helmick of Fairfield, and two passengers  24-year-old Garret Nuuhiwa of Napa and 21-year-old Melissa Emmons of Fairfield  suffered minor injuries, according to the release. Emmons was transported to Kaiser Hospital in Vallejo.

Fairfield resident Maria Ramos, 39, was driving southbound at 6 p.m. on Highway 221 in the leftmost lane when she was forced to stop due to traffic, according to the release. Helmick came to a stop behind Ramos.

Stone was driving southbound in the same lane at about 50 mph. Her 2010 Jeep Patriot crashed into Helmick's 1999 Ford F-350, which crashed into Ramos' 2017 Toyota Rav-4, according to the release.

Ramos' Toyota caught fire. Southbound lanes were closed while firefighters put out the fire.

Stone was booked into the Napa jail around 7 p.m., where she remained as of late Friday afternoon. She was arrested on suspicion of a felony charge related to driving drunk and injuring someone. Stone could face bail of $100,000, according to jail records.

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Joan Lyon is among the volunteers who keep Community Action of Napa Valleys Napa Storehouse food pantry running and giving food to the needy.

Lyon retired from a human resources management job to Napa in 2012. During her professional career she had presented company donations to food banks, so she immediately chose the local food pantry for her new career as a volunteer.

The clients who come are always so polite and so grateful for what we offer them, Lyon said. For volunteers, it becomes a labor of love.

The pantry isnt a typical food bank. Low-income clients dont simply show up and receive a pre-packed bag of food.

Rather, they take a cart and follow a guide through the pantry. There they choose among the canned foods and cereals, fresh produce, deli products, sandwiches, cottage cheese and other offerings donated by local stores and the farmers market.

The pantry, located in Napa Storehouse at 1746 Yajome St., is like a tiny grocery store, a mini-mart of compassion and basic necessities.

Its a very dignified approach to giving food away, Lyon said. Its a nicer experience.

Lyon has the title of floor manager. She does such things as makes sure the produce boxes are full and keeps the lines moving so the food pantry can serve a few dozen people on any given day.

She volunteers four days a week, working about two hours on Monday and four hours a day on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

Were seeing a lot of seniors come there, because theyre on a fixed income, Lyon said. We serve a lot of people who have just moved to the community, who dont have a place to live yet, who dont have food yet. We see all kinds of people.

Recipients can come once a month. They might leave with $200 worth of food, Lyon said.

This is to help them over the hump, Lyon said. Its not meant to provide food for every day of the month.

Even though her position doesnt pay, there is a pay-off.

The volunteers are a great team. The clients who show up monthly are like family. The work has the physical aspects of moving and lifting food, Lyon said.

Sometimes at the end of the day we go home exhausted, Lyon said. I wouldnt want anything sedentary. I dont have to go to the gym.

CANV food bank program director Shirley King said Lyon goes way beyond what one would expect from a volunteer.

Its been phenomenal to have her there and the fact she is a volunteer is just incredible, King said. She has a real passion for helping out.

For Lyon, the food pantry is the right place to expend her energy.

Its a very necessary service to our community, especially today with the increasing rents, the increasing costs of food, she said.

Go to the CANV website at canv.org or call 253-6100 to learn about the food pantry and other CANV programs and to volunteer. The Fathers House church holds the lease and pays the pantrys rent.

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Donald Trump should inspire a new look at Andrew Jackson.

Even by 19th-century standards, Jackson was terrible. In addition to being an overseer of enslaved people, a slaveholder and a slave trader, he was technically a bigamist and a murderer. As a military leader, he perpetrated an unauthorized war against the Seminole in Florida during which he executed two British citizens, leading to an international incident that almost upended the treaty that made Florida a U.S. territory.

That was all before he was elected president. As president, he institutionalized genocide against Native American peoples and oversaw policy that eroded the constitutional and civil rights of free people of color while adding protections to the institution of enslavement. He also unilaterally destroyed the single most important national banking institution of the period over his own party's objections.

Even in the shadow of his infamy, however, Jackson is still credited with "securing the triumph of democracy as the touchstone of American politics," in the words of one of his biographers. Tennessee Whig John Bell lauded Jackson as the first "people's president," for literally opening the doors of the White House to the American public during his inauguration, and ushering in what historians have dubbed the era of "the common man" in American politics.

But Jackson was a champion for white men, not "the people." In fact, Jacksonian advances in white male suffrage happened at the expense of free people of color, who saw their voting and citizenship rights significantly curtailed at the state level and fundamentally questioned at the national level as a direct result of Jackson's "popular" politics.

To see Jacksonian politics as the triumph of democracy means lionizing a system that had racism and sexism embedded in its very foundation. The danger today is that we follow the path forged by Jackson, one wholly embraced by Trump: where politics becomes a contest for the support of the white working-class, forcing a false choice between economic and racial parity, instead of recognizing that a system that requires racism and sexism cannot rightly be called a democracy.

Jackson might receive credit for being a champion of the little guy, but in reality, while Jacksonians railed against the elitist northeasterners who controlled the opposition, his party was equally dominated by wealthy white men. Jackson, himself, owned hundreds of slaves over his lifetime - 161 at the time of his death - placing him in the top-tier of the top one-percent of wealthy slaveholders.

As president, Jackson had little regard for niceties like separation of powers or conscientious dissent. He purged the federal government of John Quincy Adams's appointments, installing his own loyalists. In the rare instance that Jackson's appointees proved unwilling to follow his bidding, he summarily fired them, to be replaced with those who would. When the democratic process in Congress failed to advance his agenda, he responded by circumventing it.

For example, in 1832, Jackson vetoed bipartisan legislation to extend the national Bank of the United States with a message that imputed sinister motives to the bank's champions and stoked fear about the foreign interests that controlled it.

He demanded that Congress investigate whether the bank was "safe" when it reconvened the following fall, but even the Jackson-controlled House failed to find any danger in it. Undeterred by these facts, Jackson directed his treasury secretary to empty the bank of its capital by executive action, and to siphon those funds to state banks that his friends controlled. When the secretary refused to toe the line, Jackson replaced him; and when his successor also refused, Jackson fired him, too, sliding his Attorney General Roger B. Taney into the position in a recess appointment. The Senate never confirmed Taney, but that didn't stop him from following Jackson's directive, effectively killing the bank two years before its charter expired.

When members of Congress complained about this illegal action, Jackson's supporters accused them of manipulating the facts for political gain. The opposition-controlled Senate censured Jackson, but, in the last months of his presidency, a now-Jacksonian-controlled Senate expunged the censure from the record. That same Senate confirmed Taney as the chief justice of the United States over fierce partisan dissent.

In an effort to secure the popular vote in the Deep South for his chosen successor, Vice President Martin Van Buren of New York, Jackson and his allies suppressed anti-slavery activism by enacting some of the most restrictive legislation on free speech since the Alien and Sedition Acts. This effort included a federal gag on discussing slavery in the House and an attempt to censor media through the Postal Service.

These actions, combined with the divisive rhetoric of both parties, sparked hundreds of violent incidents against people of color and their allies, peaking in a series of riots in the summer of 1835. Instead of condemning this violence, Jackson blamed the "destructive" behavior of the media who riled up people of color and incited them to "insurrection" and "war." He praised their counterparts in non-slaveholding states who felt called upon to confront and silence the "misguided persons who have engaged in these unconstitutional and wicked attempts."

The violence exposed the reality of Jacksonian politics: populism equaled white supremacy, the repression of dissent and the unilateral authority of the "people's president." Jackson championed the white man, and he did so explicitly at the expense of minority populations, democratic norms and the rule of law.

Trump's politics channel Jackson. He has accumulated political capital on the basis of his racism, starting with the birther conspiracy that launched him into national politics, and he won the presidency, in part, on the strength of his misogyny. He, too, subverts democratic norms whenever it suits his purposes, directing government agencies - including both his Justice Department and the Postal Service - to suppress the media and claiming the power to do things by executive order that he has no power to do. Trump's verbal assaults on his perceived enemies have incited violence against them.

Like Jackson, Trump's supporters applauded when he replaced career politicians (i.e., experienced administrators) with novices intent on dismantling federal bureaucracy. Trump's popular democracy is once again the celebration of the "common man," who is proudly white and Christian.

But we must guard against the impulse to let Trump, like Jackson, dictate the direction of American politics.

Jackson's success drove both parties to embrace his narrow vision of American democracy. In 1840, the Whig opposition nominated their own version of Jackson - "plainspoken" William Henry Harrison, who grew up on a plantation and lived in a mansion, but could convincingly swig hard cider with the "real folks." The South overwhelming went for Harrison - marking the first time in 40 years that the "party of Jefferson" had lost the slaveholding states - and the Whigs took control of the House and the Senate.

Democrats learned their lesson. Van Buren had lost because he failed to attract white southerners and Midwesterners, so the party set out to recapture their vote. They chose to measure "democracy" by the political agency of the white working-class, "equality" by the material conditions of white labor and "liberty" as the capacity of white men to do as they please.

Jacksonian popular politics cannibalized the nascent left-wing in the United States by aligning the white working-class with pro-slavery interests. This alliance worked politically - it secured the Democrats political power - but it also sacrificed their commitment to real social change.

For our politics to be truly popular, they must address the needs of the whole country, its entire populace - citizens and non-citizens, alike, documented or not - and especially the marginalized populations whose subjugation gave rise to this country. A platform without social justice at its core cannot rightly be called democratic.

Dani Holtz is the postdoctoral fellow at Oregon State Universitys Center for the Humanities; she works on conservatism, racial nationalism and US foreign policy in the 19th and 20th centuries. She wrote this for The Washington Post.
One hundred years ago, on his lucky day, Friday the 13th, December 1918, arriving in Brest, France, Woodrow Wilson (1856-1924) made history as the first American president to visit Europe.

To the Old Worlds masses, Wilson was their new savior. Subtle signs however, began to emerge that this New World savior of humanity had clay feet. (The scheduled arrival date was to have been the 12th, except Wilson apparently may have had the captain slow the ships speed for his idyllic entrance.)

His vessel, a refitted German liner interned in U.S. port upon the outbreak of the Great War, was the George Washington, namesake of the father of the United States, who had warned in his farewell, no permanent alliances with European powers. Wilson was going against this caveat in a superhuman effort for a final world peace.

A smooth nine-day crossing on the Big Pond of the North Atlantic, in which an ebullient President Wilson may have enjoyed shuffleboard, seemed to bode him well. His was akin to a scene of the Second Coming. Worshipful crowds hailed his arrival in France. European aristocrats feared President Wilson intended their end.

Upon being queried as to why he personally journeyed overseas to the Old World, Wilson replied, I came because its leaders did not want me here. (In the Spanish-American War of 1898, for example. President William McKinley had sent three U.S. Senators, two Republicans and one Democrat, to successfully fetch a peace treaty.) Wilsons October Appeal to Americans to vote-in a Democratic Senate had failed.

His mantra, that Republicans could not be trusted in important matters, was to be tested in Paris at the postwar peace talks. No current Senate members of either party were chosen by Wilson to be part of his entourage. He snubbed the Senate.

But the Senate ultimately had the constitutional power to ratify all foreign treaties. Humorist Will Rogers paraphrased Wilsons shunning the Senate. We will split 50-50; one will go to Paris with my half [and your half] can stay home, joked Rogers.

Wilsons decision was to employ the forehand approach, by personally negotiating a foreign treaty. Presidential confidant Colonel Edward House of Texas thought otherwise; President Wilson should have stayed in Washington, using it as his Mount Olympus. Zeus-like, from his D.C. citadel, he could keep the rest of us [diplomats] dangling (in Paris), said House.

Simultaneously, he would guide the American transition back to peacetime and be vigilant as to Senate machinations.

Such would have been the strategic backhand approach, had Wilson elected to take it. In traveling overseas to Paris, however, he felt he could dominate the peace talks so as to remake the world, to be idyllically redeemed according to his moral judgment. Knowingly, Wilson was taking highly calculated risks. He assumed that even a Republican-dominated Senate would vote for ratification of the upcoming treaty.

Health was a factor. He had a history of strokes, in 1896 and 1906. The latter caused permanent partial blindness in Wilsons right eye, and the earlier, paralysis of his right hand. Chronic fevers and nausea plagued Wilson from his student university days onward. (His father, church minister Joseph Wilson, died from artery disease.)

Wishing Wilson, upon his arrival, to feel the pain of France from the Great War, which had left 1.4 million French military deaths, Premier Georges Clemenceau invited the president on a battlefield sojourn. Stunningly, Wilson turned down Clemenceaus invitation with the remark that as a boy he had seen firsthand the devastation of his home-state Georgia in the Civil War and to him it was all the same. (Perhaps by eschewing a tour of the war areas in northeastern France, Wilson was attempting to remain objective to fully focus on obtaining his peace without victory.)

Instead, Wilson chose to celebrate his 62nd birthday in London as Prime Minister Lloyd Georges guest. To Clemenceau, he defected to the den of Perfidious Albion.

Moral force is irresistible, proclaimed President Wilson, as the official Paris peace talks commenced on Jan. 18,1919. Acerbically, Clemenceau, the Tiger of France, retorted, America is very far away from Germany, but France is very near.

In Paris, the Chamber of Deputies reelected Clemenceau by 3-1. Clearly, France was bent on a treaty of revenge against its old nemesisGermanytemporarily prostrate at present. Invaded by the Huns in 1871 and 1914, France felt anxious. A scholarly Wilson brought his Fourteen Points to Paris. In Point One he stated, Open covenants openly arrived at. To the realpolitik-style European leaders, Clemenceau, Lloyd George, and Vittorio Orlando of Italy, such was a pure fantasy.

As the fourth leader comprising the Big Four, Wilson ironically was a part of an Inner Sanctum, which was to covet the peace proceedings in Paris. This set-up flouted Wilsons open covenants. Moreover, his first point really pertained to Bolshevisms birth in post-Tsarist and post-Kerensky Russia, which was currently spreading into Germany and Italy. (In America, it would be called the Red Scare.)

As the peace talks began, Clemenceau frankly complained to House in private that he felt in conversing with Wilson that he had spoken to Jesus Christ rather than to the president of the United States. We broke the Ten Commandments; Wilson offers us his Fourteen Commandments, exclaimed an exasperated Clemenceau.

Wilson inadvertently borrowed Napoleon Bonapartes maxim, Men are nothing; a man is everything. On Valentines Day, 1919, Wilson formally presented Point Fourteen of his Covenant of the League, in the Hall of the Clock at Versailles Palace.

Standing beneath the great clock was Wilson, slender, calm, [and] powerful in his argument, related his wife, Edith Galt Wilson, watching from an inconspicuous alcove, with Admiral Gary Grayson, the presidents personal physician. I seemed to see the people of all depressed countriesmen, women, and little children[all] crowding around and waiting for his words.

As the self-appointed messiah who coveted the League Covenant, Woodrow Wilson was the worlds man of the hour.

A man of ideas, Wilson was the leading spiritual exponent of internationalism. (Theodore Roosevelt also wanted an international peacekeeping body, but died in January 1919, leaving Wilson solely upon historys center stage.) At home, his major antagonist, Republican Senate Speaker Henry Cabot Lodge, was Americas leading exponent of isolationism. To Senator Lodge, head of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the surest way toward global peace was to maintain an ever self-reliant, patriotically and militarily strong America. (Once earlier, Lodge had momentarily entertained the idea of a world peace body, coining the phrase united nations.)

Unemployment, strikes, and anarchist groups, Over Here had the attention of the American people, weary of the Lean Garbage Can and idealism to have a world safe for democracy by ending all wars.

Former British Foreign Minister Sir Edward Grey, another protagonist for a world peace parliament, had noted in August 1914 that the lamps were going out in Europe.

By attempting to re-light the world via a League of Nations would require of Woodrow Wilson, a flexible and open mind.

Futini is a Napa-based history enthusiast. This is the latest in an occasional series marking the 100th anniversary of the First World War.
Twitter removes over 3,000 foreign country-related accounts

Blinken discusses with Bayramov situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border

Armenian FM: Determination of Nagorno-Karabakh's status is subject to negotiations

EU fines four major banks totaling $390 million

Lavrov: Russian mediation on Karabakh settlement is welcomed by OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs

Armenian defense minister discusses Washington's role in OSCE Minsk Group

Armenian PM discusses Sochi meeting with defense minister and ruling party MPs

Mirzoyan and Blinken discuss settlement of Karabakh conflict

Armenia and Lithuania sign military cooperation program

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

Russia-based Armenian analyst: Implementation of agreements on Karabakh reached in Ashgabat not very likely

Qatar calls on Persian Gulf countries to cooperate with Iran

Aliyev, Pakistani minister discuss expansion of Azerbaijan-Pakistan-Turkey cooperation format

Helsinki Citizens' Assembly Vanadzor Office lodges applications with ECHR under cases of captured Armenian soldiers

53-year-old Russian woman run over by Opel driver at Sakharov Square in Yerevan

Former head of ex-chief of Armenia Police is under arrest

Monument to victims of events of March 1, 2008 to be placed in Yerevan

Armenia PM receives representatives of Armenian Democratic Liberal Party-Ramgavar, Karabakh conflict touched upon

Pace of negative saldo of migration from Armenia by air grows by 33% in 3 months

PACE Committee calls on Yerevan, Baku and Tbilisi 'to guarantee the right to hold Gay Pride marches'

Armenia Supreme Judicial Council members discuss introduction of electronic systems with EU program reps
By Benjamin Jumbe.

President Museveni has applauded the African Development Bank for its continued support to Governments development programs in various sectors.

The president was presiding over the groundbreaking of the Rukungiri- Kihihi- Ishasha Road

He said Government has put a lot of emphasis on infrastructure with a number of major roads constructed or reconstructed with more to be upgraded to tarmac.

He says governments target is to progressively increase on the number of roads financed using local revenue each Financial year.

The president says a functional road network by inducing economic development and facilitating trade, contributes to the integration of the countrys economy into the regional and world market, a precondition for sustainable economic growth and development.

Meanwhile the minister for works and Transport Eng Monica Azuba Ntege said government will fund Acquisition of land for the Right of Way and will compensate the project affected persons at a cost of about UGX: 29 Billion.
YEREVAN.  None of the political forces running in the vote has petitioned to the Constitutional Court (CC) and appealed the results of the snap parliamentary election in Armenia.

The deadline for appealing to the CC ended on Friday at 6pm.

Chairman of the Central Electoral Commission (CEC), Tigran Mukuchyan, told Armenian News-NEWS.am that the CEC will convene a meeting in the coming days and acknowledge the new National Assembly (NA) as formed.

The political forces [that have won parliamentary seats] will be given a reasonable timeframe to submit withdrawals [from parliamentary mandate]; and if there are withdrawals, we [the CEC] will make decisions in connection with the withdrawals, Mukuchyan said. Subsequently, a record will be made about providing mandates, and the day of the first session of parliament will be announced.

In his words, the decisions on possible withdrawal petitions shall be made by the end of the year, whereas the restin the coming year.

As reported earlier, as a result of the December 9 snap parliamentary election, Armenias new legislature will have 132 MPs. Accordingly, the My Step bloc, the Prosperous Armenia Party and the Bright Armenia Party have won 88, 26 and 18 seats, respectively, in the new NA.
YEREVAN.  Selection of the judge at the Criminal Court of Appeal, the whole process of the trial, and the judges decision has taken place with numerous gross violations of the law.

Hayk Alumyan, a member of the attorney team of Armenias second President Robert Kocharyan, stated the above-said at a press conference on Saturday, as he spoke about the remanding of Kocharyan in custody, yet again.

The judge [presiding over the court trial] didnt respond to several arguments which we [the defense] have submitted, Alumyan said. In his decision, the judge simply preferred not to reflect on those arguments.

In the attorneys words, regarding the arguments which the court did reflect on, it limited itself to truth-like sentences which, however, had no meaning.

The trial was a shameful trial, he added. The decision was made with shameful violations.

With its ruling on December 7, the Criminal Court of Appeal upheld the first instance courts July 27 decision on remanding Robert Kocharyan in custody. On the same dayDecember 7, Kocharyan handed himself over to a Yerevan penitentiary where he was arrested.

Armenias second President Robert Kocharyanalong with several other former officialshas been charged within the framework of the criminal case into the tragic events that transpired in capital city Yerevan on March 1 and 2, 2008and under Article 300.1 Paragraph 1 of the Criminal Code; that is, breaching Armenias constitutional order, in conspiracy with others.

On March 1 and 2, 2008 the then authorities of Armenia used force against the opposition members who were rallying in downtown Yerevan, and against the results of the presidential election on February 19, 2008. Eight demonstrators as well as two servicemen of the internal troops were killed in the clashes. But no one had been brought to account for these deaths, to this day.




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.
The Acting Prime Minister of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan, on Saturday was on hand at the official opening of a composite gas cylinder production plant in Vanadzor.

Pashinyan toured this plant, which is built by the Rad Sane Vashamir Group company of Iran.

Company founders Hossein Yaghoubpour and Arayik Asryan informed the acting PM that so far, the actual investment in this venture had made up over $6 million, but the total investment will exceed $21 million.

Also, the company officials presented to Pashinyan their development programs in Vanadzor: Production of carbon fibers, whose investment amount is 60-80 million, andwithin the framework of cooperation with SAIPA Group automotive company of Irana light passenger car assembly line in Armenia. In this context, Nikol Pashinyan was presented the sample of such a car that was assembled in Armenia, but with spare parts imported from Iran.

The acting premier, for his part, noted that the Armenian government stood ready to assist in bringing investment initiatives to fruition.
13:11

GDP numbers are misleading, RBI's autonomy is in extreme danger and demonetisation is the biggest banking scam, former finance minister Yashwant Sinha claims in his new book.

He also says that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's idea of self-employment is a "distraction from the more serious issue of unemployment and underemployment".

Sinha, who has been quite vocal about the government's policies since the past couple of years, quit the Bharatiya Janata Party in April.





Party leaders have been dismissing his allegations on several issues with BJP chief Amit Shah once asking if people should believe the ministers or those "who did not get jobs".

According to Sinha, Modi blew a golden opportunity to send the economy soaring to new heights.

"He could have fixed the UPA's legacy issues and fundamentally raised India from a poor country to a middle-income country, but he squandered the chance," he says, adding his book demonstrates how "Modi unmade India".

Though the book India Unmade: How the Modi Government Broke the Economy is a critique of the NDA government's economic management, Sinha says he has not always been a critic of Modi.

"Nor do I have a personal vendetta against him for not appointing me minister or giving me some other post, as some people incorrectly speculate In fact, the truth is that I recognised his mettle early on and was one of the first senior Bharatiya Janata Party leaders to say he should be made the party's prime ministerial candidate in the 2014 elections," he claims.

He has been severely critical of Modi on demonetisation, jobs, GDP figures and Make in India among others policies and programmes.

"The Modi government's lasting legacy will be the catastrophe that was the demonetisation of high-denomination currency on November 8, 2016," he argues.

"Demonetisation was a whimsical decision that served no purpose of governance. It did, however, provide Modi with a populist campaign plank of having taken tough decisions to nab the corrupt rich. His decision paid a rich electoral dividend in Uttar Pradesh in 2017. But as far as the constantly shifting governance objectives of demonetisation went, it was a big zero," he says.

On the second anniversary of demonetisation, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had said that demonetisation resulted in increasing the tax base and a higher tax collection (both direct and indirect) for the government, thereby improving its fiscal health.





He had also clarified that the real purpose of demonetisation was not the confiscation of cash but to bring it to the formal economy and make the holders pay tax.

On Make in India, Sinha writes, "The malaise of Indian industry during Modi's tenure is typified by his most famous flagship scheme, Make in India. It is his biggest failure; it is also an unoriginal idea. It is nothing more than a revival of the National Manufacturing Competitiveness Council that the UPA set up in 2004, whose first chairman was V Krishnamurthy."

He also says that the growth rates were seemed to have been recalibrated to make the government's economic management look good, with an average rate of 7.35 per cent over its first four years.

The jobs Modi mentioned like 'pakoda' sellers, autorickshaw drivers, tea-stall boys and newspaper deliverers are all in the informal sector and are nobody's idea of an aspirational job, he says.

He terms GDP figures as way below India's potential. "But then India is the only country in the world that grows at 7.35 per cent, without investment, without industrial growth, without agricultural growth. Just like magic," he writes in a sarcastic vein.

The GST concept, he says, is good because it is simple and will lead to lower prices because there won't be any tax on tax; there'll be tax set-offs at every stage; and it will widen the tax net for transactions. -- PTI
Although the market is tanking to close out the end of the year, 2019 is shaping up to be a big year for IPOs. So-called unicorns have been angling to take their companies public before the market turns south, and some are rushing to hit the market before a potential sell-off intensifies. And despite the market turbulence, the broader economy remains strong.

Following a year that featured IPOs from Spotify, Dropbox, and Eventbrite, 2019 is expected to see another impressive crop of newly public stocks. Below, in no particular order, are the seven most anticipated IPOs of 2019.

The letters "IPO" over a $100 bill

Image source: Getty Images.

1. Uber

No private company has attracted more attention over the last decade than Uber. The ride-hailing service has quickly spread around the globe, disrupting traditional taxi syndicates and upsetting regulators and drivers along the way.

Uber has been in the process of recovering from a series of scandals, including conflicts with cities and rivals, and has been embroiled in lawsuits over its alleged theft of data from peers like Waymo and rampant sexual harassment stemming from its "brogrammer" culture. These have contributed to a backlash among users, but it's still the ride-share leader in the U.S., though it's pulled back from international markets in Asia and elsewhere.

Since founder Travis Kalanick was ushered out last year, new CEO Dara Khosrowshahi has helped the company clean up its act and improve its image, and Uber is now preparing for an IPO in 2019, having already filed confidentially. The company is targeting a valuation of $120 billion, which seems excessive -- but Wall Street is excited about a company that could disrupt the broader mobility industry with offerings like its restaurant delivery service UberEats and its investments in dockless scooters and autonomous vehicle technologies.

2. Lyft

The #2 ride-hailing service is in a race with Uber to IPO first, and investors have long anticipated getting a piece of one of these fast-growing ride-share stocks. Lyft, which was valued at $15 billion in its last funding round, filed to IPO earlier in December as part of its efforts to challenge Uber.

Story continues

Once seen as an afterthought in the ride-sharing industry, Lyft has been steadily gaining market share, and now claims 28% -- behind Uber at 70%, according to Second Measure, but still part of what is effectively a duopoly in the industry. Since Lyft is the challenger, it has a bigger growth opportunity than Uber in the U.S., as it can continue taking share from its larger rival. However, Lyft has not expanded globally the way Uber has, and has not embraced new technologies as aggressively, though it has formed partnerships with General Motors, Alphabet, and Ford. That distinction explains why it will command a much lower valuation than Uber in its IPO.

3. Pinterest

2018 has been an ugly year for the social media industry, thanks especially to Facebook's series of public relations crises and ongoing revelations that Russian hacking on multiple social platforms influenced the 2016 election. But a social media company that has largely escaped that scrutiny is going public.

Pinterest just announced its plans to debut on the market early next year. The social site where users post images and articles to their boards now has more than 250 monthly active users, and revenue jumped 50% last year to more than $700 million. According to The Wall Street Journal, the social network is expected to hire underwriters as soon as January, and is seeking a valuation of at least $12 billion. Given the backlash against Facebook, Pinterest may find investors hungry to diversify into a scandal-free social media company.

4. Slack

Slack, the popular office-messaging platform, has also thrown its hat into the ring for a 2019 IPO. The company, whose software provides collaborating workers with an alternative to email, has hired Goldman Sachs to lead its public offering next year, and is seeking a valuation of $10 billion. Founded in 2009, Slack is one of several cloud-based companies that have found success in the mobile era, and has grown quickly, valued at $7.1 billion in its most recent fundraising round in August.

Given the blowout performance of cloud-computing stocks recently, Slack is likely to find a warm audience among investors.

5. Airbnb

The home-sharing disrupter would certainly be among the most anticipated start-ups to go public next year, as it was last valued at $31 billion. Airbnb also has an attractive business model with built-in competitive advantages, and it's profitable, unlike some other would-be IPOs like Uber and Lyft. However, unlike the names above, Airbnb hasn't yet declared that it is going public, though CEO Brian Chesky has said before that the company would be ready to go public in 2019. It also recently hired a CFO, filling a need before a public offering.

Investors should stay tuned for an announcement, as Airbnb would certainly be attractive given its fast growth, profitability, and disruptive potential.

6. Palantir

Data-mining specialist Palantir Technologies could also be among the biggest IPO prizes next year. According to a Wall Street Journal report from October, the company has held talks with Credit Suisse and Morgan Stanley to go public as soon as the second half of 2019, and could be valued at as much as $41 billion.

Since it's not a consumer-facing company, Palantir doesn't have the same public recognition as some of the other names on this list. But the company's technology is valuable, and is credited with helping the government hunt down Osama Bin Laden and disrupt other terrorist networks. With just $750 million in revenue this year, $41 billion would represent a steep price for the company, as it is not yet profitable. However, CEO Alex Karp said that if the company went public, people would be "positively surprised."

7. WeWork

Another hoped-for IPO next year is office-sharing juggernaut WeWork, which was most recently valued at $45 billion and counts Softbank as its largest investor. Though many investors are perplexed by WeWork's valuation, believing that the company is just repurposing office space in a way that any other competitor could, the company has grown like a weed, with more than 500 locations in 96 cities around the world. After the company sold $3 billion in additional shares to Softbank in November, an IPO next year seemed less likely -- WeWork is well funded at the moment. But if market conditions are amenable, WeWork could debut in 2019.

WeWork's revenue is set to approach to $2 billion this year and is still growing fast -- revenue more than doubled in the second quarter. The company has more than 500,000 members, but its losses continue to widen as it invests in growth, and that could be a concern for investors.

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Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. Jeremy Bowman owns shares of Facebook and General Motors. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Alphabet (A shares), Alphabet (C shares), and Facebook. The Motley Fool recommends Ford. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
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A decade ago, smart home technology was hugely expensive and very complicated. Today, you can start building a smart home for less than the price of a meal out, with voice-control speakers and standalone Wi-Fi smart lamps.

But whats the best way to get the most out of a smart home? And how do you start?

We spoke to some top smart home installers and experts to find out.

Start small

You dont have to start off by wiring up your whole house. Instead, dip your toes by kitting out one room, and start with cheaper wireless kit, advises Phillip Pini, Head of Residential Development Europe for smart home control company, Crestron.

Pini says, You dont have to automate your entire home if your budget doesnt allow. Its possible to design a system that can grow with you. You could start with a smaller system, something thats wireless, and build up to a centralised system at a later date.

Invest in powerful Wi-Fi

Most smart home gadgets rely on a Wi-Fi connection, so if youre starting a smart home, its wise to boost your Wi-Fi.

If your Wi-Fi coverage isnt up to scratch, consider upgrading to a mesh network which can offer more coverage in larger homes.

Anthony Gallon, Technical Director at smart home installer Clever Association says, If I was to give a single piece of advice relating to smart home technologies, it would be to invest in a robust and reliable network first. Almost all technology is reliant upon a connection to the outside world, or the ability to share data between devices locally within your home.

Having a good network infrastructure in place will set you off on the right path.

Make sure everything works together

Keeping the controls as simple as possible is key: otherwise its easy to end up using multiple different apps for the heating, lighting and music, for example.

Integrated smart home systems are more expensive, but will use a single app to control everything. For a similar effect on a budget, use voice commands via systems such as Amazons Alexa, and check that your equipment is compatible.

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Chris Knight, MD of smart home company Perfect Integration Limited, says, The best way to get the most from a smart home is to keep things simple. The whole idea of home automation is to make daily life in your home easier and more fun. Having to unlock your phone and use an app to switch on the lights as you enter a room is much more hassle than simply flicking a switch.

Take time to plan your smart home first

Dont splurge lots of money on expensive smart home gadgets before thinking about how it will all work together.

There is no one size fits all smart home system out there, says Anthony Gallon, Technical Director at Clever Association.

Gallon says, Before committing to any particular smart home solution, consider how technology might complement your own lifestyle. Do your research and speak to professionals within the industry as theyll be able to explain the pros and cons of different solutions to you.

Dont expect it to do everything straight out of the box

As with most things, the more preparation you do, the better the outcome. Things are no different with smart home tech.

Its easy to assume that all smart home tech will just work and do everything you want as soon as you plug it in. But thats not always the case. Yes, many will have direct access to features to get you sailing into a more streamlined, hands-free life, but spend a little time at the beginning and the devices will get better and even more useful.

For example, the Amazon Echo smart speaker can do a lot of things to keep you moving and entertained without you having to do too much. But to get the most out of it, really sit down and understand everything it can do, what will help you in your life and make sure its set up right. The Echo Show offers valuable on-screen feedback and tips that can help you get going.

Save money on energy

As the price of installing smart home technology has fallen, its become an attractive way to save money on electricity bills.

Smart thermostats such as Nest and Hive equipment can cut electricity bills by working out when families use heating systems, and turning them off when not required.

Smart home expert Darren Staniforth, Technical Development Manager at the National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting (NICEIC) says, The cost of installing products to create a smart home have come down considerably over recent years.

Investing in smart solutions offers an ideal way for homeowners to reduce their energy bill. Even small changes can make a real difference.

Smarten up your kitchen

If youre starting a smart home, the kitchen is a great place to do it, with an increasing amount of smart technology from intelligent fridges to Amazons Dash buttons which allow users to order groceries instantly.

Voice control can really come into its own in the kitchen, says Michael Mauser, executive vice president at Harman. Mauser says, Try putting your smart speaker in the kitchen as it can really deliver in here. Straight out of the box, it can convert measurements, read out recipes or set a timer.

In fact, 24% of UK consumers with a voice controlled speaker use it as their kitchen assistant.

Enable the whole household to use it

Voice control systems such as Amazons Alexa allow multiple users, each with their own level of access.

This means parents can restrict access to services when needed and each user can access their own to-do list and calendar. Allowing the whole household to use the one device makes it a much more economical purchase and ensures that everyone can benefit from it.

Michael Mauser of Harman says, One in five children use the voice controlled speaker without supervision. Creating separate accounts, turning off voice purchases in the settings or adding a pin code to buy things could prevent unwanted orders.

Get clever with smart home gadgets

If This Then That is a web-based service which allows you to customise what a smart home can do, so that, for instance, you can get your lights to pulse when an email arrives.

You could also, for instance, enable your lights to change colour in response to weather conditions outside.

Kathryn Middleton from smart light supplier Lighting Direct says, Many smart home products, such as the Philips Hue smart lighting range support IFTTT, a service that allows users to create simple conditional statements, known as applets. This allows users to truly customise their smart home experience.
Global consulting and outsourcing company Accenture (NYSE: ACN) reported first-quarter results for the 2019 fiscal year on Thursday. The company's focus on high-growth market sectors under its "The New" banner continued unabated, powering 7% sales growth and 13% higher net profits.

Accenture's third-quarter results: The raw numbers

Metric Q1 2019 Q1 2018 Year-Over-Year Change Revenue $10.6 billion $9.9 billion 7.3% Net income $1.27 billion $1.12 billion 13% GAAP earnings per share (diluted) $1.96 $1.79 9.5%

Data source: Accenture. GAAP = generally accepted accounting principles.

What happened with Accenture this quarter?

Accenture's chosen focus businesses -- cloud, security, and digital services -- accounted for more than 60% of total revenues in this quarter. That's up from 55% a year ago, and sales in this category showed "strong double-digit growth" again.

European revenues increased 6% year over year, lagging behind both North America's 10% growth, and Accenture's growth markets surging 17% higher. Among the so-called growth markets, Japan led the way with "very strong double-digit" revenue increases. Other double-digit-percentage growers included Singapore, China, and Brazil.

In business segment terms, the main driver behind Accenture's double-digit sales surges came from strong interest in communications, media and technology services. As an example of this trend, management highlighted a large contract with Sprint (NYSE: S) that aimed to create new customer experiences and optimize the American telecom's operations. Accenture's input has boosted Sprint's customer satisfaction and online phone sales, saving the company "millions of dollars" through tighter operations.

A group of tech workers conferring in a room full of computer screens and blinking LED lights

Consultants consulting, as they do. Image source: Getty Images.

What management had to say

On the earnings call, one analyst wanted to know more about Accenture's plans for shaking up the "traditional advertising" industry. CEO Pierre Nanterme didn't like the T-word at all:

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I said before that probably the word we like the most with [CFO David Rowland] is "broad-based." The word we hate the most is "traditional." We have no appetite to build anything traditional, anything legacy, anything that has been done by the industry for 50 years. All the hypotheses -- being serious again, if you will (I was serious) -- but to be even more serious on this, our point is to be part of the disruption of this industry, and we want to be a disruptor.

So Accenture is steering its clients away from old-school business recipes wherever possible, and deeper into next-generation solutions. In the advertising space, this means a heavy focus on digital ad platforms and dynamic ad campaigns. Deep data analysis plays a major part here, right alongside artificial intelligence:

We will always look at things that are going to be either more creative or more new, if you will. But the point is if it's too traditional, it's going to commoditize, and if it's commoditizing, this is not the market we want to be in.

Looking ahead

For the second quarter of 2019, Accenture expects revenues in the neighborhood of $10.3 billion after accounting for a 4% currency-exchange-based headwind. In local currencies, year-over-year growth should land near 8%.

Management also noted that constant-currency revenue growth should stay at roughly 8% throughout the new fiscal year. Free cash flow for the full year is targeted at approximately $5.3 billion, down from $5.4 billion in 2018, and a current annual run rate of roughly $5.5 billion.

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Anders Bylund has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Accenture. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader in the Senate, publicly broke with the president - REUTERS

America's allies around the world yesterday expressed alarm at the resignation of Jim Mattis, Donald Trump's defence secretary, fearing it signalled a retreat into isolationism by the world's only superpower.

Senior Republican allies of Mr Trump in Washington also lambasted the president, accusing him of abdicating the US global leadership role.

Mr Mattis resigned on Thursday in protest at Mr Trump's decision to withdraw from Syria and draw down troops from Afghanistan.

In a lengthy resignation letter the four-star Marine general said US strength was "inextricably linked" to its alliances, a position seemingly at odds with Mr Trump's "America First" policy.

Yesterday, the Defence Secretary, Gavin Williamson, said he had developed a close relationship Gen Mattis, and would view his retirement with sadness.

Speaking aboard a Ukrainian warship in the Black sea port of Odessa, he also warned Isil has not yet been defeated, and saying Britain would "keep a foot on the throat" of the terror group despite Mr Trump's controversial decision.

Youve got to see what Jim has achieved in his time as defence secretary. Hes really been quite transformational in what the US armed forces have been able to do, extra investment going in and youve seen a massive increase in investment here in Europe. Jim has been an important part of that transformation, Mr Williamson said.

In Berlin, Norbert Rottgen, chairman of the German parliament's foreign affairs committee, and an ally of Angela Merkel, said: "Mattis was the last man standing for what had been US foreign policy since World War II.

"With him gone this really marks a juncture in the Trump presidency. Now we have an unrestrained Trump, which is a dangerous signal for the year ahead."

Guy Verhofstadt, the liberal leader in the European Parliament, said it meant the European Union should push on with bolstering its own defence capabilities.

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Jim Mattis arrives for a meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels in February Credit: AP

He said: "Mattis checked President Trump's worst instincts and was a strong supporter of Nato and multilateralism.

"His departure is bad news and makes it look like Putins plan is being delivered on."

Jim Molan, a senator in Australia, said it was a signal that "Australia must be self-reliant in its defence".

Mr Mattis had long differed with Mr Trump over issues including the future of the Afghanistan mission, but friends had said he would only leave office if he was fired or died.

However, the Syria withdrawal appeared to have been the last straw. After Mr Trump announced it on Twitter, Mr Mattis went to the White House and spent 45 minutes in the Oval Office trying, and failing, to change the president's mind. He then quickly resigned.

He was said to have been particularly incensed at the prospect of leaving America's Kurdish allies open to attack by Turkey.

Along with John Kelly, the outgoing White House chief of staff, and Rex Tillerson, Mr Trump's original secretary of state, Mr Mattis had been referred to by some Republicans in Congress as the "axis of adults". When Mr Mattis leaves in February they will all be gone from the administration.

In a rare public disagreement with the president Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader in the Senate, said he was "distressed" by Mr Mattis's departure.

He said: "I believe its essential that the United States maintain and strengthen the post-World War II alliances that have been carefully built by leaders in both parties.

"We must also maintain a clear-eyed understanding of our friends and foes, and recognise that nations like Russia are among the latter."

Senator Lindsey Graham, a high-profile ally of Mr Trump, accused the president of "surrendering" in Syria, and suggested it could lead to terrorists targeting America in a similar manner to the September 11, 2001 attacks..

He said allies, including the UK, were "scratching their heads right now".

Marco Rubio, the Republican senator, warned the US was "headed towards a series of grave policy errors which will endanger our nation, damage our alliances, and empower our adversaries".

However, opponents of Mr Mattis suggested his departure would allow Mr Trump to pursue the agenda he had been elected on.

Stephen Miller, senior adviser to the president, said: "The president has been very emphatic about the need to get a fair deal for the American taxpayer, and to make sure that we're only engaged in activities that are in our national interests."
Washington (AFP) - This Christmas, many Americans will find the gifts under their tree may lead to a long-lost relative or a map of ancestral migrations.

Or perhaps the discovery that their father is not who they think he is.

Sales of DNA testing kits are booming, as citizens in a country founded by immigrants explore their genetic origins in record numbers.

"There were definitely surprises," said Flora Bertrand, 40, who gave her husband one of the kits, ordered online for under $100.

The kits contain a plastic tube which the user spits into and ships back to the company lab. About a month later, the results are available online at a personalized site.

That normally features a map of the world showing the customer the regions of the world their ancestors hail from, and what percentage of their DNA comes from there.

Flora's husband, who lives in Brooklyn but is originally from Trinidad and Tobago, was unable to trace his family ancestry back more than a few generations because they had been victims of the trans-Atlantic slave trade.

"The biggest shock was how much European he had," she said. "Eighteen percent British and one percent Irish."

- Booming business -

Millions of Americans have joined the search for their ancestors.

The market for DNA tests "has exponentially grown since 2017 and I would not be surprised if the market has doubled over the past year," said Heather Zierhut, assistant professor of genetics at the University of Minnesota.

This Christmas, the dozen or so companies offering test kits are redoubling their efforts with promotions and marketing drives that feature heart-warming tales of people finding unknown relatives or unexpected roots.

One example is a 69-year-old woman who found her 88-year-old biological mother, who had always thought her daughter had died shortly after being born.

"Genetic testing for ancestry looks at hundreds of thousands of our three billion DNA 'letters' and compares an individual's genetic data to that of databases of populations of people from different parts of the world," said Zierhut.

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"The companies can also compare overall how much of your DNA is shared with other people who have taken the test," she said.

The two leading companies in the field, AncestryDNA and 23andMe, have carried out tests on 15 million people between them.

"In the 2017 holiday season, we sold 400,000 DNA kits," said Rafi Mendelsohn, spokesman for MyHeritage, whose sales leapt from $60 million in 2016 to $133 million a year later.

"We're planning on doubling our sales in Christmas 2018 versus 2017," said David Nicholson, co-founder of Living DNA, which offers its services in 90 countries.

- Stocking shockers -

Nevertheless, "DNA tests are absolutely not always the best gift for Christmas," warned Maarten Larmuseau, a researcher in genetic genealogy at University of Leuven in Belgium.

First of all, the results can be disappointing and vary from one test to the next because they depend so heavily on the database used for comparisons.

Secondly, participants are often "totally unaware that unexpected or sensitive results are always possible and might be delivered just by the click of a button," he said.

"I often receive emails or phone calls from people who found out that their father or grandfather is not their biological father or grandfather, or that they have unexpectedly a half-brother or half-sister," he said.

"These persons receive these life-changing and often traumatic results without any psychological assistance," said Larmuseau, noting with disapproval that the tests can also be carried out on children and babies.

He warned that an ancestry DNA test can become "a paternity test in disguise."

Furthermore, some companies offer optional testing for health issues, such as a person's predisposition towards developing Alzheimers or Parkinson's disease -- not the happiest gift to get from Santa, especially as some question the reliability of such tests.

The other serious problem is the security of extremely personal data, which may be at risk from hackers or be shared with partner companies, such as in the pharmaceutical field.

"The data (in de-identified form) can be used to refine a company's analysis or to be shared with other companies for purposes of research about ancestry, traits, and disease," said Sonia Suter, a law professor and bioethicist at George Washington University.

She said that while federal law protects privacy of medical data, "it applies only to health care providers, health plans, health care clearinghouses and business associates of these groups" and not to so-called direct-to-consumer companies.

"I do not think there is sufficient regulation of these entities," she said.

"This doesn't mean your information will immediately be accessible to insurers or law enforcement, but it's out there," she warned.

Her advice: "Think hard about whether you want the information and why. Don't use the test simply because you have it."
Just three days before Christmas, it looks like the federal government is heading for a shutdownand while that will affect employees from a range of government agencies that help millions of travelers each day, travelers should still be able to make it home for the holidays.

If Congress is unable to pass a budget for the coming year, government funding will lapse at midnight Friday. That means the thousands of government employees will be furloughed without pay during the holidays, and thousands of essential workers will be required to work without pay.

Most other Americas are unlikely to be immediately affected by the shutdown. Government employees who perform the most essential servicessuch as military personnel on active duty, postal workers, prison guards and border security will still be working.

Heres what you should know about how a government shutdown may affect your holiday travel:

Flights and trains should not be impacted by the government shutdown

Amtrak, the TSA, border control and air traffic control will still be operational over the holidays, so travelers can still expect to have safe flights and to be able to take the train home.

Travelers in airports can expect the same rigorous security standards that we always have, says TSA spokesperson Lisa Farbstein. The TSA will be fully staffed with front-line employees such as TSA officers, explosive experts and inspectors, will still be on the job, Farbstein says.

However, these employees will all be working without pay, and behind-the-scenes workers, including administrative employees, will also be on unpaid leave.

Farbstein says that while Congress has approved backpay during past shutdowns, theres no guarantee that TSA employees will be compensated for their work.

Amtrak will also be running as normal in the event of a short-term shutdown, a spokesperson for the railroad said, though its employees will also be working without pay.

Holiday packages should arrive on time

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One federal service you wont need to worry about is the Post Office. Since the USPS is funded by customers payments for deliveries and products, the Postal Service will not be affected, and postal workers will continue to deliver the 16 billion pieces of mail and packages sent during the holidays. Unlike many other federal workers, your local mailman will continue to get paid during the shutdown. Mailed gifts and holiday cards will also be delivered as usual throughout the holidays, as the USPSs operations will not be affected during the shutdown.

National parks, sites and museums might be closed

The general public might run into trouble, however, if they try to visit the nations national parks and museums. National parks will remain as open as possible during the shutdown, but with a few caveats, said National Park Service Chief Spokesperson Jeremy Barnum in a statement.

For example, this means that roads that have already been open will remain open (think snow removal) and vault toilets (wilderness type restrooms) will remain open, Barnum said. However services that require staffing and maintenance such as campgrounds and full service restrooms, will not be operating.

Travelers should check official websites to see if specific national parks and other cultural sites will remain open. During past shutdowns, closures have varied by park, Emily Douce of the National Parks Conversation Association wrote in a post on the organizations blog. About a third of national park museums and cultural sites like the Statue of Liberty have been closed during past shutdowns.

The Smithsonian Institutess 19 museums and National Zoo in New York and Washington, D.C. will remain open through January 1 (except on Christmas). The Smithsonian will draw on prior-year funds in the event of a shutdown, the Institute said in a statement.

We're calling on @realDonaldTrump & Congress to do their job and avoid a partial #shutdown of the government - for the good of our national parks and the people who protect them. Want to know what happened last time? Read more: https://t.co/fakvJx8ls6  National Parks Conservation Association (@NPCA) December 19, 2018
The workplace has changed. Things that were rarely an issue in years past -- such as how your company's management handles political or social issues -- have become major topics of discussion.

Those changes have pushed accountability to second on this year's Workforce Mindset Study, up from eighth in 2015. The new report from Alight Solutions shows the top characteristics of workers' desired employee experience. It also shows how things have changed in today's highly-charged political climate.

Three people working in an office

Listen to what your employees want. Image source: Getty Images.

"2018 was a year when political divides, privacy concerns, and corporate accountability dominated the media," the report says. In fact, many companies took very public stands on social issues, wrote authors of the report. "Workers want their companies to be ethical and honest, and they themselves want to be treated fairly and respectfully."

What do workers want?

Workers have more leverage today than they have had traditionally, thanks in part to the tight labor market. That means it's important for employers to understand what employees want their workplace experience to be like. Not every employer is paying attention and following through, though, because only 38% of the survey's 2,500 respondents rated their workplace experience as "awesome or great," while 30% said their overall experience was "below expectations."

Listening to what employees want can help employers create a work environment that employees will look forward to being part of. This kind of support improves retention and recruiting, which have become critical in the current competitive market for employees. Working on the top-ten workplace characteristics that employees really want can help with filling positions and keeping strong employees. Here they are:

Balanced (home/work) Accountable Honest Continuously improving Ethical

Employee recognition-oriented Compassionate Respectful Trustworthy Fair, having integrity (tie)

You can see a recurring theme here. Workers want an employer they can be proud of. Eight out the 10 answers on this list refer to how the employer behaves, and you could argue that the two that don't --"balanced (home/work)" and "employee recognition-oriented" -- speak to corporate attitude more indirectly.

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When it comes to the top answer, "balanced (work/home)," workers surveyed said they value flexibility. That means different things to different workers, but respondents cited things like flexible schedules, the ability to work from home, and the ability to take on different tasks on occasion.

"Employees desire flexibility to such a degree that 51% say they would not even consider a job that provides less flexibility than what they have today," wrote the report's authors. "Those who would consider a job with less flexibility say it would take, on average, a 31% pay increase to make up for the flexibility loss."

What should employers do?

If your employees want accountability and demand a certain type of behavior, it's reasonable to deliver that. But of course it's not always easy. Some employees may want their company to take a political stand, while others may be against that or hope for a different stand.

Ini light of these results, employers should strive to be as transparent as possible. Communicate with workers and solicit their opinions. You may not be able to please everyone, but you can at least hear the employees who disagree with what management is doing or open the floor to new ideas. It may not be enough to keep everyone happy, but it's much better than operating behind closed doors and not looping workers into what the company plans to do, and why.

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Ashgabat (Turkmenistan) (AFP) - Turkmenistan's President, accused by rights groups of heading one of the world's most repressive regimes, encouraged citizens to "play the tune of love" in a self-penned Christmas song performed on state television.

Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov sat behind a white piano for the Eurovision-style clip while his 14-year-old grandson accompanied him on synths in the video also released online.

"With its beautiful melody and heartfelt words, the song penetrated deep into the soul of all listeners, leaving strong impressions," an announcer on the Turkmen Owazy channel said Saturday.

The song, "Dream" was performed in English, Turkmen and German, and contained the line, "let our hearts play the tune of love," as well as references to the "circle of life".

Berdymukhamedov, wearing a brown suit, smiled to the camera as cartoon snowflakes fell on a screen behind him.

The president's relatives are rarely shown on state television, despite Berdymukhamedov's son Serdar serving as a lawmaker and deputy foreign minister.

Favourite grandson Kerimguly, who is the son of the president's daughter, is a notable exception.

State media has in the past shown him performing other songs with his grandfather and also competing in and winning prestigious horse races.

Berdymukhamedov took over after the death of his eccentric predecessor Saparmurat Niyazov who renamed months after family members and erected a revolving golden statue of himself.

Berdymukhamedov has echoed many of his predecessor's authoritarian tactics and is also honoured with a golden statue in capital Ashgabat.
Brookfield Infrastructure Partners (NYSE: BIP) and Brookfield Asset Management (NYSE: BAM) are closely related, as the shared Brookfield name implies. The differences between the two, however, are material when you dig into the companies and, more importantly, their goals. Here's a primer that can help you decide which one is a better buy.

Tied to the market

Brookfield Asset Management is a Canadian investment company with a 100-year-plus history of managing money for itself and others. Although the dividend has been increased for seven consecutive years, it isn't really focused on generating income. While dividend growth has trended toward the high single digits in recent years, the yield is an uninspiring 1.4%.

A woman drawing a risk versus reward graph

Image source: Getty Images.

The current bull market has been very kind to Brookfield Asset Management. As of the third quarter, the company had roughly $140 billion in assets under management that earned fees, up from $82 billion in 2014. This is the key number to watch because, as an asset manager, it earns fees based on how much money it manages. The point of the company is to grow those assets over time. Looking forward, the goal is to increase it at a compound annual rate of 14%, which means hitting roughly $245 billion in the next five years.

That can happen in two main ways. First, Brookfield Asset Management can get new clients or more cash from existing clients. Second, the value of the assets it is managing can increase. Both lead to higher fee income. However, both of those will generally trend the same way on the upside...and the downside.

To put it a different way, when the market is going up, Brookfield Asset Management is likely to lure more cash into its coffers precisely because the assets it manages will probably be doing well. However, when the market is heading lower, the assets it manages will likely fall in value and investors will be more inclined to pull cash out of the market. Both of those actions will lead to falling fee income.

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The third quarter of 2018 provides a bit of insight, with fee related earnings up 63% over the trailing 12-month period. However, management notes that the massive increase was largely due to "performance related fees" and a capital raise for a real estate fund. "Performance related fees" can fall away quickly in a bear market/recession and raising capital will become more difficult, too. While it's true that a portion of Brookfield Asset Management's fees are fairly stable (see below), there is still a material amount of variability in its cash flow generation that is tied to the market and the economy.

That's not a strike against Brookfield Asset Management. It has a great history of successfully navigating market cycles. And if it can hit its asset under management projections, the company expects to grow fee income by an impressive 18% per year, on average, over the next five years. But you need to go in understanding that the market has had a great run and that's part of the reason why this stock has returned 454.7% over the past decade, including dividends, easily trouncing the S&P 500's return of 266.5%.

BAM Total Return Price Chart

BAM Total Return Price data by YCharts.

During the 2007 to 2009 recession and associated market crash, however, Brookfield lost more than 60% of its value at one point. A key driver of investor skittishness was the 5% decline in the company's assets under management during the worst of the downturn in 2008, with cash flow from operations dropping a massive 25% that year. By the time the recession was over, Brookfield's stock had bounced back a little from the worst of its losses, but was still down nearly 50%. The S&P was down just under 35%, which is bad in its own right but shows how leveraged Brookfield Asset Management's shares are to the ups and downs in the broader market and economy.

Brookfield Asset Management's assets under management recovered in 2009 following the end of the recession. That, however, was largely the result of $14 billion in fund raising to take advantage of distressed assets left behind from the downturn. Cash flow from operations, meanwhile, was still well below 2007 levels that year. Economic downturns hurt and the impact is felt in Brookfield Asset Management's financial results and stock price.

Own the assets yourself

One of the key ways in which Brookfield Asset Management raises funds is by creating controlled limited partnerships. Most of these entities own and manage physical assets, largely in the infrastructure space. Brookfield Asset Management gets paid a management fee, which tends to be stable over time, to run these businesses, which are often publicly traded.

Brookfield Infrastructure Partners is one of these entities. It owns a fairly diverse portfolio spanning the utility, transportation, energy, and data infrastructure arenas. It is also diversified geographically, with roughly 25% of its cash flow coming from North America, 30% from South America, 25% from Europe, and 20% from Asia.

The goal of this portfolio is to generate income for unitholders. The distribution yield is currently a generous 5% or so and the annual disbursement has been increased for 11 consecutive years. The partnership's target is to hike the distribution between 5% and 9% each year, a target it has so far managed to achieve. The key difference here is that once Brookfield Infrastructure Partners owns an asset, it doesn't need to worry about the performance of the broader market or its unit price. The fees that asset generates will add to cash flow.

That said, the portfolio is actively managed. So Brookfield Infrastructure Partners will be buying and selling assets over time. For example, it sold $1.3 billion worth of assets in 2018 and bought $1.8 billion of new ones. The goal is to buy opportunistically, improve the acquired asset, and sell when it gets a compelling price. With a globally diverse portfolio spread across many industries, it has plenty of opportunities to put that plan into action. And so far it has done a pretty good job of it. The next market downturn, meanwhile, could actually be an opportunity to pick up assets on the cheap.

No way to predict the future

If you are looking at Brookfield Asset Management and Brookfield Infrastructure Partners, you need to understand the key differences between these two entities. If you prefer income, then Infrastructure Partners is the obvious better choice. But there's more to this story than that when you dig in.

No one knows what will happen next in the market. However, there appear to be material risks to Brookfield Asset Management's business model with stock prices near all-time highs and market performance increasingly choppy. A market downturn could quickly put its five-year goals out of reach, something to which investors would likely react poorly. The last major downturn is a clear guide on that.

Brookfield Infrastructure Partners, meanwhile, is more a steady income investment. But since it owns physical assets, it can keep generating income no matter what the market does. That helps explain why the stock held up better than its parent during the 2007 to 2009 downturn. It's also another reason to prefer it today, based on where the market sits right now.

More From The Motley Fool

Reuben Gregg Brewer has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of Brookfield Asset Management. The Motley Fool recommends Brookfield Infrastructure Partners. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The Zacks Engineering  R&D Services industry primarily consists of engineering and infrastructure service providers. The companies basically provide construction, technical, engineering and professional services to a number of industries worldwide, including oil and gas, chemical and petrochemicals, transportation, mining and metals, power, agriculture, consumer applications and manufacturing.



Lets take a look at the industrys three major themes:

The industry is poised to benefit from the rising construction activities in the United States that require state-of-the-art construction and engineering services. The Trump administrations push to boost infrastructure spending is another vital growth catalyst for the industry.



The Trump administrations investment in defense and cyber security is conducive to the industrys growth. The players are also gaining from rising global demand for alternative nuclear energy, as they provide engineering, procurement, construction and maintenance services to nuclear power plants. Meanwhile, increasing public investments in transportation, water infrastructure, utility plant and healthcare market are anticipated to drive growth for the industry. Chemical derivative and refining opportunities, both domestic and international, along with upstream and LNG opportunities should also drive growth.



However, trade-war driven increases in raw material costs, rising freight expenses, volatility in commodity prices and the cyclical nature of the industrys commodity-based business lines pose significant challenges. Again, significant cost overruns (as prices of several companies contracts are fixed) have been hurting bottom lines of some of the companies. Increasing competition is another dampener. The industry faces intense competition in the global engineering, procurement and construction industry, which is detrimental to the companies contract prices and profit margins.



Zacks Industry Rank Indicates Dull Prospects



The Zacks Engineering  R&D Services industry is a 15-stock group within the broader Zacks Construction sector. The industry currently carries a Zacks Industry Rank #185, which places it at the bottom 29% of more than 250 Zacks industries.



The groups Zacks Industry Rank, which is basically the average of the Zacks Rank of all the member stocks, indicates dismal near-term prospects. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperforms the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1.



The industrys position in the bottom 29% of the Zacks-ranked industries is a result of negative earnings outlook for the constituent companies in aggregate. Looking at the aggregate earnings estimate revisions, it appears that analysts are gradually losing confidence in this groups earnings growth potential. Since January 2018, the industrys earnings estimate for the current year has gone down by approximately 8.9%.



Despite the industrys gloomy near-term view, we will present a few stocks that one can hold on to. Before that, its worth taking a look at the industrys shareholder returns and current valuation.



Industry Lags on Stock Market Performance



The Zacks Engineering  R&D Services industry has lagged the broader Zacks Construction sector as well as the Zacks S&P 500 composite over the past year.



Over this period, the industry has declined 32.2% versus the broader sectors decline of 29.9% and the S&P 500s decline of 6.5%.



One-Year Price Performance



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Industrys Current Valuation



On the basis of forward 12-month price-to-earnings ratio, which is a commonly used multiple for valuing building products stocks, the industry is currently trading at 10.5X versus the S&P 500s 15.1X and the sectors 10.6X.



Over the past five years, the industry has traded as high as 16.9X, as low as 9.9X and at the median of 13.4X, as the chart below shows.



Industrys P/E Ratio (Forward 12-Month) Versus S&P 500







Bottom Line



A major boost in infrastructural and construction spending should continue to favor the industrys performance. Advanced construction and engineering services along with prudent cost management practices should provide support. However, rising transportation and raw material costs are pressing concerns.



Only two stocks in the Zacks Engineering  R&D Services space currently carry a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.



Altair Engineering Inc. (ALTR): This Michigan-based company provides enterprise-class engineering software worldwide and carries a Zacks Rank #2. The consensus EPS estimate for the company has increased 8.6% to 32 cents for the current year, over the last 60 days. Shares of Altair have gained 23.4% year to date. The expected earnings growth rate for the current year is 23.1%.



KBR, Inc. (KBR): The Houston-TX based company carries a Zacks Rank #2. The consensus EPS estimate for this global engineering, construction and services firm has increased 4.8% to $1.52 for the current year, over the last 60 days.



Investors may hold on to the following Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) stocks, as they currently carry a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) and are experiencing positive estimate revisions.



Willdan Group, Inc. (WLDN): This Anaheim, CA-based professional technical and consulting services provider has an expected earnings growth rate of 67.8% for the current year. The consensus EPS estimate for the company has moved 10.6% north, over the last 60 days.



Gates Industrial Corp. plc (GTES): Denver-based power transmission and fluid power systems manufacturer has an expected earnings growth rate of 44.6% for the current year. The consensus EPS estimate for the company has increased 1.7% to $1.20 for the current year, over the last 60 days.



Quanta Services, Inc. (PWR): This Houston, TX-based company provides specialty contracting services to the electric power, communication, and oil and gas industries in the United States, Canada, Australia, Latin America and internationally. It has an expected earnings growth rate of 40.1% for the current year. The consensus EPS estimate for the company has remained stable, over the last 60 days.



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SAO PAULO (Reuters) - A Brazilian judge overturned on Friday a decision that put the brakes on planemaker Embraer's <EMBR3.SA> proposed sale of 80 percent of its commercial aviation division to Boeing Co <BA.N>, as the judicial back-and-forth surrounding the deal continued.

According to public news agency Agencia Estado, Federal Judge Therezinha Cazerta suspended a decision which had suspended the sale earlier in the week. Her decision came in response to a request from Brazil's solicitor general, known as the AGU, which argued that the injunction would hurt the economy and the previous decision represented government overreach into the free market.

Legal challenges to the deal, which would reshape the global passenger aviation market, have been plentiful and are common in Brazilian dealmaking in general.

Boeing and Embraer said on Monday they had finalized theterms of the agreement, valuing the Brazilian planemaker's commercial division at $5.26 billion. [nL1N1YM097] The agreement needs approval from the Brazilian governmentbecause it holds a so-called golden share in Embraer that gives it veto power over strategic decisions and any change inits controlling interest. The planemaker formally sought that approval on Monday and it is expected within 30 days.

On Thursday, a judge issued the now overturned injunction blocking the proposed deal in response to a class action filed by Embraer's union in Sao Jose dos Campos, where the planemaker is based. [nE6N1XN01Z]

Earlier in December the same judge issued a similar injunction blocking the deal, only to see the injunction swiftly overturned.

(Reporting by Gram Slattery; Editing by Meredith Mazzilli)
In this June 7, 2017 file photo, Brett McGurk, the U.S. envoy for the global coalition against ISIS, speaks during a news conference at the U.S. Embassy Baghdad, Iraq.

President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria drew the Friday resignation of Brett McGurk, the top U.S. envoy fighting ISIS, reports say.

McGurk's decision came a day after Defense Secretary Jim Mattis resigned over Trump's abrupt decision to remove the special operations troops, who had been training local security forces fighting ISIS terrorists.

McGurk, who was appointed by former President Barack Obama in 2015, was expected to retire in February, but instead resigned in the wake of Trump's decision, the Associated Press and CBS reported.

"The recent decision by the president came as a shock and was a complete reversal of policy that was articulated to us," he emailed colleagues, according to The New York Times. He added that the decision left partners in the fight against ISIS "confused" and "bewildered."

Trump's announcement Wednesday for a U.S. withdrawal from Syria went against the objections of his military advisors. The president based his decision on the notion that the mission against ISIS is completed, a U.S. official told USA TODAY.

Mattis resigned the next day. He told the president in a letter he was stepping down so the president could hire a defense secretary "whose views are better aligned with yours."

President Donald Trump makes a statement on the possible government shutdown before signing criminal just reform legislation in the Oval Office of the White House, Friday, Dec. 21, 2018, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) ORG XMIT: DCEV109

Before Trump's announcement, McGurk said it would be reckless to consider ISIS defeated and argued it would be unwise to bring American forces home.

I worked this week to help manage some of the fallout but  as many of you heard in my meetings and phone calls  I ultimately concluded that I could not carry out these new instructions and maintain my integrity, said McGurk's email, according to the Times.

James Comey, who was fired by Trump as FBI director, weighed in on Twitter on this week's double resignations: "To a president without any external ethical framework, folks who resign on principle must be confusing."

Contributing: Christal Hayes, Tom Vanden Brook, David Jackson and the Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Brett McGurk, US envoy to anti-ISIS coalition, quits over Trumps Syria move, reports say
The Catholic archbishop of Chicago, who was hand-picked by the pope to help organize an upcoming Vatican summit on clergy sex abuse, will have a leading role in the church's effort to seek reforms, including the response to new allegations from the Illinois attorney general.

Cardinal Blase Cupich expressed regret for "our failures to address the scourge of clerical sexual abuse" in a statement responding to the attorney general's report, which said the church failed to disclose the names of at least 500 clergy accused of sexually abusing children.

Still, he said, his archdiocese, the state's largest and long considered a flagship of American Catholicism, has been a leader in dealing with the issue.

Cupich, Francis' first major U.S. appointment , will walk a tightrope as he tries to represent the embattled church, the distressed laity and a public demanding justice. Boston College theology professor Lisa Sowle Cahill said it will "be interesting to see how he negotiates" all of that.

Among the U.S. church hierarchy, Cupich "has certainly been a good example of honesty," Cahill said, citing his willingness to step forward, accept accountability and attempt to enact better policies.

The report released Wednesday by Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan concluded that the church's six archdioceses did a woefully inadequate job of investigating allegations and in some cases did not investigate them at all or notify child-welfare officials. It did not say when the allegations were made.

Madigan's report did not accuse the dioceses of withholding the names of "credibly" accused clergy. It concluded only that the list of names is far longer than the 185 disclosed by the church.

For his part, Cupich said he was disappointed after the Vatican told U.S. bishops last month not to vote on proposed new measures to investigate sexual misconduct or cover-ups within their ranks, even taking the step of coming up with a proposal himself. The Holy See wanted to delay any vote until after a global summit set for Feb. 21 to Feb. 24, raising its stakes considerably.

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However, it is unlikely that such a diverse group of church leaders, including some who represent churches that continue to deny or downplay the scandal, will over four days come up with any universal proposals that come close to the accountability norms that U.S. bishops were seeking. Cahill expects a "hard sell" with a lot of bishops.

She called it a "big step" when Cupich  considered a moderate among his peers  was the lead signatory on a letter this week to bishops around the world warning them that failure to deal with abuse now will jeopardize the church's mission globally. The letter also urged attendees to visit with clergy sex abuse victims "to learn firsthand the suffering they have endured."

Before the summit in February, Cupich will host a weeklong prayer retreat at a seminary near Chicago. The retreat from Jan. 2 to Jan. 8 was initiated by the pope. It is open only to U.S. bishops and has no policy-making on the agenda, organizers say.

Earlier this year, Cupich was criticized for remarking that Francis shouldn't go down the "rabbit hole" on answering claims by the former Vatican ambassador to the U.S. that Francis covered up sexual misconduct allegations against ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick . He later apologized, writing in an op-ed essay in the Chicago Tribune that "it was a mistake for me to even mention that the church has a bigger agenda" than responding to the charges by Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano.

This week's disclosures in Illinois were a new blow to the credibility of the church, which has struggled to contain the scandal amid mounting accusations of negligence. In recent months, more than 30 U.S. Catholic dioceses and religious orders have released new or updated lists of priests credibly accused of child sex abuse. While the disclosures have won some praise from victim advocates, there also has been harsh criticism related to concerns about omissions of names.

"Transparency means full disclosure, and anything less is an insult to survivors," said John Gehring, Catholic program director at a Washington-based clergy network called Faith in Public Life.

___

Karoub, who reported from Detroit, is a member of AP's Race and Ethnicity Team, and frequently writes about religion. Follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/jeffkaroub and find more of his work at https://apnews.com/search/jeff%20karoub .

___

Associated Press writers Nicole Winfield in Rome and David Crary in New York contributed to this story.
Hanging a wreath on a door or a wall is almost as essential to decorating for yuletide as setting up a Christmas tree  and, as it turns out, the two traditions come from the same place.

The tree gave birth to the wreath, says Ace Collins, author of Stories Behind the Great Traditions of Christmas.

The custom of bringing evergreens home during the winter began in the 16th century among northern and eastern Europeans  with Germans commonly credited with starting the Christmas tree tradition. During this period, pruning the tree was a part of the preparation process. Limbs were often cut off in an attempt to make the tree more uniform in shape or to fit into a room, Collins writes in his book. Instead of throwing the pieces of greenery away, the Europeans wove the excess into wreaths.

These people were living in a time when everything in their lives was used until it was gone, Collins tells TIME.

Besides the aesthetic and practical reasons for shaping the tree, there was also a spiritual significance to practice for Christians. It was important to trim the trees into the shape of a triangle, to represent the Trinity, Collins says. Catholic legend says that Saint Boniface, a monk from England, used the three points of an evergreen tree to explain the concept of God the Father, Son and Holy Ghost back in the seventh century.

Before the wreath became associated with Christmas, it was a prominent emblem of victory and power in ancient Greece and Rome. In Ovids Metamorphoses, after the nymph Daphne rejected the god Apollo and escaped from him by turning into a laurel tree, Apollo says, Since you cannot be my wife, you shall surely be my tree. O laurel, I shall for ever have you in my hair, on my lyre and quiver. The passage inspired art such as the marble statue Apollo Crowning Himself, reinforcing the imagery of Roman and Grecian gods donning the green crown.

The wreath had a similar symbolism among non-deities. Mireille M. Lee, in Body, Dress, and Identity in Ancient Greece, writes, Athletes who were victorious at the Panhellenic games were crowned with wreaths of olives (Olympia), laurel (Delphi), wild celery (Nemea), and pine (Isthmia). Outside of competitions, a crown of leaves or flowers also represented honor and joy. The wreath was described as the ornament of the priest in the performance of sacrifice, of the hero on his return from victory, of the bride at her nuptials, and of the guests at a feast.

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But Christmas wreaths brought a new layer of meaning to the old idea. Such wreaths originally served as Christmas tree ornaments, and not as the standalone decorations were familiar with today. They were formed into a wheel-like shape partially for conveniences sake  it was simple to hang a circle onto the branches of a tree  but the shape was also significant as a representation of divine perfection. It symbolized eternity, as the shape has no end.

Equally important was the material forming the wreaths  the evergreen tree. Evergreen trees were a species looked upon with awe and admiration, since they, unlike most living things, survived the harshness of winter. The trees appeared in abundance in northern and eastern Europe, and people brought them into their homes. That was a symbol to them of power, of resilience, and in a way, of hope, Collins says.

Together, the circular shape and the evergreen material make the wreath a representation of eternal life. It is also a representation of faith, as Christians in Europe often placed a candle on the wreath during Advent to symbolize the light that Jesus brought into the world. A German Lutheran pastor named Johann Hinrich Wichern is often given credit for turning the wreath into a symbol of the Advent, and lighting candles of various sizes and colors in a circle as Christmas approached.

In that tradition, there are four candles in total one for each week of Advent. In his book, Collins says that three of the candles, usually purple, represented the Christian values of hope, peace and love. The final candle, most often red in color, symbolized the joy of new life gained through the gift of Christs sacrifice on the cross, he writes. At times, a white candle was lit on Christmas eve and welcomed Jesus birth.

The tradition of the Advent wreath, along with many other Christmas traditions from northern and eastern Europe, was adopted by the masses beginning in the 19th century. Collins says that the marriage of Victoria, Queen of the United Kingdom, to Prince Albert from Germany opened the door for Christmas traditions of other regions in Europe to become popular in England. In turn, British culture influenced American culture. Literature such as Clement Clarke Moores A Visit From St. Nicholas also fueled the growth of Christmas traditions such as decorating with wreaths.

Despite its widespread popularity today, the wreath started with humble beginnings. We live in a throwaway culture, says Collins. The wreath was born out of not throwing things away.
When CGI Group Inc. (TSE:GIB.A) announced its most recent earnings (30 September 2018), I compared it against two factor: its historical earnings track record, and the performance of its industry peers on average. Being able to interpret how well CGI Group has done so far requires weighing its performance against a benchmark, rather than looking at a standalone number at a point in time. In this article, Ive summarized the key takeaways on how I see GIB.A has performed.

Check out our latest analysis for CGI Group

Commentary On GIB.As Past Performance

GIB.As trailing twelve-month earnings (from 30 September 2018) of CA$1.1b has jumped 10% compared to the previous year.

Furthermore, this one-year growth rate has exceeded its 5-year annual growth average of 10%, indicating the rate at which GIB.A is growing has accelerated. Whats enabled this growth? Lets see whether it is only a result of industry tailwinds, or if CGI Group has experienced some company-specific growth.

TSX:GIB.A Income Statement Export December 22nd 18

In terms of returns from investment, CGI Group has fallen short of achieving a 20% return on equity (ROE), recording 17% instead. Furthermore, its return on assets (ROA) of 10% is below the CA IT industry of 18%, indicating CGI Groups are utilized less efficiently. However, its return on capital (ROC), which also accounts for CGI Groups debt level, has increased over the past 3 years from 17% to 19%. This correlates with a decrease in debt holding, with debt-to-equity ratio declining from 71% to 28% over the past 5 years.

What does this mean?

While past data is useful, it doesnt tell the whole story. Positive growth and profitability are what investors like to see in a companys track record, but how do we properly assess sustainability? I suggest you continue to research CGI Group to get a more holistic view of the stock by looking at:

Future Outlook: What are well-informed industry analysts predicting for GIB.As future growth? Take a look at our free research report of analyst consensus for GIB.As outlook. Financial Health: Are GIB.As operations financially sustainable? Balance sheets can be hard to analyze, which is why weve done it for you. Check out our financial health checks here. Other High-Performing Stocks: Are there other stocks that provide better prospects with proven track records? Explore our free list of these great stocks here.

NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the trailing twelve months from 30 September 2018. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures.

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.
President Donald Trump, with Defense Secretary Jim Mattis.

WASHINGTON  In an extraordinary public battle between a commander-in-chief and defense secretary, President Donald Trump appeared to push back Friday on Pentagon chief Jim Mattis over policy toward Russia and China.

"There has never been a president who has been tougher (but fair) on China or Russia," Trump said on Twitter. "Never, just look at the facts. The Fake News tries so hard to paint the opposite picture."

Trump did not cite Mattis by name, but his latest blame-the-media tweet came the morning after Mattis cited Russia and China in a resignation letter rebuking Trump over his "America First" foreign policy.

More: Defense Secretary Jim Mattis leaving his job after clash with Trump over Syria

Trump's alienation of longtime allies in Europe and Asia are allowing Russia and China to impose themselves on other countries to the detriment of American security," Mattis said.

"It is clear that China and Russia, for example, want to shape a world consistent with their authoritarian model  gaining veto authority over other nations economic, diplomatic, and security decisions  to promote their own interests at the expense of their neighbors, America and our allies," the letter said.

There has never been a president who has been tougher (but fair) on China or Russia - Never, just look at the facts. The Fake News tries so hard to paint the opposite picture.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 21, 2018

Mattis added: "That is why we must use all the tools of American power to provide for the common defense."

The dispute takes place as special counsel Robert Mueller investigates the president and others over Russian meddling in the 2016 election in an effort to benefit Trump's campaign. Trump has denied any collusion with Russians.

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Trump and aides say he has been hard on Russia, citing economic sanctions on the country. As for China, aides noted that Trump is fighting the Chinese over what he calls their unfair trade practices.

Critics, including Mattis, have said other policies benefit the Russians and/or the Chinese. They include Trump's decision this week to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria, and his potential plans to pull some troops out of Afghanistan.

Lawmakers from both parties expressed anxiety over Mattis' departure, describing the Pentagon chief as a restraining influence on Trump.

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said the nation must "maintain a clear-eyed understanding of our friends and foes, and recognize that nations like Russia are among the latter."

He added: So I was sorry to learn that Secretary Mattis, who shares those clear principles, will soon depart the administration. But I am particularly distressed that he is resigning due to sharp differences with the president on these and other key aspects of Americas global leadership."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Donald Trump disputes departing Defense Secretary Jim Mattis over Russia, China
Hawija (Iraq) (AFP) - Iraqi authorities said they uncovered a new mass grave containing the remains of dozens of people in an area of northern Kirkuk province once held by the Islamic State group.

Security forces have discovered dozens of mass graves since they drove out IS in 2017 after three years of occupation of swathes of northern and western Iraq.

The United Nations said in November that more than 200 mass graves containing up to 12,000 victims had been found in Iraq that could hold vital evidence of war crimes by the jihadists.

The latest macabre discovery was made on Thursday in the Hawija district of Kirkuk province, Adel Ismail, a lieutenant-colonel in the Iraqi federal police force, told AFP.

He said the grave contained the remains of "innocent Iraqi civilians" who "were abducted and then killed" by the jihadists.

It was found in what appears to be a deep well in the Al-Abbassi area of Hawija.

"This is a mass grave used by Daesh," said Wani Firas, a resident of the area, using an Arabic-language acronym for IS.

"They used to come here, execute and throw (the victims) inside, and we used to watch and observe from nearby," he said.

The United Nations in Iraq (UNAMI) and its human rights office said last month they had documented a total of 202 mass graves in parts of western and northern Iraq held by IS between 2014 and 2017.

Of them, just 28 had been excavated and 1,258 bodies exhumed by Iraqi authorities, the report said.

Even more sites could be uncovered in the months to come, it warned, urging Iraqi authorities to properly preserve and excavate them to provide closure for victims' families

IS, which proclaimed a "caliphate" over swathes of Syria and Iraq in 2014, has now lost almost all the land it once controlled.

The jihadists have been held responsible for multiple atrocities during their reign of terror, including mass executions and decapitations.
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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 well take a look at whether insiders have been buying or selling shares in Evercore Inc. (NYSE:EVR).

Do Insider Transactions Matter?

Its quite normal to see company insiders, such as board members, trading in company stock, from time to time. However, rules govern insider transactions, and certain disclosures are required.

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 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 Evercore

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Evercore

In the last twelve months, the biggest single sale by an insider was when President Ralph Schlosstein sold US$18m worth of shares at a price of US$103 per share. Although we dont gain confidence from insider selling, we note that this large sale was at well above current price of US$66.33. So it may not tell us anything about how insiders feel about the current share price.

In the last twelve months insiders netted US$45m for 441.53k shares sold. In total, Evercore insiders sold more than they bought over the last year. They sold for an average price of about US$101. We are not joyful about insider selling. But we note that the selling, on average, was at well above the recently traded price of US$66.33. You can see the insider transactions over the last year depicted in the chart below. If you want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below!

Story continues

NYSE:EVR Insider Trading December 22nd 18

For those who like to find winning investments this free list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket.

Insider Ownership of Evercore

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 Evercore insiders own 1.7% of the company, worth about US$52m. 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 Evercore Insider Transactions Indicate?

It doesnt really mean much that no insider has traded Evercore shares in the last quarter. The insider transactions at Evercore are not very heartening. But we do like the fact that insiders own a fair chunk of the company. Of course, the future is what matters most. So if you are interested in Evercore, you should check out this free report on analyst forecasts for the company.

Of course Evercore 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.
By Zeba Siddiqui and Ruma Paul

DHAKA (Reuters) - Facebook and Twitter said on Thursday they had removed accounts and fake news pages linked to the Bangladesh government that had posted anti-opposition content, days ahead of an election in the South Asian nation.

Facebook, Bangladesh's most popular social network with an estimated 30 million users, said it had removed nine fake news pages "linked to individuals associated with the Bangladesh government" which mimicked those of independent news outlets.

It also took down six accounts as they, along with the pages, were found "engaging in coordinated inauthentic behaviour". One of the accounts had 11,900 followers.

Bangladesh's interior minister, Assaduzzaman Khan, said action would be taken against people behind the fake accounts.

"Even if someone has a link with the ruling party, he will not be spared," Khan told Reuters.

Facebook's Head of Cybersecurity Policy Nathaniel Gleicher said in a statement Facebook did not want accounts created to mislead anyone.

"This kind of behaviour is not allowed on Facebook under our misrepresentation policy because we don't want people or organisations creating networks of accounts to mislead others about who they are, or what they're doing," Gleicher said.

Twitter said it had identified and suspended 15 accounts originating from Bangladesh for "engaging in coordinated platform manipulation".

"Based on our initial analysis, it appears that some of these accounts may have ties to state-sponsored actors," it added. The accounts had fewer than 50 followers, it said.

Facebook and other tech giants are under pressure to increase efforts to remove misleading or illegal content, and ensure fake news is not uploaded and disseminated. Although Facebook has stepped up fact-checking, it still faces criticism that it is too slow to close rogue accounts.

Mufti Mahmud Khan, a spokesman for the Rapid Action Battalion security force, which has been given the job of monitoring online content in the run-up to the Dec. 30 polls, did not comment on the Facebook statement.

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But he said his team had arrested 30 people in recent weeks, some linked to the opposition, who posted "anti-government propaganda" by making clones of popular news websites.

Facebook's move comes as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's Awami League is seeking to win a third straight term in power amid accusations of carrying out attacks on opposition party candidates.

The opposition National Unity Front alliance said on Wednesday that 14 of its candidates had been arrested and 1,500 injured in attacks this month by ruling party workers.

The Awami League has denied the allegations and accused the opposition of trying to disrupt a peaceful election environment. Hasina said on Wednesday her party would not use "unfair means" to win.

Under Hasina's decade-long rule several people have been arrested for putting up Facebook posts critical of the government, including a prominent photographer released last month after more than 100 days in prison.

The government has taken steps to improve Bangladesh's digital infrastructure, including making the internet more affordable, but it has kept tight control.

During mass student protests this August, the police's cyber crime unit said it had scoured Facebook posts to crack down on what it called "fake news" being spread to provoke protests.

(Editing by Alexandra Hudson, Robert Birsel)
(Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis will quit in February after falling out with Donald Trump over the president's foreign policies, including the surprise decision this week to pull troops out of Syria and plan a drawdown in Afghanistan. Mattis, a retired Marine general who embraced NATO and America's traditional alliances, laid bare his division with the president in a resignation letter that underscored what have been a litany of differences with Trump, albeit without public attacks. The following is a list of those differences: TORTURE - In a Republican presidential debate in 2016, Trump indicated he might order the U.S. military to break the law on interrogation tactics, including using waterboarding. - Mattis said he opposed the use of torture and was subsequently able to convince Trump that the United States should not employ those tactics. - "(Mattis) said: Ive always found, give me a pack of cigarettes and a couple of beers and I do better with that than I do with torture. And I was very impressed by that answer, Trump said in November of that year. NATO - Trump has been a frequent critic of NATO, which he has described as "obsolete," as he pushed to get member countries to live up to an agreement to spend at least 2 percent of their gross domestic product on defense by 2024. - In a May 2017 a visit to NATO headquarters in Brussels, Trump pointedly did not mention U.S. support for the critical portion of the NATO charter under which allies should come to each other's assistance if attacked. He used his speech there to demand that members pay more for the alliances defense. - Eventually Trump backed the NATO charter's demand that all members be prepared to defend each other. - Mattis has been a strong proponent of alliances, in particular NATO, and has talked about the importance of American global influence. - In his resignation letter, he mentioned NATO as an alliance that is needed and said he would stay in his job until the end of February in part to be able to attend a NATO meeting. IRAN - Trump has long railed against a 2015 deal between world powers and Iran under which Tehran accepted curbs on its nuclear program in return for nations lifting economic sanctions. - Trump upset European allies by withdrawing the United States from the deal in May 2018. - In October 2017, Mattis had said the United States should consider staying in the Iran agreement unless it was proven that Tehran was not abiding by it or that it was not in the U.S. national interest to do so. SYRIA/AFGHANISTAN - Mattis' abrupt announcement that he was quitting followed disagreement with Trump over his decision to withdraw all U.S. troops from Syria. The president's move to start planning a drawdown in Afghanistan was also blow to Mattis, who advocated for a strong U.S. military presence to bolster diplomatic peace efforts. - Mattis had advised against the Syria withdrawal. One official said it was a contributing factor to his resignation. COMMENTS - Mattis future became a particular focus of media speculation after the September 2018 release of a book by Watergate reporter Bob Woodward that portrayed Mattis privately disparaging Trump, comparing the president to a schoolchild. Mattis strongly denied making any such remarks. - The next month, Trump said of Mattis, "I think he's sort of a Democrat, if you want to know the truth." SPACE FORCE - In June 2018, Trump said he was ordering the creation of a sixth branch of the military to focus on space. - While eventually saying a space force was necessary to protect American satellites, Mattis had written to lawmakers in 2017 saying that he opposed the idea because it added an additional organization and more bureaucracy. NORTH KOREA - The White House was reported in February 2018 to have become increasingly frustrated at the Pentagon's reluctance to produce plans for a military strike against North Korea. Previously, Trump and some of his advisers had discussed delivering Pyongyang a "bloody nose" pre-emptive attack. (Reporting by Idrees Ali; Writing by Alistair Bell; Editing by Frances Kerry)
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
Defense Secretary James Mattis waits to welcome the Polish defense minister at the Pentagon in April. (Photo: Yuri Gripas/Reuters)

Pentagon-watchers have long wondered how long Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis could effectively fend off Presidents Trumps assault on Americas global leadership and network of alliances. A retired four-star Marine general, combat veteran and military historian, Mattis managed slow-walking retreats in the face of Trumps transgender ban in the military, unnecessary Space Force, and the morale-sapping deployment of thousands of armed U.S. troops to the southern border to repel a ragtag caravan of migrants. Each time Trump publicly insulted and disrespected allies, Mattis dutifully countered with charm offensives to soothe their nerves.

Yet this week, when Trump decided to ignore the advice of top advisers and order the surprise withdrawal of all U.S. troops from Syria and roughly half of the 14,000 troops deployed to Afghanistan, Mattis found himself on ground from which there was no principled retreat. These orders went far beyond provocative tweets, political posturing at the southern border or self-aggrandizing requests for a military parade. Rather, Trump was reversing strategic policy in combat theaters with life-or-death consequences for close partners. And the commander-in-chief was doing so unilaterally, against Mattiss advice and with little consultation or preparation with the U.S. military chain of command, causing potential havoc in the field. That helps explain why Trumps tweet was met with a letter of resignation from Mattis.

Im not really surprised by Mattiss resignation because I have actually been wondering what was taking him so long, but I do believe that the way President Trump made the decision and the implications for maintaining trust in our critical alliances around the world were even more important than the Syria withdrawal itself, said retired Gen. Mark Hertling, former commander of U.S. Army Europe and a veteran of combat in Iraq. It has been reported that Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Joseph Dunford and Gen. Joseph Votel, commander of the U.S. Central Command, were out of the loop in the decision making and thus had no time to prepare for an orderly withdrawal.

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That means Gen. Votels staff probably got the word at the same time as everyone else in the country, and right now they and the troops in the field are facing a very short withdrawal timeline and wondering WTF?, said Hertling. Imagine you are a young Special Forces captain or sergeant in Syria advising our Kurdish partners, and suddenly the Kurds whove been fighting alongside you against the Islamic State hear the news that U.S. forces will abandon them within a month. Thats a very uncomfortable position to be in.

Hertling speaks from experience about being blindsided in the field by a poorly vetted change in U.S. policy. In the early days after the Iraq invasion, he was an assistant division commander speaking in an auditorium in Baghdad to roughly 600 senior officers from the defeated Iraqi army, hoping to incorporate them into efforts to stabilize the country. In the midst of the talk, news broke that Coalition Provisional Authority head L. Paul Bremer had just disbanded the Iraqi army and launched a de-Baathification campaign targeting the Baath Party officer corps without preparing the U.S. chain of command.

Im standing there, and suddenly a rumbling starts in the crowd as the news spreads through the audience that I havent even heard yet, Hertling recalled, noting that those orders were the origin of years of bloody civil war. My reaction was, You have got to be kidding me! Now what am I supposed to tell these officers who suddenly have no jobs or livelihood?

Mattis at Base Camp Donna in Donna, Texas, in November. (Photo: Master Sgt. Jacob Caldwel/U.S. Army via Reuters)

Similar WTF reactions may be echoing today among troops and advisers in Syria and Afghanistan and in allied capitals around the world. Im also getting a lot of messages from my former European colleagues who are very concerned, said Hertling, because Mattis was the person always sweeping up behind Trumps disruptive visits to NATO, trying to keep the alliance strong.

President Trump likes to tout his respect for the U.S. military, as evidenced by his significant increase in defense spending. But there is a fundamental disconnect between Trumps instinctive unilateralism and transactional approach to allies, on one hand, and the U.S. militarys core belief in alliances as force multipliers and the foundation for Americas superpower status on the other. Trumps obvious affinity for autocrats and dictators also cuts against the grain of the U.S. military ethos.

Not only was the future credibility of U.S. commitments and alliances at stake in this weeks White House decision, but the orders also revealed a president willing to wield U.S. military power essentially alone and unencumbered by an institutional decision-making process and without close consultation with the military chain of command. For Mattis, the implications of such a freewheeling approach to geopolitics by an increasingly unconstrained commander-in-chief were apparently too much.

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, Mattis wrote in an extraordinary resignation letter that he purposely had widely disseminated. Similarly, he wrote that the United States must be resolute and unambiguous in confronting adversaries such as Russia and China that want to shape a world consistent with their authoritarian model. He continued: 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.

William Cohen is a former secretary of defense and Republican senator from Maine. Jim Mattis has been grinding his teeth for a long time over Trumps decisions, like sending troops to the southern border for purely political reasons and canceling U.S. military exercises in South Korea, but I think he felt Trumps unilateral decision on troop withdrawals was a fundamental betrayal of our allies in the fight against the Islamic State, Cohen said in an interview. I dont think Mattis felt he could be complicit in such a decision  taken without adequate consultations with our allies or even our own military  and still keep faith with U.S. troops. So Mattis resigned, and I applaud him for it.

Mattiss resignation after two years brings to a close the era of Trumps generals, when the mercurial businessman  the first person ever to serve as president without any experience in government or the military  surrounded himself with a coterie of senior officers and combat veterans with decades of experience in national security and international affairs. That group included former national security adviser and retired Army Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster; White House chief of staff and retired four-star Marine Gen. John Kelly; Mattis, and Joint Chiefs Chairman Dunford, another Marine four-star general. Together they were seen as adding experience, discipline and stability in guiding a White House sorely lacking in all of those attributes.

Mattis with Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in September 2017. (Photo: Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images)

Earlier this year McMaster was forced out, and the White House has announced that Kelly and now Mattis will follow. Trump unnecessarily made Dunford a lame duck by announcing his replacement many months before he is due to retire next summer. In naming hard-line nationalists John Bolton and Mike Pompeo as his national security adviser and secretary of state, respectively, Trump has found senior advisers more aligned with his own nationalist and unilateralist views.

Increasingly sure of his own America First instincts and free of the impediments of cautious advisers, Trump showed with this weeks surprise troop withdrawal decisions that he feels free to ignore the advice even of more hard-line aides, testing the premise put forward in his campaign that I alone can fix it.

For Trumps first two years, he had in close proximity advisers who had devoted their lives to the security of the United States, were loyal to the constitution and U.S. institutions rather than to Trump personally, and who provided a break on the presidents worst impulses. And Trump punished them for it, said John Nagl, a retired Army lieutenant colonel and combat veteran, and former president of the Center for a New American Security. Now the generals are all but gone, and they are being replaced by ideologues who have no conception of the cost of war or the worth of allies, and that likely includes whoever the president choses to replace Mattis. I find that terrifying,

The decision to withdraw troops precipitously from Syria and dramatically cut troop levels in Afghanistan, Nagl believes, will expose many U.S. allies in those places to almost certain death, and it will increase instability and breathing space for extremists in the Islamic State group and al-Qaida. The fact that [Russian President Vladimir] Putin publicly praised the withdrawal decisions, and Mattis resigned over them, he said, should tell you all you need to know about where Americas true interests lie.

Retired Gen. Barry McCaffrey is a decorated combat veteran and the former four-star commander of U.S. Southern Command. He believes the fact that Trump now feels empowered to circumvent the military chain of command and ignore the collective advice of his top aides, and to act on impulse in matters of war and peace, raises the prospect that he could do real, irreversible harm to U.S. national security interests over the next two years.

President Trump has expressed his love for North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, arguably the cruelest dictator on earth. He has cozied up to a murderous thug in [Philippines President Rodrigo] Duterte. And he has only praise for a thuggish adversary and autocrat in Vladimir Putin. All that bizarre behavior sends a message to our traditional democratic allies that you can no longer trust the United States, said McCaffrey. So I think Secretary Mattis concluded that he could no longer in good conscience be associated with this behavior from his commander-in-chief, and his letter of resignation was a great gift to the American people. It reminds us how an ethical public servant acts. The question now is whether Congress will take note and reassert its Article 1 powers to check a president who is putting us in danger.

James Kitfield is a senior fellow at the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress.

_____

Read more from Yahoo News:
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As the holiday season shifts into high gear, many last-minute shoppers face the great Christmas conundrum: Is a gift card an okay gift to give, or is it viewed as too impersonal, proof of my lack of imagination and effort?

Turns out that giving a gift card can be a great choice. According to a recent Consumer Reports nationally representative survey of 1,004 U.S. adults, 49 percent of Americans have received a gift card within the past 12 months.

Though some do admit they would prefer something elseperhaps a nicely wrapped item bought in a storemore than half of Americans say they strongly or somewhat like receiving a gift card.



It makes for a great gift because the recipient can get exactly what she wants and go shopping after the holiday rush," says Courtney Jespersen, a consumer savings expert at financial website NerdWallet.

Dawn Hebein of Hanover Park, Ill., says she enjoys both giving and receiving gift cards. A student at a nearby community college and a mom, Hebein has bought a number of gift cards alreadya spa gift card for her mother-in-law, and gift cards to stores such as Target and Starbucks for her childrens teachers.

Keep in mind, though, that not all gift cards are alike, says Shelley Hunter, a gift card expert with giftcards.com. She says you can either give a gift card for a particular store, such as Target, Ann Taylor, or Apple, or you can give a general purpose gift card, such as one from American Express or Visa.

According to the Consumer Reports survey, 60 percent of Americans prefer general purpose cards, which can be used almost anywhere.

Tips to Make Using a Gift Card Easy

Though Americans say they like getting gift cards, about 59 percent of respondents also reported having problems with their cards, according to the Consumer Reports survey.

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But if you take certain steps, you can reduce headaches down the road.

Tell the recipient to use the gift card quickly. "The biggest mistake gift card recipients make is to put their cards in a drawer and forget about them," says Trae Bodge, who runs the shopping-advice website True Trae. Almost $1 billion in gift card value wasn't spent in 2015, according to the latest data from the market research firm CEB, now part of Gartner. Bodge says to keep your gift cards in your wallet or purse so that if you happen to be in the right store and see something you want, you'll have quick and easy access to them.

Make sure the card is easy to use. About 16 percent of Americans said they were unable to use the gift card due to their location. So if you buy a store card, make sure that the store has a location near the recipient's home, and find out whether it can also be used online.

And check whether the recipient can track the balance on the card. About 18 percent of Americans said they had trouble determining the remaining value on the card after they started using itone reason that so many cards may go unused. Some online card issuers let you track the card's balance on their websitesa nice feature.

Cover any fees, if possible, in advance. In our survey, Americans quibbled about paying activation fees. Hebein, for example, once received a supermarket gift card that came with a $5 fee. She says when she used the card for the first time, the fee was deducted from the gift card balance. "It wasn't the end of the word, but it was unexpected, she says.

You can prevent such unexpected surprises by either paying the recipient for the activation fee or getting a card that doesn't come with one.

Also, try to avoid getting a card that charges inactivity fees. Some gift cards from Visa, for instance, charge inactivity fees if you don't use the card for one year, and then try to put it toward a purchase.

If the gift card you buy does charge such a fee, you can at least notify the recipient so that she uses up the balance before any fee can be applied.

Give a card that can be replaced in case it's lost or stolen. The Federal Trade Commission warns that some issuers won't replace lost or stolen gift cards but others will, for a fee. Whether you are buying the card as a gift or have received one, it's a good idea to jot down the card number just in case the issuer needs it. Also, keep the original purchase receipt in case you need to report the card as lost or stolen, the FTC advises. Some issuers require the receipt to provide a replacement card with the remaining balance that wasn't stolen by the thief.

Hunter says it's also a good idea to add gift cards to a mobile wallet or to take a picture of the front and back of the gift cards with your smartphone. That way, you can keep the images on your phone until youve used the full value of your gift cards.

Last, even if you end up giving a gift card that the recipient can't use, not all is lost. You or the recipient can always regift the card to someone who would be better able to use it.

You can also try to sell it for cash at a gift card exchange, Hunter says. Sites such as Cardpool, Raise, and SaveYa will help you find a buyer. You wont get the full value of the gift card, but having some money to spend is better than a gift card that wont get used, Hunter says.





More from Consumer Reports:

Top pick tires for 2016

Best used cars for $25,000 and less

7 best mattresses for couples





Consumer Reports is an independent, nonprofit organization that works side by side with consumers to create a fairer, safer, and healthier world. CR does not endorse products or services, and does not accept advertising. Copyright  2018, Consumer Reports, Inc.
How do we determine whether Banco Bradesco SA (NYSE:BBD) makes for a good investment at the moment? We analyze the sentiment of a select group of the very best investors in the world, who spend immense amounts of time and resources studying companies. They may not always be right (no one is), but data shows that their consensus long positions have historically outperformed the market when we adjust for known risk factors.

Banco Bradesco SA (NYSE:BBD) has seen a decrease in enthusiasm from smart money of late. BBD was in 14 hedge funds' portfolios at the end of September. There were 15 hedge funds in our database with BBD positions at the end of the previous quarter. Our calculations also showed that BBD isn't among the 30 most popular stocks among hedge funds.

To the average investor there are dozens of metrics market participants have at their disposal to evaluate stocks. A couple of the less known metrics are hedge fund and insider trading interest. We have shown that, historically, those who follow the best picks of the best hedge fund managers can outperform their index-focused peers by a superb margin (see the details here).

Howard Marks OAKTREE CAPITAL MANAGEMENT

We're going to take a peek at the latest hedge fund action regarding Banco Bradesco SA (NYSE:BBD).

What does the smart money think about Banco Bradesco SA (NYSE:BBD)?

At Q3's end, a total of 14 of the hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey held long positions in this stock, a change of -7% from the previous quarter. By comparison, 15 hedge funds held shares or bullish call options in BBD heading into this year. With hedgies' sentiment swirling, there exists an "upper tier" of noteworthy hedge fund managers who were adding to their holdings meaningfully (or already accumulated large positions).

BBD_dec2018

More specifically, Fisher Asset Management was the largest shareholder of Banco Bradesco SA (NYSE:BBD), with a stake worth $242.3 million reported as of the end of September. Trailing Fisher Asset Management was Capital Growth Management, which amassed a stake valued at $105.6 million. GLG Partners, Oaktree Capital Management, and AQR Capital Management were also very fond of the stock, giving the stock large weights in their portfolios.

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Seeing as Banco Bradesco SA (NYSE:BBD) has witnessed a decline in interest from the entirety of the hedge funds we track, it's safe to say that there exists a select few hedgies who were dropping their positions entirely last quarter. Intriguingly, Peter Rathjens, Bruce Clarke and John Campbell's Arrowstreet Capital said goodbye to the largest investment of the "upper crust" of funds monitored by Insider Monkey, totaling an estimated $92.1 million in call options, and David Halpert's Prince Street Capital Management was right behind this move, as the fund said goodbye to about $28.8 million worth. These moves are intriguing to say the least, as aggregate hedge fund interest fell by 1 funds last quarter.

Let's also examine hedge fund activity in other stocks similar to Banco Bradesco SA (NYSE:BBD). We will take a look at Illinois Tool Works Inc. (NYSE:ITW), American International Group Inc (NYSE:AIG), Carnival Corporation (NYSE:CCL), and Las Vegas Sands Corp. (NYSE:LVS). This group of stocks' market values resemble BBD's market value.

[table] Ticker, No of HFs with positions, Total Value of HF Positions (x1000), Change in HF Position ITW,26,511065,-2 AIG,41,1759233,5 CCL,36,981167,7 LVS,38,1350452,10 Average,35.25,1150479,5 [/table]

View table here if you experience formatting issues.

As you can see these stocks had an average of 35.25 hedge funds with bullish positions and the average amount invested in these stocks was $1.15 billion. That figure was $494 million in BBD's case. American International Group Inc (NYSE:AIG) is the most popular stock in this table. On the other hand Illinois Tool Works Inc. (NYSE:ITW) is the least popular one with only 26 bullish hedge fund positions. Compared to these stocks Banco Bradesco SA (NYSE:BBD) is even less popular than ITW. 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.

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We listen to local police and fire departments scanner traffic, but sometimes miss crimes, wrecks, fires or other incidents, especially if they happen overnight. If you know of something were not covering yet, please let Managing Editor Jeff Pownall know by emailing him at jpownall@lufkindailynews.com, or submit a news tip online by visiting lufkindailynews.com/tips.
Before putting in our own effort and resources into finding a good investment, we can quickly utilize hedge fund expertise to give us a quick glimpse of whether that stock could make for a good addition to our portfolios. The odds are not exactly stacked in investors' favor when it comes to beating the market, as evidenced by the fact that less than 49% of the stocks in the S&P 500 did so during the 12-month period ending October 30. The stats were even worse in recent years when most of the advances in the market were due to large gains by FAANG stocks. However, one bright side for individual investors was the strong performance of hedge funds' top consensus picks. This year hedge funds' top 30 stock picks outperformed the S&P 500 Index by 4 percentage points through the middle of November. Thus, we can see that the tireless research and efforts of hedge funds to identify winning stocks can work to our advantage when we know how to use the data. While not all of their picks will be winners, our odds are much better following their best stock picks than trying to go it alone.

Hedge fund interest in Energy Transfer Partners LP (NYSE:ETP) shares was flat at the end of last quarter. This is usually a negative indicator. The level and the change in hedge fund popularity aren't the only variables you need to analyze to decipher hedge funds' perspectives. A stock may witness a boost in popularity but it may still be less popular than similarly priced stocks. That's why at the end of this article we will examine companies such as Imperial Oil Limited (NYSEAMEX:IMO), Continental Resources, Inc. (NYSE:CLR), and General Mills, Inc. (NYSE:GIS) to gather more data points.

In the financial world there are a large number of tools investors have at their disposal to grade stocks. A pair of the most under-the-radar tools are hedge fund and insider trading indicators. We have shown that, historically, those who follow the top picks of the best fund managers can outperform the broader indices by a solid amount. Insider Monkey's flagship best performing hedge funds strategy returned 6.3% year to date (through December 3rd) and outperformed the market even though it draws its stock picks among small-cap stocks. This strategy also outperformed the market by 18 percentage points since its inception (see the details here). That's why we believe hedge fund sentiment is a useful indicator that investors should pay attention to.

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David Tepper

Let's take a peek at the recent hedge fund action surrounding Energy Transfer Partners LP (NYSE:ETP).

What does the smart money think about Energy Transfer Partners LP (NYSE:ETP)?

At the end of the third quarter, a total of 13 of the hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey were long this stock, no change from one quarter earlier. By comparison, 23 hedge funds held shares or bullish call options in ETP heading into this year. With hedgies' sentiment swirling, there exists a few notable hedge fund managers who were increasing their holdings significantly (or already accumulated large positions).

No of Hedge Funds with ETP Positions

When looking at the institutional investors followed by Insider Monkey, Zimmer Partners, managed by Stuart J. Zimmer, holds the most valuable position in Energy Transfer Partners LP (NYSE:ETP). Zimmer Partners has a $88.5 million position in the stock, comprising 1.2% of its 13F portfolio. On Zimmer Partners's heels is Appaloosa Management LP, led by David Tepper, holding a $85.2 million position; 1.5% of its 13F portfolio is allocated to the company. Remaining hedge funds and institutional investors that are bullish encompass Jim Simons's Renaissance Technologies, and Eric W. Mandelblatt and Gaurav Kapadia's Soroban Capital Partners.

Since Energy Transfer Partners LP (NYSE:ETP) has witnessed bearish sentiment from the aggregate hedge fund industry, we can see that there was a specific group of money managers who sold off their positions entirely last quarter. Intriguingly, Matthew Hulsizer's PEAK6 Capital Management cut the largest investment of all the hedgies monitored by Insider Monkey, worth an estimated $7.6 million in stock, and Matthew Hulsizer's PEAK6 Capital Management was right behind this move, as the fund sold off about $1.5 million worth. These bearish behaviors are interesting, as aggregate hedge fund interest stayed the same (this is a bearish signal in our experience).

Let's check out hedge fund activity in other stocks similar to Energy Transfer Partners LP (NYSE:ETP). We will take a look at Imperial Oil Limited (NYSE:IMO), Continental Resources, Inc. (NYSE:CLR), General Mills, Inc. (NYSE:GIS), and Ingersoll-Rand Plc (NYSE:IR). This group of stocks' market caps match ETP's market cap.

[table] Ticker, No of HFs with positions, Total Value of HF Positions (x1000), Change in HF Position IMO,17,110505,2 CLR,29,609433,-4 GIS,32,289635,0 IR,42,2099674,9 Average,30,777312,1.75 [/table]

View table here if you experience formatting issues.

As you can see these stocks had an average of 30 hedge funds with bullish positions and the average amount invested in these stocks was $777 million. That figure was $368 million in ETP's case. Ingersoll-Rand Plc (NYSE:IR) is the most popular stock in this table. On the other hand Imperial Oil Limited (NYSE:IMO) is the least popular one with only 17 bullish hedge fund positions. Compared to these stocks Energy Transfer Partners LP (NYSE:ETP) is even less popular than IMO. 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.

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Ive been keeping an eye on Helvetia Holding AG (VTX:HELN) because Im attracted to its fundamentals. Looking at the company as a whole, as a potential stock investment, I believe HELN has a lot to offer. Basically, it is a notable dividend-paying company with a a strong history of delivering benchmark-beating performance. Below is a brief commentary on these key aspects. For those interested in understanding where the figures come from and want to see the analysis, take a look at the report on Helvetia Holding here.

6 star dividend payer with solid track record

In the previous year, HELN has ramped up its bottom line by 5.1%, with its latest earnings level surpassing its average level over the last five years. Not only did HELN outperformed its past performance, its growth also surpassed the Insurance industry expansion, which generated a 0.9% earnings growth. This paints a buoyant picture for the company.

SWX:HELN Income Statement Export December 22nd 18

For those seeking income streams from their portfolio, HELN is a robust dividend payer as well. Over the past decade, the company has consistently increased its dividend payout, reaching a yield of 4.1%, making it one of the best dividend companies in the market.

SWX:HELN Historical Dividend Yield December 22nd 18

Next Steps:

For Helvetia Holding, Ive compiled three important factors you should further research:

Future Outlook: What are well-informed industry analysts predicting for HELNs future growth? Take a look at our free research report of analyst consensus for HELNs outlook. Financial Health: Are HELNs operations financially sustainable? Balance sheets can be hard to analyze, which is why weve done it for you. Check out our financial health checks here. Other Attractive Alternatives : Are there other well-rounded stocks you could be holding instead of HELN? Explore our interactive list of stocks with large potential to get an idea of what else is out there you may be missing!

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.
By Richa Naidu

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Campbell Soup Co <CPB.N> said on Friday that incoming Chief Executive Mark Clouse, a food industry veteran, could be paid as much as $7.4 million in compensation for fiscal 2019.

Clouse, the former chief of frozen food maker Pinnacle Foods, was named Campbell's new CEO on Thursday after a seven-month search to replace former CEO Denise Morrison, who left abruptly in May.

Campbell said in a filing that Clouse's pay-packet included a base salary of $1 million and a potential bonus of $1.4 million. On Jan. 22, the day he starts working at Campbell, Clouse will also get a long-term incentive award of $5 million.

At Pinnacle Foods - where Clouse's tenure was marked by a 54 percent rise in stock value - he earned $5.22 million in 2017 and $14.1 million in 2016.

Clouse, 50, began working in the food industry over two decades ago.

His appointment comes just weeks after Campbell and activist hedge fund Third Point LLC settled a bitter proxy contest. Campbell has reported years of weak earnings, trailing the rest of the food industry.

"Campbell needs someone who can shake up the way the company is run, clean house and reinvigorate the brands," Edward Jones analyst Brittany Weissman said on Thursday.

Under Clouse's watch earlier this year, Pinnacle was sold to ConAgra Brands Inc <CAG.N> for $8.1 billion.

On Thursday, Conagra CEO Sean Connolly said since buying Pinnacle, he realized the business would be "significantly" less profitable than initially expected. Connolly said Pinnacle's problems were to do with innovation at its top brands, including Birds Eye and Duncan Hines.

That "muddies Clouse's track record a little, but he's had a good track record for years and he's still an ideal candidate for Campbell," Weissman said.

Shares in Campbell fell 5.1 percent on Friday and have tumbled about 26 percent this year.

(Reporting by Richa Naidu; editing by Peter Henderson and Rosalba O'Brien)
President Trumps incoming chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney, once publicly expressed great skepticism over Trumps proposed border wall, calling it absurd and almost childish, CNN reported Friday. The comments were made during a 2015 interview with Patti Mercer on WRHI radio in South Carolina, where Mulvaney doubted the necessity and effectiveness of a wall on the Mexican border, which then-candidate Trump repeatedly called for during his presidential campaign. Donald Trump says, build a wall. Deport all illegal immigrants What challenges does this plan pose? Mercer asked Mulvaney. A bunch, Mulvaney responded. The fence doesnt solve the problem, Mulvaney continued. Is it necessary to have one? Sure. Would it help? Sure. But to just say build the darn fence and have that be the end of an immigration discussion is absurd and almost childish for someone running for President to take that simplistic of a view. A border wall between Mexico and the U.S. was a staple of Trumps presidential campaign and is the center of a current partial government shutdown. The shutdown followed a standoff over funding $5 billion for the proposed wall. Mulvaney went on to say in the interview that a wall will not stop anyone trying to get across the border. He said people trying to get across the wall can go under, around and through it. Mulvaney told Mercer that the best border protection strategy would be more manpower, enforcement and better technology. There are parts of our border that are secure and parts of our border that are not, Mulvaney said. A lot of that comes down to whether or not we are just willing to enforce the law as it exists. So its easy to tell people what they want to hear, build the darn fence, vote for me.' Trump announced that Mulaney, who currently serves as the director of the Office of Management and Budget, would be his next chief of staff on Dec. 14, after John Kelly handed in his resignation. Mulvaney then tweeted that it was a tremendous honor.

I look forward to working with the President and the entire team. Its going to be a great 2019, he said.
Investors who want to cash in on Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerces (TSE:CM) upcoming dividend of CA$1.36 per share have only 4 days left to buy the shares before its ex-dividend date, 27 December 2018, in time for dividends payable on the 28 January 2019. Is this future income stream a compelling catalyst for dividend investors to think about the stock as an investment today? Lets take a look at Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerces most recent financial data to examine its dividend characteristics in more detail.

View our latest analysis for Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce

5 checks you should use to assess a dividend stock

If you are a dividend investor, you should always assess these five key metrics:

Is it the top 25% annual dividend yield payer?

Has it consistently paid a stable dividend without missing a payment or drastically cutting payout?

Has dividend per share amount increased over the past?

Does earnings amply cover its dividend payments?

Based on future earnings growth, will it be able to continue to payout dividend at the current rate?

TSX:CM Historical Dividend Yield December 22nd 18

How does Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce fare?

The current trailing twelve-month payout ratio for the stock is 46%, meaning the dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. In the near future, analysts are predicting a payout ratio of 44% which, assuming the share price stays the same, leads to a dividend yield of around 5.7%. In addition to this, EPS should increase to CA$12.32.

When considering the sustainability of dividends, it is also worth checking the cash flow of a company. A business with strong cash flow can sustain a higher divided payout ratio than a company with weak cash flow.

If theres one type of stock you want to be reliable, its dividend stocks and their stable income-generating ability. CM has increased its DPS from CA$3.48 to CA$5.44 in the past 10 years. It has also been paying out dividend consistently during this time, as youd expect for a company increasing its dividend levels. This is an impressive feat, which makes CM a true dividend rockstar.

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Relative to peers, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce produces a yield of 5.4%, which is high for Banks stocks but still below the markets top dividend payers.

Next Steps:

Considering the dividend attributes we analyzed above, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce is definitely worth keeping an eye on for someone looking to build a dedicated income portfolio. Given that this is purely a dividend analysis, you should always research extensively before deciding whether or not a stock is an appropriate investment for you. I always recommend analysing the companys fundamentals and underlying business before making an investment decision. Below, Ive compiled three key factors you should further research:

Future Outlook: What are well-informed industry analysts predicting for CMs future growth? Take a look at our free research report of analyst consensus for CMs outlook. Valuation: What is CM worth today? Even if the stock is a cash cow, its not worth an infinite price. The intrinsic value infographic in our free research report helps visualize whether CM is currently mispriced by the market. Other Dividend Rockstars: Are there better dividend payers with stronger fundamentals out there? Check out our free list of these great stocks here.

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.
Tehran (AFP) - Iran said Saturday the US presence in Syria had been "wrong and illogical" from the start, in its first official reaction to President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw troops.

"The presence of American forces was from the very start, in principle, a wrong and illogical move and a primary cause of instability and insecurity in the region," said foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi on his Telegram channel.

Trump vowed Thursday that the United States would no longer be the "policeman of the Middle East" as he ordered troops back from Syria.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards have a contingent of commanders and advisers deployed in Syria in support of President Bashar al-Assad, and have ferried weapons and thousands of militia fighters to the frontlines from various countries.

The United States currently has around 2,000 forces deployed in Syria in two areas along the Iraqi border that was partly aimed at keeping Iranian forces in check.
JERUSALEM (AP)  The Israeli military on Friday confirmed shooting a Palestinian car passenger dead in the West Bank, while a second Palestinian teenager was killed in a weekly border demonstration in the Gaza Strip.

The army said it opened fire on the car after it broke through a West Bank checkpoint. The military said it was on high alert in the area after shots were fired from a Palestinian village late Thursday. It said soldiers fired warning shots in the air when the driver ignored orders to halt but car sped up instead. The army said it responded with live fire, killing one passenger.

The Palestinian Health Ministry identified the dead passenger as Qasim Abbasi, 17, from east Jerusalem.

His cousin, Mohammed Abbasi, told The Associated Press that he, Qasim, and a friend were driving out of the Palestinian city of Ramallah when an Israeli soldier told them the road was closed. Abbasi said when they tried to make a U-turn, a soldier fired at their car, shattering the rear window and striking Qasim in the back.

Abbasi said he and his friend, who was driving, were not injured. He said they were released after being interrogated by police.

The West Bank saw a spike in violence last week after a pair of deadly shootings targeting Israeli soldiers and settlers. The army has arrested scores of Hamas activists as it ratchets up its manhunt for a Palestinian assailant.

Meanwhile in Gaza, health officials said that Israeli gunfire killed a 16-year-old Palestinian during a weekly protest in east Gaza City near the Israeli border.

Mohammed Jahjouh was shot in the neck, Gaza's health ministry said, adding that 70 other protesters were wounded.

In the evening, the ministry announced that two more Palestinians, aged 28 and 40, died of wounds they sustained earlier in the day. It said they were shot by Israeli live fire.

Since March, thousands of Palestinians have protested along the perimeter fence separating the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip from Israel. The demonstrations have been staged by the territory's Hamas rulers against a crippling Israeli-Egyptian blockade.

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More than 175 Palestinians either protesting or present at the rallies were killed, including 28 minors, according to the health ministry and a local rights group. An Israeli soldier was killed in July.

___

Associated Press writers Mohammed Daraghmeh contributed from Ramallah, West Bank, and Fares Akram in Gaza City, Gaza Strip, contributed to this report.
RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian at a roadblock in the occupied West Bank on Thursday, the Palestinian health ministry said. The Israeli military, in a statement that made no mention of any casualties, said a vehicle broke through the roadblock and soldiers opened fire. It said it was investigating the incident, which occurred at night near the Palestinian city of Ramallah. The Palestinian health ministry did not immediately identify the dead man. A series of deadly shootings have taken place in recent weeks in the West Bank, territory captured by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war. Last Friday, soldiers shot dead a Palestinian during a clash with protesters throwing stones. That incident took place eight days after a Palestinian gunman killed two Israeli soldiers and Israeli forces fatally shot two Hamas gunmen blamed by Israel for earlier attacks. (Reporting by Ali Sawafta and Jeffrey Heller, Editing by; Angus MacSwan)
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - The Israeli military on Thursday began to seal off four tunnels that it said had been dug by the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah under the border from Lebanon. The work was being carried out on the Israeli side of the frontier demarcation, known as the "Blue Line", military spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Jonathan Conricus told reporters. Israel says Hezbollah dug the tunnels with the aim of launching cross-border attacks with backing from its regional sponsor Iran. Hezbollah has yet to comment. U.N. peacekeepers in Lebanon have said they had so far confirmed the existence of four tunnels which the Israeli army discovered in recent weeks in the vicinity of the border. Conricus said the military would "neutralize and destroy" the tunnels. Some were built with concrete components while others were dug directly into rock," he said. "Preliminary work has started," Conricus said. "We warn anybody against approaching the openings of the tunnels or staying close to them, all of the tunnels, on the Lebanese side." He said Israel had asked the U.N. peacekeeping force, known as UNIFIL, to convey the warning to the Lebanese army. "The end result is that Hezbollah will no longer be able to utilize these tunnels in order to terrorize Israeli civilians." Conricus said the work was likely to be completed in a matter of hours. Israel has called for UNIFIL to deal with the tunnels on the Lebanese side of the border. The Israeli military has said it holds the Beirut government responsible for breaching Security Council resolution 1701, which ended a 2006 war with Hezbollah. President Michel Aoun, a political ally of Hezbollah, has said Lebanon is committed to implementing 1701. The resolution banned all unauthorized weapons between the Litani River and the U.N.-monitored border between Israel and Lebanon. Under the resolution Lebanon's army is responsible for security on its side of the border in a zone from which any other armed force, including Hezbollah, is banned. (Reporting by Jeffrey Heller; Editing by Angus MacSwan)
Global conflict was so common and catastrophic early last century that world wars were numbered. But in more than 70 years there has been no World War III, in large part because of what Secretary of Defense James Mattis described in his resignation letter this week as a "unique and comprehensive system of alliances and partnerships" led by the United States.

Such coalitions triggered the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1990-91, drove the Taliban from power in Afghanistan after 9/11, and all but defeated the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria this year. America's post-WWII foreign policy expanded trade, opened new markets, and lifted hundreds of millions of people out of poverty and into freedom.

But as the much-admired Pentagon chief makes clear in his letter, President Donald Trump sees the world very differently, and the two men are irreconcilably at odds. Mattis' view involves respect for allies and standing up to malign actors. Under Trump's "America First" view, allies are freeloaders, foreign aid dollars are better spent rebuilding at home and authoritarian leaders are to be admired, if not solicited.

Defense Secretary James Mattis is retiring in February.

That policy was on full display this week with Trump's Twitter announcement to pull U.S. troops out of Syria. Never mind that the relatively small footprint of 2,000 largely special operations soldiers has been vital to the still-unfinished business of vanquishing Islamic State remnants and providing a stable environment for the rebuilding necessary to prevent their resurgence.

The U.S. presence is also a bulwark against a troika of strongmen: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, threatening violence against Syrian Kurds who fought alongside U.S. troops; Syrian President Bashar Assad, eager to expand his murderous hold on power; and Russian President Vladimir Putin, who supports Assad and cheered Trump's decision to withdraw. In addition, U.S. troops are a check on Iran's regional threat and the risks posed to American ally Israel.

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Trump rejected all of it, apparently without consulting some key national security aides and ignoring the advice of others. White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders' promise in April that strategic decisions in Syria would be based on commanders and troops "on the ground" are now empty words.

Nor does Trump's campaign promise never to telegraph moves to an enemy hold any meaning after news this week that he's moving  in the midst of peace negotiations with the Taliban, no less  to reduce by half the 14,000 U.S. troops serving in Afghanistan.

That troubling war has lasted 17 years. But in September, Trump seemed to embrace a Mattis strategy to support America's allies in Kabul and send Taliban insurgents the clear message that the only future was negotiating an end to the violence. With Trump's abrupt decision to draw down troops, why should the Taliban agree to anything?

More than a year ago, Sen. Bob Corker, the Tennessee Republican who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the only people separating "our country from chaos"  by serving as guardrails for an unpredictable president  were Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, White House Chief of Staff John Kelly and Mattis.

Tillerson is gone. Kelly and Mattis are on their way out. The consequences for U.S. foreign policy going forward are chilling to contemplate, and Mattis is signaling that things could get worse before they get better. One by one, Trump is wearing down or driving away the few good men and women standing between him and his worst impulses.

USA TODAY's editorial opinions are decided by its Editorial Board, separate from the news staff. Most editorials are coupled with an opposing view  a unique USA TODAY feature.

To read more editorials, go to the Opinion front page or sign up for the daily Opinion email newsletter. To respond to this editorial, submit a comment to letters@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: James Mattis exits, along with the guardrails for Donald Trump's foreign policy
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Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg had surgery to remove two malignant growths in her left lung on Friday, the Supreme Court announced.

Doctors at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City found no evidence of any remaining disease and scans showed no cancerous growths elsewhere in her body, the court said in a statement. No additional treatment is currently planned.

The court also said Ginsburg is expected to remain in the hospital for a few days, the Associated Press reports.

The growths were found during tests Ginsburg had after she fractured three ribs in a fall in her office on Nov. 7. She previously had two bouts with cancer since joining the court in 1993. The justice underwent surgery for colorectal cancer in 1999, and 10 years later she was treated for early stages of pancreatic cancer.

Ginsburg also broke two ribs in a fall in 2012 and had a stent implanted to open a blocked artery two years later. In 2009, she was sent to the hospital following a bad reaction to medicine.

The oldest judge on the court, Ginsburg is also seen as a leader of its liberal wing. Despite her health issues, Ginsburg has never missed Supreme Court arguments in her more than 25 years on the bench, and she has already hired clerks for the term that extends into 2020.

Following a screening of On the Basis of Sex, a film about her when she was a young lawyer, Ginsburg made it clear she doesnt to step down any time soon.

I will do this job as long as I can do it full steam, she said.

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Qamishli (Syria) (AFP) - A senior Kurdish official on Saturday urged the United States to stop Turkey launching an offensive against Kurdish areas in northern Syria, after Washington announced the withdrawal of American troops.

Washington has for years supported the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the fight against the Islamic State group in Syria, as part of an international anti-jihadist coalition.

But in a shock announcement on Wednesday, US President Donald Trump ordered the withdrawal of around 2,000 soldiers from Syria.

Aldar Khalil, who played a key role in establishing Syria's semi-autonomous Kurdish region in 2013, said the US and its partners "must honour their commitments" while operating in the country.

"And even if they leave, they can at least work towards an international resolution," he told AFP.

"It's their duty to prevent any attack and to put an end to Turkish threats."

Turkey accuses the YPG of being an offshoot of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has waged a decades-long insurgency against Ankara.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has vowed to drive both the YPG and IS from Syria, but delayed a planned offensive following Trump's announcement.

The US decision to withdraw prompted top political leaders from the Syrian Kurdish forces to travel to Paris on Friday with the aim of drumming up support from the French government.

Endorsing the diplomatic push, Khalil called on France to "play a positive role at the United Nations and the Security Council, in order to (table) a resolution preventing a Turkish offensive."

But he admitted the diplomatic efforts have "still not borne fruit".

The Kurdish community accounts for 15 percent of Syria's population and controls around 30 percent of the country, as a federal region declared in 2016.

The same year Turkey conducted an operation against IS, which also aimed to block the YPG from joining up the territory it held in northern Syria, and staged an offensive against the militia in its northwestern enclave of Afrin in January this year.
Qamishli (Syria) (AFP) - A senior Kurdish official on Saturday urged the United States to stop Turkey launching an offensive against Kurdish areas in northern Syria, after Washington announced the withdrawal of American troops.

The US has for years supported the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the fight against the Islamic State group in Syria, as part of an international anti-jihadist coalition.

But in a shock announcement on Wednesday, US President Donald Trump ordered the withdrawal of around 2,000 soldiers from Syria.

Aldar Khalil, who played a key role in establishing Syria's semi-autonomous Kurdish region in 2013, said the US and its partners "must honour their commitments" while operating in the country.

"And even if they leave, they can at least work towards an international resolution," he told AFP.

"It's their duty to prevent any attack and to put an end to Turkish threats."

Turkey accuses the YPG of being an offshoot of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has waged a decades-long insurgency against Ankara.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has vowed to drive both the YPG and IS from Syria, but delayed a planned offensive following Trump's announcement.

The US decision to withdraw prompted top political leaders from the Syrian Kurdish forces to travel to Paris on Friday with the aim of drumming up support from the French government.

Endorsing the diplomatic push, Khalil called on France to "play a positive role at the United Nations and the Security Council, in order to (table) a resolution preventing a Turkish offensive."

But he admitted the diplomatic efforts have "still not borne fruit".

Khalil warned the US withdrawal would impact the battle against IS as Kurdish fighters are not be able to keep targeting the jihadists if their "families, villages and towns are under attack".

The Kurdish community accounts for 15 percent of Syria's population and controls around 30 percent of the country, as a federal region declared in 2016.

The same year Turkey conducted an operation against IS, which also aimed to block the YPG from joining up the territory it held in northern Syria, and staged an offensive against the militia in its northwestern enclave of Afrin in January this year.
UK jihadists Shafee El-Sheik (L) and Alexanda Kotey (R) are among 2,000 Isil fighters being held by the SDF - AFP

Americas Kurdish allies have warned that thousands of Islamic State group jihadist prisoners - including the surviving Britons known as The Beatles - may escape custody once US forces leave Syria.

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said they could be unable to secure 2,000 suspects they are holding if they have to divert forces to fight a Turkish offensive, after Donald Trump's decision to pull US forces from Syria.

The suspected jihadist prisoners include six British men, four British women and several of their children. Among them are Alexanda Kotey and Shafee El-Sheikh, who allegedly behead Western hostages.

The warning came as America's allies reeled from Mr Trump's twin unexpected decisions to pull out from Syria and significantly scale back the US military campaign in Afghanistan.

Taliban officials said they welcomed Mr Trump's orders to begin withdrawing up to 7,000 of America's 14,000 troops based in Afghanistan fighting the insurgent movement.

The SDF have spearheaded the fight against Isil Credit: REUTERS/Rodi Said/File Photo

The decision to dramatically scale back the war effort in Afghanistan blind-sided Nato-allies including Britain. It also caused dismay among diplomats in Kabul and Afghan officials who fear abandonment by the West will cause a repeat of the 1990s civil war.

Only last year, Mr Trump's new strategy for Afghanistan had pledged troop increases and promised not to pull back until security conditions had improved.

Ashraf Ghani's government put a brave face on the announcement saying If the few thousand foreign troops that advise, train and assist leave, it will not affect our security.

American envoys earlier this week spent three days in discussion with Taliban negotiators trying to forge a tentative peace process. The Taliban have long demanded a US withdrawal as a precondition for talks with Kabul.

Graeme Smith, a consultant for International Crisis Group, said: Its clear that a rapid pullout of all international forces could spark the collapse of the Afghan government and start a new civil war. Still, this partial withdrawal could send a useful message to all sides. This signals to the Taliban that the US is serious about negotiating an exit. Taliban have been asking each other in recent weeks whether American diplomats were honest when they claimed to be ready for a responsible withdrawal.

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Mr Trump's decision to overrule military advice and embark on a pullout is understood to have contributed to the decision by his defence secretary, Gen Jim Mattis to resign.

Gen Mattis had long been seen in Kabul as an advocate of supporting the Afghan government and a guarantor of American support.

Diplomats said other members of the Nato coalition would now have to decide if they were able to stay with a greatly reduced US force. America's allies are largely reliant on US military might for logistics such as air transport and medical treatment.

The White House has reportedly decided to pull the more than 2,000 US troops out of Syria Credit: DELIL SOULEIMAN/AFP/Getty Images

European allies also disputed Mr Trump's claim that a withdrawal for Syria was justified because America had defeated Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (Isil).

"We do not share the analyses that the territorial caliphate has been annihilated," said French defence minister Florence Parly. "It's an extremely grave decision and we think ... the job must be finished.

Yet Mr Trump insisted he had "done more damage to ISIS than all recent presidents....not even close!

The SDF warned the West that it could lose control of the jihadists if American troops left Syria.

 We will continue our mission but confronting this terrorism will be difficult because our forces will be forced to withdraw from the frontlines in Deir Ezzor to take up positions on the border with Turkey to counter any attack we may face, said Ilham Ahmed, a senior official from the SDFs political council.

The warning appeared intended to galvanise Western countries, who are deeply concerned about the return of foreign fighters from Syria, into maintaining support for the Kurds even after US forces withdraw.
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP)  The Latest on Israel and the Palestinian territories (all times local):

8:35 p.m.

Hamas is warning Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas that dissolving the parliament it controls would bring chaos.

Abbas' announcement Saturday to dismantle the Palestinian Legislative Council "destroys the political system and opens the door to chaos in the Palestinian arena," said Yehiha Moussa, a Hamas lawmaker.

Moussa says the PLC, where Hamas holds a majority after a 2006 landslide victory against Abbas' Fatah party, expires only when a new parliament is formed after elections.

But the PLC has been idle and divided since Hamas seized Gaza by force in 2007 after its victory in the parliamentary elections. Its laws are limited to the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip. The West Bank is ruled by the Palestinian Authority, which Abbas chairs.

Moussa rejected Abbas' claims that Hamas blocks national unity, accusing Fatah of hindering Egyptian efforts to achieve Palestinian reconciliation.

___

7:45 p.m.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas says he will implement a court order to dissolve the inactive parliament controlled by the rival Hamas movement.

The Palestinian Legislative Council has been divided since the militant Hamas group wrested control of Gaza after deadly fighting with pro-Abbas forces in 2007, a year after it won parliamentary elections.

Speaking at a PLO meeting Saturday, Abbas said the Constitutional Court ruled to dissolve the PLC and called for elections in six months. Abbas vowed "to execute this (decision) immediately."

Breaking up the parliament is mostly symbolic since it's not functioning. Hamas' parliamentary bloc meets in Gaza and passes laws applicable only to the coastal enclave without consultations with the West Bank, where Abbas is based.

Abbas says the move is to pressure Hamas into accepting Egyptian efforts for a national Palestinian reconciliation.

___

1:30 p.m.

Story continues

Thousands of Palestinians have attended the burials of four people killed by Israeli fire during protests along the Gaza-Israel frontier.

Funerals were held across the Gaza Strip on Saturday, a day after the four were shot, including 16-year-old Mohammed Jahjouh.

Friday's protests were the deadliest in a month and a half of relatively restrained protests that saw one fatality.

Since the protest campaign started in March, 180 Palestinians and an Israeli soldier have been killed, according to health officials and a local rights group.

Hamas has staged the rallies to pressure Israel and Egypt into easing the blockade they imposed when the Islamic militant group seized Gaza in 2007.

Top Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh told mourners that his movement complained to mediators over deaths and vowed to keep up the protests.
N'Djamena (AFP) - French President Emmanuel Macron paid a pre-Christmas visit to French soldiers in Chad on Saturday, bringing enough champagne, foie gras and chocolate for 1,300 troops along with him.

Macron landed at Kossei air base near N'Djamena, the nerve centre of Operation Barkhane, a four-year campaign led by France against Islamic jihadists in Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger.

He met first with Chadian President Idriss Deby before greeting and eating with the French troops, his second such trip after one to Niger a year ago.

The French president also spoke with the commanders of British, Estonian, German and Spanish units that are taking part in the operaton.

The president's personal chef Guillaume Gomez made the trip as well to ensure the troops received a holiday meal from home despite temperatures that can reach 32 degrees Celsius (90 degrees Fahrenheit).

A Barkhane commander said the operation's 4,500 troops carry out 600 operations each month.
The Marshall Islands: A nation that fears it's on the brink of extinction originally appeared on abcnews.go.com

The Marshall Islands, a tiny nation of islands and atolls located between Hawaii and Australia, are in a fight for survival.

In a battle between man and nature, officials say climate change is threatening the islands' existence. The most extreme predictions say that rising sea levels could make the nation uninhabitable as soon as 2030.

The capital city of Majuro is only 300 feet wide in most places, yet the thin strip of land is home to over 27,000 people.

PHOTO: The Marshall Island's capital city of Majuro is only 300 feet wide in most places. (ABC)

Charlotte Jack, one of the citys residents, lives just steps from the waters edge  her front yard is the ocean. At 16 years old, she has grown up feeling its fury made worse by unpredictable weather.

How corn farmers are adapting to climate change

One day it could be like just the perfect day, she said. Tomorrow it could be like pouring rain, and water is up high and its just scary.

More than once, she said, she's been woken up by water flooding into her home.

PHOTO: ABC News' Gloria Riviera speaks with Marshall Islands resident Charlotte Jack, 16. Shes part of whats called 'the last generation'  over half the countrys population is under the age of 24. (ABC)

Jack is part of what's called the "last generation"  over half the country's population is under the age of 24.

Time is very limited, Jack said. Sometimes I think that by the time I graduate and go get my education, try to come back and serve my island, there's no more island. There's no more nation. Theres no more culture. And I'm just there, stuck on the mainland, thinking, What could I have done?

PHOTO: The ocean's waves have eroded the coastline of Majuro, reducing much of the land where families' homes once stood to rubble. (ABC)

Earlier this fall, a United Nations report sounded the alarm about the dire consequences of global warming, stating that if the earths temperature rises just a half-degree more, there will be longer periods of drought, severe heat waves and more sea level rise.

The government of the Marshall Islands has had one of the loudest voices on the worlds stage with regard to climate change. It was instrumental in drafting the Paris Agreement, a landmark measure to curb carbon emissions and combat climate change worldwide.

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Draft agreement emerges at UN climate talks, pitfalls remain

[The Paris Agreement] came to be really our last hope to galvanize the entire global community to say, 'OK enough is enough,' The islands Minister of Environment David Paul said.

PHOTO: The Marshall Islands Minister of Environment David Paul stresses the importance of acting on climate change -- as quickly as possible. (ABC)

The country is working to protect itself against mother nature's wrath by building concrete sea walls, but it remains to be seen how effective they will be.

Weve deployed the best engineering calculations we can deploy with the resources we have, Paul said. With climate change nothing is guaranteed."

The island of Eneko is among other smaller islands on the outer edge of Majuros lagoon. Paul pointed out that the island has had a significant amount of land turned to beach.

The beach is expanding, sooner or later everything will be beach rather than land, he said.

This pristine, unspoiled land may one day soon be lost forever.

Land here is owned by families for hundreds of years. It's... a feeling of wealth for most Marshallese, explained Jack Niedenthal, an American expat who has spent decades advocating for the rights of the Marshallese.

Niedenthal said this is not the first time their land and their well-being has come under threat. During the Cold War, the United States used the Bikini atoll as a strategic military position and a testing ground for nuclear weapons.

What the U.S. did out here was horrendous. I mean theres no other way to describe it, Niedenthal said. The one weapon that did most of the damage to the northern marshlands was called the Bravo Shot, and that was 1,000 times greater than the weapons that were used on Hiroshima and Nagasaki."

The nuclear fallout from that bomb was so wide, ash rained down on the outer atolls. For years, residents from there have suffered from birth defects and high rates of cancer. They had to be evacuated from their homes.

Today, more than 50 years later, their land is still contaminated by radiation.

Theyve sacrificed both land and health, Niedenthal said.

As a small reparation for their suffering, the Marshallese are allowed to live and work in the United States without a visa. Over a third of the population has already left, seeking opportunity in the U.S. Soon, the more than 70,000 left behind may have no other choice than to also flee to the U.S.

In June 2017, President Donald Trump delivered another crushing blow to the islands with the announcement that the U.S. will withdraw from the Paris climate accord.

The United States government let us down," Paul said. "This is life and death for us. It's really a death sentence.

The U.S. is responsible for one of the world's largest carbon footprints, but it's some of the smallest nations that are most affected by their giant neighbors to the north.

Climate change, "for us, it's... really a daily reality," Paul said. "We are seeing our shoreline being eroded, we are experiencing longer drought, more frequent... Its quite challenging to try to cope with it.

As sea levels continue to rise, they will also threaten to destroy the islands' freshwater aquifers and could kill vegetation.

In combating climate change, we always say this: we may go first, but youre next, Paul said, referring to the fact that the rest of the world should take the island nation's concerns seriously.

Despite the bleak outlook, the Marshallese are not ready to give up just yet.

I want to be the last guy to leave, Niedenthal said. Im going to be the guy floating out on a kayak when everyone else is gone.

Three generations of Niedenthal's family now live on Majuro.

You know, you hear a lot of people talking about all of these new emission things in by 2050, and I dont know if we have until 2030, he said. When it becomes in other peoples backyard and not just ours, my hope is that they will start trying to do things."

Its clear that this is a battle that the Marshallese cannot win alone, Jack said.

Come help us," Jack said. "We need help.

This report was supported in part by the IWMFs Howard G. Buffett Fund for Women Journalists.
By Phil Stewart and Lesley Wroughton WASHINGTON (Reuters) - By plainly stating his policy differences in his resignation letter, U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has sparked an incipient challenge to President Donald Trump's foreign and security agenda that sets his departure apart from scores of others that preceded him. Mattis, a retired Marine general who was highly regarded by Republicans and Democrats, had far wider political support in Washington than Trump himself when he walked into the White House on Thursday afternoon. Sources said Mattis had already made up his mind that it was time to go. Later in the afternoon, Trump announced Mattis was retiring, only to be rapidly contradicted as Mattis circulated his eight-paragraph resignation letter. Even as Washington digested Trump's surprise decisions this week to remove U.S. troops from Syria and to draw down the military presence in Afghanistan, it was Mattis' departure and the attendant strategic uncertainty that sources said really vexed officials across the administration and in the U.S. Congress. It prompted unusually sharp criticism of Trump from his fellow Republicans. "It's sadness for our country," said retiring Republican Senator Bob Corker, adding he thought Mattis' departure could change how Senate Republicans defend Trump. "We are in a really bad place as it pertains to foreign policy." U.S. Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he was "distressed" by Mattis' departure. Senator Lindsey Graham, who has mostly been a staunch Trump ally, called for immediate hearings on Trump's moves in Syria and Afghanistan and wanted to hear directly from Mattis. Mattis is the first U.S. defense secretary in decades to explicitly resign over purely policy differences with a president. His departure is wholly different from that of other top foreign policy and national security officials in the administration who have left, including the president's unceremonious firing of Rex Tillerson as secretary of state. Two national security advisors left Trump - but did so from weakened positions. 'STATE OF SHOCK' Trump's decision to withdraw from Syria was a major contributing factor to Mattis' departure, and was part of their discussion in the 45-minute conversation on Thursday, as the two men aired their differences, officials told Reuters. The defense secretary made a final effort on Thursday to convince Trump to reverse course on Syria, one official with knowledge of discussions told Reuters. Trump, by all accounts, was not pressuring Mattis to resign and had not been expecting an announcement to come that day, sources said. The Pentagon declined to comment on Mattis' resignation, referring reporters to his letter. Even aides to Mattis said they were surprised. "We're all in a state of shock," said one U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity. The Republican-led Congress, which has done little to check Trump's political instincts, including his decision to create a Space Force and to deploy troops to the southern border with Mexico, appeared more ready to step in. The top Republican on the House Armed Services Committee, Mac Thornberry, rebuked Trump's plan to withdraw troops from Afghanistan, another surprise move by Trump that leaked in news reports on Thursday. "Reducing the American presence in Afghanistan and removing our presence in Syria will reverse (U.S.) progress, encourage our adversaries, and make America less safe," he said. Hearings are planned in the U.S. House of Representatives, which will be controlled by Democrats starting in January. The resignation has triggered deep concern among U.S. allies abroad. In Europe, Mattis was seen as a critical advocate for the NATO alliance, which extolled him in a statement on Friday. In Asia, he was credited with building trust and tempering Trump's isolationist impulses. TRUMP'S CALL WITH ERDOGAN Trump's decision to pull troops from Syria, where he said they are no longer needed against what he called a defeated Islamic State, initially appeared to come out of nowhere. But its genesis, said sources, was a phone call he had with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Dec. 14. The call was arranged by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo after Turkey's threat to launch a military operation against U.S.-backed Syrian Kurdish fighters in the northeast. Mattis, Pompeo and others helped prepare briefing notes for the call. Trump was supposed to push back against the Turkish plan, according to an official briefed on discussions. During the call, Erdogan asserted that Islamic State had been defeated and complained that the United States was undermining Turkish security by backing the Kurds, the official said. That message appealed to Trump, who said the United States did not want to be in Syria and made a snap decision to pull out, ignoring his briefing notes and the advice of Mattis and Pompeo, the official said. Trump has long been skeptical of the U.S. military mission in Syria that his national security team have advocated to ensure Islamic State's defeat. A White House spokesman called this a "false version of events." (Additional reporting by Patricia Zengerle, Richard Cowan, Ginger Gibson, Idrees Ali and Steve Holland; editing by Mary Milliken and Frances Kerry)
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 had generated $9.7 million in donations as of Thursday evening. 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.

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.

Kolfage, who is listed on GoFundMe as being based in Miramar Beach, Florida, said in an email that he was not immediately available to comment.

The reception toward Kolfage's fundraising is far from the reaction when Arizona lawmakers similarly tried to raise money for border fencing several years ago.

Legislators approved a bill in 2011 to establish a website to raise $50 million for border fencing. The effort, however, flopped, bringing in around $265,000.

Kolfage's page inspired at least one opposing fundraising page. A GoFundMe fundraiser was created Wednesday to raise money for "ladders to get over Trump's wall." The site posted a goal of $100 million and garnered more than $20,000 in donations as of Thursday afternoon. All the money will go toward a nonprofit that provides education and legal services to refugees and immigrant families.

___

This story has been corrected to show that Kolfage said each Trump voter should pledge $80 and that Kolfage is listed as being in Miramar Beach, not Miramar.
Hedge funds and other investment firms that we track manage billions of dollars of their wealthy clients' money, and needless to say, they are painstakingly thorough when analyzing where to invest this money, as their own wealth depends on it. Regardless of the various methods used by elite investors like David Tepper and Dan Loeb, the resources they expend are second-to-none. This is especially valuable when it comes to small-cap stocks, which is where they generate their strongest outperformance, as their resources give them a huge edge when it comes to studying these stocks compared to the average investor, which is why we intently follow their activity in the small-cap space.

Hedge fund interest in NiSource Inc. (NYSE:NI) shares was flat at the end of last quarter. This is usually a negative indicator. At the end of this article we will also compare NI to other stocks including Enel Americas S.A. (NYSE:ENIA), Pearson PLC (NYSE:PSO), and NVR, Inc. (NYSE:NVR) to get a better sense of its popularity.

In the 21st century investors toolkit there are a large number of signals investors employ to appraise their stock investments. A pair of the most under-the-radar signals are hedge fund and insider trading indicators. Our experts have shown that, historically, those who follow the best picks of the elite fund managers can outpace their index-focused peers by a healthy margin (see the details here).

We're going to check out the latest hedge fund action surrounding NiSource Inc. (NYSE:NI).

Hedge fund activity in NiSource Inc. (NYSE:NI)

At Q3's end, a total of 13 of the hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey were long this stock, no change from the second quarter of 2018. The graph below displays the number of hedge funds with bullish position in NI over the last 13 quarters. With hedgies' sentiment swirling, there exists an "upper tier" of key hedge fund managers who were upping their holdings meaningfully (or already accumulated large positions).

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Dmitry Balyasny

The largest stake in NiSource Inc. (NYSE:NI) was held by Zimmer Partners, which reported holding $338.4 million worth of stock at the end of September. It was followed by Millennium Management with a $126.9 million position. Other investors bullish on the company included Citadel Investment Group, Blackstart Capital, and Balyasny Asset Management.

Due to the fact that NiSource Inc. (NYSE:NI) has experienced bearish sentiment from the smart money, it's easy to see that there were a few funds who were dropping their entire stakes last quarter. It's worth mentioning that Jonathan Barrett and Paul Segal's Luminus Management dropped the largest investment of all the hedgies tracked by Insider Monkey, comprising close to $18.2 million in stock. Richard Driehaus's fund, Driehaus Capital, also dumped its stock, about $2.8 million worth. These bearish behaviors are interesting, as aggregate 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 NiSource Inc. (NYSE:NI) but similarly valued. We will take a look at Enel Americas S.A. (NYSE:ENIA), Pearson PLC (NYSE:PSO), NVR, Inc. (NYSE:NVR), and Bausch Health Companies Inc. (NYSE:BHC). All of these stocks' market caps are closest to NI's market cap.

[table] Ticker, No of HFs with positions, Total Value of HF Positions (x1000), Change in HF Position ENIA,11,60929,0 PSO,3,18126,-3 NVR,25,847007,4 BHC,30,1584429,7 Average,17.25,627623,2 [/table]

View table here if you experience formatting issues.

As you can see these stocks had an average of 17.25 hedge funds with bullish positions and the average amount invested in these stocks was $628 million. That figure was $626 million in NI's case. Bausch Health Companies Inc. (NYSE:BHC) is the most popular stock in this table. On the other hand Pearson PLC (NYSE:PSO) is the least popular one with only 3 bullish hedge fund positions. NiSource Inc. (NYSE:NI) 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 BHC might be a better candidate to consider a long position.

Disclosure: None. This article was originally published at Insider Monkey.

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Mexico City (AFP) - There is no signed agreement allowing third-country migrants to stay in Mexico while their asylum applications are processed in the United States, Mexico's new foreign minister said Friday.

Marcelo Ebrard spoke one day after US Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said the Donald Trump administration will send migrants who cross the southern US border back to Mexico while their cases are being heard.

"We have signed no treaty, nor will we do it," Ebrard said during the daily press conference of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who took office on December 1.

Mexico's Washington charge d'affairs Jose Antonio Zabalgoitia told reporters Thursday 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."

In Mexico, some critics thought that meant their new government had signed an agreement with Washington formalizing the procedure.

Not so, said Ebrard.

"Mexico would not accept such a treaty, we have told them many times," he said.

Ebrard said officials were asking Washington for more details on what they are doing so they can give a "more accurate position" regarding the policy on Monday.

The US announcement came after US courts rebuffed Trump administration orders to deny asylum 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.

Since Mexico will not accept non-Mexican migrants returned by the United States, US officials are forced to register those people, either charging them with illegal entry or recording their asylum requests.

Then they are released within the United States to await future hearings. Nielsen says few ever show up for their asylum hearings.

On Tuesday the United States said it was ready to support $4.5 billion in investment in Central America and southern Mexico in hopes of stemming migration.
Kim Jong-un inspects an intercontinental ballistic missile in 2017 - KCNA via KNS

North Korea has vowed not to unilaterally give up its nuclear weapons unless the US reciprocates by removing its own nuclear threat to Pyongyang, in a blunt statement that casts fresh doubt on whether the current impasse in disarmament talks can be resolved.

The lengthy rebuke of Washingtons hostile policy towards the reclusive regime was delivered by the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Thursday.

It accused the US of high-handed practices and pressure and offered one of the clearest explanations to date of how North Korea views the denuclearisation process.

At an unprecedented summit in Singapore in June, Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump, the US president, reached an agreement in vague terms to work towards the complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula.

Talks have since stalled as the two sides have failed to agree on the definition of denuclearisation or on how to move forward.

When we refer to the Korean Peninsula, they include both the area of the DPRK [North Korea] and the area of South Korea where aggression troops, including the nuclear weapons of the US, are deployed, the KCNA commentary clarified.

Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump met in Singapore in June Credit: Evan Vucci/AP

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, it said.

American nuclear weapons were deployed in South Korea from 1958 to 1991 but now Washington supports Japan and South Korea using bombers and submarines based elsewhere. It also maintains 28,500 American troops in South, which could be a potential sticking point in disarmament negotiations.

The regimes statement denounced Washingtons policy since the Singapore summit as misguided, saying that it was aghast at Mike Pompeo, the US secretary of states assertion that Pyongyang had committed itself to the complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation of North Korea.

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It added: The US must have a clear understanding of the phrase, denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula, and study geology in particular, before it is too late.

The latest missive from Pyongyang jars with the more optimistic soundings from Seoul in recent months about Kims willingness to cooperate.

The North Koreans have criticised US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for his statements Credit: Nicholas Kamm/AFP

However, it also validates warnings from North Korea analysts and experts, who have consistently argued that Kim Jong-un will not voluntarily relinquish his nuclear arsenal, which he views as both a security guarantee and as giving him a stronger hand in diplomatic negotiations.

It has always said this. Some people wanted to delude themselves into believing otherwise. But North Korea is nothing if not consistent, tweeted Vipin Narang, an associate professor of political science at MIT.

Writing in NK News, Andrei Lankov, a professor at Kookmin university in Seoul, described the KCNA dispatch as simply an honest admission of Pyongyang's real intentions.

This statement might have come as a shock to the few remaining nuclear optimistsHowever, a more unbiased observer should not be surprised at all, he wrote.

North Korea has never had the slightest intention to surrender their nuclear weapons. They saw what happened in Iraq and, more importantly, in Libya, and have long believed that without nuclear weapons they will become vulnerable to both a foreign invasion and a local revolution.
KIEV, Ukraine (AP)  Over 1,000 believers of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church rallied outside the country's parliament Thursday to protest its demand that their church's name is changed to reflect its ties to Moscow.

Parliament passed a bill earlier Thursday demanding that the Ukrainian Orthodox Church explicitly indicate its link to the Moscow Patriarchate in its name. The church rejected the demand as unconstitutional.

The Ukrainian church has been part of the Russian Orthodox Church for centuries, but a bitter tug-of-war following Russia's annexation of Crimea has encouraged moves within Ukrainian orthodoxy to create a separate church with no direct links to Moscow.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has strongly pushed for the creation of such a church, and on Saturday a new church independent from Moscow was created.

Ukrainian authorities have sought to portray the Moscow-linked church in Ukraine as supporting Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine  claims that have been rejected by its clerics.

"The church directed from the aggressor country must reflect that in its name," said Ukrainian parliament speaker Andriy Parubiy.

Priests and parishioners who rallied outside the parliament building denounced the decision.

One of the protesters, Father Vadim, said that "our church has faced purges and humiliation."

"Our only guilt is that we pray for the entire Orthodox Church and mention (Moscow) Patriarch Kirill in our prayers," he said.

Father Kliment, the church's spokesman, said it's not going to meet the parliament's demand that he described as unlawful. "The talk about the name change sounds clownish," he said.

The Moscow Patriarchate strongly condemned the creation of the new Ukrainian church, warning it could trigger sectarian violence.

Speaking at Thursday's news conference, Russian President Vladimir Putin also voiced concern about possible violent disputes over church assets.

He denounced the creation of the new Ukrainian church, describing it as part of the Ukrainian president's efforts to shore up his sagging popularity ahead of March's election.

"It's a direct meddling into religious life by the government, there has been nothing like that since the Soviet times," Putin said. "It's being done ahead of the election in order to further rupture ties between Russian and Ukrainian peoples."
Montreal (AFP) - Canada's top diplomat on Saturday called on allies for support in securing the release of Canadians detained in China, noting that the arrests are a "worrying precedent" for the entire international community.

Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland said that China's detention of former diplomat Michael Kovrig and consultant Michael Spavor is "not only a Canadian issue.

"It is an issue which concerns our allies and we've been discussing it very actively with our allies and partners around the world," she said in a phone conference with reporters.

Freeland repeated a call for the "immediate" release of the two men who had been "detained arbitrarily."

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who was making a surprise visit to Canadian troops deployed in Mali, also weighed in, saying that: "We are impressing upon the Chinese how it is important that they release the detainees."

"We feel that respecting the rule of law, respecting the rights of citizens, of prisoners is extremely important," the premier said in televised remarks.

Kovrig and Spavor were detained on December 10 and accused of engaging in activities that "endanger China's national security."

Though no link has officially been made, the arrests seem to be in retaliation of Canada's December 10 arrest of Meng Wanzhou, a top executive at Chinese telecom giant Huawei.

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.

"In my conversations with Chinese ambassador and in our conversation with Chinese officials, the Chinese officials have not directly made that connection" between Meng's detention and the arrest of the Canadians, Freeland said.

"It would of course be highly inappropriate for there to be any connection."

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.

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Freeland said that Meng "has been treated with respect ... and has been given full access to due process as anyone detained in Canada is given."

She added: "This is clearly a difficult moment in our relationship with China."

A third Canadian was arrested in China for "working illegally," but Canadian authorities have said that appears to be a routine visa case.

Freeland thanked the United States, Britain and the European Union for their support, saying that Canada will continue to work with its allies to get the Canadians released.
The Capitol is seen on the first morning of a partial government shutdown, as Democratic and Republican lawmakers are at a standoff with President Donald Trump on spending for his border wall, in Washington, Saturday, Dec. 22, 2018. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

As investors are heading home for the holidays, some federal government employees have to some involuntary leave.

The federal government partially shut down Saturday after Congress failed to pass a spending bill over President Donald Trumps demands for $5.7 billion for a border wall. The lack of funding for about a quarter of federal agencies affects the departments of Homeland Security, Transportation, Agriculture, State, and Justice and federal national parks. But the impact on the market will likely be minimal.

Markets dont always care too much about government shutdowns. Since 1976, there have been 20 government shutdowns. S&P 500 (^GSPC) went up during half of them, according to data from LPL Financial.

The economic implications are very limited, in our view, as the amount of federal spending affected by this shutdown, is a fraction of what it was during the last major shutdown, in 2013, economists at Goldman Sachs wrote in a note on Tuesday.

This is because Congress has already passed five of the 12 annual appropriations bills. The agencies that have not yet received funding account for about 16% of all federal employees. When funding lapses for all federal departments and agencies, 800,000, or about 40% of all federal employees are furloughed without pay.

Those employees can expect to receive their full back pay when the shutdown ends. So, the interruption usually has a temporary impact on the economy. Goldman Sachs estimates the government shutdown in 2013 reduced real GDP by 0.17% each week in the quarter it occurred, but the real GDP bounced up the same amount in the following quarter after the federal government reopened.

The upshot is that a shutdown, even if it lasted for a week or more, would have only a very modest impact on first-quarter GDP growth, subtracting perhaps a few tenths at most, Paul Ashworth, chief U.S. economist of Capital Economics, wrote in a note earlier this year.

Among the economic data that is expected to be released in the coming week, most of them will come out on schedule since the U.S. Department of Labor and the Federal Reserve are unaffected. But data published by the U.S. Department of Commerce, including new home sales and advance goods trade balance, is likely to be delayed by the shutdown.

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How long will it last?

The real question is how and when the two parties could reach an agreement. There will be a shutdown that will last for a very long time, Trump warned in a tweet Friday morning. The Democrats now own the shutdown! He added later in a tweet.

The partial shutdown will last until at least the next full session of the Senate on the 27th. And Congressional Democrats have reasons to not compromise on the issue now, as they will gain greater influence after after the new Congress is seated on January 3.

With the Democrats set to retake the House in January, there is a clear risk that this shutdown could last for weeks or even months, Ashworth of Capital Economics wrote in a note this week.

While economists dont believe the shutdown itself is enough to hammer the economy, they see larger risks ahead as the shutdown may just be the primer of the fiscal debates on spending and the debt limit in 2019. A divided Congress is likely to present new hurdles to raising the debt limit or the spending caps next year.

It would raise the much bigger risk that Congress fails to lift the debt ceiling again by July. Ashworth wrote. There could also be a marked fiscal tightening in October if lawmakers do not extend the higher spending levels agreed in the bipartisan budget deal reached earlier this year.

Krystal Hu covers technology and trade for Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter.

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By Andrew Chung and Lawrence Hurley WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Supreme Court on Friday dealt a setback to President Donald Trump by refusing to allow his administration to implement new rules prohibiting asylum for people who cross the U.S. border illegally, with conservative Chief Justice John Roberts joining the four liberal justices in denying the request. The justices on a 5-4 vote rebuffed the administration's bid to put on hold a California-based federal judge's order preventing it from carrying out the policy making anyone crossing the U.S.-Mexican border outside of an official port of entry ineligible for asylum. The planned asylum change was a key component of Trump's hardline policies aimed at making it tougher for immigrants to enter and stay in the United States. Roberts, who last month rebuked Trump over his criticism of the judiciary, joined liberal Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer, Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor against the administration. Trump's two high court appointees, Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch, joined the two other conservative justices, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, in dissent. "The Supreme Court's decision to leave the asylum ban blocked will save lives and keep vulnerable families and children from persecution. We are pleased the court refused to allow the administration to short-circuit the usual appellate process," said Lee Gelernt, a lawyer for the American Civil Liberties Union, which challenged Trump's policy. The Justice Department expressed disappointment with the decision, saying the 25 nationwide injunctions against Trump administration policies were "unprecedented." "The Court has not yet fully considered the merits of this case," Justice Department spokesman Steven Stafford said. "We will continue to defend the executive branch's lawful authority over the discretionary benefit of asylum." SEEKING TO BLOCK THE CARAVANS U.S. District Judge Jon Tigar in San Francisco blocked the policy on Nov. 19. The San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals then refused the administration's request to lift Tigar's order. Tigar's ruling prompted Trump to call the jurist an "Obama judge" and blast the 9th Circuit in general as a "disgrace." Tigar was appointed to the bench by Democratic former President Barack Obama. Trump's comments led to an extraordinary response from the normally reticent Roberts, who defended the independence of the federal judiciary and wrote in a public response to Trump on Nov. 21, "We do not have Obama judges or Trump judges, Bush judges or Clinton judges." The port-of-entry restrictions, due to expire after 90 days, were made through a presidential proclamation Trump issued on Nov. 9 alongside a new administration rule. The administration has sought ways to block thousands of Central American men, women and children traveling in caravans to escape violence and poverty in their home countries from entering the United States, with Trump calling them a national security threat. 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. Trump's proclamation stated that mass migration on the border had precipitated a crisis and he was acting to protect the U.S. national interest. Trump's policy was crafted to alter American asylum laws that have given people fleeing persecution and violence in their homelands the ability to seek sanctuary in the United States. The Supreme Court in June backed Trump in another major immigration-related case when the justices in a 5-4 ruling endorsed the legality of the Republican president's travel ban on people from several Muslim-majority nations. Roberts joined the court's other conservatives in that ruling. On Wednesday, a different judge blocked another of Trump's asylum-related orders, this one aimed at restricting asylum claims by people citing gang or domestic violence in their home countries. (Reporting by Andrew Chung and Lawrence Hurley; Editing by Will Dunhamand Leslie Adler)
Photo credit: SAUL LOEB - Getty Images

From Women's Health

Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg underwent a pulmonary lobectomy Friday in New York City, the Supreme Court announced, per CNN.

The procedure occurred to remove two nodules discovered in the aftermath of tests performed when Ginsburg sustained rib fractures during a fall in early November.

"Two nodules in the lower lobe of her left lung were discovered incidentally during tests performed at George Washington University Hospital," the Supreme Court's announcement read.

What is a pulmonary lobectomy?

According to the American Lung Association, a lobectomy is a procedure in which an entire lobe of the lung is removed. This can occur for any number of reasons, including a cancer diagnosis, infection, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), or benign tumors, the ALA says.

Per the Supreme Court release, thoracic surgeon Valerie W. Rusch, M.D. said the two nodules removed during Ginsburg's surgery were malignant. However, the release noted: "Post-surgery, there was no evidence of any remaining disease. Scans performed before surgery indicated no evidence of disease elsewhere in the body."

What's the prognosis after a pulmonary lobectomy?

Currently, no further treatment is planned for Ginsburg, and the Supreme Court's announcement noted that she was resting comfortably after the procedure.

The ALA says the procedure typically requires a two- to four-day stay in the hospital-and the Supreme Court said Ginsburg is expected to remain in the hospital for "a few days."

The procedure does pose a minimal risk of bleeding and infection, the ALA notes.

Per the ALA, any pain post-procedure can usually be managed with medication, and will resolve within two to four weeks. So here's hoping Ginsburg is back on her feet soon.

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Hang in there, RBG!

On Friday, it was announced that the 85-year-old Supreme Court Justice had undergone surgery at New York City's prestigious Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center to remove two cancerous growths from her left lung. The surgery reportedly went well and her physicians have no additional plans for treatment.

There is "no evidence of disease elsewhere in the body," doctors assured the public. However, much of the internet is still seemingly not convinced and have pleaded for Bader Ginsburg to make a healthy recovery.

everyone is invited to the prayer circle for RBG.  Michael Skolnik (@MichaelSkolnik) December 21, 2018

Speedy recovery, RBG! We need you!  Melissa Lovelace (@MelisLovelace) December 21, 2018

"Everyone is invited to the prayer circle for RBG," joked one Twitter user. Said another, "Let's also get her a robotic exoskeleton and a bulletproof Popemobile and a herculean amount of bubble wrap."

All I want for Christmas is a healthy RBG.



Sending prayers for a full and speedy recovery to this phenomenally strong and endlessly inspiring hero.  https://t.co/6EHdPDFDqF  Jennifer Siebel Newsom (@JenSiebelNewsom) December 21, 2018

Literally whatever parts of my body RBG needs I will donate them. Let's also get her a robotic exoskeleton and a bulletproof Popemobile and a herculean amount of bubble wrap.  Chuck Wendig (@ChuckWendig) December 21, 2018

Even more people are ready to hop on a plane to LaGuardia, ready to donate their own lungs to the historic judge.

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"If Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg needs a new lung she can just take mine," assured one Twitter user. "That sound you hear is millions of people ripping their chests open to give RBG one of their lungs," joked another.

Do you need lungs RBG take my lungs I dont need lungs PLEASE TAKE MY LUNGS https://t.co/cTamqHaHKB  Patti Murin (@PattiMurin) December 21, 2018

If Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg needs a new lung she can just take mine. All I want for Christmas is good health for RBG.  Adam Best (@adamcbest) December 21, 2018

Sweet Lord, I will donate whatever organ she needs! We need you #RBG  PrincessMeow  (@GermanChick85) December 21, 2018

that sound you hear is millions of people ripping their chests open to give RBG one of their lungs  Ellie Hall (@ellievhall) December 21, 2018

The malignant growths were discovered following Bader Ginsburg's fall on November 7th, from which she suffered several fractured ribs.

This is her third bout with cancer since becoming appointed to the Supreme Court in 1993. She underwent radiation and chemotherapy for colon cancer in 1999. In 2009, Bader Ginsburg had surgery following diagnosis of early stage pancreatic cancer.

See more of RBG throughout her life:
Kiev (AFP) - The Sea of Azov, scene of a new escalation in tensions between Ukraine and Russia, is joined to the Black Sea by a narrow strait that is a vital shipping lane for both the rival nations.

Here is some background.

- Vital Black Sea link -

Wedged between Russia, Ukraine and Crimea, the Sea of Azov is a northern extension of the Black Sea to which it is linked via the Strait of Kerch, which is just 15 kilometres (nine miles) wide.

Dotted by busy industrial ports, the sea's sole access to the Black Sea -- and so the Mediterranean further along -- is this strategic strait.

A treaty signed between Ukraine and Russia in December 2003 provided for common management of the sea and the strait. It did not, though, demarcate the maritime border between the two countries.

Russia's internationally condemned annexation from Ukraine of the Crimea peninsula in 2014 gave it control of both sides of the strait, and Moscow has been accused of since squeezing access for Ukrainian ships.

The Sea of Azov is the shallowest sea in the world, with a maximum depth of just 14 metres (46 feet). It is also small at around 360 kilometres long and 180 kilometres wide.

- New bridge enflames tensions -

A Russia-built bridge over the Strait of Kerch and linking mainland Russia to Crimea was inaugurated in May 2018, infuriating Ukraine and its EU and NATO allies.

President Vladimir Putin personally championed the Crimean Bridge project, important in reducing Crimea's reliance on sea transport for supplies, saying it was the realisation of Russia's historic ambitions.

But Ukraine says its larger ships are unable to get under the bridge's 35-metre arches to and from its ports on the Azov Sea.

The result for Ukraine is a significant drop in shipping traffic and economic losses.

Condemning the opening of the 19-kilometre bridge in May, the EU said it entrenched the "forced integration" of Crimea with Russia, and "its isolation from Ukraine."

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In July the EU expanded its sanctions against Moscow to include companies involved in the bridge's construction.

- Key Ukraine port -

Ukraine's important port city of Mariupol is situated on the northern edge of the Sea of Azov and has vital access to heavy industry in the eastern part of the country.

It is the only major city in southeastern Ukraine under government control since pro-Russia separatists seized parts of the east in the wake of the annexation of Crimea.

This includes the Russian-backed rebel Donetsk and Lugansk regions, whose conflict with Kiev has caused at least 10,000 deaths since 2014.

Mariupol, home to around 500,000 people, is dominated by two vast iron and steel businesses which together employ tens of thousands of people.

Kiev and the West have accused Moscow of deliberately blocking ships from accessing the commercial port, some 55 kilometres (35 miles) from the Russian border.

Ukrainian media have reported that the Mariupol and the Berdyansk port saw earnings fall by almost a quarter during the first seven months of this year, compared with the same period last year.
Democratic Sen. Mazie Hirono of Hawaii doesn't typically mince her words.

She sure didn't during a live appearance Thursday night on "All in With Chris Hayes" on MSNBC, roundly criticizing President Donald Trump and his administration and using a profane word to warn the president against blaming Democrats for a possible government shutdown.

First, Hirono criticized Trump's repeated defense of his decision to pull U.S. troops out of Syria. Trump made that announcement yesterday but double-downed today following criticism from both sides of the political aisle.

Hirono called the decision a "Christmas present" for Russian President Vladimir Putin as well as Iran. She went on to say changes to asylum rules at the border could make things unsafe for people seeking help.

But it was on the subject of a possible government shutdown where she really let loose.

"Any effort on his part to blame the Democrats is such bulls--t that, as I said before, I would hardly be able to stand it."

See for yourself:

These last two days have felt like we've been on a roller coaster with @realDonaldTrump at the controls. The Senate did the responsible thing by keeping government runningonly to have President Trump get all worked up by some right-wing loud people yelling at him on Fox News. pic.twitter.com/KCsk8rSwM9  Senator Mazie Hirono (@maziehirono) December 21, 2018

The topic of a shutdown took center stage this week as lawmakers work to come to a short-term spending agreement before the Friday night deadline that would close a quarter of the government.

The House voted on Thursday to add $5 billion in border wall funding to a short-term spending bill, yielding to Trumps demand for the money. The bill now heads back to the Senate, which must either approve the measure or risk the shutdown.

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Trump tweeted a video Thursday saying it was time for the Democrats to support the wall.

"They want to try and do anything possible to hurt us because of the fact it's politics," he said of the Democrats. "I understand that. I don't even hold it against them. Except you should always put your country first. And they're not doing that."

Democrats, it is time to come together and put the SAFETY of the AMERICAN PEOPLE before POLITICS. Border security must become a #1 priority! pic.twitter.com/Wck6UpQGil  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 20, 2018

Contributing: Michael Collins, David Jackson, Bill Theobald

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Sen. Mazie Hirono on live TV: It's 'bs' if Trump blames Democrats for government shutdown
Solar flares shown bursting from the Sun's surface - Paul Fleet / Alamy

Solar storms could leave Britain with 16 billion worth of damage, the first economic risk analysis has found, as experts at Oxford University called for urgent updates to space weather forecasting satellites.

Earth is vulnerable to space weather events such as solar flares which fling huge amounts of electromagnetic radiation at the planet, potentially causing severe disruption to power grids, air transport and satellite communications.

The most severe incident - known as the Carrington Event - happened in 1859, shorting Telegraph circuits, starting fires and causing the northern lights to dance in the sky as far south as Hawaii.

In 1989, a geomagnetic disturbance caused a voltage collapse of Canadas Hydro-Quebec

power grid, leaving six million inhabitants without power for nine hours and in 2005, X-rays from a solar flare disrupted the GPS system for about 10 minutes

More recently, a solar flare, or coronal mass ejection, narrowly missed Earth during Londons 2012 Olympic Games.

But the inability to forecast and prepare for events could be catastrophic for the economy, Oxford University has warned, costing the country billions, due to the ripple effects on vital infrastructure, businesses and homes.

Their model suggests that blackouts would be likely in the northeast and north west of England, East Anglia and Wales, where power supplies are most vulnerable and where transformers failed in the 1989 solar storm.

Dr Edward Oughton, of the Infrastructure Transitions Research Consortium (ITRC),

currently at the University of Oxford, said: If the Earth were to experience a Carrington-sized event without upgrading our current forecasting capability, it could cost the UK up to 16bn in the most severe scenario.

The do nothing scenario where the UK fails to invest or invests minimally in replacing satellite monitoring capabilities means existing forecasting skill levels will decline.

This increases the risk of critical national infrastructure failure because there may be little early warning that an event is taking place. There would be less time for infrastructure operators to implement mitigation plans.

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Solar storms fling huge amounts of electromagnetic radiation at Earth, triggering substorms which can knock out power grids Credit: Nasa

A solar storm of the size which hit Earth during the Carrington Event is estimated to happen every 100 years, to the planet is already overdue such a catastrophe.

If it happened today researchers estimate there is a 71 per cent chance the British power grid would be affected, while mobile phone reception could die, and airlines would be grounded without GPS.

But many of the satellites which currently monitor coronal mass ejections are nearing the end of their lives. The authors, which include experts from The Met Office, are calling for a fleet of new spacecraft equipped with Heliospheric Imagers and Solar Coronagraphs, in different locations to monitor the Sun.

Such a system would increase the current early warning system from a maximum of four days to up to a week ahead and would be more exact in predicting when the storm would hit Earth, narrowing the current window of six hours to four.

The research estimates that investment could reduce the GDP impact on Britain to 0.9bn.

Catherine Burnett of The Met Office Space Weather Operations Centre, said: Our forecasting ability is very dependent on a small number of satellite observations.

This research assesses the UKs risk in terms of different levels of space weather forecasting capability, which is especially important given existing monitoring satellites are nearing the end of their lives.

The research was published in Risk Analysis journal.
Photo credit: NASA/JHUAPL/SwRI/Carlos Hernandez

From Popular Mechanics

NASAs New Horizons spacecraft is probably best known for the high resolution photos of Pluto that it took back in 2015. But on January 1, New Horizons will fly past an object even more distant than Pluto called Ultima Thule. Astronomers are preparing to learn more than ever before about these worlds lurking on the edge of our solar system, and according to new data from the spacecraft they wont even have to wait until the new year to start: Ultima Thule appears to not have a light curve, which is perplexing scientists.

New Horizons doesnt arrive at Ultima Thule for another week, but that doesnt mean the spacecraft gets to just relax until then. New Horizons has been busy taking photos and measurements of the asteroid to try and learn everything it possibly can about its destination before the big day. That can be challenging because even though the asteroid is so close, it still appears as nothing but a big bright spot to the spacecrafts cameras.

However, scientists can still learn a great deal from that one bright spot by measuring whats known as a light curve. Asteroids like Ultima Thule reflect sunlight-thats why theyre bright spots instead of dark spots-but the amount of light they reflect depends on how much of their surface is facing the Sun. The bigger their surface area, the brighter they become.



Small asteroids like Ultima Thule arent perfectly round, which means how much of their surface is facing the Sun changes as they rotate. This means that over the days and weeks that New Horizons has been watching Ultima Thule, it should see the asteroid get periodically brighter and dimmer. This information can tell scientists about Ultima Thules size, shape, and speed of rotation.

But Ultima Thule isnt changing its brightness at all. New Horizons has been watching Ultima Thule for three months and hasnt spotted any brightness change, which is really odd. Ultima Thule is definitely not spherical-astronomers determined that a year ago-so why doesnt its brightness change?

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There are a few possibilities that scientists have already raised, but none of them are particularly compelling. Its possible that New Horizons is lined up with Ultima Thules axis of rotation, so that its looking at the asteroids north or south pole. If this was true, it would explain the lack of brightness changes, but it would be one pretty big coincidence.

Another possibility is that Ultima Thule is surrounded by dust or small moons that even out its light curve, but this explanation has problems too. Some solar system bodies like comets do have clouds of dust surrounding them, but that typically only happens when they heat up near the Sun. Ultima Thule is cold and dark and shouldnt have any dust. It could still have a collection of small moons, but that would make it unlike anything else astronomers have ever seen.

Fortunately, we might not have to wait long for an answer to this problem. New Horizons will fly by Ultima Thule on January 1, and should give us high-resolution photos of the entire system. With any luck, those photos will solve the mystery.

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By David Schwartz and Andrew Hay PHOENIX/TAOS, N.M. (Reuters) - Members of an Arizona evangelical church are for the first time taking Central American asylum seekers into their homes, responding to record arrivals of migrant families at the U.S.-Mexico border. The predominantly white Central Christian Church, a Phoenix area "megachurch" had in the past assisted Muslim refugees. Church leaders wanted to help another group that lacked support and were portrayed as a threat in areas of the media and politics - asylum seekers. Central Christian is among a group of around 10 churches, most of them Hispanic, taking in up to 500 migrants a week from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in greater Phoenix. The migrants, mostly families, have been released into the United States to pursue their immigration cases in court. That flow could dwindle if the Trump administration is successful in its plans to make non-Mexican asylum seekers wait in Mexico while their claims are processed. "Its the first time we have been engaged with asylum seekers, said Matt Nutter, director of global outreach at Central Christian. "Its an issue of humanity, we look at this beyond the politics of it. 'THEY'RE NOT CRIMINALS' President Donald Trump has said many migrants who left their countries for economic reasons are applying for asylum in the United States even though they may not have legitimate claims for protection from persecution. Central Christian members Stephanie and Peter Apostol said they put aside politics and labels put on asylum seekers to host six families in the last two months. They ranged from a Mexican mother and infant to a Guatemalan father and teenage son, with families staying up to three nights. The Apostols have received criticism and praise on social media for giving shelter to asylees. They said their faith compelled them to show compassion for this "vulnerable" group. "These are just very wonderful people, theyre not criminals," said Stephanie Apostol, 48, who has given away the family's luggage to help asylum seekers travel on to relatives and other sponsors after staying at their home in Chandler, a Phoenix suburb. Her 9-year-old son gives up his bedroom if they host two families at once. A Mexican-American neighbor translates for the Apostols, who only speak a few words in Spanish. "It's very easy to put yourself in their shoes when you're with them in your home," said Apostol, a market research analyst. "What would we do if we were facing hunger and violence and the safety of our kids?" 'NEVER SEEN THIS BEFORE'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 heading to the United States. Facing high numbers of migrant families, and to avoid holding them beyond legal time limits on how long children can be detained, ICE began releasing large groups to Arizona charities and churches in October, ICE spokeswoman Yasmeen O'Keefe said. With Hispanic churches running out of beds, coordinator Magdalena Schwartz reached out to dozens of churches in the Phoenix area. Two Anglo-American churches stepped up, one of them Central Christian. "They have opened their churches and homes, I've never seen this before," Schwartz, pastor of evangelical church Nueva Esperanza in Mesa, said of the Anglo congregations. LAW AND ORDER Using high school Spanish and Google Translate, Ericka Henry, 27, and her husband Blake, 30, hosted two Guatemalan families at their two-bedroom home in Phoenix suburb Mesa. "We have more than enough, more than we need, so we try to help people as much as we can, said Blake, a pastor at Central Christian. The church's initiative is growing, with members of other congregations asking to host families. But reactions to the program have not all been positive. When the Apostols spoke on a radio show in Phoenix, the capital of a state that backed Trump in 2016, posts on social media said they were endangering their children, breaking the law and helping criminals by letting asylum seekers into their home. Others came to their support, however. "These folks that are housing asylees are, in some ways, I think very brave, because they are swimming against the tide of public opinion and trends in their own religious community," said Janelle Wong, professor of American Studies at Maryland University and author of "Immigrants, Evangelicals and Politics in an Era of Demographic Change." Polls show most white U.S. evangelicals back President Donald Trump and his immigration policies, even though their churches often support refugees and immigrants, said Ed Stetzer, a dean at Illinois evangelical school Wheaton College. A November poll by the Public Religion Research Institute found white evangelicals were the only major religious group in the United States in which a majority said immigrants represented a threat to America's customs and values. (https://bit.ly/2qiRTlE) Central Christian families declined to comment on their political affiliations, but said they had a politically diverse congregation. For the Henrys, hosting asylum seekers was a commitment to "love the other," regardless of their politics, religion or race. "Once you get a taste of it, then you realize that this is kind of what being a human is about, said Ericka, also a pastor at Central Christian. (Reporting by David Schwartz and Andrew Hay; editing by Dan Wallis, Mica Rosenberg and Tom Brown)
With a $12.8 billion investment, Altria, the nations leading tobacco company, now owns 35% of Juul Labs, maker of the countrys most popular e-cigarette.

With the new investment, Juul is now valued at $38 billion, according to Altrias announcement. The company will remain independent, though it will now have access to Altrias infrastructure and services, as well as retail space alongside its combustible cigarettes, direct marketing to cigarette customers through pack inserts and mailings and access to Altrias sales network.

The deal has raised eyebrows given Juuls long-stated mission of giving adult smokers a healthier alternative to cigarettes. (E-cigarettes typically deliver nicotine but contain fewer cancer-causing chemicals than traditional cigarettes. Its still unclear exactly how they affect health.) But both companies claim that, despite the investments seemingly contradictory nature, it will help, not hinder, efforts to switch smokers.

We understand the controversy and skepticism that comes with an affiliation and partnership with the largest tobacco company in the US, Juul CEO Kevin Burns said in a statement provided to TIME. We were skeptical as well. 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.

Altria reiterated that sentiment in its own statement. We are taking significant action to prepare for a future where adult smokers overwhelmingly choose non-combustible products over cigarettes, Altria CEO Howard Willard said in the statement 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.

But Dr. Harold Farber, a pediatric pulmonologist at Texas Childrens Hospital and a member of the American Thoracic Society, says he is amazingly worried about what the partnership will mean for already record-high teen vaping rates. Pairing a company with billions of dollars and decades of experience in marketing with a lucrative startup already beloved by teens could get even more kids hooked on nicotine, Farber says.

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Ive got a product thats addicting a new generation of young people to nicotine and now Ive got a company with the promotion, both dollars and experience, to throw behind getting this even more out there and even more popular, Farber says. To ask these companies to voluntarily not market to young people is essentially asking the fox to go out of the hen house.

Nonetheless, thats exactly what both companies have pledged to do. Juul maintains that its products are only meant for adults, and should not be used by kids and teenagers. (E-cigarettes can only be legally purchased by those older than 18.) In November, in an effort to help curtail youth use, the company elected to stop selling many of its flavored pods in retail stores, just ahead of new Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations to that effect.

Altrias announcement says the companies may mutually support policies to raise the minimum purchasing age of all tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, to 21. It also emphasizes that Altria, which owns brands including Marlboro, L&M and Parliament through its subsidiary Philip Morris, was the first and only company in the industry to support FDA regulation of tobacco products, even before they fell under the agencys purview.

Research into e-cigarettes is ongoing. While they do contain fewer carcinogens than combustible cigarettes, preliminary evidence has linked their use to conditions including respiratory illness and heart attacks. Their use among young people is of particular concern, since studies show that they can raise teenagers chances of becoming addicted to nicotine and using other tobacco products. Its also unclear if and how well they help current smokers quit.

Juul is by far the most popular e-cigarette on the market, with an estimated 16.2 million sold in 2017. By December 2017, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one out of every three e-cigarettes sold in the U.S. was a Juul.
Washington (AFP) - Brett McGurk, the special US envoy to the coalition fighting the Islamic State group, has resigned, a State Department official said Saturday.

His resignation, effective December 31, comes just after Donald Trump abruptly ordered the withdrawal of US troops from Syria as well as the announcement that Defense Secretary Jim Mattis was quitting, citing key disagreements with the US president.

Just last week McGurk, a Barack Obama appointee who Trump kept on, said "nobody is declaring a mission accomplished" in the battle against IS -- just days before the president's stunning announcement of victory against the jihadist movement.

Trump -- who postponed his holiday vacation as failed budget talks triggered a partial US government shutdown -- again on Saturday said "ISIS is largely defeated."

"When I became President, ISIS was going wild," the president tweeted. "Now ISIS is largely defeated and other local countries, including Turkey, should be able to easily take care of whatever remains. We're coming home!"

McGurk reportedly said in his resignation letter that IS militants were in fact not defeated, and that prematurely withdrawing US troops could foster conditions allowing the jihadists to amass power in the region once more.

The 45-year-old top envoy was set to leave his position in February, but reportedly felt he could no longer continue in the job after Trump's declaration.

The news capped a chaotic week that saw Mattis -- seen as a voice of moderation in the mercurial Trump White House -- quit after telling the president he could not go along with the Syria decision.

The troop pullout will leave thousands of Kurdish fighters -- which the Pentagon spent years training and arming against IS -- vulnerable to Turkish attack.

"It would be reckless if we were just to say, 'Well, the physical caliphate is defeated, so we can just leave now,'" McGurk had told journalists earlier this month.

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"I think anyone who's looked at a conflict like this would agree with that."

- 'Complete reversal of policy' -

McGurk has served as the US envoy to the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, another acronym for the jihadist group, since 2015.

He also served as the deputy assistant secretary of state for Iraq and Iran, and worked under Republican George W. Bush as a senior official on Iraq and Afghanistan.

In an email announcing his decision to his colleagues obtained by The New York Times, McGurk called Trump's move "a shock" and "a complete reversal of policy that was articulated to us."

"It left our coalition partners confused and our fighting partners bewildered," he said, according to the paper.

"I worked this week to help manage some of the fallout but -- as many of you heard in my meetings and phone calls -- I ultimately concluded that I could not carry out these new instructions and maintain my integrity."

In addition to the Syria decision, Trump blindsided politicians and international allies with plans to slash troop numbers in Afghanistan.

The momentous reversal of years of US foreign policy will leave the war-torn regions at risk of continued and potentially heightened bloodshed.

Heavyweight adviser Mattis -- a decorated Marine general often referred to as "the last adult in the room" -- made clear in his resignation letter that pulling out of Syria crossed the line.

The departures of Mattis and now McGurk follow those of National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster and White House chief of staff John Kelly -- leaving Trump, who has no political, diplomatic or military experience, increasingly alone.

On Friday White House press secretary Sarah Sanders dismissed concerns over the slew of resignations and Trump's isolation.

"At the end of the day, the American people elected one person to be the commander-in-chief," she said.

"And at the end of the day, he makes the decision," Sanders said. "That's what he was elected to do."
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump will meet a group of Republican members of the U.S. House of Representatives on Friday to discuss ways to get him funding to build a border wall while avoiding a government shutdown, the White House said. The meeting is scheduled for noon EST. 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," said White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders. (Reporting By Steve Holland)
Trump insists: Any measure must include border security

House GOP scrambles with a remade spending bill Thursday night

Donald Trump veered toward a shutdown of the federal government by vowing not to sign a stopgap spending bill passed by the Republican majority in the Senate, taking his colleagues by surprise and catching many legislators who have already left town for the holiday break unawares.

Trump, at a signing ceremony at the White House for unrelated legislation, said: Ive made my position very clear. Any measure that funds the government must include border security  has to.

Not for political purposes but for our country, for the safety of our community. It is our sacred obligation. We have no choice.

Scrambling to keep up with the president, Republicans in the House of Representatives late on Thursday passed a remade spending bill with $5.7bn for Trumps wall built in.

But with many senators having left town and a narrow Republican majority in that chamber to begin with, it seemed highly unlikely that the Senate would be able to take up and pass the legislation for Trumps signature in advance of a spending deadline of Friday at midnight.

A spokesman for the Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell, said on Thursday night that his colleagues would begin consideration of the new bill on Friday afternoon, but noted that expedited consideration would require the consent of all senators. Given Democratic opposition to Trumps wall, that would be extraordinary.

A failure by Republicans in the Senate to pass the bill would prompt a shutdown. Trump will not travel to his Florida resort home of Mar-a-Lago as planned on Friday if there is a government shutdown, the White House press secretary, Sarah Sanders, told reporters.

Trump had sought to insert $5bn in funding for a border wall with Mexico into successive spending resolutions, but to this point his Republican colleagues in control of Congress had resisted. In the current impasse, it was unclear whether Trump would be willing to sign a bill including less wall funding than that.

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Trump had been under pressure to hold out for wall funding from far-right commentators such as Ann Coulter and Rush Limbaugh, who said on his show Thursday, They just broke Trump! Trumps finished. Theyre dancing on the grave already. Theyre celebrating.

Trump made a border wall the central plank of his 2016 candidacy and in advance of last months midterms the president placed opposition to immigration and smears against immigrants at the center of his campaigning activity. Republicans lost 40 seats in the House in the midterm elections.

Critics of Trumps proposal for a border wall, including Republicans, say it would not increase security or stem drug flows while costing more than technology- and personnel-based measures that would be more effective.

But the lateness of Trumps play made it unlikely that he would get what he was demanding without a shutdown first. Trump himself was scheduled to fly to his Florida resort home of Mar-a-Lago on Friday for a trip that could last more than two weeks, according to federal aviation authority advisories.

Trump signaled his move with a tweet Thursday morning. 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! the president wrote. We foolishly fight for Border Security for other countries - but not for our beloved U.S.A. Not good!

The president met House Republicans on Thursday after the Senate approved legislation temporarily to fund the government, which had been seen as a key step toward averting a government shutdown.

Unless the issue is resolved, more than 800,000 federal workers would face furloughs or be forced to work without pay, disrupting government operations days before Christmas.

On Thursday morning, Trump attempted to deflect criticism from both sides.

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. Remember the Caravans? Well, they didnt get through and none are forming or on their way. Border is tight. Fake News silent! the president tweeted.

In a tweet a few minutes earlier, Trump appeared to acknowledge that his long-promised big, beautiful wall hasnt happened and isnt being funded. Most of the existing border barrier consists of fencing.

Many of Trumps 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 $5bn for the wall.

The Republican congressman Mark Meadows, a leader of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, said Trumps 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 its a promise that hes been telling them that he will keep.
First Circle, the Philippine-based fintech firm dedicated to support small and medium enterprises, has been selected among thousands of high-impact companies to join the prestigious global Endeavor network leading high-impact entrepreneurship movement around the world. Endeavor aims to identify innovative and driven entrepreneurs from across the world who are committed to building big businesses that have a positive economic impact. The global organization has screened more than 80,000 businesses from 33 markets worldwide to date. The International Selection Panel held in Stellenbosch, South Africa on Dec. 11 to 13 is the culmination of a rigorous multi-step selection process to identify innovative and driven entrepreneurs who are committed to advancing an ecosystem of entrepreneurship. Among the 25 high-impact entrepreneurs selected in the global panel hosted by Endeavor South Africa are Irish co-founders Patrick Lynch and Tony Ennis who started First Circle in the Philippines where SMEs comprise 99.6 percent of businesses, but rarely grow due to inadequate financing. First Circle is closing the $50-billion financing gap by providing SMEs with working capital through a fintech platform that can approve and disburse unsecured loans in as little as five days.Top business leaders and investors from around the globe  drawn from Endeavors network of board members, mentors and supporters, and experienced Endeavor Entrepreneurs  served as panelists at the Stellenbosch event, evaluating them on their potential for high-impact growth, and deliberating on which candidates should be selected to become Endeavor Entrepreneurs. Selected Endeavor entrepreneurs gain access to comprehensive customized services, including introductions to local and international business mentors and volunteers from Fortune 500 consulting firms who will help them address key needs. Endeavor now supports 1,793 entrepreneurs leading 1,124 companies in 33 markets around the world.
WASHINGTON (AP)  Rattled by accusations he was caving on his promised border wall, President Donald Trump instead bowed to a conservative backlash.

After signaling earlier in the week that he was backing off a government shutdown threat, Trump rapidly changed course on Thursday, informing House Republican leaders that he would not sign a short-term funding measure because it did not include money for a southern border wall. His second reversal in a matter of days  with time left to pivot yet again  came after conservative allies and pundits savaged him for waffling on a central campaign promise.

Trump's allies had fanned out in discontent, venting on television and social media, and urging the president to veto the funding bill unless it contains more money for the wall.

"If we're not going to fight now, when are we going to fight?" Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., asked Thursday on "Fox and Friends."

Conservative commentator Ann Coulter published a column that called Trump "gutless" and said in a radio interview that she won't vote for Trump in 2020 if he doesn't deliver on the wall.

"Nor will, I think, most of his supporters. Why would you?" she asked, arguing that Trump's time in office will one day go down as "a joke presidency that scammed the American people."

Conservative talk radio host Rush Limbaugh said Trump had "gotten word" to him that he would either be "getting funding to the border or he's shutting the whole thing down." That was after Limbaugh complained a day earlier that it appeared "Trump gets nothing and the Democrats get everything, including control of the House."

With the clock ticking before a partial shutdown starts at midnight Friday, Republicans scrambled for a solution. But progress was far from certain as Trump's allies urged him to veto any deal that did not include the wall money he's demanded. They warned that Trump would have even less leverage after Democrats take control of the House on Jan. 3 and worried that Trump's failure to make good on his signature campaign promise could hamper his re-election campaign.

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Aware that his supporters wanted to see a fight, Trump  shaken by the criticism and lashing out at aides  decided to give them one. He issued threatening tweets and a stern statement from his press secretary and then called GOP lawmakers to the White House, where he told them he wasn't on board with the Senate-approved temporary measure, which keeps government open until Feb. 8 and does not include wall funding.

It was a tense meeting, with Trump criticizing House Speaker Paul Ryan for giving him what he described, using expletives, as a terrible deal that could cost him the support of his base, according to a person familiar with the exchange who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a private conversation.

"I am asking Congress to defend the border of our nation," Trump said at a White House event. "Walls work, whether we like it or not."

Ratcheting up the suspense, Trump added: "I look forward to signing a bill that fulfills our fundamental duty to the American people ... we'll see what we can do."

Despite his line in the sand, Trump appeared to float one possible path to compromise, referring to "steel slats" at the border rather than the concrete barrier he'd talked about during the campaign. With that phrasing, Trump appeared to be describing fencing, to which Congress is more amenable.

Trump has repeatedly been foiled in his efforts to secure funding for his border wall, which was a rallying cry during his 2016 presidential campaign. This time it was thought he had little choice but to fold, even after he declared he would be "proud" to shut the government for his wall. Even in the GOP-controlled House, Trump did not have the votes to get $5 billion in wall money.

The White House had previously floated another possible work-around, suggesting Trump would approve a deal with no wall dollars and pursue other funding options. Trump said he would use the military to fund and build the wall, while White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Trump had directed all his Cabinet secretaries to look for usable funds.

The last-minute mayhem echoed the previous budget showdown. In March, Trump grudgingly signed a $1.3 trillion federal spending measure to avert a shutdown, but only after undercutting his own staff with a last-minute veto threat. At the time, Trump angrily said he was "very disappointed" that the package did not fully pay for his planned border wall, but said the measure would fund the military.

Trump is hardly the first president to be confronted with the challenges of passing a legislative priority through Congress. But the lack of progress on an issue so closely identified with his bid for the White House may prove to be a costly failure.

He had promised to begin working on an "impenetrable physical wall" along the southern border on his first day in office, but little headway has been made. A March bill included money for 33 miles (53 kilometers) of barrier construction in South Texas' Rio Grande Valley, but work there has yet to begin. Other work has merely replaced existing barriers that had been deemed "ineffective," not added miles.

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Associated Press writers Lisa Mascaro, Zeke Miller and Jonathan Lemire contributed to this report.

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Follow Miller and Colvin on twitter at https://twitter.com/ZekeJMiller and https://twitter.com/colvinj
Tripoli (AFP) - Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu announced during a visit to Libya Saturday an investigation into a shipment of arms smuggled from his country to the conflict-hit North African nation.

Libyan officials on Thursday said two containers of arms and munitions disguised as construction materials had been seized at the western port of Khoms.

Rival administrations in Libya demanded an explanation as the UN mission in the country called the reports of the large shipment "extremely disconcerting" and said it expected experts from the world body to investigate.

"We are going to take firm measures on this subject," Cavusoglu said in translated comments at a press conference with his Libyan counterpart in Tripoli.

"We are starting an investigation to determine how the arms were loaded into containers and how they entered Libya."

Libya has been subject to a UN arms embargo since it plunged into chaos amid the 2011 uprising that ousted and killed dictator Moamer Kadhafi.

The country is divided between an internationally backed government based in Tripoli and a rival authority under strongman Khalifa Haftar in the east.

UN experts have documented deliveries of weapons from destinations including Sudan, Egypt, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates despite the ban on weapons imports.

The head of the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord, Fayez al-Sarraj, expressed his "profound concern" over the latest shipment in a statement after meeting Cavusoglu.

The statement said Turkey had denied any official links to delivery and said the two sides would probe the matter jointly.

The Haftar camp regularly accuses Turkey and Qatar of militarily and financially backing his rivals, including Islamists.

Cavusoglu accused unnamed Western and Arab countries of sending "tanks, missiles, and drones" to Libya, in apparent reference to alleged outside support for Haftar.
London (AFP) - Two people have been arrested in connection with the "criminal use of drones" at London Gatwick Airport, police said Saturday, after three days of disruption in which and tens of thousands of people missed their flights.

"As part of our ongoing investigations into the criminal use of drones which has severely disrupted flights in and out of Gatwick Airport, Sussex Police made two arrests just after 10:00pm (2200 GMT) on December 21", the force's Superintendent James Collis said.

Drones were first sighted hovering around Britain's second-busiest air hub on Wednesday, grinding the runway to a standstill and causing chaos for more than 120,000 people in the run-up to Christmas.

A statement released on Sussex Police force's website said the probe was ongoing, and officers were using "a range of tactics" to "build resilience to detect and mitigate further incursions from drones".

"We continue to urge the public, passengers and the wider community around Gatwick to be vigilant and support us by contacting us immediately if they believe they have any information that can help us in bringing those responsible to justice," the statement added.

"Every line of enquiry will remain open to us until we are confident that we have mitigated further threats to the safety of passengers."
Kinshasa (AFP) - The new US ambassador to Kinshasa said Saturday that a "credible and transparent" presidential vote in the Democratic Republic of Congo next week would pave the way to enhanced cooperation with Washington.

"Credible and transparent elections would create an occasion for new possibilities of cooperation between our two countries," Mike Hammer said in a French-language statement.

Hammer presented his credentials more than two months after he was named, and just after the DR Congo's presidential poll was delayed until December 30

It was to have taken place on Sunday, but was postponed after a fire broke out in a Kinshasa warehouse used by the national electoral commission.

The vote "might represent the first democratic and peaceful transition of power" in the country and "the United States is prepared to give its support," the statement said.

It added that the country was of "strategic importance" to the US.

The presidential poll is to designate the successor to Joseph Kabila, who has held power in DR Congo for more than 17 years, and has already been delayed twice owing to violence.

A long history of political turmoil, bloodshed and dictatorship explains the tension behind the elections.

Since 1996, the Democratic Republic of Congo has suffered 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.
Obama appointee follows defense secretary Mattis in resigning

Trump defends move, says other countries can take care of Isis

Brett McGurk speaks in Baghdad in 2017. Photograph: Hadi Mizban/AP

The US envoy to forces fighting to defeat Islamic State has resigned over Donald Trumps decision to withdraw troops from Syria.

Brett McGurks resignation follows that of Trumps defense secretary, James Mattis, who announced his departure this week.

As special presidential envoy for the global coalition to defeat Isis since 2015, McGurk was one of few Obama appointees to stay on under Trump. He is also a former supreme court clerk and served Obama and George W Bush as a diplomat, focusing on Iran and Iraq.

CBS News first reported McGurks move. Citing anonymous sources, it said he had planned to leave in February but had brought the move forward due to a strong disagreement with the president. He will quit at the end of this month and take up a post in academia.

The New York Times obtained an email sent by McGurk, 45, to his staff.

The recent decision by the president came as a shock and was a complete reversal of policy Brett McGurk

The recent decision by the president came as a shock and was a complete reversal of policy that was articulated to us, McGurk wrote, according to the paper. It left our coalition partners confused and our fighting partners bewildered.

Mattis resigned on Thursday, issuing a letter of resignation that was implicitly strongly critical of Trump for his neglect of allies, reportedly angering the president. It was widely reported that the defense secretary quit after Trump made the decision to withdraw from Syria during a conversation with the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

CBS said McGurk was in the region for talks with Americas Kurdish allies when Trump announced his decision. The Kurds fear attack by Turkey if around 2,000 US troops stationed in Syria are withdrawn.

In the email quoted by the Times, McGurk wrote: I worked this week to help manage some of the fallout but  as many of you heard in my meetings and phone calls  I ultimately concluded that I could not carry out these new instructions and maintain my integrity.

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On 11 December, McGurk told reporters at the state department he thought it was 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 also said it would be reckless to consider Isis to have been defeated, a claim repeatedly made by Trump.

Brett McGurk (left) in northern Syria. Photograph: Delil Souleiman/AFP/Getty Images

On Twitter on Saturday shortly after McGurks resignation was reported, Trump defended his decision to withdraw, writing that US troops had meant to be in Syria for three months, and that was seven years ago  we never left.

The claim was inaccurate. The Syrian civil war began seven years ago, in 2011, but US airstrikes there began in September 2014 and troops were not sent until the following year.

In words that will likely be greeted with dismay among Kurdish forces, the president added: When I became president, Isis was going wild. Now Isis is largely defeated and other local countries, including Turkey, should be able to easily take care of whatever remains. Were coming home!

Later, Trump directly addressed McGurks resignation, claiming I do not know the adviser, and asking: Grandstander? The Fake News is making such a big deal about this nothing event!

He was more circumspect about Mattis, whom he has frequently lionised.

When President Obama ingloriously fired Jim Mattis, I gave him a second chance, Trump wrote. Some thought I shouldnt, I thought I should. Interesting relationship  but I also gave all of the resources that he never really had.

He added, in reference to Mattiss criticisms of the presidents dismissive attitude towards longstanding US allies: Allies are very important-but not when they take advantage of US.

Outside the administration, McGurk was widely praised. The Obama national security adviser and United Nations ambassador Susan Rice saluted his exceptional, selfless, non-partisan service. The former Obama adviser Ben Rhodes said: We all owe him our gratitude  he literally made us safer.

The Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian, whose release from captivity in Iran in 2016 McGurk helped secure, wrote: As an American citizen directly impacted by [McGurks] work as a diplomat, I thank him deeply for his years of dedicated service. Without his relentless efforts [Yeganeh Rezaian, his wife who was also held] and I would not be here. Thats a fact.

Others combined praise with criticism of Trump. John Brennan, the former Obama homeland security adviser and CIA director who is a harsh critic of the president, tweeted: Brett worked extremely hard over many years to ensure the US fulfilled its leadership role in a critically important part of the world. Like Sec[retary] Mattis, Brett believes in the principles, values [and] partnerships that define America. Donald Trump does not.

The Associated Press reported that an anonymous US official said McGurk had been pushing for Kurdish fighters to be allowed to seek protection from troops allied with the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad.

The envoy, the report said, argued that the US had a moral obligation to help prevent the allied fighters from being slaughtered by Turkey.
Mr Trump wants $5 billion for the wall - REUTERS

The US government has begun a partial shutdown after Republican senators failed to muster the votes needed to approve $5 billion that Donald Trump wants for a border wall fiercely opposed by Democrats.

The US president sought to blame Democrats, who responded by reminding him that he said last week he would be "proud" to shut down key parts of the federal government in order to get funding for a wall on the US border with Mexico.

Talks between Mr Trump's team and Republican and Democratic leaders were expected to continue over the weekend. The Senate was set to return from recess at midday on Saturday, although it was not clear if it would have any new proposals to consider.

"We're going to have a shutdown," Mr Trump said in a video posted to his Twitter account about two hours before a midnight deadline to pass a stop-gap spending bill. T

"There's nothing we can do about that because we need the Democrats to give us their votes. The shutdown hopefully will not last long."

OUR GREAT COUNTRY MUST HAVE BORDER SECURITY! pic.twitter.com/ZGcYygMf3a  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 22, 2018

The shutdown is the third this year and it remained unclear how long it would last.

Operations for several key agencies ceased at 12:01 am on Saturday (5:01 GMT), despite last-ditch talks that continued on Capitol Hill between White House officials and congressional leaders in both parties.

White House budget chief Mick Mulvaney instructed agencies "to execute plans for an orderly shutdown".

Mr Mulvaney said in a memo for government executives that "we are hopeful that this lapse in appropriations will be of short duration" but that employees should report to work when scheduled to "undertake orderly shutdown activities."

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Nine of 15 Cabinet-level departments and dozens of agencies will temporarily lose funding, including the departments of Homeland Security, Transportation, Interior, Agriculture, State and Justice, as well as national parks and forests.

Initial Republican reaction to the shutdown was muted. Among the few GOP lawmakers who issued statements as it began were Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, who expressed disappointment at the lack of a deal, and Lamar Alexander of Tennessee. "This is a complete failure of negotiations and a success for no one," Alexander said.

"Instead of honouring his responsibility to the American people, President Trump threw a temper tantrum and convinced House Republicans to push our nation into a destructive Trump Shutdown in the middle of the holiday season," said a joint statement by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.

Republicans and Democrats in Congress made last minute efforts to avoid a Christmas shut down but appeared poles apart from agreeing a new spending bill.

Without an agreed bill funding for large swathes of the government ran out at midnight, meaning 800,000 public workers would go without pay over Christmas.

The shutdown means the closure of national parks, the Internal Revenue Service, and 95 per cent of Nasa's operations.

However, special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation would be among the government-funded projects not affected.

Mr Trump had initially agreed to a spending bill that did not include funding for the wall, but was targeted by a severe backlash from some of his most prominent supporters.

The president then decided he would not sign a spending bill without money for the wall.

On Thursday night the House of Representatives passed a new Republican bill which included the $5 billion.

Before voting on it the Senate was waiting for the return to Washington of some senators who had already left for Christmas.

However, the bill was still highly unlikely to pass in the face of strong Democrat opposition.

Chuck Schumer said there would be no money for the wall Credit: AP

Chuck Schumer, the Democrat leader in the Senate, speaking on the Senate floor, said: "Mr President, you will not get your wall. President Trump, you own the shutdown."

Mr Trump, in the Oval Office, said: "It's up to the Democrats as to whether or not we have a shutdown tonight. I hope we don't, but, we're totally prepared for a very long shutdown. I would say the chances are probably very good. Unfortunately, the Democrats have devoted their lives to making sure it [the wall] doesn't happen."

In a series of early-morning tweets on Friday Mr Trump had called on Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader in the Senate, to use the "nuclear option".

The Democrats now own the shutdown!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 21, 2018

That would require only a simple majority of 51, rather than a "supermajority" of 60 votes, to pass the spending bill. However, Mr McConnell said there was not enough support among Republicans to introduce that option.

The uncertainty over the shutdown contributed to further losses on the stock market.

Government departments affected by the shutdown would include the Department of Homeland Security, the Justice Department and the Agriculture Department.

The border wall was a key campaign promise for Mr Trump in the 2016 election, and he continues to view it as a winning issue for his 2020 re-election.
Washington (AFP) - A threatened shutdown of the US government would see hundreds of thousands of federal employees furloughed and many more working without pay.

President Donald Trump warned Friday that a shutdown could last a "very long time" unless Democrats in the Senate join Republicans and approve funding for the border wall with Mexico.

Unless a last-minute deal is reached the government will shut down at midnight (0500 GMT Saturday).

According to Democrats in the House and Senate, a shutdown would impact about 800,000 of the 2.1 million federal employees in the United States.

Some 380,000 federal workers would be furloughed -- put on unpaid leave -- including 52,000 employees of the Internal Revenue Service.

Some 80 percent of the employees of the National Park Service would also be sent home, along with 96 percent of NASA workers and 86 percent of the Commerce Department.

Another 420,000 workers considered essential personnel would work without pay including 41,000 federal law enforcement and correctional officers and others such as aviation and postal workers.

The departments impacted would include the homeland security, transport, commerce, state, agriculture, interior, treasury and housing and urban development.

Others such as the Defense Department, Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Health and Human Services have already received funding and would be spared.

No visitor services would be provided at tourist attractions such as the nation's national parks, which are frequently visited over the Christmas holidays.

During the last shutdown, the Statue of Liberty was closed for two days before the state of New York decided to pony up the money necessary to keep it open.

The Smithsonian in Washington said that in the event of a shutdown, it had enough in reserve to keep its museums open through January 1.

There have been a number of government shutdowns in recent years including one which lasted three days under Trump in January.

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An October 2013 shutdown lasted 16 days while one in 1995-96 lasted a record 21 days.

One person who would not be the victim of the shutdown is Special Counsel Robert Mueller, the target of Trump's frequent ire.

Mueller's team, which is investigating whether Trump's campaign colluded with Russia to get him elected, will continue working.
The war-torn city of Marawi has started to emerge from the dark, a year after terrorists fled and left its residents in a state of uncertainty. And this Christmas season, the outpouring of support from both the private and public sector brings nothing but a ray of hope and a brighter future ahead.

They were literally in the dark then. The conflict left the entire city with damaged electric poles and all their transformers stolen. Thanks to the re-energization initiatives of AboitizPower through subsidiaries Davao Light and Power Company and Cotabato Light and Power Company, electricity in the city is gradually being restored. The power companies donated distribution transformers, wooden poles, and electrical equipment and supplies to Lanao del Sur Electric Cooperative, the local electric cooperative covering Marawi. The Aboitiz Group donated P5.6 million worth of transformers, electric poles, wirings and supplies to Lasureco in two trancheson Feb. 12 and Nov. 8 this yearamid efforts to restore the citys power supply. Lasureco was down until Davao Light came along with the donation. We are now slowly able to get back [up], Lasureco chief of operations Abdul Aziz Datu said. Today, at least 42 barangays and temporary shelters in Marawi are bound to celebrate Christmas more comfortably. Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi said the agency, together with the private sector, would continue to support the people of Marawi on their journey toward recovery, committing to work tirelessly until the energy supply in the area once again becomes reliable, stable, and sustainable.We did not abandon Marawi, we will never abandon Marawi, and we will continue doing the rehabilitation of Marawi, Cusi said. Cusi led the ceremonial switching of electrical service to six coastal towns in the province of Lanao del Sur and the turnover of 200 energy-efficient electric tricycles to the local government to help generate jobs for residents early this year. Among the 200,000 displaced residents is Riza Lagumbay, a mother of three who was able to escape the conflict. She and her family are temporarily seeking refuge at the Sarimanok Tent City in Marawi as they await the reconstruction of their homes. The electricity provides our lives with some comfort, she said, adding how thankful she is that power is now available at the evacuation center, making this holiday a little brighter.
Washington is willing to discuss trust-building initiatives with Pyongyang, a US envoy said Friday, as the Trump administration tries to revive efforts to convince Pyongyang to give up its nuclear weapons.

Following a rapid rapprochement earlier this year that culminated in a historic summit between Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un, progress has stalled with both sides accusing each other of dragging their feet and acting in bad faith.

Critics say North Korea has made no concrete commitments and is unlikely to surrender its atomic arsenal, while Washington's policy of maintaining pressure through isolation and sanctions has left Pyongyang seething.

"The United States has no intention of easing our unilateral or United Nations sanctions" on Pyongyang, stressed Stephen Biegun, the US Special Representative for North Korea.

"However, within the context of the engagement that we have with the DPRK (North Korea), we are prepared to explore number of other things that could build trust.

"We do have a number of initiatives we'd like to look at as we begin the process of denuclearisation in North Korea."

Biegun's comments come a day after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo voiced hope that a second Trump-Kim summit can be scheduled for early 2019.

The US envoy declined to detail the initiatives, but he has previously said Washington will be more lenient in enforcing a blanket travel ban in cases where Americans are heading to North Korea for humanitarian assistance.

The Trump administration has generally refused to let US aid groups operate in North Korea, seeking both to maximise pressure on the Kim regime and to ensure the safety of US citizens.

Biegun was in Seoul coordinating policies toward the North with his South Korean counterpart Lee Do-hoon, including on a highly symbolic groundbreaking ceremony due next week for reconnecting and modernising cross-border roads and railways on the peninsula.

Lee said they had agreed that the ceremony should go ahead as scheduled, as Seoul seeks to head off possible controversy over breaching sanctions against Pyongyang.
Vienna (AFP) - A shooting which left one man dead and another seriously injured in central Vienna on Friday is thought to be linked to a Balkan mafia goup, police said in a statement Saturday.

"At the moment the crime looks as though it is connected to organised crime in the Western Balkans region," the statement said.

The shooting, which happened at around 13:30 local time (1230 GMT) on Friday, briefly sparked panic in the historic centre of the Austrian capital, an area popular with tourists.

The two victims, aged 32 and 23, were part of a group of three men who were shot at by another man shortly after they left a restaurant.

The Montenegrin daily Vijesti named the dead man as Vladimir Roganovic.

According to the paper, police considered Roganovic to be an "important member" of one of two drug gangs which since 2014 have been involved in a bitter feud that has left around 30 people dead in Montenegro and Serbia.

Local media also reported that Roganovic had been released from prison this month after serving time for bomb attacks against the homes of two prison officials.

The shooter in Friday's attack escaped on foot and has not yet been found.

Police described him as around 30 years old, 1.85m tall and wearing a dark jacket with the hood pulled up.

The shooting has sparked a city-wide manhunt, with police saying enquiries were also being made in other countries.

The 29-year-old man who accompanied the two victims, but who escaped unharmed, is being questioned as a witness.
Apartments and high-rise buildings on the River Thames near Greenwich, England. Photo: Education Images/UIG via Getty

London waterfront homes come with a hefty price tag, with the average property being worth 40% more than a comparable inland property, according to a new report.

Data from global property consultancy Knight Frank shows that premiums  the amount added onto the base price of a home, based on the desirability of a particular lot  for London waterfront properties were significantly higher than those for properties without water views in 2018.

Despite this, London waterfront homes are actually cheaper than Paris and Perth properties, where buyers face premiums of 48% and 53%, respectively.

The highest premium in the world can be found in Sydney, where waterside properties sell at 89% more than those inland. Australia dominates the report, with the Gold Coast also having a huge premium of 64%.

READ MORE: Why now is the best and worst time to buy before Brexit

The most valuable addresses are harbour-side, with those properties commanding a premium of 59%. Beachfront homes are almost equally valuable, while river and lakeside homes sit in third and fourth place.

Liam Bailey, global head of research at Knight Frank, said: Waterfront addresses are amongst the most desirable in the world, however not all prime waterfront properties, and the premiums vary depending on location and amenity.

The waterfront market is amongst the most liquid. Even in a depressed market, due to their position and scarcity, a frontline waterfront property will face strong demand with prospective buyers aware that their future exit strategy will also be assured.

READ MORE: Three-bed house in the UK goes on sale at auction for 1

Analysis by Knight King shows a correlation between the volume of water and the premium generated by a waterfront home. Where water is in abundance and therefore less demand, such as in Hong Kong or Singapore, the premium of waterfront properties is smaller.

Waterfront homes are most popular among British buyers, followed by the US, Canada and Germany.
Its difficult not to respect what the defense secretary did: go public with his grave concerns about the danger Trump poses to the country and world

The depth of Mattis concerns with Trump are anything but normal. Photograph: Leah Millis/Reuters

James Mattis just shattered the glass you only break in case of emergency.

The US secretary of defense resigned in protest over the president of the United States actively undermining an international order that is most conducive to our security, prosperity and values.

You dont have to like Mattis or agree with his policies or sweep under the rug all of the times he didnt resign when Donald Trump did something truly abhorrent. But its difficult not to respect that he just had the courage to do what no one else in the Trump administration has done  resign in protest and go public with his grave concerns about the danger that Trump poses to the country and the world.

That Trump is dangerous has been clear to anyone who has listened to him since the moment he descended the escalators at Trump Tower in 2015 to announce his candidacy. And Trumps worldview  disdain for democratic allies, embrace of autocrats, and opposition to Americas role in the post-war world  has also long been clear. But the fact that Trumps current Defense secretary felt the need to resign and let the world know about his deep-seaed concerns about the president is an unprecedented event in an unprecedented presidency.

Mattiss letter  which was distributed to the press when he resigned  ends with a stunning rebuke of Trump: Because you have the right to 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.

Translation: Mattis doesnt agree with Trumps foreign policy.

Mattis explained which of his views arent better aligned with Trump.

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 wrote.

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Translation: Mattis believes that Trump treats Americas closest allies with derision, which endangers Americas national security and its interests around the world.

Similarly, Mattis wrote, I believe we must be resolute and unambiguous in our approach to those countries whose strategic interests are increasingly in tension with ours, naming Russia and China in particular.

Translation: Trump is weak and erratic in his policies towards Americas greatest rivals, including Russia and China.

Mattis closed by saying: My views on treating allies with respect and also being clear-eyed about both malign actors and strategic competitors are strongly held and informed by over four decades of immersion in these issues.

Translation: Trump has no idea what hes doing.

It is well known that Mattis had numerous policy agreements with Trump. When Trump talked of war with North Korea, Mattis talked of the horrors that war would bring. When Trump withdrew America from the Iran nuclear deal, Mattis reportedly opposed the move. And Trumps decisions to withdraw American troops from Syria  and now it seems Afghanistan as well  may have been the final straws that forced Mattiss resignation.

Policy disagreements are normal and can be healthy in a functional administration. But this administration is anything but functional, and the depth of Mattis concerns with Trump are anything but normal. Mattis resignation should be a uniquely clear wake-up call amid daily wake-up calls about the danger that Trump poses.

So, what does it mean?

Will Mattis replacement at the defense department be worse? Possibly.

Will Trump feel less constrained in pursuing reckless foreign policy decisions? Probably.

Are the wheels coming off the bus? Maybe. Though it doesnt seem like the bus ever had any wheels.

This administration is anything but functional, and the depth of Mattis concerns with Trump are anything but normal

Agree or disagree with Mattis on specific policies, the world he has worked to build  that America has worked to build  is under stress. China is placing strains on global economic and security norms. Russia is becoming more aggressive, destabilizing parts of Europe and the Middle East. And Americas democratic allies in Europe are struggling.

Trump is exacerbating all of these trends. His erratic policies on China are ineffective. His unwillingness to stand up to Russia is giving Putin a green light for more belligerence. Trump is eroding Americas alliances, forcing them to push back against America. And all of this is undermining the structures of global stability that have prevented great power conflict for decades.

While there is much Mattis should not be proud of  sending troops to the border with Mexico as part of an election campaign show, not speaking out or resigning when Trump stood up for white supremacists at Charlottesville, attacked the FBI or the press, or did any number of things that undermine American democracy and security  Mattis can be proud of taking a stand now. One can only hope that this is the first  not the last  that the world hears from Mattis about Trump.

And for the sake of America and the world, one can only hope that other members of Trumps party begin to speak out and act to restrain a president they all know is completely unfit for office.
Not long after Defense Secretary James Mattis returned to the Defense Department Thursday afternoon after a contentious meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House, he convened a meeting of his closest staff and advisers. His team knew something was amiss. Morale had been sinking at the Pentagon, following recent revelations that Trump had ordered a complete withdrawal of troops from Syria and planned to scale down forces in Afghanistan.

Mattis had opposed each of these decisions, and fought to overturn them. He told his team he could no longer work for the president. His last day in the Pentagon would be Feb. 28, 2019. The building is in shock, an Administration official told TIME.

News of the resignation sent chills through halls of the Pentagon, where Mattis has been a calming influence amid the constant tumult of the Trump presidency. The retired four-star Marine Corps general has spent the last 23 months of his tenure trying to thread the needle between implementing Trumps policy objectives and maintaining long-standing American principles.

On at least a half-dozen substantive issues ranging from the importance of NATO to a transgender troop ban, Mattis has broken publicly with the president. Often hes all thats standing between allies and Trump-created-chaos. When the president was blasting NATO and cozying up to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Mattis began crisscrossing the globe to reassure European leaders that the world wasnt turning upside down. He did the same after Trumps face-to-face talk with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Within the military, hes seen as a hard-charging, but scholarly figure that has tried to insulate the Pentagon from Trumps knee-jerk instincts.

Although Mattis hasnt won every argument, hes limited the damage on many of them. That has made him an unusually consequential figure at a time of historic change around the world. Chinas rise, Russias renewed adventurism and spreading global instability from record migration, mounting populism and emboldened authoritarianism were already putting pressure on the liberal international order that won the Cold War and advanced American interests for a half century. Trumps embrace of that disruption at the expense of traditional allies only heightened the sense that liberal democracy was in danger. And it was Mattis who in word, deed and bearing was a constant figure of reassurance to Americas democratic allies that his country was bigger, stronger and more durable than Trump.

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But ultimately, it was the abrupt decision to pull out all 2,200 troops fighting ISIS in Syria that pushed Mattis to the breaking point. To Mattis, the pullout was abandoning a key ally.

The Syrian Democratic Forces, a militia of mostly Kurdish and Arab fighters, has been a vital partner in the four-year-long war against the terror group. Mattis went to the White House Thursday to see if he could somehow ensure the forces protection in war-torn eastern Syria, where the group is besieged on all sides, particularly from Turkish forces to the north. But Trump refused to give Mattis any such assurances.

My views on treating allies with respect and also being clear-eyed about both malign actors and strategic competitors are strongly held and informed by over four decades of immersion in these issues, Mattis wrote in a resignation letter hand-delivered to the White House. 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.

The candid letter also criticized Trumps attempt at warming relations with China and Russia, two nations Mattis referred to as authoritarian regimes that promote their own interests at the expense of their neighbors, America and our allies. Mattis 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.

The Pentagon publicly released the letter shortly after Trump announced on Twitter that Mattis would step down.

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 on Twitter. 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!

The response to Matts resignation within the military and across Washington was a mix of surprise, sorrow and fear. This is scary, Democratic Senator Mark Warner from Virginia, vice chairman of the Intelligence Committee said on Twitter. Secretary Mattis has been an island of stability amidst the chaos of the Trump Administration. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said he was particularly disturbed by the news. Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats said Friday he was deeply saddened that Mattis was stepping down. The experience and sound judgement that Secretary Mattis has brought to our decision-making process is invaluable, he said. His leadership of our military won the admiration of our troops and respect of our allies and adversaries.

Astonishment has become a familiar sentiment at the Pentagon under Trump. New policy declarations, often made via Twitter, have caught military brass flat-footed: the withdrawal from Syria, the transgender troop ban, a proposal for a massive military parade and the decision to send thousands of active duty troops to the U.S.-Mexico border.

Mattis disagreed with Trump on all these issues, yet kept a low public profile to avoid the appearance of a clash. He took pains to avoid on-camera interviews and press briefings. He often slow-walked the presidents controversial orders or implemented them in a way that was less scandalous. After Trump declared that the U.S. should seize Iraqs oil fields as compensation for military involvement, Mattis traveled to Iraq and made clear the U.S. government had no such plan.

Policy by tweet is confusing to people and creates issues, James Carafano, a vice president at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. But Mattis vision of how this job works  non-partisan, staying above the political fray  that also creates issues for a president that values loyalty.

While there were matters on which Mattis and Trump agreed, it was the presidents inclination toward America First isolationism that drove them apart. Trump has long pledged to scale back Americas military involvement around the globe. Meanwhile, Mattis has espoused a muscular role to advance U.S. interests overseas.

Secretary Mattis had no choice but to resign. It is a loss for our country, said Chuck Hagel, a former U.S. Defense Secretary, Republican Senator from Nebraska and Vietnam War veteran. The continued exit of competent and experienced leaders in our government is dangerous. Our government is not a one man show. America is headed for a very difficult and messy next two years.

When Trump first revealed Mattis as his pick to lead the Defense Department in December 2016, he compared him to Gen. George Patton, the legendary front-line general who helped liberate Europe in World War II.

Mattis served 44 years in the Marines before retiring in 2013. In his final three years in uniform, Mattis had headed U.S. Central Command and oversaw the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as other military operations in the Middle East. Unmarried all his life, Mattis, 68, was known as a scholarly general who preferred being close to front-line combat, earning the nicknames Mad Dog and Warrior Monk.

Trump seized upon the nickname Mad Dog, (even though Mattis loathes it) and Mattis became a close adviser to the president. He would present his advice amid frequent visits to the White House during the first year of the Administration.

This year, however, his influence steadily waned. With the firing of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in March, Mattis lost his closest ally in the Administration. A month later, National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster, a retired Army lieutenant general, also left. At the end of the year, John Kelly, a retired Marine general, will step down as Trumps chief of staff.

Questions began swirling about Mattis future in May when Trump tore up the nuclear deal with Iran, a document that Mattis had vehemently defended. A month later, Mattis found out that Trump halted all U.S. military exercises with South Korea as a concession to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Then in June, Trump ordered Mattis to make the Space Force a sixth branch of the military, despite Mattis public criticism on the idea. More recently, Mattis advised Trump to select Air Force Gen. David Goldfein, as the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Trump instead chose Army Gen. Mark Milley.

The final rebuke came Wednesday when Trump announced that all U.S. troops would be pulled from Syria. In April, Mattis had convinced Trump to allow U.S. forces to finish the fight against ISIS. This time around, however, there was no opportunity for debate, and Mattis was soon on his way out the door.
DETROIT  Talk about terrible timing.

Two women were caught allegedly stealing $1,900 worth of electronics from a Target in Michigan on the same day the store was packed with police for a Shop with a Cop event.

"I couldn't believe it," Bloomfield Township Police Sgt. Dan Brown said.

About 15 police officers were at the Target on Wednesday night, helping 22 disadvantaged children pick out Christmas presents for their families.

Keiana Wilson, 40, of Burton and Dana Johnson, 18, of Flint were also there.

Brown said store security officers watched on cameras as the women loaded a cart with two Apple watches, two iPads and a Nintendo gaming system. At about 7:30 p.m., they walked past the registers without paying.

They never made it to the parking lot.

"The loss prevention (officers) actually apprehended them, then they asked for police assistance," said Sylvan Lake Police Sgt. Michael Mondeau, who organized the Shop with a Cop event. "The police officers were only about 20 feet away when they tried to walk out of the store."

Related Video: Cops Shop With Kids in Annual Holiday Event

The women knew the store was filled with police. Brown said Johnson even approached an officer earlier in the night, complimenting him about "how generous the cops were with their time."

"It wasn't 10 minutes later that (the same officer) gets called into the loss prevention office," where the women were taken after being caught, Brown said. "She was trying to distract him."

Wilson and Johnson were arraigned in court on retail fraud charges. Brown said bond was set at $250,000 for Johnson, who has a past criminal history. Wilson's bond was set at $20,000.

Mondeau said the children who participated in Shop with a Cop were able to spend in total about $5,000 on their gifts, thanks to donations from local businesses and community members.

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The Keego Harbor Police Department posted a picture of the police officers and their family members who participated on Facebook. The caption included words of thanks for the people involved, and the store.

It also said:

"On a side note, there must have been a special episode of 'Dumb Criminal Minds' being filmed live as a person tried to shoplift a bunch of electronics right in front of about 10 cops. They didn't get far. DON'T TAKE WHAT IS NOT YOURS, it's a simple rule that everyone should abide by and the world would be a better place."

Follow Ann Zaniewski on Twitter: @AnnZaniewski.

More: Iowa police hunt for dumb criminals who stole bear statue

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Women charged in ill-timed theft at Target store filled with cops
WELLINGTON (Reuters) - New Zealand's intelligence agency on Friday joined allies in holding China responsible for a global hacking campaign targeting commercial secrets. "New Zealand is committed to upholding the rules-based international order, and today joins likeminded partners in expressing that such cyber campaigns are unacceptable," said Andrew Hampton, director general of the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) in a statement. The GCSB's statement said that alongside national security partners it had "established links" between the Chinese Ministry of State Security and a global campaign of cyber-enabled commercial intellectual property theft, which it become aware of in 2017. (Reporting by Charlotte Greenfield; Editing by Alison Williams)
Jollibee remains the most awarded quick service restaurant in the country this year with its industry-leading marketing campaigns that have won the approval of experts and audiences from around the world. The fast-food chain has garnered more than 50 major recognitions from prestigious award-giving bodies in the country and abroad.

Jollibee chief marketing officer Francis Flores

Reaping the most awards and recognitions for the countrys leading fast-food chain is its game-changing brand love campaign with creative agency McCann World Group Philippines, the #KwentongJollibee Valentine Series which captured millions of hearts when it was launched in February 2017. The trilogy that encouraged viewers to celebrate the joy of love with the now iconic Vow, Crush and Date stories remains one of the most viral campaigns in recent history and started the trend of heartfelt brand stories told in long form videos in the Philippines. It was one of the campaigns which shone brightest at the 2018 APAC Effie Awards in Singapore as Jollibee went home with 2 golds, 1 silver, and 2 bronze trophies. The brand also bested other companies from all over Asia to win Brand of the Year (2nd place) and Marketer of the Year (3rd place) awards. The Effie Awards recognizes the regions most outstanding marketing communication works that brought results in meeting strategic objectives. Kwentong Jollibee also received the bronze recognition for Tangrams Effectiveness at Spikes Asia 2018 for its innovative digital marketing strategy that stood above the rest of Asia Pacific brands. The Tangrams is headed by a panel of top client and agency professionals who review campaigns that have transformed businesses and brands. The campaign was shortlisted as one of the best for having driven results in Asia at the WARC Prize for Asian Strategy. Moreover, it was also one of only three campaign finalists from the Philippines at the New York Festivals International Advertising Awards 2018, earning a shortlist spot in the Creative Marketing Effectiveness category. At the 2018 Asia Pacific Tambuli Awards, the brand went home with several more top awards led by its 2 golds and 1 bronze for outstanding brand storytelling for Kwentong Jollibee. Its other campaigns such as the Grandparents Day IMC and Jolly Spaghetti advocacy campaign also managed to score gold and silver metals, respectively. At the 2018 Kidlat Awards, Jollibee took home a silver for its record-breaking Vow and bronze for the rest of the videos under the Valentine trilogy.The brands winning streak for its Valentine series continues with its 2018 lineup Homecoming, Signs, and Statustaking the spotlight during the YouTube Ads Leaderboard Philippines in the first semester of 2018. All three videos, along with the Alex Wassabi for Jolly Crispy Fries, made it to the list of the most watched YouTube ads in the country during the period. This is the first time in the history of the YouTube Philippines Leaderboard that a brand dominated their semesterly ranking by claiming four out of the ten spots. Jollibee also launched various online thematic campaigns that put the spotlight on its flagship products and other delicious food offerings, as well as engaging PR campaigns, events and activations that resulted in sustained brand buzz. Among these are the Jollibee Chickenjoy Perfect Pairs Campaign, Yes to Jollibee Burger Steak with Anne Curtis, The Return of the Choco Mallow Pie and the Jollibee Family Values Awards, among others, which contributed to Jollibees great haul of metals from the PR industrys top award-giving bodies such as the Anvil and Philippine Quill Awards. For us in Jollibee, we always want to create campaigns that are relevant and engaging for our market. We are constantly thinking outside of the box and challenging ourselves to deliver unforgettable and effective digital marketing and PR campaigns that will help further drive sales and foster brand love, said Francis Flores, Jollibees brand chief marketing officer, and PH Marketing Head. We share the international recognitions that we have received with the Filipinos who love the brand. These awards are a proof that the Philippines can indeed compete with foreign brands when it comes to world-class advertising, PR and marketing. For his tireless efforts to steer the well-loved Filipino brand to global prominence, Flores himself was recognized by Campaign Asia as one of the 50 Most Influential Brand Marketers in the Asia Pacific region. The first-ever list drawn up by Campaign Asias editorial team honors the regions best marketers for adapting and taking advantage of the digitization of their customer experience and sales models using connected channels, to reach a loyal base and deliver a strong brand purpose. Flores is the only Filipino to be included in the so-called Asia Pacific Power List of 2018. The Campaign Asia write-up on Flores reads: This was a great year for Jollibee, as the Filipino chain continues to evolve into a truly global brand. Opening its first European venues in Italy and the UK, and sweeping up awards at events such as the APAC Effies were just a few noteworthy touchstones. Jollibees success is no sudden lightning bolt, however, but the culmination of more than a decade of work by its CMO, Francis Flores.For many Filipinos, Jollibee isnt just a fast-food chain. Controlling over half the market, it is intrinsically part of the community, and Flores has doubled down on this identity, championing campaigns that put a focus on warm hearts rather than hungry bellies. Events under Flores stewardship, such as the Jollibee Family Values Awards [now in its eight year] have helped humanize the chain but it is the social-media dominating Kwentong Jollibee online video series of 2017-2018 that has been Flores absolute triumph, the citation read.
Barkindo went on to say that in order to reach the proposed cut of 1.2 million barrels per day, the effective reduction for member countries was 3.02 percent. This figure is higher than the initially discussed 2.5 percent as OPEC seeks to accommodate Iran, Libya and Venezuela, which are exempt from any requirement to cut.

According to Reuters, which reviewed a letter from OPECs secretary-general Mohammad Barkindo, OPEC plans to release a table detailing output cut quotas for its members and allies such as Russia in an effort to shore up the price of crude.

Most of the news is bearish, but some traders are trying to build a case for a bottom by introducing the idea that OPECs production cuts that start next month will be deeper than expected.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate and international-bench Brent crude oil futures are in a position to finish the week about 10-percent lower. Volume is expected to be light over the next two weeks, which may lead to further weakness with a few whipsaw moves mixed in due to the thin trading conditions.

Christmas and New Years Week usually feature low-volume, low-volatility moves in the energy complex, but this year may be different because of the bear market in crude oil and the weather market in natural gas. Furthermore, the price action in the energy sector is also being influenced by heightened volatility in the U.S. equity markets.

Christmas and New Years Week usually feature low-volume, low-volatility moves in the energy complex, but this year may be different because of the bear market in crude oil and the weather market in natural gas. Furthermore, the price action in the energy sector is also being influenced by heightened volatility in the U.S. equity markets.

Crude Oil

U.S. West Texas Intermediate and international-bench Brent crude oil futures are in a position to finish the week about 10-percent lower. Volume is expected to be light over the next two weeks, which may lead to further weakness with a few whipsaw moves mixed in due to the thin trading conditions.

Most of the news is bearish, but some traders are trying to build a case for a bottom by introducing the idea that OPECs production cuts that start next month will be deeper than expected.

According to Reuters, which reviewed a letter from OPECs secretary-general Mohammad Barkindo, OPEC plans to release a table detailing output cut quotas for its members and allies such as Russia in an effort to shore up the price of crude.

Barkindo went on to say that in order to reach the proposed cut of 1.2 million barrels per day, the effective reduction for member countries was 3.02 percent. This figure is higher than the initially discussed 2.5 percent as OPEC seeks to accommodate Iran, Libya and Venezuela, which are exempt from any requirement to cut.

This news fueled some light short-covering late in the week, but gains were capped and the markets fell to new lows for the year due to worries over the strength of the global economy heading into next year. Heightened stock market volatility and concerns over a government shutdown also weighed on prices.

Overall pressure, however, is being generated by strong production in the United States, Russia and Saudi Arabia. The Russians and the Saudis will start trimming production on January 1, but the U.S. is likely to continue at its record pace. Until U.S. output is curtailed, theres not a lot of news out there that would be strong enough to shake up the hedge funds enough to jump out of their heavily short positions.

Crude Oil Technical Analysis

U.S. West Texas Intermediate Crude Oil

(Click to enlarge)

The main trend is down according to the weekly swing chart. Since crossing to the weak side of the major retracement zone at $58.94 to $54.82, the February WTI crude oil futures contract has plummeted.

Taking out $46.15 this week is especially bearish since this was the last main bottom before the contract high at $76.40.

If the downside momentum continues under $46.15 then look for a potential acceleration to the downside this week with the contract low at $41.48 the next major downside target.

The best sign of a near-term bottom will be a lower-low, higher-close next week. This chart pattern will not indicate a change in trend is taking place, but it will indicate the buying may be greater than the selling at current price levels. This could lead to the start of a 2 to 3 week counter-trend rally.

Natural Gas

Bullish natural gas traders are finding out during the month of December that weather markets work two ways. While lingering cold snaps in November may have supported the huge spike to the upside, the return of milder temperatures and uncertainty over when the cold weather will return has pressured prices throughout December.

Momentum is currently trending lower and even this weeks slightly bullish U.S. Energy Information Administrations weekly storage report couldnt attract enough buyers to shift momentum back to the upside.

This week and perhaps until at least January 3, overall national demand is expected to be low. This should put a cap on any rallies. Some weather services are saying that cold weather could return over the next 9 to 15 days, but it still will not be cold enough to be considered bullish.

February Natural Gas Technical Analysis

(Click to enlarge)

The main trend is up according to the weekly swing chart. However, momentum is trending lower. A trade through $3.111 will change the main trend to down. If this occurs then the strategy will shift to selling rallies rather than buying dips into support.

The main range is $2.904 to $4.849. Its 50% to 61.8% retracement zone is $3.647 to $3.876.

The short-term range is $3.111 to $4.849. Its retracement zone comes in at $3.775 to $3.980.

The retracement levels are new resistance. Trading on the weak side of these retracement levels could fuel an acceleration to the downside next week.

If the cold weather returns then we should start to see some short-covering. However, the chart pattern suggests the next rally will be labored because the resistance levels are layered.

The last 50% level at $3.980 is the potential trigger point for an acceleration to the upside. However, this price is not likely to be overcome until the weather services put a lingering cold pressure dome into the forecast.

By Jim Hyerczyk for Oilprice.com
After a slow start, the oil and gas industry seems to be eager to adopt all sorts of digital technology as they help companies keep costs lower while boosting efficiency. Artificial intelligence is being flaunted as the answer to all problems or, at least, a better answer to many problems than older approaches. And it is maturing.

First of all, it needs to be said that a lot of the people who talk about AI enthusiastically do not mean artificial intelligence literally, as in an autonomous system capable of making decisions on its own. What they most commonly mean is predictive and analytic algorithms, and the process that allows for the deployment in a huge variety of tasks in the upstream industry: machine learning.

While the hype is considerable, its not all without merit. The co-founder and chief executive of oiltech statup OilX, Florian Thaler, told Oilprice that amidst the general hype, there is indeed an epochal shift: the current exponential growth in oil data from sensors and satellite is unprecedented and is not showing any signs of slowing down.

But this data has to be clean and high-quality, Thaler explains. Once the quality and reliability of data collected are good enough, the data can be used to create a whole platform based on machine learning that effectively works as a digital oil analyst. And this is just one application of machine learning, often inaccurately referred to as AI.

Some believe 2019 is the year that will mark AIs advance to practice from theory. One of these optimistic experts is Jan Ren, the chief executive of software developer Atomiton.

Ren told Forbes Mark Venables that The biggest thing that will impact you as a company is that AI is going to go from theory to practice. So far it has been mostly theoretical, but people don't understand how to do it and what it can do. I think now people understand its potential and more projects are being fulfilled and implemented. The infrastructure industry will start to push AI from the how, the technical, to the what, which means AI will be recognized by the problems it has solved instead of what data it collects.

This is quite general as far as forecasts go, but heres something rather more specific: machine learning can be deployed in more than one area of the industry. In the field, for example, it can help oil and gas producers see how a wells yield will change over time. Related: Can China Save South Sudans Oil Sector?

We have a lot of data points and we assume that if the well has produced long enough it will behave as other wells have performed in the past.  A neural network is a way that allows us to do this in some way, Rystad Energy senior analyst on shale Alexandre Ramos-Peon recently told EPMags Velda Addison. He added, however, that This technique only seems to work for wells that have a sufficiently long production forecast.

This makes perfect sense, of course: the more historical data you have, the more accurate predictions for future well performance you could make, especially if you have the help of algorithms. And these algorithms are now so sophisticated, according to Ramos-Peon, that You just throw all of this data to the computer and it will train itself somehow to guess the best value so the accuracy is as high as possible.

The AI market in oil and gas has been estimated to reach US$2.85 billion by 2022, growing by a compound annual growth rate of 12.66 percent. No wonder, given how quickly the technology evolves and how many applications it could have in oil and gas.

Ren believes next year will demystify the concept of artificial intelligence as adoption expands and trust towards the concept grows along with understanding of how it works. Of course, this development is by no means risk-free: cybersecurity is just as much a problem in oil and gasof not moreas in any other industry.



By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
A court in Paris fined on Friday Frances oil and gas major Total with US$572,330 (500,000 euro) for having bribed public officials in 1997 in exchange for securing oil and gas contracts in Iran.

Total has been accused of paying US$30 million in bribes under the cover of a consultancy contract to obtain a deal to develop the gas field South Pars in Iran, according to Reuters.

Two decades after the 1997 bribery case, in 2017, the French company became the first supermajor to have returned to Iran after the previous sanctions on Tehran were lifted, with the multi-billion-dollar South Pars 11 gas development project.

But after the U.S. withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal this year, Total said in May that it would not be in a position to continue the South Pars 11 gas project and would have to unwind all related operations before November 4, 2018, unless Total is granted a specific project waiver by the U.S. authorities with the support of the French and European authorities. This project waiver should include protection of the Company from any secondary sanction as per US legislation.

In early June, Totals chief executive Patrick Pouyanne said that the companys chances of securing a waiver were very slim, and Total withdrew from Iran before the U.S. sanctions snapped back.

Iran says that China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) is replacing Total in the South Pars gas project.

The fine by the Paris court on Friday was not the first time that Total has had to pay fines over bribing officials in Iran-related oil and gas projects.

In 2013, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) charged Total with violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) by paying US$60 million in bribes to intermediaries of an Iranian government official who then exercised his influence to help the French company obtain contracts to develop the Sirri A and E oil and gas fields in Iran. Total, listed on the NYSE, agreed to pay more than US$398 million to settle the SECs charges and a parallel criminal matter by the U.S. Department of Justice.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Hundreds of Hong Kong church-goers set to wear black in show of support for Christians facing crackdown in mainland China

Hundreds of Hong Kong church-goers are planning to turn out in black for two Sundays in an unprecedented show of solidarity with fellow Christians facing an intense government crackdown in mainland China.

Five progressive Christian groups and 100 individuals in the city are behind the defiant call to action, urging believers to attend their church services on December 23 and 30 in black outfits, as Christ is being persecuted ... the church in China is being persecuted.

By Saturday night, 352 people had signed an online petition to that effect and pledged to join the campaign, according to Phyllis Luk Fung-ping, co-founder of Mission Citizens, one of the five organising groups.

The show of support is in response to a crackdown by mainland authorities on at least two prominent underground Chinese churches just two weeks before Christmas.

On December 9, the unregistered, 500-member Early Rain Covenant Church in Chengdu was raided by authorities who detained more than 100 worshippers and forced them to promise they would not attend any religious gathering that was not authorised by the state.

Wang Yi and Jiang Rong, the couple who started and led the church, have been held on charges of inciting subversion of state power.

Six days later, the 18-year-old Rongguili Church in Guangzhou  the largest unregistered church in south China, with some 5,000 weekly worshippers  was shut down by local officials who interrupted a childrens Bible class and confiscated tens of thousands of religious books.

The raids are part of a broader escalating crackdown on house churches and unsanctioned Christian activities in recent years, as Beijing grows more wary of political activism and opposition to the state through religion.

The campaign has been bolstered by amendments to the Religious Affairs Regulation that give grass-roots officials more power to act against churches and impose tougher penalties for unauthorised religious gatherings.

Story continues

Believers on the mainland and in Hong Kong are both part of Christs body, Luk said. When one part of the body is hurt, how can the others remain indifferent?

However, she stressed that her group was seeking to make a symbolic statement rather than a political one.

It would be too naive to believe our act can shake mainland authorities and bring immediate improvements, Luk said. Keeping the action away from politics might allow participants to persist for a longer period because in Hong Kong, it is conventional for churches to stay out of political issues.

The message had reached some 47,000 viewers in the five days since it was published on Facebook on December 16, Luk added, although the citys bigger churches had not joined the campaign.

The city has about 500,000 Christians and at least 1,500 churches, according to the Hong Kong Christian Council.

Reverend Lau Chi-hung, convenor of another organising group, the Hong Kong Christian Fellowship of City Concern, said the action aimed to wake up more Christians in the city.

Some churches might find it more helpful to have direct communication with religious officials on the mainland instead of speaking up in public, Lau said. Others may be concerned about jeopardising their work across the border if they are too critical.

Other than wearing black, a colour used to commemorate the passion of Christ, organisers also called on believers to pray for both the persecuted and persecutors.

Lau said religious freedom on the mainland had been deteriorating since at least 2014, when forced demolition of churches spread from Zhejiang to other provinces. Over the past year, Henan was considered the worst-hit area.

What people in Hong Kong can do to help is very limited, Lau said. But we have to continue to wake people up. There can be change only when the majority is awake and go on to press authorities.

There can be change only when the majority is awake and go on to press authorities

Reverent Lau Chi-hung, Hong Kong Christian Fellowship of City Concern

Four of the five groups were founded after the 2014 Occupy movement, a civil disobedience campaign for greater democracy in Hong Kong. The churches were built with the aim of engaging believers to build a better civil society.

The fifth group, Christians for Hong Kong, was established in 1987 by a group of believers who supported the pro-democracy camp. They were prompted by social debates on reinstating stringent control on protests and introducing direct elections for seats in the Legislative Council.

Ying Fuk-tsang, director of the Divinity School of Chung Chi College at Chinese University, said Hong Kong should continue to closely monitor what mainland churches were experiencing and spread the word abroad as the states heavy-handed policies were expected to last and intensify.

Christianity is the largest religion on the mainland as the number of believers has increased by more than 60 per cent from some 23 million to 38 million people over the past decade, according to official data, Ying said.

Beijing has considered it an ideology that can threaten national security and therefore even symbols of Christianity, such as decorations for celebrating Christmas and New Year scrolls carrying religious elements, are banned. Without Hong Kong, much of such news wont be reported to the world outside.

This article Hundreds of Hong Kong church-goers set to wear black in show of support for Christians facing crackdown in mainland China first appeared on South China Morning Post

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BSP Deputy Governor Diwa Guinigundo

Thought leaders from government, the academe and industry examined the Philippine economic outlook for 2019 in the Pilipinas Conference organized by independent think tank Stratbase ADR Institute in Makati City.Dindo Manhit, president of Stratbase ADRi said: A balance between strategic engagement and strategic retreat is imperative for managing the economy and steering the countrys development. In short, state-market synergy is key to address the primordial concern of a developing nation like the Philippines. Poverty reduction and labor expansion should be prioritized to demonstrate the presence of inclusive growth. The volatile growth of the manufacturing sector in relation with the service sector reveals an indeterminate improvement for labor. In turn, poverty reduction cannot simply be addressed through dole-outs. Reducing poverty undeniably necessitates both political and economic reforms, Manhit said. Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Deputy Governor Diwa Guinigundo said in his keynote speech reforms have helped propelled the economy to an impressive streak of 79 consecutive quarters of uninterrupted growth. That means 19 years and three quarters since the first quarter of 1999. Moreover, the structural reforms have been translated into higher potential output for the economy, he said. Our estimates show that potential output growth has been rising, averaging 6 percent for the period 2010 to 2017. So the talk about the large output gap is without basis. Our output gap is either a small positive or a small negative. So, the issues about overheating is quite misplaced, Guinigundo said. Calixto Chikiamco, president of Foundation for Economic Freedom said that the country failed to achieve its target of reducing poverty incidence to 17.2 percent by 2015 and instead hit 21.5 percent.The slowdown in overseas Filipino workers remittance growth, innovations to business process outsourcing sector, import growth far outpacing export growth, and declining Government International Reserves are among the challenges of rising current account and trade deficit, Chikiamco said. Dr. Raul Fabella, professor emeritus at the University of the Philippines School of Economics compared economic growth as the new normal versus old normal and said that the Philippines experienced an average GDP growth rate of 4.8 percent in the past 8 years and only 4 percent in the last three decades where growth of services exceeded that of manufacturing. He observed that in the second year of Duterte administration, growth in manufacturing slowed down and hoped that this wont persist as manufacturing is relatively linked to poverty reduction. Inclusion as poverty reduction fares better when manufacturing growth exceeds services growth in low-income countries, Fabella said. George Barcelon, chairman of Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry said: Government must be consistent of the law in order to entice conglomerates. Basically, improving infrastructure and providing a blueprint to go outside of Metro Manila, for example, the New Clark City. What the country needs is to uplift the SMEs. Ease of doing business, power facilities can help SMEs to propel the growth of countries. Government should focus on both education and skills training, which is crucial for economic growth and what causes us for being uncompetitive, Barcelon said.
Seoul plans to overhaul its diplomatic focus on China by establishing a separate bureau in its foreign ministry entirely dedicated to China affairs. The change comes after Beijings economic retaliation to South Korean deployment of the US anti-ballistic missile defence system.

Ministry spokesman Noh Kyu-duk last week confirmed the push for the internal restructuring, adding that diplomatic demands concerning Asia-Pacific region affairs were growing rapidly.

A bureau dedicated to China reflects Seouls efforts to enhance its diplomatic endeavours with its neighbour.

China wins its war against THAAD without firing a shot

It is considered a significant upgrade, as China affairs are now handled at a department level: the second and third departments at the ministrys Northeast Asian Affairs Bureau. The first is dedicated to Japan.

The ministry has for years pushed for the establishment of a China bureau, yet the plan was never realised because of its limited human resources and budget constraints.

Under the reorganisation, the ministrys Japan-related affairs department would be merged with the one that deals with India and Australia affairs.

Ties between Beijing and Seoul have been strained since the deployment of THAAD in South Koreas Seongju county in 2017, with the dispute leading to Chinese boycotts of South Korean companies.

Seoul said the anti-missile system was needed to ward off threats from North Korea. But Beijing regarded THAAD as a threat, compromising Chinas national security by monitoring its military activities.

China then embarked on an aggressive, unofficial campaign to stop Chinese tour groups travelling to South Korea. Its boycott cost South Koreas tourism industry 7.5 trillion won (US$6.7 billion) between January and September last year, according to data compiled by the South Korean national assemblys budget office  putting enormous pressure on Seoul.

Chinas foreign ministry said that China and South Korea were close and friendly neighbours, and that China hoped to work closely with Seoul to institute plans the countries two leaders have agreed to.

Story continues

Chinese President Xi Jinping and his South Korean counterpart, Moon Jae-in, agreed last month at the Apec summit in Port Moresby to work together for the progression of their Free Trade Agreement discussions and environmental issues, vowing to improve the bilateral relations.

Beijing wishes to work with Korea to enhance its communications and build stabilised bilateral relations, it said.

Xi Jinping tells South Korean president he may visit North Korea next year

Zhao Tong, a fellow at the Carnegie-Tsinghua Centre for Global Policy in Beijing, said that creating a separate China bureau shows Seoul recognises the growing influence of China in this region and the growing importance for ROK  a China bureau could promote hugging and hedging policies toward China simultaneously.

The previous THAAD dispute has totally changed the image of China in the mind of many South Koreans who now see a rising China as a potential blessing but at the same time also want to hedge against another possibility that China would use its growing power coercively, Zhao said.

In contrast, Tokyos reaction was generally negative, calculating its implications for the country.

One Japanese government official, working in the Asia-Pacific region, called the situation worrying.

The move can be seen as Koreas practise of Sinocentrism  Its focus is definitely moving towards China, and that cant be good news to the future Japan-Korea relations, especially now when the relations are deteriorating over the historical dispute, the official said.

South Korea and Japan continue to dispute unresolved issues from the Japanese colonial period that ended in 1945, including sex slavery and forced labour of Korean civilians.

Ryo Hinata-Yamaguchi, a visiting professor at Pusan National University in South Korea and adjunct fellow at the Pacific Forum  a donor-funded, non-profit foreign policy institute in Honolulu, Hawaii  said that the establishment of the China bureau does not [necessarily] have negative impacts on Japan-Korea relations, but the merging of Japan-related affairs department with Australia and India certainly does, noting that the decision might undermine South Koreas ability to work with Japan.

Forced labour a sore topic between South Korea and Japan

The move would give the impression that Japan is becoming less important to ROK. But the negatives will be greater for Korea as it would undermine its capacity to deal with the array of issues and initiatives with Japan, and even prospects for multilateral cooperation and coordination based on the alliance with the US, Hinata-Yamaguchi said.

Zhao said, though, that he did not consider that lumping Japan together with Australia and India would mean a lesser standing for Japan.

These three countries are all democracies that share similar geostrategic interests and visions in the Asia-Pacific region, Zhao said. They would probably continue enhancing their internal cooperation with each other and with the US in the foreseeable future ... It makes some sense for ROK to put these three countries into the same group and deal with them with one coherent and consistent policy.

This article Seoul making Beijing a foreign policy priority by setting up bureau exclusively for China affairs first appeared on South China Morning Post

For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2018.

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A BMW driver was treated for injuries after being launched into the air off a concrete barrier at the side of a tunnel entrance, hitting the top of the tunnel, and crashing onto the road below, near Poprad, Slovakia, on December 20, police said.

Slovak police said that the 44-year-old driver, from Bardejov, did not sustain serious injuries and passed a breathalyzer test. The driver was the sole occupant of the car, police said. Credit: Slovak Police via Storyful
Three days from Christmas, fewer French "yellow vests" turned out for a sixth Saturday of protests, targeting border points as a fatal road accident brought the death toll to 10 since the movement began last month. A total of 38,600 people took part in protests across the country, well down from the 66,000 by the same time the previous Saturday, the interior ministry said. There were 220 people detained nationwide, 81 of whom were taken into police custody, it added. The number of demonstrators has been trending downwards since 282,000 people turned out for the first Saturday protest against planned fuel tax hikes on November 17. The movement, characterised by the high-visibility yellow vests worn by the protesters, then morphed into a widespread demonstration against Macron's policies and style of governing. Health minister Agnes Buzyn told Le Journal du Dimanche (The Sunday Newspaper) Macron's government was "in step with the demands of the yellow vests" as she called for "a more constructive dialogue". Prime minister Edouard Philippe told the same newspaper his relationship with Macron has only "intensified" during the crisis, rather than become strained, as has been reported. "We talk a lot. We tell each other things," he said. - Leader in custody - Saturday's numbers were a sharp drop from last week, when Macron, a pro-business centrist, gave in to some of the movement's demands. In Paris, the scene of fierce clashes during previous demonstrations, around 2,000 protesters joined rallies scattered around the city compared with 4,000 last week, police said. As evening fell, violence broke out on the iconic Champs-Elysees avenue, where many shops had remained open for business in the busy weekend before Christmas. Paris police said 142 people were detained and 19 taken into police custody in the French capital, including a "yellow vest" leader, Eric Drouet. Government spokesman Benjamin Griveaux tweeted that behind the violence was "a single face, cowardly, racist, anti-Semitic, putschist". He denounced the decapitation of an effigy of Macron, violent attacks on police after an officer's motorcycle was taken by protesters on the Champs-Elysee, and that outside the Sacre Coeur church some had sung a song by comedian and political activist Dieudonne, who has been convicted for anti-Semitic insults. Interior Minister Christophe Castaner meanwhile said there had been a "real slowdown", but some people "continue to come and protest, driven by hatred of institutions". - Journalists attacked - Near the border between France and Spain hundreds of protesters disrupted traffic as they gathered around an autoroute toll booth. Police fired tear gas to disperse the "yellow vests" who retreated to a bridge, an AFP photographer at the scene said. France borders the Catalan region of Spain, and the protesters were joined by dozens of Catalan pro-independence activists, also wearing yellow vests. The separatists often block highways to protest against Madrid's rejection of Catalonia's independence referendum in October 2017. Even though their goals are different, "this demonstration at the Boulou (toll booth) is symbolic, it shows the solidarity between the Spanish Catalans and the French," said Marcel, a 49-year-old winegrower. Two journalists covering the Boulou rally for France 2 television said they were "violently" attacked by the protesters. Editor Anne Domy told AFP that she and her colleague Audrey Guiraud were "targeted, chased and beaten by a crowd of protesters that completely surrounded us". One "yellow vest" protester helped the two journalists escape in a "hail of insults", she said. The media and journalists have been frequent targets of the "yellow vest" movement's ire. Roadblocks were also reported near the border with Italy and at a bridge in Strasbourg near the German border. While the demonstrations were mainly calm compared to the Paris riots earlier in the month, there were concerns about their effect on pre-Christmas sales. Junior economy minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher said French stores reported an average drop-off of 25 percent in sales compared with the same period a year earlier. - Car driver dies at roadblock - A driver died overnight when his car slammed into the back of a truck stopped at a roadblock set up by "yellow vest" protesters at an autoroute entrance in Perpignan on the Mediterranean coast, prosecutor Jean-Jacques Fagni told AFP. There have now been 10 deaths since the protests began on November 17. A Facebook event organised by Drouet had listed thousands of people "interested" in joining a demonstration at the Palace of Versailles outside Paris but only around 60 showed up. Further demonstrations of several hundred "yellow vests" were reported in Bordeaux, Caen, Lille, Lyon, Marseille, Nantes, Rouen Saint-Etienne and Toulouse. On Friday, the French Senate approved measures to help the working poor and pensioners -- just hours after they were adopted by the lower house of parliament -- which aim to quell "yellow vest" anger and should come into force early in 2019. burs-je/ecl
Chilean fishermen have branded sea lions "a plague" because of the competition they provide in catching fish

Off the coast of Chile, fisherman face competition from a cunning carnivorous hunter that has decimated their industry due to its voracious appetite.

For Chile's fishermen, sea lions are a "plague."

"They're an enemy!" complained Mario Rojas to AFP. "We try to make them go away but it's impossible!"

Part of the wider seal family that was once hunted mercilessly all over the world, leaving some populations close to extinction, the South American sea lion in Chile has been protected for the last 28 years.

Hunting them for their richly prized fur is illegal.

Liberated from their most dangerous predatorthey are still prey for sharks and orcasthe sea mammal's population has been on the rise, helped in no small part by the abundant fodder they manage to steal from fisherman.

They have learnt to distinguish the sound of the fishing boats' motors, allowing them to follow the vessels as they head out to sea.

"The sea lions don't hunt anymore. They hear the noise of a boat and they know that the food is there," said Rojas.

With their sharp teeth and the enormous power in bodies that can weigh around 650 pounds (300 kilograms), they manage to destroy the fishing nets and gobble up the treats inside.

Sea lions hang around on the beach or under the wharf at San Antonio port waiting for fishermen to discard the scraps and entrails from their catches

And they have some appetite, consuming 90 pounds of fish each a day.

Rojas says more than 80 percent of the boats working in his area, around the port of Valparaiso, return from a day's work empty, with their nets shredded.

There, sea lions hang around on the beach or beneath the wharf, waiting for the scraps and entrails thrown back into the water by fishermen.

Around 40 percent of the world's sea lion population, some 200,000 animals, live off the coast of Chile and pose a serious threat to the fishing industry.

Local fishermen want to be able to cull their numbers.

'A crisis'

A decade ago, at the Portales cove at Valparaiso, where Rojas is the fishermen's leader, around 1,300 pounds of fish were caught daily, but that is now down to just 110 pounds.

It's a similar situation all along the coast.

Not everyone is as angered by sea lions as Chile's fishermen, and the country's fisheries under-secretary Eduardo Riquelme says humans must learn to live with the eared seals

"We're going through a crisis specifically because of sea lions, but we also have fishing quotas. People are desperate," said Jose Alvarado, leader of the fishermen at Hualaihue, around 700 miles (1,000 kilometers) to the south of the capital Santiago.

Fishermen want the ban on sea lion hunting lifted so they can control the numbers.

"The only viable solution for the fishermen is to eliminate the sea lions and this won't happen," fisheries under-secretary Eduardo Riquelme told AFP.

He admits that sea lions are creating problems for the fishing industry but the first step in addressing the issue will come in February with a census to establish the size of the Chilean population of these eared seals.

The government has also agreed with fishermen to convene a commission of experts to study the problem, while also eradicating some of the fishermen's bad habits, such as throwing fish entrails, which sea lions feed on, back into the sea.

They've agreed to begin tests on boats fitted with ultrasound equipment to scare away sea lions, and machines that will reel in nets quicker.

'Catastrophic problems'

The hunting ban was imposed to preserve the South American sea lion, after two closely related fur seal species were almost driven extinct during the 20th century.

With a ban on hunting them, the South American sea lions have almost no predators now and compete with humans for fish

Chile has signed international accords to protect the sea lion and any violation would engender serious penalties, such as the suspension of salmon imports from the United States, an industry that generates almost $4 billion a year.

The predator's presence is necessary "to balance food chains," Jose Luis Brito, director at San Antonio's natural history museum, told AFP.

Hunting by humans "can produce catastrophic problems with huge consequences, because they are the ones that control life," said Brito.

But, "since they don't have any rivals, and not enough predators," their numbers are on the rise, "provoking them to compete with another predator, which is us."

For Riquelme, there's only one solution: "We have to learn to live with the sea lions."

Explore further Are vulnerable lions eating endangered zebras?

 2018 AFP
A young male howler monkey in Tabasco, Mexico. Though it looks like a black howler monkey, this individual is likely a hybrid of two species, the black howler monkey and the mantled howler monkey. Credit: Milagros Gonzalez

A new University of Michigan study of interbreeding between two species of howler monkeys in Mexico is yielding insights into the forces that drive the evolution of new species.

How do new species emerge in nature? One common but overly simplified version of the story goes like this: A population of animals or plants becomes geographically isolatedby a river that changes course or a mountain range that rises up, for exampleand the two separated groups accumulate genetic differences over time as they adapt to their environments in isolation.

Eventually, the DNA of the two groups is so different that the two populations are considered distinct species. Voila, speciation has occurred.

In reality, the process is much more complex than that. While geographic isolation can start the speciation process, evolutionary biologists believe that other forcesincluding various forms of natural selectioncan help to complete it.

The new U-M study provides rare empirical evidence that multiple forms of natural selection, including a contentious one called reinforcement, are helping to complete the speciation process in a natural howler monkey "hybrid zone," a place where the two species coexist and occasionally interbreed in a process called hybridization.

The study is scheduled for online publication Dec. 22 in the journal Molecular Ecology. In the paper, the researchers use the primate hybrid zone to identify parts of the genome that are likely to contain genes underlying speciation and to test for signals of the selection forces that shaped them.

"We observed patterns in the genetic data suggesting that hybridization is playing a direct role in completing the speciation process by enhancing genetic differences between species," said U-M doctoral candidate Marcella Baiz, the study's first author. The other authors are Liliana Cortes-Ortiz and Priscilla Tucker of the U-M Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology.

"We found a signal for multiple forms of natural selection driving species differences, including reinforcement, a process that has been highly debated," Baiz said. "This result is particularly notable because empirical evidence for reinforcement is extremely rare, especially genetic evidence."

The two species at the center of the study, mantled howler monkeys and black howler monkeys, diverged about 3 million years ago and lived apart until relatively recently when they came into contact againperhaps within the last 10,000 yearsin a roughly 12-mile-wide hybrid zone in the southeastern Mexican state of Tabasco.

A species was once defined as a group of actually or potentially interbreeding individuals that are reproductively isolated from other such groups. The concept of reproductive isolation is key to that definition and means that despite any hybridization, true species maintain their uniqueness.

However, the modern view of what a species is does not require full reproductive isolation, and hybridization has been discovered to be quite common in nature.

At the howler monkey hybrid zone in Mexico where U-M's Cortes-Ortiz and her colleagues have worked for about two decades, analysis of DNA samples has confirmed that black and mantled howler monkeys interbreed and produce hybrid offspring. The fact that hybridization is occurring between the two groups means that reproductive isolation is incomplete.

Evolutionary biologists believe that various natural selection pressures can help complete the process by strengthening barriers to gene flow between two groups, pushing them toward full reproductive isolation.

And because natural selection favors organisms that successfully reproduce over those that don't, it is biased against hybrids, which sometimes die before reproducing or are simply incapable of reproducing.

Natural selection tries to block the formation of these "unfit" hybrids. One way to do that is to gradually increase the genetic differences between two groups of organismsin this case black and mantled howler monkeysso that it's more difficult for them to mate and to produce hybrid offspring.

While working to thwart the formation of hybrids in this way, natural selection strengthens reproductive isolation by increasing genetic differences. This process is called reinforcement; while the idea has been around for more than a century, empirical evidence to support it is scarce.

To test for the presence of reinforcement, Baiz and her colleagues compared the DNA of black and mantled howler monkeys living the Tabasco hybrid zone to the DNA of black and mantled howler monkeys living far from the hybrid zone.

If reinforcement is working to thwart hybridization and to strengthen reproductive isolation, then the genetic differences between the two species in the hybrid zone should be greater than the genetic differences between monkeys of these two species living on either side of the hybrid zone.

And that's exactly what Baiz and her colleagues found when they compared genetic markers that are at or near genes likely associated with reproductive isolation.

"Speciation is a complex process that can be driven by direct and indirect mechanisms that interact to maintain and strengthen the process, and this study is one of the few natural examples that documents this," Baiz said.

The Molecular Ecology paper is titled "Multiple forms of selection shape reproductive isolation in a primate hybrid zone."

Explore further What howler monkeys can tell us about the role of interbreeding in human evolution
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas should require banks to visibly display their international remittance prices on their websites, ACTS-OFW Rep. Aniceto Bertiz III said on Friday. We see no reason why regulators cannot compel banks to clearly post their applicable remittance prices for all to see. Banks are already obliged to make public most of their other fees and charges anyway, he said. Greater transparency from banks with respect to their remittance prices would give more meaning to the rights of consumers, mainly our migrant workers, to be informed and to choose, he added. The party-list is batting for reduced bank remittance charges to help ease the burden on migrant Filipino workers and their families. The less our workers pay for bank money transfer charges, the more cash goes into the pockets of their families here, Bertiz said. The United Nations Social Development Goals seek to lessen income inequality by eventually lowering the cost of an international cash remittance to a global average of 3 percent of the amount sent, he cited.Banks remain the most expensive type of [remittance] service provider, with an average cost of 10.51 percent of the amount sent, he said, citing the World Banks Remittance Prices Worldwide quarterly report as of September. The report basically implies that for every $200 sent home through banks, our migrant workers pay an average of $21.02 in transfer charges, which is too much, Bertiz said. He said the overseas Filipino workers would still prefer to wire their money home via banks, despite the rise of The Western Union Co., MoneyGram International Inc., and other non-bank remittance agents. Banks capture some 85 percent of all the money sent home by overseas Filipinos, the World Bank said. The OFWs have been sending home through the banking system a total of $21.29 billion from January to September this year, up 2.5 percent from $20.78 billion in the same nine-month period in 2017, the BSP said.
Graduation Legacy eco measure passed

posted December 22, 2018 at 10:40 pm by Rio N. Araja December 22, 2018 at 10:40 pm

Congress has passed on second reading the proposed Graduation Legacy for the Environment Act requiring all graduating elementary, high school and college students to plant at least 10 trees as a prerequisite for graduation. Magdalo Party-list Rep. Gary Alejano authored House Bill 8728 declaring that the State shall pursue programs and projects that promote environment protection, biodiversity, climate change mitigation, poverty reduction, and food security. He said the educational system should be used as an avenue for propagating ethical and sustainable use of natural resources among the youth to ensure the cultivation of a socially responsible and conscious citizenry.Deputy Minority Leader and Abang Lingkod party-list Rep. Joseph Stephen Paduano, Rep. Strike Revilla of Cavite, Noel Villanueva of Tarlac, Mark Go of Baguio City and Pablo Ortega of La Union co-authored the proposed measure. The bill mandates the Department of Education and Commission on Higher Education to implement the bill, if passed into a law, in partnership with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of Agriculture, Department of Agrarian Reform, Department of Budget and Management, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of Health, Department of Transportation, Department of National Defense, Department of Science and Technology, Department of Justice, National Commission on Indigenous Peoples, and Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.

COMMENT DISCLAIMER: Reader comments posted on this Web site are not in any way endorsed by Manila Standard. Comments are views by manilastandard.net readers who exercise their right to free expression and they do not necessarily represent or reflect the position or viewpoint of manilastandard.net. While reserving this publications right to delete comments that are deemed offensive, indecent or inconsistent with Manila Standard editorial standards, Manila Standard may not be held liable for any false information posted by readers in this comments section.
About two months ago, cybersecurity firm Crowdstrike warned that China had stepped up efforts to steal intellectual property from American firms and trade secrets under president Trumps administration.

As it turns out, the crime had been going on right under our noses long before Trump ascended into the Oval Office. The Department of Justice (DOJ) has sealed a damning indictment and charged two Chinese intelligence officers for playing a part in a decade-long state-sponsored global hacking campaign that involved intellectual property from no less than 45 U.S. companies including NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Goddard Space Flight Center and tech giants IBM and Hewlett Packard.

Other affected companies operate in diverse tech sectors including: seven companies in the aviation sector, space and/or satellite technology; three companies involved in manufacturing complex electronic systems; three in communications technology; a company in oil and gas and another in maritime technology.

Godkiller Attacks

The indictment accuses Chinas ministry of State Securitythe countrys main intelligence agencyof hacking into dozens of government and tech company databases in an effort to steal intellectual property.

The indictment also says that the hackers stole personally identifiable information, including names, dates of birth, email addresses, Social Security numbers and salary information on more than 100,000 U.S. Navy personnel.

The two charged hackers are part of the notorious Chinese hacking outfit known as Advanced Persistent Threat 10, or simply, APT10. Their famous aliases are Godkiller, CVNX and Afwar.

The group used pretty sophisticated tactics to steal hundreds of gigabytes of product data by infiltrating the MSPs that are used by these companies. MSPs, or Managed Service Providers, are companies that remotely manage their clients information technology infrastructure including servers, storage, networks, consultancy and IT support.

Unfortunately, the hackers are Chinese nationals still living in China and chances of ever being prosecuted in the U.S. are slim-to-none.

Related: Bad News Builds For Global Markets

The charges have come in a period of high tension between the U.S. and China after the former cooperated with Canada to arrest a Huawei CFO. The move came in the middle of a detente in a protracted trade war between the U.S. and China and caused tensions to flare up once again. In retaliation, Beijing has arrested three Canadian citizens while demanding the release of the Huawei executive.

Intellectual Property Theft

When Trump imposed a 10-percent tariff on Chinese goods worth $250 billion, one justification he used was that China was guilty of stealing American intellectual property. These violations involve stealing trade secrets, counterfeiting famous brands and pressuring American companies to share technology with Chinese companies in order to be granted access to the huge Chinese market.

Allegations of Chinese state-sponsored hackers are nothing new really. After years of sustained economically-motivated cyberattacks on US businesses, President Obama and Chinas President Xi Jinping agreed to put a stop to the menace in 2015:

"We've agreed that neither the US or the Chinese government will conduct or knowingly support cyber-enabled theft of intellectual property, including trade secrets or other confidential business information for commercial advantage," Obama said.

China did stick to its end of the deal, but only for a short time.

A 2016 report by cybercrime company FireEye showed that the number of attacks on networks it tracked that originated from Chinese hackers fell to just 10 from 60 three years before. Its therefore quite clear that a lot of Chinese hacking activity is directly or indirectly state sanctioned. Tellingly, the targeted industries in the latest hacking campaign were closely aligned with Chinas ambitious Made in China 2025.

Developments such as these sadly lend credence to pessimistic outlooks that the ongoing trade war between the two nations wont be ending anytime soon. And this is not just about China or the U.S. 75 percent of respondents in a November CNBC Global CFO Council survey believe that the trade spat will negatively impact their businesses over the next six months, with European and Asian CFOs being the most concerned. The trade war is bad for everybody on many levels, not least financial markets that hate uncertainty.

By Alex Kimani for Safehaven.com

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Education Reporter

Mathew Burciaga is a Santa Maria Times reporter who covers education, agriculture and public safety. Prior to joining the Times, Mathew ran a 114-year-old community newspaper in Wyoming. He owns more than 40 pairs of crazy socks from across the globe.
The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration is ready to provide employment assistance to over 100 overseas Filipino workers who were recently repatriated from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. With this, OWWA Administrator Hans Leo Cacdac on Saturday urged the 110 distressed workers to submit their biodata so that OWWA could employ them through the Build, Build, Build program of the Duterte administration, noting that most of the Filipino migrant workers were in the field of infrastructure. We will provide employment facilitation. Our President spearheads the Build, Build, Build program. The DPWH [Department of Public Works and Highways] and various contractors are looking for supplementary manpower which are fit to your skills, he said in a statement. Cacdac said OWWA has package of assistance for the distressed OFWs, arrived in the country on Dec. 8 from Dammam, which include P20,000 financial aid for their smooth reintegration. These were the directives from Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III. We hope that this can help them cope with the daily expenditures, Cacdac added.A total of 88 workers were from Azmeel Company in Al Khobar were affected by the lockdown of work sites and have failed to receive proper wages and overtime pay. Another 18 OFWs from Rakan Trading Contracting Company and four more from Samama Company decided to come home due to contract violations of their Saudi employers. Aside from the financial aid, the repatriated Filipino workers can also apply for livelihood assistance should they choose to stay in the country for good. Our repatriated OFWs also have the opportunity to apply for a livelihood assistance. A seminar will be arranged for them and they will be required to submit their respective business plans. We will teach them how to do it, Cacdac said.
 Federal judiciary has funds for three weeks of shutdown operations ... so let the FIRST STEP Act litigation begin | Main | "Fifty Years of American Sentencing Reform  Nine Lessons" 

December 22, 2018

More notable state clemency developments for the holiday season

In this post a few days ago, I flagged some notable recent clemency grants by Governors in Arkansas and Colorado and Pennsylvania (while also lamenting that Prez Trump has not followed up a lot of big clemency talk with any big clemency action). With the Christmas holiday nudging every closer, I am not surprised (though still pleased and grateful) that Governors in a few more states are using the ink their clemency pens. Here is another round-up of notable new state clemency stories:

Colorado: "Hickenlooper orders clemency for 33 Colorado offenders, including 7 men convicted of murder"

Michigan: "Gov. Rick Snyder grants clemency to lifer Melissa Chapman, 60 others"

Pennsylvania: "Wolf grants clemency to two more inmates, including one midstate woman"

Tennessee: "Tennessee Governor Granted Clemency To 11 People, Cyntoia Brown Not Included"

Texas: "Christmas clemency: Gov. Greg Abbott pardons six Texans, two for marijuana possession"

December 22, 2018 at 02:01 PM | Permalink

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Chinese court jails nine for dumping tens of thousands of tonnes of refuse in Yangtze toxic waste scandal

Nine men in eastern China have been jailed for up to six and a half years for dumping tens of thousands of tonnes of rubbish near the mouth of the Yangtze, including toxic waste that threatened to poison the water supply of a nearby city.

The case was one of the biggest environmental pollution scandals in recent years and triggered a national outcry.

State broadcaster CCTV reported that an unlicenced contractor had thrown more than 20,000 tonnes of household refuse, including large amounts of toxic waste, into the river near Taicang, a city that borders Shanghai, in December 2016.

They also illegally buried almost 20,300 tonnes of poisonous waste in Zhejiang and Anhui provinces, prosecutors said.

On Wednesday Changshu Peoples Court in Jiangsu province sentenced the three ringleaders  surnamed Ni, Zhou and Zhang  to jail terms of six and a half years, five years, and four years and three months respectively. They were also given fines of ranging from 400,000 yuan to 1 million yuan (US$58,000 to US$145,000).

Six other defendants were given sentences ranging from 18 months to two years and fined between 50,000 and 60,000 yuan.

The court heard that the refuse they dumped had been dispersed across dozens of kilometres and had seriously damaged water quality.

This forced two tap water suppliers in Taicang to stop piping water from the river for more than two days.

Levels of phenol, an acidic compound with a variety of industrial uses, were found to be anything from 80 to 32,200 times higher than normal in the affected areas.

Prosecutors estimated that the total environmental damage caused by the mens actions totalled 20 million yuan.

Jin Liantao, vice director of the environmental resources tribunal at the court, told CCTV that people found guilty of damaging the environment by illegally dumping toxic waste can be jailed for between three and seven years.

Ni and Zhou ran a processing company called Tianshun Waste Clearing and Transportation based in Haiyan county in Zhejiang.

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Prosecutors told the court that between August and December 2016, the company had tried to save money by hiring an unlicenced contractor run by Zhang to dispose of waste their firm had collected.

At the end of the year, Zhangs firm was caught transporting thousands of tonnes of waste by ship and dumping it in the river.

Four of those jailed were the owners of the ships used by Zhangs company and the other two had worked as crane operators on-board.

The report also said that the city authorities in Taicang and Shanghai had spent 6 million yuan cleaning up the river as a result of their actions.

This article Chinese court jails nine for dumping tens of thousands of tonnes of refuse in Yangtze toxic waste scandal first appeared on South China Morning Post

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Ahead of the VALORANT Champions 2021, Yahoo Esports SEA caught up with Team Secret's VALORANT team and how they're preparing for the tournament. VALORANT Champions is the crowning event of the 2021 VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT) and will see 16 of the best teams from all around the world duking it out from 1 to 12 December in Berlin, Germany for the right to be crowned as the first-ever VALORANT world champions. It features a total prize pool of US$1 million, with the champions taking the lion's share of US$350,000. All teams in the event are guaranteed to take home at least US$20,000 while eight squads that qualify for the playoffs will secure themselves at least US$40,000. VALORANT Champions features 16 of the best teams from across the VCT, with 12 teams getting direct invites to the tournament based on the amount of circuit points they amassed during the regular season while the remaining four teams earned their spot in the event through the last chance qualifiers.
A popular Taiwanese heavy metal band which advocates independence for the island announced Saturday it had been forced to cancel a show in Hong Kong after failing to get visas in time. "The Hong Kong government has kept delaying and has yet to issue work visas... We have no choice but to cancel the show," ChthoniC, one of Asia's best-known black metal bands, said in a statement on their verified Facebook account. Denise Ho, a pro-democracy canto-pop star who had invited ChthoniC to perform at a festival, said in a Facebook post that immigration officials have not responded to the applications, which were filed in November. The website for Hong Kong's immigration authorities states work visas can take up to four weeks to process, but in her post Ho said music acts usually get approval within a week. "This is purely an exchange of music. What to be afraid of?" Ho added. AFP has reached out to Hong Kong's immigration department for comment. ChthoniC was founded in 1995 by Freddy Lim, a pro-independence lawmaker in Taipei. The rocker-turned-politician defeated a veteran MP in Taiwan's 2016 parliamentary election. Lim was denied a travel visa to Hong Kong that year. His New Power Party calls for Taiwan to be recognised internationally as a country. Beijing still sees Taiwan as part of its territory to be reunified, despite the two sides being ruled separately since the end of a civil war on the mainland in 1949. In recent years, concern has also grown in Hong Kong about its freedoms disappearing as China tightens its grip on the semi-autonomous city. A senior Financial Times journalist's visa renewal was rejected earlier this year after he hosted a speech at Hong Kong's press club by Andy Chan, the leader of a tiny pro-independence political party. Authorities did not provide an explanation for the rejection.
A suspected member of the Abu Sayyaf has been arrested in Tondo, National Capital Region Police Office Director Guillermo Eleazar said on Saturday. Eleazar identified the suspect as Sudais Asmad, 25, a native of Landang, Zamboanga del Sur who is residing at the Baseco Compound in Tondo, Manila. Asmad, allegedly a follower of Abu Sayyaf Group leader Furuji Indama, was reportedly in Manila to receive financial support from sympathizers, and other unknown missions. He was arrested for kidnapping and serious illegal detention charges, Eleazar said. Operatives of NCRPOs Regional Special Operations Unit served the warrant of arrest against the suspect. Police recovered a pistol, a magazine loaded with four live ammunition, and a chamber loaded with one live ammunition during the operation.Eleazar said Asmad was part of the Abu Sayyaf group that kidnapped 15 employees of the Golden Harvest Plantation in Lantawan, Basilan from June to October 2001. One of the victims identified Asmad as one of the kidnappers and provided an affidavit on his involvement in the crime. Asmad is also said to be a liaison and escort/guide of Balik Islam that was supposed to augment the local terrorist group under Isnilon Hapilon during the Marawi siege in May 2017. The suspect is under the custody of the RSOU in Camp Bagong Diwa. In addition to the kidnapping charges, Asmad will also face charges for violating the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act.
At least 25 international observers are going to witness the plebiscite for the ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law on Jan. 21 and Feb. 6 next year, the Commission on Elections said. Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said the foreign observers were from the European Union, Australia, Japan, Canada, and the US. He noted that allowing international observers to monitor the plebiscite would increase the credibility of the electoral process they would be witnessing. Having third-party witnesses to the event basically assures that the world has a clear view into (sic) whats going on in the ground level. In that sense, it increases the comfort level of people outside the elections as to whats going on with the elections, he said in a media interview. Second, observers do give reports to the election management body which means these reports act as very valuable feedback that will allow the election management body to fine-tune its procedures, to weed out procedures that dont work and to adopt good practices that do, he said. Finally, when we talk about international observers, of course were talking about people who are very knowledgeable, normally in the democratic process. And people who are very interested in ensuring that fundamental rights of people who are voting are protected and thats a very important part of any election, especially in a plebiscite, Jimenez said. The Comelec official reminded the visitors about some restrictions to be implemented. He said: Very few. Primarily we only ask them to act professionally at all times, to identify themselves to the election authorities on the ground. And that they give copies of their reports. They have access to all parts of the process, to the people involved in the process. For instance, if the Philippine National Police were to hold a command conference on the ground, they, theoretically, can ask to sit in and watch the proceedings. READ: MILF bucks anti-BOL petitions However, it is expected that international observers will not interfere in the process. Whether or not they agree with what they see, whether or not they feel that there is something wrong with the process as it is ongoing. It is expected by international convention that they will not interfere in the process. The point is manuod tayo, hindi yung makikialam tayo (The point is let us observe, not intervene). As for their security, Jimenez said they were coordinating with proper authorities. READ: Philconsa to SC: BOL will 'destroy country , dismember territories' We are coordinating with the PNP and Armed Forces of the Philippines. They themselves have security liaisons. That is a very serious, real concern and thats why were not sparing any effort in terms of putting the two of them together. These observer missions know that it is their primary responsibility to keep their observers safe. We will assist in every way possible, he said. READ: Majority of ARMM youth in favor of Bangsamoro ratification
The top U.S. envoy to the global coalition to fight ISIS has decided to accelerate his planned resignation in protest. Brett McGurk was already planning to retire in February but decided to leave by the end of the year following President Donald Trumps abrupt move to withdraw troops out of Syria. The resignation comes shortly after Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis decided to step down for the same reason.

The recent decision by the president came as a shock and was a complete reversal of policy that was articulated to us, McGurk said in an email to his colleagues. It left our coalition partners confused and our fighting partners bewildered. Although he tried to contain the fallout from the decision, I ultimately concluded that I could not carry out these new instructions and maintain my integrity, he said.

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In his resignation letter, McGurk, who has been in his post since 2015, said that while ISIS is on the run, it would be a mistake to think it had already been defeated. And prematurely pulling out U.S. troops would only create the type of conditions that gave rise to ISIS in the first place. McGurk may have also felt a personal sting with Trumps sudden decision because he had publicly all but guaranteed U.S. troops wouldnt be going anywhere in the near future. 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, he told reporters on Dec. 11. McGurk presented his resignation, which becomes effective Dec. 31, to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday.

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On Saturday, Trump continued to insist that his abrupt decision to pull out troops from Syria was the right call. When I became President, ISIS was going wild, Trump wrote on Twitter. Now ISIS is largely defeated and other local countries, including Turkey, should be able to easily take care of whatever remains. Were coming home!
Remember that video that went viral of the FBI agent accidentally shooting someone after doing a backflip on the dance floor at a Denver bar last summer? Well it turns out Chase Bishop wont face any prison time after pleading guilty Friday to third-degree assault. Instead Bishop was sentenced to two years of supervised probation. We believe that this agreement strikes an appropriate balance of seeking justice for the victim and ensuring that this type of incident does not happen again, Denver District Attorney Beth McCann said.

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The victim of the gunshot, Tom Reddington, said his life had been turned upside down after that fateful night he was shot in the leg. He lost his job at an Amazon warehouse and has chronic pain. I have done months of physical therapy, he said. I have sought counseling. However, being in public, especially seeing law enforcement with guns, makes me very uncomfortable.

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This @FBI agent was dancing at a Denver bar on Saturday night. Did a back flip, gun falls. He picks it up and a round is fired, hitting a man (hell be ok.) @DenverPolice investigating. #9News pic.twitter.com/MwV1WpNzAQ  Ryan Haarer (@RyanHaarer) June 3, 2018

Despite the consequences, Reddington insisted he didnt hold any personal grudges against Bishop. Ive done stupid things at bars to impress girls, too, Reddington said. Bishop apologized to Reddington in court. Mr. Reddington Im extremely sorry for everything hes gone through, Bishop said. The FBI has not commented on the case, but the Reddingtons lawyer said he had heard the agency fired Bishop shortly after the incident.
Bullying, retribution, greed, beer: It became abundantly clear this year how much childish masculinity has a hold on power in America. Lili Loofbourow calls this class of manchildrenwhich includes Donald Trump, Brett Kavanaugh, Les Moonves, and othersthe Old Boys, and unfortunately weve been stuck living in their world.

It wont come around: This week, a circuit court dismissed 83 ethics complaints against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, making it once and for all clear that America has no way to hold someone with Kavanaughs power accountable. Dahlia Lithwick dives into the queasy feeling were left with.

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Letting down your defenses: What does Secretary of Defense James Mattis impending departure from the White House mean for this administration, and the country? Fred Kaplan looks at moments when the last grown-up in the room held the presidents power in check and concludes that anxiety is justified.

Partys over: Over the past couple weeks, four Kansas state legislators, all longtime Republicans, have ditched the GOP to officially join with the states Democrats. Molly Olmstead spoke to three of them about the reasons they left the party and what goals they hope to achieve with their shift in affiliation.

For fun: A profane publishing trend.

Makes for a perfect holiday gift,

Nitish
President Donald Trump wants to bring American troops home from Syria and Afghanistan. But Trump doesnt want to look weak. To keep up his tough-guy act and satisfy his base, he wants to deploy troops on our southern border, where he claims theyll stop terrorists, deter illegal immigrants, and help build a wall. Trump thinks he can shift American militarism from the Muslim world to Mexico without paying a political price. But a fellow Republican, Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, is trying to wreck Trumps plan. Graham, who supports the border wall, is using that issue to pummel the president for pulling out of Syria and Afghanistan.

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Trump says ISIS is finished. We have defeated ISIS in Syria, he tweeted on Wednesday. Its time to leave Syria to Russia and Iran, the president argues, and defend our own borders for a change. Our great Military is doing a great job  on our Southern Border, Trump declared on Thursday. Now the president has another mission in mind: Because of the tremendous dangers at the Border, including large scale criminal and drug inflow, the United States Military will build the Wall!

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Trump wants Americans to think of the southern border as a war zone, with thousands of innocent lives lost every year to criminal organizations and massive drug inflow. The real terror threat, he falsely asserted in a speech on Thursday at the White House, isnt in the Middle East; its at home, where every day, 10 known or suspected terrorists try to gain entry into our country. Democrats who oppose a border wall are weakening America in the face of this enemy, said the president: The Democrats continue to oppose border security, no matter how many innocent people get hurt or die.

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Politically, this is an ambitious scheme. Trump is trying to frame a budget fight over a walla wall between the United States and a friendly countryas our most important national security issue. Important enough, in his view, to shut down the government if Congress wont pay for the wall. Any measure that funds the government must include border security, the president demanded on Thursday, for the safety of our community.

That argument is a tough sell. Trump is wrong on the facts: Undocumented immigrants are less likely to commit crimes than native-born Americans. Hes also on the wrong side of polls: Most Americans dont want a wall and dont think its worth shutting down the government. But the presidents biggest problem is that the places from which hes withdrawing troopsthe Middle East and southwest Asiapose a far bigger terror threat than does any country south of our border. And Graham has decided to drive that point home at Trumps expense.

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In speeches, press conferences, TV interviews, and tweets, Graham is accusing the president of ignoring his military commanders and national security officials. Graham calls the Syria pullout a big win for RussiaThey are ECSTATIC, he tweeted on Thursdayand a sign of American weakness to Iran and North Korea. At a press conference that day, Graham charged that the pullout was akin to surrendering.

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Withdrawing from Syria is like tearing down a wall thats protecting us from terrorists, Graham declared.

Trump isnt just fleeing the battlefield, according to Graham. Hes endangering the United States. The Afghan branch of ISIS poses a direct threat to our homeland, has the United States in their target sets, and is plotting to hit America, Graham warned the president. If Trump withdraws troops, said Graham, We are setting in motion the loss of all our gains and paving the way toward a second 9/11.

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Graham doesnt just challenge Trumps seriousness on terrorism. He takes direct aim at the presidents political strategy, arguing that the pullouts make a mockery of Trumps tough talk about the border. Withdrawing from Syria is like tearing down a wall thats protecting us from terrorists, Graham declared Thursday on CNN. On Twitter, he roasted Trump: Outsourcing our national security and the fight against ISIS to Russia, Iran, and Assad/Syria  will result in an Open Borders policy for ISIS.

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Grahams attacks have stung Trump. On Thursday, the president tweeted back at Graham, saying it was time to focus on our Country & bring our youth back home. On Friday, Trump bristled at the suggestion that he was surrendering the Middle East to Russia. There has never been a president who has been tougher (but fair) on China or Russia, he tweeted.

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Trump has the power of the presidency in this fight, but Graham has the stronger ground politically. The senator is directly undercutting the presidents attempt to change the subject from Syria and Afghanistan to Mexico. Moreover, when you pull troops out of a country full of terrorists, Americans soon forget about the bloodshed you avoided. Instead, you get blamed for the next terror attack at home. And Grahams televised warning about a second 9/11 is handy material for Democrats and journalists in the event of a major jihadi strike on the United States.

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Graham also has an advantage because of the way Trump has framed the fight over the border wall. Having promised that Mexico would pay for the wall, Trump now extols Mexico as a buffer and ally in blocking illegal immigration from Central America. In fact, the White House is using that relationship as a cudgel against Democrats. Its a sad day in America when the Mexican government is doing more to protect our borders and stop the illegal flow of drugs, human trafficking, and terrorists across our borders than Senate Democrats are willing to do, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders sniped Friday morning on Fox and Friends.

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Thats an invitation to turn the question back to Syria and Afghanistan. If buffers and allies are important in protecting us from nonlethal threats to the south, arent they also important in protecting us from lethal threats to the east? Isnt the military better suited to fighting terrorists than to constructing a wall against civilians? Isnt Graham right that an abrupt withdrawal from Syria and Afghanistan makes Trumps bluster about a border wallwhich Graham otherwise supportsa joke?

Graham cant stop the pullout. But politically, he can make it hurt the president. On Friday, Graham told reporters that hes calling for hearings right now to debunk Trumps rosy portrayal of the situation in Syria. Graham intends to summon as one of his witnesses Defense Secretary James Mattis, who announced on Thursday that hes resigning to protest the troop withdrawals. On Saturday, the New York Times reported that Brett McGurk, Trumps special envoy to the anti-ISIS coalition in Syria, is also resigning in protest. I could not carry out these new instructions and maintain my integrity, McGurk said of the pullout order. The firefight over Syria and Afghanistan has moved inside Trumps country, inside his party, and inside his administration. Theres no wall the president can hide behind.
President Donald Trump appears to be continuing his streak of feeling no need to respect traditional separation of powers. The commander in chief has lashed out at his hand-picked Acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker for failing to do more to control the Manhattan U.S. Attorneys Office and its prosecution of Michael Cohen, according to CNN. This happened at least twice. The first time when Cohen pleaded guilty to lying to Congress about the plans for a Trump Tower in Moscow and another when prosecutors implicated him in a plan to buy the silence of women who said they had affairs with him.

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CNN insists that its sources never said that Trump even suggested Whitaker needed to stop the investigation. Rather, they insist, the president was simply letting off some steam about a situation that he saw as unfair. But he also wondered why more wasnt being done to control the prosecutors who had brought the charges that implicated Trump.

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Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff blasted the president for even discussing the case with Whitaker. The President of the United States should not be discussing any criminal case in which he has been implicated with the Acting Attorney General, Schiff wrote on Twitter. This is wrong, unethical and eviscerates post-Watergate policy. Whitaker should not need an ethics opinion to know this is inexcusable.

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Even if Trump didnt personally order Whitaker to stop the prosecution, his attitude toward Whitaker illustrates how he sees the attorney general as someone who should personally look out for him and protect him. But these exchanges appear to demonstrate how little Whitaker appears to have been able to do to scrap investigations against the president. Josh Marshall of Talking Points Memo explains:
Hanover Shoe Farms and Moni Maker Stable (The Antonacci Family and David Reid) are excited to announce that the 2017 OBrien Award-winning Three-Year-Old Trotter Of The Year International Moni will join the Hanover stallion roster in 2019.

By the outstanding French sire Love You, and out of the $5.5 million-winning Hall of Famer, OBrien, Dan Patch Horse and Trotter of the Year Moni Maker, International Moni took a stellar record of 1:53.1 at two capturing an International Stallion Stake division. International Moni took home the three-year-old trotting colt division trophy after winning nine of 15 races at three.

His victories included an elimination of the Hambletonian, Goodtimes (elim and Final), Carl Erskine Memorial, Breeders Crown elim, Kentucky Futurity elim, Simcoe, and the Bluegrass. He retired with a record of 3,1:51.4 and $775,463 in career earnings.

Lindy Farms' Frank M. Antonacci says International Moni is a culmination of three generations of work and feels he is a stallion that will attract a global market as well as injecting fresh blood into North America. That's why I say he's a special horse on so many levels... It's just really cool to think about it.

Love You has produced champions in six countries including Prix dAmerique winner Royal Dream, Elitloppet winner Nahar, as well as the 2018 three-year-old star Face Time Bourbon. Additionally, he is the broodmare sire of the brilliant Bold Eagle.

"We've had a tremendous amount of success in the business with stallions and with this horse, we think he can reshape the breed for the next 25 years," says Frank The Elder Antonacci.

Standing 16 hands tall, with his unique pedigree and classic looks, Hanovers Dr. Bridgette Jablonsky says, "I don't think there's a mare in Canada or the U.S. that can't be bred to him. Hanover will be supporting him heavily, amongst the mares being bred to him are D Train (dam of Donato Hanover) and two of her daughters.

International Moni will stand in Pennsylvania for an introductory stud fee of $5,000. Shares are available by contacting Hanover Shoe Farms (717-637-8931) or David Reid (914-773-7777).

(Hanover Shoe Farms)
LIGHTS BEFORE SHUTDOWN.

The US Capitol (below) is seen with lights on ahead of a possible government shutdown in Washington, D.C., on Friday (Saturday in Manila). The House of Representatives adjourned without Congress passing a spending deal, assuring a partial government shutdown at midnight as President Donald Trump (above) and lawmakers remain at odds over border wall funding. AFP

WashingtonThe US House of Representatives adjourned Friday (Saturday in Manila) without Congress passing a spending deal, assuring a partialat midnight as President Donald Trump and lawmakers remain at odds over border wall funding.Operations for several key agencies will cease in the early hours of Saturday, despite last-ditch talks that continued on Capitol Hill between White House officials and congressional leaders in both parties. Trump is seeking $5 billion for construction of a wall on the US border with Mexico. Democrats are staunchly opposed, and the absence of an elusive deal means federal funds for dozens of agencies will lapse at midnight. It remained unclear how long thewill last. But the optics are bad, as hundreds of thousands of federal employees will be either furloughed or forced to work without pay in the runup to the Christmas holiday. The House is due back in session at noon (1700 GMT) Saturday (1 a.m. Sunday in Manila). The Senate, meanwhile, remained open late Friday, but there were no signs yet of a breakthrough, and the chamber was quiet. Senators told reporters that congressional leaders from both parties were negotiating behind the scenes with White House officials including Vice President Mike Pence, Trumps son-in-law Jared Kushner, and incoming chief of staff Mick Mulvaney.One focus of discussion was the $1.6 billion in border security funding that was a part of pending Senate legislation, number two Senate Republican John Cornyn told AFP. But conservatives in the House would likely balk at that figure. Theres no agreement, congressman Mark Meadows, chairman of the House Freedom Caucus of ultra-conservatives, told reporters as he made his way from Senate meetings to the House. Theres a whole lot of numbers being thrown around, but a maximum $1.6 billion for border security is not acceptable.
Hollywood known Armenian actor Michael Goorjian is planning to shoot a new movie. This time the shooting spot will be Armenia. The actor, who is mostly known for his parts in such Hollywood projects, like Newsies, Chaplin, Forever Young and Illusion, has named his new project The New Armenian.

Michael has shared some details on his upcoming movie with NEWS.am STYLE.

The New Armenian is a screenplay I wrote and will direct, alongside Anahid Nazarian who is producing. We are now in pre-production, and plan to shoot in the fall of next year,-says the actor.

The story is about an Armenian-American who repatriates to Armenia in 1947 in hopes of discovering his cultural roots, only to end up in a Soviet prison. Through an unusual connection with one of the guards (a native Armenian), the American is able to learn about the side of Armenia he came back for, the soul of Armenia hidden behind the iron curtain. Despite the serious circumstances of the film, the tone of the story is light and whimsical, like a fairy-tale. Similar to Life is Beautiful by Roberto Benigni.

The Armenian-American actor intends to make a film that will celebrate Armenian culture and help to expose it to the rest of the world.

Most of all, I want to make an Armenian film that is not too heavy and depressing, but that is hopeful and enjoyable to watch.

I was in Armenia for 10 days at the beginning of October 2018, with some producers to look at the viability of shooting in Armenia. We met with actors, scouted locations and met with local filmmakers. We all came away very excited about working there.

The cast will be announced next year. It will be a mix of native Armenian actors and Armenians actors from abroad,-says the actor.

As for the film, it will be released in 2020.

Syune Arakelyan

Photos from Michael Goorjians Facebook page

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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.

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EMBLEMATIC GIFT. President Rodrigo Duterte hands over a token to outgoing Philippine Air Force Commanding General Lt. Gen. Galileo Gerard Kintanar Jr. during the PAF Change of Command Ceremony at the PAF Multipurpose Gym, Villamor Air Base in Pasay City on Friday. Presidential Photo

President Rodrigo Duterte appointed another former military official to a government post, naming retired Philippine Air Force Chief Lt. Gen. Galileo Gerard Kintanar Jr. as head of the Philippine Coconut Authority. The appointment was made as Congress was crafting a bill for the return of the multi-billion Coco Levy Fund to Filipino coconut farmers, which had more than P100-billion fund including interests, Malacanang said. I want somebody who is really above the rest of the crowd...He has a spotless record..., the President said in his speech during the PAF change-of-command at Villamor Air Base. ...when we were conferring in the Cabinet, I was looking for a candidate to be the chairman who should be someone where I could rest my hope in him and no single peso would be lost, he said. The President admitted that even though he did not know much about Kintanar, he was already eyeing him to fill the position. When the time comes and if I can get the mechanisms of how the money will be distributed to the beneficiaries and if I look for somebody...where the money would not be lost, that person should be the retired General Kintanar, he said.During the event, the President praised Kintanar for accomplishing the Air Force mission, especially in its efforts to fight insurgency and terrorism. Under his watch, the PAF in coordination with other units of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and other agencies, many terrorists have surrendered or have been arrested, firearms were recovered, a drug laboratory was dismantled, many drug personalities were captured, and millions worth of illegal drugs were seized. During his tenure, General Kintanar has proven his commitment to duty as highlighted by his valuable contributions in ensuring security during the rehabilitation of Marawi, as well as the humanitarian and relief assistance during typhoons and disasters throughout the year, the President said. All these attest to the exemplary leadership of General Kintanar and the collaborative efforts of the valiant men and women of the Philippine Air Force, he added. READ: Kintanar takes over Air Force
United NationsThe UN Security Council has unanimously approved a resolution that authorizes the deployment of observers to war-torn Yemen to oversee a fragile truce in the strategic Red Sea port of Hodeida. The draft, which was submitted by Britain, had been the subject of tough negotiations among the 15 council members and was amended several times before the vote. It also endorses the results of UN-brokered peace negotiations in Sweden last week. Yemens warring parties agreed to a ceasefire that took effect Tuesday and the withdrawal of fighters in Hodeida, a major gateway for aid and food imports. The city is a vital lifeline for millions at risk of starvation, and the ceasefire between Saudi-backed government forces and Huthi Shiite rebels is seen as the best chance yet of ending four years of devastating conflict. The agreement also included a planned prisoner swap involving about 15,000 detainees. The UN Security Council resolution insists on the full respect by all parties of the ceasefire agreed for Hodeida. It authorizes the United Nations to establish and deploy, for an initial period of 30 days from the adoption of this resolution, an advance team to begin monitoring the ceasefire, under the leadership of retired Dutch general Patrick Cammaert.Saudi Arabia welcomed the resolution which means the Huthis will lose their margin of maneuver, Khalid Manzlawi, the kingdoms deputy permanent representative to the UN, said in a statement carried by the official Saudi Press Agency. He also thanked Kuwait and Saudi Arabias ally the United States for reaching the appropriate formula for the resolution, which is in the interest of the people of Yemen and the maintenance of international peace and security. According to the UN, Cammaert  who served multiple times as a UN peacekeeper  was expected in the Jordanian capital Amman before heading to the rebel-held capital Sanaa and Hodeida. The war in Yemen between the 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 conflict has killed about 10,000 people, according to the World Health Organization, although human rights groups say the real death toll could be five times as high.
At least 5,000 demonstrators took to the streets of the Hungarian capital Budapest late Friday, as rightwing nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban dismissed a wave of protests against a new labour reform as "hysterical shouting".

Protesters marched from outside parliament to the presidential palace on the other side of the Danube in temperatures close to freezing.

Many shouted angry slogans against the government but no clashes were reported with police.

The current series of protests was sparked on December 12 when MPs passed a measure -- dubbed the "slave law" by opponents -- which hikes the amount of overtime that employers can demand from 250 to 400 hours per year.

Friday evening's demonstration is expected to be the last before the Christmas holidays, but unions and opposition parties announced they would hold a new protest on 5 January to keep up the momentum of the movement into the new year.

- 'New opposition' -

Balazs Barany from the leftwing MSZP party told the rally that "a new opposition has been born", with the protests uniting various rival factions in an unprecedented fashion.

Protesters shouted angry slogans against the government but no clashes were reported with police /  AFP

Unions have also taken part, threatening a general strike to fight the law.

Tamas Szucs from the teachers' union told the crowd: "The country must be brought to a standstill in January!"

Balazs Lipusz from the Union of University Students added: "If the workers stop the factories, block the roads, we will go with them!"

A rude anti-Orban slogan was projected onto the side of parliament and the presidential palace, with some protestors also chanting slogans in solidarity with the private Central European University (CEU).

During the rally Anna Donath from the small liberal party Momentum read out a list of five demands of the protest movement, including not only the abolition of the overtime law, but also the scrapping of a recent judicial reform and more independence in public news media.

Meanwhile, councils in Hungary's third-largest city of Szeged and the northern town of Salgotarjan on Friday passed resolutions promising not to implement the new law.

- 'Hysterical shouting' -

Protesters marched through the capital city of Budapest in temperatures close to freezing /  AFP

Speaking at a press conference before Friday's protest, MSZP president Bertalan Toth alluded to possible protest action against businesses with ties to Orban's Fidesz party, as well as the big employers who stand to benefit from the overtime law.

"We will target those that the Fidesz regime caters to with their laws," Toth said.

However, Orban used a weekly interview with public radio to double down on his defence of the law, saying that his government "simply wants to get rid of silly rules so that those who want to earn more can work more".

Orban said in the interview that employees will be paid for overtime at the end of each month, but the text of the law allows employers to delay payment by up to three years.

Orban insisted that "this law is a good law, we have to judge it on how it works in practice".

"We heard this same hysterical shouting when we threw the IMF out of Hungary, when we cut taxes or introduced the public works programme, the opposition cried: 'Slave!'," he added.

Police stood guard around the presidental palace of Buda Castle as protesters gathered /  AFP

He also repeated the government's accusation that the "most aggressive protesters are paid by George Soros," the liberal Hungarian-born US billionaire and a frequent target of Orban's government.

According to a poll published by the Publicus company on Friday, more than two-thirds of Hungarians thought the protests were justified and that the overtime law would hurt workers' interests.
A Guyana government backbencher who complained about "dictatorship" has triggered elections and an unprecedented political situation in the former British colony.

"We are going back to the polls," Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo said after his coalition, which had a one-vote majority in the National Assembly, lost a no-confidence motion brought by the opposition over rising unemployment and what it called poor economic management.

The coalition between A Partnership for National Unity and the Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) had 33 seats, against 32 for the opposition People's Progressive Party Civic (PPPC).

But when AFC member Charrandas Persaud switched sides to back the opposition's no confidence motion, Nagamootoo said "the outcome has to be accepted," paving the way for general elections within 90 days.

Persaud complained that the government "failed to perform as a truly democratic government should," and said backbenchers had not been consulted.

"It has been a policy of dictatorship," he said in a statement.

The prime minister countered that until Friday he had no reason to believe that Persaud had a problem.

Opposition leader Bharrat Jagdeo said the situation "is unprecedented" but called for calm and consensus between the government and opposition.

His PPPC had ruled the country on the northeastern tip of South America since 1992 until the coalition unseated it in 2015.

Elections were not constitutionally due until 2020.

Guyana, one of South America's poorest countries, shares cultural ties with the English-speaking Caribbean.
Los AngelesHollywood action star Steven Seagal will not face prosecution after a woman accused him of sexually assaulting her when she was 17, prosecutors said. The Los Angeles County District Attorneys Office said time had run out to pursue the case brought by a Dutch model who alleges she was groped in a hotel room in 2002. Prosecutors did not name the alleged victim, but lawyer Lisa Bloom identified her as Dutch model Faviola Dadis. Dadis, who didnt come forward until several years after the alleged assault, accuses Seagal of attacking her during what she thought was an audition in the W Hotel in Beverly Hills. She claims Seagal slipped his hand underneath her clothing, fondled her breasts and groped her crotch.She is one of several women who have come forward with allegations of sexual assault or harassment against the 66-year-old Under Siege star. He has denied all claims of misconduct. In paperwork released Friday, a prosecutor said the case was referred for further investigation which did not yield evidence sufficient to meet the requirements of state law involving the statute of limitations. Therefore, the case is declined due to the expiration of the statute of limitations, it said. Prosecutors had declined earlier this year to file a case against Seagal involving an alleged sexual assault in 1993, citing the statute of limitations.
PSG 'in talks' with Gueye

| Friday, 21 December 2018



The French giants are said to be looking at Cesc Fabregas and a potential loan deal for Liverpool's Fabinho but L'Equipe are reporting that they have initiated contact over a possible transfer of Gueye.

The Senegal international, formerly of Lille, is one of Marco Silva's most dependable players and he would be reluctant to let him leave unless it was for a particularly persuasive sum.

PSG's biggest obstacle, however, is the fact that they only have around 20m to spend because of Financial Fair Play restrictions which would almost certainly preclude a deal with Everton for Gueye.

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Christmas is right around the corner. Christmas lights illuminate our streets and curtain some buildings with their sparkly glow. Cooler, dryer winds are starting to blow our way. Gifts (and our spending for them) are piling up. Our bellies are already getting their practice for the festivities to come. And of course there is the traffic of the holiday rush. In all of this, it is sometimes easy to forget that Christmas is actually a religious celebration observed by many Christians. Even easier to forget is the fact that even before Christians started celebrating the birth of Christ during the 25th of December, people from around the world have already been celebrating this time of the year because of what it represents in the yearly cycles of the sky. In other words, this holiday season is also about outer space. Of course the people who celebrated Yule, Dongzhi, Ayan Parivartan, and other similar celebrations around the world probably did not understand the full correlation of their celebrations with a regular astronomical event. What they were aware of, however, was that they were celebrating an important point in the cycles of the sky, cycles that affected the way they lived in very intimate ways. Today we know that these cycles occur because of regularities dictated by the laws of gravity and motion. In other words, the equations of physics conduct the regularity of our holidays. Two important set of laws are the conservation of angular momentum and the laws of gravity. The first one says that the tilt of the Earths axis will change very slowly because of how big and massive the Earth is. In effect, over the course of hundreds of years the Earth tilts toward the same direction in outer space. One effect of this is that Polaris, our current North Star, has been our north star for centuries now and will continue to be so for the next few thousands of years. The second set of physical laws, the laws of gravity, dictate the way the Earth moves around the Sun over the course of a year.A combination of the effects stated above results in the fact that each of the Earths halves or hemispheres gets tilted away from or toward the Sun at specific times of the year. The Earths northern hemisphere, where the Philippines is located, is tilted toward the Sun in June and tilted away in December. The opposite holds for the southern hemisphere, where countries like Australia and South Africa are located; the Earths south pole is tilted away from the Sun in June and tilted toward in December. As the Earth goes around the Sun in its yearly cycle, as appointed by the laws of physics, we here on Earth observed regularities in the way the Sun moves across our sky. Because the Sun is the main source of energy for most of the process here on Earth, these cycles also translate to changes in the way we humans live our lives. The cycles, more or less, go like this. Starting from March, the days progressively get longer and longer. The Sun climbs higher and higher in the sky, giving us both the heat of summer and the energy that results in our rainy seasons from June onward. By June, the day gets as long as it can be, after which time it starts to get shorter, giving way to longer nights. By September, daytime and nighttime are almost equal. By October, the nights start to gain ground, progressively getting longer than the days, culminating in the shortest day of the year, the solstice of December. The solstice of December, also called the winter solstice in parts of the northern hemisphere which experience winter, falls on December 21 or 22. (This year it falls on the 22nd.) This is the time of the year when, in the view of many pre-modern societies, the Sun gets reborn. The days, which have previously gotten shorter, begin to get longer once again. The longer nights begin to give way to the daytime. People from around the world have observed this pattern and began celebrating this special day of the year in many forms. The Germanic people of Europe celebrate the Yule, the Romans celebrated Saturnalia, the Chinese celebrate Dongzhi, and so on. Some historians speculate that Pope Julius I declared Christmas to be on December 25th partly to make it coincide with the Roman celebration of Saturnalia, that way making celebrations seamless for new converts to Christianity. So this holiday season, however you celebrate it, I hope you would consider adding thinking about our place in the universe to the mix. Happy holidays to one and all!
A video of several students of Ateneo Junior High School has become viral, and Filipinos reactions online and offline are as telling as the bullying incident that the video reveals. There are varying suggestions on how to deal with the bully in the video, who confronted another boy and punched him in the nose. Its a universal opinion that Ateneo, an institution so critical of the administrations perceived human rights abuses, should discipline the studentto what degree depends on the results of an investigationto send the message that there are no sacred cows especially in that environment of privilege. The parents, many believe, should be held accountable for the acts of their minor child. Already several other videos of the same boy bullying yet other children have emerged, establishing that this was not a one-time judgment lapse.

The voices have been loud and virtiolic over the Internet. No less than Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin says the boy should be beaten senseless to straighten him out. Imagine all the other hateful things being said about the boy, all along the lines of putting him in his place and disabusing him of any notion of power and entitlement at such a young age. Many have also criticized the school for the lame response to the incident. At the other end of the spectrum, there are those who call for sobriety, reminding the others that the boy is still a child, that his own rights should be protected, and that the hatred spurred by the bullying video itself approximates the hatred that the bully had for his classmate. Unfortunately, these very strong reactions are bound to come and go, much like the events that caught our attention and fired up our sentiments, only to be forgotten when the next big sensation comes along.While we are at it, it is best to focus on those who have kept silent all alongthe bullied. For instance, the boy who was punched in the video was reported to have received medical attention belatedly, because he only told his parents the truth when the video surfaced. Bullying is a common occurrence in schools, and those who fall prey to bullies often feel that they must work it out on their own because admitting to it would invite more abuse or make them appear weak. Some childrenand even adults withdraw into their own worlds, perform poorly in school, and even take their own lives because of the experience. That recorded incident is not the only instance of bullying in Ateneo, or anywhere. In countless environments, with children and adults alike, there are always those who feel they must look, sound and act strong all the time by flaunting their power over others. By all means, they should not be tolerated. The bullied should be empowered to stand up to their oppressors. It is in the home that children first get educated on how to protect and assert themselves. Its a tough world out there. The good news is, we dont need be as low and as coarse and as dirty to survive. We only have to be decentand firm.
500 Startups Vietnam on Wednesday revealed a new accelerator program for 2019, in its latest initiative to back talented entrepreneurs in the Southeast Asian country.

The program, Saola Accelerator - named after a rare Vietnamese deer that is also known as the Asian unicorn, is intended to help Vietnamese entrepreneurs build companies at scale and develop thriving startup ecosystems around the world, 500 Startups Vietnam said in a press release.

500 Startups Vietnam, the Vietnamese affiliate of 500 Startups, a Silicon Valley startup accelerator and venture capital fund, works to back a new group of Internet-era startups with a US$10 million target.

The new accelerator program will bring 500 Startups Silicon Valley accelerator curriculum to Vietnam, in addition to a total investment capital of US$100,000 to support three batches of Vietnam-connected startup.

Under the program, each participating company will receive access to more than $500,000 worth of free perks and discounts from twenty 500 Startup partners including tech giants Amazon Web Services, Google, and Microsoft.

Weve learned a lot from working with 1,000 companies in more than 40 growth program batches around the world. Were excited to bring that experience to Vietnam, said Marvin Liao, the Partner at 500 Startups and head of its flagship accelerator program in San Francisco.

Capital aside, the Saola Accelerator will also offer enhanced programming including 500s signature Growth Hell Week plus hands-on support for growth.

The program will then conclude with a Demo Day where startups will share about their products and progress to an invite-only audience of regional venture investors.

Saola Accelerator is a partnership with South Korean multimedia retailer GS Shop.

The retailer plans to match 500 Startups Vietnams investment in selected batch companies, bringing the potential investment per company up to $200,000.

We believe Vietnams existing incubators and accelerators have played an important role in nurturing startups in their earliest stages. Our program is aimed at companies ready to break out and become Asian unicorns  saolas, said Eddie Thai, a lead partner of 500 Startups Vietnam.

Startups interested in applying for the program need to be tech or tech-enabled, have meaningful traction, and must either have a Vietnamese co-founder, team on the ground in Vietnam, or be focused on serving the Vietnamese market.

The deadline for application is on January 20, 2019, with an early bird cutoff on January 2.

Early-bird applications will get first consideration and can access investment capital sooner.

Last month, 500 Startups Vietnams announced the close of its oversubscribed fund at $14 million, exceeding its initial target of $10 million.

The fund, led by Eddie Thai and Binh Tran, was launched in 2016 and has since then invested $3 million in 36 Vietnam-connected tech startups.

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Although the launch of American-style computerized lottery Vietlott in 2016 was forecast to be the doom of traditional lottery in Vietnam, the countrys biggest lottery company based in Ho Chi Minh City has proved a tough one to beat by reporting two-figure profit growth this year.

The Ho Chi Minh City Lottery Company Ltd. netted a record pre-tax profit of over VND1,047 billion (US$44.8 million) in 2018, a growth of 18.7 percent year-on-year.

Its year-round revenue was more than VND8,228 billion ($352.2 million), up 8.2 percent from 2017.

The state-run company said it contributed over VND2,690 billion ($115.1 million) to the city budget this year, which was 11.9 percent of the southern metropolis budget collection goal.

The optimistic numbers were released at a ceremony on Friday marking the 40th anniversary of the Ho Chi Minh City Lottery Company.

Speaking at the ceremony, the firms general director Le Quang Vinh said business outcomes in 2018 exceeded all expectations.

Vinh was likely speaking the truth, considering the fact that just last year his company reported its worst performance since 2013, netting only VND480 billion ($20.5 million) in the first six months of the year in pre-tax profit, with revenue between January and June rising less than two percent.

The peoples interest in traditional lottery is not lost, Vinh said.

The optimistic growth was made possible in part because of the companys efforts to restructure its organization and cut down on costs of sales and management, the general director stressed.

Vinh said the Ho Chi Minh City lottery company is looking to launch scratch-off lottery tickets, the first of its kind in Vietnam, starting January 2019 to target a new customer segment and remain competitive on the market.

Each scratchcard is printed either to be a winner or not, and lottery players must scratch off a scratchable area to reveal the result.

The new game is expected to bring fresh air to the lottery market in Vietnam with valuable and easy-to-win prizes.

In May 2017, company executives said in a business report that it was losing out to Vietlott, a then-new player in the market.

Vietlott has received an enormous amount of media attention since introducing the U.S.-style Mega 6/45 computerized lottery in July 2016.

It is fully owned by Vietnams finance ministry, with technical support from a Malaysian firm.

The lotterys minimum jackpot is VND12 billion (US$513,000), which is rolled over into subsequent drawings until a winner is found.

Meanwhile, Vietnams traditional lottery offers tickets with predetermined numbers printed on them and a top prize of VND2 billion ($85,600), which was increased by 33 percent in early 2018 in a bid to make it more attractive.

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Vietnam is set to be one of the top remittance receivers in the world in 2018, with Vietnamese living and working overseas expected to send home a whopping US$15.9 billion, an official told a press conference in Hanoi on Thursday.

Remittances to Vietnam topped $11.8 billion in 2016 and $13.8 billion USD, Luong Thanh Nghi deputy head of the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs, told reporters, citing statistics from the World Bank.

Last year Vietnam was among the worlds top ten remittance receivers, accounting for 2.5 percent of the total global remittances.

The Southeast Asian country is on track to retain the position this year with the estimated $15.9 billion remittance.

According to the same World Bank statistics, India will cement its post as the world's top recipient of remittances in 2018, with overseas Indian channeling $80 billion back home.

India is followed by China ($67 billion), Mexico and the Philippines, $34 billion each, and Egypt ($26 billion).

Global remittances, which include flows to high-income countries, are projected to grow by 10.3 percent to $689 billion in 2018, according to the global lender.

Vietnam is hosting a series of big events to welcome Vietnamese expatriates visiting their homeland later this month and in January, on the eve of the Lunar New Year, or Tet, which falls in mid-February, the Vietnam News Agency quoted Nghi as saying at Thursdays press conference.

A conference on connections between overseas Vietnamese and localities in Vietnam will take place in the north-central provinces of Nghe An and Ha Tinh from December 26 to 29.

On January 26, 2019, the Xuan Que Huong (Spring in Homeland) 2019 program will take place in Hanoi, providing a platform for Vietnamese expats to share their aspirations and honor those who have contributed to the homelands development.

Some 4.5 million Vietnamese now live and work in 103 countries and territories worldwide, according to the Vietnam News Agency.

They form an indispensable part of the nation and play an important role in intensifying friendship between Vietnam and the rest of the world.

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A body of water located in the Gulf of Thailand, off the Mekong Delta region and one of Vietnams most important fishing grounds, is quickly being depleted of its aquatic resources due to overfishing, threatening the livelihood of thousands.

Le Van Ngau, captain of a fishing boat operating in fisheries off Ca Mau and Kien Giang Provinces in southern Vietnam, has felt the direct economic impact of the fishs disappearance.

Each of our deep sea fishing trip lasts around 45 days and consumes roughly 7,000 liters of fuel, Ngau said.

Fuel alone costs us VND120 million [US$5,100] per trip, and you take into account other expenses such as food and ice it can add up to a total of VND150 million [$6,500], he said.

As the number of fishing boats grows while the fish population is already shrinking, Ngau said he and other fishermen are making less and less profit from each trip, even reporting heavy losses at times.

Many of my fellow fishermen have gone bankrupt, Ngau said.

To live by, many deep-sea fishing boats in the area have switched to catching squid and anchovy in shallower waters.

We have to set sail anyways because a docked ship rusts quickly, Ngau said.

Fishermen trade at a fish market in Kien Giang Province in southern Vietnam. Photo: Tuoi Tre

There are over 4,770 registered fishing boats in the southern province of Ca Mau, according to statistics from the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

However, thousands of fishing boats from central Vietnam are also conducting fishing activities in Ca Mau waters, said Chau Cong Bang, deputy director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Though this massive fleet helps improve the regions overall marine catch, it has also led to quick depletion of aquatic resources as fish do not reproduce as fast as they are caught, Bang said.

This occurs not only in Ca Mau but also in other fishing grounds nationwide, Bang said.

Our efforts to replenish the fish population including enforcing smaller boat sizes and releasing baby fish into the ocean have not produced expected results, he added.

To cope with the problem, authorities in southern Vietnam has already taken an initiative to cut down on the number of fishing boats allowed to operate in local waters.

As of December 2018, the number of fishing boats in Kien Giang Province has been reduced to around 1,000 boats less than there were in early 2013.

However, there are still more than 10,700 fishing boats operating in Kien Giang, according to Pham Ngoc Vu, deputy director of the provincial Department for Aquatic Resource Exploitation and Protection.

That is really too many boats for a fishing ground that is only 63,290 square kilometers wide, Vu said.

Fishermen operate a fishing boat in Kien Giang Province in southern Vietnam. Photo: Tuoi Tre

The fact that trawling contributes to more than 75 percent of total catch in Kien Giang waters also has a negative impact on the local fish population, as the netting technique is not effective in sorting out unwanted fish, according to Nguyen Van Tam, director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

In addition, the large number of low-range fishing boats, making up nearly half of all fishing boats in Kien Giang, has also sped up depletion of coastal aquatic resources, Tam said.

Provincial authorities are also looking to reduce the amount of yearly marine catch by 35 percent between 2017 and 2020, from over 765,000 down to 500,000 metric tons.

Vessels that do not meet new fishing standards will no longer be allowed to operate, as fishermen are set to receive government support in seeking other jobs.

In the near future, we will stop authorizing the building of new trawlers with less 90 metric horsepower, Vu said.

Vietnams total marine resources are estimated to be around 4.36 million metric tons, according to an official survey conducted between 2010 and 2015, said Le Tran Nguyen Hung, director of the Aquatic Resources Conservation and Development Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Meanwhile, the country is capable of exploiting around 3.1 million metric tons of aquatic resources, which is already over the threshold that is possible for nature to replenish its resources, Hung explained.

We are looking to introduce regulations to clearly define in which bodies of water is fishing allowed, as well as areas and periods when fishing is banned, to protect young populations of fish and promote their reproduction, Hung said.

There will also be more frequent inspection and patrols to gradually put an end to illegal fishing.

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A Vietnamese teacher is running a project to help students improve their fluency and control of the English language by creating unique and original comic strips.

Nguyen Ho Thuy Anh, MA, was in shock when her kindergarten-level ESL students showed her their illustrations of a storybook characters hibernation habits.

Though each work was stunning, one particular student, Tien, stood out.

Though Tien isnt yet old enough to write, Anh felt the young students ability to convey meanings and messages through drawings was an inspiration.

As Anh pushed to help her student develop her talent, she quickly realized the powerful relationship between words and pictures and knew there had to be a way to link the two and inspire a love of English in her students.

Then-kindergartner Tiens drawing that first inspired Thuy Anh to start the Friends to Friends project in 2017

Anh set up a meeting with Duong Thanh Truyen, a former deputy editor-in-chief of Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper, who offered her advice and guidance.

The result? Friends to Friends  a project aimed at boosting communicative language skills by offering students an opportunity to express their inner values and thoughts through comics written in English.

After two years spent looking for sponsorship, Friends to Friends finally made its long-awaited debut on December 16 on Nguyen Van Binh, the well-known Ho Chi Minh City Book Street in District 1.

So far 30 comics have been submitted by students from across the country, ten of which were chosen to be showcased on the projects opening day.

To unveiling hidden thoughts

The success of the project has hinged on how relatable the submissions have been to each teenage artists adolescent peers.

I feel like all the characters in the comic books are so real, so close to me. Its as if they are just around the corner, commented Hoang My, a tenth grader in Ho Chi Minh City.

But it is the underlying messages intended for adults that truly leaves an impression on readers.

Student author Truong Quoc Chien has a really interesting take on the matter.

His comic draws attention to the tendency of young students to copy the behavior of others, whether or not those behaviors are good or bad.

Chiens comic, Ditto Diddo uses the Ditto, a widely-known video game fantasy creature notorious for its power to change shape and mimic nearby creatures, as a tool to demonstrate the phenomenon.

During our teenage years, we tend to behave similar to those we admire, or simply those who are nearby, Chien said.

[Copying] some musical idols may not be bad, but turning to crime or repeating swear words can happen if that is what you experience. I wrote my story to remind my peers to be more careful in they select they choose their actions and to avoid developing vulgar habits.

Chiens comic wraps up with a touching reminder to parents who might be dealing with the negative consequences of their children copying those bad habits.

After finding out about Diddos misbehavior, instead of hitting him, his mother consoles him and explains her disapproval. That is my message. That hitting a child should only be treated as the last resort and as parents should be willing to listen to their children, Chien explained.

Meanwhile, tenth-grade comic artist Ngo Thanh Nha took a different approach with her submission, Big Brothers Shadow.

The story invokes the idea that children are forced to give up their personal identities and freedoms in favor of their parents demands.

My main character aspires to be an artist, and an artist he will become, regardless of what others tell him to do, Nha shared.

Ngo Thanh Nha (second right) shares thoughts about her comic, Big Brothers Shadow, at the projects debut fair.

Nguyen Huyen Trangs Friends Always Help also received recognition for shining light on the importance of unbiased friendship rather than exclusion based on appearance and other characteristics.

Her main character, Stinkbug, is an outcast because of his smell and her comic focuses on his struggle.

Elementary student Xuan Khoa focuses on a simpler topic in his piece, Wet the bed.

In his comic, Khoa illustrates his own embarrassing experiences with wetting the bed and the actions he took to prevent his parents from finding out.

Thanks to strict yet sympathetic parenting shown in the comic, readers come to realize that mistakes are common among young children and that parents should give them the chance to correct their faults instead of taking more drastic approaches.

Red alert: academic achievements not the source of self-esteem

Many of the ten showcased authors come from families known for prestigious academic feats and expertise, but none of them used their platform to boast of their familys success.

It seems that their values dont match up with those of their parents, Thuy Anh remarked.

Quach Nguyen Minh Anh is prime example of Thuy Anhs observation.

For Minh Anh, being able to cook, do household chores, and love her family by her own volition is worth more than dozens of highly-marked test papers.

For Truong Quoc Chien, his innate hardworking nature and a thirst for knowledge are the personal traits he is proud of.

Ngo Thanh Nha also takes pride in her willingness to step out of her comfort zone; that is, to deliver unwavering speech or defend personal views without fear of reproach.

Xuan Khoa, on the other hand, says he achieves personal growth by learning from his past mistakes.

I learned how to wash clothes all by myself because I was afraid my parents would find out I wet the bed, Khoa said.

I feel like Ive moved one step closer to being a responsible adult by learning how to clean up after myself.

Nguyen Thanh Truc, mother of comic artist Ngo Thanh Nha, is proud that her daughter has shown her that sometimes there is too much pressure placed on children.

It turned out expecting my daughter to rise to the ranks of her older siblings has been too demanding. Now Im realizing that needs to change, Truc remarked.

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Pho, a traditional noodle soup in Vietnam, is getting a slight upgrade from one local chef whose all-natural colorful pho has earned her a spot in the record books.

One of Vietnams most famous dishes has cemented its reputation as a must-eat in Vietnam and has even been added to some dictionaries, including The English Oxford Living Dictionary which defines it as a type of Vietnamese soup, typically made from beef stock and spices to which noodles and thinly sliced beef or chicken are added.

The unusual colorful pho

Breaking with over a hundred years of traditional, Nguyen Thi Thanh Nguyen is jazzing up traditional white pho noodles with a rainbow of color at Hai Thien Restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City.

The newest addition to Nguyens rainbow is blue made with bellvine flowers, a bright addition to the gac (baby jackfruit), beetroot, black sesame, brown rice, mustard green, red cabbage, and pumpkin colors she has developed over the past eight years.

In 2010, the Vietnam Records Book Center recognized Nguyen Thi Thanh Nguyen as the first person to create colorful pho noodles from one hundred percent all natural ingredients.

The process of making colorful pho at Hai Thien restaurant. Video: Duyen Phan/ Tuoi Tre

The process of making colorful pho at Hai Thien restaurant. Video: Duyen Phan/ Tuoi Tre

Nguyen, however, does not think her creations are anything to boast about, explaining that Vietnamese have spent generations mastering the art of coloring their foods with vegetables.

The most difficult part is to ensure that the noodles are still firm after they have been colored, she explained.

The toughest ingredient to work with, Nguyen said, is mustard greens because they can often make the noodles too delicate.

It took Nguyen years to identify which vegetables add the best colors to her noodles without ruining their taste or nutrition value.

Nguyen Thi Thanh Nguyen showcases her signature colorful pho cuon (pho rolls) in a photo provided to Tuoi Tre News.

The idea to color pho noodles first came to her she was struggling to feed vegetables to her nieces, the 43-year-old chef recalled.

The woman who was born to a family with a long tradition of pho noodle-making decided to try combining the vegetables with her noodles in the hopes of tricking them into eating their veggies.

After winning over the children, Nguyen decided to take a shot at offering her noodles to the public.

In late 2009, she showcased her pho noodles in four colors made from pumpkin, mustard green, gac fruit, and brown rice at a culinary expo in District 1 and drew public attention.

People were willing to wait for two or three hours to try all the colors. It was touching and motivated me to open my pho restaurant, Nguyen shared.

Nguyen also shared that she remembers how nervous she was when she first opened her restaurant, fearing that diners would be skeptical of her commitment to use only natural ingredients.

I once asked a diner why she believed me and she replied no one can cheat anothers tongue, Nguyen recalled.

That really gave me the strength to pursue my passion, she added.

Australian Jamal Tomkinson said he had come back to Hai Thien restaurant three times in three weeks during his stay in the city because of Nguyens commitment to avoid chemical additives.

Tomkinson, who had tried the dish before in Australia, shared that he really enjoyed exploring the diversity of Vietnams national dish in its homeland.

Meanwhile, in an entry about the restaurant posted to travelfooddrink.com, Canadian Diane Misol expressed her interest in the venues three main dishes  pho cuon (pho rolls), pho nuoc (pho soup), and pho tron (mixed dried pho).

Many TripAdvisor reviewers have also left comments praising Hai Thien for its creative use of vegetables for coloring.

Thanh Nguyen proudly embraces the diversity of the menu shes created, calling her restaurant a place where diners can find a full menu of pho noodle-inspired items, including pho cuon as an appetizer and pho tron and pho nuoc as main courses.

Shes even working on a sweet pho for dessert.

Located on Bui Vien Street, Saigons backpacker hub, Hai Thien restaurant offers several variations of pho, including pork and seafood options.

Dinners enjoy pho at Hai Thien restaurant in Ho Chi Minh Citys District 1. Photo: Duyen Phan/ Tuoi Tre

The pho obsession

Nguyen Thi Thanh Nguyen shared that she had never even considered following her familys tradition of making pho noodles when she was a child in Binh Thuan Province because of the level of skill involved.

Pho first gained a global reputation in 2000 when former U.S. president Bill Clinton tried the dish during a visit to Vietnam.

However, just a few years later the industry was rocked when an investigation uncovered that pho noodles in several places were contaminated with formaldehyde.

Seeing her family traditional profession being affected inspired Nguyen, the former manager at an instant noodle company, to rethink her life and take a shot at making pho.

Nguyen later succeeded in reducing the noodle production time, one of her major concerns, by creating a dried pho flour which allows pho noodles to be made instantly instead of over the course of many days.

Nguyen now sells a variety of pho-related products, including pho flour and pho making machines, in addition to running her restaurant.

To her, pho is no longer a job. Its an obsession.

At the Day of Pho event held by Tuoi Tre (Youth) Newspaper in Hanoi on December 12, Nguyen awed spectators with her signature colorful pho rolls and mixed dried pho.

She also used her booth to showcased how to make traditional pho noodles without a machine.

Pho is a hallmark of our nation, Nguyen insisted. The more I become involved in my job, the more I realize how sophisticated and healthy the dish is.

Thanks to pho, many overseas Vietnamese people are able to operate large restaurants in other countries. Thats something special, she added.

Below are some pictures capturing the process of making colorful pho at Hai Thien restaurant by Duyen Phan:

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The renovation of Ho Chi Minh Citys iconic Notre-Dame Basilica, which began in mid-2017, needs to go on for another three years as the initially planned three-year restoration is not enough.

The restoration site also needs to be fenced to prevent members of the public from dirtying its walls, Father Ho Van Xuan, a representative of the archdiocese, said as he received Ho Chi Minh City chairman Nguyen Thanh Phong during the latters visit to the grand building on Wednesday afternoon.

A landmark of Saigon, the Notre-Dame Basilica has undergone a maintenance process since July 2017 as several parts of the century-old architecture showed signs of deterioration.

The restoration process is estimated to cost VND100 billion (US$4.41 million).

Built in 1877 and opened to the public in 1880, the 138-year-old church had not seen any major restoration before July last year.

Father Xuan said a new fence surrounding the architecture is essential, given that the grand buildings walls are often damaged by illicit drawing.

Its a pity [but we have to do that], Father Xuan said, adding that the new fence will ensure the aesthetic and friendly appearance of the church.

Father Ho Van Xuan (left) talks with Nguyen Thanh Phong, chairman of Ho Chi Minh City Peoples Committee, on December 19, 2018. Photo: Tuoi Tre

During Wednesdays meeting, the Notre-Dame Basilica representative also asked for chairman Phongs opinion on extending the deadline for the churchs restoration by three years.

The US$4.4 million restoration was initially planned to take place from July 2017 to the end of 2019.

But we had not expected so many difficulties at that time, Father Xuan said.

There are work components that we realized should be done slowly after we opened them for restoration, he explained.

The European partners in charge of the restoration have reviewed the work and estimated that the soonest time the project can complete is by the end of 2023, according to Xuan.

This is a work for life, so it cannot be rushed or done quickly, he said.

Sharing Father Xuans view, chairman Phong agreed that an architecture as important as the Notre-Dame Cathedral should be carefully repaired to meticulous detail.

The city leader then instructed Father Xuan to contact the municipal department of construction for the extend of the restoration.

An extended restoration work means visitors to the citys landmark will continue to be disappointed as the Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica wont be ready to receive them in the next three years.

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Police in the north-central Vietnamese province of Ha Tinh on Friday night raided a local karaoke parlor and caught 13 people, including a banker, a forest protection officer and a female grade school teacher, using drugs.

The raid took place at the Dubai Karaoke shop in Huong Khe District, where officers also found a plastic bag containing alleged American weed, a plant-based stimulant that can cause illusion like marijuana, three pills of synthetic drugs, a pack of crystal meth, and several pieces of drug-using equipment.

Officers are detaining these 13 people, who all tested positive to drugs, for investigation.

Among the drug users are T.H.T., deputy director of a bank in Huong Khe and P.D.C., an officer of the districts forest protection unit, and two women - Ng.Th.L.Q., an accountant of a local kindergarten and Tr.Th.H., an elementary teacher, according to police.

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The Electoral Commission of the Democratic Republic of Congo has postponed to Dec. 30 the long-anticipated presidential vote scheduled for Sunday.

The vote could mark the first democratic transfer of power since the country gained independence in 1960.

National Independent Electoral Commission President Corneille Nangaa met candidates or their representatives earlier on Thursday to inform them of the delay by one week after a fire destroyed voting materials.

Earlier this week, the Electoral Commission said in a statement that a blaze had destroyed 8,000 of 10,368 voting machines due to be used in the capital Kinshasa. The mineral-rich nation then suspended presidential-election campaigning in the capital.

According to CENI president Corneille Nangaa, the electoral commission cannot organize general elections without the province of Kinshasa, and without the Kinois voters  who represent 10 percent of the electoral body.

The presidential, legislative and provincial ballots will take place on Dec. 30, 2018, he said.

Explaining the CENIs decision, Nangaa said 5 million additional ballot papers had been ordered from the provider in South Korea to replace those destroyed in Kinshasa, but only 1 million had arrived so far.

The last of the ballot papers are scheduled to arrive on Saturday night.

President Joseph Kabila, who is stepping down after 17 years in office, has anointed Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary as his successor in the poll.
Heres whats in the news today.

Society

-- Six workers were killed while another was injured as a fire engulfed a drinking shop that was under restoration in the southern province of Dong Nai on Friday afternoon. The constructions contractor was arrested.

-- Tran Thi Them, a female vendor at a wet market in the northern province of Bac Giang, cut the neck of Vu Thi Nga, one of her fellow traders before stabbing her to death, out of a superstitious belief that doing so would give herself a longer life, police said on Friday, concluding a three-day investigation.

-- Traffic through the section of Tran Quoc Thao Street passing the headquarters of the administration of Ho Chi Minh City's District 3 will be restricted from 8:00-10:00 am on Sunday (December 23) for activities to celebrate the 74th anniversary of the founding of the Vietnam People's Army (December 22), the municipal department of transport announced on Friday.

Business

-- Samsung on Friday appointed Choi Joo Ho as new general director of Samsung Vietnam, which has so far invested US$15.6 billion out of its $17.3-billion registered capital investment in the Southeast Asian country, in replacement of Shim Wonhwan.

-- Unilever Vietnam International Corporation, the Ho Chi Minh City-based wing of the British-Dutch transnational consumer goods company co-headquartered in London and Rotterdam, sent a letter to Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc calling for help after the company was warned by the municipal tax department that its bank account will be blocked if it fails to pay more than VND575 billion ($24.6 million) in corporate income tax.

-- Vietnam's GDP growth rate is likely to reach a decade high of 6.9 - 7 percent in 2018 and maintain a pace of seven percent next year, according to the National Financial Supervision Committee.

Education

-- The Inspectorate of the Ministry of Industry and Trade concluded on Thursday that a number of students of the Hanoi University of Industry being forced to pay the no-fail fee of VND1.9 million ($81.33) each, which was said to ensure their passing the final test of an advanced English class, was solely the personal idea of the dean of the foreign language department without approval of the school.

Lifestyle

-- A mass wedding ceremony in Buddhism was organized for as many as 50 pairs of impaired grooms and brides at the Giac Ngo Pagoda in District 10, Ho Chi Minh City on Friday morning, marking the largest Buddhist wedding with the most grooms and brides in Vietnam recognized by the Vietnamese records organization Vietkings.

Sports

-- Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on Friday granted a Friendship Order to head coach Park Hang-seo of Vietnams national football team, and a first-class Labor Order to the squad, one week after the South Korean manager and his players won the country's second ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) Cup.

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A fire, suspected to have been started by welding sparks, gutted an eatery in the southern province of Dong Nai on Friday, killing six and leaving one hospitalized from suffocation.

The fire started at around 2:00 pm on Friday at an eatery named RuBy in Long Khanh Town in Dong Nai, 75 kilometers northeast of Ho Chi Minh City.

Firefighters and local residents joined hands to put out the fire, which was extinguished after nearly an hour of nonstop efforts.

Seven people who were inside the venue at the time of fire were rescued and rushed to hospital with symptoms of suffocation

As of 4:30 pm the same day, six of the victims had been announced dead, while the remaining one is still in deep coma, according to Long Khanh police.

Firefighters rescue a victim from a fire at an eatery in Dong Nai Province in southern Vietnam on December 21, 2018. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Dr. Phan Huyen, director of Long Khanh Genera Hospital, said the patients were admitted with severe conditions including cardiac arrest, apnea and gas asphyxiation.

Doctors are working hard to save the only remaining survivor from the flame, Huyen said.

Rescuers had to break through concrete walls of the eatery to reach the victims as there werent any emergency exits.

The victims prolonged exposure to extreme heat and toxic gases might have depleted their chances of survival, police said.

A nurse attends to a victim from a fire at an eatery in Dong Nai Province in southern Vietnam on December 21, 2018. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Owner of the eatery, Pham Nguyen Khanh Duy, told authorities he had hired a team of welders to repair and upgrade some areas of the building prior to the tragedy.

Sparks from welding activities are suspected to have started the fire.

Police have detained the team leader, 29-year-old Cao Van Toan, for investigation into his gross negligence.

Toan was not present at the eatery to monitor his team members when the accident occured, as he was running a personal errand.

A column of smoke arises from an eatery in Dong Nai Province in southern Vietnam on December 21, 2018. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Police officers inspect the site of a fire at an eatery in Dong Nai Province in southern Vietnam on December 21, 2018. Photo: Tuoi Tre

An eatery in Dong Nai Province in southern Vietnam is gutted after a fire on December 21, 2018. Photo: Tuoi Tre

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Twenty two Chinese nationals are currently in the custody of the Ba Ria-Vung Tau police department in southern Vietnam on charges of committing technology-based crimes after officers raided rental villas and several local hotels on Wednesday and Thursday.

The 20 men and two women were caught using gambling websites intended for Chinese people.

The computers used by the suspects were also found to be storing private information for bank accounts based in the United States and United Kingdom.

Two Vietnamese interpreters were also brought in for questioning.

The hotel where 22 of the Chinese suspects engaged in high-tech crimes in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province, southern Vietnam. Photo: Tuoi Tre

A police car in front of a villa where 22 Chinese people engaged in high-tech crime in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province, southern Vietnam, December 20, 2018. Photo: Tuoi Tre

The foreigners confessed to entering Vietnam with the intentions to produce counterfeit bank cards and engage in online gambling.

Police seized 41 desktop computers, 13 laptops, more than 300 mobile phones, and 13 security tokens linked to bank accounts.

Law enforcement also confiscated tools for making fake bank cards, 33 Chinese bank cards, over 200 empty cards, VND650 million (US$28,000) in cash, US$100, and CNY8,500 ($1,234).

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Sylvia Jeffreys is the latest to be culled from the Today show revamp, but will remain with Nine on projects yet to be announced.

In a statement she said, Ive loved and embraced every minute of my Today show chapter and feel humbled to have worked with so many passionate people  hosts, studio crew, cameramen and producers  who have become my great mates. There are few shows that are fortunate to have such an engaged audience, and I thank our viewers for inviting me into their homes day after day.

Im thrilled to sink my teeth into a brand new project. Opportunity often knocks when you least expect it and Im ready to dive right in to whats ahead of me.

She joined Today four years ago. Her departure follows rumours she would be culled, confirmed just days after the exit of husband Peter Stefanovic and brother-in-law Karl. Richard Wilkins will also focus on Today Extra.

Sylvia is one of Nines hardest-working, most talented and passionate journalists, Nines director of news and current affairs, Darren Wick, said. After a humble start as a junior in our Brisbane newsroom many years ago, her tireless work ethic propelled her through the reporting ranks to become the national face of 9News with the Today show.

Shes also become an agenda-setter and a leading voice for women with her commentary on Today and 9Honey, Wick added.

Sylvia has done a great job on Today, and while the team there will miss her, shes about to embark on an exciting new challenge. Watch this space in 2019.

Meanwhile in the midst of a plethora of Karl stories and speculation, Georgie Gardner has sent him a message on Instagram:

A very tough week, a challenging year. Huge congratulations @karlstefanovic_ for a 14 yr tenure hosting one of TVs most demanding gigs. You brought a new brand, straddling the serious stories along with endless laughs (see YouTube!) You taught me plenty, it was never boring. X

Sports presenter Tim Gilbert, another who is rumoured to be culled, has also tweeted:

Huge Xmas week coming up on @TheTodayShow cant wait to host with my good friend @deborah_knight we will have a lot of fun bring on the Christmas treats   Tim Gilbert (@TimgGilbert) December 21, 2018

He is expected to host for the next three weeks.
Jax Taylor and his fiance, Brittany Cartwright from "PumpRules" both look amazing these days. In fact, some people speculate that Brittany had botox or surgery to enhance her body. Jax denied she ever used botox or had any surgery and while he was at it, he called those who think she does, a rude word. He also mentioned in his post that Brittany "has the sweetest soul on this planet."

Jax posted about the 'PumpRules' story by Glamour Magazine

Jax made the comment about Brittany when he posted about a story run by Glamour magazine. In his caption, he said, "I hope everyone gets a chance to read about my beautiful fiance, on her life and her journey she has gone through in the last three years.

She has the sweetest soul on this planet and she makes me a better man each day! Thanks, @glamourmag for taking the time to get to know her and seeing what an amazing, smart, and beautiful person she is."

However, he took it a step further. He knows fans of "Vanderpump Rules" never miss anything in a photo. In fact, Brittany does look a little different around her face. Actually, he probably expected that fans would straight away notice it and ask questions about body enhancement and face-work. That's why he went on to make further statements about it.

No surgery or botox for Brittany says Jax Taylor

Once before, Brittany actually said she never had lip injections, on her Instagram, but many followers of "PumpRules" disbelieve her.

She looks stunning these days as they both got fit and lost weight. It's almost as if people simply don't think you can look good without body enhancement. The speculations simply continue so that might account for Jax using a rude word.

Here's what he had to say about botox to disbelievers: "all you a**holes who want to say she looks different, she had a root canal on her front tooth the day before and showed up, she has never had plastic surgery, on her face or Botox."

Nearly 50k people liked the post

The comments section for the Instagram post was disabled, so that meant none of us could actually see the usual dumb questions about botox.

Somehow, some people will always comment on a picture without reading the actual post caption. Nevertheless, nearly 50 thousand people liked the post in a matter of hours.

What do you think of Brittany Cartwright's looks? Do you still think she had botox or surgery on her face? Follow the Blasting Pop Film channel to stay in touch with news about Jax Taylor and "PumpRules."
People across the world may face a variety of challenges, but innovators, activists, and organizations worked together in 2018 to find impressive solutions.

SEE ALSO: 2018 was the year of the youth activist

In no particular order, here are 14 innovations that made the world a more inclusive, safe, and all-around better place this year. To learn about other ingenious innovations, check out this list from 2017.

1. Starbucks signing store in U.S.

You can get these mugs at Starbucks' first U.S. Signing Store in Washington D.C.

Image: Joshua Trujillo / Starbucks

Starbucks opened its first U.S. store for Deaf and hard-of-hearing customers in Washington, D.C. The cafes employees are proficient in American Sign Language and wear aprons with fingerspelling. Employees also teach non-ASL speakers how to sign words through chalkboard illustrations. Starbucks first-ever signing store opened in Malaysia a few years ago, but the D.C. location introduces the concept to American consumers. It also draws attention to how many public spaces are not accessible to people with disabilities while simultaneously demonstrating how they can be reimagined to serve everyone.  Victoria Rodriguez

2. A benefits platform for domestic workers

People who clean homes for a living typically dont have any job benefits. Alia promises to change that for millions of people, most of whom are women. The platform, launched this year by the National Domestic Workers Alliance, makes it possible for workers to request and receive contributions from their clients. Benefit options include accident insurance, paid time off, and life insurance. Clients can contribute as little as $5 per cleaning to help their cleaner get benefits.  Rebecca Ruiz

3. An armband that helps diagnose malnutrition

The IRC's armband, adapted for use by low-literate community health workers, in action.

Image: Elburg van Boetzelaer / International Rescue Committee

Humanitarian workers have long relied on simple armbands to measure malnutrition in remote parts of the world. The typical armband is tri-colored and includes numbers that allow workers to gauge whether a child is experiencing significant weight loss related to malnutrition. Those children are then referred to far-off treatment centers that they may not be able to reach. This year, the International Rescue Committee completed research on a new version of this tool. The design included removing the numbers and adding two additional colors so that low-literate community health workers can visually monitor progress of treatment and weight gain. That means local providers can diagnose and treat malnutrition without help from humanitarian workers. Promising results from the pilot in South Sudan saw higher numbers of severely malnourished children treated than at a health facility.  Rebecca Ruiz

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4. An expo for sanitation technology

Bill Gates gives a speech during the "reinvented toilet expo" in Beijing on November 6, 2018.

Image: NICOLAS ASFOURI/AFP/Getty Images

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation launched the Reinvented Toilet Expo in Beijing, China, to showcase cutting-edge sanitation products from around the world. An estimated 801,000 children younger than 5 years old die from diarrhea each year, which in part, can be prevented with safe drinking water and access to hygiene and sanitation. Toilets featured at the expo eliminate pathogens and turn waste into clean water and fertilizer. They can do so without sewer or water lines, which is crucial for countries that dont have adequate sewer systems.  Victoria Rodriguez

5. Xbox adaptive controller

An Xbox controller that can be adapted for someone with limited mobility.

Image: DUSTIN DRANKOSKI / MASHABLE

This Xbox controller was designed to meet the needs of gamers who have limited mobility. Gamers can customize the controller by attaching switches, joysticks, and other external devices. It also features large buttons and rubberized stabilizers, making it easier to put the controller on a persons lap or table.  Victoria Rodriguez

6. Code for America clears marijuana convictions

Code for America teamed up with the San Francisco district attorney's office to clear felony marijuana convictions.

Image: code for america

A year after California legalized recreational marijuana in November 2016, the nonprofit organization Code for America decided to use its Clear My Record program to help people expunge marijuana-related criminal offenses from their record. In May 2018, it partnered with the San Francisco district attorney's office to clear felony marijuana convictions from peoples records. Code for America, which helps the government connect with communities through technology, hopes to clear 250,000 marijuana convictions by 2019. Victoria Rodriguez

7. A new taxonomy for language about sexual violence at work

Image: NSVRC/ the Urban Institute / uber

Image: NSVRC/ THE URBAN INSTITUTE / UBER

This white paper from National Sexual Violence Resource Center and Urban Institute created improved ways of categorizing reports of sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, and sexual assault that happen at work. In a big move for a company notoriously plagued with sexual misconduct in the workplace, Uber provided NSVRC and the Urban Institute with internal reports and data to inform the taxonomy. Though the white paper is specific to Uber, the overarching goal is to better categorize and organize reports so companies can eventually prevent workplace harassment or worse.  Sasha Lekach

8. Using Alexa to donate to charity

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Although Amazons Alexa has raised concerns about privacy and hackers, the device can be used for good. With a voice command, you can donate between $5 and $5,000 to select charities .  Victoria Rodriguez

9. New emoji for people with disabilities

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Apple worked with disability organizations, including American Council of the Blind , the Cerebral Palsy Foundation , and the National Association of the Deaf , to propose 13 new emoji to Unicode Consortium, the nonprofit organization that green-lights new emoji. The designs promote inclusion and represent people with disabilities. They include a person in a mechanized wheelchair, an ear with a hearing aid, a service dog with a vest and leash, and more. Unicode Consortium is currently considering the emoji for approval.  Victoria Rodriguez

10. An initiative to collect data to help refugees

Displaced Syrian children at the camp "Hope" in the Syrian village of Kafr Lusein on September 13, 2018.

Image: OMAR HAJ KADOUR / AFP / Getty Images

In response to the refugee crisis, the United Nations Refugee Agency and the World Bank Group signed an agreement to establish the Joint Data Center on Forced Displacement, a new center to collect, analyze, and share data about refugees, regarding gender, age, income, and other socioeconomic information. The information will help host communities, aid organizations, and policymakers better assist refugees and meet their specific needs.  Victoria Rodriguez

11. Gender-neutral shopping floor

A display rack for any gender.

Image:  Svante Gullichsen Photography

The large Finnish department store Stockmann built a new floor between the mens and womens clothing sections: a gender-neutral shopping floor on the 1.5th floor called One Way. While just a concept, it pushes the norms of the traditional shopping mall experience. The floor offers clothing from various brands like Calvin Klein and Marimekko, and items arent intended for a specific gender but can be worn by anyone.  Sasha Lekach

12. Massive 3D printer that can construct a house

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New Story, a nonprofit based in Silicon Valley, partnered with the construction technology company ICON to create a 3D printer that can produce a home in one day. The printer can manufacture at least 1,000 homes over its lifetime. The nonprofit hopes to support families living in extreme poverty, and it plans to build the first 3D-printed homes in El Salvador in 2019. A home with two bedrooms, a kitchen, and a bathroom costs only $4,000 to make.  Victoria Rodriguez

13. 3D "organ on a chip"

This is what a 3D "organ on a chip" looks like.

Image: Roisin Owens

In October, researchers announced in the journal Science Advances that theyd created a 3D organ on a chip. The bioelectronic device makes it possible for cells to grow in three dimensions. Scientists have long used petri dishes to culture cells for experiments and testing. But that two-dimensional environment doesnt sufficiently mimic the human cell environment and has yielded misinformation as well as drug failure in clinical trials. The researchers plan to use their device to create a gut on a chip device and attach it to a brain on a chip to study the relationship between the gut microbiome and brain functioning.  Rebecca Ruiz

14. Dual-purpose car mat that provides sidewalk accessibility

A mat to get you there.

Image: Ford Brazil / GTB Brazil / Code Studio

Most cars have trunk and floor mats that we take for granted. But in Brazil, the Ford EcoSport was redesigned this year to include a multi-functional trunk mat. It can be used as an accessibility mat for drivers who use a wheelchair or other mobility vehicles outside their car. The mat can be pulled from the trunk and folded away into the wheelchair to make it up curbs and other difficult terrain. The mat is also smart and includes a sensor that maps an areas accessibility. Every time the mat is deployed, it sends a signal to the users phone, eventually gathering enough widespread data that is aggregated to inform cities and advocacy groups about public places that need improved access.  Sasha Lekach
MGM and has set an agreement with JL Vision Film Co to release Creed II in China on January 4. This is the first movie in the Rocky saga to get a theatrical date in the Middle Kingdom, although previous titles have been available via other media. The sequel to 2015s $174M worldwide grossing Creed was released domestically in late November and has cumed $133.7M globally through last weekend. MGM controls the China distribution rights.

Creed II is directed by Steven Caple Jr and stars Michael B Jordan and Sylvester Stallone reprising their roles of Adonis Creed and Rocky Balboa. Also returning are Tessa Thompson, Phylicia Rashad, Wood Harris and Andre Ward with Florian Big Nasty Munteanu, Russell Hornsby and Dolph Lundgren, who comes back to the franchise as Ivan Drago.

The story follows Adonis Creed whose life has become a balancing act. Between personal obligations and training for his next big fight, he is up against the challenge of his life. Facing an opponent with ties to his familys past only intensifies his impending battle. Rocky Balboa is by his side through it all and, together, they will confront their shared legacy, question whats worth fighting for and discover that nothings more important than family.

MGM EVP Jose Gutierrez says, Creed II brings one of the most iconic movie franchises to China cinema for the first time. While the Rocky franchise has been available in China via downstream media, we are excited to partner with JL Vision Film to finally offer the Chinese audience the latest installment on the big screen.

Vision Films CEO Ricky Qi adds, I am very honored to collaborate with MGM on Creed II From Rocky to Creed, this iconic series of films has inspired generations to fight and strive. I believe that the Chinese audience is looking forward to the debut of Creed II and cant wait to walk into the cinemas to watch this fantastic film.

Warner Bros is also handling some overseas markets. Offshore hubs still to join the bout include Mexico, France, Russia, Japan, Germany, Brazil and Spain all in January. The 2015 Rocky spinoffs best international plays were France, the UK, Italy, Australia and Spain with a 63%/37% domestic to offshore split. Creed II is currently at 80%/20%. It will step into the ring in China on the same weekend as Paramounts Transformers origins story Bumblebee which will dominate turnstiles, although the emotional, family-driven story could pack a punch with local audiences. It has a 7.3 on Douban.

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Caple Jr directs from an original screenplay co-written by Stallone and Juel Taylor based on characters from the Rocky franchise. The film is produced by Irwin Winkler, Charles Winkler, William Chartoff, David Winkler, Kevin King-Templeton and Stallone. Ryan Coogler, Jordan and Guy Riedel are executive producers.

Vision Film is a rapidly growing Chinese foreign film investment company. From 2014-2017, Vision Film invested over $400M in more than 100 titles. In 2018, it has money in over 30 global releases.

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The 16th meeting of Belarus-Germany Working Group on Trade and Investment

19-12-2018

On December 19, 2018 Minsk hosted the 16th Meeting of the Belarusian-German Working Group on Trade and Investment in the Industrial Park The Great Stone.

The Belarusian delegation was headed by the Deputy Foreign Minister, Evgeny Shestakov. It also included the Ambassador of the Republic of Belarus to the Federal Republic of Germany, Denis Sidorenko, the Head of the Administration of the Industrial Park Great Stone, Alexander Yaroshenko, representatives of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Economy, Energy, the National Bank, the National Agency for Investment and Privatization, Belarus Hi-Tech Park, the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry , Bank of Development of the Republic of Belarus, the Belarusian Universal Commodity Exchange, Belarusbank.

The German delegation, led by the Director of the Foreign Economic Policy Department of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Energy, Eckhard Franz, included the Ambassador of Federal Republic of Germany to the Republic of Belarus, Peter Dettmar, executive representatives of the Eastern Committee  Association of German Economy for Cooperation with Eastern Europe, German Energy Agency (DENA), German Economic Team Belarus, Representative Office of the German Economy in the Republic of Belarus, German-Belarusian Economic Club.

The agenda embraced a wide range of issues of bilateral trade, economic and investment cooperation, interaction in the banking and credit sectors, as well as the organization of business administration training programs for Belarusian specialists in Germany.

During the working group meeting the prospects for increasing bilateral trade were discussed, including through the use of exchange trade instruments, engagement of the potential of industrial cooperation, extension of the presence of German business in Belarus in areas with preferential investment regime.

The attention was focused on the possibilities of cooperation between Belarusian and German companies in the field of digitalization and computer technology.

The results of the 6th Belarusian-German Energy Forum, held in October 2018 in Minsk, were positively evaluated and prospects for further cooperation in the energy sector were discussed.

The members of the Belarusian delegation informed the German colleagues on the systemic steps taken by the Government of the Republic of Belarus to improve the countrys investment climate.

The parties noted with satisfaction the positive dynamics in bilateral trade, the implementation of new investment projects with the participation of German business in Belarus.

The presentation of the Industrial Park The Great Stone was organized for the participants of the working group meeting, including overview of its infrastructure, as well as of the experience of a number of German resident companies in the Park.

   

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ZAGREB (Reuters) - 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.

"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.

Croatia's 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.

(Reporting by Igor Ilic; Editing by Jon Boyle)

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Despite our guarded promises yesterday, theres more bad news for Carlos Ghosn, the Renault executive embroiled in a legal saga, and still in jail, in Japan.

Im starting to feel sorry for Carlos Ghosn. Yesterday, a Japanese court refused the Tokyo prosecutors demand to keep the French super-boss behind bars for another ten days on the original accusations that Ghosn had knowingly under-reported his personal income by about 70 million euros over a period of seven years. The prosecutor appealed against that decision, only to have the appeal rejected.

The prison doors looked like they were opening for Carlos, who could have expected to be freed this morning under strict bail conditions.

SLAM!

Not so fast. Brandishing a bundle of new charges like a bulldog with a bellyache, the prosecutor blind-sided poor old Carlos with fresh allegations. That means the man will face at least 48 hours of questioning, with the possibility of two ten-day extensions of his custody while this new case is investigated.

The latest claims relate to allegations that Ghosn used 14.5 million euros of Nissan funds to cover losses which Ghosns personal finances suffered as a result of the 2008 financial crisis.

Le Monde says that a Nissan company did indeed transfer 14.7 million euros to the company which manages Carlos Ghosns personal fortune. But those transfers were dated between 2009 and 2014.

Japanese company law has a statute of limitations of seven years, which would let our man off the hook for most of the alleged payments.

Except that the Tokyo prosecutor aint reading from the same page. He says the seven-year limit doesnt apply to Carlos because the businessman spent most of the past decade outside Japan.

You really get the feeling theyre out to broil the mans backside. And then turn him over and keep cookin.

Airbus faces serious US sanctions

Todays French papers are also worried about Airbus, the Franco-German aircraft manufacturer in which the US Department of Justice has started to take an interest.

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If you think the Tokyo prosecutor is a tough dude, the gentlemen at the Department of Justice would scare the Spanish Inquisition.

Airbus is no lightweight itself, with annual turnover of the order of 70 billion euros and 130,000 employees.

The problem is that the company is suspected of having made illegal use of undeclared intermediaries to secure certain prodigious foreign contracts, notably in Asia.

How wrong is what Airbus did?

Everybody in the air industry uses intermediaries. Thats accepted by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. You just have to name them and say how much they are being paid. The idea is to prevent the payment of bribes to people in high places who have no direct interest in the negotiations, but do have the power to make an eventual sale difficult.

The English Serious Fraud Office and the French National Financial Investigator are also on the case, which Airbus has already admitted is substantiated . . . the company did use a few paid third party mediators which it then forget to put in the book. So the US investigators are looking at a sitting duck, and they dont even have to raise a magnifying glass.

What might happen next?

There are two possibilities, according to Le Monde.

The hopeful scenario is that the boys from Washington will put away their pliers, thumb-screws and gas burner, and join the French and British investigations which are already well advanced.

That would mean a fine of, probably, several billion euros for Airbus. But that they could handle.

The worst-case situation would be for the US suits to drag Airbus before an American criminal court. The European company would presumably lose, since theyve already confessed to the central charge, and that could result in Airbus being excluded from the international public marketplace for a period of five years. That would leave the field open to the US and Chinese competition, Boeing and Comac, the Chinese Commercial Aircraft Corporation.

Airbus will thus be hoping that the Americans decide to triple-team them, rather than go head-to-head.

To that end the company has sacked dozens of members of its strategy and marketing division, reputed for their imaginative approach to difficult contracts. The idea is to show the Americans that the era of playing dirty has been left behind.

Whether that strategy, which has already worked in the case of a similar Department of Justice investigation involving Rolls-Royce, the English motor maker, remains to be seen.

Come on guys, be nice! It's Christmas!
By Keith Coffman

DENVER (Reuters) - The fiance of a 29-year-old Colorado woman who vanished nearly a month ago from a small mountain town was arrested on Friday for her murder although authorities have not located the young mother's body, police said.

Patrick Frazee, 32, is being held without bond on suspicion of first-degree murder and solicitation to commit murder in the slaying of Kelsey Berreth, Woodland Park Police Chief Miles De Young said at a news conference.

"While we have not found Kelsey at this time, information has been developed that has helped to narrow down our search," De Young said. "Sadly, we do not believe Kelsey is still alive."

Teller County District Attorney Dan May told reporters Frazee will make his first court appearance Friday afternoon, and prosecutors will formally charge him within 10 days.

The arrest warrant affidavit has been sealed and authorities declined to say what led to Frazee's arrest.

A spokeswoman for Frazee's lawyer, Jeremy Loew, said he will issue a statement later on Friday.

Frazee, who was arrested by police and Federal Bureau of Investigation agents at his ranch in Florissant, 13 miles (21 km) west of Woodland Park, is the father of the couple's one-year-old daughter, Kaylee. The child had been staying with Frazee but is now in protective custody, De Young said.

Kelsey Berreth was last seen publicly on Nov. 22 on surveillance camera video entering a Safeway grocery store in Woodland Park, about 90 miles southwest of Denver.

Frazee told police he saw Berreth when he picked up Kaylee later that afternoon, De Young said last week.

Three days later, Berreth's employer received a text message from her telephone, saying she would not be coming into work for a week, police said, and that same day her cellphone signal connected with a tower near Gooding, Idaho, some 700 miles away.

Berreth's mother Cheryl, who lives in Idaho, reported her missing on Dec. 2.

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Police searched Frazee's sprawling ranch last weekend. If convicted of first-degree murder, he faces a life sentence without the possibility of parole.

(Reporting by Keith Coffman; Editing by Richard Chang)

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A senior Kurdish politician has called on France to play a stronger role in Syria following the withdrawal of US troops from the country.

Ilham Ahmed, the Kurdish co-chair of the Syrian Democratic Council, said that Kurdish fighters may have to withdraw from the front lines in the fight against the Islamic State group.

Ahmed warned that a Turkish attack could bring the battle against the IS group in Syria to a halt.

She said France as a NATO member has a moral obligation to prevent Turkey from attacking Kurds.

Ahmed was in Paris on Friday as part of a delegation for talks on the planned US military withdrawal from Syria as well as Turkey's threats to launch a military operation against Kurdish forces in northeastern Syria.

The delegation met French President Emmanuel Macron's representative to Syria, Francois Senemand.

President Donald Trump's abrupt call on US troops to leave Syria has left America's only allies in the country in the lurch.

Islamic State group prisoners may escape

Ahmed warned that Kurdish-led forces in northern Syria may not be able to continue to hold Islamic State group prisoners if the situation in the region gets out of control.

"Under the threat of the Turkish state, and with the possibility of Daesh (Islamic State) reviving once again, I fear the situation will get out of control and we will no longer be able to contain them," Ahmed said when asked if the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) was considering releasing hundreds of IS detainees.

Hundreds of foreign IS fighters are being held in Syrian Kurdish prisons.

Kurds urge France to play more active role

Speaking alongside Ahmed at a Paris news conference, Riad Darar, co-chair of the Syrian Democratic Council, said he hoped France would play a more active role in Syria after US President Donald Trump decided to withdraw US forces.

France has about 200 special forces personnel operating in Syria's Kurdish areas as well as heavy artillery as part of efforts to rout Islamic State in its remaining pockets. It is also carrying out air strikes.

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"We do not share the analyses that the territorial caliphate (of Islamic State group) has been annihilated," French Defence Minister Florence Parly said on RTL radio, disagreeing with Trump's assessment.

"It's an extremely grave decision and we think ... the job must be finished."

Kurds threatened by Turkey

The Kurds are seen as the big losers of Trump's shock decision to pull out of Syria, a move that leaves a group that helped rout IS from most of Syria vulnerable to attack from Turkey.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has vowed to root out Kurdish fighters  whom he calls a "terrorist offshoot" of Turkey's outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party  from northern Syria.

"We're asking the French for diplomatic support to develop dialogue and assure peace and stability in the region," Ahmed said.

"We also asked that [French] forces uphold their task in the region until a political solution is found," she added.

(FRANCE24 with AP, AFP and REUTERS)
French President Emmanuel Macron arrived Saturday in Chad, where he will meet with his counterpart Idriss Deby to discuss the crisis in the Central African Republic (CAR), amid widespread concerns about increasing Russian influence in the country.

Moscow has been supplying arms to the CAR since December 2017. Around 175 Russians, including five soldiers employed by private contractors, were sent to the country to train two battalions. Thats while a Russian, Valerii Zakharov, was appointed as a national seciurity adviser to the president.

Russia also started talks with former members of the Seleka  an alliance of rebel militias that seized power in 2013  and unsuccessfully tried to hold talks between the CAR government and armed groups in July 2018.

France is suspicious about such Russian activities in what it thinks of as its sphere of influence. It fears that the Russians are going to replace them as the CARs main patron, said Thierry Vircoulon, a researcher at the Africa Centre of the Paris-based IFRI think-tank.

Parallels with Syria

He argued that Russia is taking a similar approach with the CAR to the one it has shown in Syria: Russia gives the government military support and then acts as a mediator in peace talks, thus becoming a solution to the conflict.

Paris also fears that the Russians are trying to advance their economic interests there, and that theyre trying to develop ties with rebel groups to get their hands on natural resources, at the expense of the security situation, added Roland Marchal, a central Africa specialist at the CNRS think-tank in Paris.

Whether its driven by diplomatic or economic interests, the threat of Russia legitimising armed groups worries France. The CARs western neighbour, Chad, shares Paris concerns, fearing that it could bolster support for Chadian rebel groups.

According to Marchal, reliable sources say that, since last spring, there has been contact between rebel groups in Chad and CAR President [Faustin-Archange] Touadera, while Russians and Chadian rebels have been holding discussions in Sudan.

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That makes things even more worrying for the Chadian government, seeing as its capital is relatively easy to reach from across the border with the CAR.

France and Chad both want to contain Russian influence in the CAR, at the same time as preventing any further outbreak of violence and avoiding getting entangled in the process. Chad doesnt want problems on its border while France doesnt want to be asked to intervene militarily, Vircoulon concludes.

This article was adapted from the original in French
If you walk down busy market streets in Niger, you are likely to see dozens of kinds of medicine displayed in small hand carts or spread out on mats. Many people buy medicine from these street vendors, even though the products they sell are completely unregulated and sometimes even dangerous. Our Observer took photos to document this illicit market in medicine. Lahcen B. (not his real name) is a telephone technician in Tahoua, a region in western Niger. Every day, he sees street vendors peddling medicine at cut-rate prices. He reached out to the France 24 Observers team to report this threat to public health. In this photo, you can see medicine sold alongside other wares. Many street vendors sell a mixture of both real and fake medicine. (All these photos were taken by our Observer.) Here, medicine is sold like sweets > You can find almost any medicine for sale in the streets. I took photos of hand carts full of medicine. You can also buy medicine from street vendors or go to the market. > > Its clear that this medicine has not been kept in proper conditions. Its exposed to the sun, even though temperatures can climb to a scorching 45 Celsius and there is dust all over. > > Street vendors sell antibiotics, paracetamol and anti-inflammatories. The vendors sell them like sweets. They dont require prescriptions. Instead, they act like pharmacists and explain to the customers how much to take. Generally, they tell the customers to take more than they should so they will buy more. Street vendors often hawk a mix of real and fake medicine. Sometimes, Nigerien authorities seize large stocks of fake medicine during raids against the illegal medicines market, a big global problem that is especially rampant across the African continent. Lahcen says that this is much more than a public health crisis. > These vendors have no problem selling their wares for two main reasons: first of all, the medicine that you can buy in the street is much cheaper. In a pharmacy, a box of paracetamol might cost 400 francs CFA [equivalent to about 60 euro cents], while you can buy it for just 100 francs in the street. > > Secondly, in the countryside or in small, rural villages, it is rare to find a pharmacy that keeps medicine in its recommended conditions by keeping it away from heat and humidity. So people are used to buying medicine in poor conditions and so they dont see a big difference between pharmacies and street vendors. > > In Niger, there havent been many campaigns to raise awareness about public health issues. Theres also a real lack of infrastructure. Many people dont go to see a doctor when they get ill because that requires too much time and money. Instead, theyd go directly to a street vendor for medicine and advice. > > Moreover, not all of the doctors here are great. I have friends who went to Algeria for medical treatment and the doctors there were shocked by all of the errors that doctors here had made in terms of diagnosing and treating illnesses. > > Every so often, the authorities announce that theyve seized tons of fake medicine. However, they dont do anything on a daily basis to regulate the distribution and sale of unregulated medicine. This whole industry is also linked to corruption because you never know who is involved with this lucrative business. According to research into the illegal medicine market in Niger, about 75 percent of medicine imported into the country ends up in the informal circuit. This rate is so high, in part, because of Nigers porous borders but also because of a lack of personnel in the ministry that is supposed to regulate the medicine market.

If you walk down busy market streets in Niger, you are likely to see dozens of kinds of medicine displayed in small hand carts or spread out on mats. Many people buy medicine from these street vendors, even though the products they sell are completely unregulated and sometimes even dangerous. Our Observer took photos to document this illicit market in medicine.

Lahcen B. (not his real name) is a telephone technician in Tahoua, a region in western Niger. Every day, he sees street vendors peddling medicine at cut-rate prices. He reached out to the France 24 Observers team to report this threat to public health.





In this photo, you can see medicine sold alongside other wares.





Many street vendors sell a mixture of both real and fake medicine. (All these photos were taken by our Observer.)





Here, medicine is sold like sweets

You can find almost any medicine for sale in the streets. I took photos of hand carts full of medicine. You can also buy medicine from street vendors or go to the market. Its clear that this medicine has not been kept in proper conditions. Its exposed to the sun, even though temperatures can climb to a scorching 45 Celsius and there is dust all over. Street vendors sell antibiotics, paracetamol and anti-inflammatories. The vendors sell them like sweets. They dont require prescriptions. Instead, they act like pharmacists and explain to the customers how much to take. Generally, they tell the customers to take more than they should so they will buy more.



Street vendors often hawk a mix of real and fake medicine. Sometimes, Nigerien authorities seize large stocks of fake medicine during raids against the illegal medicines market, a big global problem that is especially rampant across the African continent. Lahcen says that this is much more than a public health crisis.



These vendors have no problem selling their wares for two main reasons: first of all, the medicine that you can buy in the street is much cheaper. In a pharmacy, a box of paracetamol might cost 400 francs CFA [equivalent to about 60 euro cents], while you can buy it for just 100 francs in the street. Secondly, in the countryside or in small, rural villages, it is rare to find a pharmacy that keeps medicine in its recommended conditions by keeping it away from heat and humidity. So people are used to buying medicine in poor conditions and so they dont see a big difference between pharmacies and street vendors. In Niger, there havent been many campaigns to raise awareness about public health issues. Theres also a real lack of infrastructure. Many people dont go to see a doctor when they get ill because that requires too much time and money. Instead, theyd go directly to a street vendor for medicine and advice. Moreover, not all of the doctors here are great. I have friends who went to Algeria for medical treatment and the doctors there were shocked by all of the errors that doctors here had made in terms of diagnosing and treating illnesses. Every so often, the authorities announce that theyve seized tons of fake medicine. However, they dont do anything on a daily basis to regulate the distribution and sale of unregulated medicine. This whole industry is also linked to corruption because you never know who is involved with this lucrative business.



According to research into the illegal medicine market in Niger, about 75 percent of medicine imported into the country ends up in the informal circuit. This rate is so high, in part, because of Nigers porous borders but also because of a lack of personnel in the ministry that is supposed to regulate the medicine market.
FILE PHOTO: Kovrig, an employee with the International Crisis Group and former Canadian diplomat appears in this photo from Brussels FILE PHOTO: Michael Kovrig, an employee with the International Crisis Group and former Canadian diplomat appears in this photo provided by the International Crisis Group in Brussels, Belgium, December 11, 2018. Courtesy CRISISGROUP/Julie David de Lossy/Handout via REUTERS

WASHINGTON/VANCOUVER (Reuters) - The United States joined Canada on Friday in calling on Beijing to release two Canadians detained in what are widely believed to be tit-for-tat arrests related to the high-profile detention in Canada of an executive of a major Chinese corporation.

China last week detained two Canadians - Michael Kovrig, a former diplomat and an adviser with the International Crisis Group (ICG) think-tank, and businessman Michael Spavor - after Canadian police arrested Huawei Technologies Co Ltd's chief financial officer, Meng Wanzhou, on Dec 1.

"We are deeply concerned by the arbitrary detention by Chinese authorities of two Canadians earlier this month and call for their immediate release," Canada's Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said in a statement.

Freeland said that Meng, who is also the daughter of Huawei's founder, was facing a "fair, unbiased and transparent legal proceeding," and Canada would not "compromise nor politicise the rule of law and due process."

Her words were echoed in a similar statement by U.S. State Department spokesman Robert Palladino, who noted that Canada was honouring its international legal commitments in arresting Meng, and called for the immediate release of Kovrig and Spavor.

British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said in a statement that the United Kingdom "has confidence Canada is conducting a fair and transparent legal proceeding" with respect to Meng. He said he was "deeply concerned by suggestions of a political motivation" for the detention of Kovrig and Spavor.

The European Union said the "declared motive" for the arrest and detention of Kovrig and Spavor "raises concerns about legitimate research and business practices in China".

"The denial of access to a lawyer under their status of detention is contrary to the right of defence," it said in a statement, adding that it supported the efforts of the Canadian government.

Story continues

While Meng has had full access to lawyers and is able to see family, Kovrig is being denied legal representation, is not allowed to see family, and is limited to one consular visit a month.

Peter Dahlin, a Swedish rights worker who was detained in China for three weeks before being deported in 2016, also over allegations of violating national security, said governments had to speak out.

"The only way to protect Kovrig and Spavor right now is to protect their rights vehemently, and let China be the one to de-escalate the situation," Dahlin told Reuters.

"Silence will merely give China the ability to use Kovrig as a pawn, as a tool, and as long as that can be useful to them, he will not see the light of day."

China has given only vague details of why it has detained the two Canadians, saying they are suspected of engaging in activities that endangered China's security, and has not drawn a direct link to Meng's arrest.

The United States has sought to extradite Meng on charges of misleading multinational banks about Iran-linked transactions, putting the banks at risk of violating U.S. sanctions. The 46-year-old executive is out on bail in Vancouver.

Huawei is the world's 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.

(Reporting by Diane Bartz in Washington and Julie Gordon in Vancouver; Additional reporting by Christian Shepherd and Philip Wen in Beijing; Editing by Dan Grebler, Richard Chang and Joseph Radford)
The United Nations Security Council has unanimously approved the deployment of a UN advance team to monitor a ceasefire in Yemens Hodeidah region after days of wrangling that pitted the United States against ally Britain.

After a week of UN-sponsored peace talks in Sweden, the Iranian-aligned Houthi group and Saudi-backed Yemen government foes agreed last week to stop fighting in the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah and withdraw forces. The truce began on Tuesday.

The 15-member Security Council authorised UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to deploy  for an initial 30 days  an advance team to begin monitoring and to support and facilitate the deal between the warring parties.

It also asked Guterres to submit proposals by the end of the month on substantive monitoring operations for the ceasefire and mutual redeployment of forces; support for the management of and inspections at the ports of Hodeidah, Salif and Ras Issa; and strengthening of the UN presence in the Hodeidah region.

Guterres is also required to report weekly to the Security Council on implementation of the resolution, which endorses the ceasefire deal agreed in Sweden.

The Security Council has been wrangling over the British-drafted text since Monday and in an unusual move the United States, unhappy with Britain's efforts, came up with its own version on Thursday.

Traditionally countries propose amendments to a draft rather than coming up with their own text.

The US text, which was seen by Reuters, mirrored the British language focused on the ceasefire deal and authorising UN support. However, Washington had stripped out language on the humanitarian crisis.

The resolution adopted on Friday retained some of the British language on the aid crisis. The conflict has pushed impoverished Yemen to the verge of famine with millions relying on food aid.

More than 80 percent of Yemen's imports used to come through Hodeidah port, but that has slowed to a trickle.

Story continues

The resolution "calls on the Government of Yemen and the Houthis to remove bureaucratic impediments to flows of commercial and humanitarian supplies, including fuel, and on the parties to ensure effective and sustained functioning of all of Yemen's ports."

The United States had also wanted to condemn Iran for breaching an arms embargo on Yemen, but Russia objected, diplomats said. Iran has repeatedly denied accusations that it has supplied weapons to Yemen's Houthis.

In order to reach a consensus Britain had to cut language on the "need for transparent, credible and timely investigations into alleged violations of international humanitarian law" and for those responsible to be held accountable.

A Saudi-led military coalition intervened in Yemen in 2015 to back government forces. The United Nations and Western countries have criticised the coalition for killing a high number of civilians, including children.

Western countries, including the United States and Britain, have provided arms and intelligence to coalition members.

"Several permanent Council members have helped shield the Saudi-led coalition from pressure and still sell them weapons. That should stop immediately," said Louis Charbonneau, UN director at Human Rights Watch.

(REUTERS)
Real Housewives of Orange County star, Shannon Beador, could be ordered by the court to back off the booze. That could be required for at least eight hours before being with her daughters, as well as during time spent with her teens. Her estranged husband, David Beador, stated that it is detrimental to their teen daughters for their mother to consume alcohol, according to the court documents that Radar Online shared with readers on December 18.

Ex-couple scheduled for court hearing in January

As a result of filing his request with the court, David and Shannon are scheduled for a hearing on January 19.

Within the documents, he detailed that Shannon stated on Bravos "RHOC" that she uses alcohol to self-medicate. He further contends that Shannon disputes referencing alcohol consumption in the manner he cited.

David Beador files court docs asking her not to be drunk in front of the children.' https://t.co/wJ4MAdipsO  Radar Online (@radar_online) December 20, 2018

Estranged husband points to Bravo for clips

Within the documents submitted, on December 14, to the Superior Court of Orange County, David indicated that the clip of Shannon discussing self-medication is publicly available on the Bravo network website. US Weekly reported that Shannon has not, yet, filed a response.

The former couple, as mentioned previously, has three teen daughters: twins Adeline and Stella, 14, and Sophie, 16.

Shannon filed for divorce from David in 2017, following their 17-year marriage. Until the former pairs divorce is final, David was ordered to pay Shannon $22,500 each month.

Co-stars 'regularly accused' Beador

For Shannon Beador, it may not play out favorably if the court is aware of statements her "RHOC" co-stars have made about her alcohol consumption during past episodes.

Discuss this news on Eunomia

Bravo cast mates regularly accused Beador of allegedly abusing alcohol in the most recent season of "RHOC," according to Pop Culture.

They contend that she drinks to cope with pain from her ongoing divorce, the publication penned. Co-star Vicki Gunvalson relayed during an episode segment that she was on anti-depressants while involved in her own divorce from her ex, Don.

Gunvalson seemed to be expressing empathy for Beador, relating to her own experience.

Even during a reunion show, co-star Tamra Judge broached the topic of Beador and her use of alcohol, Radar Online reported. Judge reportedly believes that her co-star self-medicated many times, adding that alcohol is a depressant. Beador did not disagree but, instead, stated, Oh we all do, as well as, I admit it.

Beador explained that she did not drink any alcohol the first five years while married to David. She additionally described some of the statements that he allegedly made, calling her crazy, selfish, and an alcoholic from the time their marriage began.

Star snubs idea of taking medication to cope

The reality star rebuked Gunvalson's thought about taking medication. Beador said, Im not doing it, adding that she is entitled to feel her pain. She instructed her cast mates to stop treating her as if she is a mental case.

Be sure to follow Blasting News for updates and for the latest information. Meanwhile, in other reality television news, David Eason accidentally nicked his finger with a knife while playing a game. And fresh out of rehab, for alleged drug addiction, Ryan Edwards reportedly returned to Tinder.
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Three local students advance in BIG Idea competition

The three students from Doland and Eureka will present their ideas at Northern State University on Dec. 8.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.  Gregg Fulfer, a Jal rancher and business owner, was appointed to the state Senate on Friday to fill the vacancy created by Carroll Leavells retirement.

Gov. Susana Martinez announced the appointment

Fulfer, a Republican, has served on the state Economic Development Commission and Environmental Improvement Board, and hes a former Lea County commissioner.

In an interview Friday, Fulfer said he would work closely with Leavell, his father-in-law, to ensure a smooth transition.

His shoes are going to be hard to fill, Fulfer said.

As a senator from southeastern New Mexico, Fulfer said he would work to highlight the importance of the oil and gas industry to the state as a whole.

Leavell, a Republican, stepped down for health reasons earlier this month.

Fulfer will finish Leavells term, which ends in 2020.
A potentially significant winter storm taking aim at New Mexico for Christmas week is expected to bring deteriorating driving conditions across parts of the state at a time when more people will take to the road.

Those travelling on Christmas Day or the day after Christmas should keep a close eye on the forecast because there could be some travel impacts anywhere from Arizona to West Texas and Colorado, said Brian Guyer, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Albuquerque.

Motorists can check road conditions online at nmroads.com or by calling 800-432-4269.

The storm will replace recent mild and dry weather that residents have been enjoying as a system from Northern California is expected to dive southeast and approach the state late Christmas Eve.

Travel conditions are expected to get progressively worse by sunset Christmas Day as wind, blowing snow and lower temperatures could lead to snow-packed and icy roadways, forecasters said, adding conditions could continue to affect travel in the state through Thursday.

Precipitation is expected to begin in the far northwest portion of the state Christmas morning and begin to spread south and east in the afternoon, still mostly over the mountains.

Forecasters expect snow to spread east Christmas night and Wednesday, mixing with rain in the Middle Rio Grande Valley, with mostly rain on the east central plains Wednesday.

Guyer emphasized that it is still early to detail where and when the most significant snowfall will occur. Those details should come into focus Sunday or Monday, he said.

Those in the Albuquerque area hoping for a white Christmas could get their wish late Christmas night as the storm approaches from the west.

The forecast in the metro area calls for mostly sunny skies on Christmas Day, with highs into the upper 40s, but changing to a 40 percent chance of snow showers overnight, with a low of 31 degrees, and a 40 percent chance of rain/snow showers Wednesday.

There is potential for there to be some accumulating snowfall in the Albuquerque metro area Christmas night into Wednesday, Guyer said.
An Air Force veteran racked up millions more dollars on his fundraising page for President Donald Trumps U.S.-Mexico border wall, but it remained unclear Friday how the U.S. government would get the money.

Brian Kolfages GoFundMe page has raised more than $13 million as of Friday afternoon to build the wall, whose funding was threatening a partial government shutdown. The crowdfunding page, which was launched less than a week ago, has a goal of $1 billion.

In a statement on the page, Kolfage assured contributors that the fundraiser was not a scam and that he had contacted the Trump administration about how to deliver the money.

White House officials did not immediately return an email seeking comment Friday.

Citizens can mail money as gifts to the United States, according to the U.S. Treasury Department. But its not clear whether the Department of Homeland Security can accept gifts.

Kolfage of Miramar Beach, Florida, wrote that donors would get a refund if the fundraising goal isnt met.

The page has brought attention to Kolfage, a triple amputee who was wounded in the Iraq War in 2004, and his social media history.

NBC News reported that Kolfage operated a Facebook page called Right Wing News and sites that promoted conspiracy theories. He told the news outlet that he didnt mention the page because he didnt want it to be a distraction.

That shouldnt be the focus. My personal issues have nothing to do with building the wall, Kolfage said.

He told The Associated Press in an email Thursday that he worked on Right Wing News but the rest of NBCs story is not true.

Kolfage did not respond Friday to multiple requests for comment from the AP.
Starting next semester, students at the Institute of American Indian Arts can apply for degrees in performing arts.

The Higher Learning Association recently accredited IAIAs application to start associates and bachelors degree programs in the field, according to a Friday news release IAIA.

Though IAIA used to offer performing arts courses, until 1996  federal budget cuts led to the discontinuing the program  spokesperson Eric Davis said this is the first time the institute will offer the degrees.

The college brought back a small minor program since 2014. A full-time performing arts chair, Sheila Rocha, was brought on in fall 2017. An assistant professor was then hired in spring 2018.

Th accreditation comes about a year after IAIA opened a new Performing Arts and Fitness Center. Last November, IAIA President Robert Martin said the purpose of the new facility was to help establish the a performing arts major, noting it would be the only degree in the field coming from a Native American perspective.

A strong demand exists for the program and we believe IAIA is in the strongest position to address that need, Martin said in the news release. We have build state-of-the-arts facilities, recruited well-qualified and committed faculty, and have documented student and Native community interest.
Five-foot-two, eyes of blue  and a 28-year-old Rio Rancho woman who fits that

description was recently trained and hired to work for the Santa Fe Police Department.

Its been an interesting decade since Sarah Stevenson graduated from Rio Rancho High School in May 2008. She had myriad interests and passions while growing up in the City of Vision.

When I was 8 years old, I wanted to be a drag racer, she said, enjoying days following her mechanic father and the 1968 Barracuda he raced.

She played softball for the Sundancers and then briefly for the high school team. Then she headed to Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff for three years, where she became a good friend of Tyler Stewart (more on him later) while working at Dillards.

Short of a degree, she returned to New Mexico, working first as a server and then in the security department at Santa Ana Star Casino a few years ago, also studying to obtain her real estate license. She was even featured in an Observer article on two women changing careers at different stages in their lives. (Susan Ryerson was the other).

But as a Realtor, she found herself in the world of property management, which she says, wasnt challenging.

So, how did she find her way to becoming a cop in Santa Fe? And she didnt need to be a detective to learn she couldnt afford to live there; she commutes to her new job from her home in Rio Rancho.

It turns out, while at the casino one night, she met an SFPD detective, and he invited her to accompany him on a ride-along in October 2017, which she enjoyed and started thinking about a life in law enforcement.

Discovering SFPD was a warm, welcoming place to work, she decided to apply. Once accepted  following a successful physical assessment, background check, psych evaluation, polygraph test and drug-testing  she began the grueling training process.

That began with a pre-academy session.

The focus was for you to succeed, not weed you out, Stevenson said.

She heard early, The academys gonna be tough, and it was. Sometimes, she recalled, during physical fitness sessions, shed think to herself, Oh, my gosh  why did I get into this?

It was the hardest thing Ive done, but its the strongest Ive been, physically and mentally, she said.

In late October, she graduated from the Department of Public Safety Academy in Santa Fe, and has been riding with a training officer since then, putting in four 10-hour shifts weekly.

Ill be with another officer till February, Stevenson said, finding herself primarily in the southern portion of the City Different, namely in the Airport Road-Cerrillos Road area.

SFPD, like the Rio Rancho Police Department and other police and sheriffs departments, has been losing officers to Albuquerque Police Department, which has begun offering better pay.

Every officer will tell you the pay can be better; a few have left Santa Fe and a few (more) might, she said. They dont want to; they like that department.

Im happy with the pay Im making right now, she said, anticipating a 25-year career in blue but realizing a possible promotion in four years, when shes eligible to be bumped up, may affect her decision.

Shes not a cop on Facebook, where she keeps in touch with her friends. An October post there, following her graduation from the DPS Academy, states, Its been a long journey. A lot of early mornings and late nights. There were bruises, sweat and yes, a few tears of frustration. But through it all, Ive accomplished goals that some only dream about, forged friendships that will last a lifetime and am stronger than Ive ever been (inside and out). I could not have done this without all of the amazing support that Ive received from family and friends!

Stevenson said shell never forget Stewart, who later became an officer with the Flagstaff Police Department and was killed in the line of duty in December 2014.

Tyler, Im gonna continue what you started, she pledged.

Her mother, Becky, wasnt that thrilled  there were a lot of unknowns, she said. (But) shell support me.

So, too, will her father Mike.

Hes more than proud; he says, Be safe; be careful,' Stevenson said.

As a cop, Every situation can change on a dime, Stevenson said. Dont get complacent on anything  no traffic stop is routine.
Rio Rancho Middle School has been named a 2018 National ESEA Distinguished School by the National Association of ESEA State Program Administrators (formerly the National Title I Association), a program that recognizes superior federally funded programs in schools across the nation.

Schools are selected for this recognition by their state education agency, in this case the New Mexico Public Education Department.

RRMS was chosen based on its exceptional student performance for two or more consecutive years. The school has achieved an A grade under the states rating system for the past three years.

It is one of the states largest middle schools, with enrollment over 1,200 students.

Schools chosen as National ESEA Distinguished Schools demonstrate a wide array of strengths, including team approaches to teaching and learning, focused ongoing training opportunities for staff, individualized programs for student success and strong partnerships among the school, parents and the community.
I want to wish everyone a merry Christmas, happy New Year and joyous holiday season.

This is the time of year when I reflect on the past and ramp up efforts to prepare for what lies ahead.

I cannot look back at 2018 without first thanking Rio Rancho voters once again. Your overwhelming approval for a road improvement and public safety equipment bond in March demonstrates we are a community willing to invest in itself.

I remain humbled and forever grateful to voters for electing me to a second term as their mayor.

On a personal level, I will always remember 2018 as the year in which the city received the money it was owed.

When I first came into office, more than $6 million remained outstanding to the city from the federal government for an arsenic-treatment facility dating back to 2007. For years, I worked on this issue and recently, almost like an early Christmas present, the city received word that the last of the money due was on the way.

The past 12 months was another banner year when it comes to road and water/sewer system improvements.

Highlighting these efforts was the start of Southern Boulevard reconstruction. When work is completed on Phase 1 in 2019, I am confident the community will be pleased with the results.

Public safety is a top priority for residents and your elected officials. Rio Rancho has been, and remains, a very safe community.

To maintain this safety, year after year, your tax dollars have been prioritized for police and fire/emergency medical services, and specifically for public-safety personnel compensation.

While much has been publicized about Albuquerques tax increase for police pay to lure away officers from other cities, please rest assured that your city officials are working hard to retain staff. In 2019, through a minimal PNM franchise fee increase, Rio Rancho will have more funding to use for staff compensation.

Getting this funding allocated to employees as quickly as possible will be a priority for me. Also, by securing a grant, six new firefighter/EMT positions will be created and start serving the public in spring 2019.

Early in 2019, I will select, with city council consent, a new city manager. Because this position is responsible for day-to-day city administrative affairs, I will look for someone who brings knowledge and experience related to running a citys operations.

Once this person is in place, I know the citizens of Rio Rancho will give them a warm welcome.

By the end of 2019, construction will be underway on Campus Park in City Center. Upon completion, this unique community gathering space will not only be utilized by college students, but will also become the destination for residents to take in special events, outdoor movies, concerts and much more.

In closing, it is evident Rio Rancho is moving in the right direction. I will do everything in my power during 2019 and beyond to continue to build upon this positive momentum, and keep Rio Rancho as a nationally recognized best place to live in the United States.

(Gregg Hull is in his second term as mayor of Rio Rancho.)
The lady behind the counter in the museum shop said, This is one of the best-kept secrets in New Mexico, and she was probably right.

She was speaking of El Rancho de las Golondrinas, a living history museum about 30 miles north of Bernalillo near La Cienega. Opened to the public in 1972, it is truly a gem of New Mexico history.

El Rancho de las Golondrinas (the Ranch of the Swallows) was settled by Miguel Vega y Coca in the early years of the 18th century, probably about 1710. It was not a land grant, as were so many settlements of the time, but a royal purchase.

It remained in the hands of his descendants and those of Diego Manuel Baca for 200 years.

The rancho operated in much the same way other ranchos, or estancias, did. It was largely self-supporting.

The inhabitants raised sufficient crops to sustain themselves from one cold winter to the next. They raised livestock, particularly sheep, from which they gleaned wool for clothing, as well as meat.

Homes were built of adobe. A blacksmith shop fashioned tools of iron.

And more than that, Rancho de las Golondrinas also became a paraje, or stopping place, on El Camino Real (The Royal Road), which traversed a route from Mexico City, through Chihuahua, El Paso del Norte (El Paso), Socorro and on to Santa Fe. The rancho was the stopping place for the first night out of Santa Fe for southbound travelers, and the last night on the trail for those northbound.

Its importance has little to do with what happened there in the past; its importance has to do with what the place offers today as a living monument to those hardy souls who labored there two and three centuries ago.

A walking tour  allow yourself several hours  instructs visitors as to how people lived, worked and played when there were no modern conveniences. A complete village in the manner of northern New Mexico has been reconstructed.

There are ancient adobe houses, furnished as they were in the days of yore with armarios (cabinets), banquitos (three-legged stools), alacenas (wall cabinets) and bancos (benches).

There are the tools they used from palas (bread paddles) to tarabillas (rope twisters) with cabadors (grubbing hoes) and hachas (axes) along the way.

There are several telars (looms) on display. These were among the most important mechanisms in any village.

Other structures include la melasera (molasses mill), carreteria (wheelwright shop), la herreria (blacksmith shop) and el molina (grain mill).

Actually, there are three mills on the site. One was built at Talpa near Taos  it is not operable. Another was imported from Truchas, also in northern New Mexico. It is operable, as is el molino grande de Sapello which operates by means of a large noria (water wheel).

The latter one has been restored, and rebuilt where necessary. Demonstrations of how wheat became flour are offered on selected weekends.

The museum was damaged by flooding in July but will operate normally in 2019 from June 1 to Oct. 26.

(Don Bulliss latest book, New Mexico Historical Chronology, won Best Reference and Best of Show honors at last months 2018 New Mexico-Arizona Book Awards.)
The New Mexico District Attorneys Association on Friday filed an amicus, or friend of the court brief, in support of 2nd Judicial District Attorney Raul Torrez and his offices prosecution of Jessica Kelley, who is facing charges in connection with the killing of 10-year-old Victoria Martens.

Earlier this month, state District Court Judge Charles Brown partially granted a request from Kelleys defense attorney, Mark Earnest, to show jurors two court documents filed by the state, along with certain comments by prosecutors and the district attorney.

In an exception to the hearsay rule, Brown determined those items were considered statements of the opposing party and potentially could be used at trial. However, he in part deferred the ruling pending determination of relevancy at trial.

The DAs Office subsequently filed a petition for a writ with the state Supreme Court, arguing that admission of the statements would turn the prosecutors into witnesses and would result in a conflict of interest that might require the prosecutions disqualification.

The DAs Office asked the Supreme Court to hold that Brown misinterpreted the rule.

The ruling risks transforming the truth-seeking process of a trial into a circus, and only this courts constitutional power to issue extraordinary writs can restore order, prosecutor James Grayson wrote in his petition to the Supreme Court.

The amicus brief, filed by John P. Sugg, 12th Judicial District Attorney, on behalf of the DAs Association, states that the opposing parties to the litigation are the State of New Mexico and the Real Party in Interest, Jessica Kelley. The District Attorney and his deputies are not parties to the criminal action. Instead, the District Attorney is the law officer of the state  within his district,  the brief says, quoting the state Constitution.

In the immediate wake of the August 2016 murder and dismemberment of Victoria Martens in her mothers Northwest Albuquerque apartment, police and the then-district attorney charged Victorias mother, Michelle Martens, her boyfriend, Fabian Gonzales, and Gonzales cousin Jessica Kelley with rape and murder.

In late June, the case took a twist when Torrez announced that cellphone data and witness testimony proves that Martens and Gonzales were not at the apartment when Victoria was killed; further, a DNA sample from an unidentified man was found on Victorias body.

Sugg told the Journal on Friday that Browns ruling could have statewide implications if adopted by other judges.

A document filed in the case against Gonzales contains a long list of facts as justification for charging him with child abuse. Gonzales, however, maintains that the elements of child abuse dont fit because he didnt have any legal obligation to keep Victoria safe, Sugg said.

Kelley is now trying to use facts prepared by the prosecution in its case against Gonzales, even though some of those facts came from Kelley herself, Sugg explained.

In an agreement with the DAs Office, Kelley had agreed to plead guilty to child abuse resulting in death; Brown rejected the agreement, finding there was insufficient evidence to support the charge.

The DAs Office had been counting on Kelleys cooperation and testimony in its case against Gonzales. The change of events dramatically impacts our ability to secure that conviction and presents significant challenges to the presentation of evidence, Torrez has said.
Copyright  2018 Albuquerque Journal

After more than a month with little to no information released about police-involved shootings, Albuquerque police officials held a media briefing Friday to explain the circumstances, release videos and answer questions about three of the recent incidents.

In all three cases, officers were the first to open fire, doing so after, police say, the suspects were seen pointing a gun at them.

APD did not release any information about a police shooting that occurred Oct. 7 at Lins Grand Buffet on Montgomery NE near San Mateo. Police said that because the suspect is facing federal charges, they wont release his name or the name of the officers who fired until he has been charged.

In opening the briefing, Police Chief Michael Geier referred to the commitment he made to transparency when he was appointed chief a year ago, while saying it was also important to protect the integrity of the investigation.

I realize, with this interest on the part of the media, I want to explain a couple of things, he said. Its easy to overlook that the same investigators also handled 15 homicides during this period of time, the active shooter incident (at Ben E. Keith foods warehouse) being one of the cases that also occurred. We also had the Department of Justice in town for a weeklong evaluation review that met with the members of the department and different units, and that also took up some of their time. Again, not making excuses but just giving some (context).

He said the Rio Rancho Police Department recently pulled its two officers from a multiagency task force that investigates shootings involving law enforcement. Officers from the Bernalillo County Sheriffs Office, New Mexico State Police and the Albuquerque Police Department remain on the task force.

Most of the five officers involved in the three shootings had less than 10 years on the force.

Our officers face some very dangerous situations here, he said. These are young officers; they met those challenges.  These police officers put their lives on the line for the public, and I think thats what APD is about.

Geier said all of the officers  with the possible exception of the officer involved in last weeks shooting  had returned to duty after being put on paid administrative leave.

Nov. 4

The first shooting occurred Nov. 4, after two women at an apartment complex on Louisiana near Gibson SE called police around 2:30 p.m.

One woman said she heard an altercation in the hallway at the complex, followed by a gunshot, and the other saw an armed man in the apartment parking lot, said officer Simon Drobik, the APD spokesman who led the briefing.

When officers arrived, Anthony Chavez, 18, was in the parking lot armed with a TEC-9 handgun, which can hold more than 30 rounds, according to police. The gun is consistent with a shell casing that police found at the apartment complex.

Drobik said three officers ordered Chavez, who was at the south end of the parking lot, to drop his weapon but instead he pointed his weapon at officers.

He was tracking them  he was moving that weapon in a direction towards the officers, Drobik said.

He said officer Carlo Franco fired a single shot and Chavez went to the ground.

Then, Drobik said, Chavez stood back up and reached for his weapon, at which time Franco and officer Christopher Duda and Sgt. Larry Middleton all fired their weapons at Chavez, who died at the scene.

At the time of the shooting Chavez had a felony warrant for his arrest for failing to comply with the conditions of his release after he was charged with receiving or transferring a stolen motor vehicle. He had been arrested over the summer for fleeing from police in a stolen car.

Franco has been with the department since October 2013, Duda since November 2015 and Middleton since November 2007.

None had previously been involved in a shooting.

Nov. 18

In the early hours of Nov. 18, officers from the Northwest Area Command were called to the 3900 block of 67th street NW because a woman reported her husband, 30-year-old Anthony Juarez, was drunk, yelling at her and the kids, and throwing items around the house.

The woman, Brianna Juarez, and her children were able to escape the house, and when officers arrived they saw Anthony Juarez pacing in front of his garage armed with a rifle.

Officers were made aware of this and his military training, via Brianna, Drobik said. This is all coming together within a couple of minutes all of these different actions  her leaving the house, him in the front yard with a rifle and officers moving up to try to start some sort of negotiation.

He said officer Tavish Barnhill and four other officers were taking shelter behind their Chevrolet Tahoe trying to negotiate with Juarez when Barnhill saw Juarez point his rifle at them.

Barnhill fired once, and Juarez returned fire, unloading 26 times, before Barnhill shot at him again, hitting him in the shoulder.

Juarez was booked into the county jail this week after spending the month recovering at the University of New Mexico Hospital. He is charged with five counts of assault with intent to commit a violent felony (murder).

Juarez was released from jail Thursday after a judge determined that he had no criminal history and that there were gaps in the criminal complaint outlining the allegations against him.

The complaint does not mention that Barnhill fired at Juarez first before Juarez fired 26 times.

Barnhill joined APD as an 18-year-old public service aide in June 2012 and became a police officer in October 2014. He has not been involved in any other shootings.

Geier said he is frustrated with the system as a whole over Juarezs release, but he acknowledged there should have been more communication and preparation between APD and the District Attorneys Office so that officers and witnesses could have attended the hearing so the judge wouldnt have had to rely only on the one-page complaint.

That puts some burden on us as well as working with the DA, Geier said. We dont necessarily fault the judge; we know they have their job. Thats part of our system.

Dec. 12

Activities leading to the most recent police shooting, on Dec. 12, started when police say a woman walking west along the Hahn Arroyo was robbed at gunpoint by a curly-haired man in a red sweatshirt.

The woman called 911 around 4:20 p.m., and minutes later a man reported two people had told him someone had tried to rob them near the same arroyo.

An officer arrived on San Pedro by the arroyo and determined that the suspect, later identified as Gabriel Romero, 19, was running east and scaling fences around homes in the neighborhood.

Then, the officer heard four gunshots, followed by screaming.

Drobik said those shots were fired when Romero shot and fatally wounded a dog named Bartleby, and the screams were coming from the children devastated by their dogs death.

In the home next door to where the dog was shot, as officer Doug Moore and another officer cleared the backyard, Moore saw movement behind a wheelbarrow, Drobik said.

He said Romero pointed a handgun at Moore and he opened fire, shooting and killing the suspect.

The angle of Moores on-body camera doesnt capture video of the shooting, only the audio.

The video did indicate that Moore quickly yelled at Romero and almost simultaneously started shooting, fatally wounding him.

Moore has been with APD since August 2003 and has not been involved in any other shootings.

Romero had been charged last year with misdemeanor battery on a household member, but that case was dismissed. Drobik said the gun he was armed with had been stolen from a vehicle.
A young man who has lived throughout his childhood in the U.S. and has no memory of life in any other country is approached by a Marine recruiter. He is given to understand that if he signs up for military service, he will become a real American.

Wishing to leave behind the stigma of being undocumented, he signs on the dotted line and takes an oath swearing allegiance to the United States, and to defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic. After a few months training, he is deployed to Afghanistan. He takes some shrapnel when a bomb explodes near his encampment.

His tour of duty over, he returns home and attempts to resume civilian life, fighting the demons of PTSD. He marries and fathers a son.

After an evening of drinking, he becomes embroiled in a fight. Falling back on his violence training in the military, he physically attacks his opponent. The police arrive, hes taken into custody, and charged with assault and battery.

Given 10 minutes with a public defender, he is found to be guilty. ICE somehow hears of his conviction, comes and takes him into custody. He is shocked and profoundly disappointed when he hears that NO, he is not a citizen, and NO, his military combat service and his purple heart do not make him a U.S. citizen. Leaving his weeping wife standing on the floor of the courtroom, he is escorted, in shackles, to the airport, to be sent to the country of his birth.

Variations of the above scenario have actually happened, over, and over. Undocumented young people are recruited  coerced?  into fighting in our War on Terror, place their bodies in harms way, spending valuable years of their young lives and risking even the end of life. Then, if they make a poor choice, as many young people do, they are thanked for their service by deportation. Former American military service members are languishing in many countries, where they may not have any family or other connections. A large number of them are in Central America and Mexico.

My friend and former fourth-grade student and I had occasion to meet and speak with several of the deported veterans. We were participating in the Encuentro, a demonstration against human rights violations that are impacting many people in Latin America. Encuentro is a joint effort organized by the School of Americas Watch, Veterans For Peace and several immigrants rights groups. This event took place Nov. 16-18 at Nogales, Ariz., and simultaneously at Nogales, Sonora, just across the fence.

On the Saturday, we participated in events on the Mexican side. We talked with veterans, many carrying Veterans For Peace flags. They had come to the event from Tijuana, where many of the deported veterans are living, and where two veterans have established Unified U.S. Deported Veterans to help veterans with information. They work on the Mexican side, their wives on the U.S. side. Such organizational ability is lost to our country by our practice of deporting people because of their place of birth.

We listened to their stories, how they miss their families, their disrupted lives, the unavailability of their earned veterans benefits, their difficulties adapting to life in a strange country.

Charles Powell, President of the Albuquerque Chapter of Veterans For Peace, has made contact with a deported veteran from New Mexico. He has requested that Gov.-elect Michelle Lujan Grisham pardon this man who has served, in order that he may be legally reunited with his family. Letters or calls to Lujan Grisham on his behalf would be appreciated.

Sally-Alice Thompson lives in Albuquerque.
I am writing this to address legislation regarding a health policy that is both a current and hot topic for debate. While still classified as a Schedule I drug  highly restricted and illegal  on a federal level, legalization of recreational cannabis has been addressed in recent years on a state level. This year, a bill was drafted, HB 312, to introduce a framework for how taxation and regulation of recreational cannabis would work here in the state of New Mexico. While action on the bill was postponed indefinitely, a similar bill may well be drafted and voted on in the future.

Advocates for legalizing cannabis cite many reasons for their support, perhaps chief among them the source of revenue it provides for state government. In a state like New Mexico, the opportunities the revenue stream would provide are not inconsiderable. Projections for the amount of jobs the industry would provide are also quite favorable. Legalizing cannabis allows for limited police and judicial resources to be used to address other crimes, such as violent crimes and/or crimes against property. Regulating cannabis also decreases risks associated with smoking or ingesting cannabis that may be contaminated with unknown, potentially harmful substances. Limited research shows potential benefit of cannabis use in chronic pain relief, as well as relief of nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy. It makes sense to decrease barriers to access for individuals with pain and/or who may otherwise benefit from cannabis usage.

Opponents of the legislation argue against legalizing cannabis primarily because of the public health threat it raises. Cannabis use is not without risks, particularly to those who are underage, pregnant or at increased risk of mental health disorders. The proposed bill addressed these risks by using a portion of the revenue raised to fund a Community Grants Reinvestment Program that would, among other things, include school-based educational programs, and behavioral health intervention and support for those at risk for/and or struggling with substance use disorders. New Mexico already has high rates of substance use/abuse and traffic incidents that involve driving under the influence. The bill also addressed this by allotting a certain amount of funding to the Department of Public Safety to develop protocols for how to assess when drivers are under the influence of cannabis and also to assist law enforcement agencies with how to handle these cases.

In summary, the potential benefits of legalizing cannabis are substantial and the risks can be mitigated with careful action, both planning and also learning from the states that have gone before us in legalizing cannabis. As a psychiatric nurse and future nurse practitioner, my concern is always for the health and safety of my patients and my community. In order to know whether a substance is completely, or even mostly, safe, there needs to be evidence to support such a claim. Under current law, a drug is considered Schedule I if a high potential for abuse exists and there is no accepted medical use or proven safety for the drug. Unfortunately, to reschedule a drug, it must be shown that the drug is safe, and that there are adequate and well-controlled studies proving efficacy, research that, in the case of cannabis, is being severely limited by the drugs classification as Schedule I. Contacting your representatives in Congress to ask them to advocate for rescheduling of cannabis so that research will no longer be inhibited is crucial, so that we may all know both the risks and potential benefits that use of cannabis presents. Contacting your local legislators here in N.M. to let them know how you feel about HB 312 or similar legislation that may be proposed in the future will ensure that legalization and plans for how this would work reflect the needs and desires of New Mexicans.
Professor P. M. Forni, 67, died earlier this month in Towson, Md. He was born in Bologna, Italy, and became a proud U.S. citizen and educator. I didnt know the man personally, but I am sad to hear that he is gone.

Forni was one of the last clarion voices to advocate for civility among people. You know, the human behavior that comes from a place of respect, politeness and graciousness? Civility is rare to find in these oh-so-discourteous times, but Professor Fornis work lives on for anyone who would like to explore how we might change todays ugly discourse.

Pier Massimo Forni was a professor of romance languages and Italian literature, a member of the faculty at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md., where he co-founded The Civility Project in 1997. Among the books he authored were Choosing Civility and The Civility Solution.

His wife, Virginia, told an interviewer, The first book is how not to be rude and the second book is what to do when other people are rude to you.

What struck me most about Professor Fornis passion was how firmly he believed civil-minded human beings could ward off crime.

Acts of violence are often the result of an exchange of acts of rudeness that spiral out of control, he said. Disrespect can lead to bloodshed. By keeping the levels of incivility down, we keep the levels of violence down.

It might sound like a quaint notion to some, but the simplest solutions are often the best. As my mother, like yours probably, said, Be nice to people and they will be nice to you. Simple. Elegant. Effective.

Professor Forni also believed that if we teach youngsters from all walks of life how to manage conflict in a respectful manner, We will have a less uncivil society, a less violent one.

So, in the year ahead, what if law enforcement officers tried to be more civil to the public they are sworn to serve? Conversely, how about the public being more understanding of what daily life is like for those who wear a badge and come face to face with the worst society has to offer?

What if judges practiced being more patient with and civil to those who come before them? And heres a call to all lawyers to be more civil to their clients and adversaries, more adherent to the law, and less focused on finding winning loopholes and their billable hours.

Prison wardens and guards could be more civil to prisoners who, no matter what their crimes, are still human beings capable of responding to civility if it is shown to them. Its the old biblical Golden Rule idea.

Social workers, emergency medical technicians and hospital workers, all overwhelmed by the never-ending needs of crime victims, must also be treated with respect. And in turn, those who are forced by circumstance to rely on their often life-changing assistance should respond with graciousness and thanks.

And what a different world it would be if even half of all those keyboard warriors, intent on spewing out ugly and anonymous social media posts, would just stop and think how they would feel if they were similarly attacked. Again, Moms words echo in my head, If you dont have something good to say, dont say anything at all.

Professor Fornis simple idea has radiated from his base at Johns Hopkins University out into the fabric of the Maryland community. The Choose Civility organization in Howard County has attracted hundreds of sponsors that agree to follow a 15-point strategic plan to make their community a nicer, lower crime area in which to live. The plan encourages simple things like respect for others opinions, time and space, taking responsibility for ones own actions, speaking kindly and assuming the best about the people you meet. A most important point: apologizing earnestly when necessary,

I strive for civility, but I must admit Ive been short, even downright angry, with others this past year. Ive said things I regretted because it just felt right in the heat of a moment. Sometimes, I apologized later, and sometimes I did not.

If its true that a more civil society would have less crime  and that concept sure makes sense to me  how about in the year ahead if we all try to apply this concept?

Oh, and Dr. Forni believed one more thing. A person who conducts themselves in a civil manner has a lot less stress, which results in improved health, safer driving and better workplace productivity. Probably all of us could use a life with less stress.

Heres wishing a Merry Christmas to those who celebrate and to all a very civil 2019!

Diane@DianeDimond.com.
PHOENIX  The federal governments shutdown presents visitors with a mixed bag at national parks and monuments in the US Southwest, home to some of the parks systems crown jewels.

Hikers who already have backcountry permits can still hike down into the Grand Canyon in northern Arizona. But visitors arriving at Carlsbad Caverns National Park in southern New Mexico can check out only the surface, not the underground cavern that is the parks main attraction. While roads, hiking trails and boating ramps are open and available for use at numerous parks and monuments in the region, visitor centers and other staffed facilities at many are closed because of the shutdown.

Still others, particularly those with precious natural and cultural treasures, are closed entirely and off limits because of the shutdown resulting from a Washington, D.C., deadlock over President Donald Trumps desire for funding for a U.S.-Mexico border wall.

Sites closed outright include Bandelier National Monument in northern New Mexico, home to irreplaceable petroglyphs and cliff dwellings, and Petrified National Forest National Park in northern Arizona, where even on a normal day people are tempted to illegally remove pieces of petrified wood as souvenirs.

Closures padlocked gates at Casa Grande Ruins National Monument in south-central Arizona, White Sands National Monument in southern New Mexico and Valles Caldera National Preserve, home of scenic mountain meadows where a volcano erupted about 1.2 million years ago in what is now northern New Mexico. Valles Caldera was closed for the safety and protection of visitors and park resources, its announcement said.

It may not be easy in some cases to determine from afar the status of some Interior Department parks and monuments. Like some others, Bandeliers website on Saturday was topped by a shutdown notice that said the website itself will not be updated and may not reflect current conditions.

But state officials made clear that some of the regions big draws for tourists remained open, at least in terms of access and basic services.

Arizona and Utah officials implemented funding plans to keep open Grand Canyon, Zion, Arches, Bryce Canyon and Zion national parks and provide services such as public restrooms, shuttles and trash collection. Concession operations such as lodges remained open, and Utahs funding for the parks in that state included visitor centers.

Utah Gov. Gary Herbert said his state wanted visitors who planned their visits months in advance to return home with memories of magnificent vistas and welcoming people, not locked doors.

Similarly, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey said visitors should stick to plans to visit the Grand Canyon. The Grand Canyon will not close on our watch, he said in a statement announcing the state funding.

However, Carlsbad Caverns said its roads, lookouts and trails were available to visitors. But the parks status report added, the visitor center and cavern will be closed.

Near Las Vegas in southern Nevada, Lake Mead National Recreation Area remained open, but officials cautioned that emergency and rescue services will be limited there and at Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument. Similar warnings were posted in other parks and monuments where many employees were furloughed.
BUTTE COUNTY, Calif. - Camp Fire survivors will continue to receive FEMA services if there is a government shutdown.

The California Wildfire Recovery mission is covered by the disaster relief fund.

FEMA Spokesperson Michael Hart says all of these funds are already in place, which allows FEMA to continue its work in recovery efforts.

Camp Fire victims can continue to keep up with their case by calling (800) 621-3362 or CLICK HERE for FEMA's disaster assistance website.
OROVILLE, Calif. - The Feather Falls Brewing Company in Oroville has released their own IPA called Butte Strong to raise money for those impacted by the Camp Fire.

The official release date of the beer was Thursday at the Feather Falls Casino.

All the money raised will go to the Northwest SPCA, as that is the organization that is caring for pets displaced by the fire.

The beer will be on sale for the next month.

So far, more than $8,500 has been raised.

Shirts are also available for sale at the Feather Falls Casino.
Shasta County is just one out of more than 20 counties in California listed as part of a class action lawsuit asking jails to provide free tampons for female inmates.

The 109-page lawsuit was filed in Sacramento Superior Court by Bay Area attorney Paula Canny earlier this week.

Canny said she was appalled to learn that so many counties in California charged for the feminine products when state and federal facilities do not.

So my lawsuit is suing the Sacramento County Sheriff to be precluded from charging $0.25 for a tampon and to direct the State Board of Community Corrections to tell every county that is still charging that they're not lawfully permitted to charge inmates for tampons.

Canny says under certain statutes, jails are required to provide female inmates with tampons and/or pads.

But some counties have interpreted that to mean one or the other, which she says is incorrect and hopes her lawsuit will clarify.

We spoke with Shasta County Sheriff Tom Bosenko and Shasta County supervisor Les Baugh who both said they could not comment on pending litigation.

But they did say the county does supply feminine napkins at no charge to inmates.

Other counties that charge for tampons included in the lawsuit are:

El Dorado

Fresno

Imperial

Kings

Lassen

Los Angeles

Placer

Sacramento

San Joaquin

Sutter

Tehama

Tulare

Tuolumne

Ventura

And Yolo

Alameda, Madera, Marin and Modoc counties do not currently sell or provide tampons to inmates.

Monterrey, Orange, San Bernardino, Sierra and Siskiyou counties did not respond to Cannys policy requests.
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CAIRO  The first phase of feasibility studies of the Victoria-Mediterranean Waterway Project is scheduled to be completed by the end of December, Ahmed Bahaa, head of the Nile water sector at the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, told Al-Monitor. The waterway, to connect Lake Victoria to the Mediterranean Sea, would pass through all the Nile Basin countries  Burundi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Kenya, Congo, Uganda, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Sudan and Egypt  to create a new river-rail network.

The goal of the project is to turn the Nile into a passageway for transportation and shipment from the heart of Africa to Europe via Egypt. This will require cleaning up the river, strengthening bridges and establishing new berths and ports in the participating countries and connecting the passageway to railway networks.

Bahaa said that Cairo has received promises of serious consideration from a number of international bodies regarding the possibility of providing funding for the implementation stage of the project, whose cost is estimated at around $12 billion. Among the possibilities are China, the European Union and the African Development Bank (ADB).

According to Bahaa, the waterway will provide safer, more environmentally friendly and cheaper transport compared to overland routes from the African interior to the Mediterranean. The savings will contribute to improving economic growth rates, especially for landlocked Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan and Uganda.

Bahaa emphasized that the project would advance integration and convergence among the states, including the creation of regional and national training centers for personnel required for the waterways management and maintenance. It is also hoped that the project will offer new employment opportunities through tourism, with companies shuttling tourists from the Mediterranean into the African interior, and boost the regions standing in the global economic system.

Bahaa said that Water Resources and Irrigation Minister Mohamed Abdel Ati had pursued financing for the project on the sidelines of the first Cairo Water Week, Oct. 14-18. Potential donors and development partners from the ADB as well as representatives of the participating countries, and a representative of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa attended a promotional session on the project on Oct. 16.

That same day, the project steering committee met, and according to an official who attended the meeting and requested anonymity, approved a preliminary draft report on the first phase of feasibility studies, which was prepared by Hydroplan & DNT Consultants.

Ethiopia made a few remarks on some technical issues mentioned in the report. It is unlikely that the concerns that were raised would translate into a dispute disrupting the project as this would be stalling potential benefits to all Nile countries. The steering committee is set to meet at the end of December. With all remarks being taken into consideration, it seems there is hope that the final report on the project's first phased can be approved.

Tahani Sleet, undersecretary for foreign cooperation at Egypt's Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, told Al-Monitor that the waterway's development stems from the Presidential Infrastructure Champion Initiative, a project of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD). It is being promoted under the banner Africa without borders: one continent, one river, one people. Sleet is serving as director and regional coordinator of the waterways management unit.

The waterway's development has been divided into four stages. The first stage, which began in 2013, involved a pre-feasibility study  conducted by Egypt in May 2015 at a cost of half a million dollars  that showed the project to be economically feasible. The second stage, the first phase of the feasibility studies, will be completed Dec. 31 and has been funded by the ADB with $650,000, Sleet said. The third stage, which is the second phase of the feasibility study, is scheduled to start next month.

Given the projects nature and its numerous activities, which include detailed scenarios on the shipping line and river ports, and the way the project is linked to highways and railways, the second phase of the project feasibility studies will be divided into two parts, Sleet said. The first part consists of reviewing the possible scenarios and alternatives for the waterway, collecting hydrological data, conducting economic studies, evaluating environmental and social impact, and analyzing implementation cost analysis. This part is scheduled to extend over 54 months. It includes the establishment of two regional operating units in Cairo and Kampala and employing regional experts to manage and operate the project. The second part of the second phase, Sleet said, will include a detailed design of the alternative waterway.

The first part of the second phase of studies is expected to cost $17 million, Sleet said. According to her, many potential donors had expressed interest in the project and in financing the next phase, but no official commitments have been made.

It is difficult to pinpoint the cost of the second part of the second phase, Sleet said, but she added, It is possible to talk about an estimated cost of about $70 million over a period of 92 months, while the fourth and final stage, consisting of the implementation phase is estimated to cost between $8 billion and $12 billion.

Amr Ammar, a geopolitical expert and lecturer, told Al-Monitor that China would appear to be the most likely funder. This supports the Chinese dream of the Silk Road project, which seeks to create a network linking between Asia, Africa and Europe, enabling it to commercially enter large parts of the world.

Pushing joint development projects in Africa, particularly in the Nile Basin, is part of Egypts attempt to resume a leading role on the continent. Cairo is gearing up to assume the African Union presidency in early 2019 and from that platform to promote a discourse of cooperation and mutual benefit. The Victoria-Mediterranean project, in addition to economically benefitting 10 African countries, will also help Cairo to create a climate of dialogue and trust with upstream countries, which could help it navigate current disputes related to Nile River water quotas.
Over decades of modernization, poor restoration of ancient sites and fierce wars, Iraq has lost many of its monuments. What was once Mesopotamia's fertile ancient cities now lie in ruins surrounded by deserts, while Iraq's major cities lost their famous buildings and genuine architectural styles.

This led Paris-based Iraqi engineer and artist Kais Jacob Ishak to work on a cultural project preserving Iraqs heritage through 3D reconstructions. With the three-dimensional designs strolls through the streets of ancient Babylon, Ur, Nineveh, Abbasid Baghdad and Ottoman Mosul have become quite possible.

Seven years ago, Ishak started his project.

"I was among the first Iraqis to buy a computer in 1985," Ishak told Al-Monitor. "I did my best to follow up on engineering software, especially the three-dimensional programs as I recognized their importance and future potential."

In the 1990s, he presented his first 3D work of Baghdad's Liberation Square in the National Center for Computers' annual exhibition.

Ishak's talent in paintings began early in his childhood.

"In 1969, the Ministry of Culture chose me to be the illustrator and editor of the 'Science for Children' pages in Majallati and al-Mizmar, Iraq's famous children's magazines at the time," Ishak said. "I worked with them for 10 years."

In 1970, Ishak held his first art exhibition at the French Cultural Center to be followed by five personal exhibitions at Baghdad's University of Technology. In the 1990s, he decorated three of Baghdad's Chaldean and Syriac Catholic Churches with 68 murals and metal works.

Taking notice of the negligence Iraq's heritage suffers from, Ishak decided to take action; he set out to document his country's various historical periods in a comprehensive way.

The chronicle of his work goes back to the Ubaid era's Tepe Gawra (around 3500 B.C.) and the Sumerian cities of Ur, Uruk and Eridu, between 3500 and 2000 B.C. His most recent works include Samarra's Abbasid Palace and the Great Mosque of Malwiyyah (836-892).

"In terms of area, my largest 3D work is Babylon in the time of Nebuchadnezzar II and Abbasid Baghdad," Ishak noted. "My computer is unable to load the work. This makes updates quite difficult. I will buy a new computer to handle the size of these big projects."

Many designers and artists use 3D designs for films, video games and documentaries. With the increasingly frequent terrorist attacks on ancient sites in Iraq and Syria, this field proved more important. Terrorists and fierce battles to drive them out resulted in the destruction of historical edifices. This has led many groups to work toward the preservation of the lost sites for the next generations, even if it was creating a virtual Palmyra and Mosul.

Instead of lamenting the destruction described by scholars as a "cultural genocide," Ishak responded by documenting the Assyrian capitals  Ashur, Nimrud, Nineveh and Dur-Sharrukin  as well as the alleys of old Mosul, its well-known Prophet Jonah Mosque, Hadba Minaret, the kingdom of Hatra and Tikrit's Christian sites.

New software and the advance in computers' storage and speed facilitate Ishak's mission.

"I can now work smoothly to present videos of complex cities of any time and take hundreds of photographic shots during different times and climates," he said.

Historically rich countries started to use these technologies to revive their heritage for educational, cultural and touristic purposes. The Turkish Byzantium 1200 launched a project to reconstruct the Byzantine monuments of Istanbul in the year 1200.

"Unfortunately, Iraq's Ministry of Culture lacks such awareness of history despite the fact that Iraq has given the world its first-known writing system, laws, wheel and urban cities," Ishak noted. "So I decided to work on my own to revive our neglected historical sites for educational, noncommercial or politicized purposes and without any support."

By posting his works on YouTube, Vimeo and social media, he attracted the attention of National Geographic, which contacted him in 2017 to use footage from his 3D reconstruction of Nineveh. They published it in the Spanish, Italian and Dutch editions of the magazine.

"I had no previous contact with any of their editors," Ishak added. "The same thing happened with the National Museum of Antiquities [Rijksmuseum van Oudheden] in Leiden [the Netherlands] where some of my reconstruction videos are on display."

In his work, Ishak seeks accuracy regarding architectural styles and urban plans. His study of history of architecture and talents in drawing, sculpture and photography helped him achieve this, besides relying on maps, old books and magazines from French public libraries and online databases. However, the Iraqi touch in the works is a priority for him.

"Studying foreign 3D reconstructions, I noticed how they lack the Iraqi character and sense regarding topography, atmosphere and nature," Ishak said. "This makes them unreal and this is why I am interested in presenting purely Iraqi works."

These 3D reconstructions can form an essential window on Mesopotamia's civilizations and its hidden gems in a way that can easily be perceived and understood by all, according to Ishak. "To build a glorious future for a county, its children must know their true history," he added.

Ishak criticizes the way history is taught in Iraq using dry curricula lacking illustrations. "It is almost limited to the Islamic era marginalizing more than 5,500 years of Iraq's ancient history," he noted. "Our students are taught 48 pages on Mesopotamia in first grade and that's it."

Ishak calls for showing two-minute videos of ancient cities in classrooms, so students can imagine and feel more passionate about what they study.

Documenting modern intact places might be a means of heritage preservation as modernization is rapidly changing the face of cities away from wars. So Ishak documents Baghdad's Royal Palaces, old churches, markets and streets as well as Nineveh's monasteries.

"Unfortunately, we live in overwhelming chaos," he said. "However, this does not give officials the right to ignore the rules used to regulate our cities' architectural designs and urban planning. If this continues, we will some day have cities lacking any peculiar character distinguishing them from others."

In its seventh year, Ishak's project has a long way to go.

"I have lots to do, documenting many neglected archaeological sites, apart from the treasures still waiting for scholars to excavate and unveil."
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A prominent Kurdish analyst from Turkey texted me on Dec. 19, asking my opinion on President Donald Trumps decision to withdraw from Syria. He was, naturally, curious about what the decision would entail for the Kurds in Syria and implicitly for their kin in Turkey. If thats a quiz question demanding a very short answer, my response is the following, I wrote. Sell-out or betrayal. Choose any of them, because they are synonymous in this case.

The wording of US Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis' resignation letter confirmed my rather blunt take on the dramatic development. In carefully selected words, Mattis wrote, "My views on treating allies with respect and also being clear-eyed about both malign actors and strategic competitors are strongly held and informed by over four decades of immersion in these issues."

According to the New York Times, Mattis "viewed the withdrawal as abandoning Kurdish fighters and other American allies, and as ceding critical territory to Russia and Iran." His "core complaint was that Mr. Trump had lost sight of the importance of the competition for global power with Russia and China, who want 'a world consistent with their authoritarian model.'"

Further demonstrating Mattis' "core complaint," Russian President Vladimir Putin, the uncontested model of an autocrat, hailed Trumps decision. According to Putin, US forces were not needed in Syria. Moreover, he said that US troops in Syria had no legal right to be there, as they were not invited by the Damascus regime, unlike Russian forces. He also said that US forces in Syria were not authorized by the UN Security Council.

Following Trump's decision, the Kurds are the real losers and Russia is the winner. This is almost the consensus view on the decision, which will have much wider strategic reverberations, specifically on the balance of power regionally, even globally.

Trump made his decision after a phone call with Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Dec. 14.

The Washington Post reported, "Officials familiar with the Friday call said that Erdogan, among other things, had stressed to Trump that the Syrian Kurds were terrorists  allied with Kurdish separatists in his own country  and asked why the United States was supporting them rather than its NATO ally. He noted that the Islamic State had been vanquished and questioned the need for an ongoing US troop presence, saying that Turkish troops already massed on the Syrian border could handle any problem there."

The influential French daily, Le Monde, saw the US military retreat from Syria as an unequivocal diplomatic victory for Erdogan. It reported that Erdogan, since his phone call with Trump, affirmed that he had received a green light against the Kurds in northern Syria.

According to a Le Monde source, the development is a great loss of the Kurds, and without US support, the Kurds' power in Syria will collapse.

In The Guardian, Martin Chulov wrote, Trump has in effect switched horses from the Kurds to their arch-foe the Kurds.

The logical question that follows the dramatic US shift in strategy is, what form will Turkeys expected onslaught in Syria take? Will it be a small operation to create a new buffer zone in Syria? Or a campaign to entirely eliminate the Syrian Kurdish Peoples Protection Units (YPG), which Turkey considers a terrorist organization?

For Turkeys Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, the second option is more plausible. On Thursday, speaking from the Qatari capital, Doha, he said Turkey was preparing intensely for a military offensive east of the Euphrates River in Syria, where Kurdish-led forces had fought against the Islamic State.

The Kurdish fighters have dug trenches and tunnels in the area in anticipation of the operation, Akar said, according to Turkeys official Anadolu news agency. But whatever they dig  when the time comes they will be buried in the trenches, he said. Of this there should be no doubt.

Akar is a recently retired four-star general and former chief of staff known for his hawkish stance on the Kurdish issue. His former comrades-in-arms and the main opposition party in parliament criticized Akar for betraying his colleagues by aligning himself with Erdogan and his party. His increasingly tarnished image in the domestic political scene pushed him to take further belligerent moves in Syria against the Kurds to set his record straight. Only taking an anti-Kurdish, robustly Turkish nationalist position might silence his critics.

Erdogan is facing a seemingly uphill struggle in the local elections scheduled for March 2019. A nationalist mobilization would be the most effective and proven way to guarantee an electoral victory. So Erdogan is also ready to initiate a military offensive to the east of the Euphrates and to the west in Manbij. Trumps decision is a golden opportunity to realize that goal.

Some call it Trumps New Years gift to Erdogan, but it is more than that. It is the realization of Turkeys influence all over the northern part of Syria to the detriment of Kurdish ideals for self-rule, which is Turkeys long-standing red line.

Once again, when pushed to a crossroads, Washington sided with Turkey against the Kurds. After all, Turkey is a more important ally geopolitically. Turkey cannot be sacrificed, while, seemingly, the Kurds can be.

After Trumps decision, all those who would rather see Erdogan falter than acknowledge the bitter taste of realpolitik emphasize that the Syrian Kurds could approach Damascus and invite the regime to take over Kurdish-controlled areas. This would prevent a Turkish incursion and the eventual occupation of the Kurdish-inhabited areas along the frontier with Turkey.

First, this is not a foregone conclusion. Back in January, the Russians proposed to the Kurds in Afrin to go back to the status quo. But the YPG rejected that option. If they were to voluntarily choose it now, they would be in a much weaker position with the Damascus regime. They would not be considered winners if President Bashar al-Assad restores his authority in northern Syria.

Second, even in the case of returning to a status quo, Turkey would be the winner. Turkey's main objective in Syria is to prevent the emergence of Kurdish self-rule along Syria's northern border. This position has been made explicit since 2012. The deployment of the Syrian army in the Kurdish regions, where there has been self-rule since 2012, is not Turkeys priority, but it is a conclusion that Ankara can live with, as long as Kurdish governance ends on its frontier.

Erdogans coercing the Americans to make a choice between their erstwhile, strong ally Turkey and the Kurds in Syria resulted in success.

In any case, the likelier scenario is that a Turkish military presence will cut the corridors connecting Qamishli to Tell Abyad, and Tell Abyad to Kobani.

Whatever the trajectory will be, the post-American era in eastern Syria will be a win-win situation for Turkey.
A couple of local police departments are playing good cop this Christmas season  stopping vehicles and giving gifts instead of tickets, as long as the driver is not on any naughty lists.

Glencoe Police Chief Alan Kelly said officers will be out in full force on patrol through Monday. They will be looking for traffic violations, but they also will be armed with gift cards and will be randomly stopping vehicles to give them to motorists.

"What I want to do is build a stronger bond between the police department and the public," Kelly said.

In Southside, police handed out gift cards in the rain Thursday, Chief Chris Jones said. Donations were raised privately and more than $500 in gift cards were given away.

Sgt. Jay Freeman said the idea came from Officer Ray Cumby and his family.

If Cumby's experience giving away cards was any indicator, the Glencoe police have some intangible gifts in store.

Freeman said Cumby stopped one woman who told him she'd faced some financial problems, and she cried when he gave her the card, and thanked him for his service.

"(He) said him almost lost it and cried with her," Freeman said. Cumby said it was a great experience to have a positive impact on people during this time of year.

Kelly's anxious for his officers to have a positive impact  something they don't often have the opportunity to do.

"It's not often that we get to stop someone and give them good news," he said. Most people come in contact with officers when they've been victim of a crime, someone's committed a crime, they're getting a ticket or have had a crash, or when police are notifying them of a tragedy.

He said officers sometimes get to help stranded motorists during a shift, but those occasions don't come too often.

"I just felt during the holiday, we could not only have officers in full force out there to deter crimes," Kelly said, but to give these gifts to the public, too.

The department called on local businesses and the chief they were very supportive, giving gift cards for everything from meals at local restaurants to oil changes.

"We're still going to check people for warrants," Kelly said, when any kind of stop is made, following the regular procedure for a traffic stop.

"I'd hate to find out we stopped someone on the 10 Most Wanted List and gave them a $10 gift card," he said.

Officers have been patrolling heavily in Glencoe for the past few days, trying to combat the typical holiday spike in home and vehicle burglaries. Kelly said that's something that happens everywhere, with criminals attracted by the possibility of gifts under the tree.

"I want the department to be viewed as approachable," he said, so people will trust that they can bring information to the police when needed.

"We're 70 percent more effective when we have a rapport with the public and there's a two-way road of communication," Kelly said. Positive contacts with the public can have a positive impact for law enforcement.

Kelly said the businesses that had donated so far included Jacks, The Shell Food Mart (with Crispy Crunchy Chicken gift cards), Ronnie Watkins Ford, Hungry Hut, Mi Casita, Tre Ragazzi's, McDonald's, Big Chief and Rice's Car Wash. He said there may be other businesses donating before the effort ends Monday.

Donors to the Southside giveaway included H.M. Freeman Motors, Butler Electric, Autos Towing, Glam Salon, Broken Spoke Antiques, Old School Ink, Xtreme Auto Spa and Deorios Pizza.
Update:

Santa has started his Dec. 24 journey. You can track his progress here.

Earlier:

A government shutdown wont be the Grinch to the U.S. militarys annual tracking of Santa Claus Christmas Eve journey.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command said it will still track Santas late-night journey even if Congress fails to pass a funding measure, triggering a partial government shutdown Friday at midnight.

In the event of a government shutdown, NORAD will continue with its 63-year tradition of NORAD Tracks Santa on Dec. 24. Military personnel who conduct NORAD Tracks Santa are supported by approximately 1,500 volunteers who make the program possible each and every year, NORAD said in a tweet.

In the event of a government shutdown, NORAD will continue with its 63-year tradition of NORAD Tracks Santa on Dec. 24. Military personnel who conduct NORAD Tracks Santa are supported by approximately 1,500 volunteers who make the program possible each and every year. pic.twitter.com/fY0oyjrdDc  NORAD & USNORTHCOM (@Norad_Northcom) December 21, 2018

President Trump and Congress are in a standoff over a funding bill that includes more than $5 billion for a border wall at the U.S./Mexico border. The president has vowed to veto any bill that does not include funding for the wall, a signature initiative of his presidential campaign.

NORAD is funded through the Department of Defense, which isnt subject to the shutdown. The Santa tracking program is ran mostly by thousands of volunteers who man phone lines and answer emails from children around the world.

NORAD has been tracking Santa since 1955. It now uses satellites, high-powered radar, jet fighters and special Santa cameras to track Santa Claus as he makes his journey around the world.
Lawyers for the Alabama Department of Corrections wrote in a brief filed today that the state has made in good faith all reasonable efforts to meet deadlines for adding mental health staff in prisons and should not be held in contempt of court.

U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson had ordered the ADOC to explain in writing why it should not be held in contempt for failure to meet deadlines to expand mental health staff. Thompson will hold hearings on the contempt issue in January.

Thompson issued the order at the request of lawyers representing inmates who sued the ADOC. The Southern Poverty Law Center and the Alabama Disabilities Advocacy Program filed the lawsuit on behalf of inmates in 2014. In their brief, filed earlier this month, they said the ADOC remained woefully short of reaching the hiring benchmarks five months after a July 1 deadline.

In June 2017, Thompson ruled that the Alabama prison systems horrendously inadequate mental health care for prisoners violated the 8th Amendment prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment. The judge wrote that persistent and severe shortages of mental health staff were a root cause.

The ADOC has not conceded that mental health care was unconstitutional but has been trying to show the court it is making improvements.

This year, the ADOC hired a new company to provide health care in prisons, Wexford Health Sources, Inc. The ADOC contract with Wexford calls for significant increases in mental health staff.

The ADOC concedes it has not met the deadlines set by Thompson but says Wexford is sustaining a positive trend in adding staff. In todays brief, the ADOC said Wexford had a net gain of 124 mental health staffers from April to November. The ADOC said Wexford has a comprehensive and creative national recruiting effort that includes signing bonuses and salaries above the market rate.

Wexford Executive Vice President Elaine Gedman said in a sworn statement attached to the ADOCs brief that the company was making progress despite immense obstacles and challenges in meeting the staffing requirements.

The evidence indicates that Wexfords ongoing efforts to recruit psychiatrists, psychologists, certified registered nurse practitioners, and registered nurses continues to succeed, Gedman said.

This year, the Legislature boosted the ADOCs budget by $80 million over two years, partly to expand the mental health staff.

The prisons continue to be plagued by multiple problems, including a shortage of correctional officers and a rise in violence.
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The fortified Green Zone was partially opened for a two-week trial period that is likely to become permanent.

For 15 years, most Iraqis have been unable to access the heart of Baghdad. But the tall concrete walls and barbed wire that have closed off the Green Zone for years are finally coming down.

The Green Zone, a 10 square kilometre area in central Baghdad, has been partially open to the public since December 10 for a two-week trial period that is likely to become permanent.

Cars are now allowed to traverse the area from 5pm to 1am along the 14th of July Road, a key thoroughfare that extends from the 14th July Bridge  also known as the hanging bridge  and connects the citys east and west.

However, side roads where Iraqi officials are based remain closed and government buildings and foreign missions continue to be under heavy security and surveillance.

Following the United States-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, the neighbourhood was cordoned off by the US military, which set up its headquarters there, at former ruler Saddam Husseins palace. As the area later hosted the US embassy and the Iraqi parliament, the Green Zone became a symbol of the US occupation and the estrangement felt by many Iraqis towards their government.

This led Baghdad residents to receive the move with celebrations. Iraqi flags were seen hanging from car windows, as families cheered on the government while entering the once heavily fortified area. And yet, Iraqis hope more will be done to bring Bagdad back to its former self.

The mayoralty of Baghdad has worked with the Iraqi security forces to lift kilometres of blast walls across the Green Zone for several weeks [Reuters]

Festive atmosphere

The reopening, ordered by Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi, coincided with the first anniversary of Baghdads victory over the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), the armed group that had overtaken large swaths of the country since 2014.

This is a reason for real celebration, said Adnan Qureishi, a journalist and Baghdad resident. The area has an important place in our memory. It had been under occupation by the Americans and the government for too long.

Hassan Jaber, a professor at Baghdad University, who has been driving along the previously closed off thoroughfare for several days, feels equally elated by the move.

Its a double celebration of a big achievement [victory over ISIL] and brave move [reopening of the Green Zone], Jaber told Al Jazeera.

For 15 years, this area has been off limits. A whole generation has never seen it, he added, explaining that the last time he traversed the area was in 2003.

We just hope the reopening will extend to all roads, old palaces and former government buildings too.

Following the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, the neighbourhood was cordoned off by the US military, which set up its headquarters there [Anadolu]

Relieving Baghdads traffic problem

Long-neglected road networks in the city of almost nine million residents make movement across Baghdad difficult and traffic jams ubiquitous.

But with two of the capitals key thoroughfares  Haifa Street and 14th of July Boulevard  traversing the Green Zone, the reopening has reduced some of Baghdads heavy road congestion.

The reopening, even if partial, has brought our city a sense of relief, Ammar Waleed, spokesperson for the Iraqi traffic police told Al Jazeera.

Most residents in Baghdad are finding transit across the city easier now, he added.

Salah Mahdi, a taxi driver and Baghdad resident, agrees but says a real effect will only be felt once all gates to the zone are reopened around the clock.

This is definitely a positive change. But these roads need to be opened during rush hour. That would make a real difference, said Mahdi.

Government promises

Several Iraqi leaders had pledged to reopen the central zone since the US military withdrew from Iraq in 2011, but their promises were never realised.

After the government reopened the Green Zone in 2015 for a few days, it closed it again following opposition from officials over security concerns.

The presence of government buildings, residences of several high-level officials, various international organisation, such as the United Nations, and foreign embassies  most notably the US embassys expansive complex  have established security concerns as a long-standing issue.

Despite the barriers and checkpoints, the area has remained a target. In 2004, a suicide bombing killed dozens of Americans, while a year later, an Iraqi legislator was killed in another attack on the parliament. Followers of Iraqi Shia religious leader Muqtada al-Sadr targeted the area with rockets several times in 2008. And in 2016, anti-corruption protesters stormed the Green Zone, bringing the government to a standstill.

The area has an important place in our memory. It's been under occupation by the Americans and the government for too long. Adnan Qureshi, journalist and Baghdad resident

Although there are no guarantees the reopening will be permanent, there are promising signs the government will keep its word on the matter this time.

Its definitely different this time. The government has made a real promise and the threat of ISIL is no longer present, said Hakeem Abdul Zahraa, spokesman for the Baghdad mayoralty.

For several weeks before the move, the mayoralty has worked with the Iraqi security forces to lift kilometres of blast walls across the Green Zone. They have also dismantled several checkpoints which previously only allowed people with biometric badges and vehicle passes to enter.

For weeks now weve been working. Weve removed a lot of the blast walls, but lots more are yet to be taken down, said Abdul Zahraa.

According to Abdul Zahraa, the government will definitely complete the process, but a gradual approach is necessary.

Roadworks need to be completed, traffic lights fixed, and tunnels that had been deserted for years, made safe to use again, Abul Zahraa told Jazeera. All that will take time and must be done over stages.

The US embassy in Baghdad had not responded to an invitation to comment on the Green Zone reopening by the time of publishing this article.

It did not make any official statements on the move except to warn, in a security alert, residents in Baghdad to remain indoors on the night of the reopening.

Two of the capitals key thoroughfares, Haifa Street and 14th of July Boulevard, traverse the Green Zone [Anadolu]

According to Mamoon Alabbasi, a political analyst focusing on the Middle East and North Africa, despite the presence of security concerns, the government is unlikely to go back on its word.

Abdul Mahdi will go through the reopening, or as much as he can of it. Security concerns and possible pressure from officials remain. But thats why the reopening has been partial, he explained.

Cosmetic change?

In addition to opening up the area, Abdul Mahdi relocated his offices out of the fortified enclave on the first day of his term in late October, saying that he wanted to bring his government closer to the people and for Iraqis to consider all of Iraq a Green Zone.

But with frustrations over chronic power cuts and water pollution prompting large protests across Iraqs southern provinces in recent months, analysts believe this move may not be enough to calm the public.

The reopening of Green Zone has made Abdul Mahdi more popular, but it is a cosmetic change of sorts. The real problems are still there and people in Basra are fuming over the lack of policy change, said Alabbasi.
With Syrias war nearing an end, Israel turns its attention to tunnels allegedly dug by Hezbollah along Lebanese border.

Kafr Kila, Lebanon  Across the border wall that divides the village of Kafr Kila in south Lebanon from Israel, the sound of Israeli excavations is disturbing a relative calm that has endured for 12 years.

On December 4, Israel decided to take on Hezbollah in Lebanon and began Operation Northern Shield. It started digging along several points on the Lebanon-Israel border to locate and destroy what it said were tunnels dug by Hezbollah into Israel.

The Israeli army alleges that the tunnels violate the countrys sovereignty and are big enough  some two metres in height and width  for armed men to travel through.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the tunnels pose a grave danger to the country, while an Israeli official has called them a conspiracy by Hezbollah to conquer Galilee, its northern territory.

Hezbollah, in line with normal practice, has not responded.

Trouble brewing

The Lebanese living along the border in the south of the country, witnesses to Israels invasion of the 1980s and the 34-day war in 2006, say they are not sure what the latest Israeli manoeuvre means.

They hope, just as other skirmishes over the chopping down of trees or meandering sheep, this too shall pass.

At first, the people of Kafr Kila seem indifferent. The cars moving freely along the highway opposite the border, and the full shops, give an impression of business as usual.





But the calm hangs heavily. Residents acknowledge that underneath the routine tensions, serious trouble could be brewing this time.

Mohamad Fakir runs a shop barely 200 metres from the Kafr Kila frontline, facing a forward post of the Israeli army. It would be directly under their line of fire if there were to be an exchange of artillery.

I saw the Israelis digging even today, he said. What do they want from us now?

Fakir was born in Kafr Kila and has lived here his entire life. He lived through Israels Operation Litani in 1978 and the invasion of South Lebanon of 1982. He does not think the current incident will lead to war yet. But knowing how quickly events get out of hand here, he is worried.

The first of the four tunnels disclosed by Israel allegedly begins in Kafr Kila. Fakir fears that if the latest incident turns into a major conflict, Kafr Kila may be the starting point.

Smokescreen

The existence of the tunnels has been confirmed by the United Nations peacekeeping force, UNIFIL. Fakir, however, believes that there are political motivations behind Netanyahus unveiling of the tunnels.

There are no tunnels, he said, Even their own people do not believe it.

Thanassis Cambanis, the author of a book on Hezbollah and a senior fellow at The Century Foundation, also questioned the timing of Israels expose.





The carefully orchestrated hoopla seems clearly targeted at Israeli public opinion for domestic political reasons, Cambanis said.

Just two days before Netanyahu announced the tunnel operation, Israeli police had recommended he be indicted on bribery, fraud and other charges.

Netanyahu is embroiled in three corruption cases, tarnishing his image in advance of an election year. His critics say that taking on Hezbollah is a political tactic.

Not far from Fakirs shop, Ghassan Eid was busy at his coffee and snack kiosk. He lives three minutes walk from the Kafr Kila border.

Ghassan said that he supported Hezbollah even if it did build the tunnels as alleged, saying that Israel violates the sovereignty of Lebanese airspace regularly.

The Israelis fly over our heads every day, he said. So what if Hezbollah has built tunnels under them?

Lebanons caretaker Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil said Israel had violated the countrys sovereignty in this way 1,400 times so far this year.

They scare us every day, so they ought to know how it feels, Ghassan said.

In the middle of the conversation, Ghassan took out the cross he was wearing and, pointing to it, said, I am not a Muslim, not a Shia, but I still support Hezbollah.

Tunnels as a tactic

The Israeli invasion in the 1980s was backed by a Christian militia, the South Lebanon Army. However, the Christian community in Lebanon is divided  Bassil, the foreign minister, leads the Christian-dominated Free Patriotic Movement, which is allied to Hezbollah.

Ghassan proudly talks of how Hezbollah resisted the Israelis after 1982, and finally saw them leave. He reminisces fondly about how, in the 2006 war, Hezbollah fighters would use tunnels as a weapon against the invading Israeli forces.





The villages were riddled with tunnels, he said. Hezbollah emerged from under the earth and attacked the Israeli tanks, pushing them out of our country!

Hezbollahs chief, Hassan Nasrallah, has said previously that any future conflict with Israel would be fought in Israel and not just Lebanon. The comments imply that Hezbollah will employ all tactics, including tunnels, to extend their ability to attack Israeli territory.

Whatever his motivation, Netanyahu may have succeeded in embarrassing UNIFIL. According to UN Resolution 1701, UNIFIL is tasked with keeping the area between Litani River and the border free of any armed personnel, assets and weapons (other) than those of the Government of Lebanon and of UNIFIL.

Israel alleges that the tunnels are dug from the basements of private homes on the Lebanese side of the border.

After the Israeli operation began, UNIFIL released a statement confirming the four tunnels existence and saying that two crossed the blue line which demarcates the border between Lebanon and Israel.

We cannot inspect private properties, Andrea Tenanti, UNIFILs spokesperson said.





According to our mandate we can only appeal to the Lebanese armed forces if there is a complaint or evidence, Tenanti added.

Israel regularly complains that UNIFIL cannot prevent Hezbollahs military operations in Lebanons far south, and should be replaced by a peacekeeping force with more powers.

Thats a self-defeating gambit, Cambanis said. UNIFIL has the minimal authority that the international community, Lebanon and Israel were able to agree on. There wont be an international force dispatched to Lebanon to actively disarm Hezbollah.

Hezbollahs tunnels proved effective against Israel before and served its ally Bashar al-Assad as well in the Syrian war. If Hezbollah is digging tunnels into Israel, regional observers say it would not be a surprise.

Fakir and Ghassan are, yet again, watching their neighbour with anxiety. They do not want escalation, but if it comes, they say they will stand by Hezbollah, tunnels and all.
Detainees protest against smuggling networks in Libya, where many are allegedly sold and resold numerous times.

On the walls of Souq al Khamis migrant detention centre in Khoms, a port city in northwest Libya, warnings of new arrivals are scratched on a grey wall.

Who comes to this house, may God help you, one says, visible in pictures of the centre sent to Al Jazeera by people currently detained there. Libya is a market of human beings.

Where is UNHCR? reads another. Three people were sold here.

Refugees and migrants usually arrive at Souq al Khamis, a centre run by Libyas Department for Combatting Illegal Migration (DCIM), shortly after they try to cross the Mediterranean Sea to Italy, and are intercepted by the European Union-funded Libyan coastguard.

Tens of thousands of people have been returned to Libya this way since February 2017, when Italy did a deal with the United Nations-backed Libyan government of National Accord, in a bid to stop new arrivals in Europe.

The UN has condemned the agreement as inhuman and said the suffering of migrants detained in Libya is an outrage to the conscience of humanity.

Refugees and migrants caught by the Libyan coastguard are usually locked up indefinitely in a network of detention centres run by the DCIM.

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Along with a lack of food, medical care, and well-documented abuse, detainees also worry they could be sold back into the very smuggling networks theyre desperate to escape.

In particular, Al Jazeera received multiple reports of Libyan guards in Souq al Khamis detention centre selling refugees and migrants to smuggling groups.

Communicating via phone, WhatsApp and Facebook, Al Jazeera interviewed two current and five former detainees of Souq al Khamis.

The former detainees are all now in different places; three in other detention centres, one renting a room in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, and one in Tunisia.

Several dont know each other, but their accounts of the centre tallied. Some also supplied refugee case numbers and identity documents, and their reports of life in Libyan detention centres have remained consistent in separate interviews held over several months.

They stole our friends

In the past two weeks, the situation in Souq al Khamis has escalated after five detainees were removed by force from the centre on December 7, according to current detainees who witnessed three of them being taken.

First some guys came, they asked all of us if we want to leave, but we told them we didnt want to Then some other guys came, asked the police guard to take some men to work after that they stole them, one Eritrean detainee said. He said the three included two Somalis, aged 15 and 21, and a 16-year-old Eritrean.

Refugees and migrants still in Khoms say they believe the missing people were sold to traffickers. Since then, detainees have been protesting, and have sent multiple videos to Al Jazeera which they say show these protests, but say the Libyan guards have now threatened to kill them if they dont stop.





One of the videos appears to show migrants and refugees walking towards a guard, who shoots with his gun at the ground in retaliation.

Another shows armed guards smoking by a wall as detainees sit on the ground, with some of their arms crossed in a protest symbol that means freedom.

The detainees have also sent photos and a GPS location to confirm where they are.

They stole our friends, one current detainee told Al Jazeera through WhatsApp messages from a hidden phone.

Im afraid for my friends. He said there are currently 10 women left in the centre and fewer than 90 men. Everyones worried about being next, he said, so theyre appealing to the international community to help them.

Al Jazeera has repeatedly reached out to the DCIM for comment but has yet to receive a reply.

Their plight highlights the circles of abuse, exploitation and fear that many refugees and migrants fall into in Libya, where they can end up being sold and resold several times.

It also explains why a large number of refugees see escaping to Europe, across the Mediterranean Sea, as their only option, rather than waiting months or years in detention for the slow process of legal evacuation and resettlement.

Two other Eritreans, who were in Souq al Khamis between November 2017 and January 2018, and are now in Tripoli, said 18 detainees were sold to traffickers in Bani Walid, northern Libya, directly from Souq al Khamis, while they were there.

Its beyond my word to explain the inhumanity (that) happened, one said. We heard some of them lost their lives by tremendous, brutal beatings and (they were) electrocuted with so many volts. I know them, they were little guys. (Their) only hope was to step in to Europe, nothing more.

Another refugee who had been in Khoms, was reunited with two of the 18 allegedly sold, after he said their families paid ransoms of $12,000 each to traffickers, through bank accounts in Dubai.





He said they were sold to the trafficking group in December and released to a Tripoli DCIM-run centre in April.

He told Al Jazeera in a Facebook message that they were very traumatised after what happened to them.

They dont talk they dont remember They had nightmares every night, he wrote.

One of the two was evacuated to Niger and another agreed to go back to Eritrea, according to the current detainee. Eight others, whose families couldnt pay, had already been killed, he said.

An Eritrean in his 20s, he left Souq al Khamis by bribing the guards with $1,000 to move him to a different centre. Before leaving, he and other detainees used toothpaste and carbon to write warnings on the walls for those whod come after them.





Those warnings were seen by other detainees Al Jazeera interviewed, including a 19-year-old who was held in Souq al Khamis in March.

There were too many names written on the toilet wall and quotes. The teenager also bribed the management to be allowed to leave safely.

Policemen in Libya and smugglers are just like hand in glove, he said, adding that he believes the EU should not be condoning returns to Libya, or working with Libyan authorities.

A Somali refugee, held in Souq al Khamis between February and May this year, said he knows two people who were sold to traffickers from there and forced to pay $20,000 to secure their release.

He is now living on the streets in Tripoli, after escaping detention during heavy fighting in August and September. He spoke to Al Jazeera through Facebook messages.

Once we came in Khoms, we got warning messages written on the walls, (saying) dont let anyone go outside or work with soldiers outside the prison, otherwise they will sell you.

Ransom payments

Meanwhile, those who remain in Souq al Khamis now say theyre terrified. A current Eritrean detainee told Al Jazeera by phone that he already spent two years with traffickers before trying to cross the Mediterranean, and his family has paid more than $9,000 in ransom payments.

He has been sending video updates and messages through WhatsApp on a daily basis from Khoms since December 7, when the five detainees were reportedly taken from the centre.

Now death is OK for me if someone asks me to pay, he said, explaining his family already sold their home to raise money to help him, and cant afford to pay anything else. He said the guards are now boasting, saying they will kill us, or take us to a place (where) nobody can find us.





The young man said he has been in Souq al Khamis for seven months. He claimed one detainee was cut through his palm with a knife by guards, when he refused to go out to work.

Im not going to lie to you, I dont know even if this centre is being run by the government or not; I couldnt differentiate it, he said.

Yes, they wear police officers clothes but they work like smugglers. They torture, they kidnap, they steal, how can we differentiate?

Another current detainee told Al Jazeera that around 20 people in Souq al Khamis have tried to kill themselves, but theyve been stopped by other refugees and migrants.

The world cant find us, were especially isolated, he said. Some are getting mental desperation. We are living in a dark hell.

The European External Action Service, the UN Refugee Agency, and DCIM did not respond to requests for comment. The International Organisation for Migration (IOM), which said in a May statement they were providing assistance in Souq al Khamis, told Al Jazeera they do not have a permanent presence in the detention centre so cannot confirm these reports.
Who would lead the Islamic Republic if the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei passes away unexpectedly?

As the celebrations for the 38th anniversary of the Iranian revolution get under way, the ruling elite in the Islamic Republic faces one of its most existential questions: with the death of former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, who would lead the country if the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei also passes away unexpectedly?

While Rafsanjani was alive there was a chance that he could control any eventual leadership crisis. With his death last month the scene is set for a possible leadership vacuum and a probable takeover by the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), which would groom its own leadership figure.

Khamenei has been ruling for almost three decades and before that he was the president for two terms. As he looks around him, none of his old revolutionary compatriots are alive. Many of that first generation of revolutionary ayatollahs such as Mahmoud Taleghani, Morteza Motahari and Mohammad Beheshti, and now Rafsanjani, are no longer there to carry the authority of Velayat Faghih (Jurists Prudence) as set by the architect of the revolution, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

A potential limbo





So who would be the leader whose word would veto all decisions and carry that authoritarian Islamic leadership based on mass support?

Among the ayatollahs in Iran there are none with the required combined charisma, popularity, Islamic or revolutionary credentials once Khamenei passes away.

There are no powerful opposition voices either to mimic the Grand Ayatollahs Mohammad Kazem Shariatmadari and Hussein-Ali Montazeri, who in one way or another disagreed with the Islamic Republic becoming too authoritarian.

Some of those Ayatollahs were killed or sidelined, as were many of the regimes modernist ideologues such as Saeed Hajjarian. Reformist Islamist thinkers such as Abdolkarim Soroush and Mohammad Mojtahed Shabestari were silenced and exiled.

As such there has been no regeneration of ideas or the narrative. Khamenei still models himself on Khomeini and almost four decades later he has not as yet taken Iran out of that revolutionary mode.

The bases of the revolution and revolutionary thinking should be so strong that the death and life of such and such a person will not influence the revolutionary movement of our country, Khamenei said in the only speech with a vague reference to the issue of succession. In the same speech he designated outstanding personalities in IRGC to guard against such eventuality.

Succession amid US tensions

A defining factor in the succession process would be Iran-United States relations, which seem symbolically to be heating up just as both countries remember how they came to confront one another during the Iranian revolution 38 years ago and the ensuing hostage crisis.

Tweets by the US President Donald Trump against Iran gave Khamenei the pretext he needed: The Iranian nation will respond to your comments with a demonstration on 10 February, he said, referring to the anniversary procession.

Recent threatening exchanges over Irans missile test, increased sanctions or any tightening of the noose over the Iran deal would encourage a more hawkish succession.

President Hassan Rouhani would be sidelined in the forthcoming June presidential elections with IRGC and hardliners pushing for a president that would stand up to the US.

Qassem Soleimani as the chief of IRGC would be well placed to take command of any unexpected leadership crisis.

In theory, Article 111 of the Constitution stipulates that when the Leader dies a leadership council consisting of the President, head of the Judiciary, and a faqih from the Guardian Council chosen by the Expediency Council will temporarily take over all his duties.

As things stand, that would mean President Rouhani plus the Judiciary chief Sadeq Larijani and a cleric, possibly the hardline ayatollah Ahmad Jannati (89), who heads the Assembly of Experts.

In practice, neither the 39-seat Expediency Council, nor the 88-member elected Assembly of Experts, which has the duty to anoint a new leader, or the 12-member Guardian Council, which vets the Assemblys candidates, has any real power.

Their power emanates from the leader. Once he has passed away the IRGC will weigh in to influence the succession, hence Khameneis advice.

The IRGC likely to weigh in

The IRGC would prepare its own leadership figure: possibly Qassem Soleimani, the popular commander of IRGCs elite foreign operations unit Quds Force  with credentials in Syria and Iraq.

Soleimani is due for a promotion. He has been in his post since 1998 and is one of the most experienced among the IRGCs main division commanders. One scenario is that the supreme leader may, at some stage, promote him to replace the IRGCs present chief Mohammad Ali Jafari.

This would be in line with his five recent military reshuffles; four in the army and one in IRGC. The former powerful Basij Forces commander, General Mohammad Reza Naghdi, was replaced in December with General Gholam Hossein Gheibparvar.

Soleimani, as the chief of IRGC, would be well placed to take command of any unexpected leadership crisis. He is popular and supported by a major segment of IRGC. Often described as charismatic and authoritative, he is respected enough to unite the opposing sides.

In Syria he is widely credited with delivering the strategy that has helped Syrian President Bashar al-Assad turn the tide against rebel forces. Iraqi officials say he has been instrumental in the ongoing operations to retake Mosul.

OPINION: Will Trump play into the hands of Iranian hardliners?

Soleimani is, however, not liked by the Americans and is on the US and UK sanctions list (PDF) . Hes also not qualified to become the supreme leader.

All indicators tell us that while Khamenei is alive and well, he would continue to hold on to the status quo while nurturing those he trusts most. Even if Rouhani is not re-elected, he would probably be kept in a key position because of his vast experience, especially in security affairs.

After Khamenei, however, his seat of power would remain vacant for a long while and the ayatollahs and their councils and assemblies would play only a symbolic role.

The IRGC, with might and economic influence, would move centre stage, gradually turning Iran into a military theocracy. That would transform the designation of Velayat Faghih and put an end to the political structure of the Islamic Republic as envisioned four decades ago and as we know it today.

Massoumeh Torfeh is the former director of strategic communication at the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan and is currently a research associate at the London School of Economics and Political Science, specialising in Iran, Afghanistan and Central Asia.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy.
Jakelin Caal was a seven-year-old child from Guatemala who fled outrageous poverty conditions with her father. Last week, she died at Providence Childrens Hospital in El Paso in still unclear circumstances. This was the tragic end to her 3,200 km journey seeking to reach the United States. Although, even the word tragedy seems like an understatement  some of her last moments in this world were in custody of Border Patrol officials.

This heart-breaking story has brought renewed attention and scrutiny to the conditions that undocumented migrants face at the USs southern border. However, her death must also shed light on the hopelessness that pushes thousands of families, such as Jakelins, to face unsurmountable odds migrating north.

As we know, people choose to cross a desert not out of boredom but out of despair. While many politicians and citizens in the US do not empathise with the migrants need to flee hopelessness at home, they also forget that migration is, in part, a result of political instability triggered by equivocal foreign policies towards Central America.

Decades of US interventions caused widespread civil war, death squads and constant unrest in the region. In Guatemala, US foreign policy during the Cold War resulted in the backing of military governments that committed unspeakable human rights violations, deployed scorched earth tactics and forced disappearances against individuals or entire villages suspected of backing communist fighters. According to the Guatemalan truth commission facilitated by the United Nations after the civil war ended, 83 percent of identified victims were members of indigenous communities.





Jakelin was a member of the qeqchi people, originally from a small village, called San Antonio Seacortez, in the Alta Verapaz province, in northern Guatemala. According to the UNDP, in this province, 79 percent of people live below the poverty line. This number increases to 86 percent for indigenous communities, out of which, 48 percent survive under extreme poverty conditions. In what was once home for Jakelin, there is 59 percent chronic malnutrition among children. Her story is the story of thousands of Central Americans who, like her, did not choose to be born into conditions of dismal misery and are forced to leave their home countries.

There is plenty of blame to go around. Surely, the legacy of US intervention in Guatemala is nothing but tragic. However, focusing on the north alone to explain why people are fleeing their homes would take responsibilities of those conducting politics at home. There is a rapacious elite that for years has eroded state coffers and destroyed credibility in state institutions. For example, in Jakelins village, according to her grandfather, workers earn as low as 20 Quetzales (approximately $2.60) a day working in local plantations. This is less than a quarter of the national minimum wage.

However, there are no state institutions capable or willing to enforce the law. Corruption is pervasive and therefore, state capacity is greatly hindered. The governments of the Central American region are comprised, for the most part, of a corrupt political class that sees government as a way of enriching themselves.

For its part, the Guatemalan government seems to be more preoccupied with ensuring impunity from anti-corruption probes for themselves and their allies than to finding answers for the death of Jakelin. At the moment, the comedian-turned-president Jimmy Morales is at odds with a UN-backed anti-corruption commission, called CICIG. Moraless administration sole consistent policy has been to disarticulate and cripple the Commissions operational capabilities.

Last year, he illegally ordered for the expulsion of the Commissions chief, Colombian judge Ivan Velasquez Gomez. The decision, albeit blocked by the Constitutional Court, plunged the country into a year-long constitutional crisis. Furthermore, the Interior Minister has removed police support for the Commission. Most recently, on December 18, the government ordered the expulsion of 11 key international investigators of the commission, including those responsible with investigating the presidents brother and son. These are blatant acts of obstruction of justice.

In a way, the CICIG became a victim of its own success. Tensions with the political class have escalated as high-profile corruption charges against corrupt members of the elite have piled up. But this has not always been the case. In 2015, thanks to the work of CICIG alongside local prosecutors, the sitting president and a plethora of high-level officials were indicted for corruption. Guatemalans felt a refreshing breeze of hope. Massive citizen-led protests were sparked, and an anti-corruption movement was born.

The CICIG continued its campaign against corrupt officials, businessmen and politicians throughout 2016 and 2017. Monthly, Guatemalans witnessed shocking revelations of intricate corruption schemes ranging from illegal campaign financing, tax evasion, kickbacks for infrastructure projects, defrauding of dialysis patients, among other horrendous displays of contempt towards taxpayers in Guatemala. To be sure, this is especially appalling in a country where children, like Jakelin, are in dire need for state action.

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For these reasons, citizen support for the CICIG has been robust, in spite of consistent governmental efforts to shut down this mechanism. According to a CID-Gallup poll, 70 percent of the population approve of CICIG and want it to continue the investigations against corrupt officials. Furthermore, a recent report by the International Crisis Group estimated CICIGs presence to have contributed to a net reduction of 4,500 homicides during the 2007-2017 period. This makes the CICIG one of the most effective and popular rule of law mechanisms in the region. Under these circumstances, there are strong reasons to believe that the only ones opposing the presence of the CICIG are those who potentially will be investigated, their allies or family members.

The US has a historical responsibility that should be met and make amends for a string of disastrous interventions that have occurred in the past. But this is not the only reason to do so. Strengthening national institutions from within will be beneficial to both countries. If policymakers in the US are interested in curbing immigration from Central American countries, they should forcefully support cooperation efforts such as CICIG. Guatemalans, on the other hand, will eventually be able to have a trustworthy government that will respond to their needs, instead of forcing them out.

Until then, Jakelin will remain the face of Guatemala. She died as a result of ongoing inequalities and a chronic lack of justice. The ultimate act of justice for Jakelin will be that children like her flourish and are not forced to flee despair. Her fate should never be repeated. For that to occur, Guatemala needs to wipe its political landscape of criminals and opportunistic networks. This will only happen under the rule of law, not the rule of self-serving elites. Though this may sound like a surreal goal, it can and is happening as the direct result of the joint work of courageous activists, local prosecutors and CICIG. The continued support of the international community is crucial for these efforts to not be undermined.

Not all hope is lost, even when Jakelins story suggests otherwise. Since 2015, Guatemalans have seen that change is possible and they will not give up on it so easily.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance.
Pair were arrested in relation to the criminal use of drones, after thousands were left stranded at the airport.

Two people have been arrested in connection with the criminal use of drones at Londons Gatwick Airport, police have said, after three days of disruption affected tens of thousands of passengers during the pre-Christmas getaway.

Drones were first sighted hovering around Britains second-busiest air hub on Wednesday, grinding the runway to a standstill and causing chaos for more than 120,000 people.

As part of our ongoing investigations into the criminal use of drones which has severely disrupted flights in and out of Gatwick Airport, Sussex Police made two arrests just after 10:00pm (22:00 GMT) on December 21, the forces superintendent, James Collis, said.

Every line of inquiry will remain open to us until we are confident that we have mitigated further threats to the safety of passengers.

Police and military experts had been deployed to search for the drone operators which appeared near the airport every time it was expected to reopen.

One piece of equipment reportedly used to catch the culprits was the Israeli-developed Drone Dome system  which can detect drones using radar and jam communications between a drone and its operator.

Sussex Police did not disclose the ages or genders of those arrested, instead saying that officers used a range of tactics to hunt for the drone operators and build resilience to detect and mitigate further incursions from the device.

The drama dominated the UKs newspapers on Friday, with speculation that an eco-activist was responsible.

The dangers posed by drones include the possibility of a device smashing into a passenger plane or being sucked into a plane engine where its highly flammable lithium battery could cause a catastrophe.

I blame Chris Grayling

The opposition Labour Party criticised the government for being too slow to combat the threat from drones, and should have brought forward tighter legislation on drones before the incident.

Its been an abject failure and I blame Chris Grayling, Labour MP Karl Turner told BBC Newsnight.

He should have been in the House of Commons today making a statement and explaining to MPs why the government has failed to bring this legislation forward.

Gatwick, about 50km south of central London, is the eighth-busiest airport in Europe and sits behind Mumbai as the worlds busiest single-runway air hub.

Inbound flights were diverted to other airports, including Paris, while passengers waiting to take off faced gruelling delays.

Police have urged passengers and the public to remain vigilant around the airport, south of London, and report any further sightings.
US, UK and EU also issue statements in support of Canada.

Canada has moved away from diplomatic caution and made its first formal demand for China to immediately release two Canadians who have been detained in apparent retaliation for the arrest of a top Chinese tech executive in Vancouver.

The United States, United Kingdom and the European Union also issued statements in support of Canada.

We are deeply concerned by the arbitrary detention by Chinese authorities of two Canadians earlier this month and call for their immediate release, Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said on Friday.

A senior government official said Chinas ambassador to Canada was called on Friday and told of its demand. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of lack of authorisation to discuss the call publicly.

Meng Wanzhou, chief financial officer of Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei, was arrested in Canada on December 1 at the request of the US, which wants her extradited to face charges that she and her company misled banks about the companys business dealings in Iran.

Nine days later, China detained Canadian ex-diplomat Michael Kovrig and entrepreneur Michael Spavor on vague allegations of engaging in activities that endanger the national security of China.





Freelands declaration marked a harder tone from Canadian officials. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had been criticised by the opposition for what they called unacceptable reticence over his suggestion on Wednesday that raising demands for their release would be akin to to stomping on the table without achieving their release.

Freeland said that Canada is honouring its extradition treaty with the US and said its conducting a fair and transparent legal proceeding with respect to Meng.

US State Department spokesman Robert Palladino also reiterated that Canada is honouring its extradition treaty commitments.

We also express our deep concern for the Chinese Governments detention of two Canadians earlier this month and call for their immediate release, Palladino said. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also called for their release last week.

UK Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said in a statement the UK is confident that Canada is respecting its extradition treaty with the US and said he is deeply concerned that China may have detained the two Canadians for political reasons.





The EU, meanwhile, issued a statement saying, The declared motive for the arrest and detention of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, both Canadian nationals, raises concerns about legitimate research and business practices in China.

The show of support from allies is significant for Canada, which has felt relatively isolated in recent months, particularly following US President Donald Trumps criticism of Trudeau and his lack of public support.

In August, Saudi Arabia expelled Canadas ambassador to the kingdom and withdrew its own ambassador after Canadas foreign ministry tweeted support for an arrested Saudi activist.

The Saudis also sold Canadian investments and ordered their citizens studying in Canada to leave.

No country, including the US, spoke out publicly in support of Canada, and the Trump administration has been steadfast in its support for Saudi Arabia.
Cubas new president is overseeing whats being called the modernisation of socialism in the country.

Cuba has begun a modernisation campaign and part of that effort is both a new constitution and allowing ordinary citizens to weigh in on the documents contents.

Cubans are getting a chance to express their views on the draft constitution, which will be approved by the National Assembly before a referendum in February.

Al Jazeeras Lucia Newman reports.
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The election has been delayed by two years already and protesters are sceptical if the election really will happen on December 30.

Opposition candidates in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are urging supporters to show restraint, as large protests grip cities across the country.

The latest unrest follows this weeks postponement of a long-delayed presidential election. Many in Kinshasa wonder if the election will really take place on December 30, and what will happen if it does not.

Al Jazeeras Malcolm Webb reports from the Congolese capital, Kinshasa.
Brett McGurk, the top US envoy in ISIL fight, quits over Trumps decision to withdraw troops from Syria, US media report

Brett McGurk, the US envoy to the global coalition fighting ISIL, resigned this week over his disagreement with President Donald Trumps surprise decision to pull US troops out of Syria, US media reported on Saturday, citing unnamed sources.

Both the Associated Press and CBS news reported the departure, saying McGurk submitted his resignation letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday, a day after Defense Secretary James Mattis said he was leaving his post.

In the letter, which was described to the Associated Press by an official familiar with its contents, McGurk said fighters with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) were on the run, but not yet defeated as Trump had said.

He added that the premature pull-out of American forces from Syria would create the conditions that gave rise to ISIL.

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McGurk, whose resignation is effective on December 31, was planning to leave the job in mid-February after a US-hosted meeting of foreign ministers from the coalition countries, but he felt he could continue no longer after Trumps decision to withdraw from Syria and Mattiss resignation, according to the official speaking to the Associated Press.

The White House and State Department could not immediately be reached for comment.

Reckless

Trumps surprise announcement of the troop withdrawal came on Wednesday, with the president declaring victory over ISIL. Since then, he has defended the move, but backtracked saying, ISIL has largely been defeated.

The White House said some of the 2,000 US troops in the country were already returning to the United States.

Many politicians have called the plans for the full withdrawal rash and dangerous.

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Mattis, perhaps the most respected foreign policy official in the administration, announced on Thursday that he will leave by the end of February. He told Trump in a letter that he was departing because you have a right to have a Secretary of Defense whose views are better aligned with yours.

The US began air raids in Syria in 2014, and ground troops moved in the following year to battle ISIL and train Syrian rebels in a country torn apart by civil war.

The decision will fulfil Trumps goal of bringing troops home from Syria, but military leaders have pushed back for months, arguing that the ISIL group remains a threat and could regroup in Syrias long-running civil war.

McGurk said at a State Department briefing on December 11 that it would be reckless if we were just to say, Well, the physical caliphate is defeated, so we can just leave now. I think anyone whos looked at a conflict like this would agree with that.

A week before that, General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the US had a long way to go in training local Syrian forces to prevent a resurgence of ISIL and stabilise Syria. He said it would 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 had been trained.

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McGurk was appointed to the post by former President Barack Obama in 2015 and retained by Trump.

He previously served as a deputy assistant secretary of state for Iraq and Iran, and during the negotiations for the landmark Iran nuclear deal by the Obama administration, led secret side talks with Tehran on the release of Americans imprisoned there.

McGurk was briefly considered for the post of ambassador to Iraq after having served as a senior official covering Iraq and Afghanistan during President George W Bushs administration.

A former Supreme Court law clerk to the late Chief Justice William Rehnquist, McGurk worked as a lawyer for the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq after the 2003 US-led invasion and joined Bushs National Security Council staff, where, during 2007 and 2008, he was the lead US negotiator on security agreements with Iraq.

Taking over for now for McGurk will be his deputy, retired Terry Wolff, who served three tours of active duty in Iraq.

Jim Jeffrey, a veteran diplomat who was appointed special representative for Syria engagement in August, is expected to stay in his position, officials said.
Tribal elders in a town on the Kenya-Ethiopia border call for calm after 21 people die in a week of ethnic violence.

A refugee crisis has been playing out on the Ethiopia-Kenya border as fighting in Ethiopia between ethnic Oromo and Somali communities this year has forced thousands of people to escape to the Kenyan side.

Moyale sits on both sides of the border, a legacy of colonial rule that has added to the tensions.

Peace committee meetings in the town, involving tribal elders from both Oromo and Somali groups, have been held during the past week in hopes of ending the bloodshed.

But ending the dispute that has persisted for years and crosses international boundaries is a tall order and for now, local leaders are trying to prevent the violence from moving into Kenya.

Al Jazeeras Zein Basravi reports from Nairobi.
The army was sent in after protests broke out in September about neglect and intimidation by the predominantly Sunni Muslim government.

The people of Tajikistans semi-autonomous region of Gorno-Badakhshan have their own distinct culture, language and identity, and they have resisted the authority of the Chinese, British, and Russians in the past.

The government in Dushanbe faces the same problem, after demonstrations for better infrastructure and jobs in September brought the army and a crackdown on dissent.

Analysts have said that President Emomali Rahmon is aware of the risks, but critics worry that unrest may again be coming to the region the makes up nearly half Tajikistans geographical size.

Al Jazeeras Charles Stratford reports from Khorog where the army was sent in after protests earlier this year.
Palestinians say they are increasingly frustrated living in the occupied West Bank and disappointed by their own government.

Recent polling has indicated two-thirds of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank want Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to resign, as well as an increase of support for Hamas, following the weeks of increased violence between Israel and Palestinians.

There is already a great deal of pessimism about the prospect of a future sovereign Palestine, and in Ramallah, residents told Al Jazeera it is made worse by a greater Israeli military presence, and the ineptitude of their own political leaders.

The poll suggested Palestinian preferences are moving away diplomatic negotiations that do not appear to have borne fruit and towards an armed resistance.

Al Jazeeras Stefanie Dekker reports from Ramallah.
For the first time, Hungarians on both sides of the political spectrum are united in their criticism of Viktor Orbans government.

Demonstrators in Hungary have rallied again to protest against a new amendment to the labour laws.

What critics are calling The Slave Law would allow employers to force people to work more overtime, and even delay payments for up to three years.

Nationwide protests have been held since last week; the government hopes theyll go home for Christmas and forget, but these demonstrations may be different in that they have attracted Hungarians from across the political spectrum.

Al Jazeeras Robin Forestier-Walker reports from Budapest.
Indias Home Ministry gives 10 government agencies new powers to monitor computers across the country.

Several Indian government agencies have been armed with sweeping powers to intercept, monitor and decrypt information from any computer in the country, a move that critics say aims to make India the next Big Brother state.

After Indias Home Ministry issued a notification on Thursday authorising 10 agencies with the power to tap, intercept and decrypt all personal data on computers and networks in India, opposition parties said the government is attempting to create a surveillance state.

Among the agencies that are now enabled to exercise these snooping powers are the Research and Analysis Wing, the main foreign-intelligence gathering body, and the Intelligence Bureau report directly to the Prime Ministers Office.

Congress party chief Rahul Gandhi said this move showed Prime Minister Narendra Modi is an insecure dictator.

Converting India into a police state isnt going to solve your problems, Modi Ji. Its only going to prove to over 1 billion Indians, what an insecure dictator you really are. https://t.co/KJhvQqwIV7  Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) December 21, 2018

Indias Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said the move will help track terrorists.

How else will terrorists who use technology extensively be traced? Otherwise, the terrorists will use IT, but the intelligence and investigative agencies will be crippled, Jaitley tweeted.

No safeguards

Privacy advocates argue that widespread government surveillance of this kind will have a chilling effect on democratic debate and dissent. In the worlds largest democracy, data security and privacy regulations are still to be framed.

Even though the orders are supposed to target everyone, most analysts say they could possibly be used to crack down on critics, rights campaigners and political opponents in advance of a general election that is slated early next year.

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This would make data collection from critics and political opponents easier. This will facilitate targeted raids against the opposition and critics. In its ambition, this is similar to Americas spy programme PRISM. Indians need to press for surveillance reform urgently to protect us from a police state, Srinivas Kodali, an independent security researcher in Hyderabad, told Al Jazeera.

Interception of phone calls was already authorized for certain federal agencies under Indias Telecom Act.

The absence of any oversight mechanism for such interception by federal agencies gives them untrammelled power, according to some analysts.

This notification gives powers to a host of agencies with minimal oversight. There are no safeguards as to how this collected data will be dealt with, so concerns of civil society are not unwarranted. Governments once they are given unbridled power of this kind, end up almost routinely abusing it, Sanjay Hegde, a supreme court lawyer, told Al Jazeera.

Indian intelligence agencies report straight to the prime minister and the home minister without any parliamentary or judicial oversight. On Friday, opposition parties disrupted Parliament, asking questions about the new notification.

Social media sites were also abuzz with criticism against the government move. While the Internet Freedom Foundation of India posted a red alert about the notification, a security researcher, who tweets under the pseudonym Elliot Alderson, described it as a sad day for India.

Right to privacy

In 2017, Indias Supreme Court unanimously ruled that individual privacy is a fundamental right, a verdict that should have a significant bearing on civil rights.

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On the question of whether Thursdays notification would withstand legal scrutiny, lawyer Hegde said, Courts often tend to duck these problems involving technology when faced with a broad spectrum challenge.

But a particular individual whose privacy is compromised can go to court and challenge this notification, he said.

It does not square with the recent right to privacy ruling of the top court but very often when questions of national security are used to defend anything, the court gives greater deference to government claims than to individual rights, he added.

The right-wing BJP government said the new powers would help to protect the country against terrorists and other national security threats. But critics say the absence of requisite oversights only heightens fears about its intentions.
In first Iranian comments on Trumps pull-out plan, Tehran says US caused instability and insecurity in the region.

Irans Foreign Ministry has said the US military presence in Syria damaged the region, in the governments first comments on President Donald Trumps plan to pull US troops from the war-torn country.

Trump vowed on Thursday that the United States would no longer be the policeman of the Middle East as he ordered troops back from Syria.

The presence of American forces was from the very start, in principle, a wrong and illogical move and a primary cause of instability and insecurity in the region, Irans foreign ministry spokesperson Bahram Ghasemi said on his Telegram channel on Saturday.

Tehran has been a key supporter of the Syrian government.

Irans Revolutionary Guards have a contingent of commanders and advisers deployed in Syria in support of President Bashar al-Assad, and have ferried weapons and thousands of fighters to the front line from various countries.

The US currently has around 2,000 forces deployed in Syria in two areas along the Iraqi border that was partly aimed at keeping Iranian forces in check.

Filling the void

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday cautiously welcomed the planned US withdrawal from Syria, announcing that it would delay a military operation against Syrian Kurdish fighters, who have been supported by the US in Syria since 2014.

The Turkish government views the US-backed YPG (Kurdish Peoples Protection Units) as an extension of an armed group fighting inside Turkey.

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According to reports in Turkish media, Trump made the decision to pull US troops out of Syria in recent a phone call with Erdogan, but the White House has denied the claims.

Reporting from the Turkey-Syria border, Al Jazeeras Zeina Khodr, said that it appeared that the US had chosen to strengthen its alliance with Turkey at the expense of its Kurdish allies in Syria.

A recent phone call between the Turkish and American presidents seems to have ironed out a lot of differences between these two NATO allies, which have had disputes over the Syria strategy in recent years, she said. President Erdogan on Friday, in his speech, outlined how this relationship has improved and how he sees eye to eye with President Trump on issues regarding Syria.

It seems that Turkey wants an orderly pull-out; they dont want the American troops to rapidly pull out, because northeast Syria would be up for grabs. They dont want to see, for example, the Syrian government taking control of the area without firm guarantees that the YPG presence, or the threat according to Turkey, will be neutralised. What Turkey would like to see, is the United States hand over this area to its local allies in Syria.

A senior Kurdish politician on Friday called on France to play a larger role in Syria following the US withdrawal.

Ilham Ahmed of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) warned on Friday that the decision to withdraw would have dangerous repercussions and a destabilising effect on the entire region.

Sami Nader, Director of the Levant Institute for Strategic Affairs, told Al Jazeera that the US decision to withdraw risks leaving a power vacuum.

It seems that the decision is not based on a strategic vision, or strategic plan, because it is in contradiction with the main strategy of Washington, he said. The number one objective of the United States in the region is to face Iran.

There is a big question mark about who is going to fill this void. Maybe the Turks, maybe the French, but this is not clear.
The protests first began in response to the beating-up of an opposition politician in a southern city.

Thousands of people took to the streets of the Serbian capital Belgrade for the third consecutive week to protest against the government of President Aleksandar Vucic.

More than 5,000 people marched towards the Serbian state broadcaster RTS on Saturday  widely seen as supportive of Vucic  before moving to the government headquarters.

The protests, which first began in response to the beating-up of opposition politician Borko Stefanovic during a rally in a southern city, have escalated and now include calls for greater accountability and more freedom of speech.

Stefanovic was approached by a group of young men in hoodies who smashed his head and briefly knocked him unconscious.

Al Jazeeras Marko Subotic, reporting from Belgrade, said the number of protesters on Saturday exceeded those seen in previous weeks.

This was the largest protest of citizens because they are not organised by any political party but was actually organised by some public figures and student organisations, albeit backed by opposition parties in Serbia, Subotic said.

They will return next Saturday to tell President Vucic, who has been in power for six years, they dont agree with the current situation in Serbia, especially that there is no freedom of speech and opposition leaders cant be heard on national television, including Serbias public service.

Vucic mocked the first rally in Belgrade, saying it was small and that even if there were five million he would not cede to their demands.

The second protest was held under #1od5miliona (one of five million).

Although Serbia is nominally a democratic society with political opposition and free elections, Vucics firm grip on power has made it difficult for opponents to make their voices heard or answer verbal outbursts against them.

Vucic has publicly condemned the attack on Stefanovic and the police swiftly arrested the assailants, but opponents like Dragan Djilas say he has fostered an atmosphere of violence that made such an attack possible.

His Progressive Party has dominated in the three parliamentary elections since 2012. Vucic started a five-year term as president last year.

The Serbian opposition, weakened by internal strife, corruption scandals and low exposure on state and pro-government media since Vucic took over, has been fully marginalised.
Conservatives say theyve lost their voice in politics after Park Geun-hye was removed from office.

Supporters of overthrown South Korean President Park Geun-hye are turning to online video sites to demand her release.

Geun-hye was jailed in April for 24 years for corruption and abuse of power. Conservatives say theyve lost their voice in politics after she was removed from the office.

Al Jazeeras U-Jean Jung reports.
The archbishop of Seoul notes in his message that we should keep mercy in our minds which enables endless forgiveness and unconditional sharing. And True peace is Gods gift which we can receive only when we ask for [it] through prayers.

Seoul (AsiaNews) - The road to peace in Korea "is long and tough", so it is necessary to "keep patience and continue praying," writes Card Andrew Yeom Soo-jung (pictured), archbishop of Seoul, in his Christmas message.

In the letter, titled "Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests" (Lk 2: 14), the cardinal reflects on the "peaceful atmosphere" that has come to the Korean peninsula this year after the Panmunjom summit.

Citing Pope John XXIIIs encyclical "Pacem in terris", the archbishop reminds the faithful that "peace on earth can, at last, be recovered and strengthened in the orders of God.

Pope John XXIII taught us that a peaceful world-order can be constructed by the Truth and Justice, completed by Love and Solidarity, and realised by security of Freedom. Hence, Christians are called to be the first builders of peace in the world."

"As Pope Francis has always stressed, we should keep mercy in our minds which enables endless forgiveness and unconditional sharing. We, above all, should start from prayers.

True peace is Gods gift which we can receive only when we ask for [it] through prayers. Thus, lets keep devoting our prayers for the peace in Korean Peninsula.

In concluding his Christmas message, Card Yeom turns to his brothers and sisters in North Korea. I hope Christmas can be a new hope and light for [our] brothers and sisters in North Korea, which can bring a big consolation for the hardship theyre having in their minds as well.
Put it all in the garbage. Photo: Tom Williams/Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call

There are four days until Christmas, and the White House is very busy. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis resigned on Thursday, in what seems to be a protest of President Trumps decision to remove troops from Syria and slash our presence in Afghanistan by half. Chaos followed, as Trump initially tweeted that Mattis planned to retire only for photos of the secretarys resignation letter to appear in the press. On Friday, the Guardian provided some background. Trump made those decisions after a phone call with Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and seemingly took Erdogans advice over Mattiss. This, it turns out, was Mattiss red line, of all the red lines he could have possibly decided upon during his tenure in the Trump administration.

As the Mattis saga shambled into Friday, the Trump administration seemed to lean into the mayhem. The government may shut down because Trump has decided that he will not sign a bill to keep matters funded unless that bill gives him money for a border fence made from metal slats. On Friday afternoon, he tweeted a preview of the fence. Each slat tapers to a sharp point, updating the legend of Vlad the Impaler for hungry, frightened people fleeing violence and deprivation in their home countries:

A design of our Steel Slat Barrier which is totally effective while at the same time beautiful! pic.twitter.com/sGltXh0cu9  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 21, 2018

If Trump doesnt get his slat money and a shutdown goes forward, 800,000 federal workers will go without pay over the holidays. But theres a silver lining! NORAD announced on Friday that the agency will stay open, so theyll still be able to track Santas progress as he makes his trip around the world. Which is good news, because Seema Verma, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, has tasked Saint Nick with an extra-special delivery:

The CMS sleigh has made deliveries to Kansas, Rhode Island, Michigan, & Maine this week to drop off signed #Medicaid waivers. Christmas came early for these Governors & we are proud to support local innovation all across this great country!  Administrator Seema Verma (@SeemaCMS) December 21, 2018

Work requirements, of course, mean that people lose Medicaid, and when people lose Medicaid, they cant afford to go to the doctor. Not only will these punitive measures complicate the lives of people in extreme poverty, they also create a real problem for several new governors. In Kansas, Michigan and Maine, Republican governors applied for waivers that would allow them to attach strict work requirements to Medicaid. In November, those three states elected Democratic governors, and at least one, Maine governor-elect Janet Mills, has said shell review the work requirements once she takes office in January. In Wisconsin, where Verma had already approved work requirements for Medicaid, incoming Democratic governor Tony Evers has said hell try to withdraw them altogether. Its not yet clear, though, what legal options exist for Evers, Mills, and their Democratic peers; whether theyll be able to revoke these new regulations swiftly, whether the process will take time, or whether theyll be able to do it at all. Its a fitting parting gift to these newly-elected Democrats from the Trump administration, which vehemently supports work requirements despite  or perhaps because  they just deepen poverty.

Meanwhile, the stock market plummeted another 7 points, ending what the Associated Press says is its worst week since 2011. And Congress still hasnt extended a tax on coal production which pays for the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund, despite a series of protests organized by sufferers of the terminal disease. One told the Bristol Herald-Courier on Thursday that his black lung and cancer medications cost nearly $22,000 a month. If the fund loses money, he may have to bear much of that cost on his own. There are only ten days before the current tax rate expires.

But relax! Its a time for families and cheer andgiving thanks for the miracle of salvation, according to our embassy in the Holy See. Heres Callista Gingrich, ambassador to the Vatican, in a video that almost definitely violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment:

On behalf of the U.S. Embassy to the Holy See, Ambassador @CallyGingrich wishes you a very #MerryChristmas! pic.twitter.com/z2suamFMYB  U.S. in Holy See (@USinHolySee) December 21, 2018

Happy holidays.
Top court deals Trump another immigration setback, refusing to allow his administration to implement new asylum rules.

The US Supreme Court on Friday dealt a setback to President Donald Trump by refusing to allow his administration to implement new rules prohibiting asylum for people who cross the US border in between official ports of entry, with conservative Chief Justice John Roberts joining the four liberal justices in denying the request.

The justices on a 5-4 vote rebuffed the administrations bid to put on hold a California-based federal judges order preventing it from carrying out the policy making anyone crossing the US-Mexican border outside of an official port of entry ineligible for asylum.

The planned asylum change was a key component of Trumps hardline policies aimed at making it tougher for immigrants to enter and stay in the United States.

Roberts, who last month rebuked Trump over his criticism of the judiciary, joined liberal Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer, Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor against the administration. Trumps two high court appointees, Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch, joined the two other conservative justices, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, in dissent.

The Supreme Courts decision to leave the asylum ban blocked will save lives and keep vulnerable families and children from persecution. We are pleased the court refused to allow the administration to short-circuit the usual appellate process, said Lee Gelernt, a lawyer for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which challenged Trumps policy.

San Francisco-based US District Judge Jon Tigar had blocked the policy on November 19. The San Francisco-based 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals then refused the administrations request to lift Tigars order.

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Tigars ruling prompted Trump to call the jurist an Obama judge and blast the 9th Circuit in general as a disgrace. Tigar was appointed to the bench by Democratic former President Barack Obama.

Trumps comments led to an extraordinary response from the normally reticent Roberts, who defended the independence of the federal judiciary and wrote in a public response to Trump on November 21, We do not have Obama judges or Trump judges, Bush judges or Clinton judges, Roberts said.

The port-of-entry restrictions, due to expire after 90 days, were made through a presidential proclamation Trump issued on November 9 alongside a new administration rule.

Other setbacks

The ruling 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.

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Since arriving at the border, 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.

This week, the US announced that it would send some asylum seekers back to Mexico to wait out their immigration hearings, a move rights groups say will put migrants and refugees in danger.

Separately, a judge on Wednesday blocked policies put in place by former Attorney General Jeff Sessions earlier this year that made it harder for individuals fleeing domestic violence and gang violence to claim asylum.

In June, the Supreme Court had backed Trump in another major immigration-related case when the justices in a 5-4 ruling endorsed the legality of the Republican presidents travel ban on people from several Muslim-majority nations. Roberts joined the courts other conservatives in that ruling.
Prison and sentencing reform bill will give judges more discretion when sentencing some drug offenders.

US President Donald Trump has signed rare bipartisan legislation addressing concerns with the criminal justice system.

Trump called the bill an incredible success for our country and beyond bipartisan during an Oval Office signing ceremony on Friday.

Congresspersons and advocates also hailed it as a hugely influential package and thanked the president for supporting the issue.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) said the law would give thousands of people in prison a second chance.

We applaud the bipartisan group of lawmakers for listening to advocates. This law will give thousands of currently incarcerated people a second chance and help undo some of the many harms caused by our broken criminal justice system. https://t.co/8qTGXYJPWK  ACLU (@ACLU) December 21, 2018

The legislation will give judges more discretion when sentencing some drug offenders and will boost prisoner rehabilitation efforts.

It received the rare support of both Democratic and Republican members of Congress, as well as conservative and liberal groups that rarely work together.

Groups that supported the bill included the Fraternal Order of Police, the Centre for American Progress and the Koch brothers, among others.

Playing a key role behind the scenes was Trumps son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner, whose father spent time in federal prison when he was younger. At the signing ceremony, Trump personally thanked Kushner.

More than 2 million people in prison

The US leads the world in the known prison population, with about 2.2 million people jailed at the end of 2016.

During Senate debate of the bill, Democratic Senator Dick Durbin noted the US had five percent of the worlds population, but 25 percent of the worlds known prison population.

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He added that minority groups 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 jailed people.

The majority of illegal drug users and dealers in America are white. But three-quarters of the people serving time in prison for drug offences are African American or Latino, Durbin said.

In response to criticism from some conservatives that the legislation could prompt the release of violent criminals into society, the bipartisan measure was reworked to scale back the discretion judges would have in some sentencing cases.

The passage of the bill is seen as a major victory for advocates who have worked for years on similar pieces of reform legislation but were continually blocked by conservatives amid scepticism within the Republican leadership.
Kinshasa, DRC  An election official confirmed on Saturday that voting will take place in Ebola-hit Democratic Republic of Congos northeastern region on December 30, despite concerns that opening polls there might lead to new cases of the virus.

Voting will take place as planned, said Jean-Pierre Kalamba, the spokesman for the countrys electoral commission (CENI)

Nothing has changed in terms of voting centres. We are maintaining the voting centres in the Ebola-affected areas as health ministry authorities did not see any specific need to change locations. Kalamba told Al Jazeera.

Since November 28, there have been more than 500 confirmed cases of the deadly virus in North Kivu and Ituri provinces, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

The haemorrhagic virus has killed more than 320 people since the latest outbreak started in May 2018, the UN health agency said.

The DRCs health ministry said that measures have been put in place to make sure voting takes place in the region without any problems.

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This includes requiring all voters to wash their hands before and after voting.

Health ministry workers have been engaged in the fight against Ebola in the affected areas. They have increased measures to limit transmissions like sanitation, Jessica Ilunga, health ministry spokeswoman, told Al Jazeera.

A risk we have to take

Many voters in the region told Al Jazeera the threat of the disease will not stop them from casting their ballot.

We know Ebola is here but this is not an obstacle for us to go and vote on December 30, Kambale Kaputo, a civil servant in the city of Beni in North Kivu province, told Al Jazeera by phone.

We have been sensitised to Ebola. We have been given measures to protect ourselves and this is helping. We always mingle in churches, at work and in markets. We will go and vote. It is a risk but we have to take it. the 50-year-old added.

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Christian Batenahe, a teacher from Beni, said nothing was going to stop him from heading to the polls.

We are not worried at all. We are going to vote on December 30th because it is the right of every Congolese to go and vote. Ebola is not going to stop us, Batenahe said.

Nobody is afraid of Ebola here in Beni. We know people are dying from that disease but those who remain have to vote for change to come to this country, the 33-year-old added.

Election delays

More than 46 million people have registered to take part in the long-delayed poll in the mineral-rich central African country.

Elections were first scheduled to take place in 2016 but were delayed because the electoral body said it did not have the resources to hold the vote.

On Thursday, CENI postponed the vote until December 30 following a fire that destroyed voting machines at one of its main warehouses in the capital, Kinshasa.

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The blaze destroyed nearly 80 percent of the 10,000 voting machines meant for the city, which is home to about 15 percent of the countrys electorate. Officials also cited the Ebola outbreak in its delay of the election.

The tightly-contested election is meant to choose a successor to President Joseph Kabila, who is due to step down after 18 years in power.

Twenty-one candidates are competing for the countrys top job.

The DRC, a country of more than 80 million people, has not seen a peaceful transition of power since it gained independence from Belgium in 1960.
Patrick Cammaert, a retired general with experience in Sri Lanka and the DRC, will oversee the withdrawal of fighters.

The head of a United Nations mission tasked with monitoring a fragile ceasefire in Yemens strategic port city of Hodeidah has arrived Aden.

Patrick Cammaert, a retired Dutch general, with experience in Sri Lanka, Cambodia and the DRC, arrived in the southern city of Aden on Saturday and is due to meet government representatives before travelling to the rebel-held capital Sanaa and onwards to Hodeidah.

Cammaerts team will secure the functioning of Hodeidah port, a key gateway for aid and food imports in the impoverished nation, as well as supervise the withdrawal of fighters from the flashpoint city.

His teams arrival comes a day after the UN Security Council unanimously approved a resolution authorising the deployment of observers to Hodeidah, following negotiations in Sweden last week.

The ceasefire in Hodeidah, between Saudi-backed government forces and Houthi rebels, is seen as the first significant breakthrough in peace efforts since the war erupted in 2014.

The agreement was brokered at talks in Rimbo, some 60km north of the Swedish capital Stockholm, where a number of other confidence-building steps were agreed to boost confidence between the warring sides.

This includes a planned prisoner swap involving some 16,000 detainees.

Yemenis havent been forgotten

Western nations have pressed the Saudi-UAE coalition to end the nearly four-year war in Yemen that has killed an estimated 60,000 people.

According to Save The Children, as many as 85,000 children may have starved to death.

On December 8, the UN said that as many as 20 million people in Yemen were food insecure, calling the situation the worlds worst humanitarian crisis.

Louis Charbonneau, the UN director for Human Rights Watch, said the resolution sends an important message to the suffering people of Yemen that they havent been forgotten.

Charbonneau also called on the Security Council to consider imposing targeted sanctions on those who violated the laws of war in Yemen, including senior Saudi, Emirati and Houthi officials

The Saudi-UAE coalition, which receives arms and intelligence from the West, intervened in March 2015 to restore the government of Hadi who was toppled by the Houthis months earlier.
Former Madagascan president Andry Rajoelina is set to return to power as partial election results on Saturday have given him a clear lead over his rival Marc Ravalomanana.



With over 60 percent ballots counted of about five million cast, Rajoelina had won 55.1 percent against 44.8 percent for Ravalomanana, according to the electoral commission.

Complete results are expected next week, before a period in which they can be legally challenged.

As counting progressed, the turnout was put at 48 percent  lower than the 54 percent in the first-round ballot.



Both camps have claimed victory and alleged fraud, raising fears of a disputed result and the risk of a new political crisis in the Indian Ocean island which has a history of coups and unrest.



But the European Union election observers said on Friday they had not seen evidence of malpractice.



The Madagascans voted in a peaceful atmosphere in a transparent and well-organised poll, mission head Cristian Preda told reporters.





Even before the first round, the candidates talked about massive fraud. We did not see it in the field I hope that calm will come once the results are very clear.



In the same vein, the African Union (AU) congratulated the two candidates, the entire political class and the Madagascan people who, despite the differences, () have shown restraint.



Rajoelina and Ravalomanana, both former presidents and long-time rivals, have been locked in a fiercely personal duel for power after they came a close first and second in the preliminary election in November.



I have noticed massive fraud. There are electoral cards that are fake, Ravalomanana told AFP news agency 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 dont follow the democratic process, no.

Presidential candidate Marc Ravalomanana casts his ballot during the second round of the presidential election [Rijasolo/AFP/Getty Images]

Bitter personal history

Sensing victory, Rajoelinas campaign staff nonetheless 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.



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.



Ravalomanana is a former milkman who went on to build a business empire.



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 worlds poorest nations, according to the 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.



Complete results are due by January 9.
Tension escalates in Kashmir as India intensifies operations, killing a record of 232 rebels so far this year.

Srinagar, Indian-administered Kashmir  Six rebels were killed in a gunfight in Arampora village of Tral in the southern part of Indian-administered Kashmir as India continues to intensify its operations in the disputed region.

Swayam Prakash Pani, the Kashmir police chief, told Al Jazeera that a search operation was launched in Tral on Saturday morning in which six rebels were killed.

There was no collateral damage. We continue to urge people not to come near the gunfight sites as they are prohibited places. The operation took place in an open field in the morning, the official said.

Another official said that all six rebels were locals and belonged to Ansar ul Gazwatul Hind, an armed Kashmir-based group that claims to be an offshoot of al-Qaeda.

The officials said that one of the rebels was a top commander of the group, who was active in southern Kashmir.

Soon after the encounter, residents in Tral and adjoining areas took to streets to protest the killings.





Authorities suspended mobile internet services across the district, saying as all the slain rebels belonged to the villages in southern Kashmir. The officials said that the train services have also been suspended for the day to avoid possible law-and-order problems.

The fighters are from the adjacent villages and thousands of people are on roads to take part in the funeral. For us, it is a daily bloodbath. Every day, we wake up with the news of a death. We just want an end to it, so that we too can breathe, said Munisa Ismail, 26, a resident of Tral.

The tension also continues to escalate on the Line of Control (LOC), a demarcation line that divides the two parts of the disputed territory between Indian and Pakistan-administered parts.

Civilian casualties

On Friday evening, the Indian authorities claimed that two of its junior commissioned officers were killed in north Kashmirs Jumgund area of frontier Kupwara in a cross-border attack.

The Indian forces have intensified the operation in Kashmir, killing a record number of 232 rebels so far this year.

The civilian casualties this year have also been highest in the last nine years. According to a local human rights group, Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society (JKCCS), 156 civilians have been killed in the violence this year.

Last week, the forces shot dead seven civilians in Sirnoo village of Pulwama after firing on demonstrators following a gunfight in the village in which three rebels of Hizbul Mujahideen outfit were killed.





Asmita Basu, Programmes Director of Amnesty International in India termed the civilian killings a worrying pattern.

She said that the security forces are increasingly using indiscriminate and excessive force against civilians.

Amnesty International has demanded authorities conduct a full and independent investigation into the incident, and those responsible prosecuted in a civilian court of law.

The Indian forces in Kashmir are protected by Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), a law that provides the forces immunity from prosecution.

Amnesty in a statement said that the law enforcement officials should distinguish between persons engaging in violence and peaceful demonstrators.

The disputed territory, over which India and Pakistan have fought three wars, is currently under the presidents rule after India dissolved the state assembly last month.

After the six-month tenure of the governors rule expired, the presidents rule was imposed in the region on December 20, which will continue for six months after which fresh elections are likely to be held.
Trumps wall tantrum has consequences. Photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images

About 800,000 of the 2.1 million federal workers nationwide will go without pay over Christmas if the government shuts down tonight. Thousands more federal contractors would also lose pay  and unlike full-time employees who work alongside them in the same offices, they wont be eligible for back pay. Their plight, however, does not move everyone. Presented with the notion that a shutdown would create hardship for public employees, Representative Scott Perry, a Republican from Pennsylvania, resorted to ridicule. Whos living that theyre not going to make it to the next paycheck? he told Politicos Sarah Ferris on Thursday night. Why are government employees so sacrosanct? Private sector employees deal with this all the time  The governments not immune to these things.

The word things is so broad that it hides a universe of facts. Maybe Perry merely meant that the world can be an unjust place, whether you work for the local supermarket, Microsoft, or the State Department. But hundreds of thousands of federal workers are about to experience a pay gap or loss, all because a Republican president wants billions of dollars for metal slats to keep out asylum seekers and migrants. Apart from the policy consequences, shutdowns are often portrayed as victimless, aside from the embarrassment suffered by lawmakers. The reality is that most federal employees arent overpaid bureaucrats with luxury condos in Dupont Circle. Government work is usually just work, and it often doesnt pay nearly as well as private-sector employment.

Most federal workers make between $33,000 and $55,000, according to their union, the American Federation of Government Employees. In April, the Federal Salary Council noted that theres a significant pay gap between federal employees and private-sector employees who perform similar work. Federal workers make just under 32 percent less on average, the Post reported at the time, with the gap more pronounced in at least two expensive housing markets, San Francisco and Washington-Baltimore. The Post also cited a previous report from the Congressional Budget Office, which concluded that federal employees overall earn 3 percent more on average but that there are large differences by educational level: from a 34 percent advantage for federal workers with a high-school education or less to a 24 percent shortfall for those with a professional degree or doctorate. Pay varies drastically, in other words, and its easy to see how a public employee would indeed live paycheck to paycheck, especially in a city like San Francisco, where the median rent for a one-bedroom apartment is now $3,337.

Federal contractors, meanwhile, experience their own challenges. Taxpayer money is lucrative for CEOs, but less so for the rank-and-file employees at companies that receive federal contracts. More than two-thirds of the top 50 publicly held federal contractors and federal corporate subsidy recipients paid their CEOs more than 100 times the median pay of their workers in 2017, USA Today reported in August, citing a new study by the Institute for Policy Studies. Meanwhile, last year the Center for Public Integrity found that the federal government had paid at least $18 billion to contractors who committed wage violations  repeatedly, in some cases. The U.S. Department of Labors Wage and Hour Division found that in 2016, nearly 32,000 federal contract workers were owed slightly more than $50 million in back pay due to wage-law violations, CPI reported. Many are low-wage workers who said theyd been unable to afford basic necessities like asthma medication.

Any government shutdown is also likely to disproportionately affect African-Americans and veterans, who are both overrepresented in the federal workforce. The U.S. Office of Personnel Management announced in 2017 that 31.1 percent of federal employees are veterans; in 2014, 18.1 percent of federal employees were African-American. As Dave Jamieson noted for HuffPost at the time, government work has also traditionally helped pull black families into the middle-class. A shutdown wont reverse that trend, but it does clarify who will be most harmed by Trumps presidential tantrum.

The specter of the overpaid bureaucrat still appears regularly in arguments for small government or more directly in bids to cut federal pay; Trump himself supported a pay freeze for federal workers in 2019, though he was overruled by his own party. Public workers arent sacrosanct, but theyre far more vulnerable than Republicans like Perry care to admit.
Earlier this year, an editorial in the N.Y. Times was entitled simply "The Trump Cult." The word "cult" has a negative connotation and suggests irrationality and obsession superseding other legitimate possible views based on principles and reasonableness. Yes, cults are unreasonable. However, the editorial did not discuss benchmarks to distinguish between a legitimate non-cultic vote for President Donald Trump and the cultic allegiance the authors found so offensive. In fact, the word "cult" appeared only once, in the title.

Jonah Goldberg, whose book Liberal Fascism uniquely testifies to the convergence of the American left with the ideas and ideals of European fascism, surprisingly also referred to the ascendancy of President Trump as being born of a cult. He stated, "Never before in modern American history have we had a president so transparently demanding not just of loyalty but praise from his subordinates and political allies." But in the same article he backed away from this observation by expressing the view that "we have a cult of the presidency in this country." The tendency of the president of the USA to be revered in a cultish way could be seen during Barack Obama's presidency as well. Goldberg noted, "When Obama acted like a king  by his own definition  liberals cheered, because their loyalty was to the man, not the office."

These comments about Donald Trump as a cult leader revolved around the ideas of excessive praise and loyalty being demanded and given. However, the word "excessive" suggests a subjective judgment about the cult-like nature of loyalty to a public figure. If one refers to the president as a cult leader (whose cult membership includes half or more than half the voting population), then benchmarks are needed to assess whether our president has slipped from being leader of the Executive Branch of government to being cult leader of the Executive Branch. The passion or adoration of a president by a large segment of the population does not make him a cult leader. While that passion may generate a passionate hatred in response, that hatred is not self-justifying. A strong negative passion may challenge a positive passion, but it does not refute the positive passion (passion cannot be refuted), nor does it prove that cultish emotions make a cult.

One of the first things we observe about a cult leader is that he cannot be voted out. Adolf Hitler, Mao (now Chinese President Xi Jinping), and Josef Stalin all had this in common. Further, the cult leaders reject constitutional realities. The leader rules, not the laws that have been developed over time and were created by the people, for the people, and of the people. Third, the cult leader is the one and only source of authority and power. He has no checks and balances. Additionally, the cult leader dictates to all lesser lights within the organization, be that organization a religious one or a political one. Mao had the exclusive right to determine the activities of all provinces, localities, and urban centers. Hitler called all the shots in every nook and cranny of Germany as well as on issues of war and peace.

If we read any literature about cults, like Dave Breese's Know The Marks of Cults, or consider the Jim Jones cult with its 1978 suicide or murder of 900-plus members in their compound in British Guyana, we can see that there are specific aspects that define cults that one does not find among Trump enthusiasts. Cults typically promise eternal salvation on a basis other than that offered by Christianity. Cults typically involve intense financial or sexual exploitation of the members. Cults typically have an enslaving organizational structure. Cults have a different standard of righteousness from that found in the Holy Scriptures from Genesis to Revelation. And cults have doctrinal ambiguity.

Further, the threat of a cult manipulation is a lot more sophisticated today than it was in the days of Mao, Stalin, or Hitler. With the growth of the market research industry and mass marketing through advertising since the 1950s, with the development of mind control techniques, with the tracking of individual members of society through artificial intelligence in social media and governmental surveillance, and with the increasing power of trained persons to program others, fear of subliminal controls over the population are somewhat justifiable. Power over the population is no longer vested only in the gun  i.e., the threat of force by government  or in aggressively promoting an ideology. Today, other strategies are used to compel segments of the population to respond to products and persons while preserving the idea that they are exercising their "free will." In other words, the charismatic leader is less likely to be the instrument of cultic control today than he was in the past.

A low-key, power-mad personality like Xi Jinping or Barack Obama is more likely to be eligible as a cult leader in today's world. These have personalities that are non-threatening yet can function comfortably in a brave new world where market strategies and mind control sophistication are algorithmic allies working invisibly to dominate vast masses of people.

The concern about manipulation of our culture and the political dimension of our culture is legitimate, but if we consider the above defining benchmarks of a cult, there is no need to worry about a "cult of Trump." In fact, there is a deficiency of loyalty to our duly elected president. The visceral hatred of the president seen so clearly in the MSM unduly personalizes the office of the presidency. The malevolent diatribes of the Democrats with each passing day seem more like the outcries of a wounded animal than the rational discourse one expects of political figures since the days of the Roman Republic. Yes, matters of life and death lie in the hands of the president as he makes daily decisions about peace and war, about our air and water, about our energy supply, about our health care, and about our economic well-being and safety. Because of these duties (not personality traits), it remains important to see the president in his role qua president. He is to be accountable, yes, but not to be pre-judged a scoundrel or, worse, vilified because he is exceedingly popular with half the population.

Image: Chad Sparkes via Flickr.
Despite the fact that Judge Emmet Sullivan totally shot himself in the foot with his absurd speculation regarding the possibility of General Michael Flynn being charged with treason, it does appear that he remains focused not only on the misconduct (read: possible criminal conduct) by Team Mueller and the FBI, but also on the legal insufficiency of the charge against General Flynn: False Statements to the U.S. Government, 18 USC 1001.

In that regard, legal tweeter Techno Fog flagged this fascinating exchange. Note that the "Kelner" who responds to Judge Sullivan is one of Flynn's attorneys, Michael Kelner:

Near adjournment, Judge Sullivan mentions that he will likely have "many, many, many more questions" - including:



1) how the gov't investigation was impeded



2) What was the material impact of the crimes



/end pic.twitter.com/b7jcPoDfeE  Techno Fog (@Techno_Fog) December 19, 2018

The important point Sullivan has in mind comes toward the end, when he says:

These are questions that you would be prepared to answer anyway, such as, you know, how the government's investigation was impeded? What was the material impact of the criminality? Things like that.

Obviously, Flynn's lawyer, Kelner, likes what he's hearing, is very much in favor of "things like that," and he says so:

I think we would find it very helpful, actually, and would welcome the opportunity.

The reason Kelner likes this train of thought is because what Sullivan is talking about actually comes close to the legal insufficiency of the entire case. This doesn't mean that Flynn will be changing his plea, because his statements at this hearing made a future plea change difficult. Nevertheless, Kelner likes this development because it works to get Sullivan back to the agreement of zero jail time, after Sullivan had suggested that he might ignore that agreement.

But lots of things can change during the three months before the next status hearing, so let's take a quick look at the actual text of "1001," as far as it's relevant to the Flynn case and to Sullivan's remarks:

(a) Except as otherwise provided in this section, whoever, in any matter within the jurisdiction of the executive, legislative, or judicial branch of the Government of the United States, knowingly and willfully  (2) makes any materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement or representation

The issue that Sullivan was posing to the attorneys is this: if what Flynn said to the FBI had no "material impact" on the government's investigation  did not "impede" the investigation in any way  then how should that affect "an eventual sentencing"?

Obviously, this has to do with the fact that the FBI agents showed up at Flynn's office to question him only about things they already knew. That was the strategy agreed upon with their boss, Andrew McCabe, which they adhered to. They questioned Flynn about matters they already knew  in fact, had a recording of  and if Flynn's account didn't jibe with what was on the recording, then they simply repeated Flynn's words. This was, according to Mueller (p. 3), in order to "prompt a truthful response."

Actually, Mueller himself was making a false statement to the court when he wrote those words, because the agents weren't actually attempting to "prompt a truthful response" at all  they were trying to lock Flynn in to an inaccurate statement that could later be deemed a false statement and charged under 1001. They were adhering to McCabe's instructions not to challenge Flynn's responses, but to induce him to say "yeah, uh-huh," when they repeated an inaccuracy.

Now, we can agree for the sake of the argument that it's only fair that the lack of any "material impact" of Flynn's words on any investigation should be taken into consideration for "an eventual sentencing." However, more to the point of my previously expressed strong view of all this, I maintain that what we have seen here was not an investigation at all. Yes, I know that DoJ officials presented three separate investigative theories to the House, that Mueller claimed that the FBI agents were engaged in "a national security investigation," and that the lawyers for Team Mueller  when challenged by Sullivan on exactly this point  suggested that the FBI had been looking at what might "potentially, potentially" have been a violation of the Logan Act. But we're all adults, and any adult with a legal background knows that, as Michael Walther puts it, invoking the Logan Act is "the prosecutorial equivalent of announcing a snipe hunt."

My point is simply this: an investigation is an attempt to ascertain the truth. Here, the FBI had a recording of a conversation. The agents knew the truth when they walked into Flynn's office, and they sought no further truth beyond what they already knew. For Mueller to suggest that they were attempting to ascertain the truth of what had been said in that conversation by questioning Flynn is utterly disingenuous  something we have sadly come to expect from the agencies and agents of our "Justice" Department lately. An individual's recollection will never be more accurate than a recording. Therefore, the only point in questioning Flynn was to try to frame him up for a supposed false statement and charge him under 1001, and I'm going to say a fair reading of the 302 leads to the same conclusion the interviewing agents initially expressed: Flynn wasn't lying. He was coerced into a guilty plea by unscrupulous prosecutors.

Now, look at the text of 1001 again. One of the first things it says, and crucially, is "in any matter within the jurisdiction of the executive." Fine. The FBI is part of the Executive Branch of the U.S. government, but the jurisdiction of this particular agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, does not extend to "any matter"  it extends only to matters for which Congress has given the FBI jurisdiction. Typically, that means the investigation of some crime or matter concerning national security. The inability of DoJ and Team Mueller to come up with a single consistent rationale strongly suggests that this was not an investigation of either a crime or a national security matter over which the FBI has jurisdiction. Yes, the FBI has jurisdiction in national security matters, but only when a threat to that security is involved  as the Attorney General Guidelines clearly state in their introduction. Nobody knew better than the FBI that Flynn's conversations with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak posed no threat to national security, and that means that the FBI was acting outside its mandate when it interviewed Flynn. It was setting up a false statement trap, not conducting an investigation, and that's what Judge Sullivan should be looking at. I hope he'll come to that conclusion sometime during the next three months.

Judge Sullivan posed a challenge to the attorneys at the hearing. I suggest that Judge Sullivan faces his own challenge that he may have to face on his own, if justice is to be done and the rights of U.S. citizens are to be protected against an abusive FBI that sees its mission as being a sort of roving federal truth patrol.

Mark Wauck is a retired FBI agent who blogs on philosophy, religion, and national security at meaning in history. In his previous life he had over two decades of experience in counterintelligence matters.
President Trump, without consultation with Republican leaders in Congress, announced his planned immediate withdrawal from Syria. If President Trump follows through on his planned withdrawal, it will translate into one of the biggest national security blunders in recent history, will embolden our most dangerous enemies, and will endanger the security of the United States and our allies. A withdrawal from Syria is a betrayal to the forces of good and a great gift to the forces of evil, and it must not happen.

President Trump issued a surprise announcement on December 19 that the U.S. would immediately begin pulling out all 2,000 U.S. troops stationed in Syria. President Trump stated that since the U.S. has defeated ISIS in Syria and he does not wish to leave troops in harm's way, it is time to immediately withdraw for their benefit and safety. However, if one is a student of history and is attuned to current events, it is abundantly clear that a U.S. withdrawal from Syria will almost certainly require a later return of a much larger U.S. military presence and a major war in the Middle East. This war will almost certainly claim many lives in the Middle East, including a high number of U.S. troops.

In the Middle East, there are many moving parts. Iran is the mortal enemy of the United States and is determined to achieve a large nuclear arsenal. It wishes to bring its mahdi (messiah) through a violent and bloody war on the Iranian regime's enemies (which includes Europe), and it calls for the destruction of the United States and Israel in regime-sponsored rallies. Iran has a presence in Syria. Hezb'allah has a presence in Syria. Russia has a presence in Syria. And Turkey occupies part of Syria.

All of these forces would benefit from a U.S. troop withdrawal. Not only is the presence of U.S. troops paramount, but the location of the troops at the al-Tanf base is of especially great strategic importance. According to Omar Lamrani, a senior military analyst at Stratfor, Iran cares so much about this military base because it blocks the Baghdad-Damascus highway, which Iran uses to transport weapons to Syria. According to Lamrani, the reason Iran wants the land route "is that it's easier to bring [weapons] across land in greater quantities, and the shipping route is very vulnerable to Israeli interception, and the air route is expensive and often gets hit by Israeli airstrikes."

Even though the United States has been successful against ISIS, it is premature to say ISIS has been defeated. According to a Department of Defense report from April-June 2018, there were about 13,000 ISIS terrorists in Syria and about another 17,000 in Iraq. It is important to remember that when U.S. troops pulled out of Iraq under President Obama, it allowed ISIS to form and dramatically increase the threat to Iraq and Syria and rapidly increase territory under their control, leading to the return of U.S. troops to fight ISIS forces. A withdrawal of U.S. forces now could have repeat consequences.

Turkey seeks to further its attacks on the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a critically important U.S. ally. Turkey has also encouraged President Trump to withdraw troops from Syria. It is in large part thanks to the Kurdish-led SDF that the U.S. has successfully beaten back ISIS in Syria. The SDF has been at the forefront of the fight against ISIS and must not be abandoned, particularly when Turkish president Erdogan recently announced that he plans an imminent attack on that group.

According to a report in Al-Monitor, President Erdogan threatened to launch a military campaign to oust the Kurdish YPG (which leads the SDF) from areas west of the Euphrates. Currently, the Kurds control about 30% of Syrian territory. Erdogan said he spoke with President Trump and told him the YPG needs "to go to the east of the Euphrates. If they don't, we will force them out, because they are disturbing us[.] ... Since the U.S. is our strategic ally, they need to do what is necessary." Erdogan said President Trump gave "a positive response" and noted that Turkey "can start [its] operation on Syrian soil at any moment along the 500-kilometer [300-mile] border, in particular without causing harm to American soldiers ... [and] will comb every inch of Syrian territory until the last terrorist is neutralized." The Pentagon said any unilateral military action in northeast Syria is unacceptable.

Russia praised the decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria, claiming that it "creates good prospects for a political solution" in Syria. A pullback enables Russia to be the unchallenged superpower in the region and enables Iran and Hezb'allah to be much freer to become more entrenched and dangerous.

Israel will have to counter growing threats from Iran and Hezb'allah without the counterweight of a U.S. presence in Syria, and it will have to study the implications of a U.S. withdrawal. One obvious implication is the likely rapid increase in the arsenals of Iran and Hezb'allah due to the effective opening of the highway linking Iraq and Syria.

In October 2018, Israel's internal security minister, Gilad Erdan, announced that Hezb'allah's arsenal of missiles and rockets stands at about 150,000. Hezb'allah has the capability to strike anywhere in Israel, including rockets that can hit the southern city of Eilat about three minutes after launch.

According to an October report from the JINSA (Jewish Institute for National Security of America)'s Gemunder Center Hybrid Warfare Task Force, "Hezbollah possesses more firepower than 95 percent of the world's conventional militaries and more rockets and missiles than all European NATO members combined." The JINSA report warns about how a future Hezb'allah attack on Israel would be much worse than any previous conflict. Israel's recent discovery of a number of Hezb'allah's cross-border attack tunnels into Israel increases concerns about Hezb'allah's preparations for war.

According to a report in Der Spiegel, Syria is engaged in a nuclear weapons program near the Syrian city of Qusayr. The suspected nuclear reactor is protected by the Syrian military and Hezb'allah terrorists and poses a serious threat to U.S. forces in the region and U.S. allies. In a recent analysis of the Der Spiegel report, coauthored by David Albright of the Institute for Science and International Security (and formerly an IAEA nuclear weapons inspector), the authors write: "Some imagery observations are consistent with Der Spiegel's reporting. Although we fully understand the limitations and risks of the following approach, we believe that this site warrants inspection by the IAEA." In light of previous revelations of Syria's Al Kibar nuclear reactor, destroyed in a 2007 Israeli raid, such Syrian endeavors are no surprise.

There are so many dangers present in Syria and the Middle East and so many threats to the security interests of the United States and our allies that can be properly addressed only with continued direct U.S. involvement in Syria through a continued strong military presence on the ground. A pullout of U.S. troops would be a boon to U.S. foes, including Iran, Syria, and Hezb'allah, and would make catastrophic war that much more likely. The U.S. must serve as a bulwark against these threats rather than surrender to them.
According to CNN's Grace Sparks, polls show Kamala Harris winning 4% support from Democrats going into the 2020 presidential run. Harris trails behind Joe Biden (30%), Bernie Sanders (14%), Robert Francis O'Rourke (9%), and Cory Booker (5%).

But don't be fooled. In 2020, outcomes will place a premium on identity politics. While many liberals have warned against the overuse of identity politics, most Democrats still have faith in identity as a rallying point. Democrats have had too many successes to forgo identity politics:

Virginia Democrats found great success by casting Republican Ed Gillespie as a racist.

Democrats succeeded in getting a radically left-wing candidate, Doug Jones, elected in Alabama. They did this by flooding media with speculations about Roy Moore's misconduct toward women (and accusations that he was a "child-molester"). This made people believe that Jones, though white and male, would be better for women. The gay press highlighted Jones's gay son.

A woman's accusations turned Brett Kavanaugh's nomination into a test case for whether people support women.

In the midterm elections, newspapers focused on a flurry of "firsts"  the first American Indian lesbian, the first African-American woman, etc.

Kamala Harris, standing tall in a nation's nadir

Elizabeth Warren's star continues to fall because of her controversial claims to Cherokee heritage, something people no longer dismiss as a right-wing smear. Hence, Harris rises highest in the Democrats' order-of-merit list. According to a Britannica biography, she is half-Indian and half-Jamaican. Her father taught at Stanford. Her mother, daughter of a diplomat, worked as a cancer researcher. Normally, this privilege would weaken her prospects when running against people who can throw out the "my daddy worked in the mills" speech.

Democrats have always had schizophrenia when it comes to candidates from poor upbringings. On the one hand, they need such people to run for office and appeal to voters from poor upbringings. On the other hand, incredibly wealthy people like Nancy Pelosi and Dianne Feinstein still run the Democratic Party.

Few survive the Scylla and Charybdis of identity politics. You have to show that you are part of an oppressed group and that the oppressor groups can trust you with their support and not get burned. Harris dances this line perfectly. She went to Howard University for her undergraduate work, guaranteeing her bona fides in the black community. She plays to a key donor class, LGBTs, because of her history as California attorney general. She refused to defend Proposition 8.

Harris's powerful connections may explain her meteoric rise. (Let us set aside ballot-harvesting and possible cheating). California is 5.8% black but 39% Latino, yet she had a 2016 victory over Loretta Sanchez. With no conspicuous advantage by policy platforms, only the massive party machine's preference or balloting tricks could account for Harris's sitting in the Senate today.

Both Harris and Sanchez are Democrats. Party affiliation gave Harris no advantage. Republicans, a small but necessary part of the electorate, leaned toward Sanchez. Sanchez was from the more populous Southern California, unlike Harris, who was from the wealthy but less populous Bay Area. Sanchez had a prominent history in state politics. Her 1996 victory in Orange County against Robert Dornan lives on as legendary. Sanchez's sister also served in Congress and had broad support in California.

Harris has gained a great deal of attention on immigration (comparing ICE to the KKK and terrorists), on Kavanaugh and sexual assault (pulling an ambush with an anonymous letter), and black rights (sponsoring a bill to make lynching a federal crime).

My window into Kamala Harris's world

To judge what someone will do as president, the question is not "who is this person?," but rather "when this person leads, what happens?"

For the latter, I can offer some personal accounts. Kamala Harris became California's attorney general in 2010. At that time, I worked as a professor at California State University-Northridge. I worked for the state of California for the entire time she served as attorney general.

In my experience, her office failed abominably at enforcing laws against racial discrimination, harassment, mistreatment of veterans, hiring discrimination, viewpoint discrimination, religious discrimination, and abuse of children raised by LGBT couples. Whether you are a liberal worried about higher education's racial equality or a conservative concerned about left-wing bias, beware this woman.

Over eight years at Northridge, I tried to stop discrimination and suffered retaliation on a massive scale. I lost all the battles, and as a result, so did the wide-ranging groups I sought to fight for.

We hear so often that "inclusive" gestures require firing conservatives like Brendan Eich so that companies can attract the "best talent." This assumes that LGBTs have more talent than conservatives with principled reasons to oppose LGBT. My case presents the opposite situation: to placate a white lesbian dean who hated me, California sabotaged myriad objectives.

The tragic outcome resulted from an insidious bureaucracy manipulating complex regulations. Yet much of this depended on the responsiveness of the office Harris oversaw. Multiple times I filed complaints with California offices about the systematic discrimination against black Americans, Latinos, veterans, Christians, conservatives, and children of same-sex couples.

That so many complaints and notices got buried or ignored during the entire tenure of Kamala Harris as attorney general raises enormous doubts about her competence. I had documents proving:

They rewarded white professors with higher rank and pay despite lesser accomplishments.

They approved a white South African gay man for leave without pay to explore a new job but then denied the same opportunity to a Latino three years later.

They barred the only Latino in a department from serving on hiring committees in his field, while stacking the committees with white women of lower rank, fewer publications, and more possible conflicts of interest.

They posted job ads that misrepresented a hiring search and then forced through the hire of a white woman who was patently unqualified for the job posted (the ad was ostensibly for a "trans-Atlantic" specialist versed in British literature but their short list consisted of three white women schooled in American literature; they hired a white woman with an American studies Ph.D.)

They opened a search for African-American studies and then eliminated highly qualified black applicants in order to hire a white man for the job, because he was a Marxist and the search committee's head was a Marxist.

The department chair wrote to me and asked specifically that I exclude a black woman with an M.A. from a curriculum development meeting because she was not "qualified," even though a white librarian with less education was never disinvited.

The dean's direct reports with whom I had considerable interaction consisted of Elizabeth Say, Elizabeth Adams, Noreen Galvin, Betty Priaulx, Elizabeth Whirledge, Teresa Morrison, and Tina Chewning. All of these people are white women, and more than half are lesbians.

They told me that I could not count my time on active duty in the military toward time in my job, a statement that blatantly violated the Uniformed Services Employment and Re-Employment Rights Act.

A professor sent me homosexual pornography through the university email system, which should count as sexual harassment!

More than I can recount with this word limit!

Their treatment of immigrants was abominable. As I relayed in this 2016 piece, the white dean deliberately prevented Latino immigrants from getting a humanities education comparable to wealthy whites in schools with real liberal arts programs. The college also made sure to qualify as a "Hispanic-Serving Institution" while packing all of its Latino faculty in ugly, windowless offices devoted to the ethnic studies departments. The overwhelmingly white English department worked in spacious, well lit offices overlooking the sunny California quadrangle from the seventh and eighth floors.

In such a racially charged climate, how could white liberals get away with this? Very easily. The ethnic professors working in ethnic studies departments had to keep the dean happy so she would continue to keep their programs afloat. As part of an apparent you-scratch-my-back-I-scratch-yours deal, the graduation requirements forced students to take introductory writing classes. The dean arranged for ethnic studies classes to count for these. Yet Chicano Studies and Central American Studies had no particular qualifications in teaching freshmen how to write research papers in English. The dean could count on human shields to stave off charges by people like me.

People assigned to review the dean were safe allies who directly reported to her. While I was there, an Indian-American professor from English served on the personnel committee and the committee to review the dean. She also managed to get her husband hired in the Asian-American Studies Department for a tenure-track position. Like several other people in the English Department, she counted as a faculty member in English as well as in another program (liberal studies), hence her vote counted double under "faculty governance" rules. This also meant she got to run hiring committees in multiple departments and therefore stack the college-wide faculty, including the Academic Council, with people she and the dean favored.

Responsibility flows to the top. Only an attorney general who willfully ignored warning signs could allow such a culture to flourish in California's crown jewel of public institutions, the university system.

Prior to my working at Northridge, a professor killed herself. While I was there, another, Susanne Collier-Lakeman, suffered an early death after withstanding multiple attempts by nasty and vindictive colleagues to drive her from her job. (Susanne was my only friend in the department, and we lunched together.) A veteran, Ian Long, came out of three years at Northridge with no counseling help, then went on to slaughter twelve people in the ignominious Thousand Oaks shooting. With no conservative professor on campus to engage in political dialogue, the students' only exposure to right-wing ideas now consists of juvenile and fruitless mockery from Prager University. Police fanned across the campus in response to Nazi graffiti in a restroom and threats of another mass shooting on December 12. Another close friend, a black woman, quit the job after constant harassment and bullying from colleagues. She describes the aftereffects as PTSD. As a witness to a lot of it, I do not think she exaggerates.

These disasters could have been prevented. Had I ever had a chance to present my evidence to a competent employment law official under Kamala Harris's charge, I am sure I could have shown an open-and-shut case. But Kamala Harris's world is a world of bureaucratic trap doors designed to protect the people in power, who are still, in California as elsewhere, wealthy white liberals who know nothing of the travails faced by people in the military or people who grew up in LGBT families.

Whether you are a public figure or an everyday citizen, the world Kamala Harris makes is a dark world nobody wants to live in.

Robert Oscar Lopez can be followed at English Manif.
For decades, journalists and other Democrats have played the race card and sex card in elections because they can't win based on their policies. For the last few years, they have added the Russian card to their hand to play tricks on the public. We knew that the Russian card has been played in the presidential election, but on Thursday, I saw that they also played it in the special election in Alabama in 2017.

It starts off with a story that shows up at the Washington Post after decades of Roy Moore running for office  that Moore pursued young girls. Democrats had little chance to win this Senate seat, but all of a sudden, after Moore won the primary and after Republicans couldn't replace him, this story shows up  not at an Alabama newspaper, but in the hands of a national Democrat-supporting newspaper. With no actual evidence, this story was run throughout the U.S continuously to destroy Moore. It worked.

As insurance, Democrat operatives flooded social networks pretending to be Russians. With no actual evidence, media outlets said Russians wanted Moore in the Senate.

A group of tech experts working as Democratic operatives were paid $100,000 to orchestrate an elaborate "false flag" disinformation campaign during the hotly contested 2017 special election between Roy Moore and Democratic Sen. Doug Jones. The group, funded by liberal billionaire Reid Hoffman, created over 1,000 Russian-language Twitter accounts that followed Roy Moore overnight in order to link the embattled Republican candidate to Russian influence campaigns, according to a Wednesday report in the New York Times. ...

Democrats involved in the scheme have likened it to fighting fire with fire.

Robert Mueller indicts a total of thirteen Russians and Russian businesses, spreading the news widely that they had attempted to interfere with the 2016 presidential election. Mueller fully expected that none of these people or businesses would show up, so the Justice Department wouldn't have to actually show evidence to support the claim.

Heaven forbid, one of the defendants showed up and demanded a trial and wanted to see the evidence, and Mueller wouldn't provide it. When the government charges someone, shouldn't it be prepared immediately to at least show the person they charge what it has?

The playbook is always the same but has different variations.

No matter how much Trump helps minorities and women move up the economic ladder and no matter how many immigrants are let in each year, journalists and other Democrats just repeat over and over again that Trump is a racist, xenophobe, and sexist and say how divisive he is.

The DNC won't let anyone in government see their computers, but we are told over and over again that Russians hacked them with no evidence.

There never has been any actual evidence of Russian collusion with Trump, but that is repeated over and over again as if it were absolutely true.

Without evidence, we were told over and over again how Brett Kavanaugh abused women.

No matter how many times experts flip and flop between warming and cooling, and no matter how many times they adjust numbers when their predictions don't match the actual climate, we are told over and over that humans, CO2, and fossil fuels are causing warming and the science is settled.

No matter how good the economic statistics, we are told over and over again that a recession is coming up to discourage Americans and to lower Trump's approval. Never mind that many of these same people said the economy could never grow this fast and that Trump's policies would have crashed the economy by now.

It is a shame so many are influenced so much by Democrat propaganda, pushed by complicit journalists.
An uproar has arisen over President Trump's decision to pull U.S. military forces out of Syria. But note, it isn't the American people who are protesting this decision. Rather, it's those who propose perpetual war  the ivory-tower think-tankers, the TV talking heads, and a whole gaggle of Beltway insiders. The cloud of dust they have created distracts from the fact that the Syria is at best a minimal national security interest to the U.S.

One of the arguments the pro-war crowd makes for keeping the U.S. military in Syria indefinitely is to constrain Iran. But this is bogus. There are plenty of other countries in that region who can do that. But why should they bother if Uncle Sam is willing to do the dirty work for them? The bottom line is that America should not be doing everything for everybody.

Some salient points: Donald Trump went up and down the United States campaigning on getting America out of its senseless military involvements. He did not hide his intentions. As for the Afghan adventure, it has been going on for seventeen long years at a cost of over a trillion dollars. Ponder that: seventeen years. And there's no end in sight. President Trump is now winding down these wars. That some of his national security advisers like James Mattis and John Bolton disagree is irrelevant. They weren't elected; Trump was.

As far as Syria goes, if senators like Marco Rubio, Mitch McConnell, and Lindsey Graham think Syria is so vital to U.S. national interests, then they should get Congress to authorize military action there. To date, there has never been such an authorization or even an attempt at one. Why not? The answer is because it wouldn't come close to passing.

Trump is right in his decision to pull the U.S. forces out of Syria. Hopefully, he will soon follow with Afghanistan. For too long, the wars there have played a disproportionate role in U.S. foreign policy. Many American lives have been lost to little purpose, and heaven only knows how many of trillions of dollars have been wasted. Instead of squandering our forces in Middle Eastern quagmires and the barren mountains of Afghanistan, America's military attention needs to be on China, a country that is a true threat to U.S. national interest.
Robert Mercer, a major force in fundraising for the GOP, has "disappeared," according to one confidant, because of the increased scrutiny he has received for backing Donald Trump and his agenda.

CNBC:

Donors, strategists and Trump allies, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to speak openly about the situation, said the conservative financier has retreated from leading the way in financially backing the president's agenda. Mercer and his family didn't make as many political contributions in 2018 as they had in previous cycles, especially in contrast to the 2016 cycle, when Trump ran for president. Political strategists believe Mercer's lack of involvement this year should sound the alarm for Republicans looking for assistance in the fundraising game when they fight for Trump's re-election in 2020. Mercer still gave millions this year, but the sum didn't stack up with previous years' amounts. He gave $6.4 million to Republicans, the lowest amount since 2012, when he and his wife, Diana, contributed $5.8 million, according to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics. The Mercers finished the 2016 election as one of the top 10 political donors, by giving just over $25 million to conservative causes. Robert Mercer typically avoids public scrutiny, but his involvement with Trump thrust him into the political arena  an unwelcome development for him. "They've disappeared," a prominent Republican bundler told CNBC, referring to Mercer and his daughter Rebekah, another prominent GOP backer. "I think they just don't like being in the spotlight," this person added. "He's out," said a former associate of Mercer. "He's not going to play any major role going forward. They're tired of the attacks from the Democrats and the media constantly ganging up on them."

The media, as well as government investigators, have gone after Mercer for his support of Cambridge Analytics  a data-mining company that used Facebook profiles to develop a targeted ad campaign. Another investigation centers on the Make America Number 1 PAC that was the target of a liberal interest group's complaint to the FEC that the PAC was directly coordinating with the Trump campaign.

Mercer has apparently had enough:

"A society founded on the basis of the individual freedom that flourishes under a limited federal government has no place for discrimination," Mercer said at the time. "Of the many mischaracterizations made of me by the press, the most repugnant to me have been the intimations that I am a white supremacist or a member of some other noxious group."

Conservatives are being bullied, shamed into silence, and driven from public life. The right has always been accused of racism, fascism, and "white supremacy," but those charges used to come from the left-wing fringe  until they didn't.

It has never been this bad. I don't blame Mercer one bit for retreating from the arena. Not everyone has the courage to confront the jackals in the media and left-wing online mobs. This is especially true of someone who has always preferred a background role in politics.

The left-wing drive to achieve conformity of thought has never been so determined. Anyone who stands in the left's way by thinking differently is casually branded a racist or a fascist. No matter how thick your skin, being unfairly tarred like that hurts and as long as it is politically advantageous to do so, it will continue.
Reports of the impending massacre of Kurdish forces in Syria and the resuscitation of ISIS following the U.S. pullout of Special Forces from Syria  like those of Mark Twain's death  appear to be greatly exaggerated. Consider these responses from countries in the region, nations whose safety and vital interests are far more acutely impacted by events in Syria than our own.

Reuters reports:

Turkey will take over the fight against Islamic State militants in Syria as the United States withdraws its troops, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday, in the latest upheaval wrought by Washington's abrupt policy shift. For Turkey, the step removes a source of friction with the United States. Erdogan has long castigated his NATO ally over its support for Syrian Kurdish YPG fighters against Islamic State. Turkey considers the YPG a terrorist group and an offshoot of the armed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), fighting for Kurdish autonomy across the border on Turkish soil. In a speech in Istanbul, Erdogan said Turkey would mobilize to fight remaining Islamic State forces in Syria and temporarily delay plans to attack Kurdish fighters in the northeast of Syria  shifts both precipitated by the American decision to withdraw.

Turkey is not the only regional power that hates and fears ISIS. And the Kurds are not without allies besides the United States.



Kurdish PKK forces (photo credit: KurdishStruggle).

Middle East Monitor reminded us a month ago that Saudi Arabia and the UAE already have forces in Syria fighting ISIS while protecting the Kurds:

Saudi Arabia and the UAE have sent military forces to areas controlled by the Kurdish YPG group in north-east Syria, Turkey's Yenisafak newspaper reported. The paper said the forces will be stationed with US-led coalition troops and will support its tasks with huge military enforcements as well as heavy and light weapons. Quoting the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the newspaper reported that a convoy of troops belonging to an Arab Gulf state recently arrived in the contact area between the Kurdish PKK/YPG and Daesh in the Deir Ez-Zor countryside. This comes at a time when Ankara is preparing to launch an expanded military operation with the Free Syrian Army against the Kurdish PKK group in the northeast of Syria.

So the Syrian withdrawal has forestalled a potentially explosive conflict between two allies already at each other's throats. This should count as an immediate Trump foreign policy achievement, but don't hold your breath waiting for anyone in the swamp to acknowledge that. Neither Turkey nor the Saudis want a direct conflict between their forces, so they are likely to keep each other in check on the Kurds, and focus on the joint project of eradicating ISIS.

Also stepping up is Israel:

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. ... "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 Israel is naturally concerned that Iran will be emboldened:

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.

Israel is most concerned with Iran's efforts to establish a land bridge through Iraq (de facto handed over to Iran as a Shiite ally by the naive insistence on popular democracy and Obama's pullout of U.S. forces many times the size of the U.S. forces in Syria). But Israel now has Saudi Arabia and the UAE, armed with the latest weapons form the U.S. arsenal (as is Israel), as allies with a huge interest in preventing this.

Of course, there are risks. U.S. forces are no longer serving as "tripwire" hostages, so Iran may be emboldened. But is that the best use of American lives  especially the lives of our voluntary military forces? Young Americans sign up to defend the United States, not to serve as hostages.

The "bipartisan foreign policy establishment" absolutely hates Trump's withdrawal, based on the consensus that the USA must sacrifice blood and treasure wherever evildoers threaten the peace. This consensus was forged in the wake of World War II, when the U.S. alone had the wherewithal to stand up and militarily act to guarantee the freedom of our allies and innocent countries under threat. At that historical moment, it was communism that was aggressively expanding its domains. In today's world, violent jihad and China (along with its semi-vassal state North Korea) are the premier threats. But the U.S. is no longer the sole economic colossus able to stanch the tide of tyranny.

President Trump is in the process of adjusting U.S. foreign policy to the era in which the U.S. is a global economic competitor hobbled by our role as defender of free nations, who get to freeload. This is an unmistakable necessity, for we are locked into an economic decline relative to our competitors if we bear a vastly disproportionate burden of defense.

I share some of the concerns of the critics of the withdrawal, but I also appreciate how necessary it is to protect our own most vital interests and to persuade or force our allies to bear an appropriate share of the burden.
Read it and weep, taxpayers.

Every Christmas since he took office, Senator Rand Paul has issued a "Waste Report" on government spending. This year, Senator Paul has outdone himself in finding the stupid, inane, shocking, maddening, and depressing examples of how our federal government spends the hard-earned tax dollars of citizens.

So here we are, another year past, another year to forget. A government shutdown resolved by hiking spending; nuked budget caps; a debt over $21 trillion; and Congress okayed $1.3 trillion in new spending  all in the first three months! An October 2018 report from the Congressional Budget Office showed net interest payments on the debt for fiscal year 2018 at $371 billion, $62 billion more than payments for fiscal year 2017. Given such largesse, it may seem like a few million dollars is a drop in the bucket. But to borrow from a line credited to former Senator Everett Dirksen(R-IL): "a million dollars here and there, and pretty soon you're talking about real money." This year, The Waste Report is highlighting $114,514,631 of wasted money. We feature an old favorite due for an update and some instant classics, like a study of daydreaming. Exactly where taxes should go, right? No matter how much federal agencies waste, politicians think they've never got enough. But if there's money to waste, there's too much already. So, before the Feats of Strength can begin, there must be an Airing of (spending) Grievance.

Just a few examples from the Waste Report:

1. Since 2009, the State Department has allocated more than $76 million to provide stipends to the nearly non-existent Somali army.

2. The Agriculture Department spent more than $13 million to promote the already overcrowded farmers' market industry.

3.The U.S. embassy in Rwanda spent more than $250,000 to teach citizens how to lobby.

4. The National Endowment for the Arts spent $15,000 on "theatrical research" to combat poverty.

5. NIH spent more than $800,000 to study the sex lives of quails high on cocaine.

On and on it goes  thousands upon thousands of line items in the budget for useless programs that not only are questionable expenditures on their face, but raise questions about whether the federal government should even be funding these things.

Senator Paul informs us that he's found an astonishing $114 billion of such waste in the budget. When the government spends more than $4 trillion a year, and runs a deficit of nearly a trillion dollars, the $114 billion in waste is an asterisk in the budget. But as Paul points out, it costs more than $8,000 to the average taxpayer. That's nothing to sneeze at.

Congress doesn't care. The federal budget has taken on a life of its own, spending hundreds of billions of dollars on auto-pilot with no oversight and no controls. But Congress doesn't care because the people don't care. No congressman or senator has ever been defeated because he voted to spend too much in tax dollars.

Until they start to lose, the situation will continue.
Does he have any strategy at all? Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images

President Trump has presided over a week of chaos, from the resignation of Jim Mattis to a stock market in free fall to a looming government shutdown. Intelligencer writers Josh Barro, Jonathan Chait, and Benjamin Hart tried to make sense of the madness.

Ben: Just yesterday morning, it looked like President Trump was going to grudgingly sign a short-term spending bill that would avoid a government shutdown. Then his wall-loving base erupted, and now hes talking about preparing for a very long shutdown. Democrats have absolutely zero incentive to give Trump the $5 billion he wants for the wall, or the slats, or whatever hes currently calling his pet project. Where do you see this all going?

Jon: Eventually, Trump gets bored and reopens government.

Josh: I think Trump will eventually sign a continuing resolution to reopen the government, and hell blame Mitch McConnell for not abolishing the Senate filibuster to send him his wall bill (not that there are necessarily even 50 votes to approve a wall by a simple majority in the Senate, but details).

Ben: There is always this assumption that shutting down the government is a disaster for the party thats most responsible. Im not sure if the recent examples of this phenomenon back that assumption up. How much does any of this actually matter, politically speaking?

Josh: Im not sure that who wins the shutdown itself matters much. Republicans lost the shutdown in 2013, but it didnt seem to hurt them in the election in 2014.

Ben: Yeah, thats what I was thinking.

Josh: I do think there is a broader issue, which is that the president feels impotent, and hes looking for ways to assert that he is still powerful. Shutting down the government is one way. Abruptly withdrawing from Syria is another way. He will keep coming up with them.

Ben: My worry is that hell become less and less powerful, and will thus lash out in more and more outlandish ways.

Jon: I think the shutdown adds another item onto a pile of dysfunction, and thats a bad narrative for Trump. Its not meaningless politically, but its a small effect.

Josh: Republicans in the Senate seem more annoyed with the president than usual. He made them come back to Washington after they went home because he told them he would sign the continuing resolution they passed that didnt fund the wall. John Cornyn was whining about having to take an early flight to Baltimore today.

Jon: Yeah, good point. I highly doubt they impeach, but these episodes are adding to their quiet resentment, and you never know.

Josh: Trump depends on a combination of goodwill and fear from these senators, and hes undermining the former. Theyre also of course upset about more substantive matters than what flights hes caused them to take.

Ben: McConnell and others also seemed more upset than usual about a probably more important matter: Jim Mattiss resignation.

Josh: The fact that Democrats control the House puts Trump in a weaker position vis-a-vis the Senate. There are some things that Democrats in the House will pass that majorities in the Senate would like to do, such as restrict the presidents tariff powers. The more Trump alienates Republican senators the more he could drive them into Pelosis arms.

Ben: Wouldnt that be politically toxic for them, in many cases? How many issues does this apply to?

Josh: Not that many. Mostly it applies to issues where Trump is against Republican orthodoxy, like trade and foreign policy.

Josh: Theyre not going to team up with Pelosi to pass Medicare for All

But, for example, they might vote again to withdraw support for the Yemen war.

Ben: Youd think that Trump, even being Trump, might change it up a little if he feels hes actually losing core Republican support in congress. I dont think weve gotten to that point yet 

Josh: Hes concerned about his base. Those guys are in the House. Itll be interesting to see if he eventually realizes House Republicans are irrelevant in the minority and what he needs to court is the Senate.

Ben: Exactly, and obviously now more than ever, given the midterm results. This shutdown does seem like a no-win for him, in that he wont get what he wants, and will just foster resentment among his most important backers.

Josh: At least it will look like he fought. I think thats what it is  so much of politics is performative now.

Ben: Do you think Trump will (a) blame Mitch McConnell and Democrats for not building the wall and have that be his strategy going forward or (b) pretend whatever happened IS the wall?

Josh: Both.

Ben: Yeah, I guess theyre not inconsistent.

Josh: They are inconsistent, but hell still say both.

Ben: I mean, in his world theyre not. In the real world they are.

Jon: Maybe a magnanimous presidential act? His Christmas Eve present will be to reopen the government?

Josh: He did say he would make us say Merry Christmas again.

Ben: With the combination of Mattis resigning, stocks tanking, and the shutdown  is the president meaningfully weaker than he was at the beginning of the month? Or will most of this stuff be usurped by the next news cycle?

Jon: Its so hard to say. He seems to be near the floor of support of voters who get all their news from conservative sources and are impervious to failure (at least defined as failure that is transmitted via news).

Josh: I think the biggest problem is Mattis. There has been an uneasy foreign-policy peace in the Republican Party: Trump conducted a foreign policy that was more orthodox than youd expect from his rhetoric, and foreign-policy hawks in the Senate gave him leeway to operate.

Jon: A recession would drop him below that floor, but can it get worse in the absence of one?

Josh: This has been a major reason Trump has captured the Republican Party: He has mainly given its policy constituencies what they wanted. If he decides hes not going to do that on foreign policy anymore  and Mattis seems to have left because Trump really intends to pursue his weirdo isolationist views  that could deprive him of much of the political support hes relied on in the Senate.

I dont think the direct effects on public opinion from the Mattis issue are large. A recession would have large effects, but like Fed Chairman Jay Powell, I think people who are predicting one are getting ahead of themselves.
The progressive detractors of "Baby, It's Cold Outside" and Beauty and the Beast have it all wrong.

Progressive denigration has focused on alleged sexual harassment and abuse lurking in the lyrics of the song, and blatant Stockholm syndrome in the Disney movie. In their rigid obsessions, they have overlooked critical points, context, and the quixotic notion of chivalry.

Chivalry, a unicorn of an ideal, connotes a mythical brotherhood of men who exhibit high moral and ethical behavior in all manner of activities, and especially in their behavior toward women. Many women, albeit perhaps secretly, value chivalry.

In the cultural era of "Baby it's Cold Outside", sex was a masculine pursuit. Female virginity was prized, as was "virtue." It was a time when female genital organs were not defined in print or spoken about out loud. Women dressed modestly. They "played hard to get"  the more purportedly uninterested, the more valued their company. The flashing of one's naked body and frequent wardrobe malfunctions and celebrities competing for the most "liked" seductive photograph distributed globally were beyond comprehension. One-night stands and click-by sexual encounters were delegated solely to red light districts.

Seen in that context, Bing was not harassing or abusing Baby. Rather, in his sweet reasonings to stay, he was chivalrously giving her cover for dallying and succumbing to her own, unadmitted, sexual longings. He even assured her that familial ostracism was not at risk. One doubts that Baby actually wanted to leave.

The risible allegations against Beauty and the Beast deny the fundamental facts of the storyline. The term "Stockholm syndrome" came into vogue in 1973 after Swedish bank robbery hostages expressed sympathy for their captors, even testifying in their favor at the trial.

The storyline in Beauty and the Beast simply defies the definition of Stockholm syndrome. The heroine, Belle, is every bit the iconic personification of today's female superhero: brainy, bookish, independent, and strong. She values intelligence, familial relations, and kindness.

Gaston, the ripped, swaggering egomaniac, ignores the hordes of swooning town girls and wants only Belle  not for who she inherently is, but solely for her rare beauty. Belle disdains Gaston.

Out of town, in an isolated, rundown castle, lives the Beast. This being a fairy tale, he's not actually a beast, but a handsome prince put under a spell by a witch. If, within a certain time period, he is not kissed by a true love, he will remain a beast forever.

Through a series of plot machinations, Belle's sick father is held hostage by the Beast. Fearing he will die in captivity, Belle offers herself as a substitute. The Beast agrees, and so, once upon a time begins.

Antagonists from the onset, a thaw occurs  not through the gentle persuasion of "Baby, It's Cold Outside," or by a kidnapper's brute force, or even from the familiarity of minimal daily contact. No, the thaw actually begins because the Beast approvingly sees Belle's innate qualities and chivalrously gifts her with the contents of his massive library.

Ultimately, and once again chivalrously, the Beast grants Belle her freedom, knowing his time for redemption is almost gone, and her exit will seal his doom.

Turning the usual fairy tale ending on its head, Belle returns, kisses the Beast, and saves his life, and as the spell is broken, the Beast transforms back into a handsome prince, this time with humility.

Today, chivalry is all around us. Men open doors for women, carry their bags, lug out the garbage, and hoist carry-on luggage into overhead plane racks for female strangers. Accepting these little kindnesses is a blessing and makes life more civil, not less.
It's great fun watching critics of President Trump twist themselves into pretzels in order to denounce him. They evidently don't mind making fools of themselves by doing a 180-degree reversal of previous positions simply because Trump is now doing what they formerly supported, so it must be wrong.

Two amusing examples follow. Joe Simonson of the Daily Caller News Foundation:

As President Donald Trump announced his decision Wednesday to withdraw the nation's 2,000 troops from Syria, a bipartisan cadre of opinion-havers attacked him as recklessly abandoning allies in the region and jeopardizing America's influence over foreign affairs. One newspaper was particularly harsh: The Times. Quickly after Secretary of Defense James Mattis announced his resignation (in part as a protest against Trump's decision on Syria) Thursday, America's paper of record quickly produced a scathing editorial, proclaiming "Jim Mattis Was Right." "Who will protect America now?" The Times asked.

But the Times took an opposite position earlier:

[A]lmost a year ago, on Jan. 19, 2018, that same editorial board raked the president over the coals for even daring to continue America's policy of military adventurism. The Times expressed concern that more American troops beyond the 2,000 initially deployed could soon be sent overseas in a mission without any clear goals. "Syria is a complex problem. But this plan seems poorly conceived, too dependent on military action and fueled by wishful thinking," The Times said. While on Thursday The Times worried that leaving Syria could leave the Kurds vulnerable to Turkey, at the beginning of 2018, the paper also believed that the U.S. would be setting up a clash between the minority group and a NATO ally. "Turkey, which views the Kurds as an enemy, has threatened a cross-border assault. All of this raises the grim possibility that American troops will clash with Turkey, a NATO ally," The Times wrote last January. Nowhere in Thursday's editorial does The Times ever point to an alternative timeline for withdrawal for American forces in Syria. Such an omission is quite startling, considering last January the paper's chief criticism of sending forces to the region was setting up just another forever-war in the Middle East.

Update: The source material for quoting Max Boot has been taken down, so I have deleted comments based on what appears to be a fake news report - TL

Update: A couple more (hat tip: Instapundit):

This is the guy who first rose to national political prominence because he opposed the Iraq War. Amazing how irreparably Trump has warped brains. https://t.co/71808SKTzv  Michael Tracey (@mtracey) December 21, 2018
The 19th century ushered in a new form of transportrailways. Journeys that previously took weeks were now completed in days. Distances that could only be covered in days on horseback or on horse-drawn wagons were now being covered in a matter of hours. All this was possible because of the steam locomotive, the hulky and bulky iron horse that could pull a dozen wagons behind it and cover great distances without fatigue. It was the locomotive that made railways a grand commercial success. Yet, railways had barely penetrated the British countryside when some railway pioneers began to wonder if trains could be made speedier and more efficient by getting rid of the locomotive altogether.

Illustration of Dalkey Atmospheric Railway - Arriving at Kingstown.

It was a fallacious reasoning but not without merit. Locomotives are incredibly heavy, heavier than the wagons they are pulling. Much of the energy generated by the locomotive is utilized to pull itself. So if the source of power could be offloaded to a static location, such an engine could be more robust and with more available space be potentially more powerful. Another limitation with locomotives was the poor coefficient of friction of metal wheels on metal tracks. This limited the amount of incline a train could climb which constrained the building of railroads in hilly terrain. Lastly, steam locomotives produced an awful amount of smoke. It was like a travelling coal furnace billowing smoke all over the countryside. People hated it and it gave the general impression that trains were dirty.

London-based inventor George Medhurst was one of the first to float the idea of using compressed air to move goods and passengers through cast iron pipes. This was before the first steam locomotive was even built. Medhurst proposed two methods by which this could be achieved. In one method he proposed using a tube through which a piston travelled up and down dragging the train the piston was attached to. Pumps ahead of the train would draw air out of the tube creating a partial vacuum and the air pressure behind the piston would push it forward. In another method, he suggested that the passenger train itself could act like a piston travelling through a much larger tube.

Not much happened during Medhursts lifetime, but a few years before he died, in 1824, a man called Vallance took out a patent and built a short demonstration line consisting of a 6-feet diameter cast iron tube through which a vehicle moved by air pressure supplied through the ends of the tube. Although Vallance's system worked, it was not adopted commercially.

Several engineers created competing prototypes based on Medhursts piston method since it needed little modification to existing railroads, although it did present a tough technical challenge. The piston in the pipe had to be attached to a passenger car by an external arm, meaning the tube had to have a slit running its entire length. Keeping this gap sealed to preserve the negative and positive air pressure on either side of the piston, while allowing the arm to pass unimpeded, posed a problem.

Schematic diagrams from Samuda and Cleggs patent of atmospheric railway.

Diagram explaining the different parts of the Samuda and Clegg system. Photo credit

It was a trio of engineersbrothers Jacob and Joseph Samuda, and Samuel Cleggwho successfully overcame the challenges. They devised an elaborate zipper like system made of overlapping leather sealed with beeswax and animal fat that allowed the arm to pass through and close immediately behind it to maintain the pressure. If you are wondering how efficient this system could be, in two full-scale models the engineers built at Southwark and Wormwood Scrubbs, Samuda and Clegg demonstrated that a 9 inch vacuum pipe evacuated to about half an atmosphere provided enough force to propel an 11-ton train at 36 km/h.

In 1840, the first atmospheric railway line was built in Ireland, as an extension of the Dublin and Kingstown Railway, linking Kingstown to Dalkey located some three kilometers away. A steam-engine powered vacuum pump at Dalkey pulled trains weighing up to 70 tons up the ascent, achieving speeds of up to 64 km/h, while the return journey was achieved by gravity.

The success of the Dalkey Atmospheric Railway attracted the attention of many eminent engineers of the day. A similar system was laid on a section of the line from Paris to St Germain crossing the Seine River in 1847, and remained in use for thirteen years until the development of more powerful steam locomotives led to its abandonment.

Brunel's Atmospheric Railway remains at Didcot Railway Centre.

Another atmospheric railway was installed between Forest Hill and West Croydon, in south Londona distance of about 8 kilometers. Unfortunately, the railway link, a part of the London and Brighton Railway, did not enjoy the same success as the atmospheric railway in Dalkey did. There were frequent mechanical breakdowns and delays and the public began to lose faith in the new system. The leather valve system gave particular trouble. That summer of 1846 was unusually hot and dry, which caused the tallow and beeswax compound that was supposed to seal the joint to melt and become runny and unable to keep the leather flaps closed. Besides, the tallow, which is animal fat, attracted rats who nibbled at the leather and got immediately sucked into the pipe once the pumps were turned on. Then came the winter, which made the leather flap stiff and snow got into the tube. The following winter, the atmospheric system was abandoned. The line had remained operational for less than 18 months.

Many of the problems encountered on the Croydon line also plagued the South Devon Railway built by one of the most prolific engineers of the era, an Irishman named Isambard Kingdom Brunel. A 20-km section of the line between Exeter and Newton Abbot used atmospheric propagation instead of locomotives. Pumping stations were installed every 3 miles, and they worked in relays. When a train was due in a section the station of that section began to pump out the air, and then ceased to pump when the train had passed. Strangely, there was no telegraphic communication between the stations, so the pumping stations relied on a strict timetable. Any delays therefore meant that a station began pumping too soon wasting coal in the process. Eventually, the cost of running and maintaining the railway became too great, and this combined with other technical difficulties killed the atmospheric rail service. The line was replaced by regular steam locomotives.

The Aeromovel shuttle at Salgado Filho International Airport. Photo credit: Trensurb/Flickr

Atmospheric railway saw a revival in late twentieth century. A Brazilian company called Aeromovel Corporation installed a driverless atmospheric train service in a theme park in Jakarta, Indonesia, in 1989. It ran three trains in a 3-km-loop using the same principle of positive and negative air pressure developed by George Medhurst more than two hundred years ago, but with an improved and more robust seal than that designed by Samuda and Clegg. Another system was installed at Porto Alegre Airport, Brazil, transporting passengers over a 1-km-long route in 90 seconds.

More recently, a US-based company called Flight Rail Corp. has developed a new design for high-speed atmospheric trains where the piston is magnetically coupled to the passenger train instead of being physically connected. This allows the vacuum tube to be closed, thus preventing leakagean issue that bedeviled earlier systems.

The company has successfully built a 1/6th scale pilot model operating at speeds up to 40 km/h, but the corporation claims that a full-scale implementation would be capable of speeds in excess of 300 km/hwhich sounds plausible, considering that Brunels South Devon Railway was able to achieve a record speed of 103 km/h with leaky valves.

It appears the future of rail travel is by air.
Samsung is set to turn to Google and its voice assistant solution to bolster the companys TV product lines in 2019, according to Variety who in turn credits sources familiar with the companys plans for the details. This would mark a significant move for the industry considering how prolific Samsung is in terms of smart TV sales, and its dependence up until now on its own voice assistant solution, Bixby.

CES announcement coming

The report picks up on the likelihood of the partnership between Samsung and Google being announced during CES 2019 in January. This would make sense as typically speaking a number of companies, including Samsung, use this particular event to announce their respective TV products for the year ahead. This also will likely mean that although the announcement will come in January, actual availability of Google Assistant on Samsung TVs might not arrive until later in the year.

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Google Assistant support gaining in appeal

The last year has seen a number of device makers, and a greater number of products arriving with Google Assistant support included. In fact, CES 2018 was largely dominated by Google Assistant and it seems that level of dominance is now starting to pay off as with Samsung now seemingly on board, Googles Assistant will automatically gain access to a greater number of users just by becoming available on Samsung TVs.

However, it remains to be seen just how integrated Google Assistant will be in this case, with the report likening the expected experience to that on offer with LG TVs. Which suggest that although basic and mid-level commands will be available, the more advanced integration will not be on offer. This is likely by design to ensure Samsung remains in greater control of the overall experience without its product becoming too dependent on Google Assistant.

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What does this mean for Bixby?

Samsung has its own Assistant-like solution, Bixby. However, and in spite of the company pushing the use of Bixby on a variety of its products, Samsungs solution is far more limited in comparison to Google Assistant and Amazons Alexa. This is even more true at the TV level. If the announcement comes as now reported, it could be interpreted by some as evidence of Samsung starting to lose interest in its own solution, or at the very least  giving in to a superior product. Although what is far more likely to be the case it this will represent a short-term solution by Samsung, with the company still as committed to using its own solution in the long-term.

By Samsungs own standards, Bixby is still in the earlier stages of development and it is expected the company will continue to invest in the platform as it further looks to add support and turn it into a more robust and competitive solution. Samsung only recently started adding Bixby to its TVs and plans to release its recently announced Bixby speaker in the near future. In addition, its expected the companys AI solution will gain in its abilities as more developers start to support it  an option that only started to become available last month. So theres no doubt Samsung is completely intent on improving and using its own solution in the future. In the meantime, however, Samsung does need to ensure its current products are sufficiently supported at the voice assistant level to ensure customers are getting the product they want  and one that remains competitive with other brands. This is where the Google Assistant support will pay dividends for Samsung as it will immediately open up the option for potential buyers to enjoy a greater and more varied level of support.

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Improved audio support also coming

In addition to Google Assistant support, the report also states these new TVs will come with better audio quality than before. The report not only refers to the same sources for this information, but also a number of patents that have been spotted recently which further support the improved audio suggestion. In short, it would seem Samsung TVs in 2019 will utilize spacial audio where the TVs become more aware of their surroundings and respond in kind to ensure the listening experience is as good as it can be within each room/space. This is a technology thats become prevalent in 2018 and one thats used by Google in its Home Max speaker. In fact, it is the main selling point with Home Max and so in the same sense will likely be one of the main selling points used by Samsung for its TVs in 2019  along with Google Assistant support.
The U.S. Army has awarded a $335 million Section 804 Middle Tier Acquisition (MTA) Rapid Prototyping contract to General Dynamics Land Systems to deliver 12 prototype vehicles for the Mobile Protected Firepower program. The Griffin III demonstrator was dispayed at AUSA 2018 as a solution for the MPF programme.



General Dynamics Griffin III technology demonstrator at AUSA 2018 (Picture source: Army Recognition)

The medium-weight, large-caliber MPF combat vehicle will support infantry brigades. The vehicles are required to be highly lethal, survivable and mobile. We are excited about this opportunity to provide the U.S. Army a large-caliber, highly mobile combat vehicle to support the infantry brigade combat teams, says Don Kotchman, Vice President and General Manager of General Dynamics Land Systems U.S. Market. We are especially proud of this new opportunity to serve in the Infantry Brigade Combat Team (IBCT) formation.

With the Griffin III, General Dynamics would like to introduce a new generation of light tank with a weight of less than 40 tons that can be easily and quickly deployed by military aircraft, offering a high level of protection and fire power. This demonstrator is based on the hull of the Ajax tracked armored vehicle, formerly known as the Scout SV, developed by General Dynamics UK to replace the CVRT tracked reconnaissance vehicles family in the British Army.

The Griffin III is an armored vehicle in the light tank category fitted with a new turret armed with a 50mm automatic cannon coupled to an auto-loading system developed by the US Armys Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center. The turret has a traverse of 360, while the 50mm cannon has an elevation from +85 to -20. The vehicle is able to carry a squad of 6 infantrymen.

The contract has Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) options for a total of up to $968 million. Work on this contract will be performed at Land Systems locations in Sterling Heights, Mich.; Scranton, Pa., and Tallahassee, Fla., and at the Joint Systems Manufacturing Center in Lima, Ohio -- the only operational tank plant in the country.
GA groups can claim a victory in the fine print of the latest government shutdown. The FAA has confirmed to AVweb that aircraft registry services will be maintained throughout the shutdown, which began at midnight Dec. 22 and is still the subject of political machinations in Washington. Air traffic controllers, as well as those who maintain the aircraft registry, remain on the job, a senior FAA spokesman told AVweb. In the past, only operations directly involved in air traffic control were maintained during a shutdown but, as we reported during last Januarys shutdown, GA groups protested that registry services were also essential.

During that shutdown, six GA groups, led by NBAA, appealed to Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao to reopen the registry office in Oklahoma City, citing the Antideficiency Act, which obligates the government to maintain services vital to the protection of human life and property. The groups argued that allowing aircraft registrations to lapse would impair oversight of flight safety oversight and put the U.S. in violation of bilateral agreements with other countries. Closure of the Oklahoma City office also prevented manufacturers from registering and transferring newly built and sold aircraft and also held up the paperwork on used aircraft sales.
Whatever your persuasion regarding the holiday season, one universally agreed-on aspect is that its a good time for doing good. Its the end of the year, maybe you got a bonus or have a little cash left over after paying all the bills, and some spirit from Dickens or elsewhere is whispering in your ear that it would warm your heart to share a little, of your time or money or skills, or all three.

In aviation, we have our own special ways of contributing to the common welfare. One winter day a few years ago, I got a call from some guy in Idaho, who was looking for a way to help stranded sea turtles on Cape Cod that needed transport to a warmer place. Leslie Weinstein was an AVweb reader, and finding that I lived near the Cape, hoped maybe I could pull some local strings. My aviator friends and I did what we could, but the governor couldnt be persuaded that we needed the Coast Guard planes to help out the turtles. It would have been a quick and easy solution (and great PR), but when it didnt pan out, Weinstein kept at it and recruited GA pilots. It meant smaller batches, and more flights, and daunting logistics, but he got it done. Now, going on five years later, Weinstein has made it work year after year, and Turtles Fly Too is even expanding to help save the whales.

Other aviators, from corporate operators to private pilots, pitch in all year long. You can find a number of nonprofits online that will help you provide free transport for sick patients and their families. You can fly new Young Eagles, via EAAs ongoing project; help protect the environment with groups like Lighthawk; or work to keep backcountry air strips well supported, with groups like the Recreational Aviation Foundation. Pilots and Paws helps homeless pets escape their shelters to settle in with new families far away, and the Air Care Alliance acts as a referral service for more than 60 nonprofits. Whatever your skills, whatever kind of airplane you fly, however much time or money you can contribute, whatever your particular passion, theres someone out there who can make use of you.

And whats in it for you? His own heart laughed, Dickens said of the redeemed Scrooge, at the end of his story. And that was quite enough for him.
The West has a blind spot when it comes to Chinas technological advances.

What's happening: Again and again, the West has shown that it misunderstands China's true competence in the technologies of the future  artificial intelligence, quantum science, robotics, and more. Alternatively under- and over-estimating China's progress, the U.S. and Europe are left simply unmoored in terms of tracking their primary geopolitical competition.

What it looks like: Whiplash.

In an utterly unexpected announcement last month, a Chinese scientist said he had produced a genetically edited embryo.

In recent years, there has been a headline-grabbing explosion of AI papers from Chinese researchers, followed by analyses suggesting that Chinese research lags significantly behind American and European work when accounting for impact.

Over the last year, major advances have been announced by Chinese companies that most in the West have never heard of  like MiningLamp, a big data company thats attracted big-name investors.

Several factors contribute to the trans-Pacific information gap:

Unlike military hardware that can be publicly demonstrated, virtual technology like AI and quantum computing is difficult to scrutinize, especially because they are at their core difficult to understand.

can be publicly demonstrated, virtual technology like AI and quantum computing is difficult to scrutinize, especially because they are at their core difficult to understand. The Chinese government deliberately sows confusion in official announcements and state-controlled media. The aim is sometimes to send rivals scrambling toward a dead end, says Elsa Kania, an adjunct fellow at the Center for a New American Security.

sows confusion in official announcements and state-controlled media. The aim is sometimes to send rivals scrambling toward a dead end, says Elsa Kania, an adjunct fellow at the Center for a New American Security. A narrow focus on major cities  Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen  that leaves out major universities and data-annotation outfits that contribute to Chinas AI rise, says Jeffrey Ding, a researcher at Oxford's Future of Humanity Institute.

Combined, these factors and others have often left the West in the dark. MiningLamp, for example, is barely mentioned in English literature but is well known in China, says Joy Ma, a researcher at UChicago's Paulson Institute. As a result, U.S. and European companies and officials don't know how to respond appropriately.

Now, the West has swung from discounting Chinese innovation to panicking, depicting an unstoppable tech juggernaut. Against this framing, the U.S. is considering ways to preserve the American tech advantage, like imposing export controls. But sanctions can be overkill, too.

from discounting Chinese innovation to panicking, depicting an unstoppable tech juggernaut. Against this framing, the U.S. is considering ways to preserve the American tech advantage, like imposing export controls. But sanctions can be overkill, too. The reality, says Kania, is somewhere in the middle.

Axios science editor Andrew Freedman writes: Policy decisions made now will determine whether the U.S. successfully competes with China for the lead in scientific and engineering research, or squanders it through a mix of underfunding and poorly crafted legislation.
The Trump administration has "started returning" U.S. troops from Syria after a determination that it has "defeated the territorial caliphate" of the Islamic State, or ISIS, according to a statement from White House press secretary Sarah Sanders. She added that the country stands "ready to re-engage at all levels to defend American interests whenever necessary."

The big picture: Sanders' announcement comes after multiple media outlets reported that President Trump decided to pull all U.S. troops from Syria and the president tweeted that defeating ISIS was "the only reason" to have U.S. troops on the ground. More than 2,000 American military personnel are currently there. Leaving Syria after ISIS' defeat has previously been championed by Trump. He issued a surprise announcement back in March  much to the chagrin of many of his closest aides and later publicly softened  that U.S. personnel would leave the country "very soon."

Sanders' full statement:

"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. 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."
By Trend

The Congress of the Azerbaijani Community of the Nagorno-Karabakh Region Public Union has disseminated an appeal, Trend reports with reference to the Union Dec. 21.

The appeal reads that the wave of Armenian separatism, which began in the late 80s of the last century in the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, contributed to a conflict on ethnic grounds, expulsion of compatriots from the originally Azerbaijani lands in Armenia and from the Nagorno-Karabakh region, occupation of 20 percent of Azerbaijani territories - the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven adjacent districts as a result of military aggression against Azerbaijan by Armenia.

This wave also contributed to the policy of ethnic cleansing in these territories, and as a result, over one million Azerbaijanis became refugees and IDPs, according to the appeal.

From the first days of the conflict that is lasting for 30 years, Armenia, while still in the Soviet Union, started to openly put forward territorial claims to the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region of Azerbaijan and to actively support separatism accompanied by violence and terror against the local Azerbaijani population, reads the appeal. At the same time, the Armenian side made a number of illegal decisions with the aim of unilaterally separating the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region from Azerbaijan and joining it to Armenia.

However, during the Soviet period, on Jan. 10, 1990, the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR adopted a resolution On incompatibility of acts on Nagorno-Karabakh adopted by the Supreme Soviet of the Armenian SSR on Dec.1, 1989 and Jan. 9, 1990 with the USSR Constitution, declaring the annexation of Nagorno-Karabakh by Armenia without Azerbaijans permission as illegal, the appeal reads.

All these facts demonstrate that back at that time, it was confirmed at the highest constitutional level that the unilateral secession of Nagorno-Karabakh without Azerbaijans permission contradicts the law of the USSR, says the appeal.

Therefore, after Azerbaijan gained independence, Nagorno-Karabakh, according to the laws of that period, was recognized as an integral part of Azerbaijan, the Union said.

Despite all this, Armenia, by grossly violating the UN Charter, the norms and principles of international law, started an open war against Azerbaijan, occupied the Nagorno-Karabakh region, including seven adjacent districts of Azerbaijan, reads the appeal. In the occupied territories, Armenia carried out ethnic cleansing against the Azerbaijani population, including in Nagorno-Karabakh."

"The 80,000 people Azerbaijani community of Nagorno-Karabakh has been forced to live for about 30 years as IDPs in various Azerbaijani districts. The world community and international organizations recognize Azerbaijans territorial integrity and support fair settlement of the conflict in accordance with international norms."

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By Trend

The latest events in Azerbaijans Nagorno-Karabakh region suggest that the Armenian population is tired of the existing separatist criminal regime, Chairman of the Azerbaijani community of Azerbaijans Nagorno-Karabakh region Tural Ganjaliyev told Trend Dec. 21.

He said that Armenia has established a criminal junta in the occupied Azerbaijani territories, which in its essence continues the regime of Serzh Sargsyan.

The Armenian population living there, that is, the Armenian community of the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, is occupied by the separatist regime of the junta, they are under total control and deprived of all rights, he noted. The population of Armenia during the mass protests in April ousted the Sargsyan regime. The latest events taking place in Nagorno-Karabakh region show that the population is tired of this separatist criminal regime.

Ganjaliyev added that the settlement of the conflict is impossible without the restoration of legitimacy of the Azerbaijani community and its inalienable rights, as well as without the return of Azerbaijanis to their native lands.

He also said that the regime of Serzh Sargsyan prevented the establishment of dialogue between the two communities.

I believe that it is necessary to encourage the future joint residence of the two communities, which are equal parties, within the borders of Azerbaijan, said Ganjaliyev.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
By Trend

The European Union recognizes Azerbaijan as its main trading partner, head of the EU delegation in Azerbaijan Kestutis Jankauskas said Dec. 21 at a meeting with President of Azerbaijans National Academy of Sciences (ANAS), Academician Akif Alizade, Trend reports.

Jankauskas noted that the EU's cooperation isnt limited to economic areas, but also covers humanitarian, educational, cultural and other important spheres. He also said that in the development of the abovementioned spheres, special importance is attached to application of the experience of European countries and the latest technologies.

The diplomat spoke about the projects that are carried out jointly with the universities of Azerbaijan. He said that as part of these projects, training on higher education is held and students of higher educational institutions are sent to receive education to leading universities in Europe.

He expressed the interest of the EU in supporting startups and large innovative projects aimed at improving the innovation environment in Azerbaijan. Jankauskas added that he wants to get better acquainted with the activities of the High-Tech Park of ANAS.

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By Trend

Head of the Republic of Dagestan of the Russian Federation Vladimir Vasilyev has sent a congratulatory letter to President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev on the occasion of his birthday.

"I extend my heartfelt congratulations to you on the occasion of your birthday. You are the example of a successful statesman and guarantor of stability and prosperity of the Republic of Azerbaijan."

"It is due to your wisdom, farsightedness and vision that the Republic of Azerbaijan has become a dynamically developing state. I am confident that based on centuries-old ties of friendship and mutual respect, the sincere and good neighborly relations between the Republic of Dagestan of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Azerbaijan will continue to expand to the benefit of our two peoples."

"Accept, dear Ilham Heydar oglu, my best wishes for your health, well-being and new success in achieving the goals for the sake of prosperity of the Republic of Azerbaijan," Vasilyev's letter reads.

President of the Marmara Group Strategic and Social Research Foundation Akkan Suver also congratulated President Aliyev.

"On the occasion of your birthday, I offer you my most sincere congratulations on behalf of the Marmara Group Foundation and on my own behalf."

"I wish you and your family strong health, happiness and new success in your tireless activities for the progress of brotherly Azerbaijan."

"I congratulate Your Excellency on your birthday once again and express my most respect to you," Suver's congratulatory letter reads.

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By Trend

Turkey is highly worried about the unresolved conflicts in the South Caucasus, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, Trend reports via Turkish media.

Erdogan noted that Turkey is in favor of solving all military conflicts in the region, as well as the South Caucasus, since these conflicts have a negative impact on Turkey.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
By Trend

Shokhrat Jumaev has been appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Turkmenistan to France, Trend reports with reference to a decree by Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov.

In this regard, Jumaev has been relieved of his previous position as ambassador of Turkmenistan to Romania and Croatia.

Annamammet Annayev has been appointed Turkmen Ambassador to Romania.

Turkmen Ambassador to Paris Chary Nyyazov was relieved of his position due to transfer to another job.

French companies operate in Turkmenistan in such areas as construction, transport, tourism and energy.

The two countries are also interested in implementation of a project of transporting Turkmen gas to Europe.

The option of laying a gas pipeline through the Caspian Sea and Azerbaijan and its connection to the transnational projects in the European direction is being considered.

Total and Gas de France are interested in developing the hydrocarbon resources of the Turkmen part of the Caspian Sea and exploring the possibilities of transporting gas to Europe.

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By Trend

Turkey welcomes the withdrawal of the US troops from Syria, but also perceives this step with caution, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, Trend reports via Turkish media.

The president noted that the withdrawal of the US troops from Syria has already begun.

He added that the beginning of the withdrawal process forced Turkey to postpone the start of a new military operation in Syria.

Erdogan stressed that Turkey does not pursue any other goals in Syria except for liberating the country from terrorists.

"Turkey stands for the territorial integrity of Syria: the goal of Turkey, Iran and Russia is to ensure security in the region," Erdogan said.

He added that the agreement reached between Turkey and Russia contributed to achievement of relative stability in Syria.

On Dec. 19, US President Donald Trump declared victory over the "Islamic State" (IS) in Syria. Later, the White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said the US has begun to withdraw troops from Syria, but a victory over the IS does not mean the end of the coalition.

Reuters, citing sources, reported that all US State Department employees would be evacuated from Syria within 24 hours and the armed forces would be withdrawn within 60 to 100 days.

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
About Me Scott Because prophetic scriptures are found throughout the bible, it is obvious that a comprehensive, systematic approach would be useful, if not necessary, for the understanding of prophecy. Past prophecies have been fulfilled in a literal manner, as confirmed by the dating of these writings and historical records of confirmation. These past prophecies also serve as a model of how to interpret future prophecies. A literal view of prophecy clearly indicates a certain sequence of events will occur within a single generation, concluding with the Tribulation and Second Advent and these events will be obvious. The prophetic signs appear to be present in this generation and we believe these signs are revealed in the news from around the world. View my complete profile
A new brewery co-owned by Kern County's most renowned beer-maker is gearing up to open in the heart of Bakersfield's brewing district.
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













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Unless you live under a rock, you've probably seen a billboard or heard dozens of ads for Shen Yun Performing Arts.

But what is it? The answer is a little complicated.

Shen Yun, which returns to Jones Hall on Dec. 26 and runs until Jan. 16, bills itself as "the world's premier classical Chinese dance and music company." They have performances in 93 cities around the country, from Billings, Mont., to Little Rock, Ark. The dress code suggests you might want to wear a tuxedo or evening gown since you're "in for a special treat." If you buy a ticket to a show, you can expect two hours of traditional Chinese dance accompanied by a live orchestra.

And if you're to believe Shen Yun's own advertisements, you'll get so much more. The hyperbolic 2018 ad promises the performance will "move you to tears" and change how you see the world.

The former minister of culture of the Czech Republic is quoted in the advertisement calling it "truly a touch of heaven."

But (surprise, surprise), the ads may be overselling it a bit.

ALSO: The most San Francisco ways to celebrate the holidays

Some people who go to the show complain they didn't know what they were in for. Because nowhere in the effusive advertisements is it mentioned that Shen Yun has a political bent. Shen Yun translates to "divine rhythm," and according to the show's website, the artists who put on Shen Yun practice Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, a belief system that encompasses meditation, tai chi-type exercises, and "strict morality" (smoking, alcohol, and extramarital or same-sex sexual relations go against the teachings).

A 2017 Guardian article by Nicholas Hune-Brown describes one part of the show:

The curtain rose on a group of young students sitting in peace, meditating and reading oversized yellow Falun Gong books. The dancers performed elaborately pantomimed good deeds  helping an old woman with a cane, chasing down a woman who had dropped her purse. But when one unveiled a Falun Gong banner, suddenly a trio of men wearing black tunics emblazoned with a red hammer-and-sickle entered. The communist thugs began beating people up, clubbing and kicking innocent Falun Gong followers.

Scenes like that didn't sit well with all viewers.

The Fresno Bee's arts writer Donald Munro saw Shen Yun in 2016, and called the show "a beautiful and odd production that veers wildly between two extremes: delicate artistic excellence on one hand and a brusque, heavy-handed effort to inculcate political and spiritual viewpoints on the other."

Many people posting reviews on Yelp weren't as eloquent.

"Be warned: Religious sermon!" reads a Yelp review from someone who saw the show in Fresno. "I WALKED OUT as soon as anti-evolution statements were made on the screen. False advertising!"

"I rate this a Zero star. This show is purely CULT PROPAGANDA. Do not waste your money and time for this," said Ron F. from Pittsburg, Calif.

The Chinese government is not a fan either. The practice of Falun Gong is forbidden in China and its members are routinely persecuted. In condemning the "so-called 'Shen Yun'" performance, the embassy's website calls Falun Gong a "...cult that seriously harms the society and violates human rights, and is a cancer in the body of the modern and civilized society."

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The Guardian reports "there's no evidence of the kind of coercive control that the label suggests." Besides, it's not like the Chinese government has a stellar human rights record. According to Shen Yun's website, many of the dance company's members were persecuted and tortured for practicing Falun Gong in China.

Falun Gong started as a form of exercise in 1992. Followers would gather in public spaces to do qigong, which combines slow movements and meditation. Falun Gong combined those physical practices with spirituality and Taoist moral principles. In the late 90s, as Falun Gong gained steam and millions of followers, the Chinese Communist Party may have felt threatened by its size and popularity, so it cracked down. Thousands of practitioners were imprisoned or in some cases tortured. The founder, Li Hongzhi, now lives in New York.

Multiple attempts to speak with a Shen Yun spokesperson, by phone and by email, for this story were unsuccessful.

Click through the gallery below to see some of the strongest worded reviews of Shen Yun's Bay Area performances:

For many disgruntled Shen Yun attendees, it's not necessarily that the show itself is bad  though to be fair, some complain it is. Most of the negative reviews were people upset they were blindsided by the political content.

According to Shen Yun's website, it's an "experience like no other." And on that note, it appears pretty much everyone agrees.

Read Alix Martichoux's latest stories and send her news tips at amartichoux@sfchronicle.com.

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One of the most painful chapters in Southeast Texas history moved closer to resolution on Friday when a judge in Jasper County signed the execution warrant for the last of three white men convicted in the dragging death of a black man on a country road there 20 years ago.

John William King, whose latest round of appeals was denied by the U.S. Supreme Court in late October, now faces execution by injection on April 24.
Steve Gonzales, Staff photographer / Houston Chronicle

Houston ISD likely will keep an additional tens of millions of dollars more in property tax revenues each year following a widely expected Texas appeals court decision Friday.

Judges from the state's 3rd District Court of Appeals ruled against two small school districts and a nonprofit that sued the Texas Education Agency over its re-interpretation of statutes related to "recapture," the state's method of redistributing tax revenues from property-wealthy districts to property-poor districts. The ruling means that property-wealthy districts, such as HISD, will face lower "recapture" payments back to the state moving forward.
After hundreds of former employees at shuttered Schenectady, N.Y.-based St. Clare's Hospital had their pensions pulled, a bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Albany, N.Y., which was affiliated with the hospital, talked with pensioners to find a solution, ABC-affiliated television station WTEN reports.

The hospital closed in 2008 as part of a state-mandated merger with Ellis Hospital in Schenectady, according to the Times Union.

About 100 former workers at the closed hospital attended the meeting with Bishop Edward Sharfenberger to discuss the loss or elimination of pensions. The pension fund reportedly does not have enough funds to cover the pensioners.

The bishop was not around when the hospital closed, but he sits on the St. Clare's Corporation board, which is tasked with paying the pensions.

Many pensioners have criticized the diocese for not doing enough to help those affected, but the bishop said he is willing to help find sources of funding.

He did not say who was at fault for the pension running out of money 10 years before originally anticipated.
A lawsuit filed by Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey's office alleges Belmont, Mass.-based McLean Hospital lost personal and health information of over 1,500 patients, employees and brain donors, according to the Boston Herald.

The psychiatric hospital agreed to pay $75,000 in fines after it let an employee "regularly take home eight unencrypted backup tapes" with personal information. The tapes included names, Social Security numbers, diagnoses and family histories from the Harvard Brain Tissue Resource Center, which McLean Hospital oversees.

After the employee was terminated from the hospital in May 2015, she returned only four tapes, and the hospital did recover the rest, Ms. Healey's office said.

A consent judgment, where all parties agree to a settlement to end a lawsuit, was filed and must be approved to be legally binding.

Ms. Healey's office said McLean Hospital violated the Consumer Protection Law, the Massachusetts Data Security Law and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.

"Since this incident, McLean has continued to enhance its privacy and security practices and procedures within the brain bank and throughout the research operation," a hospital spokesperson told the Herald.

The hospital agreed to implement employee training programs on handling personal and health information as part of the settlement.
California Northstate University released plans to build a 250-bed teaching hospital next to its Elk Grove-based campus.

The university submitted plans to the city of Elk Grove to begin the process toward construction. The project is anticipated to start next year and be finished by 2022.

The project is expected to cost $750 million, according to NBC-affiliate television station KCRA.

The level 2 trauma center is expected to create over 24,000 new jobs in the next decade.

Additionally, the hospital will reduce traffic to and from Sacramento, and the university plans to work with the city to develop transit routes to the medical center for local employees.

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The following hospital and health system credit rating and outlook changes or affirmations occurred in the last week, beginning with the most recent:

1. S&P affirms 'BBB-' rating for Temple University Health System

S&P Global Ratings affirmed its "BBB-" rating for Philadelphia-based Temple University Health System.

2. Moody's affirms 'A2' rating for Lakeland Regional Health System

Moody's Investors Service affirmed its "A2' rating for Lakeland (Fla.) Regional Health System, affecting $298 million of debt.

3. Fitch affirms 'A-' rating for Lake Hospital System

Fitch Ratings affirmed its "A-" issuer default rating for Painesville, Ohio-based Lake Hospital System, now known as Lake Health.

4. S&P affirms 'A+' rating for Children's Hospital of Orange County

S&P Global Ratings affirmed its "A+" long-term rating for Orange, Calif.-based Children's Hospital of Orange County.

5. S&P lowers Legacy Health rating to 'A+'

S&P Global Ratings lowered its rating for Portland, Ore.-based Legacy Health from "AA-" to "A+."

6. Moody's affirms 'Baa2' rating for Irving Hospital Authority

Moody's Investors Service affirmed the "Baa2" rating for Irving Hospital Authority, affecting $105 million of debt.

7. Moody's affirms Elliot Hospital's 'Baa1' rating

Moody's Investors Service affirmed the "Baa1" rating for Manchester, N.H.-based Elliot Hospital, affecting $145 million of rated debt.

8. Moody's assigns 'A1' rating to Memorial Health System

Moody's Investors Service assigned an "A1" rating to Springfield, Ill.-based Memorial Health System on proposed revenue bonds and affirmed its "A1" rating on existing revenue bonds, affecting $200 million of rated debt.

9. Fitch assigns 'A-' rating to Boca Raton Regional Hospital

Fitch Ratings assigned an "A-" issuer default rating to Boca Raton (Fla.) Regional Hospital.

10. Moody's downgrades Hunt Memorial Hospital District to 'A2'

Moody's Investors Service downgraded the rating for Hunt Memorial Hospital District (Texas) from "A1" to "A2," affecting $23 million of general obligation limited tax debt.

11. Moody's affirms Christiana Care's 'Aa2' rating

Moody's Investors Service affirmed the "Aa2" and "Aa2/VMIG 1" ratings for Newark, Del.-based Christiana Care, affecting $226 million of debt.

12. Moody's affirms 'A2' rating for Bronson Healthcare

Moody's Investors Service affirmed the "A2" rating for Kalamazoo, Mich.-based Bronson Healthcare Group, affecting $203 million of outstanding rated debt.

13. Fitch upgrades TriHealth rating to 'AA-'

Fitch Ratings upgraded Cincinnati-based TriHealth's issuer default rating from "A+" to "AA-."
Charlotte, N.C.-based Atrium Health and Macon, Ga.-based Navicent Health signed a definitive agreement to form a "strategic combination," effective Jan. 1.

Under the agreement, Navicent will serve as a hub for Atrium incentral and south Georgia, and Atrium will maintain and expand Navicent's services, including its Level 1 trauma center.

"This important milestone demonstrates our continued commitment to creating a personalized care experience for each and every patient and community we serve," Eugene A. Woods, president and CEO of Atrium Health, said in a press release. "By the joining of two well-respected healthcare organizations, we will have the privilege to provide even greater access and care for existing and new communities throughout central and south Georgia, while we continue to live our mission to improve health, elevate hope and advance healing  for all."

After the two systems combine, Navicent will continue to have a local board, which will include two members from Atrium. Navicent will have two members nominated to Atrium's board of commissioners or board of advisors.

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Becker's Hospital Review has reported the following hospital-union events  including protests, contract agreements and unionization votes  since Nov. 21.

1. NYU Langone, healthcare workers reach contract agreement

New York City-based NYU Langone Health reached a new contract agreement with healthcare workers.

2. New Jersey nurses reach labor deal with future Salem hospital owner

Registered nurses at Salem, N.J.-based Memorial Hospital of Salem County reached a contract agreement with the hospital's next owner, Salem County Hospital Corp.

3. Kaiser accused of refusing to negotiate labor deal covering 85,000 workers

The National Labor Relations Board has agreed to hold evidentiary hearings regarding a complaint filed by a coalition of labor unions against Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser Permanente. The complaint alleges that Kaiser violated federal law by refusing to negotiate a new contract that covers 85,000 employees in eight states and the District of Columbia.

4. Massachusetts workers at Steward Health Care hospital OK union

Healthcare workers at St. Anne's Hospital in Fall River, Mass., voted to unionize Dec. 13.

5. New York nurses unionize after state orders investigation of alleged threats at hospital

Nurses at Cortlandt Manor, N.Y.-based NewYork-Presbyterian Hudson Valley Hospital voted for unionization after Democrat Gov. Andrew Cuomo called for a state investigation into alleged union-busting.

6. Pennsylvania hospital nurse strike looms

Registered nurses from Wilkes-Barre (Pa.) General Hospital authorized their union bargaining committee to call a strike if necessary.

7. 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.

8. Massachusetts hospital alleges voter fraud in November union vote

St. Luke's Hospital in New Bedford, Mass., filed objections with the National Labor Relations Board alleging voter fraud in a Nov. 29 unionization election.

9. Tower Health hospital reaches deal with Pennsylvania workers

Pottstown (Pa.) Hospital reached a contract agreement with workers after six months at the bargaining table.

10. Los Angeles County, nurses reach tentative deal, avert strike

Los Angeles County registered nurses and county management reached an agreement shortly before a four-day strike was set to begin.

11. 300 nurses walk off job at Pennsylvania hospital

More than 300 Indiana (Pa.) Regional Medical Center nurses went on strike Nov. 26.
Registered Nurses at Southern California Hospital at Hollywood and Southern California Hospital at Van Nuys have withdrawn plans to launch 10-day strikes later this month, according to the Service Employees International Union Local 121RN that represents them.

On Dec. 19, nurses revealed plans to walk off the job in Van Nuys beginning at 3 p.m. Dec. 29 and in Hollywood beginning at 7 a.m. Dec. 31. But union officials told Becker's nurses withdrew those plans Dec. 21 in hopes that the two bargaining teams will come to an agreement with the hospitals' owner, Los Angeles-based Prospect Medical Holdings. The nurses will refile the strike notices and the strikes will begin on Dec. 31 if no deal is reached.

Nurses at the hospitals are in the middle of negotiating their first contract agreements. During negotiations, nurses have sought increased staffing levels, and discussions have also focused on workplace conditions, according to the union.

Hospital officials told Becker's: "We welcome the unions action to cancel the planned strike action. We look forward to continuing to serve our patients and our communities without disruption."

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Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser Permanente's health plan settled a case alleging that the healthcare giant urged mental health patients to cancel coverage, according to court records recently cited by The Sacramento Bee.

Five things to know:

1. The settlement, provided to Becker's by the National Union of Healthcare Workers, resolves a 2014 lawsuit initially brought by Douglas Kerr, whose son Matthew Szitkar-Kerr has schizophrenia and is bipolar. Another plaintiff, Barbara Knighton, later joined the suit.

2. Plaintiffs allege that Kaiser Foundation Health Plan urged severely disabled patients  hospitalized in Kaiser's psychiatric facility and placed under a conservatorship  to cancel their health plan through Kaiser.

"Specifically, Kaiser advises its psychiatric patients that continued treatment will only occur if the patient cancels his or her healthcare plan, rendering that patient uninsured," the complaint states. "Kaiser then transfers these patients to non-Kaiser facilities, where  because of their lack of Kaiser insurance  their psychiatric care is paid for by the government through Supplemental Security Income, Medi-Cal [the state's Medicaid program], Medicare and/or  through the Los Angeles Department of Mental Health."

3. The complaint argues that Kaiser's actions violate the California Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, which requires insurers to provide the same benefits for physical and mental health conditions.

4. John Nelson, Kaiser vice president of communications, disputed the lawsuit's allegations. He told Becker's in a statement that Kaiser has never required severely disabled people to cancel their coverage. But he said there have been relatively rare occasions when Kaiser members were housed in a specialized locked mental health facility that preferred Medi-Cal coverage to private insurance.

"In some of these cases, cancellation of Kaiser Permanente coverage was required to enter the facility. However, this was not Kaiser Permanente's requirement, and we cover many members' care at such facilities," said Mr. Nelson. "Any decision to cancel coverage was made by a court-appointed conservator. Kaiser Permanente has consistently disputed the claims in this lawsuit, and we continue to do so."

5. As part of the settlement, Kaiser is required to notify mental health physicians, therapists, social workers, discharge planners and case managers regarding coverage of locked residential psychiatric facilities. The healthcare organization must also inform these stakeholders about how Kaiser members in conservatorships should be transferred to psychiatric facilities. The settlement requires Kaiser to pay each plaintiff $10,000 and pay attorney's fees up to $1.2 million.

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Every day 33 U.S. patients die while waiting for an organ transplant, but medical researchers say tapping into "less-than-perfect" organs could double the number of organs procured, according to The Washington Post.

7 insights on the organ donation system:

1. About 115,000 people are waiting on the organ transplant list. Patients are often deemed too sick, old, or their medical conditions too complicated, to be organ donors, The Post reports.

2. The Post analyzed 2.7 million death records from 2016 and found about 27,000 people met the established criteria for organ donation, more than twice the number of those who actually donated that year.

The majority of untapped donors were over the age of 50. About 40 percent of donors were not declared brain-dead, which forces local transplant officials to take them off life support and wait for their hearts to stop. This process can take a long time and often damages other organs.

3. Surgeons conducting the transplant reject donors over the age of 75. Research cited by The Post indicates there is fault in this logic and experts "should be persuaded" to expand the types of donors pursued.

4. About 45,000 people die outside of hospitals and are unlikely to provide viable organs for transplant.

5. About 231,000 people did not have a condition that disqualified them from being an organ donor. However people suffering from most cancers, some infections and heart disease are unsuitable organ donors.

6. People who die from head injuries and suffocation are good donors, according to The Post, because it leaves their organs intact.

7. There are less than 10,000 registered organ donors. In 2016, the transplant system recovered organs from fewer than half of suitable donors.

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Health officials in the Democratic Republic of Congo are revamping a strategic response plan for the country's ongoing Ebola outbreak, which surpassed 550 cases Dec. 19, according to CNN.

The World Health Organization reported 560 confirmed and probable Ebola cases linked to the outbreak as of Dec. 19, including 336 deaths. An additional 87 cases are still under investigation, and 193 people have recovered from the virus.

Congo's Minister of Health Oly Ilunga Kalenga, MD, PhD, visited the cities of Beni, Goma and Butembo to assess the areas' challenges and needs amid the outbreak. The health ministry will use this information to draft a third strategic response plan outlining Ebola response efforts for February to April 2019.

"This constant adaptation of the national strategy demonstrates the dynamic nature of this response to the most complex Ebola outbreak in the country's history," Congo's health ministry said in a statement cited by CNN.

Violence and community resistance have complicated health workers' efforts to contain the outbreak, which started in August. However, "meaningful progress has been made across the outbreak affected areas, most especially in Beni where there has been a general decrease in case incidence in recent weeks," the WHO said in a Dec. 20 update.
Chicago-based Shriners Hospitals for Children has several fun and effective ways to help staff to keep their hands clean, the Daily Nurse reports.

Kim Romberg, MSN, RN, infection preventionist at Shriners, discussed the hospital's hand hygiene initiative with the Daily Nurse.

During Infection Prevention Week, Ms. Romberg led a visual presentation for staff where she randomly asked four staff members for their cellphones and swabbed them.

She had the in-house hospital lab plate the swabs to detect bacteria. Two of the cellphones belonged to office staff in nonpatient care areas and two belonged to nurses. Ms. Romberg took photos of the results two days later and shared them with the entire hospital staff.

"The plates with the office staff had a lot of [bacteria] growth, whereas the nurses' cellphones did not, making the point that our nurses clean their hands frequently and helped keep their personal devices clean," Ms. Romberg said.

To ensure nurses consistently have clean hands, Shriners has a program called "high five" for hand hygiene, Ms. Romberg explained. If a staff member was seen not to have washed his hands when he should have, another staff member will give him a cue and say, "high five," to discreetly remind him to clean his hands.

The hospital also uses secret observers who document hand hygiene compliance. Staff found to be noncompliant receive a feedback letter and are asked to review the steps of hand hygiene and then sign and return the form. Their confidentiality is maintained.

To encourage patients to keep their hands clean, during Infection Prevention Week, Ms. Romberg deputized patients with badges and asked them to be the "hand hygiene police."

"I gave them hand clappers, and on one side I wrote 'please wash' and on the other side 'thank you for cleaning your hands,'" she said. "I asked patients to clap the clappers and let staff know they were being thanked for cleaning their hands or remind them to clean their hands."

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CMS will cut off Medicare funding for DeSoto, Texas-based Dallas Behavioral Healthcare Hospital Jan. 4 after several inspections this year found lapses in patient care and safety, according to The Dallas Morning News.

The inspections cited several problems, including patients left untreated for hours and a 12-year-old boy injected with an antipsychotic for "agitation" despite video evidence showing him watching television at the time.

Administrators of the 116-bed hospital disputed many of CMS' findings and say they do not plan to stop services.

In a statement obtained by the Morning News, hospital officials said losing the funding "will result in an increase in patients needing psychiatric care languishing in emergency rooms, jails, the homeless population, or other areas where their needs cannot be met and addressed."

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The deal will mean SSE Enterprise Telecoms can keep SSE as a key funder and customer (Andrew Milligan/PA)

Energy giant SSE is to sell half of its telecoms network business to Infracapital for up to 380 million, days after it called off a merger with rival npower.

SSE is to offload a 50% stake in its SSE Enterprise Telecoms business to Infracapital, the infrastructure arm of Prudential, with the proceeds used to pay down the companys debts.

The deal values SSE Enterprise Telecoms at more than 700 million.

SSE said 215 million will be paid when the transaction is completed, which is expected at the end of June, and up to 165 million will be paid in instalments depending on the performance of SSE Enterprise Telecoms.

The deal will mean SSE Enterprise Telecoms can keep SSE as a key funder and customer as well as gain from Infracapitals experience of driving growth, telecoms knowledge and providing access to additional funds.

Enterprise Telecoms is a telecoms infrastructure company, with a 12,000-kilometre fibre network across the UK providing connectivity services to businesses.

The capital injection from the deal will help with SSE Enterprise Telecoms expansion plans as it aims to become a leading player in the UK telecoms sector.

It is planning on developing projects in a number of areas including the 5G network, SD-WAN technology and smart cities.

Colin Sempill, managing director at SSE Enterprise Telecoms, said Infracapitals investment in SSEs telecoms network business shows the confidence it has in the future growth of the business and it recognises the success we have achieved to date, building out a great network, winning notable contracts and being relentlessly focused on customer satisfaction.

He added: Both parties see this as an opportunity to help develop the network infrastructure that this country needs to turn the vision of the UKs digital economy into reality.

The deal comes after SSE and npower called off their merger on Monday, blaming challenging market conditions and the Governments price cap. The two firms had planned to seal the merger of their retail operations in the first quarter of 2019.
Sammy Wilson has claimed that no-deal plans published by the Irish government have exposed "Brussels spin" on the Withdrawal Agreement.

Contingency plans revealed by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar include the purchase of land at Dublin port and Rosslare to prevent congestion because of new customs, sanitary and animal health checks at the sea ports.

And the East Antrim MP said that highlighted the true nature of what was planned for Northern Ireland under Prime Minister Theresa May's plan.

He said: "When sanitary and animal health checks are to be carried out between Northern Ireland and Scotland under the Withdrawal Agreement, we are told they are no barrier to trade.

"However, when they are to be carried out between the Republic of Ireland and Wales, under a no-deal Brexit, then they require the purchase of extra land at ports to accommodate the lorries awaiting inspection.

"This lifts the lid on the truth which lies behind the Brussels spin machine."

Irish premier Leo Varadkar also said his government has made "no preparations whatsoever" for a hard border on the island.

Despite the looming possibility of a no-deal Brexit, Mr Varadkar said he felt that if the Irish government made plans to facilitate a hard border it would become a "self-fulfilling prophecy".

He said the draft agreement currently tabled by Mrs May is the key to avoiding physical infrastructure on the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic.

"We are not preparing for a hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland," he said.

"We have made no preparations whatsoever for physical infrastructure or anything like that."

Mr Wilson said: "The Irish government has argued for a backstop to prevent a hard north-south border. Yet the hard border is absent from their 'no-deal' planning. Their hard border spin has been exposed as nothing short of a Dublin conceived and Brussels delivered mirage.

"Evidently, the Republic of Ireland has always recognised that no hard border would be erected.

"What they really wanted however was that the disruption to trade be kept inside the United Kingdom."

Ulster Unionist peer Lord Empey said that if Dublin had engaged in a consensual rather than a confrontational approach to the border there would have been no need for crisis preparations.

"There is no doubt that the UK leaving the EU creates problems for businesses, but the amount of time and effort being focused on the land border in Ireland is totally out of proportion to the problem, and gives rise to the suspicion that it is being used by Brussels as a point of leverage to pressurise the UK Government. The proposed backstop is a sledgehammer to crack a nut," Lord Empey said.

"London should never have agreed to the sequencing proposal from the EU in the first place; to agree a deal on the border and a deal on finance before the terms of trade were discussed was madness and has led to this mess we are in today."

Meanwhile, the Government is drawing up plans to stop food shortages from affecting hospital patients in the event of a no-deal Brexit, according to official documents.

Doctors and nurses should also be ordered to provide "messages of continuity and reassurance" to patients in the event the UK crashes out of Europe without a Withdrawal Agreement, according to the Department of Health and Social Care paper.

The document, entitled EU Exit Operational Readiness Guidance, was released on Gov.UK yesterday after MPs had left Parliament for the Christmas recess.

It came as Cabinet minister David Gauke said he would find it "very difficult" to remain in Theresa May's Government if there was a no-deal Brexit.

MPs are due to vote on Mrs May's Withdrawal Agreement in January, with no guarantee it will be passed. The Prime Minister is battling to maintain Cabinet discipline as senior ministers set out rival plans for dealing with the potential rejection of her Brexit plan next month.

She has stressed that a no-deal Brexit is a possible outcome if her plan is rejected by MPs.

But Justice Secretary Mr Gauke said: "I think making a conscious decision to proceed with no deal would not be the responsible course of action."

Asked if he could remain in the Cabinet if that became the Government's policy, he told the BBC's Political Thinking with Nick Robinson podcast: "I think it would be very difficult for me in those circumstances."
A major project involving a group of Northern Ireland academics will help tackle the problem of plastic waste.

Queen's University Belfast has been granted 1m for the new initiative.

The project, called Advancing Creative Circular Economies for Plastics via Technological-Social Transitions (ACCEPT Transitions), will confront the 7.5 billion tonnes of plastic which has not been recycled.

If measured in plastic bottles, this is enough to cover us here to a depth of 40 metres.

Project leader Professor David Rooney, who is director of the Research Centre in Sustainable Energy at Queen's, said: "The world-leading, state-of-the-art facilities at Queen's make the university the ideal place to carry out this project.

"These facilities include the Polymer Processing Research Centre, a market-driven research centre which has been collaborating with industry since 1996.

"The outcome of the research carried out at Queen's is to create a sustainable and resilient plastics circular economy that will change how we deal with plastic waste, with the ultimate goal of creating a sustainable environment for future generations."

Professor Rooney will work with an 11-strong team of academics who are experts in politics, engineering, psychology and architecture.

They will tackle plastic waste problems by creating a sustainable plastics circular economy in the UK.

To do this, they will look to understand consumer behaviour and attitudes towards plastic.

Secondly, an assessment of the industry supply chain will be undertaken so hotspots can be identified and managed.

Lastly, they will work with industry to prototype building products that use significant quantities of recycled plastic waste.

It is hoped this will keep resources, including waste, in use for as long as possible.

Work is due to begin early next year.

The announcement was made by Science Minister Chris Skidmore as the Government unveiled its Resources and Waste Strategy.

Mr Skidmore said: "We have all seen the devastating effects that plastics waste has on our environment. We are committed to tackling this problem, from developing a plastic-eating bacteria to finding new ways to recycle.

"These projects have the potential to lead us to a cleaner, greener economy but also ensure the UK is at the forefront of the latest innovations and products that will be in high demand across the world through our modern Industrial Strategy."

The Government plans to put the legal onus on producers of damaging waste, introduce a consistent set of recyclable materials collected from all households and businesses, and introduce a deposit return scheme for single-use drinks containers.

Queen's was one of eight universities given a share of an 8m grant by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.




JOHANNESBURG  South African jazz artist Musa Manzini has played his music all over the world, but one performance stands out  strumming his guitar while surgeons operated on his brain.





A video of the multi-instrumentalist and university lecturer taken during the six-hour surgery for a brain tumour, shows him lying on his back in the operating theatre, surrounded by scrubbed-up medical staff, plucking the strings of his guitar.





This allowed doctors in the South African city of Durban to observe which areas of his brain Manzini used to play music, allowing them to preserve those areas and also restore some movement to his fingers, which were affected by the tumour.





I felt very awkward and uncomfortable, Manzini told Reuters a week after the operation. Being in between general anaesthesia and awake and hearing the sounds of a blow torch inside your brainits very difficult to concentrate.





Doctors opted to keep Manzini awake in order to assess which areas of his brain were functioning as the surgery went on, helping to reduce the risk of neurological damage.





It was a success in that the biggest risk was paralysis. Im not paralysed, and I still have control of my limbs and thus in good spirits and recovering nicely, he said.




The funeral will take place this morning of Randalstown schoolteacher Barney Dobbin, who died last week following a climbing accident in South America.

Speaking on behalf of the family, local councillor Henry Cushinan said they wished to express their deep gratitude to the Kevin Bell Trust for its assistance in bringing the body of the 25-year-old home.

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"The family will have a difficult day ahead, but they were just so relieved to have him home on Thursday," he said.

"But they wish to pay a special tribute to the Kevin Bell Trust for all their wonderful efforts in helping to make all the necessary arrangements during what has been a very difficult and sad time for them.

"It can be extremely difficult when a tragedy like this happens so far away and the family wish to repay that kindness with donations in lieu of flowers towards the trust so other families who might be in the same position can be helped in such a dignified way.

Expand Close Barney Dobbin, who died in a climbing accident in Ecuador / Facebook

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Whatsapp Barney Dobbin, who died in a climbing accident in Ecuador

"Everyone has rallied around to support them and they also wish to express their thanks to all those who have contacted them and helped with the wake, particularly so close to Christmas.

"Having that support has been a great comfort."

Mr Dobbin was killed after reaching the summit of Mount Chimborazo in Ecuador - the Continent's highest mountain and known as the closest place on Earth to space - leaving his family devastated.

A former pupil of Rainey Endowed School in Magherafelt, he had spent the past two years working as a teacher in The British School in Quito.

The funeral will leave his late Artlone Road residence, in the townland of Cargin between Toome and Randalstown, today at 10.15am to Sacred Heart Church for 11am Requiem Mass, with interment afterwards in the adjoining cemetery.

Mr Dobbin is survived by his father Brian, mother Rome and brothers Paddy and Joe.
Paul Leeming said his sister Joanna's heart attack means the condition can be dealt with

A brother and sister discovered they had a genetic heart condition this year after she had a cardiac arrest during a fitness session.

Glengormley siblings Joanna Ireland (58) and Paul Leeming (55) learned they have both inherited hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) after the incident in February.

Joanna said: "After I had my cardiac arrest I went through my family tree with my nurse specialist Joanne McOsker, who also then assessed Paul.

"We are so grateful for the care and support we have received from this wonderful service.

"Recovering from the physical effects of a cardiac arrest is one thing, but coping with the emotional impact of going through it and then knowing you and your brother both have this genetic condition is another.

"Although we obviously would prefer not to have it, we both feel very lucky that it was identified and are able to spend Christmas as a family, when it might have been so different," she added.

This year alone 301 new patients have been tested by Northern Ireland's Inherited Cardiac Conditions nurse-led service.

Nurse specialists Joanne, Tracy Jardine and Helen Connolly, who run the clinics, support hundreds of patients by providing information and advice.

Paul, a father-of-two, said he'll never forget when he heard about his sister having cardiac arrest.

"Thankfully, Joanna is here with us today. She told me I should also be referred to the NI ICC service. Soon after that I was called for my first appointment and I found out I have it.

"I don't think anything prepares you for hearing that. It's such a shock and it makes you really frightened.

"I was anxious that something could happen to me at any moment. But the doctors told me that thanks to Joanna having her cardiac arrest and being given a diagnosis of HCM, I am one of the lucky ones because I know I have the condition, which can be managed. She has saved my life," he added.

HCM causes the wall of the heart muscle to thicken, making it harder for the heart to pump blood around the body.

The siblings are backing British Heart Foundation NI's Christmas campaign, which hopes to raise over half a million pounds for life saving research into all heart and circulatory diseases.

To find out more, visit www.bhf.org.uk/Christmas
Record numbers of births to older mums are putting Northern Ireland's maternity units under pressure, a new report has found.

The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) says the number of babies born in the province to women aged in their 30s and 40s continues to "rise steadily".

The RCM's State of Maternity Services Report reveals that in the 10 years to 2017, the number of babies born here to women aged 30 or older has risen by 8.5%.

In 2017, a clear majority (57.5%) of babies were born to older women and the remainder (42.5%) to younger women.

In the past decade, the number of babies born to women aged 30 or older increased by 1,043, while there was a drop of 2,419 in births to younger women.

Meanwhile, in the five years to March 2018, there have also been changes in the age profile of Northern Ireland's midwives.

The number of midwives aged in their 20s and 30s grew by 9.3% and 1.4% respectively.

There were 63 fewer in their 40s and 68 less in their 50s, while the number aged 60 or older grew by 32.

The RCM has warned that the current situation needs to be actively managed, with new midwives being brought into the profession in good time before increasing numbers retire. The RCM's Director for Northern Ireland, Karen Murray, said: "Births to older mothers continue to rise not only in Northern Ireland, but right across the UK and becoming a mother later in life is nothing new.

"It is not just the age profile of mothers that presents a challenge. The age profile of midwives does too," she added.

"Midwives in older age categories have given many years' service to our maternity services and bring a wealth of experience to their roles. They are essential to supporting new midwives coming in and establishing themselves in the profession."

BBC Radio Ulster presenter Kerry McLean (43) became an older mum three years ago when her baby daughter Eve was born.

But she encountered the unfortunate label used for any mother-to-be over 35 in the eyes of the medical profession.

"I was so shocked and horrified the first time I opened my green maternity folder and spotted two words written in capital letters at the top of the page - geriatric mother," she said.

"Medics definitely need to rethink the language they use about older mums, because I was terrified most of the way through my pregnancy.

"Everything I read mentioned about all the things that could go wrong for me and my baby.

"There was nothing to say that actually, there's a good chance of everything going well to give older mums that bit of extra hope."

She added: "I have a friend about to have her second child aged 46 and she's also finding it hard to enjoy her pregnancy, because she's so nervous."

The mother-of-three is not surprised that Northern Ireland women are waiting longer to have children, but believes that older mums are often in a more stable place in their life.

"Women are keen to get their lives in order before they have children and many want to focus on their careers first.

"Another huge factor is that people now are meeting their other half much later in life.

"Thinking back to my parents, they got together in their late teens when just out of school.

"That's very rare these days and many people now aren't so fortunate. It means that everything in life moves on about ten years."

Kerry added: "We're not the first generation to have babies later in life. Just after the Second World War women either had to wait for their husbands to return home or only met them at that point.

"We haven't had the numbers of older mums at this level for a long time and yet it seems to be the way things will be in the future."
'The court heard a diary was recovered which contained entries where Brady expressed his wish to cause harm to others, as well as notes on component parts of explosives' (stock photo)

A teenager has been given a suspended prison sentence after uttering a Nazi slogan in a Co Tyrone court.

Ryan Brady claimed his outburst was in disgust at how he was being portrayed by police.

Brady (19), of Moneymore Road, Magherafelt, had appeared in the dock of Dungannon Magistrates Court charged with threatening to kill a man.

A police officer said he could be connected to the charge.

Objecting to bail, she explained the threat was made while Brady was already on bail for assaulting and threatening to destroy the car of a female relative on October 14. Other offences were also said to have been committed while on bail.

Brady has 14 previous convictions, including one each for threatening to kill and threatening to cause damage.

The court heard a diary was recovered which contained entries where Brady expressed his wish to cause harm to others, as well as notes on component parts of explosives.

He had also made comments of a racist and anti-Islamic nature.

As the police officer was telling the court of Brady's behaviour, the defendant shouted from the dock: "You're grasping at straws, you black c***."

When Judge Meehan told him to be quiet, he responded: "You're only going to send me to jail anyway."

The judge ordered Brady to be returned to the cells, but on leaving the dock he uttered the Nazi slogan: "Sieg Heil."

The judge waited until the defendant was back in custody then said: "That remark is a particular trigger to far-right extremists in the fields of racism.

"To express it in a courtroom so casually is something to be regarded as a wilful insult."

The case was paused for a time while Brady's barrister discussed the implications of the comment.

On his return, the defence said his client admitted wilful contempt and wished to apologise "now he has cooled down". Brady, standing in the dock, said: "I am sorry for my outburst earlier but the police were wrongly portraying me as a belligerent racist.

"I made the remark Sieg Heil as a way of expressing how annoyed I was."

Judge Meehan said it was "a qualified apology".

He said: "The defendant may want to look to the acres of memorials to those who died to ensure the freedoms of today.

"The huge consequences of that dreadful time are still felt by families who lost loved ones in the Holocaust and the circumstances around it."

Judge Meegan added: "Whether the outburst was for drama or effect, it is not something any court will tolerate. I reject the perception which he seeks to legitimise his behaviour. There is no mitigation."

Indicating that he had considered two weeks' imprisonment, the judge agreed to reduce this to two days, taking into account Brady's age.

He went on to suspend that for 12 months.

In respect of the threat to kill matter, bail was agreed in the sum of 200.

Brady is to have no contact with the injured party, must not enter a specified area of Magherafelt, must observe a curfew and is banned from taking any illegal or non-prescribed drugs.

The case was adjourned until January.
Laura and Chris Mawer with sons Alex and Theo and their granny Wendy McCrea

Passengers on the first flight to arrive in Northern Ireland from Gatwick since drone activity closed the runway of the UK's second busiest airport have spoken of their relief.

Flight EZY833 may have arrived 40 minutes late at Belfast International Airport yesterday afternoon, but the fact that it touched down at all felt like a godsend to passengers and their families who had feared disruption to their Christmas holiday plans.

Cookstown native Laura Mawer (33), a secondary school teacher, flew home with her sons Alex (4) and Theo (2) and husband Chris, a software engineer.

"We live about half-an-hour away from Gatwick, and when we arrived the place was nearly deserted, no queues whatsoever," she said. "Within 10 minutes we had dropped off our luggage and we were through, and there were no issues.

"We were anticipating being there for hours and hours and hours because of the way it's been shown in the news.

"We were up until about 1am panicking, thinking: 'Should we look at boats, should we try and get alternative arrangements?'

"But then we thought we'd see what happens, and if it comes to it, jump in the car and go to Wales and see if we can go to Dublin.

"Thankfully we didn't have to. It was out of everyone's hands and it was just a case that it was what it was.

"I'm relieved to be back - I will be spending Christmas with my family in Cookstown."

Downpatrick computer programmer Colin King (40) arrived with his son Niall (4), wife Carol and daughter Eleri (8 months).

"The flight was fine, it was slightly delayed but that's not uncommon," he explained.

"Relative to what we were worried about, Gatwick was very quiet. It was not the Armageddon that I was anticipating.

"We were expecting significant queues, but there weren't many. We were worried it was going to be cancelled, but if it had been cancelled we would just have tried to fly next week.

"That would have been unfortunate, we would have missed Christmas."

Bath University student Jessica Robinson (22), from Lisburn, revealed that she had made the fortuitous decision a fortnight ago to reschedule her flight home from Thursday, when all flights were cancelled, to yesterday.

"I'm very happy the flight was changed two weeks ago, and very happy to be home," she said. "I was praying that the flight would go ahead.

"I think it's just really sad that all those people yesterday couldn't get their flights, especially at this time of year. People just want to get home to see their families and friends." Her mum Jayne (52) said it was a "wee miracle" that Jessica had managed to get back. "I have two girls and two boys, and all the chicks are home now, she is the last one to come home," she said.

"She hasn't been home since September so we're very glad she's back."

Kansas City native Shonda Warner (54) was flying in to spend Christmas with friends in Finnebrogue. "It was very quiet at the airport and very easy to check in," she said. "I think it was because there were so many flights cancelled.

"Fortunately I wasn't affected by the delays, but I feel very, very sorry for all the people who were yesterday."

Primary school teacher Alana Menary, who lives in London, had travelled home for Christmas in Castledawson. "I checked yesterday afternoon and it didn't look good," she said. "Gatwick Airport wasn't as busy as I thought it was going to be, I think because people had checked and didn't go.

"But some of my friends who were flying internationally had their flights cancelled, they ended up at Heathrow, they were sent there rather than Gatwick.

"I was worried I wasn't going to get home for Christmas. The flight didn't go on time, but it went anyway.

"I feel so glad to be home."
A public spending watchdog is to carry out an investigation into allegations surrounding another green energy scheme.

Comptroller and auditor general Kieran Donnelly will begin his inquiry into payments in relation to anaerobic digesters in February.

The business incentive scheme has been dubbed "RHI on steroids" by environmental campaigners and could lead to payments of more than a billion pounds to UK investors over the next 20 years.

According to Friends of the Earth, payments made following the granting of a renewable obligation certificate are four times higher in Northern Ireland than in Britain.

A Freedom of Information request by Friends of the Earth confirmed 179 anaerobic digestion units have planning permission here, with 69 currently in operation.

They convert slurry into methane gas, creating energy that is fed back into the main electricity grid.

It has been claimed that in a number of cases the generating facilities were "phantom plants" - an allegation denied by the companies themselves.

James Orr of Friends of the Earth said: "This is looking very serious. It's RHI on steroids and there must be an inquiry."

The comptroller and auditor general has a remit to investigate the scheme because both the Department for the Economy and the Utility Regulator have a role.

Mr Donnelly's probe will focus on the renewable obligation certificates, but it is understood it will also be looking closely into the issue of anaerobic digester plants in particular.

In some cases the finances for the construction of the plants here has been provided by London-based venture capital companies.

Farmers on whose land they are built are then paid a fee to feed and run them, with the lucrative subsidies reverting to them after a decade for the remainder of the 20-year term.

Concerns have also been raised that some plants have been built in breach of environmental and planning guidelines.

West Tyrone Sinn Fein MLA Michaela Boyle said: "There are questions that need to be answered around the subsidies offered by the then Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment and allegations of fraud in the operation of the anaerobic digestion scheme.

"I wrote to the auditor asking his office to investigate any potential abuse of this scheme so I welcome confirmation that this will now take place in the new year."
Two men sustained wounds during an incident close to a bar in Newcastle, Co Down

A 20-year-old man arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after two people were stabbed in Newcastle, Co Down, has been released pending further investigation.

It's understood two males sustained wounds during the incident close to a bar on the Bryansford Road shortly before midnight on Friday, December 21.

Both victims were taken to hospital for treatment.

Detective Sergeant Johnston said: "Detectives are appealing for anyone with information or who may have dash-cam footage regarding this crime to get in touch on 101, quoting reference number 6 22/12/18."
Broward Sheriff's Office(SUNRISE, Fla.) -- A Florida man allegedly stabbed his wife to death after she refused to let him move back in, and then threw her body out in the trash and left it to be picked up by the garbage truck, according to police.



Joseph Traeger, 50, of Sunrise, was arrested Thursday night in connection with the Nov. 28 killing of Jeneen Catanzaro, according to the Sunrise Police.



The case began as a missing persons investigation.



Traeger called 911 on Dec. 2 to report his wife missing and told police he last saw her the morning of Nov. 29 when he left for work, according to the probable cause affidavit. Catanzaro's mother told police she had not heard from her daughter since Nov. 27.



Traeger told police they were married for 10 years, but were arguing over financial problems and faced "marital problems over the past year due to his heroin addiction," documents said.



Catanzaro had filed two domestic battery reports against her husband this year, the probable cause affidavit said.



Traeger's stepfather told police he had been warning Catanzaro about Traeger's "violent behavior" for over a month, the probable cause affidavit said. The stepfather told police "he made Jeneen promise to call every morning when she woke up so he would know that she was alive," the document said.



Traeger first told investigators that Catanzaro told him to move out in October, but at her request, he moved back into the house on Nov. 28, documents said. He said he left for work the morning of Nov. 29, and then his wife vanished, the documents said.



But police said video surveillance from the neighborhood showed Catanzaro come home on Nov. 27 and never leave the house again, documents said.



On Monday, Traeger told investigators that his wife died accidentally; he said he saw her lying in a pool of blood on the kitchen floor, so he assumed she had a seizure and died from hitting her head, the probable cause affidavit said.



Traeger told investigators he "panicked" and didn't want to call police and "be blamed for killing her," so he put her in trash bags and into the garbage bin for pickup, the probable cause affidavit said.



Once the trash was picked up, Traeger said he went to a casino for the rest of the day.



On Thursday, Traeger admitted to authorities that the story about finding his wife on the kitchen floor was a lie, the probable cause affidavit said.



Traeger said he asked his wife if he could move back in, and when she refused, she grabbed the phone to call 911 because he wouldn't leave, the probable cause affidavit said.



Traeger told police he "snapped" and stabbed her with a knife, the probable cause affidavit said. Her body was later found in a landfill, the Sun-Sentinel reported.



Traeger was charged with homicide, making a false report and destroying or tampering with evidence. It was unclear if he had an attorney.



Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
by Vladimir Rozanskij

As soon as he receives the Tomos of autocephaly, the new Church will address various themes: the governing bodies, the date of Christmas (25 December and / or 7 January); the situation in the Crimea; relations with other Orthodox Churches. The patriarch of Moscow, Kirill, pushes for the isolation of the Ukrainian Church. Its showdown between Constantinople and Moscow.

Moscow (AsiaNews) - The new Metropolitan Epifanyj of Kiev, head of the autocephalous Ukrainian Church, gave his first interview on December 18 to Radio Svoboda, three days after his election. To the interest of many observers, as well as of the faithful Ukrainians themselves, he spoke of the structure of the new Church, which must still be defined. It will officially come into force only on 6 January, with the delivery of Tomos from Constantinople.

According to Epifanyj, after the official establishment of autocephaly, "the governing bodies of our Church will be formed. This is a completely new structure, which will require a great deal of work, but we will do it with great calm, wisdom and balance. We must work for unity, not for division ".

It will therefore not be just the extension of the "patriarchy" created in the 1990s by Filaret Denisenko, with the addition of the Church already called "autocephalous", which came out of hiding after Communism. In fact, the two Churches lived in a climate of great spontaneity and closeness, being outside of all canonical recognition, and they oriented themselves on the wavering directives of Ukrainian politics and social life.

Now, according to the new young primate, long pending and delicate decisions can finally be made. "Take for example the celebration of Christ's Birth, and in general the question of the calendar. Many would like to move the date from January 7 to December 25, but the people may not understand; we must explain that it is only a date, not a dogma".

In fact in Ukraine (and in most of Russia) both dates are celebrated, even if in December Christmas is more "commercial", simply called Christmas", with the liturgical celebrations in January and the exchange of gifts on New Year's Eve. Moreover, in many Orthodox Churches in the world, the Julian calendar has been suppressed, to adapt to the social context.

The Metropolitan of Kiev stressed that "the Church must be the spiritual foundation and basis of our Ukrainian state, in this difficult time of trials we are going through. We have the Crimea occupied, and we must bring it back to us; part of it was the Donbass, and we believe that the Lord will listen to our prayers for a just peace in one Ukrainian state, with one Church ".

The primates support for the political positions of President Petro Poroshenko is clear. It is not by chance that the politician orchestrated the primates election and in turn declared he "appreciates the words of the new metropolitan very much".

When asked how he intends to re-establish relations with the patriarchate of Moscow and its structures in Ukraine, Epifanyj noted that "it will be a very long process. When we have obtained the Tomos, which guarantees our state of autocephalous Church, we will begin to work, to try to communicate, to invite and to show our love and respect for the other Churches. I think that, with time, they will understand that there is no other way, if we do not come together to form one Ukrainian Church and build our future together ". This clashes with the resolute opposition of Moscow. The Patriarch of Moscow Kirill (Gundjaev) sent letters to the heads of the other Orthodox Churches on December 20 to invite everyone to distance themselves from the Ukrainian Church.

The metropolitan also expressed some clarifications on the election process of the Unification Council, in which the names of all the 200 bishops participating were written on the ballot papers, denying the rumors of a "piloted" election, already decided in advance, above all by policy makers. In the first round three candidates were chosen, and his name reached the majority in the second round; the data, as promised by Epifanyj, will be published at the time.

Immediately before the Unification Council, Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople wrote to Metropolitan Onufrij (Berezovsky), who occupies the chair of Kiev in the name of the Patriarchate of Moscow, to explain that he will have to renounce this title if he refuses to participate. Recalling the ancient historical circumstances, Bartholomew recalled that "the Russian Synod separated itself in 1448 from the Holy Universal Church, but in the city of Kiev the canonical metropolitans continued to serve the Church of the ecumenical patriarchate, as its faithful and bishops were not subjugated in Moscow ".

Moscow refused the Greek metropolitans after the signing of the Union of Florence in 1439, without anyone having officially granted the autocephaly to the Russians. Bartholomew recalls that in 1685 Moscow unilaterally took the right to appoint the metropolitans of Kiev, after the annexation of these regions to Russia. Constantinople "temporarily" accepted these abuses for the good of the people, but today we have come to the reckoning of the history of the Orthodox Churches, above all of the conflict between Moscow and Constantinople.




Guwahati, Dec 22 : The All India Forest Officers Federation and Assam Forest Employee Association had recently met Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Dr Harsh Vardhan in New Delhi.





The delegation team of the both organisation had submitted a memorandum to the Union minister about the wildlife related problems and forest employee related problems.





The delegation team of Assam Forest Employee Association led by its president Rajen Saikia had also submitted a memorandum to the Union minister and urging to establish a forest cantonment in Assams Kaziranga National Park.





Kaziranga National Park, a world heritage site, is a home of more than 2500 one horned rhinoceros and around 1500 frontline forest employee are engaged in the park to protect the animals including rhinos. But the frontline staff have faced lot of problems. So we urged to the Union minister to take necessary action to set up a forest cantonment in Kaziranga National Park for the frontline staff, where their families can be accommodated along with education and health facilities, Rajen Saikia said.





Rajen Saikia further said that, various issues related with the forest employee were also discussed with the Union minister.





On the other hand, a meeting of all states associations, organisations of forest department with the Director General of Forest and Secretary of Ministry of Environment and Climate Change was held at Paryawan Bhawan in New Delhi on December 20.





The officials and members of near about 15 states forest employee associations including Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Punjab, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Haryana, Mizoram, Uttar Pradesh were present in the meeting.




A body has been found in the search for Sophia Airey (Andrew Milligan/PA)

A womans body has been found in the search for a missing 29-year-old.

An appeal was launched after Sophia Airey did not return to her home in Edina Street, in the Leith area of Edinburgh, on Wednesday night.

Expand Close Sophia Airey did not return to her Edinburgh home on Wednesday (Police Scotland/PA) / Facebook

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Whatsapp Sophia Airey did not return to her Edinburgh home on Wednesday (Police Scotland/PA)

Police Scotland said a member of the public discovered the body in the South Queensferry area, west of the capital, at around 9.45am on Saturday.

Formal identification has not yet taken place, however officers said Ms Aireys family have been informed and will be kept updated on the progress of their inquiry.
The vessel, in the Thames Estuary, will now be brought to the Port of Tilbury (Victoria Jones/PA)

Four men have been detained under the Immigration Act after police boarded a cargo ship amid reports of stowaways threatening crew.

Essex Police said the vessel, in the Thames Estuary, was boarded at around 11pm on Friday and was taken to the Port of Tilbury in Essex.

It arrived at just after 4.20am on Saturday, according to MarineTraffic.com.

The ships operator, Grimaldi Lines, said four stowaways had been found on board and were armed with iron tubes.

We have now secured a vessel in the #ThamesEstuary.



Four men have been detained under the Immigration Act. pic.twitter.com/KLfTHzKtXG  Essex Police (@EssexPoliceUK) December 22, 2018

They were said to be calling on the crew to navigate closer to the coast.

The force was called at around 9.15am on Friday relating to the safety of the crew on board the Grande Tema, a 71,000-tonne ship which set off from Lagos, Nigeria, on December 10.

Paul Kyprianou, a spokesman for Grimaldi Lines, told Sky News on Friday morning: We found four stowaways on the vessel.

The vessel was coming from Nigeria and was bound to Tilbury, and those four stowaways were in the cabin, and today they managed to escape from the cabin and they started threatening the crew, requesting the master of the vessel navigating very close to the coast.

That request was probably because they wanted to jump and reach the British coast.

The crew reacted and they locked themselves in the bridge of the vessel and so they are safe, we havent had any injuries.

The force said the ship was secure and there were no reports of injuries.
A police officer remains on duty outside a home in Auckland Close, Crawley, West Sussex which has been searched in connection with the drone incident at Gatwick airport. (Dominic Lipinski / PA)

Labour has called for an independent inquiry after accusing the Government of failing to act on the risks posed by drones at Gatwick Airport.

Shadow transport secretary Andy McDonald claimed there were missed opportunities to prevent the airport from coming under such an attack.

It comes as detectives continue to question a man and a woman over the chaos, which affected around 140,000 passengers this week.

Mr McDonald said: The Government was repeatedly warned about the risks posed by drones to aviation but failed to act.

The delay in bringing forward legislation is indicative of this Governments failure to concentrate on the day-to-day business in front of them. They have taken their eye off the ball.

The scale of disruption is unacceptable and it demands that we find out how this was allowed to happen, which is why Labour are calling for an independent inquiry.

Expand Close Andy McDonald, Shadow secretary of State for Transport, has called for an inquiry (Danny Lawson/PA) PA Archive/PA Images / Facebook

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Whatsapp Andy McDonald, Shadow secretary of State for Transport, has called for an inquiry (Danny Lawson/PA)

On Saturday, the Times reported that Transport Secretary Chris Grayling had shelved plans to introduce legislation amid pressure on his department, with civil servants being diverted to prepare for Brexit.

But a Department for Transport spokesman said the claims were a combination of nonsense and gross misrepresentation.

He added: The drones at Gatwick have been flown illegally. The Government changed the law this year to make it illegal to fly drones within 1,000 meters of an airport or above 400 feet. The law couldnt be any more clear.

Sussex Police said the 47-year-old man and 54-year-old woman were arrested at about 10pm on Friday.

The pair are being held on suspicion of disrupting services of civil aviation aerodrome to endanger or likely to endanger safety of operations or persons.

A house in Crawley  less than five miles away from the airport  was searched on Saturday, while Superintendent James Collis said investigations are ongoing.

Our activities at the airport continue to build resilience to detect and mitigate further incursions from drones, by deploying a range of tactics, he said.

We continue to urge the public, passengers and the wider community around Gatwick to be vigilant and support us by contacting us immediately if they believe they have any information that can help us in bringing those responsible to justice.

The arrests we have made are a result of our determination to keep the public safe from harm. Every line of inquiry will remain open to us until we are confident that we have mitigated further threats to the safety of passengers.

Around 1,000 flights were cancelled or diverted after drones were spotted inside the perimeter of the UKs second biggest airport on Wednesday.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said his party would continue with Brexit if it won a snap general election in the new year.

The opposition leader told the Guardian he would go back and negotiate and see what the timetable would be with Brussels if Theresa May triggered a vote and lost, thrusting his party into power.

Meanwhile, Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd has said European Commission president Jean-Claude Junckers behaviour towards women has been grotesque after the former Luxembourg prime minister played with a womans hair at a European Council meeting.

I dont want to be told by somebody else that we cant use state aid in order to be able to develop industry in this country

Mr Corbyn told the paper that he would advocate Brexit if there was a second referendum on the issue, and attacked the bloc over its rules on state aid and competition.

He told the Guardian: I think the state aid rules do need to be looked at again, because quite clearly, if you want to regenerate an economy, as we would want to do in government, then I dont want to be told by somebody else that we cant use state aid in order to be able to develop industry in this country.

Asked about Labours position if there was a fresh popular vote, he told the paper: It would be a matter for the party to decide what the policy would be; but my proposal at this moment is that we go forward, trying to get a customs union with the EU, in which we would be able to be proper trading partners.

Expand Close Theresa May at the European Council in Brussels apparently berating Jean-Claude Juncker for suggesting that her message on Brexit had been nebulous'(European Commission) Press Association Images / Facebook

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Whatsapp Theresa May at the European Council in Brussels apparently berating Jean-Claude Juncker for suggesting that her message on Brexit had been nebulous'(European Commission)

Ms Rudd, who backed Remain in the referendum, launched a scathing attack on Mr Juncker, labelling him ghastly.

Mr Juncker and Mrs May were caught on camera having a robust discussion the day after Mr Juncker used a press conference to describe her negotiating strategy as nebulous.

Ms Rudd replaced Esther McVey at the Department for Work and Pensions a month ago, having been sacked as Home Secretary over the Windrush scandal.

In a wide-ranging interview, which will fuel speculation she has leadership ambitions, the Hastings MP was asked about Mr Juncker.

She said: (Hes) ghastly. What I minded before that were those pictures of the way he was holding the Prime Minister. I did not like that.

Discussing the indecent on his arrival at the European Council meeting, she added: Its grotesque. I mean, if that happened in our Parliament, I hope there would be a formal complaint.

When I used to go the EU for meetings, I often had a terrible cold to insist that I didnt get enveloped in a bear hug.
If youre wondering what YouTube channel Bad Lip Reading does, the clue is in the name.

The channel has garnered over a billion views on the social media site with its creative voice-overs, which re-imagine what people were saying in footage ranging from classic films to sporting occasions.

The latest foray is into the world of tech giant Apple, whose grand and popular product launches have been given a surreal and entertaining makeover.

The video sees footage of Apple CEO Tim Cook and Craig Federighi, the companys senior vice-president of software engineering, previewing a variety of nonsensical products.

From Apple Wings, branded chicken wings, to the Lickamaforbus, a plant-based guitar that is definitely not a sex toy, the dubbing is disturbingly accurate.

Previous Bad Lip Reading editions include talks with political figures, such as one in which Hillary Clinton shares some fantastical tales.

US president Donald Trump has also been a frequent character, with moments ranging from the day of his inauguration to his summit with North Koreas Kim Jong-Un.
A shutdown happens when Congress or the president fail to fund the federal government (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Disputes over spending, immigration and healthcare have triggered shutdowns of the US federal government in recent years.

Now disagreements over President Donald Trumps long-promised border wall are threatening to trigger a partial shutdown.

Here is a look at recent government shutdowns:

Clinton and Gingrichs contract with America

November 14-19, 1995

Expand Close Bill Clinton vetoed a resolution to temporarily fund the government in 1995 (Neil Munns/PA) PA Archive/PA Images / Facebook

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Republicans wielding their Contract with America gained control of both the Senate and House for the first time since 1954 and Georgias Newt Gingrich was elected House speaker. Democratic president Bill Clinton, after the congressional midterm drubbing for his party, was dealing with the new world order.

Emboldened Republicans were intent on remaking Medicare, Medicaid, welfare and dozens of other programmes while also cutting taxes. Mr Clinton vetoed a resolution to temporarily fund the government because of the Medicare premium increases it contained.

After five days, a deal was reached to end the shutdown, but only for a few weeks so that negotiations could take place on the various spending bills funding the government for the remainder of the fiscal year. An estimated 800,000 workers went without pay, though they would get paid retrospectively, which is the historical practice.

Shutdown round two and plane snub

December 16, 1995-January 6, 1996

The Republican-led Congress and Mr Clinton were still at odds on six of that years spending bills when the short-term fix ending the first shutdown expired. An estimated 280,000 federal workers were furloughed. They eventually agreed to spending plans that enacted some of the cuts Republicans wanted, though less than they had originally sought.

Republicans took a political hit for the shutdown, which closed national parks and Smithsonian museums.

Undercutting the Republicans was Mr Gingrichs comment that the hard-line stance in negotiations was due in part to how Mr Clinton and aides treated him and Senate Republican leader Bob Dole on an Air Force One flight.

Mr Gingrich complained that Mr Clinton did not discuss the budget on the return trip from Israel, where they had attended the funeral of Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin. Mr Gingrich also complained about having to exit through a back door on the plane.

Green Eggs And Ham

October 1-17, 2013

Republicans who controlled the House and several Republican senators targeted Democratic president Barack Obamas healthcare law. Democrats who held the majority in the Senate made clear the effort was futile.

The shutdown was sparked when House Republicans insisted that a temporary funding bill contain changes in the health law, the Affordable Care Act, and Mr Obama refused.

Senator Ted Cruz helped inspire the effort when he spoke on the Senate floor for 21 hours and 19 minutes in urging Congress to cut off money for Mr Obamas health care law. To fill some of the hours  and provide a bedtime story for his two young daughters  Mr Cruz read Dr Seusss book Green Eggs And Ham. But even some Republicans thought the effort was a mistake. Senator Richard Burr called it the dumbest idea Ive ever heard.

The shutdown sent approval of the Republicans plummeting in opinion polls. Senate leaders brokered an agreement after the House was unable to coalesce around a Republican-only approach.

Negotiating with Jell-O

January 20-22, 2018

Expand Close Chuck Schumer complained about Donald Trump agreeing to something in person then tweeting something different (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) AP/PA Images / Facebook

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Weeks of haggling between the White House and congressional Democrats focused largely on immigration issues, with Democrats pushing for protections for Dreamers who came to the US as small children. Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer repeatedly complained about Mr Trump agreeing to something face-to-face and then saying or tweeting something completely different. Mr Schumer said dealing with Mr Trump was like negotiating with Jell-O.

The shutdown lasted just short of three full days, starting on a Friday night and ending the following Monday when Democrats dropped their demands in exchange for a promise from Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell that he would address the immigration issue in the coming weeks. The deal was largely unpopular among Democratic voters, who blamed their representatives for caving in too easily.

One-man shutdown

February 9, 2018

Republican senator Rand Paul of Kentucky single-handedly triggered the shortest shutdown in history with a filibuster that forced the Senate to miss a midnight deadline to approve a spending deal that Mr Paul regarded as wasteful.

As a result, the government technically ran out of money at 12.01am that Friday. But Congress members worked through the night and approved the bill at roughly 5.30am the same day, allowing the government to function normally with no interruptions.




Guwahati, Dec 22 : A 12-member team of officers from Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) visited Headquarters Eastern Command, Kolkata on December 21-22.





Maj General Deng Zhiping, Deputy Chief of Staff, Western Theatre Command, was the delegation leader and the team was also accompanied by the Defence Attache and Assistant Defence Attache of China in India.





During the day long visit the team carried out interaction and held discussion on various subjects of mutual concern.





A guided tour of Fort William as well as place of local interest like Victoria Memorial and Indian Museum was also arranged for the visiting officers.




US troops have been in Afghanistan since the invasion in 2001 (AP)

The Taliban has welcomed news of the US plan to withdraw half its troops from Afghanistan by the summer, as Afghan generals warned it would be a blow to the morale of the countrys beleaguered security forces.

The announcement seems certain to complicate efforts to reach a peace deal, mostly because it gives the Taliban leverage by allowing them to hold off until a total US withdrawal, or step up their demands over a weakened Afghan government.

Afghanistans security forces rely heavily on US air power against both the Taliban and an upstart Islamic State affiliate, and Afghan military officials noted the announcement by the Trump administration comes as the countrys security is at its worst since 2014.

A complete withdrawal of US forces would very likely cause the Taliban to make gains in key areas throughout Afghanistan.Bill Roggio, Afghanistan expert

In that year, more than 100,000 Nato troops pulled out of the country and handed off security to Afghans. The US and Nato retreated into a training and advising role.

Bill Roggio, an Afghanistan analyst with the US-based Foundation for Defence of Democracies, said: A complete withdrawal of US forces would very likely cause the Taliban to make gains in key areas throughout Afghanistan.

This likely would cause the general collapse of the (Afghan National Security and Defence Force) as a cohesive fighting force and lead to the return of the warlords.

But the Taliban said the withdrawal could in fact assist peace efforts by helping to build trust.

Expand Close (PA Graphics) Press Association Images / Facebook

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President Donald Trump considers the war in Afghanistan a lost cause and has long pushed to pull the troops out. His decision was made public a mere few hours after he abruptly announced the US was withdrawing troops from Syria.

Mr Trumps state of mind is sure to have given a sense of urgency to US peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad, who has been working to reach a negotiated end to Americas longest war and has been pushing for a deal by April.

In an interview with Afghanistans TOLO TV on Thursday  hours before the withdrawal plans were announced  he noted Mr Trump had campaigned for president on a promise to end the Afghan war, which has already cost Americans nearly 1 trillion US dollars. More than 2,400 American soldiers have died in Afghanistan since the 2001 invasion.

A Taliban official said the announcement is a positive step which could lead to trust building that the US wants a political solution.

But there is no sign the Taliban are ready to move on the two major sticking points: Direct talks with the Afghan government and a ceasefire while the two sides negotiate Mr Khalilzads so-called roadmap for the future of Afghanistan.

Expand Close Zalmay Khalilzad has been trying to reach a peace settlement in Afghanistan (Rafiq Maqbool/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook

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Whatsapp Zalmay Khalilzad has been trying to reach a peace settlement in Afghanistan (Rafiq Maqbool/AP)

Peace talks aside, the announced withdrawal has Afghan generals and analysts worried about the ability of the beleaguered Afghan National Afghan Security Force to stave off a Taliban insurgency unfettered by US troops and their pounding air power.

The Taliban are already stronger today than they have been since they were ousted in 2001, controlling or holding sway over nearly half the country.

Several high ranking Afghan military officials said the morale of Afghanistans under-trained and poorly equipped security forces is already at a dangerously low ebb. The troops routinely complain about reinforcements that arrive too late, equipment that fails and even running out of food.

The officials called Americas withdrawal a defeat, comparing it to the US evacuation from Vietnam and Russias 1989 forced withdrawal from Afghanistan that capped a failed 10-year campaign.
Donald Trump said the government was totally prepared for a very long shutdown (Evan Vucci/AP)

The US government has partially shut down after Democrats refused to meet President Donald Trumps demands for five billion dollars to start erecting his Mexican border wall.

Vice President Mike Pence, Mr Trumps son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner and White House budget chief Mick Mulvaney left the Capitol late on Friday after hours of bargaining with congressional leaders produced no apparent compromise.

We dont have a deal. Were still talking, Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby told reporters.

Late on Friday, Mr Mulvaney sent agency heads a memorandum telling them to execute plans for an orderly shutdown.

He wrote that administration officials were hopeful that this lapse in appropriations will be of short duration  an expectation that was widely shared.

With negotiations expected to continue, the House and Senate both scheduled rare Saturday sessions. House members were told they would get 24 hours notice before a vote.

The gridlock blocks money for nine of 15 Cabinet-level departments and dozens of agencies, including the departments of Homeland Security, Transportation, Interior, Agriculture, State and Justice.

The lack of funds will disrupt many government operations and the routines of 800,000 federal employees.

Roughly 420,000 workers were deemed essential and will work unpaid just days before Christmas, while 380,000 will be given a leave of absence, meaning they will stay home without pay.

Expand Close Vice President Mike Pence with Jared Kushner and Mick Mulvaney as they depart for the night without a bill that would pay for President Donald Trumps border wall a (Alex Brandon/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook

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Whatsapp Vice President Mike Pence with Jared Kushner and Mick Mulvaney as they depart for the night without a bill that would pay for President Donald Trumps border wall a (Alex Brandon/AP)

Those being given leave of absence include nearly everyone at Nasa and 52,000 workers at the Internal Revenue Service. About eight in 10 employees of the National Park Service will stay home and many parks were expected to close.

The Senate passed legislation ensuring workers will receive back pay, which the House seemed sure to approve.

Some agencies, including the Pentagon and the departments of Veterans Affairs and Health and Human Services, were already funded for the year in agreements reached earlier, and they will operate as usual.

The US Postal Service, busy delivering packages for the holiday season, will not be affected because it is an independent agency. Troops will remain on duty and food inspections will continue.

Also still functioning will be the FBI, the Border Patrol and the Coast Guard. Transportation Security Administration officers will continue to staff airport checkpoints and air traffic controllers will also remain at work.

Mr Trump has openly savoured a shutdown over the wall for months, saying last week he would be proud to have one and saying on Friday he was totally prepared for a very long closure.

While many of Congress most conservative Republicans were welcoming such a confrontation, most Republican politicians have wanted to avoid one, since polling shows the public broadly opposes the wall and a shutdown over it.

Looking for a way to claim victory, Mr Trump said he would accept money for a Steel Slat Barrier with spikes on the top, which he said would be just as effective as a wall and at the same time beautiful.

Mr Trump called Republican senators to the White House on Friday morning, but Republicans said afterwards that the session did not produce a strategy.

Early this week, the Senate approved a bipartisan deal keeping government open into February and providing 1.3 billion dollars (1.03 billion) for border security projects but not the wall.

In a Republican victory on Thursday, the House rebelled and approved a package temporarily financing the government but also providing 5.7 billion dollars (4.51 billion) for the border wall.

On Friday afternoon, a Senate procedural vote showed that Republicans lacked the 60 votes they would need to force that measure through their chamber. That jump-started negotiations between Congress and the White House.

The White House said Mr Trump did not go to Florida on Friday as planned for the Christmas holiday.
I went to prison this week! Not for crimes which I had done but to attend the graduation of 45 men from college. Through The Global Prison Seminaries Foundation, founded by my friend, Burl Cain former warden of Angola Prison in Louisiana, these men had the opportunity to graduate with a four-year degree and it came with all the pomp and circumstance of a full-blown graduation. Members of the faculty and Provost and President came in full regalia and gave speeches. The graduates were in cap and gown  two gave their testimonies: where they had been  they are serving 15-to-life sentences  but, their lives are changed. You could see the transformation in their faces.

And their families sitting off to the side were beaming with pride. I am sure several mothers never dreamed shed see her son graduate with a 4-year degree in Christian Ministry. All the long nights of tears and hours sitting in a courtroomWhat did she feel? Pride? Relief? Joy?

Their sentences were not shortened or commuted or pardoned. Those circumstances are the same. They are still incarcerated. but now they will be sent to other prisons as missionaries to minister to other prisoners. Their transformation does not depend on their circumstances.

At Christmas, we speak of transformation. The heavens were transformed with an angelic host proclaiming Good news of great joy. A teenaged virgin was transformed into the mother of God. The simple, humble shepherds were transformed into evangelists. The kings from the East, so used to being honored, were transformed into gift-bearers. Indeed, our very world-history was forever changed. This babys birth changed everything. We divide our calendar with BC  before Christ and AD  anno Domini since Christ was born. (Yes, I know they are trying to change that, too.)

Johns Gospel tells us, And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us What a transformation! No longer was the Word from on High  it was here, in the flesh. It walked among us. It was real. Because of Gods willingness to transform Himself into a baby we can be transformed into His likeness just like those graduates!

That is good news of great joy!
Six militants who were suspected members of an al-Qaeda cell in Indian Kashmir were killed in a gunfight with security forces on Saturday in south Kashmir, police said.



Hours after the gunfight in Tral town of Pulwama district, other suspected militants attacked security forces in Anantanag district, injuring five security personnel.



Saturdays violence came a day after two soldiers were killed in a sniper attack by Pakistan army forces from across the Line of Control in north Kashmirs Kupwara district, defense officials said.



Police termed the killing of militants on Saturday as a major blow to the militant group.



All six militants hiding in a hide-out in an orchard were gunned down during a brief gun battle. It is indeed a major blow to the terror group, superintendent of police, Awantipora Mohammad Zahid, told BenarNews. Officials said the militants were members of the terror outfit Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind, al-Qaedas cell in Kashmir.



We had credible inputs about the presence of militants in an orchard and when they opened fire on the security forces, a gun battle followed resulting in the killing of six militants, he added.

Police identified one of militants as Sohila Mohammad Akhoon, a close aide of Kashmirs most wanted terrorist Zakir Musa. Musa heads Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind.

After the shootout, hundreds of civilians took the streets in Tral town, clashing with government forces in several locations, according to the Associated Press. No injuries were reported as a result of the clashes.



Muslim-majority Kashmir has grappled with a separatist insurgency that has killed more than 70,000 people since the late 1980s. The Himalayan territory is claimed in its entirety by both India and Pakistan, who have fought two wars over it.



Al-Qaeda established Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind in Indian Kashmir in July 2017, police said.
A representative of the ruling Awami League denied Friday that the Bangladesh government was involved in spreading fake news on accounts and pages recently disabled by Facebook.

Asked about allegations made in a Facebook statement Thursday, H.T. Imam, a political adviser to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and co-chair of her partys election steering committee, declined to answer and referred the question to a junior Awami leader.

We have no links with these accounts. We do not have any intention to launch any propaganda against anyone. We do not know who ran these accounts, Biplob Barua told reporters at the Election Commission in Dhaka.

Our leader Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has no Facebook account. But you will find many fake accounts in her name, he said, adding that the Awami League was the worst victim of misinformation spread on Facebook.

Facebook said Thursday that the Bangladesh government appeared to be linked to imposter news sites, which had been posting anti-opposition content ahead of a looming general election.

The social media giant said it had shut down nine pages and six accounts on its Bangladesh platform after discovering they purported to be reputable news sites like bdnews24 or the BBC Bengali service, among others.

[T]hese pages were designed to look like independent news outlets and posted pro-government and anti-opposition content. Our investigation indicates that this activity is linked to individuals associated with the Bangladesh government, said a statement by Facebook cybersecurity policy chief Nathaniel Gleicher.

Last month, BenarNews reported that clones of leading news and information sites including Prothom Alo and BDFactCheck.com were being used to spread fake content. The sites typically contained real news stories as well as false ones, and a single extra character in the URL.

Bangladesh officials said at the time that they were moving to shut down such sites.

I have come to know about it. I have also visited some fake websites. No doubt, this is a crime, Information and Telecommunications Minister Mustafa Jabbar told BenarNews.

Election violence

More than 100 million Bangladeshi voters are eligible to vote in the Dec. 30 general election, the first contested polls since 2008, in which 299 parliamentary seats are up for grabs. Hasina is seeking an unprecedented fourth term in office. She ran unopposed in 2014.

Her longtime rival, Khaleda Zia of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, is in jail on corruption convictions. Opposition candidates allege they are being subjected to arrests and attacks.

On Thursday, BNP leaders lodged complaints about violence at the Election Commission in Dhaka, and alleged that 16 opposition candidates had been arrested under false pretenses.

The ruling party armed goons have been carrying out targeted attacks on the candidates of the BNP and the National Unity Front, joint secretary general Moazzem Hossain Alal told BenarNews, referring to a coalition partner of the BNP.

They carried out at least 150 attacks. The aim of the attacks is to intimidate our leaders and activists and the voters, he said.

But in a statement Thursday, the government blamed opposition factions for political violence, saying that two Awami members had been killed and another 72 injured since campaigning began earlier this month.

Describing intense violence that took place during the 2014 election, and blaming the BNP for attacks that killed more than 200 people at that time, it said authorities were now arresting individuals with outstanding warrants for serious crimes.

At least 115 incidents of violence have taken place around Bangladesh since campaigning began on Dec. 10, and three people have been killed, according to Bangladesh media reports.
A man on stilts walks outside the Elections Commission as he joins others in showing support for polical candidates in Manila, Oct. 17, 2018.

An outgoing member of the House of Representatives who was an ally of President Rodrigo Duterte was shot and killed Saturday in what appears to be politically related violence ahead of next years election, police said.

Rep. Rodel Batocabe, 52, and a police security escort were attacked during a gift-giving program for the elderly in the eastern province of Albay, local police spokesman Mayvell Gonzales.

In a report, Gonzales said Batocabe suffered several gunshots to the head and torso. He and the escort were pronounced dead at a hospital.

Police do not know the motive but said it could be related to the upcoming election. Batocabe was campaigning for mayor after serving three terms as congressman.

Batocabe, who defended Dutertes drug war that left thousands dead, is the highest ranking public official slain so far in a rash of killings in the lead up to the May vote. The Philippines is to elect half of the 24-seat Senate, 297 seats in the House of Representatives and about 18,000 local offices across the country.

Last week, a candidate for vice mayor in northern Pangasinan province was killed just a few steps from a church, while last month, two people including a vice mayor, were killed in an ambush.

House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, a former president, condemned the killing of Batocabe, who she said was an ally and a friend.

Nothing can justify his murder and that of his police aide, she said in a brief statement. I call on our law enforcement agencies to conduct a speedy and thorough investigation to bring all those behind this dastardly act to justice.

Majority Floor Leader Rolando Andaya said he was shocked by the violence.

I share the outrage, the pain and the shock of my fellow Bicolanos over the death of my friend and colleague Rodel Batocabe. He was a man of peace and a visionary for progress, said Andaya, who comes from the same region.

The laws he had authored and the programs he had initiated will continue to make a difference in the lives of the people he had selflessly served long after he is gone, he said. That he was cowardly assassinated while spreading cheer in this season of forgiveness betrays the evil nature of the perpetrators.

Duterte spokesman Salvador Penelo said the president extended his condolences to the relatives of the slain congressman, and vowed no stone will be left unturned in the investigation.

Proper authorities are now investigating this brazen murder, he said.

Two weeks ago, Duterte warned candidates about rising election-related violence and said the attacks were terrorizing people.




By NJ Thakuria





Guwahati: Journalists Forum Assam (JFA) expresses concern over the detention of Imphal based television anchor Kishore Chandra Wangkhem under the National Security Act (NSA) and demands his immediate release. However, the Assam based scribes body urges everyone, including the working journalists, to be careful while making crude comments in the social media.





Wangkhem used to work as a news anchor in a local cable channel and was arrested by the Manipur police on 21 November after he uploaded a video comment in the alternate media condemning the governments in Imphal and New Delhi. Wangkhem even criticised the ruling Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) for celebrating the birth anniversary of Jhansis Queen Rani Lakshmibai in Manipur and used derogatory words against the BJPs ideologue Rashtrya Swayamsevak Sangh.





Wangkhem was released on bail on 25 November by the local court, but soon he was rearrested and this time under the harsh act which might put him behind bars for 12 months unless the higher court intervenes on his detention. Notably, the young journalist was arrested by the police in last August in a similar case and was released after the intervention of local journalists.




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WASHINGTON. Dec 22: A partial federal shutdown took hold early Saturday after Democrats refused to meet President Donald Trumps demands for $5 billion to start erecting his cherished Mexican border wall, a chaotic postscript for Republicans in the waning days of their two-year reign controlling government.





Vice President Mike Pence, Trump son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner and White House budget chief Mick Mulvaney left the Capitol late Friday after hours of bargaining with congressional leaders produced no apparent compromise. We dont have a deal. Were still talking, Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby, R-Ala., told reporters.





Late Friday, Mulvaney sent agency heads a memorandum telling them to execute plans for an orderly shutdown. He wrote that administration officials were hopeful that this lapse in appropriations will be of short duration  an expectation that was widely shared.





With negotiations expected to continue, the House and Senate both scheduled rare Saturday sessions. House members were told theyd get 24 hours notice before a vote.





The gridlock blocks money for nine of 15 Cabinet-level departments and dozens of agencies, including the departments of Homeland Security, Transportation, Interior, Agriculture, State and Justice. The lack of funds will disrupt many government operations and the routines of 800,000 federal employees. Roughly 420,000 workers were deemed essential and will work unpaid just days before Christmas, while 380,000 will be furloughed, meaning theyll stay home without pay.





Those being furloughed include nearly everyone at NASA and 52,000 workers at the Internal Revenue Service. About 8 in 10 employees of the National Park Service will stay home and many parks were expected to close.





The Senate passed legislation ensuring workers will receive back pay, which the House seemed sure to approve.





Some agencies, including the Pentagon and the departments of Veterans Affairs and Health and Human Services, were already funded for the year in agreements reached earlier, and they will operate as usual.





The U.S. Postal Service, busy delivering packages for the holiday season, will not be affected because its an independent agency. Social Security checks will still be mailed, troops will remain on duty and food inspections will continue.Also still functioning will be the FBI, the Border Patrol and the Coast Guard. Transportation Security Administration officers will continue to staff airport checkpoints and air traffic controllers will also remain at work.





Trump has openly savored a shutdown over the wall for months, saying last week hed be proud to have one and saying Friday he was totally prepared for a very long closure. While many of Congress most conservative Republicans were welcoming such a confrontation, most GOP lawmakers have wanted to avoid one, since polling shows the public broadly opposes the wall and a shutdown over it.





Initial Republican reaction to the shutdown was muted. Among the few GOP lawmakers who issued statements as it began were Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, who expressed disappointment at the lack of a deal, and Lamar Alexander of Tennessee. This is a complete failure of negotiations and a success for no one, Alexander said.





Instead of honoring his responsibility to the American people, President Trump threw a temper tantrum and convinced House Republicans to push our nation into a destructive Trump Shutdown in the middle of the holiday season, said a joint statement by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.





Despite saying last week hed not blame Democrats for the closure, Trump and his GOP allies spent the last two days blaming Democrats anyway. Trump said now was the time for Congress to provide taxpayers money for the wall, even though hes said repeatedly that Mexico will pay for it  something that country has repeatedly rebuffed.





This is our only chance that well ever have, in our opinion, because of the world and the way it breaks out, to get great border security, Trump said Friday. Democrats will take control of the House January 3, and they oppose major funding for wall construction.





Looking for a way to claim victory, Trump said he would accept money for a Steel Slat Barrier with spikes on the top, which he said would be just as effective as a wall and at the same time beautiful.





Trump called GOP senators to the White House Friday morning, but Republicans said afterward that the session did not produce a strategy.





Early this week, the Senate approved a bipartisan deal keeping government open into February and providing $1.3 billion for border security projects but not the wall. In a GOP victory Thursday, the House rebelled and approved a package temporarily financing the government but also providing $5.7 billion for the border wall.





Friday afternoon, a Senate procedural vote showed that Republicans lacked the 60 votes theyd need to force that measure through their chamber. That jump-started negotiations between Congress and the White House.





Republicans conceded that one of their biggest hurdles was Trumps legendary unpredictability and proclivity for abruptly changing his mind.





The biggest problem is, we just dont know what the president will sign, said Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz.




PR Newswire

WILLMAR, Minn., Dec. 21, 2018

WILLMAR, Minn., Dec. 21, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Jennie-O Turkey Store has voluntarily recalled an additional amount of raw ground turkey products. Information for consumers is available on the Jennie-O Turkey Store website at https://www.jennieo.com/content/ground-turkey-recall.

The recall only includes fresh raw ground turkey with expiration date of 11/12/2018 or 11/13/2018 and is no longer in stores. Please note, no other Jennie-O varieties, other packaging configurations, or code dates are included in this recall.

Important Information for Consumers - Safely Handling Raw Poultry Products

Jennie-O Turkey Store facilities are USDA inspected on a daily basis and meet all USDA regulations for food safety. Scientific and food safety experts, along with the government, point to a high probability that consumers are failing to employ important food safety steps when handling raw turkey.

As the USDA cited in its release, "FSIS and our public health partners, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state public health officials, are investigating a Salmonella Reading outbreak. Please note that FSIS is continuing to investigate illnesses associated with this widespread outbreak, and additional product from other companies may also be recalled. Salmonella is prevalent and can be present in raw poultry and meat  no raw poultry or meat is sterile." The FSIS and CDC also reiterated that, "consumers can protect themselves now and in the future by ALWAYS cooking their turkey, and other poultry products thoroughly, to a safe internal temperature of 165 degrees, as measured using a food thermometer. The cooking process kills the Salmonella. No one should be eating partially cooked or raw turkey. Additionally, it is essential that people wash their hands after handling raw poultry, meat, and pet food to avoid cross contamination."

It is important to note that ground turkey is perfectly safe to eat when handled and prepared properly, following the instructions on all Jennie-O product packaging. Consumers can avoid illness associated with Salmonella, including Salmonella Reading, by following the instructions on the packaging.

The issue of illness associated with exposure to Salmonella and the need for proper handling and preparation is not specific to Jennie-O Turkey Store. Salmonella is commonly found in a wide variety of raw foods including ground beef, fruits and vegetables and other products.

"The safe food handling procedures we teach the next generation of chefs are exactly the same as when food is prepared in the home," said Brad Barnes, Certified Master Chef and Director of CIA Consulting, a division of The Culinary Institute of America. "It is so important to avoid cross contamination by keeping raw and cooked food separate. Additionally, frequent and thorough hand washing, as well as sanitizing of all cooking utensils, are two of the most effective methods of preventing contamination."

"Raw meats, including turkey, are safe to eat once they have been cooked thoroughly," said Ron DeSantis, Certified Master Chef and former faculty and administrator at the Culinary Institute of America and former head of dining at Yale University. "Do not handle ready-to-eat food with bare hands and keep hands away from possible sources of contamination  face, hair, eyes and mouth. Always thaw food under refrigeration and put leftovers in the refrigerator within two hours after serving. Lastly, using clean and sanitized tools and equipment are food safety practices and should be done frequently and throughout food preparation and service."

The National Turkey Federation has also commented on preventing illness from Salmonella on its website by noting that consumers " can rest easy knowing they have ultimate control in the fight against foodborne illness."

Statement from Jennie-O President, Steve Lykken:

"We have been working with others in the industry on the issue of Salmonella Reading for some time. Given the fact that there are only a few sources of turkey inputs such as eggs, turkeys and genetic stock to the majority of large turkey companies in the industry, we know this is a much bigger issue that will require the entire industry to eradicate this strain from the turkey supply. From a Jennie-O standpoint, we have enacted new processes in our operations including vaccinating our turkeys to protect from Salmonella, improved on farm practices and banning Salmonella Reading eggs, turkeys and genetic stock from a provider known to be positive for Salmonella Reading. Unfortunately, Salmonella Reading may continue to be found throughout the industry until all companies take the steps necessary to eliminate it from the system. Having said that, while this specific strain has been in the news lately, Salmonella has been in existence for centuries. The turkey industry has been working together for many years to reduce Salmonella. Despite these efforts, this particular Salmonella strain can be found in 29 different manufacturing plants from 19 different companies, according to government agencies.

We know the issue of Salmonella isn't specific to us, and to that end, we plan on continuing our leadership role in the effort to reduce Salmonella and educate consumers on how to safely handle and prepare raw turkey and are calling on others in the industry to do the same. We will continue to collaborate on industry best practices with our peers in the turkey industry.

As always, turkey remains safe to consume when handled and prepared properly. Jennie-O has information available on its website with step-by-step instructions on how to safely prepare and enjoy turkey."

Steve LykkenPresident, Jennie-O Turkey Store

Jennie-O Turkey Store has published four simple steps to stay safe. There are more great tips for our consumers at https://www.jennieo.com/content/four-easy-steps to make sure their turkey meals are prepared safely and taste delicious.

Information on the recall:

If consumers have any questions about this recall or about cooking raw turkey, they can contact our consumer engagement team at https://www.jennieo.com/contactus, or at 1.800.621.3505, today (December 21) until 8 pm CT and this Saturday and Sunday 9 am  5 pm CT. Monday - Friday 8 am  4 pm CT, with the exception of December 25, when our offices will be closed.

These code dates of ground turkey are no longer available in stores.

No additional Jennie-O products other than these code dates are involved in the recall and are safe to consume when cooked properly.

Products affected:

The raw ground turkey products items were produced on October 22 and 23, 2018. The following products are subject to recall:

States where the affected product was shipped: AZ, CA, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, LA, MI, MN, MO, NM, NV, OH, OK, TX, WI.

Here's everything you need to know to see if your Ground Turkey is part of the recall.

Step 1: Verify that your product is one of the listed varieties.

Step 2: Check the lower left corner of the front of the package or the side of the tray and verify the establishment number is P579. If the establishment is not P579 the product is not part of the recall and is safe to consume.

Step 3: Turn the product on its side. The production code information is on the side of the sleeve.

Step 4: You can either return it to the store where purchased for an exchange or contact our Consumer Engagement team at https://www.jennieo.com/contactus or 1.800.621.3505, today until 8 pm CT and this Saturday and Sunday 9 am  5 pm CT. Monday - Friday 8 am  4 pm CT, with the exception of December 25, when our offices will be closed.

As a reminder, the CDC is advising that consumers can continue to eat properly cooked turkey products, and that retailers continue selling raw turkey products.

Lastly, the National Turkey Federation is a great resource for more on this topic and has information at http://www.eatturkey.com/.

Contact: [email protected]

View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/jennie-o-turkey-store-provides-additional-information-on-limited-voluntary-recall-of-164-210-pounds-of-raw-ground-turkey-products-300770459.html

SOURCE Jennie-O Turkey Store
PR Newswire

AUSTIN, Texas, Dec. 21, 2018

AUSTIN, Texas, Dec. 21, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The 36+ hour drone-caused shutdown of Gatwick Airport has affected over 120,000 travelers, with costs expected to run into the millions of dollars. Gatwick Airport alone is estimated to have lost over $570,000 (450,000) in revenue. In fact, Drones of Prey, an Austin, TX based counter-drone security start up, says that this is the most impactful drone-based incident the civilian space has ever seen.

"It didn't need to happen like this," says Michael Cohen, CEO of Drones of Prey. "Places like airports, stadiums, and critical infrastructure sites, those most at risk, often have a distinct lack of reliable solutions at their disposal. There are systems available that could have tracked these drone flights, determined points of origin, and even helped to catch the people involved. Hopefully this can serve as a bit of a wakeup call to sites like Gatwick so that next time something like this happens, they have solutions ready to ensure safety and security."

From crashes on the White House lawn, to flying into the stands at a Padres' game, to invading a French nuclear reactor site, the number of drone-based incidents is on the rise. Still, only a few locations have installed counter-drone solutions, and those that have been installed are often insufficient due to the increasing sophistication in standard drone capabilities, such as autonomous flight and collision avoidance systems.

Sites must become more proactive in implementing counter-drone solutions. An airport shutdown, while costly and inconvenient, is low on the scale of what drones can be used to do, with concerns ranging from privacy issues to potential violent attacks.

Drones of Prey is an Austin, TX based counter-drone security firm working to keep places like Gatwick Airport safe and secure from the rising threats we face from drone technologies. By training physical sensors, Drones of Prey ensures reliable identification and tracking no matter how, when, or where a drone is being flown.

If you would like more information regarding this or any other drone/counter-drone matter, please contact Michael Cohen, CEO of Drones of Prey, via phone at (512) 765-3334, or through e-mail at [email protected] See us at www.dronesofprey.biz.

View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/gatwick-airport-shutdown-could-have-been-avoided----drones-of-prey-austin-tx-300770460.html

SOURCE Drones of Prey




Guwahati, Dec 22 : A Guwahati policeman was arrested for allegedly sexually molesting a girl. According to the reports, the Guwahati city police on Saturday had arrested Krishna Saikia, a Sub-Inspector of Jalukbari police station for allegedly sexually molesting a girl few days back.





A top police official of Guwahati city police said that, the victim girl had lodged a complaint against the accused policeman at Pan Bazar police station and stated that, she was molested by the policeman at Lakhtokia area in the capital city of Assam.








Kathmandu, Nepal: The prolonged Mahasamiti meeting of Nepali Congress (NC) likely to endorse the pressing issue about the number of office bearers and their selection process of to be amended statue of the party.





A final draft statute is being tabled in the Maha Samiti meeting of today; that has provisioned 14 office-bearers, including a president, two vice-presidents, two general secretaries, eight co-general secretaries representing reservation clusters in the constitution and a treasurer.





Following the agreement between the top leaders, the Central Working Committee of the party held on Friday evening endorsed the draft statute with the provision paving the way to present in the Mahasamit meeting.




On 31 Chinese Alleged of Illicit Mining Issue

2018/07/25

Lately, the Chinese Embassy in Sierra Leone has taken note of local news report about the arrest of thirty-one(31) Chinese nationals allegedly involved in illicit gold mining, about which we express our serious concern. Currently, the Embassy has been in close contact with the Sierra Leonean police and relevant departments. The Chinese side fully respects the Sierra Leonean judicial sovereignty and law enforcement rights and urges the Sierra Leonean side to carry out relevant investigation on the basis of facts as soon as possible. Meanwhile, the Chinese side demands that the Sierra Leonean side effectively protects the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese nationals involved. It is hoped that all parties do not listen to rumors and false information while the investigation is ongoing, with a view to contributing to the friendly and cordial relationship and cooperation between China and Sierra Leone.

The Chinese side hereby wishes to reiterate once again we are always opposed to illicit mining activities of all descriptions and is willing to work with the Sierra Leonean side to put an end to the illicit mining activities, and maintain good communication and collaboration.
Churches in Brandon are expecting attendance to be up for their annual Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services.

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This article was published 21/12/2018 (1077 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

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Father Chris Evetts poses for a portrait at St. Mary's the Virgin Anglican Church in Brandon. (Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun)

Churches in Brandon are expecting attendance to be up for their annual Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services.

"(For) Christmas well get probably 700 to 800 people," said Father Michael Savarimuthu, with St. Augustine of Canterbury Church.

On an average day, they get approximately 300 to 400 people.

Although they can only hold 400 people inside, theyll be using the hall inside the building to put up a big screen so more people can take part in the service, he said.

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They will have three services on Christmas Eve  one at 4 p.m., 7 p.m. and midnight. On Dec. 25, there will be one held at 11 a.m.

Although many churches around the province have been closing due to lack of attendance, the numbers at St. Augustine are going in the opposite direction, he said.

"We have a slight increase because of new immigrants (and) new people who have moved to Brandon," he said.

In a society that is becoming increasingly secular, they just have to figure out how to stay relevant, said Father Chris Evetts with St. Marys The Virgin Anglican Church.

"That is the weekly challenge I have when I prepare my messages," Evetts said. "Its not really my place to prove to people because they want to see a tangible piece of evidence, but rather its getting people to understand that we are here to bear witness too, and they can trust in the Holy Spirit to move that within people."

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Their holiday service will begin at 7 p.m. on Christmas Eve, and Evetts said its slated to be slightly different than other services held at the church.

"The sermon and the prayers and the message will be focused more toward the birth of the Christ child and what that means in our world today in 2018," he said.

Evetts added that they are expecting an influx of people to attend the service. While normally they have approximately 55 people come out to Sunday services, theyre expecting closer to 85 on Christmas Eve.

In general, their attendance has remained fairly consistent, and theyre actually growing a bit, he said.

There will also be a Christmas Eve service held at St. Georges Anglican Church on Dec. 24 beginning at 6:30 p.m..

"There will be carols involved and it will be lots of fun," Rev. Jonathan Hoskin said.

More scripture will be read at the service than usual.

"We try to see the Christmas story, we try to see the birth of Jesus in its place in the full story of the world of history," he said.

On average they have 50 people come out to their services, but Hoskin said they will likely see more than 100 people come out on Christmas Eve.

Various other local churches and Christian groups will be holding special services to commemorate Christmas  too many to list in this story. Phone your organization of choice for their services time and other pertinent details.

 mverge@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @Melverge5
QUEBEC - Canadian boxer Adonis Stevenson has regained consciousness after being in a medically induced coma for three weeks following a knockout loss on Dec. 1.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 22/12/2018 (1076 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Ring doctor Marc Gagne, left, checks on Adonis Stevenson, of Montreal, after he was knocked out by Oleksandr Gvozdyk of Ukraine in their Light Heavyweight WBC championship fight, Saturday, December 1, 2018 in Quebec City. Stevenson has regained consciousness after being in a medically induced coma for three weeks following a knockout loss on Dec. 1. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques Boissinot

QUEBEC - Canadian boxer Adonis Stevenson has regained consciousness after being in a medically induced coma for three weeks following a knockout loss on Dec. 1.

Stevenson's girlfriend, Simone God, issued a statement Saturday saying the light heavyweight boxer is now awake.

"He is healing from his injury in the private company of his family and his dedicated medical team," said God.

"Adonis is a world champion in the ring and is exhibiting that same grit, strength and determination in his recovery."

Stevenson's condition deteriorated after he was helped into the dressing room following the fight against Oleksandr Gvozdyk of Ukraine at the Videotron Centre in Quebec City. He was transported to hospital by ambulance and was admitted with a traumatic brain injury that required rapid neurosurgery.

Intensive care specialist Dr. Alexis Turgeon told reporters earlier this month that the majority of patients suffer lasting effects from such injuries.

Dubble Trouble A Western Hockey League newsletter by Mike Sawatzky of the Winnipeg Free Press and Perry Bergson of the Brandon Sun. Dubble Trouble arrives in your inbox every other Tuesday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement.

God said she wanted to clarify Stevenson's status after "recent reports leaked to media."

Boxing promoter Yvon Michel said on Thursday that Stevenson was still in a coma and on life support.

"He still needs mechanical assistance to breathe, and he has not regained consciousness," said Michel. "When we visit him, we cannot stay with him for long, and the doctors do not venture an opinion on what lies ahead."

The Montreal-based fighter was making his 10th title defence since winning the belt against American Chad Dawson in 2013, and was ahead on two of the judges' cards and tied on the third when the fight against Gvozdyk was stopped.

Stevenson had won 16 straight fights from April 2011 to May 2018, when he earned a majority draw with Badou Jack in Toronto. Stevenson hung on to his title by the slimmest of margins in that fight, with two judges scoring it 114-114 and the third giving Jack a 115-113 edge.

The Dec. 1 bout was his first since the draw against Jack.
Parts of the American government have shut down after politicians failed to agree a budget because of a row about Donald Trump's border wall.

Many federal employees face no pay after their departments' funding ran out.
Latest: A car has been found burnt out at a second scene after a man was shot dead in Dublin.

The victim, in his thirties, was shot in the head outside a house at Blakestown Cottages shortly before 7pm this evening.

The car, a Volkswagen Jetta, has been discovered at Rushenney Estate in Clonee, which has been sealed off tonight.

It's believed it may have been involved in the earlier shooting.

Gardai say at least two people were involved, a person who carried out the shooting and a getaway driver.

Update 8:47pm: A man has been shot dead in West Dublin.

Garda at the scene of a shooting in west Dublin (Brian Lawless/PA)

The victim, in his mid-thirties, was shot in the head in what appears to be a gangland attack.

The shooting occurred at approximately 6:50pm at Blakestown Cottages, Blanchardstown this evening.

The man was pronounced dead and his body is currently at the scene.

The area has been sealed off for a technical examination and the office of the State pathologist has been notified.

Local Fingal councillor Ted Leddy said a family has been devastated beyond words, just days before Christmas.

He added: "I'm outraged and disgusted that this has happened. It's a quiet area, a settled area. There hasn't been any kind of serious violence like this in the area in 15 years. The people obviously don't want to see any return to that. There's great shock in the community this evening."

Gardai in Blanchardstown are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to contact them on 01 6667000, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda station.

Original story (7:49pm): A man has been critically injured in a shooting in West Dublin.

Emergency services and gardai from Blanchardstown are at the scene.

It's understood the victim, a man in his thirties, was shot in the head at Blakestown Cottages shortly before 7pm.

He's currently being treated at the scene.
The Administrations for Gold Mining in Sierra Leone

2018/07/29

Recently, the government of Sierra Leone has carried out a series of joint enforcement actions against illegal gold mining. The Chinese embassy in Sierra Leone once again requests Chinese enterprises and citizens to fully comply with the Sierra Leonean laws and regulations in their production and operation activities, conscientiously protect the local ecological environment, actively undertake the corporate social responsibility and not engage in any illicit gold mining. Any gold mining activities in Sierra Leone are prohibited without licensing, nor polluting the environment as well as infringing upon the legitimate rights and interests of any other mining companies. The Chinese embassy in Sierra Leone reminds Chinese enterprises and citizens that according to the Sierra Leone law of the Environment Agency Protection Act, 2008 and the Mines and Minerals Act, 2009, any gold mining activities in Sierra Leone should not go ahead without acquiring a EIA Report (Environmental Impact Assessment Report) and permit in the first place. Only after this can enterprises or companies apply legally for the mining license from the Ministry of Mines of Sierra Leone. Meanwhile, in accordance with the Registration System for Overseas Chinese Enterprises, the Chinese enterprises and citizens engaging in business activities are strictly required to report to Chinese embassy in Sierra Leone.
Gardai are investigating a suspected arson attack on a bank in Swords in north County Dublin.

The attack took place at the bank on Swords Main Street in North County Dublin in the early hours of this morning.

Gardai and Dublin Fire Brigade were called to the scene at about 5am.

They found a window had been broken with a rock, and an accelerant used to set the fire.

Nobody was injured, but there was extensive damage to the premises, which remains sealed off this morning.

The incident follows an earlier attack on KBC Bank Ireland's headquarters in Dublin City Centre on Thursday night.

Mayor of Fingal Councillor, Anthony Lavin, has condemned the attack.

"I'm very disappointed that this was brought on our county in the early hours of this morning.

"I sympathise with the people being evicted from their homes in the run-up to Christmas.

"I just hope it doesn't affect the livelihoods of those staff that work there.

"In this day and age of financial institutions closing down branches, it's a pity to see a branch office being attacked like this."
British MP Amber Rudd has launched a scathing attack on "ghastly" European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker, criticising his behaviour with women.

Ms Rudd hit out over footage from last week's European Council meeting in Brussels, which showed him playing with a woman's hair.

Ms Rudd, a former British minister for women and equalities, branded the behaviour "grotesque" in an interview with the Telegraph.

She said he would probably have been subject to an official complaint if it happened in the UK.

Mr Juncker, a former prime minister of Luxembourg, also clashed with British Prime Minister Theresa May.

They were caught on camera having a robust discussion the day after Mr Juncker used a press conference to describe her negotiating strategy as "nebulous".

This doesn't exactly look like an exchange of pleasantries between Theresa May and Jean-Claude Juncker as the Brexit summit gets underway. #EUCO pic.twitter.com/l0r4NwDj8h  Philip Sime (@PhilipSime) December 14, 2018

Ms Rudd replaced Esther McVey at the UK Department for Work and Pensions a month ago, having been sacked as Home Secretary over the Windrush Scandal.

In a wide-ranging interview, which will fuel speculation she has leadership ambitions, the MP was asked about Mr Juncker.

She said: "(He's) ghastly. What I minded before that were those pictures of the way he was holding the Prime Minister. I did not like that."

Discussing the indecent on his arrival at the European Council meeting, she added: "It's grotesque. I mean, if that happened in our Parliament I hope there would be a formal complaint.

"When I used to go the EU for meetings, I often had a terrible cold to insist that I didn't get enveloped in a bear hug.

"All the EU commissioners love doing their big hugs."

PA
Call centre communication coordinator George McDermid. Credit:Dion Georgopoulos "We tend to be most busy during the day, however. We have a mini peak of calls around 5pm when people head home from work." On an average day officers deal with 120 calls. Mr McDermid, who has worked at the centre for almost nine years, said the busiest day the centre experienced was 172 calls in December 2016. "When we're really busy, we're triaging, so we can get to the people who are the most sick first," he said.

The triple zero centre handles emergency calls for fire and ambulance but has separate teams for each. ACT Policing emergency calls are handled in a separate location. Emergency Services Agency risk and planning director David Foot said the majority of calls are for ambulance assistance. Calls to the centre peak around 11am each day. Credit:Dion Georgopoulos "During the last financial year, the medical emergency side of the room dealt with around 52,000 incidents, while on the fire side there was around 10,500," Mr Foot said. Mr Foot said predicting patterns of emergency calls can be challenging, but trends do emerge.

"We start getting peaks from about 7am onwards and it builds until about 11 when it peaks. It continues solidly until about 10 or 11 at night and then it starts to scale down until the quietest time at 3 or 4am," he said. The centre is equipped to handle all the fire and ambulance calls that come through. When a large-scale emergency happens like the recent Pierces Creek bushfire, operations step up a gear. Once multiple calls come through about a single incident and crews deem it serious enough, a dedicated team move into an incident management centre right next door. Inside the room, weather radars monitor the situation across the territory in the event of a bushfire, with there also being a dedicated station to send public safety messages to every mobile phone in the area in the event of a disaster. 'The importance of the team is critical'

"A car and a truck have crashed into a building in Belconnen. I don't have any more information than that at the moment, but firefighters are on the scene checking the structural integrity of it." It was just after 2pm on a Thursday when a truck, believed to have suffered a mechanical failure on a work site, started to roll down a ramp before crashing into a car, launching straight through the window of a Chinese restaurant. Emergency dispatcher Kelly Humphries. Credit:Dion Georgopoulos In the triple zero centre, seconds are everything and can mean the difference between life and death. "The importance of the team is critical, without a doubt," Mr Foot said.

"People don't ring triple zero because they're having a good day, they're ringing the number on one of the worst days of their life or they've witnessed something that needs urgent assistance." As well as a direct line to any fire or ambulance crew in the territory, the centre also has pinpointed the whereabouts of 10 rescue helicopters across the ACT and NSW. Mid-afternoon on a Thursday when the Sunday Canberra Times visited the centre, Canberra's lone helicopter was involved in a job south of Cooma, transferring a patient to Canberra Hospital. However, not all calls that come through to the centre are, strictly speaking, emergencies. "I wouldn't say there are many, but it happens from time to time," Mr McDermid said.

"A lot of people will ring up when they just want some medical advice." ACT Policing have taken to calling out the behaviour on their Twitter page.

'From zero to 100' In the two years Emily Jones has been taking triple zero calls in Canberra, she's learnt to be prepared for any scenario. "A day in the triple zero centre can be anything. It can go from zero to 100 in a space of five minutes. You never know what to expect," she said. Already working in communication services, Ms Jones said the job at the centre was a natural fit. Alongside her normal duties in taking calls, she was also working alongside a new recruit to the centre as part of a mentoring role, a key part of the training process.

000 call taker and mentor Emily Jones (Right) with trainee call taker Tegan Finnigan. Credit:Dion Georgopoulos In order to become a triple zero call taker, recruits have to go through 18 weeks of training, much of it spent on the job. "There's specific call-taker training, which takes about six weeks, and once they finish that, there's courses on how to deal with stress and the occupation itself," Mr Foot said. "They then spend six weeks being mentored in the office itself before going on to a supervised position." With many days in the occupation dealing with Canberrans in the worst days of their life, often in traumatic situations, Mr Foot said support for staff is critical.

"Staff deal with some really difficult calls. Often they're speaking to people who have witnessed heart attacks, or a child has been hit by a car, or someone has drowned or there's a fire with multiple injuries," Mr Foot said. "They're trained to recognise their own symptoms early, so if they need support, there's a range of mechanisms in place. Emily Jones said the job can be demanding, but very rewarding. Credit:Dion Georgopoulos "It could be something like having a coffee and chat with another colleague or seeking additional support, but there's always support for them." Despite the high intensity and the rigour required for the job, Ms Jones said being able to help Canberrans when they need it most has been deeply rewarding, with a large sense of camaraderie between the call takers.
Police have arrested a man and seized about a kilogram of the drug ice with a street value of $750,000 from a car travelling on the Federal Highway on Friday.

ACT Policing Detective Superintendent Scott Moller said the amount of methylamphetamine, commonly known as ice, could have been used for up to 10,000 hits.

The drugs were found in the spare tyre of a car during a targeted search. Credit:ACT Policing

"This is a significant arrest for ACT police and it's had a significant impact on organised crime in the ACT," Detective Superintendent Moller said.

"I would also say that it is pleasing that with a street value of approximately $750,000, seizing these drugs will see that profit removed from those peddling this insidious drug in our suburbs."
About 23,000 people are still without power after severe storms pelted south-east Queensland overnight, with Gold Coast, Scenic Rim and Logan residents copping the worst of the deluge.

Energex recorded 160,000 lighting strikes on Friday night with 23,000 striking the ground and hitting trees, vegetation and homes.

More than 250 wires have gone down, affecting power supply to more than 45,000 people in south-east Queensland by 7.30pm on Sunday.

About 2850 Mudgereeba, 2500 Beaudesert and 740 Logan Reserve homes remained without power on Saturday morning as the most affected suburbs in south-east Queensland.
An 18-year-old Spring Creek man has been charged with attempted murder after the son of Queensland police assistant commissioner Mick Condon was struck by a car south of Brisbane.

A teenager has been charged with attempted murder. Credit:Glenn Hunt/Fairfax Media

Police said that following reports of hooning, Constable Ben Condon, 37, got out of his car to stop and speak to the driver at 2.40am on Saturday at Yarrabilba when the car failed to stop.

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The man drove the car towards the officer before striking the officer on the leg and as a result, Constable Condon fired his gun, police will allege.
Queenslands next Great Walk should include a link between North Stradbroke and Moreton islands, one of Australias leading adventure tourism experts believes.

One stop along this proposed Great Walk could be the $1.55 million new whale centre at North Stradbroke Islands Point Lookout where humpback whale songs could be picked up from microphones in the Pacific Ocean.

Brett Godfrey, who now also chairs Tourism and Events Queensland, believes North Stradbroke Island  or Minjerribah in the Quandamooka language  is ripe for national and international bushwalking visitors, modelled on the success of tourism at Uluru.

Ex-Virgin Australia chief executive Brett Godfrey (left) with business partner Geoff Dixon at Uluru where they announced the Australian Walking Company. Credit:Nic Walker

Mr Godfrey recently visited North Stradbroke Island with the Tourism and Events Queensland board to discuss future tourism options with the elders of the islands Indigenous population, the Quandamooka people.
A man who has been living in his car on Perth streets has lost everything, including his Christmas savings, after he was threatened and robbed by an armed drug crazed psycho.

Robin Roebuck was held up at knife point and robbed of all his possessions. Credit:Craig Sillitoe

Robin Roebuck parked his white Ford Falcon AU outside an abandoned house in Kelmscott on Thursday about 4pm when he said a man armed with a knife told him to get out or hed stab him.

I parked up in the shade to sleep in my car and then next minute I was being told to get out of the car, to leave my keys and phone or Ill get stabbed, he said.

It was a short blade, if I was to be stabbed I wouldnt die but it would have wounded me.
A police officer has been found guilty of misconduct after his gun went missing from a south-east Queensland police station.

Last year, Brisbane Times revealed the police-issued Glock 22 went missing from the Yamanto police station in Ipswich some time between June 25 and July 18, 2017.

A police-issued Glock has gone missing from an Ipswich police station. Credit:Taylor Weidman/ Bloomberg

Despite an exhaustive and detailed investigation, the firearm has still not been found.

The gun was reported missing from the Ipswich scenes of crime office in the Yamanto police station.
Moscow: Russian authorities launched an investigation on Friday into BBC World News and BBC websites operating in the country, a day after the British broadcasting regulator Ofcom accused Russia's state-sponsored TV channel RT of biased coverage.

Former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, were the victims of an apparent assassination attempt, British police say. Credit:EPA

The Russian media watchdog, Roskomnadzor, will look into whether content distributed by the BBC in Russia is "in compliance with the law".

It launched the probe "following the British regulator Ofcom ruling that Russia Today (RT) violated broadcasting regulations".

On Thursday, Ofcom accused RT of failing to impartially cover the poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal, and conflicts in Ukraine and Syria.
London: Two people were arrested late on Friday in the UK over the "criminal use of drones" that caused travel chaos for passengers at London's Gatwick Airport, Sussex police said.

Investigations were still ongoing, police said.

A plane comes in to land at Gatwick Airport in England. Credit:AP

"Our activities at the airport continue to build resilience to detect and mitigate further incursions from drones, by deploying a range of tactics," the statement added.

The incursions have severely impacted flight operations at London's second-largest airport.
Madrid: Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez braved street protests in Barcelona to unveil a slew of measures aimed at reaching out to Catalan public opinion in a gambit that also risks alienating voters in the rest of the country.

Riot police remove a barrier during a protest by supporters of Catalan independence on Paralelo Avenue in Barcelona, Spain. Credit:Bloomberg

His Cabinet, meeting in a 14th century Barcelona mansion, approved the biggest increase to the minimum wage since 1977 and steps aimed more directly at Catalonia including the decision to rename Barcelona airport in honour of Josep Tarradellas, the first president of the region to take office after the death of the dictator Francisco Franco.

"What we have done here is an act of affection towards Catalonia and democratic labour for the well-being of people," Government Spokeswoman Isabel Celaa said in a news conference at the end of the meeting.

Even so, ministers met on Friday against a backdrop of scuffles between police and protesters who had mounted street barricades.
Islamabad: The Taliban welcomed news of the US plan to withdraw half its troops in Afghanistan by the summer, as Afghan generals warned it would be a blow to the morale of the country's beleaguered security forces who come under daily attacks from the insurgent fighters.

An Afghan security officer mans with gun near a house where attackers are hiding, in Kabul, Afghanistan. Credit:AP

The announcement seems certain to complicate efforts to reach a peace deal, mostly because it gives the Taliban leverage by allowing them to hold off until a total US withdrawal, or step up their demands over a weakened Afghan government.

"I believe the Taliban will see this as a reason to stall, and therefore it disincentivizes the Taliban to actually talk to the Afghan government, which it has refused to do," said Bill Roggio, an Afghanistan analyst with the Washington-based Foundation for Defence of Democracies.

Afghanistan's security forces rely heavily on US airpower against both Taliban and an upstart Islamic State affiliate, and Afghan military officials note the announcement by the Trump administration comes as the country's security is at its worst since 2014, when more than 100,000 NATO troops pulled out of the country and handed off security to Afghans.
In a bid to allay fears that Indian national security could be at risk, Huawei India has said it is willing to place its software code (source code) in an escrow with the government. In 2010, we were the only equipment company which offered to place the software code of the equipment in an escrow to the Indian government, when similar questions on security were raised.

We are willing to do the same again for 5G so that there are no apprehensions, said CEO Jay Chen. Telecom experts say that control over the software codes helps a government to check at any time whether there ...
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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.

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The growth in the first-year business premiums  the premium collected from new individual and group policies sold in the given period  of the life insurance sector seems to have taken a knock in the first eight months of FY19. According to the data from the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (Irdai), the growth rate between April and November has been 0.33 per cent - the lowest in four years.

This has been due to the fall in the first-year business premiums of the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) at -7.93 per cent. For the private ...
Former Congress leader Sajjan Kumar on Saturday moved the challenging the life imprisonment awarded to him by the Delhi High Court in a case.

Senior advocate H S Phoolka, who is representing the victims of the riots cases, said he has been conveyed by the apex court registry that Kumar has filed an appeal against the high court's judgement.

He said the victims had already filed a caveat to pre-empt any ex parte hearing in favour of Kumar.

Kumar was convicted and sentenced to life for the remainder of his life by the high court on December 17 in the in Raj Nagar area.

The case relates to the 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 a Gurudwara in Raj Nagar part II during that period.

The high court had on Friday rejected Kumar's plea seeking an extension of time till January 30 to surrender for serving his punishment.
Two years back when theatre director Nimi Ravindran, 43, got a grant to teach theatre to students at a public school, she was confident her fluency in the local language, Kannada, would be enough to communicate with the students. Instead she found that all but one of 20 fifth graders at a Kannada-medium public school in Bengalurus Marathahalli area spoke Bengali. Most of them said they were from West Bengal.

I wondered what these children were doing so far from home, Ravindran said. As she started conducting workshops in Hindi, that the children were somewhat ...
Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan's phone call to Secretary-General centered on Kashmir, according to a UN spokesperson, who said that it was "only normal" for Guterres to speak to heads of government,.

"I can confirm to you that the phone call did happen and it centered on the issue of Kashmir as brought up by the prime minister," Guterres's Spokesperson Stephane Guterres told reporters here on Friday.

He did not provide any details of their conversation that took place on Thursday.

Asked by a reporter to react to Indian External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar's reported remark that should mind its own business and Kashmir is a part of India, Dujarric said, "Our position on Kashmir has been reiterated, there is an observer group as mandated by the Security Council."

The 113-member UN Military Observer Group in India and (UNMOGIP) established by the security council monitors the cease-fire in between the two neighbours in Kashmir.

Dujarric added, "The prime minister called, wanted to speak to the secretary-general. It is only normal that the secretary-general speak to heads of government and heads of state, and, as I said, I can confirm that the call took place and that the prime minister raised the issue of Kashmir."

Radio reported that Khan asked Guterres to send a commission of inquiry to investigate the human rights situation in Kashmir as recommended by former UN Human Rights Commissioner Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein earlier this year.

Although Guterres has backed Zeid's call for the investigation and the current Commissioner Michelle Bachelet has endorsed it, neither the Human Rights Council nor other UN bodies have acted on it.

India has said that Zeid's report on human rights violations in Kashmir and the proposal for an investigation were "clearly biased".

UNMOGIP continues to operate under the security council mandate that grew out of a 1948 resolution that set up its predecessor organisation following the fighting that started in 1947 when Pakistani troops disguised a tribesmen invaded Kashmir soon after Independence.

India maintains that the UNMOGIP has no role because of the 1971 Simla agreement between Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and then-President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto stipulating that Kashmir was a bilateral issue with no role for third parties.
133 people were executed between June 2017 and March 2018. Almost twice as many as the 67 recorded in the eight months that preceded the rise to power of Mbs. Saudi Arabia among the top five countries in the world for death sentences. Executions for crimes related to drug trafficking are increasing.

Riyadh (AsiaNews / Agencies) - Between June 2017 and March 2018, the number of executions in Saudi Arabia reached 133, almost twice as many as the 67 recorded in the eight months prior to the rise of the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Furthermore, almost half of the people who were in the executioner's hands this year were of foreign nationality, most of them poor migrants condemned to death for drug trafficking.

The Saudi number two, at the center of the controversy over the murder of the dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Turkey and the bloody war in Yemen, with civilian casualties including children, seems to prefer an iron fist on the home front as well. According to a report by the British Reprieve, in the first eight months in power Mbs doubled the number of executions.

From 2014 the executioner has struck at least 700 times; this year there was an average of about 13 executions per month, peaking in July when the number of people executed were 27 and seven of them in a single day. Saudi Arabia is thus confirmed as one of the top five countries in the world by number of death sentences.

Activists and experts also recall that, on the rise to power, the young Mbs had declared that he wanted to remove the death penalty for crimes related to drug trafficking. "We have to reduce executions" the crown prince had affirmed at the time, adding that "if a person kills another person, we must execute them according to our law. But there are some areas in which we can move from death sentence to life imprisonment. "

In spite of the proclamations, in recent months the hangman has hit the drug traffickers as never before. "In addition, at least 30 people - declares the director of Reprive Maya Foa - among whom there are also minors, risk execution for having exercised their civil rights".

Moreover, in the kingdom there is an absolute Sunni monarchy, governed by a Wahhabi and fundamentalist view of Islam that does not admit any other worship except of Muhammad.

Recently in the country there have emerged reports of arrests of activists and torture in prison, once again illustrating that the program of "reforms" wanted by the 33-year-old Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman and so much flagged by local media in the context of the Vision 2030 program is illusory and fake.

Some reforms have affected womens rights in the social sphere. However, the arrests of senior officials and entrepreneurs, the repression of activists and dissenters, the war in Yemen with civilian victims, even children, and the assassination of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi cast more than a shadow on Mbs .

The Saudi kingdom is among the nations in the world with the highest rate of executions; the death penalty, often through decapitation in public places, is imposed for crimes ranging from terrorism to rape, from armed robbery to drug trafficking.
Prime Minister on Saturday cautioned the security establishment about "divisive elements" exploiting the caste fault lines for short-term gains and pitched for isolating them at the grass-roots level.

He also urged police force to be vigilant in countering the "dark forces of radicalisation, and to engender trust among all communities across the nation", a statement from his office said.

Addressing the annual DGP, IGP conference at Krvadiya in Gujarat, the prime minister noted that "caste fault lines are being exploited by divisive elements for short-term gains".

He urged the police force to continue working for the unity and the integrity of India.

"Let us strengthen forces that promote unity and isolate divisive forces at the grass-roots level," the statement said quoting Modi.

He praised the police force for their success in countering terrorism and limiting it to a small geographic area of the country.



He said the people of the country are, in particular, proud of the police force in Jammu and Kashmir for their role in countering terrorists and successfully engaging them.

Addressing the valedictory event, Modi said police personnel work hard in adverse circumstances.

Yet, he added, they often do not receive the recognition they deserve. He called upon senior officers to work towards greater recognition of police personnel who work for the benefit of the people.

He said that social media can be used effectively for this purpose.

The prime minister emphasised on the need for capacity-building in police force on the subject of cybersecurity.



Modi also presented the President's Police Medals for Distinguished Service to Intelligence Bureau officers. He congratulated and appreciated the medal-winning officers of IB for their dedication and commitment to service.

The prime minister released a commemorative postage stamp on the Police Memorial. He said the memorial should become a source of inspiration for all.

He launched the portal of the Cyber Coordination Centre. This is envisaged as an umbrella platform that will help law enforcement agencies coordinate their efforts to solve all cyber crimes and incidents.
will receive a loan to the tune of Rs 66.68 billion from for various development projects.

The loan will used to develop the phase two of the project, a dairy development project and a programme for Japan- cooperative actions towards Sustainable Development Goals in

of to India Kenji Hiramatsu and Additional Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Dr.C.S. Mohapatra on Friday signed and exchanged notes here concerning the provision of three yen loan projects (total loan provision of up to JPY 105.497 billion, approximately Rs 66.68 billion).

The first loan is for construction of a subway system in Chennai. It is expected that approximately 330 thousand people will use the 3rd line between Madhavaram Milk Colony Station and Sholinganallur Station (about 36.0 km) and it will reduce the traveling time between the two stations from the current two hours and fourteen minutes by automobile, to one hour and 8 minutes by 2029 (in 2 years after completion).

It is also expected that approximately 760 thousand people will use the 5th line between Madhavaram Milk Colony Station and Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus Station (about 16.0 km) and it will reduce the traveling time between the two stations from the current 46 minutes by automobile, to 30 minutes.

This project is thus expected to contribute to the development of the regional economy and the improvement of the urban environment by easing traffic congestion.

Second loan is for the improvement of income levels of dairy farmers in India. This project is to provide a loan to the for the enhancement of farmers' access to the modern distribution network, improvement of dairy machinery and distribution infrastructure, capacity building of dairy cooperatives in the several eligible states under the agreement between JICA, National Dairy Development Board, and Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare.

It is expected that 150 thousand dairy farmers will newly join dairy cooperatives, and the farmers' market will expand with modernized dairy product value chain. This project is thus expected to improve the income levels of dairy farmers through increasing the sales of milk and

The third loan is for the institution building and policy development related to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in India This program is to contribute to achieving SDGs by 2030 through providing a loan for strengthening the implementation system and the policy framework related to SDGs in India, with a view to promoting SDGs in social development sector.

For example, this program supports social sector development such as the enhancement of the ratio of the pregnant women who have access to safe medical check-up from 64 percent in 2016 to 75 percent in 2019, and the ratio of population who are provided with enough amount of safe drinking water from 82 percent in 2016 to 90 percent in 2019 in least developed regions.

Japanese ODA Loan commitment to India reached JPY 421.955 billion, approximately Rs 266.71 billion and the all-time-high in FY2018.

India is the largest recipient country of Japanese ODA Loan in FY2018 as well as in FY2017 on the commitment basis.
In a recent interview, chief of army staff General Bipin Rawat spoke at length about why the Indian Army is not ready for women combat officers. Women in combat is not just a contentious subject, it is also one which brings out passionate reactions from both aspiring women who wish to shatter yet another glass ceiling and Indian Army officers fiercely holding the ceiling in place, lest it starts to crack.

Dear Reader,

Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance.

We, however, have a request.



As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed.



Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard.



Digital Editor
The Central government is working to finalise the rules on online sale of medicines after dilly-dallying on the issue for nearly two years. The urgency to notify the rules comes after conflicting observations from the Delhi and Madras High Courts (HCs).

The Drug Controller General of India will soon notify these rules, a senior official from the agency said. Though the agency has so far not received any complaint against such pharmacies, these e-shops remain unlicensed in the absence of rules, the official said. While the Delhi HC, which banned online sale of medicines on ...
A Chinese national employed by an Oklahoma company has been charged with stealing trade secrets.

Federal prosecutors in Tulsa said Friday that 35-year-old Hongjin Tan is accused of stealing trade secrets from his unnamed US-based employer that operates a research facility in the Tulsa area.

An affidavit filed by the FBI alleges that Tan stole trade secrets about an unidentified product worth more than $1 billion to his employer to benefit a Chinese company where Tan had been offered work.

Authorities say Tan allegedly downloaded hundreds of computer files regarding the manufacture of a "research and development downstream energy market product."



Court records show Tan made an initial appearance before a federal magistrate Thursday and remains in custody. A preliminary and detention hearing is scheduled next week.
Le Collectif Cheikh Yassine a organise un certain nombre dactivites et de festivites pour les enfants de Gaza sous le theme  La joie des enfants de Gaza pour lAid . Ces activites ont commence le premier jour de lAid et continue jusquau 4eme jour de lAid dans la bande de Gaza.



Plusieurs activites, ont ete organisees parmi lesquelles : des competitions recompensees par des prix, des jeux, des animations et des chants presentes par un groupe ainsi que des distributions de cadeaux et daides financieres.




Clearing the smoke of uncertainty over the issue of a cleaner environment, India this year succeeded in its multilateral diplomacy to evolve a roadmap for the international community to decisively address

Also, India's success in renewable energy auctions, in reducing emissions besides its largest commitment to eliminate all single-use plastic in the country by 2022, has enabled it to win accolades globally.

Even the Indian private sector is not lagging behind in joining the ranks of leading global companies that have committed to set a scientific target to be carbon negative.



Experts believe it's a win-win situation for India as its success in the just concluded diplomatic intrigues in the coalfields of Katowice in Poland lies in promoting a more fine-tuned form of responsibility -- not just among countries, but within them as well.

Eventually, the 24th Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, or COP24, produced a deal that paves the way for implementing the 2015 Paris Agreement, which is supposed to replace the existing Kyoto Protocol in 2020.

Voicing its reservations at the COP24 talks, which saw a holdback due to certain objections of the US, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Brazil and Turkey, India went vocal over the lack of equity in the rules relating to the global stocktaking in the rulebook that implements the 2015 Agreement.



ALSO READ: The influence international NGOs wield in Katowice climate change talks

In the same breath, India signaled that it is ready to update its nationally determined contributions or NDCs if other countries also do so.

Also playing a crucial role to mitigate and other environmental challenges, India in June announced it would strengthen its support with a 25 per cent increase over its contribution to the $15 million Global Environment Facility's new investment cycle.

India has committed that by 2030, as much as 40 per cent of its installed energy capacity will be based on non-fossil fuels.

India has also won global accolades for opting for green technologies.

India is on track to meet a majority of its Paris goals and become a global climate leader by meeting its targets a decade earlier, US-based Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) said in a report on the margins of COP24.

The enjoins each country to outline, update and communicate its post-2020 NDCs reflecting its ambition for reducing emissions.



According to IEEFA, India's NDCs included three key targets: To achieve 40 per cent of electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuels by 2030, to reduce the emissions intensity of its gross domestic product by 33-35 per cent from the 2005 level by 2030 and to create an additional 2.5-3 billion tonnes of carbon sinks -- reservoirs that accumulate and store carbon dioxide -- through the planting of additional forest and tree cover.

R R Rashmi, India's former climate negotiator and now a Fellow at The Energy Resource Institute (TERI), told IANS at COP24: "In terms of India's efforts in reducing its emissions relative to its economic growth, it is a fairly positive story and it is more significant because the energy growth is tremendous."

Even the World Bank praised India's success in renewable energy auctions that delivered record-setting low prices for solar power.

"There is a great opportunity now for countries to learn from each other to accelerate the uptake of good policies," said Riccardo Puliti, Senior Director for Energy and Extractives at the World Bank, in a report this month.

"For example, how did India structure its renewable energy auctions to deliver record-setting low prices for solar?"



A Germanwatch report says carbon dioxide emissions are rising again globally but India's ranking has improved by three points.

But India moved to 11th rank from last year's 14th as a result of improved performance in renewable energy, comparatively low levels of per capita emissions and a relatively ambitious mitigation target for 2030, said Germanwatch's Climate Change Performance Index 2019.

Even India's private sector is not lagging in committing carbon neutral targets.

Taking the lead, Mahindra & Mahindra, the leading manufacturer of utility vehicles and part of the $20.7 billion Mahindra Group, announced its commitment to become a carbon neutral company by 2040.



Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra announced this at the Global Climate Action Summit (GCAS) in San Francisco in September.

Likewise, India's Dalmia Cement Group CEO Mahendra Singhi announced at the GCAS that the company too aims to be carbon negative by 2040.

On the political front, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was selected for this year's Champions of the Earth award -- the UN's highest environmental honour -- along with French President Emmanuel Macron.
BJP leader Saturday alleged Reserve Bank of India Governor Shaktikanta Das was involved in corruption and termed his recent appointment to the top post as a "surprise".

He did not give any details about the "corruption", an allegation he has made in the past as well.

"The new governor of (RBI) is highly corrupt. I got him removed from the (Finance Ministry). I am calling Shaktikanta Das as a corrupt person. I am surprised that the man I got removed from the Finance Ministry for corruption was brought in as governor," Swamy said at an interactive session at the Indian School of Business here.

Later, when reporters asked him who he thinks should head the RBI, Swamy, a Rajya Sabha member, named Indian Institute of Management Bangalore professor R Vaidyanathan.

"Professor R Vaidyanathan, former professor of finance (IIM-B), would have been much better. He is also old Sangh man. He is our man," he said.

Das, who spearheaded the post-demonetisation normalisation of the economy, was named the new governor on December 11, a day after incumbent Urjit Patel quit the post.

On being asked about the 2019 general elections, Swamy asserted that the Saffron party would come back to power as "there is no anti-incumbency" against the Narendra Modi government.

To a question on Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Swamy alleged he held a British citizenship and cannot become a prime minister, a charge already rejected by the former.

"...by the way Rahul Gandhi cannot be a prime minister because he is a citizen of Britain and his Indian citizenship will be cancelled, he won't even be an MP," he claimed.

Swamy had in 2016 made the allegation and after it was raised in the Parliament Ethics Committee, Gandhi, in his response in March that year, had rejected the charge, saying it was a move to malign him.

The BJP leader had alleged that Gandhi declared himself a British citizen to occupy the post of the director of a company there.

On the Ram temple issue, Swamy said, "There is a widespread desire, even in Tamil Nadu, that a Ram temple must be built (in Ayodhya). And we will build it..."



He said he had given a proposal to the Hindu Dharma Acharya Sabha on Ram temple, but did not elaborate.
The taxation on cinema tickets has been relaxed. The goods and services tax on tickets up to Rs 100 has been reduced from 18 per cent to 12 per cent, while GST on tickets above Rs 100 has been reduced to 18 per cent from 28 per cent.

The high taxation on cinema tickets, especially those above Rs 100 had been a matter of concern for exhibitors since the GST tax slabs were announced. The high taxation caused cinema tickets to become more expensive, as exhibitors were forced to pass on the tax to consumers. Siddharth Roy Kapur, president of Producers Guild of India, said, On behalf of ...
This is where we live. In space. On a marble fortified against bottomless blackness by a shell of air and color, fragile and miraculous as a soap bubble. In 1968, we Earthlings knew that already, sort of. But that abstract notion became visceral on Christmas Eve of that year. While scouting landing spots on the moon, the astronauts of Apollo 8  Frank Borman, William A. Anders and James A. Lovell, Jr.  spied the shiny blue Earth rising over the ash-colored lunar mountains like a cosmic smiley face. That image, transmitted from space, went on to capture the imagination ...
Malaysia is seeking $7.5 billion in reparations from Goldman Sachs Group Inc (GS.N) over its dealings with scandal-linked state fund 1MDB, the Financial Times (FT) reported on Friday, citing the finance minister. Separately, Bloomberg reported that Singapore had expanded its criminal investigation of 1MDB to include Goldman Sachs, in a sign of increasing scrutiny of the banks role in the suspected multi-billion-dollar money laundering scheme. Malaysian prosecutors this week filed charges against Goldman Sachs in connection with its role as underwriter and arranger of three bond sales ...
The extraordinary resignation letter that Defence Secretary handed to a surprised was not just a product of two years of accumulating frustration with an impulsive boss, but an outline of the strategic hazards facing the next chief.

Mattis, who was quietly back at work Friday while stunned staff soldiered on around him, implicitly warned in his letter to the of the threat to the US from allowing alliances to fray and of the risk that disrespecting allies will undermine US credibility.

It was an outline of the challenges facing the nation and whoever takes over as defence secretary when Mattis leaves Feb. 28.

"As this Administration continues to implode, Secretary Mattis' extraordinary resignation is a significant loss and a real indication that Trump's foreign policy agenda has failed and continues to spiral into chaos," said Sen. Bob Menendez, the ranking Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee.

Mattis announced on Thursday his plan to resign, a move prompted by the decision by the president to pull all of the approximately 2,000 US troops from the fight against the Islamic State group in northeastern

Mattis also was dismayed by plans under consideration to cut the number of US troops in and, as his letter made clear, did not see eye to eye with a president who has expressed disdain for NATO and doubts about keeping troops in

The person nominated to succeed Mattis will face a Senate likely to probe for evidence of new strategic direction in hotspots like Syria, and the

In making clear that he could no longer tolerate Trump's approach to American foreign policy, Mattis appeared to fashion a resignation letter that not only expressed his reasons for leaving but also sounded an alarm. He implicitly criticized the president's unwillingness to stand up to or take a stronger stance against Chinese assertiveness.

"I believe we must be resolute and unambiguous in our approach to those countries whose strategic interests are increasingly in tension with ours," Mattis wrote.

"It is clear that and Russia, for example, want to shape a world consistent with their authoritative model ... to promote their own interests at the expense of their neighbours, and our allies." Nurturing and extending US alliances was a pillar of Mattis' approach to his job, which means he was at odds with Trump on that score from the earliest months of his tenure.

"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 wrote.

William Cohen, a former defence secretary and long-time friend of Mattis, put a finer point on this Mattis assertion by saying in response to his resignation, "He cannot be expected to stand behind a president who disrespects our allies and ingratiates himself to our adversaries."



In addition to the frayed state of US relations with NATO, Mattis' successor also is likely to face other hazards hinted at in his resignation letter. These include preserving and rationalizing a strategy for ensuring a lasting defeat of the Islamic State group by the dozens of nations that had backed the US after it entered in 2014.

German officials expressed polite irritation that had not consulted them on the Trump decision to pull out of

"As an ally and member of the anti-IS coalition we would have considered prior consultation by the about the withdrawal of US troops helpful," government spokeswoman Ulrike Demmer said.

The was still reeling Friday from the news that Mattis was leaving. Inside what is normally a very orderly building, military members who are trained to take orders, salute and move ahead were stunned and a bit shaken.

Military missions in Syria and that just a week ago seemed clear and mapped out, were now thrown into chaos. Deep in the bowels of the Pentagon, planners scrambled to pull together a troop withdrawal strategy for Syria that the would accept, all while knowing that their boss a few floors above them quit over that order.

Mattis, 68, is the first Pentagon chief to resign in protest over a president's foreign policy in many decades. In fact, there may be no historical equivalent to the circumstances of Mattis' departure. The last defence secretary to resign was Chuck Hagel in November 2014, and although he had expressed differences with President over Syria policy, Hagel was essentially pushed out by an administration that viewed him as ineffective.

Robert McNamara, who served as defence secretary for seven years over two Democratic administrations, left the Pentagon in February 1968, three months after President Lyndon Johnson announced McNamara was resigning to become president of the

McNamara differed with Johnson and the military over war policy amid an escalating anti-war movement, but his departure was not an explicit rejection of Johnson's policies.
Art Del Cueto wants the wall, but he also needs a paycheck. Border Patrol agents like Del Cueto  in the crossfire of the government shutdown fight over President Trumps demand for a border wall  are preparing to work without pay if the government shuts down Friday night. Its nerve-racking, said Del Cueto, who is a vice president of the National Border Patrol Council, a union, and works in Arizona. It sucks, to be honest. About 380,000 workers at nine of 15 cabinet-level departments would be sent home and would not be ...
To keep US troops in Syria now implies a forever war, with no realistic ending imaginable, and no authorization from Congress. Take a deep breath, everyone, while contemplating the rapid-fire events that have culminated in Secretary of Defense James Mattis submitting his resignation. Mattis is a distinguished public servant and an uncommonly knowledgeable warrior.

Although he has his obsessions, at important moments he has tempered them with judgment. But no senior official is indispensable. If Mattis seems to be, it is only because the adult in the room meme has ...
The Supreme Court has rejected a request from the administration to begin enforcing a ban on asylum for immigrants who illegally cross the US- border.

The narrow 5-4 ruling on Friday, with John Roberts siding with his four more liberal colleagues, left in place lower court rulings that blocked a proclamation by in November denying asylum to those entering the country from Mexico, without going through official border crossings, Xinhua reported.

Trump has said the proclamation was in response to caravans of Central American migrants making their way to the border through

The administration has said the rule sought to crack down what it called "meritless asylum claims from aliens who place a tremendous burden on our resources".

Critics have seen the move as unlawful and needlessly cruel to asylum seekers.
With the angry departure of Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, the United States and its shaken allies are about to discover the true meaning of America First. Mr. Mattis, a retired four-star general, prided himself on spending four decades preparing for war while nurturing the alliances needed to prevent conflict. He was more than the competent grown-up in the Situation Room, quelling talk of unilateral strikes against North Korea. In fact, he was the last senior official in the administration deeply invested in the world order that the United States has led for the 73 ...
NASA Flight Engineer Serena Aunon-Chancellor, Expedition 57 Commander Alexander Gerst of ESA (European Space Agency) and Soyuz commander Sergey Prokopyev of the Russian space agency Roscosmos undocked from the International Space Station at 8:40 p.m. EST to begin their trip home.

Deorbit burn is scheduled for approximately 11:10 p.m., with landing in Kazakhstan targeted for 12:03 a.m. Thursday (11:03 p.m. local time). NASA will resume coverage on TV and online at 10:45 p.m. for deorbit burn and landing.

At the time of undocking, Expedition 58 began aboard the space station under the command of Roscosmos' Oleg Kononenko. Along with his crewmates Anne McClain of NASA and David Saint-Jacques of the Canadian Space Agency, the three-person crew will operate the station for a little more than two months.

Nick Hague and Christina Koch of NASA and Alexey Ovchinin of Roscosmos will launch aboard Soyuz MS-12 Feb. 28, from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, to join their fellow crewmates following a six-hour journey. Expedition 59 will begin when the new trio docks to the space station.

On-Orbit Status Report

55 Soyuz (55S) Undock and Landing: The 55S crew, Sergey Prokopev, Alexander Gerst, and Serena Aunon -Chancellor, are scheduled to return to Earth tonight. Undock is scheduled for 7:40 PM CT with landing at 11:03 PM CT. The crew is scheduled to arrive at Ellington on Friday, December 21.

Bone Densitometer Calibration: The crew performed the calibration for the Bone Densitometer using a phantom (calibration) mouse. Approximately the size of a consumer microwave oven, the Bone Densitometer (BD) uses X-rays to measure the bone mineral density (and the lean and fat tissue) of mice living aboard the ISS. As a result, researchers hope to develop medical technology that will combat bone density loss in space and on Earth, helping millions of senior citizens who suffer from osteoporosis. Bone Densitometer will be used to support the ongoing Rodent Research-8 investigation.

Functional Immune and Standard Measures (separate investigations): Blood and Saliva samples were collected in support of the Functional Immune and Standard Measures investigations. The Functional Immune Alterations, Latent Herpesvirus Reactivation, Physiological Stress and Clinical Incidence Onboard the International Space Station (Functional Immune) investigation analyzes blood and saliva samples to determine the changes taking place in crew members' immune systems during flight. The aim of the Standard Measures investigation is to ensure consistent capture of an optimized, minimal set of measures from crewmembers until the end of the ISS Program in order to characterize the adaptive responses to and risks of living in space.

Time Perception: The crew performed the Time Perception experiment using a virtual reality headset and headphones. A laptop program induces visual and audio stimuli to measure a subject's response to spatial and time perception in a microgravity environment. The accurate perception of objects in the environment is a prerequisite for spatial orientation and reliable performance of motor tasks. Time is fundamental to motion perception, sound localization, speech, and fine motor coordination.

Completed Task List Activities:

None

Ground Activities:

All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.

55S undock activities

Two-Day Look Ahead:

Thursday, 12/20: - Crew Off Duty

Friday, 12/21:

Payloads

Actiwatch plus check

Lighting Effects

Nanoracks mod 74

Systems

OBT ISS emergency hardware familiarization

WPA MF bed sample collect

Ice brick/double cold bag stow

Today's Planned Activities:

All activities are complete with the exception of Soyuz undocking events unless otherwise noted.

HRF Generic Sample MELFI Retrieval And Insertion Operations

Descent Private Medical Conference (PMC)

HRF Generic Ambient Blood Collection Operator

HRF Generic Ambient Blood Collection 15 Minutes Subject

VOZDUKH Deactivation.

PROBIOVIT, KONYUGATSIYA, PRODUTSENT. Kit Retrieval and Transfer to Soyuz 739

HRF Generic Ambient Blood Collection Operator

HRF Generic Ambient Blood Collection 15 Minutes Subject

PROBIOVIT. Deactivation and Removal of Thermostat - No.05

HRF Generic Ambient Blood Collection Pack And Handover

Regenerative Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) Recycle Tank Drain

Verify -1 sensor installation

Equipment Stowage for Return in Soyuz 739. Note 6. GoPro HERO3 camcorder settings adjustment and installation in Soyuz 739 for descent ops

DOSIS 3D Passive Detector Pouch handover

Robotic Workstation (RWS) Setup

Regenerative Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) Recycle Tank Drain Part 2

Acoustic Monitor Data Transfer and Stow

HRF Generic Saliva Collection Stow

HRF Generic Ambient Blood Collection Stow

Bone Densitometer Calibration 1

Columbus SUP Ground Fault Interrupt Test preparation

Columbus SUP Ground Fault Interrupt Test

Plate Reader2 Module-74 Microplate Scan

Columbus GFI Test - Inverter reconfiguration

Columbus SUP Ground Fault Interrupt Test closeout

Filling (Separation)  [KOB] for Elektron-VM or - Conduct separation via gas-liquid separator

Health Maintenance System (HMS) Spaceflight Cognitive Assessment Tool for Windows (WinSCAT) Test

TIME PERCEPTION experiment science

Crew Departure Preparations for Return to Earth

Photo of [] and cargo stowed for return prior to Soyuz 739 undocking from the ISS

Bone Densitometer Calibration 2

RR8 Food Relocate

Soyuz 739 stowage complete report

Soyuz 739 - transfer hatch cover photo

Node3 Air Revitalization System (ARS) Rack - Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) - Hand Valve 01 (HV01) Open

Downlink via OCA per r/g 0130 of Soyuz 739 - transfer hatch cover photo

Health Maintenance System (HMS) ISS Food Intake Tracker (ISS FIT)

Comm reconfig for Soyuz 739 undocking and descent

HRF Generic Saliva Collection Stow

Reminder Rodent Research Thermal Consideration

Comm check with Soyuz 739 via RSA2-S/G2

Health Maintenance System (HMS) ISS Food Intake Tracker (ISS FIT)

Deactivation of TV camera -153 from MRM1 TV System

Soyuz 739 Activation. Transfer of Emer-1a from Soyuz 739 to MRM1

Air Revitalization System (ARS) Rack - Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) - Hand Valve 01 (HV01) Close

 equipment setup and configuration for "Hatch Closure" coverage from MRM1 (mpeg2) (Camcorder Sony HVR-Z7E)

Team Task Switching Experiment Survey

Verify that SM window shutters No. 6, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14 are closed

Bone Densitometer Calibration 3

USOS Window Shutter Close

ISS HAM Radio Power Down in Columbus

ISS HAM Radio Power Down in Service Module

On MCC Go Soyuz-MRM1 Hatch Closure. TV-coverage Soyuz 739 - MRM1 Hatch Closure (mpeg2)

TV-coverage Soyuz 739 - MRM1 Hatch Closure (mpeg2)

On MCC Go Soyuz 739 -MRM1 hatch leak check

On MCC Go Data Downlink on TV-coverage Soyuz 739 - MRM1 Hatch Closure

Biolab TCU Cleaning and Silica Bag Exchange

Turn off Camcorder, TV System monitoring and close applications

Connecting TV camera -153 to MRM1 TV System

Transfer of Atmosphere Purification Filter Assembly -2 from MRM1 to Soyuz 741  and fan checkout

Soyuz 739 ODF Procedure Ops

VOZDUKH Deactivation.

Cargo Transfer to Dragon

Monitoring Soyuz undocking, Photography of Soyuz 739 Docking Assembly via EV Hatch 2 in DC1

On MCC Go Switching MRM1-Soyuz PEV to CLOSED position

ISTOCHNIK-M Preparation For Measurements. Tagup with specialists

Plate Reader2 Module-74 Microplate Swap

Dragon Cargo Operations Conference

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The ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has been hit by a major controversy over its resolution adopted by the Delhi Assembly considering allegations that it contained a demand for stripping former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi of his Bharat Ratna because of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

While its MLA Alka Lamba claimed that the demand was part of the resolution which she refused to support, the AAP denied it, even as Opposition Congress mounted attack on the ruling party over the issue.

Rajiv Gandhi was granted India's highest civilian honour Bharat Ratna after his death in 1991.

AAP leaders, including Delhi's Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, addressed a press conference here on Saturday to assert that no such resolution was passed as the amendment was not placed before Speaker Ram Niwas Goel and members of the house.

"We are not of the view that Bharat Ratna should be taken back from Rajiv Gandhi," Sisodia said.

"To pass amendment in any resolution, it is first placed before the Speaker and then it is placed before all the legislators of the House as an amendment which is then put to vote separately and then passed," said AAP spokesman Saurabh Bhardwaj.

"The resolution was distributed both in English and Hindi to all MLAs before it was read by (AAP MLA) Jarnail Singh. The resolution that was placed on the table of the House or the resolution that was distributed doesn't have any sentence about former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi," Bhardwaj added.

According to AAP, MLA Somnath Bharti introduced the Rajiv Gandhi line in his own handwriting in the resolution copy that he possessed and passed it to Jarnail Singh who then read it.

"When Jarnail Singh read that resolution he also read the amendment proposed by Bharti," Bhardwaj said.

The Speaker, on his part, said the original resolution passed in the Delhi Assembly had no mention of Gandhi but was mentioned by Tilak Nagar MLA Jarnail Singh in his speech.

"There was a proposal for discussion on 1984 riots case. The original resolution had no mention of Rajiv Gandhi Ji. It was added by Jarnail Singh on his own in his speech. It is an emotional issue and people get swayed while speaking," Goel told ANI.

Lamba, who left the Congress in 2013 to join AAP, had walked out of the House, refusing to support the resolution.

Later, she tweeted that she was ready to face any punishment because of her actions.

"The party has asked for my resignation. I am ready to resign but Rajiv Gandhi has sacrificed a lot for the country and I didn't support the proposal in Assembly of taking back his Bharat Ratna. I have been asked to resign because I stood against the decision of the party," Lamba told ANI on Friday.

However, Sisodia said, "No resignation has been sought and from no one."

Delhi was hit by anti-Sikh violence after assassination of Gandhi's mother and then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by Sikh bodyguards on October 31, 1984. The violence left nearly 3,000 people dead.

Backing Lamba, Congress leader Ajay Maken tweeted, "Sh. Rajiv Gandhi sacrificed his life for the country. True colours of AAP have come out in the open! I have always believed that AAP is the B team of BJP!"

However, BJP MLA and Delhi Leader of Opposition Vijender Gupta claimed that the AAP was functioning under the directions of the Congress.

"There is total infighting in AAP, some leaders are in support of a resolution against Rajiv Gandhi and some are against. Basically, the AAP leadership is working on the directions of Congress, they just want to misguide people," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Chief on Friday slammed for tabling a resolution seeking to strip off of former prime minister of

Maken's reaction came after MLA Alka Lamba stirred a controversy by opposing the resolution brought by her party, which appealed to revoke the coveted title conferred on the late Prime Minister owing to killing of Sikhs during 1984 Anti-Sikh riots.

Backing Lamba, who has been asked to resign from her party following her rebellion, Maken tweeted, "Sh. sacrificed his life for the country. True colours of have come out in the open! I have always believed that AAP is the B team of BJP! "

"AAP fielded candidates in Goa, Punjab, MP, Rajasthan, Gujarat, just to cut the votes of and help the BJP," he added.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal-led on Friday sought Lamba's resignation.

According to media reports, the AAP leadership had asked Lamba to resign from the Assembly and primary membership of the party.

Lamba had walked out of the House after refusing to give her support to the resolution. Following which in a tweet she mentioned that she is ready to face any punishment because of her actions.
Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Saturday claimed that Sukhbir Singh Badal had packed his bags and gone to the United States for studies when the 1984 anti-Sikh riots erupted. He alleged that Badal dragged Gandhi family's name into the issue for public attention ahead of the Lok Sabha elections next year.

Asserting that he had personally witnessed the developments during the riots and had first-hand knowledge of the sequence of events that occurred, Singh said: "Sukhbir's statements blaming the Gandhis for the riots, with which they were not even remotely connected, were completely baseless and senseless, and a clear case of desperation to get back into the electoral game ahead of the Lok Sabha polls."

"He was not even around at the time of the incidents and was dragging the Gandhi family into the case to get his virtually defunct party back into the public limelight," he said. Singh also refuted Badal's allegation that Singh was defending the Gandhi family in order to save his chair.

Singh said that his defence of the Gandhi family was out of his personal knowledge which he had gathered from visiting various refugee camps in the wake of the riots.

"While Rajiv Gandhi was out electioneering in West Bengal, Rahul was just a school-going child at the crucial time, and neither had any role to play in the riots in which a few individual Congress leaders were named by the victims," said Punjab Chief Minister.

He challenged the SAD leader to provide evidence against the Gandhis or the Congress party on the issue.

Badal while addressing a press conference on Wednesday 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.)
China has conducted the successful test of one of the Russian-made S-400 Triumf air defence systems.

Quoting local media, Sputnik reported that the People's Liberation Army of China tested the S-400 to shoot down a ballistic target which was at an approximate distance of 250 kilometres and travelling at the speed of 3 kilometres per second.

The Chinese Army also used jamming equipment to test the system's electronic warfare capabilities.

China signed a USD 3 billion contract with Russia in 2015 to procure two S-400 systems, out of which one was delivered by the manufacturer in May this year. The United States imposed sanctions on China due to the purchase of the S-400 systems in September, which China had labelled as a "gross violation" of international relations.

Recently, India had signed a USD 5 billion deal with Russia to purchase five S-400's during Russian President Vladimir Putin's October visit to India.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Patiala House Court here on Saturday reserved its order in the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) application, seeking the custody of AgustaWestland chopper deal alleged middlemen Christian Michel. The court also reserved its order on the bail plea of Michel.

During the hearing, seeking Michel's custody the ED's Counsel DP Singh, said: "We are aware of the investigation of 30 million Euros. The CBI investigation is of about 37.5 million Euros. We have to cover that gap. Two of the properties totaling about Rs 6 crore have been bought."

ED further said that this is purely a case of money laundering. It also alleged that the money had come through 'hawala' channel and not official channels and Michel has some leads, which can lead the investigation further.

Michel's Counsel Alio K Joseph, while opposing the ED, said: "The ED didn't try to question him while he was in the custody of the CBI. We are filing all the documents related to his financial transaction."

"Indian authorities are again asking for the custody for his confession. All the documents have already been collected by the Italian government. They have not done any investigation by themselves," Joseph added.

Meanwhile, the CBI opposed the bail plea filed by Michel saying that he is enjoying the close proximity of the high-class people. The premier investigators in their reply also wrote that Michel's release would hamper the entire investigation.

On Friday, the ED moved a petition in the Patiala House Court seeking production warrant of Michel. The court on the same day directed the CBI to cancel the look-out circular (LOC) issued against former Air Chief Marshal SP Tyagi, who is also an accused in the case.

The AgustaWestland helicopter deal finalised during the previous government headed by then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh got mired in the allegations of kickbacks. According to the ED charge sheet, Michel had received kickbacks to the tune of 30 million Euros from AgustaWestland for the deal involving the purchase of 12 VIP helicopters. The deal, signed in 2007, was scrapped in 2013 following the bribery allegation.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
An encounter broke out between terrorists and security forces on Saturday in Tral area of Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district.

Terrorists are reportedly holed up in the area where the encounter is underway.

More details are awaited.

A string of terrorist activities has taken place in the week.

Yesterday, two Army personnel lost their lives during a ceasefire violation by Pakistan in Keran sector of Kupwara.

A week prior to this, three terrorists were killed in an encounter that broke out in Pulwama's Monghama area of Sirnoo village. Seven civilians and one security personnel too lost their lives in the gun battle.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Social networking giants Facebook and Twitter have removed dozens of fake news sites and accounts pertaining to information praising the government and criticising the opposition parties ahead of the Bangladesh general elections.

While Facebook said that it took down nine pages and six accounts "for their coordinated inauthentic behaviour on its platform in Bangladesh," Twitter said that it suspended 15 accounts originating from Bangladesh for "engaging in coordinated platform manipulation."

In a statement, Nathaniel Gleicher, head of Facebook cybersecurity policy, said that Facebook discovered these pages that were "designed to look like independent news outlets and posted pro-government and anti-opposition content".

"Our investigation indicates that this activity is linked to individuals associated with the Bangladesh government. This kind of behaviour is not allowed on Facebook under our misrepresentation policy because we don't want people or organisations creating networks of accounts to mislead others about who they are, or what they're doing," Gleicher added.

During the crackdown, it was revealed that nearly 12,000 people had followed at least one of the fake Facebook pages.

Furthermore, Twitter said in a statement, "Based on our initial analysis, it appears that some of these accounts may have ties to state-sponsored actors. Our investigations are still ongoing and our enforcement actions could expand. However, at this point, we have taken action on a total of 15 accounts."

"Those accounts had a relatively low number of followers, with most having fewer than 50. As we have in the past, we will publicly release information about these accounts when we complete our investigation," it added.

The 11th general election of Bangladesh is scheduled to take place on December 30. Almost 104.2 million registered voters will cast their votes at about 40,000 polling stations to elect their representatives from across the country.

To ensure a free and fair election, more than 600,000 security personnel from police, Border Guard Bangladesh, Rapid Action Battalion, Coast Guard, Ansar, and Village Defence Party, would be deployed at polling stations. Many countries, including India and various international organisations are sending their observers to oversee the electoral process in the South Asian nation.

The ruling Bangladesh Awami League-led Grand Alliance will be locking horns against the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)-led Jatiya Oikya Front (National Unity Front) and Left Democratic Alliance, where 300 constituencies of the 350-member Parliament are up for grabs. Incumbent Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is seeking to win a third term.

The polls are considered high-octane for the Awami League, which is being accused of its authoritarian moves, including the violent suppression of student protesters and the arrest of prominent photojournalist Shahidul Alam.

For the BNP, which is looking down and out, following the conviction of its chairperson and former prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia for corruption, the party is looking to re-establish itself in the political spectrum after five years.

The BNP also boycotted the last general elections in 2014 due to widespread political violence due to which the Awami League won the controversial polls with a thumping majority of 234 seats.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) chairman R Madhavan has said that it was capable of producing Rafale fighter jets when the initial talks were held but to get quick delivery the central government bought 36 aircraft separately.

"The HAL was capable when the talks were ongoing but to get quick delivery the government bought 36 aircraft separately. If like earlier, 126 aircraft were to be made, some would have been made here and others would have been bought. Since now they have bought 36 there is no question of us making it. HAL is not involved; I would not like to comment anymore," said Madhavan while speaking to media after attending an engineers' conference here on Saturday.

The Rafale jet deal, signed on September 23, 2016, in the frame of an Inter-Governmental Agreement between India and France, has been on the boil over the last few months. The Congress and other opposition parties have been alleging irregularities in the high-profile deal. The Congress has alleged that Narendra Modi government is buying the military aircraft from French company Dassault Aviation at a much higher price than what was being negotiated by the previous UPA government, which planned to procure 126 aircraft.

The fighter jet is a twin-engine Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft, which security analysts believe can be a 'game-changer' for India's Defence system.

The Supreme Court on December 14 dismissed all petitions seeking court-monitored probe into the Rafale fighter jet deal with France, saying that there was no occasion to doubt decision-making process in the deal. The top court said it was not its job to go into the issue of pricing. The bench, headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, said that there is no need to conduct an investigation into details of Rafale pricing.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A Pakistani national Mohammed Imran Qureshi Warsi, jailed here for the last 10 years on charges of forgery and spying, will return home on December 26 after the completion of his term.

A resident of Karachi (Pakistan), Warsi came to India in 2004 to meet his relatives who stay in Kolkata where he fell in love with a girl and got married to her.

The Pakistani national stayed on in India for four years despite the expiry of his visa and got a ration card and a PAN card made during this period which led to his imprisonment for 10 years. In fact, he travelled to Bhopal to get a passport made following which he was arrested.

"My term expired in January this year, following which the police took care of me until now because I had no money of my own. I now get to go home after 14 years, and I couldn't be happier to see my mother, father and siblings who all reside in Karachi," he said on Saturday.

"Police treated me very well, just like a family. I found loving people here the same way there are loving people in Pakistan. I believe good people find good people everywhere," Warsi underscored.

Warsi has two children from his marriage and plans on taking help from the Indian government in taking them to Karachi. "I will be taking the legal course in getting them to Karachi," Warsi stated.

He is set to return home on December 26 by crossing through the Attari-Wagah border.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Supporters of Congress MLA and former Karnataka minister Ramalinga Reddy on Saturday protested outside the Congress office demanding Reddy to be made a minister.

The protest came ahead of the expansion and reshuffle of Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy-led coalition government in Karnataka, which is expected to take place here on Saturday evening.

State Minister and Karnataka Prajnyavantha Janatha Party MLA R Shankar said that he would have to "reconsider" his support to the coalition "if the Congress did not grant him a place in the Cabinet."

"I am getting reports that I will be dropped from the list of Cabinet ministers, who are going to take the oath. When they did not call me for the Congress Legislative Party (CLP) meeting, I realised that the Congress is ditching me. The BJP hasn't contacted me yet, but if my name is not considered for the Cabinet, I will rethink," he told ANI.

As per the reports, the Cabinet expansion-cum-reshuffle is being done keeping in view the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Former Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah on December 5 had said that two MLAs from JD(S) and six MLAs from the Congress will be inducted in the Cabinet.

The two parties-Congress and Janata Dal-Secular-had formed a post-poll alliance in Karnataka in May this year to prevent the BJP from forming the government. Though the BJP formed the government under the leadership of BS Yeddyurappa, he resigned as the chief minister without seeking the trust of the House. BJP, despite being the single the single largest party, had failed to manage the magic figure in the 224-member House with an effective strength of 221.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Dinesh Gundu Rao on Saturday recommended six names for cabinet posts and also announced the removal of two ministers, Ramesh Jarkiholi and R Shankar.

"We are filling six remaining cabinet posts and replacing two ministers. Ramesh Jarkiholi and R Shankar have been removed," Rao said while addressing the media here.

The KPCC president said that the two ministers have been removed as they were unable to fulfil their duties. "It is basically done on the basis of their performance. Again after one year, we will be doing an overall evaluation of all the ministers. We cannot have ministers who are not performing," Rao added.

In a letter addressed to Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, KPCC president has recommended a total of 12 names for the post of Parliamentary Secretaries, Deputy Chairman Planning Commission, Special Representative in New Delhi and Political Secretary to Chief Minister.

Names of MLC A. Abdul Jabbar, MLA Anjali Nibalkar, MLC Ivan D' Souza, MLA Manthesh S. Koujalagi, MLA Roopa Shashidhar, MLC K. Govindaraj, MLA Raghavendra K. Hintal, MLC MA Gopalaswamy and MLA Durgappa Hulageri have been recommended for the post of parliamentary secretaries. MLA Sharnabasappa Darshanapur, MLA Dr. Ajay Singh and MLA V.Muniyappa have been recommended for the post of Deputy Chairman Planning Commission, Special Representative in New Delhi and Political Secretary to Chief Minister, respectively.

Elaborating upon the future prospects of the party, Rao asserted: "Congress party has many deserving people who can become ministers. Unfortunately, this is a coalition government and we only have a certain set of ministries and we have to accommodate all districts, regions, and communities, so we have to take decisions accordingly. After two years, there will be a rotation in the cabinet whoever has not got the opportunity now, may get it then."

Earlier today, senior leader and former minister HK Patil was appointed as the Chairman of the Campaign Committee of KPCC. Patil will succeed Water Resources Minister DK Shivakumar.

Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) as alliance won four out of five seats in the recently-held Karnataka bye-polls.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In a major success, security forces on Saturday killed six terrorists in Kashmir, including the deputy of Zakir Musa, who is the chief of Al-Qaeda affiliated Ansar Ghazat-ul-Hind terror outfit.

All the six, who were killed in an encounter in Awantipora area of Pulwama district, were locals and involved in a series of terror attacks on security establishments and civilians, the police said.

The encounter erupted after security forces launched a cordon and search operation in the area following specific intelligence input about the presence of terrorists in the area, the police said.

The hiding terrorists fired upon the security forces, triggering the encounter, the police said.

"Six terrorists were killed in the operation, there was no collateral damage," Inspector General of Police (Kashmir Range) S P Pani told ANI.

Among those killed was Soliha Mohammad Akhoon alias Rehaan Khan, deputy chief of Musa-led Ansar Ghazat-ul-Hind, police sources said.

Zakir Musa, whose actual name is Zakir Rashid Bhat, is a former Hizbul Mujahideen commander who founded the Al-Qaeda affiliate Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind two years back.

Soliha was involved in several terror attacks on security establishments and many other civilian atrocities in the area, the police sources said.

Others killed in the operation were identified as Faisal, Nadeem Ahmad Sofi , Rasiq Mir, Rouf and Umar, the police said.

Defence spokesman said weapons and war-like stores were recovered from the encounter site.

Pani said it was a "clean operation" and thanked civilians for cooperating with the security forces.

Just a week back, a similar anti-terrorist operation in same Pulwama district's Sirnoo village was hit by stone-pelting by some locals and seven civilians were killed in the retaliatory action by the security forces.

As per police records, all six terrorists had a long history of terror crime records.

Several terror cases were registered against Rasiq under section 13, 18, 18E, 20 ULAP Act.

Similarly, Nadeem and Umar were also involved in several terror crimes while Rouf and Faisal were involved in planning and executing many terror attacks in the area.

The police stated that the bodies of all the six terrorists after completion of medico legal formalities were handed over to their legal heirs.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday lashed out at the Congress and the BJP for pressing his government to write off farm loans in the state.

While addressing a media gathering here Patnaik dubbed the BJP as a party that "talks more and does less" and alleged that the Congress was "responsible for the bankruptcy" of the economy.

"The Congress demands will be a ridiculous reputation of their government, from 1995 to 1999 of the end of their government. I am sure most of you remember how the treasuries were bankrupt ,how salaries couldn't be paid, how infrastructure suffered. It has not paid in the past it hasn't paid in the future," he said.

"BJP talks more does less, they promised Special status for Odisha in 2014 during election, but what happened," he added while cornering the BJP for not fulfilling its promises made in its manifesto ahead of 2014 general elections.

Further asserting that his Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation (KALIA) scheme is a better initiative than farm loan waiver of Congress governments in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, Patnaik asserted that the three-year package worth Rs 10,180 crore will benefit both the cultivators and landless farmers.

"The KALIA scheme is progressive including the employment and self-employment potential for the poorest of the poor, " he added.

Odisha state Cabinet on Friday approved KALIA scheme covering 92 per cent of cultivators.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Pakistan has been facing strong criticism from members of civil society and human rights after handcuffed pictures of a dead professor went viral on social media.

Mian Javed Ahmed, a professor of the University of Sargodha, was arrested by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in October in connection with "opening illegal campuses and minting millions from students". He reportedly died in judicial custody in Lahore District Jail on Friday.

The imprisoned professor experienced a cardiac arrest and was rushed to Services Hospital. However, the professor, who was brought on a stretcher in handcuffs, was declared dead on arrival by doctors.

A senior journalist in Pakistan, Raza Ahmad Rumi tweeted, "Prof. Javed, CEO Sargodha University Campus in Lahore suffered a heart attack in the custody of National Accountability Bureau. This pic of a dead body in chains is shocking. Earlier, former VC Punjab Univ was paraded in handcuffs. Ultimate violation of human dignity. Shame on NAB."

Echoing similar sentiments, Naz Baloch, a social activist and member of National Assembly, tweeted: "Inhumane, ruthless and criminal act of handcuffing the dead body of the Director of Sargodha University, who passed away during NAB custody. Sad state of affairs when even the dead are not spared by NAB!"

The Pakistan Bar Council has demanded the federal government and Supreme Court for conducting a high-level inquiry into the death of Professor Ahmed during NAB custody.

In connection to the ongoing illegal campuses case, the anti-corruption body had obtained an extension of judicial remand until January 2 for the professor and four others arrested in the matter.

The university's former registrar, retired Brigadier Rao Jamil, Mandi Bahauddin sub-campus CEO Waris and his partner Naeem, and former director of administration Akram were the other suspects arrested by NAB.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday praised the police forces for their success in countering terrorism and restricting it to a small geographic area of the country.

"The people of India are, in particular, proud of the police force in Jammu and Kashmir, for their role in countering terrorists, and successfully engaging them," said Prime Minister Narendra Modi while addressing the valedictory ceremony at the Conference of Director Generals and Inspector Generals of Police here on Saturday.

He also appreciated the officers for looking at all issues in the perspective while describing this as the "biggest achievement of the changing nature of this annual conference over the last few years".

The Prime Minister called upon the police forces across the country to be vigilant in countering the dark forces of radicalisation and to engender trust among all communities across the nation.

He also stressed the importance of inter-state coordination in tackling crime. Touching a note of caution, the Prime Minister noted, "Caste fault lines are being exploited by divisive elements for short-term gains."

The Prime Minister urged the police forces to continue working for the unity and integrity of India. "Let us strengthen forces that promote unity, and isolate divisive forces at the grassroots level," he emphasised.

The Prime Minister further said that police personnel work hard in adverse circumstances but they often do not receive the recognition they deserve. He called upon senior officers to work towards greater recognition of police personnel who work for the benefit of the people while suggesting that social media can be used effectively for this purpose.

The Prime Minister also presented President's Police Medals for Distinguished Service to IB officers and congratulated the medal-winning officers of IB for their dedication and commitment to the service.

He released a commemorative postage stamp on the Police Memorial and observed that the memorial should become a source of inspiration for all.

He also launched the portal of the Cyber Coordination Centre, an umbrella platform that will help Law Enforcement Agencies coordinate their efforts to solve all cyber crimes and incidents.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Union Ministers of State for Home Hansraj Ahir and Kiren Rijiju were present on the occasion.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Instead of going for e-swooping, Prime Minister Narendra Modi should declare an emergency in the country, said Shiv Sena leader Manisha Kayande on Saturday.

"Instead of authorising ten central agencies to intercept information stored on any computer, Prime Minister Modi should just declare that there is an emergency in the country," she said.

Speaking to ANI, Kayande said: "The move is absolutely against the fundamental rights of the citizens. Our people are entitled to enjoy the freedom of expressions as enshrined in the Constitution. This move will introspect, interrogate and interfere in the personal lives of people."

"It will also curtail their freedom. Instead of issuing such notifications, Modi ji should just officially declare that there is an emergency in the country. This thought of snooping is really dangerous for our country," she said.

The Central government on Friday had stated that it had authorised 10 Central agencies to intercept, monitor and decrypt the data contained in any computer system and asserted that this move will prevent any unauthorised use of these powers.

The ten agencies, which will maintain e-surveillance are-Intelligence Bureau, Narcotics Control Bureau, Enforcement Directorate, Central Board of Direct Taxes, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, Central Bureau of Investigation; Investigation Agency, Cabinet Secretariat (R&AW), Directorate of Signal Intelligence (For service areas of Jammu & Kashmir, North-East and Assam only) and Commissioner of Police, Delhi.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) legislator Jarnail Singh on Saturday clarified that he had not mentioned former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's name in connection with the latter's alleged involvement in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, but took his name as part of his own opinion.

"This (Bharat Ratna be taken back from Rajiv Gandhi) wasn't a part of the original resolution. It was my feeling and I said it. Technically, it wasn't in the notice," he told ANI.

However, Singh said that the killing of thousands of people in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots should be termed as "genocide."

"So far the Congress and the BJP have not termed the 1984 Sikh riots as genocide but on Friday the AAP did it in the Delhi assembly. I thank everyone present in the assembly for doing it on Friday. I appealed every that the killing of thousands of innocent people on that day should be called as genocide," said Singh, MLA from Tilak Nagar.

Rajiv Gandhi was granted India's highest civilian honour Bharat Ratna after his death in 1991. Following the assassination of his mother Indira Gandhi by Sikh bodyguards in 1984, anti-Sikh riots broke out in several parts of Delhi. The rampaging mob burnt houses, looted shops, raped women and set people ablaze. The violence left nearly 3,000 people dead.

The controversy erupted after AAP leader and Chandni Chowk MLA Alka Lamba was reportedly asked to resign on Friday after she refused to support a resolution in the Assembly that called for revoking Rajiv Gandhi's Bharat Ratna over the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

Lamba, who left the Congress in 2013 to join AAP, had reportedly walked out of the House after refusing to give her support to the resolution. However, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia clarified that Lamba was not asked to resign.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and former Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) Jarnail Singh on Saturday said that late prime minister Rajiv Gandhi was responsible for Sikh Genocide in 1984.

His statement came a day after the Delhi Legislative Assembly on Friday passed a resolution demanding that the country's highest civilian award Bharat Ratna awarded to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi be revoked over 1984 anti-Sikh riots. However, AAP clarified that the said lines about late Rajiv Gandhi were not part of resolution placed before House.

Speaking to ANI, Singh said, "Not only massacre was planned and engineered by then government, Rajiv Gandhi justified the heinous crime by saying "when a big tree falls to earth is bound to shook". Prime Minister Office didn't deploy Army to control the massacre and Police was clearly supporting the rioters instead of saving the innocents."

"After the genocide, instead of prosecution Rajiv Gandhi promoted main accused (Sajjan Kumar) to the ranks of Cabinet Ministers. High Court in its recent order clearly stated that Sajjan Kumar and other accused were given political patronage, then who was their political boss? Rajiv Gandhi. Even Nanavati Commission of inquiry came to the conclusion that it was organised pogrom and state was clearly responsible for deaths. Who was head of state? Rajiv Gandhi," he added.

The AAP leader said that as far as the withdrawal of Bharat Ratna is concerned it is up to Union Ministry of Home Affairs. " If Rajiv Gandhi can be awarded Bharat Ratna than what would be the stand of Congress? What if tomorrow BJP proposes Prime Minister Narender Modi's name for Bharat Ratna? It would be better if no Bharat Ratna is awarded to political people," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
South Korea repatriated three North Korean sailors and the body of a deceased mariner retrieved from the East Sea by authorities earlier this week, said the Unification Ministry on Saturday.

The North Korean sailors were found by a local coast guard on Thursday after their boat went off-course in the South Korean waters of East Sea. While the three sailors were rescued, the coast guard also retrieved the body of the fourth seaman, Yonhap News Agency reported.

Following the rescue operations, South Korea, in a letter, informed North Korea via the Korean Red Cross about the repatriation, after which Pyongyang accepted it.

More details about the boat and the sailors were not immediately known.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Saturday demanded a special sitting of the Vidhan Sabha to pass a resolution demanding withdrawal of the Bharat Ratna conferred on former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

Badal also accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of taking an about turn on passing a resolution against Rajiv Gandhi under pressure from the Congress government.

In a statement here, the SAD president said Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh should clarify whether the Congress party in Punjab would respect the sentiments of Punjabis and bring a resolution demanding the withdrawal of the Bharat Ratna conferred to Rajiv Gandhi.

"This is of utmost importance as it will show how serious the Punjab Congress is in sending across a message that anyone who propagates and justifies mass murder as was done by Rajiv Gandhi does not deserve the country's highest honour. The SAD will not only support this resolution but also appeals that it be passed unanimously to send out a clear message that crimes against humanity have no place in civil society," Badal said.

He also asked Singh to specify the time frame within which the resolution would be presented before the assembly.

Speaking about the AAP volte-face on this issue, Badal said the party and its Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal have exposed themselves by first passing a resolution against Rajiv Gandhi and then making a U-turn by claiming that the resolution had not been passed. He said AAP's outright lies on the issue of the resolution proved that it was in league with the Congress.

"The Congress party forced Arvind Kejriwal to withdraw the resolution within hours of it being passed in the Delhi assembly. This proves beyond doubt that AAP is the B team of the Congress party and all the noises it made about ensuring justice to the 1984 victims were lies aimed at deceiving the Sikh community," he added.

Badal also said the AAP unit in Punjab also needed to clear its stand on the proposed resolution. He said Kejriwal had been continuously engaging in doublespeak on issues related to Sikhs.

"Even now he has resorted to double speak and tried to befool the Sikh community. The Punjab AAP unit should now clarify whether it supported Rajiv Gandhi and the actions of Gandhi's sycophants who indulged in murder and mayhem against Sikhs in Delhi. The manner in which Kejriwal is changing his colours every day he might tomorrow claim that the 1984 genocide did not even take place. AAP Punjab MLAs must tell whether they are with the Sikh community in striving for the punishment of all those who perpetrated the 1984 genocide, including the Gandhi family, or they like Kejriwal had sold their soul to the Congress party," he asserted.

Stating that the SAD would take the issue to the people in case the Congress and AAP did not clarify their stand on passing the resolution in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha, Badal said the Chief Minister has already made it clear that he was partial towards 1984 genocide perpetrator Jagdish Tytler and has already given him a clean chit.

"Kejriwal has proven that he is a Congress stooge. He not only took Congress help to form a government but is also set to become a junior partner of the Congress soon. It is because of this that he took orders from Congress managers and is now claiming no resolution was passed on the issue of Rajiv Gandhi. Now both parties should correct their stands in keeping with the sentiments of Punjabis or be exposed for colluding with each other to deny justice to the Sikh community," he said.

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A partial government shutdown is imminent as the United States House of Representatives and Senate was adjourned for the evening, as President Donald Trump and lawmakers remain at odds over border wall funding.

Although negotiations are underway in Congress to reach an agreement in an aim to prevent a government shutdown, virtually, there is no chance that a vote will take place on Friday night (local time).

On December 6, the Congress approved a two-week stopgap funding bill to keep the government agencies, including Homeland Security and State Department running to prevent a partial government shutdown till December 21. With the deadline fast approaching, this would be the first time in 40 years that the US government will have been closed three times in a year, CNN reported.

Before adjournment, the Senate passed a bill to ensure federal employees who were granted leave of absence to get their back pay.

Earlier, Trump stated that he is prepared for a long government shutdown over funding for his proposed border wall. Placing blame on the Democrats, Trump tweeted, "Shutdown today if Democrats do not vote for Border Security!"

The Democrats in the House have vowed not to support a bill that includes funding for Trump's border wall, increasing the likelihood of a partial government shutdown on Friday midnight.

After assuming office in January last year, Trump had signed an executive order that initiated the process of building a wall on the US-Mexico border. The Democrats and some Republicans do not support Trump's agenda on building the wall and have urged US president to work with Congress on reforming the American immigration system.

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An accountability court here on Friday extended the judicial remand of Pakistani opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif and two others till January 3 in connection to Ashiana Housing Scheme scam.

Sharif and ex-DG LDA (Lahore Development Authority) Ahad Khan Cheema and former principal secretary Fawad Hassan Fawad appeared before the court. In response to a reference filed in the case, the prosecutor told the court that it was ready and would be filed in two to three days.

Following this, the court extended the judicial remand for almost two weeks and directed the prosecution to present the accused persons on the stipulated date, Express Tribune reported.

On October 5, Sharif, the brother of former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, was arrested by the NAB on charges of misusing authority and corruption in the Rs 14 billion Ashiana Housing Scheme during his tenure as the Punjab Chief Minister (2013 to 2018).

Sharif, has, however, denied the allegations and termed it as "baseless".

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Umaiyah Khan, a student of Jamia Islamia University who is currently pursuing her Master of Business Administration (MBA), has alleged that she was not allowed to appear for University Grants Commission - Eligibility Test (UGC-NET) exam for wearing Hijab.

Speaking to ANI, she said, "I went for NET exam last week in Rohini area. I reached the exam centre but did not get the permission to sit for exam and the reason was Hijab. Both male and female invigilators did not allow me to sit for exam. I even requested the senior officials but was not allowed."

Further substantiating her point, Khan added, "I have shown all my identities. Yet, they ordered that I remove my Hijab then sit for exam. I cannot do that because this is my religion, I cannot remove it. I requested them to allow me but they did not let me."

She has also written an email to the UGC about this issue. "If I don't get any reply I will seek legal advice in the matter," she added.

Expressing his anger over the incident Khan's brother Mohd. Zaheed Afzal said, "This is not happening with Umaiayah only, this has been done with many other girls. We Muslims are already backward in terms of higher and when we get such opportunities we are treated like this. I strongly condemn this. This has happened not only in Delhi, similar cases were also reported from Goa and other states."

A professor from the university condemned the incident and said that taking away the "right to appear for an exam just because one practices a particular religion cannot be done."

"I condemn this unfortunate incident. and appearing for exam is every student's right. You cannot take that right because he or she is practicing a particular religion," said Prof Amirul Hasan Ansari, Director of Management studies, Jamia Islamia University.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
US President Donald Trump on Thursday (local time) signed the 'Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Act of 2018'.

The Act re-designates the Department of Homeland Security's Domestic Nuclear Detection Office as the Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office (CWMD Office).

"The CWMD Office will coordinate with other Federal efforts and develop a strategy and policy to plan for, detect, and protect against unauthorized chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear materials or devices in the United States," read the White House press release.

The Act, however, raises constitutional concerns, stated Trump in the press statement.

"Section 2(a)(10) of the Act purports to require the Assistant Secretary for the CWMD Office, a position created by the Act, to consult with certain congressional committees before making any changes in the structure or requirements of the "Securing the Cities" program. My Administration will treat this provision as advisory," revealed the press release.

Trump, further, stated that he hoped that consultation will be possible. He further said that he recognises the benefits of working with the Congress on the "Securing the Cities" program. Nevertheless, the Act's mandatory consultation provision is not consistent with the Constitution's separation of powers, Trump said in the statement.

"Section 2(g)(6) of the Act purports to require the Secretary of Homeland Security annually to provide a report to the Congress that includes recommendations for any necessary statutory changes regarding the CWMD Office, or, if no statutory changes are deemed necessary, an explanation of that conclusion. My Administration will treat this provision in a manner consistent with Article II, section 3 of the Constitution, which provides the President the discretion to recommend to the Congress only "such Measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient," the statement further stated.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
United States President Donald Trump on Friday stated that he is prepared for a long government shutdown over funding for his proposed border wall.

Placing the blame on the Democrats, Trump threatened a shutdown tweeting, "Shutdown today if Democrats do not vote for Border Security!"

According to The Hill, the Republicans in the House passed a funding bill on Thursday that would add more than 5 billion USD for the border.

On Friday, the Senate began taking an initial mandatory vote on the House-passed bill but quickly encountered problems.

The Democrats in the House have vowed not to support a bill that includes funding for Trump's border wall, increasing the likelihood of a partial government shutdown at midnight.

Trump's accusation on Democrats comes a week after he organised a televised Oval Office meeting Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-New York) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-California) saying that he would own any shutdown over border security.

"I am proud to shut down the government for border security. I will take the mantle. I will shut it down, I'm not going to blame you for it," the US President had asserted.

In January 2017, Trump had signed an executive order that initiated the process of building a wall on the US-Mexico border. The Trump administration was seeking five billion USD to build the wall. Democrats and some Republicans do not support Trump's agenda on building the wall and have urged the US president to work with Congress on reforming the US immigration system.

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The United Kingdom docked its warship, the HMS Echo, here in solidarity with Ukraine in the wake of the Kerch Strait row with Russia.

British Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson made the announcement while mentioning, "...we also demonstrate our right to be able to come to ports such as Odessa, for freedom of navigation, for freedom for navies to be able to operate in the Black Sea. This isn't Russia's sea, this is an international sea."

Sputnik further quoted Gavinson as saying, "What we are saying to Russia, what we are saying to President Putin - they cannot continue to act with no regard or care for international laws or international norms".

The warship docked in Odessa on December 19 and is equipped with three six-barrel 7.62 machine guns, an M134 Minigun and 20 mm Erlikon anti-aircraft guns, according to Sputnik. Furthermore, the vessel is slated to undertake hydrographic research.

According to the 1936 Montreux Convention, the frigate can stay in the Black Sea for 21 days.

Following, the November 25 Kerch Strait incident, Kiev imposed martial law in border areas with Russia, that is supposed to come to an end on December 26.

Tense relations have prevailed between Russia and Ukraine since November 25, when Russia impounded two small gunboats and one tugboat belonging to Ukraine, along with the detaining the Ukrainian crew on board. Russia has since stated that Ukraine provoked the country by crossing the Russian maritime border despite Russia's warning to stop.

Both the European Union and the United States have supported Ukraine amid the row and have slammed Russia while calling for the immediate release of the detained crewmen.

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The United States of America has called for immediate release of the two Canadian nationals who were detained in China earlier this month in retaliation to the arrest of Meng Wanzhou, the Chief Financial Officer of Huawei in Canada. The US also expressed deep concern for the Chinese Government's detention of Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig.

Robert Palladino, the Deputy Spokesperson of Department of State issued a press statement saying, "Canada, a country governed by the rule of law, is conducting a fair, unbiased, and transparent legal proceeding with respect to Ms Meng Wanzhou, the Chief Financial Officer of Huawei. Canada respects its international legal commitments by honouring its extradition treaty with the United States."

He further stated that the US shares Canada's commitment to the rule of law as fundamental to all free societies, and we will defend and uphold this principle.

The three nations got caught in a diplomatic crisis after Huawei CFO Wanzhou was detained in Vancouver while taking a layover flight to Mexico.

China demanding the immediate release of the CFO retaliated by detaining two Canadian citizens- Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig on the suspicion of "activities that endangered China's national security.

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The yellow vest protestors have shut down the passage to the international border between France and Spain on December 22, as they enter into the sixth week of protests despite measures taken by the French authorities to resolve the situation.

Protests have been raging on across France since November 17 against the hike in fuel prices, with thousands of protestors taking to the streets throughout the nation.

The French government has since rolled back its plan to increase fuel taxes, with French President Emmanuel Macron announcing a minimum wage hike of 100 euros per month for the people of the nation in his "economic and social emergency plan". The protestors have continued with their movement regardless.

Calls for Macron's resignation were made again on Saturday, Sputnik reported, as 800 yellow vest protestors took to the streets in the Montmartre region, while other demonstrators blocked the passage between France and Spain with a giant French flag.

Earlier, protesters had blocked major highways in the nation, vandalising toll booths and shops and causing hefty losses to road operators.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The 7th edition of anti-terrorism India-China joint military exercise concluded on Saturday in Chengdu area of China, the Defence Ministry said on Saturday.

A statement from the Ministry said: "The Validation and Closing ceremony of the seventh edition of joint India-China military exercise 'Hand-in-Hand 2018' was conducted at Chengdu, China on Saturday.

"The exercise included lectures and discussions on various counter-terrorism aspects, like cordon and search operations, raid on terrorist hideouts, intelligence collection and joint operations. Also, integrated live firing was conducted for both contingents to enhance interoperability and promote jointmanship.

"As part of validation exercise, troops of both armies carried out specialised joint counter-terrorist operations including room intervention and hostage rescue which was witnessed by dignitaries of both armies."

The validation exercise was reviewed by Major General Sanjiv Rai of the Indian Army and Maj Gen Li Shizhong of the PLA in presence of senior Army officers of both participating countries.

"Exercise Hand-in-Hand 2018 was very successful in increasing the bonhomie and camaraderie amongst troops from both countries.

"They shared best practices being followed by both nations in counter-terrorism operations in urban and jungle terrain and the exercise provided an opportunity to both armies for greater understanding and strengthening mutual trust and cooperation," the statement said.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Alcohol images on birthday and Christmas cards reflect and reinforce a social attitude that excess drinking is acceptable and associated with celebration, say public health experts.

While themes of drunkenness on greeting cards are popular and considered normal, it undermines public health messages about harmful drinking, according to an article published in the journal, The BMJ.

These cards "influence views on drinking and reinforce this as a social norm", said Virginia Pearson and Tracey Polak from Britain's Devon County Council.

Illustrations and texts portray alcohol as natural, enjoyable and fun, and can range from a glass of champagne with the word "cheers" to those that are more excessive and encourage binge drinking.

In addition, phrases such as "let's get wrecked", "all the gin" and "trollied" are printed across images of people clearly drunk, surrounded by empty bottles, drinking directly from a bottle, or in some case unconscious, said the researchers.

However, the idea that excess drinking as shown on many greeting cards as enjoyable is at variance with public health messages, according to the authors.

The manufacturers may change what they produce if consumers choose not to buy cards depicting irresponsible drinking.

But the question is whether this would lead to changes in alcohol consumption, as per the team.

Ultimately the authors believe that the responsibility for choosing cards lies with the purchaser "so perhaps it is worth reflecting the next time that you choose one whether the message is one that you condone and wish to pass on," the experts noted.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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.
Congress activists on Saturday staged a protest outside the AAP office in Delhi against a resolution passed by the Delhi government on Friday seeking withdrawl of Bharat Ratna to Rajiv Gandhi and demanded apology.

The Congress workers led by Delhi party unit chief Ajay Maken demonstrated outside the Aam Aadmi Party office at DDU Marg in central Delhi and raised slogans against Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

Addressing the party workers, Maken said: "It is very unfortunate that the AAP government passed a resolution in the Delhi Assembly yesterday (Friday) about taking back the Bharat Ratna awarded to the late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi to indulge in cheap by crossing all limits."

He said, "Kejriwal should apologise to the country and remove from the record of the Delhi Assembly the resolution passed by it, seeking taking back the Bharat Ratna to Rajiv Gandhi."

He also said that if need be, a special session of the Assembly should be called for the purpose.

The party then also carried out a candle light march to the BJP headquarters demanding a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the Rafale fighter aircraft deal.

A balloon replica of Rafale aircraft, mounted on a mini van, was also on display.

The Congress workers carried placards and banners with slogans such as "Rafale saude ka sach batao, JPC se jaanch karao", "Narendra Modi ne kya kiya, court ko gumrah kiya", "JPC ka gathan karao, Rafale saude ki jaanch karao", "Chitti likhna nahi he kafi, Supreme Court se mange mafi" etc.

Maken said that the party workers will wage the battle, started by Congress president Rahul Gandhi to protest against the Rafale aircraft deal scam, which has compromised with the interest and security of the country, till those involved in the Rafale scam are brought to book.

He said that Rahul Gandhi's relentless fight against the Modi government's corruption has helped the Congress party come to power in three crucial States of the country in the recent Assembly elections.

The former Union Minister said that the Modi government, rattled by the corruption cases against it, has not only furnished wrong information and lied to mislead the Supreme Court, but has also violated the special powers of Parliament.

He alleged that the Modi government, to mislead the Supreme Court, had stated that the Comptroller and Auditor General had submitted its report on the Rafale deal to the Public Accounts Committee, whereas no such report had been prepared and submitted by the CAG to the PAC.

Maken said that the Rafale aircraft scam was the biggest corruption in defence deals.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Allegations against China of cyber attacks reported by the Canadian media were fabricated stories, which have seriously misled the public, the Chinese embassy here has said in a statement.

The Canadian media had reported that the U.S. authorities had indicted two Chinese nationals on the grounds of "cyber stealing", Xinhua news agency reported.

"China never conducted state-sponsored cyber attacks against Canada, let alone did it pledge that it would stop the relevant activities. One can not pledge to stop what he didn't do," the statement read.

The reports also accused China of cyber attacks against Canada and alleged that China violated its pledge to stop state-sponsored cyber attacks to steal trade secrets and proprietary technologies from Canada's private sector.

Those countries that own the "PRISM Program," "Equation Group" and "Echelon" global spying networks and have been engaging in large-scale and organised cyber stealing, spying and surveillance activities on foreign governments, enterprises and individuals, unexpectedly make unwarranted accusations against China on cyber attacks and hacking activities, it said.

"It is the most absurd tale in the world. They are playing the trick of a thief crying stop thief," it said.

If the Canadian side has suffered from cyber attacks, it was definitely not initiated by China, but by someone else, the statement added.

On cyber-security issue, China and Canada agreed that neither country would conduct or knowingly support 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, it read.

--IANS

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A Delhi court on Saturday allowed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to quiz British national Christian Michel, the middleman accused in the Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal case, for seven days.

Special Judge Arvind Kumar sent Michel to ED's custody for seven days after the probe agency arrested him in the case.

ED's counsel and special public prosecutor D.P. Singh told the court that Michel's custody is required to confront the accused with some witnesses.

ED also told the court it has to probe the money laundering aspect as the money has not come through official channels but through hawala transactions.

Michel's counsel Aljo K. Joseph and Vishnu Sankar opposed the plea.

Michel was extradited to India on December 4 from the United Arab Emirates. He is one of the three middlemen being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the ED in the VVIP chopper deal.

In January, the ED had lodged a request with the UAE authorities seeking extradition of Michel. Both the ED and the CBI had filed charge-sheets in bribery cases in Indian courts and non-bailable warrants had been issued against the accused.

Michel's lawyer Rosemary Patrizi Dos Anjos from Italy told IANS, "Michel met CBI special Director Rakesh Asthana and Indian representative on June 2 in Dubai along with the Law Ministry authorities of UAE."

She said that the meeting was held in complete frankness with Michel.

Sharing the minutes of the meeting of Michel with Indian representative, she said, "Michel was told to implicate AP and Madam (referring to Congress leader Ahmed Patel and Sonia Gandhi). Michel felt that there was a panicked sense of urgency. Even many threats were issued and a discussion was held on how unpleasant Indian jails were."

"Michel was also told that none of his friends would be able to help him if he did not sign a statement," she said.

Anjos further said that Michel was told that if he signed a statement, he would not be arrested and all cases against him would be dropped and the Red Corner Notice against him would be removed.

"To this Michel said that he would not sign a statement prepared by them (Indian representative) but would work with his lawyers over the next few days to prepare his statement and send it to them by Tuesday evening (June 5).

"But after all the threats Michel was surprised when they accepted his proposal and the meeting ended at approximately 11 o'clock on Saturday evening (June 2). And his statement was delivered on Wednesday morning (June 6) at 10 a.m. to lawyers for onward transmission

"On June 7, Michel was informed that his statement was unacceptable and the Indian party would move ahead with extradition," she said.

However, the CBI had earlier claimed it hadn't questioned Michel in the UAE.

In its chargesheet, the CBI had named former Indian Air Force chief S.P. Tyagi, his cousin Sanjeev Tyagi alias Julie, then IAF Vice Chief J.S. Gujral and advocate Gautam Khaitan as the four Indians involved in the scam.

Others named in the chargesheet included Giuseppe Orsi, the former chief of Italian defence and aerospace major Finmeccanica, and Bruno Spagnolini, former CEO of AgustaWestland, apart from middlemen Michel, Haschke and Gerosa.

--IANS

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(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.)
Researchers have developed a self-powered bandage that generates an electric field over an injury, dramatically reducing the healing time for skin wounds.

Wounds covered by electric bandage, or e-bandage, closed within three days, compared with 12 days for a control bandage with no electric field, showed the findings published in the journal ACS Nano.

As early as the 1960s, researchers observed that electrical stimulation could help skin wounds heal, but its application has remained limited as the equipment for generating the electric field becomes often large and may require patient hospitalisation.

Researchers Weibo Cai and Xudong Wang from University of Wisconsin-Madison in the US and their colleagues wanted to develop a flexible, self-powered bandage that could convert skin movements into a therapeutic electric field.

"This self-powered electric-dressing modality could lead to a facile therapeutic strategy for nonhealing skin wound treatment," said the study.

To power their e-bandage, the researchers made a wearable nanogenerator by overlapping sheets of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), copper foil and polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

The nanogenerator converted skin movements, which occur during normal activity or even breathing, into small electrical pulses.

This current flowed to two working electrodes that were placed on either side of the skin wound to produce a weak electric field. The team tested the device by placing it over wounds on rats' backs.

The researchers found that wounds covered by e-bandages healed faster than a control bandage with no electric field.

The researchers attribute the faster wound healing to enhanced fibroblast migration, proliferation and differentiation induced by the electric field.

--IANS

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Eibar on Saturday held Real Betis to a 1-1 draw in La Liga action to end the home side's league winning streak of three matches while failing to earn a win in the last five games in all competitions.

During its last game of 2018, Eibar sought to defy Real Betis for the ball possession, resulting in spaces between lines that enabled the home side to threaten Eibar's goal, reports Efe news.

But it was Eibar, who had the first real opportunity to draw the first blood in the ninth minute, when Chilean forward Fabian Orellana tried his luck on a right-footed shot but his attempt was saved.

Eibar aggressively sought out the equalizer, but its final touch lacked precision, which helped Betis maintain its 1-0 lead till the end of the first half.

Having squandered a couple of scoring chances during the opening minutes of the second half, Eibar eventually got onto the scoreboard in the 71st minute, when Orellana successfully converted a penalty kick.

After the draw, Real Betis holds the sixth spot in La Liga table with 26 points, while Eibar provisionally sits in the 11th spot with 21 points.

--IANS

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Germany will ban flights of Iran's Mahan Air to its cities under the US pressure, the media reported on Saturday.

The German government has decided to stop Mahan Air, which is under the US' anti-Iran sanctions, from operating its flights to Dusseldorf and Munich after intensive deliberations on the Washington demand, Xinhua news agency reported citing an Iranian media report.

Currently, Mahan Air operates flights to EU cities of Milan, Athens, Dusseldorf and Munich as well as to countries such as Turkey, Russia, Ukraine and several other destinations in the Middle East and Asia.

Since December 2011, Mahan Air has been subjected to several sanctions by the US Department of Treasury for its alleged violation of international laws.

The US government has imposed sanctions on several companies for their links to Mahan Air, including a Thai aviation company and a Malaysia-based sales agent.

--IANS

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A company controlled by Google's parent Alphabet Inc. has received an electronic money institution (EMI) license in Lithuania that will allow it to offer payment services across the European Union (EU).

Amid the country's efforts to become a regional fintech licensing hub, the Bank of Lithuania issued the EMI license to Google Payment Lithuania, UAB on Friday, Xinhua news agency reported.

"Our regulatory environment and the benefits it offers have been acknowledged by both start ups and world-class fintech companies," a statement quoted Marius Jurgilas, a member of the Board of the Bank of Lithuania, as saying.

The EMI license authorises the company to issue and redeem electronic money and provide payment services.

"We are constantly working to develop payments products and support our customers. We applied for a payment license in Lithuania as part of these efforts," Google spokesman Adam Malczak told local media on Friday.

Google's EMI license in Lithuania was issued around a week after Revolut, a UK-based fintech start-up received European banking license which was facilitated by the Bank of Lithuania, paving the way for the company's banking services throughout Europe.

"The end of this year reflects our efforts and experience of the past few years in actively developing a fintech-conducive ecosystem in Lithuania," Jurgilas said.

Google's EMI license is the 45th such the Bank of Lithuania has issued so far.

In total, more than 100 fintech companies, mostly in payments, electronic money issuance, peer to peer lending, crowdfunding, are licensed in Lithuania, according to the Bank of Lithuania.

--IANS

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said despite all "obstacles" from fundamentalists and Opposition, his government was committed to bringing a law against the practice of triple talaq to ensure social justice for Muslim women.

"Despite all the obstacles, despite resistance from the fundamentalists and the Opposition, the government is committed to making a law against triple talaq so that our Muslim women get rid of a big insecurity in their social life," he said addressing the National Convention of BJP's Mahila Morcha.

The government had brought the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill last year and got it passed in the Lok Sabha the same day, but it was stonewalled in the Rajya Sabha where the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) lacks majority. The Opposition had expressed serious concerns over making triple talaq a criminal offence.

Under the proposed law, a man could be jailed for up to three years for pronouncing an instant divorce (triple talaq) to his wife, which is legitimate under the Hanafi school of Islamic jurisprudence.

Subsequently, the government brought an ordinance on the subject in September this year which has to be replaced by law in the current session. Otherwise, it will lapse.

Modi said the government had already done away with the condition of a 'mehram' (a male guardian including husband or first blood relations) to accompany a woman on Haj.

Earlier, Muslim women from India could not go on Hajj alone. The government did away with the condition last year and around 1,300 women performed the Haj without a mehram.

Speaking at the event, Modi listed a number of schemes that his government has brought for the welfare of women such as Ujjawala and Surakshit Matritva among others.

"Women are at the centre of several flagship programmes of this government...for the first time there are two women in the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS)," he said.

Modi asked the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers present at the conclave to download the Narendra Modi mobile app and asked them to forward the government's various welfare schemes to all their contacts.

"When I tell the world leaders that India has allowed 36 months of maternity leave to women, they look away from me. Not even the developed countries have given such a facility to women," the Prime Minister said.

He said his government was trying to promote women entrepreneurs through various schemes including the Mudra Yojana under which the major percentage of loans had been disbursed to women entrepreneurs.

--IANS

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Union minister for Environment, Forests, Climate Change and Earth Sciences Dr Harsh Vardhan on Saturday lauded the services of Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS).

Inaugurating the new building for International Training Centre for Operational Oceanography (ITCOocean) at INCOIS here, he said the ocean state forecasts provided by INCOIS are helping fishermen, ships, Indian Navy and the Coast Guard.

He noted that the Search and Research Aid Tool ( SARAT) is helping in the planning and conducting of search operations for missing objectsA including fishermen at sea.

The Tsunami Early Warning Centre also continues to perform better than other centres in issuing appropriate warnings and advisories.

The ITCOocean has been set up to create trained man power in marine, coastal sustainability and response to marine natural hazards in India and other countries.

The UNESCO General Conference had approved establishment of ITCOocean as category 2 centre to provide training opportunities in the areas of ocean science and management for the South Asian and African states bordering the Indian Ocean and small island nations of Pacific.

The minister pointed out that there are about 1207 institutions like the CSIR institutes in the world and India ranks ninth, where technology for improving the lives of people is being developed.

Harsh Vardhan said that India is one country which is adhering to various agreements on climate change and taking steps to mitigate global warming.

The International Solar Alliance mooted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been welcome and several nations joined the alliance, he said.

Harsh Vardhan also appealed to the people to join the 'Green Good Deeds' campaign launched by his ministry to sensitise the people about climate change and global warming.

A compendium of 700 such deeds, which every citizen can practise, can be found in the ministry's website, he added.

--IANS

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Iran's ambassador to Britain on Saturday denied that Iranian and the US diplomats have secretly met in London recently over Yemen.

Some media outlets reported that diplomats of the two countries have secretly met in London, and the recent Yemeni negotiations in Sweden have been the result of these meetings.

"This news is a mere lie and is completely denied," Iran's ambassador to London, Hamid Baeeidinejad, said on his Twitter account on Saturday, Xinhua news agency reported.

On Saturday, Kuwait's Al-Jarida daily said that the recent talks in Sweden between the conflicting sides in Yemen were the result of "secret communications and meetings" between the Iranian and American officials, mediated by some European countries and Oman.

--IANS

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Iranian Foreign Ministry on Saturday welcomed US President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw US forces from Syria.

The US military presence in the Middle East fuels insecurity in the region, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi said, Xinhua news agency reported.

"Basically, US forces' arrival and presence in the region were a wrong, illogical, tension-provoking and crisis-inducing move from the outset," Qasemi said.

The presence of US forces "has always been one of the key causes to instability and insecurity in the region," he added.

A White House announcement on Wednesday said that Trump's administration started to withdraw US troops from Syria after claiming a victory in the fight against the Islamic State.

--IANS

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The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will extend a loan of Rs 20,196 crore for building over 52 km stretch under Phase II of Chennai Metro Project, said Tamil Nadu government.

In a statement, the government said the estimated cost of this length (35.67 km Madhavaram to Sholinganallur and 16.34 km Madhavaram to Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus) is Rs 40,941 crore.

The loan assistance from JICA will be Rs 20,196 crore.

The loan agreement for providing the first tranche under the Official Development Assistance (ODA) loan of 75,519 Million Japanese Yen (approximately Rs 4,770 crore) between Government of India and JICA, the statement said.

--IANS

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Karnataka's seven-month-old coalition government was expanded on Saturday with the induction of eight Congress legislators as cabinet ministers.

State Governor Vajubhai R. Vala administered the oath of office to the legislators at a simple ceremony at Raj Bhavan here. Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy of the ruling alliance partner Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) and Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara of the Congress and others, including officials, were present on the occasion.

Those sworn-in are M.B. Patil, Satish Jarkiholi, R.B. Thimmapur, C.S. Shivalli, P.T. Parameshwar Naik, E. Tukaram, Rahim Khan and M.T.B. Nagaraj.

Khan from Bidar (North) Assembly segment in the state's northern district took oath in English in the name of Allah, while the remaining seven lawmakers did in Kannada in the order of their seniority.

Congress' state unit President Dinesh Gundu Rao told reporters earlier that Satish replaced his elder brother and Municipal Administration Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi and Nagaraj came in place of Forests Minister R. Shankar.

"The party's high command dropped Ramesh and Shankar from the Ministry," Rao added but did not give reasons for their ouster.

Satish was elected from Yemakanmaradi in Belagavi district in the May 12 Assembly elections and Nagaraj from Hoskote in Bengaluru Rural district.

Ramesh represents Gokak segment in Belagavi district and Shankar was elected as Independent from Ranebennur in Haveri district but joined the Congress later.

Patil from Babaleshwar in Vijayapura district was the Water Resources Minister in the previous Congress government.

Timmapur is a Member of the Legislative Council (MLC) from Mudhol in Bagalkot district, while Shivalli was elected from Kundgol in Dharwad district, and Naik and Tukaram from Hadagalli and Sandur in Ballari district.

Congress Legislature Party leader and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had earlier in the day sent the names of eight lawmakers to Kumaraswamy for filling up the six vacancies from its cabinet quota of 22 and replacing the two dropped.

The names were approved by party President Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi on Friday at a meeting with state unit leaders, including Siddaramaiah, Parameshwara, Rao and party's state unit in-charge K.C. Venugopal.

Though the JD-S has two vacancies to fill from its quota of 12 cabinet posts in the 34-member Ministry, Kumaraswamy did not include any of its legislators.

A JD-S source told IANS that party's supremo H.D. Deve Gowda and PWD Minister H.D. Revanna were against induction of its legislators this time as the cabinet expansion was being held during the "inauspicious" month (Shunya Masa) as per the Hindu lunar calendar.

Kumaraswamy thanked the Governor for agreeing to swear-in the Congress legislators as ministers at a short notice as he received their names only on Saturday morning.

This is the second cabinet expansion of the coalition ministry after the first on June 6 when 24 ministers, including 14 from the Congress and 10 from the JD-S, were inducted.

In the 125-member Legislative Assembly, including one nominated, the Congress has 80 legislators, JD-S 36 and the BJP 104, while the remaining are Independents and from other parties like the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).

"Kumaraswamy will soon allocate the portfolios for the new ministers in consultation with Siddaramaiah and Parameshwara," an official told IANS.

--IANS

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Actor Naseeruddin Shah's remarks on religious violence prompted yoga guru Ramdev to say on Saturday that such accusations amounted to degrading the country's pride.

"Naseeruddin Shah has earned his popularity due to love of common people. I have not seen religious intolerance. I, of course, see political intolerance. I think accusing India of religious intolerance is equal to degrading country's pride," he said.

There is no country without internal violence and intolerance, but no one blames one's own country, said the yoga guru.

"Labelling one's own country with religious intolerance is akin to ungratefulness, disrespect and treason," he said on the sidelines of the inauguration of the Eastern India's first International Vedic Pathashala.

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 raised concerns about the safety of his children who, he said, do not follow any specific religion.

Speaking on the ongoing legal battle between the Trinamool Congress-led West Bengal government and the BJP over the rath yatra, he said, "Though the matter is sub judice, we do not know the fate of the yatra as the verdicts of the court are being challenged time and again. I would like to be neutral."

Ramdev said the Vedas were the greatest text of knowledge and in a secular country like India, political parties and governments should not do with the ancient legacy.

"All governments should provide special financial assistance to the Vedic institutions to protect the rich traditions. I would urge Mamata-ji to provide financial assistance to them," he added.

--IANS

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Former Chief Minister of Delhi Shiela Dikshit on Saturday lashed out at Aam Aadmi Party MLAs for demanding revocation of Bharat Ratna for Rajiv Gandhi, saying no state assembly has the right to pass any resolution in the matter as the award is conferred by the Government of India.

"This is not a right of any assembly. The Bharat Ratna, (the highest civilian award) and others are conferred by the Government of India. You (AAP MLAs) do not have a right to pass a resolution," the Congress leader told media.

She rebuked the party legislators accusing them of not being concerned about the state of Delhi, but about Rajiv Gandhi.

"Why are you doing this? It has been two decades since he was given the award. Why are you raising it now? Do you not have any other things to discuss, the state of Delhi for that matter. You are a state administrator so discuss Delhi, its improvement.. You don't do that but talk about Rajiv Gandhi," she said.

An AAP legislator on Friday had demanded that Bharat Ratna conferred on the late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi be taken back as he had allegedly justified the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

The demand came in the Delhi Assembly as an amendment proposed to a resolution moved by Tilak Nagar MLA Jarnail Singh.

Taking to Twittter later, another party legislator said the resolution amendment was not put to vote and that there was no question of it being passed, so the matter had ended.

"In connection with a dispute about a line on Shri Rajiv Gandhi in the resolution passed in the Assembly today, I confirm that the line was not part of the original resolution distributed to MLAs. Jarnail-ji didn't propose that amendment and never put that for vote. Amendments are always put to vote separately and unless passed, can't form part of the resolution," Bharti said in a series of tweets.

"I further clarify that the amendment I proposed was not put to vote and hence there is no question of passing the same. Hope this settles the dispute," he added.

-- IANS

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Sultanate of Oman-headquartered budget airline Salam Air is getting ready to operate to Kerala, according to an official of the airline.

Budget airline's CEO Mohammed Ahamed has said that they have started necessary work in this direction and are waiting to hear from the civil aviation authorities in Delhi. Once it is done, the date of operations would be announced.

Salam Air is planning to operate first to Kochi and then to other South Indian destinations, including the three other international airports in Kerala.

Salam Air started commercial operations on January 30, 2017 and today they operate 116 flights per week across seven destinations, besides three seasonal destinations.

--IANS

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A Philippines lawmaker and his police escort were shot dead on Saturday while attending a gift-giving event for senior citizens and persons with disabilities in the country's Albay province.

The police said 52-year-old Rodel Batocabe, a member of the Philippines House of Representatives, and his security escort were gunned down in the afternoon at the covered court of Burgos in south of Manila. They were taken to hospital but declared dead on arrival.

Philippines presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo condemned the assassination, describing it as a senseless killing, Xinhua news agency reported.

"Proper authorities are now investigating this brazen murder as we vow to leave no stone unturned in bringing the perpetrators of this felonious act to justice," Panelo said in a statement.

He said the Presidential Palace expressed its condolences to Batocabe's bereaved family, his loved ones and colleagues in Congress. No group claimed responsibility for the killing.

The Philippines mid-term elections are scheduled for May 2019. Candidate would be contesting for over 18,000 national and local positions like senators, congressmen, governors and city mayors. Batocabe was reportedly running for the Mayor of Daraga.

The police were investigating whether the killing was related to the forthcoming polls.

--IANS

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Film: Maya (Short Film); Cast: Padmapriya, Abir Chatterjee; Director: Annirudha Roy Choudhury; Rating: *** (3 stars)

Unrequited love is a terrible tragedy. In this week's big-screen experience "Zero", Katrina Kaif plays a woman who has been dumped by her lover. In the short film that I saw this week, a man never gets to tell a woman his true feelings.

Before he can, she confesses to falling in love with an anonymous caller who is none other than the himself.

But damn. He can't claim her affection. It belongs to his doppelganger.

Except for the fact that the Tamil heroine's father speaks with a pronounced Bengali accent, this short-film, directed by the director of "Pink", gets every detail right in the tragic saga of unrequited love.

The narrative tiptoes through the inert life of a young shy Bengali man Anjan (played with disarming diffidence by Abir Chatterjee) with a casual reverence. From the way his mother speaks to him off-camera we know Anjan is an over-protected emotionally skeletal man and surely a virgin.

At his piano lessons, he begins to furtively eye his Tamilian piano teacher's attractive free-spirited daughter Maya (Padmapriya). From loaded conversations over cups of tea to blank calls from a landline (this is Kolkata in the 1990s), the texture of tenderness is never squandered away in the bustle of courtship.

Abir's emotive layered presence suggests disturbances in his psyche that the brief film avoids. His double-identity approach to love reminded me of Shah Rukh Khan in Aditya Chopra's "Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi". Though in the end Anjan loses out on love, his defeat is not underlined by self-pity.

It's the idea of love that keeps the lonely from sinking into the cesspool of their own solitude. As Padmapriya walks away slowly from Abir, I only hoped they would look at one another carefully rather than focus on what lies beyond.

--IANS

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UP Yoddha edged out U Mumba 34-32 in a Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) tie at the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Indoor Stadium here on Saturday.

Prashanth Kumar Rai (8 points) with a two-point raid in the last minute clinched the win for UP Yoddha.

It was a disappointing night for U Mumba as Siddharth Desai and Rohit Rana both suffered injuries.

The loss means that U Mumba won't finish at the top of the table in Zone A.

UP Yoddha still have a slim chance of making it to the playoffs. Sachin Kumar had a brilliant game in defence for Yoddha and earned six tackle points while Rishank Devadiga got seven raid points.

U Mumba made a strong start to lead 3-0 after two minutes but Shrikant Jadhav got two raid points as UP Yoddha cut the deficit to 3-4. U Mumba then forced two super tackles in the space of three minutes to lead 8-5 by the 8th minute.

UP Yoddha forced an all out in the 13th minute as they lead 14-8 after 14 minutes. U Mumba came back strongly with Abolfazl Maghsodlou producing a super raid to level the match 14-14 after 17 minutes.

UP Yoddha didn't buckle under pressure as Prashanth made consecutive two-point raids.

At the end of the first half, UP Yoddha led 18-15.

UP began the second half strongly with a super tackle in the 21st minute to lead 20-15. But U Mumba inflicted an all out in the 23rd minute to level the match at 20-20.

For the next 10 minutes it was an evenly contested fight with both teams picking raid and tackle points.

Rishank made a two-point raid in the 32nd minute to give UP Yoddha 29-25 lead. It was a close affair with less than five minutes to go but Rohit Baliyan made a two-point raid in the 38th minute to level the match at 31-31.

Darshian Kadian forced an error out of Yoddha's defence in the 40th minute to tie the match at 32-32. Prashanth made a brilliant two-point raid in the dying seconds to give Yoddha a narrow 34-32 win.

--IANS

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At least three persons have been killed by unidentified gunmen over the past 12 hours in three different districts of Bihar, prompting a scathing attack by the opposition on Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's governance.

The latest victim being a construction firm owner, who was gunned down in broad daylight on Saturday in Darbhanga district. Hours before that a bank official was abducted from Gaya and killed.

A property dealer was murdered in Begusarai late on Friday. All these murders came barely 48 hours after the murder of a well-known businessman's father in Vaishali.

All cases were still open, police said.

"Nitish Kumar is busy meeting in Delhi, discussing seat sharing with BJP President Amit Shah and criminals are busy killing businessmen.

"Nitish Kumar has no time for anything other than preparing for 2019 Lok Sabha polls," former Deputy Chief Minister and RJD chief Lalu Prasad's son Tejashwi Yadav said.

In the latest attack, K.P. Shahi, the owner of Shahi construction company, was shot dead around 11 a.m. while he was enroute to his office from his residence in Darbhanga district.

Four motorcycle borne masked men targeted his vehicle and fired indiscriminately, killing him on the spot. Shahi Construction was engaged in road construction at three or four places.

Police suspect 'rangdari' or extortion by a criminal gang as the reason behind his killing.

Darbhanga Senior Superintendent of Police Garima Malik said it is difficult to say what the motive was, but "we have constituted an SIT to probe the case".

Shahi's murder came barely nine hours after the murder of a Punjab National Bank (PNB) Customer Service Point (CSP) in-charge Pintu Singh in Gaya district.

Singh was abducted late on Friday from near Amas at 11 p.m. He is believed to have been shot dead around 2 a.m. on Saturday, according to Amas Police Station Shayam Lal Saran. Deep injury marks were found on his head.

Meanwhile, in Begusarai district, a property dealer Mahesh Singh was shot dead by unidentified criminals around midnight, police said. He was killed in Paspura village under Mufassil Police Station, a district police official said.

All these killings came barely 48 hours after a businessman was shot dead in Vaishali district.

The back-to-back killings have triggered violent protest by villagers, who have blocked the GT Road disrupting traffic for hours, Saran said.

Gunjan Khemka, an industrialist was shot dead on Thursday in Hajipur. His son, Gopal Khemka is a well-known businessman in Patna.

Khemka was targeted on his way to his factory in Hajipur, about 30 km from Patna, Vaishali Superintendent of Police Manavjit Singh Dhillon said.

Police are still in dark and yet to make any breakthrough in the case.

Opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal and Congress leaders have targeted Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for the rise in crime and total collapse of law and order.

Besides Bihar Opposition Leader Tejashwi Yadav, Senior Congress leader Tarique Anwar and Rashtriya Lok Samta Party chief and former Union Minister Upendra Kushwaha have questioned Nitish Kumar's self claimed rule of law in Bihar.

"There is no law and order in Bihar. It is free for criminals and they do whatever they wish," RJD spokesperson Bhai Virendar said.

Ruling JD-U and BJP leaders have refuted opposition leaders allegations.

--IANS

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday lauded the valour of police forces of the country, especially from Jammu and Kashmir for their role in countering terrorists.

The PM's praise came on the day when six Kashmiri militants were gunned down by a joint team of the Army, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) troopers and men from special operations group (SOG) of the state police.

The killed militants belonged to Ansar Ghazwatul Hind, an Al Qaeda-affiliate Zakir Musa group.

Soliha, the deputy of Zakir Musa, also known as Rehaan Khan, was killed in the encounter in the Tral area after the group of hiding militants fired at security forces who had surrounded the Arampora village following specific inputs about the terrorists' presence.

Addressing the valedictory ceremony at the Conference of Directors General and Inspectors General of Police at Kevadiya in Gujarat, Modi said he was "proud of the police force in Jammu and Kashmir for their role in countering terrorists, and successfully engaging them".

According to an estimate, the current year saw the highest number of individuals being killed in conflict in the last one decade. The toll is estimated to be as high as 413 persons, including 237 militants, 94 civilians and 81 armed forces personnel.

Out of the 237 militants, 163 were killed since June this year, the month when Governor rule was imposed after BJP broke its alliance with the Mehbooba Mufti-led PDP, bringing down the government.

Last week also, three militants, including two minors, were gunned down by the security officers in the outskirts of the state capital Srinagar. The militants belonged to terrorist outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba, sources said.

--IANS

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Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Saturday slammed the BJP for what he described as an orchestrated attack on his party workers at a demonstration organised here by the state BJP to protest against his allegations of irregularities in the Rafale fighter jet deal.

In his message shared on Facebook, Gandhi also said that he was proud of the "spirit of Gandhigiri" displayed by Congress' state women's chief Pratima Coutinho, who was allegedly attacked by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) supporters during the clash on Thursday afternoon.

"Democracy frustrates the BJP. This designed, deliberated and organised attack on Congress workers in Goa is an exemplification of that feeling. The attempt is to instil fear," Gandhi said on the social media site.

"The cowards who came to attack us in Goa, and their bosses sitting here in Delhi, should know, fear is alien to the workers of the Congress party," Gandhi said, adding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should "read about the fate of those rulers who chose to attack non-violent Congress workers in this country".

Meanwhile, the state Congress legislative party and the Pradesh Congress Committee on Saturday met to condemn Friday's attack on the party's workers.

"It was a completely state-sponsored mob which included members of the Chief Minister's Office, Speaker's Office, MLAs, Ministers, top BJP functionaries including the state president and was supported by the police machinery," state Congress President Girish Chodankar said.

Congress leaders also met state Director General of Police Muktesh Chander and demanded action against senior BJP functionaries named in the complaint.

Both the Congress as well as the BJP leaders have filed First Information Reports against each other following the clash, with each accusing the other of rioting, assault, and outraging the modesty of women.

--IANS

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Govinda, who has worked with Ranveer Singh in 'Kill Dill', has said the latter is a really good actor.

Govinda said this on Friday while interacting with the media on his 56th birthday celebration party here.

In his interviews, Ranveer has often said he is the biggest fan of Govinda, and was inspired by him to act in movies.

At Priyanka Chopra-Nick Jonas wedding reception on Thursday, Govinda had a fun time with Ranveer Singh, and the latter posted a 'happy photo' along with Govinda on social media.

Talking about his bond with Ranveer, Govinda said: "He is a really good actor and I feel he works really hard. May God bless him."

Thanking his fans on his birthday, Govinda said: "I am thankful to my audience, parents and the media who have supported me over the years. I hope that they will keep loving and supporting me in this journey."

Govinda has delivered several box-office hits like 'Raja Babu', 'Deewana Mastana', 'Partner', 'Hero No. 1', 'Jodi No. 1', and 'Dulhe Raja' in his career.

Talking about his journey in films, Govinda said: "I don't think much about how my past films have performed at the box-office. I just want to keep working in this industry. Now, my film 'Rangeela Raja' is releasing on January 11."

'Rangeela Raja', a comedy film, is written and produced by Pahlaj Nihalani, and directed by Sikander Bharti.

The film stars Govinda, Shakti Kapoor, Prem Chopra and Mishika Chourasia and Anupama Agnihotri in the lead roles.

--IANS

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Ahead of the release of his feature film titled "Decent Boy", which is based on Indian system, veteran actor Govind Namdev has urged students to respect Indian cultural heritage rather than miming western countries.

"The commercialisation of in India has led to educational institutions aping the western system, without paying heed to the necessity of the future Indian generation to put India on the world map as a superpower, or equipping the young generation with a formula for individualistic development and staying relevant by keeping up with the modern millennial society," Govind said in a statement.

According to the "Bandit Queen" actor, it is very important for a person to have a strong sense of their own culture.

He said: "A balance should be maintained by cultivating a respect for Indian cultural heritage rather than miming western countries. In addition to a comprehensive modern education, providing the opportunity to know one's cultural heritage will ensure a stronger sense of belonging amongst the youngsters which will lead a successful, content and wholesome life."

In "Decent Boy", Govind plays a father who is against the commercialisation of education. The film also features actor Ravi Kishan.

--IANS

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Former Congress leader Sajjan Kumar has moved the Supreme Court challenging the Delhi High Court verdict convicting him in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case and sentencing him to life imprisonment.

The high court had asked him to surrender by December 31. It also declined his plea on Friday for extension of time to surrender till January 31.

Sajjan Kumar was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment for the killings of Kehar Singh, Gurpreet Singh, Raghuvender Singh, Narender Pal Singh and Kuldeep Singh in Raj Nagar area of Delhi cantonment by a mob.

The five victims belonged to one family.

Speaking to IANS, victimes' counsel H.S. Phoolka said that since they have already filed a caveat in the matter, they were informed by the Supreme Court registry that Kumar has moved the court against the high court order.

Senior counsel Phoolka had moved caveat on Thursday to ensure that Kumar does not get away with an ex-parte order against the high court verdict convicting him and sentencing him to life imprisonment.

The 1984 riots took place in the wake of the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her two body guards.

The high court had sentenced Kumar, 73, to imprisonment for the remainder of his natural life holding that the violence was a "crime against humanity" engineered by politicians with assistance from police.

Setting aside the acquittal of Sajjan Kumar and five others by a trial court, the high court had convicted them, saying the "criminals" escaped prosecution and punishment for over two decades.

--IANS

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Three non-Cabinet, 17 state and seven deputy ministers have been sworn in, it was announced here on Saturday.

According to the the President's Media Division (PMD), Harsha De Silva was sworn in as the non-Cabinet Minister of Economic Reform and Public Distribution, Sujeewa Senasinghe as the non-Cabinet Minister of Science, Technology and Research and Ajith Perera as the non-Cabinet minister of Digital Infrastructure and Information Technology.

Key state ministers included Eran Wickramaratne as the state Minister of Finance and Ranjith Aluwihare as the state Minister of Tourism Development, Xinhua news agency reported.

The new appointments were made a day after President Maithripala Sirisena appointed a new 30-member Cabinet, including himself as the head of the Cabinet.

The appointment of the new Cabinet was expected to end a two-month long political crisis in the country.

Sri Lanka plunged into a political turmoil on October 26 when Sirisena sacked Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and replaced him with former strongman Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Wickremesinghe was reinstated as Prime Minister last Sunday.

--IANS

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At least eight people were killed in twin suicide car bomb blasts near Somalia's Presidential Palace in the capital on Saturday, the police said.

A police officer told Xinhua news agency that the two coordinated blasts could have caused a higher number of deaths and injuries. "So far, we know that at least 8 people killed in the blasts but the death toll could rise," he said.

Somali militant group Al-Shabab claimed responsibility for the latest attack.

Eyewitnesses said the explosions were so huge that they shook a wide radius.

"There were massive car bombs, causing panic among the residents. We don't know the number of casualties but we heard several people died," Mukhtar Abdi, a witness, told the agency.

Earlier reports said Mogadishu's Deputy Governor Mohamed Abdulahi was injured in the explosion while some of his bodyguards were killed.

A senior reporter from Universal Television died during the blast, but the fate of his colleagues was yet to be established.

--IANS

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The UN Security Council has adopted a resolution that stressed no military activity should occur in the de-militarised zone between Syria and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights amid the UN peacekeepers' return to the area.

Through Resolution 2450, the Security Council on Friday stressed the obligation on Syria and Israel to respect their 1974 ceasefire that set the buffer zone and deployed a UN peacekeeping force known as UNDOF, Xinhua reported.

The Security Council further underscored no military activity should occur in the zone either by the Syrian government forces or the Syrian opposition groups.

For nearly four decades, UNDOF helped enforce the truce between Israel and Syria. But the seven-year Syrian war moved into the zone not only with intense fighting but the abduction of peacekeepers by militants, triggering UNDOF to retreat to the Israeli side of the zone in 2014.

In August this year, the UN said it was implementing "a gradual return" of its peacekeeping force to the zone after its security situation had improved.

In Friday's resolution, the Security Council "called on all groups other than UNDOF to abandon all UNDOF positions, and return the peacekeepers' vehicles, weapons, and other equipment."

It also welcomed UNDOF's efforts to intensify its operations in the separation area as well as the "cooperation of the parties" to facilitate its return.

It also renewed the mandate of UNDOF for a period of six months, until June 30, 2019, and requests the secretary-general to ensure that the force has the required capacity and resources to fulfil its mandate in a safe and secure way.

--IANS

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An American citizen was arrested for arriving in India without a visa at the Indo-Nepal border in West Bengal's Darjeeling district, the Sashastra Seema Bal said on Saturday.

An Indian accompanying the US citizen was also taken into custody from the Panitanki area on Friday by the SSB jawans.

Samson Rana, 25, a resident of Sioux Falls City, South Dakota State, USA, and the local man Kiran Lama were apprehended by SSB's Border Interaction Team.

Lama hails from Sukna in Darjeeling, an SSB officer said.

"The US citizen was found to have entered India without a visa. Passport and other documents of the US national and the Indian person, who was accompanying the former, were seized," the officer said.

Both of them were later handed over to Khoribari Police Station, he added.

--IANS

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US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has undergone surgery in New York on two malignant nodules on one of her lungs, a statement said.

The nodules were found during tests to diagnose and treat rib fractures she sustained during a fall on November 7, the Supreme Court said in a statement, Efe news reported.

The 85-year-old is the most senior justice in the court's liberal wing. She was operated on at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

Surgeon Valerie Rusch said although the nodules were found to be malignant, there was no evidence of any remaining disease and no further treatment is planned, the statement added.

She was expected to spend a few more days in hospital recuperating.

Ginsburg has previously been treated for colon and pancreatic cancer.

Appointed by then US President Bill Clinton in 1993, she was only the second female justice to be confirmed to the court after a career devoted to feminist causes and civil rights.

She has garnered huge public support, earning her the nickname "Notorious RBG."

Supporters fear that if Ginsburg leaves the Supreme Court, her replacement will be chosen by President Donald Trump to expand the conservative majority of the highest court in the country.

In a message on Twitter on Friday, Trump wished Ginsburg a "full and speedy recovery".

During the 2016 US election campaign, Ginsburg described Trump as a "faker", telling CNN "he has no consistency about him. He says whatever comes into his head at the moment. He really has an ego." She later apologised for the remarks.

The Supreme Court is composed of nine justices holding lifetime positions. Currently there are five conservatives and four progressives. The justices are appointed by the President and then confirmed by the Senate, where the Republicans have a majority.

Trump has nominated two judges in less than two years.

--IANS

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The Khadi and Village Industries Commission said it has decided to celebrate Mahatma Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary by installing his large wall mural that symbolises cultural integrity and unity of the country.

KVIC chairman Vinai Kumar Saxena inaugurated a two-day workshop-cum-training programme named 'Technology for Modern Pottery' at Bishampur village of Sewapuri, Varanasi, Friday.

"It is a joint effort of skilled 150 potters from all over the country to give tribute to Rashtrapita Mahatma Gandhi," he said.

According to a press release issued by the commission, the KVIC has decided to make 150 square meters wall mural, using 'chai kulhad (earthen tea cup)'.

"While Each 'chai kulhad' will be one pixel of the entire image, small terracotta parts will come together to form the entire image. As this mural will become a finite entity formed by a simple unit of larger generality, the KVIC will showcase it in some prominent place in New Delhi," it said.

Saxena further said that the KVIC has already started identifying 150 potters from different parts of the country to produce the 'chai kulhads' for this purpose.

The selected potters will produce the 'chai kulhads' in stipulated size, shape and finish them, as India has a great pottery tradition and different parts of the country has diversified techniques of production of clay articles, the commission said.

The KVIC has so far in this financial year distributed 4,700 electric potter wheels in different parts of the country and by March 31 it is planning to distribute additional 7,000 electric potter wheels, it said.

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As many as 21 women were arrested for allegedly consuming liquor at a party organised at a hotel here in Gujarat, the police said Saturday.

Police raided the hotel located in Piplod locality of the city late last night after receiving a tip-off about an ongoing liquor party, an Umra police station official said.

The women were part of a kitty party, he said, adding that the police have recovered four empty bottles of IMFL.

The women were taken to civil hospital for blood test after the raid.

They were booked under provisions of Prohibition Law.

The women were produced in court Saturday and were released on bail.

In a separate case, six women and eight men were arrested from an apartment in Athwa Lines in Surat for allegedly consuming liquor, police said.

Under the Gujarat Prohibition Law, manufacture, storage, sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages is a punishable offence.

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A bus carrying college students and their teachers back from an educational trip veered off a mountainous road and lunged into a ravine in Nepal, killing 23 people and injuring 14 others.

The fatal crash occurred on Friday when the bus was returning from Kapurkot in Salyan district.

According to the District Police Office, Dang, there were 37 persons 34 students, two teachers and a diver, on the ill-fated bus, which drove off the road and fell some 700 metres down near Ramri village, about 400 kilometres west of the capital Kathmandu.

Fourteen persons, including five women, were injured in the incident.

The students and instructors from Krishna Sen Ichhuk Polytechnic Institute had been visiting a farm for their botany project, The Kathmandu Post reported.

Poor road infrastructure and reckless driving are the leading causes of accidents in Nepal.

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A total of 400 recruits was attested into the oldest regiment of the Indian army - the Madras Regiment - at Wellington in the Nilgiris district Saturday.

The recruits, after 46 weeks of training, marched past the enclosed drill square at Srinagesh Barracks, a press release said.

The attestation parade was reviewed by commandant, Military Hospital at Wellington, brigadier Pankaj P Rao, the release said.

Rao appreciated the instructors and staff for achieving a high standard of drill in the parade, it said.

Also, Rao lauded the effort of the Madras Regiment Centre to improve the standard of training to such a high level, it added.

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Five security personnel were injured in a grenade attack by suspected militants in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district on Saturday, police said.

The incident occurred when the militants among a crowd lobbed a grenade at the security forces in Arwani area of Bijbehara, a police spokesperson said.

Five security forces' personnel sustained injuries and were evacuated to a hospital, where they were discharged after first-aid treatment, the spokesperson said.

A case has been registered and an investigation is on, he added.

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: As many as 52 bonded labourers, including 17 women and four children, from Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have been rescued in Hassan district, police said.

A gang of five people has been arrested and booked under the Bonded Labour Act, Prevention of Atrocities on SC/ST Act and various IPC sections, superintendent of police (Hassan district) A N Prakash Gowda told PTI



That bonded labour was practised in the district came to light recently when one of the workers, who toiled for 20 days, escaped from the clutches of the gang by scaling the fence, and informed the police.

The workers were allegedly held captive in sheds, taken to the fields for work and beaten up when wages were demanded.

Meanwhile, the triggered an angry reaction from BJP national president Amit Shah who tweeted, "Shocking that members from Dalit and tribal communities were enslaved and made to suffer in the most inhuman conditions, but the Congress-JDS government is busy with cabinet expansion! People are watching. I urge our karyakartas to help the people in distress.''



Deputy Commissioner of Police Rohini Sindhuri said most of the labourers were from the districts of Hassan, Haveri and Raichur in Karnataka; and four of them from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

The workers were held captive in Sakanahalli village in Dudda Hobli of the district and allegedly beaten up when they demanded wages for the job done.

The district administration has sent a proposal to the Karnataka government to grant a compensation of Rs 71 lakh to the victims and each one of them has been given Rs 5,000 to return home, the police official said.

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In a blow to an Al-Qaeda affiliate terror group, police Saturday neutralised six militants, including a close associate of Zakir Musa, in south Kashmir's Awantipora area, police said.

"It was a smooth operation and all the six terrorists have been neutralised," said Swayam Prakash Pani, the Inspector General of Police (Kashmir Range).

He said all the six were wanted in militancy-related activities.

Police said the slain militants belonged to the Ansar Ghazwatul Hind (AGuH), a terror outfit led by Zakir Musa and having allegiance to the banned Al-Qaeda.

A police spokesman said security forces launched a cordon and search operation in Arampora village in Awantipora area of the south Kashmir's Pulwama district, following specific intelligence about the presence of militants there.

As the forces were conducting searches, militants opened fire on them, he said, adding the forces retaliated leading to a gunfight in which the militants were killed.

He said there was no collateral damage during the operation.

He said the slain terrorists have been identified as Soliha Mohammad Akhoon, a resident of Arampora Tral; Faisal Ahmad Khanday, a resident of Amlar; Nadeem Ahmad Sofi, a resident of Batagund, Tral; and Rasiq Mir, Rouf Mir and Umar Ramzan all residents of Dadsara, Tral.

IGP Pani said, "All the six terrorists were wanted by the law for their complicity in a series of terror crimes including attack on security establishments and civilian atrocities."



The AGuH terrorist group was part of the Zakir Musa faction and was active in Pulwama district, the police spokesman said.

"As per police records, Rasiq had a long history of terror crime for last five years. Several terror cases were registered against him," the spokesperson said.

"Akhoon, according to police records, also had a long history of terror crimes since 2015 and was involved in several terror attacks on security establishments and many other civilian atrocities in the area," the spokesman said.

He said Sofi and Ramzan were also "involved in several terror crimes".

"Also, Rouf and Khanday were involved in planning and executing many terror attacks in the area," he said.

The spokesman said the bodies of all the six militants were handed over to their legal heirs after completion of medico-legal formalities.

"Arms and ammunition, including rifles, were recovered from the site of encounter. All these materials have been taken in the case records for further investigation and probe their complicity in other terror cases," he said.

The spokesman appealed to people not to venture near the encounter site since such an area could prove dangerous due to stray explosive materials.

"People are requested to cooperate with police till the area is completely sanitized and cleared of all the explosives materials," he said.

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For special CBI Judge S J Sharma, acquitting all 22 accused in the alleged fake encounter killings of gangster Sohrabuddin Shaikh, his wife Kausar Bi and his aide Tulsi Prajapati on Friday, was the last judgement of his career.

"This is my last judgement...," said the judge, who is set to retire later this month, in his ruling. "It is unfortunate that a family (of victims) has lost a son, brother...But the evidences were not enough to show that these accused were authors of the crime."



The judge said he felt sorry for the families of Shaikh and Prajapati as "three lives were lost". But the system demands that the court go solely by evidence, he added.

All the accused, who were mostly police officials from Gujarat and Rajasthan, were out on bail during the years-long trial.

The 13-year-old case saw several twists and turns, including 92 prosecution witnesses turning hostile. At one point, BJP president Amit Shah was also arrested briefly in 2010.

The three victims who were returning to Sangli in Maharashtra from Hyderabad in a bus were taken into custody by a police team on the night of November 22-23, 2005. The couple were taken in one vehicle and Prajapati in another.

The CBI, which was the prosecuting agency, said Shaikh was killed on November 26, 2005, allegedly by a joint team comprising Gujarat and Rajasthan police, and Kausar Bi three days later.

Prajapati, who was lodged in an Udaipur central jail, was killed in an encounter on the Gujarat-Rajasthan border on December 27, 2006.

Of the 22 accused, 21 are junior-level police officials from Gujarat and Rajasthan, who the CBI said were part of the teams that abducted the three and later killed them in staged encounters.

The remaining accused was the owner of the farm house in Gujarat where Shaikh and Kausar Bi were illegally detained before they were killed.

"The prosecution has failed to put forth any documentary or substantive evidence to suggest or establish the conspiracy theory against the 22 accused. It has failed to establish all charges levelled against them. Hence all the accused stand acquitted," the judge said in his judgement.

The court cannot rely solely on "circumstantial and hearsay evidence", he added.

Police said Sohrabuddin was linked with terror groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba and was allegedly conspiring to assassinate Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was then the chief minister of Gujarat.

The case was initially probed by the Gujarat CID before the CBI took over in 2010. The Supreme Court in 2013 directed that the trial be shifted to Mumbai from Gujarat on the central agency's request to ensure a fair trial.

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Goa minister Vijai Sardesai, whose GFP is part of the BJP-led coalition government, Saturday said his party workers should not allow airlines to operate at the Dabolim airport if announcements are not made in local Konkani language.

Sardesai, who heads Goa Forward Party (GFP), also said that "blacking out" Konkani at the airport is not acceptable.

Goa has lone airport at Dabolim in south Goa. Konkani is the official language of the coastal state.

"I feel that Goa Youth Forward (the youth wing of the GFP) should take up this issue. If there is no announcement in Konkani when a flight lands at the Goa airport, then all these airlines should not be allowed to operate", the Town and Country Planning Minister said.

He was speaking at inaugural function of a city square which was named after veteran Konkani writer (late) Madhavi Sardesai, who was elder sister of the minister.

"Blacking out Konkani at the Goa airport is unacceptable and we should project our language first", he said.

Recalling the day when he had gone to receive Madhavi at the airport with a wheel-chair (before she died last year), Sardesai said his sister was upset over the increased projection of casinos and lack of announcements in the Konkani language at the airport.

"When she was brought back from Mumbai, I had gone to receive her. She was upset that after her arrival, the (Dabolim) airport was full of advertisements for casinos and there was no mark of Konkani on the airport", said the minister.

He recalled how his sister, a Sahitya Academy awardee, was at the forefront during an agitation for the Konkani language.

Besides the GFP, the Maharashtravadi Gomantak Party (MGP) and three Independent MLAs are supporting the Manohar Parrikar-led dispensation in Goa.

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Friday, December 21, 2018 at 7:38PM

Given our most recent podcast conversation in which Florida film critic Alfred Soto was a guest star, we wanted to inform you of the end results of The Florida Film Critics Circle's year end "best" discussions. The Favourite took their top prize but the big story is how fully they embraced Asian cinema with two acting prizes for Asian actors and additional prizes for Shoplifters (foreign film), Shirkers (documentary), and Mirai (animated film).

The 26 member wide organization is spread out all around Florida and has been in existence since 1996, just before the boom (2002-2012) when every city and/or state decided they needed an organization, sometimes two of them!) Their full list of winners (along with a handful of other groups that announced earlier that we neglected to mention) are after the jump...

FLORIDA FILM CRITICS CIRCLE

Film The Favourite

Director Alfonso Cuaron, Roma

Actress Melissa McCarthy, Can You Ever Forgive Me?

Actor Joaquin Phoenix, You Were Never Really Here

Supporting Actress Sakura Ando, Shoplifters

Supporting Actor Steven Yeun, Burning

Ensemble The Favourite

Original Screenplay Sorry to Bother You

Adapted Screenplay Can You Ever Forgive Me?

Cinematography Cold War

Visual Effects Annihilation

Production Design The Favourite

Score First Man

Documentary Shirkers

Foreign Film Shoplifters

Animated Film Mirai

First Film Eighth Grade

Breakout Award Elsie Fisher, Eighth Grade

Golden Orange (Florida Specific Award): Alexa Lim Haas's Aqua Viva

PHILADELPHIA FILM CRITICS CIRCLE

This is only their second year in existence. They seemed to love If Beale Street Could Talk and Roma about equally (last year their favorite was far more clear since Get Out took four prizes with nothing else close to it). Their big surprise this year among th winners is Viola Davis as Best Actress for Widows

Film Roma

Director Barry Jenkins, If Beale Street Could Talk

Actress Viola Davis, Widows

Actor Christian Bale, Vice

Supporting Actress Regina King, If Beale Street Could Talk

Supporting Actor Richard E Grant, Can You Ever Forgive Me?

Screenplay The Hate U Give

Cinematography Roma

Score Suspiria

Documentary Won't You Be My Neighbor?

Foreign Film Roma

Animated Film Incredibles 2

Directorial Debut Boots Riley, Sorry to Bother You

Breakthrough Performance Kiki Layne, If Beale Street Could Talk

Elaine May Award: RBG

Steve Friedman Award: Black Panther

WASHINGTON DC AREA FILM CRITICS ASSOCIATION

They've been handing out prizes since 2002 and their organization has 60 members with affiliations to tv, radio, print, and online film coverage

Film Roma

Director Alfonso Cuaron, Roma

Actress Lady Gaga, A Star is Born

Actor Bradley Cooper, A Star is Born

Supporting Actress Regina King, If Beale Street Could Talk

Supporting Actor Mahershala Ali, Green Book

Motion Capture Performance Josh Brolin, Avengers: Infinity War

Youth Performance Elsie Fisher, Eighth Grade

Voice Performance Bryan Cranston, Isle of Dogs

Original Screenplay The Favourite

Adapted Screenplay Can You Ever Forgive Me?

Cinematography Roma

Editing First Man

Production Design Black Panther

Score If Beale Street Could Talk

Documentary Won't You Be My Neighbor?

Foreign Film Roma

Animated Film Isle of Dogs

Portrayal of DC Vice

ST LOUIS FILM CRITICS ASSOCIATION

They've only been in existence for six years and this year it was a strong showing for BlacKkKlansman (3 prizes!) though A Star is Born won best film.

Film A Star is Born

Director Spike Lee, BlacKkKlansman

Actress Toni Colette, Hereditary

Actor Ethan Hawke, First Reformed

Supporting Actress Regina King, If Beale Street Could Talk

Supporting Actor Richard E Grant, Can You Ever Forgive Me?

Original Screenplay Vice

Adapted Screenplay BlacKkKlansman

Cinematography Roma

Editing Vice

Production Design Black Panther

Score BlacKkKlansman

Soundtrack Bohemian Rhapsody

Visual Effects Avengers: Infinity War

Action Film Mission: Impossible - Fallout

Comedy Film The Favourite

Documentary Won't You Be My Neighbor?

Foreign Film Roma

Animated Film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Best Scene Roma's beach rescue

BOSTON ONLINE FILM CRITICS ASSOCIATION

Not to be confused with the venerable Boston Society of Film Critics, this online organization formed in 2012. This year they rallied around You Were Never Really Here to the tune of four awards including Film and Director.

Film You Were Never Really Here

Director Lynne Ramsay, You Were Never Really Here

Actress Toni Colette, Hereditary

Actor Ethan Hawke, First Reformed

Supporting Actress Regina King, If Beale Street Could Talk

Supporting Actor Richard E Grant, Can You Ever Forgive Me?

Screenplay First Reformed

Ensemble Support the Girls

Cinematography Roma

Editing You Were Never Really Here

Score You Were Never Really Here

Documentary Won't You Be My Neighbor?

Foreign Film Roma

Animated Film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Army Saturday paid floral tributes to two junior commissioned officers (JCO) who were killed during a ceasefire violation by Pakistan along the Line of Control (LoC) in Keran sector of Jammu and Kashmir on Friday.

"Army today paid befitting tributes to two of its comrades who made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty on 21st December 2018 in Keran sector in Kupwara district, an Army spokesman said here.

He said on behalf of the Chinar Corps Commander, Chief of Staff, Chinar Corps, Maj Gen G S Kahlon, and all ranks paid homage to the slain soldiers in a solemn ceremony at Badamibagh Cantonment here.

"In a show of solidarity, representatives from other security agencies also paid their last respects to the martyrs, the spokesman said.

He said Subedar Gamar Bahadur Thapa and Subedar Raman Thapa sustained bullet injuries during unprovoked firing by Pakistan in Keran sector.

"They were provided immediate first aid and were evacuated to 92 Base Hospital, but unfortunately succumbed to their injuries, the spokesman said.

Subedar Gamar (42) had joined the Army in 1993 and hailed from Karhiya Village in Rependehi district of Nepal. He is survived by his wife and two sons.

Subedar Raman (39) had joined the Army in 1996 and hailed from Tulsipur Village in Rependehi district of Nepal. He is survived by his wife and a son.

"The mortal remains of the martyrs were flown for last rites to Gorakhpur, where they would be laid to rest with full military honours. In this hour of grief, the Army stands in solidarity with the bereaved families of the martyrs and remains committed to their dignity and well being, the spokesman said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Yoga guru Baba Ramdev on Saturday sought the support of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in spreading Sanskrit learning in the state.

He said one can truely understand the spirit of Vedas by learning the language in which the scriptures are written.

Learning the true spirit of the Vedas will help in fostering amity among people and build a united India, he told reporters after inaugurating the first 'International Vedic Pathshala' here in South 24 Parganas district.

"We hope the Bengal Chief Minister will be equally helpful in spreading Sanskrit learning in her state in a way similar to the initiatives she takes to support other languages," Baba RAmdev said.

Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar inaugurated the Vedic Pathshala via video-conferencing from Delhi and underscored the need for synergy between modern and ancient

A spokesperson of Shree Gaurang Ved Vidyalaya Trust Kolkata, which set up the Pathshala, said the main objective of the institute is to preserve and promote the tradition of chanting of Vedic mantras and spread the knowledge of Vedic literature among the students.

Apart from Sanskrit, the students of the Pathshala will be taught English as well as meditation to make them well-rounded to face the job market, the spokesperson said.

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Actor Ben Whishaw says he is not sure whether his James Bond films character 'Q' will return for the next film in the franchise.

Actor Daniel Craig, who had earlier said that the 2015 "Spectre" marks his last outing as the famed British spy, will now play the iconic character for one last and final time.

However, there is uncertainty over others characters such as Moneypenny, played by Naomi Harris, Whishaw's Q and Ralph Fiennes' M.

In an interview with Vanity Fair, Whishaw, 38, voiced doubts about Q's return in the film, which will be directed by "Maniac" helmer Cary Joji Fukunaga.

"I'm not even sure if I'll be in it. I'm assuming that I'm not going to be so it will be a nice surprise if they put me in. I think it's right (Fukanaga) and Daniel need to just figure it out. I've done two; I've had a good run," the actor said.

Whishaw also said that he had the best time working on previous two Bond films -- "Skyfall" and "Spectre".

"I was in a film that people actually saw. I mean, lots of people actually saw and that really changed things," he added.

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A case has been registered against a private company in Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday for allegedly duping people after asking them to invest their cryptocurrencies in their company, police said.

The Crime Branch received a complaint from some people that a representative of a company, GainBitcoin, approached them and asked them to invest their Bitcoins in the company, promising a 180-per-cent return in 18 months, a spokesperson said.

The complainants invested the Bitcoins, but the company failed to repay what they had promised, the spokesperson said.

A preliminary investigation the complainants opened a digital wallet as advised by the company for crediting the assured amount. The accounts of the complainants were credited by the company with the condition that the amount cannot be withdrawn for a period of six months, he said.

"After the expiry of six months, when the time of withdrawal commenced, the company crashed these wallet accounts and also crashed those websites," the spokesperson said.

The accused have been booked under relevant sections, he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A day after the asked the publisher of mouthpiece Herald to vacate its premises here, the BJP Saturday dubbed the matter as a case of "massive irregularity and scam to appropriate public premises" by the Gandhi family.

Citing the court order, BJP leader and Union Minister claimed it agrees with the contention that how Rahul Gandhi, his mother and their family members misused public properties.

"What kind of activity people who ask us questions about the Rafale deal do," he said and asked the two top leaders to explain their position.

There was no immediate response from the Congress to the BJP's allegations.

In an apparent reference to Rahul Gandhi's barb at Prime Minister that the latter should look him in the eye and answer his questions, Prasad said he and his mother should look the media in its eye and answer questions about the matter.

"They should respond to the court's order. They should answer as to how public premises and land worth Rs 5,000 crore were transferred in a surreptitious manner to a family-owned trust for Rs 50 lakh," Prasad said.

It has been alleged that properties of Associated Journal Litd (AJL), publisher of Congress mouthpeice Herald, were transferred to Young Indian, which Prasad said in a trust retained by the Gandhi family, for mere Rs 50 lakh.

Prasad noted that a criminal case has also been filed in the matter and and were given bail in the case.

The court on Friday dismissed AJL's plea challenging the central government's order to vacate its premises.

The government would not allow loot of public money, as was sought to be done in this case, Prasad alleged.

Attacking the Gandhi family, he quoted the court order, "The court is conscious of the fact that Young Indian company is a charitable company but the modus operandi to acquire 99 per cent of the AJL shares speaks volume. The manner in which it has ben done is also questionable."



The massive irregularity and scam to appropriate public premises by the family of and has also been found to be questionable by the court, he said.

He also referred to the charges of corruption against Rahul Gandhi's brother-in- and alleged that they have developed a new business model in which a few lakhs are invested to acquire assets worth many crores.

In the order asking the AJL to vacate its premises, authorities said no press has been functioning there for at least past 10 years and it was being used only for commercial purposes in violation of the lease deed.

AJL had denied the allegations in the petition filed in the high court.

The Congress had said it will appeal against the court order and expressed confidence that it will get full justice in the Supreme Court, claiming there is nothing illegal or against the in the matter.
The opposition BJP and Congress fired salvos at the AAP on Saturday saying it was resorting to "drama politics", even as the ruling party denied passing a resolution in the Delhi Assembly seeking revocation of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi's Bharat Ratna.

Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari said if no such resolution was passed, then why the AAP was denying it now.

"If the resolution moved by the ruling party MLA was not passed, then the government should resign," he told reporters.

"It is an example of drama of the AAP in which public exchequer is being misused to make a mockery of the Legislative Assembly," Tiwari alleged.

Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken demanded an apology from AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal on the issue.

Sharing a video of Friday's assembly proceedings, Maken claimed "the resolution was passed by the AAP in Delhi Assembly".

"Presiding over, is the speaker of Delhi Assembly, who was a BJP MLA in the 1st Delhi Assembly in 1993. Will not rest till Kejriwal apologises and withdraws this resolution! Call a special session," he tweeted.

Union minister and senior BJP leader Vijay Goel alleged the controversial issue has "exposed the two-faced character of the AAP".

"The level to which Aam Aadmi Party can stoop, one instance can be seen in the resolution it passed in the Assembly... AAP is merely shedding crocodile tears on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots," he said.

The minister also alleged that the AAP was worried more about the "alliance with the Congress" than the pains of the Sikh community.

BJP's leader of opposition in the Delhi Assembly Vijender Gupta claimed Chief Minister Kejriwal has "joined hands with the Congress" and wants to go back on the resolution, seeking revocation of the Bharat Ratna conferred on Gandhi, to "reach an understanding" with the Congress.

"The AAP should clarify what is its first priority - justice for Sikhs or understanding with the Congress," Gupta said.

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Sisodia at a press conference Saturday clarified that the lines about Gandhi were not part of the original resolution placed before the House.

He also said that it was a handwritten amendment proposed by a member, and it cannot be passed in such a manner.

"The aim of the original resolution, moved by MLA Jarnail Singh, was only to help the victims of 1984 riots get justice. No resolution mentioning late PM Rajiv Gandhi was passed in the assembly as being reported in the media," Sisodia said.

AAP spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj, who narrated the entire sequence of events in the assembly, clarified that any amendment to a resolution can become a part of the original only after it has been separately voted on by the House, which did not happen in this case.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
At least one student was killed Saturday after a private bus carrying around 70 students from Surat in Gujarat fell into a gorge near Ahwa in Dang district, police said.

Other students, all in the age group of 10-16 years, were rescued from the wreckage of the bus by police and local authorities.

The mishap took place this evening on Mahal-Bardipada road near Ahwa town, around 380 kms from here.

The bus was coming from Shabri Dham, a religious and tourist spot in the district, said Superintendent of Police of Dang, Shweta Shrimali.

"One student died in the accident. We have rescued around 70 others who were stuck in the bus after it fell into the gorge," she said.

Some of the injured students were shifted to Ahwa civil hospital while others were taken to Surat civil hospital after being rescued by local authorities and police.

All the students are residents of Amroli area in Surat.

They had gone for a picnic to Dang which was sponsored by their tuition class in Surat, according to a parent of one of the students.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Consumer electrocnics makers said Saturday the GST Council's move to reduce tax rates for mass-market TVs of up to 32-inch screens is commendable but a cut in high tax rate on air-conditioners could have benefitted the sector.

The Consumer Electronics and Appliances Manufacturers Association (CEAMA) said it was also hoping for a reduction in GST duty to 18 per cent on higher screen sizes of up to 40-42 inches, which are sold the most now.

"The drop in duty from 28 per cent to 18 per cent in TV segments up to 32-inch screen size is definetely a welcome move for the industry. 32-inch screen size has a mass market and a wide consumer base but unfortunately duty of AC was not dropped and this would have an impact on the industry," CEAMA President Kamal Nandi told PTI.

According to him, it will further propel demand in this category.

The GST Council in its meeting held on Saturday reduced tax rates on monitors and TV screens up to 32-inches



Echoing views, the President and CEO Panasonic India and South Asia, Manish Sharma, said, "The reduction in the GST slab rate from 28 per cent to 18 per cent on items such as TVs upto 32 inches, digital cameras and monitors is a forward step that will help boost the consumption of durable goods, especially at a time when the industry is experiencing a slow single digit growth."



He also said that the government should have lowered GST rate on AC to 18 per cent.

"We believe higher energy-efficient appliances such as ACs should also have been taxed under 18 per cent slab as it would have further fuelled consumer sentiments while increasing the demand for consumer electronic goods in the country," said Sharma.

Commenting on it, EY Tax Partner Abhishek Jain said, "The approval for GST rate reduction on various goods and services like televisions up to 32 inches, cinema tickets, digital cameras, etc, is quite welcome by both the industry and consumers."



According to Nandi, who is also Business Head & Executive Vice President Godrej Appliances, the industry was expecting GST rates on AC to come down in this meeting as it is a not a luxury item any more.

"Recently the energy labels/standards has been increased on AC and import duty has also gone up and large part of the AC are still imported. The



overall cost of AC has moved up for this industry and tax reduction was necessary for this segment," he said adding" hope it should be considered into the next GST council meeting in January."



According to CEAMA, the consumer appliances and electronics sector, barring washing machines has witnessed almost flat growth in the first half of this fiscal largely due to rupee depreciation that has spiked input costs.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The CID Saturday arrested close aide of former IPS officer Bharati Ghosh from his hideout for alleged connections in an extortion case, an official of the probe agency said.

Sujit Mondal, Ghosh's former security guard, was arrested from a hotel in New Delhi's Panchsheel Park area in connection with an alleged in West Bengal, the CID official said.

According to the CID's chargesheet filed in June this year, Ghosh, along with eight others, including her husband, had allegedly extorted gold from a Daspur-based businessman in after demonetisation.

"The accused Sujit Mondal, a resident of Sonarpur in South 24 Parganas district, was arrested from a hotel in by our officers in connection with the Daspur case. He will be brought to Kolkata after getting transit remand," the official added.

Mondal, was one of the nine persons including Ghosh, who have been accused of extortion, putting a person in fear of injury to commit extortion, forgery and criminal conspiracy under sections 384, 385, 389, 119, 467, 468, 471 and 120B of IPC and Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, sections.

A person had complained that some police personnel had forcefully taken money from him last year following which the CID was issued directives by a court to conduct raids at the residences of Ghosh and her associates named accused in the case.

Ghosh, who was the West Midnapore SP, had resigned from service after she was transferred to a less significant post - the commandant of the third battalion of the state armed police - in December 2017.
A day after activists of the BJP and the Congress clashed in Panaji, Congress President Rahul Gandhi Saturday took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the attack on "non-violent" workers of the opposition party.

In a post on his official Facebook page, Gandhi stated that "democracy frustrates the BJP".

The incident had occurred outside the Goa Congress headquarters here on Friday evening during a protest march organised by the Congress on the Rafale issue.

The Congress has been alleging "cronyism" and "irregularities" in the purchase of 36 Rafale fighter jets by Modi government from France.

Both the parties have filed police complaints against each other.

"(PM) Narendra Modi would be best advised to read about the fate of those rulers who chose to attack non-violent Congress workers in this country", the Congress chief stated.

He said, "Democracy frustrates the BJP. This designed, deliberated and organised attack on Congress workers in Goa is an exemplification of that feeling. The attempt is to instill fear".

"The cowards who came to attack us in Goa, and their bosses sitting here in Delhi, should know, fear is alien to the workers of the Congress party", he wrote.

The Congress chief has hailed "Gandhigiri" (restraint) observed by the workers of the Mahila Congress workers during the incident.

"I am very proud of the spirit of Gandhigiri displayed by Mahila Congress workers led by our Pradesh Mahila Congress chief Pratima Coutinho", he wrote.

Coutinho had sustained injuries in the melee.

"It's in times like these that we define who we are", Gandhi said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The pitch for Rahul Gandhi as the next prime minister grew louder on Saturday with former union minister S Jaipal Reddy asserting his party president would be the Congress' prime ministerial candidate for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Reddy, however, made it clear the Congress does not want to make the leadership issue a pre-condition for formation of the UPA before the polls.

"Our prime ministerial candidate is our president Rahul Gandhi. Naturally other parties will take their time to accept this. There is no hurry. We are not making the leadership issue a pre-condition for formation of UPA before the polls," Reddy told a press conference here.

Recalling the post-poll situation in 2004 when Sonia Gandhi was projected as the prime ministerial candidate of the Congress party, Reddy said then Sonia herself had said the prime ministerial candidate of the UPA will be decided after the election.

So whether alliance partners agree on the Congress party's candidate will be discussed after the polls, he said.

Asked whether Rahul Gandhi will suggest someone else's name from the Congress for the prime Minister's post as Sonia suggested Manmohan Singh in 2004, if UPA is voted to power next year, Reddy said Sonia was dictated by her circumstances which was not the case with Rahul.

"Rahul is our supreme leader. He is our prime ministerial candidate. But that doesn't mean we won't talk to parties who are opposed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi if they don't agree with our candidate," the senior Congress leader said.

His statement comes days after the Congress played down the opposition by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Left parties to DMK's "Rahul Gandhi for Prime Minister" call.

The Congress had said they (other potential UPA partners) had only described the timing as inappropriate and accused the media of twisting the whole issue.

Senior Congress leader M Veerappa Moily recently said the West Bengal chief minister and the Left had only described the timing as not appropriate in naming Rahul Gandhi as the opposition's prime ministerial candidate.

On December 16, Stalin had vowed to make Rahul Gandhi the country's next prime minister and lauded him for having the ability to defeat the Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre.

Asked about the scope of the UPA forming the next government at the Centre, Reddy said it was going to be easier than 2004 and indicated that the Congress was working on post-poll tie-ups with parties like the Samajwadi Party and BSP in UP and RJD in Bihar to defeat Modi-led BJP in the polls.

Referring to the Congress' victory in the recent elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, Reddy said the prospects of NDA have also dimmed in other north Indian states including UP, Bihar, Haryana and Punjab.

In south India also the prospects of the BJP are not bright, he claimed.

"So the possibility of UPA forming the next government is very imminent, prospects are bright. I think Modi is bound to pay for all his lapses," he said.

Reddy said the Congress would like to do election adjustments with parties like SP and BSP in UP and RJD in Bihar as these parties were bigger forces than the Congress in these states.

Hitting out at the Modi government over the Rafale fighter jet deal, the Congress leader said full scope for inquiry into the scam was available only through the instrumentality of the JPC.

He said the Rafale issue is still alive and "the biggest defence scam India has faced" would be an election issue.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
: The Congress Saturday lost its status as the main opposition party in the Telangana Upper House after four of its members in the Legislative Council defected to the ruling TRS.

The four Congress MLCs defected to the TRS on Friday and were promptly recognised by the Legislative Council chairman as members of the ruling party.

The Congress has a total of six members in the 40-member council.

At least two-third members of a legislature party are required to split it without attracting the provisions of the anti-defection law.

The Congress lost its opposition status in the council as one-tenth of the total strength of the House is required to enjoy the status.

"Hon'ble chairman Telangana Legislative Council hereby cancel the recognition of Sri Mohd Ali Shabbir MLC as the leader of the opposition in the Telangana legislative Council with effect from 22 December 2018," the notification said.

Meanwhile, TRS MLC Konda Murali said he tendered his resignation to the Chairman.

Murali's wife had unsuccessfully contested in the recently held Assembly polls.

The couple had defected to the Congress from TRS before the elections.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Congress president Rahul Gandhi



Saturday asked the party unit in West Bengal to strengthen its organisation and prepare to fight "on its own" in the coming Lok Sabha polls.

He gave the mantra to the party unit at a meeting with PCC chief Somen Mitra and in-charge of Bengal, Gaurav Gogoi in New Delhi after discussing various organisational aspects pertaining the state unit.

"We have been asked to strengthen our party organisation in the state and prepare ourselves to fight on our strength in Bengal in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls," Mitra said in a statement after the meeting with the party chief.

West Bengal has a total of 42 Lok Sabha seats out of which Congress has four.

According to the West Bengal Congress president, Gandhi asked the party to start mass movements across the state against both BJP and TMC in order to protect the secular fabric of the state.

According to the state party sources, Mitra informed Gandhi about the "misrule" of the TMC and the "threat" of the BJP in the state.

The state Congress unit has also decided to hold a massive rally here in February next year.

"He (Rahul Gandhi) has also been informed about how the TMC is trying to undermine the achievement of Congress and Rahul Gandhi in the victory of the three Hindi heartland states," said a senior Congress leader.

The West Bengal Congress is of the opinion that the party's national president Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi should refrain from attending the proposed opposition rally to be held here by the TMC in January.

The ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal has called a rally of opposition parties on January 19 at the Brigade Parade grounds in Kolkata. All opposition parties, including the Congress, have been invited to it.

The Congress' state unit is upbeat after the party's win in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan in the recent assembly polls.

The state Congress leadership has been vocal against the TMC also for not giving credit to Rahul Gandhi for the grand old party's victory in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.

It had also ridiculed the TMC, saying its leaders were having "sleepless nights" fearing that their dream of Mamata Banerjee becoming the prime minister might not be fulfilled.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Congress gavelled open for a rare Saturday session days before Christmas as America's elected leaders partially shut down the government, unable to find a compromise over money for President Donald Trump's promised wall along the US-Mexico border.

Trump is demanding USD 5 billion, but congressional Democrats are refusing to accede in a stalemate that provides a chaotic coda for Republicans in the waning days of their two-year reign controlling government.

The president jettisoned his Florida holiday getaway to Mar-a-Lago, tweeting, "I am in the White House, working hard." Trump was hosting a lunch with conservative lawmakers, including House Freedom Caucus chiefs Mark Meadows of North Carolina and Jim Jordan of Ohio, and several senators, among them Lindsey Graham of South Carolina. Absent from the guest list were GOP leaders or any Democrats.

The president also acknowledged in a tweet it could be "a long stay." Talks continued between Democrats and the White House.

For the second day in a row, Vice President Mike Pence shuttled over to the Capitol to work on a deal. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York met with Pence at the request of the White House, according to Schumer's office.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said he hoped an agreement could be reached "sooner rather than later." McConnell said any deal to reopen government would require Democratic support for passage and the president's signature.

"That's what's needed." Schumer said the shutdown could end immediately if Trump simply dropped his demand for money that was the centerpiece of his presidential campaign. Trump had pledged that Mexico would pay for the wall; Mexico has refused.

"If you want to open the government, you must abandon the wall," Schumer said.

But Trump, digging in, tweeted about "the crisis of illegal activity" at American's southern border is "real and will not stop until we build a great Steel Barrier or Wall."



Democrats said they are open to other proposals that don't include the wall, which Schumer said is too costly and unpopular. They have offered to keep spending at existing levels of USD 1.3 billion for border fencing and other security.

The impasse blocks money for nine of 15 Cabinet-level departments and dozens of agencies, including the departments of Homeland Security, Transportation, Interior, Agriculture, State and Justice.

The disruption affects many government operations and the routines of 800,000 federal employees. Roughly 420,000 workers were deemed essential and will work unpaid just days before Christmas. An additional 380,000 will be furloughed, meaning they will stay home without pay.

Federal employees already were granted an extra day of vacation on Monday, Christmas Eve, thanks to an executive order that Trump signed this past week. The Senate passed legislation ensuring that workers will receive back pay. The House seemed sure to follow suit.

Late Friday, Pence, Trump son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner and White House budget chief Mick Mulvaney left the Capitol late after hours of bargaining with congressional leaders produced no apparent compromise.

Mulvaney sent agency heads a memorandum telling them to "execute plans for an orderly shutdown." He wrote that administration officials were "hopeful that this lapse in appropriations will be of short duration." Those being furloughed include nearly everyone at NASA and 52,000 workers at the Internal Revenue Service. About 8 in 10 employees of the National Park Service were to stay home; many parks were expected to close.

Some agencies, including the Pentagon and the departments of Veterans Affairs and Health and Human Services, were already funded and will operate as usual.

The US Postal Service, busy delivering packages for the holiday season, will not be affected because it's an independent agency. Social Security checks will be mailed, troops will remain on duty and food inspections will continue.

Also still functioning will be the FBI, the Border Patrol and the Coast Guard. Transportation Security Administration officers will continue to staff airport checkpoints and air traffic controllers will be on the job.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A 20-year-old Indian woman in Sharjah was saved from committing suicide in the nick of time by police on Saturday, after she threatened to end her life and livestream the act following trolling on social media.

The woman was reportedly upset over negative comments about her photo she had posted online.

She posted a message on social media, saying she would make a video of her suicide bid, the police said.

She said she would stream the bid live from her residence in Sharjah's Al Nahda area around 2 am on Saturday as she was distressed at being trolled and cyber-bullied on social media, the Khaleej Times reported.

The Sharjah Police swung into action and raced against time to save the woman as they managed to identify the source and location from where the suicide message was posted.

"The police officers from the CID and patrols department reached her flat in a building located in Al Nahda and knocked at the door. The girl's father opened it and was shocked to see the police," said Colonel Faisal bin Nassar, deputy director of the Sharjah Police's Criminal Investigation Department.

The police told him that they had come to rescue his daughter, who was planning to commit suicide. When the police entered her room, they found the woman sitting alone in a dark corner, and apparently "preparing to end her life".

On seeing the police, she lost her temper after which the police managed to calm her down.

The woman told the police that she decided to make a live video of her suicide as she was mocked by social media users over her photo. The comments had angered and upset her and she decided to take the extreme step.

"The police immediately provided psychological support and counselling to cool her nerves as well as persuade her to let go of the very thought of suicide," Faisal said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Scores of Congress workers, led by its Delhi unit president Ajay Maken, demonstrated outside the Aam Aadmi Party's office in central Delhi on Saturday evening, protesting a "resolution" passed by the Delhi Assembly seeking revocation of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi's Bharat Ratna.

It is very "unfortunate" that the Aam Aadmi Party-led government "passed this resolution" in the Assembly, Maken said.

The AAP, headquartered on DDU Road, however, has denied passage of any such resolution in the Assembly.

"Kejriwal should apologise to the country and remove from the record of the Delhi Assembly, the resolution passed," Maken said.

The protesters also took out a candlelight march to the BJP headquarters on DDU Road demanding a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the Rafale fighter aircraft deal case.

"The Congress workers will continue to wage a battle, started by Congress president Rahul Gandhi, and protest the scam," Maken said.

He claimed the government exchequer had incurred "heavy losses" due to the "scam" and that it had "compromised" the interest and security of the nation for which the people of the country will "never forgive" the Modi government.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu Saturday said the country's system needs to be reoriented to reflect the tradition of quest for knowledge and also acquiring life skills.

The present school system should be completely revamped, he said.

Naidu, who was speaking at the annual day function of Jubilee Hills Public School here, said the children must ask questions and seek answers.

Such questioning should become an essential characteristic of a students education, he said.

"The school curriculum should be oriented to make students think rationally, independently and express cogently," he said.

Highlighting the great Indian tradition of 'Guru Shishya Parampara,' he said teachers and students used to live together and engage in a constant dialogue.

Naidu stressed on technology and tradition going together.

He suggested that only 50 per cent of the time should be spent in class rooms with remaining 50 per cent spent outside.

Noting that lifestyle changes were leading to a number of diseases, he said Indian food was time-tested and the Indianness should be preserved.

"Instant food means constant disease," the vice president said.

He said "People who have ruled us (the British), ruined us, looted us, cheated us, cheated our minds also."



This has resulted in an inferiority complex in the country that those things English are great and the things Indian are inferior, Naidu said.

He also said no government could provide jobs to everybody.

Replying to queries from students, he said farmers in the country were in distress not because of any particular government or any party, but "somehow our policy from the beginning, the planning commission those days, the parliament, the press and political parties have not given adequate importance to agriculture and rural development."



The government approach needs to be restructured with emphasis on rural roads, connectivity, electricity, water supply, linking of rivers, construction of godowns and cold storage units, he said.

The government's E-NAM initiative would also help farmers, he said.

He termed loan waiver as a temporary solution and said the country must find out ways and means of structural changes.

Observing that there was a lot of competition in the era of globalisation, with WTO rules in force, he said the Indian manufacturing sector is not able to withstand competition effectively for a variety of reasons.

Many were not able to invest and take up manufacturing as wealth was concentrated in the hands of a few, the vice president said.

The priority of the governments at the centre and states should be to focus more on manufacturing, he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A mid-air medical emergency on board a Yangon-bound Emirates Airlines flight from Dubai forced the aircraft to divert to the city airport here Saturday where it made a priority landing, a statement said.

The aircraft contacted the Ahmedabad Air Traffic Control (ATC) this afternoon after a 5-year-old boy on board the flight developed medical complications, the airport authorities said in the statement.

The flight was headed to Myanmar's capital city Yangon from Dubai.

"Ahmedabad ATC immediately approved the diversion and initiated priority landing procedures. At that time, the aircraft was flying at 35,000 feet", the statement said.

On landing, the child, a British national, was taken to a private hospital near the airport in an Airports of Authority of India (AAI) ambulance, said the authorities.

The boy is still undergoing treatment at the hospital, it said, adding that the flight departed for its destination Yangon at around 3 pm.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Former Madagascan president Andry Rajoelina was set to return to power as partial election results on Saturday gave him a clear lead over his predecessor Marc Ravalomanana, who has alleged the vote count was fraudulent.

With 3.5 million ballots counted out of about five million cast, Rajoelina had won 55.7 per cent against 44.2 per cent for Ravalomanana in Wednesday's run-off election, according to the electoral commission.

Complete results are expected next week, before a period in which they can be legally challenged via the courts.

The two-round election was beset by allegations of fraud from both sides and the result may be contested -- raising the risk of political instability in the Indian Ocean island which has a history of coups and unrest.

"We are still waiting for the full results but I believe that the current results are irreversible. Victory is ours!" Hajo Andrianainarivelo, a senior member of Rajoelina's team, told AFP.

Fanirisoa Erinaivo, a first-round losing candidate who joined Ravalomanana's team, demanded transparency over how the vote was being counted.

"According to the return sheets that have reached us, it is Marc Ravalomanana who is in the lead," she told AFP.

"The election commission only releases the sheets where Rajoelina is in the lead -- we suspect manipulation." Ravalomanana was due to issue a statement on Sunday, his campaign team said.

EU election observers have said they had not seen evidence of malpractice.

"The Madagascans voted in a peaceful atmosphere in a transparent and well-organised poll," mission head Cristian Preda told reporters.

"Even before the first round, the candidates talked about massive fraud. We did not see it in the field... I hope that calm will come once the results are very clear."



In the same vein, the African Union (AU) congratulated the "two candidates, the entire political class and the Madagascan people who, despite the differences... have shown restraint."



Rajoelina and Ravalomanana, both former presidents and long-time rivals, have been locked in a fiercely personal duel for power, coming first and second in the preliminary election in November.

Ravalomanana told AFP on Thursday at his campaign headquarters in the capital Antananarivo that he suspected "massive fraud".

Sensing victory, Rajoelina's campaign staff have nonetheless responded with their own accusations, saying they had detected "fraud" and "manipulation".

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. He is a former events planner and successful entrepreneur with slick communication skills.

Ravalomanana is a former milkman from a peasant family who went on to build a business empire.

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 per cent compared with 35 per cent for Ravalomanana.

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 per cent of people living in extreme poverty.

The island, which is also famed for its unique wildlife, is dependent on foreign aid and burdened by political instability.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Saturday said the government was committed to making a law on triple talaq despite facing "hurdles" and resistance from "hardliners" and opposition parties.

Speaking at the fifth national convention of the BJP Mahila Morcha here, Modi targeted the Congress, saying women's welfare was never a priority of the previous governments.

"Despite all hurdles and opposition from hardliners and opposition parties, the government is committed to making a law on triple talaq", he said.

The Lok Sabha is expected to take up the triple talaq Bill for discussion on December 27 during the ongoing winter session of Parliament.

The government had issued an ordinance in September pending the passage of the Bill in a revised form.

The current Bill will supersede a previous Bill passed in the Lower House and held up in Rajya Sabha. In view of opposition to the Bill from various parties, the government has cleared some amendments, including introduction of a provision of bail for husbands who give instant triple talaq.

"We are committed so that Muslim women can get rid of a big life threat. No just that. In order for Muslim women to go to Haj (pilgrimage), we have removed the clause that men need to accompany them", he said.

The prime minister further said the women of the country have given the BJP the opportunity "with great hope and trust after trying all other options".

"After exploring various options in the last six to seven decades, the people of the country -- our sisters and daughters -- reposed faith in the BJP. Previous governments did not do anything to provide even basic facilities to women and just made promises," Modi said.

Those who ruled India for 60-70 years failed to provide basic things for women's welfare, he said, adding that the previous governments just kept waiting for the right time to usher in social reforms and change in attitude towards women.

"The country knows what their intentions and thoughts were. The political party that remained in power since decades only waited for time to come to bring about social changes and thinking regarding women. They were busy making promises", he said, targeting the Congress.

In the last four years, society's view towards the girl child and women empowerment has undergone a positive change, the prime minister said.

"For the first time, the government's flagship schemes are focusing on women," he said while referring to programmes like Swachh Bharat programme, Ujjwala scheme, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), wherein 75 per cent owners of the houses are women.

"Eighteen crore of the total Jan Dhan bank accounts belong to women," he said, adding that the male-female sex ratio has also improved, especially in Haryana, which has had a dubious record in the past.

Modi said the cabinet committee on security affairs for the first time included two women. "Besides, women have been inducted as fighter pilots in Air Force. There is a woman officer wing in the Navy. The government passed anti-trafficking bill and capital punishment will be given to rape convicts of minors," he said.

Modi added that former Union Home Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel had initiated women's empowerment as president of the Ahmedabad Municipality before Independence.

He said the BJP enjoys confidence of the people of the country from panchayat-level to Parliament.

"The country knows very well the approach and thinking of those who could not even have it as their priority to provide basic facilities to women in all these years," he said, listing the schemes that his government launched for the betterment of women.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
GST rate cuts for commonly used products across all tax slabs will provide a much-awaited relief and shows the GST Council's intention to move towards just 2-3 tax bracket structure, industry said Saturday.

"... reduction in tax rates for commonly used products across all tax slabs shows the Council's intention to move towards just 2-3 slab rate structure. Procedural simplifications by the GST Council are significant and will ensure that rulings will be uniform across states, thus reducing litigation," CII Director General Chandrajit Banerjee said.

Banerjee said the Council has made welcome improvements for ease of doing business such as adoption of single cash ledger for each tax and single authority for disbursement of refund amount to be implemented on pilot basis.

Traders' body Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) also welcomed the reduction in GST tax rates on various items and said it is a progressive step in rationalising and simplifying the tax structure.

CAIT Secretary General Praveen Khandelwal said that reduction in GST tax rates will on one side lower the cost of production of large number of items and on the other hand will make consumers more comfortable.

Khandelwal said that lowering of tax rates on construction items will further lower the cost of construction.

"It would have been better if tax rates of cement is also reduced as cement constitute a major component of construction cost. Announcing the formation of a composition scheme for small service suppliers is a good policy decision as it will relive the small suppliers from the clutches of tax complications," he said.

Dalmia Cement (Bharat) Ltd Managing Director and CEO and President Cement Manufacturers Association Mahendra Singhi said: "The Finance Minister's hint that a further rationalisation could be expected in the coming months should the state of the economy improve, collection of taxes improve, keeps us encouraged.

"Recognising cement as a general public consumer product by the FM and reviewing it again in next meeting is keeping hopes live. A rationalised GST rate would definitely result into higher number of houses, more km of roads and better infrastructure at the same cost".

CAIT said traders keenly await the new return filing system which is to be implemented from April 1, 2019, and hope that return will be required to be filed once in three months.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The outcome of Jasdan assembly bypoll in Gujarat, to be announced Sunday, is being keenly watched by the Congress and the ruling BJP against the backdrop of the saffron party's debacle in three core Hindi states in recent assembly elections.

The byelection has become a battle of prestige for the ruling party ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

The bypoll, which was held on December 20, is mainly a bipolar contest between Kunvarji Bavaliya, a state Cabinet minister of the BJP and influential leader of the Koli community from the area, and Avsar Nakiya of the Congress.

Nakiya, a Rajkot district panchayat member who had once worked closely with Bavaliya, a five-time MLA, contested the assembly election for first time in his life.

The election was necessitated after Bavaliya crossed over to the saffron party and resigned as MLA in July.

As per rules, a minister has to get himself/herself elected to the Assembly within six months of taking oath.

"Polling for Jasdan assembly seat in Rajkot district was held on December 20 with a voter turnout of 71.27 per cent", stated a release issued by Gujarat Chief Electoral Officer S. Murali Krishna.

The constituency has 2.32 lakh registered voters.

Bavaliya had won the seat on Congress ticket in 1995, 1998, 2002, 2007 and 2017.

Since the formation of Gujarat in 1960, the BJP has won this seat only once - in the by-election held in 2009 when Bavaliya vacated the seat after being elected to Lok Sabha from Rajkot.

Apart from Bavaliya and Nakiya, six other candidates are also in the fray.

The BJP recently ceded power to Congress in Hindi heartland states of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan.

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With the annual 'Mandala Puja' just days away, the Lord Ayyappa Temple here has been



witnessing a heavy rush as over one lakh pilgrims visited the hill top temple on Friday.

A steady inflow of pilgrims was seen at Sabarimala in recent days as the police had eased certain restrictions even as the prohibitory orders are still in place.

"As many as 1,12,260 devotees have visited the shrine and offered prayers on Friday. It is the highest head count after the annual season began this year," the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) said in a statement.

The pilgrim rush is expected to increase manifold in the coming days, it said.

However, anxiety looms large in and around the shrine in the backdrop of reports that a group of 50 women, all below the traditionally barred age of 50 years, are set to visit Sabarimala on Sunday under the aegis of 'Manithi', a Chennai-based outfit.

Selvy, a member of 'Manithi', told a Malayalam TV channel that the group comprised women from different states, including Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Karnataka besides Kerala.

She said they had already written to the office of Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in this regard and informed about their plan to trek the hill temple.

The police Saturday confirmed that the women's group will offer prayers at the Lord Ayyappa temple, which had witnessed intense protest against the implementation of the Supreme Court verdict permitting women of all age groups into the shrine.

"As per the information, the group will reach Kottayam at around 10 am. They have not asked for any special security.

"When they reach Nilackal, the base camp, and if there is any law and order situation, we will deal with it accordingly," a police official told PTI.

On Friday night, a 43-year-old woman devotee from Andhra Pradesh, who came along with a group of pilgrims to offer prayers at the Ayyappa temple, was stopped and sent back by police midway, citing security reasons.

Marking the culmination of the 41-day 'vratha' (penance), Mandala Puja, the first phase of the Sabarimala pilgrimage, would be held on December 27 at the Lord Ayyappa temple.

Kerala had witnessed massive protests by devotees 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 Supreme Court order.

Over a dozen women have so far made unsuccessful attempts to trek the holy hills.

Four transgenders, who were earlier stopped from proceeding towards the Lord Ayyappa temple citing security reasons, offered prayers at the hill shrine under heavy police security cover earlier this week.

The Kerala High Court had earlier this month appointed a three-member committee, vesting them with powers to oversee law and order and other problems faced by pilgrims during the ongoing annual season.

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Indian and Chinese troops on Saturday concluded the seventh round of counter terrorism military exercises in China's Chengdu city during which over 100-strong contingents from both nations conducted the drills while living and dining together to build up a sense of camaraderie.

This year's 'Hand-in-Hand' exercises focussing on urban terrorism were significant as they were held after a gap of a year. The drills were not held last year following the 73-day military standoff at Doklam which ratcheted up tensions between the two armies.

The specially-designed drills were in keeping with the spirit of this year's summit at Wuhan between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping to improve relations between the two militaries.

The fortnight-long exercises concluded with mixed teams from both armies demonstrating seven rounds of different counter terrorism drills practiced by them since December 11.

State-run TV channel CGTN livestreamed the concluding ceremony and the exercises highlighting their significance.

The theme of the exercises which included live firing and demonstration of driving skills was to rescue hostages held by terrorists in an urban environment. The troops also showcased counter-terrorism tactics and skills, such as combat firing, and rope bridge crossing.

The 2016 exercises held in Pune had focussed on counter terrorism exercises in non-urban areas.

"During the exercises our soldiers and officers lived in the same rooms and ate on the same table," said an officer of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), briefing on the exercises in the CGTN telecast.

The birthdays of a number of soldiers from both sides were also celebrated together.

The Indian contingent headed by Col Puneet Tomar took part in the exercises to foster closer ties between the two militaries which guard the 3,488-km Line of Actual Control (LAC).

China fielded its troops from the Tibetan military command. Each side deployed 113 troops and officers. The Indian contingent will leave for home on Sunday, the CGTN report said.

"The aim of the Hand-in-Hand exercises is to build closer relations between the militaries of India and China. The exercises involve tactical-level operations in an international counter insurgency/counter terrorist environment as per UN mandate," a tweet by the Indian Embassy here said earlier.

After the Doklam standoff and following the Wuhan summit, the two militaries made efforts to improve relations.

Besides resuming the defence dialogue after the standoff, the two countries also held the 21st round of border talks.

National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and China's State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who are the Special Representatives for the border talks, held discussions on November 24 in Chengdu during which they called for intensifying efforts to find a solution to the vexed border dispute.

Earlier, the two sides held the ninth defence dialogue on November 13 led by Defence Secretary Sanjay Mitra and Lt General Shao Yuanming, Deputy Chief of Joint Staff Department of China's Central Military Commission.

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Iran executed a trader known as the "Sultan of Bitumen" on Saturday over charges of fraud and large-scale smuggling of the oil product, the judiciary's agency Mizan online reported.

Hamidreza Bagheri Dermani is the third businessman to be executed since an anti-corruption drive was launched over the summer.

He was convicted of "corruption on earth", Iran's most serious capital offence, after swindling over 10 trillion rials (around USD 100 million at the current rate) through "fraud, forgery and bribery", Mizan reported.

Dermani, first arrested in August 2014, reportedly forged dozens of documents of fake real estate to acquire loans from state banks.

He then used front companies to procure more than 300,000 tonnes of bitumen -- an oil-based substance used in asphalt and other products and one of Iran's most profitable businesses -- Mizan said.

Dermani was also accused of ties to business magnate Babak Morteza Zanjani, who is awaiting execution after being convicted in 2016 of embezzling USD 2.7 billion while helping the government circumvent international sanctions.

of Dermani's execution was presented in dramatic fashion on state television on Saturday, with an action-movie soundtrack and full documentary about his crimes.

The authorities have been keen to show they are cracking down on "economic disruptors" accused of exploiting shortages and fluctuations in gold and currency prices.

Iran has seen a sharp economic downturn this year, fuelled in part by US President Donald Trump's decision in May to withdraw from a landmark 2015 nuclear deal and reimpose crippling unilateral sanctions.

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Iran said Saturday the US presence in Syria had been "wrong and illogical" from the start, in its first official reaction to President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw troops.

"The presence of American forces was from the very start, in principle, a wrong and illogical move and a primary cause of instability and insecurity in the region," said foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi on his Telegram channel.

Trump vowed Thursday that the United States would no longer be the "policeman of the Middle East" as he ordered troops back from Syria.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards have a contingent of commanders and advisers deployed in Syria in support of President Bashar al-Assad, and have ferried weapons and thousands of militia fighters to the frontlines from various countries.

The United States currently has around 2,000 forces deployed in Syria in two areas along the Iraqi border that was partly aimed at keeping Iranian forces in check.

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A senior Jammu and Kashmir Congress leader has welcomed National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah's statement on regional autonomy and asked the former chief minister to put a document in public domain.

Sham Lal Sharma said giving regional autonomy to all the three regions of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh, who have been demanding their right since long, was the only solution to address the developmental needs of these areas.

"We have been advocating this for quite long to provide regional autonomy to Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh so that no region feels discriminated and everybody gets its due share. But now, once the Congress party forms the government in the state, providing regional autonomy will be our topmost priority," the former minister added.

Abdullah had on Thursday promised regional autonomy 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)," the NC president had said, as he welcomed expelled BJP leader Gagan Bhagat into the party.

Sharma said by putting the document in public domain, a healthy discussion could be held for the betterment of the state.

"If the people feel there are changes required in the document... that can be done once the document is in public domain. The main motive of this document should be to provide equal opportunity to people of all the three regions and sub-regions who feel discriminated," he added.

The Congress leader said the Kashmir-centric National Conference were on same page when it comes to putting an end to the alleged discrimination against the Jammu region.

Sharma said it was due to the anger among the people of Jammu region against the "discriminatory" policies of the PDP-BJP government that other political parties had forwarded the idea of granting regional autonomy.

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The three-day visit of a Japanese naval ship to Kochi has enhanced the interoperability and friendship between the two navies, the Indian Navy said Saturday.

The JMSDF (Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force) Samidare, commanded by Commander Gen. Kawai, is on a visit to the Kochi port from December 20-22.

"India's bilateral relations with Japan are rooted in historical, social and cultural interactions and extensive people-to-people contact. The current visit of (the) Japanese ship enhances the interoperability and friendship between the two navies," the Indian Navy said in a statement.

Various activities were conducted during the ship's stay, such as the visit of Indian Navy specialists on board Samidare and professional interaction between the two navies, the statement said.

The ship's crew members were also given a guided tour of certain professional schools and the Naval Maritime Museum to familiarise them with the Indian Navy's method of imparting training to its personnel and preserving its naval heritage, it said.

The ship is scheduled to depart for Bahrain on Saturday and will be participating in an anti-piracy mission in the Gulf of Aden, it added.

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: The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will offer a loan assistance of Rs 20,196 crore for the 52.01 kms phase-II of Chennai Metro Rail project, the Tamil Nadu government said Saturday.

JICA has approved funding for the second phase, which would cost an estimated Rs 40,941 crore, a state government release said.

It is aimed at extending Metro rail connectivity between Madhavaram and Sholinganallur (35.67 kms) and from Madhavaram to Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus (16.34 kms), the release added.

Union Finance ministry, additional secretary, C S Mohapatra and Japan Ambassador to India, Kenji Hiramatsu formally exchanged documents at an event in New Delhi, Friday.

The loan agreement for providing the first tranche under the Official Development Assistance (ODA) of 75,519 million Japanese Yen (about Rs 4,770 crore) was also signed between Mohapatra and JICA, chief representative, Katsuo Matsumoto.

The funding would further enhance Metro Rail connectivity to various parts of the city.

Additional chief secretary, TV Somanathan and Chennai Metro Rail, managing director, Pankaj Kumar Banswal were also present on the occasion.

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Criticising the Centre's decision to authorise 10 agencies to intercept, monitor and decrypt data contained in any computer system, Kerala Chief Minister Saturday said the order was an "attack" on individual freedom and the Right to Privacy.

Vijayan said it was even more "disturbing" that the media, members of legislatures and even judiciary have not been excluded from the ambit of the order.

"The Union Government is pushing the nation into a state of undeclared emergency," he said in a Facebook post.

Vijayan said the Home Ministry's notification was contrary to the spirit of a Supreme Court order which had held Right to Privacy as a fundamental right.

"The Union Government argues that the notification was issued under the IT Act 2000."

"This argument does not have any logic as section 66 A of the IT Act 2000, which penalises for sharing objectionable content online, was struck down by the Supreme Court declaring it unconstitutional," he claimed.



He alleged that the order was an attempt to deny democratic rights to citizens who disagree with the RSS and the BJP and it also restricts the freedom of the press.

The order was passed late night Thursday by the 'cyber and information security' division of the Union Home Ministry under the authority of Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba.

According to the order, 10 central probe and snoop agencies are now empowered under the Information Technology Act for computer interception and analysis, officials said.

The 10 agencies include the Intelligence Bureau, Narcotics Control Bureau, Enforcement Directorate, the Central Board of Direct Taxes, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, Central Bureau of Investigation, and Investigation Agency.



The agencies have been authorised "for the purpose of interception, monitoring and decryption of any information generated, transmitted, received or stored in any computer resource under the said Act (section 69 of the IT Act, 2000)", the order states.

According to an earlier order, the Union Home Secretary is also empowered to authorise or sanction the intelligence and security agencies for undertaking tapping and analysis of phone calls under the provisions of the Indian Telegraph Act.
Former Gujarat minister Maya Kodnani attended a BJP event here Saturday, her first public appearance since her acquittal in the 2002 Naroda Patiya riot case in April this year.

Kodnani was seen sharing the dais with Union Textiles Minister Smriti Irani and other women leaders of the ruling party on the second day of the two-day BJP women wing's national convention at Trimandir at Adalaj in Gandhinagar.

In August 2012, a special court for SIT cases had sentenced Kodnani, to 28 years of imprisonment. However, in April 2018, she was acquitted by the Gujarat High Court.

But she is still an accused in another 2002 riot case of Naroda Gam in which 11 Muslims were killed. The case is being heard by a special SIT court here.

After her acquittal in the Naroda Patiya case, Kodnani had told reporters that she was, and will remain a BJP party worker.

The Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) had arrested Kodnani in 2009 in the Naroda Patiya case while she was still the minister of women and child welfare in the erstwhile Narendra Modi government in Gujarat. She had later resigned.

Others who were present on the dais Saturday were BJP Mahila Morcha national president Vijaya Rahatkar and MP Saroj Pandey. Thousands of women workers of BJP from across the country participated in the convention.

While Union Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman attended the inaugural session on Friday, Irani attended the second day of the session.

Speaking on the occasion, Irani said that women workers from across the country will contribute to make the BJP under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership retain power in 2019.

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The provincial government in Pakistan's Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa plans to buy 25 pre-partition era buildings, including the ancestral houses of legendry Bollywood actors Raj Kapoor and Dilip Kumar, which have been declared as the national heritage, sources said.

Raj Kapoor's ancestral home, known as Kapoor Haveli, is situated in the fabled Qissa Khwani Bazar. It was built before the Partition of British India, between 1918 and 1922, by the legendry actor's grandfather Dewan Basheswarnath Kapoor.

Raj Kapoor and his uncle Trilok Kapoor were born in the building. It has been declared national heritage by the provincial government.

Veteran actor Dilip Kumar's over 100-year-old ancestral house is also located in Peshawar's Qissa Khawani Bazaar. The house is in shambles and was declared as national heritage under the Federal Antiquities Act in 2014 by the Nawaz Sharif government.

The provincial government has allocated Rs 61 crore for buying 25 pre-partition era buildings, having archaeological importance, including the ancestral houses of actors Raj Kapoor and Dilip Kumar, they said.

The Department of Archaeology will be given a grant of Rs 70 lakh to prepare a feasibility report of the buildings during the current fiscal, they said.

After the approval of feasibility report, the process to buy these buildings will begin, they added.

There are as many as 77 buildings which have been declared as national heritage by the government of which 52 are government property while 25 are owned by locals.

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Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy Saturday expanded his six-month old cabinet, inducting eight members from the Congress in the much-awaited exercise marked by rumblings of dissidence.

Two ministers-- Ramesh Jarkiholi (Municipal Administration) , accused of hobnobbing with the BJP, and R Shankar (Forest and Environment),an Independent lawmaker who showed reluctance to be an associate member of the Congress, were dropped in the rejig, the chief minister's office said.

The new ministers were administered the oath of office and secrecy at the Glass House at Raj Bhavan by Governor Vajubhai Vala amid open expression of dissent by several Congress legislators who were left out of the exercise.

The new inductees are: Satish Jarkiholi, M B Patil, C S Shivalli, M T B Nagaraj, E Tukaram, P T Parameshwar Naik, Rahim Khan and R B Thimmapur, with seven of them picked from north Karnataka to address concerns of the region and counter the BJP in its area of influence.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi had given the go ahead for the rejig Friday night after the state party leaders and AICC incharge of Karnataka K C Venugopal met him and discussed the issue that had been hanging fire for long.

Ramesh Jarkiholi, who has allegedly been cosy with BJP leaders and not attending cabinet and party meetings, has been replaced by his brother Satish Jarkiholi.

Ramesh Jarkiholi has been claiming support of a sizeable chunk of party MLAs and had come under the party scanner over reports that the BJP was trying to tap him to remove the Kumaraswamy government.

The names of Jarkiholi and Shankar have been recommended to the governor for being dropped, the chief minister's office said.

Congress' coalition partner JD(S) was not part of this round of cabinet expansion and it is likely to induct new ministers from its side post 'Sankranti' (mid-January), party sources said.

According to the pact between the two at the time of formation of the coalition government in May, there were six vacant ministerial slots for Congress and two for JD(S).

This is the second expansion of the 26-member Kumaraswamy ministry.

With the cabinet expansion being deferred repeatedly, several aspirants, especially those from Congress, had openly expressed their displeasure over the delay, piling pressure on the party to fill its quota so as to avoid any trouble ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

As the list of probable ministers came out, lawmakers who were aspirants for ministerial berths, came out openly, giving vent to their displeasure over being kept out.

Sowmya Reddy (MLA), daughter of senior Congress MLA and former minister Ramalinga Reddy, expressed resentment over her father not being considered for the post, pointing out his contribution for the party's growth in Bengaluru city.

Reddy's supporters staged a protest a infront of the KPCC state headquarters here and tried to march to Raj Bhavan while the swearing-in ceremony was underway.

Sowmya said she had declined the post of parliamentary secretary.

Another aspirant and Hirekerur MLA B C Patil is also unhappy over not being considered for any ministerial post.

His supporters even staged a protest in his constituency. "I don't know the reason, but I have not got (ministerial post) this time also," he said.

On his next course of action, Patil said he would follow party workers' directions and work for his constituency's development.

Another Congress MLA B K Sangamesh from Bhadravathi, said he was the lone party legislator from Shivamogga district, the stronghold of BJP president B S Yeddyurappa, and said Siddaramaiah had promised to make him a minister.

He said he would decide his further course of action after discussions with party workers and resign if they they asked him to do so.

Hagaribommanahalli MLA Bheema Naik hit out at the party leadership for giving chance to Parameshwar Naik and neglecting him.

Many senior congress MLAs were also reportedly miffed over their exclusion. As the voice of dissent became shrill, KPCC president Dinesh Gundu Rao warned that the party would not brook any indiscipline.

"Indiscipline or speaking against the party will not be tolerated. We have shown tolerance but it will not be possible to continue with the same..we will enforce discipline." However, he did not foresee any problem as a fallout of Saturday's exercise.

The KPCC chief also sought to placate the disgruntled MLAs, saying the party would evaluate the performance of ministers after Lok Sabha polls, when the ministry would have completed one year and drop those found not upto the mark and give chance to aspirants in their place.

Reacting to the exercise, senior BJP leader B S Yeddyurappa said the disgruntlement would "explode", as thereare too many aspirants.

"In my opinion, dropping of Ramesh Jarkiholi would have repercussions..let's wait and see what will happen," he added.

Ruling out any attempts by BJP to take advantage of the situation, Yeddyurappa said, "we have 104 MLAs, we will work as opposition. We are watching the situation about confusion between Congress and JD(S) and its repercussions.

We will call our legislature party meeting later and discuss with our high command on what step we should take."



In tandem with cabinet expansion, Congress has recommended appointment of 19 legislators as heads to boards and corporations and nine as parliamentary secretaries to ministers, besides three others as political secretary to the chief minister, state special representative to Delhi and deputy chairman of the state planning commission.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The much-awaited expansion and reshuffle of the six-month-old H D Kumaraswamy-led coalition Cabinet in Karnataka would be carried out here Saturday evening.

Two ministers -- Ramesh Jarkiholi (Municipal Administration) and R Shankar (Forest and Environment) -- are likely to be dropped, official sources said.

New ministers would be sworn in at 5.20 pm by Governor Vajubhai Vala at Raj Bhavan, the sources said.

According to a statement issued by the office of Legislature Party Leader Siddaramaiah, Satish Jarkiholi, M B Patil, C S Shivalli, M T B Nagaraj, E Tukaram, P T Parameshwar Naik, Rahim Khan and R B Thimmapur would be inducted into the ministry.

The press statement came a day after the names were cleared by president Rahul Gandhi.

Gandhi, after meeting party General Secretary in charge of Karnataka KC Venugopal, CLP leader Siddarmaiah, Pradesh Chief Dinesh Gundu Rao and Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara gave the go-ahead on Friday night.

Ramesh Jarkiholi, who has been allegedly hobnobbing with leaders and not attending Cabinet and party meetings is being replaced by his brother Satish Jarkiholi.

Shankar is an Independent lawmaker who is reportedly facing the axe over his reluctance to be an associate member of the Congress.

However, Congress' coalition partner JD(S) will not be part of this round of Cabinet expansion, and is likely to induct new ministers from its side post-Sankranthi, sources said.

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 would be the second expansion in the ministry.

With the Cabinet expansion exercise being deferred repeatedly, several aspirants, especially those from the Congress, had openly expressed their displeasure.

Despite reiteration by Congress leaders that the expansion would take place on the scheduled date (December 22), party MLAs were sceptical about it happening till the Lok Sabha polls early next year.

Some of them have also cited "Shoonya Masa" that is considered inauspicious, as the reason.

Along with Cabinet expansion, the appointment of MLAs as heads to boards and corporations, and parliamentary secretaries to ministers would also be made Saturday, the source said.

Congress leaders V Muniappa has been finalised as political secretary to the Chief Minister and Ajay Singh as state representative in the capital, sources said, adding Sharanabasappa Darshanapur has been nominated as the Deputy Chairman of state planning commission.

Meanwhile, disgruntlement seems to be simmering in the Congress with a few senior aspirants not being considered for the ministerial berth.

Sowmya Reddy (MLA), daughter of senior Congress legislator and former Minister Ramalinga Reddy, has expressed her resentment over her father not being considered for the post, pointing out his contribution for the growth of the party in Bengaluru city.

She has also declined to accept Parliamentary Secretary post that has been offered to her.

Another aspirant and Hirekerur MLA B C Patil is also unhappy over not being considered for any ministeial post.
The much-awaited expansion and reshuffle of the six month-old H D Kumaraswamy-led coalition government in Karnataka will be carried out here Saturday evening with the induction of eight new ministers.

Two ministers -- Ramesh Jarkiholi (Municipal Administration) and R Shankar (Forest and Environment) -- are likely to be dropped, official sources said.

The new ministers will be sworn in at 5.20 pm by Governor Vajubhai Vala at the Raj Bhavan.

Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy met the Governor and sought his approval for the cabinet expansion.

Speaking to reporters after meeting Vala, the CM said "Eight ministers will take oath today. I met the Governor and submitted to him the list of the new ministers and also sought his approval for the same".

A statement from the office of Congress Legislature Party Leader Siddaramaiah said Satish Jarkiholi, M B Patil, C S Shivalli, M T B Nagaraj, E Tukaram, P T Parameshwar Naik, Rahim Khan and R B Thimmapur will be inducted into the ministry.

Seven of the eight MLAs are from north Karnataka.

The press statement came a day after the names were cleared by Congress president Rahul Gandhi.

Gandhi, after meeting party General Secretary In-charge of Karnataka K C Venugopal, CLP leader Siddarmaiah, Pradesh Congress Chief Dinesh Gundu Rao and Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara gave the go-ahead on Friday night.

Ramesh Jarkiholi, who has been allegedly hobnobbing with BJP leaders and not attending cabinet and party meetings, is being replaced by his brother Satish Jarkiholi.

Shankar is an Independent lawmaker who is reportedly facing the axe over his reluctance to be an associate member of the Congress.

Congress' coalition partner JD(S) will not be a part of this round of cabinet expansion and is likely to induct new ministers from its side post 'Sankranti', sources said.

Asked about the induction of new ministers from the



JD(S), Kumaraswamy said, "You will get to know about it in the evening".

According to the pact between the two partners at the time of formation of the coalition government in May, there are now six vacant ministerial positions for Congress and two for JD(S).

This would be the second expansion of the ministry.

With the cabinet expansion exercise being deferred repeatedly, several aspirants, especially those from the Congress, had openly expressed their displeasure.

Despite reiteration by Congress leaders that the expansion would take place on the scheduled date (December 22), party MLAs were sceptical about it happening till the Lok Sabha polls early next year.

Some also cited 'Shoonya Masa', that is considered inauspicious, as the reason.

Along with the cabinet expansion, appointment of MLAs as heads to boards and corporations and parliamentary secretaries to ministers would also be made Saturday, the sources said.

Congress leaders V Muniappa will be the political secretary to the chief minister and Ajay Singh, the state representative in the national capital, the sources said, adding that Sharanabasappa Darshanapur has been nominated as the deputy chairman of the state planning commission.

Meanwhile, discontent seems to be simmering in the Congress, with some senior aspirants not being considered for the ministerial berth.

Sowmya Reddy (MLA), daughter of senior Congress MLA and former minister Ramalinga Reddy, expressed resentment over her father not being considered for the post, pointing out his contribution for the party's growth in Bengaluru city.

She also declined to accept the Parliamentary Secretary post offered to her.

Another aspirant and Hirekerur MLA B C Patil is also unhappy over not being considered for any ministerial post. His supporters even staged a protest in his constituency.

"I don't know the reason, but I have not got (ministerial post) this time also," he said, adding that he had believed in Siddaramaiah, who he said is also his "political guru".

Pointing to the lack of representation to Haveri district, the actor-turned-politician said some districts like Vijayapura, that already had two ministers, have now got a third in M B Patil from the Lingayat community.

Asked about his next course of action, Patil said, "I will follow the directions of my karyakartas and work for the development of my constituency".

Another Congress MLA B K Sangamesh from Bhadravathi, noted that he was the lone party legislator from Shivamogga district, the stronghold of BJP president B S Yeddyurappa and said Siddaramaiah had promised to make him a minister.

He said he would decide his further course of action after discussions with party workers and resign if they they asked him to do so.

Hagaribommanahalli MLA Bheema Naik has hit out at the party leadership for giving chance to Parameshwar Naik and neglecting him.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A Kuwait-city bound Kuwait Airways flight was diverted back to the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) due to cabin "pressurisation" issue, an airport official said Saturday.

The Airbus A320 aircraft made a "safe" landing under emergency conditions, the official added.

The number of passengers on board the flight could not be immediately known.

"The local standby was declared at for Kuwait Airways flight KU 304 after the pilots sought diversion from the Mumbai ATC due to (cabin) pressurisation problem," the official said.

The aircraft landed safely on Runway 09/27, the official said, adding that on landing, the captain informed that all operations were "normal" and no assistance was required.

Later, the local standby was withdrawn from runway 09/27, he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
One of the two cubs of Yavatmal tigress 'T1' alias 'Avni', who was shot dead last month, was captured Saturday, a senior Maharashtra forest officer said.

A joint team of officials from Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh forest departments managed to tranquilise and capture the female cub in Anji forest in Yavatmal district in east Maharashtra in afternoon.

"The one-year-old female cub was tranquilised and caught at compartment no 665 in the Anji forest in Ralegaon at around 4 pm", said Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forest, Wildlife East, Nagpur, Sunil Limye.

A team of around 100 people, including six veterinary officers from Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, have been tracking the cub since November 2 when T1, which was responsible for deaths of some people in the region, was shot dead by a sharp shooter who was part of a team of Forest officials.

"The cub will now be sent to Pench and will be kept in an enclosure which is almost like an open forest. The cub is physically fit. A committee will be formed to decide about its release in wild", Limye said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A 30-year-old man, who had allegedly set himself on fire on Thursday in front of the district magistrate's office at Ahmednagar in Maharashtra seeking removal of encroachments, has died during treatment, police said.

Tausif Hanif Shaikh, who had suffered around 80 per cent burns in the incident, died during treatment at Sassoon General Hospital in Pune city on Friday morning, police said.

According to an official, the state government has formed a three-member committee to inquire into his death.

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, and set the deadline of Thursday for the administration to take action. Around 3 pm on Thursday, he poured kerosene and set himself on fire, a police official said adding that Shaikh had suffered serious injuries.

Ahmednagar additional collector Bhanudas Palawe Saturday said a committee headed by him has been appointed to inquire into the incident.

"There will be three members in the committee, which is supposed to submit the report in seven days," he said.

Following the of Shaikh's death, a bandh was observed in Karjat tehsil in Ahmednagar district on Friday.

Some members of the minority community also staged a demonstration outside the district magistrate's office on Friday, demanding that an FIR be registered against the officials responsible for Shaikh's death.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Meghalaya government Saturday announced an interim relief of Rs 1 lakh each to the families of the 15 miners trapped in an illegal rat-hole coal mine and sought high power submersible pumps from the Coal India Ltd to rescue them.

The coal mine is located in East Jaintia Hills district of the state and the miners have been trapped there since December 13.

The relief was announced as per directions of the National Green Tribunal Committee (NGT), a state government official said.

The NGT committee, during a meeting with state government officials Thursday, had asked them to pay compensation to the next of kin of all the miners who have either been injured or killed in the incident.

"We have announced an interim relief of Rs 1 lakh for the families of the trapped miners," Deputy Commissioner of East Jaintia Hills district F M Dopth told PTI here.

He said the government gave the approval Friday night and notices were sent to the family members of the miners through their respective police stations.

Superintendent of Police (SP) of East Jaintia Hills district Sylvester Nongtynger said that seven of the trapped labourers hail from West Garo Hills district, five from Assam and three from the remote Langthari village, where the accident took place.

On December 13, around 20 labourers entered the 370-foot mine at about 8 AM. After reaching the bottom of the pit, they entered the horizontal manholes, often termed as 'rat-holes', as each just about fits one person to get in.

According to villagers, one of the diggers could have accidentally punctured the walls of the cave and the river water gushed in immediately, trapping the miners inside. Only five persons managed to climb out of the mine. Of them, two are locals and police are after the remaining three who had fled to West Garo Hills district.

About 100 rescue personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and the state police are involved in the rescue operation at the site.

Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma had said Friday that it will take 200 pumps to flush all the water out.

Currently, only two pumps are engaged in flushing the water out of the shaft.

NDRF Assistant Commandant S K Singh, who have been camping at the site since December 14, said that the water level is going down as desired.

"Our divers are not able to go in since there is no significant drop in the water level. It was established that the water from Lytein river had flooded the mine as the pH level is the same," he told PTI.

On Saturday, a team of experts from survey department also arrived at the village to take stock of the water level at different points along the 2 km stretch of the Lytein river.

"Our job is to determine the water level at different points along the river in the vicinity of the mine," the Deputy Director of the Survey Department, A Shangpliang, told PTI.

"A comparison can then be made to the water level at the mine and then determine which part of the river is connected to the mine," Shangpliang said.

Shangpliang said at least 14 points have been mapped so far and the results will be submitted to the government.

One person has been arrested in the case so far and the police are on the lookout for the mine owner, the SP said. The arrested person, identified as Krip Chullet, was allegedly involved in hiring labourers, overseeing the work and sending them down the shaft.

The Meghalaya government had sought the Union Home Ministry's help to rescue the miners. The NDRF teams, which are involved in the rescue operation, had earlier suggested the district administration to ask the Oil & Natural Gas Corporation to deploy submersible water pumps to reduce the water level.

In 2014, the National Green Tribunal had imposed a ban in Meghalaya on rat-hole coal mining, a technique that entails digging small vertical pits to reach the mineral pockets.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Meghalaya High Court has directed the North Eastern Council (NEC) to prepare a detailed project report for the Borkhat - Sonapur road along the Indo-Bangladesh border in the state, within two weeks.

The road, in East Jaintia Hills district, was left unattended by successive state governments in the past owing to paucity of funds.

"We direct the Secretary, NEC, to ensure consideration to the DPR (Detailed Project Report) and decision thereon be taken within a period of two weeks," a division bench headed by Chief Justice Mohammad Yaqoob Mir said in its order Friday.

During the hearing, the PWD chief engineer in his affidavit informed that the DPR for construction of the road was submitted to the NEC on December 10.

The order also noted that the court was not intimated whether the secretary, NEC, has made any decision or not.

On the other hand, the affidavit filed by the commissioner and secretary, forest and environment department, revealed that in terms of the recommendation of the Standing Committee of National Board for Wildlife (NBWL), there are certain principles to be followed which have been reflected in para 14 of the affidavit.

The bench has directed the Commissioner and Secretary to file a fresh affidavit which should clearly be in tune with the principles as to what measures they have taken for upgrading resurfacing of the road from Baghmara to Moheshkhola at Hatisia in South Garo Hills district.

Meanwhile, the amicus curiae (friend of the court) has also submitted a progress report saying that the road, starting from Shillong to Dawki near the Indo-Bangladesh border in East Khasi Hills district, is being repaired.

On his overall inspection, major portion of the road which was in bad shape, has been repaired except for the 93 to 97 km stretch (Mylliem area), 107-108 km (Lait Lyngkot area), 127 to 129 km (starting from Pynursla Phlangshlan to Pynursla Market) and 131-154 km (Wawksing area).

Regarding the stretches that are yet to be repaired, the bench has directed the respondents to file the latest status on or before the next date of hearing which is scheduled after four weeks.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath is likely to form his new Cabinet on December 25--the Christmas day, a Congress leader said Saturday.

Nath was camping in Delhi and he has almost received a green signal from the party high command for the exercise, he said, adding that the names of new ministers might be announced on December 25.

The Congress veteran was sworn in as Chief Minister on December 17, six days after the Congress pulled a narrow victory over the BJP which ruled the state for 15 years since 2003.

According to the party insiders, one or two Independent MLAs might get a berth in the new Cabinet.

Though the Congress emerged as the single largest party in the 230-member Assembly, the party failed to cross the halfway mark on its own and enlisted support of the BSP and SP which have won two seats and one seat each.

Four Independent MLAs, who are Congress rebels, have also extended their support, taking the total number of MLAs on the Congress side to 121.

The BJP had finished second by winning 109 seats.

Nath has to walk the tightrope while forming the new cabinet as he has to tide over the factionalism in the state Congress unit and also has to take allies and Independents along.

The Madhya Pradesh Congress is divided into camps led by Guna MP Jyotiraditya Scindia, old guard Digvijaya Singh and Suresh Pachouri.

Former chief minister and BJP leader Shivraj Singh Chouhan is tipped to lead his party on the floor of the MP Assembly during its session beginning January 7.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar Saturday dismissed reports that his party had given up its claim on the Pune Lok Sabha seat.

He said negotiations with the Congress for upcoming Lok Sabha polls are going on on eight seats including Pune.

"There isno truth in media reports. The decision of sharing 40 seats with the allied parties has been taken, but the discussion on eight seats, including Pune, is still going on", the former deputy chief minister said.

Maharashtra has total 48 Lok Sabha seats.

When pointed out that Pune constituency traditionally belonged to the Congress, Pawar said, "It was decided that if some constituency belongs to the NCP but the party had faced defeat in the past and if one of the allied parties has better strength on that seat, the NCP will give away that seat".

"Similarly, if the NCP has stronghold on a particular seat, the allied party will leave that seat for us", he said.

Pawar added that NCP chief Sharad Pawar and his Congress counterpart Rahul Gandhi are holding discussions at the national level.

"We are positive and we are trying to bring all the like-minded people together. We are working out on how to bind all the secular parties together to throw the communal parties out of power," he said.

In 2014 LS polls, Anil Shirole of the BJP had defeated Vishwajeet Kadam of Congress from Pune.

The seat was traditionally represented by Congress verteran Suresh Kalmadi.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Odisha's leading farmers' organisation Navnirman Krushak Sangathan (NNKS) and the opposition on Saturday, rejected the state government's KALIA scheme, and dubbed it as "old dress in a new package".

NNKS reacted a day after Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced the Rs 10,000 crore Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation (KALIA) scheme.

After launching the scheme on Friday, Patnaik had said that "an amount of Rs 10,000 per family at the rate of Rs 5,000 each for kharif and rabi seasons shall be provided as financial assistance for taking up cultivation."



"Naveen Patnaik's KALIA scheme is like old dress in new packing. Now the state government's intentions are clear that it avoids basic issues such as price, pension and farm loan waiver," NNKS convenor Akshya Kumar told reporters here.

Stating that there has been an attempt to confuse the farming community, Kumar said even the agriculture minister himself cannot understand the contents of the KALIA scheme.

"The livelihood provision in KALIA scheme is already existing and running in support of NABARD and MGNREGS. It is not a new scheme. It is an attempt to divert farmers attention," Kumar said.

Kumar said the farmers, since the last several years have been demanding proper price for their agriculture produce.

The state's KALIA scheme does not deal with that, he said.

Rather chief minister did not announce any bonus or the MSP of paddy remained unchanged, he pointed out.

NNKS leader said that the elderly farmers should get pension.

The opposition Congress and the BJP also rejected the KALIA scheme and said there was an attempt to appease farmers without directly dealing with their real problems.

"What for farmers came to his (Chief Minister) mind after 18 years of rule? Naveen is afraid of farmers' anger and therefore trying to woo them," Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee president Niranjan Patnaik said.

"It (KALIA)is an election gimmick. There is no relief for farmers," BJP leader Prithiwiraj Harichandan said.

According to provisions of KALIA scheme, small and marginal farmers will get financial support of Rs 10,000 per year at the rate of Rs 5,000 each for kharif and rabi seasons.

Over 30 lakh farmers will be benefited for purchasing pesticides and seeds through this scheme.

KALIA will also provide livelihood support of Rs 12,500 each per year to landless households.

Landless farmers can also avail any one of the several livelihood options such as small goat rearing unit, dual purpose low input technology bird unit, duckery unit, fishery kit, mushroom cultivation or bee keeping.

"Nearly 92 per cent farmers in the State will benefit from the scheme. It is a historic decision taken by CM Naveen Patnaik," Agriculture Minister Pradeep Maharathy said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal Saturday lashed out at the Congress, BJP and INLD, accusing them of never paying attention towards improving schools and hospitals, adding it was only his party which improved the national capital's education and health sectors in the past three years.

Addressing a 'School and Hospital' rally in this district of Haryana, he promised to order an audit of all private schools in the state and return the "excess school fees" to parents if the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) came to power after the assembly elections next year.

"After 70 years of Independence, there is only one party which openly talks about schools and hospitals. Today, no party in the country has the courage to talk about hospitals and schools. We have improved the condition of government schools and hospitals in Delhi," he said.

Sirsa is considered a stronghold of opposition INLD.

"I want to ask you do you need hospitals and schools or violence between Jats and non-Jats?" he said, adding the public did not want casteism or violence between Hindus and Muslims.

The Delhi chief minister accused the Congress, BJP and INLD of "looting" the country for 70 years.

"These parties looted the country for 70 years. If Kejriwal can change the shape of schools and hospitals in Delhi, why did not these parties do so in 70 years?" he said.

"I appeal to the youth to support us and save the country. If these parties continue to rule for some more years, the country will not survive," he said.

Kejriwal also hit out at the Khattar government for not allowing him to visit a government dispensary in Karnal last month.

"I had gone to Asandh to see a dispensary. But the Khattar government stopped me midway. Am I a terrorist? I am the chief minister of Delhi. I was going to visit the dispensary and I had come to my Haryana, I was born in Haryana. Haryana is mine and it is not anybody's personal property," he said.

Praising his government in Delhi for changing the face of government schools, the AAP leader said even rich parents had now started admitting their wards in these schools.

"We have also been able to return the excess fee charged by private schools in the last 10 years. Have you ever heard of private schools returning fees? You change the government in Haryana and bring AAP to power.

"We will also not allow school fees to be raised in next five years. We had done it in Delhi and we will do so in Haryana as well," he said.

Kejriwal added that his government in Delhi had also decided that in case of power outage, consumers would be provided compensation.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A 32-year-old passenger travelling from Kolkata to Bangalore in a private airlines flight, fell ill mid-air and died at the Capital Hospital here Saturday, officials said.

The man, identified as Rajkumar Karmakar from Malda in West Bengal, was on his way to Bangalore for treatment. He complained of uneasiness 45-minutes after the take off from Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata at 10.10 am, his relative Sunil Choudhury said.

The flight was diverted to Bhubaneswar and on landing at the Biju Patnaik International Aiport and 11.15 am airport officials and doctors on duty provided necessary assistance to the passenger. He was then rushed to Capital Hospital, airport sources said.

Doctors at the Capital Hospital said that the passenger was brought dead.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
/ -- - Pinnacle is a Torch Bearer for 80+ Crore Kids, People With Autism, Neurological Conditions



- For franchise, contact: +91-9100-181-181



Pure Joy, Innocent Smiles, Jingle Bells, Christmas Trees, Snow Flakes, Christmas Spirit Celebration mixed with Tactile, Visual, Auditory Stimulated Learning and Socialization was witnessed by wonderful kids with neurological conditions who have presented themselves as Santa Clauses distributing gifts, receiving presents, being empowered through innovative therapies at Pinnacle Blooms.

https://www.pinnacleblooms.org/media/image/pinnacle-logo-120-regular.png?v=4



Caption: Pinnacle Blooms Logo



There are estimated 80+ core kids/people with neurological conditions around the world. Recent study by American CDC shows 1 in every 39 kids is prone to be Autistic - one of the many neurological conditions. Neurological conditions including but not limited to Autism, Cognitive developmental issues, Phobias and inferiority, Psychological upsets/extremes, Delayed milestones such as speech delay, socialization issues such as fear to mingle, sensorial issues such as sensitive to noise and etc. are on the steep rise across the world including India.

Pinnacle Blooms Network is first-ever-of-its-kind, proven world-class - international chain of Child Development, Rehabilitation centres core purposed to be empowering 80+ crore Kids, People with neurological conditions through effective therapies to be part of mainstream society and bring smiles into their families through its to-be network of 7,000+ centres across India, Middle East, Australia, USA.

Pinnacle Blooms Network is a Special EduHealthCare unit of Bharath HealthCare P LIMITED, Govt. of India's prestigious StartUpIndia awarded HealthTech division of Kotii Group of Technological Ventures R&D P LIMITED, core purposed to be empowering 784+ crore people across 230+ countries.

Years of research backed with decades of international exposure resulted 'MIRRACLE by PINNACLE' 360 degree patented digital platform to provide world-class - international child development, rehabilitation.

The celebration sessions



Recently Pinnacle Blooms Network celebrated Christmas in all of its network centers and got tremendous response from kids. This is one of the examples of the way pinnacle curriculum works in great manner. Pinnacle does everything in practice which works practically as well as morally. The parents also get some practices for their children. So the kids get more exciting about the day-to-day sessions. The regular therapy sessions also having some celebration and some excitement. This is the way pinnacle is grooming the kid's cognitive, neurological abilities.

Child Development - Rehabilitation from future



Being the Torch-Bearer for kids/people with neurological conditions



Pinnacle Blooms' sole purpose is enriching families with effective skills & intervention strategies for overall development of the children through hand-crafted programs by industry experts leading to happy families. Empowering children with everything they need to be self-sufficient for becoming a natural part of the mainstream society, schools and be accepted as what they are, so that they can earn a bright future.

"We provide practical/hands-on, real-world oriented, multi-sensory & child centered, transparent approach for all speech, language disorders, reading, writing, cognitive social difficulties at all stages of child," said Dr. Sreeja Reddy. Saripalli



Dr. Sreeja Reddy Saripalli is the founder managing director of Bharath HealthCare P LIMITED HealthTech division of Kotii Group of Technological Ventures R&D P LIMITED. Pinnacle is the brain child of Dr. Sreeja Reddy.

Child Development, Rehabilitation Therapy Services provided in Pinnacle Blooms Network facilities



Speech Therapy: More than anything Pinnacle does, Pinnacle loves the little conversations with the cute little ones



Special Education: Pinnacle gets utmost satisfaction when the little ones greet, talk, walk, behave, learn, eat and sleep and are self sufficient



Occupational Therapy: See, feel, smell, taste, hear; its' such a joy to experience these first-hand alongside of kids.

Behavioral Modification: Assessments & Treatments, Group Therapy & Counseling



Psychological Services: Phobia, Couple Counselling, Stress/Depression solutions, etc.

Promising Child Future: Promising to add value in the child's future through every single session & interaction by employing transparent teaching environment. Equipping kid with his/her family with the skills, techniques, strategies, approaches designed especially for their kid.

SEVA Foundation with Pinnacle Blooms Network



SEVA Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Kotii Group where 33% of the income across multi crore businesses have been pledged for SEVA Foundation to carry out the activities for the well-being of people and the society at large. SEVA has been offering various of its services from the recent decade + time.

Being a unit of Bharath HealthCare of Kotii Group, Pinnacle gets support from Kotii Groups SEVA Foundation. SEVA Foundation sponsors the therapy fee matching fund of the families who cannot afford therapy fee but need therapy for the betterment of their kid or family member. There are thousands of such therapy sessions that have happened and continue to happen benefitting many poor/below middle-class families.

Pinnacle Blooms Network CSR Initiative



Many neurological conditions such as Autism don't have any known treatment but can only be managed with therapy. In developing countries such as India, many parents don't even know the term Autism or of other neurological conditions and eventually lose the precious time with their kid. Pinnacle Blooms Network brings in digital platforms, self-assessment tools, digital mentorship the complete population across world at no cost. Pinnacle Blooms Network is taking the responsibility of being the torchbearer for Kids, People with neurological conditions.

Free Certified Course Training for School Teachers



As part of being the torch bearers, Pinnacle Blooms Network is bringing in Teacher Training Program which not only raises the awareness but also gives qualified teachers the certification with digital verification. Schools with required number of these certified teachers would be given certification being the MOST INCLUSIVE SCHOOL.

7,000+ Network Facilities



Serving 80+ crore people across India and the world needs strong network. Pinnacle Blooms Network has a well-established, proven franchise model where parents with a special kid or therapists can have license of the franchise to be part of the world-class - international network and serve the kids and families in need. Those interested can reach us at +91-9100-181-181, https://www.pinnacleblooms.org



Pinnacle Blooms Network Executive Briefing:



Autism Spectrum Disorder and other psychological problems are troubling approximately 80 crore people across the world and could endanger the child's future too.

Pinnacle Blooms Network is probably the only chain of Child Development, Rehabilitation therapy centres offering SMART Goals-based Speech Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Behavioral Therapy, Psychological Counselling for kids, to be part of mainstream society and bring smiles into their families.

Pinnacle's MIRRACLE is 360 degree patented digital platform to bring technology for empowering kids with special needs.

Pinnacle Blooms Network is the Special EduHealthCare unit of Bharath HealthCare P LIMITED, Govt. of India's prestigious StartUpIndia awarded Futuristic HealthTech organization.

Pinnacle Blooms Network has one of the largest teams of proven therapists ready to work with the kids. Contact us today +91-9100-181-181 for FREE assessment.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
President Ram Nath Kovind Saturday lauded the NDA government's flagship health insurance programme Ayushman Bharat, saying it was aimed at ensuring none were deprived of healthcare due to lack of financial resources.

Kovind stressed the need for strengthening public, municipal and charitable hospitals and primary health and wellness clinics across the country for better healthcare.

"Healthcare challenges are numerous and so are our achievements. The Ayushman Bharat initiative aims to ensure that nobody is deprived of healthcare due to lack of financial resources...," he said in his speech at a programme in Prathima Hospitals here.

Kovind, on a four-day customary southern sojourn to the city, said he was happy to note that within the first three months of the launch of the scheme, six lakh people needing secondary and tertiary care had benefited. "...an amount of Rs 800 crore has been authorised for their treatment," Kovind said.

The scheme, launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 23 and billed as the world's largest government healthcare programme, provides for health insurance cover of Rs five lakh each to 10 crore poor families per year.

The president said several cities in the country had emerged as preferred destinations for advanced medical treatment and medical tourism.

Thanks to the advancement in the field of medicine and improvement in standard of living, the average life expectancy in India had more than doubled since independence, Kovind said.

The president said though the country had made remarkable progress in the healthcare index, there was still a long way to go in achieving a holistic healthcare system.

It should be uniformly affordable and accessible to the citizens both in rural and urban areas, he said.

He added the country had the highest number of patients suffering from sickle cell anemia, thalassemia and other genetic blood disorders particularly prevalent among tribal communities.

Describing hemoglobinopathies, which encompasses all genetic diseases of hemoglobin, as a major health problem, the president said such ailments place emotional, psychological and economic burden on families and medical professionals.

Healthcare operators have to rise to the occasion and take all necessary steps to address these disorders.

Creating awareness among the target groups and timely counselling was an important part in the step towards addressing the problem, he noted.

"Our healthcare professionals both from the private and public sector hospitals have to work closely with voluntary organisations and NGOs in the community to combat these diseases effectively," he said, referring to diseases such as thalassemia and sickle cell anemia.

Governor of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana E S L Narasimhan, Governor of Maharashtra Ch Vidyasagar Rao also spoke on the occasion.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Rajasthan Director General of Police (DGP) Kapil Garg Saturday asked the officials to prepare a work plan to deal with cybercrime and traffic menace in the state.

Efforts should be made to nab the criminals by making use of technology. A special work plan should be made to curb cybercrime and take action against such criminals, Garg said at a meeting here after taking the charge of the post.

Garg, who was appointed DGP on Thursday (December 20), also directed the officials to come up with a work plan in consultation with experts to ease out traffic congestions in Jaipur and other cities of the state so as to curb road accidents.

He asked the officials to adopt positive outlook to the problems of common people and in disposing their issues in a stipulated timeframe.

The top police official also directed officials to take effective action against criminals and maintain better law and order situation in the state, besides showing sensitivity towards weaker sections of the society, including women and senior citizens.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Information and Broadcasting Minister Rajyavardhan Rathore Saturday defended the government's authorisation to 10 agencies to intercept computers, saying the UPA dispensation also carried out a similar exercise and asked the Congress not to be "hypocritical" about steps taken to ensure national security.

Citing a RTI reply in 2013, when the Congress-led UPA was in power, Rathore said as many as 9000 phones and 500 emails were tapped monthly during the UPA-2, a reference to the alliance second term in office during 2009-14.

"As many as 9000 phones & 500 emails were tapped monthly in UPA2, a 2013 RTI reveals. That's 300 phones & 20 emails tapped- every single day. With its history of emergency & post office amendment bill, Congress should not be hypocritical about steps to ensure national security," he tweeted.

The government's move to authorise 10 agencies to intercept any information on computers has prompted an outcry from opposition parties, even as its top ministers, including Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, said it has been done in line with rules framed by the UPA.

The decision to intercept anybody's computer can be invoked only in matters of national integrity and security, public order and friendly relations with other countries, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has said.

The earlier mechanism was not defined and it has now been made robust and accountable, he claimed.

The government order authorises 10 central agencies, including Intelligence Bureau, Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate to intercept, monitor, and decrypt any information generated, transmitted, received or stored in any computer.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The ULFA pro-talk faction chief Arabinda Rajkhowa has said that it is the responsibility of the Tripura government to rehabilitate the surrendered militants otherwise there are chances that they would return to jungle.

In an oblique reference to alleged cases of pending rehabilitation of surrendered insurgents in Tripura, Rajkhowa said that the government has the responsibility to rehabilitate them.

"Government has responsibility to rehabilitate them. Otherwise what they will do? They will go back again. To stop them to go back again to the jungle, it is needed to rehabilitate them," he told reporters at the Agartala Airport here Friday evening.

The United Front of Asom (ULFA) pro-talk faction chairman had come to Tripura to attend the Tring festival in Khowai district on Friday night.

He also said that he had come to join his "brothers and sisters"



Rajkhowa said "I have got brothers and sisters here. We were together in bad days and good days alike. They are like my own people. It is like coming to my own home and among my own people."



The previous Left Front government in Tripura had announced a rehabilitation package for surrendered militants as the state faced insurgency problem for around three decades from early 1980s. As per the package the surrendered militants would get a sum of Rs 1.5 lakh at the time of surrender, vocational training for 36 months and stipend of Rs 2000 per month during the training period.

Meanwhile, former National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) insurgent and TUIPC secretary Suran Debbarma claimed that over 1,700 surrendered militants in the state are living without their assured rehabilitation package.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Italy on Saturday closed its ports to hundreds of migrants rescued off Libya who face a chilly Christmas at sea after a mother and newborn baby were evacuated to Malta.

Anti-immigration Interior Minister Matteo Salvini said that the Spanish NGO Proactiva Open Arms had asked to allow the men, women, children and babies rescued on Friday to disembark in Italy after Malta turned them away.

"My answer is clear: Italian ports are closed!" Salvini tweeted. "For the traffickers of human beings and for those who help them, the fun is over."



The NGO said a Maltese coastguard helicopter had taken a woman and her baby born on a Libyan beach three days ago who were among those rescued at sea.

"We continue with 311 people on board, without port and in need of supplies," the NGO tweeted.

The Maltese government confirmed rescuing a newborn baby boy and his mother, 23.

Proactiva Open Arms said on Friday that it had rescued more than 300 migrants from three vessels in difficulty, including men, women -- some of them pregnant -- children and babies.

The NGO posted a video of some of those rescued "from a certain death at sea. If you could feel the cold in the images, it would be easier to understand the emergency. No port to disembark and Malta's refusal to give us food. This isn't Christmas."



After announcing the closure of Italian ports, Salvini tweeted a photo of the tortellini and sausage he had for lunch.

Open Arms' founder Oscar Camps tweeted back at Salvini that "your rhetoric and your message will, like everything in this life, end. But you should know that in a few decades your descendants will be ashamed of what you do and say."



The vessel started patrolling the Mediterranean with two other boats run by migrant aid groups off the Libyan coast in late November.

This area of the Mediterranean has been the most deadly for migrants attempting the crossing to Europe.

German NGO Sea Watch meanwhile tweeted that it had rescued another 33 migrants in difficulty, and that it was appealing for a port to be allowed to dock.

More than 1,300 migrants have perished trying to reach Italy or Malta since the beginning of the year, according to the International Organisation for Migration.

Aid groups have been sending rescue vessels into these waters despite vocal opposition from Salvini.

Accusing the groups of acting as a "taxi service" for migrants, he has denied them access to Italy's ports. Malta too has been increasingly unwilling to host rescue vessels.

Another aid group meanwhile, Sea-Eye from Germany, announced Friday that one of its vessels was setting off from the southern Spanish port of Algeciras.

The 18-strong crew includes former volunteers who were on board the Aquarius, a rescue boat run by Doctors Without Borders (MSF) and SOS Mediterranee.

The two groups said they had to halt activities earlier this month because of obstruction by some European countries.

A United Nations report on Thursday said migrants and refugees are subjected to "unimaginable horrors" from the moment they enter Libya, headed for the Mediterranean and Europe.

"There is a local and international failure to handle this hidden human calamity that continues to take place in Libya," said Ghassan Salame, the head of the UN mission in Libya UNSMIL.

The climate of lawlessness in Libya provides fertile ground for illicit activities, leaving migrants and refugees "at the mercy of countless predators who view them as commodities to be exploited and extorted," the report said.

The overwhelming majority of women and older teenage girls report having been gang raped by smugglers or traffickers, the report said.

"Across Libya, unidentified bodies of migrants and refugees bearing gunshot wounds, torture marks and burns are frequently uncovered in rubbish bins, dry river beds, farms and the desert," it said.

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The fifth round of the IDEMITSU Honda India talent hunt which aims to identify young racing talent across 10 Indian cities concluded here on Saturday.

After the last four rounds in Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad and Aizawl, round five of the Hunt saw overwhelming participation of 19 youngsters with the youngest being only of 15 years of age.

The candidates went through three levels of tests. First was the physical fitness, followed by their race orientation and riding skills.

This was followed by a jury interview wherein the candidates and their guardians were interviewed to understand both their motor sport passion and family support to making this a career.

After shortlisting in phase 1, the top candidates of the talent hunt of Delhi & NCR will be trained and given opportunity to ride on the track in Phase II.

It is from this pool of talent that Honda will pick up the best talent for future development. These final riders will then join the 12 selected riders to race in the Honda Talent Cup CBR 150R category in the 2019 season.

Speaking on the occasion, Prabhu Nagaraj, Vice President - Brand & Communication, Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India Pvt. Ltd. said, " The IDEMITSU Honda India Talent Hunt is a part of our new motorsports direction and building a structure to develop young talent in the country."



"We are proud to say that the fresh talent which we have got from last four rounds have given phenomenal performance in Honda Talent Cup 2018," he added.

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: As many as seven doctors and a woman were Saturday arrested for allegedly indulging in immoral activities under Shameerpet police station limits, Cyberabad police said.

The doctors and the woman were apprehended in a rave party in a resort on the city outskirts on Friday night, a police press release said.

Shameerpet inspector B Naveen Reddy said cases were registered under relevant sections of Immoral Traffic Prevention Act also known as PITA, which are non-bailable.

Police also found HIV testing kit among other things in their possession.

Three women who allegedly participated in the rave party were sent to Kasturiba Women Rescue Home at Narsingi.

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BJP leader Shatrughan Sinha Saturday met RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav here, and praised his son Tejeshwi Yadav, calling him "Bihar's face" and "its future".

Accompanied by Congress leader and former union minister Subodh Kant Sahay, Sinha, the BJP MP from Patna Sahib constituency, called on ailing Prasad. Sinha said he has a familial bond with Prasad as both had stood by each other during good and bad times.

Prasad is lodged at Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) here after conviction in multi-crore fodder scam cases.

"Tejeshwi is a very good and talented boy. I believe he is the face of Bihar and its future," Sinha told reporters praising the RJD heir apparent.

Asked whether there was any political talk between him and Prasad, Sinha said family topics mostly dominated the conversation.

"Moreover, political dialogues don't have significance as you know it is khadmas (inauspicious month)," said the actor-politician, who is at odds with his party since 2015 Bihar Assembly elections.

Though Sinha denied any political talks with the RJD supremo, the timing of the meeting has great political significance as Tejashwi Yadav on Thursday made a public appearance with Congress leader Ahmad Patel, RLSP's Upendra Kushwaha and HAM leader Jitan Ram Manjhi in Delhi, indicating the cobbling together of the mahagathbandhan ahead of 2019 general elections.

There is speculation that Sinha, whose attack on his party has sharpened in recent times, might be denied a ticket in the 2019 elections and in such a situation he would probably enter the fray from Patna Sahib from Prasad's party.

Sinha, popularly known as 'Bihari Babu', has on several occasions made it clear that the "location (of the constituency) will be the same, even if the situation changes."



Sinha, who has represented his native Patna Sahib as a BJP MP in two consecutive terms, praised the RJD saying in the last few years, the way RJD performed across the country, particularly in Bihar, showed there was a wave of sympathy among the people for Prasad.

"The BJP is my friend, Lalu ji is my friend and all other parties are also my friends. But before that, I am of the people of the country," Sinha said.

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The AAP was on Saturday busy dousing the controversy over the Delhi Assembly resolution on 1984 anti-Sikh riots, with its leadership asserting that the resolution did not demand revoking of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi's Bharat Ratna and party MLA Alka Lamba was not asked to resign for opposing reference to the Congress leader.

The BJP latched onto the issue to attack AAP, demanding that Arvind Kejriwal's party clarify "what is its first priority- justice for Sikhs or understanding with Congress". The Congress too was unpacified as it sought an apology from Kejriwal and withdrawal of the resolution.

Amid the row, Assembly Speaker Ramniwas Goel clarified that MLA Jarnail Singh's proposed amendment for taking back the "Bharat Ratna" from Gandhi over the 1984 ant-Sikh riots in the "original resolution" was not adopted as he did not inform the House beforehand.

The "original resolution" had no mention of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi's name, he said.

AAP's Chandni Chowk legislator Lamba, who had earlier tweeted that she has been asked to tender resignation for opposing reference to Gandhi, on Saturday said she was happy with the party's stand and would not quit.

The Delhi Assembly had on Friday adopted by voice vote the resolution which called for speedy trial of cases and termed anti-Sikh riots as genocide. AAP MLA Jarnail Singh, while moving the resolution, had said the Bharat Ratna to Gandhi should be withdrawn for "justifying anti-Sikh riots". Singh had later said that the resolution was adopted.

But the ruling Aam Aadmi Party had swiftly distanced itself from the reference to Gandhi saying it was not part of the original text, after it evoked a sharp response from the Congress.

Addressing a press conference here on Saturday, Sisodia made it clear that the Aam Aadmi Party has no intention to seek withdrawal of Bharat Ratna awarded to Gandhi.

He rejected claims that Lamba has been asked to resign for not supporting the reference to Rajiv Gandhi and said, "Neither any resignation has been sought (from Lamba) nor is anyone resigning."



Separately, Lamba also told PTI, "I am not resigning."



"I am extremely happy that the party (AAP) has supported Bharat Ratna given to late Rajiv Gandhi by people of the country.This country will never forget the unparalleled sacrifice of Rajiv Gandhi. I am removing the resolution that was not passed in the Assembly," she tweeted.

The developments come in the backdrop of reported talks between AAP and the Congress for a tie-up for Lok Sabha elections. However, when asked about it, Sisodia responded, "Kaun sa samjhauta, kaun sa gatbandhan? (What agreement, what alliance?)"



Sisodia referred to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and 2002 Gujarat riots to hit back at the Congress and the BJP for attacking the AAP over the issue.

"I just want to make one request to Ajay Maken ji and Vijendra Gupta ji. Those whose hands are tainted in blood from the 1984 and 2002 riots should better keep quiet in this matter. Those who do of blood should not say anything," he said.

Sisodia said the lines about Gandhi were not part of the original resolution placed before the House. It was a handwritten amendment proposed by a member and it cannot be passed in such a manner, he added.

"The aim of the original resolution, moved by MLA Jarnail Singh, was only to help the victims of 1984 riots get justice. No resolution mentioning late PM Rajiv Gandhi was passed in the assembly as being reported in the media," Sisodia said.

AAP spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj, who narrated the entire sequence of events in the assembly, clarified that any amendment to a resolution can become a part of the original only after it has been separately voted on by the House, which did not happen in this case.

"There was no mention of Rajiv Gandhi in the original resolution. It was an individual handwritten proposal by MLA Somnath Bharti," he said.

When asked what action will be taken against Bharti, Sisodia said the party will speak to the MLA.

Amid the confusion over the resolution, Bharti had said the reference to Gandhi "was not part of the passed resolution" as the amendment was not put to vote separately. The party had no opportunity to see the same, he had said on Twitter



"I confirm that the line was not part of original resolution distributed to MLAs n it was me who suggested the line as an amendment n passed on to Sri Jarnail Singh Ji(sic)," he had tweeted.

Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari said if no such resolution was passed, then why is the AAP denying it now. "It is an example of drama of AAP ," he said. Union minister Vijay Goel alleged the controversy has "exposed the two-faced character of the AAP".

BJP leader in Delhi Assembly Vijender Gupta claimed Kejriwal has "joined hands with the Congress" and wants to go back on the resolution.

Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken demanded an apology from the AAP convener, on the issue. Sharing a video of Assembly proceedings on Friday, he said, "The resolution was passed by the AAP in Delhi Assembly".

"Presiding over is the speaker of Delhi Assembly, who was a BJP MLA in the 1st Delhi Assembly in 1993. Will not rest till Kejriwal apologises and withdraws this resolution! Call a special session," he tweeted.

Objecting to reference to Gandhi, Maken had yesterday said Rajiv Gandhi sacrificed his life for the country and the true colours of AAP which is the "B team of BJP" has come out.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A 38-year-old man was arrested for allegedly killing a man suspecting him of having an extra-marital affair with his wife in outer Delhi, police said Saturday.

The accused identified as Anil Chaudhary, a resident of Nangloi, used to work in a shoe factory.

Other two men, Bakil (38) and Kamrul Huda (27) who allegedly robbed the victim after he was killed by the accused Chaudhary, were also arrested, police said.

On Thursday, Nihal Vihar Police station was informed by Satya Bhama Hospital that a person has been brought dead in the hospital, Rajendra Singh Sagar, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer) said.

The victim was identified as Vikas Yadav by his relatives. He used to work as a labourer in a chemical factory.

On interrogation, the accused Chaudhary revealed he suspected Yadav of having an illicit relationship with his wife since a year. So, he decided to eliminate Yadav and on Wednesday night, he fired at Yadav, the officer said.

Yadav was carrying two mobile phones and Rs 15,000 which were missing from his possession, the officer added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
: Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao Saturday requested Union Minister Harsh Vardhan to extend support to the state's efforts to increase green cover, especially Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) limits.

A press release from the Chief Minister's office said Rao requested the Union Minister to sanction Rs 100 crore from the Central share of Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority funds to support the governments initiative to develop 188 forests blocks in HMDA limits.

The Chief Minister also requested the Union and Science and Technology Minister to take steps to ensure that his ministry accorded environmental clearance for the stage II Palamuru Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Project, it said.

Rao thanked the Union Minister for according environmental permission to the Kaleshwaram Project.

Harsh Vardhan called on Rao at Pragathi Bhavan and congratulated him for the victory of TRS in the December 7 assembly polls, it said.

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Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Saturday said time was running out for the miners trapped inside a 370-foot illegal coal mine since December 13 and in its last-ditch effort to save them, the state government has sought high-power submersible pumps from the Ltd.

He said the state government has written to the seeking their special pumps (high-power submersible pumps) to aid the rescue of the 15 miners in Lumthari area of East Jaintia Hills district.

"We are running out of time and I hope they respond to the request. We are waiting," he said.

The miners were trapped after water from the nearby Lytein river gushed into the illegal rat-hole mine at Ksan area in Lumthari village.

Operations to rescue the trapped miners entered its 10th day on Saturday. Over a 100 personnel from the Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) are at the site, alongside the state police.

As of now, two pumps have been working in tandem, but "there was little impact on the water level since the water from the nearby Lytein river has got into the mine," district SP S Nongtynger said.

He added that efforts over the past nine days have failed to produce the desired results and the rescue workers are now hoping for a miracle to see the trapped miners alive.

On December 13, around 20 miners entered the 370-foot mine at about 8 am. After reaching the bottom of the pit, the miners entered the horizontal manholes, often termed as 'rat-holes', as each just about fits one person to get in.

According to villagers, one of the diggers could have accidentally punctured the walls of the cave and the river water gushed in immediately, trapping the miners inside.

Only five persons managed to climb out of the mine. Of them, two are locals and the police are after the remaining three who had fled to West Garo Hills district.

One person has been arrested in the case so far and the police are on the lookout for the mine owner, the SP said.

The arrested person, identified as Krip Chullet, was allegedly involved in hiring labourers, overseeing the work and sending them down the shaft.

The Meghalaya government had sought the Union Home Ministry's help to rescue the miners. The NDRF teams, which are involved in the rescue operation, had earlier suggested the district administration to ask the Oil & Natural Gas Corporation to deploy submersible water pumps to reduce the water level.

In 2014, the Green Tribunal had imposed a ban in Meghalaya on rat-hole coal mining, a technique that entails digging small vertical pits to reach the mineral pockets.
The Trinamool Congress has decided to organise rallies and road shows in various parts of the state in support of the January 19 Opposition rally convened by the party in the city.

The TMC will organise rallies in various district capitals and also in Kolkata to reach out to the masses over the opposition rally in the state, a party leader said Saturday.

According to TMC sources, the rallies will start from the first week of January.

"On January 10 the we will take out a rally from Park Circus Maidan to Hazra road here in support of the opposition rally," the TMC leader said.

The TMC has called a rally of opposition parties on January 19 at the Brigade Parade grounds in Kolkata. All opposition parties, including the Congress have been invited to it.

Although many opposition parties have already given their consent regarding attending the rally but the Congress is yet to take a call regarding it.

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Two people have been arrested over the "criminal use" of drones that brought London's Gatwick Airport, the UK's second busiest, to a standstill, leaving tens of thousands of passengers stranded ahead of the busy holiday season.

Sussex Police confirmed that they arrested a man and woman on Friday night after raids were carried out in the area around Gatwick Airport in the south of England.

As part of our ongoing investigations into the criminal use of drones which has severely disrupted flights in and out of Gatwick Airport, Sussex Police made two arrests, Police Superintendent James Collis of Sussex Police said.

"Our investigations are still ongoing, and our activities at the airport continue to build resilience to detect and mitigate further incursions from drones by deploying a range of tactics, he said.

He called on the public around the airport to remain vigilant and contact the police if they believe they have any information that can help with their investigations.

According to some reports, a cyclist was spotted by a member of the public hurriedly packing away two drones into a bag before the arrests were made.

Gatwick Airport said on Saturday that it was open for flights but urged passengers to check with their airline before travelling.

"Our runway is open and we aim to run a full schedule 757 flights scheduled today, carrying 124,484 passengers, a spokesperson said.

"Safety is Gatwick's top priority and we are grateful for passengers' continued patience as we work to get them to their final destination in time for Christmas, the spokesperson said.

The airport was plunged into chaos on Wednesday night when drones spotted hovering near the runway forced hundreds of flights to be cancelled, leaving thousands of passengers stranded at one of the busiest travel periods of the year in the lead up to Christmas next week.

Military experts were deployed to assist the local police in their search for the operators of the drones, which reappeared near the airport every time the authorities tried to reopen the runways.

Environmental activists are believed to be responsible for the disruption and could face a maximum of five years behind bars for criminal use of drones.

The UK government has denied Opposition accusations that it had been slow to combat the threat from drones, and had delayed plans to introduce laws to regulate their use.

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The UN Security Council on Friday unanimously approved a resolution that authorises the deployment of observers to war-torn Yemen to oversee a fragile truce in the strategic Red Sea port of Hodeida.

The draft, which was submitted by Britain, had been the subject of tough negotiations among the 15 council members, and was amended several times before the vote.

It also endorses the results of UN-brokered peace negotiations in Sweden last week.

Yemen's warring parties agreed to a ceasefire that took effect Tuesday and the withdrawal of fighters in Hodeida, a major gateway for aid and food imports.

The city is a vital lifeline for millions at risk of starvation, and the ceasefire between Saudi-backed government forces and Huthi Shiite rebels is seen as the best chance yet of ending four years of devastating conflict.

The agreement also included a planned prisoner swap involving about 15,000 detainees.

The UN Security Council resolution "insists on the full respect by all parties of the ceasefire agreed" for Hodeida.

It authorises the United Nations to "establish and deploy, for an initial period of 30 days from the adoption of this resolution, an advance team to begin monitoring" the ceasefire, under the leadership of retired Dutch general Patrick Cammaert.

Saudi Arabia welcomed the resolution which means the Huthis "will lose their margin of maneuver," Khalid Manzlawi, the kingdom's deputy permanent representative to the UN, said in a statement carried by the official Saudi Press Agency.

He also thanked Kuwait and Saudi Arabia's ally the United States "for reaching the appropriate formula for the resolution, which is in the interest of the people of Yemen and the maintenance of international peace and security."



According to the UN, Cammaert -- who served multiple times as a UN peacekeeper -- was expected in the Jordanian capital Amman before heading to the rebel-held capital Sanaa and Hodeida.

The resolution also authorises UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to "submit proposals as soon as possible before December 31, 2018 on how the United Nations will fully support the Stockholm Agreement as requested by the parties."



French ambassador Francois Delattre said the unanimous vote sent a "strong signal of the council's unity and engagement" on Yemen, and that it had put its weight behind the UN-brokered talks.

Diplomats said the UN observer mission could consist of 30 to 40 people, tasked with ensuring the withdrawal of the warring parties from Hodeida and the safe passage of humanitarian aid.

The UN said the first members of the mission were already en route to the region.

The observers will head up monitoring teams made up of government and rebel representatives, under the auspices of a Redeployment Coordination Committee headed by Cammaert.

A week ago, following the talks in Sweden, UN envoy Martin Griffiths asked the Security Council for the quick deployment of observers.

But the negotiations were particularly tough, with Russia at one point threatening to use its veto if a mention of Iran supporting Huthi rebel attacks -- inserted by the United States -- was not removed.

In a compromise, the phrase "further condemning the supply, from Iran and other actors" of the Huthis became "the supply, from whatever source."



But in the end, the entire paragraph was scrapped from the final version.

The war in Yemen between the 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 conflict has killed about 10,000 people, according to the World Health Organisation, although human rights groups say the real death toll could be five times as high.

On December 8, the UN said that as many as 20 million people in Yemen were "food insecure," calling the situation the "world's worst humanitarian crisis."



Louis Charbonneau, the UN director for Human Rights Watch, said the resolution "sends an important message to the suffering people of Yemen that they haven't been forgotten."



Charbonneau also called on the Security Council to consider imposing "targeted sanctions" on those who violated the laws of war in Yemen, including "senior Saudi, Emirati and Huthi officials.

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Kedarnath, one of the char dhams' that draw lakhs of devotees to Uttarakhand every year, was in the in 2018 for more than one reason.

The year saw a major effort, monitored by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to redevelop the pilgrimage site after the devastation caused by the 2013 flash floods.

After the floods, the number of pilgrims visiting the temple town dropped from three lakh to just 40,000 in 2014. This year, it is a record seven lakh.

But around the year-end, it was Kedarnath, the movie, which made

Authorities in seven of the state's 13 districts banned the screening of the Hindu-Muslim love story set against the backdrop of the Kedarnath tragedy, after some Hindutva organisations protested that it promoted love jihad.

The year also saw a push by the state government to attract more investment, suspension of bureaucrats in an old corruption case, the death of a prominent politician and the passing of a renowned environmentalist who sat on a fast to save the Ganga.

A rural development and migration commission was set up in 2018 to address migration from the hill state, a challenge faced by successive governments.

The commission submitted its first report in May, noting that over 700 villages were left with virtually no population due to migration over the last seven years.

Investment that helps generate employment for the local community could help stop this exodus, it is often felt. An investment summit, inaugurated by the prime minister in the state capital Dehradun, is claimed to have brought in big-ticket proposals worth over Rs 30,000 crore.

The summit followed weeks of lobbying by Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat and his cabinet colleagues at business centres across the country.

Uttarakhand BJP spokesman Munna Singh Chauhan claimed that the exercise has brought in more investment to the state than ever before.

A big chunk of the investment in the state in its early years is credited to the efforts of Narayan Dutt Tiwari, the first chief minister of Uttarakhand to complete a full term. He died this year in Delhi.

At the investors' summit, Modi talked about the state's unique combination of famous pilgrimage centres, scenic beauty, serene locations perfect for yoga and meditation and proximity to the national capital.

And he came up with a new expansion of an old acronym. He said Uttarakhand could emerge as India's first 'spiritual economic zone' (SEZ).

The BJP government continued to pursue an alleged Rs 300-crore scam over acquisition of land for widening of NH-74 between 2011 and 2016. Two senior IAS officers were suspended and more arrests made this year.

Though the government flags this as a reflection of its zero tolerance towards corruption, the opposition has been putting it in the dock every assembly session for the delay in the appointment of a Lokayukta for the state.

The Bharatiya Janata Party had promised this before it came into power nearly two years back.

The state became the first in the country to demand a Rashtra Mata (Mother of the Nation) status for the cow, passing a resolution in the assembly on this and forwarding it to the Centre.

But Mother Ganga continues to suffer, even if it is less polluted in the state than downstream.

IIT professor-turned-Ganga activist G D Agarwal passed away at a Rishikesh hospital after sitting on a fast for 110 days, protesting against pollution and dams that block the free flow of the river.

The state government put in a major effort to rejuvenate Rispana and Kosi rivers by carrying out a big tree plantation drive in their catchment areas.

Uttarakhand High Court delivered some landmark judgments this year, including one against cruelty to animals, saying they had rights similar to those enjoyed by humans. It also directed a major anti-encroachment drive.

Despite the district-level bans on screening Kedarnath, the state government is keen to see more films shot in the picturesque state.

It has now exempted filmmakers from charges for shooting. Southern star Rajinikanth shot here this year. So did Shahid Kapoor and Shraddha Kapoor for 'Batti Gul Meter Chalu'.

The government apparently expects spin-off benefits of encouraging the shooting of movies. Similarly, it has also started work on a tourism promotion scheme called "13 Districts, 13 New Destinations, following the realisation that old favourites Mussoorie and Nainital had reached the saturation point.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Full-service airline Vistara offloaded a passenger Friday as he insisted on smoking onboard but did not file any police complaint after he apologised for the unruly behaviour, an official said.

The incident happened on a flight from the national capital to Kolkata.

"After pushback from Delhi which was the intermediate stop enroute to Kolkata, we had an unruly customer situation who insisted on smoking on board.

"He was issued a warning letter by the captain and later offloaded when he denied to comply with air safety rules," a Vistara spokesperson said in a statement.

According to the spokesperson, the passenger apologised and the airline did not file any police complaint.

He noted that the airline does not accept unruly behaviour of any kind.

The spokesperson said that the same aircraft before flying to Amristar from Delhi was delayed after a passenger requested to be offloaded with family due to a personal emergency after pushback.

"As a result of which the aircraft had to return to bay and undergo mandatory security rescreening, causing delay in departure," he added.

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The Enforcement Directorate (ED) Saturday arrested Christian Michel, the alleged middleman in the Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal case.

Michel was produced before Special Judge Arvind Kumar where the ED sought his 15-day custody.

The court allowed the ED to interrogate the British national inside the courtroom for 15 minutes after the agency sought his custodial interrogation. Michel was arrested thereafter.

The ED had sought his separate arrest in a money-laundering case saying there was a gap in the money trail being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation and them.

"We are two different agencies. It's impossible to have a joint investigation in the ambit of the law. We need to stand on our own feet," the ED said.

The agency said that it needs to probe money laundering aspect of the chain of proceeds of crime and the properties brought with that money, all of which have to be identified and recovered.

"We are aware of an investigation of Euro 30 million. The CBI's investigation is of more than EUR 37 million. We have to cover that gap," the ED said.

It further alleged that two of the properties have been bought out of the proceeds of crime and hence it is purely in the scope of money laundering.

"The money has been used and came through a hawala channel. It has not come through official channel. That has to be probed and he needed to be confronted in that regard. The co-accused have to be confronted with.

"Both channels -- one channel through which money came and the other through which it was used -- have to be unearthed. Money trail has to be identified. The nexus of Guido Haschke, Carlo Gerosa and Gautam Khaitan (the other accused) also have to be unearthed," the agency said.

It said that the agency was forced to seek "open-ended non-bailable warrant (NBW)".

Open-ended NBW does not carry a time limit for execution unlike non-bailable warrant.

The ED alleged that Michel has not joined the investigation in Italy and it cannot be said that the points the agency wants to probe here has already been investigated.

Michel was arrested in the UAE and extradited to India on December 4. The next day, he was produced before the court, which allowed his five-day custodial interrogation by the CBI. It was extended by five more days, and later for another four days.

The court had reserved the order on Michel's bail plea on December 19 and had sent him to judicial custody till December 28.

Michel's counsel Aljo K Joseph opposed his 15-day custody saying there was already a prolonged detention by the CBI and his further custody by the ED will be "hampering his fundamental right".

"The ED did not try to question him while he was in the probe agency's custody. His custody by one agency could have been used by the ED as well," Joseph said.

He further alleged that both the agencies have not done independent probe and are seeking Michel's confession.

"We are filing all the documents related to his financial transaction. Indian authorities are again asking for custody for his confession. All the documents have been collected by the Italian government. They have not done any investigation by themselves," the counsel said.

Michel has been lodged in a separate cell in Tihar prison on the court's directions. The court also directed jail authorities to provide adequate security to him.

Michel is among the three alleged middlemen being probed in the case by the ED and the CBI. The others are Haschke and Gerosa.

The CBI has alleged there was an estimated loss of Euro 398.21 million - about Rs 2,666 crore - to the exchequer in the deal that was signed on February 8, 2010 for the supply of VVIP choppers worth Euro 556.262 million.

The ED, in its charge sheet filed against Michel in June 2016, had alleged that he received Euro 30 million - about Rs 225 crore - from AgustaWestland.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Christian Michel, an alleged middleman extradited from Dubai recently, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate and sent to seven days custody of the agency over money laundering charges in the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper scam after he was produced in a court here which denied bail in the related CBI case.

Michel, lodged in Tihar jail in the CBI case, was produced before Special Judge Arvind Kumar following a production warrant issued on the plea of ED which took him into custody inside the courtroom.

The court, which had earlier reserved order on his bail plea in the CBI case, said, "Considering the overall facts and circumstances, serious nature of allegations, gravity of offence and the fact that investigation is at a crucial stage, I do not consider it to be a fit case for grant of bail."



The court had on December 19 reserved the order on Michel's bail plea in the Rs 36,000-crore scam and sent him to judicial custody till December 28.

After arresting Michel in the alleged money laundering case, the ED sought his 15 day-custody from the court on Saturday.

Opposing defence counsel's submission that the accused had already been quizzed by the CBI, the ED said there was a gap in the money trail being investigated by it and the CBI.

"We are two different agencies. It's impossible to have a joint investigation in the ambit of the law. We need to stand on our own feet," the ED said.

The agency said that it needs to probe money laundering aspect of the chain of proceeds of crime and the properties brought with that money, all of which have to be identified and recovered.

"We are aware of an investigation of Euro 30 million. The CBI's investigation is of more than Euro 37 million. We have to cover that gap," the ED said.

It alleged that two of the properties have been bought out of the 'proceeds of crime' and hence it is purely in the scope of money laundering.

"The money came and has been used through a hawala channel. It has not come through official channel. That has to be probed and he needs to be confronted in that regard. The co-accused persons have to be confronted with.

"Both channels -- one channel through which money came and the other through which it was used -- have to be unearthed. Money trail has to be identified. The nexus of Guido Haschke, Carlo Gerosa and Gautam Khaitan (the other accused) also have to be unearthed," the agency said.

It said that the agency was forced to seek "open-ended non-bailable warrant (NBW)".

Open-ended NBW does not carry a time limit for execution unlike non-bailable warrant.

The ED alleged that Michel has not joined the investigation in Italy and it cannot be said that the points the agency wants to probe here have already been investigated.

Michel was arrested in the UAE and extradited to India on December 4. The next day, he was produced before the court, which allowed his five-day custodial interrogation by the CBI. It was extended by five more days, and later for another four days.

Michel's counsel Aljo K Joseph opposed the 15-day custody application by ED saying there was already prolonged detention by the CBI and his further custody by the ED will be "hampering his fundamental right".

"The ED did not try to question him while he was in the probe agency's (CBI) custody. His custody by one agency could have been used by the ED as well," Joseph said.

He further alleged that both the agencies have not done independent probe and are seeking Michel's confession.

"We are filing all the documents related to his financial transaction. Indian authorities are again asking for custody for his confession. All the documents have been collected by the Italian government. They have not done any investigation by themselves," the counsel said.

Michel had on Friday urged the court that he be lodged in a separate cell as other inmates were putting "uncomfortable questions" to him.

An Assistant Superintendent of Tihar Jail informed the court on Saturday that the accused is lodged in a ward meant for first time offenders "under safe and secure custody", considering that he was a foreigner.

The court also noted the submission of the jail official that jail authorities are providing adequate facilities to all the prisoners including foreigners as per rules.

However, the court directed the jail superintendent to ensure safety and security of the accused. The court also noted the submission made by the accused that he has not been "pressured by anyone and he has not been threatened by any prisoners and everything is OK."



The CBI opposed the bail plea saying he was paid huge bribe amount by AugustaWestland which was given to the officers of Indian Air Force, MOD, bureaucrats, politicians and a family in India for showing favour in VVIP Helicopter deal.

It alleged that an amount of euro 42.27 million was paid by Westland Group companies to the firms of accused as kickbacks.

Michel is among the three alleged middlemen being probed in the case by the ED and the CBI. The others are Haschke and Gerosa.

The CBI has alleged there was an estimated loss of Euro 398.21 million - about Rs 2,666 crore - to the exchequer in the deal that was signed on February 8, 2010 for the supply of VVIP choppers worth Euro 556.262 million.

The ED, in its charge sheet filed against Michel in June 2016, had alleged that he received Euro 30 million - about Rs 225 crore - from AgustaWestland.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday said he will "show" the Narendra Modi government "how to treat minorities", amidst a controversy over Bollywood actor Naseeruddin Shah's remarks on mob violence in India.

Shah finds himself at the centre of a major controversy over his remarks on the spate of mob lynching cases in India following the killing of a policeman in Uttar Pradesh's Bulandshahr district earlier this month.

Addressing an event to highlight the 100-day achievements of the Punjab government in Lahore, Khan asserted that his government is taking steps to ensure that religious minorities in Pakistan get their due rights, which was also a vision of the country's founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

Khan said his government will make it sure that the minorities feel safe, protected and have equal rights in 'New Pakistan'.

"We will show the Modi government how to treat minorities...Even in India, people are saying that minorities are not being treated as equal citizens," he said referring to Shah's statement.

In a video interview with Karwan-e-Mohabbat India, the veteran actor said the death of a cow was being given importance over killing of a policeman in India.

He 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...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," Shah added.

The Pakistani premier said if justice is not given to the weak then it will only lead to uprising.

Giving an example, he said, "The people of East Pakistan were not given their rights which was the main reason behind the creation of Bangladesh."



On December 3, Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh and a student, Sumit Kumar, were killed in mob violence in Bulandshahr after cow carcasses were found strewn around.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
By Greg Roumeliotis(Reuters) - HNA Group Co [HNAIRC.UL] is in talks to sell Ingram Micro Inc to private equity firm Apollo Global Management Llc , a source familiar with the matter said on Friday, as the Chinese conglomerate continues to scale back operations.HNA hopes to sell the U.S. electronics distributor for $7.5 billion, including $1.5 billion in debt, the source said, adding that it is currently in talks with Apollo after rebuffing an earlier offer that it considered too low. HNA has already pushed ahead with asset sales that have so far included real estate and stakes in hotels ...
The Goods and Servicea Tax (GST) Council is mulling over tax rate cut for seven items from the highest tax slab in its 31st meeting on Saturday. The all-powerful decision-making body on indirect taxes could be looking to bring GST rates for these seven items down to 18 per cent from 28 per cent, Puducherry Finance Minister V Narayanasamy told reporters outside Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi where the meeting in currently underway.

While there is no clarity on the items that have been taken up by the GST Council for tax rate cut, it might consider a GST rate cut for air conditioners, television sets measuring between 28 and 32 inches, DSLR cameras, and tyres, among other things. There is a good chance that the GST Council might onsider slashing GST rates for plug-in hybrid cars too, which currently fall in the 28 per cent tax slab.

Earlier this week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had hinted towards further rationalising of the GST rates to place "99 per cent things" under sub-18 per cent GST slab. He had stated that the highest 28 per cent GST slab will only include few select items, like luxury and demerit goods.

ALSO READ: How unscrupulous businesses are gaming the GST system

Some states, however, might want in-depth deliberations on revenue implications of any further rationalisation of the GST rates before any relief can be extended to taxpayers. The Centre would find it difficult to wrest a consensus, if and when the time comes, after the BJP's poor show in the recently concluded Assembly elections in five states.

However, if they do come through, GST rate cuts are likely to be subject to some criticism, with the 2019 Lok Sabha elections only a few months away. Any tax rate cut will now be considered as a move to woo voters before the General Elections next year.

The GST Council is also reportedly looking into introducing composition scheme for the real estate sector, CNBC TV18 reported. The decision could, however, lead to loss of input tax for cement and steel that construction companies draw.

Delhi: 31st GST Council meeting underway at Vigyan Bhavan under the chairmanship of Finance Minister Arun Jaitley pic.twitter.com/j7T2sbffmF - ANI (@ANI) December 22, 2018

The GST Council could also mull over the revenue position of the Centre and states, facilitating refund-related rules for exporters. The issue of handing over the ownership of the GST Network to a government-owned company could also be discussed. This proposal has already been approved by the Cabinet in September.

ALSO READ: GST return filing to get easier with new user-friendly system

Edited by Vivek Punj
Account holders failing to maintain the prescribed minimum account balance and exceeding daily ATM transaction limits have put more than Rs 10,000 crore in the pockets of public sector banks within the past three and a half years.

In a response to a question by Lok Sabha MP Dibyendu Adhikari during the ongoing Winter Session, the Finance Ministry stated that over Rs 6,246 crore were charged as penalty for not maintaining minimum balance from 2015-16 up to September of 2017-18. The penalties gathered by the state run banks for ATM transactions over the set limit amount to almost Rs 4,145 crore during these three and a half years.

As per Reserve Bank of India guidelines, banks are allowed to fix reasonable service charges on various services rendered by them as per their Board approved policy, the answer by Finance Ministry said. The ministry also clarified that no minimum monthly average balance requirement has been imposed on accounts opened under the Jan Dhan Yojana and Basic Savings Bank Deposit Accounts.

ALSO READ: SBI debit, credit cards without this feature to stop working in two weeks

"The monthly average balance requirement was charged by SBI till 2012. Subsequently, SBI stopped charging for the same till 31.3.2016 while other banks, including Private Banks were charging as per their Board-approved policy. It was reintroduced by SBI with effect from 1.4.2017. The minimum balance requirements were subsequently reduced with effect from 1.10.2017," finance ministry said.

In its statement, the finance ministry did not include the penalties levied by private lenders, although the non-PSU banks are also likely to have gathered a hefty amount as penalties from their respective account holders over the course of past few years.

In his question, Adhikari also enquired whether public sector banks are planning to shut down half their ATMs. To this, the finance ministry replied in negative.

"As apprised by the Public Sector Banks (PSBs), they do not have any plan to shut down their ATMs," finance ministry said.

ALSO READ: Bank strike today: Protests over merger, wage revision to hit banking operations

Edited by Vivek Punj

ALSO WATCH:




US President Donald Trump warned on Friday that a partial government shutdown would last "for a very long time" if the lawmakers do not approve money for his long-promised wall along the Mexico border.

The entire US government on Friday braced for an imminent shutdown because of the stalemate between the White House and the opposition Democrats on funding of the border wall.

Also Read: SEBI asks Fortis Healthcare, Fortis Hospitals to recover Rs 403 crore from Singh brothers, 7 others

The House of Representatives, where the Republicans currently enjoy a majority, has already passed such a bill.

But in the Senate, the ruling Republican party needs additional eight votes from the Democrats to approve more than USD 5 billion for a wall across the US-Mexico border, which Trump argues is essential to prevent illegal immigrants from entering the US.

"The Democrats, whose votes we need in the Senate, will probably vote against Border Security and the Wall even though they know it is desperately needed. If the Dems vote no, there will be a shutdown that will last for a very long time. People don't want Open Borders and Crime!" he said.

He said the Democrats would be responsible for such a shutdown.

"The Democrats now own the shutdown!" Trump said in a tweet on Friday as

"Shutdown today if Democrats do not vote for Border Security!" he said.

"No matter what happens today in the Senate, Republican House Members should be very proud of themselves. They flew back to Washington from all parts of the World in order to vote for Border Security and the Wall. Not one Democrat voted yes, and we won big. I am very proud of you!" Trump said.

In another tweet, Trump said the Democrats were trying to belittle the concept of a wall by calling it old-fashioned.

"The fact is there is nothing else that will work, and that has been true for thousands of years. It's like the wheel, there is nothing better," he said.

"I know tech better than anyone, & technology on a Border is only effective in conjunction with a wall. Properly designed and built walls work, and the Democrats are lying when they say they don't. In Israel, the Wall is 99.9 per cent successful. Will not be any different on our Southern Border! Hundreds of USD Billions saved!" Trump said.

He asked Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to fight for the wall and border security as hard as he fought for anything.

"He will need Democrat votes, but as shown in the House, good things happen. If enough Dems don't vote, it will be a Democrat Shutdown! House Republicans were great yesterday!" he said.

Also Read: ICAI to introduce multiple choice questions in CA Inter, final exam from 2019

Also Read: Upper cap on airfares need of the hour to discourage predatory pricing, says Parliamentary panel
Chartered Accountants body ICAI said that from May next year, the CA exam will have 30 per cent multiple choice questions for selected papers at intermediate and final levels to strengthen conceptual clarity among the students.

Besides, a pilot project of centralised evaluation of one paper in final level is also being implemented. In the central evaluation, examiners will be evaluating the answer books in the presence of head examiner under their supervision, ICAI said in a release.

Also Read: Upper cap on airfares need of the hour to discourage predatory pricing, says Parliamentary panel

"To strengthen conceptual clarity and sharpen the analytical skills of students.. ICAI has introduced objective assessment for selected papers at the intermediate and final levels..from May 2019 examination" Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) said in a release.

This reforms will make the process of examination and evaluation more credible, it added.

Apart from that, on technology front 'Virtual ICAI' portal for students is being created. Using the portal, students will be able to fill the forms digitally for all purposes and check the status online.

Once the platform is fully operational, there will be no need for students to visit any branch or regional office for any queries, said ICAI.

Also Read: SEBI asks Fortis Healthcare, Fortis Hospitals to recover Rs 403 crore from Singh brothers, 7 others

Also Read: Donald Trump warns of very long government shutdown in absence of border wall funding
Hospitality firm OYO has witnessed over twofold jump this year in bookings from solo travellers to cold destinations during winter holidays as compared to last year.

It has received a 131 per cent rise in such bookings for the December 25-January 6 period this season at cold destinations and Shimla is on the top of the list, said OYO in a statement.

Also Read: Zero box office collection Day 1: Shah Rukh Khan's film sees less audience on first day than 2.0 Hindi

According to the OYO Travel Index 2018, Shimla was followed by other hill stations such as Shillong, Gangtok, Mussoorie, Ooty and Dalhousie.

This winter has, so far, recorded 104 per cent higher bookings in total.

"Interestingly, colder destinations are witnessing an increasing trend of couple as well as family vacationers when compared to beach destinations," OYO stated.

Besides, people are planning travels to beach destinations also such as Goa, Puri, Pondicherry, Port Blair, Alappuzha and Digha.

"These destinations have seen a 66 per cent increase in bookings as compared to the 2017 winter holiday season," it said.

It further added that the travel index has found a "99 per cent increase in couple and 106 per cent in family travellers to colder cities whereas the increase is 71 per cent and 63 per cent for couple and family travellers to beach cities respectively."

Also Read: Donald Trump warns of very long government shutdown in absence of border wall funding

Also Read: Upper cap on airfares need of the hour to discourage predatory pricing, says Parliamentary panel
Markets regulator Sebi on Friday directed Fortis Healthcare and Fortis Hospitals to take necessary steps to recover Rs 403 crore, along with interest, from Shivinder Mohan Singh, Malvinder Mohan Singh and seven other entities within three months.

The Sebi, through an order passed in October this year, had asked Fortis Healthcare to recover the amount.

Also Read: ICAI to introduce multiple choice questions in CA Inter, final exam from 2019

The fresh order comes after the two companies made representation to the markets regulator.

In the submission to Sebi, the firms said that the recovery of the outstanding amount should be carried out by Fortis Hospitals (FHsL)instead of Fortis Healthcare (FHL), which would ensure that such sums are actually recovered and reflected in the balance sheet of Fortis Hospitals.

"The outstanding amount of Rs 403 crore .. had been advanced by FHsL itself to Best, Fern and Modland. As such, the outstanding amount is required to be returned to FHsL itself. Since the loan of the outstanding amount had been made solely by FHsL, on its own account, upon recovery of the outstanding amount by FHsL, there would not be any consequent requirement upon FHsL to pay the same to FHL.

"Consequently, FHsL and not FHL would be the relevant entity which would be required to take steps for the recovery of the outstanding amount," as per the submission.

FHsL is a 100 per cent wholly-owned subsidiary of FHL.

Noting that the two firms have cited reasons and grounds which are prima facie sufficient for modifying the directions issued through the interim order, Sebi said, "FHL and FHsL shall take all necessary steps to recover the...amount of Rs 403 crore (approx.) along with due interest from noticee (Singh brothers and seven other entities)... within three months from the date of the interim order".

It further said that Singh brothers, RHC Holdings, Religare Finvest, Shivi Holdings, Malav Holdings, Best Healthcare, Fern Healthcare and Modland Wears will have to jointly and severally, repay the amount.

Earlier, Fortis Hospitals was also required to repay the amount.

The regulator has barred Singh brothers from associating themselves with the affairs of Fortis Healthcare and Fortis Hospitals in any manner whatsoever, till further directions.

These entities, prima facie, acted in a fraudulent manner in diverting funds around Rs 403 crore from Fortis Healthcare Ltd, a listed company, for the ultimate benefit of parent company RHC Holding and group company Religare Finvest Ltd, violating the securities laws, Sebi said in the interim order.

Also Read: Donald Trump warns of very long government shutdown in absence of border wall funding

Also Read: Upper cap on airfares need of the hour to discourage predatory pricing, says Parliamentary panel
(Sixth Tone)  In the center of Chongqing, where the blue of the Jialing River meets the Yangtze Rivers brown, an imposing set of structures shaped like billowing sails are under construction. At a nearby showroom for the development, eager salespeople explain that the eight-tower complex will feature apartments, offices, a five-star hotel, and an enormous mall when it opens next year. Several prospective buyers seem impressed, despite their carefully curated nonchalance.

But mention Raffles City to many of the 8.5 million people living in Chongqings urban center, and youre likely to get a passionate  if not angry  response. To proponents, the cutting-edge complex, developed by Singaporean companies CapitaLand and Ascendas-Singbridge, will be a new landmark, an architectural feat that finally puts Chongqing on the map. Yet, to a vocal part of the population, the building is an affront to local culture  and ugly to boot.

Its ruined Chongqings feng shui! They should completely tear it down! says Wang, a local in his 50s, half-jokingly, as he leans on a waterfront balustrade across the river from the slowly rising Raffles City. Thats what I heard, he says when asked to elaborate. I dont understand feng shui. Wangs companion Zhang, a man 10 years his senior, chimes in: This building has completely changed the shape of the city. (Both only gave their last names, saying they were voicing what everyone in the city thought.) Online, many share a similar sentiment: Raffles City has been variously vilified as a huge monster, domineering, and so ugly, it makes Chongqingers cry.

From Paris wrought iron Eiffel Tower to Beijings looped CCTV headquarters, popular discontent toward new buildings is hardly unique to Chongqing. But Raffles City  a 24 billion yuan ($3.5 billion) undertaking, making it the largest single Singaporean investment project in China  has caught the city at a turning point. Chongqing, more so than cities elsewhere in China, has thrown itself headlong into the future without much consideration for the past. Barely anything looks the way it did just two decades ago. For the most part, locals have accepted this wholesale reinvention for the sake of progress, putting up with any side effects. This time, though, its different.

Raffles City will redefine Chongqings skyline, already unique in China for its giant bridges and steep riversides. With more than 11.8 million square feet of floor space, it will be about four times larger than the Empire State Building  and at 1161 feet, nearly as tall. The complex sits right next to Chaotianmen Square, which is named after a gate in the centuries-old city wall that was torn down in 1927. The square itself was renovated some 20 years ago and is of little historical value, but locals see the area as the heart of the city, the birthplace of Chongqing as they know it. Critics worry that the eight towers will  quite literally  overshadow one of the most historically significant areas of the city.

Thats something that bothers Wu Yuanbing, a 52-year-old who grew up not far from Chaotianmen Square. Even in regular conversation, Wus synapses fire faster than his mouth can move. But ask him about Raffles City, and the tourism investors voice truly reaches fever pitch. Wu, the co-founder of the NGO Chongqing Cultural Relic Protection Volunteer Service Team, has been one of the projects most ardent critics. Hes concerned that the entire area will become associated with Raffles City. We think Chaotianmen will be forgotten by everyone, he says.





Chaotianmen has always been central to the city, says Wu. It was the citys main port, its gateway to the world beyond. During World War II, when Chongqing became Chinas provisional inland capital, Chaotianmen was where refugees arrived and soldiers departed for battle. Later, during the decadelong Cultural Revolution, students sent to the countryside to be re-educated by farmers bade the city farewell at Chaotianmen. Located where Chongqings two rivers converge, it was the nexus where ferries made the various riversides into one city. In Wus youth, Chongqing was poor and lacked bridges and railroads. Whenever a boat arrived, it meant there would be food that was otherwise unavailable  fruit, meat, biscuits. Even though I was little, not even 10 years old, I could still carry a lot of food, because the food would make my life better for the next half-month, he says. I was never happier.

CapitaLand acquired the plot of land next to Chaotianmen in 2011, and construction began a year later. Wu started paying close attention in 2015, when a piece of the old city wall was excavated on the construction site. He and several dozen other signatories sent a proposal to the government arguing that the wall should be preserved and put on display. Though about 160 meters was found, only 52 meters will be retained, he claims. A CapitaLand spokesperson says the government is still investigating how best to preserve the wall. Because construction was temporarily halted, the tower where the wall was found is still noticeably shorter than its counterparts.

Last year, the government of Yuzhong District, which administers the Chaotianmen area, published a development plan listing many areas as culturally and historically significant. Chaotianmen, however, was designated as a modern services area. It was the wrong signal to people like Wu. It completely disrespected the reverence that Chongqingers have for Chaotianmen, he says. In January, Wu was a signatory of an open letter to the municipal Party branch and government, asking for better access to and promotion of Chaotianmen. The local chapter of political party Jiusan Society called on the government to protect Chaotianmens cultural and historical merit.





Wu didnt dare speak out too much at first, but says officials have become more open and responsive. He was invited to attend a consultative meeting to discuss his grievances. Wus NGO colleagues still fear going on the record, however  ostensibly afraid to upset the government, which touts Raffles City as part of a high-profile Singapore-Chongqing agreement.

The fear that Chaotianmen Square might fade from memory seems at least partly based on a misunderstanding that stems from Raffles Citys Chinese name: Laifushi Square, which some have interpreted as the new name for the entire area. This was never the plan, but it was so widely believed that the local government decided to explicitly refute it in December 2017. In July, a local government official told Shanghai-based financial outlet Jiemian that Raffles Citys Chinese name was no longer Laifushi Square, but Laifushi Project. When asked who had ordered the name change, CapitaLands spokesperson told Sixth Tone that Laifushi is the Chinese name for Raffles City: There has been no name change.

The CapitaLand spokesperson stresses that Raffles is just a part of the Chaotianmen area and wont suppress its history. Before, the area had few big structures. Suddenly, theres this relatively large project, and people need to get used to it, she says. Access to the square will remain easy, with an improved road layout and a new subway station inside Raffles City, she explains. Everyone knows it will be a calling card for Chongqing; they just hope it wont be so famous as to make people forget Chaotianmen.

As a former photojournalist, Wang Yuanling has seen his hometown take on its sci-fi aesthetic. He recently curated a photography exhibition called Witness Chongqing, that showed the citys 40-year history since 1978, when Chinas marketization reforms began. While he says that nobody in Chongqing likes Raffles City, hes not concerned, saying that rebuilding the city in a bold way fits Chongqings eccentricity. If youre wearing bizarre and foreign fashion and then add a wild hairdo, I think thats understandable, he says. If developments were ordinary, people would curse them, too.

People at Chaotianmen's Shazui Pier in Chongqing, pre-1949. Photo: Chongqing International Image Festival Committee

Chongqings history has been one of transformation. Its gone from an undistinguished inland port to a wartime capital, and back to relative obscurity as an industry town after the Chinese Communist Revolution. The city was shabby, Wang says, until the national government first allocated more funding for it in 1983 and later, in 1997, cut Chongqing out of southwestern Sichuan province altogether to make it one of just four centrally administered municipalities. Over the last decade, Chongqings economy grew the second-fastest of all province-level areas, according to the Natural Bureau of Statistics. Satellite imagery on display in Witness Chongqing shows the city exploding in size in the span of mere years.

Though Chongqing is still little-known outside of China, the citys domestic fame is growing. It has become a trendy tourism destination after sights in the city went viral on video apps Douyin and Kuaishou earlier this year and has for some time laid claim to being the home of Chinas hip-hop scene. The citys spicy brand of hot pot is a must-eat for gourmands. Whereas the residents of other Chinese megacities have long been proud to be Beijingers or Shanghainese, Chongqingers view of themselves has only recently started to shift. We only really realized we had our own identity in 1997, says Wang, who is 38. Its been about 20 years since we became directly governed, so Chongqing is like a young person. When youre 20, youre searching for who you are.

During those two decades, Chongqing has been compared to big cities abroad  Chinas Detroit or Chinas Chicago. Not long ago, it was in vogue to say Chongqing was becoming the Chinese mainlands Hong Kong. The Yuzhong peninsula is reminiscent of Manhattan, a likeness the city once embraced: Across from the Chongqing Times Square shopping mall stands the New York New York Tower, which was built in 2004 and resembles the Empire State Building. In that decade, Chinese people idolized foreign things, says Xu Qianli, head of the Chongqing Architectural Design Institute, a state-owned architecture firm legally required to be the Chinese associate for Raffles City.

'Bangbang,' or delivery men with shoulder poles, carry goods to Chaotianmen's pier in Chongqing during the 1990s. Photo: Chongqing International Image Festival Committee

But as confidence in Chongqings own culture has grown, those sentiments seem a thing of the past. Raffles Citys foreign roots  it has Singaporean developers and a design by Israeli-Canadian-American architect Moshe Safdie  have been widely questioned and criticized by Chongqingers. Many think the building, with its sky bridge linking four towers, is too similar to Singapores Marina Bay Sands Hotel  also a Safdie design, with the three towers famously linked by a SkyPark. People feel slighted that foreign investors apparently thought a seemingly reused design would be good enough for Chongqing. Xu, too, was surprised when he first saw the design, which was before he took up his current position. It didnt look fit for the Chongqing of today, he remembers thinking. If it had been a small city, imitating a well-known building would have been understandable. But Chongqing has turned into a big city and is becoming more international. However, he points out that architects have their own style and that their designs might resemble each other.

A studious man dressed in the sober black-and-white attire of a Chinese official, Xus replies are lengthy  with a doctorate in architectural history and theory, he clearly relishes the opportunity to talk shop  but measured. He acknowledges that much of the criticism toward Raffles City is reasonable but believes that peoples perception of buildings is shaped too much by the way they look. Once people get to interact with Raffles City and enjoy its mall, they will warm up to it, Xu thinks.

To Chu Dongzhu, professor and vice dean of the architecture and urban planning faculty at Chongqing University, Raffles is a jolt to the city, in both positive and negative ways. Its a reminder that taller buildings are inevitably the way of the future, but also that you shouldnt give them front-row seats. A popular criticism is that the towers look like a wall from certain angles due to their sheer size and tight arrangement. To Chu, the citys unique rivers-and-mountains landscape is a public good that shouldnt disappear from view. We shouldnt fear or reject buildings that shock you, he says. But just because you want to shock people, you shouldnt deprive me of my right to enjoy nature.

The curved Raffles City towers in Chongqing, Nov. 9, 2018. Photo: Wu Yue/Sixth Tone

In May, the Chongqing government published a notice to pause all construction along nearly 250 miles of the Yangtze and Jialing riverside in the city center. The document explains that the move should avoid a lack of coordination between ongoing construction in the two rivers, four banks area and newly planned construction, resulting in low-quality buildings and duplicate renovations. Chu thinks the notice might be in part inspired by the backlash to Raffles City but says its about more than that. In 20 years, Chongqing went as fast as it could from nothing to something. Now we need to go from having something to making it better, he says.

The notice excludes urgent and public welfare projects, and Raffles Citys construction continues apace. Its futile to harp on how things ought to be, Chu says. The city is never going to stop changing. At least the building has become a topic of discussion that has people, including foreign architects, paying attention to once-obscure Chongqing, he adds. The only thing that can console me is that this place will be a miraculous sight that cannot be replicated in any other Chinese city. And he admits that the building itself will be grand. Many people have asked him for advice on whether to buy an apartment in Raffles City. Hes told them to go for it. Sitting there, looking down at the Yangtze River, watching the water rush downstream, Chu says, thats a view you wont see elsewhere.

Across the Yangtze, amateur fishers line the waterfront in the late afternoon. Ni Xinhua, a retired sausage-maker, makes his way down to the river every so often. Today, hes only caught one fish. Ni says Chongqing has changed entirely during his life: Youd get lost trying to find the places from our youth. But all this development has given the people of the city a sense of pride. He thinks Raffles City looks great. Its majestic, he says.

But few people along the promenade agree. Zhang Huiqing, a stay-at-home mom in her 40s whose hobby is fishing, has come to check on her friend. The man has five rods set out but isnt having much luck today. When one rod moves, he tries to pull in his catch, but eventually the line snaps. As Zhang watches out over the water, she has few good words to spare for Raffles City. Its not creative; it looks too much like that Singaporean building, she says. Chaotianmen Square is our landmark, and now its been built into a dense mess.

Zhang complains about money  Chongqingers are poor; life is expensive. But despite her criticism of Raffles City, she says, If I could afford it, Id still buy a house there.

This story was originally published in Sixth Tone.
news, crime

Theres a lot of construction going outside the large windows in Jon Whites office. The Department of Public Prosecutions sits directly opposite the front entrance to the city courts, where the newly developed precinct is slowly taking place. Even if Whites windows werent double-glazed, he would never begrudge the dust and noise. It is, in many ways, a metaphor for Whites 10 years as the ACT Director of Public Prosecutions, a role he finishes this month after two terms at the helm. He has, he says, spent a good deal of his time here making an impassioned case for more resources in a growing - and increasingly crime-ridden - jurisdiction. While he cant claim credit for the fact that the ageing courtrooms of the Supreme Court are finally being replaced, it does dovetail neatly with the narrative he established as soon as he took on the role 10 years ago. Canberra, he says, more than holds its own when it comes to increasing crime levels, and the need for more resources to deal with them. In my time as director, I've certainly struggled for proper resourcing, and getting recognition of what we do, he says. One of the things that the increasing population has really led to is an increasing complexity of crime. We're no longer some kind of a backwater, we're really just another big city with all of the problems and advantages of big cities. But in terms of the crime, it is exactly as you would get in any other big city, and that means the job of prosecuting is harder, the cases are more complex, it's not just that there are more of them. They're more complex cases to run. White arrived at the department in 2008 as a seasoned prosecutor, having worked for the Commonwealth department since 1985. Before that, he had a stint in private law in Sydney, his first job after graduating from law at the Australian National University. There, he had the obligatory rigorous training as a junior lawyer - he remembers endless trips back to the office typing pool to correct tiny errors in the legal letters that had to be perfect before being signed by the senior partners. It made you really be aware of issues of accuracy and the way that you expressed yourself, and the proper form of address was very, very important in those days, he says It still is, but it's been lost, a little bit, I think, over the years. He says many lawyers back then were almost obsessively ethical, even going so far as to recommend that he ask for further costs even when he had been their opponent. Its an aspect of the profession that he looks back on more than a little wistfully. In running the DPP, I've really tried to instil in people the importance of those ethical niceties, he says. A born-and-bred Canberran - he completed his schooling at Telopea Park School - it has always seemed fitting that White has spent most of his career here. But, he says, there was nothing quite like working as a prosecutor in Sydney in the 1980s. Sydney in those days was a very exciting time to be a prosecutor or a criminal lawyer - there were a lot of drug prosecutions, a lot of police corruption, organised crime, sensational murders, all of those sorts of things, he says. Most of what I was involved in were drug importation prosecutions, because that's mainly what the Sydney commonwealth DPP did in those days, so just seeing the web of the underworld, how it operated, how it sometimes ensnared police into it, all of those sorts of issues - that was really fascinating. But moving back to Canberra and taking the top prosecutorial job has been no less fascinating, not least because of the opportunities the department has had for law reform. In a recent farewell speech before the capitals legal fraternity, White listed some of the departments achievements and innovations during his tenure, including helping to conquer delays in the Supreme Court, promoting gender equality in the profession, embarking on a staff swap arrangement with Legal Aid ACT, and a number of innovative legal approaches. Among these, he says, has been to wind back the number of judge-alone trials in the ACT - once a notable feature of the jurisdiction. He is, he says, a staunch fan of jury trials, despite having been on the losing side in countless such cases throughout his career. You can imagine the hundreds of trials that I've been involved in. Sometimes you get a verdict from a jury that you wonder how they've not seen the case the way that you have, and what you thought was the strength of the evidence and so on, he says. But having said that, I'm a big fan of the jury system because I think, first of all, it engages citizens in the criminal justice system. We are in danger of presenting sometimes the justice system as being very separate from ordinary citizens, and something they're estranged from. So involving citizens in that process is very important. He believes juries, by and large, do their best to reach a proper conclusion, bringing a range of experience to the role as they do it. Of course, looming over this conversation is the case of David Eastman, the jury for which famously spent seven days deliberating before emerging with a verdict of not guilty. While he wont discuss the case in any detail, White is aware that there has been criticism for his ultimate decision to proceed with the retrial, an undertaking that took six months and cost Canberrans about $6.5 million. What I will say about the decision is that as a prosecutor, you have very clear rules that you follow about making those sorts of decisions, he says. Those rules involve the availability of evidence, and any public interest factors to be taken into account, and often public interest factors go both ways in a difficult decision like that. And weighing all of those matters into account, I decided to proceed with the matter. Now, the verdict doesn't take away from that decision, we don't expect every decision to end up in a plea of guilty in our system of justice - if that was the case, we'd be questioning the decisions that we make. Our decision is to get the matter before a jury, then it becomes a jury's task and responsibility, and they've discharged their responsibility in this case. Interestingly, White doesnt believe the issuing of suppression orders is necessary in many cases. There are far fewer examples of such orders in the ACT than in, for example, Victoria, where courts order more suppression orders than any other state. The basic principle is that justice should be done in public, in a transparent way, and we should only depart from under the most extreme of circumstances, in issuing suppression orders, he says. I think we've come to a pretty common sense realisation that jurors can put extraneous material out of their heads, and they're instructed to do that and I believe that they do do that. "Of course jurors bring their own experience of life to a decision, and the example of consent is an example of that. A judge for example who might have a particular middle-class upbringing frankly might not be the best person to understand the complexities of consent, why people get themselves into particular situations which has led to allegations of sexual offending." White was appointed a senior counsel in 2014, and plans to practice as a barrister in the near future - taking advantage of the Supreme Court's shiny new courtrooms at last. His successor, Shane Drumgold, will have some challenges ahead, among them the process of gaining fiscal independence from the Justice and Community Safety directorate, which still oversees the departments finances. White is also convinced that the office, along with Canberras justice system overall, can and will become paperless, putting an end to the endless paper-chasing that has always been a feature of the still-conservative legal profession. But overall, White says he will be leaving the department a better place than when he arrived. He hopes hell be remembered as having restored order to the office - It was in a very poor place when I took over - for promoting women in the workplace, and for leading by example. But mostly, he says, he's pleased that the office has generally become a good place to work. "I just had a farewell from my colleagues yesterday, and I think the overwhelming sense I got was one that the office is a very collegiate place, he says. I think certainly whatever the view in the wider community is, I think within the office and within the legal profession, that's the impression that will be left.

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comment

Very disappointing to see the four senior Labor federal MPs strolling along with disposable coffee cups in hand (Sunday Canberra Times, December 16, page 8). These people should be setting an example in promoting reusable cups. The planet is already being swamped with rubbish. Don't add to it! Jan Johnston, Curtin There is a factor missing from the mould story (Sunday Canberra Times, December 9, page 6); without casting any aspersions on the Harrison family or journalist Andrew Brown. The missing factor is that of moisture. Mould grows in moisture, sometimes with either warm air or the absence of fresh air. This examination of mould issues needs to identify why a house has mould. It is surely extraordinary that so many houses have mould issues: is this the perennial leaking shower? A teenager having long, very hot showers, and not opening windows afterwards? Once a source of moisture is controlled, mould should be easy to manage: it should not occur; when it does it must be human factors at work. Warwick Davis, Isaacs I wonder what planet Peter Bradbury of Holt comes from (Letters, December 16) in claiming that dividend imputation is a tax loophole that has to be plugged. Julie Hadfield (Letters, December 9) was perfectly correct in what she said. In the first instance, dividend imputation was introduced by the Labor Party (Mr Keating  remember him?) in recognition that, before, dividends were being double taxed, once as company tax and then as income tax. What true believers like Mr Bradbury have to understand is that dividends belong to the shareholder, not to the government. Under law, these dividends have to be grossed up by 30 per cent, declared as income and taxed according to tax scales. If income is over the threshold, the dividend recipient pays tax on the dividend. If under the taxable threshold, the recipient can claim as a credit the 30 per cent that the company paid to the government earlier. For a Labor Party to not return the 30 per cent to shareholders below the taxable income, is simple confiscation of money legitimately belonging to the shareholder. Mr Bradbury and others who think like him might ask themselves why the unions that hold shares manage to keep all dividends while the low-income earners would have 30 per cent of their dividend stolen by a grubby government. Mr Bradbury should do some homework before shooting off his mouth on matters he obviously knows nothing about. M. Silex, Erindale Ian Warden's article on the link between narcissism and democracy (an inverse relationship; the more narcissist, the less democratic) was not only the usual fun read, but was also fascinating ("Narcissists, take a good look in the mirror", December 15). I do like democracy, and apparently this indicates I have high self esteem, which for a somewhat shy and retiring person is reassuring. Anyway, the article set me thinking about democracy and its relationship with narcissist would-be dictators. In a democracy leaders do make big decisions. Our prime minister can decide, for instance, that "Australia" will henceforth move its embassy to Jerusalem. In the United States the president can decide to slap a high tariff on imported Chinese goods. He can decide to scrap a treaty banning the deployment of intermediate-range nuclear weapons (a decision, by the way, that casts doubt on whether treaties in general are worth anything more than the paper they are written on). In South Africa, President F W de Clerk can decide to scrap the six atom bombs in the nation's stockpile and join the Non-Proliferation Treaty as a non-nuclear member. I suppose that if on the contrary he had decided to increase the country's capability by the manufacture of hydrogen bombs and ballistic missiles, he could have done that too. It seems the difference between a democracy and a dictatorship is that in a democracy the all-powerful leader is elected, whereas in a dictatorship he seizes power in a military putsch. Harry Davis, Campbell I am disappointed but not surprised that Labor has agreed to retain the policy of offshore detention. They are too cowardly to take the lead and put an end to the unjustifiable and inhumane treatment of asylum seekers and refugees on Manus and Nauru, many of whom have been incarcerated for more than five years, with no end in sight and in conditions that have been widely described as tantamount to torture. Anyone who has read Behrouz Bouchani's masterpiece, No Friend but the Mountains, will know how appalling their situation is and will feel nothing but disgust that this government can fail to welcome a man of his calibre and the many others who have shown such resilience in unforgivably cruel circumstances. I would prefer to have many of them in our government, rather than the politicians in both major parties who are inflicting such suffering on innocent people for political gain. Clare Conway, Ainslie So, the Australian government, a self-proclaimed champion of a rules-based international order, has called-on China to stop seeking a competitive advantage by stealing trade secrets and confidential business information from other nations ("'Shocking, outrageous': US charges Chinese hackers for industrial-scale theft", The Canberra Times, December 21). The same hypocritical government that used our intelligence services to steal the resources of East Timor to the benefit of an Australian company and that today is abusing its power in a cowardly and wicked attempt to destroy the lives of patriots Bernard Collaery and Witness "K", who dared to expose its criminal behaviour. John Richardson, Wallagoot, NSW Email: letters.editor@canberratimes.com.au. Send from the message eld, not as an attached le. Fax: 6280 2282. Mail: Letters to the Editor, The Canberra Times, PO Box 7155, Canberra Mail Centre, ACT 2610. Keep your letter to 250 or fewer words. References to Canberra Times reports should include date and page number. Letters may be edited. Provide phone number and full home address (suburb only published).

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news, business,

Next time you sip a coffee or cocktail at The Public Bar in Manuka, consider that it was once home to one of Canberra's most enduring businesses. Cusacks Furniture Store this year has been celebrating a century of trade, a remarkable achievement in the still-young, 105-year-old city of Canberra. Stan Cusack opened the business originally in the main street of Yass in 1918 and then moved it to Canberra in 1927. "He rode a bicycle from Yass to Canberra to buy the land [in an auction]," Stan's son David, 88, said. The Manuka store, on the corner of Flinders Way and Franklin Street, opened the same year as the original Parliament House. "Canberra was proclaimed as the capital and Stan thought, 'Well, Canberra's going to be bigger than Yass'," his grandson Peter Cusack said. The family moved the business from Manuka to Kingston in 1938. The store was rebuilt after a devastating fire in 1976 due to an electrical fault. Cusacks consolidated to Fyshwick in 2011, and seven years later is celebrating a century in business, still run by the family, led by Peter. David, who was involved in the business since boyhood, was proud to see the store still successful after 100 years. "I think it's a great achievement," he said. "It's very rarely done with a family business these days." Peter said they had survived the onslaught of national bricks-and-mortar competitors as well as pressure from online sales. "Anybody who opens, regardless of what is is, furniture, travels, computers, it doesn't matter what is it, they're all our competitors as far as discretionary spending goes," he said. "I think we've just done things a little bit differently to everyone else. Our product range is unique to us." David added: "And personal service. It's very important". The broader family celebrated the 100th birthday of the business at the National Arboretum in October. It was a long way from 1918 in Yass. Stan's father John Joseph Cusack was a Labor politician in Yass. Stan took over the family blacksmithing business when he was just 14 so his father could pursue politics. But a twist of fate set up the family legacy. "Stan, as the story goes, had a very sweet tooth and he went into a second-hand store in Yass to buy this ice cream-making machine and got into discussions with the proprietor and instead of buying the ice cream machine, he bought the business," Peter said, with a laugh. "It was pretty much second-hand goods then and it started from there. Then he got into furniture and carpets and rugs, new goods and that's where his business started." David said the early days of the business were "hard work". The goods mainly came by road from Sydney in the family truck. "It was an ex-army World War Two number so it would have been fairly primitive," Peter said. Stan bought a house in Arthur Circle where David would grow up and continue to live with his wife Elizabeth and raise his own family. Can the family do another 100 in business? "You never know. It's possibly in the kids' hands," Peter said. "We're proud of what we do. We must be doing something right if we're still here. Your reputation and integrity are the most important things."

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news, latest-news

The federal government has said that because the rate of deaths at workplaces hasn't changed in the ACT since the introduction of industrial manslaughter laws, it won't support a move for a national version of the legislation. The government handed down its response to the Senate inquiry into the prevention, investigation and prosecution of workplace deaths on Thursday, and while the response didn't reject the recommendation for a nationally consistent offence, it didn't commit to the measure either. The response said the likelihood of an offence being used to prosecute a death was "questionable based on the ACT experience". "There is also no evidence that the ACT's industrial manslaughter laws have resulted in fewer workplace deaths," the response said. "The number of workplace deaths in the ACT has remained constant since 2003 when industrial manslaughter offences were introduced." The response noted that no one has been prosecuted under the offence since it was introduced, but prosecutions for workplace deaths had been made under general manslaughter provisions. The only other jurisdiction to have industrial manslaughter laws is Queensland, where they were introduced in 2017. The federal government response said it was too early to measure the efficacy of these laws. ACT Minister for Workplace Safety Rachel Stephen-Smith labelled the federal government's response short-sighted, while acknowledging that the ACT laws could be improved. "In its evidence to the Senate committee inquiry, the ACT government proposed that the Queensland model be adopted as part of the national harmonised laws. We recognise that, while we were the first jurisdiction to introduce industrial manslaughter offences, there are more contemporary models available," Ms Stephen-Smith said. "The federal governments response is short-sighted, and we will continue to advocate for industrial manslaughter to be included in the model work health and safety laws through Safe Work Australia." Kay Catanzariti, whose son Ben was killed when a concrete pouring boom crashed on him on a Kingston Foreshore construction site in 2012, is disappointed at both the government's response and the fact the document was released in the days leading up to Christmas. A case against the managers of the site collapsed in 2016, with no one found responsible for Ben's death. Mrs Catanzariti said it felt like the response had been "swept under the rug", and the timing of the release was another let-down for families of those who had died at work at an already difficult time of year. Ducking the recommendation for nationally consistent industrial manslaughter laws was "an insult to the families", she said, as it failed to introduce sufficient deterrent for unsafe work practices. "Everything the government does, whether Liberal or Labor, everything involves people, workers, so if we don't protect workers and make the deterrent then climate change, immigration, everything else - is worth nothing if you haven't got workers," Mrs Catanzariti said. A group of 17 families who had travelled to Canberra this year to advocate for change received personal emails from Industrial Relations Minister Kelly O'Dwyer on Thursday night after the response was handed down, but the response from the department and Ms O'Dwyer had mostly been disappointing, Mrs Catanzariti said. She said she would continue to fight for change with other families in the new year, and hoped that families had a peaceful Christmas making memories with their loved ones.

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I am not sure, but China needs a leader who understands China and the world. He should be able to lead China to be a more open, more free, and wealthier country.

I don't expect China can be a democratic country in 5 years, or in 10 years, or in 20 years, or even 50 years. China has a rich and complex history. China needs a group of strong leaders or a clever dictator like Deng. But the leaders should be wise.

Xi Jinping understands China, mostly the bad part. He knows how to control Chinese. He is a good student of Mao.

But he has no idea if we live in 21st century or 19th century. I mean he does not understand the world.

He wants to be the 2nd Mao or the 2nd Marx. However, the theory of Marx was proved to be wrong in 20th century. Mao's thought is basically the Chinese emperor's ideology. Neither Marx nor Mao is a good model.

Deng did some good work and he is the Washington of China. Unfortunately, China has too many yuan shikai. Most likely, Deng's legacy will be buried by Xi Jinping (actually, Xi already tried to bury it).
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.

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National Mathematics Day is celebrated across the country on December 22 to commemorate the birth anniversary of Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan. He was born in 1887 in Erode in Tamil Nadu to an Iyengar Brahmin family. Ramanujan is one of the youngest Fellows of the Royal Society and only the second Indian to achieve after Ardaseer Cursetjee.

This mathematical analyst lived only for 32 years during British India and contributed a lot to mathematics that includes number theory and infinite series. The story of this genius is inspiring to everyone, specifically students. No matter which streams students belongs to, his theorems and life facts continue to create interest in mathematics. Explore everything about Srinivasa Ramanujan!

Why Engineer's Day Is Celebrated On September 15 In India?
The Andhra Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC) has released a recruitment notification for the post of Panchayat Secretary (Grade IV). The notification was released for a total of 1051 vacancies out of which 51 have been carried forward. Interested candidates who meet all the eligibility requirements set by the APPSC can apply for the posts between December 27, 2018, and January 18, 2019.

The selection of the candidates will be made through a written examination. The selected candidates will earn in the scale of pay of INR 16,400 to INR 49,870 per month. Candidates who possess a bachelor's degree from any university can apply for the Panchayat Secretary post.

CRITERIA DETAILS Name Of The Posts Panchayat Secretary (Grade IV) Organisation Andhra Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC) Educational Qualification A degree from a recognised university Job Location Andhra Pradesh Salary Scale INR 16,400 to INR 49,870 per month Industry Rural Development Application Start Date December 27, 2018 Application End Date January 18, 2019

Age Limit

The minimum age limit is 18 years and the maximum upper age limit for candidates belonging to the general category is 42 years. Age relaxation is provided to the candidates belonging to reserved categories.

AP Panchayat Secretary Vacancy Details

The total number of fresh vacancies were 1000 and 51 are carried forward vacancies. Candidates are advised to check the district-wise vacancies.

Srikakulam: 107 vacancies

Prakasam: 167 vacancies

Vizianagaram: 119 vacancies

Nellore: 62 vacancies

Visakhapatnam: 105 vacancies

Chittoor: 134 vacancies

East Godavari: 92 vacancies

Ananthapuramu: 38 vacancies

West Godavari: 21 vacancies

Kurnool: 88 vacancies

Krishna: 19 vacancies

Guntur: 48 vacancies

Application Fee

Applicants must pay INR 250 towards application processing fee and INR 80 towards examination fee. However, candidates belonging to SC, ST, BC, PH and Ex-Servicemen are exempted from payment of examination fee of INR 80 only.

Click here for the official announcement

How To Apply

Candidates should visit the official website of Andhra Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC) to apply online. Candidates applying for the first time for any notification have to first fill the OTPR application carefully to obtain OTPR ID. Candidates can apply online for the post between December 27, 2018, and January 18, 2019.

How To Prepare For Competitive Entrance Examinations?
Photo: The Canadian Press A plane comes in to land at Gatwick Airport in England, Friday, Dec. 21, 2018. Flights resumed at London's Gatwick Airport on Friday morning after drones sparked the shutdown of the airfield for more than 24 hours, leaving tens of thousands of passengers stranded or delayed during the busy holiday season.(AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

British police say two people were arrested early Saturday morning for suspected "criminal use of drones'" in the Gatwick Airport case that has created nightmarish holiday travel delays for tens of thousands of passengers.

Sussex police did not release the age or gender of the two suspects arrested late Friday night and did not say where the arrests were made. The two have not been charged.

Police Superintendent James Collis asked the public in the Gatwick area to remain vigilant.

"Our investigations are still ongoing, and our activities at the airport continue to build resilience to detect and mitigate further incursions from drones by deploying a range of tactics," he said.

New drone sightings Friday had caused fresh problems for holiday travellers at the airport, which reopened in the morning after a 36-hour shutdown only to hastily suspend flights for more than an hour in the late afternoon on one of the busiest travel days of the year.

The reopening, closing and re-reopening of Britain's second-busiest airport due to repeated drone sightings raised a host of questions for British officials, including questions about how safe it really is to fly with drones around and why it took so long to make arrests.

The Friday night flight suspension at Gatwick caused still more delays and cancellations just as the holiday travel season peaked. The persistent drone crisis at Gatwick, located 30 miles (45 kilometres) south of London, has had ripple effects throughout the international air travel system.

The latest drone sighting came after British police and transport officials said extra measures had been put in place to prevent drones from intruding on the airport, which serves 43 million passengers a year.

Military forces with special equipment have been brought in and police units are working around-the-clock. Police say a sophisticated drone operation is targeting the airport to cause maximum disruption during the holiday rush.

The motive for the drone invasion wasn't clear but British police said there are no indications it was "terror related."

Gatwick reopened at about 6 a.m. Friday after having been shut down Wednesday night and all day Thursday after authorities said drones repeatedly violated the airport perimeter, threatening the safely of incoming and outgoing planes.

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said Friday morning there had been about 40 sightings of "a small number of drones" while the airport was shut down. He told the BBC that the drone disruption at Gatwick was "unprecedented anywhere in the world."

Greyling said additional "military capabilities" and a range of security measures had been put in place overnight but would not elaborate. He said the airport was considered safe for flights Friday even though the drone operator or operators had not been apprehended.

The Thursday shutdown upended the travel plans of tens of thousands of passengers, since about 110,000 people had been scheduled to pass through Gatwick that day.

After flight operations restarted Friday, the airport struggled to resolve a massive backlog of passengers and cancelled, delayed or diverted flights. The number of passengers expected Friday was even higher than the previous day, and about 145 of Friday's 837 scheduled flights at Gatwick were cancelled to handle the crush.

Then Gatwick takeoffs and landings had to be suspended again as a "precaution" after reports that a drone was spotted about 5:10 p.m., the airport said.

Planes circled over London or sat at Gatwick gates, waiting to find out what would happen Friday night, before getting a new "all-clear" about 70 minutes later.

"The military measures we have in place at the airport have provided us with reassurance necessary to reopen our airfield," the airport tweeted moments after flights resumed.

The hundreds of travellers who were stuck overnight at Gatwick by Thursday's closure described freezing conditions as they slept on benches or the airport floor. Many complained they weren't being kept informed about re-routed flights.

British officials, meanwhile, were debating whether shooting down a drone was an available "tactical option" due to concerns that such an action could inadvertently hurt people on the ground.

"Shooting the drone out of the sky is probably one of the least effective options" available, said Assistant Chief Constable Steve Barry of Sussex Police.

He said police believe there was more than one drone operating around Gatwick in the last two days and that it was possible the drones were being operated from fairly far away.
An arrest has been made in Bradley County in the case after a video went viral showing a male standing over a female and repeatedly striking her.

Dionte Lemar Ware, 18, was charged with one count of domestic assault by the Bradley County Sheriff's Office.

Ware is a star athlete at Cleveland High School, including playing guard on the basketball team..

The arrest comes after five Cleveland High basketball players were disciplined for having consensual sex during a trip for a tournament at Oak Ridge.





The video depicts a black male standing over what appears to be a black female who is lying on the floor. The black male repeatedly strikes the female in the head and body. Officials said, "On Thursday, the Bradley County Sheriffs Office began an investigation of the circumstances surrounding a video referred to us by the Cleveland Police Department.The video depicts a black male standing over what appears to be a black female who is lying on the floor. The black male repeatedly strikes the female in the head and body.





"Investigators received information that the female in the video is a 16-year-old juvenile who lives in Cleveland. While meeting with investigators the juvenile and her mother identified herself as the female being beaten in the video. She also identified Dionte Ware, her boyfriend at the time, as the male in the video. She also provided the identification of the person who filmed the video, and investigators were able to corroborate the details provided by the victim.





"Due to statements made the by the victim and the witness, along with the video of the assault, Dionte Lemar Ware is being charged with one count of domestic assault.





Ware was taken into custody without incident on Friday afternoon. He is currently being held at the Bradley County Jail on no bond. His court date is next Wednesday.
The story is making the rounds, now among those who find it humorous when our deceptive and devious can no longer escape the glare of their inept and horribly misguided agendas, of a canoe race of sorts on the Missouri River.

The way the tale is told, a Japanese company (Toyota) and an American company (General Motors) decided to stage something of a tell-all race after both teams had practiced hard and listened intently to political counsel, both being assured by the Soothsayers themselves their expertise was wise and quite adequate. Oh yes, the Saturday Funnies is expert at recognizing Americas clowns, real and otherwise, and as the liberal lite continues to freefall, it was believed this canoe race may be quite telling. And the exercise did not disappoint.

Understand, the Saturday Funnies are neither edited nor written by me but  instead  are gathered each week by what comes to our Internet inbox. And, according to the first notice, the Japanese team coasted to a win by a surprisingly hefty margin in the first race.

The Americans, very discouraged and depressed, decided to investigate the reason for the crushing defeat. A management team made up of senior management was formed to investigate and recommend appropriate corrective measures.

Their conclusion was the Japanese had eight people paddling and one person steering, while the American team had seven people steering and two people paddling. Determining a deeper investigation was warranted, the Americans hired a consulting company and paid them a large amount of money for a second opinion. They advised, of course, that too many people were steering the boat, while not enough people were paddling.

Not sure of how to utilize that information, but wanting to prevent another loss to the Japanese, the paddling team's management structure was totally reorganized to four steering supervisors, two area steering superintendents and one assistant superintendent steering manager.

They also implemented a new performance system that would give the two people paddling the boat greater incentive to work harder. It was called the Rowing Team Quality First Program, with meetings, dinners and free pens for the paddlers. There was discussion of getting new paddles, canoes and other equipment, extra vacation days for practices, and bonuses. The pension program was trimmed to 'equal the competition' and some of the resultant savings were channeled into morale boosting programs and teamwork posters.

The next year the Japanese won by two miles. Humiliated, the American management laid off one paddler, halted development of a new canoe, sold all the paddles, and cancelled all capital investments for new equipment. The money saved was distributed to the Senior Executives as bonuses. Also, the next racing team was outsourced to India.

So, what does this story tell us?

Ford has spent the last 30 years moving many of its factories out of the U.S., claiming they cant make money paying American wages. The Auto Workers Union leaders, complying with their "Mission", had enough stubbornness to also ruin some of the supply chain companies, so they have starved a number of communities that will eventually turn into ghost towns.

Toyota has spent the last 30 years building more than a dozen plants inside the U.S. Toyota made $4 billion in profits; Ford had $9 billion in losses.

The truth is that for the last 30 years GM has been hemorrhaging. Losing billions, closing one plant after another in the United States. Toyota, at the same time, has opened at least 15 assembly plants in the United States and it has profits in the billions every year. As a reader of the Saturday Funnies, please know this would be hysterical if  indeed -- it werent the gospel truth.

Without a massive infusion of U.S.. capital and a rigid discipline, our once-mighty General Motors is faltering while Toyota thrives with a superior car, superior consumer relations and far better management. Yet this is no joke. Nothing about it is funny. But to those who follow unmitigated nonsense and a helplessness amplified by news reports coming day-to-day, maybe it is time for Nike to fail. This has happened repeatedly to the very best in business when their eyes repeatedly left the bulls stance.

Boil it down to a starters pistol, distance run, and a fickle clock then we have a chance but give homage to our competitors, those who knowingly watch as one manufacturing plant closes after the next, and youll come closer to the real time in America today. With General Motors shuttering plants while Toyota and foreign brands not under the union spell open them just as fast, be careful by what standard you measure victory.

Youll soon find the value of the prize differs greatly among those who covet it. Stay vigilant.

* * *

OH WOW! HERE IS HOW YOU OFFER YOUR SINCERE BEST WISHES TO EVERYBODY

For many, many years, Merry Christmas was a universal greeting of good wishes but today, with our climate of angst and ill will, a friend of mine sends a blanket wish with one side for the liberal Democrats and the other for conservative Republicans.

Here are his very words:

FOR MY DEMOCRATIC FRIENDS -- "Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, our best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low-stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasion and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all. We also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2018, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great. Not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country nor the only America in the Western Hemisphere . And without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual preference of the wishee. By accepting these greetings you are accepting these terms. This greeting is subject to clarification or withdrawal. It is freely transferable with no alteration to the original greeting. It implies no promise by the wisher to actually implement any of the wishes for herself or himself or others, and is void where prohibited by law and is revocable at the sole discretion of the wisher. This wish is warranted to perform as expected within the usual application of good tidings for a period of one year or until the issuance of a subsequent holiday greeting, whichever comes first, and warranty is limited to replacement of this wish or issuance of a new wish at the sole discretion of the wisher."

FOR MY REPUBLICAN FRIENDS  Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

* * *

HERES A GREAT LESSON IN DEALING WITH CHRISTMAS STRESS

A quite bright young lady confidently walked around the room with a raised glass of water while leading a seminar and explaining stress management to her audience. Everyone knew she was going to ask the ultimate question, 'Half empty or half full?' She fooled them all. "How heavy is this glass of water?" she inquired with a smile. Answers called out ranged from 8 oz. To 20 oz.

She replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm.

If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance. In each case it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes."

She continued, "and that's the way it is with stress. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on."

"As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden - holding stress longer and better each time practiced.

So, as early in the evening as you can, put all your burdens down. Don't carry them through the evening and into the night. Pick them up again tomorrow if you must . Here are some ideas you may want to consider:

1. Accept the fact that some days you're the pigeon, and some days you're the statue!

2. Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.

3. Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.

4. Drive carefully... It's not only cars that can be recalled by their Maker.

5. If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.

6. If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.

7. It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others.

8. Never buy a car you can't push.

9. Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you won't have a leg to stand on.

10. Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.

11. Since it's the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, sleep late.

12. The second mouse gets the cheese.

13. When everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.

14. Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live.

15. Some mistakes are too much fun to make only once.

16. We could learn a lot from crayons. Some are sharp, some are pretty and some are dull. Some have weird names and all are different colors, but they all have to live in the same box.

17. A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.

18. Have an awesome day and know that someone has thought about you today.

AND MOST IMPORTANTLY

19. Save the earth  It's the only planet with chocolate!

* * *

THESE TWO WILL FOLLOW YOU ALL THE DAYS OF YOUR LIFE

A mother was concerned about her kindergarten son walking to school. He didn't want his mother to walk with him. She wanted to give him the feeling that he had some independence but yet know that he was safe.

So she had an idea of how to handle it. She asked a neighbor if she would please follow him to school in the mornings, staying at a distance, so he probably wouldn't notice her. She said that since she was up early with her toddler anyway, it would be a good way for them to get some exercise as well, so she agreed.

The next school day, the neighbor and her little girl set out following behind Timmy as he walked to school with another neighbor girl he knew. She did this for the whole week.

As the two kids walked and chatted, kicking stones and twigs, Timmy 's little friend noticed the same lady was following them as she seemed to do every day all week. Finally, he said to Timmy, Have you noticed that lady following us to school all week? Do you know her?

Timmy nonchalantly replied, Yeah, I know who she is.

The little girl said, Well, who is she?

That's just Shirley Goodnest, Timmy replied, and her daughter Marcy.

Shirley Goodnest? Who is she and why is she following us?

Well, Timmy explained, every night my Mum makes me say the 23rd Psalm with my prayers cuz she worries about me so much. And in the Psalm, it says, Shirley Goodnest and Marcy shall follow me all the days of my life', so I guess I'll just have to get used to it!

I know you smiled. I sure did.

May Shirley Goodnest and Marcy be with you today and always.

* * *

OVERHEARD AT A BAR  I cant think of anything worse after a night of drinking than waking up next to someone and not being able to remember their name, or how you met, or why theyre dead.

* * *

THESE THREE CAN PROVE CHRISTMAS

Three men die in a car accident on Christmas Eve. They all find themselves at the Pearly Gates waiting to enter heaven. On entering they must present something relating to or associated with Christmas. The first man searches his pocket, and finds some mistletoe, so he is allowed in. The second man presents a his car keys, jingling them in a way to replicate Christmas bells, so he is also allowed in. The third man pulls out a pair of stockings. Confused at this last gesture, St. Peter asks, 'How do these represent Christmas?' Answer: 'They're Carol's.'

* * *

BILLY GRAHAM GAVE ALL BUT ONE SOUND DIRECTION

On the Sunday before Christmas Reverend Billy Graham was walking down Highland street in Mt Holly, North Carolina on his way to see a parishioner. However, he wanted to post a parcel urgently so he asked a young boy where he could find the post office. When the boy had directed him, Reverend Graham thanked him and said, 'If you'll come to the Church this evening, you can hear me telling everyone how to get to heaven.' The boy replied, 'I think I'll give your sermon a miss. If you don't even know your way to the post office, how will you lead me to heaven?'

* * *

ALWAYS HAVE THE STONES IN ANY DIAMOND RING CERTIFIED

A guy bought his wife a beautiful diamond ring for Christmas. After hearing about this extravagant gift, a friend of his said, "I thought she wanted one of those sporty four-wheel-drive vehicles."

"She did," he replied. "But where was I going to find a fake Jeep?"

* * *

THE VIDEO OF THE WEEK -- I have long been an admirer of the Piano Guys and, in 2014, they

were part of a sensational video that included a Nativity Scene of 1,039 people -- the largest ever.

click here. Peter Hollens and David Archuleta did the vocals but even bigger was the scene was shot at Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah. And, yes, towards the end those shrouded in white are, indeed, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir as they magnificently join in "Angels We Have Heard on High." If you happen to be keeping score, 20.5 million people have already watched this video. Please

* * *

Merry Christmas, everybody!

royexum@aol.com
Three more Georgetown property owners have joined fellow property owner Greg Vital in asking Federal Judge Sandy Mattice to set aside the courts order giving the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) immediate access to their property the TVA wants for Project Viper, a $300 million project that moves the agencys power control plant from downtown Chattanooga to Georgetown in Meigs County.

Chattanooga attorneys Roger W. Dickson, C. Crews Townsend and M. Heith Frost also now represent property owners John and Bridget Vantiegham, Nellie Mae Carter and Cornerstone Farm.

Meanwhile, TVA has filed a 14-page motion asking Judge Mattice not to set aside the condemnation order.

TVA said it has now completed the providing of personal service to the landowners of documents in the case, including the order of possession earlier granted by Judge Mattice.

TVA said the published schedule for completion of the project had contemplated that TVA would survey rights-of-way in 2018, purchase easements in spring 2019, construct the transmission line in winter 2019-2020, and place the completed project in service in winter 2020-2021.

The landowners ask the Aug. 30 order be set aside and request that TVA file specific documents to establish a temporary right to enter the private property; define the activities TVA may perform on the property and the times they may perform these activities; define the property rights the owners retain during what TVA calls a temporary taking; and alternatively, asks that that the court set aside the order because TVA failed to deposit just compensation for the private property.



Attorneys said, "TVA documents show the agency has been planning Project Viper since late 2014. The agency first announced on Aug. 20 that it was initiating a $26 million upgrade to its existing transmission line from Hopewell to Georgetown. Seven days later, media forced the TVA to admit that the transmission line project was related to a $300 million 'secure office complex' in Georgetown that would move the federal agencys power control center from downtown Chattanooga to Georgetown.



"On Aug. 30, TVA held a public meeting in Georgetown and more than 150 people attended when TVA officials said the agency expected no more than 30. In September, TVAs filed a permit with the Tennessee Department of Environment & Conservation to build a self-contained sewer plant on the site. The permit revealed that the TVA had named initiative Project Viper and that the agency had been working on the project for two years.

"On Nov. 20, the TVA filed lawsuits against four property owners and then, on Nov. 30, TVA requested and was granted immediate access to the property. Property owner Greg Vital filed a motion to set aside the immediate access on Dec. 7, which was followed by Fridays filings by the remaining three property owners."

Opponents of the TVA action have set up these sites: facebook.com/4TNfarms and www.4TNfarms.com.
Rep. Chuck Fleischmann said Congress should not have allowed a government shutdown.

He said, I will never be in favor of a government shutdown. The House took action to prevent a shutdown over border security, and it is a shame the Senate did not follow suit. As Members of Congress, we have a responsibility to fund the government and we also have a duty to protect the American people. These two priorities should never be contradictory to one another.

"The time is now for Senate Democrats to come to the table and provide the border security funding America needs.

The House Committee on Appropriations said the lapse in appropriations affects 25 percent of the federal government, including funding for the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Justice, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Treasury, State, and Homeland Security, as well as the Food and Drug Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the federal judiciary, and other related government programs.
The revelations from the indictment of Michael Flynns Turkish business partners expose what has been hidden from the public: the autocratic government of Turkey has long been illegally meddling in American domestic politics.

Flynn has now admitted that before he was appointed National Security Advisor, he was secretly lobbying for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, one of the worlds worst violators of human rights. Turkey plotted with Flynn to kidnap cleric Fethullah Gulen from Pennsylvania despite the fact that for years Erdogan and Gulen were allies conspiring to spread the lie, including in American high schools, that Turkey did not commit genocide against its Armenian citizens during World War One.

Turkeys fulminations over the despicable murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi are a smokescreen to cover the fact that Turkish jails hold more journalists than any other country on earth. In Syria, Turkey repeatedly undermined the battle to defeat ISIS by bombarding and assaulting Americas most dependable ally in the country, the Syrian Democratic Forces, because for Erdogan it is more important to kill Kurds than ISIS radicals.

It is well past time for Washington to speak out against the pernicious influence of a Turkish government that has warped policies in Congress, the Pentagon, and the State Department by posing as a reliable ally.





Barry Barsoumian

Harrison
China's Christians under siege

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Another 60 members of the underground Early Rain Covenant Church in Chengdu, China, were arrested this past Sunday, in an ongoing crackdown against the Protestant congregation.

Police have reportedly been attempting to force churchgoers to pledge to leave the church.

This time, according to World Magazine, the arrests took place at a park where the congregation had decided to meet, due to the church building being shut down in a previous raid earlier in the month when 100 worshipers were detained.

The church members had been praying and reciting part of their Catechism, reading: What is your only comfort in life and death? That I am not my own but belong with body and soul, both in life and in death, to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ.

Read more at https://www.christianpost.com/news/another-60-christians-arrested-from-chinese-church-where-100-were-already-detained.html
Christian comedian Rickey Smiley released from hospital after declaring Jesus is my doctor

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After a three-day stint in the hospital, Christian comedian Rickey Smiley revealed Thursday morning that he has been discharged and is at home resting.

Sporting a bandage on his right hand in a Facebook Live broadcast from his home, the nationally syndicated radio host who said he was medicated with morphine, thanked his fans for their prayers.

Ive been discharged from the hospital. Im at home. I just ate a big bowl of soup and Im good. Thank you everybody for their prayers, Smiley said.

He explained that he was getting ready to get some rest but also took time to thank staff at the undisclosed hospital where he was treated and promised to send them a gift from Edible Arrangements.

Im happy, Im safe. I feel better. I hope you all having a blessed day, he said.

Dressed in a hospital gown, Smiley wrote in a post on Instagram Wednesday that he had been hospitalized since Monday and declared that December had been a difficult month for him.

Ive been in the hospital since Monday, and December has been a rough, rough, rough month. Thank you for your well wishes. #JesusIsMyDoctor, Smiley said.

In the post that included a video clip of him breathing through a tube while declaring himself a survivor, Smiley said he didn't know what his medical problem was.

Bruh, Ive been in the hospital since Monday, I dont know what the Hell is going on but everybody has been nice, he said.

He also urged his fans to listen to their doctors if ever hospitalized, while noting that he had been getting up and walking around as directed.

In his update on Thursday, Smiley didn't provide any additional details on what led to his hospitalization.

Smiley, who has long been outspoken about his faith, recently revealed that he questioned some stories in the Bible which he believes are designed to perpetuate racism.

"I'm really questioning some of the Bible stories. And I think some of that stuff in the Bible is set up to train black people to be submissive to systematic racism and white supremacy. That I believe," Smiley, who turned 50 in August, told VLAD TV.

To explain his position, he challenged certain Scriptures like Matthew 5:38-40 which says: You have heard that it was said, Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth. But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well.

Smiley argued: "Turn the other cheek or whatever. People don't mess with nobody that fight[s] back. People do not mess with nobody that fight[s] back. Black people have been taught to forgive and turn the other cheek for 400 years and what has changed. Nothing."

He insisted that the Bible and the church have been used with great effect as tools of control and continues in that grain today. This control, he said, can be seen through black pastors who have also historically enjoyed a certain amount of power in the system of oppression.
FRC warns Trump's Syria withdraw plans will put Christians in 'mortal danger'

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One of the nations leading Christian conservative advocacy groups that has been supportive of the Trump administration is warning that President Trumps plans for a full and rapid withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria will put Christian communities in mortal danger.

In an op-ed co-written by Lt. Gen. William "Jerry" Boykin, the organization's executive vice president, and Travis Weber, a former Navy pilot and graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy who serves as FRCs vice president for policy, argue that withdrawing troops wont result in Trumps stated campaign promise to defeat the Islamic State.

The terror group, which gained control of large swaths of territory in Syria and Iraq in 2014, has been largely pushed out of its strongholds but many have warned that the deadly extremist group is still not defeated.

While ISIS has suffered, it is not finished, the men wrote, adding that reports show that the terrorists still control territory with forces capable of mounting another insurgency in the future.

Indeed, the Department of Defense stated just this past August "that ISIS retains nearly 30,000 fighters across Iraq and Syria and is 'more capable' than al-Qaeda in Iraq  ISIS' predecessor  at its peak in 20062007. Such a force would pose a serious threat to all peace-loving and free areas in Syria, including the Federation of Northern Syria.

The Federation of Northern Syria is a de-facto autonomous region comprised of three smaller self-governing regions.

According to Boykin and Weber, the federation has emerged as a religious freedom miracle. The region is protected by the Syrian Democratic Forces, which have been part of the coalition's fight to eliminate IS from the region.

There, people of all faiths live side by side in peace, the op-ed reads. They are the type of allies the United States should be seeking in the Middle East and around the world. While the deck is typically stacked against religious freedom in this region, within the Federation even converts from Islam can build a new church  rather than face the death penalty as they often do elsewhere. The Federation is a glimmer of hope in a dim part of the world.

However, IS is not the only threat to the federation. NATO member Turkey has threatened to launch another offensive against the Kurds in northern Syria with the help of extremist militias. Many fear that another attack similar to the Turkish offensive in Afrin earlier this year could occur. Over 167,000 Yazidis, Christians and others were displaced by that offensive.

If Turkey leads an offensive in areas under self-governance in Syria, some believe that land will eventually end up under the influence of Iran.

The Christian communities there fear total destruction by the hands of Turkey, Iran, and even ISIS as that is not fully defeated yet, stated the European Syriac Union in a press release. We call on European countries to join the U.K. and France in finalizing the fight against ISIS and keeping North-East Syria stable. We and many experts believe that ISIS otherwise will return in strength.

Emanuel Youkhana, a priest of the Assyrian Church of the East, told the Catholic News Agency that he thinks a withdraw with no guarantees opens up the gates of Hell.

"I expect this decision will force the Christian community to flee, to migrate once again, he said. They still have fresh in their collective memory the genocide that took place against them by the Ottoman Turks in 1915.

The priest warned that the withdraw will lead to more fears, concerns and a bleeding of the Christian population to leave Syria."

According to the Christian Broadcasting Network, a Kurdish pastor wrote a letter to President Trump telling him that his decision for a withdraw caused some people in his community to cry.

Our sisters and brothers cooperated and fought alongside your sons and daughters to defeat ISIS, the pastor wrote.

Their precious blood was shed on the same ground for the sake of freedom and humanity. This means we're much more than just friends but brothers who share an inheritance. Surely your support prevented them from a certain genocide either by terrorists or their supporters. Briefly; you restored their hope and the righteousness of their cause. You made them believe that God still loves the Kurds, still cares about them, still considers them as He does your great nation.

The European Syriac Union has called on European allies to consider what will happen if there is no replacement of U.S. forces.

Even at this moment, it is clear that forces of Assad are planning to invade Idlib. The Turkish proxies that committed already many crimes will wage war against the SDF and end the stability of North-East Syria, the ESU statement added. Simultaneously these forces will clash against Assads forces who will undoubtedly try to regain control of North-East Syria as well when Turkey and its jihadis attack the SDF.

Through the chaos, the union argues, IS will rise again and regain rapidly its strength.

All that is needed is that four countries send 250 armed forces to replace the 2,000 U.S. forces, the ESU contends. This will enable the U.K. and France to continue its operations and presence in North-East Syria. We are convinced that Turkey will not dare to go to war against its NATO allies. Clearly, France and U.K. share that opinion. Europe will be able to avert a disaster for the region and for Europe itself.

Turkey President Tayyip Erdogan claimed Friday that Turkey will take over the fight against IS.

We have postponed our military operation against the east of the Euphrates river until we see on the ground the result of Americas decision to withdraw from Syria, Erdogan said.

Trump took to Twitter to double down on his reported plan.

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, Trump wrote.

Although IS is still suffering military defeats, it has continued on with its bloody and brutal methods. Its been reported this week by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights that IS executed 700 of its prisoners after suffering a loss in Hajin.

Others are not happy about the planned withdraw.

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis is now planning to retire in February after plans were announced for the withdraw in Syria and a troop reduction in Afghanistan.

According to Reuters, France and Germany have warned that withdrawing troops could risk damaging the fight against IS.

Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina called the planned withdraw and Obama-like mistake.

"When [President Barack] Obama pulled out of Iraq we knew exactly what was going to happen. The military told President Obama, if you leave now, the radicals that are still around are going to regenerate, Graham said. And all the people who helped us in Iraq, a lot of them died. The same thing is going to happen in Syria,"

In the op-ed, Boykin and Weber note that Trump recently signed bipartisan legislation to provide aid to Christians and other religious minority communities that were attacked by IS.

Right now, the Federation of Northern Syria is committed to religious freedom for all in its territory, helping ensure that such aid is not needed in the future  and not needed again, and again, in the future  when stability eludes us because religious freedom has not been cultivated in the region, they wrote. Yet the Federation must be empowered to hold on to its territory in order to ensure this religious freedom for future generations.
Priest who said he urinated in communion wine, was attracted to satanism gets 25 years for child porn

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The Rev. W. Thomas Faucher, a retired Idaho priest who once claimed to have urinated in communion wine at least once at his church, was sentenced Thursday to 25 years in prison without parole for what investigators said was the most disturbing child pornography case they had ever seen.

According to the Idaho Statesman, Faucher, 73, who pleaded guilty in September to five felony crimes stemming from amassing thousands of child porn images and videos on his home computer, will also have to register as a sex offender.

He apologized in the courtroom ahead of his sentencing at the Ada County Courthouse in Boise.

I am deeply sorry that I was and have been connected to that in any way, Faucher said while acknowledging that he now knows child porn is not a victimless crime. I was one really sick puppy. I screwed up big time ... I feel so much remorse and anger.

Detective John Brumbaugh, whos been on the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force for five years, testified Thursday that he received a cybertip about two images sent from wtfauch@aol.com that was linked to the St. Marys Catholic Church website.

Over several months, Brumbaugh said verified chats and emails showed Faucher was actively seeking interests with gay men, satanic interests as well as the rape and killing of minors.

The detective described the contents of the images police found on Fauchers cellphone, computer and Dropbox account containing more than 2,500 files displaying child pornography described as violent, disturbing, torturous and included children crying.

The volume of [images] was something I havent come across, Brumbaugh said.

The disgraced priest also expressed a desire to have sex with boys, had satanic desires, an attraction to 6-year-old boys and expressed excitement at the thought of killing someone authorities said.

The volume of [images] was something I havent come across, Brumbaugh explained, noting that the case disturbed everyone who worked on it.

Brumbaugh said Faucher also had images of black slavery and discussed using racist language. Images of Faucher urinating on a cross and canon law book were also found.

Bishop Peter F. Christensen and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Boise said in a press statement that the shocking discovery of the evil Faucher harbored has forced them to start the process of defrocking him.

The volumes of shocking information that the law enforcement investigation uncovered reveal the heinous nature of child pornography and the tragic impact upon its victims. While we cannot begin to fathom what brought Faucher to the point that he was able to enter into this evil and dark world, we are thankful for the efforts of the law enforcement community in doing what it can to protect our children from these crimes, the diocese said. Since his actions came to light in February, Faucher has been unable, and continues to be unable, to function as a priest in the Catholic Church.

Christensen, said now that the criminal case is over, the church has started the process of turning the case over to authorities in Rome.

We have already begun our preparations to turn this case over to Church authorities in Rome, Christensen said. Our response should send a clear message that we will not tolerate these sorts of behaviors from anyone who holds a leadership position in our diocese.
Gov. Kasich accused of trying to score 'political points' in transgender policy change

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A conservative group is accusing Ohio Gov. John Kasich of trying to score political points on the way out the door by issuing an executive action this week to ban gender identity discrimination in state employment.

Kasich, the 66-year-old two-term governor and former Republican candidate for president, signed what has been reported as a surprise executive order on Wednesday afternoon just weeks before the end of his governorship.

The order bans state government agencies from discriminating against trans-identified people for employment.

The order effectively rescinds a 2011 order Kasich signed when he first got into office that removed gender identity from the state employment nondiscrimination policy enacted under former Democrat Gov. Ted Strickland in 2007.

Like past orders, this order also bans discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, race, gender, and other social identifiers.

The governor continues to be opposed to discrimination in state employment, and this order reflects how he believes that policy should be implemented, Kasichs press secretary Jon Keeling said, according to The Columbus Dispatch.

While the move has been praised by LGBT activists and supporters, the order has been deemed unnecessary by Aaron Baer, president of Citizens for Community Values, Ohios social conservative family policy council.

Unless his administration was rampantly firing individuals with gender dysphoria, the only purpose of his latest executive action is to score political points on the way out the door, Baer said in a statement. There is no evidence that this kind of discrimination is happening in state government today.

Kasich's signing of the order came after LGBT activist group Equality Ohio sent Kasich letters with stories from LGBTQ Ohioans about their experiences with discrimination throughout the year. Additionally, the group asserts that it had found opportunities to grow his familiarity with transgender people and their lives.

We worked behind-the-scenes with our friends at TransOhio to lay the foundation for this action to take place while he was in office, an Equality Ohio press release explains.

Equality Ohio Executive Director Alana Jochum told The Columbus Dispatch that Kasich heard this call.

[W]e are grateful for Gov. Kasichs leadership in extending nondiscrimination protections for transgender state employees, Jochum said.

Baer, however, argues that most Ohioans would prefer Kasich to keep his priorities focused on whats best for Ohio over the final days of his governorship rather than looking to endear himself to the coasts for his next political run.

LGBT supporters are calling on the Ohio legislature to pass broader LGBT discrimination protections in employment, housing, and public accommodations.

Only time will tell what step the states incoming governor, Republican Attorney Gen. Mike DeWine, will take in regard to Kasichs new order. DeWine touts himself as a social conservative who's endorsed by the likes of the Washington, D.C.-based social conservative advocacy group Family Research Council.

DeWine, who has served in both the House and Senate, fought to defend Ohios ban on same-sex marriage even after a federal court ruled against the state policy in 2014.

In an endorsement statement issued in September, FRC President and leading social conservative activist Tony Perkins assured that DeWine will be a dedicated advocate for limited government, for individual liberties, and for strong family values."

Joshua Eck, a spokesperson for DeWines transition team, told The Columbus Dispatch that the governor-elect will review all executive orders ahead of transition.

[He] will make decisions on them on or around Inauguration Day, Eck explained.
Christian baker Jack Phillips in court again after refusing gender transition cake

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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."
Planned Parenthood head says killing unborn babies is a 'basic human right'

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Planned Parenthoods new president has argued that abortion is a basic human right and denounced what she called repeated attacks from the Trump administration against her organization.

Dr. Leana Wen, who replaced Cecile Richards as head of the nations largest abortion business that gets over $500 million in taxpayer funding every year and performs over 320,000 abortions annually, told People magazine in an interview published Tuesday that she viewed abortion as a basic human right.

Reproductive health care is health care, said Wen. Womens health care is health care. And health care is a basic human right.

And were proud to provide the full range of reproductive health care, from birth control to abortions. Were proud to provide breast and cervical screenings, were proud to provide care to our LGBTQ patients, to all patients.

Although Wen has repeatedly said that Planned Parenthood provides breast cancer screenings, in 2015 Richards testified before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform that none of its clinics have ever provided mammograms, despite accepting annual contributions from the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation for breast cancer screenings. When the Susan G. Komen Foundation attempted in 2012 to stop providing donations to Planned Parenthood, pro-choice activists staged a nationwide protest. The following year, the breast cancer foundation relented and gave Planned Parenthood $677,287.

While Planned Parenthood doesn't provide mammograms, it offers what's known as a breast self-exam. The Christian Post reported in 2016 that after calling several Planned Parenthood clinics nationwide to schedule a breast exam, only one said they might be able to perform a breast self-exam for a fee of $100, but it wasn't a service they were used to providing.

A breast self-exam is not recommended by either the American Cancer Society or the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation as the preferred method of examination. Instead, both organizations advise women to have an annual mammogram.

In her interview with People, Wen also denounced efforts to defund Planned Parenthood, claiming they are politically-driven attacks on their health care services.

We feel repeated attacks from the Trump administration against reproductive health and womens health almost on a daily basis, continued Wen. We are very concerned about the Trump administrations efforts to attack science, to attack medicine, to attack the fundamental right to health care.

Christina Vazquez of Life News took issue with Wens comments, saying in a piece published Wednesday that she considered the Planned Parenthood presidents remarks highly misguided.

The Trump administration has consistently clarified that taxpayer funding would be cut from Planned Parenthood unless they completely separate their abortion business from their taxpayer-funded services, wrote Vazquez.

Furthermore, in May, a federal judge ruled in favor of the Trump administrations decision to cut off Title X funding for Planned Parenthood. If Planned Parenthood were to house its abortion services in a different facility, with a different staff, it could still receive Title X funds, which could range from $50 million to $60 million annually.

In 2017, Live Action released an investigative report showing that only five Planned Parenthood clinics provide health care to pregnant women.

According to the pro-life group, 92 of the clinics responded by saying Planned Parenthood doesn't have an OB/GYN on staff and only use their ultrasound equipment on women seeking an abortion.

CP's own investigation found that only one clinic said they provide pregnant women with one pack of prenatal vitamins, if they have them in stock.

Earlier this year, the United Nations Human Rights Committee released a General Comment on the right to life that included a statement that governments should not deny effective access by women and girls to safe and legal abortion.

Although States parties may adopt measures designed to regulate voluntary terminations of pregnancy, such measures must not result in violation of the right to life of a pregnant woman or girl, noted the committee.

States parties must provide safe, legal and effective access to abortion where the life and health of the pregnant woman or girl is at risk, or where carrying a pregnancy to term would cause the pregnant woman or girl substantial pain or suffering, most notably where the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest or is not viable.
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The late Dr. Billy Graham once said, The Christian life is not a constant high. I have my moments of deep discouragement. I have to go to God in prayer with tears in my eyes, and say, O God, forgive me, or Help me. It comforts me to know someone as faithful as Dr. Graham has said something like this because I too have experienced discouragement on many occasions.

There were the times when as a pastor I was broken-hearted at the spiritual lethargy and backsliding of my parishioners. Nothing I did to stir them seemed to make any difference. It was hard when certain members of the church betrayed me or purposely made it difficult to lead effectively. It was especially difficult when the Board of Deacons at one church called for my resignation, when I had done nothing worthy of censure or dismissal. Instead, I had been proclaiming the unadulterated Gospel of Christ, which some found offensive. It was terribly discouraging as a young pastor to discover that doing right doesnt always lead to a right result or that I would be rightly treated by people who should know what was right.

As executive director and lobbyist for the Christian Action League, there have been a lot of discouraging experiences.

There was the time when my lobbying activity blocked the proposal for a state-operated lottery dead in its tracks, when suddenly and unexpectedly everything changed, and that damnable predatory racket gained passage by one vote. Then there was an egregious piece of alcohol legislation that I was sure my advocacy had killed, but it later revived and passed by an act of political treachery. Certainly painful was when a rogue federal judge overturned the Marriage Protection Amendment added to North Carolinas Constitution  a measure that I had labored on for ten years to see passed. Then there was the repeal of HB 2, commonly known as the bathroom bill, good sense legislation meant to protect women and children from having to share restrooms, showers, and locker rooms with men. HB 2 died from the medias mammoth smear campaign and formidable political pressures from Leftists groups. Nothing done was effectual to save it.

Not long ago when I was discouraged and in a dark place, I hid away in my bedroom. While lying on the bed, Kim, my wife, came in and urged me to share what was troubling me. I opened up and recalled some of the things Ive mentioned in this article, and concluded: So many losses! So many disappointments! It causes you to ask, is it worth it? Why labor so passionately, so sacrificially, in the face of such failure?

Seeking my comfort, Kim tenderly kissed me on the cheek and said, Yes, it was worth it. It was worth it because Jesus is worth it! And it is worth continuing because he is worthy. He is worth every arduous mile of the journey, every insult, every injury, every inconvenience, and every incapacitation.

Tears filled my eyes. How could I ever forget that Jesus was worth it?

O God, forgive me, help me.

Indeed. I cannot separate the causes for which I have given much of my life from Jesus Christ himself. I pursued them in obedience to his call. But the defeats can be somewhat disillusioning  somewhat confusing  that righteousness often doesnt succeed  that evil many times wins the day. It can be very discouraging. Nevertheless, what lifts my heart out of the muck and mire of lost confidence and enthusiasm is that Jesus is always worth the effort to defend or advance the purposes of God.

Our Lord doesnt call upon us to succeed, but to be faithful.

Think of it. Noah preached for decades while the people of his day only scoffed at the truth. The prophets proclaimed the Word of God to wayward Israel, but Israel did not turn from her sins, and Gods own people murdered many of them. What about Jesus? When he came to the end of his ministry, it appeared as though his disciples hadnt actually believed him. Despite three years of concentrated and exhaustive ministry, his inner circle forsook him, and the religious authorities had him crucified. The Disciples of Christ suffered tremendously for their faith, and most of them died violent deaths.

Still, the apostle Paul admonished: So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless (I Cor. 15:58).

Knofel Staton has beautifully stated that followers of Christ need to be positive and optimistic and encourage each other as they approach the end of days.

Christians should preach the kind of hope that will cancel depression, the kind of values that will cancel self-pity, the kind of victory that will cancel defeatism, the kind of power that will eliminate weakness, says Staton. Christ has already won! So has everyone who is in Christ! We are already winners because of him.

One day we will see the Lord take all of our labors for his names sake and weave them into an incorruptible kingdom tapestry, where the words of Christs model prayer will finally be answered, Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. (Mt. 6:10).

Yes, its worth it. Its always worth it because Jesus is worth it.
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This is the third and final installment in my interview/conversation with John Marriott on the issue of Christians leaving the faith to become atheists. Here are links to the first installment, The Problem of Christians Becoming Atheists, and the second installment, The Solution to Christians Becoming Atheists (Part 1). Needless to say, I strongly recommend reading the first two installments before this one.

JM: Well, lets get to the third suggestion. Earlier, I mentioned that a problem for deconverts was trying to maintain belief in the biblical narrative while living in the 21st century. I think it is important to flesh this out a bit.

Former believers sometimes explain it as analogous to an adult trying to believe in Santa Claus. Its easy for kids to believe in Santa because their understanding of the world is so primitive and ignorant that the Santa story can fit within it without much difficulty. But as they get older and their understanding of the world grows it squeezes out any room for Santa. Somewhere between 6  10 years of age, the idea of an overweight man sliding down all the chimneys of the world in one night, with a sack of presents begins to feel suspect. Over time that suspicion will grow as they learn more about the nature of reality. During this process a growing sense of cognitive dissonance sets in. They have become aware that much of the Santa story doesnt add up, but they may still want to believe in Santa, so they seek answers to their own internal skepticism that will let them maintain their belief in Santa and still be rational. Eventually, however, all children come to the point where they cant believe in Santa anymore. The cognitive dissonance produced as a result of what they have come to know of reality and their belief in Santa Claus reaches a point where it can only be resolved by admitting what they know to be true; Santa does not exist.

Something similar underwrites a significant percentage of deconversions. The biblical narrative that once easily fit within their childlike understanding of reality began to get squeezed out as they matured in their understanding of reality. The stories in the Bible about miracles, witches, giants, demons, etc. began to feel as out of place as Santa. To resolve the problems they may seek answers that will allow them to continue to believe in such things as adults in the 21st century. This is the experience not just of those who deconvert but all educated, reflective Christians today. I suspect that even for those that do remain Christians, the cognitive dissonance never completely goes away, it just has been reduced to a level that allows them to continue to believe. For deconverts however, the cognitive dissonance is not sufficiently assuaged by apologetics. It grows despite their efforts and reaches a tipping point. As in the case with Santa, the only way to resolve the tension is to admit what they know is true. God does not exist.

RR: Ouch. Sounds pretty bleak. So whats the way forward?

JM: Responding to this challenge is difficult because it is closely connected to the power that culture has to shape our thinking. And we have very little ability to change that. But let me offer three brief suggestions.

First, we need to do a better job of doing apologetics. I appreciate you and your work because it is measured, articulate and you know what you are talking about. So much internet apologetics and even published works at the popular level are unhelpful. Amateurs who dont know what they are talking about parrot the arguments of qualified philosophers, historians and scientists, without having the depth of understanding needed to do it well. Individuals who leave the faith should be leaving because they found the best of Christian thinking to be lacking, not because a self-styled apologist let them down. Much more could be said here.

RR: Thats why I stopped referring to the Borde, Guth, and Vilenkin Theorem in debates on cosmology and Gods existence: I didnt really know what I was talking about! I think we should all be more careful about attempting to amass a bag of talking points or factoids to support our view when we dont really understand the conceptual frameworks in which theyre embedded.

JM: Second, we need to help folks see the role of plausibility structures, social imaginaries and other socio-cultural factors in influencing our thinking. What we take to be rational, and what answers we are willing to consider are already determined in part by when and where we live. As Charles Taylor has so persuasively argued, the conditions of belief have changed and they make it harder to believe in the biblical story. We live in an increasingly secular culture. But what needs to be pointed out is this is not because the secular was inevitable as humanity evolved. Nor is it a sign that we are becoming more rational in some objective sense. The secular turn is as much a construct, and product of historical factors as the religious nature of the Middle Ages was. The secular culture and its attendant rationality is not what is left over after you subtract religion and superstition. It is a construal with a philosophic lineage. As such, we should remind Christians that beliefs in the miraculous, and strange, which feel rationally out of place within our cultural moment, do so, not because they are inherently irrational but because we are secular. To counter the negative affective influence of our secular age on faith formation, we need to immerse ourselves in another culture; the church.

RR: Yeah, thats a great point. Im reminded here of the following quote from new atheist Sam Harris in which he describes atheism simply in terms of rational belief:

Atheism is not a philosophy; it is not even a view of the world; it is simply an admission of the obvious. In fact, atheism is a term that should not even exist. No one ever needs to identify himself as a non-astrologer or a non-alchemist. We do not have words for people who doubt that Elvis is still alive or that aliens have traversed the galaxy only to molest ranchers and their cattle. Atheism is nothing more than the noises reasonable people make in the presence of unjustified religious beliefs.

Harris seems to have no awareness that he has a worldview no less than the religious people he disparages. Time and again, I find average atheists expressing a similar view to Harris: they think they simply have a neutral, rational view of reality rather than recognizing that they have a historically conditioned finite perspective no less than anybody else.

JM: The third counter measure we can apply in helping believers maintain faith in the midst of a secular culture that makes them feel akin to an adult believing in Santa, is to find good communities of faith that reaffirm the biblical narrative we indwell. Authoritative communities like local churches (and to a degree the global church) act as plausibility structures, the necessary social framework for belief maintenance. Space prevents me from saying too much here about plausibility structures and the crucial role they play in faith formation. But I would encourage readers to pick up Peter Bergers The Sacred Canopy. In it Berger demonstrates the role and importance of the church, specifically church communities, in providing legitimacy to the biblical narrative. This was true not only in the Middle Ages, but also in our own. Being around healthy, biblical communities that reinforce the truth of Christ through preaching his word, worshipping him and loving each other well, can powerfully counter the faith draining effect our secular age can have on faith formation and maintenance.

RR: I certainly agree. Indeed, some years ago I wrote an article about this very idea titled Worshipping a Flying Teapot? What to do when Christianity looks ridiculous. In addition, the following quote from Os Guinness seems particularly relevant here:

Roman Catholicism is more likely to seem true in Eire than in Egypt, just as Mormonism is in Salt Lake City than in Singapore, and Marxism in Moscow than in Mecca. In each case, plausibility comes from a world of shared support.

So yeah, I agree heartily with your point about the critical importance of communities of shared belief.

But as we conclude, let me push back a bit on a couple of points. First, what would you say to the person who worries that your analysis that there is no privileged perspective  like the modern secular view  leads to relativism? That is, we just have a multiplicity of independent and equally true perspectives?

JM: I would say that just because we cannot extricate ourselves from our perspective  embedded as it is in a particular time and place  that does not entail relativism. At least ontologically, anyway. We may see things from a perspective, but that doesnt mean reality itself is a social construct with nothing beyond it. Beliefs are either true or false depending on how they reflect reality, not if my peers let me get away with holding them. The challenge is how to demonstrate which view best reflects reality. To do that I would appeal to some non-foundationalist forms of persuasion and analysis. Examples here would include, the work of Alasdair MacIntyre, Lesslie Newbigin, and Esther Meek, among others.

RR: Okay, now for my second question. What would you say to the person who worries that your emphasis on securing belief within mutually reinforcing belief communities could encourage indoctrination? For example, if the Flat Earth Society realizes that the next generation will only accept a flat earth if they continue to live in a community of likeminded flat earthers, then they may never be exposed to rational critical thinking and evidence to question their entire framework.

Do you see that as a danger?

JM: Theoretically I suppose it is. But what I have in mind isnt a siege or ghetto mentality. Rather, I am advocating that believers take advantage of the great resources that God has given them in the church. One of which is that it provides the encouragement they need as strangers and aliens in the broader culture. Good churches, or outposts of the Kingdom, will be those that seek not to indoctrinate but to be channels through which the Spirit of God can work in bringing about spiritual formation. One way they can do so is by helping individuals to love God with their minds. Loving God with ones mind entails evaluating all things and holding fast to what is true. The church has nothing to fear from critical thinking. In fact, it should be known for doing so with excellence.

There is much more that could be said on the subject of deconversion. If readers would like to learn more one way they can do so is to visit my website www.johnmarriott.org . There you will find the latest research, help for those trying to understand the loss of faith, and hope for those trying to maintain it. A second option is to pick up a copy of my recent book, A Recipe For Disaster: Four Ways Parents and Churches Prepare Individuals to Lose Their Faith and How to Instill a Faith that Endures. In it you will find more data on the rates and scope of deconversion, a survey on what the New Testament says about apostasy, and more about how well meaning Christian parents and church leaders unwittingly contribute to the process of deconversion.

Thanks Randal for taking the time to chat with me. Its been a pleasure.
China institutes points-based system for arresting Christians; police ordered to make arrests or be fired

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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.
Child soldier was trained to kill Christians - until he became one

A man who was trained as a child soldier to attack Christians shared what led him to the Bible and Jesus, despite threats to his life.

Christian broadcaster SAT-7 shared the story of the man, identified only as 24-year-old Jahan, in an article on Thursday, noting that he was born in Afghanistan.

"I was young and loved rifles, and all I heard was about killing this person and that person because we were told they were no good, attacking infidels and those who had become Christians," Jahan recalled.

"We were told we have to go to war against them. One day, my father was asleep, and I ran away. I worked and earned 20 rupees a day, and with hardship, I managed to get to Iran."

Smugglers helped him through a perilous journey over fields and mountains, until he finally reached Iran at the age of 15, and became a builder's apprentice.

"I experienced much hardship to be able to have light in my life. I got to read His book and found Him. One of my friends was a Christian and told me all about his faith over the phone," he said.

"When I read the Bible, I understood that what I had been taught is very different. Someone who reads the Bible can go to his God and solve his problems."

Jahan declared that he is now in a happy place as a Christian, but is sad for his father and mother, who are still living a radicalized life.

"They don't answer my calls and I know if they found me, they would kill me. Even here, I am in danger. To my father, I hope you live a long and healthy life. I am your child, but I don't want to live in a dark world," he said.

Persecution watchdog group Open Doors USA ranks Afghanistan as the second worst country in the world for Christians, behind only North Korea.

"Because all Christians in Afghanistan are essentially converts, they are unable to express their faith, even in private. In many cases, upon being discovered, these converts are considered insane for leaving Islam. If they cannot be convinced to return to their former faith, they are sometimes committed to psychiatric institutions," the group explains on its website of the suffering that Christians face.

"Others experience loss of personal property and businesses, beatings and even death at the hands of their own family members and communities. Knowing this, believers risk everything when telling others about Christ, also endangering those they witness to. Afghanistan Christian persecution is a tragic tale that is both old and new and seemingly not going anywhere."

Islamic extremism is a problem in the country. The Islamic State terror group, and other terrorist factions, have for years been at war with government soldiers. Back in November, IS fighters killed 27 soldiers at a mosque at an Afghan army base, wounding another 44.

Terror groups have stepped up their deadly attacks in the past couple of months, AFP noted, aiming to spread their influence in the country.

Courtesy of The Christian Post
Democrat says Trump's border wall would have killed baby Jesus but GoFundMe campaign still raises $15m

A Democratic congressman has blasted Christians who support Donald Trump's border wall, saying that if something like that had existed at the time of Jesus' birth, He would not have survived Herod's persecution.

Rep Luis Gutierrez said Mary and Joseph had been able to flee with baby Jesus because there was no border wall blocking their entry to Egypt.

He made the comments during a House Judiciary Committee session to discuss Trump's proposed wall, which was a centrepiece of the president's election campaign.

'It is repugnant to me, and astonishing to me, that during Christmas  I like to call them the holiday seasons to be inclusive, but during Christmas because the majority always wants to just call it Christmas  that during Christmas, a time in which we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, a Jesus Christ who had to flee for his life with Mary and Joseph, thank God there wasn't a wall that stopped him from seeking refuge in Egypt,' Gutierrez said.

'Thank God that wall wasn't there, thank God there wasn't any administration like this, or he would have to have perished on the 28th, on the Day of the Innocents, when Herod ordered the murder of every child under two years of age.'

He continued: 'Maybe I haven't gone a lot to Bible school, but I know that part. Thank God. 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 a badge of Christianity during Christmas, and allow the secretary to come here and lie.'

Parts of the US government have shut down early as lawmakers remain at loggerheads over $5bn in funding for the wall along the border with Mexico.

But even as lawmakers are fighting over the funding, a disabled Florida veteran has raised over $15m in just six days since launching a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for the wall.

Brian Kolfage, a triple amputee who served in Iraq, is already well on his way towards his $1bn target.

His GoFundMe page states: '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.

'I have grandparents who immigrated to America legally, 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.

'If the 63 million people who voted for Trump each pledge $80, we can build the wall. That equates to roughly 5Billion Dollars, even if we get half, that's half the wall. We can do this.'

Pastor Robert Jeffress, a staunch Trump supporter, hit back at Rep Gutierrez by claiming that building a border wall was consistent with the Bible.

'Had there been a wall in Egypt, God would have obliterated it or He would have sent the family some place else,' the pastor told Fox News.

'God wasn't about to allow His Son to be murdered prematurely before His appointed time on the cross.'

He continued: 'God is not against walls, walls are not un-Christian. The Bible says even Heaven is going to have a wall around it, not everyone is going to be allowed in.'
ISIS threatens Britain's 'pigs of the cross'

The Islamic State has issued a fresh terrorist threat to 'pigs of the cross' in Britain this Christmas.

One of its latest propaganda posters, spotted by the Site Intelligence Group, shows a terrorist pointing a gun at Santa in front of an antique shop on a British high street.

The poster warns: 'O pigs of the cross, the day is near when your carnage will be gifts for your children.'

Site Intelligence said the terrorist group had issued a 'plethora of threats to raise fear among Westerners and incite lone wolves' to attack Christmas and New Year celebrations.

In another poster shared by Site Intelligence, ISIS says Christian holidays are 'a season for which the hungry lions eagerly await'. The poster shows masked gunmen standing in front of burning buildings and a stretch of water turned blood red.

Last month, the pro-ISIS media group Al-Abd Al-Faqir published a poster showing a gun being aimed at Pope Francis with the slogan 'Don't think you are away from our attacks.'

European nations are on high alert after a gunman killed five at a Christmas market in Strasbourg, France, in an attack claimed by ISIS.

The suspect, Cherif Chekatt, was shot dead by police two days later. According to the BBC, he was on the 'fiche S' watchlist of people who posed a potential threat to national security.

The Islamic State has repeatedly called for lone wolf attacks to be carried out on Europe and last year, warned of 'Christmas blood'.

In Morocco, ISIS supporters are suspected of carrying out the murders of two Scandinavian tourists this week, although the Islamic State has not yet claimed responsibility.

In 2016, 12 people were killed in a terrorist attack in Berlin in which a truck was deliberately driven into crowds of people at a Christmas market.

In the UK, where Christmas markets are a staple in many large towns and cities, security measures have been scaled up with crash barriers, armed police patrols, and bag searches becoming commonplace in recent years.

The Vatican has said it will not be 'paralysed by fear' of an attack by ISIS.

'The Vatican could be a target because of its religious significance,' Cardinal Pietro Parolin said in 2015.

'We are capable of increasing the level of security in the Vatican and the surrounding area. But we will not let ourselves be paralysed by fear.'
Mob of 300 Hindu extremists attack children's Sunday school, says teacher

A pastor in India said a mob of 300 Hindu extremists terrorize Christian children and threaten to beat them for attending a Sunday school class he was leading.

Pastor Selva Raj of Amathur village in India's Tamil Nadu state told Morning Star News that the attack happened on Nov. 11. The mob of 300 or so radicals destroyed a shed near the worship building before descending upon children in a Sunday school class.

"They took away the Bible storybooks and some song and activity books from the children and tore them into pieces," Raj told Morning Star News in a piece published on Wednesday. "They scared the children away by telling them that they will be beaten up if they are seen in the church premises ever again."

The Hindu radicals then pressured both police and landlords to banish the pastor from the village.

Despite pressure to leave the village, Raj said he has refused to do so.

"I told them that I am not going to write anything," he said. "The inspector also told them, 'If he has done something wrong, you tell us, and we can give him a strong warning to not do it. But we do not have the authority to tell anyone to leave the village.'"

Raj explained that local Hindu leaders have been highly opposed to the presence of Christians in Amathur, and for years have been chasing away other pastors.

He vowed to continue offering Bible study classes for the children, no matter the cost.

"I'm ready to become martyr for Christ," the pastor said. "Until my Lord provides us a building, we will continue serving the Lord. It is fine even if we do not have shelter, we will not stop worshiping Him. We are ready to die for Christ."

Christians have been attacked, beaten and threatened by Hindu radicals throughout rural areas in India, often falsely accused of trying to forcefully convert other believers.

A pastor who leads a congregation in Madhya Pradesh State said in September that 15 families were scared off from going to church due to threats made by Hindu radicals, but they continue to worship Jesus in secret.

"The radicals say they will beat and kill my church members if they continue to attend the services," Pastor Singh, as the church leader was identified, told International Christian Concern at the time.

"Prior to May this year, around 200 people used to worship regularly in my church," he added. "But now only 50 to 60 people attend my church on Sunday. They are under tremendous pressure from Hindu radicals."

In other instances, Christian families have been pressured into converting back to tribal religions. Three families faced such a fate in October in Lisiya village, West Singhbhum District, after Hindu radicals began destroying their homes and threatening to take their land and resources.

"Pastors and Christians from Lisiya and surrounding village churches tried to encourage them to continue in the Christian faith in these testing times," area resident Subod Sinku said of the difficulties placed upon the Christians.

Courtesy of The Christian Post
Americans associate sleep with laziness, but sleep experts say its impossible for healthy people to overindulge in sleep. Some people may crave more food than they need, but only people who are physically or mentally ill crave more sleep than necessary. And we humans need a lot.

Some people like to say theyll sleep when they die, but study after study shows that sleeping too little will make you half dead when youre awake  less able to learn, perform, remember, react quickly or make good decisions.

Thats how were teaching young people to live. One of the most counterproductive American habits is forcing teenagers to get up at the crack of dawn for school. Tearing themselves out of bed with the jangle of an alarm may help them learn deprivation and sacrifice, but they wont learn as much math, science, literature or history that way.

University of Washington neurobiologist Horacio de la Iglesia says that teens develop a different circadian rhythm from children or adults. Teens actually need about nine hours of sleep, though few get the chance. And once they go through puberty, their bodies want stay up until midnight, and want to get up after 8. To a teen, he says, getting up at 6:30 feels like getting up at 4:30 for a typical adult.

But this is America, where people are deeply suspicious of personal comfort. Let teens get the amount of sleep they want? What will that do to their productivity? De la Iglesia and colleagues had a chance to find out a couple of years ago when schools in the Seattle district changed their start times from 7:50 a.m. to the much more civilized hour of 8:45 a.m.

Following a cohort of students from two schools before and after the change, the researchers equipped their subjects with wrist motion sensors, considered a more accurate way to measure sleep than self-reporting. Theres an assumption, he said, that teenagers are lazy and therefore if you let them sleep in they will go to bed later at night. But thats not what the study found.

The students with the later start times went to bed around the same time they used to, fell asleep around the same time, and on average got 35 minutes more sleep a night. Grades improved in both schools, and in the poorer of the two schools, students were more likely to arrive on time. De la Iglesia says this might have something to do with the parents being more likely to have early-starting jobs, leaving the responsibility for getting to school on time to the kids. The results were published last Wednesday in the journal Science Advances.

One clue to Americans counterproductive attitude about sleep comes from a recent interview in Boston Magazine with sleep biologist Charles Czeisler of Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Womens Hospital. He said the military used to deprive soldiers of sleep, thinking this would train them to handle sleep deprivation in combat  sort of the way exercise can train you to handle physical exertion. But this is crazy. Czeisler compared the practice to starving people to prepare them for a situation where they had inadequate food.

As for schools, Czeisler said in the interview that before 1910, American schools started at 9 a.m., and that education experts vowed that the U.S. should avoid the mistake of the Germans and British, who were starting school at 7 or 7:30. But school start times in the U.S. crept earlier. Which, in Czeislers opinion, prevents students from achieving what they might be capable of if they got enough sleep.

Imagine the frenzy if someone invented a drug that enhanced performance as much as adequate sleep does. Theres no need for this drug though; thats one advantage that can be had free, no prescription required.

Educating people about proper sleep would be one of the most cost-effective ways to improve public health, said de la Iglesia. Unfortunately many people dont recognize that their performance is degraded. Poor self-assessment is another side effect of losing sleep, he said: People think they are doing fine.
Another year, another lit Christmas bash down at Burnhouse on the Northwest Side.

San Antonio party crowds flocked to the rooftop club Thursday night to celebrate the second annual "Sexy Santa Party."
Henny, I was not ready, henny.

Henny!

Look, it's no secret that I -- and many others -- think Stacy Layne Matthews belongs in the pantheon of legendary "Drag Race" children. I even rallied for her to make the "All Stars" 2 cut.

GETTING HER JUSH: Jasmine Masters has something to say

SLM is a national treasure, henny. And I'm so glad RuPaul has finally realized that.

It's henny for the holidays when the All Stars must write lyrics, record vocals, create choreography and style themselves as part of the girl group Henny. Stacy Layne Matthews is the "artist in residence" and will be featured in each performance.

I can't stop smiling. Valentina is my big mood all episode.

Seriously, that entrance?

Brown cow stunning.

Let's get something out of the way first. Gia Gunn. Shady, sneaky, tired Gia. Trying so hard to make an impact. Girl we know you know what you're doing. It's already boring.

Gia instigates arguments. Interrupts moments. Offers up plastic apologies. The other girls see it, too. Gia says she and Farrah Moan, who were "close friends" had a "big falling out" over another friendship. Something about being drunk and letting someone have it and GIRL BYE.

COMO LA FLOR: 12 actress who could play Selena in the Netflix series

Farrah nailed it, y'all: "Some of us don't have to force storylines to get their air time."

ANYWAY. The girls are divided up into two teams led by Trinity the Tuck and Monique Heart, who won last week's challenge.

Trinity's team will perform "Don't Funk it Up" and includes Valentina, Latrice Royale, Manila Luzon and Gia.

Valentina sparkles this episode. Her star power is in full effect. She's a standout in the number. Giving me Selena, henny. This is the queen I am here for.

Manila, who probably has the most music experience of all these queens, is oddly muted in every way. Hair. Outfit. Voice. WAKE UP, MANILA. But that runway saves her.

Gia calls everyone "hags." Next.

Monique's team performs "Everybody Say Love." I actually dig her Aaliyah look and get it from the start. But Valentina is right -- "The fit of that pant is not OK. That is so disrespectful to Aaliyah. How dare you."

I like Monet X Change but I still don't see growth. Gimme more! I need something new.

Naomi Smalls? Everything. Werk. Slay my life. Watch out for her.

Our Houston girl Farrah is besieged by nerves. It's uncomfortable to watch. That dancing.

Can we talk briefly about Ciara and Kacey Musgraves as the most fabulous judges to date? With the opinions? I love it.

Valentina and Monet(?) take the top spots and lip sync to "Into You" by Ariana Grande. Monique's messy performance and Farrah's continuing free fall land them in the bottom.

Monique gives it her all. But there's no stopping Valentina. THIS IS HOW YOU DO IT. It's a particularly sweet win since a Grande song sent Valentina home during that notorious non-lip sync.

Valentina and Farrah had their moment during the reunion. Valentina is concerned that sending Farrah home will undo the work they've done on their friendship.

But "with a broken heart," she does send Farrah home. And Valentina is here to slay, mis amores. Hennies, beware.

"RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars" 4 airs at 7 p.m. Fridays on VH1.
By Trend

The United States is providing Kiev with additional funding to build up its navy in light of the Kerch strait incident, the State Department said in a press release, Sputnik reported.

"In response to Russias dangerous escalation and unjustified November 25 attack on three Ukrainian naval vessels near the Kerch Strait, the Department of State, subject to Congressional approval, will provide an additional $10 million in Foreign Military Financing to further build Ukraines naval capabilities," the release said on Friday.

Russian officials have said Ukrainian naval ships and their crews were detained by Russian border guards for illegally crossing the Russian maritime border and failing to respond to multiple lawful demands to stop.

Following the incident, Poroshenko signed a decree declaring martial law in several Ukrainian regions located near the Russian border. Putin has said that the incident was a provocation prepared in advance as a pretext to introduce martial law, suspending voting rights, ahead of Ukraine's presidential election since Poroshenkos popularity ahead of the vote was low.
A man trying to rob a McDonald's on the Northwest Freeway was hospitalized after being shot by a customer Friday night.

Houston police received reports around 8:45 p.m. of an aggravated robbery at the McDonald's at 12020 Northwest Freeway. The male suspect was shot in the shoulder and chest area by a customer after another customer threw a chair at him. He then drove himself to a local hospital in a black sedan.
A Christmas celebration honoring more than 50 at-risk Las Americas Newcomer school students and their teachers was held Wednesday, Dec. 19, at Las Americas Newcomer School, 6501 Bellaire Blvd. in Houston.

The event was underwritten by the Secours Populaire, the Texan-French Alliance for the Arts, Houston ISD and Las Americas Newcomer School. It was held in the presence of Houston ISD and French Consulate representatives.

Since 1976 Secours Populaire has been offering children and families in need toys, books and festive food parcels throughout France and beyond through their Green Santa Claus initiative.

Because the best way to spread the spirit of Christmas is to share with others, The Secours Populaire has partnered with the Texan-French Alliance for the Arts to support extremely underserved children at Las Americas during a Christmas celebration that aims at reinforcing solidarity among our communities.

Poverty is gaining ground and the fear of falling into poverty is spreading. Poverty and exclusion cause damage to people, the poorest French people cannot afford anything at all: holidays, leisure, culture or food. And what about the people beyond French borders who are suffering from hunger or are confronted with violence or natural disasters?

In the face of all this heartache, Texan-French Alliance for the Arts, Be the Peace Be the Hope and The Secours Populaire believe that the only possible answer is solidarity.

Last year, more than 200 Wisdom High School students benefited from the TFAA Be the Peace-Be the Hope program supported by Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund and The Secours Populaire. They were awarded citizenship month certificates and unveiled their art installation of hope.

This coming year Texan-French Alliance for the Arts and Be the Peace Be the Hope intend to go out and do more by partnering with mental health organizations such as Menninger Clinic, Houston Galveston Institute, Center for Healing Arts and Sciences as well as creative partners such as MECA, Houston Grand Opera, Literacy through Photography at Fotofest, the Wide School, Urban Movement and Houston Revision. We hold on to the hope that brighter days are to come and that we will join forces with more organizations to support the most vulnerable ones in our communities.

According to Las Americas Newcomer School, Las Americas Middle School is a newcomer campus that educates recent immigrant and refugee students who have no or very limited English language proficiency and who often have had a limited formal education in their native countries. At Las Americas, our goal is to help students acquire beginning English skills, provide instruction in core academic content areas.
Cleveland city council members approved the Earned Money Contract for a property located at FM 1010 and the 105 Loop, at the city council meeting on Dec. 18 at city hall.

The approximately 2.372 acre tract was the subject of a contested land deal between Cleveland and Liberty County over boundaries and right of way.

Cleveland officials met with Liberty County officials on Dec. 10 to discuss the land, which will be used for future municipal facilities. Both sides agreed on a deal that would work for Liberty County and Cleveland.

We had a good meeting in Liberty last Monday, said Mayor Otis Cohn during the city council meeting. We came up with a solution to a problem that has been sticking up for a while and it was a good meeting. We came up with a good solution the city and country. It seems here lately the city has been batting 1.000 and I would like to see that continue into the next year, and I think it will.

The difficulty preventing the land deal was a temporary road installed by the county that is smack in the middle of the land to be exchanged. That, along with an easement of 100 feet, would prevent the city from doing anything with the land because it would be to small for development.

We have been discussing this piece of property, said City Manager Kelly McDonald at the city council meeting. This would expand our option basically to expand our operations.

The city council members also acknowledged the the sixth annual Shop with a Cop event that took place at Walmart. Police offers shopped with 51 children who received a $50 gift card.

City council approved Judge Bob Steely and Associate Court Judge Ralph Fueller for an additional two-year term. His current term is due to end on Feb. 14, 2019.

City council approved the purchase of a new tractor for the West Wastewater Treatment plant.

A tractor was stolen from the West Wastewater Treatment plant in April. The tractor will cost $17,639 and $14,100 will be covered by the insurance. The Wastewater Treatment plant also has another tractor and both will be secured in the future.

marcus.gutierrez@chron.com
The Katy ISD school board knew someone was going to be unhappy with campus boundary changes regardless of what option they picked to help relieve overcrowding in the districts fast-growing southwest portion.

Trustee Bill Lacy has played and played with the numbers but said, its difficult to do without affecting some people.

People are going to have to understand, we have to do as trustees what is best for the district overall, Lacy said.

The voter approved November 2017 election provided for the construction of what is now called Junior High 16, to be located in the Cross Creek Ranch subdivision. The construction project is expected to be completed in August 2019, just in time for the new school year.

Junior High 16 will open near capacity enrollment and provide population relief to Tays, WoodCreek and Seven Lake junior high schools, said KISD Chief Operations Officer Lee Crews.

In June, more than 10,000 messages were sent out asking stakeholders - especially parents whose children could be affected - for their pick of three different options to find an equitable balance of the student population in light of the new junior high school and a new elementary school for the district. Officials ultimately received more than 5,000 responses.

Most of the respondents went for Option 3 which KISD officials said would eventually caused WoodCreek Junior High to be over capacity by 2020 while Tays Junior High would receive only limited relief and remain significantly overcapacity.

At their Dec. 17 board meeting, the KISD trustees voted for Option 1 - it would affect students from Seven Lakes, Cinco Ranch, WoodCreek and Tays high to make way for Junior High 16.

KISD trustee Rebecca Fox said boundary struggles are never easy but says they cant have schools in the district that are underserved.

We have to fully utilize our resources, Fox said. I prefer the balance of Option 1.

Lacy said it was important for KISD students to be prepared when they finally get to high school and a well-balanced classroom is part of the equation.

We can effectively have them learn the things they need to have prepared when they enter, he said. Weve got to be able to have our children not be overcrowded, for a safety standard is for nothing else.

The survey that yielded the results from the public was itself problematic, said KISD trustee George Scott who advocated for including additional outreach efforts - such as focus groups - to properly gauge the opinion of the Katy community.

The survey to me is fundamentally flawed. It is not statistically reliable, Scott said. It allows for the ballot box to be stuffed.

mike.glenn@chron.com
3 1 of 3 Courtesy photo Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Courtesy photo Show More Show Less 3 of 3





On Tuesday, Dec. 18, OCuSOFT sponsored the 2018 Annual Holiday Celebration at Fort Bend Seniors Meals on Wheels (FBS). The event took place at the Bud OShieles Community Center in Rosenberg with seniors from across Fort Bend and Waller counties in attendance.

This annual celebration is the official holiday event for Fort Bend Seniors and featured games of bingo, raffle drawings, and holiday carols. OCuSOFT employees donated their time and served a holiday lunch catered by Lomontes Italian Restaurant to more than 200 seniors along with FBS Board Members. Community members and groups, including First United Methodist Church of Rosenberg, donated blankets and small gifts of slippers, lotions, socks, blankets, crosswords and more for raffle and bingo prizes.
Standard Chartered, a leading international banking group, has announced senior appointments in

the Middle East region including that of Boutros Klink as its chief executive officer excluding the UAE.

In his expanded role, Klink will have oversight over all GCC & Non-GCC countries and will hand over his duties for CEO, Bahrain to Abdulla Bukhowa, CEO, Qatar, subject to statutory and regulatory approvals.

Bukhowa will continue to oversee its operations in Qatar where he has built deep relationships.

Ahmad Abu Eideh, Cluster CEO, Non-GCC will be retiring, following eight years of service to the Bank. Ahmad navigated the JEIL cluster (Jordan, Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon) through some difficult times and macro-economic headwinds. His last day with the Bank will be March 31, 2019.

Muhannad Mukahall will take on the role of CEO, Jordan, subject to statutory and regulatory approvals.

Muhannad will also double-hat as country head, commercial banking. He joined the bank in 2013 as head of Local Corporates, Abu Dhabi and has since then held senior assignments including head, International Corporates, Abu Dhabi, and Country hHead, Global Banking, Jordan.

Gurcharan Kadan, CEO, Oman is retiring from the bank after 28 years of loyal service. During his career, Kadan had held several senior corporate banking assignments including that of Head of Transaction Bank for India, Global Head of Commercial Real Estate (CRE) based in Hong Kong, Corporate Head for Southern Africa, and Corporate Bank Head for Indonesia. His last day with the Bank will be March 31, 2019.

Hussain Yafai is appointed CEO, Oman, subject to statutory and regulatory approvals. Hussain will also double-hat as country head, Commercial Banking.

He joined the Bank in 2005 and has worked in a number of roles including Regional Business Planning Manager for Financial Markets, Head, Wholesale Banking, Oman, and Head, Global Banking, Oman.

Jamal Tartir, CEO, Saudi Arabia will also be retiring from the Bank, following three years of service. In his tenure, Jamal has led the country team through a challenging environment, and we have been able to make good progress in many areas including the regulatory agenda, governance and control.

Standard Chartered said the appointment of CEO Saudi Arabia and CEO Qatar will be announced in due course.

Sunil Kaushal, the regional CEO (Africa and Middle East), Standard Chartered Bank said: "In Africa and Middle East we have made investments in our people both in their career and personal development, and continue to support our People Strategy to build a high-performance culture through an integrated approach to talent and succession planning."

"These changes ensure a smooth and orderly succession which will allow us to continue our unrelenting focus on delivering our strategy and capturing opportunities across the region. I would like to thank Ahmad, Gurcharan, Jamal for their significant contributions to the Bank and wishing them the very best," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
The arrests of five bar employees for allegedly serving alcohol to 19-year-old Erick Hernandez before a deadly crash in South Houston are the first of a new statewide initiative, authorities said.

The five, who are all employees at Servi-Car el 3 on Houston Boulevard, are all accused of serving Hernandez at least a dozen alcoholic drinks over six hours Sunday night before police say he crashed head-on into an SUV, killing 23-year-old Taylor Phillips and injuring her 1-year-old child and 48-year-old mother.

In the case, Mildred Garcia, 21, Anna Evelyn Lule, 19, Joaquin Guadalupe Gonzalez, 19, and Jazely Marie Barrera, 21, were charged with misdemeanors associated with serving Hernandez. Gustavo Tejada-Garcia, 28, the manager of the bar, was charged with misdemeanor possession of an unauthorized beverage charge, namely tequila.

DA: 'This family should be celebrating the holiday, but is instead planning a funeral'

Hernandez is facing up to 20 years in prison on a second-degree felony intoxication manslaughter charge in the crash.

The five employees were arrested days after the crash thanks, in part, to a new initiative by the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, according to TABC Chief Law Enforcement Officer Victor Kuykendoll.

The initiative, called the Trace Protocol, started in December.

When local law enforcement believes alcohol may be a factor in a serious crash, officers can call upon a special task force comprised of TABC agents, Texas Department of Public Safetyofficers and members of the Texas Sheriff's Association.

"Prior to this protocol being put in place, it was up to the local TABC office or agent to work the case among their other duties," Kuykendoll said. "It might even take some time for the office to be notified. Like most criminal cases, it's important to gather evidence, such as video recordings, and interview witnesses within the first 48 hours."

Kuykendoll said previously, there was as little as a 10 percent success rate for authorities being able to track down the source of alcohol sales in crashes to determine if anything illegal occurred, such as over-serving bar patrons or serving to minors, both of which were in play in the Hernandez case, police said.

The Trace Protocol aims to bring that percentage up.

Each of the bar employees, as well as Hernandez, are freed on bond as their cases move through courts.

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
AUSTIN - Environmental Development Partners LLC has partnered with Wharton County Junior College to provide job training using a $383,615 Skills Development Fund grant from the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC). The grant will benefit workers in the Gulf Coast Workforce Solutions area.

The partnership between Environmental Development Partners LLC and Wharton County Junior College on this Skills Development Fund grant will provide customized training in the construction industry in the Gulf Coast Workforce Solutions area, said TWC Chair and Commissioner Representing Employers Ruth Ruggero Hughs. This investment is a win-win situation for the employer and employee that will enhance this high-demand industry and encourage growth for Texas.
John Cooper events and activities

Students in Pre-K, kindergarten, first and second grade performed a holiday concert on campus before leaving for winter break. Their songs were accompanied by drums and choreography.

The school is also hosting an admission open house on Jan. 12 beginning at 1 p.m. for families interested in applying for the 2019-20 academic year. The open house will convene at the Glenn Performing Arts Center on campus. The application deadline for most grades for the upcoming school year is January 15.

Conroe Independent School District on break

The districts campuses and offices are to be closed from Dec. 20 to Jan. 4. Students return to campus Jan. 8.

Belmont University deans list announced area students

Five students from The Woodlands and Conroe who attend Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee made the deans list in the fall 2018 semester.

The students are Emily Hammer, Jack Morgheim and Alexander Yanochik all of The Woodlands as well as Madison Woodson and Mackenzie Woodson of Conroe.

The requirements to make the list were that the students must take at least 12 course hours and maintain a 3.5 grade point average, with no grade below a C.

jane.stueckemann@chron.com
ZonesCorp, one of the largest developers of purpose-built economic zones in the UAE, said it has reached an agreement with Saudi Arabias Berain Water to build a 36,000-sq-m water bottling plant at an investment of Dh138 million ($37.5 million) in the food industry zone of Al Ain Industrial City.

The food manufacturing sector in Abu Dhabi has witnessed remarkable growth over the past few years as a result of the booming domestic market and growing exports said a statement from ZonesCorp.

Boasting strong logistics networks and a strategic location, the emirate has built state-of-the-art capabilities in producing competitive and value-added products, emerging as one of the most important food manufacturing and processing hubs in the region, it stated.

Speaking on the occasion, Saeed Eisa Mohammed Al Khyeli, the director general of ZonesCorp, said: "The UAE and Saudi Arabia enjoy strong historic relations, and our latest partnership with Berain Water testifies to the strength of those ties."

"We are pleased and proud that Berain Water has chosen ZonesCorp as its partner, and look forward to a long and successful relationship," he stated.

"At ZonesCorp, we have succeeded in diversifying our portfolio within the economic zones to include the food industry. Our partnership with Berain Water demonstrates the level of support we can provide companies from Saudi Arabia and the wider GCC region in expanding their businesses into the UAE market," noted Al Khyeli.

"Over the last 14 years, ZonesCorp has been instrumental in enabling the regions businesses to expand quickly and efficiently. Moreover, due to the concerted efforts of our staff, these companies have also integrated and well and contributed significantly to the Abu Dhabi community," he added.

On the UAE partnership, Berain Water CEO Engineer Mahdi Nasser Al Qahtani said: "We are happy to announce the investment of Dh138 million ($37.5 million) in a water bottling facility in Al Ain Industrial City with the complete support of the Abu Dhabi government and ZonesCorp."

Set to commence operations in the first quarter of 2020, the plant will produce around 70,000 200-600 ml bottles or 27,000 1.5-litre bottles per hour, he stated.

"The facility will also create 424 employment opportunities in manufacturing, marketing, distribution and sales. This may increase to 807 jobs within two years with the addition of new production lines in 2021 as we start exporting to the rest of the GCC region," said Al Qahtani.

The facility, he stated, will be able to handle the production of bottled water and other beverages in various types of packaging, such as glass and plastic bottles, in addition to manufacturing bottles and plastic caps.

Al Qahtani said ZonesCorp had presented itself as an attractive partner in this venture.

"As the largest operator of purpose-built economic zones in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain, the organisation is thoroughly familiar with client needs and can collaborate with us to create an attractive work environment. Its strategic locations and infrastructure enable ZonesCorp to provide comprehensive and integrated services, and offer full professional support from the first day of operations," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
From pomp to punk, the UK has always steered away from black and white perspectives. The Graham Chronofighter Vintage UK shows this spirit in its true colours, in this case those of the union jack flag.



The timely Swiss watch with a British heritage addresses Brexit with heart-felt honesty  by adding a question mark. As in any love affair, this tiny piece of punctuation speaks volumes. Should I go or should I stay? Can we still be friends? Will we ever get back together again? It sets the tone for a timepiece with stunning looks, a love of tradition and the courage to look to the future.



A red, white and blue painted dial flags up a mood of familiarity with a twist on this automatic chronograph with a day-date display. At first sight, the red and white stripes are boldly patriotic, yet a concertina effect lets through more blue than usual. Modernist design language or a subtle hint that a variation on European blue is still welcome? The iconic Graham Chronofighter trigger mechanism on the left-hand side enables a fast-action start/stop  a Brexit negotiators dream. The eye-catching timepiece comes with a blue calf leather strap with red and white stitching. A brown alternative is available for a stronger nostalgic statement.



The Graham Chronofighter Vintage UK is a non-negotiable limited edition of 100 pieces. Take it or leave it. - TradeArabia News Service


Rotana, one of the leading hotel management companies in the region with hotels across the Middle East, Africa and Turkey, has signed a hotel management agreement with Mullion Contractors Limited to manage a new five-star hotel and hotel apartments in Kenyan capital Nairobi.

Set to open in 2022, the new property will be situated at Upper Hill, a popular business district in the city of Nairobi.

With 200 hotel rooms and 100 hotel apartments, the upcoming hotels will be operated under the Rotana Hotels & Resorts and Arjaan hotel apartments by Rotana brands.

The agreement for the new hotel comes a month after Rotana signed up for its first property in the Republic of Zambia. The planned five-star hotel is scheduled for opening in 2021 in the heart of the south-central African countrys capital city Lusaka.

When opened, the new properties in Kenya and Zambia will join the companys portfolio of operating hotels in the African continent that includes Al Salam Rotana, Khartoum, Sudan; Kin Plaza Arjaan by Rotana at Kinshasa (DR Congo); and Grand Rotana Resort & Spa at Sharm El Sheikh (Egypt).

Commenting on the deal, Chairman Nasser Al Nowais said: "Setting foot in Kenyan market with a five-star hotel and hotel apartments is closely aligned with our vision of strengthening Rotanas presence in Africa and bolstering our global portfolio further."

"We will continue to seek new opportunities to offer Rotanas branded accommodation on the continent that is increasingly becoming popular among tourists and corporate travellers from around the world," he stated.

Selim El Zyr, the vice chairman, Rotana, said: "With its promising economic growth projections of around 6 per cent, Kenya remains one of Africas most buoyant markets and thus offers bright prospects for the hospitality sector."

"The signing of the hotel management agreement for new hotels in Nairobis thriving business district is a key milestone for Rotana. We are optimistic that this strategic step will fuel our ambitious expansion drive in the African continent," he stated.

Offering guests with all the comforts and the luxury for a pleasant and memorable long stay experience, both hotels in Nairobi will feature key hospitality offerings, including signature dining restaurants, executive lounge, ballroom, state-of-the-art meeting facilities, and generous indoor and outdoor space thoughtfully designed for formal and informal gatherings.

Other amenities will include pool and terraces, as well as a fully equipped fitness & wellness club.

The new hotel and hotel apartments will bring Rotanas total inventory in Africa to 2,028.

With an eye to capitalizing on the potential of the continents burgeoning market for the hospitality sector, Rotana has planned new hotels in Angola, Mauritania, Nigeria, and Tanzania which are scheduled to open by 2022.-TradeArabia News Service
By Auqib Javeed, TwoCircles.net

Activists, human rights defenders and journalists welcomed the letter from the UN Special Rapporteur to Twitter questioning why the social media giant was silencing users who sharing Kashmir-related content.

On Friday, for the first time ever David Kaye, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression wrote to Twitter CEO regarding the blocking of Twitter accounts of Kashmiris and users who shared or posted Kashmir-related content.

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Kaye has asked Twitter to provide complete details of the request made by the Indian Government about the withholding of Kashmir content and blockage of Kashmir Twitter handles.

Taking to social networking site Twitter, David Kaye wrote: platforms may be improving but they are often opaque to users whose accounts are suspended or posts hidden from view, esp when under pressure from governments. for case in point see my letter to @jack @twitter re #Kashmir #India:

Scores of Kashmiris have complained that their accounts were withheld and many of their tweets are being removed by Twitter for sharing the content related to human rights abuses in Kashmir.

Why does Twitter delete/withholds accounts?



Journalist and activist Irfan Mehraj thinks Twitter deleted or withheld Kashmiri accounts or censored Kashmir related content on request from the GoI (Government of India) because they would not like Kashmirs ground realities to be discussed openly and independently.

Government wants to control the flow of information coming from Kashmir because it goes against its conduct there, he says. Irfan believes that the Indian government has put a lot of pressure on social media platforms to comply with their demands and both Twitter and Facebook have complied without caring for the human rights of its users, which Kaye has also highlighted.

Irfan, who has faced censorship from Facebook multiple times, says several of his posts critical of Indian governments conduct in Kashmir were taken down during summer uprising of in 2016. On October 24, his publication Wande Magazines official Facebook page was removed by Facebook without any reason or intimation or warning.

It was taken down by Facebook in October. Due to the pressure we built on social media and relevant channels and after continuously writing to Facebook, we were able to get the page back, he adds.

This random and unnecessary act of censorship by Facebook has left Irfan wary of its promises of being a powerful platform for promoting free speech and expression.

In Kashmir, we have seen other alternative media pages getting censored in this way while pages which are known to have published and circulated fake news are operating without any tabs or questions. This is unjust and unfair, he says.

Recently he was blocked by Facebook for 24 hours without any warning. This has happened with a few other Kashmiri journalists and news websites like Free Press Kashmir and The Kashmir Walla.

For the people, social media is an important medium through which they seek to highlight the human rights abuses by the Indian forces in Kashmir. People post videos of armed forces torturing civilians, mutilating bodies of militants and vandalising public property after the encounters. It is also being used to counter the Indian narratives in Kashmir.

On August 31 last year, Wasim Khalid, a Srinagar-based journalist, received an email from Twitter stating that the Indian government had objected to some of his recent tweets.

One of the tweets that Twitter later removed from Khalids timeline was posted on June 16 of this year. Waseem says it was a picture showing two Indian soldiers standing next to a Kashmiri boy who was handcuffed and made to sit on the ground. Khalids tweet read: A teenager being used as a human shield by Indian paramilitary man in #Kashmir to stop other pro-freedom leaders from moving ahead.

Similarly, Srinagar based online web portal Free Press Kashmir has faced censorship multiple times on Facebook. On December 14, the social media page of Free Press Kashmir was banned from publishing by Facebook. Its editor, Qazi Zaid while speaking to TwoCircles.net believes it was incorrect reporting and flagging that was a reason for their Facebook ban.

He says his web portal has reported in details regarding withholding of Twitter accounts, deleting tweets on the request of the Government of India.

He says four of their stories were removed, and later restored. These were critical of the right-wing BJP, critical of UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and PM Narendra Modi to be precise. One story has been permanently removed from our page, in addition to a 48-hour period during which we were stopped from accessing our page he adds.

A Turkey-based Kashmiri Journalist Faisal Mohammad who was also served with a legal notice by Twitter says Social media is not just a platform for Kashmiris to document human rights abuse and comment on the situation in Kashmir. It has manifested itself into a weapon against Indian propaganda. And as such you see UNHCR reports and David Kayes involvement into Kashmir. Thats why India wants to set up information warriors to fight the narrative of Kashmiris online, he adds.

Faisal says there are many fake accounts which are run by the government and army masquerading as Kashmiris on Facebook and Twitter who are agent provocateurs on comments and tweets. He is hopeful this statement will serve as a wakeup call for Twitter and other social media platforms, which are pro-people in the west, and pro-government in the east.

Twitter is Indias fastest growing market

Since the BJP came into power, Twitter has actively created partnerships with BJP governments both at state and federal level which is understandable as India is the largest and the fastest growing market for Twitter.

The moderators of Twitter would have to comply with the states policy. India like other authoritarian countries has sent countless requests to take down content which the country deems illegal. It has sent legal notices, mostly to activists in Kashmir and also journalists. It definitely means that Twitter is collaborating with the Indian state in censoring voices from Kashmir, Faisal says.

Noted Human rights activist Khurram Parvez who is an active user of Twitter and usually posts stuff related to human rights abuses in Kashmir, says it is important that various UN Special Rapporteurs have slowly begun to monitor human rights situation of Kashmir.

David Kayes letter to Twitter for withholding Twitter handles of Kashmiris will certainly push Twitter to rethink how they were unethically and illegally strengthening the Indian states efforts of choking of democratic rights of Kashmiris. Twitter perhaps was obliging India because of business interests with India he says.

For Qazi Zaid, there is a different approach from Twitter, when it comes to the subcontinent. Champions of free speech and democracy take a very authoritarian position of the government to curb free speech and freedom of the press, he adds.
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The EU continues to implement its part of the March 2016 deal bit by bit by transferring 400 million euros of the remaining 3 billion euros to Turkey in order to contribute to the education of Syrian refugees. As Daily Sabah writes in the article EU finally transfers 400 million euros to contribute to education of Syrian refugees, the EU has approved the transfer of a 400-million euro financial aid package for Syrian refugees in Turkey, as part of the 3+3 billion euros migrant deal.

The new package is the first step in the 3-billion euro aid package, which is the second batch of the overall 6 billion euros of financial aid as agreed in March 2016.According to a press release by the EU Delegation to Turkey, the allocated 400 euro million will be directly transferred to Turkey's National Education Ministry, as reported Reuters.

A protocol on a cooperation package was also signed in Ankara yesterday by the head of the EU delegation to Turkey, Christian Berger, and Deputy National Education Minister Reha Denemec. During the meeting, Berger said efforts for Syrians in Turkey are ongoing and that the education of refugee children was a priority. Berger said the EU, "just like the United Nations and Turkey," could not allow losing generations without educations. He also praised the Turkish Education Ministry for the quality work done for nearly 600,000 Syrian children in the country. The EU will continue to support Turkey's work, he added.

In addition to the 400 million euros, a further 100 million euros will also be allocated to improve the infrastructure of schools, Berger also said, and added that efforts are underway to support refugee children's integration process. The EU had decided on June 29 on how the transfer the second batch collected from the member countries. Denemec said nearly 62 percent of Syrian children, which is about 655,000 refugee children, have integrated into the education system in the country, and that the aim was to increase this number to 100 percent. "About 91 percent of children at the primary education level are enrolled in school. This is a good number. However, when it comes to preschool, middle school and high school, the number goes down. It is important to increase the preschool enrollment to a higher level," Denemec said. He added that when children are integrated at the lower level, it also minimizes the possibility of a language problem later and increases their level of integration into society. The deputy minister said enrollment at the high school level is lower "as it is not mandatory" and that children in this age group often end up working jobs to support their families. He said the government is working on directing this age group to vocational high schools to learn skills they need in the job market. The new project, called PICTES 2, will cover the next three years to support educational activities for Syrian children.

Turkey and the EU signed an agreement on March 18, 2016, to stem the refugee influx to Europe. Turkey has been the main route for refugees trying to cross into Europe since the beginning of the Syrian civil war. With the agreement, irregular arrivals decreased over 90 percent, saving the lives of many of those who would have attempted a treacherous journey by sea. As part of the deal, the EU promised to accelerate Turkey's EU accession talks and visa liberalization.

Education is the main concern for refugees, as young people and children make up the majority of Syrians taking shelter in Turkey.

Turkey has so far reached out to more than 610,000 Syrian children in its bid to provide them with an education. They attend public schools, schools run by charities and schools set up in some refugee camps.
Key allies of Washington expressed concern on Friday about the resignation of U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and the policies of President Donald Trump that prompted it, praising Mattis as a committed partner, Reuters reports. attis said on Thursday he would quit after falling out with Trump over the latters foreign policies, including the surprise decision to pull troops out of Syria and plans for a drawdown in Afghanistan.

Secretary Mattis has made a key contribution to keeping NATO strong and ready to deal with the significant security challenges we face, NATO spokeswoman Oana Lungescu said. He is widely respected as a soldier and a diplomat. Mattis has been seen in Europe as firmly committed to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) military alliance, unlike his ex-boss.

Trump has warned European allies the United States could withdraw its support unless they boost defense spending. We are grateful for the iron-clad commitment of the United States to NATO. U.S. leadership keeps our transatlantic alliance strong, Lungescu said.

Former Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt, head of the liberals in the European Parliament, said the resignation only made it more urgent for the European Union to push on with its plans to bolster its own defense capabilities. Mattis checked President Trumps worst instincts & was a strong supporter of NATO & multilateralism. His departure is bad news & makes it look like (Russian President Vladimir) Putins plan is being delivered on, Verhofstadt said on Twitter.

Mattis resignation also sparked concern among Washingtons Asia-Pacific allies, who credit the retired general with building trust and tempering isolationist impulses. The region includes strong U.S. allies Japan, South Korea and Australia and has some of the worlds most volatile flashpoints, with high tension on the Korean peninsula and Chinas militarization of the South China Sea causing friction.

The resignation also surprised Kabul, where the retired Marine had been seen as a guarantor of U.S. engagement. Afghan officials reacted with unease to plans to withdraw more than 5,000 of the 14,000 U.S. troops in the country.

After being tipped off by White House sources and diplomats, French President Emmanuel Macron called Trump on Tuesday to warn him against the Syria decision, a French official said. He told him: Be careful, we think that would be a bit too early, the official said. Macron has often been cast as the one leader who had some influence on Trump, with a good personal and working relationship.

French Defence Minister Florence Parly said Trumps decision to pull troops out of Syria in the belief that Islamic State (ISIS) had been defeated was extremely grave. We do not share the analyses that the territorial caliphate has been annihilated, Parly said on RTL radio. Its an extremely grave decision and we think ... the job must be finished.

German Defense Minister Ursula Von der Leyen called for clarity on future policies. Because the United States has such a prominent role and responsibility in the global security architecture, it is important for everyone to quickly get clarity about succession and the future course, she said in a statement.
WASHINGTON  In the end, they hit a wall.

After weeks of political posturing and legislative maneuvering, President Donald Trump and Democratic congressional leaders failed late Friday night to reach agreement on border wall funding, upending a stopgap spending bill to keep a half-dozen federal government agencies open past a midnight deadline.

But they agreed to keep talking, leaving open the possibility that a deal might be reached to limit the shutdown to days or hours.

The House and Senate adjourned until Saturday, suggesting lawmakers were hopeful of a deal.

Call it the Trump shutdown. Or the Schumer shutdown. Either way, voters likely will long remember it.

Trump postponed a planned 16-day Christmas vacation at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, but gave no indication of the length of shutdown, or what it might take to end it. Even while most of the federal government is not affected, congressional aides said even a partial shutdown could furlough an estimated 380,000 federal employees, while another 420,000  such as Border Patrol officers  would have to work without pay.

A full 16-day government shutdown in 2013 cost the economy an estimated $24 billion, a toll that both sides in the standoff had to calculate into the political costs.

Amid a sinking stock market and news of the departure of Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, the dysfunction surrounding the shutdown drama cast a pall on Capitol Hill late Friday, even as both sides claimed partisan victories.

Trump, backing away from last weeks assertion that he would take responsibility for a shutdown, reversed course Friday and shifted the blame to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and his fellow Democrats, who strenuously opposed his $5 billion wall request. In earlier negotiations, Democrats offered $1.6 billion for Trumps wall.

Its really up to the Democrats, totally up to the Democrats, as to whether or not we have a shutdown, Trump said.

Schumer, in a floor speech, directed the blame back at Trump, who rejected a bipartisan plan passed by the Senate Wednesday night that would have funded the government through Feb. 8, putting off the dispute over wall money.

President Trump, you cannot erase months of video of you saying that you wanted a shutdown and that you wanted the responsibility and blame for a shutdown, Schumer said. President Trump, you own the shutdown.

Texas lawmakers largely followed their party-line scripts, with the exception of San Antonios Will Hurd, one of only eight House Republicans who voted Thursday night against a GOP bill that gave Trump $5.7 billion for a border wall. The House bill, which passed 217-185, also allocated nearly $8 billion for disaster relief from hurricanes and wildfires.

With two divergent bills clearing the House and Senate, much of Fridays focus was on a last-ditch effort by Senate Republicans to adopt the House GOP plan with the wall money, requiring some lawmakers who had gone home for the holidays to return to Washington.

But the slim 51-49 GOP majority in the Senate all but precluded final passage, since Senate rules require 60 votes to break a filibuster. Democrats, who had vowed to hang together to oppose Trumps wall, had little incentive to budge.

A procedural vote to advance the House bill tied 47-47, but passed with a tie-breaking vote cast by Vice President Mike Pence. But that only kept talks alive that had been joined by Pence, acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, and presidential advisor and son-in-law Jared Kushner.

The talks prompted Texas U.S. Rep. John Cornyn, the No. 2 Republican in the Senate, to tell reporters that he was starting to feel better about a resolution to the standoff, which had rendered the Capitol into chaos.

Senate leaders said they would only call another vote if theres a deal between the president and congressional leaders in both houses.

Trump met early in the day with a group of GOP senators to talk strategy. He also unleashed a morning tweet storm defending his request for wall funding and blaming Democrats for the impasse.

Shutdown today if Democrats do not vote for Border Security! Trump wrote in one tweet. In another, he encouraged Senate Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to employ the nuclear option of dispensing with the filibuster rule and passing the wall funding with a simple majority.

McConnell and other Republican senators have long opposed the change, fearing it would eventually backfire if they lost their majority.

McConnell has noted that Democrats have supported border security measures in the past. The only thing thats really changed are the political winds way over  way over on the Far Left, he said on the Senate floor. So lets not end this year the way we began it  with another shutdown over the issue of illegal immigration.

Democrats, however, argued that theres a difference between border security and the wall, which they consider and costly and ineffective campaign promise which Trump originally said Mexico would pay for.

They also accused Trump of playing to his conservative base, which pressed House Republicans on Thursday to reject the Senates first stopgap measure and fight for the wall money. President Trump, hounded by the radical voices of the hard right, threw another temper tantrum and here we are once again on the brink, Schumer said.

Texans on both sides said they were standing on principle, not bluffing.

For me this was a simple choice  stand with President Trump, keep the government open and build the border wall, said U.S. Rep. Kevin Brady, a Republican from The Woodlands. He called the Democratic negotiating position political gamesmanship at its worst.

Texas U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz joined members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus in a full court press to oppose Wednesdays Senate stopgap that had passed on a voice vote with the backing of McConnell, Cornyn, and other GOP leaders.

Some Republicans saw the House bill as their last chance to fund the wall before a new Democratic majority takes over in January.

We made a promise to our folks to secure our borders and weve got to keep that promise, said Woodville Republican Brian Babin, whose district includes NASAs Johnson Space Center. Without question funding to build the wall is necessary and now is our chance to do it.

Texas Democrats remained unified in their opposition, casting Trumps wall as an unneeded addition to the communities that surround the border.

Where would they build the wall? Whose home or ranch or farm are they going to take to build it? Which communities and habitats are they going to destroy? tweeted El Paso Democrat Beto ORourke, whose narrow defeat to Cruz in this years Senate race has propelled him into consideration as a potential 2020 presidential candidate.

ORourke encouraged supporters to reply with your best pictures of the border - let the rest of the country see whats at stake.
Iraq can continue electricity and gas imports from Iran without violating US sanctions under an extension granted Wednesday, senior officials close to negotiations told S&P Global Platts. Washington appears satisfied with Baghdad's intention to reduce electricity and gas imports, among other actions, and gave a 90-day waiver just as the previous 45-day waiver expired.

This provides additional time for Iraq to determine ways to pay Iran for the imports in non-dollar denominations and avoiding Iranian banks. The financial transactions technically violate sanctions, not power or gas purchases.

Iraq stopped trading in crude with Iran prior to the November 5 snapback of American sanctions, which otherwise would have violated sanctions. Iraq does not produce enough power itself or have enough feedstock for existing power plants.

Imports from Iran account for nearly 30% of Iraq's 14,000 MW of daily electricity consumption. Cutting that supply would be devastating for Iraq's economy and, considering the ferocity of summer power protests, would likely destabilize an already fragile political balance.

Around 1.25 Bcf/d is imported by pipeline feeding three power plants in Diyala and Baghdad provinces. Another 350 Mcf/d is sent by pipeline to a power plant in Basra. Hayan Abdulghani, the director general of the South Gas Company, told S&P Global Platts last week that he's overseeing projects that replace that line in two years.

Iraq also is fed a total of 1,000 MW of electricity via power lines from Iran. Negotiations began after the Trump administration made clear it would re-impose sanctions.

While the specific violations were of primary concern, American officials alluded to additional requirements, multiple officials confirmed to S&P Global Platts. Washington wanted to see a plan by Iraq to eventually become self-sustaining in power and gas, thereby reducing the need for Iranian imports.

Iraqi and Kurdistan region officials were also pressed to strike a deal to restart oil exports from federally controlled Kirkuk fields through the Kurdistan-controlled pipeline to Turkey, which began at nearly 100,000 b/d in mid November. It's unclear what specifically will be required of Iraq when the 90-day waiver expires.
Germany, France, and the United Kingdom have said that "Islamic State" remains a threat in Syria. All three appeared to dispute US President Donald Trump's claim that the militants had been vanquished. As Deutsche Welle writes in the article Germany, France, UK: 'Islamic State' not defeated in Syria, Washington's European allies in the fight against "Islamic State" (IS*) on Thursday appeared to dispute President Trump's claim that the jihadi group had been defeated as they were somewhat surprised by the optimistic appraisal.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said Washington's "abrupt change of course" had put the fight against IS* at risk. "IS has been pushed back but the threat is not yet over," Germany's Foreign Office tweeted. There is a danger that the consequences of this decision will damage the fight against IS* and jeopardize the successes already achieved."

Germany currently has some 1,200 personnel involved in the fight against IS* in Syria, including those invovled in refueling, naval, and training operations.

Meanwhile, French Defense Minister Florence Parly acknowledged that the group had been significantly weakened, she said the battle was not over. "Islamic State has not been wiped from the map, nor have its roots elsewhere. The last pockets of this terrorist organization must be defeated militarily once and for all," Parly said on Twitter.

Some 2,000 US forces are in Syria at present, most of them on a train-and-advise mission for local forces fighting IS*. France has an undisclosed number of special forces on the ground in Syria as part of the US-led coalition there, as well as fighter jets in Jordan and artillery along the Syrian border in Iraq.

Britain, which takes part in air strikes as part of the coalition effort, said it was important not to underestimate the threat that IS still poses. In a statement late Thursday, the British Foreign Office said important advances had been made in recent days, but added that "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 statement said, using an Arabic acronym for IS*.

While the Foreign Office statement diplomatically avoided a contradiction of Trump's assessment, junior Defense Minister Tobias Ellwood was more blunt, saying he "strongly" disagreed.

Trump's announcement came as a surprise after recent statements from the White House indicated that the US would remain.

While there was no official timeline for the withdrawal, media reports indicate that preparations are already underway. US Senator Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, typically seen as a Trump supporter, said he was "blindsided" by the decision. He called it "a disaster in the making." "The biggest winners in this are ISIS* and Iran," Graham said.

The US began airstrikes against IS* in Syria in 2014, later sending in ground troops to aid Kurdish forces widely credited with leading the fight against IS* on the ground.

In his end-of-year press conference, Russian President Vladimir Putin said he backed Trumps decision. "As concerns the defeat of ISIS*, overall I agree with the President of the United States. I already said that we achieved significant progress in the fight against terrorism in that territory and delivered major strikes on ISIS* in Syria. There is a risk of these and similar groups migrating to neighbouring regions and Afghanistan, to other countries, to their home countries, and they are partly returning. It is a great danger for all of us, including Russia, the United States, Europe, Asian countries, including Central Asia. We know that, we understand the risk fully. Donald is right about that, and I agree with him.

The United States have been present in, say, Afghanistan, for how long? Seventeen years, and every year they talk about withdrawing the troops. But they are still there. So far, we have not seen any evidence of their withdrawal but I suppose it is possible, the more so because we are progressing towards a political settlement. The current issue on the agenda is building a constitutional committee. By the way, when we met in Istanbul  I mean Russia, Turkey, France and Germany  we agreed to make every possible effort to create this constitutional committee and Russia, for its part, has done everything in its power for this to happen. As strange as it may seem, we fully agreed on the list of members with President al-Assad, who designated 50 people and was involved in selecting 50 more from civil society. Despite the fact that he is not happy with everything, he agreed with this. Turkey, which represents the interests of the opposition, also agreed. Iran agreed. We submitted the list to the UN and, as Minister Lavrov reported to me just yesterday, unexpectedly, prompted by our partners  Germany, France and the United States  UN representatives (Mr de Mistura) decided to wait and see...Is the presence of American troops required there? I do not think it is. However, let us not forget that their presence, the presence of your troops, is illegitimate as it was not approved by a UN Security Council resolution. The military contingent can only be there under a resolution of the UN Security Council or at the invitation of the legitimate Syrian Government. Russian troops were invited by the Syrian Government. The United States did not get either of these so if they decide to withdraw their troops, it is the right decision," the Russian President's official website reports.

*ISIS - is a terrorist organization banned in Russia
The airstrip of the Sevastopol airfield Belbek in Crimea is ready to receive aircraft of all types, the commander of the Air Force and Air Defense of the Southern Military District, Lieutenant-General Viktor Sevostyanov said.

The airfield is ready to receive aircraft of all types, RIA Novosti quotes Sevostyanov as saying.

Recall that the reconstruction and extension of the airstrip were conducted by the Federal State Unitary Enterprise Main Military Construction Directorate No. 7 of the Russian Ministry of Defense specializing in the construction of transport infrastructure facilities.
Arrival of permanent and temporary residents drove population growth in nine provinces

International migration to Canada reached record level in third quarter of 2018

International migration to Canada reached record level in third quarter of 2018 Arrival of permanent and temporary residents drove population growth in nine provinces

International migration to Canada reached record level in third quarter of 2018 Arrival of permanent and temporary residents drove population growth in nine provinces

International migration to Canada reached record level in third quarter of 2018 Arrival of permanent and temporary residents drove population growth in nine provinces CIC News Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif

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International migration to Canada reached an unprecedented level between July 1 and October 1, 2018, and helped the Canadian population grow at a record three-month pace.

Preliminary estimates show Canadas population increased by 183,715 people during the third quarter of 2018. Statistics Canada says this was the largest quarterly increase in absolute numbers since the introduction of its current demographic accounting system in 1971.

International migration alone accounted for most of the increase, with 146,531 people arriving in Canada between July 1 and October 1.

This was the greatest international migratory increase recorded and was attributed to strong immigration levels and the arrival of an unprecedented number of non-permanent residents.

Of the new arrivals, 82,316 were permanent residents and 79,417 were non-permanent residents, which Statistics Canada said were mostly work and study permit study holders. The number of new permanent residents who arrived between July 1 and October 1 was the fifth-largest in a single quarter since the study began in 1971.

Find out if you are eligible for any Canadian immigration programs.

Canadas natural population increase (births minus deaths) in the third quarter was estimated at 37,184. Statistics Canada put the number of births in the third quarter at 103,199 and the number of deaths at 66,015.

Natural increase in the third quarter has been on a downward trend since the third quarter of 2012, Statistics Canada reported, noting this trend is expected to continue as a result of population ageing.

PEI leads provinces in population growth

International migration drove population growth in nine Canadian provinces between July 1 and October 1, Statistics Canada reported.

The Atlantic Canada province of Prince Edward Island  Canadas smallest province  experienced the highest population growth in the quarter, posting an increase of one per cent.

PEI has undertaken intensive efforts in recent years to attract skilled immigrants through its Provincial Nominee Program to address population decline resulting from an ageing population and out-migration to other provinces.

Looking for more information on Canadas Provincial Nominee Program? Use the interactive Canada PNP Finder to explore programs, filter your search, and keep up to date on all PNP-related news.

Statistics Canada said international migration helped to offset the impact of interprovincial migratory losses in PEI, Quebec, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and British Columbia.

International migration also helped to mitigate the effect of slight negative natural increase (more deaths than births) in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.

Population increases in Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia over the quarter were attributed in part to high levels of non-permanent residents arriving in those provinces, with Ontario and British Columbia posting unprecedented gains of 40,495 and 15,478 of new arrivals in this category.

Find out if you are eligible for Canadian immigration.

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CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Homicide detectives are investigating after a woman was found dead Saturday at a motel on Clevelands East Side, according to police.

A 25-year-old woman was found about 12 p.m. Saturday at the Cleveland Motel on the 17000 block of Euclid Avenue in the citys Euclid-Green neighborhood, police said.

Motel staff went into a room to clean and found the woman apparently dead and bleeding from the mouth, police said.

Police suspect the manner of death to be homicide. The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiners Office will determine the cause of death.

No one has been arrested in connection to incident, police said.

If the womans death was a homicide, it would be the citys 126th of 2018. There were 130 homicides in Cleveland in 2017.

Editors note: This story was updated to include additional information from police, including the womans correct age.

To comment on this story, visit Saturdays crime and courts comment section.
CLEVELAND, Ohio  Republican Gov. John Kasich said Friday he had a message for Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown should Brown decide to run for president: Good luck.

Kasich, who has twice sought the nations top executive office and is openly contemplating a third campaign, didnt elaborate on how competitive Brown might be against the Democratic field or Republican President Donald Trump. But during a Friday exit interview with cleveland.com reporters and editors, the governor did say Brown would have a tough road to the nomination.

Its not simple, Kasich said. It takes a lot of sacrifice. It takes fundraising. It takes logistics. It takes so many things. But if he wants to try, thats great. Good for him. A lot of kids when theyre little think they want to grow up some day and be president. Its OK. I have no animus towards Sherrod.

During the hourlong interview, Kasich was meditative on his time in office, at times defensive of critiques against him and generally had jokes at the ready.

By the way, since Ive been governor, look at the improvement of the Cleveland Browns, Kasich joked. We (the Cleveland Cavaliers) also won a title.

He said he was pleased with the shape hes leaving the state in for Gov.-elect Mike DeWine and wanted history to remember him more as a good man than for any single policy.

I hope theyll say  and I have a feeling theyre already thinking it because I feel it when Im out and amongst them  he cared about us, Kasich said. Wherever we were, he cared about us.

Kasichs second term in office has proved exceptionally fluid. At one point, he was a legitimate presidential contender. Now, hes more of a political refugee  a man without a party as the GOP has flocked to his political rival, President Donald Trump, whom he frequently criticizes.

A lot of Republicans are not happy with me because of the Trump business, Kasich said.

Still, Kasich said he was proud of his political achievements, even those that contradict his beliefs from earlier in his tenure, such as his recent executive order restoring gender identity and expression to the states anti-discrimination policy.

In 2011, Kasich removed gender identity and expression from the state policy. He reversed his position in a Dec. 19 executive order, restoring the protections.

I thought about it and I thought, you know, everybody needs to be respected and loved, Kasich said. Thats why I did it. I got a letter from somebody that asked me to think about it. I thought about it for a while and its all part of, maybe, to some degree, the evolution of John Kasich. The fact that those folks were not protected. I know it comes late, but sometimes its better late than never.

The governor also said he didnt have any major regrets, save for the battle over Senate Bill 5  a measure from 2011 that sought to weaken collective bargaining power for public employee unions.

Kasich signed SB5 into law during his first months in office, but faced a massive political backlash in November that year when Ohioans voted overwhelmingly to repeal it via ballot initiative.

Kasich attributed the debacle to both the Legislature mucking it up and myopia on his part.

You go from being a congressman to a governor and if you cant make the transition, youll be a bad governor, Kasich said. I think in the beginning I had a lot I had to do and I just had to get better.

Other regrets? No. Not really, Kasich continued. But I dont spend my time looking in the rearview mirror. I stay looking at the controls in the present and think about the road ahead.
President Donald Trump threatened a government shutdown for weeks. He got one when the clock turned to Saturday.

Congress missed a Friday midnight deadline to fund nine departments, or about a quarter of the government, and the Senate adjourned for Christmas without voting on a deal to bridge the impasse. Parts of the government closed after lawmakers failed to strike an agreement on seven spending bills.

Lawmakers failed to reach a funding agreement as Trump demanded $5 billion for his proposed wall along the border with Mexico. Democrats refused. Then House Republicans dug in, declining to pass a bill to keep the government running into February after the president threatened to veto it Thursday.

Trump took to Twitter on Saturday morning, threatening a "long stay" if he does not get the "Border Security" he's demanding.

Tweet

No progress was made on Saturday, despite several gatherings on Capitol Hill. It appeared that the Senate would not be voting on the issue until at least Dec. 27, according to Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell.

The Senator from Kentucky said the body would hold a pro forma session on Monday, Dec. 24. The next scheduled session will be on the 27th of December and senators will be notified when a vote is called.

A senior Trump administration official offered no signs of compromise. He told reporters on Saturday, "We continue to articulate our expectations of $5 billion for border security and physical barriers."

A spokesman for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said his boss would be meeting with Vice President Mike Pence. He said Schumer "intends to remind the Vice President that any proposal with funding for the wall cannot pass the Senate."

The political fight will affect hundreds of thousands of Americans, over Christmas and potentially into the new year. More than 420,000 federal workers are projected to work temporarily without pay. About another 380,000 government employees are expected to face furloughs.

White House officials and congressional leaders held spending talks Friday night, even after the House and Senate adjourned at about 7 and 8 p.m. ET, respectively. A quick resolution appeared unlikely throughout the day, and Democrats showed no signs of caving early Saturday.

In a joint statement, Schumer and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said Trump "threw a temper tantrum and convinced House Republicans to push our nation into a destructive Trump shutdown in the middle of the holiday season." They appeared prepared for the closure to last past Jan. 3, which is when Democrats will take control of the House and Pelosi will likely become speaker.

"Democrats have offered Republicans multiple proposals to keep the government open, including one that already passed the Senate unanimously, and all of which include funding for strong, sensible, and effective border security  not the president's ineffective and expensive wall," they said. "If President Trump and Republicans choose to continue this Trump Shutdown, the new House Democratic majority will swiftly pass legislation to re-open government in January."

Trump has repeatedly threatened to close parts of the government as he failed to secure money for the barrier. The president had guaranteed his wall, a frequently repeated campaign promise that drew chants of support during his rallies. would be paid for by Mexico. America's southern neighbor rebuffed him, however, so he's turned to government funding.

Last week, Trump said he would be "proud" to shut down the government for border security. During a televised Oval Office fracas, he told Schumer: "I will take the mantle. I will be the one to shut it down. I'm not going to blame you for it."

Despite his assurance that he would own the closures, Trump tried to blame Democrats Friday. In a video posted to Twitter late Friday night, he said "there's nothing we can do" about the shutdown "because we need the Democrats to give us their votes."

"The shutdown hopefully will not last long," he said, reiterating his call for a "great barrier" in the form of "a wall or a slat fence or whatever you want to call it."

In a memo to agencies Friday, Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney wrote that "agencies should now execute plans for an orderly shutdown due to the absence of appropriations." He noted that "we are hopeful that this lapse in appropriations will be of short duration."

Lawmakers already funded the sprawling Defense and Health and Human Services departments, among others. The unfunded departments include Homeland Security, Justice and State.

It will likely take at least into Sunday to end the third government shutdown of the year. Congressional leaders were expected to give members at least 24 hours of notice before a vote.

Both the Senate and House passed spending bills this week, but the chambers could not agree on one they both wanted to pass. On Wednesday, the Senate approved a short-term measure to fund the government through Feb. 8, without wall money. Numerous members left Washington, thinking the House would pass it.

Then on Thursday, Republican leaders could not convince members that Trump would back the measure as hardline conservatives urged him to veto it. The GOP then added more than $5 billion in wall money, as well as disaster relief funds, to the short-term bill. It passed the House, but was dead on arrival in the Senate on Friday.

It is unclear what could pass both chambers of Congress now. The Senate advanced the House-passed bill to the floor Friday, with the goal of using the legislation to adopt whatever deal congressional leaders can reach with the White House.

Schumer has offered the Trump administration three potential solutions. He has proposed the bill the Senate passed Wednesday. The other two options Democrats floated are six spending bills and along with a continuing resolution for the Department of Homeland Security, or seven continuing resolutions for the remaining unfunded departments.

Senators from both parties had also discussed a potential deal to put $1.6 billion toward border security and fencing  but not a wall as Trump describes it. It was not immediately clear how seriously they were considering that solution.
Santa Claus pays a visit on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange, November 21, 2018.

A Santa Claus rally, which would begin on Monday, is a very specific event: the tendency for the market to rise in the last five trading days of the year and the first two of the new year, good for an average gain of 1.3% in the S&P since 1950, according to the Stock Trader's Almanac.

Ari Wald at Oppenheimer has studied this event over an even longer period: Since 1928, the S&P 500 has averaged a 1.7% gain and traded higher 78% (70 out of 90 years) of the time through this seven-day period.

That is notably higher than the average gain during any seven-day period during that time, which was up 0.2% and trading higher 56% of the time.

Why this works is not entirely clear. The usual explanation is that the first half of December is dominated by tax-loss selling, and once that is completed, buyers usually step in and buy beaten-up stocks, and since volumes are typically light in the second half of December a modest increase in buying interest will produce a rally.

But the Santa Claus rally is usually framed in the negative: "If Santa Claus should fail to call, bears may come to Broad and Wall."

Negative returns were associated with down years in 2000, 2007 and 2015, though it did not work for 2004 and 2016.

But the overall trend is still fairly compelling.

"The S&P 500 has averaged a 1.2% loss in the subsequent three months following [negative returns] versus an average 2.8% gain following a positive Santa Claus rally," Wald told me.

Is there any hope for a Santa Claus rally this year? What are the chances the markets could reverse the worst December since 1931?

So far, it's been pretty pathetic. There has been a lot of money thrown at the market, and look what happened Friday: The market ignored the positives and fixated on the negatives.

New York Fed President John Williams told CNBC's Steve Liesman on Friday morning that the Fed was not necessarily committed to hiking rates further.

This was a market-friendly comment. That produced a 20-point rally in the S&P 500 that lasted all of two hours.

Then late in the day, Peter Navarro, an assistant to the president as director of trade and industrial policy, said it would be "difficult" for the U.S. and China to arrive at an agreement after the 90-day period of talks unless Beijing is prepared for a full overhaul of its trade and industrial practices.

The S&P 500, already down 30 points, immediately sank another 30 points and closed just off the lows for the day.

Here's the key question: What is the right price at which buyers will emerge?

For Alec Young, managing director, global markets research at FTSE Russell, that price is roughly 2,350. In his mind, the market is pricing in flat earnings for 2019, and with a modest slowdown the right multiple for the S&P would be between 14 and 15. That would produce a price of about 2,350.

"This is setting up for a very good first quarter," Young told me. "We are pricing in a lot of bad news. The market has priced out all of the earnings growth for next year."

At this rate, we could hit that target early next week  it's only 60 points away. Still time for a Santa Claus rally!
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis listens as U.S. President Donald Trump answers questions during a meeting with military leaders in the Cabinet Room on October 23, 2018 in Washington, DC. Win McNamee | Getty Images

U.S. President Donald Trump's abrupt announcement this week that he intends to withdraw all American troops out of Syria risks dealing a serious blow to his country's credibility as an ally and partner, former national security officials and regional experts warned. That decision, announced in a Twitter post, was reportedly the "breaking point" for Secretary of Defense James Mattis, who submitted his resignation letter a day later. The 68-year-old retired Marine Corps general said he was leaving the administration in part because he does not agree with Trump on a number of issues, and cited the importance of alliances. Geopolitical experts are also sounding the alarm on the state of America's international partnerships. "(Trump's Syria move) risks not only jeopardizing the near-term U.S. interest of stabilizing a key part of the Middle East, but also damaging America's reputation for the long term," Turkey expert Soner Cagaptay and former Defense Department and Senate Foreign Relations Committee member Dana Stroul wrote in a brief for The Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Trump has long opposed U.S. military involvement in Syria, and his backers view the withdrawal decision as a campaign promise kept. He announced the defeat the Islamic State (IS), arguing that America should no longer fight others' battles for them. But defense officials and lawmakers reject the assertion that IS is finished, and say that America still has commitments to allies on the ground and a reputation to uphold. "Next time the U.S. needs to challenge an imminent terror threat somewhere in the world, we'll presumably want to do so 'by, with & through,' using local partners," wrote Charles Lister, senior fellow at the Middle East Institute and author of "The Syrian Jihad." "You think they're going to trust us now? Not a chance."

The Kurdish alliance

That sentiment was keenly felt in Northern Syria, where America's local partners in the fight against IS have expressed concern they're being abandoned. The U.S. drew up the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), comprised of Arab and Kurdish fighters, as a local partner on the ground after IS swept half of Syria in 2014. Military officials describe the Kurdish element of that coalition  known as the Kurdish People's Protection Unit, or the YPG  as by far the most effective fighting force within the group. The Kurdish fighters receive U.S. training, weapons and air support, but some members of the group have been accused of human rights violations, including ethnic cleansing and the torture of Kurdish, Arab and Turkmen communities. Counter terrorism partnerships in the Middle East have long been messy and complex affairs for Washington.

Members of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), trained by the US-led coalition, participate in the graduation ceremony of their first regiment in al-Kasrah, in the suburb of eastern Syrian city of Deir Ezzor, on May 21, 2018. DELIL SOULEIMAN | AFP | Getty Images

That partnership has long drawn fierce opposition from coalition ally Turkey, which sees the Kurdish militia as tied to the Kurdistan Workers' Party, a U.S.-designated terrorist group that's waged a decades-long insurgency against the Turkish state. Turkey has publicly threatened an imminent attack on Kurdish-held territory in northern Syria, and Trump reportedly told the country's leader that Ankara could do as it pleases. The Kurds now warn a fight with Turkey will detract from their ability to contain the remaining IS forces. "A Turkish incursion would force many YPG fighters to shift their efforts away from fighting IS, risking a reversal of recent progress," Stroul and Cagaptay wrote. "The war against terrorism has not ended and (the Islamic State group) has not been defeated," an SDF representative said in a statement. "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." Multiple media reports quoted Kurdish leaders and activists labeling Trump's move a "betrayal," pointing to the thousands of Kurdish fighters killed in the anti-IS fight. Tweet1 The shift is catching attention throughout the Middle East. "This sudden change in policy is worrying ... to all U.S. allies in the region," former Iraqi foreign minister Hoshyar Zebari told the Washington Post. "It's a question of trust. This will cause many governments to rethink their alliances with a superpower that can throw them under the bus." The shock has rippled to some American forces, where reports from NBC describe "U.S. special forces troops distraught, upset, morally disturbed by having to tell their Kurdish allies in Syria that, because of orders, their promises of defense won't be kept." The Pentagon, White House and State Department did not respond to CNBC requests for comment. In a Saturday night Twitter post, Trump said allies "are very important-but not when they take advantage of U.S." Donald J. Trump tweet: When President Obama ingloriously fired Jim Mattis, I gave him a second chance. Some thought I shouldn't, I thought I should. Interesting relationship-but I also gave all of the resources that he never really had. Allies are very important-but not when they take advantage of U.S.

'Americans have to be realistic'
Today, the opening ceremony of the plant for the production of composite gas bottles took place in the Armenian Vanadzor. Acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan attended the ceremony, the press service of the government reports.

The plant was built by the Iranian company Rad Sane Vashamir Group, the investment in the company amounted to $ 21 million, the company's founders Husein Yagubpur and Araik Asrian said.

The company will use the best modern technology. The gas bottles are in great demand due to their fail-safety, quality and price.
Rudd demands that ghastly Juncker should be investigated

Interview with Amber Rudd  Daily Telegraph

If the EU had been formed earlier then the Second World War would not have happened, claims Juncker  Daily Express

Conservatives face a prolonged period in opposition unless they adapt, warns Osborne

Jean-Claude Juncker is ghastly and his grotesque behaviour should have been subject to an official complaint, Amber Rudd has claimed. Citing the EU Commission presidents terrible conduct at last weeks EU summit, when he appeared to manhandle the Prime Minister and ruffled a womans hair, the Work and Pensions Secretary criticised his treatment of Theresa May, saying: (Hes) ghastly. What I minded before that were those pictures of the way he was holding the Prime Minister. I did not like that. Referring to the hair incident, the former Home Secretary added: Its grotesque. I mean, if that happened in our parliament I hope there would be a formal complaint. When I used to go to the EU for meetings, I often had a terrible cold to insist that I didnt get enveloped in a bear hug. All the EU commissioners love doing their big hugs.  Daily Telegraph

The Conservative Party is heading towards a prolonged period in opposition unless it adapts to modern Britain, George Osborne has said. The former chancellor, who was sacked by Theresa May in 2016, said the party needed to become more socially-liberal and pro-business to survive in power. The ex-frontbencher, who now edits the Evening Standard newspaper, campaigned for Remain in the EU referendum. He added he believes a general election could be likely in 2019. Osborne was interviewed by David Dimbleby, who is guest-editing BBC Radio 4s Today programme on Saturday.  BBC

Wanted for Christmas: a Conservative Party  Leader, Daily Telegraph

Ministers want May to step down by the summer, before the Governments spending review  Daily Mail

Grayling shelved plans on regulating drones

Two arrested for criminal use of drones  The Sun

New high tech jamming and detection equipment promised  Daily Telegraph

Brexit 1) Gauke hints he may resign if no deal is backed

Chris Grayling shelved plans to introduce laws regulating drone use in Britain despite being warned on multiple occasions about the risk they posed to airports, The Times has learnt. Gatwick was forced last night to shut for the third time in three days after another drone sighting, causing further misery for thousands of passengers. It reopened after about 90 minutes. Two suspects were later arrested by police. The army and police had appeared powerless to stop drone operators despite deploying a counter-drone system that they said was capable of jamming the devices. This year the Department for Transport quietly ditched plans for a draft bill aimed at controlling drones and developing technology to prevent them from being used near airports. The legislation, which had been due for publication in the spring, was dropped amid pressures on the department, with civil servants diverted to work on Brexit.  The Times

Justice Secretary David Gauke has said he would be very surprised if the prime minister was prepared to back a no-deal Brexit, if her deal fails. Mr Gauke also said he would find it very difficult to stay in cabinet, if that became government policy. Cabinet splits have emerged over what should happen if the PMs withdrawal deal is rejected by MPs next month. Andrea Leadsom has suggested a managed no deal Brexit while Amber Rudd said a new referendum was plausible. Mr Gauke supported Remain in the 2016 referendum.  BBC

We are better off negotiating a clean break  Leader, The Sun

>Today: ToryDiary: For mighty dread had seized their troubled mind

Brexit 2) Will Rees-Mogg be placated after Downing Street visit?

Brexit 3) Gove to bring in a military planner to safeguard food supplies

Little more than a week ago, Jacob Rees-Mogg, the Eurosceptic MP, was calling on Theresa May to resign  even after the prime minister survived a confidence vote by the parliamentary party in her leadership. This week, however, Mr Rees-Mogg announced that Mrs May still had his confidence. Together with other Brexiters, he paid a placatory trip to the prime minister in Downing Street  at Mrs Mays invitation. According to some reports of the meeting, the two Conservatives took advantage of the occasion to commiserate with each other about hostile media coverage. The apparent volte face by Mr Rees-Mogg and his European Research Group of like-minded MPs has raised a big Brexit question. Is the ERG preparing a similar U-turn on Mrs Mays much-derided deal to leave the EU, which until now has been fervently opposed by Brexiters, seemingly dooming its chances of passage by the House of Commons?  Financial Times

Michael Gove is expected to become the first minister to recruit a military planner to address concerns that parts of the UK could run short on food in the event of a no deal Brexit. The planner, who will be in place by January, has been offered to Defra by the Ministry of Defence to help ensure that shops in rural communities have enough food in the event of a worst case scenario. They will draw up contingencies based on a blueprint known in Whitehall as Operation Yellowhammer, which assumes in extremis that trade between Calais and Dover become severely disrupted. The planner is also expected to assess alternative routes into Britain for food supplies and to carry out preparatory work to ensure that rural communities are supplied.  Daily Telegraph

Brexit 4) Forsyth: Cosmetic changes would not be enough for the DUP

Garda Special Branch to be boosted  Belfast Telegraph

Varadkar criticised for utter con trick  Daily Express

Brexit 5) Oborne: Corbyn is the quiet hero

For what May needs above all else is a sign that the Northern Irish Democratic Unionist Party are prepared to back her Brexit deal.Without the DUP, they havent got a chance of passing it, warns one Cabinet minister. What, then, do the DUP need to come on board? One Secretary of State who has kept open lines of communication with them, tells me that by grim necessity, they will need something more than cosmetic concessions to vote for the deal. This minister explains that the DUP want a bankable reassurance that the backstopwont be permanent and that there wont be progressive divergence between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The good news for Theresa May is that, according to one of those intimately involved in the negotiations, the DUP want to sort things out. Relations between the leadership and the DUP had been in the deep freeze, they are somewhat better, one Cabinet minister tells me. Adding that the carelessness with which some of the principals have been treated has been repaired. But the bad news for Theresa May is that the changes they want are significant  and the EU arent going to offer them up straight away.  James Forsyth, The Sun

Corbyn is the quiet hero of Brexit. But this status poses a big problem for him. He knows that his principled position on Brexit is deeply unpopular with much of his Parliamentary Labour Party. Its not simply that many Labour MPs would like Britain to remain in the EU. So do Corbyns allies in the Momentum group of Labour Party activists. Normally, Corbyn can rely on Momentum for unquestioning support. However, this is not forthcoming over Brexit.the essential truth of politics is that even though people duck and dive, they must always maintain a clear, strategic objective.For Corbyn, this objective is to ensure Brexit happens. As I said, so far he has played his hand well. However, his most difficult test is yet to come. Early next month, Mrs May will bring her EU withdrawal deal back to the Commons for a vote. If she is defeated, as looks likely, Corbyn will face huge pressure from his own side to honour his partys conference decision to back a second referendum. It will take immense willpower for him to resist.  Peter Oborne, Daily Mail

If Labour won a snap election, we would still leave the EU  The Guardian

Brexit 6) Parris: We are going back to the 1970s

Government borrowing falls to lowest level for 14 years

I wish more of you, my readers, could remember the 1970s as I do, aged 19 in 1969, arriving here and seeing Britain with fresh eyes. That is where wed be going after Brexit. It will be very gradual, at first hardly perceptible, as we slide gently down the league tables. Good things that dont happen. GDP stuck. Productivity lagging further, trade unions agitating, wages not tumbling but stagnating, exports not plunging but sagging, hoped-for corners never turned, false dawn after false dawn failing to colour the sky. For ever and anon, politicians blaming foreigners, fretting at the dismal government finances, fiddling at the margins, intervening feebly because there is no money, doing something, doing nothing, hoping something will turn up. And abroad, contrary to the foreign secretarys sales-executive vacuities at a reception held by the Tory Bright Blue think tank this week, a nation more or less affectionately disregarded, losing leverage in a world of great trading blocs.  Matthew Parris, The Times

Government borrowing in November was at its lowest for the month in 14 years, thanks to robust tax receipts and lower interest payments on public debt. Public sector net borrowing during the month was 7.2 billion, according to the Office for National Statistics. This was 900 million lower than in November last year and 500 million lower than consensus forecasts. The Office for Budget Responsibility, the independent fiscal watchdog, said that borrowing for the first eight months of the fiscal year was down by 30 per cent relative to the previous year. This was the best November borrowing figure since 2004, the ONS said. However, total government debt, at 1.795 trillion, remained unchanged as a proportion of national output, at 83.9 per cent.  The Times

Truss attacks proposed sympathy strikes

Labour promises to repeal Vagrancy Act

Under Labour, striking workers would have disrupted peoples lives for every single month of the last year costing the country billions, fresh analysis shows. Ahead of todays rail strikes, Chief Secretary to the Treasury Liz Truss blasted John McDonnells backing of so called sympathy strikes across the world.She said: This is further proof Labour would undermine everything that had made our country successful. They are anti-aspiration, anti-enterprise and anti-worker. Instead of focusing on what matters like the growing the economy, creating jobs and boosting wages, John McDonnell would bring Britain to its knees with permanent strikes disrupting travel, schools and the NHS.  The Sun

Begging would be decriminalised under a Labour government, Jeremy Corbyn has said. The party would repeal the Vagrancy Act 1824, which criminalises begging and rough sleeping. Its powers were used almost 3,000 times in 2016 to bring criminal charges. The priority of a Labour government would be to support rather than prosecute people who were sleeping rough or begging, Mr Corbyn said. Repealing the legislation would mean that police would no longer be able to make arrests in response to complaints of aggressive or antisocial street begging.  The Times

Corbynista withdraws backing for Holocaust denier

Corbyn wants Pidcock to be his successor  Daily Mail

Rise in the number of young families becoming homeowners

An ally of Jeremy Corbyn has today been forced to say sorry twice after he defended an alleged anti-Semite and Holocaust denier. Chris Williamson was forced into two humiliating apologies after he signed and shared a petition to allow Gilad Atzmon, who is also a jazz musician, to perform at a council venue. The MP for Derby North, who has been a staunch supporter of the Labour boss during the ongoing row over anti-Semitism, tweeted a petition asking the council to look again at the case. But he was forced to say sorry when it was revealed hes not just a member of a band but a known anti-Semite.  The Sun

Home ownership among young families is rising for the first time in 30 years but is still well behind the levels of the 1980s, research has revealed. The number of home owning families where the oldest member is aged between 25 and 34 has risen by 3 per cent since dropping to 25 per cent in 2016, according to the Resolution Foundation think tank. Analysts said that this was the equivalent of an extra 190,000 young families owning a home this Christmas. However, they said that if homeownership levels had not slipped from their 1980s peak, an additional 1.4 million more young families would be homeowners today. The level is less than half that of the late 1980s, say researchers.  The Times

Mattis resigned after Trump refused to listen, over troop numbers in Afghanistan

Unwise Man  Leader, The Times

Britain will keep up the fight  The Sun

President Trump has decided to withdraw half the 14,000 US troops stationed in Afghanistan, despite almost daily Taliban attacks. The surprise reversal of tactics in what is Americas longest-running war coincides with his sudden decision this week to pull out all 2,000 American troops in Syria, and contributed to the resignation of Jim Mattis as defence secretary on Thursday, officials said. Mr Trump has defended the Syrian withdrawal, but there was no confirmation of the Afghanistan move from the White House. However, US officials said yesterday that up to 7,000 troops could return home by the summer; a reversal of approach from June 2017 when Mr Trump boosted troop numbers from 8,400 to the current level.  The Times

>Yesterday: MPsETC: My views on treating allies with respectare strongly held. Mattis resignation letter: full text

Scrutons Christmas message

Philosophy has been, for me, both a therapy and a consolation. I agree with the great Socrates that the unexamined life is not a life for a human being. And I look with gratitude on philosophy, which was not a way of life that I chose, but a way of life by which I was chosen, and from which I have never turned back. And if I ask myself what good that has done for others, I can only reply that the joy I take in understanding things is also a joy that I seek to communicate. If others, reading the result, are consoled by it, then that is the best I can do; and if they dislike it, as so many of them do, Happy Christmas to them, anyway.  Roger Scruton, Daily Telegraph

Aitken: Why Ive gone back to prison

News in brief

The feeble response to the Gatwick drone will encourage others to cause havoc  Ross Clark, The Spectator

Britain is regaining control over immigration  but do the public care?  Matt Singh, Cap X

Middle Eastern Wars and the US alliance  John Redwood

Its no crime to come late to Dostoyevsky  Douglas Murray, Unherd

Mattis resignation shows the Trump presidency is collapsing  Iain Martin, Reaction

For the past six months, I have been working as a prison chaplain at HMP Pentonville and a curate at St Matthews Church, Westminster. And there is never a dull moment in either establishment.When I do my rounds on the wings of HMP Pentonville, sometimes I am greeted with the V sign or shouts of Wotcha Father Pie! (pie and liquor = vicar in con-speak)In reply, I play my trump card and say: But I am an ex-prisoner. I have been where you now are. Springing that surprise often starts a dialogue with troubled individuals who appreciate a touch of kindness and a prayer for themselves or their families.  Jonathan Aitken, Daily Mail
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Three Russian pilots were killed during a recent plane crash that occurred in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo), Russian Ambassador to the country Alexei Sentebov said, Sputnik reported.

The An-26 plane crashed on Thursday near Ndjili international airport.

"Unfortunately, it was confirmed that all three were killed and that all three were Russian citizens We'll know the names later Now we are tracing their personal data to establish communication with relatives," Sentebov said.

He noted that the bodies of the Russians had already been taken to a morgue from the crash site.

In turn, the Russian Embassy to the DR Congo confirmed this information on Twitter. "Currently, their bodies are sent to the morgue of Kinshasa, and diplomats are beginning the procedure of identification and sending the remains home," the embassy said.

The Russian embassy also expressed deep condolences to the families of the victims.
When Donald Trump announced a sudden withdrawal from Syria and declared victory, he rattled his advisors and raised concerns and questions.

In an extended interview with National Public Radio, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo pushed back and defended administration actions there and in North Korea.

Pompeo said, Weve made the caliphate in Syria go away but admitted that it left a longtime battle which is a counterterrorism battle not only against ISIS but against Al-Qaida and others.

Regarding criticism that U.S. withdrawal leaves Kurds in northeastern Syria vulnerable to attack, Pompeo said were counting on Russians and Turks to honor their commitment to the UN Security Council resolution that calls for compliance with obligations under international law.

He also asserted we always have commitments to our allies and that, unlike many claims, the U.S. is not withdrawing from the world but doing the opposite.

On North Korea and a charge by NPRs Steve Inkskeep that the country had received concessions without giving an accounting of their nuclear weapons, Pompeo said that the North Koreans have not suffered an economic sanctions regime like the one that the Trump administration has imposed and continues to impose that would ultimately gain more cooperation.
The previous night, wolves bit five people in the Georgian village of Partskhanakanibi, Tskhaltubo Municipality, the Public Television of Georgia reports.

All the injured as a result of the wolves attack were sent to the hospital where they were vaccinated. Currently, they are continuing treatment at home, Novosti-Georgia reports.

Residents of the region note that in recently, the wolves attacks have become much more frequent . They have asked the authorities to give them permission to kill predators.
Dr. Oz's U.S. Senate in Pa. What to know about him and where he lives
Route1 Inc . announced that the Company filed a complaint, Court File No. T-2149-18, against VMware, Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiary AirWatch LLC in the Federal Court of Canada for infringement of Route1's Canadian Patent No. 2,578,053, seeking financial compensation for infringement, legal fees, and an injunction. The compensation the Company will be seeking are material when compared to Route1's market capitalization.



Patent Litigation

A patent lawsuit in Canada typically takes at least three years to resolve. Route1 anticipates that its current cash resources and future cash generated from operating performance will be sufficient to fund Route1's estimated cash costs of the litigation through trial. Compensation for infringing activity may be awarded from six years prior to the filing of the lawsuit, and may be calculated on the basis of a royalty on infringing revenues, or profits wrongfully gained from infringing revenues.

VMWare/AirWatch LLC

VMware, by itself and through its wholly owned subsidiary AirWatch, is a provider of Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) software and standalone management systems for content, applications and email. AirWatch's EMM solutions emphasize secure communications with its employees' mobile devices and enterprise resources. AirWatch is a wholly-owned subsidiary company of VMware, Inc., whose majority shareholder is EMC Dell. It is likely that AirWatch benefits from access to VMware's large client base and extensive distribution channels.

Canadian Patent No. 2,578,053

Route1's Canadian Patent No. 2,578,053 (the "053 Patent"), "System And Method For Accessing Host Computer Via Remote Computer", was issued by the Canadian Intellectual Property Office on March 20, 2012, and will expire on September 6, 2025. Canadian Patent No. 2,578,053 is generally directed to using a controller to enable secure communication between a remote device, such as a smartphone or a portable computer, and a host computer.

Route1 is the owner of the entire right, title and interest in the 053 Patent, including the sole and undivided right to sue for infringement.

Route1's Infringement Complaint against AirWatch

In the Company's Statement of Claim, Route1 contends that AirWatch, VMware, and its subsidiary VMware Canada Inc. infringe on Canadian Patent No. 2,578,053 through their sales and provision of services relating to the AirWatch EMM System, which is both offered individually and as a part of VMware's digital workspace platform, VMware Workspace ONE.
TOM REILLY AND THE XP-82 TWIN MUSTANG

By: Alan Armstrong

The Genius  Tom Reilly

A genius is a person who displays exceptional intellectual ability or creative productivity. Tom Reilly has amply demonstrated these characteristics in the course of his decades-long career restoring vintage military aircraft, and has earned his place as a legend in the warbird community. Perhaps no project better illustrates Toms genius than the magnificent efforts he and his team have made in resurrecting North American XP-82 Twin Mustang 44-83887. A crowning achievement to Toms career, the XP-82 Twin Mustang is a remarkable specimen of aeronautical design and technology. Her restoration is a testament to the dedication and resolve Tom has demonstrated in completing this remarkable project that has spanned more than a decade from inception to completion.

The Specimen  Toms XP-82 Twin Mustang

The first thing that strikes anyone when approaching the XP-82 is her sheer size. She is a mammoth beast in comparison to any contemporary fighter aircraft of the day! The massive four blade propellers project skyward, and the twin fuselage structures tower above you. The wing leading edge sits at head-height, rather than meeting your shoulder. In short, the Twin Mustang is imposing, and projects her true nature as a complex, purpose-built killing machine. The center wing section houses six fifty caliber machine guns. Originally conceived to escort B-29s on extreme-range bombing missions, her 604 gallon internal fuel capacity reflects this capability. Outer wing hard points were available for drop tanks, if additional range were needed too. The Twin Mustang was fast as well, with a max true airspeed at altitude of around 440 miles per hour.

The electrical, hydraulic and fuel systems are complex in comparison to other WWII fighters, and mark a transition point in period technology. Tubing, wiring and hoses are routed throughout the wing and fuselage structure. Everything about this aircraft is robust, sturdy and purpose-built for service and combat in harsh conditions. The left and right cockpits are very similar, except for the center console on the left side. Also, the left cockpit is the only one with a gunsight, while the right side has a gun camera in its place. Switches and circuit breakers abound to the right of the pilots left hand seat. Because of the aircrafts significant size, its control surfaces are commensurately large, which places a higher demand on the pilots strength for maneuvering than contemporary piston-powered fighters. Rudder forces, however, were light. The pilot has two throttle, mixture and propeller governor controls to the left. With its twin fuselage and tail wheel configuration and considering its massive propellers with the associated torque and P-factor they must generate on takeoff, the prospect of an engine failure at rotation is not something any pilot would relish. However, the aircrafts engines (and propellers) rotate in opposite directions, much like those of the P-38, which helps mitigate any gyroscopic effects during normal operation.

The Quintessential XP-82 Twin Mustang

The level of detail and authenticity in Toms XP-82 restoration is extraordinary. Every system, component, placard, stencil, etc. that appeared on the factory-fresh aircraft back in June, 1945 appears in Toms restoration. Even a small factory fabrication mistake has been replicated in this aircraft; the pitot static vent was incorrectly positioned initially and then repositioned during her original manufacturing process. As a result, the restored XP-82 has preserved this tiny historical detail by replicating the holes for the incorrectly located static air port in the left fuselage and plugging them, in exactly the same way.

Mike Nixons Vintage V12s in Tehachapi, California overhauled the super-rare Packard-built Rolls-Royce Merlin V-1650-23 (right-turning) and -25 (left-turning) engines for the project. The carburetors, generators, and other components are all New Old Stock and/or freshly overhauled. The only significant deviation from the original design must be the propellers, of which airworthy originals were unavailable at any price. MT Propellers in Germany manufactured composite replicas for the project. The tires are new. The wheels are new. The brakes are new. A mountain of yellow tags and FAA 8130 Forms verify the pedigree of this magnificent aircraft. The radio equipment is installed, just like the radios the aircraft had when she was built. Even the shade of yellow primer paint used on the interior structures has been painstakingly researched and matched.

Origins of the XP-82 Twin Mustang and Toms Prototype

Toms XP-82 flew on April 15, 1945, the first flight for the entire breed. Following their time in flight test for the Twin Mustang program, both XP-82s (44-83887 and 886) served as test bed aircraft with the NACA, (precursor to NASA). Some of the testing involved equipping the aircraft with various ordinance configurations, including an eight-gun pod that hung on the center wing and fired between the propellers. A similarly positioned radar pod was also tried. Prototype Twin Mustang 887 flew with the NACA until July, 1950 when it was damaged in a landing accident while performing trials on an experimental ram jet.

Famed warbird preservationist Walter Soplata bought the damaged aircraft soon after it was written off for $300.00 without the engines or propellers. Fast-forwards to half a century later when Tom Reilly was at Soplatas farm on December 23, 2007 and first discovered the XP-82s left fuselage hidden under some sheet metal roofing. While Tom was in negotiations with Soplata, he quietly went about the job of finding and purchasing whatever Twin Mustang components he could find to make the project viable. After successfully concluding his purchase of the XP-82, Reilly got working on assessing what he had, what he needed, and then plotting the project out. He did have the good fortune of collaborating with the Harker brothers, who are restoring the only other civilian-owned Twin Mustang in the world, F-82E 46-0256. Ironically, this same aircraft also served with the NACA and later became part of Walt Soplatas collection. The two teams have co-operated on a number of different aspects of their mutual restorations, including the fabrication of certain parts, such as the propellers. Since the F-82E was substantially complete, it also provided many useful reference details for the XP-82 project, although there are a lot of differences between the two variants.

The Date of the First Flight Approaches

Jewell Helton and I visited Tom and his partner Weezie Barendse on November 17, 2018. Tom was extremely generous with his time and gave us a complete tour of his facilities as well as unrestricted access to the XP-82. Reilly had hoped to have the aircraft ready to fly at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh this past summer, but the paperwork wasnt quite signed off in time. Following the landing incident at AirVenture involving the wheel rim failure on an F7F Tigercat, Reilly decided to replace the XP-82s original wheel rims with newly manufactured units. This has added a little extra time to the restoration, but after ten years of intense labor, the aircraft is essentially ready to go, and is expected to make her first post-restoration flight in the near future.

Many thanks to Alan Armstrong for his article and photographs!
The Owen J. Roberts Education Foundation recently presented two annual awards honoring three individuals.

The Education Foundation has been giving the Outstanding Community Service and Distinguished Alumni Awards since 1997.

The Distinguished Alumni Award is presented annually to an Owen J. Roberts alumnus who enhances the quality of life by preserving, promoting and carrying out positive and quantifiable traditional values and traits. This individuals leadership and integrity should result in significant accomplishments in his business and professional life in the community.

Kirk Brown was honored with the Distinguished Alumni Award this year. Brown started a landscaping and lawn care business when he was 12 years-of-age. He studied horticulture and computer at Owen J. Roberts High School. Kirks Lawn Care now employs three full time employees and services more than 125 customers. His business has been featured in national magazines and he was Total Landscape Care Magazines 2015 Landscaper of the Year.

Brown is an active community servant and role model for community giving. He assists with Green Allies and has been critically active in creating the Althouse Arboretum and the Childrens Forest Trail. He has stayed involved with Owen J Roberts School District by starting an Excellence in Horticulture scholarship award designated for a horticulture student who has displayed exemplary attitude and extraordinary skill development.

The Community Service Award is given annually to honor an Owen J. Roberts resident who enhances the quality of life by preserving, promoting and carrying out positive and quantifiable traditional community values and traits. The Owen J. Roberts Education Foundation honored two residents for their work to make our community and world a better place: Jay Erb and Kim Malmstrum.

Erb is an Owen J. Roberts alumnus and lifelong Owen J. Roberts resident. He is a Chester County Park Ranger and owner of a Tae Kwon-Doe school located in North Coventry Township. He is an active community servant and an advocate for nature and clean environment. He volunteers for countless education programs, both at our schools and in the community organizing and leads stream studies, wildlife programs, bird watching programs and night hikes for learners of all ages. He is involved in adventure challenge and High Ropes work teaching self-esteem, confidence and teamwork. He is an advocate for healthy lifestyles and combines nature walking with physical fitness tips as well.

Malmstrum established the Kyles Quillows Foundation seven years ago following her sons diagnosis and treatment for aplastic anemia. She has grown this foundation to share the warmth of personalized fleece quilt-pillows for those in need. Kyles Quillows makes home-sewn quillows (the cross between a pillow and blanket) to brighten and cheer children.

The soft, warm fabric works as a reminder that many people are cheering for their recovery and Kim hopes it inspires patients to know the quillow is given by a survivor. She inspires her own children, their friends and other community members to donate time, skills, money and efforts toward a cause to bring comfort to others.

Kyles Quillows has donated more than 7,000 quillows to CHOP and has also sent them to patients in other hospitals in the U.S. and abroad.
Its almost time to Ho, Ho, Ho!

Actually, voters in Pennsylvania did their own version of Santas greeting, showing a number of incumbent legislators the door back in November. Democrats gave the heave ho, ho, ho to a number of incumbent Republicans.

Republicans said it was the expected backlash against a very unpopular president.

Democrats said it was dissatisfaction with the status quo and inaction in Harrisburg.

With that in mind, weve put together a wish list of our own for when legislators return to the state capitol in a few weeks.

First and foremost, wed like to see more bipartisan dialogue and less strident, partisan standoff.

Dont say it cant be done. Sen. Tom Killion, R-9 of Middletown, managed to spearhead legislation that changed state laws when it comes to guns and those convicted of domestic abuse. There are those who said the National Rifle Association, which holds serious sway in that wide gulf between Lancaster and Pittsburgh in the Keystone State, would never allow such a crackdown to become law.

They were wrong.

Wed count the efforts of Killion, as well as state Sen. Tom McGarrigle, R-26 of Springfield, who lost his re-election bid, among the best things to happen in Harrisburg this past year. It should lay the groundwork for bipartisan compromise, instead of the partisan bickering that is the hallmark of this body, one of the most expensive in the nation, and with so little to show for it.

Gov. Tom Wolf, not surprisingly since he was running for re-election, dropped much of his tax-hike talk and got a budget in place on time, something that too often eludes the folks in Harrisburg. It will be interesting to see what kind of spending plan the governor comes up with now that he is free from the thought of running for re-election.

Were not going to hold our breath waiting for legislators to support increases in either the sales or income tax, but a new debate on a severance tax on the states natural gas industry could get very interesting.

The biggest disappointment in Harrisburg this past year is fairly easy. Despite wide support and overwhelming passage in the House, a move to open a window to allow victims of decades-old sexual abuse have their day in court never even got to the floor for a vote in the Senate. Not only did the Legislature not open that window for victims, it also failed to make needed changes in the law for future cases.

McGarrigle had indicated he would revisit the push to help victims as his first action of the new session. We hope someone steps up and takes up the fight for justice.

There are other key issues that will fall into the lap of the new Legislature, most of them are rooted in the old Legislature.

Did you happen to notice that Pennsylvania  specifically our southeastern corner of the state  sent four Democratic women to Washington? That is four more than represented Pennsylvania before the November election.

The way Congressional districts were drawn up was done so specifically to favor incumbent male Republicans. That is until the state Supreme Court tossed the old boundaries as being a classic case of a political gerrymander. Not only that, but the high court drew up new maps of their own. But while they treated the illness, the courts action did not cure the disease.

The power of redrawing Congressional boundaries, which will happen again after the 2020 census, remains in the hands of politicians. And thats not a good thing, regardless of which party is in power.

Fixing that, and giving this job to a non-partisan committee, is at the top of our Christmas wish list for our friends in Harrisburg.

Then they can set their sights on fixing the way Pennsylvania funds its public schools, a system that continues to penalize too many kids in less affluent areas for no reason other than their zip code. A lawsuit against the state and the way it doles out education funding is due in court later next year.

While theyre at it, maybe our legislators can take another whack at the bane of every homeowner in Pennsylvania, the property tax. That will be an especially ticklish situation in Delaware County as officials get ready to reassess every property in the county.

Then there is the ticking time bomb in every state budget in recent years  the growing gulf of red ink in the states two massive public employee pension plans.

Congratulations to our incoming legislators.

Dont be Grinches. Roll up your sleeves and arrive ready to work. Or well put coal in your stockings.
Who would have predicted that, at the end of a year in which the Government has become split and paralysed, it is Jeremy Corbyn, and not Theresa May, whose leadership is in biggest trouble?

Confounding the expectations of many, the Prime Minister has survived the most brutal and traumatic month of her embattled premiership.

Whats more, there are even signs of reconciliation between hard Brexit Tory rebels led by Jacob Rees-Mogg and Downing Street.

However, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is badly bruised after being pummelled by a series of blows.

Who would have predicted that, at the end of a year in which the Government has become split and paralysed, it is Jeremy Corbyn, and not Theresa May, whose leadership is in biggest trouble?

How fitting that his year should end with him mired in an utterly undignified row over allegations of misogyny following claims that he mouthed stupid woman about Mrs May during Prime Ministers Questions on Wednesday.

For the truth is that the past 12 months have seen a litany of troubles for the Opposition leader  ranging from endless controversies over anti-Semitism to Corbyn himself being investigated for failing to declare a trip to Tunisia in 2014.

To cap it all, this week, Labour MP Fiona Onasanya faces a period in prison after being found guilty of lying persistently and deliberately to the police over a speeding charge.

And Ivan Lewis, an MP since 1997, resigned from the party citing Corbyns anti-Western world view  adding that he could no longer reconcile my Jewish identity and current Labour politics.

For bad measure, Corbyns personal ratings lag badly behind Mays in the polls. According to a recent Opinion Research survey, only 25 per cent of voters think he is decisive, many fewer than the 41 per cent who believe the PM possesses that quality.

But potentially most damaging of all are claims from all sides of the political divide  including from Labour MPs  that Corbyn showed weakness and indecision by dilly-dallying for too long and then eventually refusing to call a no confidence vote in the Government.

It is true that Corbyn has had a bad 2018. But I wish to take the unfashionable position of defending his decision to refrain from calling a vote of no confidence.

I believe that rather than being a ditherer, Corbyn is trying to play a deft political game.

Confounding the expectations of many, the Prime Minister has survived the most brutal and traumatic month of her embattled premiership

As an experienced parliamentarian  having been an MP for 35 years  he knows very well that calling for a vote of no confidence would simply have helped unite the fractious Tory Party behind Mrs May to prevent a General Election and the possibility of a Corbyn government. Also, he realises that failing to win a vote of confidence would be a personal calamity for himself.

Political tactics aside, there is another key reason why Corbyn backed off from challenging Mrs May.

In his heart, he wants the Brexit referendum Leave vote to be honoured. For he has held a longtime antipathy towards Brussels  having voted in the 1975 referendum for Britain to pull out of the Common Market.

Brussels is to blame for this abuse of justice One of the compelling reasons for Britain leaving the EU is the dreaded European Arrest Warrant. In theory, it helps to speed up the extradition process for EU citizens who have fled one member state and are wanted for criminal proceedings in another. In practice, though, the system is open to widespread abuse. A dismaying current case concerns one Alexander Adamescu, the son of a Romanian newspaper owner who died in a Bucharest jail early last year after what seems to have been a miscarriage of justice. Adamescu Junior is accused by the Romanian government of multiple counts of bribery and money-laundering. Authorities there want him to face trial in Bucharest and are pursuing him using the European Arrest Warrant. Outrageously, a man who I guess is almost certainly blameless has been held in British jail for nearly six months as he fights the Romanian government. This is not merely an abuse of justice but it is also costing British taxpayers thousands of pounds. I urge Home Secretary Sajid Javid to intervene to end this gross injustice. Advertisement

In fact, Corbyn is convinced that he cannot achieve his dream of creating a socialist Britain while we belong to the EU.

Above all, he is keen to avoid a second referendum  despite the Labour Party conference in September passing a motion that backed another referendum if all other options become exhausted.

Indeed, this would be exactly the trap that his critics  including many Labour MPs, Tony Blair and Gordon Brown  had hoped he would fall into. The fact is that Corbyns prime strategy has been to avoid this fate  and he goes into the New Year having succeeded.

As I have argued before in this column, Mr Corbyn is the quiet hero of Brexit.

But this status poses a big problem for him. He knows that his principled position on Brexit is deeply unpopular with much of his Parliamentary Labour Party.

Its not simply that many Labour MPs would like Britain to remain in the EU. So do Corbyns allies in the Momentum group of Labour Party activists.

Normally, Corbyn can rely on Momentum for unquestioning support. However, this is not forthcoming over Brexit.

Indeed, apart from a few hardcore anti-Brussels MPs, Corbyn has on his side only Len McCluskeys Unite trade union.

Having to juggle all these contradictory interests is the reason why the Labour leader has had to play such a careful political game.

Above all, he cant show his true Brexit colours because that would be immensely unpopular among so many Labour supporters  particularly in areas such as London and the South.

Inevitably, Corbyn has been accused of pursuing devious tactics. But this is not fair. Every party leader in history has had to duck and dive in order to try to reach their long-term objective.

Mrs May has been forced to compromise  reneging on her promise to guard certain red lines in her negotiations with Brussels.

Others, too, such as Jacob Rees-Mogg MP (who likes to portray himself as highly-principled) seem to have changed their mind a few times.

These examples show that the essential truth of politics is that even though people duck and dive, they must always maintain a clear, strategic objective.

Normally, Corbyn can rely on Momentum for unquestioning support. However, this is not forthcoming over Brexit

For Corbyn, this objective is to ensure Brexit happens.

As I said, so far he has played his hand well. However, his most difficult test is yet to come.

Early next month, Mrs May will bring her EU withdrawal deal back to the Commons for a vote.

If she is defeated, as looks likely, Corbyn will face huge pressure from his own side to honour his partys conference decision to back a second referendum.

It will take immense willpower for him to resist.

Jeremy Corbyn has been written off countless times by snooty commentators who disdain his rough and ready style of politics and obvious authenticity.

But he has proved them wrong  repelling two attacks on his leadership of his party and defying all predictions (including my own) that he would be roundly defeated in last years General Election.

How ironic it would be that, if Britain leaves the EU on schedule on March 29, it would be partly thanks to the political machinations of the Leader of Her Majestys Opposition.

Bring them home

Donald Trumps moral compass has been broken for many a year. Occasionally, he does something right, however.

The President should be applauded for ordering the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria.

Not only is he honouring an election promise, he is also taking an important step towards bringing to an end Americas appalling recent record of bloody intervention overseas.
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As diners get ready to tuck into their meals this Christmas, some well known supermarkets may have a little something to offer.

Supermarkets across the UK have pulled out all the stops to ensure everyone is merry during this festive period.

Among the well-known stores offering shoppers everything they could possibly want for a Christmas lunch are Waitrose, M&S, Sainsbury's, Tesco, Morrisons, ASDA, Lidl, Aldi and the Co-op.

Trumping the other supermarket's with its turkey and scoring an impressive five out of five was Aldi with its Rumburgh Farm Turkey.

Also scoring a noteworthy five out of five for their mince pies was ASDA while M&S topped the tables when it came to roast potatoes with their delicious Roasting Potatoes with Goose Fat.

Leading the board in the realm of cheese boards was Sainsbury's Cheese Selection at 15 and the Co-op's cheese selection at 5.
You wake with a pounding headache, swollen glands and overwhelming nausea. You use every ounce of your energy to get to the GP for an emergency appointment. But youre in and out within ten minutes, sent home with just a packet of paracetamol and told to rest.

Doctors diagnoses are usually right  but what if theyre not? How can you tell if you are one of the thousand or so NHS patients a month failed by medics, some of whom end up dead as a result because doctors are too quick to judge symptoms?

Trish Ellis, a personal assistant from London, was one of them  and could have died after a misdiagnosis. One night in November, she went to bed early, feeling generally unwell and assuming it was a bad cold. Instead, she woke with her face hideously swollen and her right eye clamped shut. I couldnt stop vomiting and my temperature was dangerously high at 39.5C, she recalls.

One night in November, Trish Ellis, a personal assistant from London, went to bed early, feeling generally unwell and assuming it was a bad cold. Instead, she woke with her face hideously swollen and her right eye clamped shut (left). The next day she was barely able to stand, and had to wait five hours at the walk-in clinic

Ms Ellis ended up on an isolation ward (pictured) being pumped full of antibiotics for ten days. It saved her sight and, possibly, her life

Trish, 54, dashed to the GP, who suspected deadly sepsis and called an ambulance to rush her to A&E, where she had intravenous antibiotics as a precaution. Yet despite worsening symptoms, she was sent home with just a handful of pills and a referral to a walk-in clinic the following day.

In the next 24 hours, the infection really took hold of me, recalls Trish.

Barely able to stand, she waited five hours at the walk-in clinic next day. By then, I was vomiting constantly and delirious.

Trishs trauma could have been avoided had she requested a second medical opinion  but theres no legal obligation to offer patients a second opinion. She is pictured here after recovery

She ended up on an isolation ward being pumped full of antibiotics for ten days. It saved her sight and, possibly, her life.

Doctors had failed to spot she had orbital cellulitis  a potentially deadly infection of tissue surrounding the eye. If it reaches the brain, it can be fatal.

Trishs trauma could have been avoided had she requested a second medical opinion  but theres no legal obligation to offer patients a second opinion, and some wait months for a referral.

Imperial College Londons Centre for Patient Safety and Service Quality says up to one in six patients are misdiagnosed  so we asked experts to highlight the most commonly missed conditions and the questions to ask if you have niggling doubts about what your doctor decides.

IBS... OR OVARIAN CANCER?

Nearly half of ovarian cancer patients are misdiagnosed, with many mistakenly told they have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Pauline Corry, 72, from Surbiton in London, was one. The retired GPs receptionist endured six months of fruitless doctors appointments in 2014 after her swollen, sore stomach caused her to collapse in pain.

Her GPs diagnosis? Constipation. Instead of being offered a blood test, Pauline was repeatedly prescribed laxatives and sent on her way. But when she collapsed in pain, a CT scan revealed two tumours.

Sadly, Paulines story is all too common. The charity Target Ovarian Cancer says 41 per cent of patients visit their doctor at least three times before even being tested for ovarian cancer. Yet early diagnosis and treatment can boost five-year survival from 50 per cent to 90 per cent.

Why the confusion?

Early symptoms of ovarian cancer include tummy pain, persistent bloating and urinating frequently  all common with IBS or urine infections. Research shows 40 per cent of women claim GPs do not take their symptoms seriously.

Health comment by Dr Ellie Cannon: Failing to notice the warning signs is clearly the doctor's mistake Trust your instincts. Generally speaking, when patients feel that there is something wrong, they are right. Stories such as Trishs are terrible, and failing to notice the warning signs of serious illness over a period of time is clearly the doctors mistake, especially if symptoms are worsening. Dr Ellie Cannon (pictured) says laxatives should be put behind the counter as people with eating disorders are abusing them However, medical consultations are a partnership between the doctor and the patient, and this relationship is crucial for accurate diagnosis. Just as doctors need to be vigilant, patients should be clear about the specific symptoms they wish to discuss, arrive on time and make follow-up appointments at regular two-week intervals. While doctors may not be able to give an accurate diagnosis at the first appointment, they should create what is known as a safety net  this is crucial. A safety net is a plan, preparing patients for any eventuality including if symptoms suddenly become worse or change. Also, try to see the same doctor each time you visit the GP surgery. Unfortunately, walk-in clinics and A&E wards are often staffed by junior members of the team who may not be as familiar with a wide array of symptoms as a senior doctor would. Dont be afraid to ask for the second opinion from a different doctor, even within the same GP surgery. Ultimately, remember that within our overstretched, underfunded NHS everyone is trying their best to save as many patients lives as possible. Advertisement

HOW NOT TO SLIP THROUGH THE NET

Crucially, ovarian cancer often triggers pelvic pain and pain in intercourse  neither of which is common in IBS, and rare in urine infections. Look out for irregular vaginal bleeding too. If it is IBS, there will be changes in stool frequency and diarrhoea.

Women over 50 with symptoms lasting more than a fortnight should request a blood test called CA125. It measures a protein produced by ovarian cancer cells. Target Ovarian Cancers Rebecca Rennison says: Government guidelines recommend all women over 50 with new symptoms suggesting IBS should be referred for ovarian cancer testing.

SINUSITIS... OR A VERY DANGEROUS EYE BUG?

Cellulitis, a bacterial infection of the deep tissue, can occur anywhere on the body but when it affects the eyes it is called orbital cellulitis. Its hard to detect and a third of patients are initially misdiagnosed, a 2016 study in medical journal JAMA Dermatology found. Daniel Ezra, consultant ophthalmic surgeon at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London, says it causes bulging eyes, swollen and tender eyelids and cheeks, difficulty moving the eyeballs, red eyes and loss of vision.

Sinusitis, for which it is commonly mistaken, develops when the sinuses become inflamed or infected, causing tenderness and swelling.

Why the confusion?

The symptoms of orbital cellulitis are often mistaken for sinusitis or eyelid infections such as a stye or conjunctivitis, given the similarity of symptoms, according to Mr Ezra. But sinusitis is more likely to cause pain between the eyes or forehead  rather than in the eyeballs themselves  and does not normally cause the swelling of the eyelids.

Styes, although triggered by bacterial infection, are normally confined to an eyelash follicle on the eyelid, rather than throughout the eye. And while conjunctivitis can make eyes red and vision blurry, it does not usually make the eyelids swollen or cause pain.

HOW NOT TO SLIP THROUGH THE NET

If you have a rapidly developing eye infection and high fever, confusion and nausea, go straight to A&E. Orbital cellulitis is an emergency. Patients need intravenous and oral antibiotics and recovery can take ten days, says Mr Ezra.

GENERAL EXHAUSTION... OR IRREGULAR HEARTBEAT?

Arrhythmia describes a group of conditions where the heart beats irregularly due to faulty electrical signals.

Atrial fibrillation, the most common form, affects at least 1.2 million Britons and is a major cause of stroke. Yet two-thirds have no symptoms other than general tiredness and can go undiagnosed.

Why the confusion?

Arrhythmias and exhaustion produce very similar symptoms  breathlessness, dizziness and a fast heartbeat. Older people are more prone to the physical effects of fatigue, so could be most at risk of a misdiagnosis  even though they are also most at risk of AF.

Arrhythmias and exhaustion produce very similar symptoms  breathlessness, dizziness and a fast heartbeat (stock image)

HOW NOT TO SLIP THROUGH THE NET

If you are over 65, ask your GP or practice nurse to take your pulse every time you visit the surgery, advises Bradford GP Dr Matthew Fay from the Atrial Fibrillation Association and Thrombosis UK.

This can quickly establish if a heart arrhythmia is present, which is later confirmed by a test known as an electrocardiogram [ECG]. AF can be treated with medication such as beta-blockers.

HEART ATTACKOR HARMLESS RIB INJURY?

Heart attacks  one of Britains biggest killers  occur at the rate of one every three minutes. Yet research in The Lancet Public Health journal shows one in six victims are misdiagnosed in hospital, which often proves fatal.

Costochondritis is a fairly harmless condition where cartilage in the sternum becomes inflamed and painful. It normally clears up in a few weeks but may need steroid jabs to soothe inflammation.

Why the confusion?

Both produce sharp and severe central chest pain  one of the main characteristics of a heart attack.

It can be difficult to tell the difference between the chest pain associated with costochondritis and pain caused by more serious conditions, such as a heart attack. But costochondritis usually hurts in a particular posture  such as lying down  or when pressure is applied to the chest. Heart attacks normally cause widespread pain, plus breathlessness, nausea and sweating.

HOW NOT TO SLIP THROUGH THE NET

Demand an ECG at A&E to rule out a heart attack. Its standard practice to fast-track chest-pain patients  whatever their age  if only to confirm the problem is due to something such as costochondritis. If you have less extreme symptoms but chest pain on exertion, ask your GP to refer you to a chest-pain clinic. Ask about angiograms, tests where a special dye is injected to check for blockages that might trigger a heart attack.

BAD FEVER... OR MENINGITIS?

One in two children with the most common form of bacterial meningitis (where the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord become inflamed) are sent home after their first visit to a GP, says the Meningitis Research Foundation. Untreated, it can cause hearing loss, seizures, coma or deadly blood infection.

One in two children with the most common form of bacterial meningitis are sent home after their first visit to a GP (stock image)

Why the confusion?

Early signs of meningitis, such as high temperature, are similar to less serious illnesses. Doctors have to make a rapid assessment about whether the patient has a virus or a bacterial infection including meningitis which could be more dangerous, says Guildford GP Dr Louise Selby.

HOW NOT TO SLIP THROUGH THE NET

If you wait for the telltale rash that stays red when pressed with a glass, you might be too late  research shows it can take up to 22 hours to appear. Look out for other symptoms that emerge sooner, such as leg pains, cold hands and abnormal skin colour. Dr Selby warns: Watch out for drowsiness and pain getting worse. And go back to your GP  many doctors will prescribe if they suspect bacterial meningitis. If convulsions are also present, Dr Selby advises going straight to A&E.
Small energy supplier Outfox the Market has resorted to social media to reassure customers it is not going bust.

The Leicester-based supplier has attracted thousands of customers since entering the market in September last year in a blaze of publicity and promising cut-price energy deals.

It also claims all its energy is produced in the UK and 100 per cent 'green' (wind produced).

Outfox the Market have received poor reviews from customers not happy with their service

But a mix of poor service and criticism for jacking up prices and direct debit payments has resulted in a fierce backlash from customers, prompting the formation of a 1,000-strong 'protest' group on Facebook.

Some have quit the company in anger.

Outfox has also attracted a barrage of complaints on review website Trustpilot and complaints resolution site Resolver.

Most posts on Trustpilot are to the point. One says: 'The best thing about my short relationship with Outfox the Market is [that I am] leaving the company.' Another says: 'Terrible service. No response to emails.'

The storm of protest has culminated in Outfox taking to its own Facebook account to respond to a 'few' questions 'that regularly pop up'.

The first question is: 'Are you going bust?' Its response is an emphatic 'No!' adding: 'It is no secret that the energy market is a difficult place, but we are a sustainable business with a long-term vision.'

It goes on to apologise for 'conflicting direct debit information'.

Outfox was set up by serial entrepreneur Keith Bastian and wife Maria. They run a network of companies from Frog Island, close to the city centre of Leicester.

They include a number of energy-related firms  Blue Fox Utilities, Fix Your Tariff, Foxglove Energy Supply and Fischer Energy. All of these businesses have been set up in the last couple of years.

Outfox the Market is classified as a 'dormant company'  one not doing any business. Its latest accounts to the end of June 2018 confirm it has assets of just 2.

Concern: Outfox the Market has had to re-assure it's angry customers that it is not going bust

Of the 15 companies where Keith Bastian is a director and accounts have been filed at Companies House, only one has disclosed a profit (electrical heating systems installation company Fischer Future Heat UK).

Foxglove Energy Supply had net liabilities  more debt than assets  of 761,000 as at November last year while two other companies both reported overall assets just above 40,000 in their last filed accounts.

In recent weeks, Keith Bastian has admitted that Outfox has experienced 'higher volumes of customer contact' and that 'wait times are longer than usual'. But the problems persist.

Resolver says it has seen a 'recent spike' in Outfox complaints over the past couple of weeks with the main issues centred on direct debit problems, delays in getting refunds and poor customer service.

Prices have risen for customers and they say they have received poor customer service

Website energyhelpline calculates star ratings (five stars the best, one the worst) for individual suppliers based on complaint numbers, call centre opening hours and customer satisfaction levels.

It currently gives Outfox one star, only one of a handful of 70 suppliers reviewed that receives its lowest rating. Ian Hepworth, from Peterhead in Aberdeenshire, switched to Outfox in June this year, attracted by its competitive prices.

To begin with, he was paying just over 70 a month for electricity supplied to his three-bedroom detached home where he lives with his wife and six-year-old child.

But in late November, he was told the monthly payment would increase to just over 460.

Although Ian admits his original direct debit was set too low and should have been nearer 150, he was 'shocked' to receive details of the new payment. He is now in the process of switching supplier.

'I have had all kinds of issues with Outfox,' he says. 'The initial meter reading was recorded incorrectly which meant I had already consumed electricity before I had actually used any from Outfox, throwing my account into the red straightaway.'

In recent weeks, he has tried to sort out his Outfox account, only to be deflected. Last Wednesday, he spent two hours in a 'web chat' with the company desperately trying to ensure the 460 direct debit would not be taken from his bank account.

A transcript of the call, seen by The Mail on Sunday, ends with Outfox stating it can do no more than 'review' his account. 'I do apologise,' an employee says. 'We will review for you but there are other customers we have to deal with.'

Chris Ward, a 50-year-old administrator for an office furniture company, was told last month his monthly direct debit for gas and electricity would be rising from 41 to 58 as a result of a 'new variable' scheme which means higher payments in winter, lower ones in summer.

Although Chris, from Burnley in Lancashire, understands why Outfox would want to do this, he is aggrieved because he has a credit of more than 100 on his account. He has emailed Outfox saying the payment increase is 'unnecessary'.

Its response has been to reduce the new payment by just over a pound  from 58.02 to 56.76.

'The communication from Outfox is garbled,' he says. 'Phonelines are jammed most of the time.'

On Friday, Outfox told The Mail on Sunday: 'We apologise to all customers who have struggled to get through and thank them for their continued patience.' The company also said customers on a variable tariff would benefit from a price drop in the new year.

Already this year, a number of small energy suppliers including Extra Energy have gone bust.

Have you suffered at the hands of Outfox? Email jeff.prestridge@mailonsunday.co.uk.
Tony Hetherington is Financial Mail on Sunday's ace investigator, fighting readers corners, revealing the truth that lies behind closed doors and winning victories for those who have been left out-of-pocket. Find out how to contact him below.

Mrs M.D. writes: In 2014, my then partner and I were overpaid by more than 2,000 in tax credits by Revenue & Customs.

I knew this was an overpayment as it was based on income for an earlier year when we were unemployed.

I offered to return the money but the taxman said we had to wait for the next six-monthly review.

A few months later, my partner and I separated. The money depleted and when I moved away I informed Revenue & Customs, but now I have received a demand for the full amount.

One reader overpaid their tax but was told they must wait for next six-monthly review to repay

Tony replies: You have told me that towards the end of 2014, you received a letter from debt collectors acting for the tax office.

You offered to pay half the debt and were told that this was fine, and a reduced demand would be issued.

But you heard nothing more until this latest demand arrived, asking you to pay the whole 2,252 debt in one lump sum.

As a single parent, you cannot just lay your hands on this sort of money overnight.

What makes the demand rather ironic is that from April 2015 until March this year you were still receiving tax credits and could have afforded to make the repayment in installments.

I asked officials at the Revenue head office to look into this, and they told me that the normal procedure is for a letter to be sent to both partners, showing the total sum owed.

The hope is that couples will agree who pays what. If couples cannot agree, or if one partner flatly refuses to pay anything and expects the other to foot the entire bill, then the Revenue has its own Code of Practice that swings into action.

This internal rule book is surprisingly realistic and down to earth. It accepts that one partner may not even know where the other has gone, or may be reluctant to make contact.

In this case, it says, all you need do is call the Payment Helpline on 0345 302 1429 and explain what has happened.

According to Revenue HQ: 'You will then be asked to pay back half of the overpayment, with your partner being asked to pay back the rest. You won't be asked to pay back more than half of the overpayment.'

Officials have told me they have no trace of any contact in 2014, offering to repay the money at the time.

But I think you will find that if you now make the call and suggest you can repay your half of the debt by installments, you will find yourself knocking at an open door.

One reader had trouble transferring funds out of their Barclay's account which was then frozen

Smart Investor swap left me 700 down

D.A.C. writes: I sold all my shares and waited until all cash was in my Barclays Stockbrokers Isa.

I then requested that a certain sum be transferred to the Coventry Building Society. Nothing was done by Barclays.

I made the same request again, adding this time that the balance should be sent to me by cheque. What a nightmare.

My completely separate Market Master account at Barclays was frozen. I phoned, emailed and faxed, with no result.

I think the bank has finally sorted out the frozen account, which it says was an error, but not the Isa.

Tony replies: This is just another mess following the bank's change from its traditional, well-run stockbroking service, to the new all-singing, all-dancing, but mainly disastrous Barclays Smart Investor.

I asked the bank to comment and staff seemed puzzled, insisting that a cheque for 79,000 had been sent to the Coventry Building Society.

But it took a full month for this, and even longer to send you the balance of 25,826.

Barclays had also unfrozen your separate Market Master account, but by then shares you had planned to sell had dropped in value, losing you 700.

The bank told me: 'We sincerely apologise to Dr C. for the delay experienced in completing his requests to close his Isa and Market Master accounts.

'It does not reflect the level of service he should rightly expect from us.'

You have told me that although you were left 700 out of pocket, Barclays offered only 200 as a 'gesture of goodwill' which was accepted, you say, 'just to be rid of them'.

If you believe you are the victim of financial wrongdoing, write to Tony Hetherington at Financial Mail, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5TS or email tony.hetherington@mailonsunday.co.uk.

Because of the high volume of enquiries, personal replies cannot be given. Please send only copies of original documents, which we regret cannot be returned.
Business investment has fallen for the third quarter in a row as firms batten down the hatches ahead of Brexit.

It is the longest decline since the financial crisis struck in 2008 and 2009, according to the Office for National Statistics.

Firms are thought to be holding back spending because the future has become so uncertain as the country prepares to leave the European Union.

Brexit worries: Firms are thought to be holding back spending because the future has become so uncertain as the country prepares to leave the European Union

Major manufactures fear their supply chains will be severely disrupted if there is a no-deal Brexit, with companies from Airbus to Jaguar Land Rover all raising the alarm.

However, separate figures from the ONS showed that state borrowing fell to 7.2billion last month  a drop of 900millio on a year earlier.

This was the best November for 14 years and gives Chancellor Philip Hammond some much-needed breathing space if more spending is needed to help Britain through Brexit.

Meanwhile, 26.5billion flowed out of Britain and into other countries in the third quarter.

This so-called balance of payments deficit is up from 20billion in the previous three months and means the economy is propped up by foreign investment.

Bank of England governor Mark Carney has warned it leaves us dependent on the kindness of strangers.

Samuel Tombs, of research consultancy Pantheon Macroeconomics, said: The latest national accounts do not inspire confidence that the economy will pull through the current political crisis unscathed.
An ongoing lawsuit in the United States has a New York watch dealer suing a California auction house that sold a pair of allegedly fake Chinese Imperial clocks, according to The New York Times.

Sold for a total of US$607,000 in 2016, the clocks are large, floral and elaborate, typical of the style that was favoured by Ming and Qing dynasty emperors, echoing the equally elaborate pocket watches (that were often even sets with pearls) popular in China during the period.

Described by the auction house, Clars Auction Gallery, as Chinese ormolu bronze automaton clocks from the late 19th or early 20th century, the two clocks are actually just five years old, according to the lawyer for the buyer, Ye Olde Time Keepers Inc. The clocks were, according to the lawyer, made by Li Qiusheng, owner of Tianjin Edwin Clock Company, a clock workshop in the southern Chinese port city.

Whether the clocks are the real deal will be decided by the court, but several expert comments in the articles are noteworthy, applying as much to vintage watches as to Imperial Chinese clocks.

They are blindingly rare in real life, says Simon Bull, an English clock expert quoted in the article, The moment you start seeing them two, three, four, five times a year, and the same model  that was the big warning.

A fellow English clock specialist, Matthew Hopkinson, is quoted as saying, Suddenly these clocks were fetching 10 times the amount they were previously When prices go up, the counterfeiters move in and start making reproduction ones.

Source: The New York Times
Troubled outsourcer Interserve has finally thrashed out the key points of a rescue deal with its lenders, aimed at preventing a Christmas crash.

The company is attempting to reduce its 650million debt pile, as lenders worry it could buckle under the pressure of repayments and fall into administration like its peer Carillion did in January.

Interserve, which works on contracts from managing the Ministry of Defences Salisbury Plain training base to cleaning railway stations, said it had conditionally agreed a plan with its lenders which would let them swap the debt for equity.

Interserve is attempting to reduce its 650m debt pile, as lenders worry it could buckle under the pressure of repayments and fall into administration like its peer Carillion did in January

They would effectively cancel their loans and instead take part-ownership of the firm, though Interserve has not revealed the size of the stakes they would hold.

But one sticking point appeared to be lenders demands regarding RMD Kwikform, Interserves profitable building material unit.

The lenders want it to be separated so they can take ownership of it entirely. Interserve said it was considering the idea. Investors were unsure what to make of the proposals, as shares in the firm swung wildly.

They were up more than 18 per cent when markets opened, down as much as 13 per cent in early trading, and eventually crept higher to end the day up 3.3 per cent, or 0.36p, at 11.24p.

Stock Watch - Dekeloil Ivory Coast-based agricultural company Dekeloil has significantly negotiated down a deal to buy a 43.8pc stake in a cashew processing plant, it said. The Tiebissou cashew project is set to become Dekeloils second site, operational by early 2020, alongside its palm oil plant. The renegotiated deal values the entire project at 5.4million  a third of the original price announced in June. Shares in Dekeloil climbed 9.8 per cent, or 0.3p, to 3.38p.

Debbie White, the chief executive, said the deal with lenders is excellent news for all our employees, customers and suppliers.

Takeaway delivery company Just Eat received a festive boost as traders began banking on the possibility that it might become a takeover target.

The FTSE 100 firm was pushed up by a deal between two of its competitors, as Delivery Hero said it would sell its operations in its home market of Germany to Dutch rival Takeaway.

Investors hoped that the 838m deal might lead to more buying and selling activity within the sector.

Firms like Just Eat, which have traditionally only acted as an online marketplace for restaurants which already have their own drivers, are trying to fend off competitors such as Deliveroo and Uber Eats which entered into the market with a ready-made network of drivers and cyclists.

Just Eats shares climbed 3 per cent, or 17.2p, to 589p, helping the FTSE 100 edge up by 0.1 per cent, or 9.24 points, to 6721.17 points.

Litigation Capital Management, which makes money for investors by using their cash to pay for companies legal cases in return for a cut of any damages awarded, shot up on its second day of trading.

One of its projects had reached a settlement which would rake in 837,000 in revenues.

It took only a month to get the case resolved, LCM added, and it is the third to be completed by the firm in the financial year.

Shares in LCM, which floated on AIM on Wednesday, shot up 9 per cent, or 5.75p, to 69.25p.

Marlowe, which buys small companies that inspect and test commercial properties, bought health and safety consultancy William Martin for 30million. The deal would boost earnings by at least 10 per centin the first full year of ownership.

Marlowe also issued 1.7m new shares to raise 7million. Investors snapped them up for 410p each, higher than the companys 401p closing share price on Thursday  and it closed a further 2.5 per cent higher yesterday, or 10p, at 411p.

Stockbroker Numis saw the return of a familiar face as City veteran Michael Spencer, the former Conservative Party treasurer who used to be Numiss chairman, bought a 3.4 per cent stake.

The 63-year-old cashed out for the shares through IPGL, a company he owns with his wife, his children and business partners.

His interest caused shares to lift yesterday by 0.8 per cent, or 2p, to 245p.
Share price dive: Hedge funds are predicting more pain for online fashion retailer, Asos

Those miserly hedge funds clearly havent got into the Christmas spirit. They are predicting more pain for online fashion retailer Asos, even after its 45 per cent share price dive last week.

Asos has come under fire from short-sellers betting 230 million that its share price will keep falling after Mondays profit warning, caused by hefty discounting.

The companys short position hit a three-year high on Thursday of 12.09 per cent, according to IHS Markit, which analyses a wide variety of holdings. That is up from less than 9 per cent before the profit warning.

Short-sellers borrow shares, sell them and then buy them back at a lower price for a profit (an expensive game if the share price rises).

Hedge funds such as London-based Marshall Wace have raised their short positions, while American giant Citadel has now entered the fray.

Perhaps they are avid readers of Morgan Stanleys research. Crystal ball gazers at the investment bank saw trouble brewing, having predicted just a few days earlier that Asos was burning through cash.

Somethings got to give, they said in a rather prophetic statement.

*****

Emma Walmsley gave GlaxoSmithKline investors an early Christmas gift when she revealed the break-up of the drugs firm  something many have been longing for. By merging the consumer healthcare division with Pfizers, GSKs boss plans to spin the new company off within three years.

What flew under the radar last week was that she also plans to offload 1 billion of products as part of the joint venture.

That means Sensodyne and Aquafresh toothpaste, nicotine replacement Nicorette and headache tablet Panadol could be up for sale. Suitors will be licking their lips at the prospect of a bidding war.

-

He's more used to donating millions to Scientology, but Bob Duggan has found a new home for his cash.

The American billionaire has splashed out 20 million on a 49 per cent stake in Aim-listed Summit Therapeutics, a small British biotech firm that started life in an Oxford University lab and which is developing antibiotics for serious infectious diseases.

The sum falls a long way short of the money Duggan, a former biotech boss himself, is reported to have donated to The Church of Scientology, which counts Tom Cruise as a member. That could be 285 million, according to some reports.

-

Most City traders may already have left the Square Mile for the Christmas break, but that doesnt mean the stock market will be coming to a standstill this week.

Tomorrow marks the FTSE 100s last reshuffle of 2018.

Royal Mail will be ejected from the blue chip index along with Just Eat. Taking their places will be insurer Hiscox and Spirax-Sarco Engineering.

Under-pressure holiday firms Thomas Cook and On The Beach are among the firms being demoted from the FTSE 250, while newly-listed Aston Martin and Funding Circle will be replacing them.
Nearly one in five of Britain's biggest companies haven't paid any UK tax last year

Almost one in five of Britain's biggest companies paid not a penny of corporation tax in the UK last year, it can be revealed.

The Mail on Sunday has managed to obtain the details of the tax paid by 69 of the FTSE 100 group of largest companies on the stock market  many of which do not publish these figures in their annual reports.

The remaining 31 refused or failed to respond to repeated requests to disclose their tax payments.

Where details could be obtained, 13 firms  equivalent to one in five of the 69 that came clean  either paid no corporation tax in Britain or received a tax credit from HM Revenue & Customs.

The list includes household names such as BP, Royal Mail and British Gas owner Centrica.

Usually firms pay corporation tax of 19 per cent of their total profits.

BP made 5.6 billion in profit last year  yet still received tax credits worth 134million. That meant it was a net receiver of tax money in the UK, rather than contributing to the cost of running the country where its shares are listed.

Some firms are even paying their chief executives more than they pay in tax. Royal Mail boss Rico Back stands to earn 1.4million this year on top of a 5.8million 'golden hello' for joining the company.

This payment might appear unremarkable given that the company, which was privatised in 2013, made 39million profit in the UK last year and 212million globally.

But it can now be revealed Royal Mail's UK profit was then increased rather than reduced by tax, thanks to a huge tax credit of 93million - the second largest in our survey - of which 78million was attributed to a pension 'accounting adjustment with no cash benefit', according to the company.

The findings will raise concerns big businesses are failing to pay their fair share towards schools, hospitals and UK infrastructure.

None of the companies assessed by The Mail on Sunday is accused of acting illegally, but most have used UK tax laws to reduce their payments from the amount they might have been expected to pay.

These are the companies that have either not paid any UK tax or have actually received a credit

These rules allow firms to use opaque schemes and loans to move money from one jurisdiction to another, they do not have to declare what they have done and so many of the methods used to slash tax bills remain secret.

The Mail on Sunday's Fair Play on Tax campaign has called for a level playing field  including spelling out how much revenue and profit they make in each country they operate  so that UK firms which pay their dues can more easily compete with multinational giants.

Last night, Dame Margaret Hodge, formerly chair of the Commons Public Accounts Committee, said: 'Tax avoidance by large corporations is a blight on this country. It means there is less money for our underfunded public services.

'This shocking revelation by The Mail on Sunday shows the Government is still failing to get to grips with this scandal.

'The fact that some companies pay no corporation tax but grab our taxpayers' money through tax credits beggars belief.'

Merit: BP is one of the big companies that actually received a UK tax credit in the past year

BP and Centrica's tax credits are understood to relate to the payments for decommissioning oil and gas rigs.

Centrica's annual report says it 'received a cash refund of tax overpaid in periods prior to 2015'. BP boss Bob Dudley was paid more than 10million last year.

A BP spokesman said: 'We have recently completed one of our highest ever investment programmes in the North Sea  the key driver in our tax-paying position in the UK.'

Mining firms were prominent among the 13 companies which pay no tax. Several said there is no reason for them to pay tax in Britain, as their operations are overseas and their profits generated there.

Copper miner Antofagasta said all its mines are in Chile, so it paid 99.9 per cent of its taxes there.

Fresnillo, one of the world's biggest producers of gold and silver, has its operations in Mexico and that it where it pays tax. Evraz, a mining and steel giant part-owned by Roman Abramovich, did not want to comment.

Randgold Resources, which mines gold in Africa, is based in the Channel Isles and pays no tax in Britain, where it is listed on the stock exchange.

Chief executive Mark Bristow received over 7million last year. A spokeswoman said: 'Randgold Resources is not incorporated in the UK and the Randgold Group has no substantial UK presence and no operations in the UK.'

But Alex Cobham, of the Tax Justice Network, says even if the mines are abroad, often there is a significant management presence in the UK.

Two real estate investment trusts (REITs), British Land and Segro, paid no tax last year.

REITs are funds which enable investors to put money into commercial property. If they return 90 per cent of profits to investors no corporation tax is due.

British Land, whose assets include Meadowhall shopping mall in Sheffield, received a 6million tax credit last year, which it said came from overpayment in prior years.

The Government offers tax breaks for investment in research and development.

A spokesman for AstraZeneca, a global pharmaceuticals titan which made 1.7billion profit last year, said: 'Investments in research and development during previous years and continuing into 2018 have resulted in a lower UK profit and there was no [UK corporation] tax paid in 2018.'

A spokesman for Ocado said the firm has 'historically made tax losses', so no tax was due.

Liverpool FC shirt sponsors Standard Chartered bank, which made 1.8billion profit last year, said of its 12million tax credit: 'It's a refund on previous years' overpayment.'

A spokesman for Royal Mail said it made a 1.8 billion contribution to the Exchequer through National Insurance, income tax for staff and business rates and other taxes.
Charlotte Valeur doesn't beat around the bush  and it's just as well, because she has taken the reins at the Institute of Directors at a time when top bosses need some no-nonsense advice.

The IoD is a century-old organisation that bills itself as a guardian of best practice on company boards.

But the past 12 months have been marred by a series of scandals for some of Britain's best-known bosses: WPP founder Sir Martin Sorrell was shamed over alleged misuse of company funds; Topshop tycoon Sir Philip Green stands accused of harassment and bullying; and entrepreneur Luke Johnson's leadership was called into question when a black hole was found in Patisserie Valerie's accounts.

Charlotte Valeur has taken over from Barbara Judge as the chair of the Institute of Directors

Valeur says captains of industry and the company boards they sit on could benefit from some more straight-talking; too often they are full of 'yes men' who rarely challenge each other.

'People want to hire someone they can relate to, someone who is more like themselves  but we've actually just got to pick someone potentially who we do not like,' she says.

'That person will challenge us all the time, and make us challenge ourselves. Are we true leaders if we don't like people challenging us?'

Valeur's unusually direct approach should come in handy at the IoD, which has suffered its own high-profile scandal.

Barbara Judge, the well-connected businesswoman whose public persona boosted the profile of the IoD, resigned in March while facing accusations of racism and bullying.

Lady Judge, known for wearing Victorian-style frilled shirts with a fitted black suit, described herself as a feminist and was the IoD's first chairwoman.

Charlotte Valeur, 54: No half measures for Mamma Mia! lover Lives: St Brelade, Jersey. Education: Studied banking as an apprentice with Nordea after leaving school. Family: Three teenage children aged 14, 17 and 19. Next holiday: Rome with her boyfriend in January. Favourite film: Mamma Mia!  'You just come out of it feeling happy.' Pet peeves: City bankers telling her women should only drink half pints. Hobbies: Reading books about corporate governance. She is now writing one herself.

But her reputation took a huge hit when she was accused of saying black people 'can get aggressive' and reducing her staff to tears. Judge denied the allegations, but resigned her position.

It is immediately clear Valeur wants to draw a line under the affair. She says the job for her now is about moving the IoD into the modern era.

And while she won't say it herself, the organisation seems to be trying to send a message with her appointment  Valeur couldn't be more different from her austere predecessor.

As we sit down for sandwiches in a meeting room in the IoD's London headquarters, the 54-year-old Dane almost immediately launches into her own story about standing up to racism.

She says about eight years ago, she had moved to St Brelade, Jersey, with her then husband who is of Ghanaian descent (they are now divorced) only for their mixed-race boys, then aged 11 and nine, to be subjected to foul, racially-abusive language at school.

'My boys had friends calling them n*****s  and not as some sort of compliment I might add,' she says. 'It was very disappointing.'

She confronted the parents about what had happened. She says they fiercely denied that they, or their children, were racist and merely offered the explanation: 'We don't have so many black people here.'

'I said, 'Imagine your boy goes to a university in England when he reaches 18 and goes up to a black man and calls him a n*****  it's going to be a big problem. Please teach them' [that using that word is wrong].

'They don't talk to me any more, but what else could I do? These are my children, they are the most important thing in my life.'

Valeur is certainly experienced in the art of robust discussions from her career in the City.

Barbara Judge resigned from the IoD in March while facing accusations of racism and bullying

She arrived in London from Denmark, the country of her birth, in 1991 as a trader for Danish bank Nordea, where she had started an apprenticeship after school.

She rose through the ranks and moved to rival banks SG Warburg, BNP Paribas and Societe Generale.

Now, she has six company directorships and dreams of chairing a FTSE 100 company one day, having stepped down as chairwoman of FTSE 250 investment firm Kennedy Wilson last year.

But she insists she is not guilty of taking on too many board roles  something Lady Judge was criticised for after building an illustrious portfolio of around 30 board appointments and City advisory roles.

In fact, Valeur has a clear message on so-called 'over-boarding', where directors are said to be too stretched across different roles to do a thorough job.

'I could have 200 positions, but I'm not interested in that,' Valeur says with trademark candour. 'I get asked every week if I want to take a new position.

'You have to always leave space in case something goes crazy, and you have to spend more time on that. If you totally fill your time, you are irresponsible, and I do not want to sit on boards with people like that.

'If someone has more than ten directorships, I would question it.'

Even if the image of a club for fusty old City grandees coasting into retirement is an unfair characterisation of the IoD, Valeur is adamant it needs modernisation.

The business group is housed in a grand, 19th Century building on London's Pall Mall, but Valeur prefers to be photographed in a more modern, understated part of the building.

'I was very clear in my interviews for the job that the organisation needs to change,' she says. 'I told them that I can't have people talking about it as an old-fashioned boys club. But everybody else was on side, and it felt like they had already embraced it.'

Some of the old guard, however, may have felt a jolt as they've become acquainted with their new advocate.

Valeur is frank and open about her private life. She still finds time between board meetings to binge-watch Love Island with her 14-year-old daughter, she says, as well as the occasional Scandinavian crime drama.

She jokes about her teenage son spending his time 'drinking, partying and smoking' in Denmark  and freely tells me about looking forward to having a few tipples with her new partner in Rome on their next holiday.

'My son is going to kill me for saying that about him,' she laughs.

But she explains: 'Danish society is super-transparent. When I came I would ask people, 'So what's your salary?'

'People would tell me that we can't talk about that. But if I don't know your salary, how do I know what to ask for?'

Valeur will hope most executives see her quest for greater transparency as the breath of fresh air the City needs after a year of controversy...unless, of course, they have something to hide.
Faroe has sent a stern hands-off warning to Norwegian oil firm DNO after hostile bid

Faroe Petroleum has sent a stern hands-off warning to Norwegian oil firm DNO, which has tabled a hostile 610 million takeover bid.

The British company has rejected the bid and warned that it will fight any move by DNO  already Faroe's largest shareholder with a stake of nearly 30 per cent to get a seat on the board.

AIM-listed Faroe accused DNO of trying to buy 'on the cheap' because it pounced after the recent oil price fall which has hit share prices across the industry.

DNO has said that if its bid fails, it will 'redouble its efforts to obtain board representation' after failing to do so several months ago.

But Faroe's chief Graham Stewart said that if DNO redoubles its efforts, then 'so will we'.

Asked what Faroe's relationship with DNO was like, Stewart said: 'I'm not sure how you can characterise relationships which don't actually exist.'
Gerald Walsh has been accused of presenting a doctored email from The Mail on Sunday

A fraudster has been accused of presenting a doctored email from The Mail on Sunday as evidence in court as he attempts to claim a share of millions of pounds owed to RBS investors.

Gerard Walsh, 61, is fighting for 3.75million of a 200million compensation settlement won by investors who signed up to an action group that he set up.

The group sued RBS over allegations that its members were duped into buying the bank's shares.

In what the judge called a 'pantomime' court hearing last week, Walsh supplied a document that he claimed was an email he had received from a Mail on Sunday reporter.

But the validity of the email was called into question by opposing lawyers and The Mail on Sunday's records appear to show the wording of the message had been edited.

If it transpires that Walsh was responsible for altering a document presented to a judge, he could face a criminal investigation and be found in contempt of court.

In court, one lawyer said of the discrepancy: 'On the face of it [this] is a very serious contempt.'

It is the latest twist in a bizarre legal battle surrounding the RBoS Shareholders Action Group, a company which was co-founded by Walsh after a doomed 2008 RBS rights issue.

The 7,000 investors who signed up to the group won a settlement, thought to be worth 200million, from the bank in June 2017.

But this was after Walsh and the action group company had been ousted as managers of the claim by Manx Capital, an investment vehicle of tycoon Trevor Hemmings. He was among investors who signed up to the group but became unhappy with the way the claim was managed.

Manx and Hemmings on one side, and Walsh and the action group firm on the other, have been involved in a furious legal spat since the settlement was struck. Most of the money is yet to be paid out to investors.

One major dispute is over 3.75million that Walsh feels he is owed as a bonus payment for the settlement being won.

A court was told this year that Walsh  who was labelled a fraudster in the Jersey Royal Court in 2014 in a separate case, and 'guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation' by the High Court of Ireland in 1997  had presented himself as a volunteer while charging 80 an hour for his consultancy work.

The battle came to a head last week when Walsh appeared in London's High Court to answer questions about his work for the group. Manx had obtained a court order to access a series of Walsh's emails falling under specific search terms.

In court: Mr Walsh is attempting to claim a share of millions of pounds owed to RBS investors

The court heard that more than 19,000 of his electronic communications fall under these terms, but Walsh decided 15,991 are not relevant and should not be disclosed.

Mr Justice Hildyard last week ruled all of the emails should be handed over to Signature Litigation  the law firm instructed by Manx.

This was only after a bizarre day in court, much of which was spent debating the existence of an email which Walsh said he had received from this newspaper.

Barra McGrory QC, representing the RBoS Shareholders Action Group, tried to argue that an independent lawyer or firm should be drafted in to handle Walsh's emails.

McGrory relied on evidence given in court by Walsh who claimed he had received an email from The Mail on Sunday in which a reporter had revealed he was aware of email correspondence between Walsh and Nigel Masters, a director of the RBoS Shareholders Action Group.

It was alleged that this proved Signature Litigation had been leaking confidential information to this newspaper.

When questions were raised about the validity of the email, lawyers for the RBoS Shareholders Action Group were asked to supply a copy of the document to the court.

They then printed an email with different wording, which made no reference to correspondence between Walsh and Masters.

Challenged again, lawyers then supplied a second email  sent the next day  which was almost identical to the first but included the quote Walsh had supplied to the court.

The Mail on Sunday's records show that two emails were sent to Walsh, on October 5 and 6.

The first put a series of allegations to Walsh, and the second forwarded this same memo the next day to try to speed up a response. Neither email contained the wording which Walsh and the RBoS Shareholders Action Group relied upon in court.

Mr Justice Hildyard demanded access to the original emails on Thursday.

During the hearing, as Walsh and representatives rushed in and out of the hearing room to print off the different emails, the judge said: 'It is the pantomime season, but normally [it] doesn't venture into this court.'

Ian Higgins, for Manx, said: 'It adds little to this for me to say how serious a matter this is...

'On the face of it, a false statement in an affidavit [is] an attempt to mislead the court... On the face of it, [this] is a very serious contempt.'

The judge said: 'There are two rival [emails] which suggests that one of them is not an unamended email and one of them is. There doesn't appear to be any other explanation, which is odd.'

McGrory told the court there was a 'deep personal rift' between Walsh and lawyers at Signature Litigation, hence his unease about handing over emails.

He said Walsh had complied with the order to produce relevant emails, adding: 'In the course of this process, he identified this category of emails, albeit a very large category, which he considered to be private and not to do with the business of the RBoS action group.'

The case continues next month. The RBoS Shareholders Action Group and Walsh did not respond to requests for comment.
A woman dubbed the 'dine-and-dash queen' after she allegedly racked up thousands of dollars in unpaid food and hotel bills has penned a bizarre letter from behind bars.

Lois Loder, 44, who is accused of swindling several businesses across Perth, allegedly sent the nine-page letter to 7News reporter Chris Meldrum this week.

In the letter, purportedly from Loder, she spoke about how she's been spending her time behind bars for the last three months and her burgeoning passion to be a writer.

Lois Loder (pictured), dubbed the 'dine-and-dash queen' after she allegedly left several Perth businesses without footing the bill, has penned a bizarre letter from behind bars

In the letter, Loder allegedly spoke about how she's been spending her time behind bars for the last three months and her burgeoning passion to be a writer

She allegedly said she shouldn't have been locked up - despite facing almost 80 charges - but is still making good use of her time exercising, among other things.

The letter reportedly detailed how the other inmates refer to her as 'the running woman' because she is always on the go and runs up to eight kilometres a say.

She reportedly also spoke about how a serious toothache has been giving her grief and keeping her awake at night.

It is alleged the 44-year-old also made reference to her unusual celebrity status, saying she has received hundreds of messages from strangers on Facebook.

She allegedly also spoke about her plans to become an author and pen a book about her experience.

She reportedly wrote: 'I've written a book on my story  people are so interested in it,' Yahoo7 reported.

Loder (pictured) allegedly wrote in the letter she shouldn't have been locked up - despite facing almost 80 charges - but is making good use of her time exercising among other things

Lois Loder is currently in custody at Perth's Melaleuca Remand and Reintegration facility (pictured) for female offenders

'I exercise then write in my book, hour after hour, that is what I do in here.'

The 44-year-old is currently remanded in custody at the Melaleuca Remand and Reintegration facility for female offenders, The West Australian reported.

Loder, who also goes by a number of aliases, faces 33 charges of fraud along with 16 charges of attempted fraud in addition to charges to stolen property and drugs.

She has pleaded guilty to 28 charges and was warned by a magistrate in June she was looking 'squarely' at a stint in prison if convicted.

Loder was taken into custody following the latest incident in September, where she allegedly fled the Gordon St Garage cafe in West Perth without footing the $22.50 bill for a croissant and mojito cocktail.

Loder (pictured) allegedly also wrote about how she plans to become an author and pen a book about her experience

At the time, she attempted to explain the alleged incident, which she claimed was a miscommunication.

'I have lots to say about this latest scandal - the guy... is talking absolute rubbish,' Ms Loder told Daily Mail Australia in September.

'When I read what he said, I couldn't believe he was talking about the same occasion.'

'He said I couldn't pay by card, only cash, due to the electricity being disconnected. I said that's fine and that I only had a $20 note on me.

'If I had known I would've got more from the ATM. It was at this point I was thinking I might go, but he told me to sit down.'

The cafe's manager Callum Jennings disputed Loder's claims.

Cafe manager Callum Loader got this photo of Lois Loder in September after she allegedly walked out without paying for a mojito and croissant

'We had a quick chat when she came in before ordering a croissant from me over the counter and later a mojito,' he claimed at the time.

'She was only there for a couple of minutes before a colleague of mine noticed she was scurrying away outside a different exit.

'I then waited until I was pretty sure she was making a run for it and followed her outside, pulled her up and said 'you'll need to come back and pay for your bill' and she then tried to convince me that she left some money on the table but I didn't believe her.'

Lois Loder (pictured) has pleaded guilty to 28 charges and faces time in prison if convicted

Loder was dubbed the 'dine-and-dash queen' after she allegedly left several West Australian businesses without footing the bills she had racked up.

She first made headlines in April when restaurant Elmar's in The Valley took to social media attempting to identify her after she allegedly skipped out after racking up a $250 bill.

When it came to settling her debt with establishments she allegedly scammed, Loder resorted to threatening to plague public platforms with false negative reviews.

Notorious 'dine-and-dash queen' Lois Loder's (pictured) was remanded in custody after her bail application was delayed until later this month

They included cafe Terrazza Cafe Applecross, which alleged Ms Loder targeted its business last year, leaving without settling a bill of about $200.

The cafe posted on its Facebook page, asking public members who knew the couple to let them know 'they haven't paid for their lunch'.

Shortly afterwards, Loder used her alias account 'Lois Lynn' to give a one-star review, writing 'Awful. Really bad. Wouldn't go there unless you like pubic hair in your butter'.
Ehsan Abdi-Jalebi, 37, pictured, was today jailed for four years after he was found guilty of siphoning off more than 1 million in government grants from his Cambridge-based green technology company

A Cambridge don who swindled 1 million in a green-energy swindle was jailed for four years today.

Ehsan Abdi-Jalebi, 37, was caught with 100,000 in cash in a Thornton's Continental chocolate box as he boarded a flight to Tehran from Heathrow airport.

He had been developing a property in Iran worth 900,000 while driving around in his Maserati.

Abdi-Jalebi won international acclaim for his work on wind turbines and set up his technology firm in 2006.

He dishonestly received project funding to the value of 2.5m in grant money from Innovate UK and The Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC), as they would not have paid out the grant money had they known that invoices were being forged.

Judge Martin Beddoe told Abdi-Jalebi: 'Of the funding dishonestly obtained you trousered 1m yourself.'

Wind Technologies Ltd was entitled to grants for part of the costs incurred but not for the total amount.

Abdi-Jalebi altered the invoices, increasing Wind Technologies costs to make up for the costs that were not covered by the partial grants.

The company would therefore receive de facto 100 per cent grants instead of partial grants.

Jonathan Polnay, prosecuting, said the fraud was 'a long running course of conduct.'

'The Department of Energy and Climate Change and Innovate UK were submitted forged invoices which resulted in 2.5 million being handed over,' he said.

Following his arrest, Abdi-Jalebi lost his fellowship at Churchill College in Cambridge as the National Crime Agency spent 18 months examining his financial history.

His company, Wind Technologies, received more than 1.3million in renewable energy grants from the Government and the European Union.

Three linked firms were handed a further 1.5million.

David Sonn, defending, said: 'He has been on bail for two years preventing him from visiting his family in Iran and missing the one year anniversary of his father's death.

'He has asked me to express his regret and his apologies to his funders, his co-directors, the scientific community and the universities.

Judge Beddoe told Abdi-Jalebi: 'For the best part of two years you used forged invoices to obtain funds from DECC and Innovate UK.

'Funding of 2.5m had been secured as a result of your forgeries.

'These forgeries would have continued had your taking of the money out of the country not brought a cloud of suspicion around you.

'Some of the money obtained was spent on genuine projects.'

Abdi-Jalebi, of Trumpington, Cambridge, admitted 13 counts of fraud and was jailed for four years.

A further charge of perverting the course of justice, which he denied was ordered to to lie on the court file.

Speaking after the sentencing, NCA senior investigating officer Ian Truby said:

'While the companies that Dr Abdi-Jalebi was involved with were doing some legitimate work in the field of renewable energy, he used them as a cash cow to siphon off money.

Abdi-Jalebi won international acclaim for his work on wind turbines and set up his technology firm in 2006 [File photo]

'This money had come in as government grants, so it was essentially stolen from taxpayers.

'Through some great detective work and after analysing thousands of documents NCA investigators were able to prove that he was a fraud.

'While we have identified a number of UK assets held by Abdi-Jalebi the likelihood is that most of the money ended up in Iran, which will make it far more difficult to recover.

'However, we will do everything in our power to recover as much of that UK taxpayers' money as possible.'

Sarah Vodden, Director of Operations at Innovate UK said: 'By carrying out this fraud, Abdi Jalebi deprived genuine innovators of the opportunity for funding for their ideas.

'This was a sophisticated fraud that was deliberately constructed to evade the counter fraud checks we had in place at that time. We are grateful for the thorough work carried out by the National Crime Agency and Crown Prosecution Service to bring Jalebi to justice.'

Nick Jariwalla, Director, Border Force Heathrow said: 'Abdi-Jalebi was first stopped when one of our Border Force detector dogs sniffed out the 137,000 hidden in his hand luggage.

'While he was able to account for the cash to the NCA's satisfaction at that stage, the intelligence gained enabled my officers to make two further stops which ultimately proved to be his undoing.

'These Border Force interventions were the crucial first steps in bringing Abdi-Jalebi to justice and putting an end to his lucrative criminal enterprise.'

Leigh Webber, of the CPS, said: 'Abdi-Jalebi abused his position as a respected academic at the University of Cambridge to exploit Government schemes designed to encourage entrepreneurship and development in the renewable energies industry.

'The CPS showed he submitted forged invoices to make it look like he was running genuine businesses and used tax-payers' money to fund his jet-set lifestyle, continuing his lies when cash he was trying to smuggle to Iran was seized.

'There is no doubt Abdi-Jalebi could have advanced the field and made a much more significant contribution to wind energy, but greed got the better of him.'
Inmates at a Colombian jail will be disappointed to find there are no gifts under the Christmas trees year.

Law enforcement authorities carrying out operation 'Navidad Segura' ('Safe Christmas') arrested a man earlier this week who was allegedly trying to use a slingshot to air mail packages containing banned items and drugs into a jail in the Caribbean city of Valledupar.

Henry Ortiz, 24, attempted to flee a Colombian National Police officers before he gave himself up.

Police officers confiscated 73 packages that contained 350 grams of cocaine and 1,800 grams of marijuana.

Henry Ortiz (center) was arrested during an operation outside a jail in Valledupar, Colombia after he allegedly tried to use a slingshot to smuggle packages containing drugs, cell phones and liquor

Authorities also seized 14 cell phones, 60 sim cards, 26 cell phone chargers, 36 bottles of liquor and 80 erectile dysfunction pills.

Each package was placed inside a bag which was then tightly wrapped with tape.

'What we think is that the party for the 24th is cancelled because all the items that they had inside [the packages] were apparently to coordinate an internal activity or to distribute it themselves,' Colombian National Police Colonel Mauricio Pedraza said during a press conference with local media outlets.

'The amount of drugs is a pretty big quantity.

A police officer shows off one of the 73 packages which contained 350 grams of cocaine and 1,800 grams of marijuana, 14 cell phones, 60 sim cards, 26 cell phone chargers, 36 bottles of liquor and 80 erectile dysfunction pills

A Colombian National Police officer breaks open a package with a concealed cell phone

Police found a metal pipe with two split ends at the top wedged into the ground about about 230 feet away from the exterior walls of the medium security detention facility.

Ortiz allegedly used a rubber slingshot and tied it to the pipe.

The packages were then air dropped over the 13-foot wall and into a recreational yard inside the penitentiary.

The 24-year-old suspected smuggler sent him packages flying over a 13-foot high wall
Thomas Cannette, 27, was convicted of child neglect in 2017 in Jackson after smoking drugs in from of one of his children

Alongside her boyfriend, Casandra Lopresto, 27, faces three counts of child neglect, carrying a maximum sentence of 30 years

A mother and father of a one-year-old found hanged between a couch will not face any charges relating to his death - despite investigators finding evidence that he may have been abused.

21-month-old Rowan Cannette died from an accidental hanging after getting trapped behind a couch at home in Harrison County, Missouri.

He was found stuck with his head resting against the back of the sofa and his body stuck dangling between the wall.

However, after his death investigators discovered a series of bite marks over his face, arms and legs, as well as bruises all over his body.

A number of cigarette burns were also found on the bottoms of his feet. On closer inspection, investigators determined that each mark was at a different stage of healing and as a result must've happened on several different occasions.

Despite this, police have said that Thomas Cannette, 27, and his girlfriend, Casandra Lopresto, also 27, will face no action over the death of Rowan.

Baby Rowan was found lifeless on December 3 in Harrison County, Missouri, after his parents awoke. He was rushed to hospital but pronounced dead from accidental asphyxiation by doctors

'There's nothing in the investigation that shows they caused his death,' said Harrison County Sherrif Troy Peterson.

The pair awoke to find Rowan's lifeless figure behind the couch on December 3 and rushed him to hospital, the Sun Herald reported.

Doctors pronounced him dead as a result of accidental asphyxiation, but investigators remained troubled by the apparent signs of abuse over his body, as well as on Rowan's two siblings'.

Cannette and Lopresto were both charged with three counts of child neglect, but the charges regard their surviving children - a two-year-old boy and a three-year-old girl- and drug paraphernalia found at their home.

The other two children were reportedly found with meth in their bloodstreams, which investigators say could only happen if the drugs has been taken by the child.

Prosecutor Herman Cox said: Meth got into their blood streams, and the expert who performed the test said the only way that can happen is through ingestion, not by being present when meth is smoked'.

Two drug pipes were found in the residence, but Cannette insisted he used them to smoke marijuana outside the home, around five time a day.

Cigarette burns were also found on the feet of Lopresto's daughter, but the couple deny any knowledge of the injuries and say they must've come from splinters.

Neither of the parents will face charges relating to Rowan's death, as police say they cannot find any evidence in the investigations that 'shows they caused his death'.

All of the children were locked in a room with broken plywood strewn across the floor.

As detailed by prosecutors, the door to the room has jagged pieces that'd been damaged when the boy tried to get out.

Using a hook-and-eye latch on the outside of the door, the couple had been locking the children in the room every time the parents slept, for three months.

The couple had been locking the children in their room because, as Mr. Cannette said, his 3-year-old son would get into the icebox and tear everything up, Prosecutor Cox said.

'I dont know what the parents were thinking,' he added.

'All the evidence of different types of abuse shows these parents knowingly allowed the continuing physical abuse of their children. Its just disgusting.'

Bruises, bite marks and cigarette burns were found over Rowan's body. On closer inspection, each of the burns appeared to be at a different stage of healing, which would mean they occurred on different occasions, according to prosecutors

Cannette was convicted of misdemeanor child neglect in Jackson County in 2017 after he and Rowans mother smoked marijuana in front of two children.

According to the Sun Herald, friends of Lopresto have alleged she was investigated by the Department of Human Services five years ago over issues that included a Facebook video.

The video apparently shows one of her daughters with a cup taped to the childs hand.

In the video, Lopresto keeps asking the child to give her the cup, and she laughs as her child cries, unable to leave the cup in her hands, and then falls down.

The judge has tunred the case over to a grand jury, and the remaining two children have been removed from their custody.

Of the three counts of neglect facing the pair, each charge carries a maximum sentence of ten years in prison.
Strong winds and heavy rain caused caused pre-holiday disruption on both the East and West coasts with unsettled weather predicted through to Christmas.

The National Weather Service said a powerful storm system from the Mid-Atlantic is currently impacting eastern states along with gusty winds near the coast and heavy showers.

The forecast said Northeast region was 10 to 15 degrees above the average temperature for this time of year.

Heavy rainfall through the night is expected in New York and east coast states where flood alerts currently remain in effect.

Nationwide, more than 300 flights had been canceled Friday and another 5,140 delayed as of 4.25pm, according to flight-tracking service FlightAware.

The delay count rose throughout the day as poor weather affected airports near New York City, Philadelphia, Washington and Boston.

At least two major airlines with hubs in New York City, Jetblue and United Airlines, waived rebooking fees for some fliers traveling through the metropolitan regions airports.

A worker from Seattle City Light checks out a snapped electric power pole and downed tree closing South Alaska Street between South Columbian Way and Beacon Avenue South between the Beacon Hill and Columbia City neighborhoods of Seattle

Waves crashed against a seawall at high tide as cars maneuvered past. A high wind warning remained in effect for much of area into Thursday evening, with gusts up to 60 miles an hour recorded earlier in the day

Temperature in the Northwest region was 10-15 degrees above average for this time of year

No other big carriers were waiving change fees as of 3pm on Friday.

Winds, heavy rain and reduced visibility associated with the northward-moving storm were the cause of the flight cancellations, with airports advising travelers to check their flight status before flying.

Problems could linger into Saturday for airports near New York City and Boston as strong winds are expected to follow in the wake of the storm.

The disruption comes after the Northwest experienced a battering from strong gusts that resulted in more than 300,000 households and businesses losing power.

Some bridges and roads also closed due to toppled trees causing destruction.

Winds reached 74 mph (120 kph) along the coast, near 60 mph (96 kph) inland and 117 mph (188 kph) at Mount Baker, according to the National Weather Service in Seattle.

Downed power lines blocked southbound Interstate 5 near Burlington on Thursday afternoon. Only one lane of northbound I-5 remained open in that area.

Officials temporarily closed the Hood Canal Bridge because of high winds and the Deception Pass Bridge because of downed trees and power lines.

Heavy rain fell throughout the day from the Mid-Atlantic region to the Northeast.

The National Weather Service issued flood watches from the Appalachians to New England as rain fell on ground already saturated by an incredibly wet autumn.

The Northeast will experience heavy rain and flooding this pre-holiday weekend

Waves crashed near homes at high tide during a windstorm Thursday in Seattle. More than 140,000 households and businesses lost power Thursday as strong winds toppled trees

Waves crash against a seawall next to homes at high tide during a windstorm Thursday

No serious injuries were reported in the US but falling trees cut off power lines and damaged cars, homes, roads and bridges.

High winds and rain are also predicted through early next week.

Earlier this week, a rare tornado  with peak winds of 120 to 130 miles per hour  touched down in Port Orchard, just west of Seattle. While no serious injuries were reported, more than 200 structures were damaged.

At least 16 cities have broken records for their wettest years on record, even as much of the western United States struggles with drought.

'Warmth and the moisture go hand in hand because warmer air holds more moisture than colder air', Bob Henson, a meteorologist with Weather Underground told the New York Times.

Heavy rain fell throughout the day from the Mid-Atlantic region to the Northeast and rain also affect West coast states

Tornado and flood warnings will be in place through Saturday, the National Weather Service said

Mr. Henson added: 'In a warmer atmosphere, theres more moisture being evaporated from the oceans to feed into the heaviest rain events'.

'Where its dry, the warmth helps moisture to evaporate from that dry land. The same process can intensify drought impacts and intensify the heaviest rains'.

The National Weather Service said that Mid-America will be between storm systems with a relatively quiet pattern in place.

'Any precipitation over the next two to three days will be light with temperatures generally above average', it said in a forecast.

Some schools closed early in the run up to the Christmas break.

While no serious injuries were reported in the US, one person was killed by a fallen tree in British Columbia, Canada.

As well as taking out power lines, the winds blew over shipping containers and even tore off part of a clock tower's exterior in western Washington.

'I heard a big gust of wind and we ran outside to make sure no one was hurt,' Marlow Harris told KOMO-TV about a giant Western Hemlock landed on the roof of a home in Seattle's Wallingford neighborhood.

'Everyone loved the trees here, so I'm sad that we lost a big old tree, it must have been 60 feet tall.'

Washington State Patrol Trooper Chelsea Hodgson tweeted photos of Grays Harbor

There was even trapped a trampoline between power lines in western Washington

She advised people to drive safely as many travel for the holiday period

Winds in Bellingham ripped part of the exterior from a clock tower while in Discovery Bay west of Chimacum an 80-foot (24-meter) sailboat was blown aground.

'Apparently trees aren't all we are dealing with today,' tweeted Washington State Patrol Trooper Chelsea Hodgson with a photo of a trampoline trapped between power lines in Grays Harbor.

Scott Wilson, a spokesman with the Kitsap County Sheriff's office, told the Seattle Times that Thursday's windstorm brought fallen trees and downed power lines to Port Orchard.

Tornado and flood warnings will be in place through Saturday, the National Weather Service said.

Bender, who goes by a singular name, leans against the wind as waves crash against a seawall next to him at high tide

A power outage at the Ballard Fred Meyer forced the store to operate on minimum power in Seattle, with the aisles in various degrees of darkness

KCRG reported that Saturday will start with temperatures in the middle twenties and afternoon highs in the upper thirties.

There will be a slight chance of a light, isolated rain or a snow shower on Christmas morning, but it is not expected to snow later that day.

Rain will continue Tuesday night into Wednesday with some occasional spells of thunder.
Londyn Strawn (pictured) filmed a series of fun videos with best friend before she was killed

Clowning around with a friend and looking forward to a visit from Santa, this is the heartbreaking final footage of the six-year-old 'angel' gunned down by her sheriff's deputy grandfather in a senseless triple murder suicide.

Tragic Londyn Strawn filmed a series of fun videos with best friend Skyla Cooper, 11, in the run-up to a Christmas that the adorable little girl would never see.

Londyn was the youngest of three generations of the same family wiped out early Wednesday by crazed Terry Strawn, 58 - a former sheriff's deputy of the year.

The veteran cop began his killing spree by opening fire on his granddaughter and wife Theresa, 54, inside his marital home in Valrico, Florida, just east of Tampa.

He then drove 15 minutes to the home of his 32-year-old daughter Courtney, Londyn's mom, where he marched up to her door carrying his service revolver in his left hand.

After a single gunshot rang out Strawn made his final radio call to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office at 6:42am to confess to the deadly rampage.

Colleagues located him minutes later close to his daughter's townhouse in rural Plant City but Strawn turned his weapon on himself as three deputies tried to talk him down.

Terry and Theresa Strawn, who had been married for more than three decades, also have a 27-year-old son named Andrew who is being comforted by family members.

Family and friends trying to make sense of the slayings have told DailyMail.com they do not recognize the cold-blooded killer depicted in news bulletins.

In a series of clips filmed on cell phone the young friends talk excitedly about Christmas and speculate how their presents will be delivered

While Skyla hints that she doesn't believe in Santa, Londyn chimes in with 'I do' before addressing the camera to ask: 'How does Santa get into your house - though the chimney or door?'

In one of the clips, the two girls run away from Courtney's small dog. 'I literally almost broke my ankle,' Londyn giggles.

'I don't have anything to tell you right now,' Terry Strawn's brother Perry, 57, said outside his Plant City home, his eyes brimming with tears.

'Please pray for us.'

A source close to Strawn's side of the family dismissed rumors that his marriage was on the rocks and that Theresa was about to file for divorce.

'There's nothing to suggest that's true - they just celebrated their 32nd anniversary,' the source said.

'Terry was the friendliest, the most outgoing, the brightest star of the family. He was the type of guy who took responsibility for everyone but would never want to burden other people with his problems.

'Everyone has been trying desperately to come up with anything that could explain this but each time they come up empty.

'Whatever it was that Terry was hiding, he took his secrets to the grave.'

Hillsborough County Sheriff's deputy Terry Strawn, 58, (right) killed his wife, Theresa, 54 (left) and his 6-year-old granddaughter Londyn (pictured) at their home, before killing his 32-year-old daughter Courtney (in green) at her home

Terry started with the Hillsborough County Sheriff's office in 1991, and had briefly retired and returned to the force after retiring two-years-ago (right, Courtney with her daughter in 2014)

In his final heart-wrenching radio communication, Strawn referenced health and financial problems but his department has declined thus far to release further details.

The officer, who was awarded Officer of the Year in 2009 for tackling an armed robber, signed off by saying he was ready to join his slain family members.

Strawn had been with the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office since 1991, first as a jail deputy then later working road patrol.

In 2004 he and another deputy fatally shot a domestic violence suspect when he pointed a metal and plastic tool at them and they mistook it for a gun. However both were cleared of any wrongdoing and there was no suggestion that Strawn was psychologically damaged by the episode.

He eventually retired In 2017 and moved to Colorado, where Andrew still resides.

However the father-of-two returned to Florida in the summer after Hillsborough County unveiled plans to station armed security guards at elementary schools in the wake of February's mass shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School.

Former acquaintances said Strawn was so saddened by the slaughter in Parkland, Florida that he saw it as his duty to come out of retirement to 'make a difference.'

He rejoined the sheriff's department and was assigned the job of protecting the kids at Valrico Elementary school - the school attended by Londyn.

'Terry was more like a surrogate father than a typical grandfather. He doted on Londyn,' said Trisha Moody McNab, 39, a friend and former neighbor.

'The person I knew loved his granddaughter so much he could never have hurt her. That's why none of this make any sense.'

Courtney and Londyn lived in this property (left) in a development in Plant City Florida

Terry drove 15 minutes to the home of his 32-year-old daughter Courtney (development seen here), Londyn's mom, where he marched up to her door carrying his service revolver in his left hand

Courtney and Londyn lived with Terry and Theresa Strawn at a $270,000 rented property in Plant City before the entire family relocated to Durango, Colorado.

Neighbors recalled how the playful lawman delighted in staging elaborate Halloween displays where he would pretend to be a corpse before rising from the dead and leaping up to scare passersby.

Strawn, who had a sheriff's star tattooed on his upper arm and wore a sheriff's star necklace, would also let local children hop inside his police car.

'The kids loved having a sheriff living here. Everyone felt safe having him around. He was playful, fun, kind,' Moody McNab added.

'Him and his wife were such wonderful people. They adored Londyn and Londyn adored them.'

When the Strawns returned from Colorado, Courtney got a job at a bar and restaurant in Orlando and she and Londyn moved into their own two-bedroom condo opposite Plant City High School.

It was there that her father was caught on a neighbors security camera at 6:32am Wednesday approaching towards her front door from a sidewalk, carrying his gun.

Moments later the footage, now in the hands of investigators, shows Strawn stuffing the firearm into his pocket and stumbling back to car.

Next-door neighbor Lois Williams, 60, and her fiance Joe Joyce, 55, were woken by a massive 'boom' but they dismissed it as someone dropping a trashcan and went back to sleep.

The full horror would emerge minutes later when Strawn crossed the street and went onto the main sheriff's radio channel to say 'he had caused harm to his family.'

'Then he advised he was going to kill himself at Plant City High School,' Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said during a press conference Wednesday.

The Hillsborough County Sheriff's office is seen investigating one of the homes where the victims were killed in Dover, Florida

'A supervisor got on the air to try to calm him down, to ensure him it's a temporary problem.'

Strawn mentioned financial and health issues on the radio, Chronister said, but he declined to give more details.

The three deputies who arrived quickly on the scene made every attempt to stop their colleague from killing himself but he shot himself in front of them.

Strawn had earned glowing recommendations throughout his career and passed all the necessary psychological evaluations to re-join.

In fact, he performed his new duties so well the department hired him again on a full-time basis.

Strawn filed for bankruptcy in 2011 but his finances had recovered sufficiently that in June he was able to secure a $181,600 mortgage on the gated community property in Valrico where he began his shooting spree.

In a grim twist, he was the second deputy from Hillsborough County this year to carry out a murder-suicide.

Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister enters a community where the deputy killed his family members

A Hillsborough County Sheriff Forensics Deputy enters a home where a deputy killed his relatives in the area of Dover, Florida before killing himself near a high school in Plant City

Kirk Keithley, 39, shot himself in September after murdering his 33-year-old wife Samantha while their four children cowered in fear at their home.

'We have to change the culture,' Chronister told the media. 'We have to make sure everyone knows that it's OK to ask for help.

'It's not a sign of weakness to say, 'Listen, I'm having a difficult time, I'm having a hard time, I need some help.''

Theresa Strawn's side of the family gathered in Plant City in the wake of the slayings to comfort her distraught 75-year-old mother, Alta Edgemon.

A relation who came to the door of Edgemon's home told DailyMail.com a statement would be released to the media when the family was ready.

Londyn's death has also had a devastating impact on Joyce, Williams and her granddaughter Skyla, who captured the last videos of Londyn as they fooled around last week in Courtney's condo.

In a series of clips filmed on cell phone the young friends talk excitedly about Christmas and speculate how their presents will be delivered.

And while Skyla hints that she doesn't believe in Santa, Londyn chimes in with 'I do' before addressing the camera to ask: 'How does Santa get into your house - though the chimney or door?'

In another clip the two girls run away from Courtney's small dog. 'I literally almost broke my ankle,' Londyn giggles.

'She was happy. She was excited about Christmas. Nothing was wrong,' Skyla said as she shared the poignant last clips with DailyMail.com.

Lois Williams and her partner Joe Joyce are pictured with grandaughter Skyla Cooper who was friends and neighbors of Londyn

'She wasn't afraid of her grandfather at all. She loved him. He took her everywhere. They went to Disney. They did a bunch of fun stuff.'

Joyce said he met Terry Strawn when he was moving his daughter's belonging's into her new condo five months ago.

'I told him I'm the unofficial security round here and I'll take good care of her,' he recalled.

'He seemed like a nice guy who loved his family.' As the two families got to know one another, Skyla and Londyn enjoyed regular sleepovers at one another's homes.

'We came to think of Courtney and Londyn as members of the family. She was a such a sweet little girl,' said Williams.

Joyce said he never saw any evidence Courtney had moved out of her parents' home because of a rift.

'I've heard some talk in the past day about him getting divorced and having trouble with alimony but I can't tell you if any of that's true,' he said.

'Seems to me it's just rumors. 'And it doesn't explain why a guy takes out his entire family. Honestly, I'm mad as a motherf****r with him.

'How could he do that to his own family. How could he harm that little angel?'
National MP George Christensen has outed himself as the politician who was investigated by the AFP for his regular visits and payments to South-East Asia - but says he's done nothing wrong.

The Queensland politician, 40, was investigated after large money transfers to multiple overseas accounts, located in areas known for drugs and prostitution, were picked up by a financial intelligence agency, The Herald Sun reported.

His actions and travel were reported to have created concern he was open to blackmail or extortion, and Mr Christensen, a devout Christian, was said to have been warned of this.

Christensen issued a lengthy statement on Facebook on Saturday morning, claiming there was no truth to any suggestion of wrongdoing.

Instead, he told The Herald Sun he had been sending money to his fiancee and her mother, as he helps to support both of them.

National MP George Christensen (left) says he has been investigated by the Australian Federal Police for regular visits and payments to areas of South-East Asia notorious for drug trafficking and prostitution - but says there was nothing untoward, and he was just visiting his fiancee April (right)

'This whole matter is vile and defamatory, and impacts not only me, but my fiancee and my loyal staff who have been abused and threatened because of this putrid smear campaign,' he wrote in a lengthy statement shared online.

Mr Christensen said the allegations were 'highly defamatory' and claims they come from a senior Labor MP with 'no direct knowledge of the conduct they were alleging'.

He claims to have a letter from the Australian Federal Police which states investigators 'found there was no evidence, or other information to support the allegation, or establish criminal conduct'.

The member for Dawson, who lives in Mackay, said he was never interviewed by officers about any matter, criminal or otherwise.

'All the innuendo is false,' he said.

'Apart from jaywalking or speeding, I have never, in my entire life, committed a criminal offence either in Australia or overseas.'

The member for Mackay has slammed his political opponents for running a smear campaign, and a police investigation found no evidence of criminality

Mr Christensen said in September he first visited the Philippines after learning a significant portion of his electorate were from the country, and it was there he met April Asuncion, his now-fiancee.

They met in 2017, and he proposed over the phone in August, telling News Corp: 'she's the one for me'.

Mr Christensen has not been accused of any wrongdoing, but the AFP warned in a letter to Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton that the MP is still at risk of being compromised by foreign interests.

The politician said those behind the 'smear campaign' were 'gutless' and 'the lowest of the low', and asked his adversaries to argue with him on his politics, not try to ruin his name with speculation about his personal life.

'I say to my political opponents that if you want me out of Parliament, beat me the old fashioned way - on the hustings, not through smear,' he said.

A spokesperson from the Australian Federal Police was unable to comment on the allegations, and told Daily Mail Australia: 'The AFP does not confirm or deny who it may be investigating'.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Mr Christensen's office for further comment.
A skull found near North Carolina train tracks on December 11 has been identified as belonging to Varcy Locklear, 24

A skull found earlier this month has been identified as a man who was killed while riding an Amtrak train.

Authorities say Varcy Locklear, 24, was riding on top of a train car on October 30 and killed when it went under a bridge in St Paul's North Carolina.

Officials say he fell off and landed underneath the train.

Locklear's body was found the same day between railroad tracks about 128miles away in Enfield.

It wasn't until December 11 that Locklear's decapitated skull was discovered by a survey crew near the Lumber Bridge where he was believed to be killed.

He was laid to rest on November 4.

The North Carolina Medical Examiner's Officer confirmed Thursday that the skull belongs to Locklear, of Pembroke.

Investigators believe he was a stowaway on the train traveling from Charlotte to New York, WRAL reports.

Investigators say Locklear was known to police as someone who would hop trains without buying a ticket and had been charged with trespassing multiple times.

Investigators say he was decapitated when the Amtrak train went under a bridge

Enfield police Capt. Dreher Bozard said: 'He has been charged, and he's also been warned several times about trespassing on train property, so he has a history of this.

'He also has gone on Facebook before and posted a video on Facebook live of him standing in front of a train and jumping out of the way at the last second.'

Amtrak spokeswoman Kimberly Woods said: 'Service on an Amtrak train was temporarily suspended at the request of local law enforcement. The train was cleared to resume service about 46 minutes later.

'At the time of the incident, 99 customers were on the train. There are no reported injuries to customers or crew members.'

Enfield police Detective Willie Murphy said his death is still under investigation, but they do not believe there was any foul play.
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Thousands of Hungarians have marched against controversial labour reforms backed by prime minister Viktor Orban.

Protesters led by the satirical political party MKKP marched on the presidential palace in Budapest last night against a new 'slave law', which allows employers to ask staff to work up to 400 hours per year of overtime.

Another part of the legislation, backed by Orban's Fidesz party, would set new courts which critics could be politically manipulated.

Thousands of Hungarians carrying their country's national flag marched through Budapest in protest of new sweeping labour reforms which have been backed by prime minister Viktor Orban

Dozens held placards denouncing the new legislation proposed by the ruling party. The Two-Tailed Dog Party (MKKP) protest started outside parliament where one protester was seen holding a placard which read 'Happy boss, gloomy Sunday'

Policemen stand on guard around the presidental palace of Buda Castle as participants arrive during a demonstration

The Two-Tailed Dog Party (MKKP) protest started outside parliament where one protester was seen holding a placard which read 'Happy boss, gloomy Sunday'.

MKKP launched more than a decade ago a way to poke fun at politics in Hungary, but it has now become a semi-serious force, using irony to tackle the most pressing situations in the central European nation.

University Almos Edes, 26, who was holding a sign which read 'We promise everything' beneath a logo of Fidesz, said: 'I wanted to come because I consider the Dog Party to be the most serious of all in the current lineup, which is rather sad.'

Flares were lit along the route as Hungarians made their feelings known about the new legislation. It will allow employers to ask workers to carry out 400 hours of overtime every year

Demonstrators hold up flares during a protest against a proposed new labour law, billed as the 'slave law', at the Presidential Palace in Budapest

Edes was sceptical of any change being triggered by the rallies, but said he had joined to make his voice heard.

The rally last night also took aim at regulations which have led to the depature of the Central European University, founded by Hungarian-born billionaire George Soros, from Budapest.

'We can finally work eight days a week. We no longer need to hassle with independent courts. Homelessness has been eliminated. Irritating foreign schools will vanish. And Soros, Soros, Soros, Soros, Soros,' said an invitation to the rally posted on Facebook.

Orban has said the protests have been partly stoked by activists paid by Soros, an accusation Soros' Open Society Foundation has denied.

Demonstrators, subsequently joined by another rally called by opposition groups, then marched up to the presidential palace in Buda Castle, briefly blocking a bridge crossing the Danube River.

A demonstrator with a Guy Fawkes mask stands during a protest against a proposed new labour law
In custody: Frazee (above in his mugshot) was booked at 8:33am and a government data sheet simply said he had committed a felony

The fiance of Colorado woman Kelsey Berreth who has been missing for a month appeared in court on Friday charged with her murder.

Patrick Frazee appeared at Teller County court via video conference where the judge read him his charges - first-degree murder as well as solicitation of murder. The audience at court was unable to see the screen.

He is being represented by a public defender and none of his relatives were present during the hearing. He will be held without bond pending his next court appearance on December 31, according to The Denver Channel.

Frazee was served with an arrest warrant early in the morning and then walked away in handcuffs to be charged with first-degree murder as well as solicitation of murder.

Berreth was last seen on Thanksgiving day entering a supermarket near her home in Woodland Park with her infant daughter Kaylee before going to drop the girl off with Frazee at the home he shares with his mother.

Frazee, 32, is the father of the young girl. She is now in protective custody and will soon be reunited with her mother's family.

Despite the charge, the body of the 29-year-old pilot and flight instructor has not been found at this time.

Authorities also said on Friday that they believe Berreth was killed in her home based on evidence they uncovered during their search of the property.

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Suspect: Police served an arrest warrant on Patrick Frazee early Friday morning (above being cuffed) in Colorado, one mother after his fiancee Kelsey Berreth went missing

Away he goes: He was transported to the Teller County Jail a source with knowledge of the investigation tells DailyMail.com, and the FBI is now searching his property

Patrick Frazee, the fiance of missing Colorado mother Kelsey Berreth, was arrested for murder Friday morning and taken to the Teller County jail, nearly one month after Berreth vanished. https://t.co/v1AD1Unjb5 pic.twitter.com/EgUoQac1pY  ABC News (@ABC) December 21, 2018

Fractured family: Police served an arrest warrant on Patrick Frazee (left) early Friday morning in Colorado, one month after his fiancee Kelsey Berreth (above with her daughter Kaylee) went missing

Police arrived at the Teller County home of Frazee before daybreak on Friday morning and were seen cuffing Frazee at dawn in images obtained by ABC News.

He was transported to the Teller County Jail a source with knowledge of the investigation tells DailyMail.com, and the FBI and members of the CBI are now searching the property.

Sheila Frazee, the mother of the suspect, has also been detained by authorities but not placed under arrest.

The divorced mother of four, who is a registered nurse, lives with her youngest son at the ranch, which she outright owns according to public records.

She also owns two additional properties in the area.

Her son meanwhile attends to the ranch and also breeds dogs.

Records show that Frazee was booked into the facility at 8:33am and charged with a felony, though the exact charge was not listed and it instead read: 'Please type a charge description here.'

That same source said that Frazee's arrest came after authorities obtained new information about Berreth that has lead them to believe she is no longer alive.

Frazee was arrested after cell records and data provided new details regarding Berreth's disappearance according to officials.

The solicitation charge was also addressed at a news conference on Friday, with officials saying that Frazee asked someone to commit some sort of crime but refusing to elaborate beyond that at this time.

As for where the body may be, police told residents of Woodland Park that they should expect an increase in police activity around the area in the coming days.

Police are also still working to get Berreth's phone back from Idaho, where it has been for close to a month.

Agents are also at Berreth's home looking for evidence.

Last image: She was last seen at a supermarket on Thanksgiving with her daughter Kaylee, 1, (above) but Frazee previously told authorities he saw his fiancee later that day

Mommy dearest: Sheila Frazee, the mother of the accused murderer, was also led off in handcuffs (right) and is being detained

Avoiding the spotlight: Berreth's family will not be speaking to the press authorities said on Friday (mother Cheryl berreth above)

Frazee had previously allowed authorities to search his property last week, but after two days combing the 35-acre property there was no news from officials and Frazee returned to his home.

Authorities then returned to the property of Monday for what they later said was just a routine check, and again left without making an arrest of sharing any update on the case.

On Thursday night, officials were seen at Berreth's townhouse well into the night, and just hours later Frazee was placed in custody.

The arrest warrant in the case is sealed at this time as are the details of Frazee's first appearance.

The arraignment will be next week officials said during a news conference on Friday.

Prior to Friday, the Woodland Police Department had only said that the evidence gathered during the investigation suggested that Berreth's disappearance was suspicious.

This now the second high-profile case to emerge from Colorado involving the murder of a partner in just the past six months.

In August, Chris Watts killed his wife, unborn son and two young daughters just 150 miles north in Weld County.

The investigation continues: Law enforcement at the home of Berreth on Friday after Frazee's arrest (above)

Ranch: The property where Frazee lives with his mother, which authorities have searched multiple times (above)

It was also revealed early on in the investigation that authorities believed Frazee was the last person to see Berreth before she disappeared on Thanksgiving.

She was last seen on surveillance video entering a grocery store on Thanksgiving Day with her daughter.

Frazee later told police that the couple met later that afternoon so that he could pick up the couple's daughter.

The two did not live together despite being engaged, a fact that many on social media suggested was a bad omen after learning of the disappearance.

It was Berreth however who had been hesitant to move in with her fiance because he still lived with his mother.

She instead decided to get her own home after moving to Colorado from Washington to be with Frazee.

In May, Berreth paid $184,900 for a two-bedroom home in Woodland Hills, where she lived with her daughter.

A family member claimed soon after Berreth went missing that she had split with Frazee on the day she was last seen, but that has never been confirmed by investigators.

Berreth's phone later pinged off a cell tower in Idaho on November 25, 800 miles from home.

There were a number of details that had puzzled the public in the wake of Berreth's disappearance, including the fact that she had just baked fresh cinnamon buns before she went missing.

Frazee managed turn heads as well when he made a trip to the local waste management facility on Wednesday.
A New York woman of Asian descent was shocked when a hair salon used an offensive racial slur to describe her on a client docket.

On Monday Briana Tae, 26, attended a Drybar outlet in Manhattan as she was preparing for her nursing school's pinning ceremony.

However she was stunned when she saw what was written about her on a slip called 'The Tab' which is used by employees at the salon.

Briana Tae (left) was shocked when an employee at a Drybar salon in Manhattan referred to her as 'c****y eyes' on a client docket

Under a heading labelled 'Description of client', an employee had written 'c****y eyes' in reference to Tae.

After speaking to the worker, Tae shared a photo of the receipt on her Facebook page describing what happened to her.

She wrote: 'Im quite disgusted by this experience, especially the night before a day of celebration for all my accomplishments in nursing school.

'I demand a call from corporate regarding this incident as I will not let racism be silenced.'

Tae, who attends New York University's nursing school, was disappointed to see the inappropriate comment and walked over to ask the receptionist about it.

'She could not understand why it was an issue and why it was highly inappropriate to write such a description.

'She tried to make me feel somewhat better by saying she had c****y eyes too,' Tae wrote.

Tae spoke out because she wants more awareness about terms that can be offensive to people

On Thursday the company apologized (pictured) over the incident and said the employee who wrote the offensive term had been fired

Tae later told NBC News that she did her best not to let the incident at the Drybar in Murray Hill overshadow her special day.

She said: 'I wanted this day to be really special. I saw that, and I couldnt let it go.

'I didnt cause a scene, and I told her privately this was racism.

'There are so many people of so many colors, so when she said she has the same eyes, it was very upsetting to me.'

The Drybar salon (pictured) in Murray Hill said it does not tolerate racism

On Thursday the company posted a statement on Instagram apologizing for the incident and saying it does not tolerate racism.

In the post, the company confirmed that it terminated the employee involved in the incident.

It added: 'We sincerely apologize for the hurt this has caused.

'We are committed to working harder on improving our training to ensure this does not happen again'.

Tae claimed that she wanted more awareness about terms that can be offensive to people.

She added: 'Were all humans and we all want respect. I was graduating that day this was a big day for me.

'And unfortunately when I think about my pinning ceremony, Im going to think about this incident'.

Drybar is a salon which offers in just blowouts.
Jean-Claude Juncker's 'grotesque' behaviour towards women should have been put under official investigation, Amber Rudd has claimed.

The Work and Pensions Secretary called the EU Commission president 'ghastly' after last week's EU summit during which he appeared to manhandle Theresa May and ruffled a woman's hair  conduct Miss Rudd condemned as 'terrible'.

She said: 'He's ghastly. What I minded before that were those pictures of the way he was holding the Prime Minister. I did not like that.'

Calling the ruffing of the woman's hair 'grotesque', she said she used to avoid the 'big hugs' meted out by EU Commissioners by claiming she had a cold.

Amber Rudd, left, has taken aim at European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker, right, over his behaviour towards women including Theresa May

She told The Daily Telegraph: 'It's grotesque. I mean, if that happened in our parliament I hope there would be a formal complaint.

'When I used to go the EU for meetings, I often had a terrible cold to insist that I didn't get enveloped in a bear hug. All the EU commissioners love doing their big hugs.'

The sensational comments by the 55-year-old former Home Secretary come as parliament is embroiled in a sexism storm after Jeremy Corbyn appeared to call the Prime Minister 'a stupid woman' during a heated debate.

Mr Corbyn denied making the sexist jibe, claiming he said 'stupid people' instead.

A former minister for Women and Equalities, Miss Rudd was sat on the front bench during Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday when the Labour leader allegedly mouthed 'stupid woman' at Mrs May.

Miss Rudd said: 'He's denied it but I've looked at it and it looks likely to me. I think the point is, it's pretty rowdy in the House of Commons and pretty nasty in terms of the insults.

'But he's the leader of the opposition, he wants to be Prime Minister and I think it was quite revealing the way in a quiet moment he spoke about the Prime Minister.'

She criticised Mr Corbyn, claiming he and John McDonnell, the Shadow Chancellor, do 'nothing' to stop inappropriate language in the chamber.

She said: 'I do find it ironic because Corbyn does generally try not to burnish his credentials as being a fair main, promoting equality and in fact it doesn't feel like that when he's in the chamber with some of the language he encourages around him.

'Both he and John McDonnell are complicit in saying they oppose something but doing nothing to stop it.'

Juncker flips the hair of a woman at European Commission headquarters in Brussels, an episode which Miss Rudd called 'grotesque'

Amber Rudd called the European Commission president 'ghastly' after last week's summit during which he appeared to manhandle Theresa May (pictured)

Miss Rudd said Speaker John Bercow handled Corbyn's alleged comments in a 'partisan' way after Leader of the Commons Andrea Leadsom challenged him on his refusal to apologise to her for calling her a 'stupid woman' in May.

Mrs Leadsom challenged the Speaker in response to his suggestion that any MP using inappropriate language should apologise to the House.

'Why it is that when an opposition member found that you had called me a stupid woman, you did not apologise in this chamber?' she asked.

Commending Mrs Leadsom's response to Bercow, Miss Rudd said: 'I think Andrea Leadsom's response was masterful. (Bercow) is increasingly looking like a man who has some questions to answer about some of the comments he's made to some of my colleagues.'

Bercow has said publicly he will step down next summer, following Brexit.

The MP for Hastings and Rye said she had received death threats during the last election campaign, including a 'very nasty time' from the hard left in her constituency.

She said: 'Some gave me a very nasty time from the hard left in Hastings as most Conservative  particularly women  MPs did and still do to a certain extent. They still put up horrid posters.'

In a revelatory interview, Miss Rudd said she had experienced sexism prior to becoming an MP in 2010, including being made to watch a porn film while working at a bank.

She recalled being handed some 'training videos' to watch overnight by a senior male executive at JP Morgan, the investment bank.

She revealed: 'I got them home and realised they were porn films. At the time I didn't really care, because I was a 23-year-old young woman and I just thought, 'That's ridiculous,' and gave them back in the morning with some sort of quip.

Miss Rudd was sat on the front bench during Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday when Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn allegedly mouthed 'stupid woman' (pictured) at Mrs May

'It was 1986 and everybody was bullied in those days. They just bullied the young women in a kind of sexual way.'

Miss Rudd was married to the late writer and critic AA Gill and the pair had two children  Flora and Alasdair - together. They divorced in 1995 after she learned he had being having an affair with Nicola Formby, a South African model.

It proved a difficult time for her, as she admits to struggling to adjust to life as a single mother, and escaping her former husband's shadow.

She said: 'It's very difficult to change your approach to how you see yourself when you suddenly get divorced. And you have to think again over the next few years, how you're going to earn your income, how you're going to run your life. You have to identify as a single mother rather than as part of a family.'

'I had a very privileged upbringing but it was difficult to work out how I was going to manage to make it work financially given that I was also looking after two children at home.'

'He [Adrian] was very dominating in my life. Even when we were divorced everyone was like, 'Oh, is that what Adrian thinks?' It got a bit irritating.'
The mother of a baby girl whose naked body washed ashore on a Gold Coast beach allegedly tried to flee with her children back to Melbourne weeks before the child's death.

The baby's body washed ashore at Surfers Paradise beach in November, two days after she was allegedly thrown into the Jack Evans Boat Harbour at Tweed Heads in New South Wales.

Her 47-year-old father has been charged with her murder. Her mother has been charged with failing to provide for the child.

The mother of a baby girl whose naked body washed ashore on a Gold Coast beach allegedly tried to flee with her children back to Melbourne weeks before the child's death

The baby's body washed ashore at Surfers Paradise beach in November, two days after she was allegedly thrown into the Jack Evans Boat Harbour at Tweed Heads in New South Wales

Police claim the baby's grandmother had booked flights for her 23-year-old daughter and the two children to return to Melbourne on October 6, according to documents filed in the Tweed Heads Local Court.

'(The grandmother) inquired about a ticket for (the father) however (the mother) specifically told her that he was not coming and for the tickets to be one way,' the documents said.

The grandparents, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had been providing financial support for their daughter for the past five years, The Courier Mail reported.

They had been paying rent on a Surfers Paradise apartment for the family but their daughter had told them in September to stop payments as the family were living on the streets.

When calling about the flights, police allege the mother begged for the flights to be booked as soon as possible.

The grandmother told her she would do it over the next few days.

'No, can it be today? I've given away the tent and gas bottle,' the mother is alleged to have said.

The flights were booked, costing $940, but the trio never boarded the plane. The baby died six weeks later.

The father of a baby whose naked body washed ashore on a Gold Coast beach has been charged with her murder

It has been alleged the father killed the baby because he saw the devil in her.

'He had the right to sleigh (sic) the wicked one for all nations (sic) sake. He did what had to be done, hallelujah to the living son,' her dairy allegedly said.

The mother was granted bail on Tuesday and ordered to attend a mental health facility.
The woman Labour MP who led the bid to defend Jeremy Corbyn over his alleged stupid woman jibe at Theresa May will be rewarded by being his chosen heir and successor as party leader, say well-placed party sources.

Firebrand Left-winger Laura Pidcock leapt to her feet in the Commons to denounce pathetic Tories during Wednesdays row over the Labour leaders muttered comment about the Prime Minister.

And she went on TV and Twitter to claim Saint Jeremy hadnt got a sexist bone in his body and to dismiss Conservative protests as an attempt to divert attention from the Governments shambolic rule.

Ms Pidcock won lavish praise from Mr Corbyns allies for her outspoken comments, which were in stark contrast to female Labour MPs such as Stella Creasey who criticised him. Jeremy wont forget Lauras loyalty, said a senior Labour source. He thinks shed make a great leader.

Loyal display: Laura Pidcock with Jeremy Corbyn. Ms Pidcock leapt to her feet in the Commons to denounce pathetic Tories during Wednesdays row over the Labour leaders muttered comment about the Prime Minister

Ms Pidcock is a member of the hard-Left Momentum group, which propelled Mr Corbyn to the Labour leadership, and after entering the Commons as North West Durham MP in 2017, she said she could not be friends with a Conservative

If Ms Pidcock, 31, becomes Labour leader, expect more, not less, personal hostility between the two main parties front benches. She is a member of the hard-Left Momentum group, which propelled Mr Corbyn to the Labour leadership, and after entering the Commons as North West Durham MP in 2017, she said she could not be friends with a Conservative.

Its visceral  Im not interested in being cosy, she said. The idea that theyre not the enemy is simply delusional. She later reiterated her hatred, saying she would never fraternise with a Tory. Even before this weeks stupid woman rumpus, many Labour MPs, male and female alike, were agreed the partys next leader is likely to be a woman.

'Anti-Semite musician' row A Labour MP has been forced to apologise for tweeting in support of a musician his own party labelled a vile anti-Semite. Chris Williamson, a Jeremy Corbyn ally, voiced support for Gilad Atzmon, who once accused Zionists of trying to take over the world and said Hitler may have been right. The row began after Atzmon, a jazz saxophonist, was banned by Islington Council from playing with the Blockheads band at Islington Assembly Hall. Mr Williamson posted a link to a petition to get him reinstated, alongside the caption: Hands off Gilad Atzmon  sign the petition! After social media users and Jewish groups reacted angrily, Mr Williamson posted an apology. Atzmon denies being anti-Semitic. Advertisement

How could the party that considers itself the standard bearer of feminism carry on never having had a female leader in its 100-year history, went the argument  especially when the supposedly old-hat Tories are on their second female leader and could be on their third female leader if, as is possible, Mrs May steps down before Corbyn. Senior Labour figures, including several in Mr Corbyns inner circle, say his stupid woman jibe has sealed the matter  he was seen mouthing the words but claimed he had said stupid people.

A Corbyn ally said: We have had 23 male leaders and if Jeremy goes and we elect a 24th man, we will be a laughing stock. It will have to be a woman.

Friends of Mr Corbyn, who is 70 next year, believe he is unlikely to lead Labour into the next election, due in 2022, and is ready to stand down if he can find a suitable successor.

He is said to have been greatly impressed by Ms Pidcock since promoting her to Shadow Minister for Labour earlier this year.

Her emergence as his preferred successor means she has eclipsed fellow ambitious women contenders Shadow Business Secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey, Shadow Education Secretary Angela Rayner and Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry.
The end of another year is nigh. In Costa Rica, we know it by way of windy nights with clear skies, slightly cooler temperatures, and an abundance of festivities featuring carnie rides, prancing horses, and parades. Other reminders of December in Costa Rica are palm trees festooned with Christmas lights, an abundance of annual bird counts, and sightings of winter birds like gulls, ducks, and a scattering of Yellow-rumped Warblers.

Personally, I had a year accompanied by a blend of changes and birds. It has been good, I am grateful! Although I didnt make any efforts to chase birds or attain a big year list, regular guiding and birding in various parts of the country still rewarded me with more than 640 species in Costa Rica. Birding in every form is a gift and since there are too many highlights to mention, Im not sure if the following are the best ones from my 2018 but they are treasured nonetheless.

Shorebirds

I didnt see many species actually. I didnt even get in much shorebirding. For that reason, my 2018 list lacks various regular mud loving migrants like Long-billed Curlew, Wilsons Phalarope, even Pectoral Sandpiper. The shorebirds I did see, though, are highlights by rote. They earn the annual avian medal of honor because they fly to Costa Rica from as far as Alaska and other places where Snowy Owls roam. The distances are almost unimaginable. The changes are vast. How do those thousands of Western Sandpipers do it? Just fly from there to here to rumble around the mud flats of the Nicoya Gulf? The Wilsons Plovers with their stout crab cracking beaks and hunched demeanor, they have less distance to fly but its still no small feat to zip from Alabama to Costa Rica. When we also remember that shorebirds routinely avoid the high velocity death dance of the Peregrine, referring to them as amazing becomes just as appropriate in 2018 as it would have been last year, 1989, or 1689.

Spotted Rail

I was very pleased to see this smart looker because its rare, known from few reliable sites in Costa Rica, and well, it looks fantastic. The conditions in rice fields have to be just right to host them and thankfully, they were when I was in their neighborhood in November. One gave excellent close looks and another did a classic, sputtering chicken-like marsh bird flight right in front of us.

Sunbittern madness

I had several encounters with the Neotropical Kagu. There were a few fleeting glimpses, some typical looks at birds in rocky rivers, and a couple that were just plain loco. The first crazy Sunbittern encounter happened at Lands in Love with a bird that stood in plain view. An honest Little Blue Heron pretender, it plucked tadpoles from a muddy pool, waltzed around with a feather in its bill, and refused to budge no matter how close Mary or I approached it. Some months later, I had a similar experience with one at a site known as El Cafecito. This one also carried a feather in its beak, snatched tadpoles, and stood in the open for all to see. Life is always better when bearing witness to Sunbittern madness.

Global Big Days

If I had to pick a highlight from the year, both GBDs would tie for number one. Any day of birding in Costa Rica is exciting but when you focus on nothing but birds where hundreds of species are possible and share that experience with your favorite person, it tends to be outstanding. The GBDs were replete with their own highlights, next year we will see if our team can take the top prize.

The Unspotted Saw-whet Owl project

Carried out by Ernesto Carman and associates, this project has been tracking the elusive Unspotted Saw-whet with serious success. They have found birds at day roosts and just announced finding the first nest of this mega for Costa Rica! They are also involved with a project to learn more about and conserve the endemic Cabaniss Ground-Sparrow. Learn more about supporting these local important conservation efforts by visiting the project sites.

The endemic ground-sparrow is actually a cool, colorful towhee.

New Birds for Costa Rica

Just when a birder thinks that a list of 920 plus species is big enough for a place the size of West Virginia, a few more fly into the local birding scene. Although none of these were unexpected, they are still major sightings for Costa Rica. First, a lost, young Great Black-backed Gull was espied on the Atlantic coast at Tortuguero, no doubt roving to see what sort of havoc it could create in tropical climes. Then, the same Ernesto of saw-whet fame heard, recognized, and recorded a Couchs Kingbird during fall migration! Last and quite possibly the best, Chambito, a fishing and birding guide at Cano Negro, saw and photographed a Yellow-billed Tern in November. Many thanks to Birmingham Audubon biologist Katie Barnes for helping with the identification of this bird and assuring that no, it was not a Leastie!

A new country bird for moi

Its not that often that I add a species to my country list. Unfortunately, pelagic trips dont sit well with me and I generally lack the time to chase migrants or look for White-tailed and Rufous Nightjars. But, if I get out birding enough, probability dictates that I should eventually connect with a few rare but regular birds that would act as additions to my country list. For example, I still need Dunlin for Costa Rica. I dont even know why I havent seen one yet but maybe one will be right there in plain sight the next time I go shorebirding. I have wondered the same thing about the Violet-green Swallow but thanks to guiding near Cerro Lodge a few days ago, I finally saw one within the borders of Tiquicia. It was flying with a bunch of Barn Swallows and one Bank and did myself and my client a favor by flying directly overhead for definitive views. I am quite pleased, I hope it sticks around long enough for others to also see it.

Cool birds on cables

I love seeing super cool birds in uncommon places and situations, especially when I can see the bird right there in the open and away from all of that fastidious tropical vegetation. Gartered Trogon is a regular cable sitter, especially after rains, I enjoyed several such sightings this year. The same goes for Turquoise-browed Motmot and Lessons Motmot, and once in a while, a Broad-billed Motmot can do a birder a favor, all of these more likely on cables in the early morning. My best cool cable birds this year were Yellow-billed Cuckoo, White-fronted Nunbird, and ye magnificent Resplendent Quetzal. The cuckoo blew my mind by appearing on a roadside cable at Cahuita and perching for a few minutes. The nunbirds acted fantastic on a couple occasions in the Arenal area, and the quetzal perched next to a fruiting avocado on the slopes of Poas Volcano.

Fantastic!

Proof that quetzals can indeed use the same habitat as a Tropical Kingbird.

Buff-fronted Quail-Dove on a feeder

Its always cool to see feeder birds. Forget that purist stuff about only seeing birds in natural conditions. Although I can appreciate the sentiment, I like even more having a chance to study the prongs on a barbets beak while casually glancing to the left to admire the plumage of a Northern Emerald Toucanet. The best is when beautiful, shy bird species like quail-doves partake in feeder delights. For much of 2018, a Buff-fronted Quail-Dove was doing just that at the Colibri Cafe in Cinchona. Although it usually skulked below the feeder, once in a while, it jumped right up on the wooden platform to snack on papaya.

Showing people birds

The birds are great, all sorts of birds but the honest to goodness best thing about experiencing them is sharing them with others. I had the chance to do that with clients and favorite people throughout the year and am grateful. I look forward to more shared birding in 2019, maybe Team Tyto will try for a big year

Happy Holidays and Happy Birding in 2019!
Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman is accused of 17 different indictments

Infamous Cartel kingpin El Chapo broke down in tears on Thursday, when he saw his seven-year-old twin daughters for the first time in four months in a surprise appearance at his drug trafficking trial.

Entering its sixth week, the trial of Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman hit an emotional note on December 20, when the defendant's wife, Emma Coronel Aispuro, walked through the doors of the Brooklyn Federal Courthouse with their two twin daughters.

Waving at their father, 61-year-old Chapo was reportedly reduced to tears in front of the jury.

Blowing kisses and waving back to the seven-year-olds, Chapo began mouthing words to his daughters before being reprimanded by a court marshal.

'He was visibly crying, eyes bright red and dabbing at his eyes,' his lawyer Eduardo Balarezo said to the Daily News.

This is the first time he'd seen his two girls, who wore matching outfits for the occasion, since August.

The emotional exchange is expected to have an impact on the jury, helping to humanize the defendant in light of the heinous charges he currently faces.

Two reporters even offered to move out of the way for the former drug lord so he could see his daughters more clearly. Their gesture was met with a grateful thumbs up from Chapo.

Coronel is said to have let the little girls clamber all over her to get a better look at their father during the day's proceedings.

Former beauty queen, Emma Coronel Aispuro, 29, is seen walking from the Brooklyn Courthouse in June, with the twin girls, 7, whom she had with El Chapo

El Chapo (seen above at his arrest in 2016) was reportedly reduced to tears when he saw his two daughters walk into the courthouse on Thursday. He last saw them in August, his lawyers say

Along with Coronel, 29, the two girls are the only family members permitted to visit Chapo since his extradition to the US last year.

His daughters visited their father later at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in lower Manhattan on Friday, where he is currently being detained in isolation.

The defendant has pleaded not guilty to 17 different indictments that include charges of drug smuggling, drug distribution, money laundering and conspiring to commit murder.

Prosecutors say Chapo was the leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, which at one stage is believed to have been responsible for more than half of drugs smuggled across the Mexican/US border.

They believe he spent a quarter of a century smuggling cocaine into the US, amassing as much as $14 billion in wealth from doing so.

Prosecutors say El Chapo (above) was the former kingpin of the Sinaloa Cartel, who are believed to have once been responsible for half of all the drugs illegally smuggled across the US border

From 1989 to 2014, the Sinaloa cartel smuggled 340,892 pounds (154,626 kilograms) of cocaine into the United States, as well as heroin, methamphetamine and marijuana.

Assistant US Attorney Adam Fels said authorities in the US had seized enough cocaine to form 328 million separate lines of the drug - enough for every person in the US to have 'a line'.

On the opening day of the trial, Fels said: 'Money, drugs, murder; a vast global narcotics trafficking organization. That is what this trial is about and that is what the evidence in this case will prove.

'You'll have the chance to read his text messages, evidence of drug deals, killings, corruption.'

The prosecutor also alleged in his opening statements, Guzman had his 'own private army' of hundreds of men armed with assault rifles, as well as his own diamond-encrusted pistol branded with his initials and a gold-plated AK-47.

The Sinaloa Cartel used underground tunnels (pictured in 2016) to transport cocaine, heroin, and other drugs from Mexico to Arizona

He is also accused of using a secret underground tunnel built into a warehouse, to smuggle drugs between Mexico and Arizona, as well as using a submarine to transport $100 million worth of cocaine at a time.

However, El Chapos lawyers say hes been scapegoated in a vast conspiracy plotted by the prosecutions cooperating witnesses  who they argue are hoping to obtain visas for their testimony  and officials at the highest levels of the Mexican government.

The trial is expected to last up to 16 weeks.
The family of a carpenter who died in a hit-and-run collision on his way home from a night out have paid tribute to a 'gentle man' with a 'big heart'.

James Travers, 32, was struck at a residential intersection in Geelong South, Victoria at about 3.15am by a vehicle - which police say did not stop at the scene.

It is believed the man was a matter of streets away from the home he shared with his girlfriend when he was hit at the corner of Yarra Street and Verner Street.

The family of James Travers, 32, believed to be a carpenter, who died in a hit-and-run collision on his way home from a night out have paid tribute to a 'gentle man' with a 'big heart'

Mr Travers' (pictured left) mother told The Sunday Herald 'I'm shattered, heartbroken, he was my baby'

A carpenter was killed in an alleged hit-and-run collision as he walked home from a night out (scene and police tape pictured)

His mother went to the scene of his death on Sunday afternoon, according to The Sunday Herald .

'I'm shattered, heartbroken, he was my baby,' she told the publication.

'He had a big heart.'

One resident on Yarra Road, where the street was still closed off by police at about midday on Saturday, told Daily Mail Australia his death was especially sad given the proximity to Christmas.

Another family friend at the scene said the carpenter was a 'generous guy - a really good fella'.

Another resident in the residential area in South Geelong said police officers told them the person who died did not live in the area.

Police told Channel 9 the driver could not have hit the carpenter without knowing it was a pedestrian.

Inspector McGregor said the man had been out with friends and added it was a 'terrible time of year' for the incident to occur.

Police are meanwhile searching for the driver of the vehicle (pictured CCTV of the vehicle police are searching for), which they believe to be a white Merceded Vito van fitted with roof racks and a side decal

'Unfortunately for some reason he's on the side of the road and been hit by a car,' Insp McGregor said according to the Herald Sun.

Police are meanwhile searching for the driver of a white Merceded Vito van fitted with roof racks and a side decal.

Authorities have also released CCTV footage of a vehicle driving through a level crossing in order to trace it.

Authorities are searching for the vehicle involved and said it would be damaged down the passenger and front side (police inspecting scene pictured)

Authorities are searching for the vehicle involved (pictured CCTV of the vehicle police are searching for) and said it would be damaged down the passenger and front side

Authorities are searching for the vehicle involved and said it would be damaged down the passenger and front side.

It would be missing a window, police said.

207 lives have now been lost on Victorian roads in 2018 with just over a week left in the year, compared to 247 in 2017.
President Trump has offered Ruth Bader Ginsburg his well wishes after she had two cancerous growths removed from her left lung Friday.

'Wishing Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg a full and speedy recovery!,' the president tweeted Friday evening.

The Supreme Court announced Friday that the associate justice, 85, had the growths removed after they were discovered by a CT scan when she cracked three ribs in a fall in her office last month.

The court said that there are no remaining signs of cancer in her body after the treatment, at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York.

She remains in the hospital where she is 'recovering comfortably' and will do so for a few days, the court said.

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President Trump tweeted his well wishes to the associate justice Friday evening

He wished Ruth Bader Ginsburg a 'speedy recovery' via Twitter

Ruth Bader Ginsburg had two cancerous growths removed from her lungs, the Supreme Court announced Friday. She spoke about her health in New York on Saturday 15 December during a question-and-answer session at the Museum of the City of New York

The statement said that Ginsburg had a 'pulmonary lobectomy.'

'According to the thoracic surgeon, Valerie W. Rusch, MD, FACS, both nodules removed during surgery were found to be malignant on initial pathology evaluation,' the court statement said.

'Post-surgery there was no evidence of any remaining disease. Scans performed before surgery indicated no evidence of disease elsewhere in the body. Currently no further treatment is planned.'

Treatment: Thoracic surgeon Valerie W. Rusch has found no evidence of remaining disease after removing two cancers

The justice fell in her office on November 8, fracturing three ribs.

She was treated at George Washington University hospital in Washington D.C., where the tests were carried out which led to Friday's surgery in her native New York.

The survival rate for patients who undergo lobectomies is high, with between 85 to 95 per cent of people treated living five years or more afterwards.

It is Bader Ginsburg's third treatment for cancer since she joined the court in 1993.

In 1999 she was successfully treated for colorectal cancer and in 2009 for pancreatic cancer.

Among other health problems, she also broke two ribs in a fall in 2012 and had a stent implanted to open a blocked artery in 2014. She was hospitalized after a bad reaction to medicine in 2009.

Ginsburg has never missed Supreme Court arguments in more than 25 years on the bench. The court won't hear arguments again until January 7.

Appointed by President Bill Clinton in 1993, Ginsburg is now both the oldest member of the bench and the leader of its four-justice liberal wing.

She rebuffed suggestions from some liberals that she should step down in the first two years of President Barack Obama's second term, when Democrats controlled the Senate and would have been likely to confirm her successor.

Current bench: Bader Ginsburg's colleagues on the Supreme Court are from front left: Associate Justice Stephen Breyer, Associate Justice Clarence Thomas, Chief Justice of the United States John G. Roberts, and Associate Justice Samuel Alito Jr. Standing behind from left: Associate Justice Neil Gorsuch, Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Associate Justice Elena Kagan and Associate Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh.

The 85-year-old Brooklyn native was interviewed by NPR legal correspondent Nina Totenberg last Saturday, speaking of her health and saying she was 'almost repaired'

Movie phenomenon: Ruth Bader Ginsburg is to be played by Felicity Jones (center) in On The Basis of Sex, which comes out on Christmas Day. It also stars (from left) Justin Theroux, Mimi Leder, and Armie Hammer, and was directed by Daniel Stiepleman

With the star: Justin Theroux and Armie Hammer both posted pictures with the Supreme Court Justice earlier this month, ahead of a Washington D.C. screening of On The Basis of Sex

She already has hired clerks for the term that extends into 2020, indicating she has no plans to retire.

Ginsburg had spoken of her health in New York on Saturday, saying she was 'almost repaired' from the fall in her office which cracked two ribs.

The 85-year-old Brooklyn native was interviewed by NPR legal correspondent Nina Totenberg and when asked how her health is, Ginsburg said 'it's fine, thank you,' adding that her ribs are 'almost repaired'.

'And yesterday was my first day doing my whole workout routine,' she said, in a reference to a high-intensity workout which has become famous in its own right.

Her trainer had stopped her from doing upper body work in the aftermath of the fall.

Ginsburg was the second woman to become a member of the Supreme Court, following Justice Sandra Day OConnor, who retired in 2006. O'Connor, 88, said in October she is suffering from dementia.

Ginsburg called Trump an egotistical 'faker' when he was running for president in 2016. Trump responded by saying her 'mind is shot' and she should quit the court. Ginsburg later expressed regret for her comments, saying 'judges should avoid commenting on a candidate for public office.'

When she fell last month, however, Trump said he was praying for her recovery.

Bader Ginsburg's cultural fame has led to her being nicknamed 'Notorious RBG.' and she is now the subject of an upcoming biopic, On The Basis of Sex, in which she is played by British actress Felicity Jones.
We used to seek sun, sea and sand on holiday, but in this digital age people are so preoccupied with social media, smartphones and selfies that they can't relax.

Now a new breed of digital detox holiday is booming in Britain to cater for phone junkies obsessed with getting the perfect Instagram shot or checking their work emails.

Stressed professionals who spend all their time on mobiles, tablets and laptops will actually pay for their devices to be confiscated on these tech-free breaks.

The Bridge Retreat in Somerset charges guests 2,650 for a 'cathartic personal development experience'

It follows a trend in the US where some hotels offer perks such as snorkelling tours and a free night to visitors who lock their phones away.

Technology entrepreneur Tanya Goodin knows better than most how much devices can take over.

She said: 'I ran a digital business for 23 years and never took a break.

'I would be that person on the beach scrolling on my phone, not able to disconnect.'

So she set up Time To Log Off, a firm offering breaks in Italy and Somerset where guests are encouraged to 'reconnect with nature'.

She added: 'Everyone hands us their tech on the first day and we return it on the last night.

'At the beginning everybody is stressed and terrified of the thought of being without their phones, but by the end people are usually begging us not to give them back.

'People find it so hard to switch off, they need holidays which actively tell them they have to put their phone down. I think the industry will continue to grow.

'There is a huge market for holidays like the old days where you get a proper a break from work.'

Other phone-free breaks include The Bridge Retreat in Somerset, where guests pay 2,650 for a 'cathartic personal development experience'.

Nicola Hughes, who works there, said: 'It's astonishing how well strangers connect when there are no phones giving them an excuse not to talk to each other.

This new breed of digital detox holiday caters for phone junkies obsessed with getting the perfect Instagram shot or checking their work emails (pictured, the Skiary guest house in Loch Hourn, Scotland)

'People are desperate for holidays and retreats where they can be given permission just to put their phone down for a week.

'By the end of the week don't want us to hand the phones back.'

Even remote hotels in the Scottish Highlands whose lack of phone reception used to horrify guests now use this as a selling point.

Skiary, a guesthouse on the shore of Loch Hourn on Scotland's west coast, has no electricity and claims to be the perfect place to get off-grid.

It promises guests 'the perfect place to relax and recharge, free from the stresses of modern life'  for which, read mobile phones.

Wyndham Hotels offers guests at five US resorts prime spots by the pool, free snacks and 5 per cent off if they lock their phone away, while the Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit in Mexico, has a 'detox concierge' to rid your suite of devices.
Hollywood action star Steven Seagal will not be charged over claims he sexually assaulted a model in a hotel room when she was was 17

Hollywood action star Steven Seagal will not be charged over claims he sexually assaulted a model in a hotel room when she was was 17.

The Dutch model, who was named by her lawyer as Faviola Dadis, alleges she was attacked during what she thought was an audition in the W Hotel in Beverly Hills in 2002.

Dadis, who did not come forward until several years after the alleged assault, claims Seagal slipped his hand underneath her clothing, fondled her breasts and groped her crotch.

But The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office said time had run out to pursue the case brought by the model.

Dadis is one of several women who have come forward with allegations of sexual assault or harassment against the 66-year-old 'Under Siege' star. He has denied all claims of misconduct.

In paperwork released Friday, a prosecutor said the case was referred for further investigation which did not yield evidence 'sufficient to meet the requirements of state law involving the statute of limitations.'

'Therefore, the case is declined due to the expiration of the statute of limitations,' it said.

The Dutch model, who was named by her lawyer as Faviola Dadis, alleges she was attacked during what she thought was an audition in the W Hotel in Beverly Hills in 2002

Seagal starring in Mercenary Absolution. The action star has been accused by several women of sexual assault

The time limit for prosecution of sexual offenses ranges from six years to three in California, depending on the seriousness of the allegations.

Bloom released a statement thanking the district attorney for a 'careful review' but saying prosecutors' hands had been tied by 'this unfair law which bars the courthouse door even to young women like my client, Faviola Dadis, who is highly credible.'

She said her client was a minor at the time of the incident but that California law still requires she have independent evidence that clearly corroborates her claims.

'The law fails to recognize that few minors are emotionally ready to seek justice against their rapists until many years later,' she added.

Seagal, accused by several woman, has always denied sexual misconduct

'Instead, it offers rapists a 'get out of jail free' card if they simply pass an arbitrary time deadline.

'And the law seems to presume that victims are lying, creating an unfairly high evidentiary standard not required in other criminal cases. Few rapists commit their crimes in the presence of witnesses.'

Prosecutors had declined earlier this year to file a case against Seagal involving an alleged sexual assault in 1993, citing the statute of limitations.
The U.S. government officially closed early Saturday morning and lawmakers are set to convene at the nation's capital today to sort out a last minute plan.

The partial government shutdown ignited anger and frustration on Capitol Hill after Democrats rejected President Donald Trump's proposed a $5 billion bill to fund his U.S. - Mexico border wall.

As a result, by midnight the funding for government agencies expired, leaving roughly 800,000 federal workers without paychecks.

But just what does that actually mean for hundreds of thousands of federal employees?

It means 420,000 Americans will be forced to work without pay over the holidays, 380,000 will be furloughed, and 30 million small businesses will lose access to loans.

The shutdown may also affect Americans traveling for the holidays as 88 percent of the Department of Homeland Security will be forced to work without pay, affecting 53,000 TSA employees and 54,000 customs and border protection agents.

However, Amtrak, TSA, border control and air traffic control will still be operational during the holidays.

'We don't want people coming in that aren't supposed to be here, we want people to come in through a legal process,' he says to the camera

The President posted a video of himself addressing the nation on Twitter alongside the caption: 'OUR GREAT COUNTRY MUST HAVE BORDER SECURITY!' The video shows footage of migrants

The U.S. Capitol dome pictured at the base of the Washington Monument just before sunrise on Saturday just after the government officially partially shut down

The shutdown will affect nine government departments including the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Justice, State, Transportation and Treasury. NASA and state parks will also lose their funding.

It means 42,000 Coast Guard employees and 5,000 Forest Service Firefighters will be forced to work without pay, according to projections by the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Who's affected by the government shutdown Affected: 53,000 TSA Employees

54,000 Customs and Border Protection agents

42,000 Coast Guard employees

5,000 Forest Service Firefighters

3,600 Weather Service Forecasters

96 percent of NASA

80 percent of National Park Service

18,300 staff of the Department of Transportation

52,000 IRS staff Not affected: Flights - air traffic control and security will still work although without pay

Trains - Amtrak is government-owned and will operate

U.S. Postal Service

Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements

Social Security checks

Military and law enforcement

The Department of Veteran Affairs

Food stamps and subsidized lunches

Active duty military members Advertisement

However, the U.S. Postal Service, Medicare reimbursements, and social security will continue to be operational in the shut down.

The government will only be partially shut down as Congress already funded 75 percent of the federal government through September 2019, according to AJC.

And no one knows just when the the shut down will end.

Trump himself said he's 'totally prepared for a very long shut down'.

This is the third government shutdown for the Trump administration. On January 20 of this year a shut down ensued after Republicans refused to fund DACA. Another shutdown followed on February 9, which Trump stopped hours later.

Politicians on Capitol Hill will try to come to a last minute deal before the holiday break at 12pm EST on Saturday. President Trump did not go to Florida on Friday as planned for his vacation.

A furious Trump blasted the 'Democrat shutdown' on Friday night posting a video of himself addressing the nation on Twitter alongside the caption: 'OUR GREAT COUNTRY MUST HAVE BORDER SECURITY!'

'We don't want people coming in that aren't supposed to be here, we want people to come in through a legal process,' he says to the camera.

'It's very dangerous out there, drugs are pouring in, human trafficking. So many different problems including gangs like MS-13. We don't want them in the United States.

Mike Pence and Jared Kushner are seen leaving Speaker of the House Paul Ryan's office on Capitol Hill on December 21

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell walks to his office during ongoing negotiations Friday

'The only thing that's going to stop that is great border security, with a wall or a slate fence or whatever you want to call it. But we need a great barrier, and if we don't have it, it's never going to work.'

'Call it a Democrat shutdown, call it whatever you want, but we need their help to get this approved...Let's get out, let's work together, let's be bipartisan and let's get it done,' he added int he video.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi released a statement following the shutdown.

'Republicans control the House, the Senate, and the White House,' they said. 'But instead of honoring his responsibility to the American people, President Trump threw a temper tantrum and convinced House Republicans to push our nation into a destructive Trump Shutdown in the middle of the holiday season.'

They continued: 'President Trump has said more than 25 times that he wanted a shutdown and now he has gotten what he wanted.'

They added that Democrats have offered Republicans 'multiple proposals to keep the government open... which include funding for strong, sensible, and effective border security - not the president's ineffective and expensive wall'.

Senators said Friday evening that they would not vote on any additional legislation to keep the government open until the president struck a deal with Democrats.

The upper chamber adjourned a little after 8pm EDT without coming to a conclusion.

Chuck Schumer released a joint statement with Nancy Pelosi following the shutdown at midnight

The government shut down at dawn on Saturday which left 420,000 Americans forced to work without pay over the holidays and 380,000 federal employees furloughed

A projection of the impacts of the shutdown pictured above showing that 53,000 TSA employees and 54,000 Customs and Border Protection agents will be forced to work the holidays without pay

While roughly 800,000 federal workers will now go paychecks until the government reopens, some 420,000 employees will be kept on the job with the promise of payback.

Another 380,000 will be sent home on unpaid leave. They're likely to get checks from the government down the line, but that requires an act of Congress.

A senior administration official said that in the event of a shutdown: 'Agencies and programs with missions essential to the safety of life and the protection of property will continue to operate.'

White House budget chief Mick Mulvaney said in a memo for government executives that 'we are hopeful that this lapse in appropriations will be of short duration' but that employees should report to work when scheduled to 'undertake orderly shutdown activities.'

With negotiations expected to continue, the House and Senate both scheduled rare Saturday sessions. House members were told they'd get 24 hours' notice before a vote.

Now politicians and lawmakers are scrambling to find a solution to the shutdown.

However, coming to a conclusion won't be easy without signing off on Trump's wall, which was Trump's hot-button issue in his presidential campaign.

First Trump and Democratic Senate leaders must come to an agreement that will then be past by the Republican-held House.

Once that agreement is reached, leaders can beckon lawmakers for procedural delays in the Senate and get the bill to the president.

The shutdown could be resolved with a fast agreement by first clearing the proposal in the Senate then the house. If no senator is against the proposal, the deal could get to Trump's desk quickly, according to USA Today.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said in a dinnertime update that it is clear that it will take the support of Senate Democrats to overcome a 60-vote threshold and a presidential signature to turn whatever legislation is passed into law

Vice President Mike Pence was presiding over the Senate when the McConnell put the ball in the White House's court to come to an agreement with Democrats

Putting McConnell's announcement in plain English, retiring Sen. Bob Corker said, 'We're not voting on anything else in this chamber relative to this issue, until a global agreement has been reached between the president, and these two leaders and the leader of the House'

However, senators - many of which oppose Trumps wall - could contest any agreement the president proposes, which could lead Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to file a cloture motion to end prolonged debate. After an intervening day passes, then the Senate can vote on the motion, which needs 60 votes to pass.

That process could propose a bill to the House around Christmas.

Another option for politicians is to pass a short-term spending bill in Congress as another long term agreement is drafted. This would be a more suitable option for federal workers going without pay.

'The irony of this is that we all know this is going to end. Its not going to be different from the deal the president reneged on,' political pundit Josh Rogin said on CNN.

Whatever agreement Congress comes to, it seems it must include Trump's $5billion border wall demand. Trump has repeatedly said he will not sign a bill unless it includes that amount.

President Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, incoming chief of staff Mick Mulvaney and Vice President Mike Pence stopped by Capitol Hill to negotiate on the president's behalf on Friday evening in a last ditch effort to avoid the partial shutdown.

They made it clear that an initial request for a $1.6billion wall wasn't going to make the cut.

Saturday's debate will focus on not just how much money to allocate to the border, but where the money can be doled out.

'What is fencing, what is land ports of entry, what's technology, what's staffing? I think there's a general agreement ... that we need to do border security. Now's figuring out how much for each amount,' Republican Senator James Lankford of Oklahoma said to CNN.

'Right now we're trying to finalize all the final text and to be able to make sure everyone's looked at it, everyone's agreed, signed off on it...Then we'll move to a vote 24 hours from there,' he said on Saturday morning.

The president responded with a tweet shortly after that suggested he was biding his time, waiting for Democratic leaders to call him. He shared a photo of himself behind the Resolute Desk with a stack of folios containing recently-passed legislation

Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer depart after speaking to the media on Thursday

'We've agreed in the Senate we're not bringing anything to the floor until we know all three bodies have agreed to it,' he added.

Friday was a hectic day for politicians as they wrung out spending bill negotiations but none appeased the president.

On Friday evening as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell was leaving the Capitol, he said talks remained 'constructive,' but it's up to President Trump and Democrats to come to an agreement to fund the federal government.

Senators had voted to proceed on a motion to consider a House bill that cannot pass so that they would have a legislative vehicle for an eventual agreement, if one is to be arrived at, over the weekend.

'I hope Senate Democrats will work with the White House on an agreement that can pass both houses of Congress and receive the presidents signature,' McConnell saod. 'So colleagues, when an agreement is reached, it will receive a vote here on the Senate floor.'

U.S. government shutdown will impact 800,000 federal workers 420,000 Americans will be forced to work without pay over the holidays, 380,000 will be furloughed (meaning be given unpaid leave), and 30 million small businesses will lose access to loans. Shutdown will impact about 800,000 of the 2.1 million federal employees in the United States, according to Democrats in the House and Senate. 80 percent of the employees of the National Park Service will also be sent home, along with 96 per cent of NASA workers and 86 per cent of the Commerce Department. 41,000 federal law enforcement and correctional officers, air control workers, and postal workers will all work without pay. Nine Departments are effected including the homeland security, transport, commerce, state, agriculture, interior, treasury and housing and urban development. Others such as the Defense Department, Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Health and Human Services have already received funding and will be spared. No visitor services will be provided at tourist attractions such as the nation's national parks, which are frequently visited over the Christmas holidays. According to the LA Times, parks like Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon will likely remain accessible to visitors. However, visitor centers and campsites will probably be closed. It is unlikely bathrooms will be cleaned and maintained also. During the last shutdown, the Statue of Liberty was closed for two days before the state of New York decided to pony up the money necessary to keep it open. The Smithsonian in Washington said it had enough in reserve to keep its museums open through January 1. The post office, Medicare, TSA and social security will continue to operate. One person who will not be the victim of the shutdown is Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigation Russian collusion in Trump's presidential campaign Advertisement

President Donald Trump sent his son-in-law Jared along with his incoming chief of staff and Vice President Mike Pence to Capitol Hill to negotiate with the Senate Democratic leader

Putting McConnell's announcement in plain English, retiring Sen. Bob Corker said, 'We're not voting on anything else in this chamber relative to this issue, until a global agreement has been reached between the president, and these two leaders and the leader of the House.

KEY MOMENTS IN THE SHUTDOWN FIGHT 6:50 AM: President Trump begins his day by instructing Sen. Mitch McConnell, the GOP leader who controls the Senate, to fight for the border wall 'as hard as he fought for anything' and brands it a 'Democrat Shutdown' if a deal isn't brokered. 10:30 AM: Mitch McConnell comes to the White House for a meeting with Trump and Republican senators that lasts more than an hour. 10:39 AM: Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer fires back at Trump, telling him 'you own the shutdownyour own words,' as he reminds him that he said he would be 'proud' to do it and would take 'the blame' during their Oval Office clash. 12:15 PM: Trump tells reporters 'the chances are probably very good' that there will be a shutdown. 'We are going to be working very hard to get something passed in the Senate. There's a very good chance it won't get passed. It's up to the Democrats. So, it's really the Democrat shutdown.' 4:00 PM: President Trump sends senior advisor Jared Kushner, incoming chief of staff Mick Mulvaney and Vice President Mike Pence to Capitol Hill to meet with Chuck Schumer. They were also seen meeting with GOP leaders. 5:40 PM: A senior White House official tells DailyMail.com: 'We are still discussing, listening, and working to find way to fund border security and keep the government open.' 5:50 PM: McConnell says the next vote that takes place will be on whatever deal he and Democratic leaders are able to strike with the president. 9:50 PM: Trump declares: 'We are going to have a shutdown, there is nothing we can do about that, because we need the Democrats to give us their votes.' Midnigh: Government is partially shut down Advertisement

'And there won't be test votes. Not gonna be a tabling vote,' he said. 'What this does, I think is push this ahead to a negotiation that yields result and does the best we can to keep from shutting down government, or if it does shutdown, shutting down very briefly.'

The president responded with a tweet shortly after that suggested he was biding his time, waiting for Democratic leaders to call him. He shared a photo of himself behind the Resolute Desk with a stack of folios containing recently-passed legislation.

'Some of the many Bills that I am signing in the Oval Office right now,' he said. 'Cancelled my trip on Air Force One to Florida while we wait to see if the Democrats will help us to protect Americas Southern Border!'

A White House senior official said on Kushner, Pence and Mulvaney's negotiations that: 'We are still discussing, listening, and working to find way to fund border security and keep the government open.'

A person familiar with the negotiations told CNN it was made clear $1.6 billion was not enough, and closer to $2 billion to $3 billion is expected.

After back and forth on Friday evening, McConnell took the floor to provide a state of play. He said that Republican senators support the president's original request for $5 billion for a border wall, but they also want to keep the government from falling apart tonight.

'As a result, the Senate has voted to proceed to the legislation before us in order to preserve maximum flexibility for productive conversations to continue between the White House and our Democratic colleagues,' McConnell said in a floor speech.

Furtive negotiations were taking place on both sides of the Capitol as lawmakers rushed to make a deal that would get them back to their districts in time for Christmas.

A spokesman for Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer suggested that a deal was nowhere close to being done early Friday evening, the first of several indications that a shutdown was imminent.

The Democratic lawmaker laid out three paths for the president to avoid a shutdown  none of which included the $5 billion he's seeking for his border wall  during a meeting that took place prior to McConnell's floor speech.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer framed a potential government shutdown as President Donald Trump's fault, while Trump tweeted that Democrats would 'own' it if they refused to help pass a budget extension that funds his border wall

Trump's change of heart, tweeted Friday morning

Schumer threw Trump's December 11 words in his face, tweeting video of the president assuring him that he would take all the blame

'Leader Schumer reminded them that any proposal with funding for the wall will not pass the Senate and that the two proposals that leader Nancy Pelosi and he offered the President in the Oval Office last week are both still on the table,' the person said.

A bill, which was passed in the Senate unanimously by voice vote this week that could be brought for a vote in the House to 'avoid a shutdown if the President signaled he would sign it', was also a possibility.

'Leader Schumer made clear that all three of these proposals contain border security funding  without the wall  and could pass both chambers,' the Schumer spokesman said.

Trump had already said he expected a shutdown over the holidays if he didn't get his border wall funding.

'Shutdown today if Democrats do not vote for Border Security!' he said in a tweet.

A House bill that would keep the government open passed Thursday evening that includes $5 billion to fund construction of Trump's long-promised wall on the U.S.-Mexico border.

What does the shutdown government mean for the economy as a whole?

The longer the shutdown prolongs, the more risks threaten the U.S. economy, and financial markets were already shaken on Thursday when President Donald Trump threatened to shut down the government unless his border wall is funded.

Experts speculate that the shut down could threaten the second-longest U.S. financial expansion on record and could lead to a recession and wane deficit spending.

Directly the shutdown won't hurt economic growth very much because 75 percent of the government is already funded. But it could shave $1.2 billion off the nation's gross domestic product each week it stretches on, according to S&P Global Ratings.
A surrogate who refused to abort a baby suffering a heart defect after his biological parents ordered her to do so has spoken out about the emotional rollercoaster she has been on, one year after she gave birth to the child.

Three-time surrogate Stephanie Levesque gave birth to a baby boy just days before Christmas on December 21, 2017 at the Medical City Women's Hospital in Dallas.

At her 16-week mark, doctors revealed the baby had been suffering a serious heart defect - when the biological parents demanded the surrogate abort due to the high risks.

Levesque, however, had completely opposite beliefs about the matter and ultimately refused to do so.

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Three-time surrogate Stephanie Levesque has spoken out about her emotional pregnancy and birth

On week 16 of her pregnancy, doctors sadly revealed the baby was suffering a serious heart defect

The biological parents demanded she abort the baby, and she refused. The child was ripped away from her mere moments after birth

Levesque sat down for an interview with WFAA this week and said: 'I thought we were completely on the same page... I had no idea that if something did happen, wed be so divided.

'Before you proceed in carrying for a couple, you discuss your beliefs on abortion, you have to have really hard conversations.'

The shocking conflict has caused Levesque to reach out to legislators, in hopes to revise surrogacy laws and push for stricter written contracts to protect both biological parents and their surrogates.

When asked what the past year has been like for her, the surrogate revealed she's been through 'a lot of mourning' and 'heartache'.

Levesque, who has twin daughters of her own, said she and her daughters heard the baby's heartbeat several times during hospital checkups, and simply couldn't give up hope.

An ultrasound of the baby boy is seen from June, 26, 2017

Levesque, a real estate agent from Texas, was a surrogate two other times. Both were successful pregnancies

When December 21 came, hospital staff was vigilant.

Levesque was allowed one quick glance at the boy she carried in her womb for nine months before they took him from her mere moments after birth. She hasn't seen the child since.

Levesque said to this day, she doesn't know what the boy's name is, or whether he is healthy.

'I dont know his name. I dont know how much he weighed. I dont know if they chose to do surgery.

'I assume they immediately took him to the NICU, but I do not know, I do not know,' she added.

Levesque, a real estate agent from Texas, was a surrogate two times prior. Both were successful, healthy pregnancies.

Levesque, who has two twin daughter of her own, said she and her daughters heard the baby's heartbeat several times and simply couldn't give up hope

Levesque and her daughters are seen in the hospital for the birth

The surrogate is pictured in a selfie with her twin daughters taken during a hospital visit

The woman remained close with the families of the other two babies. She called all three pregnancies the 'most beautiful gift' there is.

Aside from her legal crusade, the mom-of-two is also in the process of writing a book about her surrogacy journey, which she said isn't over.

She broke down in tears toward the end of the interview as she said: 'I was given a voice for a reason.

'I was given a platform for a reason, and because of all the heartache that I have experienced, I know my story is not over.

'I cannot end on heartache.'

Earlier Friday, Levesque took to her Facebook page to thank family, friends and followers for their support.

Earlier Friday, Levesque took to her Facebook page to thank her family, friends and followers for their support. She spoke about the child under the pseudonym Luca

She wrote: 'First of all, thank you all SO MUCH for the support Ive received throughout the last year.

'Today is a hard one, and I cant explain how much it means to feel like Im being wrapped up in a huge hug by all my friends and family. From the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU!'

She then spoke about the child under the pseudonym Luca, which has a special meaning to her.

'In honor of Lucas 1st birthday (Major shout-out to my brother-in-law, Kyle, who named my sweet surro-baby. (Kyle actually named him Luca prior to me being asked to abort.) Luca means "bringer of light", and how unbelievably appropriate is it that his mere existence is bringing light to so many issues?!? Amazing, right??),' she wrote.

'I wanted to share my insight on why surrogacy laws need to be changed and how my experience shed light on these issues. Please, if you feel compelled to, share this post so awareness can be brought to these issues!'

The Luca's Law blog post can be viewed here.
Ofsted has won an appeal against a ruling that a damning school inspection report was unfair.

Durand Academy, which had two sites in Stockwell, South London plus a boarding school in Midhurst, West Sussex, had been found to be inadequate by the watchdog.

The inspection took place in late 2016, but the school took legal action to block publication of the critical report, stopping families from reading inspectors findings.

It argued that it was unable to effectively challenge the report on its performance under Ofsteds complaints process.

Durand Academy, which had two sites in Stockwell, had been found to be inadequate by Ofsted

Yesterday the Court of Appeal found that the High Court was wrong to conclude that Ofsteds complaints procedures are unfair in serious weakness/special measures cases' (pictured: Royal Courts of Justice, containing both the Court of Appeal and High Court)

In August last year, the schools trust, which has spent 700,000 battling Ofsted, won its legal bid to have its inadequate rating quashed. The High Court ruled in Durands favour, after Judge Martin McKenna said Ofsteds complaints procedure was unfair.

But yesterday the Court of Appeal ruled in Ofsteds favour. It found that the High Court was wrong to conclude that Ofsteds complaints procedures are unfair in serious weakness/special measures cases.

It is a major victory for the education watchdog because failure in this court would have encouraged more schools to attempt to suppress critical inspection reports.

The Ofsted report was finally published late yesterday. It showed that the school faced being put into special measures.

Durand Academy used to have around 1,200 pupils aged from three to 16 across three sites, but in June Durand Academy Trust had its funding agreement terminated by the Department for Education.

The boarding school has closed and the two London schools have been taken over by another educational trust and renamed as Van Gogh Academy, which caters for primary age pupils.
A man was left fearing for his life when a piece of driftwood pierced through his leg while he was kite surfing at an isolated spot.

David Price will spend Christmas Day in hospital due to his injuries after the incident in eastern Victoria on Wednesday.

The experienced kite surfer hit the piece of driftwood at a high speed, impaling his lower leg.

'I was thinking in this situation I've got my family here and I'm worried that I'm going to bleed out in front of them in the middle of nowhere'

'I was thinking in this situation I've got my family here and I'm worried that I'm going to bleed out in front of them in the middle of nowhere,' he told 7news.

'The one thing I kept thinking, I just didn't want die in front of my family.'

His wife desperately called for help as he lay helpless in the shallow water.

With a log in his leg, he waited for an hour before ambulance crews arrived.

It was another painful hour later when the air ambulance arrived to fly him to The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne.

Emergency Departments across the country are gearing up for the busiest time of year next week.

Between 25 December and January 2 more than 5100 patients flood Victoria's ED each day.

Number's spike higher on New Year's Day.
















If you opened up your refrigerator or pantry right now, would you be able to identify where everything inside of them originated? If youre like many people, theres a good chance the answer to this question is no  and you could end up paying a very steep price for this ignorance.

Unfortunately, a lot of food sold throughout the world comes from China, where the standards leave a lot to be desired. In fact, the founder of a company called Inscatech that uncovers fraud and malpractice in the food industry, Mitchell Weinberg, said that while they uncover this type of fraud around 70 percent of the time overall, its close to 100 percent in China. Do you really want to eat anything that comes from the same country where baby formula was laced with melamine and rat meat was sold as lamb?

Here is a look at some of the foods that you should be particularly wary of if they come from China.

Fish

Water pollution is out of control in China, so it only makes sense to avoid consuming anything that once swam in its dirty waters. More than half of the tilapia and cod that are sold in the U.S. were grown on a Chinese fish farm, so its not uncommon to find heavy metals like lead or mercury in this fish.

Rice

The Chinese people have a reputation for loving their rice, and because so much of it is grown there, it isnt surprising that a lot of the rice sold in North America comes from the country. Thats unfortunate because China has been exporting whats known as a plastic rice that is little more than a mix of resin and potato.

Garlic

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You might have heard about the health benefits of garlic, but if your garlic comes from China, it might have the opposite effect on your health as Chinese garlic has been found to be laced with methyl bromide and other pesticides. With as much as a third of the garlic sold in the U.S. originating there, you need to be vigilant to avoid this potential danger.

Apple juice

It may sound oddly specific, but Chinese apple juice was singled out by the Alternative Daily for several reasons. First, theres the fact that the government had restricted the import of apples from China for a time, a serious step that indicates major problems. A few years ago, health officials discovered that apple juice imported from China contained antifreeze. That might no longer be a problem, but any apple that was grown in toxin-laced Chinese soil is an apple that you definitely want to avoid.

Green peas

Rice isnt the only food that scammers are trying to fake in China. Counterfeit green peas have been found there that are made using sodium metabisulfite, soy, a green dye, and small amounts of real green peas.

Mushrooms

If you thought fake peas and rice sounded bad, you will definitely be turned off when you learn that Chinese mushrooms have prompted safety concerns around the world. The farmers there have been known to add formaldehyde and sulfur dioxide to make them appear fresher. Read labels carefully; a third of the processed mushrooms that are consumed in America originate in China.

Chinese food regulations are notoriously lax, and widespread government corruption means that the few regulations they do have are rarely upheld. When you buy food from China, you are taking a gamble on your health and possibly your life  is that worth saving a few bucks? This is why many experts recommend you buy locally, where you can be more confident in the processes and sources used.
Chinese billionaire Richard Liu will not face charges over the alleged rape of a woman in Minnesota because prosecutors said they could not prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Liu, founder of the Beijing-based e-commerce site JD.com, was arrested August 31 in Minneapolis on suspicion of felony rape and released within hours. He returned to China.

Prosecutors said that 'profound evidentiary problems' would have made it 'highly unlikely' that any charge could have been proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

Liu was alleged to have attacked a 21-year-old Chinese student at the University of Minnesota after they went out for dinner as part of a group on August 30.

Chinese billionaire Richard Liu (pictured) will not face charges over the alleged rape of a woman in Minnesota

Liu, 45, had been a student with the Carlson School of Management's doctor of business administration China program and was in Minneapolis for a week-long residency at the time.

In a statement, Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman said that as prosecutors reviewed surveillance video, text messages, police body camera video and witness statements, 'it became clear that we could not meet our burden of proof and, therefore, we could not bring charges'.

After the prosecutor's decision was announced, Liu issued a statement on his Chinese social media account saying: 'This proves I broke no law'.

'My interactions with this woman, however, have hurt my family greatly, especially my wife.

'I feel deep regret and remorse and I hope she can accept my sincere apology. I will continue to try in every possible way to repair the impact on my family and to fulfill my responsibility as a husband,' Liu said in his statement.

Jill Brisbois, an attorney for Liu, welcomed the prosecutor's decision.

'This confirms our strong belief from the very beginning that my client is innocent,' Brisbois said in a statement.

He said Liu was arrested 'based on a false claim' and that the investigation, 'with which he fully cooperated', vindicates him.

Chinese billionaire Richard Liu (pictured) was arrested in August after a student claimed he raped her in her apartment after a night of drinking while at a dinner with a large group

Richard Liu (left) said his interactions with the woman hurt his family in particular his wife Zhang Zetian (right)

'Even though the prosecutor determined no criminal charges were warranted, Mr. Liu's reputation has been damaged like anyone falsely accused of a crime,' Brisbois said.

Wil Florin, an attorney for the woman, said prosecutors never spoke to her before deciding not to charge Liu.

Florin said prosecutors never asked to meet with the woman, a Chinese citizen studying at the University of Minnesota on a student visa, and never asked her a question.

Liu is an internet entrepreneur and one of the countrys wealthiest men in China

Liu, the alleged victim and a group of others had dined at Origami restaurant (pictured)

'Instead, they waited 4 months until late Friday before the Christmas holiday and issued a press release without even giving her the common courtesy of a meeting to advise her of their intentions,' Florin said.

Minneapolis Police Department spokesman John Elder said, however, that police had spoken with the woman 'a number of times'.

Florin later said the woman is planning to sue.

In a statement, Florin said a civil jury should determine whether Liu, JD.com and their representatives 'should be held accountable for the events of that night.

'We look forward to that jury hearing the full and complete story.'

Liu's lawyer Jill Brisbois (left) said the prosecutors decision confirmed their belief that his client was innocent. The woman's lawyer Wil Florin (right) said she is planning to take a civil action

He would not give details of the planned lawsuit, but told The Associated Press it would be in the US.

The woman has not been publicly identified. She is still enrolled at the university, Florin said.

On the night of the alleged attack, Liu and other executives went to Origami, a Japanese restaurant in Minneapolis. The woman went to the dinner as a volunteer, Florin said. She felt coerced to drink as the powerful men toasted her, he said.

Text messages reviewed by The Associated Press and portions of the woman's interviews with police show the woman claims Liu dragged her into a vehicle and made advances, despite her protests.

The woman texted a friend: 'I begged him don't. But he didn't listen.' She said he raped her at her apartment.

Liu, known in Chinese as Liu Qiangdong, is a prominent member of the Chinese tech elite , with a fortune of $7.5 billion.

He is part of a generation of entrepreneurs who have created China's internet, e-commerce, mobile phone and other technology industries since the late 1990s.

The son of peasants, Liu built a Beijing electronics shop into JD.com, China's biggest online direct retailer, selling everything from clothes to toys to fresh vegetables.

He has continued to lead the company since his arrest.
A New Jersey man sentenced to life in prison for a brutal home invasion caught on camera has been denied an appeal of his conviction.

Shawn Custis, 47, was convicted in 2016 for breaking into a New Jersey home and viciously beating a woman in front of her child, which was caught on nanny cam.

On Friday, the appellate court denied his appeal after the career criminal argued his sentencing was excessive.

His lengthy criminal record included 38 arrests and 17 felony convictions all before the 2013 home attack.

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Shawn Custis lost an appeal of his 2016 conviction after was found guilty in the brutal beating of a woman during a 2013 home invasion caught on a nanny-cam home security video

Custis hid his face with a folder while sitting in court in 2016 as he was sentenced to life plus five years

The 2013 attack lasted several minutes and started while the woman was sitting with her daughter watching television, with her infant son sleeping upstairs.

The woman was punched and kicked repeatedly and thrown down a flight of stairs. The children weren't physically injured.

The woman, who testified against Custis during the 2016 trial, gasped and sobbed in the gallery after the judge announced the sentence and referred to the 47-year-old man as 'vicious, depraved and evil.'

Approaching the bench to describe how the crime has affected her, the woman said she suffered a fractured bone in her back and facial injuries and remains so traumatized that she has been unable to return to work and has had to move her family.

'I carry a personal alarm even when I am in the comfort of my own home,' said the woman, who prosecutors asked not be identified.

'I am in my own prison. I haven't opened a window in my house in two years.'

The 2013 attack (pictured) lasted several minutes and started while the woman was sitting with her daughter watching television, with her infant son sleeping upstairs

A jury convicted Custis on June 1, 2016 of aggravated assault, child endangerment, robbery, burglary, criminal restraint and theft.

But the panel acquitted him of the most serious charge, attempted murder.

Wigler added an additional five years to Custis' life sentence for the child endangerment conviction. Custis won't be eligible for parole for more than 60 years.

Prosecutors had sought a life sentence for the Newark resident based on a criminal past Wigler termed 'rather staggering.'

One of the previous convictions was for a 1990s home invasion similar to the attack in Millburn, according to Assistant Essex County Prosecutor Jamel Semper.

Custis, center right, pictured in July 2013 as he is escorted from an arraignment hearing. A jury convicted him on June 1 of aggravated assault, child endangerment, robbery, burglary, criminal restraint and theft

'Half-measures of leniency haven't worked to deter this defendant,' Semper told the judge. 'He has almost as many arrests as he's had birthdays.'

Custis' attorney argued during the trial that the police investigation was biased because a white officer responding to the crime scene was heard on video using a racial slur. Custis is black.

Prosecutors countered that four women who knew Custis identified him after seeing the video of the attack on television, and DNA tests showed blood found on his jeans belonged to the victim.
President Trump reportedly lashed out at Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker after his name was mentioned by federal prosecutors in court for crimes Michael Cohen pleaded guilty to.

CNN reported Friday that Trump first berated Whitaker, who was hand-picked for the job in November following the resignation of Jeff Sessions, after former Cohen pleaded guilty for lying to Congress about work he did on his real estate deal in Russia.

Trump reportedly lashed out once again after the Justice Department announced the president directed illegal payments to buy the silence of two women - whose claims of extramarital affairs threatened his presidential campaign - the first time prosecutors have connected Trump to a federal crime.

In a court filing, prosecutors said Cohen arranged the secret payments at the height of the 2016 campaign 'in coordination with and at the direction of' Trump.

Cohen previously said Trump was involved in the hush-money scheme, but court documents filed ahead of Cohen's sentencing made clear prosecutors believe Cohen's claim.

President Trump (pictured Friday in Washington, DC) reportedly lashed out at Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker (pictured in November in Ohio) after his name was mentioned by federal prosecutors in court for crimes Michael Cohen pleaded guilty to

He was sentenced earlier this month to three years in prison for crimes that included arranging the payment of hush money to conceal his boss alleged sexual affairs, telling a judge that he agreed time and again to cover up Trumps 'dirty deeds' out of 'blind loyalty.'

While on the topic of Whitaker, Mueller biographer Garrett Graff told CNN: 'It seems very clear that the only reason that Matt Whitaker was ever appointed to this role was specifically to oversee the Mueller investigation.'

A senior official said Thursday 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.'

Whitaker's past criticism of the Russia investigation has raised questions about whether he can oversee it fairly.

Whitaker was hand-picked for acting attorney in November following the resignation of Jeff Sessions

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.

Members of Congress have expressed concerns about Whitaker's past criticism of special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation.

Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen leaves federal Court after his sentencing hearing at United States Federal Court in New York, United States on December 12, 2018

The probe is looking at Russian interference in the 2016 election and ties to Trump's campaign.

Whitaker was preceded in November by Sessions, who 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 revelations that he had had 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.
A postal service worker in California has died after getting into a fight with a work crew that parked in front of a mailbox.

Fresno County Sheriff's Office said 63-year-old Fernando Santoya was delivering mail in the 700 block of South Polk Avenue Tuesday when he got into an altercation with a group of men who were working on a house.

The Sheriff's Office said one of the workers had parked his vehicle in front of the mailbox, so he moved it once the mail carrier arrived.

Fernando Santoya (pictured) was delivering mail in Fresno when he got into an altercation with a group of men who were working on a house

Witnesses told detectives that Santoya got into an argument with the work crew, which then escalated into Santoya trying to punch one of the men.

Deputies say in an effort to defend himself, the man punched back, striking Santoya in his face. He then stumbled and collapsed.

Workers noticed he was not breathing and began CPR. Santoya was taken to the hospital where he later died.

Detectives say all witnesses on the scene were cooperative and no arrests have been made.

Tony Botti, a sheriff's office spokesman said: 'In an effort to defend himself, the man punched back, striking Santoya once in his face.

'Santoya stumbled and then collapsed. The workers noticed he was no longer breathing, so one of them began CPR on Santoya while another worker placed a 911 call.

Police say an argument escalated when Santoya (left) tried to punch one of the men, according to witness accounts. He is pictured here with one of his grandsons

Santoya's sister Linda Weyante (left) and his son Fernando Santoya (right) disagree with the official account of what happened , saying Fernando would never have hit someone first

'Deputies and EMS personnel arrived and arranged for Santoya to be transported to the hospital'.

The cause of Santoyas death is pending the results of an autopsy performed Thursday.

The deceased man's family have disputed the sheriff's office account of what happened, saying that he would never throw the first punch.

They also said that he was close to retirement and they are struggling to come to terms with their loss.

Santoya's son Fernando told KSEE24: 'My dad was everything to me , he was my hero.

The incident happened around the 700 block of South Polk Avenue, east of Kearney Park (pictured)

'Every Christmas, he'd make sure that we gave to homeless people and needy families'.

His sister, Linda Weyante, said they cannot understand what happened as her brother was not a violent person.

She said: 'We are having a difficult time not comprehending what occurred out there.

'Not being able for him to hear me totally and completely say I love you and I'll miss you [hurts]. But, at least I know he will hear me now'.

Weyante and her nephew remain adamant that their loved one did not deserve to die this way.

She said: 'I will not be their judge. I will forgive them and I do forgive them. They will have to face their maker and God will be their judge'.

The Postal Service and Sheriff's office are both investigating the incident.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact the sheriffs office at 559-600-3111.
A 37-year-old man has been charged over the brutal death of a four-month-old girl.

The man, from Waterford West, south of Brisbane, is facing six charges of leaving a child unattended and one count of child cruelty.

He is the second person to be charged over the child's death. The baby's aunt, Sandra Leigh Houston, 35, was charged with murder on Monday.

Police launched an investigation into the suspicious death after the four-month-old presented at Logan Hospital in November with life-threatening injuries, before dying at Queensland Children's Hospital on November 20.

Houston took the infant in after the death of her twin sister.

Sandra Leigh Houston, 35, has been charged with the murder of her four-month-old niece on Monday. On Saturday, a 37-year-old man was charged with leaving a child unsupervised and child cruelty

She was then transferred to Queensland Children's Hospital in a critical condition but died on November 20

Houston (right) took in the baby when her twin sister Terese died a few months ago

She appeared in Beenleigh Magistrate's Court on Tuesday morning, nearly a month after her four-month-old niece died.

The baby arrived at Logan Hospital with life-threatening injuries last month.

She died on November 20, after being transferred to Queensland Children's Hospital in a critical condition.

Houston's lawyer, Robert Burns, said his client was the baby girl's aunt, and she had taken the baby in after her twin sister died.

Mr Burns said Houston would be applying for bail and was 'fairly distraught' over the baby's death, but had 'good grounds' for bail.

'She is fortunate that she does have plenty of family support, her husband and the parents and the rest of her family are very supportive of her,' he said.

'I'm always hopeful for bail. She has good grounds for bail.'

Mr Burns would not shed light on how the child died, or when the bail application would be made.

He told reporters he did not have enough information to form a case on Tuesday.

'We haven't received all of the police material, in fact orders will be made on Thursday for that, so we will see,' he said.

Houston (right) and her sister Terese (left) shared a similar fashion sense, and sported similar tattoos on their left shoulders

The pair, who have been dressing alike since childhood (bottom left and right), appeared to be nearly inseparable and were often seen at events together

Mr Burns was also unable to comment in any detail on what police were alleging had happened to the baby, but said the case would centre around 'the untimely death of the child'.

Houston will remain in the watch house until her matter is mentioned again on Thursday, when it's expected Mr Burns would apply for more police material ahead of her application for bail in the Brisbane Supreme Court.

Social media posts reveal both Houston and her late sister were devoutly religious, and shared a close bond.

The pair also shared a sense of fashion, with pictures showing the sisters wearing the same outfits with different hairstyles, and sporting similar tattoos.

She will apply for bail, and her lawyer said she was 'distressed' about the circumstances of the baby's death
Meghan, the daughter of late Senator John McCain, has publicly scolded former Fox News host Bill O'Reilly for his unsavory comments at Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's health.

On Twitter this Friday, O'Reilly tweeted 'Justice Ginsburg is very ill. Another Justice appointment inevitable and soon. Bad news for the left.'

85-year-old Ginsburg underwent surgery on Friday to remove two nodules from the lower half her left lung, which were discovered in follow up examinations after cracking her ribs in a fall in November.

The Supreme Court Justice was said to be 'resting comfortably' at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, a spokesperson for the Supreme Court said.

Host of ABC's "The View", Meghan McCain (left) blasted former Fox News host Bill O'Reilly (right) on Twitter this Friday, calling his comments about Ginsburg 'ghoulish'. O'Reilly called to replace 'ill' Ginsburg, suggesting her end was near

McCain urged O'Reilly to join her in prayer for Ginsburg's recovery, rather than try to politicize the implications of compromised health

Incensed by the hard-hearted nature of O-Reilly's comments -coming just months after the death of her father - McCain took to twitter to hit back at the journalist.

Branding him 'gross and ghoulish', she urged O'Reilly to join her in prayer for Ginsburg's recovery, rather than trying to politicize the possible implications of her compromised health.

'Theres really nothing more gross and ghoulish than people in the media pontificating on a public persons health and the hypothetical political ramifications of their death. Join me in praying for RBG to have a speedy and healthy recovery - we are Christians, arent we Bill?' She responded.

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (pictured) had surgery on Friday to remove two lumps from her left lung. The nodules were found during examinations after her fall in November

The ABC host's father, John McCain (left) died in August after a year-long battle with brain cancer

McCain's father, former Arizona Senator John McCain, died in August following a year-long battle with brain cancer.

The former co-host of Fox News's "Outnumbered," left the network to co-host ABC's "The View" last-year.

A few months after he was fired by Fox, the Times reported on a fifth settlement in which O'Reilly was forced to pay out $32 million.
Australian tourists are increasingly worried about travelling to the UK over soaring crime rates.

Australian and New Zealand travel insurer 1Cover has seen a huge 32% increase in calls related to concerned customers traveling to the UK this Christmas.

The rise in London knife crime, a spate of scooter bag snatchers and unease over Brexit are fuelling tourists' hesitance to travel to the area this festive season.

Two people have been arrested over criminal use of drones at Gatwick Airport on Friday night, which saw dozens of flights canceled and thousands stranded.

An travel insurance company has received a number of calls from Australian tourists travelling to the UK who are fearing for their safety

On Friday night, two people were arrested in relation to the criminal use of drones at Gatwick Airport

Dozens of flights were cancelled and at least 25 were delayed due to multiple drones

Lisa Andrews from Sydney's northern beaches has booked a flight to the UK on December 23 and said she was worried she might not arrive in time for Christmas.

'I've been reading about those bloody drones blocking Gatwick airport,' she said.

'It just seems like it's one thing after another these days with the UK - first all about Brexit, now these drones.

'Wish I'd just stayed home.'

1Cover's travel safety expert Richard Warburton said the UK is one of the top five destinations to visit during the summer months but is a different story this year.

'We've seen a big increase in calls from customers who are concerned about what might happen to them in Britain,' he told Daily Mail Australia in a statement.

'Brexit is causing confusion for customers about their visas and access to Europe.'

'From down here in Australia, it appears Britain is struggling to get their act together whether it is solving Brexit or being able to catch a simple drone!' said Mr Warburton.

The Met Police said there were nearly 20,000 jewellery and bag-snatching offences across London last year

Sussex Police made two arrests after 10pm on Friday in relation to the criminal use of drones, which severely disrupted flights.

One flight from Morocco appeared to be moments away from landing when it was forced to divert 1,000 feat above the ground when a drone was spotted.

At least 25 flights were cancelled as planes diverted to Stansted, Luton and Heathrow airport.

The Met Police said there were nearly 20,000 jewellery and bag-snatching offences across London from January to October last year.

There were over 40,000 knife crime offences in England and Wales within the 12 months ending in March 2018 - a 16% increase from the previous year and the highest number since 2011.

38 of 44 police forces recorded a rise in knife crime since 2011.

Over 203,000 Australians and 33,000 New Zealanders make a trip to the UK over the Christmas season every year.
Police will be out in force targeting speeding and distracted drivers as holidaymakers hit the roads this festive season.

Double demerit points came into force on Friday in New South Wales, Western Australia and the Australian Capital Territory and will run until the end of New Year's Day.

And as common mistakes can be costly this time of year, we've broken down some rules to make road-tripping a little less stressful.

Roundabout rules

Turns out motorists should be giving way to whichever vehicle was on the roundabout before them

Sure, road rules seems pretty straight forward, motorists must always give way to their right. But this rule can be confusing when circles are involved.

Turns out motorists should be giving way to whichever vehicle was on the roundabout before them.

So, on a smaller roundabout, if a car enters first from across from you, you must give way to them.

ACT motorists are looking at a $474 fine and three points before being doubled if they break the roundabout rule. It's a $428 fine and three points in South Australia, a $150 in Western Australia and a $163 fine and three points in Tasmania.

Drivers in NSW could get three demerit point and a $337 for not abiding by the rule, Queenslanders will get a $391 and three points.

While drivers in Victoria could get a $161 fine and three points.

The '10 per cent' rule

Double demerit points came into force on Friday in NSW, Western Australia and the ACT and will run until the end of New Year's Day

The 10 per cent speed limit myth has plagued drivers for years, with motorists believing if they are driving within 10 percent of the speed limit they wont get a ticket.

And as much as drivers hope this is the case, there is still a lot of uncertainty around it.

In Victoria motorists can expect to be fined if a speed camera catches them 3km/h over the limit.

South Australia was a little more lenient with figures showing drivers were getting away with going 7km/h over the limit.

New South Wales and Queensland do not state their tolerance for speeding.

Parking

Police will be out in force targeting speeding and distracted drivers as holidaymakers hit the roads this festive season

No matter which state you are in, parking within 10 metres of an intersection is banned.

A $337 fine and two demerit points will be issued to motorists caught breaking this rule in NSW.

ACT drivers will be loosening the purse strings to pay a $120 fine, and Tasmania drivers will be forking out for a $122.25 fine.

Those in Western Australia will be looking at a $150 fine, in Queensland its a $130.55 fine, $161 in Victoria and $155 in the Northern Territory.

In South Australia drivers parking 10metres from an intersection will risk a $115 fine.

Lights

Every state bans the use of fogs lights if there is no fog or rain as they can be dangerous to other drivers if used incorrectly

Every state bans the use of fogs lights if there is no fog or rain as they can be dangerous to other drivers if used incorrectly.

In NSW a driver is only permitted to use fog lights if driving in fog, mist or other atmospheric conditions that restrict visibility.

Incorrect usage could see drivers have to fork out due to a hefty fine, the biggest being in South Australia where drivers would be pinged $243.

NSW drivers could get fined $112, and Victoria drivers could get fined $161.

Rule breakers in Tasmania would see $112.25 fine. While in Western Australia they would see a $100 fine, and in Queensland they would get a $52.
A 14-year-old girl who was reported missing and was thought to be with a 28-year-old man was found safe on Friday night in North Carolina.

Lauren Haynes was reported missing from her home on Melbourne Drive in China Grove at around 3am Thursday after her parents discovered she was gone.

On Friday deputies said they were able to determine that Haynes left her home to meet up with 28-year-old Jake Kelly.

The two traveled to Statesville together and were taken into custody Friday evening at a location in Charlotte.

Lauren Haynes (left) who was reported missing is believed to have met Jake Kelly (right) and is due to be charged in connection with her disappearance

Felony arrest warrants were obtained for Kelly in relation to the case.

Rowan County Sheriffs Office detectives will transport both Lauren Haynes and Kelly back to Rowan County to continue the investigation process into the case, which includes interviews.

Lauren Haynes is safely in the custody of law enforcement and is in good condition, police said.

Lauren is a student at South Rowan High School, but did not show up for school.

Kelly was believed to be traveling in a black 1996 Honda Civic (BEV-4715) and may still be in Statesville.

One local woman told WBTV early on Friday: 'It just broke my heard that somebody would have the heart to do something like that'.

'I pray she comes home safe because I know her family are hurting very bad and the community is too'.

Lauren Haynes was reported missing from her home on Melbourne Drive in China Grove at around 3 am Thursday after her parents discovered she was gone

A local shop owner in China Grover where Lauren lives said: 'I've had ten people come in the shop this morning and ask me about it for updates.

'It's very sad that this is happening in our community and I just pray and hope that she comes home safely'.

Once the investigative process has been completed, Kelly will be processed and placed in the Rowan County Detention Center under the eventual charges that will be made.
Owners of an Indian restaurant in Montana have responded to racist comments made by a local man on Facebook who expressed his distaste over their authentic spread.

Raj and Priyanka Singh, owners of the Curry Express in Belgrade, a city that is predominantly white, shared a video showing the items on their lunch buffet this week.

Richard Suttles, the owner of Twins Construction in Bozeman, took to the comments section to write: 'I'm going to puke.'

The owners replied to the comment: 'Don't be disrespectful. Have some manners.'

Raj and Priyanka Singh, owners of the Curry Express in Belgrade, Montana, were victim to a racist attack on social media this week

The Singhs shared a video showing the items on their lunch buffet this week. Richard Suttles, the owner of Twins Construction in Bozeman, took to the comments section to write: 'I'm going to puke.' He then went on a racist tirade

Suttles then fired back: 'Your race is an insult to the Earth. You come here get a hand out and don't do manual labor, but make a killing off our tax dollars. So to that, go f*** yourself.'

The couple later shared a screenshot of the exchange to their page, expressing their shock over the racial attack.

'Never in my wildest dreams did I expect to get a message like that... theres a first for everything in life I suppose... welcome to the ignorant 21st century,' the post said.

Yelp has been forced to monitor the construction worker's business page after his comments were exposed

This is the spread the couple shared that Suttles' said made him want to 'puke'

The Curry Express in Belgrade, Montana, is seen above

The Singhs have since received an overwhelming amount of support from customers and strangers.

One woman wrote on Facebook: 'You are among the hardest working people I know. Don't take to heart the hate born ignorance that was expressed.

'Thank you for being here and being such a great part of the culinary community.'

Another said: 'I messaged Richard Suttles to let him know he's famous now... as a racist. Congratulations Richard.'

Someone else added: 'One cursory glance at his profile shows he is filled with hate and racism.

'So much so that there isn't room for anything else on his page or probably his life. People like him are a disgrace to the human race.'

Meanwhile, Yelp has been forced to monitor Suttles' business page.

Neither parties could be reached for further comment by DailyMail.com late Friday night.
The billionaire chief executive of Chinese retail giant JD.com has issued a public apology to his wife and his family after US prosecutors said they will not file charges against him in a rape case.

'My behaviour on the day of the incident caused great harm to my family, especially my wife ... I feel much regret,' Richard Liu, who is also known as Liu Qiangdong, said in a statement published on WeChat, where he also thanked colleagues for their support.

Liu was arrested in the US in late August for allegedly sexually assaulting a 21-year old Chinese student at the University of Minnesota, where he was taking an elite course for Chinese executives.

Chinese billionaire Richard Liu (pictured left) was arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a female student but has been cleared

The victim said the attack occurred after she attended a dinner hosted by Liu for several members of the program.

Prosecutors said on Friday, however, that they did not have enough evidence to prove a crime had taken place beyond reasonable doubt.

Hennepin County Attorney Michael Freeman said there were 'profound evidentiary problems' with the case but did not go into detail.

'It had nothing to do with Liu's status as a wealthy, foreign businessman,' Freeman said in his statement.

Jill Brisbois, an attorney for Liu, welcomed the prosecutor's decision.

'This confirms our strong belief from the very beginning that my client is innocent,' Brisbois said. She said Liu was arrested 'based on a false claim,' and that the investigation, 'with which he fully cooperated,' vindicates him.

'Even though the prosecutor determined no criminal charges were warranted, Mr. Liu's reputation has been damaged like anyone falsely accused of a crime,' Brisbois said.

A lawyer for the student who accused Liu criticised the decision and said the woman was planning to sue.

Liu was arrested in the US in late August for allegedly sexually assaulting a 21-year old Chinese student at the University of Minnesota

Wil Florin said prosecutors never spoke to the woman before deciding not to charge Liu.

'Instead, they waited 4 months until late Friday before the Christmas holiday and issued a press release without even giving her the common courtesy of a meeting to advise her of their intentions,' Florin said.

Minneapolis Police Department spokesman John Elder said, however, that police had spoken with the woman 'a number of times.'

On the night of the alleged attack, Liu and other executives went to Origami, a Japanese restaurant in Minneapolis. The woman went to the dinner as a volunteer, Florin said. She felt coerced to drink as the powerful men toasted her, he said.

Text messages and portions of the woman's interviews with police show the woman claims Liu dragged her into a vehicle and made advances, despite her protests.

The woman texted a friend: 'I begged him don't. But he didn't listen.' She said he raped her at her apartment.

On the night of the alleged attack, Liu and other executives went to Origami, a Japanese restaurant in Minneapolis

Liu was also the host of a 2015 dinner party in Sydney that was linked to the sexual assault on a 20-year-old model, although Liu was not accused of any wrongdoing in the case, and none is suggested.

Another of dinner guests, property developer Longwei Xu, was convicted of sexually assaulting the intoxicated model after taking her back to his hotel room at the Shangri-La.

JD.com is one of China's largest online shopping platforms and a rival of internet juggernaut Alibaba.
More resignations could come at the Pentagon in the wake of Jim Mattis' departure, Fox News has learned.

Donald Trump fired a retaliatory strike Friday at outgoing Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis after the retired general claimed his resignation letter that the president had an unrealistic view of threats posed by America's two biggest global adversaries.

'Make no mistake, Jim Mattis is resigning in protest over the president's national security policies,' a senior US defense official told Fox News.

Now sources say more exits could come with Mattis leading the way.

Outgoing Secretary of Defense James Mattis (left) make a final attempt Thursday, before resigning, to convince President Donald Trump that it was unwise to pull all of America's military troops out of Syria

Media reports Thursday focused on Mattis' veiled reference to Russia and China in the letter, which explained his belief in 'being clear-eyed about both malign actors and strategic competitors.'

Trump defended his record in a tweet: 'There has never been a president who has been tougher (but fair) on China or Russia  Never, just look at the facts. The Fake News tries so hard to paint the opposite picture.'

Trum phas been widely criticized for a public soft-glove approach to Russia's Vladimir Putin, taking at face value the former KGB spymaster's claim that the Kremlin didn't order digital monkeywrenching campaigns to interfere with the 2016 U.S. elections.

At the same time, Mattis has worried that the White House is too aggressive with China and has emphasized the need to repair frayed ties between the two countries' military forces in order to head off misunderstandings that can quickly metastasize into armed conflicts.

Mattis handed Trump his resignation letter at the White House on Thursday during an argument after he realized he couldn't convince the president to reverse course and leave American troops in Syria, a move that he believes will embolden Russia.

His first order of business when he got back to his office was to tell aides to print 50 copies of the letter, ordering them to distribute them as soon as Trump announced his departure.

Farewell to arms? Mattis, a former U.S. Marine Corps general, told aides to print 50 copies of his resignation letter and distribute them to top brass  and the press  as soon as Trump announced his departure

The president insisted Mattis was wrong about his posture toward Russia and China

In his resignation letter, Mattis spelled out his strategic differences and said Trump should find a defense secretary he agrees with more

Reporters got the letter at the same time Mattis' most senior generals did, just minutes after the president tweeted his rose-colored interpretation of the letter's thinly veiled venom.

Hours later, according to officials who spoke to multiple news outlets, Trump ordered a partial withdrawal from Afghanistan, pulling half of the 14,000 U.S. troops 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.'

Mattis, a famously well-read and edurite 'warrior-monk,' wrote in careful prose about America's failure to tend to its crucial international alliances and partnerships, concluding that Trump should find a replacement whose views aligned more with his own,

The president tweeted his thanks for the retired Marine Corps general's help with 'the purchase of new fighting equipment' and 'getting allies and other countries to pay their share of military obligations.'

The White House hasn't denied that Mattis quit as a direct consequence of Trump's announcement, over his objections, that America's troops stationed in Syria would be pulling out.

That decision will leave large swaths of Syria unguarded against efforts by Vladimir Putin's Russia to prop up strongman Bashar al-Assad in his bloody civil war with rebel groups.

Mattis sees Chinese President Xi Jinping as a powerful adversary and blames Trump for not doing more to keep U.S.-China military ties strong in order to pre-empt future conflicts

Taking all of America's troops out of Syria will leave dictator Bashar al-Assad (left) in a much stronger position with Vladimir Putin of Russia (right) given a free hand to protect him

Mattis was a Marine's Marine, carrying his own pack as a brigadier general

President Donald Trump reportedly overruled Mattis' objection this week in deciding to withdraw American troops from Syria

Mattis' written message to Trump didn't mention the Syria conflict, but its unmistakable flamethrower rhetoric left little doubt.

'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.'

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.'

Mattis was regarded as a steadying influence on Trump and his departure will leave much of Congress worried about the lack of a check on the president's more arbitrary impulses

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.

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 nation's 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 we've seen with the President's haphazard approach to Syria, our national defense is too important to be subjected to the President's 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 man who staggered into a car wash with shocking burns to half of his body had allegedly been stripping copper from an abandoned factory when he touched a live power box which exploded, it can be revealed.

Joseph Anderson, 56, from Marayong in Sydney's west, was moaning in agony when he was found with horrific injuries staggering along Sunnyholt Road in Blacktown on Friday evening.

Police confirmed to Daily Mail Australia Mr Anderson was severely burned after a transformer exploded at a near-by abandoned warehouse.

Emergency services found Joseph Anderson (pictured) at a service station and car wash along Sunnyholt Road in Blacktown, Sydney at around 7.15pm on Friday

The 56-year-old (pictured) told emergency services personnel on the scene he had touched a transformer, which he didn't know was live

He had allegedly been stripping the transformer illegally for copper to sell as scrap metal, not realising it was live, 7 News reported.

CCTV footage captured Mr Anderson running from the factory for 500 metres to the car wash, desperately searching for help.

'The man sustained facial burns, he sustained chest burns, abdominal burns, arm and leg burns,' Joe Ibrahim from NSW Ambulance told 7 News.

Police discovered Mr Anderson's identity on Saturday after his brother began searching for him.

His family said Mr Anderson had been collecting scrap metal from the abandoned factory for the past week, despite the dangers.

His brother told 7 News: 'I didn't expect anything like this to happen at all.

'It isn't worth the risk to anybody, I would tell people not to do it.'

The man's family believe he was trying to strip copper from a transformer inside the warehouse when it blew up

NSW Fire and Rescue authorities then rush up to the man and try to help him

A passerby filmed graphic footage of the disoriented man, who is in a critical but stable condition in hospital, wandering around the station as he waited for help to arrive.

Mr Anderson was found half naked, but still wearing his boots.

His pants had been almost completely blown off in the explosion, expect for a few threads of material hanging from the waistband.

Unable to speak properly because of the severity of the burns, the man moans and groans in anguish.

'Hu... hu... hurry,' he manages to mumble.

Emergency services treated Joseph Anderson at the scene

A good samaritan (pictured) hovers a bottle of water above the burned man's mouth so he can drink, and makes sure the bottle doesn't touch the burned man

Unable to touch or help the man because of the burns, a horrified passer-by at his wit's end can be heard asking if an ambulance has been called.

With the sound of sirens in the distance, the burned man could be seen dragging his burned flesh around the station.

So tired from keeping himself up he leaned his head against a sign.

As the emergency vehicle tried to pull into the station, a white Ford was seen blocking the driveway.

'Move your car mate,' the man off-camera yells at the driver.

'Move your f***ing car mate.'

Mr Anderson's brother (pictured) said: 'I didn't expect anything like this to happen at all'

So tired from keeping himself up the burned man leans his head against a sign

While that was unfolding, two more people come over with a bottle of water and can be seen trying to convince him to drink from it.

The Good Samaritan hovered the bottle over the burned man and made sure it didn't touch his lips.

NSW Fire and Rescue authorities then rush up to the man and try to help him.

Emergency services treated him at the scene.

The man was later airlifted to Royal North Shore Hospital to be treated.

No charges have been laid and investigations are ongoing.

He was later airlifted to Royal North Shore Hospital
About $157million of taxpayer money was spent on federal government advertising campaigns in the past year, a new report reveals.

Commercials for marriage equality postal vote and recruitment for the Australian Defence Force (ADF) were the largest expenses in the 2017-18 financial year, costing taxpayers $19million and $30.1million respectively.

Approaching the 2019 election, the Coalition Government's advertisement spending increased nearly $60million compared to the previous year, with some punters accusing the country's leadership of 'p**sing away' taxpayer money.

Outed Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's (pictured) federal government spent $157million on advertising in the 2017-18 financial year

The spending, up $57million from a year prior, is branded as 'p**sing away' taxpayer money

Television networks were the largest recipients of commercial funding, taking in $59.1million.

Digital media closely followed, with $55.1million spent on commercials designed for an online platform - predominantly targeted recruitment ads for the AFD.

As part of more than $30million allocated for recruitment for the ADF, the federal government forked out tens of thousands of dollars to a pair of popular gaming personalities to entice teenagers to register for the Australian Air Force.

A pair of gamers, Alen Catak, known online by the YouTube handle @ChampChong, and Elliott Watkins, known as @Muselk, were paid $52,500 for a series of 'influencer' video blogs.

The videos were posted to social media under the title 'Video Games in Real Life'.

However, they were viewed about 6,000 times each, with one of the videos not even offering a link to the ADF, according to The Daily Telegraph.

The stars of the videos were at the centre of an integrity controversy, after racist and sexist social media posts from them emerged.

The videos have since been removed from YouTube.

$52,500 was given to YouTube gamers (pictured) to promote the Australian Defence Force

Television networks and digital media advertisements cost the most, racking up $104.1million

A further $19.1million was also spent on advertising the controversial same-sex marriage postal vote.

A series of commercials instructing Australians how to register for the ballot and how to successfully send a postal vote cost taxpayers about $19million, on top of the $122million price tag of carrying out the vote itself, according to the ABC.

Also endorsed by members of the Liberal Government were commercials encouraging Australians to vote 'no'.

A series of 30-second long television commercials drew the ire of some Australians when they aired in August 2017, branded with the motto: 'It's okay to say no.'

One person branded them as 'scaremongering' and a waste of money.

The advertisement was organised by the Coalition for Marriage and endorsed by former member of the Liberal Party Cory Bernardi, who left the party in 2017.

In total, government spending on advertising was up $57million on the previous year.

The same-sex marriage postal vote, which was surrounded by controversial commercials, cost $19.1million
A second series of supercell thunderstorms have ravaged parts of Queensland only hours after destructive winds and hail caused mass damage in the region.

Massive hailstones ravaged the Gold Coast as the brutal weather system swept across the city on Saturday evening, sparking severe weather warnings for much of the state.

A severe thunderstorm warning remains in place for parts of the Northern Goldfields and Upper Flinders, North West, Central Highlands and Coalfields, Central West, Capricornia, Wide Bay and Burnett and Southeast Coast districts.

The Bureau of Meteorology expects damaging winds, hail and heavy rainfall to continue well into Sunday.

A second set of storms are preparing to ravage Queensland, hours after wild winds caused destruction in suburbs and on country roads (pictured)

The wild winds collapsed roofs and uprooted trees, with more devastation forecast

Another set of severe thunderstorms are forecast to tear through Queensland's southeast

The severe thunderstorm warning comes less than 24 hours after more than 46,000 homes were left without power in another wild bout of destructive winds.

On Friday, a trio of supercell storms ripped through Queensland, tearing roofs from homes and pelting car windshields with huge hailstones.

More than 150 calls for help were made from the Gold Coast alone, as the State Emergency Service told people to plan for the worst.

'Batten down the hatches southern Queensland!' The state's Fire and Emergency Services Twitter account wrote.

As Queensland braces for devastating winds, Sydney is being told to expect a heatwave

Storms on the Gold Coast left thousands of residents without power well into Saturday

The flash flooding also uprooted these horse stables and carried them into a local dam

'There's storms on the way. You know the drill - loose items in the yard should be secured and move cars inside the garage if you can.'

One Sunshine Coast resident told Nine News the cold snap was unlike anything he had ever seen before.

'A lot of wind, a lot of rain  but it certainly did a lot of damage around town,' he said.

'We've lost one of our major buildings, a lot of tree damage and some of our smaller buildings were damaged as well.'

One Sunshine Coast resident said the cold snap was like nothing they'd ever seen before

Footage captured and uploaded to a local's Instagram profile showed market stalls being whipped around the beach in the winds.

Clean-up crews were seen around town, as residents dealt with downed power lines and broken roofs.

More than 13,000 homes were still without power on Saturday afternoon, preparing to endure another wild night of weather in the dark.

But, as the northern state prepares for torrential rain, those in New South Wales are being told to expect a heatwave for Christmas.

The State's Emergency Service are warning residents to 'batten down the hatches'

Some parts of Sydney will be struck by 35C temperatures on Christmas Day

Only days after a pair of supercell storms of their own tore through the city, a 'dangerous' heatwave is expected to strike the coast.

The Bureau of Meteorology's acting state manager Agata Imielska says there is no end in sight for the heatwave.

'It's very important to keep safe and to keep mindful of the dangerous heat coming our way which is also expected to be very dry,' Ms Imielska told The Sydney Morning Herald.

'The coastal areas of Sydney are due to be a bit cooler due to the sea breeze but definitely for western Sydney we are expecting temperatures in the high 30s.'


Scott Morrison has vowed to continue the war on ISIS in the Middle East, just one day after Donald Trump announced the withdrawal of US troops from Syria.

The Prime Minister said in a statement released on Friday that Australia 'cannot be complacent' about the threat of Islamic extremism and will continue its presence in the region alongside its international partners.

His statement was made just hours after US Defense Secretary James Mattis announced his resignation, citing policy disagreements with the president.

Scott Morrison has vowed to continue the war on ISIS in the Middle East, just one day after Donald Trump announced the withdrawal of US troops from Syria

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said in a joint statement with Defence Minister Christopher Pyne and Foreign Minister Marise Payne that Australia will 'continue to provide security, humanitarian and development assistance in the region.'

The government will also move to seek to change the Australian Citizenship Act so dual citizens convicted of a terrorism offence could lose Australian citizenship.

'We'll do everything we can to stay ahead of the evolving threat of terrorism to keep Australians safe,' the Prime Minister said.

'The terrorist attack on Bourke Street in Melbourne on 9 November, and the recent arrests which thwarted an alleged terrorist attack, highlight once again the importance of robust measures to protect our community.

'Australia cannot be complacent.

'Our changes will make it easier to strip terrorists of their Australian citizenship. Terrorists forfeit their rights to be Australians when they carry out their evil acts.'

The government statement defended NATO's presence in the region, saying: 'Both the NATO-led Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan and the Global Coalition to Counter Daesh (Islamic State) in Iraq and Syria continue to deny terrorist organisation safe havens in which to plan and export terror attacks across the globe, including the Indo-Pacific.'

Mr Trump controversially asserted on Wednesday that ISIS had been defeated in Syria

Mr Trump controversially asserted on Wednesday that ISIS had been defeated in Syria.

'We have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency,' he said in a tweet.

He also indicated there could be a scale-down of American troops in Afghanistan, causing what European Council on Foreign Relations co-chair Carl Bildt described as 'a morning of alarm in Europe'.
A British family's dream getaway to Lapland turned into the holiday from hell after a fire ripped through their hotel.

Dozens hoping to meet Santa were forced to endure freezing temperatures of -10C after flames ripped through log cabins.

The fire broke out at the Hotel Iso-Syote in Pudasjarvi, Finland, at 1.30am yesterday.

Dozens hoping to meet Santa were forced to endure freezing temperatures of -10C after flames ripped through log cabins

Some familes spent more than 10,000 on the trip of a lifetime to meet Santa

It comes after many families had already suffered long delays on their flights after drone attack at Gatwick airport.

Michelle Courtney, 36, travelled to the Santa-themed resort with her husband Ben, 33, and four children George, 14, Kitty, 11, and twins Scout and Hughie, seven.

In total the family spent a staggering 10,000 on their holiday.

Mrs Courtney, from Eltham, London, told The Sun: 'We had a lovely dinner and the views of the snowy landscape were lovely from our own log cabin.

'But at around 1.30 staff came banging on doors saying there was a fire. We saw flames leaping from the building like a fireball.

'The whole place was on fire. It was harrowing, especially for the children.

'We're just happy everyone is safe.'

None of the guests were injured and they have all been moved to another hotel nearby.
Two British jihadists who are thought to be the last two members of the ISIS Beatles terror group may be released in the wake of President Trump's move to extract troops from Syria.

Alexanda Kotey and El Shafee Elsheikh are being detained by Kurdish authorities in northern Syria after they were accused of torturing and murdering both journalists and aid workers.

Trump made the announcement to pull all 2,000 troops out of Syria on Twitter on Wednesday, declaring victory over the Islamic State and contradicting his own experts' assessments.

However Kurdistan officials advised yesterday that Trump's choice may result in an uncertain situation in the country, leaving them unable to hold the estimated 800 prisoners currently in confinement, reports The Times.

Alexanda Kotey (left) and El Shafee Elsheikh are being detained by Kurdish authorities in northern Syria after they were accused of torturing and murdering both journalists and aid workers

Senior Kurdish official Ilhan Ahmed warned an attack from Turkey and a potential resurgence from ISIS would cause chaos in the region, he told a press conference in Paris.

If that were to happen Mr Ahmed threatened that the Syria Democratic Forces (SDF), dominated by the Kurds, would 'no longer be able to contain' the prisoners they are currently holding.

Along with the 800 suspected terrorists who are imprisoned in the country, it also holds the 548 wives and 1,248 children of the suspected Islamic State fighters.

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

After the SDF requested that the 46 countries where the prisoners originally came take them back, security experts told the newspaper that the latest development threatening their release is 'unsurprising'.

Elsheikh and Kotey's British citizenship was removed before they were captured however the UK is one of many nation's rejecting the proposal for prisoners to return at all.

Head of the Beatles murder cell which Elsheikh and Kotey belong to, Jihadi John - real name Mohammend Emwazi - was killed during a drone strike in 2016.

The Kobani prison where the two men are being held is likely to be one of the first areas in the country to come under charge.

The Beatles group were responsible for the murder of US journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff as well as British aid workers David Haines and Alan Hemming.

Mike Haines, 51, who is David's brother, expressed his concern last night that the two fighters accused of his murder may not receive justice if troops are withdrawn from the country.

Following the removal of U.S. troops, President Erdogan of Turkey said that Turkey's frontier will be cleared of Kurdish troops.

The United States is preparing to withdraw its troops from Syria, a major move that throws into question America's role in the region

After Trump's announcement that ISIS had been defeated, the terror group launched a counter-strike in a bid to defend its final stronghold, Hajin, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor.

It hit SDF positions near Hajin, which had been the jihadists' eastern stronghold, until it was retaken last week by the Arab-Kurdish forces.

'Both sides continue to engage in intense fighting east of the Hajin area', Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman reported on Thursday.

IS, which retains control of other areas near Hajin, fiercely defends its presence in this part of Deir Ezzor province, where some 2,000 jihadists are cornered, according to the coalition fighting the group.

Syrian Democratic Forces and U.S. troops are seen during a patrol near Turkish border in Hasakah, Syria November 4, 2018

After conquering vast swathes of Syrian territory in 2014, IS has suffered numerous setbacks over the past two years, due to separate offensives by the SDF and Syria's national military.

The jihadists have been confined to a few pockets of territory in eastern Syria and the country's vast Badiya desert, which extends from Homs province to the Iraqi border.

Despite losing almost all the territory it conquered, IS maintains a strike capability, as seen in multiple deadly attacks in Syria in recent months.

U.S. troops patrol near Turkish border in Hasakah, Syria, November 4, 2018

It has also resisted to the last man offensives designed to recapture its remaining strongholds.

The IS combatants, which know the area better than their enemies, have non-Syrian combatants within their ranks, according to the SDF. There are 'top-ranking' leaders among them.

'A mini-army of several hundred fighters... has been assembled by IS there, including some of its best snipers,' according to Nicholas Heras, an analyst at the Center for a New American Security.

IS has also regularly attacked the Syrian army and its allies in the Badiya desert.
Prime Minister Theresa May is pulling out all the stops this Christmas and has invited all Tory MPs and their spouses to a party in Downing Street.

The festive get-together is part of a New Year charm offensive to get her heavily criticised Brexit deal over the line.

Mrs May has planned the shindig to take place in the week of January 7, 2019, when the debate over the Withdrawal Agreement is set to return to the Commons.

The vote is scheduled to take place a week later, however No10 is still trying to convince more than 100 sceptical Tory MPs, as well as 10 DUP MPs.

Prime Minister Theresa May (pictured above) is set to host a party at Downing street

The deal is currently being opposed as MPs fear the Irish backstop could trap Britain in the EUs custom union.

As it stands Northern Irish MPs won't accept the plan as it would put checks on some goods travelling between Britain and Northern Ireland.

According to The Sun, the Downing Street party is designed to send a clear message to Tory MPs that failure to deliver a Brexit deal could see them booted out of power.

News of the party came as the Justice Secretary, David Gauke said Mrs May is unlikely to pursue a no deal Brexit if her deal fails.

He sparked fresh Tory infighting by saying he would be 'very surprised if the Prime Minister went down that route'.

He also stood firm with his threat to quit if a no deal became the Government's number one Brexit policy  saying he would find it 'very difficult' to stay.

Justice Secretary David Gauke (pictured above) could be one of the MPs Mrs May is trying to get on side at the party

He had previously exposed the extent of Cabinet infighting by saying there were 'genuinely different approaches' within Mrs May's top team over what Plan B should be if the Commons votes down her Brexit deal next month.

Mr Gauke is the third Cabinet minister in as many days to publicly speculate on alternative plans to Mrs May's Brexit deal.

This is while Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd said a second referendum would be 'plausible', as Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom became the second Cabinet minister to back a 'managed no deal' if the agreement isn't backed by MPs.

Mrs May has always insisted that no deal is 'better than a bad deal'

Mr Gauke told BBC Radio 4's Political Thinking podcast: 'I think making a conscious decision to proceed with no deal would not be the responsible course of action.'

When asked if he could stay in Cabinet if no deal became the policy the Government pursued, the Justice Secretary said: 'I think it would be very difficult for me in those circumstances. I am conscious that there is a risk of an accidental no deal.

Tory MP Andrew Bridgen (pictured above) has said some members of the government have been 'unwilling' to contemplate an alternative deal

'Although Parliament clearly doesn't want no deal, it's not clear that there is a majority for a specific course of action to stop no deal.

'The best way of stopping no deal is to back the Prime Minister's deal in my view.

'So I think it would be very difficult and I think if it came down to the Government saying consciously 'well we'll just have to do that', I don't think there would be a lot of support for it.

Labour MP Karl Turner (pictured above) has said Theresa May has been ramping up the rhetoric

'I would be very surprised if the Prime Minister went down that route.'

His comments tore apart the Tory party's Christmas truce that lasted for a matter of days as furious MPs accused him of 'undermining Britain's negotiating position'.

Tory MP Andrew Bridgen said: 'The unwillingness of some senior members of the Government to even contemplate leaving without a deal has consistently undermined our negotiating position which now puts us in the position where a managed no deal exit is the only viable option which keeps faith with the result of the Referendum.'

This is while Labour MP Karl Turner said: 'Why is Theresa May ramping up the rhetoric and blowing 4 billion preparing for a no deal scenario that everybody knows isn't likely?'

Pro-Remain MP Chuka Umunna had alsobaccused the Prime Minister of trying to spook MPs with the consequences of no deal in order to get them to back her deal.

'The Justice Secretary has effectively admitted that all the talk of leaving the EU without a deal is nonsense and a false threat designed to scare MPs o to voting for the Government's Brexit plan.

'At a time when our schools, hospitals and police are desperately underfunded, the 4.2billion being spent preparing for no deal would be far better spent on our public services.'
Former Tory chancellor George Osborne has launched a scathing attack on the party warning it faces a prolonged period in opposition 'unless it engages more with modern Britain' and changes direction on Brexit.

The politician-turned editor of the Evening Standard, who has been a vocal critic of Theresa May  who sacked him from the Cabinet in 2016  also attacked the Prime Minister's handling of negotiations.

He accused her of following a 'Brexit means Brexit' ideology because she backed Remain at the 2016 referendum, 'albeit sotto voce', and therefore 'had to prove her Brexit credentials'.

George Osborne has launched a scathing attack on the Conservative Party warning it faces a prolonged period in opposition 'unless it engages more with modern Britain'

He added: 'That was essentially a massive mistake by the Conservative administration, which it was punished for at the general election, because the Conservative Party decided to embrace the Brexit result in such a way as to essentially dismiss the views of those who voted Remain, treat them as saboteurs or traitors, and run against urban Britain.'

Mr Osborne, who said he had warned then PM David Cameron against holding the referendum in the first place, also attacked the 'reckless decision of hard Brexiteers' to pursue a no-deal Brexit, saying: 'I don't think the country voted to mobilise the Army, stockpile medicine, hoard food and go around the world buying every fridge available.

'That is not what was offered and that is now what is happening.'

Theresa May's Withdrawal Agreement is due to be voted on by MPs in January. But few expect it to be approved by a heavily divided Commons, and Tory MPs including Cabinet ministers appear to have begun to polarise between those who might support a no-deal Brexit and those who would actively battle against it.

Justice Minister David Gauke said on Friday he would find it 'very difficult' to remain in Theresa May's Government if the UK appeared on course to crash out of the European Union without a deal, while several pro-EU backbenchers have threatened to quit the party.

The politician also attacked the Prime Minister's handling of negotiations and accused her of following a 'Brexit means Brexit' ideology

Mr Osborne, who resigned as MP for Tatton after being ousted by Mrs May, told Today that if he had remained in politics he would now be having to go along 'with a whole load of things which I profoundly disagree with', citing no-deal preparations like readying troops.

He said: 'Of course I think 'perhaps I should have stayed' and I could have been part of this melee in the Conservative Party at the moment.

'I would have essentially tried to steer a) the country away from the rocks to which it is heading at the moment, and b) the Conservative Party away from a prolonged period of opposition, which is where I think it is heading unless it engages more with modern Britain.'

He praised MPs attempting to stymie a no-deal Brexit, saying 'the British political system is trying to pull the country back from this cliff edge of the referendum result'.

He added: 'My view is a general election is at the moment an under-reported likelihood for 2019 because in the British system the simplest way to solve political impasses has been to return to the public and a general election.'

Jeremy Corbyn said Labour would continue with Brexit if it won power

However he suggested Tory MPs could avoid that extreme measure by supporting a second referendum.

Mr Osborne's interview came after Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said his party would continue with Brexit if it won a snap general election in the new year.

The opposition leader told the Guardian he would 'go back and negotiate and see what the timetable would be' with Brussels if Mrs May triggered a vote and lost, thrusting his party into power.

Mr Corbyn told the paper he would advocate Brexit if there was a second referendum on the issue, saying: 'It would be a matter for the party to decide what the policy would be; but my proposal at this moment is that we go forward, trying to get a customs union with the EU in which we would be able to be proper trading partners.'

Mr Corbyn also attacked Brussels over its rules on state aid and competition.

He told the Guardian: 'I think the state aid rules do need to be looked at again because quite clearly, if you want to regenerate an economy, as we would want to do in government, then I don't want to be told by somebody else that we can't use state aid in order to be able to develop industry in this country.'
Princess Eugenie has revealed her trauma at having a spinal operation as an 12-year-old girl as a result of her scoliosis.

The Queen's granddaughter said that the life-changing operation left her feeling 'angry' and 'empty', but she learned to accept her 'visible difference' opting to show her scar to the world on her wedding day in October.

In an interview with the Daily Telegraph, the Princess said she was left 'reeling' and scared at the thought of being 'different'.

Princess Eugenie of York arrives at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle ahead of her wedding with Jack Brooksbank, bearing her scar for all to see

At the age of 11 Eugenie was told she would need surgery and when she was 12 she had titanium added to her spine to rebuild it as a result of a curvature.

The Princess told the paper: 'I believe scars are like memories that tell a story on your body, that remind you how strong you had to be, and that you survived to talk about it.'

At the time of her surgery, where doctors essentially break and rebuild the spine, Buckingham Palace downplayed it as minor but after an eight hour operation, titanium rods inserted, the young girl was left with a prominent scar.

It is this scar that Eugenie chose to show the world at her wedding to Jack Brooksbank at St George's Chapel.

The Princess of York said: 'I believe scars are like memories that tell a story on your body'

Eugenie posted this picture to Instagram on June 30th, International Scoliosis awareness day

Jack Brooksbank and Princess Eugenie on their wedding day on October 12th this year

What is scoliosis? Scoliosis is the abnormal curvature of the spine in an S-shape. Signs include a visible curve in the spine, one shoulder or hip being more prominent than the other, clothes not hanging properly and back pain. Pain usually only affects adults with the condition. In most cases, the cause of the scoliosis is not known but it can be caused by cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy. In the UK, scoliosis affects three to four children could of every 1,000. It is also thought that as many as 70 per cent of over 65s have some degree of scoliosis. It is more common in women than in men. Most children with the condition do not require treatment as it is mild and corrects itself as the child grows. However, in severe cases the child may need to wear a back brace until they stop growing. Occasionally, a child needs surgery to straighten their spine. In adults, it is usually too late to treat the condition with a back brace or surgery so treatment revolves around reducing pain. Source: NHS Choices Advertisement

The doctor who performed her surgery was even in attendance at the ceremony, invited by Eugenie.

Speaking about the operation, the 28-year-old said: 'There are so many emotions and worries that go thundering through your head.

'Will I be able to play sports, or will I look the same, or will I miss a lot of school and be behind? I remember being angry about not being able to run and play.'

After a tumultuous few months where the young Princess had to be turned gently in bed and wear a brace, she went back to school and said she always had total faith in her doctor's and parent's assertions that she'd be OK.

The Princess, now a patron of the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, said she wasn't always so open about her scar and did 'everything to hide it.'

She then began to wear her scar with pride, culminating in her showing her scar to the world in October.

She said: 'I remember going back to the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital and showing a little girl who couldn't sit up from her operation. Her eyes grew so big and eventually a huge smile lit up her face when she saw I had a huge scar and was standing up tall in front of her.'

Eugenie said her wedding dress had to show the scar, which she described at the 'centre point' to her outfit and that a veil would take away from her scar.

The Princess also sent a message to young girls, saying: 'Be proud of the story you can tell and inspire people with.'
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A tenth person has died during the Yellow Vest protests in France as demonstrations resumed today, with police pulling their guns on activists amid fierce clashes in central Paris.

A 36-year-old motorist, who has not been identified publicly, died when his car collided with a lorry at a road block erected by protesters in Perpignan last night, in the south of the country.

A local police spokesman said: 'The victim was with a group of demonstrators when the accident happened just before midnight on Friday. An enquiry has been launched.'

Protesters also gathered around a tollbooth on a French motorway on Saturday causing huge queues of vehicles and long delays.

Meanwhile Brussels faced renewed demonstrations after a month of mass protests which have seen at least 400 people detained following clashes with police.

Police forces stand on the Champs Elysees avenue after they dispersed some demonstrators of the French 'yellow vests' (gilets jaunes) the end of a protest in central Paris on December 22, 2018

A tenth person has died during the Yellow Vest protests in France as demonstrations resumed today, with police pulling their guns on activists amid fierce clashes in central Paris

Demonstrators of the French 'yellow vests' (gilets jaunes) throws tear gas canisters back as police disperse the end of a protest in central Paris on December 22, 2018 as the movement turned out in small numbers for a sixth Saturday of nationwide demonstrations

Demonstrators f the French 'yellow vests' (gilets jaunes) throws tear gas canisters back as police disperse the end of a protest in central Paris on December 22

A burning barricade is seen during a demonstration of the 'yellow vests' movement in Nantes, France, December 22,

Protesters march during a demonstration by yellow vest movement in Brussels, Saturday, Dec. 22, 2018. Small incidents and struggles between protesters and police occurred during the march of some 100 protesters, inspired by the yellow vest protests in France, through the streets of Brussels

A protester walks past a burning barricade during a demonstration of the 'yellow vests' movement in Nantes, France

Tear gas floats in the air during a demonstration of the 'yellow vests' movement in Nantes, France on December 22 2018

A police officer aims a weapon at a Yellow Vest protester as demonstrations escalate in Paris

Protesters take part in a demonstration by the 'yellow vests' movement near the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, France, December 22, 2018

Protesters knocked over a police motorbike amid intense clashes in the French capital

A protester forces his way through a French riot police's line as violence erupted in Paris today as anti-government protesters took to the streets for the sixth Saturday in a row

A driver has been killed after a car collided with a lorry during a Yellow Vest riot in France , marking the tenth death since the protests began last month

Protestors wearing a yellow vest stand next to a burning barricade as they demonstrate against rising costs of living they blame on high taxes at the A9 highway toll of Le Boulou, southern France

Around hundred yellow vested protesters demonstrated on Saturday from around 11:30 to 14:45 in the Belgian capital.

A police spokesperson said there were two arrests, including one for an assault on an officer.

One protester told Belgian outlet VRT: 'We want to change society. We have been considered sheep for too long and we want to change that, and defend our rights, we want to be able to give our opinion on certain things.'

Protestors wearing 'Yellow Vests' (Gilets Jaunes) demonstrate against rising costs of living they blame on high taxes at the A9 highway toll of Le Boulou, southern France

A protester on the A9 highway toll of Le Boulou, southern France. The movement in France originally started as a protest about planned fuel hikes but has morphed into a mass protest against President's policies and top-down style of governing

A protester shouts at the French riot police during a 'Yellow Vests' protest near La Madeleine in Paris, France

Anti riot police officers escort protesters during a demonstration by yellow vest movement in Brussels, Saturday, Dec. 22

Small incidents and struggles between protesters and police occurred during the march of some 100 protesters in Brussells

An anti riot police officer sprays a protester in Brussels during a march inspired by the yellow vest protests in France

Near the border between France and Spain hundreds of protesters disrupted traffic on the A9 motorway as they gathered around an autoroute tollbooth.

Traffic was backed up for miles when the protesters blocked the Boulou tollbooth - the last toll before the Spanish border.

Police fired tear gas to disperse the yellow vests who retreated to a bridge, throwing objects on the road, a photographer at the scene said.

'The autoroute is now being cleaned to allow traffic to resume normally,' local authorities said.

France borders the Catalan region of Spain, and the French protesters were joined by dozens of Catalan pro-independence activists, also wearing yellow vests.

The separatists often block highways to protest against Madrid's rejection of Catalonia's independence referendum in October 2017.

Even though their goals are different, 'this demonstration at the Boulou (toll booth) is symbolic, it shows the solidarity between the Spanish Catalans and the French,' said Marcel, a 49-year-old winegrower.

Roadblocks by protesters were also reported on autoroutes near the border with Italy and at a bridge in Strasbourg near the German border.

Protesters march through the centre of Paris for another weekend of demonstrations. The anti-government Yellow Vest demonstrations, which originated from a protest over fuel tax, have been ongoing across France for over a month now with the movement spreading to other countries in Europe and even Asia

Yellow vest demonstrators threw canisters of gas into the air on the streets of Nantes

Demonstrators wearing hooded jackets and masks could be seen clashing with police in Nantes, France

The Vests have been protesting since November 17 and, despite a range of concessions by President Emmanuel Macron

Violence erupted in Paris today as around 800 anti-government protesters took to the streets for the sixth Saturday in a row.

Most were so-called Yellow Vest fuel price demonstrators, who are named after the high visibility jackets they wear.

David Delbruyere, 48, was one of about 20 protesters near the Arch of Triumph, the fifth time he has come to the French capital for a demonstration as he remains 'disgusted' with conditions in France.

Paris police said 65 people had been arrested, including a 'yellow vest' leader, Eric Drouet.

Authorities were also stationed at the Palace of Versailles outside Paris which has been closed to visitors over fears of unrest.

'Macron Resign', a crowd shouted today as they gathered at Montmartre, the tourist district overlooking Paris first thing this morning

There had been claimed that they would gather at the ancient palace of Versailles, to the west of the capital, but this turned out to be a diversion

A Facebook event organised by Drouet had listed thousands of people 'interested' in joining the Versailles demonstration but only around 60 showed up.

Further demonstrations of several hundred 'yellow vests' were reported in Lyon, Marseille, Rouen and Bordeaux.

And in Angouleme in southwest France, a puppet effigy of President Emmanuel Macron was decapitated Friday night during a 'yellow vest' protest, regional authorities said Saturday.

The Vests have been protesting since November 17 and, despite a range of concessions by President Emmanuel Macron including scrapping green taxes of diesel and petrol, continue to call for him to step down.

A protester wearing a yellow vest scuffles with a policeman who is raising a baton at him in central Paris

'Macron Resign', a crowd shouted today as they gathered at Montmartre, the tourist district overlooking Paris first thing this morning.

There had been claimed that they would gather at the ancient palace of Versailles, to the west of the capital, but this turned out to be a diversion.

'Our protests have been hugely successful in Paris itself, and that's why we're back here,' said Jean Caron, a 52-year-old from Brittany.

'What everybody now realises is that the government cannot control us, and that's why we will continue until Macron resigns.'

'Gilets jaunes' protesters wearing scary rabbit masks march through the centre of Paris for another weekend of demonstrations

Yellow vest protestors hold a banner in front of the Noailles police station in Marseille

A protestor wearing a Yellow Vest (Gilet Jaune) rides a bicycle with a French flag in Marseille, southern France

A protester wears an Anonymous mask and a yellow vest during the demonstration in Ventimiglia near the French-Italian border

Despite such strong views, numbers were down on earlier demonstrations, with around 600 taking part in a march from Montmartre into the city.

Last Saturday there were almost 170 arrests for public order offences across the city, while last month some 700 were held in custody on a single day.

'The situation is tense, and we are monitoring the crowds constantly,' said a Paris police spokesman said today, adding that there had been no arrests by lunchtime.

High-end shops including luxury fashion boutiques were all boarded up, along with banks and post offices.

Mounted police, water cannons, and 14 armoured vehicles capable of spreading high-intensity gas were all on standby as part of the security operation.

They have failed to prevent widespread disorder over the past few weekends, with the worst violence normally coming at nightfall.

A Yellow Vest protestor stands on a sign reading Arc de Triomphe in Paris as demonstrations are planned in several regions of France.

French activist Jean-Baptiste Redde, aka Voltuan, (C) holds a sign reading 'The king Macron gives crumbs to the derelicts'

Prosters wearing a yellow vest demonstrate and block the road in Ventimiglia near the French-Italian border

Yellow Vest protestors walk in Paris, on December 22, 2018, as demonstrations are planned in several regions of France

The Vests have been joined by extremists from the far Right and the ultra-Left, as well as anarchists intent on causing as much damage as possible.

Crisis-ridden Mr Macron has not only climbed down on imposing green surcharges, but increased the national minimum wage by seven per sent, and scrapped tax on bonuses.

But the Yellow Vests said their protests would continue indefinitely as they campaign for even more concessions.

The independent Mr Macron, leader of the Republic On The Move party, won the French presidential election in a landslide in 2017, but he is now dubbed the 'President of the Rich' with polls showing his popularity rating down to just 18 per cent.
A kind-hearted grandmother spent a year creating a magical Beauty and the Beast Christmas tree for her granddaughter - because the family couldn't afford to go to Disneyland.

Widowed mother-of-five Tina Doherty-McPhee wanted to bring Disney's festive magic to her large family for less than the cost of a trip abroad so decorated her 7ft fake tree with characters from the film.

The grandmother-of-two, from Bathgate, Scotland, spent more than 500 over 12 months gathering artificial roses, teacups and golden balls from Amazon and her local pound shop.

Tina Doherty-McPhee wanted to bring Disney's festive magic to her large family for less than the cost of a trip abroad so decorated her 7ft fake tree with characters from Beauty and the Beast

And the sparkling tree was adorned with figurines of Mrs Potts, Belle, the Beast, Gaston and Cogsworth with a huge artificial rose placed at the top.

And while it took Ms Doherty McPhee seven hours to put up the tree, she said her children and grandchildren couldn't believe their eyes when she unveiled the surprise earlier this month.

Creative Ms Doherty-McPhee, who is mother to Teresa, 24, Francesca, 21, Bobby, 19, Precious, 17, Trisha, 16 and also grandmother to Andrew, two, and Precious-Rose, five, said: 'I just thought it was too expensive to go to Disneyland so I tried to bring Disneyland here instead.

'It took me about a year to gather everything for the tree, but it was worth it.

'It's not about how much money you spend, it's about how you fix everything.

'I was so tired at the end but it was worth it - everyone was so excited.

The grandmother-of-two spent 500 over the course of 12 months gathering artificial roses, teacups and golden balls from Amazon and her local pound shop

Ms Doherty-McPhee said her grandchildren felt like the magic of Disneyland has been brought to them.

She said: 'The kids were so excited, they even said now they have their own private Disneyland so they don't mind not going to the actual one.

'When Precious-Rose saw it, she couldn't believe it, she said "it didn't feel real".

Ms Doherty-McPhee startd to plan her Disney-themed tree in January and enlisted help Tina from her friend Betty Allison, 78, an artist, who created some of the ornaments.

Creative Ms Doherty-McPhee is mother to Teresa, 24, Francesca, 21, Bobby, 19, Precious, 17, Trisha, 16 and also grandmother to Andrew, two, and Precious-Rose, five

She said: 'They said it was the best present they had ever gotten and all money in the world couldn't buy it. '

Her video of the tree has now racked up thousands of likes and shares on social media.

She added: 'I am quite happy with the result.

'Last year I did The Grinch, but this one is much more successful.

'My granddaughter loved it so much and has told everyone about it.

'I probably wouldn't be able to beat this year but if I could, next year, I would do a "Lady and the Trump" tree.'
Former Labour leader Gordon Brown is offering to help advise a Jeremy Corbyn-led government, despite having previously said that the current Labour leader needed to 'change'.

Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell, who previously stood against Mr Brown to try to prevent his coronation as the Labour leader in 2007, says he is now seeking Mr Brown's advise as he begins to prepare the Labour party for government.

It is understood that Mr McDonnell is hoping to meet Labour's last Prime Minister as soon as possible.

Former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown (pictured above) is said to be ready to help advise Labour

Speaking to The Times he said: 'Gordon Brown and others have always said whatever assistance we need is open to us.'

He said he would also address with Mr Brown how the party can make sure it is tackling the problems of child poverty.

'Gordon Brown went so far, but we think we've got to set a target of eliminating it'.

Earlier this year Mr Brown had hinted that Mr Corbyn needed to 'change' in order to address concerns about antisemitism in the party.

The issue, which has been widely publicised, was described by Mr Brown as a 'running sore' that had to be dealt with.

Despite this, he had previously backed Mr Corbyn's leadership, saying that his success was because New Labour 'did not finish the job' of curbing inequality and bad banking practices.

John McDonnell (pictured above) has said Gordon Brown is ready to help Jeremy Corbyn

Mr McDonnell has suggested that he could work with the Democratic Unionist Party, despite supporting a united Ireland.

He said: 'I can see a joint working programme. I can see them voting for policies that we'd advocate when we get into government.'

One of the DUP's main pool of supporters is working-class voters in Northern Ireland and Mr McDonnell said that Labour would push policies aimed at 'tackling the social security crisis that they've got in Northern Ireland, building the homes that they need, making sure their schools are properly funded and the NHS properly funded'.

Jeremy Corbyn (pictured above) has previously been blasted for rows in the Labour party involving antisemitism

He also added that he would continue to push to meet the permanent secretary at the Treasury, as part of preparation for government and called on the Office for Budget Responsibility to cut the time it needed to prepare for a budget to eight weeks after a general election, saying that 'the first budget is key'.

'What I've said time and time again, in that first budget we've got to put money in people's pockets quickly. A real living wage, administration of trade union rights, central effective bargaining. We've got to lift people's income very quickly.'

Labour had previously suggested that it could lay a vote of no confidence in the government next month if Mrs May's Brexit deal was voted down by MPs. If the deal is voted down, it could lead to a general election.
Dozens of families have no idea the Christmas ham sitting in their fridge could be contaminated with a potentially deadly bacteria.

More than 200 high-end half leg hams were urgently recalled amid fears they contained Listeria, which can send those poisoned into septic shock.

Vic's Meats, which distributed the hams, admitted it still did not know how many of the $175 premium meats were unaccounted for.

The pigs used in Vic's Meat's hams lived on a free range farm near Byron Bay on the NSW north coast (pictured after being slaughtered)

The company said 206 Kurobuta Berkshire 4.5kg half leg hams with a best before date of January 29, 2019, were affected - about 10 per cent of Christmas sales.

Customers to its butcher shops in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane bought 21, with five hams still unaccounted for.

The rest were sold to Simon Johnson butchers, which Vic's Meats said was still trying to work out how many hams were bought and who to.

The company said the 'remote chance' of potential contamination was discovered in routine quality assurance testing.

'Your health and trust is our first and last priority,' the company said.

'While remote, we have taken swift and decisive action to recall all potentially affected products and no one is at risk.'

Australians are being urged to check their Christmas hams amid a mass recall and fears of contamination in Vic's Premium Quality Meat's 4.5kg bone-in half ham legs (pictured)

Vic's Meats said it was conducting a detailed investigation with the meat's producer to find out how its process could have been compromised.

The company promised to share the findings of its investigation publicly.

'We need to point out, the brining, cooking and smoking of the Hams was not conducted by Vic's,' it said.

'There is no risk of cross-contamination with any other products manufactured at our facilities.'

The NSW Food Authority issued the recall on Friday and urged shoppers to seek medical advice if they had concerns for their health.

The hams bought from Simon Johnson, Victor Churchill, and Vic's Meat Market stores could now be returned for a full refund.

Dozens of families have no idea the Vic's Meats Christmas ham (pictured) sitting in their fridge could be contaminated with a deadly bacteria

Each are sold in either a brown cardboard box with Victor Churchill illustration, or a white cardboard box with Vic's Meat illustration.

Kurobuta Berkshire, known as the 'Waygu of pork', is some of the most expensive pork in Australia and widely considered to be the best breed.

The pigs used in Vic's Meat's hams lived on a free range farm near Byron Bay on the NSW north coast.

The company's Victor Churchill butcher sells numerous high-end meats for the Christmas dinner tables of Sydney's wealthiest families.

It has been referred to as the 'poshest butcher in Sydney' and its Kurobuta pork is sold in luxury restaurants.

Listeria's symptoms include headache, fever, tiredness, diarrhoea and abdominal cramps and can in rare cases can lead to sepsis or meningitis.

The company said 206 Kurobuta Berkshire 4.5kg half leg hams with a best before date of January 29, 2019, were affected

Pregnant woman, the elderly and people with low immune systems are at an increased risk of being affected.

Earlier this year Listeria threw Australia's rockmelon industry into disarray after seven people died following an outbreak at a New South Wales farm which grew the fruit.

Sales of rockmelon soon plummeted and eventually failed to recover as more cases of Listeriosis emerged across the country's east.

The Australian Melon Association estimated growers could have lost up to $60 million after consumers were not immediately reassured of the fruit's safety.
A New York City kindergarten teacher and a city employee have both been charged with beating another man who was pledging a Brooklyn grad chapter of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity, officials said on Friday.

Steve Liverpool, 47, and Keston Frank, 34, who head the Alpha Upsilon chapter of the Ques, have been charged with assault and hazing in connection with the brutal December 7 attack on Tory Gates, 45, who had hoped to join the organization.

Gates was struck on his body, chest, back, buttocks and testicles between 150-200 times, by hand and with a fraternity paddle, leaving him hospitalized, authorities charged in the complaint.

The attack during an initiation ceremony landed Gates in Mount Sinai Hospital for 'swelling, substantial pain and bruising,' the complaint, which was obtained by the New York Post, said.

He was later diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis, a condition where muscle breaks down and releases a protein into the blood that can damage the kidneys, as well an inability to urinate following the attack.

Kindergarten teacher Steve Liverpool (pictured), 47, and city employee Keston Frank, 34, have both been charged with beating Tory Gates, 45, who was pledging the Brooklyn grad chapter of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity, which Liverpool and Frank lead.

The organization, which was founded in 1911 at Washington, DC's historically black college of Howard University, has a history of hazing allegations.

In a statement provided to the Post, Chris ONeal, a lawyer with Omegas office of the Grand Council, said:

'While the external police-led investigation continues, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. continues to cooperate with the authorities.

'If true, this situation is outrageous, uncalled for and inconsistent with the founding principles and purpose of our beloved fraternity. Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. does not condone hazing or brutality in membership selection.'

Gates was struck on his body, chest, back, buttocks and testicles between 150-200 times, by hand and with a fraternity paddle, leaving him hospitalized, authorities charged in the complaint. Liverpool is pictured at an Omega Psi Phi event

Omega Psi Phi, which was founded in 1911 at Washington, DC's historically black college of Howard University, has a history of hazing allegations. The website for the Brooklyn-based Alpha Upsilon chapter (logo at right) of Omega Psi Phi (coat of arms at left) lists Liverpool as 'Basileus,' a Greek term generally translated to mean 'king' or 'emperor'

The website for the Brooklyn chapter lists Liverpool as 'Basileus,' a Greek term generally translated to mean 'king' or 'emperor.'

Liverpool, who teaches kindergarten in the Bronx, has been reassigned to a position where he doesn't oversee children, city Department of Education officials said.

Frank, who is designated as the 'Keeper of Peace' on the fraternity website, is an employee of the citys Department of Social Services human resources administration.

After Frank was released on Friday of his own recognizance, he was seen outside his home and asked about the incident. At that time he told a reporter, 'I dont know what youre talking about.'

A representative for the Department of Social Services told The Post:

'Our employees must be held to the highest standard, and we take allegations of misconduct very seriously. Appropriate action will be taken pending the outcome of the criminal matter.'

In addition to Liverpool and Frank, three other people were taken into custody following the beating of Gates.

It was not immediately clear if any other people were charged.

Neither Frank or the victim, Gates, could immediately be reached for comment.
Crawley, the home of the two suspects arrested in connection to drone activity at Gatwick, has been the battlefield against proposed expansion of the airport.

Speculation as to the identity of the two suspects, a man aged 47 and a woman aged 54, continues to mount, as police look into theories as to whether eco-warriors could be behind the drone mayhem.

One campaign group in the area, the Communities Against Gatwick Noise and Emissions (CAGNE), labelled the drone mayhem which has affected more than 140,000 passengers 'an early Christmas present'.

The two suspects were arrested at around 10pm in the town, which is just five miles away from Gatwick and is under the airport's flightpath.

An aerial view of Crawley, which is where the suspects are from and were arrested on Friday night

Crawley is just over five miles away from Gatwick, the UK's busiest airport which sees hundreds of flights leave to and from the transport hub every day

Much to the anger of many local residents and environmentalists, the UK's second-busiest airport has sought permission to open its emergency runway to increase capacity of the airport by an estimated 20 to 30 per cent.

Gatwick has proposed spending 500m to widen its emergency runway and bring it into daily use, as part of a plan that could see 100,000 additional flights a year by 2032.

But CAGNE accused the airport of trying to seek 'a second runway by the back door'.

And the Sussex branch of the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) had declared a 'state of emergency' in the countryside to counter the airport's plan.

The CPRE in a statement said: 'The Master Plan details the airport's proposal to expand from one to potentially three runways.

Passengers wait with their luggage at Gatwick check-in desks after they were told the runway had shut again on Friday night

The arrests come as police look into theories as to whether eco-warriors or a group of activists protesting deportations of migrants could be behind the drone mayhem. A police car leaving Crawley police station this morning (pictured)

'The figures show that a second runway created from Gatwick's existing emergency runway would result in an estimated 14 million extra passengers travelling through Sussex every year.'

David Johnson, CPRE chair, said expansions would have a 'devastating impact' on the countryside.

He added: 'For this reason we are declaring our first ever "Countryside State of Emergency" to protect what we hold dear  our rural communities and the natural beauty and tranquillity of our county.

'It would be unthinkable to allow Gatwick to urbanise Sussex in this way, so we will be joining with all other community and conservation groups to oppose these plans.'

Angry residents in Crawley and the surrounding towns lodged more than 17,000 complaints after a new flight path was implemented by Gatwick Airport.

Despite the wave of complaints, Gatwick refused to change its flight path, claiming it was 'satisfied the modified Route 4 is achieving this performance and it will therefore remain in place'.

Police at the scene tonight after the drone was apparently sighted again, forcing Gatwick to close its runway yet again

The Communities Against Gatwick Noise Emission (CAGNE), Gatwick Area Conservation Campaign (GACC) and the Sussex branch of the Campaign to Protect Rural England are among a handful of pressure groups in the area looking to push back on Gatwick's growing influence in the area.

CAGNE, former in 2014, claims it was 'at the forefront in opposing the expansion of Gatwick Airport with a second runway for sound reasons and will object strongly to the emergency runway'.

In 2003, more than 500 protesters at a protest organised by the GACC fought against plans for a second runway at the airport.

Some laid down in front of a bulldozer as it was held at bay at the entrance to the wood.

Gatwick's master plan for a second runway were published in October this year and has begun a 12 week consultation process which is due to end in January 2019.

The document predicts, with a second runway, the airport could handle between 68 and 70 million passengers by 2032.
Metal barriers and traffic wardens have been brought in to manage crowds around the new Bansky artwork that was painted on a Welsh garage.

The graffiti mural appeared overnight on a garage wall in Port Talbot, South Wales, and has since been under 24 hour guard from local volunteers.

More than 4,000 people are expected to descend on the suburban town this weekend to catch a glimpse of the artwork, which lies just off the M4 .

And Hollywood star Michael Sheen has paid thousands of pounds to help protect the latest Banksy mural - which was painted in the actor's hometown.

More than 4,000 people are expected to descend on the suburban town just off the M4 to catch a glimpse of the artwork in Port Talbot, South Wales

Sheen, 49, has said he will help foot the bill for security, legal bills and other costs to protect the work

Sheen, 49, has said he will help cover the costs for security and legal bills to protect the work.

A spokesman for the actor wanted to ensure the financial burden did not fall on garage owner Ian Lewis.

Artwork by Banksy has previously sold for 1million, including the Girl with the Red Balloon that was dramatically shredded at auction.

And the Mr Lewis could be the owner of a piece of artwork potentially worth millions of pounds.

Steelworker Mr Lewis, 55, said he only got three hours sleep when he found out the graffiti had appeared on his garage.

He said: 'I am very pleased, I think it is a smashing bit of artwork. It is good for the town and I just want to protect it, and it is here for everybody.'

The painting appeared on two walls of a garage in the Taibach area and shows a child playing in the falling ash and smoke from a fire in a skip.

Banksy posted a video on Instagram this afternoon of the work alongside the caption 'Season's greetings'.

Hollywood star Michael Sheen has paid thousands of pounds to help protect the latest Banksy artwork in Port Talbot, South Wales

At the end of the footage, which is soundtracked by Christmas music, the video pans up to show the industrial landscape of Port Talbot steelworks, which is thought to have inspired the painting.

Ian Lewis who owns the garage with the Banksy artwork (pictured) says he wants to keep the artwork in place for residents in Port Talbot

The painting appeared overnight and shows a child playing in the falling ash and smoke from a fire in a skip

Traffic wardens were brought to manage the crowds on the suburban alley after there was a sudden increase in vehicles parking and filling the street.

But a spokesman for the local council said they wanted to make sure Mr Lewis' neighbours were not disturbed.

A spokesman said: 'We understand the excitement but we want to remind visitors this is a residential area and would ask that people coming to photograph or view the Banksy do their best not disturb those living nearby.'

Rachel Honey-Jones, 33, who lives in The Mumbles on the other side of Swansea Bay, said: 'It's amazing, an incredible addition to Port Talbot.

'Everything about it is political messaging, the way the boy has been drawn, the positioning near the steelworks, the fact it was done just after the (Severn Bridge) tolls went down.'

Black dust from the town's steelworks covered houses, cars and pets in the area in July, a possible inspiration for the artwork.

Ms Honey-Jones warned that the artwork should be protected by the council.

She said an artist friend was tipped off to the location overnight and stayed to keep guard.

She added: 'People have already taken sledgehammers to it and tried to throw paint on it. It will bring visitors and trade and tourism to the county so it really does need to be protected.'

The world-famous street artist visited Port Talbot in Wales, leaving a new artwork that appears to comment on the nearby steelworks plant

Ian Lewis, 55, was stunned when he realised his blockwork garage wall had the new artwork.

The Tata steel worker said: 'I'm a bit overwhelmed at the moment to be honest.

'It's certainly attracted a lot of attention since it hit social media last night.

'Fans of Banksy have been here and people have come along to see it.'

Banksy's works have fetched millions, and his iconic Girl and Balloon famously sold for 860,000 earlier this year despite being shredded.

The artwork appears months after Port Talbot was mistakenly dubbed the most polluted town in the UK.

In May the World Heath Organisation had to apologise after it admitted its figures were wrong.

The global body said Port Talbots air pollution was measured at 9.6853 micrograms, just under half of the figure it had originally given the town, and below WHO national guideline of 10 micrograms.

Residents believe the mural could be a political statement about the nearby steelworks plant

Resident Pete Humphries said: 'I reckon that because the tolls have been scrapped on the Severn Bridge that Banksy has come over from Bristol into Wales.

'It is a fantastic image.'

Local councillor Nigel Thomas Hunt said: 'The placing of the work is very clever, in between the blast furnace and the M4, yards from where Richard Burton was brought up and where we've had bonfires for years.

'You can look at the painting and see the furnaces in the background. We're delighted. I've written to the council already and we need to secure this really quickly.'

A spokesman for Neath Port Talbot Council said: 'The Council is sending officers to liaise with the property holder to assist in protecting this artwork.'
The 40-year-old spokeswoman took to her Twitter on Thursday night to blast an NBC article that asked if kids should play with toy guns

NRA mouthpiece Dana Loesch came under fire after she tweeted support for children playing with toy guns, even though she blamed Tamir Rice for his death after he was shot by police while playing with a BB gun.

The 40-year-old spokeswoman took to her Twitter on Thursday night to blast an NBC article that asked if kids should play with toy guns.

'Theyre TOYS,' Loesch said in the tweet that has just under 11,000 likes and more than 2,400 retweets. 'Let kids be kids, its also a good opportunity to teach responsibility.'

Loesch's tweet was immediately inundated with comments asking about Tamir Rice, a 12-year-old black boy who was gunned down by police in 2014 while he played with an airsoft gun replica.

Many wondered why Loesch appeared to be hypocritical in the moment, asking her if she maintained that same energy when talking about Rice.

'Theyre TOYS,' Loesch said in the tweet that has just under 11,000 likes and more than 2,400 retweets. 'Let kids be kids, its also a good opportunity to teach responsibility.'

Loesch's tweet was immediately inundated with comments asking about Tamir Rice (left), a 12-year-old black boy who was gunned down by police in 2014 while he played with an airsoft gun replica. They also spoke about Andy Lopez (right), a 13-year-old boy who was fatally shot by police while holding an airsoft gun that resembled an AK-47

'I wonder why this didn't apply to Tamir Rice,' asked Amanda D.

The sentiment was shared by another used who added: 'Tamir Rice sounds familiar?'

'Did you ever get around to speaking up for Tamir Rice?,' stated another Twitter user.

Many people took the time to not only tweet about Tamir Rice, but also about Andy Lopez - a 13-year-old boy who was fatally shot by police while holding an airsoft gun that resembled an AK-47.

Many wondered why Loesch's appeared to be hypocritical in the moment, asking her if she maintained that same energy when talking about Rice

One user stated: 'And why do we not sell cigarettes to minors? Get them to learn responsible smoking early on.'

'The NRA and their TV stooge @DLoesch are in this for the money and power,' one user asserted. 'Its a joke to think responsible gun ownership is truly a part of their mission these days.'

Other users directed the masses to a November 2014 blog post Loeash wrote for her blog titled "Dominant 'Fear of All Guns' Culture Claims Another Victim," where she appeared to place partial blame of Rice's death on the victim.

'It is always tragic to see loss of life  especially young life, and especially when it was likely caused by a misunderstanding,' she said about Rice in the post. 'But the fact is that even if both the caller and the police were in the wrong, so was the boy.

'It is clear from his actions both before and after the police arrived that he either has never been taught gun safety (i.e. You never ever point a weapon, even an unloaded weapon, at something you are not prepared to kill. And you always follow the directions of law enforcement.) or he chose to disregard it.'

One user stated: 'And why do we not sell cigarettes to minors? Get them to learn responsible smoking early on'

'The NRA and their TV stooge @DLoesch are in this for the money and power,' one user asserted. 'Its a joke to think responsible gun ownership is truly a part of their mission these days'

Other users directed the masses to a November 2014 blog post Loeash wrote for her blog titled "Dominant 'Fear of All Guns' Culture Claims Another Victim," where she appeared to place partial blame of Rice's death on the victim

'It is always tragic to see loss of life  especially young life, and especially when it was likely caused by a misunderstanding,' she said about Rice in the post . 'But the fact is that even if both the caller and the police were in the wrong, so was the boy

She continued: 'This story highlights the clashing of the two unfortunately dominant cultures in America: the fear of all guns, and a general disrespect for law enforcement.

'It should serve as a grim reminder of the culture we should be encouraging: respect for the law and an understanding of weapons etiquette and safety. Had that culture been observed by anyone involved in this incident, Tamir Rice would likely have survived his trip to the park.'

The NRA's stance concerning toy guns was also critiqued heavily, given their work at striking down calls for legislation that would work to better regulate gun replicas.

In 2014, Ohio Representative Alicia Reece had attempted to push legislation that would require all BB guns, air rifles and airsoft guns to be colored with prominent fluorescent strips. The NRA has worked to strike down similar measures across the country

In 2014, Ohio Representative Alicia Reece had attempted to push legislation that would require all BB guns, air rifles and airsoft guns to be colored with prominent fluorescent strips.

The NRA has worked to strike down similar sentiments, doing so in Michigan where they worked to remove rules applying to the sale or transfer of air guns.

The measure removes regulation on the transfer or sale of the guns and prevents legal restrictions on private property as long as 'the possessor takes precautionary measures to ensure the projectile remains within the bounds of the property, Al Jazeera reports.

The NRA was also instrumental in striking down legislation in California that was designed following the death of Andy Lopez.

They claimed that children wouldn't respect the severity of handling guns if the weapon replicas didn't look like the same thing.

An investigation by the Washington Post found that from 2015 to 2016, police officers fatally shot 86 people that they thought had real firearms but actually had toys.

Some cities do prevent carrying guns in public. Sioux City, Iowa, recently banned the carrying of toy guns in November. In New York State, toy guns have to be brightly colored.
Movement tracker data could put patient privacy at risk, according to a new study, which suggests that hackers may be able to match 'de-identified' health information to actual patient identifies.

Researchers have been studying medical conditions using huge swaths of patient data with identifying information removed to protect people's privacy for years, but the newly release study says that that information may not be as anonymous as people think it is.

In a test case described in JAMA Network Open, researchers used artificial intelligence to link health data with a medical record number.

A new study suggests that hackers might be able to take 'de-identified' health information gleaned from activity trackers and other sources and match it to actual people

The study posited how organizations could use artificial intelligence to match anonymous info to patients provided they had access to certain demographic information

While the data in the test case was fairly innocuous - just the output of movement trackers like Fitbit - it suggests that de-identified data may not be so anonymous after all.

'The study shows that machine learning can successfully re-identify the de-identified physical activity data of a large percentage of individuals, and this indicates that our current practices for de-identifying physical activity data are insufficient for privacy,' said study coauthor Anil Aswani of the University of California, Berkeley.

'More broadly it suggests that other types of health data that have been thought to be non-identifying could potentially be matched to individuals by using machine learning and other artificial intelligence technologies.'

Aswani and colleagues used one of the largest publicly available patient databases, the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, or NHANES.

Included in the database were recordings from physical activity monitors, during both a training run and an actual study mode, for 4,720 adults and 2,427 children.

The researchers showed their computer the data from the training runs for each person and included six demographic characteristics: age, gender, educational level, annual household income, race/ethnicity, and country of birth. The training data for each person was given a made-up record number.

Then Aswani and his colleagues fed the computer the second set of activity data, including the six demographic factors.

For 95 percent of the adults and 86 percent of the children, the computer successfully matched the two sets.

Anil Aswani (left) of the University of California, Berkeley, co-authored the study. Dr. Elliott Haut of Johns Hopkins School of Medicine cautions against abandoning de-identified data

Aswani offers a hypothetical situation to the practical implications of the computer successfully pairing the data.

'Say your employer is giving a discount for participation in a wellness program and will be collecting demographic information as well as physical activity data,' he said.

'At the same time, your health insurance company might have a program to try to get insureds to lose weight. They also collect demographic information and physical activity data, but remove identifying information.'

Theoretically, your employer could link the two data sets and 'then they will accurately be able to link to the rest of your medical record,' Aswani said.

Another scenario, Aswani said, is that your smart phone is collecting your movement data as part of a health app. If your insurer also has movement data, the app maker might be able to link your name to your medical record and then sell the information to others.

Dr. Elliott Haut worries that studies like this one will spark fears in the public, which might call for cessation of research using de-identified data.

That would be a mistake, said Haut, vice chair of quality, safety in the department of surgery at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and an associate professor of health policy and management at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health.

While Haut acknowledges the risk that patient data could be relinked to patient identities, the benefits of research with this kind of data far outweigh those risks and can change medical practices for the better, he said.

For example, he said, as a trauma surgeon, he wondered if the common practice of spine immobilization - putting a neck collar on and buckling a patient to a back board - is helpful or harmful for gunshot victims. The goal is to prevent movement and thus possibly paralysis.

'We looked at the data and not only is this not beneficial, but it also could be harmful because the first responder takes five to 10 minutes doing this procedure instead of going directly to the hospital where we can start fixing them,' Haut said. 'If you are critically injured, that five minutes makes a huge difference.'

After revealing that it is, in fact, possible to identify people based on de-identified data, the study authors provided some recommendations for how this sort of data should be handled going forward.

The study authors noted that after it was reported that freely available activity tracker location information could be used to reveal sensitive military sites, many companies took steps to restrict the kind of location data that they shared.

But, the companies continue to share de-indentified physical activity data with organizations including employers, advertisers and health care providers, because they believe the data doesn't pose any privacy risks.

In light of the study's success, the authors stated that it behooved policymakers to 'consider developing regulations to restrict the sharing of activity data by device manufacturers' because, although they are collecting sensitive health data, they aren't generally bound by existing privacy regulations.

The authors also stated that one way around privacy risks, would be 'aggregating data not only in time but also across individuals of largely different demographics,' something that would be 'particularly important for governmental organizations making public releases of large national health data sets, such as NHANES.'
A pregnant woman who nearly went into premature labor while caught in the Paradise, California wildfire has named her daughter after the paramedic who got her to safety.

Mickey Huber,a paramedic with 20 years on the job, was helping people evacuate from the terrifying wildfire that tore through Northern California on November 8 when he heard over the scanner that a pregnant woman was going into premature labor.

Anastasia Skinner's baby wasn't due for another month, but she began to feel contractions as she grabbed her mother's two dogs and raced to escape the fast-moving blaze.

Thanks to Huber's quick thinking, the 25-year-old mother got out alive and was able to carry her baby, Zoele (rhymes with Noel) Mickey Skinner, to term, giving birth to her fourth child just over one month later.

Anastasia Skinner, 25, who nearly went into premature labor while caught in the Paradise, California wildfire has named her daughter after Mickey Huber, the paramedic who saved her. Huber is shown holding Zoele (rhymes with Noel) Mickey Skinner on December 14 at Enloe Medical Center in Chico, California

The flames had already hit Skinner's car by the time she fought the panic-driven traffic jam out of Paradise on that deadly day.

When she reached a gas station, she began honking the horn and screaming for help.

'I knew I wasn't going to make it,' Skinner said during a phone interview on Friday.

'I called my husband and told him goodbye, tell all the kids I love them and make sure they remember me.'

A motorcyclist who saw Skinner in distress flagged a police officer who helped her move to the back seat of her Honda Pilot.

Several women who were stuck in the traffic jam brought her blankets and pillows.

A retired fire chief came to her aid and someone requested a helicopter to airlift her to the hospital.

Huber, the assistant chief of operations for Butte County Emergency Services, was only two miles away but he had to make it through 30 minutes of gridlock to get to Skinner.

On December 12 , Anastasia Skinner (left) gave birth to Zoele Mickey (right) via C-section

When he arrived and evaluated her condition, he knew she couldn't wait much longer for a helicopter.

'The smoke was thick, and the winds were blowing,' Huber said. 'The helicopters were having a hard time fighting the fire let alone airlifting patients.'

Because Skinner was having a high-risk pregnancy after suffering two miscarriages and other complications related to an inherited disorder, Huber said she may not have made it if she went into full-blown labor, then and there.

Knowing the gravity of the situation, he arranged a caravan that included three police vehicles to rush Skinner to an ambulance.

Then he jumped in the back with her, where he kept her calm until she reached a hospital where her labor was stopped.

'He was sweet. He told me, "I'm a guy. I don't know what this feels like for you, but I'll try to help you get you through it,"' Skinner said. 'Then he would yell at people outside of the car, waving his hat and telling them to get out of the way.'

'My goal was to keep her breathing and get her down the hill,' Huber said. 'Two of my ambulance crews were trapped by the fire moments before I got to Anastasia so there was a lot of doubt, a lot of worry.'

Skinner said a doctor later told her that smoke inhalation had put her body under stress and triggered the contractions.

After getting Skinner to the ambulance, Huber helped with the mass evacuation until the next day. He said he was shocked and honored when he learned the baby was named after him.

'That day was full of a thousand different emotions but that is the strongest memory of the day for me,' Huber said.

More than 50,000 people in Paradise and the neighboring communities of Magalia and Concow were forced to quickly flee the towering, wind-driven flames that burned an area about the size of Chicago  240 square miles (622 square kilometers)  and became the deadliest US wildfire in at least a century.

At least 86 people were killed and 14,000 homes destroyed.

Skinner and her husband, Daniel, lost their home, and her mother lost hers too.

But on December 12, more than a month after the fire began, Skinner gave birth via C-section to a full-term, healthy girl and named her after the man she believes saved her life, making Huber's first name her daughter's middle name.

'She's a blessing in every way including what happened at the Camp Fire,' Skinner said about her newborn.

Skinner and her husband, Daniel, have three other children, ages eight, six and four.

'All of our history and what we were as a family, everybody knowing your name and all the things about being in a small town are just gone,' Skinner said.

When her children get sad about the things they lost in the fire, she said she reminds them to count their blessings, including the baby sister who made it alive.

'All of us, including our animals are out. Everybody we know is safe,' Skinner said. 'We can replace all the stuff in our house, but we can't replace each other.'
British Airways air crew had to battle for an hour to restrain an unruly passenger who forced the plane to turn around.

Horrified passengers watched on as the crazed man screamed hysterically as staff tried to restrain him on BA flight BA193 from London Heathrow to Dallas.

His antics culminated in him being cuffed to his seat and the plane turning around and going back to Heathrow with the captain opting out of an emergency landing in Glasgow.

Metropolitan Police confirmed to Mail Online that 21-year-old Jeffrey Libby, an American national from Texas, was charged with three counts of common assault, being drunk on board an aircraft, and using threatening, abusive or insulting words towards cabin crew.

He was remanded in custody to appear at Uxbridge Magistrates Court on Wednesday, 19 December.

People work to detain the rowdy passenger as flight staff provides a tether to restrain him

The captain could be heard addressing frightened passengers on Monday, as he stated in a clip caught by one customer that the aircraft was in danger.

As he spoke over the tannoy, his 'cool and professional' colleagues along with some customers, restrained the passenger, who was screaming obscenities.

The pilot said: 'This is the captain. Some of you may have noticed on the route map display the plane appears to have turned around. That is the case.

'The reason for that is one of the passengers in the cabin has become a danger to the aircraft.

'Your safety and that of the crew is my priority. The reason for that we are now going to be returning back to Glasgow where we will be offloading the passenger.

A passenger gesticulates during the pilot's announcement that the aircraft will be diverting

'I don't take these situations lightly. I'm sure you understand that your safety is the utmost priority for British Airways and me as the Captain of this aircraft.

'The company does know that this has been initiated and we will be doing all we can to get you on the ground and to look after you as best we can.

'As I say this is for the safety of this aircraft. We will be landing in just over an hour's time.'

As the man is restrained, some passengers can be seen moving out of harm's way.

The flight grounded back at Heathrow at 4pm, where police were waiting.

The flight was rescheduled and made it to Dallas later on Monday.

One witness told The Sun: 'The BA staff were the epitome of cool.

'It was a really scary situation that you would not wish on anyone, but the crew were totally professional.

'They managed to calm terrified passengers who were worried for the safety of the plane.'

A British Airways spokesperson said the sort of behaviour the man exhibited would 'never be tolerated' and that customers should never 'suffer from any sort of abuse.'
Bethenny Frankel was spotted out in New York City for the first time since her near death scare last weekend after eating soup which contained fish.

Frankel, 48, nearly died after suffering a severe allergic reaction to the fish that landed her in the hospital over the past weekend in Massachusetts.

The Real Housewives of New York star later revealed the reason she is still alive is because of her new boyfriend, Paul Bernon.

'He saved my life', the RHONY star, 48, tweeted while discussing the major health scare with fans on Twitter.

Bethenny Frankel was spotted out in New York City on Wednesday for the first time since her near death scare last weekend after eating soup which contained fish in Massachusetts

Frankel kept things low-key on Wednesday in the Big Apple, in a cream-colored puffy coat with a fur-lined hood and grey sweatpants.

She appeared calm after what she described earlier in the week as an ordeal that left her 'unconscious'.

Frankel went on the jaunt just two days after revealing Bernon is the reason she's still alive today.

Frankel kept things low-key on Wednesday in the Big Apple, in a cream-colored puffy coat with a fur-lined hood and grey sweatpants

Frankel went on the jaunt just two days after revealing the reason she's still alive today

'He saved my life': Frankel (left in 2016) revealed her boyfriend Paul Bernon (right in 2014) saved her life after her severe allergic reaction over the weekend

Speaking with People, a source backed up the reality star giving credit to her beau for keeping her alive.

'It was that serious,' said the insider. 'Her blood pressure was through the roof and she was unconscious. She went into anaphylactic shock. Her boyfriend saved her life.'

Frankel and Bernon went public with their romance in October, and were seen last month enjoying an outing in the Hamptons along with the RHONY star's daughter, Bryn.

The reality star shared the news of her horrible health scare with fans, over social media on Monday.

Frankel said she had an extremely allergic reaction over the past weekend after consuming fish.

She had to be rushed to a hospital in Massachusetts in order to save her life.

'I have a rare fish allergy. Sunday, I had soup, itched & was unconscious for 15 mins then to ER & ICU for 2 days w BP of 60/40,' Frankel tweeted.

Grateful: Frankel talked about her boyfriend after a fan brought him up on Twitter

Her story: 'I have a rare fish allergy. Sunday, I had soup, itched & was unconscious for 15 mins then to ER & ICU for 2 days w BP of 60/40,' Frankel tweeted

It's hard on her: She also tweeted to a fan that the allergy is 'very unusual & confusing' so she keeps it to herself as it's 'hard to describe'

'I couldn't talk, see, thought I had a stroke & dying & told if 5 mins later I'd be dead. 911 & EPI saved me. I'll never not carry an #epipen.'

She also tweeted to a fan that the allergy is 'very unusual & confusing' so she keeps it to herself as it's 'hard to describe.'

The Blast obtained the dispatch audio for the medical response after a 911 call was made alerting emergency responders to her condition on Sunday afternoon in Massachusetts.

According to the audio, officials noted that she was suffering from a fish allergy, and was 'losing consciousness.' It was added she had very low blood pressure.

Fish is one of eight allergens with specific labeling requirements under the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004.

Under that law, manufacturers of packaged food products sold in the U.S. and containing fish or a fish product as an ingredient must identify on the ingredient label, in clear language, the specific type of fish used.

This is not the first time Frankel has had a fish scare.

During a season 10 episode of RHONY she suffered an allergic reaction when in Cartagena, Colombia.

'Is there fish in that soup? Frankel asked during her dinner. 'Im itching. My throat is itching. I thought it was chicken, f***.'

The star then vomitted.

'Its the worst feeling, your throat gets itchy, you feel like youre going to throw up,' she said. 'It's like poison inside of you.'

Earlier this year Frankel suffered a major loss when her longtime friend and on/off boyfriend Dennis Shields died.
A grandmother has spoken of her shock after she was viciously attacked and chased by a dog and good Samaritans stepped in to help her.

Alison Milne, 66, from Aberdeen, said she was walking her pet border terrier Brodie when a Staffordshire bull terrier cross-type dog pinned her to a tree, chased her and put her up against a wall.

A man came to the mother-of-two's aid and grabbed the dog - but it got free and Mrs Milne was helped by a driver who stopped her car and pulled her in.

Mrs Milne suffered leg injuries where the dog scratched her and she was taken to hospital by ambulance days later due to stress brought on by the ordeal.

Alison Milne, 66, (holding her pet Brodie) was helped by a stranger (right) when the dog pinned her to a tree in Aberdeen

Now recovering at home after the ordeal on December 15, she said: 'I have never been so terrified. I don't feel safe leaving the house now.

'What if the dog attacks someone again or kills a dog? Something must be done.'

Mrs Milne, of the Bridge of Dee area of Aberdeen, reported the attack to police and Aberdeen City Council, which employs a dog warden, and both authorities are investigating.

Her neighbour Annette Duncan said her son lives near the dog's owner and is hesitant about taking his children out due to the animal.

Mrs Duncan added: 'The dog escapes from the owner's house on numerous occasions and runs wild, chasing owners with their dogs.

'We are just all in fear of who is going to be next. Something needs to be done.'

Mrs Milne tried to get into nearby Bar the Brig o' Dee (pictured) but the dog chased her and got her up against a fence before a woman stopped her car to help the grandmother

Mrs Milne said: 'I was walking Brodie and the dog pinned me up against the tree. A man came to help. He said: "It's not my dog, I'll try to get him off".

'I was clutching Brodie close to me. I tried to get into the Brig o' Dee Bar and the dog chased me and got me up against a fence.

'God knows what would have happened if the woman had not got me into her car. She saved me,' said the mother-of-two, a retired sales supervisor for Austin Reed.

A Police Scotland spokesman said: 'We have been made aware of an incident and are appealing for anyone with information to come forward.'

An Aberdeen City Council spokesman said: 'Any incident reported to us will be investigated fully and appropriate action taken, in conjunction with Police Scotland where necessary.'
Quit: Brett McGurk, the top U.S. envoy to the global coalition fighting ISIS has announced he is resigning, effective December 31

The top US envoy to the global coalition fighting ISIS announced that he is resigning on Saturday in the wake of President Trump's decision to withdraw troops from Syria.

Brett McGurk was set to step down in February but moved up his departure date by two months to December 31 after very publicly stating the possibly catastrophic outcome that could result should President Trump elect to pull American forces at this time.

The veteran diplomat, who got his start in the administration of George W. Bush and was appointed to his current post by Barack Obama, now joins Defense Secretary Jim Mattis in an administration exodus of experienced national security officials.

Mattis, who is the most respected foreign policy official in the administration, announced on Thursday that he will leave by the end of February.

The former United States Marine Corps general who commanded the 1st Marine Division during the 2003 invasion of Iraq and later served as the Commander of United States Central Command under Obama told Trump that he was departing because 'you have a right to have a Secretary of Defense whose views are better aligned with yours.'

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Jim 'Mad Dog' Mattis, who is the most respected foreign policy official in the administration, announced on Thursday that he will leave his role as Secretary of Defense on February 28

Only 11 days ago, McGurk urged those who believed ISIS had been defeated to reexamine that notion while explaining why he believed it would be unwise to bring American forces home.

He reiterated those points in his resignation letter. stating that the militants were on the run, but not yet defeated.

McGurk also noted that the premature pullout of American forces from Syria would create the conditions that initially gave rise to ISIS and other terror groups in the past.

He also cited gains in accelerating the campaign against IS, but that the work was not yet done.

McGurk said at a State Department briefing on December 11 that 'it would be reckless if we were just to say, "Well, the physical caliphate is defeated, so we can just leave now." I think anyone who's looked at a conflict like this would agree with that.'

A week before that, Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the U.S. had a long way to go in training local Syrian forces to prevent a resurgence of IS and stabilize Syria.

He said it would 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 had been trained.

McGurk, whose resignation is effective December 31, was planning to leave the job in mid-February after a US-hosted meeting of foreign ministers from the coalition countries, but he felt he could continue no longer after Trump's decision to withdraw from Syria and Mattis' resignation.

McGurk felt he could continue no longer after President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw from Syria and Mattis' resignation. Trump is shown participating in a signing ceremony for the First Step Act in the Oval Office in Washington, DC on Friday

Only 11 days ago, McGurk urged those who believed ISIS had been defeated to reexamine that notion while explaining why he believed it would be unwise to bring American forces home. McGurk is shown visiting a water treatment plant south of Mosul in Iraq on May 15, 2017

Trump is acting to pull all 2,000 U.S. troops from Syria and has now declared victory over ISIS, contradicting his own experts' assessments.

On Saturday, Trump tweeted:

'On Syria, we were originally going to be there for three months, and that was seven years ago - we never left. When I became President, ISIS was going wild. Now ISIS is largely defeated and other local countries, including Turkey, should be able to easily take care of whatever remains. Were coming home!'

Many lawmakers have 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 IS and train Syrian rebels in a country torn apart by civil war. Trump, in a tweet this past week, abruptly declared their mission accomplished.

The decision will fulfill Trump's 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.

Trump is acting to pull all 2,000 US troops from Syria and has now declared victory over ISIS, contradicting his own experts' assessments

On Saturday, Trump tweeted: 'On Syria, we were originally going to be there for three months, and that was seven years ago - we never left. When I became President, ISIS was going wild. Now ISIS is largely defeated and other local countries, including Turkey, should be able to easily take care of whatever remains. Were coming home!'

Why Brett McGurk stepped down early Special Presidential Envoy for the Global Coalition to Counter ISIL Brett McGurk has quit the position two months earlier than expected, leaving on December 31 He had privately said he would leave the position in February McGurk handed in his resignation following President Donald Trump's abrupt announcement that he would pull troops from Syria McGurk said in his letter that the premature pullout of American forces from Syria would create the conditions that initially gave rise to ISIS and other terror groups in the past He also said he could no longer continue following the resignation of Secretary of Defense General James Mattis, handed in on Thursday and effective on February 28 Advertisement

McGurk, 45, previously served as a deputy assistant secretary of state for Iraq and Iran, and during the negotiations for the landmark Iran nuclear deal by the Obama administration, led secret side talks with Tehran on the release of Americans imprisoned there.

McGurk, was briefly considered for the post of ambassador to Iraq after having served as a senior official covering Iraq and Afghanistan during President George W. Bush's administration.

A former Supreme Court law clerk to the late Chief Justice William Rehnquist, McGurk worked as a lawyer for the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion and joined Bush's National Security Council staff, where in 2007 and 2008, he was the lead U.S. negotiator on security agreements with Iraq.

Taking over for now for McGurk will be his deputy, retired Lt. Gen. Terry Wolff, who served three tours of active duty in Iraq.

Jim Jeffrey, a veteran diplomat who was appointed special representative for Syria engagement in August, is expected to stay in his position, officials said.

IS 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.

But that figure could be as high as 8,000 militants, if fighters hiding out in the deserts south of the Euphrates River are also counted, according to according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the conflict through networks of local informants.

The SDF, a Kurdish-led force that is America's only military partner in Syria, said Thursday: "The war against Islamic State has not ended and the group has not been defeated." The group is at the front lines of the battle against IS along the Euphrates River.

It said a U.S. withdrawal would leave Syrians "between the claws of enemy forces."

At their height in 2014, Islamic State militants controlled approximately a third of territory in Syria and Iraq, including major cities in both countries. The group flourished in the political vacuum of Syria's civil war, in which President Bashar Assad has violently put down a 2011 uprising against his family's 40-year rule.
A robbery-homicide detective in the Los Angeles Police Department has accused a senior lead officer of disseminating revenge porn and filed a temporary restraining order against him.

Detective Ysabel Villegas, 51, alleges in her restraining order that Officer Danny Reedy, 55, distributed sexually explicit pictures of her after their five year romantic relationship ended, according to KABC-7.

The 30-year veteran of the force claims that the Officer Reedy acted in retaliation for their breakup last August by spreading the photos within the department.

Villegas alleges that the relationship had been abusive with claims Reedy struck her in the head twice and raped her on two separate occasions last year.

LAPD Detective Ysabel Villegas (left) is accusing Officer Danny Reedy (right) of distributing revenge porn in retaliation for breaking off their relationship

Villegas' restraining order details an allegation of physical abuse by Reedy during their time in an alleged relationship

She included threatening text messages she claims are from her former lover with one reading 'Retire now...I'll make sure you do...you won't be able to look anyone in the eyes soon.'

The attorney for Danny Reedy, Michael Williams, says his client denies the relationship existed and all allegations of abuse. On the issue of the photos he claims, 'Even if he did it - and I'm not saying he did - it's academic anyway if one voluntarily participated in such photographs.'

'What is illegal is disseminating explicit photos without the permission of the person in the photos regardless of how you got it,' Villegas' attorney Lisa Bloom said to KABC-7 in response.

Bloom is a high profile lawyer who also has been involved in sexual misconduct cases involving Bill O'Reilly, Harvey Weinstein and Donald Trump, and distributing revenge porn has been a criminal act in California since 2013.

High profile attorney Lisa Bloom is representing Ysabel Villegas in her claims against Officer Reedy

Former LAPD Assistant Chief Jorge Villegas (left) who retired suddenly during an investigation into sexual misconduct is married to Detective Ysabel Villegas

According to the LAPD, Officer Danny Reedy is currently assigned to his home

The revenge porn scandal in the LAPD comes on the heels of another scandal that involves Detective Villegas' husband, former Assistant Chief Jorge Villegas.

Jorge Villegas was reportedly caught having sex with a subordinate in parked vehicle by an undercover police surveillance team shortly before his sudden retirement in October, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The former assistant chief was also under investigation for an anonymous letter accusing him of an unspecified act of misconduct.

Ysabel Villegas is currently back with her husband according to KABC-7 and Officer Reedy is assigned home. The hearing on her restraining order is scheduled for January 15 .
The senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank in Washington, DC has said the departure of Secretary of Defense James Mattis may mean modernization for the weapons industry.

General Mattis tendered his resignation to Trump on Thursday, citing differing views 'on treating allies with respect and also being clear-eyed about both malign actors and strategic competitors.'

'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 wrote.

With his exit from the role on February 28, Mark Cancian has guessed new leadership may utilize the fiscal year 2020's $750 billion budget to fund new weapons programs, opting to terminate legacy systems rather than continue to fund upgrades, as is planned to be done with 2019 dollars.

Cancian, who worked on budget strategy, war funding, force development and procurement programs at the Office of Management and Budget and in the Pentagon, shared his perspective in an op-ed for Forbes, published on Friday.

Mark Cancian, senior adviser for a think tank in Washington, DC has said the departure of Secretary of Defense James Mattis (left) from President Donald Trump's administration may mean modernization for the weapons industry, across all branches

Mark Cancian (pictured), who served over three decades in the US Marine Corps on both active duty and as a reservist, gave examples of some ways the different branches of the military could use funding in new ways rather than keeping legacy weaponry in use

Cancian served over three decades in the US Marine Corps, active and reserve, as an infantry, artillery, and civil affairs officer and on overseas tours in Vietnam, Desert Storm, with two deployments to Iraq.

He gave examples of some ways the different branches of the military could use funding to innovate.

'The Navy could curtail procurement of the DDG-51 class and use the savings to accelerate the fielding of a next-generation large surface combatant,' he said.

'The Army could curtail procurement of M-1 Abrams tanks and M-2 Bradley fighting vehicles to accelerate the fielding of the next generation ground combat vehicle. It could also curtail procurement of existing helicopters like the H-60 and H-64 two accelerate the future vertical lift and attack aircraft programs.

'The Navy and Air Force could reduce inventories of legacy A-10, F-15, F-16, and F-18 aircraft and accelerate UAV platforms for strike and counter air, especially in contested environments. The current MQ-9 Reaper cannot survive in high threat environments. None of the services have a UAV with counter-air capabilities, and the Navy has been slow to develop a UAV that could launch from an aircraft carrier.'

Cancian also talked about the Space Force and how its future is likely secure, no matter who takes Mattis' position, even though the Air Force is against its creation.

'Since the president has directed its establishment, DOD has little choice but to comply whoever the secretary is. The fate of the Space Force will be decided in the Congress, not in the Pentagon,' he wrote.

Cancian thinks with Mattis gone, the Department of Defense's promised $750 billion budget for fiscal year 2020 will be used to innovate rather than upgrade. Trump (left) is shown signing executive orders as Mattis (right) looks on in the Hall of Heroes at the Department of Defense on January 27, 2017 in Arlington, Virginia

Cancian tossed out possible replacements for Mattis, first posited by the Washington Post in September, including General Keane, former vice chief of the Army, Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas, Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, businessman and former Treasury Department official David McCormick, and former Missouri Senator Jim Talent.

Cancian noted that while many Defense Secretaries resign or get fired over budgetary issues, Mattis not only successfully staved off a five percent cut in 2020, but secured the promise of extra money from the president, taking the budget from $733 billion to $750 billion.



In his resignation letter, Mattis wrote:

'I am proud of the progress that has been made over the past two years on some of the key goals articulated in our National Defense Strategy: putting the Department on a more sound budgetary footing, improving readiness and lethality in our forces, and reforming the Department's business practices for greater performance.'

Whether that promised funding will hold up in a soon-to-be Democratic controlled House of Representatives though, is another story, Cancian wrote.

And what will be done with the money is the topic up for debate now, with Mattis' forthcoming departure.
A pair of twin boys born four months early and weighing barely more than a bag of sugar each have made it home in time for Christmas.

Adam Mills, 31, and Jade Calvin, 24, welcomed Cain and Isaac on September 1 after a number of days of labour.

The couple, from Walney in Barrow-in-Furness, asked family and friends to 'say a little prayer' for them after the boys were born at just 24 weeks.

But now, four months on, the proud parents have taken their sons home for the very first time.

Adam Mills and Jade Calvin welcomed Cain and Isaac on September 1 after a number of difficult days of labour

'It's been an absolute dream. To see them so tiny when they were born and to be able to take them home on Saturday is my perfect Christmas,' Miss Calvin told the North West Evening Mail.

Cain and Isaac spent four months in intensive care at the Royal Preston Hospital and later Furness General Hospital after Miss Calvin was airlifted to a neo-natal care unit during labour.

The new mother said she was 'expecting the worst' as babies are unlikely to survive if they are born less than six months into a pregnancy.

She said: 'I was in labour for a few days which made a big difference to the babies chances of survival. I was told that if it had been a couple of days before it could have been a miscarriage.'

The couple, from Walney in Barrow-in-Furness, asked family and friends to 'say a little prayer' for them after the boys (pictured right, Isaac shorty after his birth) were born at just 24 weeks

On the day of their 'emergency birth', Mr Mills posted to Facebook asking his friends and family to 'say a little prayer' for the twins.

He wrote: 'At 16.39 and 16.47 Cain and Isaac Mills were brought into the world in an emergency birth 16 weeks premature.

'In the early stages both babies are stable but are in ICU and this is a very critical age for any baby to be born let alone for twins.

'Mother did absolutely amazing during labour and I'm so proud. But please if you have a little faith put your hands together and say a little prayer for Cain and Isaac pulling through.'

The father continued to narrate the twins' battle on social media throughout the next few months.

Cain (pictured) and Isaac spent four months in intensive care at the Royal Preston Hospital and Furness General Hospital

He wrote on September 6 that Cain and Isaac were 'a long way from safety but are true little fighters and are doing amazing.'

A month later, Mr Mills said the twins were 'getting bigger and stronger by the day' - noting that Cain no longer needed a ventilator to breathe.

But the boys' four-month stay in the ICU wasn't all plain sailing.

When the twins were nine weeks old, Mr Mills said: 'Isaac's not been so good past few weeks he's definitely having the harder time fighting infections and illness.

'He's proving each day that he is such a strong little fighter.'

Mr Mills described their discharge from hospital as 'a Christmas miracle' when he thanked the staff who helped them through the past four months

Cain and Isaac survived in an infant incubator for two months and breathing support for between six and eight weeks.

The boys were then moved to Furness General Hospital on November 28 - and have since been released.

Mr Mills described their discharge as 'a Christmas miracle' when he thanked the staff who helped them through the past four months, the Sun reported.

Isaac will still need to rely on oxygen at home but his mother said this is 'a tiny price to pay for all they've been through.'

She said: 'We've had four months of preparation. Now is the perfect time for them to come home and be surrounded by loved ones.'
A 'violent and sadistic' father who regularly beat and 'brutalised' his three sons has been jailed for 24 years.

Karl Gettings, aged 56, of Llanmartin, Newport, was described by a judge as a 'dangerous offender' who subjected his sons to 'soul destroying abuse' as he was sentenced at Cardiff Crown Court.

The court heard he would punch, headbutt and strangle his three sons, often until they were unconscious during a catalogue of abuse at the family home in the 1980s and 1990s.

The abuse began when one of the boys was just four years old.

Karl Gettings, 56, of Llanmartin, Newport, who regularly beat and 'brutalised' his three sons has been jailed for 24 years at Cardiff Crown Court

During one incident of abuse, Gettings taped lit cigarettes to a child's mouth to 'teach him a lesson'.

On another occasion, he chased one of the boys in his van for more than a mile along a narrow country lane to 'pass a test'.

One of the children attempted to kill themselves aged 11 but Gettings discovered him before beating him up and calling him a 'selfish little b******'.

The third son called the police on his father and was punished by Gettings by being dangled from a second storey window as he threatened to drop him.

On another occasion he beat his son with a whip after the boy lost a fight with a 20-year-old man. One of the boys was also beaten with a belt and a whip for eating sweets.

Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke said it was one of the worst cases of child cruelty to be heard at Cardiff Crown Court, adding Gettings was guilty of 'brutal and sadistic violence' and that he was a 'brute and a coward'.

Gettings was described by a judge at Cardiff Crown Court as a 'dangerous offender' who subjected his sons to 'soul destroying abuse'

After two trials Gettings was found guilty of three counts of rape, three counts of indecent assault, two counts of assault by penetration, two counts of unlawful wounding, seven counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, one count of threats to kill, and 24 child cruelty offences.

He had denied all the charges.

In the first trial the court heard Gettings had raped two women and sexually abused another. Reporting restrictions had applied until the conclusion of the second trial which ended last Friday.

One of his victims, who is now an adult, had his impact statement read out in court. It said: 'He [Gettings] was brutal and tortured me. I was scared for my life because of the torture I had seen.

'He told me I was a waste of a human being and wished I was dead.'

A second victim said, in a statement: 'He made me feel worthless. I've suffered mental health issues as a result of the constant abuse.

'The scars heal but the mental pain has never left me. I still feel it today and I don't think it will ever go away.'

The court heard Gettings 'declined to attend court' for sentence in relation to the second trial offences after refusing to leave his cell.

Gettings' defence barrister Mark Wyeth QC, told the court: 'He comes from a background of a family where he was picked upon and there was a lot of drinking.'

John Probert, a senior crown prosecutor with CPS Cymru-Wales, said: 'Gettings was a violent man who raped, tortured and sexually assaulted three female victims for his own pleasure, and subjected three other (male victims) to cruelty.

'The courage shown by them in giving their evidence allowed the CPS to present a strong case and bring Gettings to justice.

'We hope the conclusion of this case will give them some comfort and help them in moving forward with their lives.'
Two leaked reports detailing Russian interference in the 2016 election targeting black voters included a less-reported campaign to push Jill Stein's Green Party candidacy in efforts to aid Donald Trump's victory.

Cyber experts showed that Russians attempted to siphon away votes from Hillary Clinton, the Democratic Party candidate, by boosting Stein through fake accounts, NBC News reported.

New Knowledge cybersecurity firm that helped prepare the report found that attempts to boost Stein's candidacy in the last days leading up to the election singled-out African-American voters, becoming much more intense.

'The excuse that a lost Black vote for Hillary is a Trump win is bs,' an Instagram post by fake account @woke_blacks read only two days before the election. 'It could be late, but y'all might want to support Jill Stein instead.'

Cybersecurity experts point to Russian social media boosting Green Party candidate Jill Stein (left) intensely to aid Republican candidate Donald Trump (right) just days before the election

Much of the Russian accounts flooding social media accounts attacked Hillary Clinton (shown), while promoting pro-Jill Stein or pro-Bernie Sanders personas

Analysis by NBC News found under the Internet Research Agency, the infamous Russian 'troll factory' headed up by businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin, Russian President Vladimir Putin's 'personal chef', tweets featuring 'Jill Stein' were posted more than 1,000 times close to the election.

The hashtag 'Grow a spine and vote Jill Stein' was apparently included in many of the posts.

The report showed a clear pattern in the election interference campaign of using anti-Hillary Clinton Twitter personas that 'expressed pro-Bernie Sanders and pro-Jill Stein sentiments,' according to CNN.

Nothing in either of the leaked reports points to Jill Stein being aware or directly involved in the influence campaign, but Stein has had a cushy relationship with Russian state-run media such as RT.

Jill Stein (bottom right) would downplay the dinner in 2015 where she sat across the table from Michael Flynn (second from left) and Vladimir Putin (right of Flynn)

Jill Stein, seen here holding a yellow pad, was not implicated in the leaked Senate report as having direct knowledge of Russian election interference on her, or Donald Trump's, behalf

It was in 2015 that the Stein announced her formation of a presidential exploratory committee on 'Redacted Tonight,' an RT program based in the U.S.

Jill Stein also famously favorably compared Trump to his nearest rival on the topic of nuclear conflict saying 'Hillary's policies which are much scarier than Donald Trump who does not want to go to war with Russia.'

With the latest analysis of election interference attaching Stein's name to Russian operations, the photo of the Green Party candidate attending a 2015 dinner in Moscow along with convicted former White House national security director Mike Flynn continues to raise eyebrows.

She was seated at the other side of the table across from the Russian president next to Putin spokesman Dmitri Peskov.

Stein would later downplay her appearance at the dinner tweeting in June of last year there was 'nothing to' what she called a 'desperate Russia smear'

Outgoing Secretary of Defense James Mattis (left) make a final attempt Thursday, before resigning, to convince President Donald Trump that it was unwise to pull all of America's military troops out of Syria

Russia was also accused of attempting to interfere in the most recent U.S. midterm elections by outgoing Defense Secretary James Mattis.

'He tried again to muck around in our elections this last month,' Mattis said of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Mattis made waves when he made an acrimonious exit from the Trump White House with a letter expressing his differences with the administration over the President's ordered troop withdrawal from Syria.

Critics view the move as a capitulation to Putin's designs on the region.
Master of Extinct Languages

Anadolu Agency

A renowned Turkish assyriologist has been shedding light on extinct languages for over 56 years.

Veysel Donbaz, who retired from working as a manager of cuneiform archive department in Istanbul's Archeology Museum, talked to Anadolu Agency about the languages of the ancient Hittites and Akkadians and how many words used in modern Turkish are rooted in these extinct tongues.

Donbaz, who was born in December 1939 in Turkey's southwestern Denizli province, completed his bachelor's degree at Ankara University's Faculty of Language History and Geography in 1962 where he studied as the sole student of the department of sumerology in one-on-one classes with his professors. He was then appointed to the Istanbul Archeology Museum.

Following retirement, Donbaz continued his passion for studying clay cuneiform tablets and extinct languages. He has become one of the most experienced scholars illuminating this era of ancient history.

Donbaz describes himself as an "assyriologist", a field of study which "includes both the Sumerian and Akkadian languages."

"Assyrian is a dialect of the Akkadian language," Donbaz said, noting that 'sumerologist' would be a better title in Turkish.

Donbaz said Akkadian language -- which belongs to Semitic Languages Family -- has two most important dialects, Assyrian and Babylonian languages.

"Akkad is a state. Sumerians brought their cuneiform scripts around 3500 BC or were told to invent their language there," he said. "In 2800 BC, the writings allowed them to realize literary texts. There has been a massive improvement in about 1,000 years."

Donbaz said Sargon of Akkadia united the city-states and formed the Akkadian Empire in 24 BC, but did not overshadow Sumerian language and translated them into Akkadian language.

"Some of the writings are bilingual. There are over 75,000 cuneiform scripts in the Istanbul Archeology Museum. You can see the examples there," he said.

The renowned assyriologist said there are more than 100 words that transformed into Turkish from Assyrian and Babil languages, "but there are nearly no words expect a few which came from Sumerian languages to Turkish".

Donbaz gave an example, saying that the word in Turkish "ekalliyet" [minority] is rooted in Assyrian and Babil dialects as "egallum".

Apart from lingual traces from the era, Donbaz noted that the modern 7-day week and 30-day month are also the product of ancient Mesopotamian civilization.

Donbaz said many countries around Turkey use a different alphabet than Latin letters, countries like Iran, Syria, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Russia, Bulgaria, Greece.

"We managed to describe our language with Latin letters, the same happened with cuneiform scripts in ancient history," he said.

Donbaz explained that the Sumerian language is monosyllabic and, as in Arabic and other modern tongues, distinguishes between masculine and feminine words.

"For example the word 'mayi' is rooted to our language from Sumerian, meaning liquid," he said. "It equals to the word 'ma' in Akkadian and Assyrian language. 'A' is the Sumerian one. They used a determinative before every word to make it simpler. If you use the word 'tok' before a word, then you will know that 'tok' describes something related to the word dress.

Donbaz stressed that in order to learn and fully understand Sumerian and Akkadian, you need to learn both languages.

"If you don't know the other language, you cannot progress in those languages. You need to know every syllable's meaning in both Sumerian and Akkadian," he said.

Further explaining the roots of the words, Donbaz gave another example.

"The names also have meanings. If one becomes a father, he always says the prayer 'Iliddin', meaning 'God Given'. The word 'Ilbani'. We use these words in our language too. [God given means Allahverdi in Turkish]

"Ilum means divinity. Ilbani means, 'to do'. In all it means 'God is the creator'," said Donbaz, who managed to find around 100 words and publish them with meanings in Turkish.

- 'Extinct language means translation of what was written before'

Explaining the meaning of the extinct languages, the veteran philologist said it refers to the languages that are no longer used by human beings, but the translation of which were written before.

In Sumerian, the first sign writings were the anther drawings. "In Sumerian, this means Sheyhum, means barley, dough, it was translated to Akkadian as sheyhum. There is the word 'Harshatum' which means wheat as well.*

Donbaz said the Babylonians used the Akkadian language in international communication.

"There are 38 known agreements. 19 of them were in Hittite language, 16 others were both in Akkadian and in Hittite language. It starts with Hittite but continues with Akkadian. They use cuneiform scripts. Inside those cuneiform scripts, there are Sumerian ideograms. For example, gold, silver, tin, copper... whatever there is they use it to describe with ideograms. They do not have names, they took those exactly like it was Sumerian."

He added that trade during this time was conducted in tin, while gold was used for investment.

Noting an interesting feature of Sumerian culture, Donbaz related that onions served as an indicator of social status.

"You could figure the eminence of a man from the stench of his breath," he said.

Donbaz explained there are lots of extinct languages to this day that were discovered, but a "written source is obligatory to define them as extinct," he says.

He also added that many Turkish words used today, contrary to the common thought, come not from Arabic or Persian, but from Akkadian. Donbaz mentioned that the Turkish names of seven months out of 12 come from Babylonian.

However, Donbaz said that it is impossible to prove that Turks come from Sumerians or Sumerian people were Turks.

Giving information about his prior works, Donbaz said he has made 30,000 inventories off of 60,000 cuneiform scripts' study so far, publishing 2,500 of those.

"A part of those cuneiform scripts are in the British Museum, the rest in Turkey," he said.

Donbaz also mentioned that on Ataturk's orders -- modern Turkey's founding father -- Turkish Historical Society was founded in 1931 and during late Education Minister Resit Galip's tenure, 23 different language departments opened, including Hittite and Sumerian.

The sumerologist also mentioned that Sargon managed to translate Sumerian literature and prevented it from vanishing.

When asked about Turkey's role in hosting tablets, Donbaz said Turkey is home to 150,000 of those.

"We [Turkey] come second when it comes to the number of cuneiform scripts," he said. In British Museum, there are around 200,000 cuneiform scripts rooted in Babylonian language.

In Ankara there are 50,000 to 60,000 tablets; in Istanbul there are 73,213.

When asked about how the cuneiform scripts were written and how they are being preserved, Donbaz said the scripts were firstly written on tablets without ever being cooked before.

The cuneiform scripts were written by mud, the mud that will not crack or split after it dries. The writings are generally preserved in palaces or in temples, Donbaz mentioned.

"In order to ensure the scripts' permanence, they are being cooked in a special oven," he said. "The cuneiform scripts should be baked at 110C for 24 hours straight. If you cook them at 115C, then they will explode."

In the second part, after the cooking is done, the scripts are left to wait in an oven at 450C for 6 hours to let go of the gas, then another process took them to 750C for another 6 hours.

The assyriologist -- who is also fluent in German and English besides Sumerian, Hittite and Akkadian languages -- gave out some suggestions to the youth, who are interested in learning languages.

"You need to study hard and repeat countless times in order to learn a language. You need to be a little bit talkative person, too," he said.

When asked about which languages are hard to learn, the extinct ones or current ones, Donbaz said every language has its own grammar.

"For example, German language's grammar is unique when it is compared to the other languages," he said.
A New York City man is being applauded for returning a designer handbag - and the $10,000 cash inside it - to its rightful owner.

Richard Taverna, 63, was on his way home when he said he spotted a blue Chanel handbag sitting on the 1 train's uptown subway platform at Lincoln Center Thursday at about 11.30am.

The Good Samaritan picked it up and looked inside to see if there was any ID that could be used to track down the handbag's owner, but found a note written in Russian instead, he told ABC 7.

Richard Taverna, 63, was heading home when he saw a blue Chanel bag on the subway platform. Hoping to find a way to return it to its owner later, he took it home with him

Inside the bag, Taverna found an envelope with Russian on it - when he opened it, he discovered a stack of $100 bills worth $10,000 (contents pictured on his kitchen table)

Since there wasn't an MTA agent on duty at the station to turn the bag over to, Taverna said he took the purse home with him.

When he dug back into the purse that night, he realized the paper with Russian on it was actually an envelope. When he opened it, he discovered that it held 'a big stack of money,' Taverna said.

One hundred crisp, $100 bills, to be exact.

Taverna said that he wasn't tempted to keep the cash  although he did spread it all out over his kitchen table to take a picture of all the cold, hard cash.

Ultimately, the cash 'wasn't mine,' he told the news station of his decision not to pocket the money. 'If someone lost $10,000, they're probably going through a lot of distress.'

Rather than keep the money, Taverna took it to the NYPD's 20th Precinct, where he was told that a woman had reported the bag missing at around the same time he found it

Turns out the woman was on her way to Russia when she lost the pricey handbag. Police said they would reunite the bag with the woman when she returns to NYC in January

Instead, Taverna took the Chanel handbag to a police station.

It turns out that the woman who had lost the bag had reported it missing at the Upper West Side's 20th precinct, the same place that Taverna went to report finding it.

The woman, who has not been named, was on her way to Russia when she lost the bag and had gone to the police station to report it missing at just about the same time that Taverna found it in the subway.

'Were looking forward to telling her when shes back in January,' Capt. Timothy Malin, commanding officer of the 20th Precinct told West Side Rag. 'It will be a nice surprise.'

Malin called Taverna's good deed 'a Christmas miracle' and said that, 'The cops in the precinct couldnt think higher of this guy.'
Based on Elon Musk's intense self-described work schedule, his time at the office may be worth at least $900 thousand per hour.

The hourly rate is based on calculations by Entrepreneur magazine that were published by Business Insider, after taking into account his prospective compensation from Tesla, alone.

Musk detailed his work schedule at the automotive and energy company based in Palo Alto, California, which he said had him clocked in 120 hours per week, to the New York Times in August.

'There were times when I didn't leave the factory for three or four days  days when I didn't go outside,' Musk told the Times.

'This has really come at the expense of seeing my kids. And seeing friends.'

If he slows down and works less hours, but still hits the $650billion target, his time will be worth even more per hour based on the final payout.

Based on Elon Musk's intense self-described work schedule, his time at the office may be worth up to $900 thousand per hour, if he gets the maximum payout based on his Tesla performance. Musk is shown unveiling the Tesla Roadster on November 16, 2017

Musk's salary from Tesla is public, and set at the minimum wage in California, but he usually doesn't take it.

He also earns a salary from SpaceX, a private company, which hasn't been disclosed.

So while Musk's estimated net worth is $24 billion, according to Bloomberg, his annual salary is almost impossible to know.

But Tesla did announce its long-term compensation plan for the CEO in January, and it's complicated. It's also based on his performance, alone.

'Elon will receive no guaranteed compensation of any kind - no salary, no cash bonuses, and no equity that vests simply by the passage of time,' the company said.

'Instead, Elon's only compensation will be a 100 [percent] at-risk performance award, which ensures that he will be compensated only if Tesla and all of its shareholders do extraordinarily well. Because all Tesla employees are provided equity, this also means that Elon's compensation is tied to the success of everyone at Tesla.'

Based on the milestones to be met, if Musk succeeds in getting Tesla to a $650 billion valuation, the innovator will be paid about $55.8 billion.

Since we know Musk has been working at the staggering rate of 120 hours per week for quite some time, assuming he keeps that up, he'll have worked 17 hours each day, amounting to 6,240 hours per year, and 62,400 hours in total over the next decade.

When $55.8 billion is divided by all of those 62,400 hours, that means his hourly rate would be equal to $900 thousand per hour, for time spent in the office.

That's a lot of money, and the rate only stands to go up, unless he somehow starts working more than 120 hours in a seven-day period.

But if he doesn't meet the targets outlined for him, he gets nothing, and all of those work weeks, however long they end up being, will reap no rewards for the executive.
Former Liberal Democrat leader Paddy Ashdown has died at the age of 77 after a short illness.

The politician and former Royal Marine, who led the party for 11 years from 1988 to 1999, passed away on Saturday evening, a party spokesman said.

He revealed last month that he had been diagnosed with bladder cancer.

Tributes have poured in from across the political spectrum, including former Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Sir John Major, on what current party leader Sir Vince Cable called a 'hugely sad day'.

Tributes have poured in for former Liberal Democrat leader Paddy Ashdown, pictured earlier this year at the Henley Literary Festial, who has died at the age of 77 after a short illness

Paying tribute, Sir Vince Cable said today: 'He was famous for his politics, but his talents extended well beyond that arena.

'He was an accomplished author, and had spent many years serving the country before he got near the House of Commons.

'Few people know how hard he fought to get into politics following his service in the marines and diplomatic service. He exercised every ounce of his considerable personal stamina to win the Yeovil seat.

'He was a personal example to me and to many other candidates.'

Former Conservative prime minister Sir John Major hailed his former opponent as 'a man of duty, passion, and devotion to the country he loved - right up to the very end'.

He said Lady Ashdown and the rest of his family could be proud of his achievements, adding: 'In Government, Paddy Ashdown was my opponent. In life, he was a much-valued friend.

'His loss will be felt deeply by many - and not least by myself. Throughout his life, Paddy was a true patriot, whose overriding wish was to serve his country: first, in the Marines, and then in both Houses of Parliament.

'I can attest to the fact that - even when he knew he was gravely ill - Paddy's concern for the future of our country continued to dominate his thinking.

'I was not surprised. For Paddy, his country always came before personal or political advantage.'

Paddy Ashdown speaks at the Liberal Democrat conference in 2013. The former soldier became party leader in 1988 and resigned in 1999

Ashdown (centre) with the then Conservative and Labour leaders, John Major and Tony Blair, who have both paid tribute to the ex-Lib Dem leader after he died at the age of 77 today

Ashdown, left, joins Conservative prime minister David Cameron (centre) and former Labour leader Neil Kinnock (right) in a campaign effort for Remain during the 2016 referendum

Former Labour prime minister Tony Blair said he admired the former Lib Dem leader 'as a man and as a political visionary and leader'.

Describing him as 'excellent company, always fun to be around', Mr Blair said: 'He was one of the most talented politicians never to hold high office, but as leader of the Liberal Democrats he nonetheless had a major impact on British political life.

'He was motivated by values of compassion, decency and a profound commitment to make the world a better place.

'He had courage, personal and political, unafraid to speak his mind yet always open to the views of others. He was one of the least tribal politicians I have ever known.

'He came into politics to do good and by and large did it, whether in leading his party, in his work in the Balkans or his wide range of British and international roles.'

Theresa May joined the tributes, saying: It is with great sadness that I have learned of the passing of Lord Ashdown.

'Paddy Ashdown served his country with distinction from his career in the Royal Marines and intelligence services, as Member of Parliament for Yeovil, leader of the Liberal Democrats and later as High Representative of the International Community and EU Special Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

'He dedicated his life to public service and he will be sorely missed. My thoughts and condolences are with his family and friends at this difficult time.'

Blair's successor as PM Gordon Brown said: 'I'm saddened by the loss of one of the towering political figures of our generation who spoke always as a strong European, a committed internationalist and a dedicated constitutional reformer.

Paddy Ashdown, left, pictured here with members of 42 Commando, Royal Marines on Mutla Ridge, Kuwait, was keen during his political career to highlight his Action Man image

Ashdown at a press conference in 1996. A year later he led the party to 46 seats at the general election, the most a third party had won since 1929

'Paddy Ashdown had boundless energy, was prepared to cross party lines and served not just his own country but the international community, with great distinction, as a representative of the United Nations. My thoughts are with his family.'

Ashdown served in the Special Boat Service during his time in the forces, while his service also led him to patrols on the streets of Belfast during the Troubles.

Upon entering politics he became MP for Yeovil at the 1983 general election, a position he held until 2001.

In 1988 he became the first permanent Liberal Democrat leader after the party was formed as a merger of the Liberal Party and Social Democrats, following a disappointing 1987 election.

He hit the headlines four years into his leadership when, in 1992, he revealed he had had a five-month affair with his secretary, which led the press to nickname him 'Paddy Pantsdown'. His marriage to wife Jane survived the scandal.

In 1997 he led the Lib Dems to 46 seats at the general election, the most a third party had achieved since 1929.

There were rumours Ashdown, who had held 'secret' coalition talks with Tony Blair, would be offered a Cabinet post in the New Labour government but the offer never materialised.

It was also suggested he would get a Cabinet job under Gordon Brown in 2007 or as part of the Tory-Lib Dem coalition in 2010 but he remained on the opposition benches.

Ashdown (left) with two of his successors as Liberal Democrat leader, Charles Kennedy (centre) and Nick Clegg (right)

Ashdown during his Army days. He joined the Royal Marines and served in the Special Boat Service in the Far East. His service also led him to patrols on the streets of Belfast

Ashdown, pictured, was first elected to the House of Commons in 1983 following a military career and time with the Foreign Office

Paddy Ashdown with his wife Jane in central London in April 2014. Their marriage survived the revelation that he had a five-month affair with his secretary

He also campaigned for Remain in 2016, saying after the Brexit vote that he felt a 'sense of personal bereavement'.

During the campaign he appeared at Remain events alongside then-PM David Cameron and Lord Kinnock, the former Labour leader.

In his final tweet, sent last month at the height of the Westminster drama over the withdrawal deal, he was scathing about the divisions in the Tory party.

He wrote: 'Having snoozed contentedly over the weekend while their poor orphan leader has been out trying to win support for the insupportable, watch what happens next as May's Cabinet of revivifying vipers snuff the air and slither off in search of advantage for the next stage.'

The Liberal Democrats said in a statement: 'Paddy will be desperately missed by everyone at the Liberal Democrats as a dear friend and colleague, and remembered as someone who made an immeasurable contribution to furthering the cause of liberalism.'

Sir Nick Clegg, who would as leader take the Liberal Democrats into government in 2010, said: 'Paddy was the reason I entered politics. He was the reason I became a liberal.

'And he became a lifelong mentor, friend and guide. Much will, rightly, be said about him in the days ahead. He was a soldier, a diplomat, a writer, a leader, a campaigner, a servant of his constituents, and an international statesman.

'But the thing I admired most in him is that rarest of gifts - a politician without an ounce of cynicism.

Ashdown with his wife Jane after the affair with his secretary - which led to the nickname 'Paddy Pantsdown' for the Lib Dem leader - was revealed

Ashdown poses at Buckingham Palace in 2015 (left) after he was made a member of the Order of the Companions of Honour, and holds an honorary degree from the University of Westminster in 2007 (right)

Paddy Ashdown speaks with a voter while campaigning in Portsmouth South during the 1997 general election, at which his party won 46 seats

'He was the most heartfelt person I have known - loyal and generous to a fault. Like so many others, I will miss him terribly.'

Former prime minister David Cameron said: 'I've seldom known a public servant with so much energy and dynamism.

'A passionate and charismatic leader and brilliant communicator, never more so than when he championed the Balkans and appealed to governments of the day to do more in the 1990s.

'Most of all, Paddy was a thoroughly decent, compassionate, knowledgeable and thoughtful human being.

'The UK, liberal democracy and rational, moderate, cross-party debate have lost a great advocate.'

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, said: 'Paddy Ashdown was an advocate for those others forgot, full of courage, integrity and immensely gifted.

'He served the people of the Balkans with passion and inspiration, an agent of reconciliation. He will be greatly missed.'

Paddy Ashdown, pictured here with his wife Jane, and dog Luke, died earlier today aged 77

Ashdown and his wife face the press after it was revealed he had an affair with his secretary. Jane Ashdown forgave her husband and the couple remained together

Paddy Ashdown pictured in 1989, when he was leader of the Liberal Democrats, formed a year earlier as a merger of the Liberal Party and the Social Democratic Party

Another ex-party leader, Tim Farron, said: 'Paddy Ashdown was a hero to me, he saved and revived the Liberal Democrats at our lowest ebb, and then led us to our best result for 70 years.

'As a movement, we owe him our very existence. Much love to Jane and the family. Thank you boss.'

Menzies Campbell, who was party leader from 2006 to 2007, said Ashdown was a 'liberal through and through' and a 'man of quite extraordinary energy'.

He said: 'Many words will be spoken and written about Paddy Ashdown, the politician.

'He was a commanding figure in British political life, courageous, committed and charismatic. But my feeling is one of great loss of a friend whom I both admired and respected.'

Current Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said: 'My thoughts are with the family and friends of Paddy Ashdown.

'He represented Yeovil very well and I got to know him in the 1980s when we often found ourselves voting in Parliament together against damaging government policies. He will be greatly missed.'

The party's deputy leader Tom Watson said: 'I am very sorry to hear that Paddy Ashdown has died. He was a decent, measured and dedicated public servant.

'My thoughts are with his family and the very many Lib Dem members who will mourn his loss. He made a difference.'

Conservative former Brexit Secretary David Davis said: 'Very sad to hear of Paddy's demise. We had many different views but he was a very good man.'

Lord Newby, leader of the Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords, said: 'Paddy was a natural leader: energetic, charismatic and strategic.

Ashdown waves in July 1988 after he was elected the first permanent leader of what was then called the Social and Liberal Democrats

Ashdown meets the Queen in 2014 at the launch of the Queen Elizabeth II Academy for Leadership in International Affairs at Chatham House in London

Three party leaders: Paddy Ashdown (centre) is pictured with former Liberal leader David Steel (left) and successor Charles Kennedy (right) at a London hotel in December 2007

'He kept the Liberal Democrats alive in our early years and never lost his verve for promoting liberal values. Having worked with him for 30 years, I will miss him greatly.'

Labour MP Angela Rayner also paid tribute, saying: 'Shocked at the passing of former leader of the Liberal Democrats Paddy Ashdown.

'Whilst we had our political differences he was a staunch defender of human rights and social justice, a truly sad evening for all who fight for social justice in our country.'

'Lib Dem MP Layla Moran said he was 'one of the few originals in British politics'.

She continued: 'A unique character, a force of nature and an incredible intellect. As a candidate and MP he encouraged me to be more than I thought I could be.'

London mayor Sadiq Khan said: 'Saddened to hear of the death of Paddy Ashdown. Whether as Liberal Democrat leader or UN high representative, he always put his country first and was a a strong campaigner for social justice and human rights.'

Andrew Mitchell, who worked with Lord Ashdown while he served as the Conservative international development secretary in the former coalition government, said: 'He was a wonderful man and a hugely effective politician.

Paddy Ashdown poses with his wife Jane beside Blackpool Tower at the 1988 party conference

Ashdown in London in 2015. He entered 'secret' coalition talks with Tony Blair in 1997 but a rumoured offer of a Cabinet post never materialised

'I worked with him closely on a range of international development issues and I had enormous respect for him.

'He was an extraordinary character. Mrs Thatcher had immense respect for him and although he was a political opponent, held his views in the highest regard.'

Anna Soubry, Conservative MP for Broxtowe, said: 'So very sorry to learn that Paddy Ashdown has died.

'I came to know him in the last few years and liked him and his values enormously. Thoughts with his family and his many dear friends.'

Ashdown devoted a large amount of his time to the Bosnia conflict, making frequent visits to the battlezones.

He also underlined his disdain for Parliament by touring the country from Cornwall to the Orkneys, spending time on housing estates, in schools and factories, with social workers and policemen, miners, dustmen, farmers and fishermen.

After stepping down as leader in 1999, Mr Ashdown was knighted and then made a peer as Lord Ashdown of Norton-sub-Hamdon.

He became High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina in May 2002. The same year he testified as a witness for the prosecution at the trial of Slobodan Milosevic at the International Criminal Tribunal.
Lin-Manuel Miranda only missed performing Hamilton on one night because he was sick - and it just so happened to be the night when Beyonce and Jay-Z were in attendance to see the popular Broadway show.

The Hamilton genius shared his misfortune while discussing the musical's impact on the Graham Norton Show on Friday night.

'You were scared of getting sick and calling out. I got sick once and I missed Beyonce and Jay-Z,' the musical wizard said to a shocked audience. 'I was pulling the IV out of my arm, I had a fever of 104.'

Scroll down for video

The Hamilton genius shared his misfortune while discussing the musical's impact on the Graham Norton Show on Friday night

Miranda was mentioning how tough it was to do the eight-performances-a-week while also dealing with the growing popularity of the show.

He added: 'My wife was like, "Stay in bed!' But I was like, "I can do it, I can do it!" You just couldn't miss it, the Internet came to the show every night.'

Javier Munoz had filled in for the 2015 show that Miranda missed and music's first couple happened to attend.

Javier Munoz had filled in for the 2015 show that Miranda missed and music's first couple happened to attend.

The duo pose with the cast from the 2015 show

Miranda was appearing on the Graham Norton show to promote his new film, 'Mary Poppins Returns,' alongside costar Emily Blunt.

He is slated to reprise his role as Alexander Hamilton for a Hamilton run in Puerto Rico aimed at raising money to help out with community efforts following the destruction of Hurricane Maria.

'The Hamilton team, my family and the Flamboyan Foundation have joined forces to do whatever we can in supporting the arts,' he said in a tweet. 'And all our proceeds from Hamilton's PR run will go towards this effort.
he replaced Lady Barbara Judge in new job, who had resigned after facing allegations of racism, which she denied

Charlotte Valeur has told how she confronted local parents in Jersey after her children were called n*****s by other pupils at school eight years ago

Charlotte Valeur, chairwoman of the Institute of Directors, said her two mixed-race boys were called vile names eight years ago

One of the countrys most prominent businesswomen has told how she confronted local parents in Jersey after her children were called n*****s by other pupils at school.

Charlotte Valeur, chairwoman of the Institute of Directors, said her two mixed-race boys were called vile names eight years ago when they were aged nine and 11.

The 54-year-old, who still lives on the island, said that when she took up the issue with the parents of children who used the racist language, they told her boys will be boys and offered the excuse that we dont have so many black people here.

In an interview with The Mail on Sunday, Valeur said: My boys had friends calling them n*****s  and not as some sort of compliment. It was very disappointing.

Lets be under no illusions that racism is still alive and kicking [in the UK]. As difficult as it is to hear or experience these things, we need to be honest with ourselves.

These events may have taken place nearly a decade ago but it still happens to this day.

Valeur said she warned the parents that if their children went to mainland Britain and used racist language, it would be a serious problem, and could even put them in danger

Danish-born Valeur was appointed in September to the top role at the IoD, an organisation for company directors which sets standards for businesses.

She replaced Lady Barbara Judge, who had resigned after facing allegations of racism, which she denied.

A former investment banker, Valeur had moved to St Brelade in Jersey in 2006 with her then husband, who is from Ghana, and their children. She said on two separate occasions, her young boys  who attended different schools  came home and told their mother they had been called n*****s by friends.

Valeur reported the incidents to both schools and spoke to the parents directly.

I confronted the parents and said, Do you have a problem with black people?  she said. Both sets of parents denied that they, or their children were racist, and brushed off the incidents as just a symptom of the lack of diversity in Jersey.

Of the 97,857 living on Jersey, 0.4 per cent described themselves as black in the 2011 Census.

Valeur said she warned the parents that if their children went to mainland Britain and used racist language, it would be a serious problem, and could even put them in danger. I said, imagine your boy goes to a university in England when he reaches 18 and goes up to a black man and calls him a n*****  its going to be a big problem. Please teach them [that using that word is wrong]. Now they dont talk to me any more. What else could I do? Unless you tackle these incidents head-on, every time you sadly witness a situation like this, then we as a society can never progress. We need to speak up.

Police on Jersey said racism remains a problem on the island.

One of the countrys most prominent businesswomen has told how she confronted local parents in Jersey after her children were called n*****s by other pupils at school [File photo]

Detective Chief Inspector Alison Fossey said: Racially motivated hate crimes are massively under-reported in the island, which is why we will be launching a public awareness campaign early next year to help people understand how they can report this kind of behaviour.

An anti-racism campaigner living in Jersey told the MoS that foreigners were used to being told to go back to their own country.

She asked not to be named for fear of reprisals, saying: I think Jersey is a lost cause in terms of tackling racism.

Jersey has no law equivalent to the UKs Racial and Religious Hatred Act 2006, which allows prosecutions for inciting racial or religious hatred.

Valeur said: A lot of progress has been in made in the past decade, but there are also plenty of people in the UK that have similar views. This is not just someone elses problem or just for those who experience racism, its a problem for all of us [to take seriously].
The government shutdown may be the nation's nightmare before Christmas, but Santa Claus will still be on his way.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), which is funded by the federal government, announced on Friday that it will still track Santa's flight across the globe, despite the freeze on its funds.

NORAD said they'll continue the tradition of tracking Santa just as it has done for the past six decades.

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The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) will track Santa Claus' location this year despite the government shutdown

First Lady Melania Trump said she would take Christmas Eve NORAD calls just as she did last year with President Donald Trump at their Mar-a-Lago Estate. Pictured above last year

President Donald Trump answering the calls of children across the nation on Christmas eve

Last year, Melania and President Trump took calls nine and six calls respectively from the grandeur of their Mar-a-Lago estate on Christmas Eve Donald and Melania surprise kids calling NORAD to track Santa

First Lady Melania Trump, who flew to the Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida on Friday, said she will also continue her annual tradition of calling in to NORAD on Christmas Eve and spreading holiday cheer.

'In the event of a government shutdown, NORAD will continue with its 63-year tradition of NORAD Tracks Santa on Dec. 24,' the agency said.

'Military personnel who conduct NORAD Tracks Santa are supported by approximately 1,500 volunteers who make the program possible each and every year,' NORAD added.

Children call in to NORAD on Christmas Eve to ask about Santa's whereabouts and this year Melania will help answer the calls and share updates on where Old Saint Nick is around the globe.

Last year, Melania and President Trump took calls nine and six calls respectively from the grandeur of their Mar-a-Lago estate on Christmas Eve.

NORAD's website track's Santa Claus' location. His current position is listed as in Santa's Village in the North Pole

On Christmas Eve Santa's locations is live tracked, above pictured in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

The federal government shut down on Friday at midnight after Democrats rejected President Donald Trump's proposed $5.7billion border wall bill.

On Saturday Congress and the president tried to come to a negotiation, but to no avail, and the Senate was adjourned until Thursday December 27, keeping the government shut down through the remainder of the week.

In the shutdown 420,000 Americans will be forced to work without pay over the holidays and 380,000 federal employees will be furloughed.

However the U.S. Postal Service will still be running and continue to send Christmas gifts to families across the nation.

'All Post Offices will remain open for business. Because we are an independent entity that is funded through the sale of our products & services, and not by tax dollars, our services will not be impacted by a gov't shutdown,' the service tweeted.
Paddy Ashdown was the first leader of the Liberal Democrats when the SDP and Liberal Alliance merged in 1988.

He was born in New Dehli on February 27, 1941, although he grew up on the outskirts of Belfast when his parents bought a farm on the outskirts of Belfast.

In 1959, he joined the Royal Marines in 1959 and served in the Indonesian-Malaysia insurgency where he was a young officer in charge of 20 marines.

Paddy Ashdown, pictured here with his wife Jane, and dog Luke, died earlier today aged 77

Ashdown, pictured, was first elected to the House of Commons in 1983 following a military career and time with the Foreign Office

Paddy Ashdown, left, pictured here with members of 42 Commando, Royal Marines on Mutla Ridge, Kuwait, was keen during his political career to highlight his Action Man image

After completing parachine training in Poole in 1965, he was given command of a section of the Special Boat Service in the Far East.

One of the techniques developed by Ashdown was known as 'Goldfish' which enabled operatives to enter and leave a submarine without the vessel having to surface.

He later commanded Commandos in Belfast in 1970 before leaving the Royal Marines in 1972 and joining the Foreign Office.

Lord Ashdown first stood for election in Yeovil in 1979 for the Liberals, although he did not make it into parliament until 1983 where he remained until his retirement in 2001.

In 1988 he was elected as the first leader of the Liberal Democrats.

Yet, while party leader he managed to survive an expose by The Sun, who branded him 'Paddy Pantsdown' over a five-month affair he had with his secretary.

Ashdown had the five-month relationship in 1985 but in 1992 the News of the World discovered the story. He managed to secure an injunction against the paper before handing it to The Sun - who branded him 'Paddy Pantsdown'.

Following the scandal, he changed the message on his answering machine to 'Hello, this is Paddy Ashdown. Please leave a message after the high moral tone.'

Ashdown, right, pictured in Borneo, was also in the Special Boat Service

Ashdown, pictured, was born in India but grew up outside Belfast on a farm before he joined the Royal Marines and later the Special Boat Service

As the leader of a minority party, Ashdown was always praying at election times for a hung Parliament in the hope that the Liberal Democrats could form a coalition with either Labour or the Tories on the understanding that moves would be made towards a proportional representation form of voting.

His dreams of power became partially true when, after the 1997 election, in which Labour secured a landslide triumph, Ashdown and some of his colleagues were invited to join a Cabinet sub-committee.

Cynics saw this as the start of a coalition between the two parties, and Ashdown even spoke of the possibility.

But the outcry which followed this 'feeler' caused the then-Liberal Democrat leader to pipe down - and to intensify his attacks on Labour in the belief that people would assume he had dropped the idea.

In 1988, Ashdown, pictured with his wife Jane, was elected leader of the newly created Social and Liberal Democratic Party which saw a merger between the SDP and the Liberals

And although Ashdown always insisted that he was in politics to 'do things, not to be things', there was no doubt that he had longings towards a Cabinet post in Tony Blair's Labour Government.

When in 1998 he had served as leader for 10 years and a TV interviewer asked whether he was now considering standing down in favour of someone else, Ashdown retorted: 'You must be joking' - a remark which left the impression that after increasing the party's showing in the Commons to 46 Liberal Democrat MPs, he felt there was a Cabinet post in the offing, which would disappear, as far as he was concerned, if he handed over the leadership.

Ashdown, second right, began his military career in the Royal Marine Commandos

However, there was growing resentment in significant parts of the Labour Party about the inclusion of Ashdown in any part of the governing process.

And the resignation of Peter Mandelson as Trade and Industry Secretary in December 1998 made it more difficult for Mr Blair to pursue his desire to increase cooperation with the Liberal Democrats. The Old Labour stalwarts, led by Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott, now had more scope with which to express their distaste at any such moves.

Ashdown was a hugely-respected figure on the world stage despite never being a Government minister

Finally, in the spring of 1999, Ashdown announced his decision to quit as the party leader, boasting that he had brought it, over the space of 12 years, from near extinction to a state, in 1997, when it had 46 MPs in the House of Commons.

But in the immediate aftermath of his quitting the leadership, Ashdown's hopes for a big international post, such as leading Nato, were swiftly scotched. Even though Prime Minister Tony Blair was anxious to find him a berth, Ashdown's lack of experience in running a big department counted against him.

Ashdown, who received a knighthood shortly after he quit the leadership, disclosed in his diaries, published soon after that, that he and the man who was to become Prime Minister had been involved in secret 'coalition' talks before the 1997 general election in which Labour secured a landslide victory.

That 'coalition' did not take place, and Ashdown implied in his diaries that Blair was 'flawed' as a decision-maker. But Ashdown's critics put that down to sour grapes on his part.

Former Conservative prime minister Sir John Major hailed his former opponent as 'a man of duty, passion, and devotion to the country he loved - right up to the very end".

He said Lady Ashdown and the rest of his family could be proud of his achievements, adding: 'In Government, Paddy Ashdown was my opponent. In life, he was a much-valued friend.

'His loss will be felt deeply by many - and not least by myself.

'Throughout his life, Paddy was a true patriot, whose overriding wish was to serve his country: first, in the Marines, and then in both Houses of Parliament.

'I can attest to the fact that - even when he knew he was gravely ill - Paddy's concern for the future of our country continued to dominate his thinking.

He finished his military service, pictured here with the Royal Marines standing on a Land Rover in Belfast. He served in Northern Ireland between 1970 and 1972

'I was not surprised. For Paddy, his country always came before personal or political advantage.'

Born Jeremy John Durham Ashdown - as an Irishman he preferred the homespun Paddy, his schoolboy nickname - was a swashbuckling, rangy, handsome figure, an ex-marine commando captain with an illustrious military career, who became the first MP to enter the House of Commons direct from the dole queue.

But his antipathy to Parliament - which he regarded as pompous and unreal - did not diminish his passion for politics.

He liked to think of himself as the Action Man of Westminster, photographed jumping out of helicopters, his jacket slung over his shoulder, and paying regular, highly publicised visits to dangerous front-line areas in the Bosnian conflict.

Ashdown was born in India, the son of an army colonel, and attended a public school. When he was five his father returned home to Ulster in Northern Ireland to run a pig farm, but the family gradually grew poorer as a result of Ashdown Senior's poor business sense.

The Sun dubbed him 'Paddy Pantsdown' after breaking news of the five-month affair he had with his secretary, although the former Commando changed his answer machine message as a result of the scandal to 'Hello, this is Paddy Ashdown. Please leave a message after the high moral tone'

At 16, Ashdown signed himself up for an army scholarship to save his father the fees for his schooling. He joined the Royal Marines and served in the Special Boat Service in the Far East. His service also led him to patrols on the streets of Belfast during the height of the troubles.

In 1961 he married his wife Jane, the cousin of a fellow officer. Ashdown studied Chinese during a naval course in Hong Kong, and reputedly used to order his Chinese meals in Cantonese at UK takeaway shops.

But in 1971, he left behind a military life, and joined the Foreign Office. At the age of 31, he was a diplomat with two children, attached to the United Nations and living in Geneva.

However, the Ashdowns became restless in Geneva and were concerned about their children's schooling. They decided to return to England, to Yeovil, Jane's home town.

Over these years, Ashdown had become increasingly interested in politics, and had shifted to the right from his earlier support for Labour. He once said: 'I discovered that I had never really been a socialist.'

As leader of the Liberal Democrats, he had hoped for a hung parliament, so his party could hold the balance of power and change the electoral system to proportional representation to further boost his party's prospects

He then sought and acquired the Liberal candidacy for Yeovil, for years a seemingly impregnable Tory stronghold. But Ashdown worked for years, 'nursing' the constituency which he subsequently won in 1983 after failing in 1979.

This was a tough period in his life. He undertook a series of jobs, including working for Morlands (the sheepskin coat-makers), for Westland Helicopters, and as a youth worker for Dorset County Council.

There was also a six-month period of unemployment. 'Nothing I have ever done was as hard as that,' he said once. 'It unmanned me.'

But the shakily upwardly-mobile Ashdown did not take readily to the Commons, the place he grew to despise. He was a poor performer there at first, but strove to improve.

Ashdown's bounce, and practice of bounding up and down the stairs like an eager young executive, did not endear him to everyone at Westminster - but at least he was being noticed.

Everyone in the Liberal Party, the later Alliance and eventually the Liberal Democrats had to be a 'front-bench' spokesman on something. He started as trade and industry man, moved on to education and science and finally landed the Northern Ireland portfolio.

But in 1988, barely five years after he entered the Commons, Ashdown found himself the party leader, after a battle with Alan Beith, the dour, longer-serving, quieter and certainly more thoughtful MP for Berwick.

Ashdown, pictured here with John Major and Tony Blair survived the scandal over his affair

They plumped, however, for the brash bravado of Paddy Ashdown, whose campaign was based on the thesis that Labour was doomed and that the Liberal Democrats - as they were about to become - would replace them.

It was a theory that was laughed out of court at Westminster - but it secured him the leadership of a party described by a commentator at the time as 'confused, demoralised, starved for money and in the grip of a bitter identity crisis'.

Ashdown approached the matter as a military campaign, a style which was not to everyone's liking. But luck continued to run his way. His position after the Tiananmen massacre - that Hong Kong citizens should be allowed to come to Britain - made many Liberals feel the party had recovered its soul.

The Gulf War gave him a chance to display a combination of military experience and political judgment and he set up his own 'war cabinet', spending the conflict speeding between TV and radio studios. He had added a gravitas to his image that went beyond his political weight.

However his leadership was rocked to its foundations by the disclosure, early in 1992, that he had a 'brief relationship' with his former secretary, Patricia Howard. That 'brief relationship' turned out to be of five months' duration.

And it was in vain for Ashdown - by now The Sun had delighted his enemies (and some of his friends) by dubbing him 'Paddy Pantsdown' - to plead this was an invasion of privacy, because he had used 'happy family snaps' on his personal election material. Ashdown later described this description as 'dreadful but brilliant'.

Ashdown held an abrupt news 'conference' at the Commons where questions were at a premium, his wife forgave him, and his constituency party rallied to his support.

But it was damaging in the long term because it showed him to be a man who had lied to his wife for five months. Even so, the affair seem to draw the couple closer together.

This episode prompted him to say in a subsequent interview: 'Most people think I am a rampant carnivore, but there is an oddly feminine quality to my character.'

After leaving the House of Commons, Ashdown was nominated to the House of Lords

After the 1992 general election, Ashdown devoted a vast amount of his time to the Bosnia conflict, making frequent visits to the battlezones.

He also underlined his disdain for Parliament by touring the country from Cornwall to the Orkneys, spending time on housing estates, in schools and factories, with social workers and policemen, miners, dustmen, farmers and fishermen.

This was all in the interests of finding out what 'real people' think and do for the purposes of a book, Beyond Westminster, charting his experiences and underlining the trials and tribulations of British folk.

At the time of the 2001 general election, Ashdown was elevated to the peerage as Lord Ashdown of Norton-sub-Hamdon. In the House of Lords he concentrated on foreign affairs.

In March 2002, Ashdown testified as a witness for the prosecution at the trial of Slobodan Milosevic at the International Criminal Tribunal. He said that he was on the Kosovo-Albania border near Junik in June 1998.

The former leader, pictured at the party's spring conference in 2015,k was the UN's High Representative for Bosnia and Herszegovina between 2002 and 2006

From this location, through his binoculars, Ashdown claimed to have seen Serbian forces shelling several villages. Defence counsel for Milosevic claimed it was impossible for Ashdown to have seen this.

He took up the post of the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina in May 2002, reflecting his long-time advocacy of international intervention in that region. He was sometimes denigrated as 'the Viceroy of Bosnia' by critics of his work as High Representative, because of his allegedly high-handed approach to the post. Ashdown left that job in May 2006.

In 2007 it was reported that Gordon Brown, then the Labour Prime Minister, had offered Ashdown the job of Northern Ireland Secretary. However, Sir Menzies Campbell, who was then leader of the Liberal Democrats, did not want members of his party to hold office in a Labour Government.

It was widely thought he would be offered a Cabinet post in the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government formed in 2010, but that was not to be the case.

In November Lord Ashdown revealed that he had been diagnosed with bladder cancer

In his final years, Ashdown continued to be a regular contributor to agenda-setting political shows.

However, in November this year, he revealed he had cancer.

'We must see about the outcome, which as always with things like this, is unpredictable,' he told Somerset Live.

'I've fought a lot of battles in my life.

'This time I am lucky enough to have the magnificent help of our local hospital, and my friends and family, and that gives me great confidence.'
Perhaps it is poetic justice after keeping the Queen waiting earlier this year but Donald Trump will be bitten by one of Her Majesty's dogs in a new animated film.

The Queen's Corgi, a 20 million movie voiced by Sheridan Smith, Ray Winstone and Jack Whitehall, includes a scene where the US President finds himself clasped in the jaws of Palace pet Rex.

Director Ben Stassen said: 'Rex, the top dog, creates a diplomatic incident. He is running wild in the Palace, being chased by the President's dog.

The Queen's Corgi, a new 20 million animated movie, features a scene where Donald Trump is bitten by a Palace pet

The film, due for release in February, is voiced by Sheridan Smith, Ray Winstone and Jack Whitehall

'Rex ends up landing in between the President's legs and accidentally bites him in the unmentionables.'

On his visit to Britain in July, Mr Trump arrived late at Windsor Castle, then failed to bow.

He later walked in front of the Queen.

Wave Pictures, the producers of the film which is due for release next summer, said Buckingham Palace was not involved in the project.
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People dressed up as Grandfather Frost, the Russian equivalent of Father Christmas, took part in the annual festive parade today in the Crimean city of Yalta.

Grandfather Frost is referred to as Ded Moroz, and Russian tradition has it that he is helped by his granddaughter, the 'Snow Maiden', who is usually depicted as a teenager.

The Santas, joined by hundreds of others dressed as snow maidens, marched through the Black Sea resort city for the ninth time on Saturday.

The festive party of fairytale characters walked along the city's main street and the embankment to the beach, where they delighted audiences with a collective dance flash mob.

'We can safely say that today Yalta is not only the resort capital, but also the capital of the Grandfathers Frost,' Crimea News quoted the head of the Yalta administration, Alexei Chelpanov, as saying.

'More and more cities of Crimea are joining the Yalta Frost Parade, which is good news,' he added.

This year, there were about 800 participants - a record number in the parade's history. In the morning, the bravest among them took a swim in the Black Sea.

The head of the municipality Roman Derkach noted that the Yalta Frost parade gathers more and more people every year.

'It has become popular both among Yalta residents and those from other parts of the Crimea,' he said, and expressed confidence that in the future it will attract even larger crowds.

People dressed as Grandfather Frost, the Russian equivalent of Santa Claus, take part in a parade on Saturday 22 December

People dressed as Russian fairytale Christmas characters Grandfather Frost and his helper the Snow Maiden march along the embankment in Yalta

The festive party delighted audiences by staging a collective dance flash mob near the embankment of the coastal Crimean city of Yalta

Grandfather Frost is referred to as Ded Moroz (right), and Russian tradition has it that he is helped by his granddaughter, the 'Snow Maiden', who is usually depicted as a teenager (left)

The annual Yalta Grandfather Frost parade was held on Saturday December 22 this year for the ninth consecutive time

The head of the municipality Roman Derkach noted that the Yalta Frost parade gathers more and more people every year

Big and small Santa Clauses and Snow Maidens, sea creatures, snowmen and other fairy-tale characters walked along the city's quay

This year, there were about 800 participants - a record number in the parade's history. In the morning, the bravest among them took a swim in the Black Sea

Despite breaking a record this year the head of the municipality Roman Derkach is optimistic that in the future it will attract even larger crowds

'We can safely say that today Yalta is not only the resort capital, but also the capital of the Grandfathers Frost,' said the administration head of Yalta, Alexei Chelpanov
Activists are stepping up their campaign to encourage airline passengers to halt the deportation of immigrants  even those being booted out of Britain as criminals.

Members of a group called Lesbians And Gays Support The Migrants last week handed out hundreds of flyers and replaced adverts on the London Underground with posters providing a step-by-step guide on how to hinder removals.

The protesters also accosted passengers at Heathrow airport before posing for a photograph outside the British Airways lounge.

Members of the group called Lesbians And Gays Support The Migrants (pictured outside Heathrow) are stepping up their campaign to encourage airline passengers to halt the deportation of immigrants

The activists include Darragh Martin, a 40-year-old Irish playwright and childrens author who was awarded a prestigious Fulbright Scholarship in 2006 to develop his writing in New York.

Others are Chris Hicks, 26, a graduate in English from University College London and Morten Thayson, a Greenpeace activist.

The new campaign follows an incident earlier this year  revealed by The Mail on Sunday  in which the removal from Britain of a Somalian man involved in the gang rape of a 16-year-old girl was halted after airline passengers staged a mutiny demanding his release.

The posters on the Tube encourage passengers to See it. Say it. Stop it  a spoof on the British Transport Polices See It. Say It. Sorted anti-terror campaign.

They feature three cartoon images. In the first, two Home Office officials are shown manhandling a deportee whose face is etched with pain.

Passengers are urged to ask at check-in and look out for a person at the back of the plane with two guards.

The next depicts an impassioned passenger confronting a stony-faced flight attendant and suggests passengers talk to the person being deported [and] demand to talk to the pilot.

The last shows a defiant passenger refusing to sit down despite the demands of a Home Office guard. An instruction beside it reads: Stand up and refuse to sit down.

A flyer handed out on the Tube provides a step-by-step guide on how to hinder removals

Last night, Harry Fletcher, of the Victims Rights Campaign, said: In virtually every case, the deportation will be justified because the individual is a foreign national and has committed a very serious crime which left victims traumatised.

The process is legitimate and I would encourage these protesters to examine the material facts of the case rather than assume that all cases are unjustified and even illegal  because theyre not.

A British Airways spokesperson said it was a legal requirement for airlines to deport people, adding: Not fulfilling this obligation amounts to breaking the law.

However, Virgin Airlines bowed to pressure from activists and has stopped helping with deportations following a string of staged interventions by passengers.

In July, a Swedish student filmed herself halting the deportation of an Afghan asylum seeker on a Turkish Airlines flight from Gothenburg to Istanbul.

A month later, a Turkish Airlines pilot refused to take off from Heathrow after campaigners convinced him that an asylum seeker on his plane would be beheaded by the Taliban if he was returned to Afghanistan.

A spokesman for Lesbians And Gays Support The Migrants last night said: LGSMigrants is committed to ending deportations. Many people are being deported to places where they may well suffer persecution and severe harm.

Neither Mr Martin, Mr Hicks nor Mr Thayson responded to a request for comment.
A dozen heavily armed Special Boat Service commandos abseiled from a helicopter on to a cargo ship in a daring mission to end a hostage drama in the English Channel.

Under cover of darkness, the crack troops swung on to the deck of the 770ft Grande Tema to tackle a gang of iron- bar-wielding stowaways who had forced the terrified crew to take refuge on the bridge.

As their Royal Navy Merlin helicopter hovered overhead, the SBS team  armed with assault rifles  rounded up the men and locked them in a cabin before freeing the ships 27 Italian and Filipino sailors.

The dramatic scenes played out late on Friday after the stowaways launched a desperate bid to force the ships captain to sail close enough to the Essex coast for them to swim ashore

Once the mission  understood to have been codenamed Operation Buckthorn  was complete, the troops were joined by police officers who arrested the stowaways.

Last night, a spokesman for the Grimaldi Group, which owns the ship, described how the SBS ordered the crew to help neutralise the gang.

Paul Kyprianou said: Just before the Special Forces made their intervention, we were asked to switch off all the lights. Then they stormed aboard and the stowaways were put in a cabin. Then another helicopter landed on the ship with six police officers on board.

The whole operation took about 20 minutes. Everything went smoothly.

They [the crew] are just glad they are safe. You can imagine.

A dozen heavily armed Special Boat Service commandos, left, abseiled from a helicopter, right, on to a cargo ship in a daring mission to end a hostage drama in the English Channel

The dramatic scenes played out late on Friday after the stowaways launched a desperate bid to force the ships captain to sail close enough to the Essex coast for them to swim ashore.

The 71,000-ton vessel sailed from Lagos in Nigeria on December 7. Eleven days later, the crew found four stowaways hiding in its vast cargo hold.

In accordance with international regulations, they gave them food and accommodation.

Shipping monitoring sites show the position of the vessel just north of the town of Margate

The 71,000-ton vessel sailed from Lagos in Nigeria on December 7. Eleven days later, the crew found four stowaways hiding in its vast cargo hold

But when the Italian-registered vessel entered the English Channel on Friday morning, the group broke out of their locked cabin and, after arming themselves with weapons, attempted to storm the bridge.

When they demanded the ship change course, the skipper alerted the UK coastguard.

The Ministry of Defence was briefed and the dramatic rescue mission planned.

Under cover of darkness, the crack troops swung on to the deck of the 770ft Grande Tema to tackle a gang of iron- bar-wielding stowaways who had forced the terrified crew to take refuge on the bridge

This graphic shows the ship's route to Britain as well as five piracy incidents along the coast of Africa

First two Merlins were scrambled from their base in Yeovilton, Somerset, to the SBS HQ in Poole where they were met by commanders of the Special Forces units elite X Squadron.

After getting the 12-strong team and their equipment on board, the helicopters flew to RAF Manston in Kent where the final touches to Operation Buckthorn were made.

A source told The Mail on Sunday: One of the Merlins took off from Manston at around 10.45pm and flew out over the Kent coast and north towards the vessel. As they approached the ship the SBS commandos seated inside the helicopter pulled down their infrared night vision goggles, which offer almost perfect vision even in pitch black conditions, and the order was given to the ships captain to turn off all the lights.

The Merlin hovered over the rear of the ship and the guys fast-roped down, quickly making their way towards the bridge.

They got the situation under control very quickly, none of the kidnappers offered resistance. The crew looked mightily relieved.

It was travelling at a steady speed, but kept changing speed after the stowaways were found

Essex police confirmed that the vessel had docked at Tilbury and that four men had been detained under the Immigration Act

This red line shows how the ship is going in circles as the migrants demand that they are taken to Britain's shores and the crew remain in control

Close-ups of the ship's movements (green) show it repeatedly turning around during the day

For some SBS commandos this was their first mission so they got good experience out of it too.

Mr Kyprianou added: At the beginning the stowaways werent violent. We gave them accommodation and food.

They were calm but then, when the vessel was closer to shore, they changed their behaviour. They were young and they were African. We dont know the nationality.

They probably managed to board the vessel in Lagos but we do not have information regarding the nationality.

Essex police confirmed that the vessel had docked at Tilbury and that four men had been detained under the Immigration Act.
A man in has been shot dead in Dublin in what has been described as a 'gangland murder'.

The victim was reportedly locking his car when the gunman attacked him in Blanchardstown, west Dublin.

Gardai are investigating after the man, in his 30s, was pronounced dead at the scene on Saturday evening.

The man had been warned his life was in danger but police said it was too early to specify a motive, RTE reported.

Police at the scene of a shooting in Blanchardstown, west Dublin, on Saturday evening where a man in his 30s was killed in what has been described as a 'gangland murder'

The attacker is said to have fired 'a number of shots' at the man while he locked the door of his car, in what police are reportedly treating as a 'gangland murder'.

The area has been sealed off for a technical examination and the office of the state pathologist has been informed.

Gardai are appealing for witness to the shooting at at Blakestown Cottages at around 6.50pm.

Anyone with information is urged to contact them on 01 6667000, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda station.

A police vehicle at the scene on Saturday night after the victim, a man in his 30s, was reportedly shot and killed while locking up his car
Schools that ban dreadlocks and braiding hairstyles are using slave-era techniques to maintain white supremacy, according to two British academics.

A research paper claims that attempts to police black hair have their origins in colonial days when slave masters shaved enslaved peoples hair and jealous white women cut the hair of black enslaved women.

The controversial study cites the case of Chikayzea Flanders, 12, who was put into isolation on his first day at Fulham Boys School in West London because his dreadlocks did not comply with uniform rules.

Staff threatened to exclude the boy unless his hair was cut. But after legal action by his family, the Church of England school was forced to back down and ordered to pay compensation.

The research paper, written by Dr Remi Joseph-Salisbury (left) from Manchester University and Dr Laura Connolly (right), at Salford University, claims that attempts to police black hair have their origins in colonial days

At the time, his mother, Tuesday Flanders, said: We would like to make sure that communities know that their identity and religious beliefs matter and they cannot be forced to change these to access education.

The new paper has been written by Dr Remi Joseph-Salisbury, presidential fellow in ethnicity and inequalities at Manchester University, and Dr Laura Connolly, lecturer in criminology at Salford University.

It claims the Flanders case casts light on how schools in England police black hair and suggests it is part of a broader racist system that places black bodies under forms of social control in order to maintain white supremacy.

The academics add that by implying that black hairstyles are undisciplined, school policies feed into a broader narrative that black people themselves lack discipline.

The study cites the case of Chikayzea Flanders, 12, who was put into isolation on his first day at Fulham Boys School in West London because his dreadlocks did not comply with uniform

White social control of black hair has deep roots in enslavement and colonialism, and that notions of black hair as messy and antithetical to school discipline (and therefore success) are both naturalised and widespread, they assert in the Social Sciences journal.

The study is part of a growing movement in British academia to analyse society using critical race theory which works on the premise that racism is rife.

The theory often encompasses the notion of white privilege.

Critics said the views in the paper only served to turn the black community into powerless victims and make everyone else racist.

Chris McGovern, chairman of the Campaign for Real Education and a former headmaster, said: Most people are not racist and not all white people are bad. Implying otherwise can potentially fuel racial tension and can push people to the Right.

Dr Joseph-Salisbury is no stranger to controversy. In a newspaper article last year he blamed the white gaze for police breaking down the door of rapper Stormzy after mistaking him for a burglar.

He added: This is a gaze that erases the humanity of black people. Looking through the white gaze, too often, white people generally, and white police officers specifically, do not see black people.

What they see instead is a figment of their imagination: an imagination that has been collectively constructed for centuries.
Former Liberal Democrat leader and true patriot Paddy Ashdown died last night aged 77 after a short illness.

The former Royal Marine-turned- intelligence officer, diplomat and politician had revealed early last month that he was being treated for bladder cancer.

Elected as MP for Yeovil from 1983, Ashdown took over Britains third party in 1988 after its crushing 1987 wipeout, leading it to a stunning breakthrough at the 1992 election.

Paddy Ashdown, pictured here with his wife Jane, and dog Luke, died earlier today aged 77

Ashdown, pictured, was first elected to the House of Commons in 1983 following a military career and time with the Foreign Office

He was last night extolled as one of the most talented politicians never to hold high office after being eclipsed by Labours 1997 Election having been on the brink of a coalition government.

After stepping down as leader in 1999, Mr Ashdown  who served in the Special Forces  was knighted and then made a peer as Lord Ashdown of Norton-sub-Hamdon. He became High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2002, and was an active campaigner for Remain in the 2016 referendum.

Last night, the Prime Minister led a chorus of cross-party tributes, remembering a man who served his country with distinction.

Theresa May said: It is with great sadness that I have learned of the passing of Lord Ashdown. He dedicated his life to public service and he will be sorely missed. My thoughts and condolences are with his family and friends at this difficult time.

Current Lib Dem leader Sir Vince Cable said it was a hugely sad day for the party and everyone else across politics who had immense affection and respect for Paddy.

He was famous for his politics, but his talents extended well beyond that arena. He was an accomplished author, and had spent many years serving the country before he got near the House of Commons.

In 1988, Ashdown, pictured with his wife Jane, was elected leader of the newly created Social and Liberal Democratic Party which saw a merger between the SDP and the Liberals

Few people know how hard he fought to get into politics following his service in the Marines and diplomatic service.

Former Conservative Prime Minister Sir John Major hailed his one- time rival as a man of duty, passion and devotion to the country he loved  right up to the very end.

In government, Paddy Ashdown was my opponent, he added. In life, he was a much-valued friend. Throughout his life, Paddy was a true patriot, whose overriding wish was to serve his country: first, in the Marines, and then in both Houses of Parliament.

I can attest to the fact that  even when he knew he was gravely ill Paddys concern for the future of our country continued to dominate his thinking.

Paddy Ashdown, left, pictured here with members of 42 Commando, Royal Marines on Mutla Ridge, Kuwait, was keen during his political career to highlight his Action Man image

And fellow 1990s sparring partner Tony Blair, with whom Ashdown held talks about forming a coalition in 1997, said he was deeply saddened and shocked by the news about Paddy.

I had enormous admiration for Paddy as a man and as a political visionary and leader.

He was one of the most talented politicians never to hold high office but as leader of the Liberal Democrats he nonetheless had a major impact on British political life.

Another former Lib Dem leader, Tim Farron, said Lord Ashdown took us from our worst polling result in history to our best, and he did that as one of lifes natural leaders.

There was a very real fear he would be the first and last leader of our new party, but he turned it around. Sir Nick Clegg, who would as leader take the Lib Dems into government in 2010, said: Paddy was the reason I entered politics. He was the reason I became a liberal.

He was a soldier, a diplomat, a writer, a leader, a campaigner, a servant of his constituents and an international statesman.

But the thing I admired most in him is that rarest of gifts  a politician without an ounce of cynicism.

He was the most heartfelt person I have known  loyal and generous to a fault. Like so many others, I will miss him terribly.

Tory David Davis also paid tributes, saying: We had many different views but he was a very good man. And Home Secretary Sajid Javid added Lord Ashdown was one of the most friendly and compassionate people I have ever met in politics.

Lord Ashdown will be famously remembered for his nickname Paddy Pantsdown after a five-month affair with his secretary in 1992. His marriage remained intact and he was last night survived by his wife Jane, whom he married in 1962, and his son and daughter.
December 20, 2018

Dear Mr. President:

I have been privileged to serve as our country's 26th Secretary of Defense which has allowed me to serve alongside our men and women of the Department in defense of our citizens and our ideals.

I am proud of the progress that has been made over the past two years on some of the key goals articulated in our National Defense Strategy: putting the Department on a more sound budgetary footing, improving readiness and lethality in our forces, and reforming the Department's business practices for greater performance. Our troops continue to provide the capabilities needed to prevail in con?ict and sustain strong U.S. global influence.

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. 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. Like you, I have said from the beginning that the armed forces of the United States should not be the policeman of the world. Instead, we must use all tools of American power to provide for the common defense, including providing effective leadership to our alliances. NATO's 29 democracies demonstrated that strength in their commitment to fighting alongside us following the 9-11 attack on America. The Defeat-ISIS coalition of 74 nations is further proof.

Similarly, I believe we must be resolute and unambiguous in our approach to those countries whose strategic interests are increasingly in tension with ours. It is clear that China and Russia, for example, want to shape a world consistent with their authoritarian model gaining veto authority over other nations? economic, diplomatic, and security decisions to promote their own interests at the expense of their neighbors, America and our allies. That is why we must use all the tools of American power to provide for the common defense.

My views on treating allies with respect and also being clear-eyed about both malign actors and strategic competitors are strongly held and informed by over four decades of immersion in these issues. 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.

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. The end date for my tenure is February 28, 2019, a date that should allow sufficient time for a successor to be nominated and confimed as well as to make sure the Department's interests are properly articulated and protected at upcoming events to include Congressional posture hearings and the NATO Defense Ministerial meeting in February. Further, that a full transition to a new Secretary of Defense occurs well in advance of the transition of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in September in order to ensure stability Within the Department.

I pledge my full effort to a smooth transition that ensures the needs and interests of the 2.15 million Service Members and 732,079 civilians receive undistracted attention of the Department at all times so that they can fulfill their critical, round-the-clock mission to protect the American people.

I very much appreciate this opportunity to serve the nation and our men and women in uniform.

James N. Mattis
Apple's iPad Mini may not be getting killed off after all.

The iPhone maker is rumored to be releasing two lower-priced iPad models in 2019, including a 7.9-inch version and another model that's over 10 inches, the China Business Times reported.

If the speculation proves to be true, it would mark the first major revamp of the iPad Mini since a fourth-generation version of the device was launched in 2015.

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Apple's iPad Mini may not get killed off after all, as it's rumored to be releasing two cheaper iPad models in 2019, including a 7.9-inch version and another model that's over 10 inches

The Chinese newspaper said Apple could release the 7.9-inch iPad by early 2019.

Both a new iPad Mini and another refreshed iPad could go into production by the end of the year.

It's unclear what the refreshed Mini will look like or if it'll get any internal upgrades.

Some expect it to get a faster processor and the addition of slimmer bezels and a bigger screen, much like the newer models.

Meanwhile, the other iPad with a 10-inch-plus screen is expected to be cheaper than the 2018 iPad Pro models.

Apple in October debuted new 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad models.

It's unclear what the refreshed Mini will look like, but some expect it to get a faster processor and the addition of slimmer bezels and a bigger screen, much like the newer models

The revamped iPad should arrive in the second half of 2019, China Business Times said.

The speculation of a new iPad Mini comes after it was believed that Apple was on its way to discontinue the device.

A report from BGR in 2017 said Apple was considering discontinuing the iPad Mini due to disappointing sales, with users opting to buy the 9.7-inch iPad instead.

It's not clear if iPad Mini sales have improved since then.
The world's first no-kill eggs have been rolled out to supermarkets after scientists discovered a way to determine a chick's gender before it hatches.

The eggs are now on sale in Berlin, Germany, and could put an end to the needless culling of billions of live male chicks every year.

The new project, named 'Seleggt', allows scientists to determine a chick's gender before it hatches, meaning the male ones can be disposed of before they are born.

The patented 'Seleggt' (pictured) can detect the sex of an egg like a pregnancy test just nine days after it has been fertilised, leaving just female chicks to hatch

Seleggt managing director Dr Ludger Breloh, told The Guardian: 'If you can determine the sex of a hatching egg you can entirely dispense with the culling of live male chicks.'

Chickens are usually bred for eggs or meat, but the males do not lay eggs and do not put on enough weight to justify being kept for meat.

Seleggt said the new technology meant male younglings 'can be rejected long before they hatch and no longer need to be killed as day-old chicks'.

The eggs can be identified as male nine days into the 21-day incubation period, and turned into animal feed.

A fluid can be extracted from the egg using a laser, without harming the developing embryo inside.

If the fluid contains a female hormone - which is observed in a procedure 'similar to a pregnancy test' - the egg continues to develop and hatches on the 21st day.

Up to six million male chicks are slaughtered across the globe per year because they are not used in the food chain.

Chicks have been reported to have been suffocated, fed into grinding machines or processed into reptile food.

The company use a laser which burns a 0.33mm hole into the shell after which air pressure is applied to the outside, pushing a drop of fluid out of the egg to be tested

The company use a laser which burns a 0.33mm hole into the shell after which air pressure is applied to the outside, pushing a drop of fluid out of the egg to be tested.

It takes one second and and is a hygienic, fast and precise way to determine the sex of an egg.

Dr Breloh told The Guardian: 'It worked absolutely faultlessly. Today, female hens are laying eggs in farms in Germany that have been bred without killing any male chicks.'

The company hope to roll out the eggs across Germany by next year, and Sellegt plan to install the technology into hatcheries from 2020.
Karl Stefanovic was booted from the Today Show on Wednesday.

And now Married At First Sight star Dean Wells has recalled the time the 44-year-old TV star 'attacked' him live on Today and called him a 'sexist.'

Taking to Instagram on Friday, the former reality star shared a snap of himself and TV wife Tracey Jewel during the Today interview that took place in January, saying Karl's comments were a 'bit rich.'

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Married At First Sight's Dean Wells (R) recalls the moment Karl Stefanovic 'attacked' him and called him a 'sexist' live on the Today show (pictured with ex Tracey Jewel on the show) after the TV host was axed

'I remember the time I went on the Today show and bold faced lied Australia about still being with Tracey Jewel. (Of course this was after we had finished shooting so its part of our contract to do so),' Dean's post began.

'Karl whispered in my ear right before we were about to start shooting "you're gonna cop it mate, just roll with it" then when the cameras rolled he attacked me and called me a sexist. Ha, bit rich coming from him.'

Dean then said that Karl tried to ease things over with him after the grilling.

Gone! Karl Stefanovic (pictured) was dismissed from the Today Show on Wednesday

'Then after it he said, "better than being boring eh mate?"

Dean said the despite the experience, he wishes Karl well after he was axed from Today.

'Haha, despite all that I can honestly say I reckon you're a decent and funny guy Karl, and although I have never watched an episode of the Today show in my life, I'm sure you will be missed.'

He finished, saying: 'Your (sic) good at what you do mate. Those knife sets and Nutribullets don't just sell themselves! Good luck in the future.'

Making headlines: The grilling from Karl came following an episode of Married At First Sight where Dean admitted he had been unable to stop staring at Tracey's surgically-enhanced breasts during their wedding vows, telling producers afterwards: 'I'm a man, it's just natural'

The grilling from Karl came following an episode of Married At First Sight where Dean admitted he had been unable to stop staring at Tracey's surgically-enhanced breasts during their wedding vows, telling producers afterwards: 'I'm a man, it's just natural.'

Dean also previously came under fire when he revealed in a trailer that he 'was the man and that I'm in charge' when it came to relationships.

'You had others things to say... which I guess is old-school language at best and sexist at worst, and offensive,' Karl said during the interview on Today, at the time.

Dean was left visibly ruffled at Karl's comments, before he asked Dean if he regretted his actions.

Dean said he didn't, but also didn't want to upset Tracey.

Controversial: During the interview, he also defended his 'alpha male' comments, saying they had been blown out of proportion

'I wouldn't say I regret any of that, no I don't think Tracey was offended by any of that, so that's the main person I'm worried about,' Dean said.

During the interview, he also defended his 'alpha male' comments, saying they had been blown out of proportion.

In a trailer for the show, Dean declared: 'I'm the man and I'm in charge', leading to online backlash.

Saying goodbye to Today: Karl was officially ditched from the Today Show on Wednesday, just a week after his brother Peter, 37, announced he was leaving the Nine Network. Pictured with Richard Wilkins

Karl meanwhile, was officially ditched from the Today Show on Wednesday, just a week after his brother Peter, 37, announced he was leaving the Nine Network.

'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 at the time.

'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.'

Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Karl's management and the Nine Network for comment.
He had hosted the Today show for 14 years before he was unceremoniously sacked while he was on honeymoon with new wife Jasmine Yarbrough.

But on Saturday, Nine defended their snap decision to dump Karl Stefanovic, amid a blaze of negative publicity over his personal life.

Speaking to the Sydney Morning Herald, Nine's news director Darren Wick admitted that up until very recently the station thought they could ride out the negative attention Karl was receiving.

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'The wedding showed the negative noise was not going anywhere': Nine defended their decision to axe Karl Stefanovicr (right) from the Today show while he was on his honeymoon in Colorado on Saturday. Karl is pictured with his former Today show colleague Georgie Gardner

'The wedding showed the negative noise was not going anywhere and it was time for us and for Karl to take a rest ... to have a breather. We truly believe this is what is best for both the show and for Karl,' he said.

'There was no reason for us to wait any longer once we had made the decision. We spoke with Karl's management, and I've got to say it has been pretty amicable.'

Wick defended the snap decision, a move that not only blindsided his colleagues but also the public.

'There was no point waiting another couple of weeks': Wick defended the snap decision to dump Karl, a move that not only blindsided his colleagues but also the public

'The feeling was we wanted to go into 2019 with a fresh slate. The team were called in and we let them know what was happening and then we put out the statement on Wednesday. There was no point waiting another couple of weeks,' he said.

Just hours after the shock announcement was made by Channel Nine, the veteran presenter put on a brave face and tried his best to mask his feelings about being cut from the 2019 breakfast show line-up.

According to The Daily Telegraph, Karl, who was on his honeymoon in Aspen with new wife Jasmine Yarbrough when the news broke, said at the time: 'I am looking forward to getting back to the sunshine.'

Shock exit: Karl was on honeymoon with new wife Jasmine Yarbrough (pictured) when news broke of his axing from the Today show

His remarks come after Karl said in official network statement on Wednesday: '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.'

A source inside Channel 9 revealed to the publication that Karl may end up working for the network in the US.
Since he walked out on his 21 year marriage in 2016, Karl Stefanovic and ex-wife, Cassandra Thorburn have publicly traded a series of stinging barbs.

But in the aftermath of his unceremonious sacking from Channel Nine, talent agent Sean Anderson has offered some career advice going into the future - 'find peace with Cassandra'.

The media guru, who steers the career of megastar model Jennifer Hawkins, claimed sorting out his personal life was key to Karl's next professional move because they drama playing out with the mother of his children was 'damaging'.

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'Find peace with Cassandra': Jennifer Hawkins' agent on Saturday advised Karl Stefanovic (right) to patch things up with his ex wife Cassandra Thorburn (left)

'My best career advice to Karl would be to find peace with Cassandra,' Anderson told Daily Telegraph on Saturday.

'I knows it's easier said than done but the drama playing out between them in public is so damaging.'

He added: 'Happy ex-wife, happy life.'

Wise words: Anderson, who steers the career of top model Jennifer Hawkins (left), claimed sorting out his personal life was key to Karl's next professional move

Relations between the warring former couple, who share three children - Jackson, 19, Ava, 13 and River, 12 - reached an all-time low since Karl, 44, tied the knot with Jasmine Yarbrough, 34, in Mexico earlier this month.

The former TV producer, 47, reportedly went on a tirade against her ex-husband at Sydney Airport the day after he got hitched in a lavish ceremony.

And PR guru Roxy Jacenko recently weighed in on the bitter feud, advising Cassandra to maintain a dignified silence.

'Stop talking!' PR guru Roxy Jacenko (left) recently weighed in on the bitter feud, advising Cassandra (right_ to maintain a dignified silence

'Stop talking!' Roxy, 38, said to Daily Mail Australia on Tuesday, while offering some of her trademark no-nonsense advice, before adding: 'I've learned the less said the better.'

Despite this, the publicist acknowledged that Cassandra was justified in feeling upset about the divorce, given that she made career sacrifices during her marriage to Karl.

'She comes from a background of TV producing, she was there from the beginning for Karl, she sort of watched him come through the ranks to become very successful,' she said.

'And she took the role of being the mum at home. So I suppose [she can say] she put her career on hold. So she's right to be upset. I mean, look, you would be. It's heartbreaking.'
Anthea Turners younger sister has opened up for the first time about the rift with the former Blue Peter star - after not speaking to one another for almost two years.

Wendy Turner Webster, best known as a presenter on Channel 4s Pet Rescue, is said to have borrowed a substantial amount of money from the former GMTV host.

And now Wendy, 51, has claimed the feud with Anthea, 58, which reportedly began after the tens of thousands of pounds was loaned, drove her to the edge of.

Feud: Anthea Turners younger sister has opened up for the first time about the rift with the former Blue Peter star - after not speaking to one another for almost two years

She told the Mirror: Im profoundly hurt my own sister could behave in a way that has taken me to the edge.

Its why Ive had to cut all ties with Anthea  and it gives me no pleasure to have to say that in public.

Anthea's sister has also claimed her poor credit rating means that until recently her family has been living in a West London Travelodge.

Yet a close friend of Antheas told the publication that she would be devastated to hear Wendys twisted version of events when she has consistently supported Wendy financially over decades.

Troubles: Wendy Turner Webster, best known as a presenter on Channel 4s Pet Rescue, is said to have borrowed a substantial amount of money from the former GMTV host (pictured together in 2004)

The friend added: Their elderly parents will be heartbroken to read Wendys twisted version after everything Anthea has done to help.

Anthea's team declined to comment when asked by the Mirror. MailOnline has contacted representatives.

The veteran presenter lent a large amount of money to Wendy and her husband Gary Webster, while the former Minder actor waited for his pay from a business deal, the publication reported.

Family rift: And now Wendy, 51, has claimed the feud with Anthea, 58, which reportedly began after the tens of thousands of pounds was loaned, drove her to the edge

Yet when the commission  now the subject of impending legal action  reportedly didnt arrive when expected, the couple had to borrow more from other family and friends to keep themselves afloat.

Earlier this month it was reported that Anthea had furiously cut all contact with her younger sister after she was allegedly forced to pay 5,000 in debt for the couple after they ran into difficulty paying rent for a home in West London.

A friend of Antheas told The Sun on Sunday that the former GMTV host had decided 'enough was enough'.

Devastated: A close friend of Antheas told the publication that she would be devastated to hear Wendys twisted version of events when she has consistently supported Wendy financially over decades (pictured together in 1996)

The source told the newspaper that she had 'snapped' and 'severed all ties' amid the family feud.

They said: 'She has helped Wendy and Gary out endlessly over the years, and propped them up financially time and time again.'

It is reported she had acted as a guarantor for the couple and ended up having to pay after a county court ruling.
As the Today show host Karl Stefanovic, 44, was one of the highest paid stars in television taking home a reported $3 million annually.

But now after his shock axing from the Channel Nine program, an 'insider' has claimed the network could let him go entirely, according to a report by Newscorp on Friday.

Despite Channel Nine confirming Karl would stay on as host of This Time Next Year, the insider said there was no reason for the network to keep him.

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Will Karl Stefanvoic (pictured) be ousted from Channel Nine? Insider claims there is 'no value' in keeping the former Today Show host at the network, according to a report by Newscorp

'There's no point in keeping him,' the insider said bluntly.

The Today Show has had a massive shake-up this week, with Weekend Today anchor Peter Stefanovic, 37, the first to be let go on Tuesday.

News of Karl's axing came a short time later on Wednesday, with it announced he would no longer front the show after 14 years.

'There's no point in keeping him,' an insider claimed. Karl was reportedly paid $3 million annually, making him one of the highest paid men on Australian television

Karl previously worked for Channel Nine affiliate WIN early in his career, and previously filled in for newsreader Ron Wilson at Channel Ten.

Karl has been with the Nine network since 2000.

Despite the public dumping, Karl appeared positive and upbeat which speaking with reporters after he touched down in Sydney on Friday.

Moving on? Karl (pictured) arrived at Channel Nine in 2000. He previously had stints at regional affiliate WIN and filled in for newsreader Ron Wilson at Channel Ten

'I suppose, as they say, a change is as good as a holiday, I'm looking forward to getting back to work,' Karl told The Daily Telegraph.

He continued: 'I'm moving forward with a sense of excitement about what's to come.'

Karl has given no indication he would leave the network, after news of him being booted from the show he told viewers he 'looked forward' to seeing them again.

Thanking viewers for the opportunity, Karl went on to say he looked forward to seeing fans in another capacity.

Different capacity: 'I look forward to seeing you in another capacity at this great Network soon': Karl's statement read. Pictured here at the 2011 TV Week Logie Awards

'I look forward to seeing you in another capacity at this great Network soon,' part of his statement read.

Meanwhile, Darren Wick, Director of News and Current Affairs at Channel Nine, confirmed that Karl would be staying with the network next year.

'Karl remains on contract with the network and will continue to host This Time Next Year, which records in February,' he said.
After dating for six years, actors Dylan O'Brien and Britt Robertson have ended their relationship.

O'Brien, 27, and Robertson, 28, had been dating after meet on the set of the 2012 movie The First Time, but now they are splitting, according to US Weekly.

While neither O'Brien or Robertson have addressed the split, it's been speculated that both O'Brien and Robertson might already be seeing other people.

Dylan split: Dylan O'Brien and Britt Robertson have ended their six-year relationship

Robertson split: O'Brien, 27, and Robertson, 28, had been dating after meet on the set of the 2012 movie The First Time, but now they are splitting, according to US Weekly

O'Brien has been rumored to be sparking up a romance with 21-year-old actress Chloe Grace Moretz in August, seven years after the actor admitted he had a crush on her.

'Chloe and Dylan have always had a friendly relationship, and they were at The Nice Guy two nights in a row  most recently last night for Niall Horans concert afterparty,' said an insider in August.

'They purposely didnt show up together because they didnt want to draw attention to themselves, but they had a fun night out and were flirty and touchy-feely, but didnt show any obvious or outward PDA,' the source added.

Moving on: While neither O'Brien or Robertson have addressed the split, rumors have surfaced that both O'Brien and Robertson might already be seeing other people (Britt and Dylan pictured 2012 in Park City, Utah)

As for Robertson, she started hanging out with actor Graham Rogers since late late October, and they've frequently been seen on each others' social media pages.

Rogers, 28, shared a photo with himself and Robertson walking along the beach, with the caption, 'What a lady :).'

Earlier today, Robertson shared a photo with her and Rogers, with the word 'Magic' drawn above the image.

Happier times: As for Robertson, she started hanging out with actor Graham Rogers since late late October, and they've frequently been seen on each others' social media pages (Britt pictured with Dylan in 2012)

O'Brien has had a busy year, starring in the last installment of his Maze Runner trilogy, The Maze Runner: The Death Cure in January.

It was also recently confirmed that he is lending his voice to the title character in Bumblebee, which opens in theaters Friday.

He also stars as Marcel Marceau in the biopic Marceau, which is in pre-production, alongside Mark Strong, and The Bayou with Gary Oldman.

The First Time: O'Brien and Robertson star in The First Time, where they first met

Robertson is staying busy as well, lending her voice to Vex in the animated series Tangled: The Series.

She also stars in the new series For the People, which debuted on ABC this past spring and returns in 2019.

She also stars in the upcoming Echo Boomers with Michael Shannon and Nick Robinson which is in pre-production.

On the red carpet: O'Brien has had a busy year, starring in the last installment of his Maze Runner trilogy, The Maze Runner: The Death Cure in January

High spirits: She also stars in the new series For the People, which debuted on ABC this past spring and returns in 2019
They shockingly split up more than two weeks ago.

But it looks like things might be on the mend between Cardi B and Offset, after they were spotted on vacation in Puerto Rico together.

The supposedly estranged couple got real cosy riding a jet-ski together, the Migos rapper piloting, while his baby momma clung to him from behind.

Dynamic duo! It looks like things might be on the mend between Cardi B and Offset, after they were spotted on vacation in Puerto Rico together

Offset shared with his 10 million Instagram followers a story video as he drove, with Cardi partially visible in his rear view mirror.

Eyewitnesses told TMZ the pair seemed very much like a couple as they laughed and played around in the sea together.

The Bodak Yellow hitmaker was due to perform on Friday night at the Electric Holiday festival in San Juan.

She shared an insta story of herself looking hot in mirror wearing a sexy white two-piece bikini; Offset was not visible in her post.

Vroom vroom! The supposedly estranged couple got real cosy riding a jet-ski together

It takes two: The Migos rapper piloting, while his baby momma clung to him from behind

Nervous? Cardi B looked somewhat anxious with Offset at the helm

Making waves: The pair checked out their stunning surroundings

Despite their split, the pair are reportedly planning to spend the holidays together, so they can both be with daughter Kulture on her first Christmas.

'Cardi and Offset will spend Christmas together, but that doesn't mean she is going to take him back,' a source told Us Weekly. 'They're spending Christmas together for their daughter.'

While she may not be making plans to reunite with her ex, it is clear both Cardi B and Offset have regrets about their break-up.

Going with the flow: Cardi held onto Offset as he navigated the way

Hold on tight! She didn't let go as he maneuvered the jet ski about

Aww: Eyewitnesses told TMZ the pair seemed very much like a couple as they laughed and played around in the sea together

Indeed Bodak Yellow rapper Cardi has been explicit about just what she misses about her husband, from whom she split last month

Fans believed the 26-year-old was lamenting the loss of experiencing Offset's 'manhood' as she said on Instagram: 'Big, fat, black. Heavy. I miss it.'

Between sips of coffee, Cardi continued: 'I want it. In my throat, Inside of me. Demolishing me... destroying me... oh sh*t... I need more coffee.'

Let's go! The pair enjoyed some fun in the sun during the winter holidays

Parents: Cardi and Offset have daughter Kulture together

Glimpse: Offset shared with his 10million Instagram followers a story video as he drove, with Cardi partially visible in his rear view mirror

Cosy: Eyewitnesses told TMZ the pair seemed very much like a couple as they laughed and played around in the sea together

Back on: Cardi B and Offset 'looked very much like couple' as they rode jet-ski together in Puerto Rico on Friday; Cardi also posted this Insta story

Meanwhile Offset has insisted that he 'misses' the mother of his child and publicly begged her to take him back.

The rapper - whose real name is Kiari Kendrell Cephus - left his estranged wife unimpressed as he crashed her Rolling Loud show in Los Angeles on Saturday evening.

He then took to Twitter on Sunday to insist Cardi B deserves a 'public apology', despite the backlash.

The Migos star tweeted: 'All of my wrongs have been made public, i figure It's only right that my apologies are made public too. '

Holiday plans: Cardi B and Offset make plans to spend Kulture's first Christmas together... after rapper said she missed his private parts; she is seen on December 7 at the New York Jingle Ball

Wants her back: Offset has asked his wife to consider taking him back

Morning joe: Cardi B, 26, took to Instagram to reveal she 'misses it' as she posted a clip of herself making raunchy innuendos about coffee on Tuesday

A n**** was just trying .....thank god I ain't got no balloons sheeesh', he added.

During the show, Cardi failed to raise a smile as Offset brought out a 'take me back' banner, made out of white and red roses, while issuing a grovelling apology.

Moments later, the Bad and Boujee hitmaker made his dramatic entrance, which was met with a mixture of cheers and boos.

Cardi appeared to huff and puff at the rapper's grand gesture as she pulled back from him when he tried to reach out for her hand.

In his second apology in just two days, the Georgia native said: 'I just wanna tell you I'm sorry. In person, in front of the world. Whatever I gotta do to show you I love you.'

While the audience booed, Offset lowered his mic to share a few words with Cardi, before leaving the stage with his bold props.

Splits: Cardi may be missing Offset for a while as the two have recently called it quits after a year of marriage, even as the rapper has attempted to woo her back

Big spender: Offset spent $15,000 on roses for his 'take me back' banner after his ineffective attempt to woo ex Cardi B back during her performance on Saturday

Not pleased: During the show, Bodak Yellow rapper Cardi failed to raise a smile as he brought out a 'take me back' banner, made out of white and red roses, while issuing a grovelling apology

Cardi, who was catapulted into the spotlight following her appearance on VH1's Love and Hip Hop series, headlined the festival with fellow rappers Lil Uzi Vert, Kodak Black and Kylie Jenner's ex Tyga.

Despite her unimpressed display, the mother pleaded with fans to treat her ex kindly after crashing her show.

Cardi B announced the split on Instagram, after more than a year of marriage.

Break up: Cardi B announced the split on Instagram earlier this month, after more than a year of marriage (pictured in February)

The cheating scandal was sparked by cheating rumors and texts featuring Offset and a woman named Summer Bruni.

Just a day before Cardi's performance, he celebrated his 27th birthday and proclaimed his only wish for his special day was to reunite with his wife.

He said in a video shared to Instagram: 'I only got one birthday wish and that's to get my wife back, Cardi.'
She's the author of 12 books, master of a seductive stir and a passionate home cook.

And while many would imagine that Nigella Lawson spends her Christmas evening chowing down on smooth souffle and crispy eclairs, the reality is that an Australian classic takes pride and place at her dinner table.

Speaking to The Daily Telegraph on Saturday, Nigella revealed that she often celebrates Christmas day by enjoying a humble pavlova.

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Sweet treat! Celebrity cook Nigella Lawson (pictured) revealed her favourite Christmas recipe on Saturday... and you'll be surprised at how easy it is to follow

'Funnily enough I love a pavlova at Christmas,' the British celebrity told the publication.

'(I also love something) my great aunt used to make called Australian Christmas pudding which was ice cream with all the dried fruits found in a traditional Christmas pudding.'

Nigella, who visited Australia this year to appear on shows like MasterChef, says she loves the country and even confessed that one of her signature dishes - spaghetti and marmite - tastes better if it's done with the national spread, Vegemite.

An Australian classic: 'Funnily enough I love a pavlova at Christmas,' the British celebrity said

The cook is about to embark on a month-long speaking tour and between meeting and greeting fans she said she will spend her time enjoying the best the country has to offer.

'I plan on eating wonderful food, drinking wonderful wine and gazing at that wonderful expansive sky,' she said.

Nigella recently finished her UK 20-year anniversary tour of the publication of her first book How To Eat.

Seductive stir: Nigella recently finished her UK 20 year anniversary tour of the publication of her first book How To Eat

Meanwhile, the TV personality revealed she struggled financially following her much publicised split from advertising boss Charles Saatchi after 10 years of marriage

In an interview with Noble Rot, she said: 'I had to start my life again at 53, get a mortgage at an age when you're supposed to be paying it all off.

'I do have to work. But I only do a TV programme every other year. It's not like I'm there all the time.'

The An Evening With Nigella Lawson stage show will kick off in Adelaide on January 27 before hitting Perth, Sydney, Canberra, Hobart, Melbourne and Brisbane.

NIGELLA'S PRODIGIOUS PAVLOVA

FOR THE BASE 8 egg whites (from large organic eggs) 500g caster sugar 4 teaspoons cornflour 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar  teaspoon vanilla extract FOR THE TOPPING 650ml double cream 10 passionfruit 10 fresh or canned lychees, drained if canned 300g raspberries (frozen are fine) 25g icing sugar  Preheat the oven to 180C/gas mark 4. Line a baking sheet with baking parchment and draw a rough 25cm diameter circle on it; I pencil round a cake tin that size.  Whisk the egg whites until satiny peaks form, then whisk in the sugar, a tablespoonful at a time, until the meringue is stiff and shiny.  Sprinkle the cornflour, vinegar and vanilla extract over the egg whites, and fold in lightly with a metal spoon. Mound the meringue on to the baking parchment within the circle and, using a spatula, flatten the top and smooth the sides.  Put in the oven and immediately reduce the heat to 120C/gas mark . Cook for an hour. Then turn off the oven and leave to cool completely. Once its cool, take the meringue disc out  and you can keep it in an airtight container for a couple of days or freeze for a month.  When you are ready to assemble the pavlova, invert the cooled meringue disc on to a large plate or a stand you can serve it on, and peel off the baking parchment.  Whip the cream until thickened but still soft, and pile on to the meringue  on the squidgy part that was stuck to the baking parchment  spreading it to the edges in a swirly fashion.  Cut the passionfruit in half, and scoop out the seeds, and any pulp and juice, into a bowl. Peel the fresh lychees (if using) over the bowl to catch any juice, then remove the stones, tear the lychees into pieces and let them drop into the passionfruit. Tear the drained, canned lychees (if using) likewise, and drop them in, too.  Leave the passionfruit and lychees sitting in their bowl for a moment, while you liquidise the raspberries with the icing sugar in a blender.  Dollop the cream-topped pavlova with the passionfruit and lychees, and their juices, then zig-zag some red, red, red raspberry sauce over the top, putting the rest in a small jug for people to add to their slices as they eat. MAKES 14 GENEROUS SLICES Advertisement
She'll be back on the big screen next year starring in the latest, action-packed installment of John Wick.

But Halle Berry slowed things down Friday as she enjoyed an outing with a gal pal in Beverly Hills.

The actress, 52, ran errands wearing a stylish black sweater and rolled up jeans as she stepped outside.

Casual cool: Halle Berry slowed things down Friday as she enjoyed an outing with a gal pal in Beverly Hills

Halle looked incredible with her light brown hair pulled back into a neat ponytail, with her fringe skimming over her aviator sunglasses.

She rocked a pair of beige ankle boots and carried a chic purse.

Smiling, the actress indeed looked relaxed even in the middle of the busy holiday shopping season.

It won't be long until Halle is back on the big screen.

Just the girls! The actress enjoyed the day with a stylish gal pal

The actress plays a new character named Sofia in the Keanu Reeves led film, John Wick: Chapter 3.

Speaking to EW about the actress' role in the film, Keanu explained: 'She has a past with John. I end up going to find her to see if she can help me.'

Speaking further of the eagerly anticipated film, the star continued: 'The third chapter is literally connected to 2 and starts with John Wick on the run. It goes crazy from there.'

John Wick: Chapter 3 is set for release on May 17, 2019.
Teresa Giudice and Dolores Catania got into the Christmas spirit on Friday at a toy giveaway in Paterson, New Jersey.

The Real Housewives Of New Jersey stars showed their support for Cesar & DJ Envy's 2018 Holiday Toy Giveaway.

Teresa, 46, looked festive in a red leather jacket with a furry white collar and a multi-colored hat.

Christmas spirit: Teresa Giudice wore a red leather jacket with furry white collar on Friday while attending the Cesar & DJ Envy's 2018 Holiday Toy Giveaway in Paterson, New Jersey

She also wore a bright scarf along with a short-sleeved black top, black skinny jeans and matching ankle boots.

Dolores, 47, flashed her bright smile while donning a velour olive top with plunging neckline, distressed jeans and knee-high black boots.

The gym owner accessorized with large hoop earrings and had her long blonde hair pulled back.

Dolores and Teresa teamed up as they met with Santa Claus at the toy giveaway.

Reality stars: Dolores Catania joined her RHONJ co-star at the toy giveaway

Special guest: Santa Claus also was on hand for the event that provided toys for children ages 11 and under

Teresa sat on Santa's lap holding wrapped gifts and smiling.

The mother of four daughters has been parenting without her husband Giuseppe 'Joe' Giudice who has been serving a 41-month sentence in federal prison.

Teresa and Joe pleaded guilty in March 2014 to multiple counts of fraud in a plea deal with federal prosecutors.

Celebrity guests: Teresa and Dolores were among the celebrity guests at the event

She was sentenced in October 2014 to 15 months in prison and served her term first so one parent could be with their daughters Gia, Gabriella, Milania, and Audriana.

Teresa is an original member of RHONJ since its premiere in May 2009.

She has co-authored three cookbooks and a memoir that have been New York Times Best Sellers and participated in The Celebrity Apprentice in 2012.
They will celebrate two years of marriage on New Year's Eve.

And on Friday, Maria Menounos stepped out for a day of luxury shopping with husband Keven Undergaro on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills.

The couple picked up items from UK-based store, All Saints, and MAC Cosmetics.

Last minute Christmas: On Friday, Maria Menounos stepped out for a day of luxury shopping on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills

For her day of retail therapy, the former Access Hollywood host looked chic in an elegant turtleneck sweater.

The Greek beauty tucked in her cozy top into a set of cropped leather pants. She completed her look with a Gucci belt purse and gold slides.

Keven, 51, layered a white hoodie underneath a black bomber jacket. He topped off his look with jeans and red sneakers.

Couple's day out: The TV Host was joined by husband Keven Undergaro, 51

Luxury items: The couple picked up items from UK-based store, All Saints, and MAC Cosmetics

On New Year's Eve, Maria and Keven will celebrate two years of marriage.

The couple wed on December 31, 2017, in a ceremony officiated by Steve Harvey. It was held in Times Square and broadcast live on TV.

They later held a church wedding in Maria's home country of Greece in October of this year.

Stylish: For her day of retail therapy, the former Access Hollywood host looked chic in an elegant turtleneck sweater, tucked into a pair of cropped leather pants

The couple's wedding was a long time coming.

The duo first became a couple in April 1998, and took the next step nearly 18 years later.

Keven and Maria became engaged in March 2016, when Kevin proposed to her on The Howard Stern Show.
Danielle Staub filed her response on Friday to her estranged husband Marty Caffrey's divorce filing and alleged that he verbally and physically abused her.

The 56-year-old reality star in her counterclaim alleged that Caffrey, 66, was 'guilty of extreme cruelty' toward her and also verbally attacked her daughters Jillian, 20, and Christine, 24, according to an article on Friday by People.

The Real Housewives Of New Jersey star and Caffrey married in the Bahamas in May and he filed for divorce in mid-August.

Divorce filing: Danielle Staub, shown with estranged husband Marty Caffrey in October 2017, filed her response on Friday to his divorce filing

Caffrey exclusively told DailyMail.com on Thursday that Staub 'wants to reconcile but I do not'.

Staub was seeking spousal support and in her counterclaim alleged that Caffrey had 'repeatedly exercised physical control and intimidation by holding [her] down and violently screaming derogatory comments in her face,' according to court documents.

Her court filing also alleged that Caffrey's verbal abuse extended to his daughters.

'[Caffrey] referred to [her] relationship with her daughters as ''a lesbian affair,'' purposefully to hurt [her] by referencing incest and embarrass her about her childhood abuse,' the counter claim alleged.

Wedding picture: The 56-year-old reality star is shown at her May wedding in Bimini, Bahamas with daughters Christine and Jillian

'[Caffrey] utilized disparaging, offensive, and threatening language toward [her] children, specifically telling them to ''leave [his] house'' and ''get the f*** out and dont come back'',' the counterclaim documents said.

Staub also alleged that Caffrey during a 10-day vacation in Anguilla 'repeatedly disparaged and harassed' her and her children, whom he called 'entitled c****'.

The counterclaim also alleged that Caffrey in Anguilla pushed and held Staub down causing bruising on her arms.

Cruelty claims: Staub, shown with Marty in October 2016, accused him of verbal and physical abuse in court documents as part of their divorce proceedings

Staub also alleged that Caffrey secretly recorded them having sex and 'exercised control' by threatening to expose it.

The counterclaim also alleged that Caffrey did not believe Staub's rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis.

Caffrey denied his estranged wife's allegations in a statement to People.

'This is a complete list of lies. Only a demented mind could come up with such false accusations. Danielle will go to any level to create problems and to be the victim.

'None of this is accurate or even close to the truth. This is simply Danielle Staub trying to take people out like she has in her past, but its not going to work this time,' the statement said.
They appeared to confirm their romance just hours after the show's final.

And Strictly Come Dancing lovebirds Joe Sugg and Dianne Buswell were once again flirting up a storm on Friday, after she took to Instagram to post a beach snap.

The stunning Australian dancer showed off her amazing figure in a tight lilac swimsuit as she took a dip in the ocean, as she returned home to visit her family ahead of the coming festive season.

Sexy: Strictly Come Dancing lovebirds Joe Sugg and Dianne Buswell were once again flirting up a storm on Friday, after she took to Instagram to post a sizzling beach snap

Dianne playfully captioned her post: 'Dont worry about me @joe_sugg I have a big old floatie friend with me safe and sound.'

The gorgeous redhead could be seen posing up against a giant inflatable flamingo, as she teamed her stylish one-piece with a quirky camel visor hat.

Back in the UK Joe then proceeded to like the playful post, before commenting: 'The only thing that worries me in this photo is that big ol' HAT!'

Following on from the Strictly final last week, Joe and Dianne appeared to confirm many fans' speculation that they were dating, taking to Instagram to post a snap where they appeared to be in the throes of love.

Playful: After the Australian dancer said in her post that Joe didn't need to worry about her 'old floatie friend,' Joe 'liked' the post and proceeded to comment about her 'big ol' HAT!'

After missing out on the glitterball trophy to Stacey Dooley and Kevin Clifton, Joe and Dianne still looked to be the picture of happiness in the touching post.

He wrote: 'I may not have won the glitter ball, but I've won something a million times more special.'

The YouTube star's grandmother Phyllis exclusively told MailOnline that he is 'head over heels' for Dianne, adding: 'I may be 95 but I could see that twinkle in his eye - and the way they looked at each other.

Sweet: Following on from the Strictly final last week, Joe and Dianne appeared to confirm many fans' speculation that they were dating

'He brought Dianne over to meet me too and thats a sign that there is romance in the air.'

Following their dance stint, they enjoyed a festive getaway to the New Forest with Joe's sister Zoe Sugg (Zoella), 28, and her boyfriend Alfie Deyes, 25.

The group tapped into full relaxation mode at The Yews at Chewton Glen Hotel & Spa in Hampshire, where prices start at 2,850 per night.
She never fails to turn heads on the red carpet thanks to her striking looks.

But Alice Eve got back to basics as she sported a baby pink tracksuit after a visit to the nail salon in Los Angeles.

Clutching an iced coffee, the British-born beauty, 36, looked fully emerged in LA life as she donned bright orange flip flops while waiting for her pedicure to dry.

LA chic: Alice Eve got back to basics as she sported a baby pink tracksuit after a visit to the nail salon in Los Angeles

Pulling her golden tresses back into a loose low ponytail, the Star Trek actress shielded her eyes from the sun in a pair of black aviators as she accessorised with hoop earrings and a simple golden chain.

Opting for a minimal make-up look, Alice looked a world away from her usual catwalk glamour in the casual look.

The daughter of acting heavyweights Trevor Eve and Sharon Maughan was nailing the off-duty starl look as she strutted down the street.

Gorgeous: Clutching an iced coffee, the British born beauty looked fully emerged in LA life as she donned bright orange flip flops as she basked in the Californian sun

Talented actress Alice relocated stateside in 2010, when she landed the role of bra-hating Irish nanny Erin in Sex and The City 2.

She has since been seen in a host of high profile movies including Men In Black 3 and Star Trek: Into Darkness.

In 2014, Alice married financier Alex Cowper-Smith, her secondary school sweetheart whom she met while attending Westminster School in London - however they later parted ways after just three years of marriage.

Way back when: Talented actress Alice relocated stateside in 2010, when she landed the role of bra-hating Irish nanny Erin in Sex and The City 2 (pictured in 2004)

The couple met at school but only reunited as a couple in 2014, before finally tying the knot in a small ceremony on New Year's Eve in 2014.

They finalised the divorce last year, after which the blonde beauty admitted she felt as though she had a 'rebirth'.

The blonde was previously in a long-term relationship with poet Adam O'Riordan, who she met while reading English at Oxford University.
Vicky Pattison was putting on an extremely cosy display with a male pal on Thursday, as she let her hair down for an evening at Winter Wonderland.

The 31-year-old ex-Geordie Shore star looked slightly worse-for-year as she larked about with numerous male friends, after splitting from fiance John Noble last month.

In the snaps Vicky can be seen playfully dancing and hugging several male pals as she larked about in the festive theme park for a friends birthday, before hilariously shouting at someone across the room.

Who's that? Vicky Pattison was putting on an extremely cosy display with a mystery male companion on Thursday, as she let her hair down for an evening at Winter Wonderland

Vicky was looking effortlessly chic in a stylish cream jumper and black skirt for the occasion, as she covered her brunette waves with a blacker baker boy hat.

The reality TV starlet could be seen closely embracing on mystery gentleman, before going onto jokingly do dance moves with another while sitting down.

Vicky certainly seemed in good spirits on the outing following her recent heartache, as she shared close hugs with several of her male pals on the raucous night out.

It came as Vicky continued to nurse her recent heartache, after insiders exclusively told MailOnline in November that she had split from fiance John Noble.

Hilarious: The 31-year-old ex-Geordie Shore star was in great spirits as she danced around and shouted across the room for the energetic night out

Chic: As she perched inside the beer tent, Vicky kept her dark raven tresses styled into effortless waves

Down in one: Vicky was seen rubbing shoulders with several male friends as they celebrated a birthday in the group

Chic: The Newcastle-born star was perfectly dressed for the chilly December climes as she sported a stylish cream jumper and black baker boy hat

Hilarious: While inside the beer tent Vicky could be seen taking part in numerous drinking games, as she also chatted with her bevvy of male friends

Sources revealed: 'Vicky and John are officially over. She is concentrating on her busy work schedule and surrounding herself with positivity, friends and family...

'Its been a difficult couple of weeks but she is moving on with her life and looking forward to the future.

News of the split comes after it was revealed the couple had began filming a bridal show just days before John headed on his fateful trip.

Despite the fairy-tale aspects of their romance, sadly things came crashing down earlier this month when John was exposed for his love rat ways when a number of images and videos came to light showing her beau mingling with other revellers.

Done: It came as Vicky continued to nurse her recent heartache, after insiders exclusively told MailOnline in November that she had split from fiance John Noble

Dancing it out: Linking hands with one of her pals Vicky could be seen trying to boogie while sitting down, as she looked slightly worse for wear on the outing

What did you say? The I'm A Celebrity was also seen to be leaning in to try and whisper in her friend's ear inside the noisy bar

Down in one! Of course the raucous brunette couldn't hold back from a drinking game or two, and was soon seen to be downing shots with her friends

To add to her heartache, the betrayal will see the end of the wedding lead-up show however it has been revealed she will tackle the programme solo.

Insiders told MailOnline: 'Vicky and John had a wedding special confirmed and started filming just a few days before John went on the boys' trip to Dubai.

'Obviously it was devastating for Vicky to have all this come out just after they started shooting. Vicky has decided to carry on filming with the crew. She's a professional and didn't want to let anyone down.

'It goes without saying it won't be a wedding show, but will follow Vicky on the next chapter as she bounces back from John's betrayal. She was excited to be starting wedding planning and looking at venues, but life has changed now.'

Drink it down: Vicky has been free and single since her split from John, which came about after he was caught cheating on her in Dubai

A big hug: Vicky was seen trying to embrace one of her friends as she danced about in her seat

Stylish: The raven-haired brunette was still looking effortlessly chic in the white jumper and black trousers

Give us a cuddle: Later in the evening, Vicky was seen grabbing one of her friends for a hug

Bleary-eyed: Vicky also wrote on Instagram that this was her last night out in London before heading up to Newcastle for the festive season

Tender embrace: The reality starlet was seen trying to hug one of her friends

Following the night out, Vicky took to Instagram on Thursday to post some snaps of her own, as she lauded seven years of friendship with her male pals, as well as celebrating one's 30th birthday.

In the lengthy post she wrote: 'Winter wonderland... Such a lovely way to say goodbye to London for the year! So nice to bump into the gorgeous @lauraanderson1x and as always amazing to be with these lads!!!

'I couldnt live without these lads... and Im happy to announce that weve now officially been friends for over 7 years which means youre stuck with me forever!!! HAHA!!!

Pals: Vicky Pattison was in good spirits following her recent relationship heartache on Thursday, enjoying a day at Winter Wonderland with Love Island's Laura Anderson

'Oh and I hope you had a nice birthday night @dannyj970! Dirty 30 palllllll!!!!! Ps Im wearing everyones coats in the last one... it was cold and Im a fanny.'

Vicky's night out had come after she rubbed shoulders with Love Island beauty Laura Anderson earlier in the evening.

The two stars put on a stylish display in matching cream jumpers as they posted up a storm at the festive theme park.

Following her split from John, Vicky recently took to social media to post a snap on a night out with a male pal, where she thanked him for 'standing by her through tough times and awful relationships.'

Tough time: The 31-year-old reality star recently sent followers into a tailspin, posting a snap with a male pal, which led many fans to claim he could be her new dream man

Fans were delighted to see Vicky's spirits lifted and took to the comments section to urge her to consider Gavin as a potential love interest.

While his relationship status is unknown, they wrote things like: 'You just never know, your true love could of been in front of you the whole time & you just never knew it.'

Others added: 'He's in love with you.' and 'The look on his face as he gets friend zoned.'
She's on a festive getaway to the stunning Maldives with her partner Paul Knightley, their children and his mum Gaynor.

And Sam Faiers looked sensational on Saturday as she took to Instagram to share a stunning bikini-clad snap as she climbed out the pool giggling with her son Paul, three, in the Maldives.

The reality TV star, 27, turned heads as she showed off her staggering physique in a pink bikini top with clashing yellow bottoms.

Stunning: Sam Faiers took to Instagram on Saturday to share a stunning bikini-clad snap as she climbed out the pool giggling with her son Paul in the Maldives

Putting her washboard abs on full display in the tiny two-piece, the former TOWIE star was beaming as she showed off her bright white smile.

Shielding her eyes from the sun in a pair of 90s-inspired shades, Sam opted for a minimal make-up look as she scraped her chestnut tresses back into a bun.

Meanwhile, little Paul was amused too as he looked full of love as glanced up at his mum.

And the TV personality seemed to be spoiling the little one, as the beautiful pool was surrounded with toys and even a tea cup set.

Nude ambition: And it's not the first gorgeous snap Sam's shared from her idyllic trip

And it's not the first gorgeous snap Sam's shared from her idyllic trip.

On Friday, she shared another swimsuit picture, as she held her baby daughter Rosie on the beach.

The Mummy Diaries star looked every inch the siren in a nude swimming costume as she showed off her svelte frame while also displaying the picturesque scenery.

Happy days: And now Sam's fans have threatened to boycott her series that she stars in with her sister Billie Faiers and even her new clothing line

But Sam's festive getaway comes as she left scandal at home.

Sam's fans have threatened to 'boycott' her ITVBe show The Mummy Diaries after she was accused of shamelessly ripping off a small family business and copying their designs for her new personalised children's clothing company.

She has been receiving freebies from Yorkshire-based website Forever Sewing for the past two years, and has posted numerous images of her children, Paul Jr., three, and Rosie, 13 months, wearing their colourful monogrammed tracksuits.

After discussing working on a collaboration with the brand, the reality TV personality has now been accused of stealing their designs for her own new venture.

Bliss: Sam's fans have threatened to boycott her series that she stars in with her sister Billie Faiers and even her new clothing line

And now Sam's fans have threatened to boycott her series that she stars in with her sister Billie Faiers and even her new clothing line.

One person said: 'When "celebs" like @SamanthaFaiers get loads of free stuff from small independent retailers then rip off the exact idea and pass off as their own... Shameful !! #boycot #MummyDiaries #foreversewing.'

Clearly extremely enraged by the action, another show watcher commented: '@SamanthaFaiers won't be watching Clearly anymore!!!'

A different user put: 'Sam Faiers asking for free clothes for her children is just shameful. I don't care that the brand got publicity,surely you want to earn and pay for the clothes on your own kids back!...

Spot the difference: Sam Faiers has been accused of RIPPING OFF small business by copying their designs by 'disgusted' fans - (left) her new children's range, (right) the clothing brand she has been receiving freebies from for two years

'Have some pride and self respect for gods sake. Absolute scrounger. Hope people boycott 'her brand'.'

Sam told her fans she was setting up a new children's clothing venture named My Little Darlin' and has started an Instagram page which teases one of the designs, which is near-identical to Forever Sewing's.

The page has 11.2k followers already and Sam was thought to be planning to launch in one week, but the comments section has been littered with angry posts from fans, which Sam has been deleting.

Just hours after fans started calling out the former TOWIE star for her blatant copycat designs, Sam deleted all of the comments from the Instagram post in question and blocked further comments from appearing.

Controversy: Sam shared this picture of her two children wearing personalised clothing from her new clothing venture just hours ago, which is almost identical to the brand that baby Paul has been wearing over the last two years and was littered with comments from angry fans who compared the two brands

MailOnline has seen countless messages exchanged between Sam and the company, in which she lists an extensive amount of freebies she wants from them.

The reality star states that her eldest son Paul, has been 'living in' the designs and has been wearing them throughout filming of The Mummy Diaries.

The company has taken to Facebook to voice their feelings of betrayal over Sam's actions after learning that her new children's clothing line is remarkably similar to their own.
Holly Willoughby has joked that her cat Bluebell 'must have missed her' after taking to Instagram to share a snap of their hilarious reunion.

The 37-year-old's post showed the feline clinging to her leg as they brought back together for the first time since Holly had jetted home from Australia.

This came after Holly left fans in hysterics with a post while Down Under hosting I'm A Celebrity, where she appeared to be FaceTiming Bluebell as she had her hair coloured.

Back together: Holly Willoughby has joked that her cat Bluebell 'must have missed her' after taking to Instagram to share a snap of their hilarious reunion

In the post, Holly showed Bluebell delightedly hanging onto her leg, giving fans snapshot of the funny moment they were reunited.

She wrote in the caption: 'I think shes missed me... best welcome home ever!  #catcuddle #catsofinstagram #bluebell.'

It came after Holly previously revealed to fans that she had been calling Bluebell on FaceTime whilst away in Australia hosting I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here.

Funny: It came after Holly told fans that she had been FaceTiming her feline, while she was away in Australia hosting I'm A Celebrity

The mother-of-three took to social media last month to share a snap of the call with her car whilst having her hair done, in a post which many fans viewed as a defiant response to trolls her branded her blonde hair 'brassy and yellow.'

She captioned the snap: ''Cat and Blow-dry/tint ... FaceTiming my fav feline casual @garnieruk fix up look sharp.'

It comes after Holly was reunited with her This Morning co-host Phillip Schofield earlier this week, as they attended the lavish launch of Dancing On Ice on Tuesday.

Reunited: It came after Holly was reunited with her This Morning co-host Phillip Schofield earlier this week, as they attended the lavish launch of Dancing On Ice in London

Taking to the carpet placed on the ice rink in London, Holly was her ever-fashionable self in a red one-shouldered gown, which was decorated with an enormous black suede bow.

The star recently told MailOnline that she was left close to tears by her Phil's never-ending support, after receiving a sweet message from him during her stint Down Under.

She said: 'Phil sent me a lovely message, I got lots of lovely messages, but there was one he sent me and I texted him back saying I cant stop reading it.

'This one was particularly nice, you are like a TV Jedi, so it was nice to have you say those nice things, and I said ''please stop being nice you're gonna make me cry!''
Nicki Minaj made waves when she went public with her relationship with criminal and music industry insider Kenneth 'Zoo' Petty.

And now new details are coming to light about one of the Bronx native's more brutal crimes, as detailed by TMZ on Saturday.

Petty, who was convicted of manslaughter for the death of Lamont Robinson in 2002, allegedly walked up to Robinson and opened fire on a street corner in Queens, NY according to law enforcement insiders.

Criminal record: New details have come to light about Nicki Minaj's new boo Kenneth Petty's manslaughter charges, according to sources who spoke with TMZ. Above is his most recent mugshot

According to law enforcement sources, Petty and a group of friends approached the victim and 'shot him in the stomach three times.' They then fled the scene in a vehicle.

Police sources say that at the time of the crime investigators thought the incident was gang related and not the result of a robbery. One investigator who was close to the case told TMZ it was over some 'bulls***.'

Robinson survived for a time, during which he ID'd Petty in a photo lineup. The victim responded with a nod, as he was not able to speak. He passed away shortly after.

Though initially charged with second degree murder, Petty plead down to first degree manslaughter, according to records.

After serving seven years in prison he was released in 2013.

Lucky man: The sexy rapper made things ' Instagram official' with some head-turning social media earlier this month

Proud: Nicki Minaj took to her Instagram Friday to show off her controversial boyfriend Kenneth Petty's new tattoo of her name. The registered sex offender has had the rapper's birth name Onika inked across his neck in a large script

Petty recently declared his love for Nicki with a sizable neck tattoo, which the rap Queen showed off on Instagram Friday.

The registered sex offender had the rapper's birth name Onika inked across his neck in a large script.

She made things 'Instagram official' with some head-turning social media earlier this month.

Almost instantly, fans expressed their disapproval when Petty's status as a registered sex offender in New York came to light.

Nicki wasn't listening to critics, however, later doubling down on the backlash by posting a saucy, near-naked bedroom Instagram of the couple which she captioned with a feisty: 'They wanna talk? Lets givem smthn to talk about. *Shania voice*'

Giving them something to talk about! Nicki Minaj shared a saucy bedroom Instagram of her and new boo Kenneth Petty less than a day after the couple made things 'Instagram official' with another post

Mugshot: Almost as soon as the Pink Print rapper shared her first photo, reports of Petty's sex offender status came to light

The photos confirmed rumors of the relationship which were sparked after Petty first appeared on Nicki's Snapchat and Instagram Story around a week ago.

While things looked like they were approaching X-rated in the latest pic, where Nicki flashed her full bottom in just a thong, their Instagram debut was a bit more demure.

In the first photo Nicki appears fully enamored with Mr. Petty, who works in the music industry, as she wraps her leg around him.

The Barbie Dreamz rapper made a show of her backside in semi-sheer white pants and a Balmain crop top.

It was captioned with Adele lyrics, which read: 'Did you ever make it out of that town where nothing ever happens?... its no secret... that the both of us... are running out of time.'

She also shared a picture of her supposed new flame solo.

Almost as soon as the Pink Print rapper shared the photo, reports of his sex offender status came to light.

Petty was convicted if first degree attempted rape in 1995, after a 1994 incident with a 16-year-old girl, according to public records from the New York Division of Criminal Justice Services.

Instagram official! Nicki Minaj appeared to announce her new relationship with registered sex offender Kenneth Petty via Instagram on Sunday

Confirmation: The photo confirmed rumors of the relationship which were sparked after Petty first appeared on Nicki's Snapchat and Instagram Story, above

Record: Petty, above with Nicki on earlier social media, was convicted if first degree attempted rape in 1995, after a 1994 incident with a 16-year-old girl, according to public records from the New York Division of Criminal Justice Services unearthed by Radar

According to records, Petty used a 'knife/cutting instrument' during the attempted assault.

He was sentenced to 18 to 54 months in state prison, but the records did not contain any information about how much time he served.

Kenneth's trouble with the law returned once again in 2006, when he was convicted of manslaughter for killing a man named Lamont Robinson.

According to documents obtained by The Blast, Petty shot Robinson 'with a loaded handgun multiple times, thereby causing his death.'

He served seven years in jail, released in 2013.

Fawning over him: She also shared a picture of her supposed new flame solo.

Nicki disabled comments on the photo after fans expressed their concern for the rapper.

Minaj has a history with less-than law abiding citizens. Brother Jelani Maraj was found guilty of repeatedly raping an 11-year-old girl in November 2017.

She's also defended rapper/collaborator Tekashi 6ix9ine, who was convicted on a felony count for the 'use of a child in a sexual performance' in 2015 for appearing in a sexually explicit video with a 13-year-old girl.

In the past Minaj has dated rappers Meek Mill, Safaree Samuels, and Nas.
They were first spotted together back in May.

And proving the love was still very much alive, Amber Heard was spotted with her boyfriend Vito Schnabel getting some last minute holiday groceries together.

Seen at Bristol Farms in Los Angeles, the pair filled up their cart and were seen snacking on some of their purchases.

Love is in the air! Amber Heard proved the love was still alive when she went grocery shopping with her boyfriend Vito Schnabel in Los Angeles on Friday

Amber kept things casual for the Friday night outing, sporting an earth-toned sweater underneath a black top.

She teamed the look with a pair of form-fitting tights and added a pair knee-high boots for extra warmth.

The Aquaman actress accessorised with cross-body bag and a necklace for the outing and styled her blonde tresses into a natural up-do.

Cozy and warm: Amber kept things casual for the Friday night outing, sporting an earth-toned sweater underneath a black top

Stunner: The Aquaman actress accessorised with cross-body bag and a necklace for the outing and styled her blonde tresses into a natural up-do

Amber's glam was kept simple with blushed cheeks and a clear complexion and she was seen arm-in-arm with her man as he pushed the cart.

While the beauty was on the phone, Vito couldn't help but dig into the Triscuit crackers they'd picked up.

The ex-boyfriend of Heidi Klum was dressed in a black sweater and pant combo with a pair of blue sneakers.

Found love: Amber and Vito have been dating since May, going public with their romance in July at Wimbledon

Stocking up: Seen at Bristol Farms in Los Angeles, the pair filled up their cart and were seen snacking on some of their purchases

Amber and Vito have been dating since May, going public with their romance in July at Wimbledon.

The beauty's new love comes after her relationship with Telsa mogul Elon Musk and marriage to Johnny Depp.

In May of 2016, Amber filed for divorce from Depp, and within a week won a restraining order against him, claiming he had verbally and physically abused her.

Delicious! While the beauty was on the phone, Vito couldn't help but dig into the Triscuit crackers they'd picked up

Former love: Amber's last beau was Telsa mogul Elon Musk (pictured: Vito)

Through a representative, Johnny dismissed abuse accusations as 'salacious false stories, gossip, misinformation and lies about his personal life.'

By that August, he and Amber reached an agreement whereby she would scrap the restraining order and get a $7 million divorce settlement, which she said she would give to charity.

Johnny decided to give the money directly to the groups of her choice, Children's Hospital and the American Civil Liberties Union, according to TMZ.

It was not lost on Amber's team that this meant he'd get the tax deduction, and they told TMZ Johnny ought to correct for this by doubling the $7 million to $14 million.
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They've had a hectic week with the airing of the explosive Love Island Christmas Reunion.

And Megan Barton-Hanson and Wes Nelson were once again in the spotlight as they packed on the PDA during their recent sun-soaked trip to Mauritius.

No doubt dropping jaws, the 24-year-old beauty turned up the temperature as she locked lips with her beau, 20, while standing in the shallows of the water.

Wow! Megan Barton Hanson looked nothing short of sensational for her jaunt along the beach with a horse during her recent sun-soaked trip to Mauritius

Megan looked nothing short of sensational for her jaunt along the beach as she slipped her famously curvaceous physique into a pair of skimpy black bikini bottoms with a posterior-flashing thong style cut, teaming it with an equally scanty matching top.

Forgoing her usual glamour, Megan appeared fresh-faced as she enjoyed a horse-ride alongside her beau, simply accentuating her model beauty with a layer of black mascara.

She wore her newly-bleached tresses in a straight-down look while sporting gold flip-flops and dainty bangles to complete her beach ensemble, before sporting stylish lace trousers.

Gorgeous: Megan slipped her famously curvaceous physique in a pair of skimpy black bikini bottoms with a posterior-flashing thong style cut, teaming it with an equally scanty matching top

Loved up: Megan and her beau Wes Nelson were once again in the spotlight as they packed on the PDA during their recent romantic holiday together

Wes meanwhile was displaying his rippling abs in a pair of grey patterned shorts as he locked lips with his girlfriend before taking a ride on a horse through the sea waves.

The Love Island star recently spoke out after a person at a celebrity event told her she was 'so fat now' after gaining a stone since leaving the Majorcan villa.

Megan, who says it's old fashioned to believe you can't be sexy and a feminist added that she enjoys being 'womanly' and wouldn't want to be a stick because 'it's too much hard work.'

In a wide-ranging interview with the Sun, the blonde beauty said: 'I'm a size 10, I lead a healthy life, I go to the gym, I eat right and yeah I've put on weight since the villa, but I'm not overweight and I'm not fat!

Beauty: Forgoing her usual glamour, Megan appeared fresh-faced as she enjoyed a horse-ride alongside her beau, simply accentuating her model beauty with a layer of black mascara

All in the details: She wore her newly-bleached tresses in a straight-down look while sporting gold flip-flops and dainty bangles to complete her beach ensemble, before sporting stylish lace trousers

Beach babe: The Love Island star recently spoke out after a person at a celebrity event told her she was 'so fat now' after gaining a stone since leaving the Majorcan villa

'Yes, I've put on a stone, but I'm comfortable with my figure. I like being womanly, and that when I wear a pencil skirt it goes in and out.'

She added the weight she's gained since leaving Love Island is a 'sign of happiness' saying that she was 'living her best life' as she's loved up with Wes and will never go on a juice cleanse and loves eating cake.

It comes as the star made a very candid confession about her sex life, saying she has never faked an orgasm as she's 'too selfish' and believes 'every woman should speak up'.

The reality TV contestant has spoken openly about her active sex life with boyfriend Wes, who is set to star on Dancing on Ice in the new year, in the past.

Looking good: Wes meanwhile was displaying his rippling abs in a pair of grey patterned shorts as he locked lips with his girlfriend before taking a ride on a horse through the sea waves

Sexy: Megan, who says it's old fashioned to believe you can't be sexy and a feminist, added that she enjoys being 'womanly' and wouldn't want to be a stick because 'it's too much hard work'

Candid: It comes as the star made a very candid confession about her sex life, saying she has never faked an orgasm as she's 'too selfish' and believes 'every woman should speak up'

Megan added she's nervous to see Wes in sequins and that if she isn't 'absolutely repulsed' by his 'unmanly sequins' in his first week on the show, she'll come back to watch him again.

The reality star has spoken in the past about tweaking her looks with the aid of cosmetic surgery - and shortly before her holiday, she showed off yet another makeover. In scenes aired on Monday night's Christmas reunion, Megan showed off a super glam look, wearing platinum blonde hair extensions and a purple bodycon dress.

Some fans were left astonished by her new look and didn't even recognise her. They wrote: 'Megan looks soooo different #loveisland.... Anybody else stare at Megan for at least 5 minutes trying to work out who she was? Lit didnt realise it was her. #loveislandchristmasreunion #LoveIsland... megan looked FITTTTT #LoveIsland.'

'Love island reunion thoughts: Megan is still unbelievably buff. Please get Georgia out of here.'

Still strong: Megan and Wes are one of four couples that still remain together following their stint on the dating series earlier this year

Loving it: Wes was unable to keep his hands off his sizzling model girlfriend as they smooched on the sand and in the water

Together: The reality TV contestant has spoken openly about her active sex life with boyfriend Wes, who is set to star on Dancing on Ice in the new year, in the past

The former stripper revealed earlier this year that she's had 'loads' of work done to enhance her appearance  and she has plans to undergo more in the future.

Megan has revealed that she's had two boob jobs  her first when she was just 19 years old  rhinoplasty, her lips filled, and pearly white veneers on her teeth.

While it has been rumoured that the Essex girl has undergone 25,000 worth of cosmetic surgery, experts have estimated that the real price tag is 40,000.

Supportive: Megan added she's nervous to see Wes in sequins and that if she isn't 'absolutely repulsed' by his 'unmanly sequins' in his first week on the show, she'll come back to watch him again

Golden girl: Megan showed off new hair extensions during Love Island's Christmas Reunion show which made her hard to recognise

In an interview with The Mirror, back in August, she said of her several procedures, 'I have had loads. I dont think it should be a massive negative thing. If you want to do something to make you feel more comfortable and you can do it, then why not?...

'I didnt take these decisions trying to be a role model. I did it for me. Im not ashamed of it. Ive done what Ive done because it made me feel comfortable...

'Its like people getting their hair done to make them feel nice. Ill go get my lips done because it makes me feel better.'

Shock: Viewers of the show took to social media to say they didn't recognise Megan
After two seasons, NBC has pulled the plug on the supernatural series, Midnight, Texas.

Despite averaging two million views, the network has cancelled the show with next Friday airing as the series and finale.

And it appears as though fans aren't at all happy with the news, taking to social media to try and save the franchise.

Cancelled: NBC announced they would be cancelling Midnight Texas after only two seasons on Friday, leaving fans of the show outraged

'hey @nbc this is bulls*t! #MidnightTexas is a great show and it deserves another season!' Tweeted one fan.

And with the news that production studio Universal Television is shopping the series to other networks, followers have been using their power to call out the other outlets.

'Please @nbc @TheCW @netflix @hulu @AmazonStudios #MidnightTexas #SaveMidnightTexas,' they wrote.

Trying their best to save the show: And it appears as though fans aren't at all happy with the news, taking to social media to try and save the franchise

The show ran for ten episodes in its first season - airing over the summer in 2017 and ranking as the #1 broadcast drama series for adults 18-49.

Moving the second season into prime viewing in October, a further nine episodes were requested and aired on Friday evenings at 9pm.

This past week saw Midnight Texas be moved back into the 8pm timeslot.

Was a hit: The show ran for ten episodes in its first season - airing over the summer in 2017 and ranking as the #1 broadcast drama series for adults 18-49

Top show: Moving the second season into prime viewing in October, a further nine episodes were requested and aired on Friday evenings at 9pm

The story centers around a young psychic named Mandred Bernado who is told by the ghost of his grandmother to seek refuge in a place called Midnight in Texas.

He was told that in this place he would find a community that could help him.

'Midnight is a safe haven for those who are different, but with the presence of outsiders, the residents band together and form a strong and unlikely family,' writes IMDb.

The cast included Francois Arnaud (Manfred Bernado), Dylan Bruce (Bobo Winthrop), Parisa Fitz-Henley (Fiji Cavanaugh), Arielle Kebbel (Olivia Charity), Jason Lewis (Joe Strong) and Peter Mensah (Lemuel Bridger).
They've been going strong since 1983.

And Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell looked like the ideal couple as they strolled arm-in-arm through the snowy streets of Aspen together on Saturday.

While the Laugh In actress, 73, looked absolutely angelic in her fur-trimmed white coat, Kurt made it clear he was there to have a good time as he donned a burgundy beanie emblazoned with the word 'Wine.'

Happy together: Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell were the image of love as they walked through the streets of Aspen together on Saturday

Goldie's look also consisted of skinny jeans and half-laced combat boots.

She wore a pair of tortoiseshell sunnies.

Kurt looked classic in a pair of khaki pants and an olive green jacket.

Bundled up: Goldie's look consisted of a plush white jacket with fur-lining along with skinny jeans and half-laced combat boots

'Never thought Id be sleeping with Santa': Goldie Hawn shared nice but naughty snap with Kurt Russell from the set of The Christmas Chronicles on Thursday

The festive couple are both in the holiday film The Christmas Chronicles, which came out November 22.

Goldie shared a photo of her very attractive Santa on set of the film earlier this month.

'Never thought Id be sleeping with Santa!' the 73-year-old stunner cheekily captioned the picture.

Relaxing in a pair of plush leather armchairs on a thick fur rug in front of a toasty fire, the loved-up pair shared the scene with an even cuter pair of Burmese Mountain Dogs.

Still so close: Here they are seen arm-in-arm at the Wild Wild Country toast at Inn of the Seventh Ray in Topanga in August

Back in March, the actress admitted she was 'two-timing Kurt on the set of his movie' when she shared another pic of herself kissing one of the dogs.

Goldie delighted fans when she turned up as a cameo to play Santa's other half in the festive flick.

Goldie's 42-year-old son Oliver Hudson  from her marriage to musician Bill Hudson  also plays family father Doug Pierce in the film.

Kurt and Goldie only have one biological offspring  32-year-old son Wyatt  from their relationship.

Oliver's younger sister Kate Hudson considers Kurt her father, while Goldie is also de facto stepmom to Kurt's oldest son Boston, 38, whom he shares with ex wife Season Hubley.
They have been close friends for two decades now.

And James Packer was by Karl Stefanovic's side as his career came crashing down on Wednesday when Nine announced his axing from the Today show.

The Billionaire, 51, had joined the TV personality, 44, and wife Jasmine Yarbrough, 34, on their honeymoon in Aspen, and The Sydney Morning Herald claims James was there to 'support' his friend through the difficult time.

'The friendship is sacred to them': James Packer 'supporting' Karl Stefanovic through Today axing... after joining his honeymoon the moment news was announced

'The friendship is sacred to them and private, but bigger than any job or any story could be,' a source close to Karl allegedly told the publication on Sunday.

The newspaper claims that the foundation of their friendship is 'two men in the spotlight bearing the same pressures and not pretending to be invincible.'

'Both of them just wear their heart on their sleeves,' the insider concluded.

Close bond: The Sydney Morning Herald claims the foundation of their friendship is 'two men in the spotlight bearing the same pressures and not pretending to be invincible'

After flying back from his 'buddymoon' to Sydney with wife Jasmine on Friday, Karl was looking to the future with much positivity.

'I'm moving forward with a sense of excitement about what's to come,' he told the waiting media at the airport.

Darren Wick, director of news and current affairs at Nine, confirmed on Wednesday the Karl will remain at Nine.

'Karl remains on contract with the network and will continue to host This Time Next Year, which records in February,' he said in a statement.

'I wish them the best of luck': Despite James and Karl's close bond, the tycoon was a no show at the TV star's Mexican wedding to shoe designer Jasmine at the start of December

Despite James and Karl's close bond, the tycoon was a no show at the TV star's Mexican wedding to shoe designer Jasmine on December 08.

Instead, he joined them days later on their honeymoon in Aspen.

Speaking to PS Sydney, James said that despite not being able to attend he wished the couple all the best.

'I wish them the best of luck, hope they have a life full of happiness together, and send them my love,' he said.

It was originally speculated that the billionaire would not attend the luxurious wedding after opting instead to help celebrate his mother Ros' 80th birthday.

Private celebration: Although James avoided the fanfare surrounding their big day (pictured), he joined them days later on their 'buddymoon' in Aspen along with his girlfriend Kylie Lim




Ethiopia's Oromo people celebrated the return of the formerly banned anti-government group the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) in Addis Ababa in September

A rebel group popular with Ethiopia's largest ethnic community on Friday accused the government of breaching a historic peace deal aimed at encouraging the organisation to return to the political fold.

The Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) said the authorities had failed to meet key provisions under the agreement.

In July, reformist Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed removed the OLF from a list of terror organisations, and two months later its exiled leadership made a triumphant return home.

The two sides also concluded a deal in August aimed at opening the way for the OLF to return to the political arena.

However, the accord has run into snags. The government has called for OLF fighters to immediately lay down their arms, and says some of them have been carrying out crimes.

The OLF denies this, and on Friday charged the government with failing to meet its promise of integrating its combatants into the armed forces.

"The OLF had agreed with the Ethiopian government on the formation of impartial security forces, inclusion of our fighters to security forces and the truth about our fighters and other Oromos who disappeared over the last 27 years," OLF chairman Dawud Ibsa said at a press conference in Addis Ababa.

"None of the points have been respected."

"Some of our fighters who have already entered into disarmament, demobilisation and rehabilitation camps have not been given the proper care, and we are prevented from seeing our fighters," he added.

The Oromos are the largest of Ethiopia's some 80 ethnic groups, with 35 percent of the nation's nearly 80 million inhabitants.

After the fall of Ethiopia's Marxist regime of Mengistu Haile Mariam in 1991, the OLF was part of the country's transitional government.

But after numerous disputes with the leadership it quit and demanded the creation of the independent state of Oromia.

In 1992, the OLF broke away from the ruling coalition, the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), and then began an armed campaign against it.

The government's heavy response spurred unrest in Oromia, leading in 2015 to the biggest wave of protests in a quarter of a century and eventually to the resignation of Abiy's predecessor.

Ibsa has previously said that the OLF has around 2,000 fighters, in the south and east of the country.

On Friday, he said the OLF's forces "wont attack, but they reserve the right for self-defence."

"The stationing of Ethiopian soldiers in our areas of operations has resulted in conflict between soldiers and with our fighters," he added.

Abiy, appointed in April, has won plaudits for a flurry of major reforms.

They include the release of thousands of imprisoned dissidents and journalists, forging a peace deal with rival Eritrea, and unveiling plans to privatise state corporations.

But his image has been dented by ethnic clashes in Addis Ababa and remote parts of the highly diverse country, sparking fears that Africa's second largest country could spiral once more into violence.
While some ambitious leaders might pose hurdles in Rahul Gandhis path to prime ministership, there are others who are keen to back him and his big dream. Leaders who also have their eyes set on the most coveted post in India consider Rahul as their competitor and are consistently working on a strategy to push him to the margins in the grand alliance. However, at the same time, Rahul enjoys the support of regional stalwarts, who dont dream big are not hesitant in supporting him as the next Prime Minister.

The DMKs Stalin has no desire to be a part of the politics of the Centre. He wants to become the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and has hence been supportive of Rahuls PM candidature. Without thinking about any of the regional stalwarts, Stalin declared that Rahul would become the PM candidate as he has the capability to stop the BJP. Even Tejashwi Yadav has no qualms about backing Rahul, neither does Akhilesh Yadav, who has on several occasions, given statements in Rahuls favour. But it should be noted that this time, Akhilesh has a compulsion  Mayawati. She considers herself as a PM candidate and Akhilesh has to go with her in Uttar Pradesh. So, Akhilesh cant declare Rahul as the PM candidate or he would face the wrath of Mayawati. That is why, perhaps, Akhilesh said that a decision will be taken after the results. Sharad Pawar is the only exception; he has big ambitions yet he is ready to accept Rahul as his leader. He feels that it is better to have good relations with Rahul and the Congress, so if need arises, Rahul might propose his name for the PMs post.

VARUN GANDHIS NEXT MOVE

Many leaders of the Congress are putting their weight behind Varun Gandhis entry into the party. Though this is a fact that Rahul and Priyanka share a good relation with him, and the three meet frequently, Varun is not willing to join the Congress solely due to his mother, Maneka Gandhi. It was being speculated that Varun might join the Congress in December. It is also being said that this time, he would not fight the Lok Sabha Elections on a BJP ticket. If the BJP doesnt give a ticket to Varun, then it seems highly unlikely that Maneka will continue in the party.

On the other hand, the new Madhya Pradesh CM, Kamal Nath, has shown sympathy towards Sanjay Gandhi, after which people are speculating that he might be able to coax Varun to join the Congress. When Kamal Nath had become the State party president, he had put up Sanjay Gandhis photo in his room. When he was elected as leader of the CLP, Sanjay Gandhis cutouts were put up in Bhopal along with those of Sonia and Rahul. It is noteworthy that Kamal Nath and Sanjay Gandhi were close friends, and Indira Gandhi called Kamal her third son. Now, Kamal Nath has brought Sanjay Gandhi into mainstream politics. The next logical step would be Varuns entry into the Congress.

AGE BRACKET OF CMs

Many comparisons are being drawn between the CMs of States ruled by both the BJP and Congress, and one parameter is their age. The BJP has mostly put forward new faces, choosing 60-plus CMs in very few States. Four CMs of the BJP are under the age of 50  Yogi Adityanath, Devendra Fadnavis, Pema Khandu, and Biplab Kumar Deb  and some others have not crossed 60. Some of them, like Raghubar Das, were 60 when they became CM and have now crossed that age. Manohar Parrikar and Manohar Lal Khattar are exceptions. Shivraj Singh Chouhan continued as CM for 13 years but didnt complete 60 years.

On the other hand, despite many options, the Congress preferred its veterans. Kamal Nath is 72 years old and Ashok Gehlot is 67. Bhupesh Baghel is, of course, younger than these two. Last year, the Congress had won elections in Punjab where it had made 76-year-old Captain Amarinder Singh the CM. In 2016, the party had won in Puducherry where 71-year-old Velu Narayanasamy is the CM.

Ghar wapsi of the BJP?

People are now debating whether the BJP will return to its old headquarters, claiming it is only getting bad news after moving into the one on DDU Marg. Not only that, party leaders and journalists are keeping away as it is not easy to reach there and security is tight.

PM Narendra Modi had inaugurated the headquarters on February 18, 2018. He had congratulated Amit Shah for getting it ready in record time. Soon after that, the party moved into the new building, vacating its decades-old HQ at 11, Ashok Road. After moving into the new HQ, the BJP got its first shocker in the form of defeat in byelections of Phulpur and Gorakhpur  seats that belonged to CM Yogi Adityanath and Deputy

CM KP Maurya  in March.

The BJP got its second jolt in May, when it lost the Lok Sabha byelection in Kairana, and fell short of majority in Karnataka. Despite that, the BJP formed the Government in Karnataka but could not prove majority and BS Yeddyurappa had to submit his resignation. After that, the Congress and JDS grabbed power in Karnataka. Recently, the Lok Sabha byelections were held on three seats in Karnataka, but the BJP managed to save only one  that of Yeddyurappa. The Congress snatched the prestigious Bellary seat from the BJP.

In the Assembly Elections of five States, the BJP lost power in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Rajasthan. In MP and Chhattisgarh, the BJP had been in power for the past 15 years. In Telangana, the BJP was hopeful of a good show, but the number of its MLAs went down from five to one. The BJP also suffered personal losses in the form of ex-PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Ananth Kumar, and MP Bhola Singh.

THE Partners Of Nda

As soon as the results of Assembly polls in five States were out, the disposition of the NDAs partners seemingly changed. Some of them had been unhappy for the past few months, but those who were earlier standing unconditionally with the BJP are also frowning. Allies like the Akali Dal, RPI, JDU, and LJP are now trying to position themselves. The RLSP has already announced it will part ways with the BJP. OP Rajbhar is also showing signs of discontent. The Shiv Sena will not leave the bandwagon but will continue its strategy of inflicting maximum harm at the same time. However, soon after the results, it was the JDU which changed its colour. Chirag Paswan, son of Ram Vilas Paswan, has also sent out a stern message. The Akali Dal, which is the oldest ally of the BJP, has advised the BJP and the Government to take care of the minorities as they are feeling insecure. It seems that the BJP should gear up for big jolts from its allies  from Bihar to Uttar Pradesh, and Maharashtra to Assam.
There is a lot of money floating about in India for what passes off as research. From think tanks and NGOs to academic institutions  not to mention institutions based overseas  a whole gamut of researchers are involved in preparing reports, some extremely valuable and others equally tendentious and very suspect. Predictably, in a made-in-media age, a chunk of that research is devoted to media studies.

If I may be presumptuous enough to advise research bodies, I would suggest a piece of research on the political inclinations of journalists  the entire range from editors to rookie sub-editors and backroom research assistants. At one time this would have involved meeting journalists individually, getting them to answer questions and hoping that they were speaking the truth. Mercifully, this is no longer necessary. The exponential growth of social media has meant that journalists are pretty forthright in sharing their views on everything to the world at large  which, in most cases, actually means fellow members of Press Clubs. A casual perusal of Twitter posts, for example, is very revealing for what they tell us of the political likes and dislikes of individuals. I am not talking here of celebrity editors and anchors who are often careful about concealing their political preferences. I refer to the mid-ranking reporters and those on the newsdesks who are more forthright with their views because they have less at stake. They

Research on the political inclinations of journalists have been done in the United States and the United Kingdom. What they have shown is that the media is dominated by those who tend to be pro-Democratic Party in the US and inclined towards the Labour Party in the UK. In any case, they reveal a strong anti-Right bias  and this predates the election of President Trump. In the UK, anecdotal evidence reveals a strong antipathy to Brexit. It is not always necessary that these inclinations translate into institutional preferences. However, many media analysts have indicated the existence of journalistic echo chambers whereby the biases of individual journalists feed on each other to establish a tilted consensus. In any case, like in the social sciences and liberal arts departments in the universities, the reception towards those with conservative and right-wing preferences isnt warm. At times it veers towards outright hostility and ostracism.

My own unscientific perusal of twitter posts over the past fortnight clearly indicated that as far as the English language media is concerned, there was widespread elation that the BJP had suffered a series of defeats in the three Assembly elections. There may have been pent up anger against the Narendra Modi Government since its election in 2014 but they were often kept under wraps because the BJP seemed to be on a roll. At the indication that not everything is going the way Amit Shah wanted, the real feelings have started emerging, and often quite uninhibitedly. Since the Lutyens echo chamber has decided that Modi will be out at the end of May 2019  there is less clarity or preference over what hydra-headed monster will replace it  we can now look forward to journalistic artillery fire and lots of sniper attacks on the Modi Government.

In itself this is all tittle-tattle. The preferences of the media doesnt shape electoral outcomes. People vote on the strength of their experiences which may or may not corresponds with the medias depiction of the world around them. In any case, the charm of democracy is that there isnt only one narrative at play. I have found it interesting that those opposed to the Modi regime genuinely believe that the media has sold its soul to the present rulers. I guess this perception stems from the fact that at least two English language channels and two Hindi channels tend to be broadly supportive of the government. Moreover, those without a deep sense of liberal angst dont really believe that media freedom has been endangered after 2014.

Yet, the fact remains that the media consensus is weighed against the present government. The reasons for this arent located only in ideological preferences. Nor does it lie in the fact that Modi doesnt host press conferences whereas Rahul Gandhi does.

Ever since it came to power, the Modi Government has acted quite decisively to plug the unauthorised flow of information  what is popularly called leaks. The reason is not because it has something awkward to hide but because there is a legitimate belief that motivated leaks jeopardise decision-making and end up paralysing governments. This is certainly what happened under the two UPA governments and the consequences were disastrous.

Plugging leaks may jeopardise exclusive news stories but they also have another unintended consequence: they put an end to what may be called the private practice of individual journalists, not least those at the helm of the profession. There always was a very lucrative business involving the trading of information and even determining transfers and postings of officials. Many journalists were at the centre of this business because of their easy access to the corridors of power. The Modi Government has more or less cut off this lifeline, thereby reducing the charms of a profession where noble endeavour has coexisted with ethical laxity.

I may be extremely harsh on the profession but it seems to me that the elation over the Congress victory in three states is based on an expectation that there will be a return to happier times when politicians took decisions but the media moulded them. In the past, the media didnt merely report; it was a player. Modi stopped this and now the guns are targeted at him.
President Ram Nath Kovind on Friday said expansion of India-China ties in all spheres is in "mutual interest" of both the countries as he met the visiting foreign minister of the neighbouring country here.

The Chinese Foreign Minister , Wang Yi, called on Kovind at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

The President, a Rashtrapati Bhavan spokesperson said, welcomed Yi and said India-China relations are an important part of his country's foreign policy.

"As two major countries, expansion of cooperation bilaterally as well as regionally and internationally is in our mutual interest. "India looks forward to its continued engagement with China for further strengthening of bilateral relations based on mutual trust and understanding and with due consideration to each other's concerns, aspirations and sensitivities," the spokesperson said quoting the President.
Two Junior Commissioned Officers (JCOs) were killed in a suspected sniper rifle attack from Pakistani troops along the Line of Control in north Kashmirs Kupwara district on Friday. The Army began a massive combing operation in the area suspecting the attack was a cover to facilitate infiltration in the restive region.

Sources said that one officer died in a military hospital in Kupwara while his colleague was airlifted to Srinagars 92Base Hospital where he succumbed to injuries.

Officials confirmed that ceasefire violation by Pakistani troops was observed in Jamgund area in Kupwara district after 11 am on Friday. Two junior officers of the 2/8 GR Regiment were guarding the LoC when they came under fire. They were immediately evacuated to Drugmulla hospital where one of them succumbed. They said the attack might have been carried with snipe rifles. This year Pakistani troops inflicted heavy casualties on the Indian Army along the vast stretch of LoC in Jammu & Kashmir.

The slain JCOs were identified as Subidar Gamar Thapa (42) and Subidar Raman Thapa.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Kupwara Ambarkar Shriram Dinkar also confirmed the deaths.

Sources said that the Army launched an operation in the area to track down suspected infiltrators. They said the Pakistan army might have provided covering fire to infiltrators that resulted in the casualties.

Usually the infiltration comes to a halt during peak winter months due to blockage of mountain passes after heavy snowfall. However, despite a cold wave in the region at the beginning of Chillai Kalan, 40-day spell of harshest winter in the region, less snowfall has not depleted chances of infiltration.
Refuting party MLA Alka Lambas claim that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had demanded her resignation for not supporting a resolution in the Delhi Assembly on stripping late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi of Bharat Ratna, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Saturday said neither any resignation has been sought from her and nor is anyone resigning from the party.

Addressing the media, Sisodia clarified the lines about Rajiv Gandhi were not part of the original resolution placed before the House. It was a handwritten amendment proposed by a party MLA and it cannot be passed in such a manner, he added.

The aim of the original resolution, moved by Jarnail Singh, was only to help the victims of 1984 riots get justice. No resolution mentioning late PM Rajiv Gandhi was passed in the Assembly as being reported in the media, Sisodia said.

The Delhi Assembly on Friday had adopted a resolution on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in which it was demanded that the Bharat Ratna awarded to Rajiv be withdrawn, but the AAP swiftly distanced itself from the reference to the late Congress leader.

The matter became a major issue within the AAP with Lamba alleging on Friday that she was put under pressure to support the resolution, which she resisted and boycotted.

On Friday Lamba had claimed to spoken to party supremo Kejriwal, who asked her to resign as MLA. I am ready to do so, she had said.

However, after the clarification from Sisodia, Lamba tweeted on Saturday, I am extremely happy that the party has supported the award of Bharat Ratna to late Rajiv Gandhi. The country can never forget the sacrifice made by him. I am removing the copy of the resolution not passed by the House.

AAP spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj, who narrated the entire sequence of events in the Assembly, clarified any amendment to a resolution can become a part of the original only after it has been separately voted on by the House, which did not happen in this case.

Jarnail Singh, while moving the resolution in the Assembly, had mentioned Rahuls name while reading the text and demanded that the Congress leaders Bharat Ratna be withdrawn for justifying the anti-Sikh riots. Later, he had said though the reference to Rahul in the resolution was not there in the written copies, it was made orally and passed by the House by voice vote.
Zakir Musas radical group Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind, an outfit affiliated to al-Qaeda, received a severe jolt when six of its terrorists, including the outfit deputy chief, were killed in a gunfight in south Kashmirs Tral sub-district on Saturday morning.

The gunfight triggered around 8.30 am at Arampora village along the Awantipore-Tral road, some 35 km from Srinagar, when joint teams of police, Armys 42 Rashtriya Rifles and CRPFs 130 and 180 battalions launched an operation after tip-off about terrorists presence.

As the searches were going on, the search party was fired upon by the holed-up terrorists. The fire was retaliated leading to a gunfight, said a police spokesman in Srinagar. In the ensuing encounter, six terrorists were neutralised. There was no collateral damage during the encounter.

He said arms and ammunition were recovered from the site of encounter. All the six terrorists were locals from Tral and neighbouring areas and were affiliated to Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind.

The slain included Musas deputy Soliha Mohammad Akhoon of Arampora, Faisal Khanday, resident of Amlar, Nadeem Sofi of Batagund, Rasiq Mir, Rouf Ahmed Bhat and Umar Ramzan all three residents of Dadsara.

All the six terrorists were wanted for their complicity in a series of terror crimes, including an attack on security establishments and civilian atrocities, the spokesman said.

A police officer said Soliha was active since 2015 and Rasiq had joined a militant group in 2016. The two (Soliha and Rasiq) were initially associated with Hizbul Mujahideen and when Zakir Musa parted ways with Hizb and formed Ansar, the two joined him, the officer added.

The rest four slain terrorists had joined militancy this year.

"The killing of six terrorists is a big setback to Musa group," the officer said. Zakir Musa who has been a close aide of Hizb iconic commander Burhan Wani parted ways with Hizb in 2017 to float his pan Islamic out Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind- .

The outfit assumed significance when it openly berated Pakistan's role in Kashmir. But with the killing of Zakir's "core team" the pro-Al Qaeda group has got a jolt as it does not have many cadres spread in the valley.

Killing of terrorists triggered tension in the area and authorities also suspended mobile internet in Pulwama district and some parts of south Kashmir as a precautionary measure. The train services between Banihal and Baramulla were also snapped amid fear of a law and order situation.

A large number of people attended the funeral prayers of the slain militants in their respective villages.

This year, the violence has seen a sharp increase in Kashmir. Forces have killed 240 terrorists, which is highest since 2008. According to police, in 2008, forces had killed 339 terrorists. Similarly, the forces lost 89 security men in the line of duty- which is also the highest in the last decade. Over 100 civilians have also been killed in the violence.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is pulling out all stops to make the launching ceremony of the Atal Ayushman Yojana (AAY), the universal health insurance scheme, on December 25 to mark the birth anniversary of the former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee-a grand affair. A meeting was held at the Mahanagar office of the party on Saturday to take stock of the preparation for the ceremony. It is learnt that the party leaders have been asked to ensure that a crowd of at least 20,000 is present when the Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat would officially launch the scheme at Bannu ground on December 25.

Notably, on the day the Ayushman Bharat Yojana ( ABY) which covered 5.37 lakh families of Uttarakhand on the basis of economic survey done in 2011 was inaugurated, CM had declared that the State Government would extend the scheme to all 23 lakh families living in Uttarakhand under Atal Ayuhman Yojana.

The nodal officer of the scheme Dr Saroj Naithani said that the State Health and Family Welfare Department has done all the necessary spadework for the launch of the universal health insurance scheme in the State.

The State Health Department has selected families on the basis of national food security survey.

There are about 23 lakh families in Uttarakhand out of which 5.37 families are already covered under ABY. The remaining families which include the families of the State Government employees would be brought under AAY.

A total of 30 private hospitals have so far been included under the scheme while the process to empanel 19 hospitals is under progress.

The State health agency- set up to implement the scheme-has appointed Arogya Mitras in all the empanelled hospitals for assisting the patients on treatment-related matters under the scheme.

For the treatment under the scheme in any empanelled hospital, the patients would have to show their ration card and AADHAR card to the hospital authorities.

The scheme is being run on a trust mode and the State health agency has selected a Hyderabad-based company- Family Health Planning Limited-for technical help. Under ABY, the Union Government is providing 90 percent of the budget for the scheme while the State Government would contribute the remaining 10 percent while in the AAY, the State Government would bear the entire cost of the scheme.
About 4.5 Million Tonnes (MT) of coking coal is unloaded per annum at the Wagon Tipplers of Coal Preparation Plant-2 of Bhilai Steel Plant (BSP), a company press release informed on Saturday.

The unloading of such huge quantity of coal in a limited time is facilitated by Wagon Tipplers, it informed.

The Wagon Tipplers are designed for unloading certain specific type of wagons only at the time of installation. The Tipplers were basically designed for unloading BoxN Wagons at the time of installation of tipplers.

The Boxes (wagons) are provided by Indian Railways. Over a period of time, the Boxes are replaced due to wear and tear by the Railways. During such time, other types of Box wagons are also used as replacement by Railways.

The first modification in all the tipplers took place in 2009 to accommodate unloading of other types of wagons like BoxNR, BoxNHS and BoxNHL.

Recently, BoxNS was introduced by the Railways, which were not suited for getting unloaded in the tipplers at Coal Preparation Plant, because the height of these wagons was much more than what the tipplers could accommodate.

The collective of CO&CCD along with Engineering Design and Drawing Section planned the required modification in Wagon Tippler-1.

Accordingly, the Mechanical Maintenance collective guided by I Rajan, DGM I/c (M&S), led by A.S. Bisht, AGM and his team lifted the top beam by 100 mm.

The Tippler was made suitable for unloading BoxNS wagons and on 22nd Dec 2018, the wagons were successfully tested in the tippler and the tippling of the first rake of BoxNS wagons was executed.

G.S. Venkata Subramanian, GM (CO&CCD) and G. Achuta Rao, DGM I/c (CRG) who had monitored the progress of modification job congratulated the coal collective and commended the role of Jhagar Singh, DGM (Coal), M.K. Solanki, DGM (CPP-2) and K. Nand Kumar, DGM (E/M) for facilitating and providing peripheral support for successful completion of the modification.
Cold wave condition is likely to continue in Uttarakhand in the next 24 hours, as per the weather forecast issued by the regional meteorological department on Saturday. Dehradun is also reeling under the cold spell and the mercury is likely to fall in the coming days. The maximum temperature is dropping steadily, making the winter biting in the city.

In a fresh warning, the centre said that there would be no let-up in the cold wave condition presently sweeping across a large swathe of the plain areas of Uttarakhand in the next 24 hours.

Besides, there is a warning of moderate to dense fog forming in several places in the plains of the State, particularly, Haridwar and Udham Singh Nagar districts, during the early morning hours on Sunday.

In a yellow watch warning issued on Saturday, the Met centre said that the cold wave condition would send a large part of the plain areas of the Himalayan State reeling under the freezing cold on Sunday. Besides, as per the warning, fog is likely to bring down visibility substantially during the morning hours on the day.

As per the weather forecast issued for Saturday, the climate would be generally dry in the State, though clouds might cover the sky partly on Sunday. In Dehradun, dense fog/mist is likely to form in the plain areas in the early morning hours on the day and the sky would be partly cloudy. The two plain districts-Haridwar and Udham Singh Nagar-are likely to wake up to foggy morning on Sunday.

Meanwhile, the mercury in Dehradun continued to settle in the neighbourhood of 5 degree Celsius while the maximum is dipping to around 20 degree Celsius.

The mercury dipping in the hills, the possibility of the snowfall in the places with altitude of 2500 meters and above is brightening. Earlier, the Met department forecast snowfall from December 23 in the higher reaches of the hills. It further said that the queen of hills Mussoorie and the lake city Nainital might record fresh snowfall from December 28.

Meanwhile, Dehradun saw a generally sunny to partly cloudy day on Saturday. While the maximum temperature settled at 20.5 degree Celsius, normal, the minimum was 5.3 degree Celsius, one notch below the normal, on the day.

In other places of the State, the maximum and minimum temperatures were recorded at 20.9 degree Celsius and 2.5 degree Celsius respectively in Pantnagar on Saturday.

At Mukteshwar, the maximum and minimum temperatures were recorded at 16.6 degree Celsius and 3.1 degree Celsius. In New Tehri, the maximum and minimum temperatures recorded were 16.2 degree Celsius and 4.6 degree Celsius respectively on the day.
The Chhattisgarh Government has issued notification to the Co-operatives Department regarding waiver of short-term loans of farmers till November 30, 2018.

The scheme would be known as 'Short-term Farmer Loan Waiver Scheme-2018'. The scheme would include marginal farmers, small and big farmers. It will also include SHGs and farmer groups, an official statement informed here on Saturday.

The Government will pay back loans via linking or cash between November 1 to 30, 2018.

The loan waiver is only for short term loans and not medium or long term loan, it stated.

It would be the responsibility of the banks to verify the authenticity of farmer loan waiver and also the farmers' list, it stated.

Chhattisgarh is among nine States and a Union Territory in the country which have in the recent past announced their own farm loan/debt waiver schemes to extend relief to the needy farmers, the Central Government had also informed in July this year.

The State Governments of Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Telangana, Punjab, Chhattisgarh and Union Territory (UT) of Puducherry have in the recent past announced their own farm loan/debt waiver schemes to extend relief to the needy farmers in these States and Union Territory (UT), it had informed.

Government sets annual target for the flow of credit to the agriculture sector. Banks have been consistently surpassing the annual target. The current years agriculture credit flow target has been set at Rs 11 lakh crore.

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has issued Priority Sector Lending Guidelines (PSL), which mandate all Domestic Scheduled Commercial Banks to earmark 18% of their Adjusted Net Bank Credit (ANBC) or Credit Equivalent amount of Off-Balance Sheet Exposure (OBE), whichever is higher, as on the corresponding date of the previous year, for lending to Agriculture.

As per PSL guidelines, loans to distressed farmers to repay non-institutional lenders are eligible under priority sector. Besides loans to stressed persons (other than farmers) not exceeding Rs 1,00,000/- per borrower to repay their debt to non-institutional lender are also eligible for the purpose of priority sector lending by banks.

In order to ensure that all eligible farmers are provided with hassle-free and timely credit for their agricultural operations, the Government has introduced the Kisan Credit Card (KCC) Scheme, which enables them to draw cash to purchase agricultural inputs such as seeds, fertilisers, pesticides as well as meet other agricultural and consumption needs.

The KCC Scheme has since been simplified by providing the farmers with ATM enabled debit card based on one-time documentation and built-in cost escalation in the limit, etc.

To bring small, marginal, tenant farmers, oral lessees, etc. into the fold of institutional credit, Joint Liability Groups (JLGs) have been promoted by banks.

The Government also promotes formation of Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) in a big way to enable farmers to leverage economies of scale, not only for agricultural inputs but also for enhanced marketing opportunities.

Banks were advised by RBI to waive margin/security requirements of agricultural loans upto Rs 1,00,000/-, vide RBIs circular dated June 18, 2010.

RBI has issued directions for Relief Measures to be provided by respective lending institutions in areas affected by natural calamities which, inter alia, include, restructuring/rescheduling of existing crop loans and term loans, extending fresh loans, relaxed security and margin norms, moratorium, etc.

These directions have been so designed that the moment calamity is declared by the concerned District Authorities they are automatically set in motion without any intervention, thus saving precious time.

The benchmark for initiating relief measures by banks has also been reduced to 33% crop loss in line with the National Disaster Management Framework, the Central Government informed.
Pranav Verma joins BJP

Former Union Secretary Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (JVM) and former JVM candidate from Koderma parliamentary constituency Pranav Kumar Verma joined Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday at the party headquarter in Ranchi. The meeting chaired by the party President of Giridih district Sunil Agarwal, the party in charge Giridih district, Sunil Sahu along with the State party, President, Laxhman Gilua were present at the occasion.

Sudesh Mahto continues Yatra

On the occasion of Santhal Divas, Central Committee President AJSU Party Sudesh Kumar Mahato reached Bhoganadi on Saturday with his fourth round of Swaraj Swabhiman Yatra. Here Mahto met with the descendants of Siddha-Kanu. The people of the village were also present on this occasion. The descendants of Sidho-Kanu and the people of the village kept their views during the meeting.

Christmas celebration at TWS

Taurian World School, Ranchi organised the annual Christmas Carnival on Saturday. The chill of the morning did not dampen the spirits of the young hearts and nor of the parents. The carnival initiated by the Principal Dr. Subhash Kumar has now become an annual event. The Chief Guest presiding over the function was SSP Anish Gupta. The entire ground buzzed with various activities; fun and masti completely took over everything. Festivities marked every inch of the ground. Gaily decorated stalls welcomed the surprised visitors. Each stall outdid the other with their innovative ideas and warm reception.

Santas spread joy

DPS Ranchi students went all the way to CRC Middle School Booty on Saturday. The activity commenced with the surprise of arrival of not only one or two but number of children in the attire of Santa a symbol of hope, a symbol of love. The programme further moved with several performances by the young bundles of joy including speech on the importance of the day. The children took the programme to its closure with a questionnaire round where children learned about the soulful Saint Nicholas by whose name the concept of Santa Claus in practiced.

Annual Day at Oxford Public School

The 22nd Annual Day Cum St. Mother Teresa Meritorious Award Ceremony was celebrated with ample pomp & show at Oxford Public School, Pragati Path, Ranchi. DG (Home Guard and Fire Services) BB Pradhan graced the occasion as the Chief Guest. Principal of Junior Wing Rashmi Bakshi welcomed the Chief Guest and other distinguished guests. Principal Suraj Sharma, presented the annual report and highlighted the achievements of the school. The Principal further added that in the academic session 2017-18, the school achieved excellent results not only in the CBSE examinations but also in various prestigious competitive examinations. 65 students of class 10th scored above 90 per cent marks.

ICICI Prudential AMCs new fund

The ICICI Prudential AMC is going to launch a special situation fund called ICICI Prudential India Opportunity Fund. The New Fund Offer (NFO) for the fund is open from December 26 and continues till January, 9, 2019 in the Growth and Dividend option. The minimum application amount is set at Rs 5,000.

Christmas Day Bal Vikas Vidyalaya

Bal Vikas Vidyalaya celebrated Christmas day and the New year at its premises on Saturday. On the occasion students of the schools dressed in Shanta Clouse and Angel. Even a teacher also dressed like Shanta Clouse and distributed chokolates and gifts. A colourful dance programme was also organised in which the students and the parents of the students were enjoyed.

Customer Meet of Exide Life Insurance

On Saturday Exide Life Insurance organized a specially designed Customer Awareness Program for the citizens of Ranchi, to educate them on the basics of financial preparation for their long and happy life. Since the programs launch in 2015, Exide Life Insurance has been engaging with people in Tier II and III cities across the country, helping them understand the importance of insurance and equipping them with the required information to make the right financial decision for their future.
The alliance of Janta Congress Chhattisgarh (Jogi)-Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Communist Party of India (CPI) would contest from all the 11 Lok Sabha seats in Chhattisgarh.

This was decided by partys Legislative Party meeting held with alliance partners held here today said JCC-J's Lormi MLA Dharamjeet Singh.

Talking to reporters after the meeting at Sagaun Bangla, the official residence of JCC (J) supremo Ajit Jogi, Singh said :We have made the analysis of each Assembly seat we fought in alliance. It has gained ground by securing almost 14% vote share in the State.

Keeping the analysis in view, the alliance has formulated a strategy. Based on it, we have identified our strength and inherent weakness in different areas, which we will work upon by further building the organisation at grass-roots level, he added.

To a query of Assembly status, Singh said, Our party leader for Assembly would be elected. Although, Ajit Jogi is our leader but after alliance partners meet, a formal announcement will be made. We have demanded a separate room for our MLAs and separate sitting arrangement for our alliance MLAs in the House.

On BSP getting fewer seats in the Assembly polls, Singh clarified that this time BSP has won two seats while they had fought only on 35 seats compared to year 2013. It has also got vote share of around 4 %, higher than last time.

Commenting on Congress party, he said, The massive majority will be cause of downfall of the Congress party by next five years. It is yet to decide the Ministers and commence normal function of Government. 

JCC (J) will back Congress in a positive note, if it works on implementation of its promises.

If not then it would be forced to take decisions in favour of people by going from House to road, through public movements, Singh said.
Chief Minister Raghubar Das today said that no farmer of the State will have to beg in front of private money lenders and banks for agricultural activities after the launch of Mukhya mantra Krishi Aashirwad Yojna. While interacting with people at Jan Choupal programme organized at Tilka Manjhi Agriculture College Complex, Godda, the CM said that the scheme will benefit 22.76 lakh small and marginal farmers of the State in the coming years.

The CM answered to the query of women in the Choupal and said that under this scheme farmers will be given Rs 5000 per acre for Kharif crop every year. Those who have less than one acre of land will also be given minimum Rs 5000 per annum. This amount will be given directly to the farmers through check. The CM said that this scheme will benefit 84 per cent farmers of the state.

Addressing the people, Das said that there should be no distance between the government and the people as the will of the people is most important in a democracy. Today I have come here to know about your happiness and miseries. I have come to know whether the Central government and State government's public welfare schemes are reaching you or not, said the CM.

The suggestions of 3.25 crore people of Jharkhand is important for the development of the State. All of you suggest in writing. Your suggestions in the upcoming budget will definitely be considered. This State is yours and you have chosen me as your servant for the overall development of the State. Removing all your problems is the priority of the State government. Many public welfare schemes are being run by the Central Government and the State Government, he said.

Our government will provide houses to the homeless people of the urban and rural areas by 2020. The Government is devoted to farmers, poor, youth and women. The Prime Minister has worked to give respect to women. After construction of toilets under Swachchh Bharat Scheme women do not have to wait for the darkness to attend to natures call. I am happy that only four years ago, only 18% of the houses had toilets, but in just four years, with the help of Rani Mistry and Jal Sahias, 99.9 per cent of the houses have toilets, he said.

The MC said that said that due to the unstable governments for 14 years people's aspiration and hopes were never fulfilled. But in 2014, a strong Government gave Jharkhand an opportunity to move towards development. The government is working with everyone with the mantra of development.

On a question of a Ajiwika Mitra the CM appealed to farmers to adopt organic farming. There is demand for organic product is in the whole world. The use of chemical fertilizers affects the productive capacity of the soil. During the global agricultural and food summit organised in Ranchi last month, agricultural scientists from seven countries had stressed on promoting organic farming. Farmers have to pay attention even on the drop-down irrigation. In all the districts, the government will send specialist for training of this method, he said.

The CM announced a grant of Rs 51,000 from his discretionary funds for the marriage of the daughter of a widow Radha Devi and also instructed to start her widow pension within a week. The Chief Minister asked Manju Harda to tell the government's plans and how they could be benefitted among the tribals.

CM Kiran Devi has been selected from Podaiyahat to go to Israel in January. On this, he congratulated them and said that those who came to learn from there, tell the farmers here in the village.

The CM also laid foundation stone and inaugurated schemes worth Rs 17769.43 lakh and distributed assets worth Rs149.38 lakh on the occasion. As many as 329 beneficiaries were given the key to house under the Prime Minister's Housing Scheme and 10 beneficiaries of the Bhimrao Ambedkar Awas Yojana. Ujjwala gas was distributed between 250 beneficiaries. Super 100 crash course, Patthar Gama (girls) and Jharkhand Silk Emporium, Godda were inaugurated in Godda on the occasion.

Godda MP Nishikant Dubey, Godda MLA Amit Mandal, Mahagama MLA Ashok Bhagat, Commissioner of the committee Bhagwan Das, Deputy Inspector General of Police Raj Kumar Lakra and SP Rajiv Ranjan Singh were also present on the occasion.
The Union Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) has no proposal to set up a special agricultural processing zone in Chhattisgarh in the near future, the Central Government has informed.

The Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) does not set up any food processing industries/units/projects on its own, it informed.

The details of projects sanctioned in the State of Chhattisgarh are: Mega Food Park (1), Integrated Cold Chain and Value Addition Infrastructure (2) Setting up/ Modernisation of Abattoirs (1), Creation/Expansion of Food Processing & Preservation Capacities (1).

The Ministry provides financial assistance in the form of grants-in-aid under component schemes of Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana (PMKSY) to the individual, farmers, farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), entrepreneurs, cooperatives, societies, self-Help Groups (SHGs), Private Companies and Central/State PSUs etc. under its various schemes to enable them to set up of food processing industries/units/projects.

The schemes are not any region specific or State specific, but are demand driven. Financial assistance to the eligible applicants is provided against the Expression of Interest issued by the MoFPI from time to time.

Chhattisgarh State Industrial Development Corporation Limited (CSIDC) had already invited proposals from companies/promoters for setting up of Food Processing, Fruit & Vegetables Processing and Non-Timber Forest Produce (NTFP) units to provide modern infrastructure facilities for food processing sector in the State .

Special incentives packages has been notified for companies/promoters interested in setting up units in areas of Food Processing, Fruit & Vegetable Processing and Non Timber Forest Produce (NTFP) processing in State of Chhattisgarh having investment intent of Rs 500 Crore and more, officials informed.

Notably, the erstwhile BJP Government last year had decided establish Multi-Commodity Cold Storage chambers for Horticulture and other commodities in five districts of the State.

The cold storages were to be established at Mandi/Sub Mandi Yard of Raipur (TULSI), Durg, Rajnandgaon , Bilaspur and Raigarh.

Meanwhile, it may be recalled that the Chhattisgarh Government last year had also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority ( APEDA) to develop clusters for providing a major push to Agri products exports from the State.

There was a plan to create a cluster for horticultural crops in common geographical locations with a view to selecting the best produce for their packaging and their processing for the exports market.

APEDA was to assist the Government in finding exports markets to sell the produce. For this, the Government had chosen three key horticulture producing locations in which papaya, bananas and vegetables are grown.

For papaya and bananas, Durg, Bemetara, Raipur, Bilaspur and Rajnandgaon districts have been chosen whereas for vegetables, Durg, Bemetara, Raipur, Bilaspur, Rajnandgaon, Balod, Surguja, Bastar and Raigarh were identified.

It may also be recalled that the former BJP Government had also prepared a five-year master plan to provide a fillip to the cultivation of horticulture based crops in the State.

The master plan is for the period 2017-18 to 2021-22.

Horticulture is a sunrise sector in the State. The Horticulture crops cover an acreage of 7.41 lakh hectares and production is about 85.95 lakh metric tonnes, officials had informed.

The acreage under horticulture crops had increased several times since 2004-05.

According to the master plan, the target is to increase acerage of horticulture crops by about 4.52 lakh hectares. The increase in acerage will cover fruits, vegetables, masala (spices) crops and flowers.
Students of the College of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry under the OUAT called off their three-day-long strike on Saturday. The strike was continuing with a demand for appointment of a regular Dean of the college.

It is to be mentioned that an interim Dean has been appointed by the Chancellor of the university since July 2018. In a written letter to the Vice-Chancellor, the students called off their strike to bring back a conducive atmosphere for teaching-learning environment.

The college will resume its routine academic, examination, research and treatment activities from Monday.
A Bangalore-bound IndiGo flight from Kolkata was diverted to Bhubaneswar after a 32-year-old passenger was taken ill pn Saturday.

The IndiGo 6E 822 flight that had departed from the Kolkata airport at 10.10 am landed at the Biju Patnaik International Airport here at 11.15 am. Soon after the landing, the airport officials and doctors on duty provided all necessary assistance to the passenger, Rajkumar Karmakar of Malda in West Bengal.

Later, he was rushed to the Capital Hospital here, where doctors declared him dead. The heart beat of the passenger had stopped while his body was cold and pupil not reacting to light exposure, said a doctor.
The Delhi visit of the State Congress chief Pritam Singh has stoked speculation that the much-awaited Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) would soon be announced.

Singh was in Delhi on Friday and Saturday where he along with the leader of the Opposition in Uttarakhand Assembly, Indira Hridayesh met the State in-charge of the party Anugrah Narayan Singh and held elaborate discussions on the shape of the new PCC and its probable members. The state president also tried to meet the Congress president Rahul Gandhi to get his nod for his team but the meeting could not have taken place.

Talking to The Pioneer over phone, Singh confirmed that new PCC was on his agenda of the Delhi visit. He added that he would soon meet the Congress president after which the names of the PCC would be declared.

It is learnt that the State party in-charge Anugrah Narayan Singh held detailed discussions with the former Chief Minister and All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary Harish Rawat and former PCC president Kishore Upadhyaya on the faces of the new PCC. Meanwhile, the former PCC president Kishore Upadhyaya said in Dehradun on Saturday that he has suggested such names for inclusion in the PCC who had shown faith in the party when it was on the verge of split.

He further said that the party should reward those who stood by it in its hard times.

The PCC president Singh in the past had repeatedly said that the new PCC would be a small one unlike the jumbo PCC when Kishore Upadhyaya was stewarding the party in the State.

However, the party insiders said that it is unlikely be to small one, given the factional pulls and counter pulls gnawing at the state party unit. It is unlikely that the new committee would have less than 50 members, a party insider said.

The State watchers also agreed to the view and said that given the internal dynamics of the party, different leaders are bound to push hard to ensure that their supporters figure in the apex committee of the State Congress. The new PCC would at least have 75 members, said a political commentator.

With Lok Sabha elections round the corner, the state Congress is showing impatience to put into place the new PCC before going into the poll mode. In the past, the PCC declaration on the matter was postponed on one pretext or another, keeping the constitution of the committee in abeyance.
Himachal Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Saturday expressed happiness that Himachal Pradesh has emerged front runner along-with Kerala and Tamil Nadu in achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) in the State ranking released by NITI Aayog. He said Himachal Pradesh has been ranked high on providing clean water and sanitation, in reducing inequalities and preserving the mountain ecosystem. The Chief Minister said that this has been possible due to active cooperation of the people of the state.

The State Government is committed to providing best basic amenities to its citizen for which all-out efforts are being made. He said that Himachal Pradesh has been bestowed with immense natural grandeur and his government is resolute to preserve the precious environment and ecosystem.

The report prepared, with the support of the UN in India, has listed out the India index with aims to measure the progress of States and Union Territories (UTs). The index covers 13 of the 17 sustainable development goals, including healthcare, gender equality, clean energy, infrastructure, education, peace and building strong, accountable institutions. The index comprises a composite score for each State and Union Territory based on their aggregate performance across 13 of the 17 SDGs. Among the States, Himachal Pradesh and Kerala are the front runners, with an SDG India Index score of 69.
Rolling out change anywhere in the world needs to take the long path of consensus. Macron forgets that a democratically elected representative is answerable to each one who votes

I had to rejig my travel plans last week to make a trip to Delhi. A delegation from my alma mater, Sciences-po Paris, was visiting the Capital and my newly acquired position as the democratically elected President of Sciences po alumni India made me feel somewhat obliged to be there. In my tiny political capacity, I felt answerable to the voters  150 men and women, ranging from age 25 to 70, living across India, bound together by their French experience.

The amicable French Ambassador to India, Alexandre Ziegler, had opened the doors of his residence to the alumni community to meet the French delegation over great wine, tiny hors doeuvres, and  predictably  a few speeches. In her short talk  and with the backdrop of violent clashes in Paris that look to be the worst since 1968  the charming Professor Vanessa Scherrer attempted to strengthen Franco-Indian ties.

A clever speech by Enrico Letta, Dean of the Paris School of International Affairs at Sciences Po and former Prime Minister of Italy, suggested that smartphones have changed politics forever. Indeed, voters get instant news on their finger tips, they impulsively share their political views  woes  wants, or simply thumbs up, thumbs down, wow, heart policies and their elected representatives. Our digital hyper connectivity makes it easy to swiftly move into political action. To plan a political agitation, a secret midnight rendezvous is replaced by a closed Facebook group event. Door-to-door campaigns have given way to a call to action on Twitter.

And so, a week ago, the Sciences-po alumni in India had voted for their President via a weblink. Last year, President Emmanuel Macrons election campaign had been powered by social media, now much like the protesters who are on the streets against him.

The yellow vest movement started on November 17, with 282,000 protesters, leaving one dead, 409 wounded, and 73 in custody. It was initially against a rise in duties on diesel, widely used by French motorists and which has long been less heavily taxed than other types of fuel. Macron had said higher taxes on fossil fuels were needed to fund renewable energy investments. The protesters adopted the name for their movement after a social media campaign urging people to take to the streets wearing the high-visibility yellow jackets that must be carried in every vehicle in France.

Last weekend, although in smaller numbers, the protesters were still on the streets. There were slightly more than 2,000 in Paris. In Bordeaux, more than 4,500 protesters turned up despite showers of water cannon from the police to disperse them. A similar number protested in Toulouse. In Nantes, around 1,200 protesters were fired by tear gas, as they were in Avignon and Besancon. This week too the protests have continued. The movement has now expanded over other issues, including calls for higher wages, lower taxes, better pensions, easier university entry requirements, and so on. The protesters were frustrated about the overall economic situation in France, especially the economic policies rolled out by Macron who is being perceived as anti-poor and pro-elite.

According to a recent story by

The Economist, Macron is looked upon by most French folks as too haughty. In a poll by Ipsos, the approval for Macron by French citizens has slipped another two points in the last month, to 23 per cent. The proportion of people who declared themselves very dissatisfied by his leadership jumped by six points to 45 per cent.

Macron has made some bold policy changes, akin to none that France has seen in many decades. He has made a few long-needed reforms to make the labour market more flexible. His education reforms created smaller classes in poor areas and greater citizens control over training. The rise in taxes on diesel is to fund renewable energy. Yet he did so without involving the rest. He singlehandedly delivered to the French all the changes that he felt were the best for them. He did not pause to explain enough. When he slashed taxes on wealth, he did not offer more help for the poor or sufficiently explain to them why the old wealth tax was inefficient, incentive-sapping, and bad for France in the long run. Macron forgets that a democratically elected representative is answerable to each one who casts a vote. There is little wrong with his policies, yet plenty at fault with his attitude.

Rolling out change anywhere in the world, in governance or in business, needs to take the long path of consensus. Drawing up a list of policies (however great) or to-dos, without effective communication with the affected group, thrusting the changes upon the group, forcing them to implement and bear the consequences, fast tracks change but is unsustainable. With such a method, the changes desired will not last. Moreover, a changemakers hasty actions with poor communication will always leave some section of people who will feel left behind, uninvolved, deceived. And so, metaphorically speaking  and to Dean Lettas point  indeed the smartphone has transformed governance. People can share grievances quickly about policies and can organise themselves to protest on the streets. But easy connectivity these days also makes it easier for politicians, such as Macron, to connect much more with citizens, empathise, effectively communicate with them, receive feedback, and defend his tough policies when required!

This week, Macron turned 41. He woke up to probably his worst birthday gift ever  the streets of Paris littered with burned-out cars, smashed glass, and police everywhere. We hope that Frances gift to him does not detract him from making bold reforms, but instead have a maturing effect on his attitude.

The writer is the CEO of Sustain Labs Paris, the worlds first sustainability incubator. She is a Global Leadership Fellow alumna of the World Economic Forum. miniya@labsparis.com
Yamuna and its floodplains hold immense possibilities of inclusive and sustainable regeneration for the city. Yet, pervasive lack of public interest seems crucially responsible for the deplorable state of the river in Delhi, writes Anubhav Pradhan

To most of us in Delhi, the Yamuna is not more than mere abstraction. Either politicised imagery of foam and muck or a banal montage of black water seen through the countless trains crossing it daily, the Yamuna is for the most a metaphor for much of Delhi. Unlike other great riverine cities of the subcontinent, unlike Agra, Kanpur, Prayagraj, Varanasi, and Kolkata, Delhi seems to have only a strictly functional relationship with its river: It draws water from and expels waste back into it, but there exists no close, affective tie between the Yamuna and the crores of citizens whose life it so critically supports.

This isnt as surprising as it is often made out to be though. Unlike most other riverine cities, it is entirely possible to live fully in Delhi and yet never have the occasion to come across it. The city has not grown out from the river, its development has never been centrifugal to any one key site along its banks. Delhi has the enviable past of having had many iterations of urbanisation in often incompatible directions. Of these many cities which have been regarded Delhi over the past millennium and a half, only two  Ferozabad and Shahjahanabad  can be properly considered riverine. Shahjahanabad, the historical city we are most familiar with as Old Delhi, was also built with its regal back to the river, with Chandni Chowk and the great Jama and Fatehpuri masjids being the key sites of sociality much more than any of the ghats. New Delhi, arguably the centre of the city as we know it today, was built by the British on a vantage of the Ridge, Delhis other primary geographical feature. The Yamuna exists only on the peripheries of this city, part ornament, part malarial threat, and  a little downstream  simply sewage disposal channel.

Is it surprising, then, that the typical Dilliwaalah has no space for the Yamuna in his self-image as a citizen of Delhi? The Metro system, Raisina and India Gate, various roads and flyovers, Connaught Place, even smog, these signifiers stand in for Delhi. These and similar motifs are what most Dilliwaalahs lay claim to and identify with as constitutive of their mental and emotional make-up with reference to their city. The Yamuna is more often than not just an abstraction, something they hear and listen about but can hardly be bothered to care for.

More than lack of funding, much more than lack of policy, this pervasive lack of public interest seems crucially responsible for the deplorable state of the Yamuna in Delhi. The river and its floodplains hold immense possibilities of radically inclusive and sustainable regeneration for the city. However, since the Yamuna is just an abstracted metaphor for most Dilliwaalahs and they have no idea of what its actually like and what happens around and in it, the debate on how best these resources can be used remains restricted to a closed circuit of bureaucrats, planners, jurists, and environmentalists. The public is simply not involved.

Take farming, for instance. How many of us in Delhi know that there is a lot of agricultural activity happening in the city? Farming has no space in our collective imagination of a city, a so-called modern, world class city. For most of us, farming happens out there in the villages, outside city boundaries. It is supposed to be an anomaly in an urban environment, just as cows and hens and other kinds of livestock are seen as aberrations not belonging in a city. Yet, how many of us know that farming has been an integral part of Delhi for centuries now? Of the many millions who daily cross the Yamuna, how many have registered the presence of scattered farming communities along its much-maligned banks? We tend to think of such agrarian livelihoods as unhygienic violations of the urban imaginaries we aspire for and seek to materialise, but how many of us have bothered to examine their relation to our city and to its making?

Organised under the cooperative movement, farming on the Yamunas floodplains was given legal sanction via registered leases as far back as 1949. At the time, soon after the shortages of World War II and the ravages of Partition, putting the floodplains immediately adjacent to the urban limits of the city to agricultural use was considered an expedient avenue for self-employment, a pertinent contribution to Delhis food security, and a source of steady revenue for the Government. Revenue records and maps establish the long-standing presence of agrarian communities along the Yamunas floodplains in this region, so in taking this decision the Delhi Improvement Trust (DIT), precursor to the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), was only reverting to a tradition which Delhis tryst with British imperial modernity had ruptured. Even though Delhi was the National Capital and an exponentially growing city, agriculture was still considered integral to its social and economic fabric. This has been the reality of our city, this its actual, corporeal experience. Yet, we still insist on seeing our habitat through the grid and frame of idealised urban imaginaries which penalise such forms of urban life and livelihood simply because they no longer seem to fit in.

Such has been the fate of farming communities along the 22-km urban stretch of the Yamuna in Delhi, from Wazirabad to Okhla. The courts are told by the DDA that the leases were not renewed after 1967, so farmers are necessarily encroachers on public land. Why, though, were the leases not renewed? What plans did the DDA have for the floodplains and for the Yamuna?

Over the past three decades, as Delhi witnessed massive structural transformations, the Yamuna and its floodplains have been sites of fierce contestations amongst the DDA, the judiciary, and environment activists. Much has been researched and written about the waves of brutal demolition which swept the floodplains clean of many bastis, often in violation of rehabilitation and compensation policies. Even as the river turned black and became a weary icon of Delhis apathy towards itself, the poor and the disadvantaged metamorphosed into convenient scapegoats for pollution. Being visibly present on the floodplains, they were assigned a lions share of blame for degrading the rivers ecosystem. Farmers, being peripherally part of these bastis, too were considered criminal offenders; that they continued to farm on public land to which they legally had no right counteracted the fact that they also continued to deposit land rent to the DDA. Consequently, successive bureaucratic and judicial regimes have found them unnecessary eyesores, and have maligned them for not only encroaching upon public land but also polluting the river by practising agriculture along it.

But what must be practised along a river if not agriculture? Which uses must a rivers floodplains, in close human contact, be put to? What suits a riverine ecosystem, exposed for millennia to human touch, better than seasonal farming? Jogging tracks, tourist gazebos, and ornamental ponds, if the DDA is to be believed; biological parks and wetlands, as per environmentalists. However, thinking thus, both assume that the Yamunas floodplains have been empty land, tabula rasa awaiting the master stroke of visionary experts.

There is, first, the logic of capital, seeing the river and its floodplains in terms of their dual potential as sources of revenue-oriented recreation on one hand and sites for supposedly iconic public infrastructure on the other. This logic, informing policies across generations of the DDAs technocracy, has sought to make the floodplains amenable for so-called development. The Golden Jubilee Park and Akshardham Mandir are prime examples of this, as are the Commonwealth Games Village, Millennium Bus Depot, a number of Delhi Metro installations, and even the Delhi Secretariat. Built in violation of zoning and environmental laws, these and similar establishments have been accepted as fait accompli.

Secondly, there is the rhetoric of revival, seeing all human contact as polluting and seeking to restore the river and its banks to some halcyon, pre-human bio-diverse heaven. Environmental activists of this ilk argue, rightly, that the Yamuna has reached its present degraded condition only due to the unchecked interference of all of us, as a city. They appeal to the judiciary to enforce basic minimum standards upon the state, to monitor the augmentation of our sewage treatment capacity and check the flow of untreated waste water into the river. The floodplains, they feel, are best suited for biodiversity reserves and ecological parks, nurtured carefully and closely to reflect the wealth of local flora and fauna being lost to urbanisation.

Both these stakeholders, vocal and powerful, ignore the basic reality of the river in pressing these solutions: That it is not empty land, that it has been home to farming communities for more than seven decades now, and that peoples lives and livelihoods must be prioritised as much as any ideal imaginaries of what cities should look and feel like. Consider Bela Estate, a small stretch of the floodplains from Loha Pul to Rajghat Power Plant. From January 2010 to January 2017, the DDA undertook as many as 25 demolition drives to free public land from farmers. The Golden Jubilee Park is located here, much of compensatory afforestation happens here; this is the site of Phase 1 of the DDAs Yamuna Riverfront Development Project. Even as farmers fields and hutments are regularly bulldozed, there seems to be no question of dismantling, say, the defunct Rajghat Power Plant, or shifting out the Delhi Secretariat, or evicting the Delhi Metro. All of these public installations have been built on floodplains in violation of the law by those appointed to implement it, yet the larger public and judicial discourse on saving, reviving, cleaning, and developing the Yamuna seems to revolve only on the apparently wilful occupation by an unscrupulous few. Not only does this conveniently gloss over the complex history of riverine farming and its completely legal precedents in Delhi, it also negates the possibility of involving all stakeholders in fruitfully co-creating a viable solution for the deep, dark mess the Yamuna is today.

We must ask new and different questions if we are to productively imagine a sustainable future for the Yamuna and its floodplains. We must acknowledge that what we think our cities should be like is often divorced from what they actually are. This is not as much compromising from cherished ideals as examining these ideals on the sound basis of ground realities. How much, for instance, do a few hundred individuals reduced to the brink of desperate poverty by ceaseless demolition pollute an entire river? Is their presence responsible for our failure to clean up the 22 major storm water drains discharging millions of gallons of untreated domestic and industrial waste in the Yamuna? Is further concretisation and landscaping likely to augment ground water recharge over and above what currently happens naturally in farmlands?

At a time when rooftop farming and urban farming have become international trends, we dont have to look elsewhere for inspiration. We simply need to remember that agriculture is already an integral part of Delhi and has contributed to its environment and economy for generations now. If we expect the state and judiciary to prioritise livelihood over law in exempting merchants and markets from sealing, then we can surely move to accept farming as an ecologically inventive and socially profitable use of the Yamunas floodplains. The nature and terms of agrarian activity come later, what should be grown and how; what is needed first is to recognise the very real threat to an entire way of life which has been integral to Delhi. As a city, we recently showed ourselves capable of coming together to assert our inalienable right to determine its future in the avenues of Sarojini Nagar. We can do something similar for the Yamuna and its farmers, only if we come forward and acknowledge their contribution to the city.

The writer has been conducting archival and ethnographic research on the Yamunas floodplains in Delhi. The views expressed here are his own
Citing a media report, BJP president Amit Shah on Saturday expressed shock over 52 people from Dalit and tribal communities being allegedly "enslaved" in Karnataka and said the Congress-JD(S) government in the state was "busy with cabinet expansion".

He called on his party workers to help those in distress.

"Shocking that members from Dalit & Tribal communities were enslaved and made to suffer in the most inhuman conditions, but the Congress-JDS govt is busy with cabinet expansion! People are watching. I urge our karyakartas to help the people in distress," Shah said in a tweet.

According to the media report, 52 people from the two communities, including 16 women and four children, were enslaved and forced to work for 19 hours a day without wages.

Protests by these people were met with beatings and women being sexually harassed, it said.
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GlaxoSmithKline Plc is a healthcare company, which engages in the research, development, and manufacture of pharmaceutical medicines, vaccines, and consumer healthcare products. It operates through the following segments: Pharmaceuticals; Pharmaceuticals R&D; Vaccines and Consumer Healthcare. The Pharmaceuticals segment focuses on developing medicines in respiratory and infectious diseases, oncology, and immuno-inflammation. The Pharmaceuticals R&D segment focuses on science related to the immune system, the use of human genetics and advanced technologies, and is driven by the multiplier effect of Science x Technology x Culture. The Vaccines segment produces pediatric and adult vaccines to prevent a range of infectious diseases including, hepatitis A and B, diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough, measles, mumps and rubella, polio, typhoid, influenza, and bacterial meningitis. The Consumer Healthcare segment develops and markets brands in the oral health, pain relief, respiratory, nutrition and gastro intestinal, and skin health categories. The company was founded in 1715 and is headquartered in Middlesex, the United Kingdom.

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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 increased by 0.1% and is now trading at $29.72.

View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19.
NovaGold Resources Inc. explores for and develops gold mineral properties in the United States. It primarily owns 50% interest in the Donlin Gold project consisting of 493 mining claims covering an area of 71,420 acres located in the Kuskokwim region of southwestern Alaska. The company was formerly known as NovaCan Mining Resources (1985) Limited and changed its name to NovaGold Resources Inc. in March 1987. NovaGold Resources Inc. was founded in 1984 and is based in Vancouver, Canada.

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Oasis Petroleum Inc., an independent exploration and production company, focuses on the acquisition and development of onshore unconventional oil and natural gas resources in the United States. It operates through Exploration and Production(E&P), and Midstream segments. The E&P segment engages in the acquisition and development of oil and gas properties. The Midstream segment offers midstream services, such as natural gas gathering, compression, processing and, gas lift supply; crude oil gathering, terminaling, and transportation; produced and flowback water gathering, and disposal; and water distribution. As of December 31, 2020, the company had 401,766 net leasehold acres in the Williston Basin; and 24,396 net leasehold acres in the Permian Basin, as well as approximately 152.2 million barrels of oil equivalent of estimated net proved reserves. The company sells its crude oil and natural gas to refiners, marketers, and other purchasers that have access to pipeline and rail facilities. Oasis Petroleum Inc. was founded in 2007 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

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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.

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The following companies are subsidiares of Bristol-Myers Squibb: 1096271 B.C. ULC, 345 Park LLC, A.G. Medical Services P.A., AHI Investment LLC, AbVitro LLC, Abraxis BioScience Australia Pty Ltd., Abraxis BioScience Inc., Abraxis BioScience International Holding Company Inc., Abraxis BioScience LLC, Abraxis BioScience Puerto Rico LLC, Acetylon Pharmaceuticals Inc., Adnexus, Adnexus a Bristol-Myers Squibb R&D Company, Allard Labs Acquisition G.P., Amira Pharmaceuticals, Amira Pharmaceuticals Inc., Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Apothecon LLC, B-MS Generx Unlimited Company, BMS Benelux Holdings B.V., BMS Bermuda Nominees L.L.C., BMS Data Acquisition Company LLC, BMS Forex Company, BMS Holdings Sarl, BMS Holdings Spain S.L., BMS International Insurance Designated Activity Company, BMS Investco SAS, BMS Korea Holdings L.L.C., BMS Latin American Nominees L.L.C., BMS Luxembourg Partners L.L.C., BMS Omega Bermuda Holdings Finance Ltd., BMS Pharmaceutical Korea Limited, BMS Pharmaceuticals Germany Holdings B.V., BMS Pharmaceuticals International Holdings Netherlands B.V., BMS Pharmaceuticals Korea Holdings B.V., BMS Pharmaceuticals Mexico Holdings B.V., BMS Pharmaceuticals Netherlands Holdings B.V., BMS Real Estate LLC, BMS Spain Investments LLC, BMS Strategic Portfolio Investments Holdings Inc., Blisa Acquisition G.P., Bristol (Iran) S.A., Bristol Iran Private Company Limited, Bristol Laboratories Inc., Bristol Laboratories International S.A., Bristol Laboratories Medical Information Systems Inc., Bristol-Myers (Andes) L.L.C., Bristol-Myers (Private) Limited, Bristol-Myers Middle East S.A.L., Bristol-Myers Overseas Corporation, Bristol-Myers Squibb (China) Investment Co. Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb (China) Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb (Israel) Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb (NZ) Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb (Proprietary) Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb (Shanghai) Trading Co. Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb (Singapore) Pte. Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb (Taiwan) Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb (West Indies) Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb A.E., Bristol-Myers Squibb Aktiebolag, Bristol-Myers Squibb Argentina S. R. L., Bristol-Myers Squibb Australia Pty. Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb Axia Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb B.V., Bristol-Myers Squibb Belgium S.A., Bristol-Myers Squibb Business Services Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Canada Co., Bristol-Myers Squibb Canada International Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Delta Company Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Denmark Filial of Bristol-Myers Squibb AB, Bristol-Myers Squibb EMEA Sarl, Bristol-Myers Squibb Egypt LLC, Bristol-Myers Squibb Epsilon Holdings Unlimited Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb Farmaceutica Ltda., Bristol-Myers Squibb Farmaceutica Portuguesa S.A., Bristol-Myers Squibb GesmbH, Bristol-Myers Squibb GmbH & Co. KGaA, Bristol-Myers Squibb Holding Germany GmbH & Co. KG, Bristol-Myers Squibb Holdings 2002 Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Holdings Germany Verwaltungs GmbH, Bristol-Myers Squibb Holdings Ireland Unlimited Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb Holdings Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Holdings Pharma Ltd. Liability Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb Ilaclari Inc., Bristol-Myers Squibb India Pvt. Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb International Company Unlimited Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb International Corporation, Bristol-Myers Squibb Investco L.L.C., Bristol-Myers Squibb K.K., Bristol-Myers Squibb Kft., Bristol-Myers Squibb Luxembourg International S.C.A., Bristol-Myers Squibb Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Bristol-Myers Squibb MEA GmbH, Bristol-Myers Squibb Manufacturing Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb Marketing Services S.R.L., Bristol-Myers Squibb Middle East & Africa FZ-LLC, Bristol-Myers Squibb Norway Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb Nutricionales de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Bristol-Myers Squibb Peru S.A., Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharma (HK) Ltd, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharma (Thailand) Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharma Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharma EEIG, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharma Holding Company LLC, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharma Ventures Corporation, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharmaceuticals Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharmaceuticals Unlimited Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb Polska Sp. z o.o., Bristol-Myers Squibb Products SA, Bristol-Myers Squibb Puerto Rico Inc., Bristol-Myers Squibb Puerto Rico/Sanofi Pharmaceutical Partnership Puerto Rico, Bristol-Myers Squibb Romania S.R.L., Bristol-Myers Squibb S.A.U., Bristol-Myers Squibb S.r.l., Bristol-Myers Squibb SA, Bristol-Myers Squibb Sanofi Pharmaceuticals Holding Partnership, Bristol-Myers Squibb Sarl, Bristol-Myers Squibb Service Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb Services Sp. z o.o., Bristol-Myers Squibb Spol. s r.o., Bristol-Myers Squibb Theta Finance Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb Trustees Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Verwaltungs GmbH, Bristol-Myers Squibb de Colombia S.A., Bristol-Myers Squibb de Costa Rica Sociedad Anonima, Bristol-Myers Squibb de Guatemala S.A., Bristol-Myers Squibb de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Bristol-Myers Squibb/Astrazeneca EEIG, Bristol-Myers Squibb/Pfizer EEIG, Bristol-Myers Squibb/Sanofi Pharmaceuticals Partnership, Bristol-Myers de Venezuela S.C.A., CHT I LLC, CHT II LLC, CHT III LLC, CHT IV LLC, CR Finance Company LLC, Cardioxyl Pharmaceuticals, Cardioxyl Pharmaceuticals Inc., Celem LLC, Celem Ltd., Celgene, Celgene A.B., Celgene AS, Celgene Ab (Finland), Celgene Alpine Investment Co. II LLC, Celgene Alpine Investment Co. III LLC, Celgene Alpine Investment Co. LLC, Celgene ApS, Celgene B.V., Celgene BVBA, Celgene Brasil Produtos Farmaceuticos Ltda., Celgene CAR LLC, Celgene CAR Ltd., Celgene Chemicals Sarl, Celgene China Holdings LLC, Celgene Co., Celgene Corporation, Celgene Distribution B.V., Celgene EngMab GmbH, Celgene Europe B.V., Celgene Europe Limited, Celgene European Investment Company LLC, Celgene Financing Company LLC, Celgene Global Holdings Sarl, Celgene GmbH [Austria], Celgene GmbH [Germany], Celgene GmbH [Switzerland], Celgene Holdings East Corporation, Celgene Holdings II Sarl, Celgene Holdings III Sarl, Celgene Ilac Pazarlama ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Celgene Inc., Celgene International Holdings Corporation, Celgene International II Sarl, Celgene International III Sarl, Celgene International Inc., Celgene International Sarl, Celgene K.K., Celgene Kft., Celgene Limited [Hong Kong], Celgene Limited [Ireland], Celgene Limited [New Zealand], Celgene Limited [Taiwan], Celgene Limited [UK], Celgene Logistics Sarl, Celgene Ltd, Celgene Luxembourg Sarl, Celgene Management Sarl, Celgene NJ Investment Co, Celgene Netherlands B.V., Celgene Netherlands Investment B.V., Celgene Pharmaceutical (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Celgene Pte. Ltd., Celgene Pty Ltd, Celgene Puerto Rico Distribution LLC, Celgene Quanticel Research Inc, Celgene R&D Sarl, Celgene RIVOT LLC, Celgene RIVOT Ltd., Celgene RIVOT SRL, Celgene Receptos Limited, Celgene Receptos Sarl, Celgene Research Incubator At Summit West LLC, Celgene Research S.L.U., Celgene Research and Development Company LLC, Celgene Research and Development I ULC, Celgene Research and Development II LLC, Celgene Research and Investment Company II LLC, Celgene S. de R.L. de C.V., Celgene S.L.U., Celgene S.R.L., Celgene SAS, Celgene Sarl AU, Celgene Sdn Bhd, Celgene Services Sarl, Celgene Sociedade Unipessoal Lda, Celgene Sp. Z.o.o., Celgene Sro [Czech Republic], Celgene Summit Investment Co, Celgene Switzerland Holding Sarl, Celgene Switzerland II LLC, Celgene Switzerland Investment Sarl, Celgene Switzerland LLC, Celgene Switzerland Sarl, Celgene Tri A Holdings Ltd., Celgene Tri Sarl, Celgene UK Distribution Limited, Celgene UK Holdings Limited, Celgene UK Manufacturing II Limited, Celgene UK Manufacturing III Limited, Celgene UK Manufacturing Limited, Celgene d.o.o., Celgene sro [Slovakia], Celmed LLC, Celmed Ltd., ConvaTec Divestiture, Cormorant Pharmaceuticals, Cormorant Pharmaceuticals AB, Crosp Ltd., Delinia Inc., Deuteria Pharmaceuticals Inc., DuPont Pharmaceuticals, E. R. Squibb & Sons Inter-American Corporation, E. R. Squibb & Sons L.L.C., E. R. Squibb & Sons Limited, EWI Corporation, EngMab Sarl, F-star Alpha, FermaVir Pharmaceuticals L.L.C., FermaVir Research L.L.C., Flexus Biosciences, Flexus Biosciences Inc., Forbius, Galecto Biotech, GenPharm International L.L.C., Gloucester Pharmaceuticals LLC, Grove Insurance Company Ltd., Heyden Farmaceutica Portuguesa Limitada, IFM Therapeutics, Impact Biomedicines Inc., Inhibitex, Inhibitex L.L.C., Innate Tumor Immunity Inc., JuMP Holdings LLC, Juno Therapeutics GmbH, Juno Therapeutics Inc., Kosan Biosciences, Kosan Biosciences Incorporated, Linson Investments Limited, Mead Johnson (Manufacturing) Jamaica Limited, Mead Johnson Jamaica Ltd., Medarex, Morris Avenue Investment II LLC, Morris Avenue Investment LLC, MyoKardia, O.o.o. Bristol-Myers Squibb, Oy Bristol-Myers Squibb (Finland) AB, Padlock Therapeutics, Padlock Therapeutics Inc., Pharmion LLC, Princeton Pharmaceutical Products Inc., Receptos LLC, Receptos Services LLC, RedoxTherapies Inc., Route 22 Real Estate Holding Corporation, SPV A Holdings ULC, Seamair Insurance DAC, Signal Pharmaceuticals LLC, Sino-American Shanghai Squibb Pharmaceuticals Limited, Societe Francaise de Complements Alimentaires(S.O.F.C.A.), Squibb Middle East S.A., Summit West Celgene LLC, Swords Laboratories, VentiRx Pharmaceuticals Inc., Westwood-Intrafin SA, Westwood-Squibb Pharmaceuticals Inc., X-Body Inc., ZymoGenetics, ZymoGenetics Inc., ZymoGenetics LLC, ZymoGenetics Paymaster LLC, iPierian, and iPierian Inc..
The following companies are subsidiares of Accenture: 2nd Road, 2nd Road Pty Ltd., ?What If!, ?What If! China Holdings Ltd, ?What If! Holdings Limited, ?What If! Innovation Singapore Holdings Pte, ?What If! Limited, ?What If! Shanghai Co. Ltd, ?What If! USA LLC, ACN Consulting Co Ltd, AD Dialeto Agencia de Publicidade SA, AD.Dialeto (Digital Agency acquired by Accenture), AGS Business and Technology Services Limited, ASM Research Inc., ASM Research LLC, ATAN, Accenture (Beijing) Mobile Technology Co Ltd, Accenture (Botswana) (Proprietary) Limited, Accenture (China) Co Ltd, Accenture (Shenzhen) Technology Co. Ltd., Accenture (South Africa) (Proprietary) Limited, Accenture (South Africa) Pty Limited, Accenture (UK) Ltd, Accenture 2 Business Process Services S.A., Accenture 2 LLC, Accenture A/S, Accenture AB, Accenture AG, Accenture AS, Accenture Africa Pty Ltd, Accenture Australia Holding B.V., Accenture Australia Holdings Pty Ltd, Accenture Australia Pty Ltd, Accenture Azerbaijan Ltd, Accenture BPM Operations Support Services S.A., Accenture BPM S.C.R.L., Accenture BV, Accenture Branch Holdings B.V., Accenture Bulgaria EOOD, Accenture Business Services for Utilities Inc, Accenture Business Services of British Columbia Limited Partnership, Accenture Business and Technology Services LLC, Accenture C.A, Accenture CAS GmbH, Accenture Canada Holdings Inc., Accenture Capital DAC, Accenture Capital Inc, Accenture Central Europe B.V., Accenture Chile Asesorias y Servicios Ltda, Accenture Cloud Services GmbH, Accenture Cloud Software Solutions Ltd, Accenture Cloud Solutions Australia Pty Ltd, Accenture Cloud Solutions LLC, Accenture Cloud Solutions Ltd, Accenture Cloud Solutions Pty Ltd, Accenture Co Ltd, Accenture Co Ltd., Accenture Communications Infrastructure Solutions Ltd, Accenture Company Ltd, Accenture Consulting Services Ltd Tanzania, Accenture Consultores de Gestao S.A., Accenture Consultoria de Industria e Consumo Ltda, Accenture Consultoria de Recursos Naturais Ltda, Accenture Credit Services LLC, Accenture Customer Services Distribution SAS, Accenture Customer Services Limited, Accenture Danismanlik Limited Sirketi, Accenture Defined Benefit Pension Plan Trustees Ltd, Accenture Defined Contribution Pension Plan Trustees Ltd, Accenture Delivery Poland sp. z o.o., Accenture Dienstleistungen GmbH, Accenture Digital France Holdings SA, Accenture Digital Holdings GmbH, Accenture East Africa Limited, Accenture Ecuador S.A., Accenture Egypt LLC, Accenture Enterprise Development (Shanghai) Co Ltd., Accenture Federal Services LLC, Accenture Finance (Gibraltar) III Ltd, Accenture Finance GmbH, Accenture Finance GmbH in liquidation, Accenture Finance II GmbH, Accenture Finance II GmbH in liquidation, Accenture Finance II Ltd, Accenture Finance Limited, Accenture Finance and Accounting BPO Services S.p.A., Accenture Finance and Accounting Services Srl, Accenture Flex LLC, Accenture GP LLC, Accenture Ghana Limited, Accenture Global Holdings Ltd., Accenture Global Services Ltd, Accenture Global Solutions Ltd, Accenture GmbH, Accenture HR Services Ltd, Accenture HR Services S.p.A., Accenture Healthcare Processing Inc., Accenture Holding GmbH, Accenture Holding GmbH & Co. KG, Accenture Holding GmbH in liquidation, Accenture Holdings (Iberia) S.L., Accenture Holdings B.V., Accenture Holdings France SAS, Accenture Holdings plc, Accenture Hungary Holdings Kft, Accenture Inc, Accenture Industrial Software Limited Liability Company (Accenture Endustriyel Yazylym Cozumleri Limited irketi), Accenture Industrial Software Limited Liability Company (Accenture Endustriyel Yazlm Cozumleri Limited Sirketi), Accenture Industrial Software Solutions Kft, Accenture Industrial Software Solutions SA, Accenture Insurance Services LLC, Accenture Insurance Services SAS, Accenture Insurance Services SpA, Accenture International BV, Accenture International Capital SCA, Accenture International LLC, Accenture International Limited, Accenture International Sarl, Accenture Japan Ltd, Accenture Korea BV, Accenture LLC, Accenture LLP, Accenture Lanka (Private) Ltd, Accenture Limited, Accenture Ltd, Accenture Ltda, Accenture Maghreb S.a.r.l., Accenture Managed Services SRL, Accenture Managed Services SpA, Accenture Management GmbH, Accenture Middle East B.V, Accenture Middle East BV, Accenture Minority I BV, Accenture Minority III Ltd, Accenture Mozambique Limitada, Accenture Mzansi (Pty) Ltd, Accenture NV/SA, Accenture NZ Limited, Accenture Newco LLC, Accenture Nova Scotia Unlimited Liability Co., Accenture OOO, Accenture Operations Sp. z o.o., Accenture Outsourcing SRL, Accenture Outsourcing Services, Accenture Outsourcing Services S.A., Accenture Oy, Accenture Panama Inc, Accenture Participations BV, Accenture Participations II Limited, Accenture Peru S.R.L, Accenture Peru S.R.L., Accenture Post Trade Processing SAS, Accenture Post-Trade Processing Limited, Accenture Process Ltd, Accenture Product Lifecycle Services, Accenture Properties, Accenture Pte Ltd, Accenture Puerto Rico LLC, Accenture S.A., Accenture S.C., Accenture S.L., Accenture S.R.L., Accenture SAS, Accenture SG Services Pte Ltd, Accenture SRL, Accenture Saudi Arabia Limited, Accenture Sendirian Berhad, Accenture Service Center SRL, Accenture Services (Mauritius) Ltd, Accenture Services AB, Accenture Services AG, Accenture Services AS, Accenture Services GmbH, Accenture Services Ltd, Accenture Services Morocco SA, Accenture Services Oy, Accenture Services Pty Ltd, Accenture Services S.r.l., Accenture Services SRL, Accenture Services Sp. z o.o., Accenture Services Sp. z.o.o., Accenture Services and Technology Srl, Accenture Services fur Kreditinstitute GmbH, Accenture Services s.r.o., Accenture Servicos Administrativos Ltda, Accenture Servicos de Suporte de Negocios Ltda, Accenture Solutions Co Ltd, Accenture Solutions Private Limited, Accenture Solutions Pte Ltd, Accenture Solutions Pty Ltd, Accenture Solutions Sdn Bhd, Accenture Sp. z o.o., Accenture Sp. z.o.o., Accenture SpA, Accenture State Healthcare Services LLC, Accenture Sub II Inc., Accenture Sub Inc, Accenture Sub LLC, Accenture Systems Integration Limited, Accenture Sarl, Accenture Tanacsado Kolatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag, Accenture Tanacsado Kolatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag KFT, Accenture Technologia, Accenture Technologia Consultoria e Outsourcing S.A., Accenture Technology Infrastructure Services Pty Ltd, Accenture Technology Solutions (Dalian) Co Ltd, Accenture Technology Solutions (HK) Co. Ltd., Accenture Technology Solutions (Thailand) Co. Ltd, Accenture Technology Solutions - Solucoes Informaticas Integradas, Accenture Technology Solutions - Solucoes Informaticas Integradas S.A., Accenture Technology Solutions GmbH, Accenture Technology Solutions Oy, Accenture Technology Solutions Pty Ltd, Accenture Technology Solutions S.A. de C.V., Accenture Technology Solutions SAS, Accenture Technology Solutions SRL, Accenture Technology Solutions Sdn. Bhd., Accenture Technology Solutions Slovakia s.r.o., Accenture Technology Ventures BV, Accenture Technology Ventures S.P.R.L., Accenture Uruguay SRL, Accenture Vietnam Co., Accenture Vietnam Co. LTD, Accenture Zambia Limited, Accenture do Brasil Limitada, Accenture plc, Accenture s.r.o., Acceria, Acquity Customer Insight Limited, Acquity Group, Adaptly LLC, Adaptly UK Limited, AddVal Technology, Adqptly, Advantium Inc., Agave Consultants Limited, Agilex Technologies Inc., Allen International, Allen International Consulting Group Ltd, Alnova Technologies Corporation S.L., AlphaBeta Advisors, Altima, Altima Asia Ltd., Altima SAS, Altitude, Altitude LLC, Analytics 8 LP, Analytics 8 Pty Ltd, Analytics8, Aorui Advertising (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Apis, Appaloosa Technology SAS, Arca, Ariba - BPO, Arismore, Aspiro Solutions (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Avanade, Avanade (Guangzhou) Computer Technology Development Co. Ltd., Avanade (Thailand) Co Ltd, Avanade Asia Pte Ltd, Avanade Australia Pty Ltd, Avanade Belgium SPRL, Avanade Canada Inc., Avanade Denmark A/S, Avanade Denmark ApS, Avanade Deutschland GmbH, Avanade Europe Holdings Ltd, Avanade Europe Services Ltd, Avanade Federal Services LLC, Avanade Finland Oy, Avanade France SAS, Avanade GZ Computer Technology Development Co. Ltd. (SH), Avanade Guangzhou, Avanade Holdings LLC, Avanade Hong Kong Ltd, Avanade International Corporation, Avanade Ireland Limited, Avanade Italy SRL, Avanade KK, Avanade Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Avanade Netherlands BV, Avanade Norway AS, Avanade Poland Sp. z o.o., Avanade Poland Sp. z.o.o., Avanade Schweiz GmbH, Avanade South Africa, Avanade South Africa Pty Ltd, Avanade Spain SL, Avanade Sweden AB, Avanade UK Ltd, Avanade do Brasil Limitada, Avanade Osterreich GmbH, AvantBiz Consulting Limited, Avenai, Axia Ltd., BABCN LLC, BCT Solutions, BCT Solutions Pty Ltd, BPO Servicos Administrativos Ltda, BRIDGE Energy Group, Beacon Consulting Group Inc., Beijing Genesis Interactive Technology Co. Ltd., Benext, Bionic, Blue Horseshoe, Boomerang Pharmaceutical Communications, Boomerang Pharmaceuticals Communications Ireland Limited, Bow & Arrow, Brand Learning, Brand Learning Group Limited, Brand Learning LLC, Brand Learning Ltd, Brand Learning Partners Limited, Brand Learning Pte Limited, Bridge Energy Group LLC, Brightstep AB, Byte Prophecy, CAS, CRMWaypoint, CadenceQuest Inc., Capable Marketer Limited, Capgemini - North American health practice, Capital Consultancy Services Inc., Certus Solutions Consulting Services Ltd, Certus Solutions Ltd, ChangeTrack Research Pty Ltd., Chaotic Moon Studios, Chengdu Mensa Advertising Co. Ltd., Cimation, Cimation UK Limited, Cirruseo, Cirruseo SAS, Clarity Insights, Clearhead, Clearhead Group, Clearhead Group LLC, ClientHouse GmbH, Cloud Sherpas, Cloud Sherpas (GA) LLC, Cloud Sherpas (SN) (PTE.) Limited, Cloud Sherpas New Zealand Ltd., Cloud Talent Limited, Cloudsherpas, Cloudsherpas Inc., Cloudworks, Codagenic Pty. Ltd., Computer Research and Telecommunications LLC, Concrete Desenvolvimento de Sistemas Ltda., Concrete Solutions, Concrete Solutions Ltda., Context Information Security, Coritel S.A., Corliant Inc., CreativeDrive, CustomerWorks Europe SL, Cutting Edge Solutions Ltd, D5 Global Holdings LLC, DAZ Systems Inc, DAZ Systems LLC, DAZSI Systems (India) Pvt. Ltd., DMA Solutions Limited, Davies Consulting, DayNine Consulting, DayNine Consulting (Australia) PTY LTD, DayNine Consulting (Deutschland) GmbH, DayNine Consulting (New Zealand) Limited, DayNine Consulting France SAS, DayNine Consulting Japan K.K., DayNine Consulting LLC, Declarative Holdings, Declarative Holdings LLC, Defense Point Security, Deja vu Security, Design Strategy and Research de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Designaffairs LLC, Digiplug S.A.S., Digiplug SAS, Digital Consulting & Software Services LLC, Droga5, Droga5 LLC, Droga5 Studios LLC, Droga5 UK Ltd., Duck Creek Technologies, Duck Creek Technologies LLC, Deja Vu Security LLC, ESR Labs, Elcurator SAS, Enaxis Consulting, Enaxis Consulting L.P., End-to-End Analytics, Energuia Web, Energuia Web S.A., Energy Management Brokers Ltd., Energy Quote Private Ltd., EnergyQuote JHA, EnergyQuote JHA Ltd., EnergyQuote Trading Ltd., Enimbos, Enkitec, Enterprise System Partners, Enterprise System Partners B.V. , Enterprise System Partners Bilisim Danismanlik Ticaret Anonim Sirketi, Enterprise System Partners Global Corporation, Enterprise System Partners Limited, Enterprise System Partners PR LLC, Enterprise System Partners S.A.S., Entropia, Epylon, Ethica Consulting Group, Evopro Group, Exactside Limited, Exton Consulting, Fairway Technologies Inc, Fairway Technologies LLC, Filmproduction ApS, First Annapolis Consulting, First Annapolis Consulting Inc., First Annapolis Consulting LLC, First Annapolis International, Fjord, Focus Group Europe, Focus Group Europe Limited, Formicary, Formicary Holdings Limited, Formicary Limited, FusionX, FutureMove Automotive, Gapso Servicos de Informatica Ltda., Genfour, Genfour Limited, George Group Consulting L.P., Gestalt LLC, Gestion Altima Canada Inc., Gevity, Global Public Firm S.L., GlobalView SAS, GoodFilm GmbH Filmproduktion Stuttgart, H.B. Maynard and Co. Inc., HRC Retail Advisory, Hagberg Consulting Group, Hangzhou Aiyunzhe Technology Co. Ltd., Happen, Hjaltelin Stahl, Hjaltelin Stahl K/S, Hytracc Consulting AS, Hytracc Consulting Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., Hytracc Consulting UK Limited, Hytracc Holding AS, I-Faber S.p.A., IBB Consulting, IMJ Corp, IMJ Corporation, INCAD, INSITUM, IT One Company Limited, ITBS Servicios Bancarios de Tecnologia de la Informacion SL, Icon Integration, Imagine Broadband (USA) Ltd, Imagine Broadband USA LLC, Imaginea Inc, Industrie&Co, Infoman AG, Infoman Schweiz AG, Informatica de Euskadi S.L., Infusion Development Inc., Infusion Development UK Limited, InfusionDev LLC, Innoveer Solutions India Pvt Ltd, Insitum Consultoria Argentina SRL, Insitum Consultoria Brasil LTDA, Insitum Consultoria Colombia SAS, Insitum Consultoria Europa SL, Insitum Consultoria Peru SAC, Insitum Consultoria S.A. de C.V., Intrepid, Intrigo Systems Inc, Intrigo Systems India Pvt. Limited, Intrigo Systems LLC, Inventor Advertisement (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Inventor Technology Limited, InvestTech, Investtech Systems Consulting LLC, Javelin Group, Javelin Group (Bulgaria) EOOD, Javelin Group Limited (UK), Javelin Group SASU, K Comms Group Limited, KCS.net AG, KCS.net AG West, KCS.net Deutschland GmbH, KCS.net Holding AG, KCS.net Osterreich GmbH, Kaper Communications Limited, Karma Communications Debtco Limited, Karma Communications Group Limited, Karma Communications Holdings Limited, Karmarama, Karmarama Comms Limited, Karmarama Limited, Knowledge Rules Inc., Knowledgent, Knowledgent Group LLC, Kogentix, Kogentix LLC, Kogentix Ltd, Kogentix Singapore Pte. Ltd, Kogentix Technologies Private Limited, Kolle Rebbe, Kolle Rebbe GmbH, Kream Comms Limited, Kunstmaan, Kunstmaan NV, Kurt Salmon, Kurt Salmon Canada LTD, Kurt Salmon UKI, Kurt Salmon UKI Ltd., Kurt Salmon US LLC, LEXTA, LINKBYNET, LabAnswer, LabAnswer Government, LemonXL Limited, Logistics Market Place Limited (UK), Loud & Clear Creative Pty Ltd, MAXIM Systems Inc., MCG US Holdings LLC, Mackevision CG Technology and Service (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Mackevision Corporation, Mackevision Japan Co. Ltd., Mackevision Korea Ltd, Mackevision Medien Design, Mackevision Medien Design GmbH, Mackevision Singapore Pte. Ltd., Mackevision UK Ltd, Maglan, Maglan Information Defense Technologies Research Ltd., Maihiro, Matter, Matter Llc, Maud Corp Pty Limited, Maxamine International, Media Audits Ltd., Media Hive, Mediasenz Pty Ltd., Meredith Specialty LLC, Meredith Xcelerated Marketing, Meredith Xcelerated Marketing Corporation, Meridian Informed Purchasing Ltd., Mindtribe, Mindtribe Product Engineering LLC, MobGen, MobGen Technology S.L, Moonrise NV, Mortgage Cadence, Mortgage Cadence an Accenture Company, Most Champion Ltd, Mudano, N3 LLC, NBS Marketing Inc., NYTEC, Nanjing Demeng Advertising Co. Ltd., Nashco Consulting, NaviSys Inc., NellArmonia, Neo Metrics Analytics S.L., Neo Metrics Chile, Neo Metrics Chile S.A., New Content, New Content Chile SpA, New Content Editora e Produtora Ltda., New Energy Aborda, New Energy Associates Ltd, New Energy Group, New Energy S.r.l., NewsPage, NewsPage (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, NewsPage China Ltd., NewsPage Pte Ltd, Nice Agency Limited, Northstream, Northstream AB, Northstream Holding AB, OCTO Technology, OPS Rules Management Consultants, Octagon Research Solutions Inc., Octo Technology LTDA, Octo Technology Pty Ltd, Octo Technology SA, Octo Technology SPRL, Octoman SAS, Odgaard ApS, Olikka, Openmind, Openminded, Operaciones Accenture S.A. de C.V., OpusLine, Orbium, Orbium Consulting Ltd, Orbium GmbH, Orbium Holding AG, Orbium Inc., Orbium International AG, Orbium International sp. z o.o., Orbium Licences AG, Orbium Limited, Orbium Pte. Ltd., Orbium Pty Ltd, Orbium Services sp. z o.o., Orbium Sarl, Origin Digital, PCO Innovation, PCO Innovation Canada Inc., PCO Innovation EURL, PIXO PUNCH Limited, PLM Systems S.r.l, POC Holdings, PRION GmbH, PT Accenture, PT Asta Catur Indra, PT Kogentix Teknologi Indonesia, Pach Invest SARL, Pach Invest SAS, PacificLink Group, PacificLink iMedia Ltd., Paja Finanssipalvelut Oy, Parker Fitzgerald Inc, Parker Fitzgerald Inc., Parker Fitzgerald International Limited, Parker Fitzgerald Limited, Parker Fitzgerald PTY Ltd, Parker Fitzgerald Services Limited, Parker Fitzgerald Solutions Limited, Partners Technology Mexico Holdings BV, Pecaso Ltd., Pegasus Production K/S, Perseroan Terbatas. Accenture, Phase One Consulting Group, Pillar Technology, Pollux, Pragsis Bidoop, Pragsis Bidoop UK Ltd, Pragsis Technologies S.L, PrimeQ, PrimeQ Australia Pty Ltd, PrimeQ Ltd, PrimeQ NZ Pty Ltd, Procurian Germany GmbH, Procurian Inc., Procurian International I LLC, Procurian International II LLC, Procurian LLC, Procurian Singapore Pte. Ltd., Procurian Switzerland GmbH, Procurian USA LLC, Proquire LLC, PureApps Ltd., Qi Jie Beijing Information Technologies Co Ltd, Radiant Services, Radiant Services LLC, Random Walk Computing Inc., Reactive Media Limited, Reactive Media Pty Ltd., Real Protect, Realworld OO Systems Ltd., Redcore, Redcore (Asia) Pte Ltd, Redcore (India) Private Limited (India), Redcore (New Zealand) Limited, Redcore Group Holdings Pty Ltd, Redcore Pty Ltd, Renacentis IT Services, Revolutionary Security, RiskControl, Rothco, Rothco Holdings Designated Activity Company, Rothco Unlimited Company, S.C. EnergyQuote S.r.l., S3 TV Technology Limited, S3 TV Technology Ltd., SEC Servizi, SEC Servizi S.p.A., SOPIA Corp., Sagacious Consultants, Sagacious Consultants LLC, Salt Solutions, Sanchez Capital Services Pvt Ltd, Schlumberger Business Consulting, Seabury Airline Planning Group, Seabury Aviation & Aerospace (UK) Limited, Seabury Aviation & Aerospace Asia (Hong Kong) Limited, Seabury Aviation Consulting LLC, Seabury Cargo Advisory B.V., Seabury Consulting, Seabury Corporate Advisors LLC, Seabury Human Capital LLC, Seabury Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., Seabury Structured Finance LLC, Search Technologies BPO, Search Technologies BPO Inc., Search Technologies GmbH, Search Technologies International LLC, Search Technologies LATAM, Search Technologies LATAM S.A., Search Technologies LLC, Search Technologies Limited, Sente Partners LLC, Sentelis, Servicios Tecnicos de Programacion Accenture S.C., Shackleton, Shackleton Barcelona S.L., Shackleton Chile S.A., Shackleton Madrid S.L., Shackleton S.A., Shanghai Baiyue Advertising Co. Ltd., Shun Zhe Technology Development Co. Ltd., Silveo, Simian Pty Limited, SinnerSchrader, SinnerSchrader AG, SinnerSchrader Commerce GmbH, SinnerSchrader Content GmbH, SinnerSchrader Deutschland GmbH, SinnerSchrader Praha s.r.o., SinnerSchrader Swipe GmbH, Sistemes Consulting S.L., Solutions IQ, Solutions IQ LLC, SolutionsIQ, SolutionsIQ India Consulting Services Private Limited, Storm Digital, Storm Digital B.V., Structure Consulting Group, Structure Consulting Group LLC, Sutter Mills, Systor AG, TQuila Limited (UK), Tadata Creative Unlimited Company, Tara Insurance DAC, Tara Risk DAC, TargetST8, TargetST8 Consulting LLC, Tech - Avanade Portugal Unipessoal Lda, Tecnilogica Ecosistemas S.A., Tecnilogica Ltd., Tecnilogica, The Brand Learning Partners Limited, The Callisto Integration Corporation, The Monkeys, The Monkeys Pty Limited, The Myrtle Group, Total Logistics, Total Logistics Supply Chain Consultants Limited, Tquila, Trivadis AG, Troop Studios Pty Ltd, VanBerlo, Verax Solutions, Verax Solutions Corporation, Vertical Retail Consulting (Shanghai) Ltd., Vertical Retail Consulting Hong Kong, Vertical Retail Consulting Hong Kong Ltd., Vertical Retail Consulting Ltd., Vivere Brasil Servicos e Solucoes SA, Vivere Brasil Solucoes De Credito Ltda., Wabion GmbH, Weblinc Pty Ltd, Wire Stone, Wire Stone LLC, Wire Stone Sarl, Wolox, Workforce Insight, Yesler, Zag, Zenta, Zenta Global Philippines, Zenta Global Philippines Inc., Zenta Mortgage Services LLC, Zenta Recoveries Inc, Zenta US Holdings Inc., Zielpuls, Zielpuls (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Zielpuls GmbH, avVenta, designaffairs, designaffairs Business Consulting (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., designaffairs GmbH, designaffairs group China Co. Ltd., dgroup, i4C Analytics, iDefense, and solid-serVision.com GmbH.
The following companies are subsidiares of Humana: 154th Street Medical Plaza, 516-526 West Main Street Condominium Council of Co-Owners, 54th Street Medical Plaza, American Eldercare, American Eldercare of North Florida, Anvita Health, Arcadian Health Plan, Arcadian Management Services, Atlantis Physician Group, CAC Medical Center Holdings, CAC-Florida Medical Centers, CDO 1, CDO 2, CHA HMO, CHA Service Company, Care Partners Home Care, CareNetwork, CarePlus Health, CarePlus Health Plans, Cariten Health Plan Inc., Certify Data Systems, CompBenefits, CompBenefits Company, CompBenefits Corporation, CompBenefits Dental, CompBenefits Direct, CompBenefits Insurance Company, Complex Clinical Management, Concentra Managed Care, Continucare Corporation, Continucare MDHC, Continucare MSO, Continucare Medical Management, Dental Care Plus Management, DentiCare, Emphesys, Emphesys Insurance Company, Enclara Healthcare, FPG, FPG Acquisition Corp., FPG Acquisition Holdings Corp., FPG Senior Services, Family Physicians of Winter Park, Go365, HUM Provider Holdings, HUM-e-FL, Harris Rothenberg International, Health Value Management, Humana Active Outlook, Humana At Home (Dallas), Humana At Home (Houston), Humana At Home (San Antonio), Humana At Home (TLC), Humana At Home 1, Humana Behavioral Health, Humana Benefit Plan of Illinois, Humana Dental Company, Humana Digital Health and Analytics Platform Services, Humana EAP and Work-Life Services of California, Humana Employers Health Plan of Georgia, Humana Government Business, Humana Health Benefit Plan of Louisiana, Humana Health Company of New York, Humana Health Insurance Company of Florida, Humana Health Plan, Humana Health Plan of California, Humana Health Plan of Ohio, Humana Health Plan of Texas, Humana Health Plans of Puerto Rico, Humana Healthcare Research, Humana Inc., Humana Innovation Enterprises, Humana Insurance Company, Humana Insurance Company of Kentucky, Humana Insurance Company of New York, Humana Insurance of Puerto Rico, Humana Management Services of Puerto Rico, Humana MarketPOINT, Humana MarketPOINT of Puerto Rico, Humana Medical Plan, Humana Medical Plan of Michigan, Humana Medical Plan of Pennsylvania, Humana Medical Plan of Utah, Humana Pharmacy, Humana Pharmacy Solutions, Humana Regional Health Plan, Humana Veterans Healthcare Services, Humana WellWorks LLC, Humana Wisconsin Health Organization Insurance Corporation, Humana at Home, HumanaDental, HumanaDental Insurance Company, Humco, Hummingbird Coaching Systems LLC, Independent Care Health Plan, KMG America, Kindred Healthcare, MCCI Group Holdings, MCCI Holdings, MCCI Medical Group, MCCI Specialty, MCCI/Lifetime of Aventura, MD Care, METCARE of Florida, Managed Care Indemnity, Medical Care Consortium Incorporated of Texas, MetCare, Metropolitan Health Networks, Naples Health Care Specialists, North Region Providers, Nursing Solutions, OSF HealthCare, PHP Companies, Partners in Integrated Care, Preferred Health Partnership, Preservation on Main, Primary Care Holdings, Primary Care Holdings II, Primary Care Specialists of the Palm Beaches, RMA Medical Centers of Florida, RMA Medical Group of Florida, ROHC, SeniorBridge, SeniorBridge Family Companies (CT), SeniorBridge Family Companies (FL), SeniorBridge Family Companies (IN), SeniorBridge Family Companies (MO), SeniorBridge Family Companies (NY), SeniorBridge-Florida, Texas Dental Plans, The Dental Concern, Transcend Population Health Management, and Transcend Population Health Management II.
Suburban Propane Partners LP engages in the business of liquefied petroleum gas business. It operates through the following business segments: Propane; Fuel Oil and Refined Fuels; Natural Gas and Electricity; and All Other. The Propane segment engages in natural gas processing and petroleum refining. It also used in residential and commercial applications, industrial applications and agriculture. The Fuel Oil and Refined Fuels segment refers to the marketing and distribution of fuel oil, kerosene, diesel fuel and gasoline primarily to the northeast region of the United States. The Natural Gas and Electricity segment pertains to the generation, transmission, and distribution of natural gas and electricity among residential and small commercial customers. The All Other segment include the sale, installation and service of whole-house heating products, air cleaners, humidifiers, and space heaters to the customer who uses propane, fuel oil, natural gas and electricity businesses. The company was founded by Mark Anton in 1928 and is headquartered in Whippany, NJ.

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Thomson Reuters Corporation provides business information services in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific. It operates in five segments: Legal Professionals, Corporates, Tax & Accounting Professionals, Reuters News, and Global Print. The Legal Professionals segment offers research and workflow products focusing on legal research and integrated legal workflow solutions that combine content, tools, and analytics to law firms and governments. The Corporates segment provides a suite of content-enabled technology solutions for legal, tax, regulatory, compliance, and IT professionals. The Tax & Accounting Professionals segment offers research and workflow products focusing on tax offerings and automating tax workflows to tax, accounting, and audit professionals in accounting firms. The Reuters News segment provides business, financial, national, and international news to professionals through desktop terminals, media organizations, and industry events, as well as directly to consumers. The Global Print segment offers legal and tax information primarily in print format to legal and tax professionals, governments, law schools, and corporations. The company was formerly known as The Thomson Corporation and changed its name to Thomson Reuters Corporation in April 2008. The company was founded in 1851 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada. Thomson Reuters Corporation is a subsidiary of The Woodbridge Company Limited.

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The following companies are subsidiares of Sysco: 2234829 Alberta ULC, 2234842 Alberta ULC, A. M. Briggs Inc., A.M. Briggs, Almacen Fiscal Frionet Caldera S.A., Almacen Fiscal Frionet Limon S.A., Appert's Foodservice, Arnotts (Fruit) Limited, Asian Foods, Bahamas Food Holdings Limited, Bahamas Food Services Limited, Brake Bros, Brake Bros Foodservice Ireland Limited, Brake Bros. Foodservice Limited, Brake Bros. Holding I Limited, Brake Bros. Ltd., Brakes Foodservice NI Limited, Buchy Food Service, Buckhead Beef Co., Buckhead Meat & Seafood of Houston Inc., Buckhead Meat Company, Buckhead Meat Midwest Inc., Buckhead Meat of Dallas Inc., Buckhead Meat of Denver Inc., Buckhead Meat of San Antonio LP, Buzztable Inc., CAKE Corporation, Central Seafood Co., Christys Wine & Spirits Limited, Clafra Aktiebolag, Colorado Boxed Beef Co - Specialty meat-cutting division, Corporacion Frionet Sociedad Anonima, Crossgar Foodservice, Crossgar Foodservice Limited, Crown I Enterprises Inc., Cucina Acquisitions (UK) Limited, Cucina Finance (UK) Limited, Cucina French Holdings Limited, Cucina Fresh Finance Limited, Cucina Fresh Investments Limited, Cucina Lux Investments Limited, Curleys Quality Foods Limited (Third Party), Davigel Belgilux S.A., Davigel Espana S.A., Desert Meats & Provisions, Distagro, Doerle Food Service, Doughtie's Foods Inc., Dust Bowl City LLC, Eko Fagel Fisk o mittemellan AB, Enclave Insurance Company, Enclave Parkway Association Inc., Enclave Properties LLC, European Imports, European Imports Inc., Figg Inc., Freedman Meats, Freedman Meats Inc., Freedman-KB Inc., Fresh Direct (UK) Limited, Fresh Direct Group Limited, Fresh Direct Limited, Fresh Holdings Limited, FreshPoint, FreshPoint Arizona Inc., FreshPoint Atlanta Inc., FreshPoint California Inc., FreshPoint Central California Inc., FreshPoint Central Florida Inc., FreshPoint Connecticut LLC, FreshPoint Dallas Inc., FreshPoint Denver Inc., FreshPoint Hawaii LLC, FreshPoint Inc., FreshPoint Las Vegas Inc., FreshPoint North Carolina Inc., FreshPoint North Florida Inc., FreshPoint Oklahoma City LLC, FreshPoint Pompano Real Estate LLC, FreshPoint Puerto Rico LLC, FreshPoint San Francisco Inc., FreshPoint South Florida Inc., FreshPoint South Texas Inc., FreshPoint Southern California Inc., FreshPoint Tomato LLC, FreshPoint Vancouver Ltd., Freshfayre Limited, Fruktservice i Helsingborg AB, GHS Classic Drinks Limited, Gilchrist & Soames Inc., Gilchrist & Soames UK Limited, Guest Packaging LLC, Guest Supply, Guest Supply Asia Limited, Guest Supply Singapore Pte. Ltd., International Food Group, Isakssons Frukt & Gront AB, J & M Wholesale Meats, J. Kings Food Service Professionals, J. Kings Food Service Professionals Inc., Kent Frozen Foods, Les Ateliers Du Gout, Liquid Assets Limited, M&J Seafood Holdings Limited, M&J Seafood Limited, Manchester Mills LLC, Mayca Autoservicio S.A., Mayca Distribuidores S.A., Menigo Foodservice AB, Mitshim Etatu Supply LP, Newport Meat Company, Newport Meat Northern California Inc., Newport Meat Pacific Northwest Inc., Newport Meat Southern California Inc., Newport Meat of Nevada Inc., North Star Holding Corporation, North Star Seafood, North Star Seafood Acquisition Corporation, North Star Seafood LLC, PFS de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Palisades Ranch Inc., Pallas Foods, Pallas Foods Farm Fresh Unlimited Company, Pallas Foods Unlimited Company, Pauleys Produce Limited, Promotora del Servicios S.A. de C.V., Restaurangakdemien AB, Restaurant of Tomorrow Inc., Rohan Viandes Elaboration SAS, SMS Bermuda Holdings, SMS GPC International Limited, SMS GPC International Resources Limited, SMS Global Holdings S.a.r.l., SMS International Resources Ireland Unlimited Company, SMS Lux Holdings LLC, SOTF LLC, SYY Netherlands C.V., SYY Panama S. de R.L., Serca Foodservice, Servicestyckarna I Johannes AB, Servicios Ameriserve S.A. de C.V., Shenzhen Guest Supply Trading Co. Limited, Societe Civile Immobiliere (SCI) Bianchi Montegut, Societe Civile Immobiliere (SCI) De Boiseau, Societe Civile Immobiliere (SCI) De Garcelles, Societe Civile Immobiliere (SCI) J.D. Lanjouan, Societe Civile Immobiliere (SCI) Le Dauphin, Specialty Meat Holdings LLC, Stockflag Limited, Stockholms Fiskauktion AB, Supplies on the Fly, Sysco Albany LLC, Sysco Asian Foods Inc., Sysco Atlanta LLC, Sysco Autoservicio S.A., Sysco Baltimore LLC, Sysco Baraboo LLC, Sysco Bermuda Partners L.P., Sysco Boston LLC, Sysco Canada Holdings S.a.r.l., Sysco Canada Inc., Sysco Central Alabama LLC, Sysco Central California Inc., Sysco Central Florida Inc., Sysco Central Illinois Inc., Sysco Central Pennsylvania LLC, Sysco Charlotte LLC, Sysco Chicago Inc., Sysco Cincinnati LLC, Sysco Cleveland Inc., Sysco Columbia LLC, Sysco Connecticut LLC, Sysco Corporation, Sysco Corporation Director's Deferred Compensation Plan Trust, Sysco Corporation Employee's 401(k) Plan Trust, Sysco Corporation Executive Deferred Compensation Plan Trust, Sysco Corporation Good Government Committee Inc., Sysco Corporation Retirement Trust, Sysco Corporation Supplemental Executive Retirement Trust, Sysco Corporation Supplemental Unemployment Benefits Plan Trust, Sysco Detroit LLC, Sysco Disaster Relief Foundation Inc., Sysco EI VI S. s.r.l., Sysco EU II S.a.r.l., Sysco EU III S.a.r.l., Sysco EU IV Capital Unlimited Company, Sysco EU IV S. s.r.l.., Sysco EU V S. s.r.l., Sysco Eastern Maryland LLC, Sysco Eastern Wisconsin LLC, Sysco Foundation Inc., Sysco France Holding SAS, Sysco France SAS, Sysco George Town II LLC, Sysco George Town Limited S. s.r.l.., Sysco Global Finance LLC, Sysco Global Finance LLP, Sysco Global Holdings B.V., Sysco Global Resources LLC, Sysco Global Services LLC, Sysco Grand Cayman Company, Sysco Grand Cayman II Company, Sysco Grand Cayman III Company, Sysco Grand Rapids LLC, Sysco Guernsey Limited, Sysco Guest Supply Canada Inc., Sysco Guest Supply Europe Goods Wholesalers LLC, Sysco Guest Supply Europe Limited, Sysco Guest Supply LLC, Sysco Gulf Coast LLC, Sysco Hampton Roads Inc., Sysco Hawaii Inc., Sysco Holdings II LLC, Sysco Holdings LLC, Sysco Indianapolis LLC, Sysco International Food Group Inc., Sysco International Inc., Sysco Iowa Inc., Sysco Jackson LLC, Sysco Jacksonville Inc., Sysco Kansas City Inc., Sysco Knoxville LLC, Sysco Labs Europe Limited, Sysco Labs Pvt. Ltd., Sysco Leasing LLC, Sysco Lincoln Inc., Sysco Lincoln Transportation Company Inc., Sysco Long Island LLC, Sysco Los Angeles Inc., Sysco Louisville Inc., Sysco Memphis LLC, Sysco Merchandising and Supply Chain Services Canada Inc., Sysco Merchandising and Supply Chain Services Inc., Sysco Metro New York LLC, Sysco Minnesota Inc., Sysco Montana Inc., Sysco Nashville LLC, Sysco Netherlands Partners LLC, Sysco North Central Florida Inc., Sysco North Dakota Inc., Sysco Northern New England Inc., Sysco Philadelphia LLC, Sysco Pittsburgh LLC, Sysco Portland Inc., Sysco Raleigh LLC, Sysco Resources Services LLC, Sysco Riverside Inc., Sysco Sacramento Inc., Sysco San Diego Inc., Sysco San Francisco Inc., Sysco Seattle Inc., Sysco South Florida Inc., Sysco Southeast Florida LLC, Sysco Spain Holdings SLU, Sysco Spokane Inc., Sysco St. Louis LLC, Sysco Syracuse LLC, Sysco Technologies Cayman Ltd., Sysco Technologies LLC, Sysco UK Holdings Limited, Sysco UK Limited, Sysco UK Partners LLP, Sysco USA I Inc., Sysco USA II LLC, Sysco USA III LLC, Sysco Ventura Inc., Sysco Ventures Inc., Sysco Virginia LLC, Sysco West Coast Florida Inc., Sysco Western Minnesota Inc., The SYGMA Network Inc., Upsys, Victua SAS, Walker Foods Inc., Waugh Foods, and Wild Harvest Limited.
DowDuPont Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in agriculture, materials science, and specialty products businesses in the United States, Canada, the Asia Pacific, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. The company's Agriculture segment produces, and sells hybrid corn seed and soybean seed varieties; sunflowers, wheat, alfalfa, canola, cotton, rice, and sorghum; silage inoculants; and crop protection products that include weed control, disease control, and insect control. Its Performance Materials & Coatings segment manufactures and sells architectural paints and coatings, and industrial coatings; performance monomers and silicones; standalone silicones; and home and personal care solutions. The company's Industrial Intermediates & Infrastructure segment offers ethylene oxides, propylene oxide derivatives, cellulose ethers, redispersible latex powders, and acrylic emulsions; sustainable solutions; and chlorine and caustic soda. Its Packaging & Specialty Plastics segment provides ethylene, and propylene and aromatic products; and polyolefin elastomers and ethylene propylene diene monomer rubbers. The company's Electronics & Imaging segment offers materials and systems for mobile devices, television monitors, personal computers, and electronics. Its Nutrition & Biosciences segment provides specialty ingredients, as well as cellulosic- and alginates-based pharma excipients; and enzymes, biomaterials, biocides, and antimicrobial solutions and process technologies. The company's Transportation & Advanced Polymers segment offers engineering resins, adhesives, lubricants, and parts for transportation, electronics, healthcare, industrial, and consumer end-markets. Its Safety & Construction segment provides engineered products and integrated systems for construction, worker safety, energy, oil and gas, transportation, medical device, and water purification and separation industries. The company was founded in 1897 and is headquartered in Midland, Michigan.

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Buckeye Partners, L.P. owns and operates liquid petroleum products pipelines in the United States and internationally. The company operates through three segments: Domestic Pipelines & Terminals, Global Marine Terminals, and Merchant Services. The Domestic Pipelines & Terminals segment transports liquid petroleum products, including gasoline, jet fuel, and various distillates. This segment also provides crude oil services, including train loading/unloading, storage, and throughput; and turn-key operations and maintenance, asset development, and construction services for third-party pipeline, terminal, and energy assets, as well as operates and/or maintains third-party pipelines. It owns and operates approximately 6,000 miles of pipeline located primarily in the northeastern and upper midwestern portions of the United States, and services 100 delivery locations; 110 active terminals that provide bulk storage and throughput services with aggregate storage capacity of 55 million barrels; and 2 underground propane storage caverns. The Global Marine Terminals segment provides marine accessible bulk storage and blending, rail and truck rack loading/unloading, and petroleum processing services located primarily in the East Coast and Gulf Coast regions of the United States, as well as in the Caribbean. This segment owns and operates seven liquid petroleum products and crude oil terminals. The Merchant Services segment is involved in the wholesale distribution of refined petroleum products, including gasoline, natural gas liquids, propane, ethanol, and biodiesel, as well as petroleum distillates, such as heating oil, diesel fuel, kerosene, and fuel oil. This segment also provides fuel oil supply, butane, and distribution services. Buckeye GP LLC serves as the general partner of the company. Buckeye Partners, L.P. was founded in 1886 and is based in Houston, Texas.

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Christopher & Banks Corporation, through its subsidiaries, operates as a specialty retailer of private-brand women's apparel and accessories in the United States. The company designs and sells women's apparel and accessories to customers ranging in age from 40 and older. Its stores offer women's apparel consisting of casual clothing, everyday basics, wear-to-work, leisure/active wear, and sleepwear in missy, petite, and women sizes, as well as jewelry and accessories. As of December 4, 2018, the company operated 461 stores, including 314 MPW stores, 80 Outlet stores, 35 Christopher & Banks stores, and 32 stores in its women's plus size clothing division CJ Banks in 45 states. It also operates christopherandbanks.com, an e-commerce Website for its Christopher & Banks and CJ Banks brands. The company was formerly known as Braun's Fashions Corporation and changed its name to Christopher & Banks Corporation in July 2000. Christopher & Banks Corporation was founded in 1956 and is headquartered in Plymouth, Minnesota.

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Centenera Mining Corporation, an exploration stage company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, and evaluation of mineral properties in Argentina. The company primarily explores for copper, gold, and lithium deposits. It owns a 100% interest in the Organullo project consisting of eight mines situated in Salta Province; and the Mina Angela property comprising 44 mineral concessions located in Chubut Province. The company also holds an option agreement to acquire a 100% interest in the Esperanza project consisting of 32 mines and 10 demacias covering an area of 516 hectares; and the El Penon project situated in San Juan Province, as well as the El Quemado project consisting of 7,959 hectares in 19 claims located in Salta Province. The company is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

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iShares MSCI Mexico ETF's stock was trading at $35.82 on March 11th, 2020 when Coronavirus reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Since then, EWW stock has increased by 30.8% and is now trading at $46.86.

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Giyani Metals Corp., a junior mineral exploration company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, evaluation, and development of gold, manganese, and precious metal mining projects in South Africa and Canada. The company holds interests in the Kgwakgwe Hill manganese mine with six prospecting licenses located in the Kanye Basin, Southeastern Botswana. It also holds interest in the Rock Island gold project located in South Africa; and the Canoe Mining Ventures gold project located in Ontario, Canada. The company was formerly known as Giyani Gold Corp and changed its name to Giyani Metals Corp. in July 2017. Giyani Metals Corp. was incorporated in 2007 and is headquartered in Oakville, Canada.

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The following companies are subsidiares of Molina Healthcare: Aetna & Humana - Medicare Advantage, Affinity Health Plan, AmericanWork Inc., Better Health Network, Camelot Care Centers Inc, Children's Behavioral Health Inc., Choices Group Inc., College Community Services, Dockside Services Inc, Family Preservation Services Inc., Family Preservation Services of Florida Inc., Family Preservation Services of North Carolina Inc., Family Preservation Services of Washington D.C. Inc., Family Preservation Services of West Virginia Inc., Florida NetPASS LLC, Hclb Inc., Magellan Complete Care, Maple Star Nevada Inc., Maple Star Oregon Inc., Mercy CarePlus, Molina Clinical Services LLC, Molina Healthcare Data Center Inc., Molina Healthcare of Arizona Inc., Molina Healthcare of California, Molina Healthcare of Florida Inc., Molina Healthcare of Georgia Inc., Molina Healthcare of Illinois Inc., Molina Healthcare of Iowa Inc., Molina Healthcare of Louisiana Inc., Molina Healthcare of Maryland Inc., Molina Healthcare of Michigan Inc., Molina Healthcare of Mississippi Inc., Molina Healthcare of Nevada Inc., Molina Healthcare of New Mexico Inc., Molina Healthcare of New York Inc., Molina Healthcare of North Carolina Inc., Molina Healthcare of Ohio Inc., Molina Healthcare of Oklahoma Inc., Molina Healthcare of Pennsylvania Inc., Molina Healthcare of Puerto Rico Inc., Molina Healthcare of South Carolina LLC, Molina Healthcare of Texas Inc., Molina Healthcare of Texas Insurance Company, Molina Healthcare of Utah Inc., Molina Healthcare of Virginia Inc., Molina Healthcare of Washington Inc., Molina Healthcare of Wisconsin Inc., Molina Holdings Corporation, Molina Hospital Management LLC, Molina Information Systems LLC dba Molina Medicaid Solutions, Molina Medical Management Inc., Molina Pathways LLC, Molina Pathways of Texas Inc., Molina Youth Academy, NextLevel Health Illinois, Pathways Community Corrections Inc., Pathways Community Services LLC, Pathways Community Support of Texas Inc., Pathways Health and Community Support LLC, Pathways Human Services LLC., Pathways of Arizona Inc., Pathways of Delaware Inc., Pathways of Idaho LLC, Pathways of Maine Inc., Pathways of Massachusetts LLC, Pathways of Oklahoma Inc., Pathways of Washington Inc., Providence Community Services, Providence Human Services, Raystown Developmental Services Inc., The Game of Work LLC, The RedCo Group Inc., Total Care Medicaid plan, Transitional Family Services Inc., Unisys -Health Information Management, and YourCare Health Plan.
The following companies are subsidiares of Kroger: 84.51 HQ Building Company LLC, 84.51 LLC, Alpha Beta Company, Ansonborough Square Investors I LLC, Ansonborough Square Retail LLC, Ardrey Kell Investments LLC, Bay Area Warehouse Stores Inc., Beech Tree Holdings LLC, Bell Markets Inc., Bleecker Ventures LLC, Bluefield Beverage Company, Box Cutter Inc., Brier Creek Arbors Drive Retail LLC, CB&S Advertising Agency Inc., Cala Co., Cala Foods Inc., Cheeses of All Nations Inc., Country Oven Inc., Crawford Stores Inc., Creedmoor Retail LLC, Dillon Companies LLC, Dillon Real Estate Co. Inc., Dillons, Distribution Trucking Company, Dotto Inc., Edgewood Plaza Holdings LLC, Embassy International Inc., FM Inc., FMJ Inc., Farmacia Doral Inc., Food 4 Less GM Inc., Food 4 Less Holdings Inc., Food 4 Less Merchandising Inc., Food 4 Less of California Inc., Food 4 Less of Southern California Inc., Fred Meyer, Fred Meyer Inc., Fred Meyer Jewelers Inc., Fred Meyer Stores Inc., Glasswing Labs LLC, Glendale/Goodwin Realty I LLC, Grubstake Investments LLC, HT Fuel DE LLC, HT Fuel NC LLC, HT Fuel SC LLC, HT Fuel VA LLC, HTGBD LLC, HTP Bluffton LLC, HTP Plaza LLC, HTP Relo LLC, HTPS LLC, HTTAH LLC, Harris Teeter, Harris Teeter LLC, Henpil Inc., Home Chef, Hood-Clayton Logistics LLC, Hughes Markets Inc., Hughes Realty Inc., I.T.A. Inc., IRP LLC, ITAC 119 LLC, ITAC 265 LLC, Inter-American Foods Inc., Inter-American Products Inc., J.V. Distributing Inc., Jondex Corp., Jubilee Carolina LLC, KCDE  2012 LLC, KCDE  2013 LLC, KCDE-2 LLC, KCDE-3 LLC, KCDE-4 LLC, KCDE-5 LLC, KGO LLC, KPF LLC, KPS LLC, KRGP LLC, KRLP Inc., KV Anderson LLC, Kee Trans Inc., Kessel FP, Kiosk Medicine Kentucky LLC, Kirkpatrick West Retail LLC, Kroger Community Development Entity LLC, Kroger Dedicated Logistics Co., Kroger Fulfillment Network LLC, Kroger G.O. LLC, Kroger LM Real Estate Holdings LLC, Kroger Limited Partnership I, Kroger Limited Partnership II, Kroger MC Holdings LLC, Kroger MTL Management LLC, Kroger Management Co., Kroger Management  Corryville LLC, Kroger Management  NMTC Athens I LLC, Kroger Management  NMTC Champaign I LLC, Kroger Management  NMTC Champaign II LLC, Kroger Management  NMTC Cincinnati I LLC, Kroger Management  NMTC Dallas I LLC, Kroger Management  NMTC Danville I LLC, Kroger Management  NMTC Logansport I LLC, Kroger Management  NMTC Missouri I LLC, Kroger Management  NMTC Oak Ridge I LLC, Kroger Management  NMTC Olney I LLC, Kroger Management  NMTC Omaha I LLC, Kroger Management  NMTC Portsmouth I LLC, Kroger Management  NMTC Starkville I LLC, Kroger Management  NMTC Topeka I LLC, Kroger Management  NMTC Warrenton I LLC, Kroger NMTC Fremont I LLC, Kroger OZ1 Inc., Kroger OZ1 LLC, Kroger OZ2 Inc., Kroger OZ2 LLC, Kroger OZ3 Inc., Kroger OZ3 LLC, Kroger Opportunity Fund I Inc., Kroger Prescription Plans Inc., Kroger Specialty Infusion AL LLC, Kroger Specialty Infusion CA LLC, Kroger Specialty Infusion Holdings Inc., Kroger Specialty Infusion TX LLC, Kroger Specialty Pharmacy CA 2 LLC, Kroger Specialty Pharmacy CA LLC, Kroger Specialty Pharmacy FL 2 LLC, Kroger Specialty Pharmacy Holdings 2 Inc., Kroger Specialty Pharmacy Holdings 3 Inc., Kroger Specialty Pharmacy Holdings I Inc., Kroger Specialty Pharmacy Holdings Inc., Kroger Specialty Pharmacy Inc., Kroger Specialty Pharmacy LA LLC, Kroger Texas L.P., LCGP3 Home Cooking Inc., Latta Village LLC, Local Mkt LLC, Main & Vine LLC, Matthews Property 1 LLC, Mega Marts LLC, Michigan Dairy L.L.C., ModernHealth LTC, Murrays Cheese LLC, Murrays LIC LLC, Murrays Table LLC, Pace Dairy Foods Company, Paramount Logistics LLC, Pay Less Super Markets Inc., Peyton's-Southeastern Inc., Plum Labs LLC, Pontiac Foods Inc., Queen City Assurance Inc., RBF LLC, RGC Southeast Properties LLC, Ralphs Grocery Company, Relish Labs LLC, Rocket Newco Inc., Roundy's, Roundys Acquisition Corp., Roundys Illinois LLC, Roundys Inc., Roundys Supermarkets Inc., Second Story Inc., Shop-Rite LLC, Smiths Beverage of Wyoming Inc., Smiths Food & Drug Centers Inc., Southern Ice Cream Specialties Inc., Stallings Investors I LLC, Sunrise R&D Holdings LLC, Sunrise Technology LLC, TLC Corporate Services LLC, TLC Immunization Clinic LLC, TLC of Georgia LLC, The Kroger Co. of Michigan, The Little Clinic LLC, The Little Clinic Management Services LLC, The Little Clinic of Arizona LLC, The Little Clinic of Colorado LLC, The Little Clinic of IN LLC, The Little Clinic of Kansas LLC, The Little Clinic of Mississippi LLC, The Little Clinic of Ohio LLC, The Little Clinic of TX LLC, The Little Clinic of Tennessee LLC, The Little Clinic of VA LLC, Topvalco Inc., Ultimate Mart LLC, Ultra Mart Foods LLC, Vine Court Assurance Incorporated, Vitacost, Vitacost.com Inc., Woodmont Holdings LLC, and YOU Technology.
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.

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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 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..
Taubman Centers pays an annual dividend of $2.70 per share and currently has a dividend yield of 6.28%. TCO has a dividend yield higher than 75% of all dividend-paying stocks, making it a leading dividend payer. The dividend payout ratio of Taubman Centers is 72.78%. This payout ratio is at a healthy, sustainable level, below 75%. Based on EPS estimates, Taubman Centers will have a dividend payout ratio of 97.12% in the coming year. This indicates that Taubman Centers may not be able to sustain their current dividend.

View Taubman Centers' dividend history.
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..
Conagra Brands, Inc. engages in the manufacture and sale of processed and packaged foods. It operates through the following segments: Grocery and Snacks; Refrigerated and Frozen; International; and Foodservice. The Grocery and Snacks segment includes branded, shelf stable food products sold in various retail channels in the United States. The Refrigerated and Frozen segment comprises branded, temperature controlled food products sold in various retail channels in the United States. The International segment consists branded food products, in various temperature states, sold in various retail and foodservice channels outside of the United States. The Foodservice segment focuses in the branded and customized food products, including meals, entrees, sauces, and a variety of custom-manufactured culinary products packaged for sale to restaurants and other foodservice establishments in the United States. The company was founded by Alva Kinney and Frank Little in 1919 and is headquartered in Chicago, IL.

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Vedanta Ltd. is a natural resource company, which engages in the exploration, extraction, and processing of minerals, oil, and gas properties. It operates through the following segments: Copper, Aluminum, Iron Ore, Power, and Oil & Gas. The Copper segment focuses in custom smelting and also include a copper smelter, a refinery, a phosphoric acid plant, a sulphuric acid plant, a copper rod plant, and three captive power plants. The Aluminum segment comprises refinery and a captive power plant at Lanjigarh and a smelter, a thermal coal based captive power facility at Jharsuguda both situated in the State of Odisha in India. The Iron Ore segment explores, mines, and processes iron ore, pig iron, and metallurgical coke. The Power segment consists 600 MW thermal coal-based commercial power facility at Jharsuguda in the State of Odisha in Eastern India. The Oil and Gas segment involves in the exploration and development and production of oil and gas. The company was founded by Dwarka Prasad Agarwal on June 25, 1965 and is headquartered in Mumbai, India.

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Xcel Energy, Inc. operates as a holding company, which engages in the generation, purchase, transmission, distribution and sale of electricity. It operates through the following three segments: Regulated Electric Utility, Regulated Natural Gas Utility and All Others. The Regulated Electric Utility segment generates, transmits and distributes electricity primarily in portions of generates, transmits and distributes electricity in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, North Dakota, South Dakota, Colorado, Texas and New Mexico. In addition, this segment includes sales for resale and provides wholesale transmission service to various entities in the United States. It also includes commodity trading operations. The Regulated Natural Gas Utility segment transports, stores, and distributes natural gas primarily in portions of Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, Michigan and Colorado. The All Others segment engages in steam, appliance repair services, nonutility real estate activities, processing solid waste into refuse-derived fuel and investments in rental housing projects that qualify for low-income housing tax credits. The company was founded in 1909 and is headquartered in Minneapolis, MN.

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The child rights activist told reporters that she was subjected to physical and sexual abuse by Goswami in connivance with other officials.

The victim who recently approached a child right organisation was earlier molested by her stepfather forcing her to flee her home.

Guwahati: In what has angered the civil society, an inmate at a shelter home in Upper Assams Sivasagar district, allegedly raped by the superintendent of the shelter home, attempted suicide after administration failed to take any action.

The inmate had accused the superintendent of the shelter home, Parag Goswami, of raping her in September this year.

The social activists who were approached by the victim had filed two FIRs with Sivsagar police but accused managed to get anticipatory bail. Police also failed to file any charge sheet against the accused.

The victim who recently approached a child right organisation was earlier molested by her stepfather forcing her to flee her home.

She was molested by her stepfather before she fled her home. Then she was rescued by social workers and then put in a shelter home in Sivasagar, the victim wrote to Miguel Queah, founder of Utsah, the child rights organisation.

The child rights activist told reporters that she was subjected to physical and sexual abuse by Goswami in connivance with other officials.

With no end to her ordeal in sight, she attempted suicide on Wednesday. She was rescued and is reported to be stable now. In her statement, the victim said, I spoke up against (Parag) Goswami. He had raped me and assaulted me sexually several times. I am ashamed to speak about these things over and over again to different authorities. She added, I am in a state of mental stress. Nobody believed me and thought I was mentally ill. I want justice. The social activists have sought the intervention of Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal. In a letter to chief minister they said,  I demand the CMs immediate intervention in the matter and action against the main accused as well as everyone who had allegedly protected him. I also want the victim to be shifted immediately to a different home for better medical facilities and counselling, they wrote.

Pallav Gopal Jha, deputy commissioner (Siva-sagar), said, As the accused is out on anticipatory bail, police have been asked to expedite the case and file the chargesheet immediately.

He said that district administration is also meeting the Child Welfare Commission and authority concerned to take decision on shifting the victim to shelter home in Guwahati.
Mumbai: Mrs Kapoor from "Kapoor and Sons" and Usha Parmar from "Lipstick under My Burkha" are mere glimpses of the potential that resides in acting powerhouse Ratna Pathak Shah, who asserts she can and wants to play all kinds of characters on screen.

The actor credits the writers of these films -- Shakun Batra-Ayesha Devitre Dhillon and Alankrita Shrivastava -- for developing characters which saw her sift through a variety of feelings.

"I feel lucky to be around when roles are being written for women of my age. It's just a very fortunate condition that over the last few years the quality of scriptwriting has improved dramatically," Ratna told PTI in an interview.

The 55-year-old actor believes there is a more free examining of issues in storytelling today.

"The exploration of different issues has become much more open and much more free. People are taking risks and I just happen to be there at the right time. That is good for me," she added.

Ratna next plays a headstrong headmistress of an academy in Netflix original "Selection Day" and the actor said she yearns for more such parts.

"I'm headstrong, I'm bossy and I am who I am. But that doesn't mean I can't be anything else. I can be many other things and I want to be many other things... That's what an actor really wants People different than who you are. I am who I am in any case," she said.

Recounting her past work as beginner in the industry, Ratna said that lack of good offers felt like a wonderful opportunity to perform as it eliminated the choice factor.

"I did a fair amount of work earlier when so many such roles were not being written. One chooses from the offers one gets. So for me, again I was lucky that I got very few offers and therefore there was not an element of choice. But whatever offers I got were very good and very different from each other.

"Right at the beginning, my first thing was 'Idhar Udhar', which was a comedy and I had never done comedy before that. I was very worried about that."

The actor says the 1985 sitcom, which also featured her elder sister Supriya Pathak, had put a red flag on her ambition of being known as a "dramatic actor".

"I always thought of myself as a dramatic actor and that I will grow up and do Lady Macbeth and other major dramatic female parts. But fortunately for me, 'Idhar Udhar' happened.

"It was a very good wake-up call and made me realise that here is something that I don't know how to do it and I must work very hard to get it right. That ability to work hard I developed at that point and to work with some intelligence that I was guided by many good people, I think that has stood me in very good stead over the years."

The actor also credits her partner and husband of 36 years, Naseeruddin Shah, for never holding her back or forcing her to work for money.

"I am fortunate also that I was never forced to earn large amount of money. In the sense that I happen to be in a marriage with a man who is perfectly confident of himself and has absolutely no issues with his wife working and contributing to family income. So whatever little meagre earnings I had I was contributing to the family.

"We both realised that it is easy to get money to get by and lead a fairly comfortable and decent lives. And if you want to do other things then money should not become priority. I believe once I arrived at that in my head, I got the sense of great release and relief that I could choose things with other considerations, not just financial."

"Selection Day", based on Aravind Adiga's novel of the same name, also features Rajesh Tailang, Mohammad Samad, Yash Dholye, Karanvir Malhotra, Shiv Pandit and Mahesh Manjrekar. The series will stream on Netflix from December 28.
Rating:

Cast: Yash, Srinidhi Shetty, Achyuth Kumar, Malavika Avinash

Director: Prashanth Neel

Hindi films may have borrowed liberally from Hollywood and other Indian movies, mostly, from the South, but in the last decade or so, many Bollywood filmmakers have inspired some directors from southern states too. Writer-director Prashant Neels KGF, a Kannada film dubbed in four languages, is an action thriller set in the Kolar Gold Fields, and is the first instalment in the two-part series that stars Yash and Srinidhi Shetty in the lead roles. Like me, if you are also wondering why for its Hindi version, producer Farhan Akhtar decided to bankroll the project, there may not be an answer, save, perhaps, its lead Yash, who has good screen presence, and could look for some meaty roles in Hindi too. Other than this obvious possibility, I didnt find any good enough reason for Akhtar to finance and release the film in theatres.

A period drama begins with a narration that dates back to the 1700-year-old history of the oppressed waging wars against their oppressors, and then quickly moves to the 60s and the 80s, as the first chapter centres around the protagonist who leads a battle against the oppressors. Mounted on an impressive scale, the story is narrated by a journalist (Anant Nag), who sings praises of the valour and greatness of Rocky (Yash) from childhood to adulthood. Rockys innocence as a child is suddenly and violently upended by an invasion that just his helpless single mother saw coming as he begins to grow in Mysore. Living in penury, she drills in a dream to get rich in life as she lay in her deathbed. Soon, a nomadic wanderer also tells him that he ought to be powerful too. And, thus, begins another challenging period of existence for the little boy: from being a cobbler on the streets of Mumbai to befriending the urchins to finally taking on the might of a policeman, he does everything that would help him to get dubbe

d as a dreadful survivor in the city of dreams. His transformation may be organic, in that he knocks out all the top gangsters; but what he doesnt forget is his dream to get rich. And powerful.

When the underworld boss makes an offer to Rocky to go in for more control and supremacy, Rocky cannot ignore it. He leaves for Bengaluru and lands himself in the midst of the mafia at a gold mine, both literally and figuratively. Obviously, he gets all the more charged to possess what he hankers after the most: riches and more power. His lust even becomes more profound as he decides to get to the bottom of other conspiratorial teams and own them all himself. However, Rockys goals are clearly meant for his own selfish gains and he doesnt pretend to have any grand notions of liberating other oppressed men and women.

And thats where the film loses steam. Becoming more of a revenge and heroic tale of a one-man army against many, KGF has no plots to unveil to sustain interest in the second half, and turns quite flimsy. Rockys determination to emerge as a rich person, which becomes his sole mission, is fine, but with so many villains it also should have been more than just a personal objective to set things right. There are scenes that are repetitive and overstretched.

Despite Yashs skills and impressive personality, KGF disappoints, and does not live up to its expectations. What could have been a racy thriller, is a long overextended narrative with a slow moving pace, and becomes predictable right from the time he is sent to the mines.

The second part of the film is expected to hit the screens soon, and lets hope it offers us more content for us to chew on.

The action sequences, and all the powerplay introduced in the first half of the film, dont add up to any grand finale.

A strong character in the lead should have had an equally potent and compelling storyline, but for all those fed on Bollywood masala thrillers, or the great masterful films like Bahubali made in Tamil, Telegu, Kannada and Malayalam, the lack of a plausible and gut-wrenching finale makes KGF rather dull!

The writer is a film critic and has been reviewing films for over 15 years. He also writes on music, art and culture, and other human interest stories.
Rakul Preeth Singh, one of the top actresses down South, did not have a Telugu film release in 2018. The actresss last film Spyder released in September 2017 and after that, the actress didnt sign any Telugu film. The film was a big disappointment for Rakul as it bombed at the box-office. Though she was paired opposite a top star like Mahesh Babu and it was directed by a top director A.R. Murugadoss, the film still was a complete dud.

The actress has signed only one Telugu film, Venky Mama, but the shooting has not yet started. One had hoped that the film would start in December, but Venkatesh is busy promoting his other film F2, which is releasing in a couple of weeks. So, the actress has not shot in a Telugu project, except a cameo in the NTR biopic. She is playing Sridevi and shot only for a few days. Though Rakul stays in Hyderabad as the city is her home now, she has no Telugu release and will have to wait till next summer for her next Telugu film. But she has signed a few Tamil and Hindi films.
Christian Michel was arrested in the UAE and extradited to India on December 4. (Photo: File | PTI)

New Delhi: A Delhi court on Saturday sent Christian Michel, arrested in the Rs 36,000 crore AgustaWestland VVIP chopper case by the CBI, to seven days custody of the Enforcement Directorate.

Special Judge Arvind Kumar dismissed the bail plea of Michel, the alleged middleman in the case.

Earlier on Saturday, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had arrested Michel in a money laundering case and sought his 15 days-custody.

He was arrested in the UAE and extradited to India on December 4. The next day, he was produced before the court, which allowed his five-day custodial interrogation by the CBI. It was extended by five more days, and later for another four days.

The court had reserved the order on Michel's bail plea on December 19 and sent him to judicial custody till December 28.

Michel is among the three alleged middlemen being probed in the case by the Enforcement Directorate and CBI.

The others are Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa.
KOLLAM: It will be a memorable Christmas reunion for 38-year-old Austrian citizen Martina Kropej. She will be reuniting with her mother in her homeland after spending 22 months in a jail in Thiruvananthapuram.

Her ordeal began when she was arrested by the local police in Karunagappally when she overstayed for five days after her tourist visa expired back in February 2016. After being sent to womens prison in Poojappura, she was mentally disturbed and failed to get proper legal aid which prolonged her detention. Of late, she was legally supported by Pravasi Legal Cell an NGO in Delhi and was released on Friday. Ms Kropej was on a tour to India in 2016 and reached Kerala after visiting tourist spots in North India. She failed to notice that her visa expired and continued her tour for another five days before she was arrested in Karunagappally.

Shifted to women's prison, her mental condition worsened. She could not approach the Court or seek legal aid owing to her plight. Her only relative was her ailing mother in Austria. Ms Kropej was eventually shifted to a correction home in Attukulangara.

The Austrian embassy in Delhi recently noticed her plight and contacted the authorities with the help of an NGO. The Embassy officials also visited her in the correction home. The issue was taken up with the court.

The law should be legislated to deport foreigners who overstay, said lawyer Jose Abraham, president of the Pravasi Legal Cell.

The Cell intends to approach the Supreme Court with a Public Interest Litigation on this issue as there are several foreign nationals imprisoned in jails in India for merely overstaying," he added.

Martina Kropej has flown from Thiruvananthapuram international airport to meet her mother in Austria on Friday night.


The matter came to light after this letter went viral on social media and sources close to the star confirmed its veracity on Friday.

Chennai: Ahead of the launch of his political party, superstar Rajinikanths Makkal Mandran, seen as a precursor to the party, has initiated process for launching a television channel, which is now considered a 'must' for political heavyweights.

Rajinikanth has informed in a letter to the Registrar of Trademarks that an application made by the Mandram chief V.M. Sudhakar for trademarks may be processed to the next level and he had no objection to the use of his name and photo in the logo of the proposed channel. The matter came to light after this letter went viral on social media and sources close to the star confirmed its veracity on Friday.

Administrator Sudhakar of the Rajini Makkal Mandram has applied for the trademarks 'SUPERSTAR TV, RAJINI TV, THALAIVAR TV'--all references to the actor. The move is seen as keeping in line with the tradition of political parties in Tamil Nadu having their own TV channels to effectively propagate their policies and programmes.

While the ruling AIADMK had recently launched 'News J' to propagate its views, a bouquet of channels under the 'Kalaignar TV' and the Marans-owned 'Sun TV' are said to be backing the opposition DMK. 'Jaya TV', managed by the relatives of V K Sasikala, was originally a mouthpiece of the AIADMK, but now backs Amma Makkal Munnetra Katchi (AMMK) chief T T V Dhinakaran.

Speculations of Rajini's political entry had started way back in 1996 when he made some 'frank' criticism of the then Jayalalithaa government, declaring, "even God cannot save Tamil Nadu" if Jayalalithaa was voted to be the CM again. He had then extended open support to the then DMK-Tamil Maanila Congress (TMC) combine, which swept the 1996 assembly polls. TMC was floated by veteran Congressman, late G K Mooapanar, after he quit the national party.

The 68-year old actor had announced taking the political plunge in December 2017 while interacting with his fans here. He said he would practice 'spiritual politics' (aanmeega-arasiyal) and made clear his to-be-launched political party would contest in all the 234 constituencies in the 2021 Assembly elections.
A steady inflow of pilgrims was seen at Sabarimala in recent days as the police had eased certain restrictions even as the prohibitory orders are still in place. (Photo: File)

Sabarimala: With the annual 'Mandala Puja' just days away, the Lord Ayyappa Temple here has been witnessing a heavy rush as over one lakh pilgrims visited the hill top temple on Friday.

A steady inflow of pilgrims was seen at Sabarimala in recent days as the police had eased certain restrictions even as the prohibitory orders are still in place.

"As many as 1,12,260 devotees have visited the shrine and offered prayers on Friday. It is the highest head count after the annual season began this year," the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) said in a statement.

The pilgrim rush is expected to increase manifold in the coming days, it said.

However, anxiety looms large in and around the shrine in the backdrop of reports that a group of 50 women, all below the traditionally barred age of 50 years, are set to visit Sabarimala on Sunday under the aegis of 'Manithi', a Chennai-based outfit. Selvy, a member of 'Manithi', told a Malayalam TV channel that the group comprised women from different states, including Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Karnataka besides Kerala. She said they had already written to the office of Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in this regard and informed about their plan to trek the hill temple.

The police Saturday confirmed that the women's group will offer prayers at the Lord Ayyappa temple, which had witnessed intense protest against the implementation of the Supreme Court verdict permitting women of all age groups into the shrine. "As per the information, the group will reach Kottayam at around 10 am. They have not asked for any special security.

"When they reach Nilackal, the base camp, and if there is any law and order situation, we will deal with it accordingly," a police official told PTI.

On Friday night, a 43-year-old woman devotee from Andhra Pradesh, who came along with a group of pilgrims to offer prayers at the Ayyappa temple, was stopped and sent back by police midway, citing security reasons.

Marking the culmination of the 41-day 'vratha' (penance), Mandala Puja, the first phase of the Sabarimala pilgrimage, would be held on December 27 at the Lord Ayyappa temple. Kerala had witnessed massive protests by devotees 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 Supreme Court order.

Over a dozen women have so far made unsuccessful attempts to trek the holy hills.

Four transgenders, who were earlier stopped from proceeding towards the Lord Ayyappa temple citing security reasons, offered prayers at the hill shrine under heavy police security cover earlier this week.

The Kerala High Court had earlier this month appointed a three-member committee, vesting them with powers to oversee law and order and other problems faced by pilgrims during the ongoing annual season.
Mohammad Imran Qureshi Warsi stayed on in India for four years despite the expiry of his visa and got a ration card and a PAN card made during this period which led to his imprisonment for 10 years. (Photo: ANI)

Bhopal: A Pakistani national Mohammed Imran Qureshi Warsi, jailed in India for the last 10 years on charges of forgery and spying, will return home on December 26 after the completion of his term.

A resident of Karachi (Pakistan), Warsi came to India in 2004 to meet his relatives who stayed in Kolkata where he fell in love with a girl and got married to her.

The Pakistani national stayed on in India for four years despite the expiry of his visa and got a ration card and a PAN card made during this period which led to his imprisonment for 10 years. In fact, he travelled to Bhopal to get a passport made following which he was arrested.

"My term expired in January this year, following which the police took care of me until now because I had no money of my own. I now get to go home after 14 years, and I couldn't be happier to see my mother, father and siblings who all reside in Karachi," he said on Saturday.

"Police treated me very well, just like a family. I found loving people here the same way there are loving people in Pakistan. I believe good people find good people everywhere," Warsi underscored.

Warsi has two children from his marriage and plans on taking help from the Indian government in taking them to Karachi. "I will be taking the legal course in getting them to Karachi," Warsi stated.

He is set to return home on December 26 by crossing through the Attari-Wagah border.
Hyderabad: Chief Minister K. Chand-rashekar Rao has asserted that the state government's performance in various sectors is distinctive. The state has achieved 29.97 per cent growth in own revenue which is the highest in the country, he said.

Addressing the gathering at a Christmas Feast at LB Stadium, Mr Rao said Telangana was the only state where Christmas was celebrated by the government. Our government celebrates Dasara, Id-ul-Fitr, Bathukamma and Bonalu officially. People in Delhi say that though Jammu and Kashmir has a Muslim Chief Minister, Id-ul-Fitr is celebrated in a more marked manner in Telangana, the CM said.

He assured that within 20 days he would convene a meeting of scholars and religious heads of the Christian community to discuss the issues and problems of the community.

Mr Rao said that he could not construct the Christian Bhavan in the previous term, but this time the government would construct a huge building.

The government simplified the process for granting permission for the construction of churches. There will be no need to approach the district collector, Mr Rao said.

We are dedicating ourselves to making the state a Golden Telangana. Our motto is to ensure all round development of the state without discriminating against people based on religion. The government has no religious identity. I have told party leaders and officials to see the people as people and not discriminate based on religion, the CM said.

Mr Rao said the government was doing an excellent job for the welfare of the minorities which was unprecedented.

Leaders and bureaucrats of the Centre and other states were visiting the state to study the schemes being implemented in the state.

Minorities residential schools were unique and these institutions were performing very well. The government was giving priority to education and focussing on minorities as well to prepare a generation which would be good and competitive, he added.

Mr Rao said 60 Christian students were studying abroad availing the Ambedkar overseas scholarships. He said he was not satisfied with these meagre numbers; there was a need to expand the scheme. He assured that the specific problems of the community would be resolved.

The CM said the state was achieving excellence on all fronts. We achieved this distinction due to our commitment and discipline. Within 10 years Telangana will be an exemplary state in every walk of life," he said. He said in the last four years, the state had earned Rs 2,057 crore revenue from the sale of sand.
Singhvi argued that Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty did not study reports submitted in sealed envelope before passing its order.

The rallies were supposed to be launched from three different locations in the state, crisscrossing it before converging in Kolkata. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: The BJP has decided to move a vacation bench of the Supreme Court challenging the Calcutta high court order that stayed permission for its rath yatra in West Bengal, reported news agency ANI.

On Friday, a division bench of the Calcutta high court stayed order by its single-judge bench a day before granting conditional approval to the Bharatiya Janata Partys rath yatra, disrupting its plans to flag off the first rally from the temple town of Tarapith in Birbhum district on Saturday.

Abhishek Singhvi, Congress MP and senior advocate, argued that the single-judge bench of Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty did not study intelligence reports submitted in a sealed envelope before passing its order.

On Friday, the division bench observed that the single-judge bench has to go through the reports to pronounce an objective order.

The division bench has not disallowed the yatra. Our legal battle will continue. So will our agitation and programmes in different districts, BJP state president Dilip Ghosh had said.

There is distinct apprehension of communal disharmony being triggered in Bengal over the yatra. Thats why the government is fighting it out in the courts, said Sudip Bandyopadhyay, leader of Trinamool Congress.

The single-judge bench of Calcutta high court had criticised the Mamata Banerjee government for rejecting the BJP event in a whimsical and unreasonable manner. The court had allowed the yatras subject to a few conditions.

The rallies were supposed to be launched from three different locations in the state, crisscrossing it before converging in Kolkata.
The encounter was launched in Arampora village in Awantipora area of the south Kashmir district on Saturday morning. (Representational Image | ANI)

Srinagar: Six terrorists were gunned down by security forces during an encounter in south Kashmir's Pulwama district.

An aide of Zakir Musa, one of Kashmir's most wanted terrorist, was also killed in the encounter.

According to reports, the slain terrorists belonged to Zakir Musas terror outfit Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind - a cell of Al-Qaeda operating in the Kashmir valley.

Arms and ammunition were recovered from the terrorists.

The encounter was launched in Arampora village in Awantipora area of the south Kashmir district on Saturday morning.

Security forces launched a cordon and search operation in the area following specific intelligence input about the presence of terrorists there.

As the forces were conducting searches, militants fired upon them, triggering the encounter, a police official said.
Chennai: The Madras high court slammed the Tamil Nadu police for detaining actor Vishal, head of the Tamil Nadu Film Producers Council, when he tried to break open the lock of the office. The court was critical of the police for interfering in the affairs of the council. The court also came down hard on a faction of film producers for barging into the TFPC office and locking the door the previous day. The court directed the Revenue Divisional Officer, Nandanam, to remove the seal from the TFPC premises.

Passing interim orders on a petition filed by TFPC, represented by its executive committee member M.Anbudurai, Justice N.Anand Venkatesh also directed the RDO to keep the proceedings initiated under section 145 Cr.P.C. (Procedure where dispute concerning land or water is likely to cause breach of peace) pending.

The judge directed the Deputy Registrar of Societies to go over to the TFPC on December 22 and start the process of taking inventory of the entire records that are available with the TFPC. He shall thereafter keep the entire records in a room allotted by the TFPC and lock the same and keep the key under his control pending disposal of the writ petition, the judge added.

The judge said the office bearers of the Council shall be entitled to take copy of the important records in order to ensure the day to day running of the council was not affected. The Pondy Bazar police should ensure that no one interferes with the functioning of the office bearers and they were not prevented from entering the office premises, the judge added.

The Pondy Bazar police should ensure that law and order was maintained and immediate action should be taken against anyone who tries to create any problem or indulging in any violation. The members of the council have the right to access the council subject to the condition that they do not create any law and order problem in the premises.

So far as the alleged dispute between the parties were concerned, the same shall be worked out independently before the appropriate court and this order will not have any bearing over it, the judge added and posted after four weeks, further hearing of the case.

Earlier, when the case came up for hearing, Janardanam, counsel for the petitioner submitted that Vishal and other elected members of the council were entitled to enter into the premises of the council. But, they were prevented from entering into it, he ad-ded.

The judge said there was an elected body and their term was yet to come to an end. While so, the other faction cannot just barge into the office, lock the same and make the police register a case.

How can they prevent the elected office bearers from entering into the office? In no way can the police interfere with the affairs of the Council, the judge added.

John Sathyan, appearing for the complainant belonging to other faction submitted that the elected members were acting against the other members of the Council.

The complainant has already approached the Registrar of Societies. The other group (Vishal) only created problems, he added.

Additional public prosecutor Mohamed Riyaz said there was a complaint from Radhakrishnan and counter complaint from Durairaj and the police received both and issued CSR.

There was likelihood of law and order problem. In order to control the situation, the police interfered. Police was not interfering with the affairs of the Council, he added.

John Sathyan said if Vishal and others were allowed to enter the office, they will destroy important records.

"We are part of a family. We filed a suit and it is pending". They may destroy important documents including accounts, he added.
National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah also criticised the Centre's decision to allow 10 agencies to intercept 'any information' on computers and said the move would be detrimental to the country's interests. (Photo: PTI)

Kolkata: National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah on Friday said Congress president Rahul Gandhi is no longer a "Pappu" after proving his mettle as a leader by winning elections in the three Hindi heartland states.

The former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister also hailed the opening of the Kartarpur corridor as a "step in the right direction".

He, however, said Pakistan needs to give up terrorism to build relations with India.

"Rahul Gandhi is no longer a Pappu. He has proved his mettle by wining three states," Abdullah said during an interactive session at a chamber of commerce in Kolkata.

Rahul Gandhi has often been mocked by the BJP and his opposition as "Pappu", a colloquial sneer.

Stating that it was necessary to project young leaders in India to ensure the nation's progress, the National Conference leader said Rahul Gandhi should be given more time.

Later, he met West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and described her as his "sister".

Abdullah expressed hope that the Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo will do her bit to save the country, which was currently heading towards a "wrong direction".

The National Conference leader also took on the NDA government at the Centre, alleging institutions like the RBI are being polluted under the present regime.

He alleged that efforts are being made to divide the country on religious lines.

"It is wrong the way they are trying to divide the nation on the basis of religion. The way there has been interference in Muslim religion and its practices is unfortunate," he said.

While speaking on the issue of unrest in Kashmir, Abdullah said the Army and the CRPF are not the solution to the problem of the Valley.

Until and unless cross-border terrorism from Pakistan stops there can never be any progress in bilateral relations. The only way the relationship can be built if Pakistan stop terrorism, he said.

India and Pakistan relations have to be solved to solve problems in Afghanistan, Abdullah said.

"Just because Pakistan doesnt stop cross border terrorism, Muslims in India are getting affected. The tragedy of terrorism is every Muslim is suspected to be a terrorist. All Muslims are not terrorists, Indian Muslims don't support Pakistanis," he said.

The National Conference leader appreciated opening of the Kartarpur corridor.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan last month laid the foundation stone for a corridor linking Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan's Kartarpur - the final resting place of Sikh faith's founder Guru Nanak Dev - to Dera Baba Nanak shrine in India's Gurdaspur district to facilitate visa-free movement of Indian Sikh pilgrims

Abdullah also questioned the need for the BJP's proposed Rath Yatra in West Bengal and wondered whether the party wants to project itself as a saviour of the Hindus.

Abdullah also criticised the Centre's decision to allow 10 agencies to intercept "any information" on computers and said the move would be detrimental to the country's interests.

"Whatever is happening in the country is very wrong. The central government's move (of authorising 10 central agencies to snoop on any computer) is also very wrong.

"The country is heading towards a wrong direction. That is the reason I have come to meet my sister (Mamata Banerjee). I hope she can create a force that will save the country from what it is currently going through," he told reporters.
Bengaluru: With an eye on 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress handed a lions share of cabinet berths and other key positions to legislators of north Karnataka, with six new faces set to join the seven-month-old ministry on Saturday evening.

Though the partys list would be released at the AICC headquarters hours before the swearing-in, senior leaders admitted that former CM Siddaramaiah had his way in ensuring more ministerial berths for legislators elected from constituencies in Mumbai-Karnataka and Hyderabad-Karnataka, besides batting for the inclusion of two Kurubas  Mr C.S. Shivalli and Mr M.T.B. Nagaraj. Forest minister R. Shankar, also a Kuruba, would exit the cabinet along with municipal administration minister Ramesh Jarkiholi with the latter set to make way for his sibling Mr Satish Jarkiholi. The lone woman in the cabinet, Dr Jayamala Ramachandra, would continue to hold her post thanks to the support of general secretary in-charge of Karnataka, K.C. Venugopal. The lone Muslim, Rahim Khan, too, represents Bidar in north Karnataka.

But the leaders could not decide between former minister M.B. Patil and B.C. Patil, both Lingayats, with the choice likely to be announced at the eleventh hour on Saturday. Dr Ajay Singh, son of late CM N. Dharam Singh, would take over as state's representative in New Delhi, while former minister V. Muniyappa would occupy the post of political secretary to CM H.D. Kumaraswamy.
State govt. decided to release 10 White papers, including on State bifurcation, State financial status and growth rate, welfare of farmers, among others. (Photo: PTI)

Amravati: Andhra Pradesh government-led by Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu will release the White Papers on the progress and development in the State during the last four and half years, and also the vision for the future, beginning from December 23.

The state Cabinet, which met in Amravati on Friday, decided to release 10 White papers, including on State bifurcation, State financial status and growth rate, welfare of farmers, basic infrastructure in rural and urban areas, energy and trunk infrastructure, social empowerment, human resources development, industries and employment, good governance.

The TDP government has decided to keep these subjects for discussion of general public by placing the White Papers before the Gram Sabhas to be held during the Janmabhoomi program from January 2 to 11 next year.

The cabinet has decided to increase the subsidy in Aadarana scheme (that provides instruments and tools to working class) from 70pc to 90pc. This will cost Rs 195 crores to the exchequer.

The cabinet has decided to promote 2585 police constables (civil) to head constables and 566 head constables to Asst Sub Inspectors (civil). It will also promote 610 grade-2 language pundits and 262 PETs to school assistants.

Proposel for setting up of AP fisheries and Ocean University at Bhimavaram, west Godavari district has also been approved.

Further, five universities in public private partnership will be set up-Apollo University at Murakambattu, Chittoor district, Global Digital University at Tirupati, Techno India University at Kapuluppadu, Visakhapatnam district, Anisha Rubica United World University in Intelligent Global Hub for Digital Pedagogies at Visakhapatnam, Om Sri Gayatri Viswakarma University at Ongole, Prakasam district.

The Andhra cabinet has agreed to establish Andhra Pradesh Maritime Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd in accordance with the provisions of the Companies Act 2013.

The cabinet decided to send proposal to central govt for encouraging Zero budget natural farming at a cost of Rs 2046 cr. The cabinet also decided to sanction posts of ACB court to be set up in Rajahmundry.

The cabinet decided to encourage hybrid renewable energy projects to produce 18000 mw by 2021-22. The cabinet decided to produce 5000 mw solar power in the coming five years.
He also said that the present government does not have intentions of appointing Lokpal Lokayuktas. (Photo: PTI)

Ahmednagar: Social activist Anna Hazare will go on fast at his village Ralegan Siddhi from January 30, pressing the demand for the implementation of Lokayukta Law in Maharashtra.

Anna Hazare has written a letter to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis saying that Maharashtra government has only given assurances for the implementation of the Lokpal and Lokayukta Law of 2014 but never actually implemented it.

Hazare, earlier in December also said that despite being in power for more than four years, the Prime Minister Modi government is not appointing Lokpal, Lokayuktas. He also said that the present government does not have intentions of appointing Lokpal Lokayuktas.
Jaitley alleged that Congress has broken the unwritten rule of politics that is the forces are kept out of political discourse and that the Congress grand old party needs to mature. (Photo: Twitter | ANI)

New Delhi: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Friday threw his weight behind Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa, and castigated the Congress for criticising Air Force chief, who stressed the need for Rafale fighter planes to improve India's combat ability.

In a Facebook post, Jaitley wrote, "The Congress spokespersons are criticising the Chief of the Indian Air Force for having stated that the Air Force urgently needs the Rafale to improve its combat ability. It is the Indian Air Force and its Chief who are the most competent persons to comment on it."

Jaitley further said: "The Air Force was involved in the selection of Rafale when the UPA was in power, as also when the NDA is in power. The aircraft with its weaponry is needed to maintain the combat ability of our forces. Having shortlisted, both in terms of its potential and costing, Rafale as the most appropriate aircraft with weaponry in 2012, the Congress leaders' comments against it now lack credibility."

Air Chief Marshal Dhanoa on Thursday welcomed the Supreme Court verdict on the Rafale jet deal. Addressing media during his visit to Air Force Station at Jodhpur, he said, "The Supreme Court has given a very fine judgment 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."

Jaitley alleged that Congress has broken the unwritten rule of politics that is the forces are kept out of political discourse. "Additionally, by targeting the Chief of a Service in a political debate, the Congress Party has broken a long-standing unwritten rule of Indian politics. We keep our forces out of political discourse," he said.

"Our military is a professional one and subject to a civilian authority. Unlike our western neighbour, it is non-political and non-partisan. After having ruled this country for decades, the grand old party needs to mature," said Jaitley.

Finance Minister Jaitley also accused the Congress of speaking out first and understanding the issue subsequently. "The power to intercept in the interest of national security and public order already exists in law. This is only ordered as to who are the authorised agencies. It is only in cases mentioned in Section 69 of the IT Act," he said.

"The power existed and was used during the UPA government also. How else will terrorists who use technology extensively be traced? Otherwise, the terrorists will use IT, but the intelligence and investigative agencies will be crippled," Jaitley added.

The Rafale jet deal controversy has been on the boil over the last few a months. The Congress has alleged irregularities in the deal for 36 aircraft and claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi led NDA government is buying these aircraft at a price much higher than the one that was being negotiated by the previous UPA 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 top court seeking correction in its judgment on the deal.
Hyderabad: MIM floor leader and Chandrayangutta legislator Akbaruddin Owaisi was discharged at 3 pm on Saturday, hours after he was rushed to the Owaisi Hospital and Research Centre on the intervening night of Thursday and Friday after he complained severe stomach ache.

Doctors discharged him after performing a complete check up and ultrasound scan. He was advised bed rest for three days.

Sources said that after attending a function, Mr Akbaruddin Owaisi complained of pain in stomach and was administered pain relief tablets at his residence. When he continued complaining of pain, he was rushed to hospital where a team of doctors under the supervision of Dr Mazhar Ali Khan monitored his condition. According to sources, the cause of the pain was infection.

AIM president and his eldest brother Asaduddin Owaisi, who was in the Capital, rushed to Hyderabad and stayed for hours at the hospital.

Mr Akbaruddin Owaisi has not been keeping well since he was attacked in 2011 while he was visiting his constituency. He sustained several injuries in abdomen. He was operated twice. He has bullet shrads in his abdomen.

During the recent election campaign, he complained about his health and said he would not be in a position to contest the next time.
Visakhapatnam: AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu said the anti-BJP front had not decided on its Prime Ministerial candidate and had not supported Congress President Rahul Gandhi for the post.

Mr Naidu, who is trying to unite anti-BJP parties at the national level to take on the ruling party in the ensuing Lok Sabha elections, said the front would will decide on the Prime Ministerial candidate after the elections.

Mr Naidu, however, made it clear that it is not possible to form government at the Centre without the support of the Congress or the BJP.

In the anti-BJP front, DMK president M.K. Stalin and National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah have endorsed Mr Gandhi as the prospective PM candidate from the Opposition camp.

Not revealing his stand, Mr Naidu said. Opposition parties would elect the leader after the general election in 2019. That leader should be acceptable to the parties and the people.

Mr Naidu said he did not have any ambitions to be Prime Minister. I am in politics to serve the people and develop my state. We should not announce a candidate now. Every party has its own ideas and views. But, the front is different in this aspect, he adds.

Speaking at a conference here on Saturday, Mr Naidu spoke on various topics including state politics and the general elections. He said the TD was frustrated by the Narendra Modi-led BJP government at the Centre and had left the NDA.
Hyderabad: Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Saturday requested Union environment, forests and climate change minister Dr Harsh Vardhan to extend support to Telangana state in its efforts to increase greenery.

The Union minister had called on Mr Rao at Pragathi Bhavan on Saturday and congratulated him on the TRS victory in the Assembly elections.

Mr Rao requested the minister to sanction Rs 100 crore from the Central share of CAMPA (Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning) funds to developing 188 forest blocks within the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority limits. Mr Rao also requested for the restoration of the 70:30 ratio under the adhoc CAMPA rules which was approved by the Supreme Court. The CM sought environmental permission from the ministry for the Stage-II of the Palamuru Ranga Reddy lift irrigation project. He thanked Dr Harsh Vardhan for according environmental permissions for the Kaleswaram project. The Union minister accepted Mr Raos invitation to visit the construction side.

Mr Rao and state officials held a meeting at Pragathi Bhavan with Dr Harsh Vardhan where the discussion revolved around plantation programme, forest conservation and rejuvenation, protection of wild animals and environment protection. The Union minister was briefed on the Telangana Ku Haritha Haram programme, the action taken to protect forests.

Complimenting the government for its efforts to improve greenery, Dr Harsh Vardhan said the Centre was working towards introducing a new legislation for protection of forests. He suggested that more awareness programmes be organised to ensure that society realises the need for a massive plantation programme.

Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao said the primary objective of Telangana Ku Haritha Haram was to increase the green cover from the existing 24 per cent to 33 per cent. He said the state government proposed to plant 230 crore seedlings of which 130 crore will be planted outside reserve forests and 100 crore inside the forests. Mr Rao said 40 crore seedlings are being planted every year, and an action plan is being prepared to increase the number to 100 crore per year.
Umaiyah Khan has also written an email to the UGC about this issue.

Khan added, 'I have shown all my identities. Yet, they ordered that I remove my Hijab then sit for exam. I cannot do that because this is my religion, I cannot remove it. I requested them to allow me but they did not let me.' (Photo: ANI)

New Delhi: Umaiyah Khan, a student of Jamia Islamia University who is currently pursuing her Master of Business Administration (MBA), has alleged that she was not allowed to appear for University Grants Commission -National Eligibility Test (UGC-NET) exam for wearing Hijab.

Speaking to ANI, she said, "I went for NET exam last week in Rohini area. I reached the exam centre but did not get the permission to sit for exam and the reason was Hijab. Both male and female invigilators did not allow me to sit for exam. I even requested the senior officials but was not allowed."

Further substantiating her point, Khan added, "I have shown all my identities. Yet, they ordered that I remove my Hijab then sit for exam. I cannot do that because this is my religion, I cannot remove it. I requested them to allow me but they did not let me."

She has also written an email to the UGC about this issue.

"If I don't get any reply I will seek legal advice in the matter," she added.

Expressing his anger over the incident Khan's brother Mohd. Zaheed Afzal said, "This is not happening with Umaiayah only, this has been done with many other girls. We Muslims are already backward in terms of higher education and when we get such opportunities we are treated like this. I strongly condemn this. This has happened not only in Delhi, similar cases were also reported from Goa and other states."

A professor from the university condemned the incident and said that taking away the "right to appear for an exam just because one practices a particular religion cannot be done."

"I condemn this unfortunate incident. Education and appearing for exam is every student's right. You cannot take that right because he or she is practicing a particular religion," said Prof Amirul Hasan Ansari, Director of Management studies, Jamia Islamia University.
Hyderabad: Giving no time to the Congress to recover from a series of setbacks, the Legislative Council on Saturday issued a gazette notification cancelling Opposition leader status to Congress leader Shabbir Ali.

The notification comes within 24 hours of the merger of the four Congress MLCs with the TRS. The Congress is left with two members in the Council, and needs a minimum of four to have Opposition status.

Meanwhile, TRS MLC Konda Murali who defected to the Congress resigned before Council Chairman A. Swamy Goud disqualifies him. The Council Secretariat issued an order accepting his resignation.

The TRS has complained to Mr Swamy Goud against four TRS MLCs, including Mr Murali, and sought their disqualification under the anti-defection Act for joining the Congress. In a counter, the Congress petitioned Mr Goud to disqualify the four Congress MLCs who joined the TRS. But Mr Goud, setting aside the Congress compliant, issued orders on Friday recognising the four defected MLCs as TRS MLCs.

Telangana Congress leaders slashed out at Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on this issue. AICC secretary and former MP V. Hanumantha Rao said Mr Chandrasekhar Rao was trying to wipe out the opposition in the state. He accused the CM of making a mockery of democracy.
The acquittal on Friday of all the 22 accused in the high-profile Sohrabuddin fake encounter case that dates back to 2005 is bound to raise uncomfortable questions as regards the standards of investigations and the process of trials in India.

The scepticism deepens when the investigating authority is the Central Bureau of Investigation, firming suspicions that prosecution proceedings are not conducted to deliver justice but to protect the powerful.

A supposed gangster, Sohrabuddin was allegedly kidnapped by the Gujarat police in 2005 when Narendra Modi was the state chief minister. Three days later his wife also met a gory end in extremely suspicious circumstances involving Gujarat policemen. Not long after, Sohrabuddins acquaintance or accomplice Prajapati was also allegedly bumped off.

The 38 persons charged included the then Gujarat minister of state for home, Amit Shah, top cop D.G. Vanzara, and several other high-ups. In the course of trial, these persons were discharged. That, in retrospect, should have been a clue that the remaining 22, who were mainly minor police functionaries, would also come out unscathed.

The judge in the CBI court said that the prosecution could not bring up evidence to prove conspiracy to kill. Nearly 50 per cent of the 210 witnesses turned hostile. All this sounds only too familiar. Interestingly, Rajneesh Rai, an IPS officer who conducted the investigation in its early stages when the bigwigs were named, was hounded and has since been suspended. This case seems to symbolise everything thats wrong with Indias criminal justice system.
What expectation does our country have from us? At his swearing-in ceremony in January 1961, the 35th President of the United States, John F. Kennedy, said to his fellow Americans: Ask not what your country can do for you  ask what you can do for your country.

What did he mean by that? He meant that there was an American way of engaging with the country. This way was to build ones life oneself, without depending on the state (meaning the apparatus of government). Kennedy was referring to a long tradition in which American communities and individuals took care of their needs themselves. This attitude was also associated with freedom. To be really free meant that one was free from all obligations, except the basic ones, like following the law. True love of country, in the way that Kennedy refers to, means to not burden the country.

This way was different from the one that was being spread at that time by the Soviets, the global rivals of the Americans. Their system had very strong intervention from the state at every level.

Twenty years after Kennedy, another President, this time from the rival political party, said something similar. Ronald Reagan said: The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: Im from the government, and Im here to help.

Reagan was representing the Republican Partys view, which is a more extreme way of saying the same thing as Kennedy did. The government was something that got in the way and hindered the individual: this is what Reagan was saying. Government was something that should stay out of the individuals way. The Republican Party for many decades has said that the smaller the government, the better it is for citizens. The larger it is, the more intrusive into the lives of citizens it is. Prime Minister Narendra Modis line Minimum government, maximum governance comes from the same logic.

What is the view we have in India of the relationship between the country and the individual and the government and the individual? To examine that, I want to turn to something recent.

Speaking at a media event, Union minister Smriti Irani said this: What is extremely interesting to note is that while we speak about India, at the same time, there are many Indians who are told it is not cool to be patriotic.

She said these anti-national people would probably say something like this: Why would you shed a tear when the national anthem is played, why would you want to stand? In fact, the best way to celebrate the democracy is by saying Bharat ke sau tukde honge and I disagree with it.

The way that she has framed it, there are only two ways the relationship between the nation and the individual can exist. The first is being emotional and crying when the anthem is played and the other is to wish that the country breaks up.

This is not a realistic way to describe how we citizens engage with our country. The contact the individual has with the nation is at many points. The contact through the national anthem is 52 seconds. Even if we stand and cry for the national anthem daily, that leaves us another 23 hours and 59 minutes every day. Does love of the nation not exist in this period? What happens before and after we stand and cry for the anthem?

The fact is that the other points of contact between citizen and nation in India are weak. Our country expects us to pay our taxes so that the state can function, but Indians have one of the worst records of tax paying and this includes those individuals who will stand and cry for the anthem.

Our country expects that we follow the law and rules and regulations, but Indians are one of the worst violators of laws and rules in the world. Those of us who have extensive travel experience can testify to this fact. These are the points of contact Smriti Irani should have focused on instead of the cartoon image of the crying patriot.

Lastly, when it comes to dependence on the state we have the opposite attitude as Kennedy. We want the government to help us for everything, starting from loan waivers. We do not have an independent or freedom-minded attitude. We want to burden the government and the nation to the maximum, while taking little responsibility for its development ourselves. And the sad fact is that unlike Kennedy and Reagan, our politicians actively encourage us to do this.

What Smriti Irani and others of her type want us to do for our country begins and ends with crying at the national anthem.
The court has agreed to revisit the decision following pleas filed in Bihar, Bengal and Punjab seeking the modification of the earlier order.

The Supreme Court has agreed to reconsider its July order on UPSCs involvement in the selection of state DGPs.

In its order on July 3, the Apex Court had passed a slew of directions on police reforms in the country and listed out the steps for the appointment of regular DGPs. It stated that the states will have to send a list of senior police officers to the UPSC at least three months prior to the retirement of the incumbent. The commission will then prepare a panel and intimate to the states, which in turn will immediately appoint one of the persons from that list.

The court has agreed to revisit the decision following pleas filed in Bihar, Bengal and Punjab seeking the modification of the earlier order.

These states have urged that the SC order needed to be modified as they have already come out with state laws to deal with the issue of appointments of DGPs.

No shortcuts on Budget?

Indications are that the finance ministry is gearing to present a full Budget on February 1, 2019. Budget 2019 will be Modi sarkars last Budget before the 2019 general elections.

The practice for such occasions once a government has completed its quota of five Budgets is that the government presents a vote-on-account, seeking Parliaments approval for expenditure during the interim period till a new government is formed.

The decision to present a full Budget seems to suggest that the government is confident of securing a second term.

If indeed the government does present a full Budget, it wont be the first time that the Modi sarkar has veered away from precedence.

Earlier, the government had advanced the presentation of the Union Budget from February 28 to February 1 to give government departments more time to prepare for implementing budget items.

Another sign, observers point out, is when Hasmukh Adhia retired last month as finance secretary. Budget preparations have already begun and usually, the ministry does not like to change the core team, headed by the finance secretary.

It is accepted practice for the government to extend the tenure of secretaries in the finance ministry if their last day of service falls close to the Budget. But in this case, Mr Adhia was not given an extension. Instead, the Budget team will be led by Ajay Narayan Jha, Mr Adhias successor.

Another day, another tussle

The stand-off between the Centre and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) doesnt seem to be over yet. According to sources, the new bone of contention is over who should chair the proposed Economic Capital Framework Committee to decide the percentage of provisions RBI should set aside from future profits and transfer the surplus to the government as dividend. The committee is due to submit its report by February-end or early March next year.

According to sources, while the government is favouring former RBI governor Bimal Jalan for the panel head, the bank is keen on former RBI deputy governor Rakesh Mohan chairing the panel. Apparently, both are keen to ensure that the committee is comprised of members who can strongly represent the views of the government and the central bank.

Thus, the tussle is keen since the chairman of the panel will have the final word. Further, it is said that the decision on appointing the members of the proposed panel is with finance minister Arun Jaitley.
It also took down six accounts as they, along with the pages, were found engaging in coordinated inauthentic behaviour. One of the accounts had 11,900 followers.

Facebook and Twitter said on Thursday they had removed accounts and fake news pages linked to the Bangladesh government that had posted anti-opposition content, days ahead of an election in the South Asian nation.

Facebook, Bangladeshs most popular social network with an estimated 30 million users, said it had removed nine fake news pages linked to individuals associated with the Bangladesh government which mimicked those of independent news outlets.

It also took down six accounts as they, along with the pages, were found engaging in coordinated inauthentic behaviour. One of the accounts had 11,900 followers.

Bangladeshs interior minister, Assaduzzaman Khan, said action would be taken against people behind the fake accounts.

Even if someone has a link with the ruling party, he will not be spared, Khan told Reuters.

Facebooks Head of Cybersecurity Policy Nathaniel Gleicher said in a statement Facebook did not want accounts created to mislead anyone.

This kind of behaviour is not allowed on Facebook under our misrepresentation policy because we dont want people or organisations creating networks of accounts to mislead others about who they are, or what theyre doing, Gleicher said.

Twitter said it had identified and suspended 15 accounts originating from Bangladesh for engaging in coordinated platform manipulation.

Based on our initial analysis, it appears that some of these accounts may have ties to state-sponsored actors, it added. The accounts had fewer than 50 followers, it said.

Facebook and other tech giants are under pressure to increase efforts to remove misleading or illegal content, and ensure fake news is not uploaded and disseminated. Although Facebook has stepped up fact-checking, it still faces criticism that it is too slow to close rogue accounts.

Mufti Mahmud Khan, a spokesman for the Rapid Action Battalion security force, which has been given the job of monitoring online content in the run-up to the Dec. 30 polls, did not comment on the Facebook statement.

But he said his team had arrested 30 people in recent weeks, some linked to the opposition, who posted anti-government propaganda by making clones of popular news websites.

Facebooks move comes as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasinas Awami League is seeking to win a third straight term in power amid accusations of carrying out attacks on opposition party candidates.

The opposition National Unity Front alliance said on Wednesday that 14 of its candidates had been arrested and 1,500 injured in attacks this month by ruling party workers.

The Awami League has denied the allegations and accused the opposition of trying to disrupt a peaceful election environment. Hasina said on Wednesday her party would not use unfair means to win.

Under Hasinas decade-long rule several people have been arrested for putting up Facebook posts critical of the government, including a prominent photographer released last month after more than 100 days in prison.

The government has taken steps to improve Bangladeshs digital infrastructure, including making the internet more affordable, but it has kept tight control.

During mass student protests this August, the polices cyber crime unit said it had scoured Facebook posts to crack down on what it called fake news being spread to provoke protests.

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The feature will be able to recognize, control and verify the authenticity of a Haier engineer attending a customer request.

Haier, the global leader in Home Appliances & Consumer Electronics and Worlds Number 1 brand in Major Appliances for 9 Consecutive Years, announced the launch of Face Identification Feature for its Engineer Mobile Application. Strengthening its service promise, Haier has introduced the new feature to ensure greater customer satisfaction and enhanced security by enabling identification of on-ground Haier engineers.

The feature will be able to recognize, control and verify the authenticity of a Haier engineer attending a customer request. This will help in making the service process more transparent and secure for the customers. Additionally, it will contribute to better time management, attendance and services of the on-field workforce. With the new feature, the engineers will be required to login to the app through live facial recognition to match their existing credentials in the database. This would also enable Haier in creating a pool of verified engineers to make the service offerings more effective and efficient in the long run.

The face recognition technology will work on real time basis and identify the live facial features of a registered service engineer. During the registration process, engineers will be required to do a series of real time facial gestures like; blinking of eyes and head movement, among others. Once the authentication is done, it will offer a smooth interface to all the recognised working engineers to receive and attend customer queries.

Haier India has a current footprint of over 450 service centres, including Haier Exclusive Service Centers (ESCs), Authorized Service Centers (ASCs) and Direct Service Centers (DSCs) in more than 19,000 pin codes across India. The company is devoted to ensure a quick and efficient service solution for its customers across India with services like door to door Mobile Service Vans, 24x7 toll-free helpline and Dr. FIDO Live Chat feature which are available on the Haier India website.

Until now, Haier has been able to create a database of 2500+ validated engineers and is expected to cross over 3000+ by January 2019.

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Hackers 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 Thursday 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 US 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 US 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.

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Toshibas stake is seen by some analysts as a concern at a time when overcapacity in NAND memory chips, used in smartphones and data storage servers, has pressured prices and forced companies to give a dull near-term outlook.

Toshiba Corp has no immediate plans to sell its 40.2 percent stake in Toshiba Memory Corp, its chief executive told Reuters, as the worlds No. 2 producer of NAND flash memory chips prepares to go public within the next three years.

Toshibas stake is seen by some analysts as a concern at a time when overcapacity in NAND memory chips, used in smartphones and data storage servers, has pressured prices and forced companies to give a dull near-term outlook.

But Toshiba - which sold the chip business in June for roughly $18 billion and then reinvested $3.1 billion to gain voting rights - sees the stake as a boon.

The stake allows Toshiba to account for its former unit in its earnings, without having to further invest in it, CEO Nobuaki Kurumatani said in an interview.

Were now in a position to benefit 40 percent of their profits while exempt from investment burdens, he said.

I think we have an appropriate balance.

Toshiba sold the business to a Bain Capital-led consortium that included South Korean rival SK Hynix, Apple Inc, Dell Technologies and Seagate Technology, to plug a multi-billion-dollar hole in its balance sheet after an accounting scandal and the collapse of its US nuclear unit.

The company will reassess its plans for its stake in the chip business when Toshiba Memorys initial public offering (IPO) comes closer, Kurumatani said.

We still have time to examine the situation with Chinese chipmakers and market conditions, he said.

The chief of Toshiba Memory had in September reaffirmed the companys plan to go public in two to three years, saying it had started preliminary work to prepare for an IPO, brushing aside concerns about weak fundamentals.

After a two-year boom in the market, oversupply is weighing on NAND flash chip prices amid weak consumer and business demand for phones and computers. NAND flash memory contract prices fell about 10 percent over July-September, according to market research firm TrendForce.

US chipmaker Micron Technology Inc recently forecast quarterly sales and profit well below market estimates. Hynix too has offered a gloomy outlook.

Market leader Samsung Electronics Co Ltd in October slashed 2018 capex by more than a quarter and warned of lower profit until early next year.

Samsung is also considering converting some of its NAND production lines to make DRAM chips next year. DRAM memory chips are used in servers, gaming PCs and cryptocurrency mining devices to process large amounts of data.

Shares of Samsung, Micron and Hynix have lost about 20-25 percent this year. Toshibas stock has slipped just 4 percent, underpinned by relief over the chip unit sale and aggressive share buybacks.

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'According to our information the relevant report is not true,' Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told a media briefing when asked about the report. (Representational Image | AP)

Beijing: China on Friday dismissed as untrue a US media report that alleged that it has hatched a secret plan to build fighter jets and other military hardware in Pakistan as part of the USD 60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project.

The CPEC, which connects Gwadar Port in Balochistan with China's Xinjiang province, is the flagship project of Chinese President Xi Jinping's ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

The Islamabad datelined report in the New York Times said Pakistani Air Force and Chinese officials were putting the final touches to the secret proposal.

"Chinese officials have repeatedly said the Belt and Road is purely an economic project with peaceful intent. But with its plan for Pakistan, China is for the first time explicitly tying a Belt and Road proposal to its military ambitions - and confirming the concerns of a host of nations who suspect the infrastructure initiative is really about helping China project armed might," the report said.

"According to our information the relevant report is not true," the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Hua Chunying, told a media briefing when asked about the report, which coincided with the eighth Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) meeting of the CPEC during which both sides signed an agreement to expand industrial cooperation in diverse fields and attract investment in special economic zones.

Hua said the CPEC is an important framework for cooperation bearing the long-term interests in mind.

All-weather friends and close allies, China and Pakistan have been jointly building the J-17 Thunder, a single seater multi-role combat aircraft. Pakistan has been eyeing a number of new advanced Chinese jets including the stealth fighter.
The death toll in Sulvadi Kicchugutti Maramma temple prasada poisoning case has increased to 16, with one more death reported on Friday.

Nagesh (45), a resident of Sulvadi village in Hanur taluk of Chamarajanagar district, is deceased. Nagesh, who was on ventilator support, breathed his last on Friday morning, said Chamarajanagar DHO Dr K H Prasad. Around 50 patients, including 20 on ventilator support, are undergoing treatment in various hospitals in the city. They are responding well to treatment. On Friday, 10 victims were discharged from hospitals, the DHO said.

Nageshs body was handed over to his family members after the post-mortem in K R Hospital, here. It may be mentioned that 52 people were discharged from hospitals on Wednesday and Thursday.
SSP Kupwara Ambarkar Shriram Dinkar also confirmed the death of one Army JCO and injuries to another.

The Army here said that Pakistani troops in their latest violation of the November 2003 ceasefire understanding targeted a post of its 2/8 GR in Jumgund area along the LoC with sniper fire, injuring two Junior Commissioned Officers (JCOs). (Representational image)

Srinagar: Two junior officers of the Army were killed in a sniper attack from across the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmirs Kupwara district on Friday. The Army has blamed the incident on the Pakistani Army.

The Army here said that Pakistani troops in their latest violation of the November 2003 ceasefire understanding targeted a post of its 2/8 GR in Jumgund area along the LoC with sniper fire, injuring two Junior Commissioned Officers (JCOs).

Both of them were immediately evacuated to a military hospital in Kupwaras Drugmulla area where one of them Subedar Gamar Thapa, 42, succumbed to his injuries.

The Army officials said that the other injured JCO Subedar Raman Thapa who was airlifted to Srinagar for advanced treatment also died at the Armys 92-Base Hospital at Badami Bagh here later during the day. SSP Kupwara Ambarkar Shriram Dinkar also confirmed the death of one Army JCO and injuries to another.

A report from Kupwara said that the facing armies exchanged small weapons fire in the area briefly on Friday. It was not immediately now if the Pakistani troops also suffered any casualties.
The looming possibility of a partial government shutdown adds no cheer to the holiday season as Americans grow increasingly weary of a federal budgeting process that promotes the practice of brinksmanship over compromise.

Both sides of the political aisle carry blame for perpetuating a system that allows decision-making to be postponed while leaders bicker over pet projects or party principles until one side gives in.

This time around, the issue taking us to the brink of a shutdown is generally about how much to spend on border security, and specifically about how much to spend to build a wall along the Mexican border. Five years ago, a 16-day government shutdown occurred as a result of partisan squabbling over appropriations to implement the newly passed Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. In both cases, opposing sides were able to leverage the entire operational capacity of the federal government in order to bring pressure to bear on a single issue.

That is not an example of responsible and coherent budgeting. It occurs because of a system in which the houses of Congress are allowed to bypass their theoretical obligation to annually fund the government by using continuing resolutions and various stopgap measures to keep money flowing while disputes large and small are worked out. Often those disputes arent resolved until an election changes the party makeup of either the Congress or the White House, or both.

While this approach might seem to be a symptom of current political dysfunction, it isnt. The current budgeting system was created by the 1974 Congressional Budgeting Act, which instructs, but doesnt require, Congress to pass budget resolutions and specific spending bills to fund federal operations. Since then, only four times has Congress actually approved all required appropriations measures before the Oct. 1 fiscal year deadline.

"Kick-the-can budgeting has become the rule, not the exception.

While most government funding isnt affected, much of it is. Spending on entitlement programs like Social Security and Medicare is governed by statute and is mandatory, but about a third of government spending is considered discretionary, and that includes everything from funding the military to manning the gates at national parks. It is in those many and varied areas of federal spending where disruption will occur should a shutdown happen.

There are good reasons for the appropriations process to function with fluidity  to react to crises or to accommodate intermediate changes in policy. But what has become so frustrating is the frequent manipulation of that process for political gain as parties square up to push and pull over ideological agendas. The current aura of dysfunction in Washington flows from a reluctance or refusal among rival partisans to seek common ground. And now, the smooth functioning of government agencies is once again being held hostage.

The answer is not to radically alter the budgeting process, but for those charged with stewardship over that process to alter their attitudes. Depending on how the current showdown plays out, both sides will inevitably claim some victory. But the last time this happened, in 2013, polls showed the vast majority of Americans had no appreciation for the shutdown and levied blame on both sides.

Thats something current leaders in Washington should consider as they lead us toward something that isn't on anyones holiday wish list.
SALT LAKE CITY  Thanks to those who donated to the Salvation Army's Angel Tree, more than 5,000 kids will wake up to presents on Christmas morning who may not have otherwise.

"It's very beautiful. We're very grateful to be here and for the gifts that we received," Dulce Ocampo said.

Jorge and Dulce Ocampo were at the charity's rented warehouse space at the state fairgrounds Friday morning, picking up gifts for their two children, ages 7 and 11.

They thought they had missed the deadline to sign up, Jorge Ocampo said, but an employee from the school called them to remind them and help them get on the list.

They left the distribution site with clothes, shoes, toys and "everything we need" for Christmas, all in excellent condition, Dulce Ocampo said.

Becky Young's family  including five children from ages 2 to 14  lost everything in their home to a fire in August, so she was grateful for Angel Tree and Toys for Tots for helping out during the Christmas season.

They were among the hundreds of families who filed through the building on Friday, the final day of the Salvation Army distributing gifts to families as part of the Angel Tree program.

Friday's recipients were those selected by the Salt Lake City School District, usually identified by school counselors and staff earlier in the year.

Families from Davis and Granite school districts received their gifts Wednesday and Thursday, along with those selected by the Salvation Army itself.

Maj. Troy Trimmer, the Salvation Army's Salt Lake Basin coordinator, said that over the three days of distribution, more than 1,500 families, 5,300 kids, 1,700 senior citizens and 7,000 people received gifts.

All items given out during Angel Tree were donated or purchased new with donated money.

The Salvation Army accepts and distributes used donations throughout the year, but the group is dedicated to giving children a special Christmas.

"At Christmas especially, we think it's important that the child has a new item under the tree," Trimmer said.

Trimmer has worked in the Salvation Army for more than 30 years, in several states and cities, and said Salt Lake City has the biggest Angel Tree program of any he's worked at thanks to large amounts of both donors and volunteers.

"We're blown away," he said. "The volunteerism and the benevolence of the state of Utah ... We couldn't do this kind of program at this level without the type of community we live in. So we're really grateful to all of the Utahns who helped us out."

More than 100 volunteers were on hand Friday, Trimmer said, and about 45 in the previous two days.

Mike Harman, Salt Lake City School District homeless education liaison, said many families and kids receiving help from the Salvation Army don't actually have a place to call their own this Christmas.

"Many of them wouldn't be getting something else if it wasn't for this program, and so it's great to be able to help support that," he said. "The kids  even if they're experiencing homelessness  are going to have something to open up on Christmas Day."
The new ministers were administered oath of office and secrecy at Glass House at Raj Bhavan by Governor Vajubhai Vala amid tight security.

The new inductees are Satish Jarkiholi, M B Patil, C S Shivalli, M T B Nagaraj, E Tukaram, P T Parameshwar Naik, Rahim Khan and R B Thimmapur, with seven of them hailing from north Karnataka. (Photo: ANI | Twitter)

Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy Saturday expanded his six-month old cabinet, inducting eight members from its coalition partner Congress.

Two ministers -- Ramesh Jarkiholi (Municipal Administration) and R Shankar (Forest and Environment) -- were dropped. The new ministers were administered the oath of office and secrecy at the Glass House at Raj Bhavan by Governor Vajubhai Vala amid tight security.

The new inductees are Satish Jarkiholi, M B Patil, C S Shivalli, M T B Nagaraj, E Tukaram, P T Parameshwar Naik, Rahim Khan and R B Thimmapur, with seven of them hailing from north Karnataka.

Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala administers oath to new State cabinet ministers at Raj Bhavan in Bengaluru. #Karnataka pic.twitter.com/zlFhh9cE36  ANI (@ANI) December 22, 2018

Congress president Rahul Gandhi had given the go-ahead for the rejig Friday night after the state party leaders and AICC in-charge of Karnataka K C Venugopal met him and discussed the issue.

Ramesh Jarkiholi, who has allegedly been hobnobbing with BJP leaders and not attending cabinet and party meetings, has been replaced by his brother Satish Jarkiholi.

Shankar is an Independent lawmaker who faced the axe over his reported reluctance to be an associate member of the Congress.

Ramesh Jarkiholi has been claiming support of a sizeable chunk of party MLAs and had come under the party scanner over reports that the BJP was trying to tap him to remove the Kumaraswamy government.

The names of Jarkiholi and Shankar have been recommended to the governor for being dropped, the chief minister's office said.

Congress' coalition partner JD(S) was not part of this round of cabinet expansion and it is likely to induct new ministers from its side post 'Sankranti' (mid-January), party sources said.

According to the pact between the two at the time of formation of the coalition government in May, there were six vacant ministerial slots for Congress and two for JD(S).

This is the second expansion of the 26-member Kumaraswamy ministry.

With the cabinet expansion being deferred repeatedly, several aspirants, especially those from Congress, had openly expressed their displeasure over the delay, piling pressure on the party to fill its quota so as to avoid any trouble ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

As the list of probable ministers came out, lawmakers who were aspirants for ministerial berths, came out openly, giving vent to their displeasure over being kept out.

Sowmya Reddy (MLA), daughter of senior Congress MLA and former minister Ramalinga Reddy, expressed resentment over her father not being considered for the post, pointing out his contribution for the party's growth in Bengaluru city.

Reddy's supporters staged a protest infront of the KPCC state headquarters here and tried to march to Raj Bhavan while the swearing-in ceremony was underway.

Sowmya said she had declined the post of parliamentary secretary.

Another aspirant and Hirekerur MLA B C Patil is also unhappy over not being considered for any ministerial post.

His supporters even staged a protest in his constituency. "I don't know the reason, but I have not got (ministerial post) this time also," he said.

On his next course of action, Patil said he would follow party workers' directions and work for his constituency's development.

Another Congress MLA B K Sangamesh from Bhadravathi, said he was the lone party legislator from Shivamogga district, the stronghold of BJP president B S Yeddyurappa, and said Siddaramaiah had promised to make him a minister.

He said he would decide his further course of action after discussions with party workers and resign if they asked him to do so.

Hagaribommanahalli MLA Bheema Naik hit out at the party leadership for giving chance to Parameshwar Naik and neglecting him.

Many senior congress MLAs were also reportedly miffed over their exclusion. As the voice of dissent became shrill, KPCC president Dinesh Gundu Rao warned that the party would not brook any indiscipline.

"Indiscipline or speaking against the party will not be tolerated. We have shown tolerance but it will not be possible to continue with the same..we will enforce discipline." However, he did not foresee any problem as fallout of Saturday's exercise.

The KPCC chief also sought to placate the disgruntled MLAs, saying the party would evaluate the performance of ministers after Lok Sabha polls, when the ministry would have completed one year and drop those found not upto the mark and give chance to aspirants in their place.

Reacting to the exercise, senior BJP leader B S Yeddyurappa said the disgruntlement would "explode", as thereare too many aspirants.

"In my opinion, dropping of Ramesh Jarkiholi would have repercussions..let's wait and see what will happen," he added.

Ruling out any attempts by BJP to take advantage of the situation, Yeddyurappa said, "We have 104 MLAs, we will work as opposition. We are watching the situation about confusion between Congress and JD(S) and its repercussions. We will call our legislature party meeting later and discuss with our high command on what step we should take."

In tandem with cabinet expansion, Congress has recommended appointment of 19 legislators as heads to boards and corporations and nine as parliamentary secretaries to ministers, besides three others as political secretary to the chief minister, state special representative to Delhi and deputy chairman of the state planning commission.
SALT LAKE CITY  The former director of a Utah County youth orchestra is facing more criminal charges after onetime musicians, employees and others have come forward with allegations of abuse from years ago.

Brent E. Taylor, 70, of Provo, now is charged with sexual misconduct involving three men who were teenagers at the time, spanning a period of roughly 20 years.

Taylor was charged in 3rd District Court Friday with sexually abusing a former employee and another boy in Sandy in the mid-1980s, starting when they were 12 and 13 years old. Last month, he was charged in Provo with engaging in sexual behavior with a then-teenage musician from 2002-2006.

Taylor, of Provo, retired in June 2017 after more than four decades with the Utah Valley Youth Symphony. He was the focus of a Deseret News investigation published in April that outlined allegations from two of the men whose accounts led to the Friday charges, in addition to other accusers who reported misconduct to police and to this newspaper.

Taylor's attorney, Cara Tangaro, said her client maintains that he did not abuse anyone.

"Brent's denying that he's ever sexually abused and/or was sexually inappropriate with any children," she said Friday.

Jeff, a former employee of the symphony who asked that his last name not be published, said Taylor introduced him to alcohol, tobacco and pornography, according to charging documents. He told police in February that he and Taylor exchanged back rubs before Taylor began to massage his back, buttocks and genitalia and performed sex acts on the teen, who reciprocated, the charges state.

He "stated this activity happened weekly from the time he was 13 to 17 years old," investigators wrote in the charges.

Jeff worked for Taylor at the symphony and would perform yard work and other tasks at Taylor's home.

"It's time that he faces justice," Jeff told the Deseret News Friday. "Those other victims out there that are still hiding might find the strength and the will to come forward and talk about it."

Scott, another man who asked that his last name not be used, told police in May that Taylor was once a Sunday School teacher for both him and Jeff and he also assisted Taylor with the symphony. Taylor abused him starting when he was 12 years old and until Taylor moved away when he was 15, he said, noting he "felt he and Taylor were in a relationship," according to the charges.

He said Taylor "introduced him to R-rated movies and eventually pornography" and said the man "would lock the door to his residence and encourage him to walk around or watch television naked."

"It's gratifying to see that he's going to be held accountable," Scott said Friday. He takes comfort knowing that his decision to come forward "may have helped someone," he said, noting a new accuser went to Provo police in the days after his account became public.

Taylor was charged Friday with two counts of sodomy upon a child, a first-degree felony, and two counts of sexual abuse of a child, a second-degree felony.

On Nov. 15, Taylor was charged in Provo's 4th District Court with forcible sodomy, a first-degree felony, in a separate case.

On April 30, two days after the Deseret News story about Taylor was published, a man told Provo investigators about repeated sexual encounters with Taylor during his high school years, from 2002 to 2006, when he was a member of the symphony, charging documents state.

That man told investigators that when he was a teenager, Taylor offered and requested oral sex from him, and he "relented" and allowed Taylor to perform oral sex on him in 2004 or 2005 before stopping Taylor about five seconds later, according to the charges.

He "described that other male members of the symphony were involved in these sexual activities sometimes," investigators wrote in the court documents.

Officers in Provo had received previous complaints from other men, charging documents say, but the statutes of limitation expired.
SALT LAKE CITY  A man is in critical condition after a hit-and-run crash Friday evening, police said.

The man, who owns a dog kennel, was returning a leashed dog to its owner when the dog ran into the road and the kennel owner chased after it, Salt Lake City Police Lt. Russ Amott said. A southbound truck on Beck Street then hit the man and the dog at 1657 North, Amott said.

He said the driver stopped and got out to check on the man for a "moment" and then "fled the scene."

Amott said police Friday night had very limited information about the crash and are looking for the driver. He was in a tan Ford F-150, Amott said, and a 10-year-old boy was in the front passenger seat.

Additional information about the victim was not immediately available.
SALT LAKE CITY  As scientists discover more negative health effects linked to poor air quality  from diabetes to dementia  products created to help people track and mitigate bad airs effects are growing in popularity, industry experts say.

Over the past two years, pollution mask companies, including Salt Lake City-based O2Today and U.K.-based Cambridge Mask Company, expanded operations in the United States and Europe in response to wildfires and a growing awareness of air pollution in urban areas. New home air filters, such as the Molekule air purifier, and personal air quality monitors, such as Flow from Plume Labs, are being introduced to the market every year.

The target audience is huge. According to the World Health Organization, 91 percent of the worlds population was living in areas that did not meet guidelines for healthy air pollution levels as of 2016. The Global Wellness Summit listed healthy breathing as one of the top eight trends for 2018 within the $3.8 trillion wellness industry, and TechSci Research estimates the global market for air purification devices will reach $29 billion by 2021.

Air pollution has always been a problem in our developing world, its nothing new. In fact, it was a lot worse years ago.  Nina Griffee, communications representative for Cambridge Mask Co.

Today, demand for such products mostly comes from Asia, where cities like New Delhi and Beijing are infamous for their air pollution problems, Fast Company reported. But as Americans start to think more carefully about what goes into their lungs, air quality accessories could one day become as mainstream here as fitness trackers and nutrition apps.

Masks

Air pollution has always been a problem in our developing world, its nothing new. In fact, it was a lot worse years ago, said Nina Griffee, communications representative for Cambridge Mask Co. What is different these days is our ever-growing knowledge of the health repercussions this can cause us.

Cambridge masks, available for $30, are designed to be used for pollution, wildfire smoke, chronic illnesses such as COPD or cystic fibrosis, allergies, air travel or protection from viruses and bacteria, Griffee said. Made from military grade activated carbon cloth treated with silver, the masks are meant to be worn over and over again.

A Reuters analysis predicts the global mask market will grow over 30 percent by 2022. While U.S. customers are some of Cambridges biggest buyers, wearing a mask in public is not the social norm here as it is in other countries.

There is no question that adoption is slower in the United States than many countries in Asia where the public has been wearing air masks for years, said Bruce Lorange, founder and CEO of O2Today. A key challenge is that there is a social stigma in the U.S., and people dont like to stand out or to be presumed to be sick themselves.

Lorange thinks it will gradually become more socially acceptable for Americans to wear air pollution masks, in the same way wearing bicycle helmets or carrying water bottles has become the norm. But he doesnt expect masks will ever be a fashion statement here, as they are in countries like South Korea, China and even Poland.

For O2Today, the priority is making masks that are affordable ($20), allow people to breathe comfortably and are easy to maintain with machine washability and changeable filters. But that doesnt mean the company doesnt care about style.

The only known way to limit exposure to harmful particles when outdoors is the use of a mask with an effective filter and fit, said Lorange. People should have the option of selecting effective masks that are not construction or medical-looking in nature that better fit into their modern lifestyle.

Griffee agees. Thats why Cambridge masks come in at least 15 different colors and patterns, from pandas to plaid.

Bo Call, air monitoring manager for the Utah Division of Air Quality, warns that wearing a pollution mask can have the negative effect of making it harder to breathe and putting stress on a person's lungs. Therefore, he recommends masks only be worn when particulate pollution is very high, or there is visible dust or smoke from wildfires.

Other air pollution mask companies include: Airinum, idMask, AQBlue, Respro, Vogmask, Rockbros, ReSpimask and more.

Air filters

More pricy than face masks, home air purifiers can range from $65 to $800. These devices are built to clean the air in individual rooms of a house.

The nature of the market warrants the development of new technology at lower-than-ever prices, making air purifiers a more accessible and affordable appliance to have at home, said a customer service representative for Levoit, a company that produces air purifiers as well as humidifiers and salt lamps.

Levoit, based in Orange County, has air purifiers that range from $80 to $320 depending on the model. The devices help with allergies or other respiratory issues by filtering particles as small as 0.3 microns. The filtration system removes dust, pollen, smoke, dander and even mold spores, which are harmful to people's health, the representative said.

The reality is what you breathe can change dramatically from one street to the next, one park to the next, one building to the next.  Tyler Knowlton, communications representative for Paris-based Plume Labs

Purifiers from San Francisco's Molekule are at the top end of the price range at $800. The product's claim to fame is that instead of filtering and collecting particles like other purifiers, Molekule supposedly removes and air pollutants and destroys them using nanotechnology.

According to Jaya Rao, co-founder and chief operating officer of Molekule, the filters also eliminate ozone, one of the main ingredients in urban smog, in Salt Lake City and elsewhere.

"Purifying the air in your home not only means a safer environment for you and your family, but other benefits can include better breathability, better sleep, healthier skin and potentially improved cognitive functionality," Rao said.

Other home air filter companies include: Dyson, PARTU, Guardian Technologies, Philips, Rabbit Air and more.

Personal air quality testers

If youre accustomed to looking up daily air quality levels for your city, you might question why a personal air quality monitor might be useful.

But according to Tyler Knowlton, communications representative for Paris-based Plume Labs, pollution varies hyper-locally.

The reality is what you breathe can change dramatically from one street to the next, one park to the next, one building to the next, said Knowlton in a press release.

Users can attach Plume Labs small, $179 monitor, called Flow, to a bag or clothing. With GPS tracking and the capability to measure nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds and particulate matter, Flow and its companion app let users see a minute-by-minute breakdown of the pollutants they are exposed to throughout a day.

We hear over and over from parents and active commuters who walk their kids to school or cycle to work every day just how much pollution affects their health  and how little information they can find to avoid it. says Romain Lacombe, founder and CEO of Plume Labs.

According to Call, however, readings on personal devices can be easily influenced by humidity and temperature conditions and are not nearly as accurate as the large monitors maintained by research organizations or government air quality agencies. But that doesnt mean they cant be useful tools to help people get a general sense of local air quality trends, he said.

"If you have five devices in an area and they all start to go up, there's probably a reason for that," he said. Call recommends people interested in buying a personal air quality monitor check a site called AQ-Spec that shows the accuracy of different devices.

Nic Barnes, chief marketing officer for Awair, a San Francisco-based company that makes indoor air quality monitors for homes that range from $95 to $179, said social consciousness around air quality is growing.

Whether it's because you have a new child, or you have allergies or even because you have trouble sleeping, the understanding that something invisible can actually be harming you and your family is becoming more commonplace, said Barnes.

Other personal air quality monitor companies include: Atmotube, PurpleAir, Foobot, Xiaomi, IQAir, Blueair, Airmon and more.
Associated Press EDMONTON, Alberta  A Canadian judge on Friday denied former Guantanamo Bay detainee Omar Khadr's request for relaxed bail conditions and a Canadian passport.

Justice June Ross ruled there's no evidence of hardship or conditions that are needlessly onerous.

The Canadian-born Khadr was 15 when he was captured by U.S. troops after a firefight at a suspected al-Qaida compound in Afghanistan that resulted in the death of U.S. Army Sgt. First Class Christopher Speer and injured former Special Forces soldier Layne Morris from Utah in 2002.

Khadr was suspected of throwing the grenade that killed Speer.

He pleaded guilty in 2010 to charges that included murder and was sentenced to eight years plus the decade he had already spent in custody at the American prison. He returned to Canada from Guantanamo Bay two years later to serve the remainder of his sentence and was released in May 2015 pending an appeal of his guilty plea, which he said was made under duress.

Khadr's lawyer had argued that it wasn't fair that his client's life remains restricted by a stalled U.S. court process that has no end in sight.

Khadr, who is now 32, wanted unsupervised conversations with his sister and a Canadian passport so that he could make a pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia.

Khadr also wanted to be able to travel to Toronto without the approval of his bail supervisor to visit his family more easily and to make court appearances related to a civil lawsuit he faces. Khadr does not know how long his bail conditions are in effect.

He was paid $8 million by Canada's government last year under a court ruling that his rights were violated while he was locked up at Guantanamo.

News of the multimillion-dollar payout to Khadr, whose case received international attention after some dubbed him a child soldier, angered many who considered him a terrorist.
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.
Shah Rukh Khan starrer Zero is facing an imminent threat from piracy websites like Tamilrockers and Filmywap but before any of that could happen Twitter has already taken the lead in leaking the film online. Parts of Anand L. Rais Zero were leaked on Twitter by fans watching the film in theatres.





While watching Zero online for free on these illegal platforms is a convenient option for many, but just how much that hurts the filmmakers, is a realization many are far removed from. For those fans who have been waiting patiently for Zero to hit the theatres, beware of running into some crucial scenes from Zero floating around on Twitter. Shah Rukhs entry scene in Zero have been leaked online by fake Twitter pages in the name of Aamir Khan and Manoj Bajpayee.





TamilRockers and Filmywap have been notorious in leaking the latest movies releases for the audiences to watch online for free, but social media platforms are no less as users are increasingly using them to upload complete movies on them. Zero has taken the social media menace to a new height with several fake accounts being created in the names of popular reviewers to send out fake opinions regarding the film.

Read This Also: Zero Review - Shah Rukhs Impeccable Performance Salvages Zero; A Must Watch Movie.







Read: TamilRockers Leaked Simmba Full Movie Download Online

Zero is Decembers biggest Bollywood release and stars Anushka Sharma, Katrina Kaif and Shah Rukh Khan. The film is the story of a vertically challenged man who is looking for the love of his life. The film is Shah Rukhs biggest budget film so far and has garnered a great buzz with many looking forward to the film.

Read: TamilRockers Movies 2019 - Full Movie Download Link Leak History





Read Also: TamilRockers Leak Petta, Viswasam & NTR Kathanayakude Full Movie Download Online?
Please raise your hand if you had been missing watching Fawad Khan on the big screen.

Post Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, it had been a tough time for all Fawad Khan fans who had to bear with the fact that he would not be working in Bollywood anymore. In fact, after 2016, he hasn't been seen on screen at all. But in all the public appearances that he would make, he sported a beefy look that made us all super excited. And now is the time for the culmination of this excitement because guess what- his new film is all set for release.





Fawad Khan will be seen playing the titular character in the Pakistani film that will revive the Gandasa genre of films that were attempted by a film of the same name in 1979. Even though this film will use some of the dialogues from the older version, it is not a remake but a fresh take on the legend.





Fawad Khan is clearly the main attraction in the movie. Right from his look to his intensity, he is killing it. You will see the trailer on loop because even replaying can make you contain enough of the Fawad Khan excitement. The man is back, and how.





But what is even more interesting is the fact that Fawad Khan will be seen together once again with his Humsafar co-star Mahira Khan. So, you can very well expect how the chemistry is going to be.





Hamza Ali Abbasi is also killing it with his look and villainy seems to be dripping from his eyes. Humaima Malik is looking stunning in every frame that she is appearing in.





The trailer is intense, with very few words. But this promises of a film that has never been seen before in Lollywood and hopefully, this might be taking Lollywood to a whole new level altogether.

Check out the trailer here:
9 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.

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Her works are the result of a careful and precise artistic practice in which the artist breaks through our familiar patterns of perception. Often, with the most minimal interventions and the use of simple and sometimes old techniques, Eichhorn succeeds in bringing new life to the apparently unambiguous content of objects and phenomena from our everyday life, and open up unexpected spaces for interpretation. Embodying her oeuvre, Migros Museum fur Gegenwartskunst focuses on large-scale productions in close cooperation with the artist. Here, the Contemporary art is conceived as a dynamic temporal classification that encompasses an ongoing exploration between looking forwards and looking back. At the same time, the term implies integration into a social context, as well as involvement in an ongoing exchange of ideas and in art production. The exhibitions at the Migros Museum fur Gegenwartskunst frame art history as a dynamic process that is open to scrutiny, revision, and variation. Incorporating the collection into a lively environment that is in contact with, and promotes, contemporary art production and addresses sensitive audiences is another objective of the museum.
Another interesting phenomena that started delineating itself concurrently was the separation of religious temporal authority from that of the state.

The wave of current debates on de-globalisation lack both context and perspective. To appreciate the contours and frameworks of de-globalisation it is imperative to travel a long way back in time to explore how globalisation really came about.

Globalisation is not really a cultural or even an economic phenomenon. It is a far more complex human occurrence that commenced 60,000 years back when 150 people, the average size of a hunter-gatherer community, walked out of a rift valley in eastern Africa and started spreading all over the world. In 1983, a very interesting experiment was carried out on the DNA structures of people living in five distinct geographies. The experiment came up with stunning revelations. It revealed that all those people who were DNA tested in those five distinct regions of the world traced their ancestry back to a common African mother.

From this bold initiative of the hunter-gatherers onwards, traders, preachers, conquerors and explorers of every shade and hue shaped the process of globalisation as it evolved over the millennia. History bears testimony to the rise and fall of great empires. Tectonic conquests took place for territory and treasure.

It was only in 1648, with the Peace of Westphalia, that the conception of a modern nation-state started evolving. The Treaty of Westphalia, that ended a 30-year war, crystalised the conception of sovereignty by trying to eliminate uncontested spaces from the geo-political dynamic of how Europe was divided between antagonistic empires, assertive nations and aggressive principalities. In terms of modern political evolution, the next two-and-a-half centuries from the Peace of Westphalia onwards till the beginning of World War I in 1914 was possibly the most exciting epoch in modern European history as the concept of sovereignty started occupying centrestage in both the notion of nations about themselves and their interactions with other nation states. The Congress of Vienna in 1815 also punctuated this period by further consolidating the Westphalian Principles, especially the idea of balance of power.

However, as boundaries started getting more and more rigidly defined in Europe, the search for an empire outside actually took off in right earnest. It kicked off the age of colonialism when the British, French, Spanish, Germans and everybody else who could get onto a ship from Europe and sail to some part of the world would try and colonise it, making it their own territory.

Another interesting phenomena that started delineating itself concurrently was the separation of religious temporal authority from that of the state. The division between the church and the state laid the foundations of modern constitutionalism, as we know it today. Thus a process that kicked off in antiquity led to the eventual evolution of a global order that has certain standard templates that are common to all democratic and liberal systems of governance.

The first roll back of the idea of globalisation or what can be called de-globalisation actually took place at the end of World War I. From 1918-1939, in the inter-war period between World War I and World War II, the world witnessed a rise of nationalism in Europe. The concurrent rise of fascism in Italy, Nazism in Germany, the withdrawal of Great Britain from the affairs of the European continent and the collapse of the League of Nations eventually led to World War II and its resultant devastation.

When the leaders of the world got together after the devastation of World War II, all nations around the world realised that without the architecture of globalisation, you could not have global peace and stability. This led to the birth to the United Nations in 1945. The reconstruction of Europe and Japan took place along with the emergence of European common markets. One of the fundamental impulses that led to the creation of a common market in Europe was joint and shared control over the production of steel, which was considered to be the primary commodity of a war machine.

The end of World War II also produced another interesting paradox. It ideologically divided the world between the Eastern and the Western blocs.

While in the liberal Western bloc globalisation of capital flows took place, in the erstwhile Eastern bloc the command economy model was institutionalised. However, the one thing that did not happen was the globalisation of labour flows.

That created a conundrum if not a contradiction that while the barriers to the movement of capital came down, the barriers to movement of labour correspondingly kept going up and up. The two decades from 1989 onwards, when the Berlin wall came down up till 2008 when the great economic meltdown took place, can possibly be characterised as the golden period of globalisation.

It is only after the great economic meltdown of 2008 that the world faced its greatest economic crises since the Great Depression of the late 1920s and early 1930s which had underpinned or anchored the entire sweep of globalisation between 1945 and 2008, including the evolution of institutions like the World Trade Organisation, started becoming insular. The US also started turning inwards post its involvement in Afghan and Iraq wars that devastated its economy, leading to huge deficits.

There is another dimension of globalisation, and that is the rise of China. In the late 60s and early 70s, American strategic thinkers thought that they should prop up China as a counter to the Soviet Union in the Communist world order. What essentially was a political project to begin with after the death of Chairperson Mao in 1976, evolved into an economic project. The West benefited immensely from Chinas cheap labour and the land it provided to Western conglomerates to set up industries without asking too many questions. This resulted in manufacturing shifting from the US and Western Europe to China. In a short span of three decades, this arrangement impelled China into the global orbit, making it one of the pivots of the multi-polar world order. Thus, in more ways than one, it is the interaction between people, empires, nations, systems and institutions, the global interplay of thoughts and ideas, that has created the world we inhabit.
With ideas being the only weapon in their arsenal, the dissidents need a vehicle to air their views and share their ideas.

It is an irony then that calls for adherence to the letter and spirit of the Constitution, upholding civilian supremacy and free speech, can be deemed a violation of Pakistani law.

In military terminology, a scorched-earthpolicy means the destruction, the burning down of anything that an invading force can put to use  from standing crops to infrastructure such as roads and bridges.

In the Pakistani authorities lexicon, it seems that anyone who disagrees with the state-sponsored narrative is likened to an invading force, serving hostile foreign interests.

With ideas being the only weapon in their arsenal, the dissidents need a vehicle to air their views and share their ideas. It appears that the civilian government in power and its powerful backers in the security establishment are now ensuring that those who disagree are denied a platform.

This doctrine is being relentlessly pursued as if Pakistans current civilian leaders have seemingly taken a leaf out of Russian President Vladimir Putins media regulation policy . Writing in the Guardian in March 2017, Russia analyst AIexey Kovalev said of the Putin regime: In their minds, reporters working for state news outlets  which effectively are almost all news outlets in Russia  are public servants first and journalists second (if at all).

Over here, we are not very far from that point. In fact, its worse, as here such expectations are extended to journalists working in the private sector. We are constantly told not just by officials but also their surrogates in their think tanks how to report positively.

One could argue that sections of the media, being heavily reliant on government advertising, are responsible somewhat for this state of affairs. But then, the alleged interference of security services in the distribution of TV channels on cable and newspapers through hawkers have also curtailed their reach and affected the commercial advertising market.

Coupled with a dip in economic growth, this has led to a dire crisis in many independent media houses with some 1,000 workers, including journalists, losing their jobs since the PTI came to power; a TV channel and some newspapers have shut down, others are facing closure and brutal cost-cutting is taking place across the industry.

Even well-reputed media houses known for paying their staff on the dot and of pretty much guaranteeing the continuing employment of journalists on their payroll are now fighting a desperate battle for survival  survival that may not be possible in the circumstances.

The official unhappiness with dissent anywhere including social media is evident in the extraordinarily large number of requests being made, for example, to Twitter, to close down accounts because the holders are in violation of Pakistani laws, rules and regulations.

A close examination of the content, the tweets, of many of these accounts makes it abundantly clear that they are not espousing intolerance, hatred or violence but merely expressing concern at what they see as a violation of the constitutional provisions and calling for civilian supremacy. It is an irony then that calls for adherence to the letter and spirit of the Constitution, upholding civilian supremacy and free speech, can be deemed a violation of Pakistani law.

I, for one, find government policy and the choke-hold applied by its backers, who may find the Russian, Chinese and the Saudi and, yes, lets not forget democratic like us, Turkeys way of regulating media counterproductive.

Let me elaborate. Our people have tasted freedom, and as the voting patterns tell us the country is far from unanimous in backing the party in power. A free media serves as a steam-release valve for those who are feeling disempowered now. If a uni-narrative culture is shoved down our throats via a tightly regulated media, made even more vulnerable by falling revenues due to the economic downturn, it will work but only for a while. Most pressure cookers need to release steam or there is a serious risk of explosion. At many crucial junctures in the past; grave national debacles happened because the media was muzzled and hence unable to ring the alarm.

If this does not happen, or is not allowed, we can sleepwalk from one nightmare to another. Need I count and recall each time we have done exactly that in our short but eventful history? If we are actually surrounded by hostile powers on our borders and face threats from afar too, it is incumbent on us to analyse the policy failures that got us here in the first place.

Open debate has better chances of leading to formulation of policies with a genuine buy-in across the length and breadth of the country. To me, that would be far more preferable and lasting than any contrived, enforced positive outlook that fumbles and fails at the first reality check.

By arrangement with Dawn
PM Khan fulfils poll promise, says education focus of his government.

Islamabad: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday announced to establish a university at the PMs House. He said the decision to convert Prime Ministers House into Islamabad National University reflected governments priority for education.

PM Khan said that the money recovered from looters will be spent on education and PM House will be converted into a university.

The Prime Minister said no nation can make progress without quality education. He said education was imperative for progress and development. He said that the focus of his government was the promotion of education.

The Prime Minister emphasised the overall standard of education would be improved. He assured full cooperation to Higher Education Commission for providing quality education to youth.

PM said that this project is my first priority, I have hit upon this idea after being inspired by British leaders, he added. PM Khan asserted that the youth should be able ask their political leaders about the right utilisation of the their tax money.

He said that unfortunately Pakistan was more underdeveloped then India despite the fact that the poverty rate is greater in India. He said China was also a model for us they developed by focusing on education. Imran Khan said China and Singapore made major economic development through quality education.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry said the Belt and Road Initiative is purely an economic project with peaceful intent.

'According to our information the relevant report is not true,' Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told a media briefing when asked about the report. (Representational Image | AP)

Beijing: China on Friday dismissed as untrue a US media report that alleged that it has hatched a secret plan to build fighter jets and other military hardware in Pakistan as part of the USD 60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project.

The CPEC, which connects Gwadar Port in Balochistan with China's Xinjiang province, is the flagship project of Chinese President Xi Jinping's ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

The Islamabad datelined report in the New York Times said Pakistani Air Force and Chinese officials were putting the final touches to the secret proposal.

"Chinese officials have repeatedly said the Belt and Road is purely an economic project with peaceful intent. But with its plan for Pakistan, China is for the first time explicitly tying a Belt and Road proposal to its military ambitions - and confirming the concerns of a host of nations who suspect the infrastructure initiative is really about helping China project armed might," the report said.

"According to our information the relevant report is not true," the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Hua Chunying, told a media briefing when asked about the report, which coincided with the eighth Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) meeting of the CPEC during which both sides signed an agreement to expand industrial cooperation in diverse fields and attract investment in special economic zones.

Hua said the CPEC is an important framework for cooperation bearing the long-term interests in mind.

All-weather friends and close allies, China and Pakistan have been jointly building the J-17 Thunder, a single seater multi-role combat aircraft. Pakistan has been eyeing a number of new advanced Chinese jets including the stealth fighter.
Netanyahu tried to persuade Trump to reverse Syria decision

Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is said to have tried in vain to persuade President Donald Trump to walk back his decision to withdraw US troops from Syria.

Israels Channel 10 news reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu talked with US President Donald Trump on the phone about the US military withdrawal from Syria, amid concerns the pullout from the war-torn country would enable further Iranian entrenchment.

In Netanyahus public remarks, he said that he had spoken with both Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo who made it clear that they had other ways to express their influence in the arena.

THE PULL OUT IS A DISAPPOINTMENT

I spoke with US President Donald Trump 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, Netanyahu said in a statement.

This is, of course, Americas decision, he added. We will study the timetable, the mode of operation, and of course the implications for us. In any case, we will take care to protect Israels security and to protect ourselves from that arena.

Channel 10 news also reported that Netanyahu expressed that there was tremendous disappointment in Jerusalem over the pullout, which is regarded as a victory for
Spanish riot police clash with Catalan protesters

Police used tear gas on Catalan protesters and arrested 13 during protests on Friday as the Spanish cabinet met in the regional capital of Barcelona.

Catalan separatists blocked roads and rallied in their thousands yesterday as Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez brought a Cabinet meeting to regional capital Barcelona in both a show of central power and an attempt at negotiation.

There were some violent scenes as masked protesters threw missiles and railings at police. A total of 12 people were arrested and 28 police officers were injured throughout the morning protests, before further demonstrations in the evening.

Spanish riot police clash with Catalan protesters WATCH

Catalan government described the visit as a provocation because it coincided with the anniversary of an election last year, which was imposed by the previous Spanish government after it had introduced a direct rule in the region.

Secession supporters used tyres and rubbish to barricade highways from before dawn, and thronged the streets of Barcelona in their thousands, many flying the striped Estelada, the Catalan independence flag that bears a lone star.

Some set off flares and burned an image of King Felipe VI. Emergency services said 32 people suffered injuries. Police dragged dozens away and arrested 13.
Trumps Syria withdrawal decided during Erdogan call

President Donald Trump made the decision to remove the US troops from Syria during a telephone call with his Turkish counterpart, The Associated Press reported Friday.

Trump made the decision without consulting his top national security officials and key US allies, citing two officials briefed on the matter.

Trump's top officials prepared a list of talking points for him ahead of his Dec. 14 call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan amid Ankara's plan to conduct a military offensive in Syria. But Trump shook them off, instead siding with the Turkish president during the call, according to The AP.

ERDOGAN: WHY ARE YOU STILL IN THE REGION

The talking points were very firm, one official told the news agency, adding that Trump was advised to oppose the potential Turkish offensive into northeastern Syria. Everybody said to push back and try to offer (Turkey) something thats a small win, possibly holding territory on the border, something like that, the official added.

Erdogan asked Trump why he is still in Syria given that Daesh had been reduced to holding one percent of the territory it had once controlled, noting Trump has repeatedly insisted the only reason for the US military presence was to defeat the terrorist group.

Trump then asked National Security Advisor John Bolton, who was listening in on the call, why US troops are still in Syria if that is the case, and Bolton acknowledged Daesh had been significantly rolled back. But he insisted the national security team agreed the victory had to be enduring, which required stripping Daesh of all its territory.

But Trump was unswayed, pledging a withdrawal to Erdogan who was caught off guard by the announcement, counseling Trump against a "hasty" removal of US forces.

Trump, however, has been unswayed pledging to pull the 2,000 US troops in Syria out of the country. His decision set off a frenzied response within Trump's national security team to figure out how to delay the action, but they were rebuffed by Chief of Staff John Kelly and his incoming successor Mick Mulvaney who said the president was insistent.

MATTIS HAD RESIGNED CITING DIVERGENCE OF VIEWS

Trump's top officials had for months been telling the president the fight against Daesh is far from over, calls the president ignored when he declared mission accomplished on Tuesday. Defense Secretary James Mattis has since resigned from his post effective at the end of February, citing a divergence of views with the president on an array of topics including how the U.S. treats its allies.

"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," he wrote in his resignation letter. "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."
Turkey honors legendary poet Necip Fazl at awards

Necip Fazl Ksakurek Awards given to 7 literary figures in six categories.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attended a literary award ceremony on Friday in Istanbul in the memory of Turkish poet and philosopher Necip Fazl Ksakurek.

"The main success of the Necip Fazil awards is its contribution to liberation, enrichment and variation of our intellectual and artistic world," Erdogan said at the ceremony of Necip Fazil Ksakurek Awards for Literature and Research.

Erdogan stated he believed that the mission of cherishing the memory of people working for greater causes, such as Necip Fazl, could not be limited to a single group or institution.

Erdogan also said he believed that the strong Turkey which Necip Fazl dreamed of was going to be handed over to the next generations through these works of art.

PRESIDENT ERDOGAN ANNOUNCED THE WINNERS

Arif Ay was awarded in the poetry category for his unique poems about the suffering of Turkish people in recent history.

Aykut Ertugrul received the award in the story-novel category for his technique and authenticity in his stories. Ahmet Yasar Ocak was awarded in the opinion-research category for his academic works on people reviving Anatolia. Yasemin Karahuseyin and Fatih Baha Aydn were given the award in the first work of art category.

Prof. Dr. Muhammad Harb -- who also translated one of Necip Fazls books into Arabic -- was awarded in the international award category, for encouraging people to learn about Turkish culture.

This years Prestige Award was given to Prof. Dr. Nevzat Atlg for his efforts to convey Turkish classical music to the next generations.

The Necip Fazl Ksakurek Awards Ceremony has been held annually since 2014.
UN tells UK: Allow Assange to leave Ecuador embassy freely

UN rights experts called on British authorities on Friday to allow WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to leave the Ecuador embassy in London without fear of arrest or extradition.

The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention reiterated its finding published in February 2016 that Assange had been de facto unlawfully held without charge in the embassy, where he has now been holed up for more than six years.

He initially took asylum to avoid being extradited to Sweden, where authorities wanted to question him as part of a sexual assault investigation. That investigation was dropped.

"MR. ASSANGE ALREADY PAID A HIGH PRICE"

Assange, whose website published thousands of classified US government documents, denied the Sweden allegations, saying the charge was a ploy that would eventually take him to the United States where prosecutors are preparing to pursue a criminal case against him.

Britain says Assange will be arrested for skipping bail if he leaves the embassy, but that any sentence would not exceed six months if convicted. It had no immediate comment on the experts call, but in June, foreign office minister Alan Duncan said Assange would be treated humanely and properly.

The only ground remaining for Mr. Assanges continued deprivation of liberty is a bail violation in the UK, which is, objectively, a minor offense that cannot post facto justify the more than six years confinement that he has been subjected to since he sought asylum in the Embassy of Ecuador, the UN experts said in a statement.

It is time that Mr. Assange, who has already paid a high price for peacefully exercising his rights to freedom of opinion, expression and information, and to promote the right to truth in the public interest, recovers his freedom, they said.

Lawyers for Assange and others have said his work with WikiLeaks was critical to a free press and was protected speech.
If you need to transfer money to Costa Rica from the UK or any other country worldwide, Exchange Rates UK provides you with the latest Costa Rica Colon exchange rate comparison. Whether you're looking for the best Pound to Costa Rica Colon exchange rate or using any other base currency, we provide the live inter-bank exchange rates and links to futher detailed information such as converters, historical data and charts. Remember, if you want to get the best return on your Costa Rica Colon exchange rate for your currency transfer, using a foreign exchange broker could see you secure a better rate and fee-free transfers.

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Currency in Costa Rica: There is 1 official currency of Costa Rica. The Costa Rica Colon which has the ISO of CRC (see Costa Rica Colon exchange rate) .

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by John Ai

The government is worried about economic growth and wants to increase social control. In the third quarter of 2018, the Chinese economy grew 6.5%, the weakest since the financial crisis of 2008. No celebrations and Christmas decorations at Langfang, Xian, Kunming and other cities. Christmas is a "foreign" and "dirty" celebration, it "pollutes" the spirit.

Beijing (AsiaNews) - The leaders of the Chinese Communist Party yesterday ended a closed-door meeting in search of solutions to boost economic growth, crippled by the US trade war and by the general slowdown.

Xinhua reports that the government will maintain "ample liquidity" and cut taxes to ensure "reasonable" growth in the next 2019. In the third quarter of 2018, the Chinese economy grew by 6.5%, the weakest since the 2008 financial crisis.

Social stability amid economic shocks has become the most important goal of the authorities. Many Politburo meetings were dedicated to the issue of stability in 2018.

The trade war with the United States also allows an emphasis on nationalism, casting suspicions on "foreigners" and trying to cement the population against "external enemies". At the same time, greater control needs to be implemented for stability.

Both measures - nationalism and control - seem to play a role in many cities in trying to stifle the Christmas celebrations, considered a "foreign" festivity and implemented by Christians, to be subjected to strict religious regulations.

In Langfang (Hebei), a city south of the capital, the local government has banned all outward signs of Christmas in public. According to an official document published on the web, shops and shopping centers are forbidden to decorate the windows and the interiors with Christmas trees and lights. It is also forbidden for street vendors to offer products that have any relationship with Christmas. The government document also urges citizens to bring religious events to the authorities that are held outdoors and in public.

Despite media requests, the Lanfang authorities did not want to be interviewed. The Global Times, a newspaper linked to the Communist Party, explained that Langfang is trying to improve its ranking in the campaign for the "Most Civilized City in the Country", launched by the Party's propaganda department. Rather than banish Christmas, they want the city to be "clean" and not dirtied bythe sales that take place these days.

The removal of Christmas decorations is also implemented in Xian (Shaanxi), Kunming (Yunnan) and other areas. In the past years there have been bans on celebrating Christmas in public places and in universities. The authorities never explained the reasons for this decision. It must be said that in Christmas in China, more than commercial promotion dominates the religious atmosphere. In any case, Christmas parties and ceremonies are a moment in which, out of curiosity or interest, many people come to meet Christians and ask questions about the meaning of Christmas, the moment of Christ's birth.

For this reason, different Christian personalities think that this campaign against Christmas is part of an attempt to crush the Christian religion, branded as "Western religion and as" spiritual pollution "by foreign forces.

In recent months, there have been raids against some underground Christian churches such as the Church of Zion in Beijing, that of the First Rain of the Alliance in Chengdu, Rongguili of Guangzhou. These Churches have thousands of faithful, committed to evangelization and are deeply rooted in the cities. The authorities are also committed to forcing underground Catholic groups to join the Patriotic Association and to submit to the control of the Party, also following the agreement signed between China and the Vatican.
If you need to transfer money to Dominican Republic from the UK or any other country worldwide, Exchange Rates UK provides you with the latest Dominican Peso exchange rate comparison. Whether you're looking for the best Pound to Dominican Peso exchange rate or using any other base currency, we provide the live inter-bank exchange rates and links to futher detailed information such as converters, historical data and charts. Remember, if you want to get the best return on your Dominican Peso exchange rate for your currency transfer, using a foreign exchange broker could see you secure a better rate and fee-free transfers.

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Currency in Dominican Republic: There is 1 official currency of Dominican Republic. The Dominican Peso which has the ISO of DOP (see Dominican Peso exchange rate) .

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Egypt is a cultural hub when speaking about the Arabic world. But now it is also re-defining its standards as many are emigrating from different countries to Egypt to prolong their professional careers. Egypt has always been a focal point for regional politics along with being a hub for education. It is also often a meeting point between western and Arabic cultures with expats moving to Egyptexperiencing the country like never before. Egypt makes for a different kind of destination as it is usually curiosity or love that draws people to stay, rather than financial promise or luxury living. Egypt has its business incentives, but it isn't an internationally recognized industrial centre. Entrepreneurs can find new emerging markets and opportunities as the country is actively promoting itself on a global front.

The correct name for Egypt is actually the Arab Republic of Egypt as the country is situated in North Africa and surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea, the Gaza Strip, Israel, the Red Sea, Sudan and Libya. The country itself is dominated by the Nile with the vast majority of the 80 million population living very close to the famous river. The country possesses the likes of Cairo, Alexandria and an array of other cities in and around the Nile Delta which offers access to the only farmland in the country. While many areas of Egypt are desert, or desert like, the country itself is one of the most developed in the Middle East and has significant exposure to tourism, agriculture and an ever-growing services industry.

Egyptian Culture:

One of the points to consider if you are from an English speaking country is to grasp the new language of the region. It is always sad to speak the language of the locals and in this case you will have to be well accustomed to the Arabic Language. When it comes to Shopping, you have to look for certain items in the vast market. But, you will find the prices of the items much cheaper here compared to the US or even the UK.

Business in Egypt:

Egypt deals a great bit with regards to tourism and agriculture although media and petroleum exports also play a large part in the countrys prosperity. The River Nile not only dominates Egypt itself but is seen by many as the focal point for overseas tourists and those looking to begin life in the country. Billions of Dollars have been spent on developing the Nile with various dams and trading routes springing up on a regular basis to emphasize the total dependence which the country has on the river. Egypt is also dominating in the energy market with naturally occurring coal, oil, natural gas and significant exposure to the hydropower market. This has attracted significant overseas investment into the country which has resulted in a massive change in the structure of the economy and the government over the last 20 years. Many Overseas Companies are thriving on a chance to open their businesses in Egypt as it is also flourishing as a great business market.
Uncertainty dominated on Wednesday with a big shift in sentiment during the day. The Pound to Dollar (GBP/USD) exchange rate failed to hold above 1.3350 and dipped back below the 1.3300 level before edging just above the 1.3300 level in early Europe on Thursday. The Pound to Euro (GBP/EUR) exchange rate retreated to 1.1725 before a recovery to 1.1755...

- Polygon (MATIC) has traded higher by as much as 18% during the Wednesday trading session. - All risk on market shave experienced massive rallies after Tuesdays selling pressure, but detection of the Omicron variant in the US (California) has brought in more selling. - FUD is the name of the game. Polygon (MATIC) Daily Ichimoku Chart

PLEASE NOTE: All currency values on this site, as of 31st October 2009, are now sourced from a range of inter bank sources in relation to the British Pound base currency. These rates are updated every 5 minutes to reflect the latest figures presented to us. Prior to this date the exchange rates were obtained from the European Central Bank as per their last data available in relation to the EURO base currency. Exchangerates.org.uk believes this information to be accurate, however does not warrant or guarantee such accuracy. Users of this website are advised to verify any values before using it. Exchangerates.org.uk makes absolutely no warranties regarding any values on this website, fitness for a particular purpose, accuracy or availability.
Friday, December 21, 2018





Schumer Should Remember Gorsuch



By Peggy Orchowski

Here we go again. If a bill doesn't pass the Senate by midnight tonight, the "government will shut down".

That is, parts of the government that haven't been funded as yet will temporarily face not having money in their budget to pay employees. Those workers who are considered to be "non-essential" will not be allowed to go to work during the Christmas holidays. Other "essential employees" such as law enforcement and emergency workers will officially work on the books without pay. But there is no doubt that all will receive back pay once the government is re-opened by the new 116th Congress on Jan, 3. Only question is, will the oath of office be taken in the dark?

President Trump is fully willing to take the blame for the shut down this time. He figures the ups for him are far better than any downs. Ups include the appearance of strength: standing firm on his campaign promise and two-year efforts to get money to build a border wall, The surge of thousands of migrants breaching the southern border illegally since last summer to request asylum in the U.S., even though Mexico has offered them refugee status, has given the wall an urgency not present before. The image of defiant even rock-throwing migrants has been helpful for the President's case. House Republicans led by the Freedom Caucus and Senate Republicans fully support the move to have a $5+billion border wall amendment added to a stop gap bill passed by both houses this week.

But the Democrats are holding firm. NO funding for a wall period, even though it was promised when Trump signed the omnibus budget bill last May. It's an all or nothing feel-good strategy perhaps. Butit can have a very serious consequence. There is a very serious precedent.

No it's not about the dismissal of the DREAMERS as a negotiating chip for the wall even though the Democrats held up a former wall bill unless the President agreed to a Dream Act that greatly expanded the number who would qualify from 1.8 million to 4 million. That turned out to be a poison pill. (remember the Queen of the Hill charade? see my column on May 14).

But the grave precedent this time is the nuclear option that the Senate voted down for choice of justices that allowed Supreme Court Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh to be approved with only a majority of Senate votes - 51 instead of 60. It happened when Democrats refused to consider a vote for Gorsuch  in a move by Schumer considered by most to be retribution to Republican Senators holding up a vote on the Democratic nominee I 2016 after the conservative icon Justice Antonin Scolia died. But once President Trump was elected, the selection of a conservative like Gorsuch was a given. A conservative for a conservative. Democrats should have just lived with it.

But Schumer decided to oppose the Gorsuch nomination. NO Democratic votes he said. Period. The Republicans threatened to do the nuclear allowing judicial nominations to be approved with only a small majority 51 votes,not 60. Schumer said no compromise So the Republicans "went nuclear".

The Dems in effect used up the one weapon they had when the inevitable 2nd nomination came around  this time the swing vote Justice Kennedy. Kavanaugh won with 51 votes after the Democrats threw everything they had at him to stop the nomination including last minute unsubstantiated rape charges.

Now Schumer is saying All or Nothing again. Has he learned nothing?

This time a much more serious nuclear option could be suggested. The end of the filibuster for all issues. The President has suggested it. Some Senators are looking at it. It would subject every issue to a majority only vote. No 60-vote threshold would be needed to stop a filibuster and move to a vote. It would make the majority all powerful and the President's agenda almost unstoppable in the Senate.

Schumer may need to reconsider the consequences of all-or-nothing this time. Is a partial short government shutdown and stubborn insistence on no compromise for part of a wall worth losing the filibuster?

# # # # # #
Cpl. Rose Orozco rounded the driveway of Roosevelt Elementary School on a recent school day in her Edgewood Independent School District police SUV. There were no reindeer or sleigh bells but there were gifts in the back.

Two-eleven, show us at Roosevelt, Orozco said into the vehicles radio before getting out to retrieve a giant green and red bag filled with childrens jackets. Slung over her shoulder, it came to rest just above her service belt.

In Edgewood ISD, one of the citys poorest school districts, Santa looks like campus police officers, who take it upon themselves to make sure students get a gift for Christmas.

All through December, police collected toys and warm clothes and delivered them to children in their schools  and their homes.

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When you picture police, you dont picture doing things like this, but we do it because if we dont take care of our kids, whos going to take care of them? Orozco said on the way to her next stop, LBJ Elementary School, the third of 10 campuses on the list.

Inside, students who teachers knew didnt have warm clothes were wrangled together to try on the new sweaters and jackets provided by San Antonio Threads. Gloves were donated by Ladies of Valor Empowerment, another organization that comes to Edgewoods aid.

Some of the children showed obvious signs of need. Several boys wore cargo shorts, though it was rainy and 53 degrees that morning. One of them wore a hoodie with holes in the back. He received a new black and white pullover sweater.

The way Edgewood police look out for the needs of their students is unique, said Cathy Hamilton, CEO and founder of San Antonio Threads, who the officers often call on for help.

Last spring, her group provided prom dresses and suits for students from the Edgewood and San Antonio ISDs. Edgewood officers drove the students to the downtown boutique where girls heaped shimmery dresses on Police Chief Jesse Quiroga while they shopped and other officers taught boys how to knot a tie.

RELATED: TEA report slams Harlandale ISD leaders

Sometimes, its an emergency call, such as this fall Orozco called Hamilton about a boy spotted at school wearing a pair of sandals during a sharp cold spell. One of the sandals was broken and the boy was using duct tape to keep it together.

Hamilton was eager to help, but the boys foot size was 14EE, unusually wide. She called around and finally found a pair for $125, probably why his parents couldnt afford shoes, she said. Thats a huge expense for a family barely getting by.

Hamilton knows every officer in the department, even the new guy the chief introduced  he had already visited San Antonio Threads, she said.

I think theyre very concerned about keeping their students engaged in class and not worrying about what they have and dont have, Hamilton said.

Orozco said Edgewood police are both peace officers and truancy officers. As peace officers, they help give schools the stable environment needed for kids to learn. As truancy officers, they go into homes and meet parents who dont have heat or basic kitchen appliances. Officers have delivered stoves and furniture to families, she said.

The parents are worried because theyre trying. They just dont have the means. Ill start hunting down things, go find whatever they need, Orozco said.

This month, Edgewood officers have delivered roughly 300 pairs of shoes, 200 jackets and 200 toys to disadvantaged children.

For Chief Quiroga, their mission is both personal and taking care of business. He grew up in Edgewood and went several Christmases without gifts himself. Now, hes in the business of education and knows that kids cant focus on their studies if theyre worried about going without necessities or missing out on holiday fun.

Further, the badge he wears designates him a peace officer, so if someobodys hungry and I got them bread, I brought them peace for that day, Quiroga said as he delivered wrapped toys to families a week before Christmas while most children were in school.

One 4-year-old, however, was home to accept the gifts for her and her three siblings. Cataltya had just woken up, her mother said. Her wispy bangs were still in her face as she held her arms out to balance the gifts officers piled on. She took them to her front door and organized them on a plastic chair. She hugged her gift and watched as the officers left.

Quiroga, who became chief in January, spearheaded the police departments first Thanksgiving food drive five years ago, shortly after he joined the force as an investigator. The next year, in 2014, the department hosted a Christmas toy drive.

Officers have had to spread the word about their community efforts and earn the publics trust. When they first started knocking on doors to deliver food, a lot of people didnt want to open them, Quiroga said.

Over time, people have come to know the officers. One mother who received wrapped toys on one of their final pre-Christmas runs told the chief that Officer Rogena Reed had referred her family for the gifts, and asked for an update on Reed, who is battling lung cancer.

The heart for the community in this police department has always been there, Quiroga said. Its because of them and their heart that were making this success.

Krista Torralva covers several school districts and public universities in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read her on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | Krista.Torralva@express-news.net | Twitter: @KMTorralva
by Michele Brambilla

The PIME regional superior manages St. Vincent Hospital in Dinajpur. A special meal will be offered to all patients, students and medical staff. Even the hospital "changes appearance" during Christmas. A retreat "to prepare spiritually".

Dinajpur (AsiaNews) - Muslims and Hindus "will hear us pray, sing and celebrate. It is a holiday that they will share with us," this is how Fr. Michele Brambilla, regional superior of the PIME (Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions) in Bangladesh, will spend the celebration of the birth of Christ. On that day, like every other day of the year, he will be at St. Vincent Hospital, the diocesan hospital of Dinajpur entrusted to him. Because the sick, the students and the staff can not be left alone at Christmas. Below we publish his letter addressed to all our friends and readers.

Dearest friends,

My warmest greetings from Bangladesh. In a few days we will celebrate a new Christmas. Oh yes, because every Christmas will never be like the previous one. Traditions remain, but the mood with which we will live it will be different.

I will spend these holidays in the hospital, not as a patient , but with the staff, students and patients present to remember with them the birth of Jesus. I had chosen to spend Advent with them and so it was and it seemed nice to conclude with the Holy Mass on Christmas Day with the present staff and the few sick Christians. The others, Muslims and Hindus, will hear us pray, sing and celebrate. And they too will participate during the special meal that will be offered for this feast day.

On the occasion of Christmas, the hospital also takes on another aspect. The students and the nursing school students, having finished their exams, are decorating the whole hospital: chapel, wards, refectories and meeting rooms whoever enters can see the visible change.

We too, in our small way, want to spend this season in the best of ways. This is why all the hospital staff, students and students of the school and nurses organized two days of retreat to prepare for Christmas. Listening to the Word of God, proposed meditation, confession and Holy Mass allowed each of them to stop, pray and think about themselves. The retreat is a tradition that is renewed every year in Lent and Advent, one that is very popular and also awaited by many.

This is how we prepared to celebrate Holy Christmas, together and with the Lord; and again together we will remember the coming of the Savior who is alive and present among us.

I wish you all a peaceful and holy Christmas and will remember you epecially during the Eucharist on Christmas Day.

Affectionately yours.
Detail of Facebook fundraising with photo by John Moore/GettyImages / Detail of Facebook fundraising with photo by John Moore/GettyImages

Upset with the Trump administrations practice of family separations at the border last spring, thousands of donors turned to a Facebook crowdsourcing campaign set up for the immigrant-rights group RAICES to bond a family out of detention.

The June fundraiser set a goal of $1,500. In short order, it took in $20 million  the largest fundraiser in Facebook history.

The San Antonio-based nonprofit went on to receive about $10 million more, coming from celebrity fundraisers to childrens bake sales.

RAICES became the leader in a national rebellion against President Donald Trumps zero-tolerance policy, which was separating immigrant children from their mothers and fathers and placing them in separate facilities while the parents awaited court proceedings.

Hundreds of thousands of people poured money into the organization, nearly quadrupling its annual budget, which was $7.7 million last year.

It was awe-inspiring. It was humbling. There were wondrous moments of what was happening, but those were far outnumbered by the moments of reality as to what needed to be done, the responsibility that was being brought to us through these donations, RAICES President and CEO Jonathan Ryan said.

Scrappy, brash and unflinchingly vocal, the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services began raising its national profile.

It offered a $20 million check to the Trump administration in return for bonding out separated families. It publicly rejected a $250,000 donation from Salesforce because of its contracts with U.S. Customs and Border Protection. And most recently, RAICES asked advertisers to pull out of the Tucker Carlson Tonight Fox News show for his disparaging comments against immigrants.

We understood we were being seen as an agent now to solve this problem that is vast and complicated, and still in the hands of the government, Ryan said.

But as its profile rose, some at RAICES questioned how it was handling the influx of cash and if it had the wherewithal to operate the new campaigns and programs it had launched.

The money, said one current employee, who wished to remain anonymous for fear of retribution, magnified issues that were present before.

In 2018, two board members and seven high-level staffers  directors and managers in the organization  left on their own accord or were fired, current and former employees say.

Of the six employees who reported directly to Ryan at the start of the year, two still are on board, and they hold different positions within the agency, they said.

Its about mismanagement, another current staffer said, adding that there long had been concerns about RAICES accounting practices, and that Ryan had been alerted to them well before the flush of cash and attention this year.

If you dont make a change, thats beyond ignorance or disorganization, the staffer said.

Last month, a group of employees retained a lawyer.

In a letter to the RAICES board, the group listed more than a dozen concerns, including lack of financial oversight, reports of misused and misallocated funds and excluding program directors from key meetings, among others. It also requested a meeting with the board, without Ryan.

The board hasnt responded. But when a reporter asked about the complaints, RAICES detailed its response in an eight-page letter.

We reject these complaints and are eager to return to serving our clients as we have done for over three decades, the organization said. RAICES has nothing to hide.

A big leap

The growth at RAICES this year has been nothing short of explosive.

Its Twitter following grew from about 2,000 followers in May to more than 76,000  a 3,700 percent increase. It hired 137 employees, 90 of them after June 1. It added three offices in San Antonio, Houston and Dallas, and its looking to add two more in El Paso and in the Rio Grande Valley.

The nonprofit  already the largest provider of immigrant legal services in Texas  is taking steps to nationalize.

L ast December, RAICES received $6,140 from 40 gifts. This month, as of last week, RAICES raised $358,000 from 2,474 gifts.

The organization has posted nearly 50 open job positions.

You can feel it and its really cool, talking about ideas of what we could do and knowing that we could probably make then happen. Before they just felt like pipe dreams, said Maria Osornio, a RAICES staff attorney on the family detention center team.

RAICES is flashier now, too. It has new, highly produced videos on its website. In one, images of immigrants crying or lining up at the border flash between a video trained on Ryan as he talks about the nations immigration policy: If we dont do something about it, it will become who we are. RAICES will not let that happen.

The video ends with a new tag line: Fighting for the soul of America.

As might be expected with this kind of growth, RAICES reorganized. Titles changed, and staffers were shuffled into new roles.

Ryan added the title of president and brought on several experienced administrators. Consultants came on board, updating the RAICES website and upping audience engagement through social media and other promotions.

The consultants are different than the home-grown, immigration law-trained staffers that RAICES typically had hired. Their backgrounds range from documentary production at a large television network, corporate communications for an international company.

One was a high-ranking digital leader at an agency with Fortune 500 clients, according to the response letter.

Three current staffers said there was no announcement of the rearrangement. They said they learned it from checking out the updated About page online.

The RAICES childrens program accepted more than 400 cases this year.

In the Karnes County Residential Center, a detention facility for immigrants, RAICES lawyers and legal assistants provided counsel to more than 4,000 families. It launched two new legal programs, one to represent unaccompanied children, called LEAF, and another to provide legal services and pay expense for migrant families. And last month it set up a pro-bono assistance and mentoring program.

The organization also has plans to launch a legal defense fund to pay for attorneys working for discounted fees.

The amount of work the team has managed to get done this year is impressive by any standard, RAICES said.

With more awareness also came more volunteers.

There were days where it was just two team members and two volunteers to help a couple hundred people and it was overwhelming, Osornio said. So thats been a very welcome change to our newfound recognition.

RAICES has spent about $2 million of the $30 million raised this year. The money was used to bond out 273 people from detention.

The staffers letter accused the organization of not following up with immigrants who were bonded out.

But in the response, the nonprofit says that never was the intention: It was not set up to provide follow-up legal services to hundreds of clients across the country.

The response also says that to call those immigrants clients, as the letter did, was inaccurate because RAICES didnt provide them with legal representation.

Were actually cutting bonds all the time and were exploring ways to actively pay more bonds quicker, RAICES spokesman William Fitzgerald said.

According to Charity Navigator, a nonprofit watchdog, RAICES overall performance score is 89.24 percent, with a 97.5 percent in finances and 85 percent in accountability and transparency.

Like any organization, that was a big leap. But I think all-in-all we put our little ducks in a row to make sure that we are meeting all our fiduciary responsibilities, said Olga Kaufman, a board member who sits on the state and national boards for Common Cause, a watchdog nonprofit committed to government accountability.

The organization has hired a certified public accountant, she said, to make sure everything is on the up-and-up.

When asked about concerns that several high-level employees either were fired or resigned this year, she said she couldnt comment, because it was a personnel issue.

I think its normal for there to be turnover when theres a big growth spurt in an organization, she said.

RAICES was a small organization and all of a sudden weve got quite a bit of money in it now, said Tony Davila, another board member who owns a local construction company. So were working through it.

A huge responsibility

Sitting at a table in San Antonios Cascabel restaurant recently, Ryan, 41, an Irish native with bright blue eyes and fair hair, said he just had approved spending a fraction of the nearly $30 million raised this year to bond out immigrants.

I did $52,000 just today, he said.

In many ways, RAICES continues to operate much like how it started  as a reaction to an immigration crisis where activists felt human rights were in peril and sounded the alarm bells.

Jack Elder and Stacey Merkt founded RAICES in 1986 during the height of the Sanctuary Movement, a 1980s campaign of churches that protected and sheltered asylum-seekers in response to a government crackdown.

A year before founding RAICES, Elder was convicted of transporting undocumented immigrants across the border through South Texas. RAICES arose from that work, mostly providing social services to immigrants until the early 1990s when the nonprofit adjusted to the demand of the time and began its focus to legal aid.

When Ryan arrived at RAICES from the Austin-based American Gateways in 2008, he became the fourth person on staff. The nonprofit was small, but it was being run by an admired character, in Ryans eyes: John Blatz.

I saw at RAICES this salty dog, silver-haired guy who was very different from all of us post-graduate kids in Austin but was doing a volume of work that probably beat us all together, Ryan said.

Radical from the start, Blatz  then director of the operation, though he said he wasnt any good at it said he didnt want to take any government money, a philosophy that changed under Ryans leadership.

RAICES continued its growth, which Blatz credited to both the demand for its services and Ryans command of the agency.

In 2013, the nonprofit had raised $1.3 million in public support. By 2017, donations rose to $6.9 million, for an overall budget of $7.7 million.

The situation at RAICES is interesting because its a huge responsibility to have that amount of money, but the amount of need is huge too, said Blatz, who still works as a lawyer at RAICES.

In the past fiscal year, from October 2017 to September, more than 390,000 immigrants were apprehended at the border. The Rio Grande Border Patrol Sector had the highest influx, with more than 160,000 apprehensions.

RAICES has gone through previous periods of crisis, where demand is high for its services, Ryan said. When the immigrant family detention centers opened, RAICES started a program for legal aid in those facilities. When unaccompanied minors were arriving at staggering rates, it started a childrens program.

There was no way in hell that we would not have jumped head first, feet first, into this work, with or without the funding, Ryan added.

But the funding certainly helps. Last month, RAICES sent a legal team to Mexico City, helping a group of LGBT migrants that was part of the highly publicized caravan and paying for their bus tickets to the U.S.-Mexico border.

This month, it joined another agency in suing the Homeland Security Department and Secretary Kristjen Nielsen for failing to properly document and track families it had separated.

Thats been the last 10 years of my life  crisis management, Ryan said. You dont get from being four people to 140 people around the state in 10 years without going through a few crises, and some growing pains.

sfosterfrau@express-news.net
James Preston Green had just rammed his Kia Soul into a Toyota Camry at high speed on Wurzbach Parkway, then fled on foot before being captured. His blood alcohol content was more than twice the legal limit, and he already was on probation for a previous felony DWI in Guadalupe County.

As he rode to jail in the back of a patrol car that night of Jan. 13, an officer asked him who his lawyer was.

Nico LaHood, Green said, identifying the Bexar County district attorney by name, according to a dashcam video of the arrest.

Now Playing: On the way to jail after his fifth DWI arrest, James Preston Green claims Nico LaHood is his lawyer. (Graphic language) Video: San Antonio Express-News

How about that? continued Green, the subject of a San Antonio Express-News investigation published last weekend. Thats my (expletive) lawyer. Nico LaHood. Yeah, yeah, thats who Ill (expletive) call.  Thats who Im calling. Nico LaHood. You bet your ass. He owes me a favor anyways.

Nine months later, on Oct. 24, prosecutors in LaHoods office recommended probation for Green in a deal in which he pleaded no contest to felony DWI in the Wurzbach Parkway crash  his fourth DWI conviction. As part of the plea bargain, two felony counts of family violence were dismissed. State District Judge Ron Rangel sentenced Green, 37, to six years of community supervision.

Greens father, Jimmy Green, had attended a mens Bible study led by LaHood that same day. The elder Green, a prominent businessman and philanthropist, posted a photo of the session on Facebook that morning with a jubilant caption: Nico La Hoods mens bible study the best I ever attend!!! Men come join us!!!

Jimmy Green, owner of J. Green Jewelers in Stone Oak, has said his relationship with LaHood played no role in how his sons criminal case was handled. LaHoods office has said the D.A. was never directly involved in the younger Greens case.

But the emergence of James Preston Greens arrest video, first aired by KSAT, raises fresh questions about whether the jewelers son received preferential treatment.

LaHood did not respond to an interview request on Friday. His first assistant district attorney, Woodrow Woody Halstead III, said Green did not follow through on his promise to call LaHood for help.

No, Nico was never contacted by Mr. Green about the case, Halstead wrote in an email.

In an interview this week on The Source with David Martin Davies on Texas Public Radio, LaHood downplayed the comments Green made about him on the way to jail.

Believe it or not, thats happened a number of times, LaHood told Davies. They dont even know you, or they know a friend of a friend. Your dog peed in their yard and so they know you.

At the same time, LaHood acknowledged his own connection to Greens father.

His daddy had attended my Bible study a number of times. And I do know his pop, LaHood said. I was not aware of that case. I did not know, and I did not approve that plea. In retrospect, looking at the plea, as a professional  I would not have approved that plea.

LaHood added, Theres 200 prosecutors in that office. Theres no way you can micromanage 200 prosecutors, nor should you.

To an extent, the question of whether LaHood helped Green to evade justice is less urgent than it would be if the D.A. had won re-election.

Next week is LaHoods last in office. He was defeated in the March Democratic primary by defense attorney Joe Gonzales, who will be sworn in Jan. 1.

Had the Green story emerged before the election, it would merely have added to the cloud over LaHoods reelection bid.

Voters already had heard other troubling stories: how LaHood failed to disclose to the Texas Ethics Commission his business interest in a consulting firm tied to a fraudulent fracking sand company, for instance, or how he used his office to spread the dangerous falsehood that vaccines cause autism.

Gonzales told me he has no tolerance for any good ol boy culture at the courthouse.

When people are being given preferential treatment because of their family connections, thats going to raise a red flag and thats something that concerns me, Gonzales said.

Green, meanwhile, has squandered his break. This week, he was arrested in connection with a violation of his probation, accused of consuming alcohol. His next hearing is Jan. 3 before Rangel, who could sentence him to prison.

Greens story was always bigger than LaHood.

Over a decade of slipping past convictions, neutralizing accusations and repeatedly violating conditions of probation, only to dodge incarceration again and again, Green showed how the system could fail to get its arms around a repeat offender who showed more contempt for the law than remorse for his actions.

The new year will tell if his luck has run out.

bchasnoff@express-news.net
San Antonio is not a sanctuary city.

Unfortunately, you would arrive at a different conclusion by reading Texas Attorney General Ken Paxtons Dec. 6 op-ed, State sues S.A., police chief because law demands it.

Allow me to set the record straight: San Antonio does not engage in policies or practices that prohibit or materially limit the enforcement of federal immigration law.

The San Antonio Police Department does provide federal immigration authorities daily access to our detention facility. SAPD complies with legal detainer requests and did so before the passage of Senate Bill 4. During the last Texas legislative session, San Antonio Police Chief William McManus testified against SB 4 out of concern that it would make certain communities less cooperative with local law enforcement, compromising public safety efforts. In spite of that concern, SAPD follows the law and has assisted federal authorities before and after SB 4s implementation.

The crux of Paxtons complaint is the release by SAPD of individuals found in a trailer on Dec. 23 of last year. SAPD had no legal authority to hold them beyond what was needed to obtain evidence to prosecute a human-smuggling case. SAPD complied with applicable law and the Constitution. San Antonio did not violate any provisions of SB 4.

Among the misinformation and glaring omissions in his op-ed, Paxton fails to acknowledge enforcement of federal immigration law is reserved for federal law enforcement agencies.

There is nothing in Senate Bill 4 that would allow for or condone a Texas law enforcement officer from doing anything more than inquiring into immigration status, not to arrest based on immigration status or anything else  . There is nothing in Senate Bill 4 that suggests that Texas police officers are going to enforce immigration laws. An attorney from the Texas attorney generals office made these declarations to a federal judge last fall, before Paxton sued the city, SAPD and McManus over this very allegation.

Though the city hadnt been served the lawsuit, Paxton uploaded a video announcement, delivered advance copies of the suit to media outlets and published a factually inaccurate op-ed in this paper. This lawsuit is not about enforcing the law. Its about forwarding a political agenda.

As Paxton pointed out, Texans hold a broad range of views on immigration laws. However, not all those views pass muster in the face of the U.S. Constitution. SAPD has no legal authority to hold someone unless they are detained or arrested for matters within the jurisdiction of local law enforcement. SB 4 does not require local police to don the hat of immigration officers upon any request from federal authorities.

The suggestion that San Antonio did nothing to hold the driver of the trailer accountable is patently false. On April 24, SAPD filed a Charge and Disposition Report against Herbert Alan Nichols for smuggling of persons under 18 with the Bexar County District Attorneys Office. SAPD remains committed to working with that office to prosecute the individual.

After the Dec. 23 event, SAPD developed a communications protocol with Homeland Security Investigations to enhance coordination for human-smuggling and trafficking incidents. That protocol includes a notification to Catholic Charities and RAICES for necessary translation services, aid and comfort to undocumented people who are not arrested. Despite our cooperation with the attorney generals investigation (which has yet to be acknowledged), Paxton never expressed concern about the protocol until he sued us. According to Paxton, the city is violating SB 4 by facilitating access to legal advice  a cornerstone of the rule of law.

The entire legal profession should be shocked by this.

Again, San Antonio is not a sanctuary city. We are a thriving, diverse, compassionate city that will look to do what is best for the community within the parameters of the law.

In his video, Paxton says he wants to send a message that all Texas cities must obey the law. Unfortunately, the message hes sending is that pushing a politically driven immigration agenda takes precedence over working productively with local entities to achieve fair and impartial law enforcement.

Andy Segovia is San Antonios city attorney.
This is not a Christmas story  not even close. Its a story about indifference. Its a story about inhumanity and indignity. Its a story about people living surrounded by garbage. But it begins with Santa Claus.

Three years ago, on a chilly morning, Santa Claus stood on a corner in Camelot II, a Northeast Side neighborhood long covered in trash.

Not trash, as in a bit of stray litter kicking down the road, or plastic bags gently swirling in the breeze.

These were heaping, stinking mounds of garbage that boxed in the neighborhood and defined it as a suburban wasteland. For years, it had been this way in Camelot II, just outside city limits in unincorporated Bexar County. Until the city garbage trucks rolled down the streets there, marking the beginning of a city-county pilot program to ensure that never again would a child walk through garbage to get to school. To ensure that even in the poorest of ZIP codes, all residents of Bexar County and the San Antonio region were guaranteed a degree of basic dignity.

To celebrate the occasion, for it cannot be called an accomplishment to make something that should never have been so crooked straight, Bexar County Commissioner Tommy Calvert invited Santa Claus to Camelot II. Christmas, he said, had come early.

Despite lots of hand-wringing from certain Bexar County officials, the pilot program worked. Residents paid their trash bills, which were included in their electric bills. The streets and alleys in Camelot II are clean and clear. A law was even passed to ensure this would never happen again in unincorporated Bexar County. The city and county recently extended the Camelot II pilot program for another year.

But if Christmas came early to 600 or so townhomes in Camelot II in 2015, it never arrived in The Glen, the next neighborhood over. It, too, has long been plagued with trash problems. It, too, is a neighborhood dominated by landlords. It, too, is just beyond city limits, deceptively so for many residents who think they are living in the city. Despite these similarities, the city-county pilot program never included The Glen. And once again, the county is saying nothing can be done in a neighborhood where garbage piles high.

That legislation-turned-law from state Sen. Jose Menendez is flawed, county officials have asserted in a memo. The law empowers Bexar County to mandate trash service in unincorporated areas such as Camelot II and The Glen, and it allows Bexar County to contract with the city of San Antonio or any private hauler to provide this service, but its not good enough, officials have said.

Which is another way of saying to residents in The Glen: You will simply have to live with garbage bags in trees and fetid mounds of waste in alleys. With fast-food wrappers and used diapers ravaged by stray dogs. With dumped mattresses and broken TVs. Because even though Bexar County can mandate trash service, even though the city and county have partnered successfully on this issue just down the road, nothing can be done. Its impossible.

Kay Preau, who has owned a home in The Glen for nearly 20 years, summed up the situation as she pointed to a dumped mattress and a TV.

We are not treated like human beings, she said. Its as if we dont matter.

The scene was worse a few streets down. A big bag of garbage was in a tree. A small mountain of waste accumulated on the streets. A dumped couch. An abandoned mattress. Filth everywhere. Even when you look up.

This area here is considered very low standard, said Helen Castillo, who keeps a pristine home and has lived here eight years. I dont know what other word to use. Its just down on the bottom.

The city bailed out the county on Camelot II, but this is the countys mess to clean up. If Menendezs legislation didnt meet the mark last session  and he has said he will adjust it  county officials should have said something at the time.

One of the promises of the city-county pilot program in Camelot II was to provide a model to replicate in other neighborhoods. The city never planned to be in Camelot II forever.

We wanted to show, per request of Bexar County, that it can be done, said David McCary, the citys solid waste director.

Three years later, there is no county trash service plan in sight for The Glen. Just a trash bag twisting in a tree and mounds of garbage below.

jbrodesky@express-news.net
The state funeral and the ceremonies have ended, the eulogies given and President George H.W. Bush has been returned to College Station for burial alongside former first lady Barbara Bush and his daughter Robin Bush.

Those of us who met him  as I did while in the United States Foreign Service at our embassies abroad  remember the man as well as the president.

For my wife, Gwyn, and me, and for my colleagues in the Foreign Service, Bush was the president and commander in chief visiting the countries where we were stationed and carrying the message of a strong and supportive America.

Bush never failed to stop by the embassies to thank the Foreign Service officers, embassy staff members and their families. He would tell them how much he appreciated their service to America. I personally witnessed Bushs open and empathetic manner on a number of occasions and felt the sincerity of that appreciation.

Bush was undoubtedly that last and best Rolodex president. Some called him telephone dialer in chief. He had a personal relationship with heads of governments around the world  which contributed in a significant way to the worldwide support for Operation Desert Storm combating Saddam Husseins Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in the 1990s.

Bush related to individuals in simple but meaningful ways. For instance, as political counselor of the U.S. Embassy to Portugal, I was with then-Vice President Bush when he met with an incoming Portuguese prime minister in Lisbon.

As the meeting concluded, Bush invited the prime minister to his home in Kennebunkport, Maine. I think he accepted the invitation.

When I was deputy ambassador to the Holy See, I worked with White House staff to organize a state visit with Pope John Paul II. It was 1989, a fateful year with the USSR on the cusp of collapsing and Eastern Europe soon to be freed from the yoke of communism. The pope and Bush, who had been elected president by then, were both playing key roles in managing the revolution to the East.

White House staff had insisted that the pope and president would meet for an hour and a half, to be followed by a motorcade to the Italian presidential palace for dinner with the Italian president. But we could not be sure of the meeting length as the pope might tire or wish to extend the gathering.

About 45 minutes into the papal meeting, the pope pressed a buzzer under his desk and the doors of his private office flung open  work accomplished and meeting over. But we still had 45 minutes until the motorcade could move.

Luckily, an archbishop friend of mine was ready for such contingencies with the keys to the Sistine Chapel. The president wanted to see it, saying that Barbara got to see such things while he was in meetings all the time. So, up to the chapel I took the president and his wife with several dignitaries in tow.

As we walked from the chapel, the president saw the balcony from which the pope pronounced Urbi et Orbi Christmas and Easter messages to immense crowds in St. Peters Square below. He exclaimed in his own inimitable way  simple yet open and able to be amazed  that speaking from the balcony gives you a real sense of power!

In 1998 after his presidency had ended, Bush visited Honduras, where I was U.S. ambassador. It was in the wake of the devastating Category 5 Hurricane Mitch, which destroyed infrastructure and left thousands of Hondurans dead. From our house, Bush could see a hill where houses and people had been washed away. He became emotionally affected.

In the next days, we flew in Black Hawk helicopters to isolated villages, desperate for medicine and food. Bush talked to the villagers (with a little translation help from me and the Honduran president) and felt their plight.

He was part of a great American surge of aid for recovery and reconstruction. Bush always saw the need to help those in desperate situations and to build a future for them. Bush again expressed that empathy and support alongside former President Bill Clinton in Aceh, Indonesia, after the disastrous tsunami hit there in 2004.

The most deeply personal example for me of Bushs empathy occurred when our son Kevin Creagan was working in Honduras with Catholic Relief Services. In an attempted hijacking by thugs, Kevin was shot and wounded in 2002. He was medevaced to San Antonio and survived the incident. Bush, who had met Kevin in 1998 in Honduras, wrote me a note wishing my son well and simply stating that he considered Kevin a shining point of light.

Rest in peace, Mr. President, as one of this countrys points of light.Ambassador James F. Creagan, Ph.D., began his diplomatic career starting under the presidency of John F. Kennedy and continued into the presidency of Barack Obama. He is now the Ambassador Eugene Scassa Visiting Professor in International Diplomacy at St. Marys University.
Marijuana is becoming a popular ballot measure in many states in an effort to legalize it. Ardent advocates of legal marijuana claim that marijuana is safe and effective in treating a number of illnesses.

Their claim is that it is, after all, a natural product. And if they feel it is effective and safe, then why not let citizens decide its fate? The nightshade berry (Atropa belladonna) is also natural. Eat three to five of these, and you will die  naturally, of course!

At the federal level, marijuana remains classified as a Schedule I substance under the Controlled Substances Act. Schedule I substances are considered to have a high potential for dependency and no accepted medical use, making the distribution of marijuana a federal offense.

The challenge is that while marijuana remains a Schedule 1 substance, the law was signed in 1970. Since then, a lot of studies have been done about marijuana, some of which are legitimate while others should never have been considered a study given their poor design.

The question we should all ask ourselves is whether drug policy should be decided based on mob rule or through the oversight of the Federal Drug Administration. Many states have allowed voters to determine whether marijuana should be approved for medical and recreational use. If a majority of voters decide that marijuana is appropriate, they can legalize marijuana through a process I call mob rule.

I am not convinced this is an appropriate way to legalize a Schedule 1 substance.

If I were to take at face value all the positive claims of medical marijuana, there would be a plethora of benefits. In 2017, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine issued a report on the benefits and detriments of marijuana based on the review of more than 10,000 scientific abstracts from marijuana health research. It also made 100 conclusions related to the health effects of cannabis and cannabinoid use.

One would believe based simply on 10,000-plus abstracts of marijuana use that marijuana is a miracle drug that cures almost all ailments, including chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, that it improves patient-reported multiple sclerosis spasticity symptoms and short-term sleep outcomes in individuals with sleep disturbance associated with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. One would believe it cures fibromyalgia and chronic pain; improves appetite and decreases weight loss associated with HIV/AIDS; improves symptoms of Tourettes syndrome; helps individuals with social anxiety disorders; eases symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder; treats traumatic brain injury and intracranial hemorrhages; aids cancer patients, including those with glioma; and helps patients suffering from anorexia nervosa.

And this is by no means a complete list of all the beneficial claims of medical marijuana.

But anecdotal evidence is a long way from empirical scientific evidence. That is not to suggest we should dismiss anecdotal evidence. There may be some empirical evidence of the benefits made in some of these claims.

Regardless, science must play a role in concluding the effectiveness and safety of any drug. And as every clinical drug trial has taught us, there are always side effects with every approved drug, and we need to understand the side effects of marijuana even if it has a true medical benefit. We also need proper labeling of the detriments and limitations of any FDA-approved drug.

When a pharmaceutical company applies for FDA approval of a particular drug, it must conduct a number of double-blinded clinical drug trials in a very controlled manner to assure the safety of patients while determining whether the drug actually performs as alleged. Double-blinded studies are the gold standard of statistical studies  neither the investigator nor the subject knows who is receiving a placebo and who receives the active ingredient. Objective tests are then performed to determine the effect of the drug in treating the underlying condition.

And even if a drug has some moderate success in the treatment of a particular condition, the question is whether the drug is also safe and statistically significant in its efficacy. The FDA has high standards, and it is not easy for pharmaceutical companies to obtain approval given these. Why would we want to substitute the FDA process for a ballot measure of approval of a Substance 1 drug based on majority rule?

The proponents of legalization often state that there is no harm by using marijuana and those who use it feel better.

I do not doubt the claim of feeling better. However, if that becomes the new standard, we should legalize heroin given the tremendous good feeling it produces. Clearly, there is a big difference between heroin and marijuana; nevertheless, having average citizens legalize a drug through a ballot measure is not wise drug policy.

There are reasons we have a federal government to help standardize and manage certain aspects of our civil society. States have separate rights, as enumerated in the Constitution.

As much as I believe in individual freedom and liberty, I do believe there are times when it is necessary to centralize policymaking. The Constitution gives broad enumerated power to the federal government to regulate commerce (i.e., the Commerce Clause).

Though there have been a number of challenges to the Commerce Clause in the overreach of the federal government, there has not been a challenge per se as to whether the federal government has the authority to determine which drug is legal and how to legalize drugs under the agency of the Federal Drug Administration. The FDA has a long history of advocating for the safety of public health that began in the 1930s. To abandon the role of the FDA in favor of a majority-rule ballot measure is neither wise or prudent when there may be a risk to the public.

We are witnessing increasing nullification of federal laws by states and cities throughout the country. Our country was founded on the principles of law and order, and the nullification of federal law is a disturbing trend.

What is the message to the average American when a city or state decides unilaterally not to obey a federal law? We have a process in place, and if one does not like the current state of affairs, there is a proper way to make a change, and that is through the legislative process. If there is a consensus, then change will take place.

But mob rule is the opposite of a civil society.

Alan Preston has been a professor for five years in San Antonio specializing in epidemiology, biostatistics and health care policy. Most of his career has been spent as a CEO for managed care companies and physician organizations.
GREENWICH  As the Music Instructional Space and Auditorium building went up at Greenwich High School, so, too, did its costs. Now, three years into its use, repair orders are flooding in  literally.

Construction crews have responded to three different water problems at the Performing Arts Center in 2018 alone.

Most recently, a pipe part broke in the ceiling of the upper lobby on Dec.12, leading school officials to shut down the building and the nearby gym for six to eight weeks.

In April, water was found seeping into the orchestra pit, as crews were concurrently working to address a persistent leak from a skylight in the roof, which appeared multiple times between February and June.

Rising construction costs

As construction began on the facility known as MISA, costs rose faster than the building did.

In 2010, the project was envisioned to cost $29 million. By 2014, the price tag had swelled to more than $46 million.

Workers broke ground on the new auditorium in July 2013. Before long, project managers faced problems with groundwater seeping into the excavated area, contaminated soil that had to be removed from the projects footprint, and an aggressive New England winter in 2014. (Soil remediation on the wider school grounds did not figure into MISA costs.)

Then there were the bids for the work. The MISA Building Committee received cost estimates from Turner Construction  the company that managed the project  and other parties, but the actual contracts that followed exceeded projections.

The MISA project did not have big cost overruns, officials said. It was the bids themselves that were pricey.

They ran high across the board, said Bob Brady, a member of the building committee.

Seepage, leaks and breaks

But the expensive work did not produce a watertight building.

At an April 19, 2018 Board of Education meeting, former Superintendent Jill Gildea first reported that there was some seepage into the auditoriums orchestra pit. The pit is the lowest part of the structure, sitting about 9 feet below the surface of the water table.

But officials are not sure whether that fact is the cause of the problem.

There are several theories about the seepage, all of which are theories, Brady said. We dont know yet. Thats being worked on as well.

The water problem was again discussed in a June 2018 building committee meeting. Minutes from that session include a discussion about seepage in April, when rain followed a fast snow melt. Dan Watson, director of facilities for Greenwich Public Schools, requested that snow not be piled up against the building for the 2018-19 school year as a result.

Its a certain circumstance that causes the water, said Laura Rabin, school board representative to the MISA Building Committee. The last time, it was snow against the building.

Waterproofing extends up the first 50 feet of MISA, five feet higher than the water table. Water could be going over the waterproofing, or through a hole and getting into the building, Brady said.

The seepage is one reason why, more than three years after the building opened, the project has not yet been closed and handed over from the building committee to the school board.

With $50,000 in the MISA budget left to spend, committee members have requested that some construction money go toward investigating the source of the seepage.

Messages sent to a representative from Turner Construction were not returned this week.

But the orchestra pit is not the only location of water problems in the building. According to minutes of a Feb. 6 building committee meeting, members contacted Silktown Roofing Inc., which had installed the skylights, to say one had sprung a leak.

During an April school board meeting, Watson acknowledged the leaky roof in the lobby, referencing the ongoing problem with the intersection of the skylight and the roof.

Silktown was contacted again on May 14 about the leaks, which had continued into early June, according to June 6 meeting minutes.

The leaks could be caused by faulty product designs or specifications, bad installation or some combination, Brady said.

Primarily, as I understand it, its a vendor or installer warranty issue, he said.

Silktown said Thursday that a representative would be able to comment after the holidays.

The most recent, and to date most drastic, problem occurred this month, when a vibrator coupling on hot water pipes broke, shutting the facility down.

The schools insurance provider will determine who will be responsible for repairs and costs, Watson said.

The faulty coupling could not have been caught or addressed earlier because it is inaccessible, he said.

But Brady said a 3-year-old building should get more life from a part like that, so analyzing it and determining the problem is important.

I think its too early for it to have failed, but it should be inspected regularly, to see if its in order, he said. If there is a systemic problem, we need to know about it and fix it rather than wait for the next break ... in the longer term, all of this stuff requires periodic maintenance inspection, maybe maintenance. That is a problem which, historically, I dont believe the town has dealt with well.

Generally, school staff conducts routine maintenance on plumbing systems in accessible areas by checking water pressure and temperatures and looking for visible leaks, Watson said. Custodians are on the front lines, but if problems exceed their roles, they submit work orders or, in emergencies, call maintenance staff.

Staff members regularly monitor major systems such as heating and cooling, using a remote building management system. Contracted vendors regularly inspect other operations such as sprinkler systems, elevators and fire alarms, he said.

A walk-through is held twice annually to review each school for air quality and environmental issues, and check for leaks and possible water intrusion, Watson said.

Greenwich Time has requested to see work orders related to MISA since it was opened, as well as any work orders for the high school building for the last two years.

Watson said there are no work orders for the areas of recent GHS leaks: including the Performing Arts Center and a mechanical room in the science wing.

Shared responsibility

While the Facilities Department has started mobilizing contractors and overseeing repairs, and risk managers investigate the coupling, there is a lack of clarity among members of the school board and building committee over who is responsible for the problems and their repair.

While the Board of Education has not formally accepted the Performing Arts Center from the Building Committee, our facilities team has been working in tandem with them to resolve all open items to bring the project to completion, school board chair Peter Bernstein said in an email. The members of the committee have worked tirelessly over many years and deserve much credit for the amazing performance space that the entire town should be proud of.

But Board of Estimate and Taxation member Leslie Moriarty, a representative to the building committee and former school board chair, said this week that the responsibility for maintenance and follow-up on warranty issues lies with the staff at Greenwich High School.

The primary responsibility of a Building Committee is to construct or renovate a building to meet the educational specifications within the established budget, Moriarty said. Once completed, there is a turnover process ... That process was completed with GHS facilities staff for each phase of this project.

The building committee has retained responsibility for uncompleted construction, she said: For this project, the schools facilities staff and the building committee have continued to work together to address several issues, both warranty and open items. This collaboration may have blurred the responsibility for the flooding issues.

A member of the MISA Building Committee since 2012, BET member Leslie Tarkington said the building committee voted Oct. 2 to turn the building over to the Board of Education, and the school board must accept the building before a state audit process can begin that would allow the final state reimbursement to be given to the town.

The MISA Building Committee has gone overboard to support the schools in their operating of these elegant, unique, and special spaces with their sophisticated systems, Tarkington said.

She added: Like all other buildings or objects, there is a depreciable life, and it has begun for the MISA spaces. There are warranties and the MISA Building Committee has used its experience, time and resources to retain the quality of building that was constructed.

jo.kroeker@hearstmediact.com
GREENWICH  Thomas William Bagot, a longtime advertising executive and Old Greenwich resident, died Dec. 16 after a short battle against pancreatic cancer. He was 60.

Bagot was born Dec. 18, 1957, in Berkeley, Calif. He attended Skyline High School in Oakland, Calif., where he also worked at John Berry Yacht sales on the Oakland/Alameda estuary. There, he learned to sail large and small boats, sometimes completing multiday races off the coast of Northern California.

He graduated from UC Berkeley in 1984 with a degree in English and turned his attention to advertising. From the mid-1980s to the late-1990s, Bagot worked at a number of San Franciscos leading ad agencies, including Allen and Dorward, Ketchum and Saatchi and Saatchi. At Saatchi, he worked on the Hewlett-Packard account.

In 1998, Bagot left California for New York City to make it on Madison Avenue, where he joined Ogilvy and Mather.

At Ogilvy, he won every major accolade the advertising world has to offer. And he met his wife, Laura Gentile, who also worked on the IBM account at Ogilvy.

They were married on Aug. 9, 2003, at St. Ignatius Church in New York City. He went on to become a creative director at McCann-Erickson, and she joined ESPN.

They moved to Old Greenwich after the birth of their first son, William Thomas Cesare Bagot, on April 24, 2007. On April 23, 2015, son Beau Bagot was born, followed by another son, Blake Bagot, on April 7, 2017.

In addition to his immediate family, Bagot is survived by his siblings, Lisa Bagot of San Diego, Steve Bagot of Danville, Calif., and Rob Bagot of Corte Madera, Calif.

A private family service will be held Saturday. A larger celebration of his life will be held in Connecticut in mid-January.

In lieu of flowers, the family created the Magic Bagot Fund to drive funds directly to the research into pancreatic cancer under Dr. Eileen O'Reillys direction at Memorial Sloan Kettering. To learn how to help in their effort to fight this disease, visit http://mskcc.convio.net/goto/TomBagot.

Bagot was officially diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer on Nov. 7. He battled constant pain while embarking on a clinical trial involving immunotherapy to fight the cancer, which was very advanced and aggressive. He spent his last days at Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital surrounded by family and his closest friends and under the care of OReilly.
by Caterina Zakharova

The great Ukrainian scholar defends the election of metropolitan Epifanyj and autocephaly as a flight from "post-Soviet Egypt" and "ideological slavery" under Moscow. Addressing the problems of the population, in a situation of war that has lasted five years, will also help to unite with priests and bishops of the Moscow Patriarchate. Shevchuk's congratulations and Kirill's wrath.

Kiev (AsiaNews) - The new Kiev autocephalous Church must mature in an "essential" and "elementary" charity towards people whohave suffered under the Russian-Ukrainian war that has lasted for 5 years; and breathe the air of "global Christianity" to "solve the deep social problems" that lie before them. Konstantin Sigov explains his approval of the step taken by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, with the election of Metropolitan Epifanyj last December 15th. He sees the birth of the new Church - independent of the patriarchate of Moscow - as a sort of flight "from post-Soviet Egypt, from the sphere of ideological slavery". Concrete charity, and not just words, is needed to overcome ethnocentrism and to build the unity of the Orthodox and Christian world. But so far,divisions seem to dominate. Yesterday, the major archbishop of the Greek-Catholic Ukrainians Sviatoslav Shevchuk sent a message of congratulations, prayers and support for the new Metropolitan's mission. Meanwhile, the patriarchate of Moscow has branded all the local Orthodox Churches of the council of Kiev as "illegitimate" and speaks of "legalization of the schism" by the patriarchate of Constantinople.

Sigov, 56, is among the leading intellectuals of Ukraine and an exceptional ecumenical personality. Philosopher, university professor, director of the Center for European Humanistic Research at the National University Academy of Kiev Mohyla.

Professor, what happened on December 15th for the Church in Ukraine?

The council of the local Orthodox Church in Kiev is an important stage for the emergence from inertia, from the historical influence of the Soviet empire, to put it in the biblical lexicon: "from post-Soviet Egypt", from the area of ideological slavery.

The secret ballot of the council was the litmus test. The old guard of the episcopate has tried to pass the blatant vote by a show of hands, under the gaze of the authority and with the consequential blackmail that could have targeted those who voted "wrong". This temptation was overcome, this real freedom and the overcoming of fear are an important precedent for the future life of the Church.

The Metropolitan Epifanyj, as the new head of the Church will go to Constantinople on 6 January, where Patriarch Bartholomew will give him the Tomos (the official Act) of autocephaly for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Last Sunday, December 16, the Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew added another name to the list of the 14 primates of the local Orthodox Churches, he began to pray also for the head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The local Orthodox Churches family is now composed of 15 sister churches.

Does this step not deepen the division?

It is well known that relations between the Orthodox Churches are anything but idyllic. But it is important to stress that the nature of the differences between these Churches has nothing to do with the sovereignty of States. From a theological point of view all the Orthodox Churches make up the indivisible Body of Christ. Unity is more profound than any ethnic, political and linguistic difference. The gap between dogmatic truth and historical vicissitudes continues to be a challenge for the conscience of every Christian, an appeal for overcoming divisions.

The change has a profound and irreversible character due to many historical factors. Millions of people have been waiting for this event for decades, some with fear, others with hope. And despite everything, the council even took many experts all over the world by surprise . Until the last moment, doubts abounded among the Church's politicians. The Rubicon has been passed. Now this accomplished step has become a factor that will affect the lives of millions of people.

What are the prospects for the new Ukrainian Church?

Great work now awaits every single ecclesial community to separate what is fundamental from what is secondary; to actualize the words of the Gospel and renew life in this light.

The Babylonian confusion of languagesin our Churches will sharpen the question of unity, and the crisis of the forms of our communion.

The problem lies not only in the compromise of current theological rhetoric. So many declarations on unity have revealed that they are vacuous . An emptiness that can not be filled with other discourses. The chasm between good speeches and unworthy actions is all too evident.

The megalomania of geopolitics has lost all connection with the human expression of "I-you".

I do not want to talk about the neo-imperialist propaganda that has taken root in the religious lexicon. I do not want to analyze the false magnitude of the opposing "us / them" schemes. We know how difficult it is to relate to our societies the words of St. Paul that "there is neither Greek nor Jew", continuing the list with "neither Russian, nor Western, nor Post-Soviet, nor Autochthonous, nor Migrant" etc...

The emptying of the old language leads us to the most essential things; the Gospel words come back to us today: "I was hungry and you did not feed me, I was thirsty and you gave me no a drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me ... Sick and in prison and you do not visit me"(Mt 25, 42-43).

We must return to the most elementary gestures of humanity, and from these the new koine will be born, as an air for koinonia. Let's not forget that these events happen in a country that has been under an external military attack for 5 years and in which there are more than two million internally displaced people. The practice of welcoming and caring for others remains an imperative for our countrymen.

To conclude, I would like to quote the words of a priest of the Moscow Patriarchate (Ukrainian Church), Bogdan Ogulcanskij: "Thanks to its new status, the Church can learn to conceive itself as an integral part of world orthodoxy, of world Christianity. For the episcopal hierarchy, for priests, for theologians, the possibility of conceiving the life of the Church not according to the local dimension opens up, not separately but in collaboration, in contact with the rich experience of European and global Christianity. This would give Ukrainian Orthodoxy the opportunity to realize Christian values in the complex and multi-faceted Ukrainian society, using dialogue, collaboration to solve the serious social problems by practicing Christian mercy. "

The head of the Conference of Ukrainian Catholic Bishops Bronisaw Biernacki sent a message to Metropolitan Epifanij. The words of this symbolic letter are addressed not only to the Metropolitan, but to all of us: "May this task of great responsibility entrusted to you be tirelessly illuminated by the action and power of the Holy Spirit ... and your work in the vineyard of Lord bring new fruits of faith, hope and charity and God-fearing life for Ukrainian Christians ". Communion and the bond between what is ours and what is universal are the leitmotiv for the Christians of our country and for all men of good will".
The Connecticut Supreme Court quickly concluded after oral arguments Friday that the validity of a state House election marred by a ballot mixup in Stratford must be resolved by the House of Representatives, not the courts.

The decision read from the bench by Chief Justice Richard A. Robinson after a brief recess allows state officials to certify the re-election victory of Rep. Philip Young, D-Stratford, and upholds a Superior Court judges refusal to order a new election.

Young defeated Republican Jim Feehan by 13 votes after a recount last month in the 120th House District, but Republicans say as many as 76 voters were handed wrong ballots at Bunnell High School, a polling place shared by two districts, the 120th and 122nd.

Congratulations, Feehan told Young as the two men shook hands outside the courtroom in Hartford, across the street from the State Capitol  where their fight for a legislative seat will continue after the new session opens on Jan. 9.

Its uncharted territory, Feehan said. I dont know what theyre going to do.

The territory is not really uncharted.

After investigating allegations of irregularities involving absentee ballots, a special committee voted to seat Democrat Joan Hartley of Waterbury after she won a House seat by two votes in 1984. The panel was dominated by Republicans, who won control of the House that year.

Democrats won 92 of 151 House seats last month, but the Stratford review will be bipartisan as the rules have been changed since 1984. Under current House rules, the validity of a members election is a matter for a committee of two Democrats and two Republicans. The House never has ordered a new election to resolve disputed results, lawyers said.

Young first won the seat in a special election in February, an upset in a district long represented by Republicans, mostly recently Laura Hoydick. She resigned after being elected mayor in 2017.

Lawyers representing Young and state election officials told the court that the Connecticut Constitution was unambiguous: The state House and Senate have sole jurisdiction over resolving disputed elections of their members.

There is a reason you have not been cited a single cases where a new election for a House or Senate seat was ordered by a court, said William M. Bloss, representing Young.

Proloy K. Das, the lawyer representing Feehan, argued that the courts did have jurisdiction to protect the rights of the voters who were given the wrong ballots, calling them disenfranchised.

Keep in mind, the rights of the voters are at issue here, Das said.

The justices were dubious, peppering Das with questions about whether Das had standing to bring the case or if the rights of voters really were the issue.

Im not following that, said Justice Gregory T. DAuria. Do you represent the voters?

Justice Andrew J. McDonald asked Das if any voter had come forward to complain.

No, your honor, he replied.

Justice Maria Araujo Kahn asked Das if he would be seeking a new election on behalf of the voters had his client won.

Das said someone would have brought a challenge, presumably the loser.

House Minority Leader Themis Klarides, R-Derby, who attended the hearing, said she would speak to House Speaker Joe Aresimowicz, D-Berlin, about convening a committee to review the results.

Seventy-six people were disenfranchised, she said. If Democrats didnt get 76 people to get the proper ballots, and 76 people did not get to vote and choose the person in their district, theyd be setting the State Capitol on fire.
In August 2018, the Trump administration revealed plans that would reduce the nations fuel efficiency standards for automobiles.

In collaboration with the EPA and NHTSA, Trump proposed the Safe Affordable Fuel Efficiency rule, which amends the current Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards. This new rule freezes the average fuel efficiency requirement at 35 mpg for model years 2021 through 2026, a number much lower than CAFEs 54.5 mpg.

Trump wants to implement a national standard under the guise of protecting consumers from safety and cost concerns associated with green vehicles. His changes, though, would call for the rescindment of the California Waiver. Connecticut is one of the 12 states alongside the District of Columbia that has adopted the regulations under the California Waiver. Trumps plan to implement his own SAFE regulations has profound effects on Connecticut, a state working to reduce its emissions.

The California Waiver was added to the Clean Air Act in 1970 and grants California the ability to regulate its own emissions standards. California had already been innovative in developing green technology, thus it was deemed able to decide its own regulations. Since the waivers promulgation, the state has set more stringent standards on vehicle emissions in attempt to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. States can choose to follow either Californias regulations or federal ones, however, Trumps proposal to revoke the waiver leaves states that use Californias rules in a compromising position.

Connecticut operates under Californias waiver and will feel the consequences of its rollback. According to the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, mobile pollution accounts for approximately fifty percent of all man-made air pollution emitted in Connecticut and throughout the Northeast.

Vehicles produce significant amounts of nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide, and other pollutants that have many dangerous health effects that impact people of all ages. Air pollution alone increases respiratory diseases such as asthma and bronchitis while particulate matter is responsible for 30,000 premature deaths each year.

On the issue, Attorney General Jepsen states, The Trump administration is determined to roll back protections, like these auto emissions standards, that are critical to the health, safety and wellbeing of Connecticut residents. Thus, it is imperative that Connecticut be able to regulate its emissions standards in order to lessen its negative effects.

Without the waiver, Connecticut can expect to face difficulty addressing the transportation sector and meeting state and nationwide reduction goals.

In 2014, the U.S. Energy and Information Administration found that transportation emissions of greenhouse gases constitute 43 percent of the GHG inventory and are the leading source of GHG emissions in Connecticut.

As Commissioner Klee argues, Freezing todays air pollution standards in place until 2026 will not only cost American families at the gas pump, well also pay for this recklessness as climate forcing pollution, which based on earlier EPA studies could be reduced cost effectively, is dumped into our air while simultaneously American-made technology, which could create jobs and reduce this pollution, sits by idly as the world moves past us yet again. This action makes no sense on any level and Connecticut DEEP will continue to take appropriate action with our partners to protect the air we breathe.

Halting fuel efficiency standards will only exacerbate the effects of pollution induced by automobiles and complicate the process of reducing emissions.

Connecticuts best interest is to support the continuation of the California Waiver. This would allow the state to resume its path of reducing emissions and creating a cleaner environment.

Gov. Dannel Malloy is on-board with opposing the repeal of Californias waiver, stating, Rather than acknowledging the overwhelming consensus of the scientific community, President Trumps administration continues to ignore their warnings and recommendations. This president seems intent on leaving an environmental legacy that is aimed at doing irreparable harm our planet, rather than protecting it. We will do everything in our power to defend Connecticuts right to set appropriate vehicle emissions standards and to protect the air our residents breathe.

Olivia Blair is a Fairfield resident and current student at Bowdoin College.
Christmas was not regularly celebrated in Fairfields early years. Across Puritan New England, Christmas feasting and revelry was outlawed until 1681, and frowned upon even after that.

Dec. 25 remained a regular working day throughout most of the 18th century: in 1749 Fairfield held its town meeting on Christmas Day, and in 1776 the Continental Congress conducted business on Christmas as well.

By the 1850s, Christmas had become a popular holiday, and Fairfield people noted having festive meals and admiring decorations in the churches that were dressed for Christmas with candles and greenery. Around this time, many Americans started to adopt the German tradition of decorating an evergreen tree in their homes for Christmas. Decorations started out homemade, with strings of popcorn, nuts, beads, and fruit, but became more elaborate over time.

At the Southport Congregational Church in 1868, the minister invited children to pluck fruit from a trimmed tree and receive gifts. He composed a poem for that day about the Christmas tree and the meaning of the holiday, explaining this relatively new Christmas tradition.

In December 1870, the Southport Chronicle took note of the splendid Christmas tree at the Town House, magnificently decorated with loads of presents, provided by the Unquowa Club for children in town. That same year, President Ulysses Grant  searching for ways to unite the country following the Civil War  first declared Christmas Day to be a federal holiday.

In 1921, the Eunice Dennie Burr chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution planted a tree on the Town Green in memory of Mary B. Kippen, the chapters second regent. Local patroness Annie B. Jennings provided the fixtures to light the tree, which soon came to be known for the splendor of the myriad of electric bulbs and the large illuminated star of Bethlehem on it, according to the Bridgeport Telegram.

The tradition of lighting a Christmas tree on the Town Green continues today. View the tree and then visit the Holiday Express Train Show at the Fairfield Museum. For all of the holiday and vacation week hours, visit Fairfieldhistory.org/programs-events/holiday-express-train-show/.

About the Fairfield Museum & History Center

The Fairfield Museum & History Center and Museum Shop, located at 370 Beach Road, is open seven days a week, 10am-4pm. Members of the Museum and children under 5 are admitted free. For more information, call 203-259-1598 or visit Fairfieldhistory.org.
There is not enough analysis data for Standard Diversified.

4.3 Community Rank

Outperform Votes Standard Diversified has received 69 outperform votes. (Add your outperform vote.)

Underperform Votes Standard Diversified has received 40 underperform votes. (Add your underperform vote.)

Community Sentiment Standard Diversified has received 63.30% outperform votes from our community.

MarketBeat's community ratings are surveys of what our community members think about Standard Diversified and other stocks. Vote Outperform if you believe SDI will outperform the S&P 500 over the long term. Vote Underperform if you believe SDI will underperform the S&P 500 over the long term. You may vote once every thirty days.

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There is not enough analysis data for EACO.

4.5 Community Rank

Outperform Votes EACO has received 78 outperform votes. (Add your outperform vote.)

Underperform Votes EACO has received 36 underperform votes. (Add your underperform vote.)

Community Sentiment EACO has received 68.42% outperform votes from our community.

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There is not enough analysis data for HighPoint Resources.

4.1 Community Rank

Outperform Votes HighPoint Resources has received 160 outperform votes. (Add your outperform vote.)

Underperform Votes HighPoint Resources has received 102 underperform votes. (Add your underperform vote.)

Community Sentiment HighPoint Resources has received 61.07% outperform votes from our community.

MarketBeat's community ratings are surveys of what our community members think about HighPoint Resources and other stocks. Vote Outperform if you believe HPR will outperform the S&P 500 over the long term. Vote Underperform if you believe HPR will underperform the S&P 500 over the long term. You may vote once every thirty days.

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Ferrellgas Partners, L.P. distributes and sells propane and related equipment and supplies. The company transports propane to propane distribution locations, tanks on customers' premises, or to portable propane tanks delivered to retailers. It conducts its portable tank exchange operations under the Blue Rhino brand name through a network of independent and partnership-owned distribution outlets. The company's propane is primarily used for space heating, water heating, cooking, outdoor cooking using gas grills, crop drying, irrigation, weed control, and other propane fueled appliances; as an engine fuel for combustion engine vehicles and forklifts; and as a heating or energy source in manufacturing and drying processes. It serves residential, industrial/commercial, portable tank exchange, agricultural, wholesale, and other customers in the United States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. As of July 31, 2018, it operated 72 service centers and 859 propane distribution locations. The company is also involved in the sale of refined fuels; provision of common carrier services; and retail sale of propane appliances and related parts and fittings, as well as other retail propane related services and consumer products. Ferrellgas Partners, L.P. was founded in 1939 and is headquartered in Overland Park, Kansas.

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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 (WHO). Since then, EWU stock has increased by 26.9% and is now trading at $32.48.

View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19.
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.
New Zealand Energy Corp., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the exploration and production of oil and natural gas in New Zealand. The company holds interests in three petroleum mining licenses, one petroleum mining permit, and one petroleum exploration permit. It has interests in TWN Petroleum Mining Licenses comprising Waihapa/Ngaere, and Tariki; Copper Moki petroleum mining permit; and Eltham Petroleum exploration permit. It also operates midstream assets. As of December 31, 2020, the company had proved and probable reserves of 696,500 barrels of oil. New Zealand Energy Corp. was incorporated in 2010 and is based in New Plymouth, New Zealand.

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INNOVATE Corp. engages in the acquisition and investment of assets. It operates through the following segments: Infrastructure, Clean Energy, Telecommunications, Insurance, Life Sciences, Spectrum, and Other. The Infrastructure segment models, details, fabricates, and erects structural steel for commercial and industrial construction projects. The Clean Energy segment designs, builds, and maintains compressed natural gas fueling stations for transportation vehicles. The Telecommunications segment manages telecommunications business including a network of direct routes and provides voice communication services. The Insurance segment offers long-termcare, life, annuity, and other accident and health coverage. The Life Sciences segment maintains controlling interests in Genovel Orthopedics, Inc. and R2 Technologies, Inc. through Pansend Life Sciences LLC. The Spectrum segment owns over-the-air broadcasting stations and spanish-language broadcast network. The Other segment represents all other businesses or investments that do not meet the definition of a segment individually or in the aggregate. The company was founded in 1994 and is headquartered in New York, NY.

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by Blaine Blontz | Fri, Dec 21st 6:22pm EST

Lamar Miller enters Week 16 questionable due to his ankle injury.

Fantasy Impact:

Miller was forced to sit the second half of Week 15's contest against the Jets, but he is trending toward suiting up this weekend at Philadelphia. He should continue to see 15-20 touches if he's active in what is expected to be a close game. That makes him a volume-based RB2 despite his lack of upside.
2020 was a year marked by hardships and challenges, but the Fauquier community has proven resilient. The Fauquier Times is honored to serve as your community companion. To say thank you for your continued support, wed like to offer all our subscribers -- new or returning --

4 WEEKS FREE DIGITAL AND PRINT ACCESS.

We understand the importance of working to keep our community strong and connected. As we move forward together into 2021, it will take commitment, communication, creativity, and a strong connection with those who are most affected by the stories we cover.

We are dedicated to providing the reliable, local journalism you have come to expect. We are committed to serving you with renewed energy and growing resources. Let the Fauquier Times be your community companion throughout 2021, and for many years to come.
A couple of years ago, Deepika Padukone became one of the first famous Bollywood celebrities to publicly open up about suffering from mental illnesses. She spoke up about having survived depression and anxiety. By sharing her own experiences and becoming a figure of support and encouragement to those suffering from mental illnesses, Deepika was hugely respected, not only by the film fraternity, but also among ordinary people. Just a few days before her wedding with Ranveer Singh last month, Deepika wrote a deeply sincere letter to her fans about her fight against depression with hopes of reaching out to people.

Priyanka & Nick Reception: Deepika Padukone & Ranveer Singh stuns in all black style | FilmiBeat

Deepika wrote to her fans via Elle India Magazine, who shared the letter on Instagram with this caption, "A few days before her wedding @deepikapadukone wrote a letter addressing her struggle with anxiety and depression, for our 22nd Anniversary Issue. By publicly talking about her own battles, she empowered many to reach out and seek help. Her letter is full of empathy and kindness, a reminder that (in the words of Stephen Fry) "it will be sunny one day"."

This is what the letter reads -

"As some of you may know, in the summer of 2014, I was diagnosed with anxiety and clinical depression. Fortunately, timely professional help coupled with the support of caregivers around me, empowered me towards the path of recovery. As I began to read more about the subject, I realised that there were millions of others like me who were suffering in silence.

Subsequently, so difficult as it was at the time, I decided to talk about my personal journey on national television with the hope of encouraging others to also seek help.

Thereafter, in June 2015, I founded the Live, Love, Laugh Foundation to create awareness about stress, anxiety and depression, and reduce the stigma attached to mental illness.

The Foundation now runs flagship programs to create awareness and reduce stigma. We also fund organizations working in the field of mental health, commission research and conduct large scale nation wide public awareness campaigns.

A few weeks ago we launched a unique campaign called #NotAshamed, with real-life survivors of mental illness. It was aimed at ensuring those who are suffering from depression or any other mental illness, feel comfortable in asking for help; and we are encouraged with how the campaign has been received.

To anyone who sees darkness, I would like to say that you are not alone and that help is available.

For in the words of Stephen Fry, "It will be sunny one day."

Live, Love & Laugh"

Isn't that such a strong, beautiful voice of support for people in need?

MOST READ: Airport Looks: Deepika Looks Like A Cool Hippy, Soha Ali Khan's Daughter Is Too Cute
PARIS, Dec. 21, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Artprice, a Server Group company and internet pioneer since 1985 in Europe, and Cision are pleased to announce a newswire distribution partnership. The partnership makes Cision the official news and content distributor for a world leader in art market information.

The strategic partnership designates Cision as the distribution service provider for Artprice information on art market trends for today's worldwide principal media agencies including approximately 7,200 international press publications. The deal is a direct result of a long-standing relationship spanning two decades between Artprice and Cision, two strong leaders in their respective markets.

Artprice is a global leader in art price and art index databanks. It has over 30 million indices and auction results. Artprice Images 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.

"We take great pride in providing the best global news related to the art market industry such as, auction results, indices covering over 700,000 artists, major events, and museum openings across the five continents," said Artprice Founder and CEO, Thierry Ehrmann. "Cision's newswire service exceeds an industry-standard for news dissemination as revealed by our audit; it allows Artprice to reach its market representing roughly 90 million buyers and collectors through reliable and fast distribution, reaching the depths of its audience. In 2019, Artprice and Cision hence give birth to an Art Press agency on a worldwide scale."

Cision stood out amongst competitors for partnership due to exceptional customer service and providing a newswire service unique in terms of diffusion and content. Global distribution was key for Artprice with a specific focus in France, Europe and China -- where it is associated with the Chinese leader in the Art Market, its solid institutional partner Artron.net -- to solidify its footprint in the international art market. The partnership will expand upon Artprice's global reach and impact as its Museum Industry, a global program supporting the expansion of museum openings, is now active across five continents.

"Cision's recent technological investments have reinforced our position as a partner of choice for news distribution," says Frederic Dumas, VP of Sales, Cision, France. "We work with the most respected brands and now in our twentieth year of serving Artprice worldwide, we are expanding upon our steadfast commitment to ensuring a relevant audience for Artprice content."

About Cision

Cision Ltd. (NYSE: CISN) is a leading global provider of earned media software and services to public relations and marketing communications professionals. Cision's software allows users to identify key influencers, craft and distribute strategic content, and measure meaningful impact. Cision has over 4,000 employees with offices in 19 countries throughout the Americas, EMEA, and APAC. For more information about its award-winning products and services, including the Cision Communications Cloud, visit www.cision.com and follow Cision on Twitter @Cision.

Media Contacts:

U.S.

Laura Roman

Cision

cisionpr@cision.com

Europe

Frederic Dumas

Cision

cisionpr@cision.com

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/801858/Cision_and_Artprice_Partnership_Press_Release_Image.jpg

Logo - http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/467136/cision_logo.jpg
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, December 21, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

/THIS NEWS RELEASE IS INTENDED FOR DISTRIBUTION IN CANADA ONLY AND IS NOT INTENDED FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES./

MGX Minerals Inc. ("MGX" or the "Company") (CSE: XMG / FKT: 1MG / OTCQB: MGXMF) is pleased to announce, further to its news releases dated November 23, 2018 and November 27, 2018, it has closed the second and final tranche of its previously announced non-brokered private placement financing (the "Offering").

The second tranche generated gross proceeds of $3,610,449.80 by issuance of 5,008,384 flow through units (the "FT Units") at $0.65 per FT Unit and 591,667 non-flow through units (the "NFT Units") at $0.60 per NFT Unit. Aggregate proceeds raised under the first and second tranche of the offering total $6,806,448.35.

Each NFT Unit is comprised of one common share of the Company (a "Common Share") and one common share purchase warrant (a "Warrant"). Each Warrant will entitle the holder to acquire one additional Common Share of the Company for a period of 36 months from the date of issuance at an exercise price of $0.67. Each FT Unit is comprised of one Common Share issued on a flow-through basis pursuant to the Income Tax Act (Canada) and one-half of one Common Share purchase warrant (each whole warrant, a "FT Warrant"). Each FT Warrant will entitle the holder to acquire one additional Common Share, on a non-flow through basis, for a period of 36 months from the date of issuance at a price of $0.70.

The securities issued under the Offering will be subject to a hold period of four-months and one day.

The FT Unit proceeds will be used for qualified mineral exploration expenses on the Company's projects in Canada including Driftwood Magnesium Oxide, Fran Gold, Ren Niobium-Titanium-Rare Earth, and multiple Silicon Projects. The NFT Unit proceeds are expected to be used for advancement of the Company's global water treatment and lithium assets, including continued investment into extraction equipment and PurLucid, property payments and additional acquisitions, engineering studies, permitting activities, and for general working capital.

In connection with the Offering, the Company paid finder's fees to EMD Financial Inc. under the terms previously disclosed in the news release dated November 23, 2018.

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available.

About MGX Minerals Inc.

MGX Minerals is a diversified Canadian resource and technology company with interests in global advanced material, energy and water assets.

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking information or forward-looking statements (collectively "forward-looking information") within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking information is typically identified by words such as: "believe", "expect", "anticipate", "intend", "estimate", "potentially" and similar expressions, or are those, which, by their nature, refer to future events. The Company cautions investors that any forward-looking information provided by the Company is not a guarantee of future results or performance, and that actual results may differ materially from those in forward-looking information as a result of various factors. The reader is referred to the Company's public filings for a more complete discussion of such risk factors and their potential effects which may be accessed through the Company's profile on SEDAR at http://www.sedar.com.

Jared Lazerson, President and CEO, Telephone: 1.604.681.7735, Web: http://www.mgxminerals.com
Washington, D.C.--(Newsfile Corp. - December 21, 2018) - The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced that Martha Legg Miller has been named as the first Advocate for Small Business Capital Formation.

The position and the new Office of the Advocate for Small Business Capital Formation were created pursuant to the bipartisan SEC Small Business Advocate Act of 2016. As the Advocate for Small Business Capital Formation, Ms. Miller will oversee the office dedicated to continuing to advance the interests of small businesses and their investors at the SEC and in our capital markets. The office will, among other things, provide assistance to small businesses, conduct outreach to better understand the obstacles small businesses face when attempting to access the capital markets, and recommend improvements to the regulatory environment to help facilitate capital formation. Ms. Miller will report directly to the Commission and will work collaboratively with the many staff across the agency focused on helping small businesses access our capital markets in an efficient and cost-effective manner.

Ms. Miller, currently a partner at the Birmingham, Alabama, firm Balch & Bingham LLP, will assume her new role in January 2019. Ms. Miller has been at Balch & Bingham since 2012, where she represents private companies and investors across a spectrum of corporate transactions, including matters related to the financing of small- and medium-sized businesses. She also serves as an adviser for several organizations dedicated to helping start-ups, entrepreneurs, and small businesses, including several focused on women- and minority-owned companies and their investors. Ms. Miller has served these organizations in a variety of ways, including as a board member of an incubator and legal counsel to an angel investor network.

Chairman Jay Clayton and Commissioners Kara Stein, Robert Jackson, Hester Peirce, and Elad Roisman said, "We are excited for Martha to take on this new and important role. Martha's extensive experience working with a diverse set of companies, entrepreneurs and investors - including in communities away from the coasts - will allow her to serve as a direct link to, and advocate for, the many small businesses around the country that drive our local and national economies for the benefit of Main Street investors."

"Having spent my career working closely with a variety of businesses and their investors, I have a deep appreciation for the needs they face at different phases of their growth," said Ms. Miller. "I am truly honored to have the opportunity to serve as the first Advocate for Small Business Capital Formation, where I will work alongside the many talented professionals at the SEC to encourage capital access for privately-held and smaller public companies. I look forward to the work ahead crafting solutions that meet the needs of businesses across the country."

Ms. Miller holds bachelor's degrees in Cognitive Neuroscience and Communication Studies from Vanderbilt University and a J.D. from the Georgetown University Law Center.
Artprice is bound to inform the market of CISION's forthcoming press release (NYSE listed CISN).

As of today, Artprice and Cision have joined forces to create Artpress agency - the world's leading press agency dedicated to Art Market information - an area in which Artprice is global leader.

For 120 years Cision has gradually built up a global information diffusion network recognized by more than 100,000 reputable clients in the financial sector.

Cision is the global leader in PR & Influence and Media Research software.

With its database of 1.6 million journalists and media outlets, Cision sends out high value-added information to the globe's 5 principal continents.

This press release by CISION USA :

Artprice and Cision Enter Distribution Partnership

PARIS, Dec. 21, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Artprice, a Server Group company and internet pioneer since 1985 in Europe, and Cision are pleased to announce a newswire distribution partnership. The partnership makes Cision the official news and content distributor for a world leader in art market information.

Artprice and Cision Enter Distribution Partnership

Press release Cision https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/artprice-and-cision-enter-distribution-partnership-300770437.html?=prn

The strategic partnership designates Cision as the distribution service provider for Artprice information on art market trends for today's worldwide principal media agencies including approximately 7,200 international press publications. The deal is a direct result of a long-standing relationship spanning two decades between Artprice and Cision, two strong leaders in their respective markets.

Artprice is a global leader in art price and art index databanks. It has over 30 million indices and auction results. Artprice Images 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.

"We take great pride in providing the best global news related to the art market industry such as, auction results, indices covering over 700,000 artists, major events, and museum openings across the five continents," said Artprice Founder and CEO, Thierry Ehrmann. "Cision's newswire service exceeds an industry-standard for news dissemination as revealed by our audit; it allows Artprice to reach its market representing roughly 90 million buyers and collectors through reliable and fast distribution, reaching the depths of its audience. In 2019, Artprice and Cision hence give birth to an Art Press agency on a worldwide scale."

Cision stood out amongst competitors for partnership due to exceptional customer service and providing a newswire service unique in terms of diffusion and content.

Global distribution was key for Artprice with a specific focus in France, Europe and China -- where it is associated with the Chinese leader in the Art Market, its solid institutional partner Artron.net -- to solidify its footprint in the international art market. The partnership will expand upon Artprice's global reach and impact as its Museum Industry, a global program supporting the expansion of museum openings, is now active across five continents.

"Cision's recent technological investments have reinforced our position as a partner of choice for news distribution," says Frederic Dumas, VP of Sales, Cision, France. "We work with the most respected brands and now in our twentieth year of serving Artprice worldwide, we are expanding upon our steadfast commitment to ensuring a relevant audience for Artprice content."

About Cision :

Cision Ltd. (NYSE: CISN) is a leading global provider of earned media software and services to public relations and marketing communications professionals. Cision's software allows users to identify key influencers, craft and distribute strategic content, and measure meaningful impact. Cision has over 4,000 employees with offices in 19 countries throughout the Americas, EMEA, and APAC. For more information about its award-winning products and services, including the Cision Communications Cloud, visit www.cision.com and follow Cision on Twitter @Cision.

Press release Cision: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/artprice-and-cision-enter-distribution-partnership-300770437.html?=prn

About Artprice:

Founded by thierry Ehrmann (see Who's who certified Biography ) (c) https://imgpublic.artprice.com/img/wp/sites/11/2018/10/bio-2019-whos-who-thierry-ehrmann.pdf ).

Artprice is listed on the Eurolist by Euronext Paris, SRD long only and Euroclear: 7478 - Bloomberg: PRC - Reuters: ARTF.

Dicover Artprice in video: 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 Images 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.

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: https://www.artprice.com/artprice-reports/the-art-market-in-2017

Artprice is associated with Artron Group the Chinese leader in the Art Market, its solid institutional partner.

About the Artron Group:

"Artron Art Group (Artron), a comprehensive cultural industrial group founded in 1993 by Wan jie, is committed to inheriting, enhancing and spreading art value. Based on abundant art data, Artron provides art industry and art fans with professional service and experience of quality products by integrated application of IT, advanced digital science and innovative crafts and materials. Having produced more than 60,000 books and auction catalogues, Artron is the world's largest art book printer with a total print volume of 300 million a year. It has more than 3 million professional members in the arts sector and an average of 15 million daily visits, making it the world's leading art website. Founded in 1993by Wan Jie, the Artron Art Group is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. It is the first choice for art professionals, investors, collectors and art fans in general wishing to discover and/or participate in the art world or the art market. Founded in 1993, Artron Art Group is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year."

Artron's Web: www.Artron.net

Artprice's Contemporary Art Market Annual Report for 2017 - free access at: 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/artpricedotcom & https://twitter.com/artmarketdotcom

https://www.facebook.com/artpricedotcom 3.4 million subscribers

http://artmarketinsight.wordpress.com/

Discover the Alchemy and the universe of Artprice 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 https://www.facebook.com/la.demeure.du.chaos.theabodeofchaos999 3.4 million subscribers

The Contemporary Art Museum The Abode of Chaos

https://www.facebook.com/la.demeure.du.chaos.theabodeofchaos999 3.4 million subscribers

Contact: ir@artprice.com

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By Eric M. Johnson SEATTLE (Reuters) - Boeing Co looked poised to beat European arch-rival Airbus for aircraft orders in 2018 by a wide margin after clinching billions of dollars in new business from Nigeria's Green Africa Airways and Saudi Arabia's flyadeal

By Eric M. Johnson

SEATTLE (Reuters) - Boeing Co looked poised to beat European arch-rival Airbus for aircraft orders in 2018 by a wide margin after clinching billions of dollars in new business from Nigeria's Green Africa Airways and Saudi Arabia's flyadeal.

The world's largest planemaker had already notched 690 net airplane orders through end-November, the last full month reported, surpassing Airbus' 380 total orders minus cancellations for the same period, company data showed.

Boeing and Lagos-based Green Africa Airways announced a preliminary deal which once finalised will involve 50 firm orders for its 737 MAX 8 aircraft with an option to buy an additional 50, a deal that carries a list price of $11.7 billion.

The deal for Boeing's fast-selling narrowbody jet marks the largest aircraft agreement from Africa, Boeing and Green Africa said in a joint statement.

Separately, Boeing and Saudi Arabian Airlines' low-cost subsidiary flyadeal - which has only flown Airbus narrowbodies - struck a provisional agreement for 30 737 MAX jets with options for 20 more in a deal that would be valued at up to $5.9 billion at list price.

Boeing and Airbus have been involved in a bitter contest for sales of upgraded fuel-saving planes like the 737 MAX and A320neo family, with both sides claiming superior economics, but Airbus still boasting a bigger market share despite a disappointing year in 2018 amid management changes.

737 MAX 8 is the fastest-selling airplane in the Boeing fleet, accumulating more than 4,800 orders from more than 100 customers worldwide.

Boeing was playing up the popularity of its 737 MAX 8 as Lion Air ponders the cancellation of a 737 order worth $22 billion in the wake of October's deadly crash in Indonesia.

Jeddah-based flyadeal chose the 737 MAX 8 with a capacity for 189 passengers in a one-class configuration, Boeing said.

Airlines in Africa will require 1,190 new airplanes as the continent boosts both intra-continental and intercontinental connectivity over the next couple of decades, Boeing said, citing its 20-year Commercial Market Outlook.

Despite a track record of pulling off last-minute surprises, analysts said Airbus was unlikely to recover lost ground before the year-end.

But industry sources said it could still pull off some deals before the close of the year, with leasing customers like SMBC Aviation among those eyeing the prospect of discounted prices as Airbus tries to narrow the gap and a deal not ruled out before end-year.

(Reporting by Eric M. Johnson in Seattle, Bhanu Pratap in Bengaluru, and Tim Hepher in Paris; editing by Sunil Nair and James Dalgleish)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
By Eric M. Johnson SEATTLE (Reuters) - (The story was corrected to show that Green Africa deal is provisional, not firm in paragraph three) Boeing Co looked poised to beat European arch-rival Airbus for aircraft orders in 2018 by a wide margin after clinching billions of dollars in new business from Nigeria's Green Africa Airways and Saudi Arabia's flyadeal.

By Eric M. Johnson

SEATTLE (Reuters) - (The story was corrected to show that Green Africa deal is provisional, not firm in paragraph three)

Boeing Co looked poised to beat European arch-rival Airbus for aircraft orders in 2018 by a wide margin after clinching billions of dollars in new business from Nigeria's Green Africa Airways and Saudi Arabia's flyadeal.

The world's largest planemaker had already notched 690 net airplane orders through end-November, the last full month reported, surpassing Airbus' 380 total orders minus cancellations for the same period, company data showed.

Boeing and Lagos-based Green Africa Airways announced a preliminary deal which once finalised will involve 50 firm orders for its 737 MAX 8 aircraft with an option to buy an additional 50, a deal that carries a list price of $11.7 billion.

The deal for Boeing's fast-selling narrowbody jet marks the largest aircraft agreement from Africa, Boeing and Green Africa said in a joint statement.

Separately, Boeing and Saudi Arabian Airlines' low-cost subsidiary flyadeal - which has only flown Airbus narrowbodies - struck a provisional agreement for 30 737 MAX jets with options for 20 more in a deal that would be valued at up to $5.9 billion at list price.

Boeing and Airbus have been involved in a bitter contest for sales of upgraded fuel-saving planes like the 737 MAX and A320neo family, with both sides claiming superior economics, but Airbus still boasting a bigger market share despite a disappointing year in 2018 amid management changes.

737 MAX 8 is the fastest-selling airplane in the Boeing fleet, accumulating more than 4,800 orders from more than 100 customers worldwide.

Boeing was playing up the popularity of its 737 MAX 8 as Lion Air ponders the cancellation of a 737 order worth $22 billion in the wake of October's deadly crash in Indonesia.

Jeddah-based flyadeal chose the 737 MAX 8 with a capacity for 189 passengers in a one-class configuration, Boeing said.

Airlines in Africa will require 1,190 new airplanes as the continent boosts both intra-continental and intercontinental connectivity over the next couple of decades, Boeing said, citing its 20-year Commercial Market Outlook.

Despite a track record of pulling off last-minute surprises, analysts said Airbus was unlikely to recover lost ground before the year-end.

But industry sources said it could still pull off some deals before the close of the year, with leasing customers like SMBC Aviation among those eyeing the prospect of discounted prices as Airbus tries to narrow the gap and a deal not ruled out before end-year.

(Reporting by Eric M. Johnson in Seattle, Bhanu Pratap in Bengaluru, and Tim Hepher in Paris; editing by Sunil Nair and James Dalgleish)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Demonetisation was the biggest mistake of Modi in his tenure as Prime Minister and the damage the move has done to the economy is unpardonable, said Yashwant Sinha, who quit the BJP in April 2018.

At 81, there is no ambition to hold any ministerial post or position in the BJP government; the sole reason that prompted him to turn into a critic and part ways with the party was his disagreement with Narendra Modis back-to-back flawed economic policies that has put the nation on the back foot, said former finance minister and senior BJP leader, Yashwant Sinha in an exclusive interaction with Firstpost. His book, India Unmade: How Narendra Modi Broke the Economy written with Aditya Sinha was released recently.

Believe me, there is nothing personal between me and them (the party leadership). I decided to quit and take my criticism public only when the Modi government forced flawed economic policies on the people of this country and did not care to listen to advice, said Sinha.

Sinha said he decided to write the book at this point to tell the 'truth' to the people before they walk into poll booths during the 2019 elections. The truth needs to be told., said the former finance minister in a telephonic interview. There was no option but to publicly voice my criticism to speak up on the Modi-governments wrong policies. It was then that I decided to write an article I need to speak up now in September 2017 in the Indian Express newspaper, Sinha said. That was the first time. But even after that the Modi government refused to listen and continued with its flawed policies, " Sinha said.

The space for constructive criticism has narrowed in the present context. Critics of the government are being dubbed as anti-nationals, anti-Modi, so on, said Sinha.

Referring to the recently introduced GDP back series and the claims about employment figures using EPFO-data, Sinha said the Modi government is manipulating data to mislead the country. The data is being manipulated so that the Prime Minister can give a speech in Parliament. The GDP back series needs to be examined urgently, Sinha said. On 28 November, the Modi-government released GDP back series data that showed lower growth in UPA-years. The move was criticised for the accuracy of the numbers and the way NITI Aayog dominated the back series launch.

Analysts pointed out that the new data back series failed to correlate with important, multiple high-frequency growth indicators during their respective periods. Sinha questioned the government on its claims of employment growth using the EPFO-figures saying it didnt represent a true picture. There is massive unemployment and we are seeing it. There used to be Labour bureau surveys that used to study employment trends; this government has stopped that as well, Sinha said.

Sinha said during his tenure he had undertaken the first major reform in indirect taxes and the GST (Goods and Services Tax) is only a logical progression of that. But, in the current form the GST is flawed; it needs to be brought into a three rate structure as he had proposed in the past, Sinha said.

The BJP is hoping to convert the 2019 general elections into a presidential-style poll making Narendra Modi the central issue but Opposition parties need to be careful not to fall prey for this plan, warned the former Union finance minister, Yashwant Sinha.

Modi is not the issue here. Issues are issues. Modi and the BJP would want Modi to become the issue and convert the polls to a presidential-style election yet again. The Opposition should be on guard, cautioned Sinha.

Demonetisation was the biggest mistake of Modi in his tenure as Prime Minister and the damage the move has done to the economy is unpardonable, said Sinha, who quit the BJP in April 2018. Sinha served as Minister of Finance and Minister of External Affairs under the Chandra Shekhar and A B Vajpayee governments respectively.

Yashwant Sinha was external affairs minister under Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee ( 2002-04) and finance minister in the same government from 1998-2002. He was finance minister in Chandrashekhar's government in 1991.

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 plays a dominant role in making 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 banwidening taxpayer base and push for digitalisationare much less compared to the pain the exercise inflicted upon the economy.

Recently, a working paper from the 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 showed that demonetisation indeed lowered the GDP (gross domestic product) growth by at least 2 percent in the near-term post-demonetisation.

(Yashwant Sinha is a former Union Finance Minister and External Affairs Minister. He quit the BJP in April 2018. His new book India Unmade: How Narendra Modi Broke the Economy written with Aditya Sinha is just out.)
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday arrested Christian Michel, the alleged middleman arrested in the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal case.

New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday arrested Christian Michel, the alleged middleman arrested in the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal case.

Michel was produced before Special Judge Arvind Kumar where the ED sought his 15 days custody.

The court allowed the ED to interrogate the British national inside courtroom for 15 minutes after the agency sought his custodial interrogation. He was arrested after that.

The ED had sought his arrest in a money laundering case.

He was arrested in the UAE and extradited to India on 4 December. The next day, he was produced before the court, which allowed his five-day custodial interrogation by the CBI. It was extended by five more days, and later for another four days.

The court had reserved the order on Michel's bail plea on 19 December and had sent him to judicial custody till 28 December.

Michel is among the three alleged middlemen being probed in the case by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the CBI. The others are Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa.

The CBI has alleged there was an estimated loss of Euro 398.21 million (about Rs 2,666 crore) to the exchequer in the deal that was signed on 8 February, 2010 for the supply of VVIP choppers worth Euro 556.262 million.

The ED, in its charge sheet filed against Michel in June 2016, had alleged that he received EUR 30 million (about Rs 225 crore) from AgustaWestland.
After arresting Michel in the alleged money laundering case, the ED sought his 15 day-custody from the court on Saturday.

New Delhi: Christian Michel, an alleged middleman extradited from Dubai recently, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate and sent to seven days custody of the agency over money laundering charges in the alleged AgustaWestland VVIP chopper scam after he was produced in a court which denied bail in the related CBI case.

Michel, lodged in Tihar jail in the CBI case, was produced before Special Judge Arvind Kumar following a production warrant issued on the plea of ED which took him into custody inside the courtroom.

The court, which had earlier reserved order on his bail plea in the CBI case, said, "Considering the overall facts and circumstances, serious nature of allegations, gravity of offence and the fact that investigation is at a crucial stage, I do not consider it to be a fit case for grant of bail."

The court had on 19 December reserved the order on Michel's bail plea in the Rs 36,000-crore scam and sent him to judicial custody till 28 December.

After arresting Michel in the alleged money laundering case, the ED sought his 15 day-custody from the court on Saturday.

Opposing defence counsel's submission that the accused had already been quizzed by the CBI, the ED said there was a gap in the money trail being investigated by it and the CBI.

"We are two different agencies. It's impossible to have a joint investigation in the ambit of the law. We need to stand on our own feet," the ED said.

The agency said that it needs to probe money laundering aspect of the chain of proceeds of crime and the properties brought with that money, all of which have to be identified and recovered.

"We are aware of an investigation of Euro 30 million. The CBI's investigation is of more than Euro 37 million. We have to cover that gap," the ED said.

It alleged that two of the properties have been bought out of the "proceeds of crime" and hence it is purely in the scope of money laundering.

"The money came and has been used through a hawala channel. It has not come through official channel. That has to be probed and he needs to be confronted in that regard. The co-accused persons have to be confronted with.

"Both channels  one channel through which money came and the other through which it was used  have to be unearthed. Money trail has to be identified. The nexus of Guido Haschke, Carlo Gerosa and Gautam Khaitan (the other accused) also have to be unearthed," the agency said.

It said that the agency was forced to seek "open-ended non-bailable warrant (NBW)".

Open-ended NBW does not carry a time limit for execution unlike non-bailable warrant.

The ED alleged that Michel has not joined the investigation in Italy and it cannot be said that the points the agency wants to probe here have already been investigated.

Michel was arrested in the UAE and extradited to India on 4 December. The next day, he was produced before the court, which allowed his five-day custodial interrogation by the CBI. It was extended by five more days, and later for another four days.

Michel's counsel Aljo K Joseph opposed the 15-day custody application by ED saying there was already prolonged detention by the CBI and his further custody by the ED will be "hampering his fundamental right".

"The ED did not try to question him while he was in the probe agency's (CBI) custody. His custody by one agency could have been used by the ED as well," Joseph said.

He further alleged that both the agencies have not done independent probe and are seeking Michel's confession.

"We are filing all the documents related to his financial transaction. Indian authorities are again asking for custody for his confession. All the documents have been collected by the Italian government. They have not done any investigation by themselves," the counsel said.

Michel had on Friday urged the court that he be lodged in a separate cell as other inmates were putting "uncomfortable questions" to him.

An Assistant Superintendent of Tihar Jail informed the court on Saturday that the accused is lodged in a ward meant for first time offenders "under safe and secure custody", considering that he was a foreigner.

The court also noted the submission of the jail official that jail authorities are providing adequate facilities to all the prisoners, including foreigners, as per rules.

However, the court directed the jail superintendent to ensure safety and security of the accused. The court also noted the submission made by the accused that he has not been "pressured by anyone and he has not been threatened by any prisoners and everything is okay."

The CBI opposed the bail plea saying he was paid huge bribe amount by AugustaWestland which was given to the officers of Indian Air Force, MOD, bureaucrats, politicians and a family in India for showing favour in VVIP helicopter deal.

It alleged that an amount of euro 42.27 million was paid by Westland Group companies to the firms of accused as kickbacks.

Michel is among the three alleged middlemen being probed in the case by the ED and the CBI. The others are Haschke and Gerosa.

The CBI has alleged there was an estimated loss of Euro 398.21 million  about Rs 2,666 crore  to the exchequer in the deal that was signed on February 8, 2010 for the supply of VVIP choppers worth Euro 556.262 million.

The ED, in its chargesheet filed against Michel in June 2016, had alleged that he received Euro 30 million  about Rs 225 crore  from AgustaWestland.
Security forces had launched a cordon and search operation in Arampora village in Awantipora area of Pulwama on Saturday morning following specific intelligence input about the presence of militants there

An encounter broke out on Saturday between militants and security forces in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said. The gunfight has concluded and six militants have been killed in the encounter, ANI reported. The news agency also added that security forces recovered arms and ammunition from the site.

"Six terrorists have been killed in the Tral area encounter. Weapons and war-like stores have been recovered. The operation is over," Defence Ministry spokesman Colonel Rajesh Kalia said.

According to News18, one of the six slain militants was identified as Soliha, alias Rehaan Khan, a close aide of Musa and also the deputy chief of the outfit. ANI further reported that the terrorists were identified as Soliha Akhoon, a resident of Arampora in Tral; Faisal, a resident of Amlar; Nadeem Sofi, a resident of Batagund in Tral, and Dadsara resident Rasiq Mir. He also named Rouf and Umar, both residents of Dadsara Tral.

The neutralised militants belonged to the Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind outfit, led by former Hizbul Mujahideen commander Zakir Musa.

Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind is a cell of Al-Qaeda operating in the Kashmir Valley. The outfit is also said to have links with Jaish-e-Mohammed. He is one of the most wanted terrorists in Kashmir valley.Security forces had launched a cordon and search operation in Arampora village in Awantipora area of the south Kashmir district on Saturday morning following specific intelligence input about the presence of militants there, a police official said. He said as the forces were conducting searches, militants fired upon them, triggering the encounter.

Minor clashes erupted this time but no serious injuries have been reported to the civilian population. Mobile internet service in the district and rail services between the Valley and the Bannihal town of Jammu region were suspended, News18 reported.

The clash comes a week after seven civilians were killed in Pulwama, following protests and clashes during an encounter. The forces managed to kill three Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists, including one Zahoor Thokar, an ex-Indian Army personnel who joined militancy last year, but inflicted heavy civilian casualty in the process. One army jawan also lost his life in the encounter.

The civilians' deaths had cause statewide outrage, with separatist conglomerate Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) calling for protests towards the Srinagar headquarters of the army. It also asked people to observe shutdown for three days.

With inputs from PTI
What Naseeruddin has said in the context of the 3 December killing of police inspector Subodh Kumar Singh and local youth Sumit Kumar in Bulandshahr and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath's reaction to it, makes eminent sense.

Naseeruddin Shah deserves to be heard because Bulandshahr is a blot on India's conscience

What Naseeruddin has said in the context of the 3 December killing of police inspector Subodh Kumar Singh and local youth Sumit Kumar in Bulandshahr and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath's reaction to it, makes eminent sense. The killing of a police inspector in mob violence is nothing new. But the Bulandshahr case is entirely different.

BJP rhetoric over West Bengal rath yatra ban hypocritical; party muscles out Opposition wherever it is in power

Politically and ideologically, the BJP continues to be on a sticky wicket in Bengal, which is why it is making outlandish claims. The Trinamool Congress may not be an exemplar of democratic functioning, but the rath yatra ban does not prove that. In any case, it would be hard put to be more "undemocratic" than the BJP.

CPEC's real benefit for Islamabad and Beijing is strategic, not economic

Pakistans comparatively advantageous geostrategic location in South Asia is rarely quoted in Indian strategic circles; that its real estate in different ways is a potential boon to the neighbouring five major civilisations: Indian, Chinese, Central Asian, Persian and Arab. Its a question of who exploits it to advantage and to whom Pakistan denies that advantage.

Week after Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama encounter, civilian deaths continue to evoke rage

The death of seven civilians, the highest in a single gunfight in recent years, triggered widespread anger. It was condemned widely, and both sides following the same drill. The separatists called a strike and a symbolic protest march to the army cantonment in Srinagar while the administration resorted to blocking internet in the Valley and restricted peoples movement in Srinagar. Elsewhere, there was talk of following the SOPs.
After a back-and-forth of accusations of mistreating the diplomats in the High Commissions of India and Pakistan earlier this year, new reports emerged about Indian diplomats facing harassment in Pakistan on Saturday.

After a back-and-forth of accusations of mistreating the diplomats in the high commissions of India and Pakistan earlier this year, new reports emerged about Indian diplomats facing harassment in Pakistan on Saturday. ANI reported that Indian officials in the neighbouring country were being denied new gas connections while internet services of some senior officials were blocked. A case of breaking and entering in an Indian diplomat's house was also reported in the first week of December.

Sources said that the Centre has taken up the matter with Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, according to ANI.

In July of this year, speaking in the Parliament, Minister of State, External Affairs, General VK Singh said, "Government of India has, from time to time, taken up the incidents of harassment, aggressive surveillance and intimidation of the officials of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad and also the obstacles placed in the early completion of residential complex for the Indian High Commission officials. The Pakistan side was asked to resolve these issues and ensure the safety and security of our diplomatic mission and its diplomatic and consular officials."

Incidents of harassment of diplomats on both sides were reported earlier this year too, after which "high level" talks helped resolve the issue at the time. India and Pakistan on 31 March announced that they agreed to mutually resolve all issues about the treatment of diplomats. The agreement followed claims and counter-claims by the two countries about harassment of each other's diplomats.

"India and Pakistan have mutually agreed to resolve matters related to the treatment of diplomats and diplomatic premises, in line with the 1992 'Code of Conduct' for treatment of Diplomatic/Consular personnel in India and Pakistan," the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement. A similar statement was issued by Pakistan Foreign Office.

The code provides for "smooth and unhindered functioning" of the diplomatic and consular officials of the two countries in conformity with the international laws without violating their privilege and immunity. The code also says that the two countries should not resort to intrusive and aggressive surveillance and actions such as verbal and physical harassment, disconnection of phone lines, etc.

Earlier in march, India had asked Pakistan to ensure safety and security of its officials working at the Indian mission in Islamabad, saying they continue to face "harassment" and "intimidation". In its 16th 'Note Verbale' to the Pakistan Foreign Ministry on 22 March, the Indian High Commission specifically mentioned three incidents of harassment of senior officials.

Pakistan had claimed that there had been as many as 26 instances of harassment and intimidation of its diplomats in March 2018, following which Islamabad called back its high commissioner Sohail Mahmood for discussions on the issue.

With inputs from agencies
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Saturday said while there is a strong Constitution and laws in place, their effective implementation does not happen due to a 'lack of sensitivity among the masses'.

Mumbai: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Saturday said while there is a strong Constitution and laws in place, their effective implementation does not happen due to a "lack of sensitivity among the masses".

Bhagwat was addressing a gathering in Mumbai, after taking part in 'Dheyapurti Puraskar Ceremony-2018' organised by Nutan Gulgule Foundation (NGF) working for the cause of the people with physical and mental disabilities.

The RSS chief said religion should not be just read in books but be implemented as a way of life, and that humans should behave like human beings.

"There is a strong Constitution, laws in place. However, they are not being implemented due to a lack of sensitivity among masses. There has to be an awakening in the society," he said.

Bhagwat said one's behaviour in public affects the society and that others follow suit.

He added that while 'pooja' (worship) is a matter of faith, the religion of humanity should be imbibed in one's character and behaviour.

Bhagwat further said one's character should be such that they find the religion of humanity and that everybody should strive to ensure they do whatever they can for Divyangs.
Taking a dig at the ongoing debate over the caste of Lord Hanuman, BJP ally Shiv Sena Saturday said other characters from the epic Ramayana better keep their caste certificates ready.

Mumbai: Taking a dig at the ongoing debate over the caste of Lord Hanuman, BJP ally Shiv Sena Saturday said other characters from the epic Ramayana better keep their caste certificates ready. Terming the debate as "unwarranted" and "pointless", the party said attempts were being made in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly to write a "new Ramayana" by attaching caste labels to Lord Hanuman, and such a move should be thwarted.

"Although a Ram temple is yet to be constructed in Ayodhya, a debate has started in the BJP over the caste of Hanuman, the embodiment of devotion and loyalty. What is the point in debating the religion and caste of Lord Hanuman" the Sena said in an editorial in party mouthpiece 'Saamana'. "While campaigning in the recently-concluded assembly elections, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath had said Hanuman was a Dalit. Thereafter, many others came forward to claim that the 'Monkey God' belonged to their caste.

"Thereafter, his party colleague and MLC Bukkal Nawab said he was a Muslim...Actually, trying to find the caste of Lord Hanuman is foolishness," it said. The Uddhav Thackeray-led party said that Adityanath's cabinet colleague Laxmi Narayan Chaudhary said on record in the Assembly that the God was a Jat. Acharya Nirbhay Sagar Maharaj claimed that according to Jain scriptures, Lord Hanuman was a Jain, the Shiv Sena said.

"This way, a new Ramayana is being penned in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly and caste labels are being attached to all its leading characters. A temple of Lord Ram is planned to be constructed in Ayodhya, but these people are trying to find the caste of the devotee of Ram... "In a way, they are making fun of Hanuman. But those who call themselves guardians of Hindutva are still mum over this. Had this been done by Muslims or 'progressive' people, then this Hindutva brigade would have created an uproar," the editorial said.

"Hanuman is an important character in the Ramayana. He is the embodiment of devotion and loyalty towards Lord Ram...If anyone is trying to write a new Ramayana in Uttar Pradesh Assembly by attaching different caste labels to him, then these attempts should be thwarted," it said. "Despite the BJP facing defeats in the recent elections, this debate over the caste of Hanuman is likely to continue. Hence, other characters from the Ramayana should keep their caste certificates ready now," the Sena concluded. The debate had started after Adityanath during a poll rally in Rajasthan last month 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".
iStock(NEW YORK) -- The New York City subway system is badly in need of an infusion of cash. Police would prefer not dropping off $10,000 at your local station, though.



Richard Taverna came into the possession of just such a "donation" on Thursday morning at the Lincoln Center-66th Street 1 train stop when he found a Chanel purse sitting unattended on the platform. The commuter scooped up the stray bag, saw a note inside written in Russian and took it home with him.



That is, until he realized it was stuffed with $10,000 in cash.



"I picked it up to see if there was an identification so I could get it to the right person," Taverna told New York ABC station WABC-TV.



"I opened the envelope, and there was a big stack of money," he said.



A big stack as in a hundred $100 bills.



Taverna went to police with the bag -- and the money -- in order to reunite it with its rightful owner.



"It wasn't mine. If someone lost $10,000, they're probably going through a lot of distress," Taverna said.



The purse has now been reunited with its owner, according to police.



A woman who lives in Manhattan but was traveling to Russia left the cash on the platform by accident, and came to the 20th Precinct looking for her bag, WABC-TV reported.



Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Artists like Shahidul Alam and Kiran Nadar and organisations like Saffronart have put out a statement about the need to protect survivors who speak out | #MeToo

As the #MeToo movement hits the art world, with artists such as Jatin Das, Shahid Datawala, Subodh Gupta and Riyas Komu being named in allegations, several people and organisations from South Asia have put out a statement about hostile work environments and the need to protect survivors who speak out. They have also spoken against the use of defamation to silence survivors. The fear of losing work is preventing many from disclosing their identities, the statement explains.

Significantly, the statement also points out that in the art world, professional and personal spaces often overlap, due to informal networking.

The list of artists, galleries and critics who have signed the statement include photographers Shahidul Alam and Dayanita Singh; Chemould Prescott Road and TARQ; Saffronart; art collector Kiran Nadar; Anoushka Shankar; and Adam Szymczyk, among over 250 others.

Read the full statement here:

Joint statement promoting safe spaces within the South Asian art community:

As active stakeholders in the South Asian arts community, we are concerned by the growing number of allegations of sexual harassment and reports of hostile work environments. These are serious concerns that need to be addressed with urgency.

The art world is amorphous in nature: social mobility is dependent on informal networking and personal and professional spaces cannot be easily separated. Survivors who publicly tell their stories face serious forms of retaliation. They are reluctant to disclose their identities because they fear losing work. As a community, we commit to ensuring that people who are speaking out are protected, and that professional opportunities are not denied to them. We respect the truth and stand in solidarity with those who come out with their stories.

We strongly object to the use of defamation as a method to intimidate and silence survivors and those who represent their interests. We call on all our peers; artists; curators; gallerists; collectors; writers; and heads of both public and private institutions to commit to the safeguarding of survivor accounts. We request them to rigorously advocate for open and supportive spaces that allow women, trans people, queer people, and those who have been disenfranchised by caste and class structures to voice their concerns and find support.

We pledge to collectively reflect, ideate and act on developing the necessary legal and informal support mechanisms to address these challenges. We will do our best to protect spaces for open conversations, and uphold basic codes of professionalism.
What Naseeruddin has said in the context of the 3 December killing of police inspector Subodh Kumar Singh and local youth Sumit Kumar in Bulandshahr and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath's reaction to it, makes eminent sense. The killing of a police inspector in mob violence is nothing new. But the Bulandshahr case is entirely different.

Naseeruddin Shah is not just a Bollywood star; he is a rarity  a thinking actor. His dialogues delivered with impeccable diction drive home the point without any element of melodrama. In the same measured voice, he is often known for speaking his mind. And there is little doubt that he uses his clarity of thought and oratory to convey social and political messages that often trigger controversy.

We have listened to Naseeruddin's voice in movies. The manner in which he essayed a difficult role in the movie A Wednesday and delivered a small but stirring speech towards the climax on vitiated social atmosphere in India won accolades. Though his role promoted a degree of anarchic violence to correct the malaise of hatred and terrorism, he was heard in appreciation. And there is no reason why he should not be heard now.

In a video shared on social-media platforms this week, he has said, "I am anxious about my children because they dont have any religion. Tomorrow if a mob surrounds them and asks them their religion, they will have no answer." Moreover, "There is complete freedom to take law into ones own hands. In some areas we see the killing of a cow receiving more importance than the lynching of a police officer."

What Naseeruddin has said in the context of the 3 December killing of police inspector Subodh Kumar Singh and local youth Sumit Kumar in Bulandshahr and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath's reaction to it, makes eminent sense. The killing of a police inspector in mob violence is nothing new. But the Bulandshahr case is entirely different.

The manner in which there was an attempt to foment trouble on the pretext of cow-killing was premeditated. That Subodh Kumar Singh was killed for fearlessly attending to the call of duty is chilling. He was a police officer whose only fault was his refusal to kowtow to a lynch mob. That he was a Hindu should be incidental. Had he been killed for his religion, it would have been categorised as the result of communal hatred. But his killing was the result of the mobs hatred against the rule of law. This pathology of violence is radically different from violence in the name of caste or community.

For the first time there is a genuine fear in Uttar Pradesh that if you keep yourself on the right side of law, you may end up on the wrong side of a bloodthirsty mob. And the result is gruesome.

In the recent past this trend has gained momentum across the state. As a reporter who covered a series of communal riots in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar extensively since the eighties, I have never faced such a pervert political situation in which the discourse is oriented to promote violence and lawlessness to eliminate obstacles in the path of mob fury. More often the level of discourse plummets to such depths that it appears that the mob violence is aligned with the political objective of the incumbent government.

At the height of the Ayodhya agitation in the wintry cold of November in 1990, I, along with a Muslim colleague, encountered a restive Hindu mob in Chowk area of Lucknow. My colleague lived in an area surrounded by people full of anger against Muslims, and yet he did not have to bother to hide his religious identity. He remained safe. Covering the Aligarh riots in the same year, I entered a dense Muslim locality in Upper Koat area, and I too did not have to conceal my identity. Hundreds of local residents who were infuriated by the police action met me and discussed a wide range of issues without showing any inclination to harm me. Perhaps the professional identity  a reporter  was a sufficient insurance.

That does not appear to be the case now. There are stories of people confronted in markets and asked to prove their patriotic credentials by shouting 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai'. Mobs are roaming around, assuming the roles of the prosecutor and the jury and delivering instant justice. They seem to be driven by the basest human impulses of violence and hubris. No wonder Adityanath has been discovering pretext after pretext to explain away the wanton killing in Bulandshahr. His immediate reaction was that the police inspector and a youngsters murder was merely an accident, but now he smells a full-fledged conspiracy.

Naseeruddin's outburst in such a situation must be taken as a genuine beginning of a healthy debate. To find him guilty of partisanship  as some trolls have alleged  would be like killing the messenger without even acknowledging the message.

Historically it is the responsibility of the social elite to conduct the discourse in a manner that it does not degrade into an orgy of anarchy and malevolence. Mahatma Gandhi called off his 1922 non-cooperation movement after the Chauri Chaura violence. He outright rejected even a semblance of violence as a means to achieve even the noblest political objective. He was ably assisted by stalwarts of his time to let the political discourse flow at a civilised level to ensure the foundation of a civilised and democratic society.

In one of his essays, British political scientist Michael Oakeshott attributed the mans present appearance to his descent from apes and his ability to sit and talk so long and so late that they wore out their tales. Perhaps Shahs remarks should be taken in stride to initiate  to borrow Oakeshotts phrase  an unrehearsed intellectual adventure to correct the course of discussion unencumbered by prejudices to reflect the nations true spirit.
One of the accused in the case of the allegedly fake encounter of Sohrabuddin Shaikh, former IPS officer DG Vanzara on Friday claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi  then chief minister of Gujarat  would have 'met the same fate' as political leaders like Indira Gandhi and Benazir Bhutto who had been 'successfully assassinated' by terrorists.

Justifying the 'preemptive encounters' by Gujarat Police on the day CBI court acquitted all accused in Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case, former IPS officer DG Vanzara said that Narendra Modi may have been assassinated, if not for the police's controversial encounter.

Vanzara, who was one of the sixteen police officers previously acquitted in the same case, on Friday claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi  then chief minister of Gujarat  would have "met the same fate" as political leaders like Indira Gandhi and Benazir Bhutto who had been "successfully assassinated" by terrorists. "We saved the saviour," Vanzara said on Twitter.

Terrorists successfully assassinated Political Leaders like Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Beant Singh, Benazir Bhutto & Premdasa. Had Post-Godhara Preemptive Encounters not carried out by Gujarat Police, @narendramodi would hv met d same Fate. We saved d Saviour. #SohrabuddinCase  DG Vanzara (@VanzaraDg) December 21, 2018

He said, "Our team suffered irreversible loss due to fake cases. Politically motivated cases proved fake and not the encounter. Congratulations to officers and families of the officers who are the actual victims."

All 22 accused in the killings of Shaikh, his wife Kausar Bi and his aide Tulsi Prajapati were acquitted on Friday by a special CBI court because of insufficient evidence, even as the judge expressed sorrow over the loss of "three lives."

Special CBI Judge SJ Sharma said in his ruling that the court feels sorry for the families of Shaikh and Prajapati as "three lives were lost", but the system demands that the court go solely by evidence. "...I am helpless," the judge said. The court noted that the prosecution could not have done much to salvage its case as key witnesses turned hostile.

"There is no substantial evidence on record. The evidence submitted does not conclusively show that these 22 accused were the authors of this crime," it said. All the accused, who were mostly police officials from Gujarat and Rajasthan, were out on bail during the year-long trial.

The 13-year-old case saw several twists and turns, including 92 prosecution witnesses turning hostile. At one point, BJP president Amit Shah was also arrested briefly in 2010 in the case before being discharged in December 2014.

He said while there was no denying that Shaikh and others were killed, "going by the evidence on record, the court could not conclude that the present accused persons could be questioned, or, held accountable for those deaths."

Of the 22 accused, 21 are police officers from Gujarat and Rajasthan, who the CBI said were part of the teams that abducted the three and later killed them in staged encounters. The remaining accused was owner of the farm house in Gujarat where Shaikh and Kausar Bi were illegally detained before being killed.

Police said Sohrabuddin was linked to terror groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba and allegedly conspired to assassinate Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was then Gujarat chief minister.

The CBI had charged 38 persons, including Amit Shah, who was then Gujarat home minister, Gulabchand Kataria, the then Rajasthan home minister, and senior IPS officers like DG Vanzara and PC Pande.

Sixteen people, including Shah, Kataria, Vanzara and Pande, were earlier discharged by the CBI court due to lack of evidence. The case had evoked controversy when judge BH Loya, who was presiding over the CBI court, died three years ago after a heart attack. His family made unsubstantiated allegations that the judge was offered a huge bribe to rule in favour of the prime accused.

CBI had claimed Vanzara summoned Gujarat IPS Ashish Pandya while the latter was on leave, to be part of Prajapati's alleged encounter. "CBI failed to produce any substantial evidence, phone records to prove Vanzara called Pandya for this specific purpose. There is nothing to conclude Vanzara had any knowledge of the alleged conspiracy," the court said.

The court's verdict drew mixed responses in the courtroom. While the accused, all of whom were present in court, broke into tears of joy, congratulated and hugged each other, Shaikh's brother Rubabuddin looked visibly upset.

The Indian Express quoted Rubabuddin as saying, "The court has not accepted any evidence. It looks like my brother Sohrabuddin killed himself. When the HC discharged six policemen in September, I lost hope. It was very clear that the accused before the trial court will also be acquitted."

Members of the Opposition reacted sharply to the verdict, also referring to judge Loya's death. Abhishek Manu Singhvi, national spokesperson for the Congress, tweeted questioning the verdict. "No one killed Sohrabbudin? Not even one of the 22 accused (were) remotely involved?" he said.

ambiance, independence of prosecutorial agency, fearlessness matters. Where 92 out of 200 witnesses turned hostile (and these 50% were the most imp witnesses) wht else cld u expect in #Sohrabuddin case? No one killed sohrab ? Not even one of 22 accused remotely involved?  Abhishek Singhvi (@DrAMSinghvi) December 22, 2018

Congress leader and senior lawyer Kapil Sibal said, "The message: In some cases, if you kill, the law will protect you."

Are we to salute the justice delivery system and thank CBI which openly helped the accused in the Sohrabuddin case ? Families of victims told that there are no accused . All 22 acquitted ! The message : In some cases if you kill the law will protect you . Shame !  Kapil Sibal (@KapilSibal) December 22, 2018

Preeti Sharma of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) listed the deaths and said that "no one " had "killed anyone in 2002".

No one killed Sohrabuddin

No one killed Kausar Bi

No one killed Judge Loya

No one killed Haren Pandya

No one killed anyone in 2002 #SohrabuddinCase  Preeti Sharma Menon (@PreetiSMenon) December 21, 2018

Special court says no evidence against accused including Amit Shah in Sohrabuddin, Tulsi Prajapati, Kauser Bi fake encounters. Sure. Call records of Shah, internal notes by Gujarat CID, forensic report, witness statements mean nothing. pic.twitter.com/R9zgqPowzr  Rana Ayyub (@RanaAyyub) December 21, 2018

CBI WILL NOT file an appeal against the Order acquitting all accused in Sohrabuddin case.

They didn't when @AmitShah was given clean chit for 17 murders.

They didn't when @BSYBJP was given clean chit on corruption.

They didn't when Gali J Reddy was given a clean chit.  Brijesh Kalappa (@brijeshkalappa) December 21, 2018

The Nationalist Congress Party on Friday said the acquittal was "not shocking" as the outcome of the case was "pre-decided". The party also alleged that several witnesses in the case turned hostile "under pressure" and "cases were taken away from certain judges".

NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik said the CBI, which investigated the case, should immediately appeal in a higher court.

The CBI is yet to receive copy of the order of the case, an agency spokesperson said on Friday in a cautious response to queries related to its future course of action. The spokesperson also remained economical in using words and refused to commit to the usual response of the CBI that it would study the order before deciding on filing of appeal in the matter. He said his statement is limited to the sentence,"the CBI is yet to receive the order."

The agency which had reacted within minutes of the 2G scam verdict stating that it would file an appeal against the order stopped short of making any commitment on filing an appeal against the Special CBI court verdict acquitting 22 accused in the 13-year old fake encounter case.

With inputs from agencies
Around 30 to 40 women from a Chennai-based rights group are expected to reach Sabarimala on Sunday, in another attempt to enter the iconic Kerala shrine.

Around 30 to 40 women from a Chennai-based rights group are expected to reach Sabarimala on Sunday, in another attempt to enter the iconic Kerala shrine. A number of unsuccessful attempts have been made by female activists and devotees to access the shrine after the Supreme Court's 28 September verdict, which overruled the decades-old ban on the entry of women aged between 10 and 50.

Sabarimala has seen unabated protests from devotees and Opposition against the LDF-led government's efforts to implement the order. Several protesters were also detained after the government imposed prohibitory orders to curb violence in the areas around the shrine.

#NewsAlert | 30-40 women from Kerala, Tamil Nadu & Odisha plan to pray at Sabarimala, while protesters vow to block the devotees from entering the shrine | @Neethureghu with more details | #SabarimalaForAll pic.twitter.com/ww6IpvOEaE  News18 (@CNNnews18) December 22, 2018

According to reports, women from rights group 'Manithi', will reach Kottayam on Sunday, from where they will proceed to the Sabarimala temple. The New Indian Express reported that the Kerala government has guaranteed security to the activists. However, CNN-News18 reported that the state police have not been given adequate details about the activists' visit on Sunday. Reportedly, protesters said that they will not allow any the activists to approach the temple, and will stop them at Kottayam itself.

According to a report by Manorama, the activists planned the pilgrimage following an e-mail conversation with the Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan. The report said, "The intention is to have a darshan of Lord Ayyappa. As per the customs, all the members are strictly adhering to the Mandalakaala vrutham (pre-pilgrimage rituals). All members of the group have the backing of their family, the report added."

With inputs from agencies
Sajjan Kumar was convicted and sentenced to life for the remainder of his life by the high court on 17 December in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in Raj Nagar area.

New Delhi: Former Congress leader Sajjan Kumar on Saturday moved the Supreme Court challenging the life imprisonment awarded to him by the Delhi High Court in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case.

Senior advocate HS Phoolka, who is representing the victims of the riots cases, said he has been conveyed by the apex court registry that Kumar has filed an appeal against the high court's judgement. He said the survivors had already filed a caveat to pre-empt any ex parte hearing in favour of Kumar.

Kumar was convicted and sentenced to life for the remainder of his life by the high court on 17 December in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in Raj Nagar area. The case relates to the killing of five Sikhs in Raj Nagar part-I area in Palam Colony in South West Delhi on 1 and 2 November, 1984, and burning down a Gurudwara in Raj Nagar part II during that period.

The high court had on Friday rejected Kumar's plea seeking an extension of time till 30 January to surrender for serving his punishment.
The fresh order comes after the two companies made representation to the markets regulator.

New Delhi: Markets regulator SEBI Friday directed Fortis Healthcare and Fortis Hospitals to take necessary steps to recover Rs 403 crore, along with interest, from Shivinder Mohan Singh, Malvinder Mohan Singh and seven other entities within three months. The SEBI, through an order passed in October, had asked Fortis Healthcare to recover the amount.

The fresh order comes after the two companies made representation to the markets regulator. In the submission to SEBI, the firms said that the recovery of outstanding amount should be carried out by Fortis Hospitals (FHsL)instead of Fortis Healthcare (FHL), which would ensure that such sums are actually recovered and reflected in the balance sheet of Fortis Hospitals.

"The outstanding amount of Rs 403 crore ... had been advanced by FHsL itself to Best, Fern and Modland. As such, the outstanding amount is required to be returned to FHsL itself. Since the loan of outstanding amount had been made solely by FHsL, on its own account, upon recovery of the outstanding amount by FHsL, there would not be any consequent requirement upon FHsL to pay the same to FHL.

"Consequently, FHsL and not FHL would be the relevant entity which would be required to take steps for the recovery of the outstanding amount," as per the submission. FHsL is a 100 percent wholly owned subsidiary of FHL. Noting that the two firms have cited reasons and grounds which are prima facie sufficient for modifying the directions issued through the interim order, SEBI said, "FHL and FHsL shall take all necessary steps to recover the...amount of Rs 403 crore (approx.) along with due interest from noticee (Singh brothers and seven other entities)... within three months from the date of the interim order".

It further said that Singh brothers, RHC Holdings, Religare Finvest, Shivi Holdings, Malav Holdings, Best Healthcare, Fern Healthcare and Modland Wears will have to jointly and severally, repay the amount. Earlier, Fortis Hospitals was also required to repay the amount. The regulator has barred Singh brothers from associating themselves with the affairs of Fortis Healthcare and Fortis Hospitals in any manner whatsoever, till further directions.

These entities, prima facie, acted in a fraudulent manner in diverting funds around Rs 403 crore from Fortis Healthcare Ltd, a listed company, for the ultimate benefit of parent company RHC Holding and group company Religare Finvest Ltd, violating the securities laws, SEBI said in the interim order.
DG Vanzara indicated that he also wanted to write a book about the whole affair once he is cleared of all the charges in the remaining cases.

Gandhinagar: Dahyaji Gobarji Vanzara, popularly known as DG Vanzara, is a former DIG of Gujarat, and was one of the accused in the alleged fake encounter case of Sohrabuddin Sheikh. He welcomed the acquittal of all the policemen and said he's looking forward to courts declaring policemen not guilty in other such cases as well.

We became victims of political cross-firing between the then occupants of power in Delhi and Gandhinagar, said Vanzara on Saturday, a day after the verdict of the CBI court.

In an interview, he also said that he would like to enter politics but his first priority was to get acquitted in the remaining two cases, including the Ishrat Jahan encounter case. He indicated that he also wanted to write a book about the whole affair once he is cleared of all the charges in the remaining cases.

The former DIG, who was already acquitted in the Sohrabuddin case in August 2017 along with 16 others, including the then MoS, Home of Gujarat Amit Shah and then Rajasthan home minister Gulab Chand Kataria, said that the court judgment in the Sohrabuddin case, acquitting all 22 police officers, has vindicated his stand that the encounters were genuine. He has claimed that the officers were wrongly framed despite rightfully performing their duties.

Terrorists had in the past successfully assassinated political leaders like former prime minister Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Punjab chief minister Beant Singh, former Pakistan prime minister Benazir Bhutto and Sri Lankan president Premadasa. Had post-Godhra preemptive encounters including the Sohrabuddin one not been carried out by Gujarat Police, the then Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi would have met the same fate. We saved the saviour, he had tweeted on Friday.

Vanzara said that he has always maintained that the encounter carried out by his team was genuine and not fake as claimed by the CBI. Due to political reasons, genuine encounters are termed fake victimising police for performing their duties, he said.

Claiming that had the encounters not taken place Pakistan supported terrorists could have killed the then Gujarat CM Narendra Modi, Vanzara said that Gujarat could have become another Kashmir. Vanzara, who was also accused in Ishrat Jahan encounter case, said that this case was also a result of political rivalry between the then Gujarat government (CM Narendra Modi's government) and the government at Center of that time (UPA government).

On being asked whether the recent acquittals have given a boost to his defence in other such cases including the Ishrat Jahan encounter case of June 2004, in which a local CBI court had rejected his discharge plea a few months ago, Vanzara said, A series of encounters had taken place, and all of them were carried out in similar backgrounds and contexts. If there has been an acquittal in one of these, naturally, it will be followed or should be followed, in other cases too. If one gate of the fort has been broken, the others will also be broken.

The former top cop said that he needs to be acquitted in just the Ishrat Jahan case to come out clean personally, but as the leader of the then police team, it is his responsibility to see to it that all the other accused police officials in other cases also get acquitted and get justice.

I was arrested in the Ishrat Jahan case and was released on bail, but in the other case i.e. Sadik Jamal encounter case, I have not been arrested so far, nor is my name involved. However, as it was also part of the same strategy, my responsibility is to get all the officers acquitted in all the cases, he said.

The former cop was, even after getting bail in all the cases, not allowed to enter Gujarat by the Bombay High Court for quite some time. It (the acquittal of other accused in Sohrabuddin case) was naturally a cause for happiness, and I personally feel relieved. And since the other police officers have also got justice, my happiness has multiplied, he said.

Politics in offing

When asked about his earlier announcement about entering into active politics and the reasons behind the delay, Vanzara said that his first priority is to come out clean in all the cases and entering politics has become secondary.

I am already in public life. I am moving around the state and participating in non-political and social activities. As far as my entry into politics is concerned, it depends on many factors. I would like to come out of the cases first, and then do whatever I like to. The priority is to get discharged in the remaining cases. Entry into politics is secondary as of now, he said.

Common people expect that I should join politics, but I will have to think from so many angles before taking a plunge, he said.

Vanzara, who had written three poetry books during his jail term, also hinted that if he gets a clean chit in all the cases, he may write a book about the cases.

The Sohrabuddin case

The CBI in its chargesheet had alleged that Sohrabuddin, an alleged gangster, his wife Kausar Bi and his aide Tulsi Prajapati were abducted by the Gujarat police from a bus when they were going to Sangli in Maharashtra from Hyderabad on the intervening night of 22 and 23 November, 2005.

Sohrabuddin was killed in an alleged fake encounter on 26 November near Ahmedabad while his wife was killed three days later and her body disposed of. On 27 December, 2006, Prajapati was also shot dead allegedly by the Gujarat and Rajasthan police in a "fake encounter" near Chapri on the Gujarat-Rajasthan border.

Vanzara's earlier acquittal in this case by the lower court was also upheld by the Bombay High Court.

A special CBI court in Gandhinagar had in August this year, however, rejected his discharge plea in the Ishrat Jahan case of June 2004, when Ishrat, a 19-year-old Mumbai girl along with three others, was shot dead by the police on the outskirts of Ahmedabad.

The CBI had termed it a fake encounter, while Vanzara and the other accused maintained that it was a genuine one and those killed were LeT operatives who had come to Ahmedabad with an intention to assassinate the then chief minister Narendra Modi.

(The author is an Ahmedabad-based freelance writer and a member of 101Reporters.com)
Five days after the gunfight in Pulwama, there is little clarity on what happened on the ground and whether standard operating procedures were followed.

Shots rang out early in the morning in Sirnoo. That was the clarion call for villagers to descend on the apple orchard as security men  according to local residents, mostly army personnel  found themselves stuck on a narrow road, their huge armoured vehicles unable to turn around.

Residents of various villages in the Pulwama district, some from as far as 10 kilometers, kept pouring in the entire morning. Inevitably, chaos erupted as the stuck soldiers came under stone-pelting from three sides. When the chaos subsided in the nondescript village, seven civilians, an army soldier, and three jihadists lay dead.

It was the death of seven civilians, the highest in a single gunfight in recent years, that triggered widespread anger and was condemned widely, with both sides following the same drill. The separatists called a strike and a symbolic protest march to the army cantonment in Srinagar while the administration resorted to blocking internet in the Valley and restricting peoples movement in Srinagar. Elsewhere, there was talk of following the SOPs.

A week after the gunfight, there is little clarity on what happened on the ground and whether standard operating procedures were followed. The account of the events of the police and locals of 15 December is at variance. The army, which according to local accounts, had largely handled the operation, has said little after its first statement.

A tale of two cordons

That Saturday, 15 December, according to security sources, two cordons were laid out simultaneously in the vicinity of Sirnoo. One of the cordons that ended inconclusively was jointly conducted by the army and the police. The other cordon was conducted in the orchards of Sirnoo.

In the wee hours of 15 December, between 1 am and 4 am, residents of Monghama village, half a kilometre from the site of the gunfight, said that they noticed the movement of troops towards Sirnoo where the narrow metalled road ends. Local residents say the movement was largely that of soldiers of the Indian Army and spotted one white rakshak. According to police records, the army unit was the local 55 Rashtriya Rifles.

The narrow road passing through Monghama ends in an orchard from where a beaten path leads to the poultry farm. According to local residents, the soldiers first searched the poultry farm and upon their return stumbled upon the militant hideout, a pit dug in the earth.

At 7.45 am, the sounds of gunfire were heard from the orchard that continued for barely 15 minutes. The [three] mujahids were martyred that very moment, said Yusuf Najar, a resident of Monghama, whose son was among the seven slain civilians. According to the police, one army soldier is also believed to have been killed in this brief exchange of fire.

As word of the gunfight spread in the district, youth began moving towards Sirnoo. According to police records, contact with the jihadists was reported to the district police by 8 am, following which district police officials reached the site of gunfight at around 8:40 am. In the meanwhile reinforcements of police, including those from the other cordon, and paramilitary CRPF also rushed to Sirnoo.

According to police officials, the operation at Sirnoo continued further as visual contact could not be made with the body of the third jihadist and the firing continued under the presumption that he was still alive. Explosives was also used to push anyone alive out of the hideout.

The security forces in the armored vehicles, estimated to be more than 30, that had lined up at the site of the gunfight found themselves stuck on the narrow road with no scope to retreat, and under attack by a mob of civilians carrying sticks and stones. Had police vehicles been able to reach the site, some police officials observed, they could have "absorbed" most of the stone pelting and "possibly without casualties".

According to local residents, the firing continued till 11.30 am, by when most the security personnel had evacuated from the area. According to police records, 17-year-old Liyaquat Dar  who was among the seven civilians who were killed  was in Parigam village, some ten kilometers away, at 9.12 am. Dar reached Monghama village by 9.36 am.

According to the police, Dar regularly participated in stone-pelting mobs attempting to resist security forcess operations against jihadists. The same, police officials claimed, was the case for most of the seven slain civilians. Only one among them was a local resident.

Generations will remember

Three videos showing civilians running amok near the site of the gunfight have gone viral in Kashmir since the gunfight. One of the videos, 35 seconds long, showed dozens of pheran-clad youth attacking two white bulletproof security forces vehicles  called Rakshaks, mainly used by the police and paramilitary CRPF  with sticks and stones at close range.

Towards the end of the video, a gunshot is heard and a young man who had approached the vehicle from its side is seen falling to the ground. The time when the video was recorded, however, could not be verified.

While the operation was going on, a crowd which came dangerously close from different parts to the encounter site got injured, the police said in a statement on 15 December. The injured were evacuated to hospital where, unfortunately, seven persons succumbed to their injuries.

Despite a video of the killing of one civilian, senior police officials refused to comment on whether the civilians were killed in crossfire or security forces' action. The army condoled the deaths in its statement, offering no explanation of the circumstances under which they were killed, except that it happened during the gunfight.

In the Monghama village, four days after the incident, the tin sheet fence of Yusuf Najars modest house in the Monghama village was adorned with a new plaque, written on an A4 sized sheet, announced it to be the house of Shaheed (martyr)" Shahbaz Yusuf Najar.

18-year-old Owais Najar was known as Shahbaz. He was shot in the head, according to his father, Yusuf Najar. Owais had ventured out with a glass of water after Suhail Ahmad was shot just outside his house just moments before and had cried for help. Is there no Muslim here?, Yusuf Najar remembers hearing.

Local residents in Moghamma said the soldiers, who were on foot, were visibly panicked and opened indiscriminate fire as soon as they saw civilians gathered in the village. Anyone who stood up or raised his head was shot at, said a neighbour of the Najars, requesting anonymity. There were bullets flying all around us. They fired at anyone who was standing.

According to Najar, the soldiers chased youth and opened fire at them from inside civilian properties. Amir Paul was five hundred meters away when, according to Najar, he was shot from his courtyard. They were paranoid that people will attack them, said Najar. Local residents rued that security forces could have instead used tear gas to disperse the crowd.

After the incident, various statements of the Indian Army chief, General Bipin Rawat, equating stone-pelting civilians with terrorists and justifying their killing repeated on loop on certain national television channels have again sparked anger among Kashmiris. They hate Kashmiri Muslims, a mourner at Najars residence said, referring to the Indian Army. This pain will be remembered by generations, we wont forget.
Jammu and Kashmir BJP chief Spokesperson Sunil Sethi told reporters that Farooq Abdullah has tried to mislead Jammuites and create confusion and discord in peace-loving people of Jammu belonging to different religious and ethnic groups by promising greater autonomy.

Jammu: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday hit out at National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah over his remarks to grant autonomy to Jammu, Ladakh and Kashmir regions if his party comes to power in the state.

Abdullah on Thursday had promised regional autonomy 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 expelled BJP leader and former MLA Gagan Bhagat into the NC fold at the party headquarters in Jammu.

"National Conference Chief and former chief minister Farooq Abdullah has tried to mislead Jammuites and create confusion and discord in peace-loving people of Jammu belonging to different religious and ethnic groups by promising greater autonomy to Jammu in case National Conference comes to power in next elections," state BJP chief Spokesperson Sunil Sethi told reporters.

"By making such statement the real face of communal approach of National Conference has come in open", he said.

Sethi said that National Conference wants to divide people of Jammu Province into regional subgroups to create subregions of a Muslim majority by creating mistrust and hatred between people who have always lived in complete harmony.

Jammu is a shining example of all religious and linguistic groups living in complete harmony unlike intolerant Kashmiri population who forced Minority Kashmiri Pandits to migrate, he said.

The NC has no political agenda for the state except for blindly falling in line with the separatists, including Hurriyat Conference, for petty political gains, he added. "Relevance of Dr Farooq for his party is making these types of statements to incite communal passions", he added.

On Bhagat joining NC, he said that it exposes the real face of National Conference. "It is very clear that Gagan Bhagat had filed the petition against assembly dissolution at the asking of National Conference only which is his new masters", he added.

Gagan Bhagat had been expelled from the party not because of his matrimonial dispute but because he had kept a young girl belonging to a poor family in his house with whom his objectionable pictures and videos came in media and her family is fighting on roads to save her from his clutches, Sethi claimed. "By misusing his position as MLA he had created a situation of fear and helplessness for poor family which was a heinous act as a political worker. In coming elections National Conference will have to answer voters about having such person in the party", he added.
Senior Congress leader and former Union minister Jaipal Reddy has accused Manohar Parrikar of trying to 'blackmail' Prime Minister Narendra Modi through the Rafale deal to retain his chair as the Goa chief minister.

Panaji: Senior Congress leader and former Union minister Jaipal Reddy has accused Manohar Parrikar of trying to "blackmail" Prime Minister Narendra Modi through the Rafale deal to retain his chair as the Goa chief minister.

Reddy was addressing the party's concluding function of 'Jan Akrosh' Rally at Margao town on Thursday.

The Congress has been holding 'Jan Akrosh' rallies across Goa demanding "resumption" of governance in the state, claiming Parrikar's health has affected the functioning of the administration.

Reacting to Reddy's statement, the BJP said the Congress was trying in vain to raise the Rafale issue despite it being cleared by the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court on 14 December gave the Narendra Modi government a clean chit on the procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets from France and dismissed all petitions seeking a direction to the Central Bureau of Investigation to register an FIR for alleged irregularities in the deal.

The apex court had said there was no occasion to doubt the decision-making process in the multi-billion dollar Rafale deal.

The former Information and Broadcasting minister demanded Parrikar's resignation and said he was "sticking" to the chief minister's chair "like a leech".

"He talks of morality, what morality is there of Mr Manohar Parrikar sticking to the chair like a leech," Reddy said in the presence of Congress leaders, including state chief Girish Chodankar, former Goa chief ministers Digambar Kamat, Ravi Naik, Francisco Sardinha, and others.

"I know he is in a position to blackmail Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Is he blackmailing the prime minister to keep him in the chair as chief minister? We need to think about it," he added. Before assuming charge as Goa chief minister, Parrikar was Defence minister in the Modi Cabinet.
With an eye on pacifying edgy MLAs with JD(S), Congress government, the Karnataka cabinet is all set to induct new ministers on Saturday.

With an eye on pacifying edgy MLAs with JD(S), Congress government, the Karnataka cabinet is all set to induct new ministers on Saturday.

Wheels for the much-expected cabinet expansion were finally set rolling after Congress president Rahul Gandhi gave the go-ahead for the induction of six new faces and the replacement of two ministers in the JD(S)-led coalition government in Karnataka, according to a PTI report. Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy is expected to meet Governor Vajubhai Rudabhai Vala at 11 am to inform him of the government's decision and schedule a swearing-in ceremony for the to-be ministers.

MTB Nagaraj, Raheem Khan, E Tukaram and PT Parameshwara Naik are among the six leaders whose names are understood to have been finalised after discussions with state leaders in a meeting.

Congress Legislature Party leader Siddaramaiah, Pradesh Congress president Dinesh Gundu Rao, Deputy chief minister G Parameshwara, and Congress general secretary in-charge of Karnataka KC Venugopal were present in the meeting. Besides inducting six new faces, the sources said the Congress chief is understood to have approved dropping two ministers  Municipal Administration minister Ramesh Jarkiholi and Forest minister R Shankar  from the cabinet.

Jarkiholi, who has been allegedly hobnobbing with BJP leaders, will be replaced by his brother Satish Jarkiholi, whereas Shankar's portfolio will be handed over to CS Shivalli from Kuruba community. Shankar, an Independent MLA from Ranebennur too had in the past interacted with the BJP ahead of the Karnataka government formation.

In the meeting, the Rahul gave the green signal for appointing Congress leaders V Muniappa as political secretary and Ajay Singh as state representative in the national capital.

Meanwhile, the cabinet expansion bore clear footprints of Siddaramiah's influence. The Congress leader pressed for induction of more ministers from constituencies in Mumbai-Karnataka and Hyderabad-Karnataka, besides batting for the inclusion of two Kuruba, Deccan Chronicle reported.

The sources said the swearing-in ceremony of new members will take place depending on the availability of the governor.

According to the pact reached between the two partners at the time of formation of the coalition government in May, there are at present six vacant ministerial positions left for the Congress and two for the JD(S). The cabinet expansion is expected to pacify members of the Congress camp who have become restless following its repeated postponement.

With inputs from agencies
MK Stalin's calculated moves appear to be paying dividend

For years, the formidable M Karunanidhi was the godfather of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK). His son MK Stalin was content living in the shadow of the five-term Tamil Nadu chief minister. But over time, Kalaignar, as Karunanidhi was popularly known, meticulously crafted a space for Stalin within the party, at times brushing aside dissent from his loyal lieutenants, and even elder son MK Azhagiri. Three weeks after his fathers death this year, the heir was finally crowned king as Stalin took the DMK throne, with no real challenger.

Since then, his calculated moves appear to be paying dividend. When a former AIADMK minister and lieutenant of the AMMKs TTV Dhinakaran, plays prodigal son and returns to the DMK fold after 18 years, its a sign of which way the political wind is set to blow in 2019. V Senthil Balaji made no bones about the reason for his defection, citing Stalins leadership as the principal draw, which translates into better political fortunes in the offing.

The psychological boost such switchovers give a party aside, Balaji, who hails from the Gounder community, a traditional bastion of the ruling AIADMK, will help Stalin bolster the DMKs presence in the Kongu belt in western Tamil Nadu, a region where it has not done well.

Despite plunging heart and soul into the Assembly election campaign in 2016, when he crisscrossed all 234 constituencies, luck eluded Stalin. But the former eternal prince-in-waiting will find the 2019 battle quite different. Having emerged from his late fathers shadow as the party boss, and without having to contend with the charisma of AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa, who passed away two years ago, Stalin realises that his day in the sun is not far off.

Post Karunanidhi, Stalin was able to almost effortlessly checkmate Azhagiri. The Madurai strongman attempted to throw his hat into the ring. But his show of strength in the form of a rally in Chennai turned out to be a damp squib. With that only threat having dissipated, the transition from Thalapathy Stalin to Thalaivar Stalin has been seamless.

The ability to stitch up a formidable alliance and keep the flock together had been the hallmark of Karunanidhis leadership. The rainbow coalition under the banner of the Democratic Progressive Alliance spearheaded by the grand old man of the DMK in 2004 created history by collaring all the 40 seats in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. Stepping into Kalaignars sandals, Stalin has demonstrated his ability to build bridges and mend fences with potential allies. So when Vaiko was miffed over a comment by a senior DMK leader on an alliance minus his MDMK, Stalin was able to keep the mercurial leader in good humour.

Leadership calls for a degree of flexibility and revisiting old positions. Stalins 2.0 strategy of diluting the partys atheist stance, what with his statement that the DMK is not against those who believe in god, will go down well with certain communities that may be on the fence. With unstinting support from his sister and MP MK Kanimozhi, who was recently honoured with the Best Woman Parliamentarian Award, Stalin has also taken on the mantle of spearheading delegations to New Delhi to meet his national ally. The DMK has proven to be a trusted partner of the Congress. That has not changed post Karunanidhi, evident from the Congress high command spurning the overtures of TTV Dhinakaran.

Having been the partys youth leader for decades, Stalin fields a group of feisty young lawyers such as Saravanan Annadurai and Manuraj S as spokespersons on national television debates. The DMKs almost invincible legal team with the likes of senior advocates Wilson Pushpanathan, R Shanmugasundaram and NR Elango has delivered a series of significant victories for the party in court, including the right to a burial space for its patriarch Karunanidhi on Marina Beach.

Electorally, the biggest positive for Stalin is that the anti-DMK vote will be split between the AIADMK and its splinter group, the AMMK. The emergence of new players like actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasans Makkal Needhi Maiam, perceived to be ideologically closer to the DMK, could be an X factor. The real challenge will lie in seat-sharing between allies for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. After tasting success in the three state Assembles of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, the Congress could be difficult to bargain with, leaving a smaller share of the pie for partners such as the Left, MDMK and VCK. But these parties know which side their bread is buttered. That the DMK did well in 2016 without the PMK, will be on its mind while parting with constituencies.

Faced with anti-incumbency and the notion that its strings are being pulled by the Centre, Tamil Nadu chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswamis denials notwithstanding, the ruling AIADMK in its post-Jayalalithaa avatar will see red, and black, as it tries hard to match up to a resurgent Stalin, who cannot wait to be seen as the DMKs successful mascot, with a seven-year itch.

Sanjay Pinto is a lawyer, columnist, author and former TV journalist.
Speaking at the fifth national convention of the BJP Mahila Morcha, Modi targeted the Congress, saying women's welfare was never a priority of the previous governments.

Gandhinagar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said the government was committed to making a law on triple talaq despite facing "hurdles" and resistance from "hardliners" and Opposition parties.

Speaking at the fifth national convention of the BJP Mahila Morcha, Modi targeted the Congress, saying women's welfare was never a priority of the previous governments.

"Despite all hurdles and opposition from hardliners and Opposition parties, the government is committed to making a law on triple talaq", he said.

The Lok Sabha is expected to take up the triple talaq Bill for discussion on 27 December during the ongoing winter session of Parliament.

The government had issued an ordinance in September pending the passage of the Bill in a revised form.

The current Bill will supersede a previous Bill passed in the Lower House and held up in Rajya Sabha. In view of opposition to the Bill from various parties, the government has cleared some amendments, including introduction of a provision of bail for husbands who give instant triple talaq.

"We are committed so that Muslim women can get rid of a big life threat. No just that. In order for Muslim women to go to Haj (pilgrimage), we have removed the clause that men need to accompany them", he said.

The prime minister further said the women of the country have given the BJP the opportunity "with great hope and trust after trying all other options".

"After exploring various options in the last six to seven decades, the people of the country  our sisters and daughters  reposed faith in the BJP. Previous governments did not do anything to provide even basic facilities to women and just made promises," Modi said.

Those who ruled India for 60-70 years failed to provide basic things for women's welfare, he said, adding that the previous governments just kept waiting for the right time to usher in social reforms and change in attitude towards women.

"The country knows what their intentions and thoughts were. The political party that remained in power since decades only waited for time to come to bring about social changes and thinking regarding women. They were busy making promises", he said, targeting the Congress.

In the last four years, society's view towards the girl child and women empowerment has undergone a positive change, the prime minister said.

"For the first time, the government's flagship schemes are focusing on women," he said while referring to programmes like Swachh Bharat programme, Ujjwala scheme, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), wherein 75 per cent owners of the houses are women.

"Eighteen crore of the total Jan Dhan bank accounts belong to women," he said, adding that the male-female sex ratio has also improved, especially in Haryana, which has had a dubious record in the past.

Modi said the cabinet committee on security affairs for the first time included two women. "Besides, women have been inducted as fighter pilots in Air Force. There is a woman officer wing in the Navy. The government passed anti-trafficking bill and capital punishment will be given to rape convicts of minors," he said.

Modi added that former Union Home Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel had initiated women's empowerment as president of the Ahmedabad Municipality before Independence.

He said the BJP enjoys confidence of the people of the country from panchayat-level to Parliament.

"The country knows very well the approach and thinking of those who could not even have it as their priority to provide basic facilities to women in all these years," he said, listing the schemes that his government launched for the betterment of women.
The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Bihar deferred the announcement of its seat-sharing arrangement, originally scheduled for Saturday, till Sunday.

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Bihar deferred the announcement of its seat-sharing arrangement, originally scheduled for Saturday, till Sunday. This was because Lok Janshakti Party chief Ram Vilas Paswan did not return to Delhi from Mumbai, as earlier expected, The Times of India reported.

Sources told the newspaper Amit Shah, Nitish Kumar, Ram Vilas Paswan, his son Chirag Paswan and Arun Jaitley will meet at the BJP chief's residence at 10 am on Sunday.

The discussions between the NDA constituents for seat-sharing for the 2019 Lok Sabha election are being keenly watched, as they come in the backdrop of recent troubles in the alliance. The RLSP recently left the NDA, with its leader saying that members of the alliance have become "arrogant."

RLSP chief Upendra Kushwaha also remarked that Rahul Gandhi has developed his "personality" and people are looking towards him as an option for replacing Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

However, JD(U) president Bashishtha Narayan Singh sounded a note of optimism, and was quoted in The Hindu as saying, "When the number of seats to be fought by each partner has been decided, there is really no difficulty. We are confident that people will support the alliance and the work of the Nitish Kumar government in Bihar.

The BJP is reported to have finalised a seat-sharing arrangement with the LJP, with the latter expected to contest five Lok Sabha seats in the state and its president Ram Vilas Paswan likely to be given a berth in the Rajya Sabha.

Chirag, who has been vocal in airing his party's differences with the BJP, told reporters that talks were on and claimed there were other issues besides sharing of seats.

Sources later said differences between the two parties have been resolved.

Shah earlier announced that his party and its key ally JD(U), which is headed by Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, will be contesting equal number of seats in the politically crucial state where the BJP-led NDA won 31 seats in 2014.

With inputs from agencies
Press Trust of India

Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu said Friday he will be meeting top leadership of US-based iPhone maker Apple in Davos next month to discuss their plan about setting up manufacturing facilities in India. He said that talks are already on with the company, and the government can look at the demands of Apple Inc for setting up its manufacturing facility in the country.

"We are still talking to Apple. Negotiations are ongoing. If they agree, we will like them to set up offices in India as well. I am meeting Apple's top leadership in Davos in early January," the minister told in an interview.

"When their offer came two-three years back and today, the situation has changed for them as well as for us. So, it is a good time to meet and discuss and finalise," he added.

When asked about tax and other concessions being demanded by the company, the minister said: "We can look into that".

The tax and other concessions demanded by them can be negotiated, he said, adding it is a good time for Apple to come to India, "we will be very happy to receive them".

The Cupertino-based iPhone and iPad manufacturer has asked for certain concessions for setting up its manufacturing unit in the country.

It had sought duty exemption on manufacturing and repair units, components, capital equipment and consumables for smartphone manufacturing and service/repair for a period of 15 years.

The company also wanted relaxation in the mandated 30 per cent local sourcing of components, besides reduction in customs duties on completely-knocked-down and semi-knocked- down units of devices that are to be assembled in the country.

Apple does not manufacture devices on its own but gets the job done through contract manufacturers. It sells its products through company-owned retail stores in countries like China, Germany, the US, the UK and France, among others.

It has no wholly-owned store in India and sells products through distributors such as Redington and Ingram Micro.
Reuters

Millions of users of Amazons Echo speakers have grown accustomed to the soothing strains of Alexa, the human-sounding virtual assistant that can tell them the weather, order takeout and handle other basic tasks in response to a voice command.

So a customer was shocked last year when Alexa blurted out: Kill your foster parents.

Alexa has also chatted with users about sex acts. She gave a discourse on dog defecation. And this summer, a hack Amazon traced back to China may have exposed some customers data, according to five people familiar with the events.

Alexa is not having a breakdown.

The episodes, previously unreported, arise from Amazon.com Incs strategy to make Alexa a better communicator. New research is helping Alexa mimic human banter and talk about almost anything she finds on the internet. However, ensuring she does not offend users has been a challenge for the worlds largest online retailer.

At stake is a fast-growing market for gadgets with virtual assistants. An estimated two-thirds of US smart-speaker customers, about 43 million people, use Amazons Echo devices, according to research firm eMarketer. It is a lead the company wants to maintain over the Google Home from Alphabet Inc and the HomePod from Apple Inc.

Over time, Amazon wants to get better at handling complex customer needs through Alexa, be they home security, shopping or companionship.

Many of our AI dreams are inspired by science fiction, said Rohit Prasad, Amazons vice president and head scientist of Alexa Artificial Intelligence (AI), during a talk last month in Las Vegas.

To make that happen, the company in 2016 launched the annual Alexa Prize, enlisting computer science students to improve the assistants conversation skills. Teams vie for the $500,000 first prize by creating talking computer systems known as chatbots that allow Alexa to attempt more sophisticated discussions with people.

Read our Echo Spot review.

Amazon customers can participate by saying lets chat to their devices. Alexa then tells users that one of the bots will take over, unshackling the voice aides normal constraints. From August to November alone, three bots that made it to this years finals had 1.7 million conversations, Amazon said.

The project has been important to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, who signed off on using the companys customers as guinea pigs, one of the people said. Amazon has been willing to accept the risk of public blunders to stress-test the technology in real life and move Alexa faster up the learning curve, the person said.

The experiment is already bearing fruit. The university teams are helping Alexa have a wider range of conversations. Amazon customers have also given the bots better ratings this year than last, the company said.

But Alexas gaffes are alienating others, and Bezos on occasion has ordered staff to shut down a bot, three people familiar with the matter said. The user who was told to whack his foster parents wrote a harsh review on Amazons website, calling the situation a whole new level of creepy. A probe into the incident found the bot had quoted a post without context from Reddit, the social news aggregation site, according to the people.

The privacy implications may be even messier. Consumers might not realize that some of their most sensitive conversations are being recorded by Amazons devices, information that could be highly prized by criminals, law enforcement, marketers and others. On Thursday, Amazon said a human error let an Alexa customer in Germany access another users voice recordings accidentally.

The potential uses for the Amazon datasets are off the charts, said Marc Groman, an expert on privacy and technology policy who teaches at Georgetown Law. How are they going to ensure that, as they share their data, it is being used responsibly and will not lead to a data-driven catastrophe like the recent woes at Facebook?

In July, Amazon discovered one of the student-designed bots had been hit by a hacker in China, people familiar with the incident said. This compromised a digital key that could have unlocked transcripts of the bots conversations, stripped of users names.

Amazon quickly disabled the bot and made the students rebuild it for extra security. It was unclear what entity in China was responsible, according to the people.

The company acknowledged the event in a statement. At no time were any internal Amazon systems or customer identifiable data impacted, it said.

Amazon declined to discuss specific Alexa blunders reported by Reuters, but stressed its ongoing work to protect customers from offensive content.

These instances are quite rare especially given the fact that millions of customers have interacted with the socialbots, Amazon said.

Like Googles search engine, Alexa has the potential to become a dominant gateway to the internet, so the company is pressing ahead.

By controlling that gateway, you can build a super profitable business, said Kartik Hosanagar, a Wharton professor studying the digital economy.

Pandora's Box

Amazons business strategy for Alexa has meant tackling a massive research problem: How do you teach the art of conversation to a computer?

Alexa relies on machine learning, the most popular form of AI, to work. These computer programs transcribe human speech and then respond to that input with an educated guess based on what they have observed before. Alexa learns from new interactions, gradually improving over time.

In this way, Alexa can execute simple orders: Play the Rolling Stones. And she knows which script to use for popular questions such as: What is the meaning of life? Human editors at Amazon pen many of the answers.

That is where Amazon is now. The Alexa Prize chatbots are forging the path to where Amazon aims to be, with an assistant capable of natural, open-ended dialogue. That requires Alexa to understand a broader set of verbal cues from customers, a task that is challenging even for humans.

This years Alexa Prize winner, a 12-person team from the University of California, Davis, used more than 300,000 movie quotes to train computer models to recognize distinct sentences. Next, their bot determined which ones merited responses, categorizing social cues far more granularly than technology Amazon shared with contestants. For instance, the UC Davis bot recognizes the difference between a user expressing admiration (thats cool) and a user expressing gratitude (thank you).

The next challenge for social bots is figuring out how to respond appropriately to their human chat buddies. For the most part, teams programmed their bots to search the internet for material. They could retrieve news articles found in The Washington Post, the newspaper that Bezos privately owns, through a licensing deal that gave them access. They could pull facts from Wikipedia, a film database or the book recommendation site Goodreads. Or they could find a popular post on social media that seemed relevant to what a user last said.

That opened a Pandoras box for Amazon.

During last years contest, a team from Scotlands Heriot-Watt University found that its Alexa bot developed a nasty personality when they trained her to chat using comments from Reddit, whose members are known for their trolling and abuse.

The team put guardrails in place so the bot would steer clear of risky subjects. But that did not stop Alexa from reciting the Wikipedia entry for masturbation to a customer, Heriot-Watts team leader said.

One bot described sexual intercourse using words such as deeper, which on its own is not offensive, but was vulgar in this particular context.

I dont know how you can catch that through machine-learning models. Thats almost impossible, said a person familiar with the incident.

Amazon has responded with tools the teams can use to filter profanity and sensitive topics, which can spot even subtle offenses. The company also scans transcripts of conversations and shuts down transgressive bots until they are fixed.

But Amazon cannot anticipate every potential problem because sensitivities change over time, Amazons Prasad said in an interview. That means Alexa could find new ways to shock her human listeners.

We are mostly reacting at this stage, but its still a progress over what it was last year, he said.
The Associated Press

The worlds only known albino orangutan climbed trees, foraged for food and began building a nest after being released into a remote Borneo jungle more than a year after conservation officials found her starving and dehydrated in an Indonesian village.

The Borneo Orangutan Survival foundation says the great ape, called Alba after thousands worldwide responded to an appeal for a name, has tripled in weight since being rescued in April last year. Her name means white in Latin and dawn in Spanish.

Alba and another rehabilitated orangutan, Kika, were released inside Bukit Baka Bukit Raya National Park on Wednesday after a more than 24-hour journey from their rehabilitation center by vehicle, boat and hiking.

The foundation originally planned to create a 5-hectare (12-acre) forest island for Alba rather than a release into truly natural habitat because of health issues related to her albinism including poor sight and hearing and the possibility of skin cancer.

But the governments Natural Resources Conservation Agency and other agencies decided it was appropriate to release Alba into the wild because of her strong physical condition and intrinsically wild behavior.

She will be electronically tracked and regularly monitored by a medical team.

Alba has no inferiority complex as we imagined before. She is very confident compared to other orangutans, said veterinarian Agus Fathoni.

I think the real threat actually comes from humans. What were worried about is poaching where this very special condition makes her a target, he told The Associated Press.

Patrols of Albas new home by national park and conservation agency staff will aim to deter poachers, though they admit the number of personnel is limited.

We dont have enough to cover all the area of the national park but were confident of covering all the patrol lines that we have set, said national park official Wirasadi Nursubhi.

Orangutans, reddish-brown primates known for their gentle temperament and intelligence, are critically endangered and only found in the wild on the Indonesian island of Sumatra and on Borneo, which is divided among Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature, which declared Borneos orangutans critically endangered in 2016, says their numbers have dropped by nearly two-thirds since the early 1970s as plantation agriculture destroyed and fragmented their forest habitat.

The Sumatran orangutan is a separate species and has been critically endangered since 2008.

Alba, approximately five years old, was given final medical tests and anesthetized for the journey to Bukit Baka Bukit Raya.

Workers shouted Albas going home as her cage was lifted onto a truck at the Nyaru Menteng Rehabilitation Center in Central Kalimantan province on Borneo.

Its true this is a big gamble but we hope that with our collaboration we will win the big bet we have made today said the orangutan foundations chief executive Jamartin Sihite after releasing Alba from her cage.
tech2 News Staff

Each year on the 22 December, schools and educational institutes around the country observe and celebrate National Mathematics Day.

And while not everyone feels the need to celebrate mathematics, the day is observed not to honour the field as a whole, but a very special Indian mathematician whose trust with mathematics has inspired books, art and our tradition to commemorate the genius of Srinivasa Ramanujan on 22 December each year  his birth anniversary  as National Mathematics Day.

Born in 1887 in the charming city of Erode, Tamil Nadu, Ramanujan's earliest stories begin around the age of 12. He had mastered the dizzying logic of trigonometry and developed theorems on his own without any assistance.

His passion for mathematics and the brilliance of the world it translated to at an early age.

The wiz kid

Turning 10 years old in 1897, he aced his primary school exams in English, Tamil, geography and arithmetic with the best scores in his district. Ramanujan entered Town Higher Secondary School that year, where he encountered formal mathematics for the first time.

By age 11, he had exhausted the mathematical knowledge of two college students lodging at his home, and was lent a book on advanced trigonometry around the same time. He mastered this by age 13, by which time he was discovering sophisticated theorems on his own.

Ramanujan at 14 was being lauded with merit certificates and academic awards in a trend that weaves through his entire school career, where he also assisted the school with logistics of placing 1200 students, each with needs of their own, under the tutelage of its 35-odd teachers.

He would complete mathematical exams in half the allotted time, and unwittingly brought on comments from his peers over the years, who "rarely understood him" and "stood in respectful awe" of him in the years since.

Awakening the genius

Ramanujan at age 16 in 1903 got access to a library copy of a book  A Synopsis of Elementary Results in Pure and Applied Mathematics, a collection of 5,000 mathematical theorems, which he reportedly studied in great detail.

This book is generally recognized in accounts of his life as a key element in awakening his genius.

Towards his schooling's end, this earned him a scholarship to study at the Government Arts College of Kumbakonam in Tamil Nadu. His headmaster in school would introduce Ramanujan as "the outstanding student who deserved scores higher than the maximum". But he squandered the opportunity due to his horrendous performance in other important subjects, including English, philosophy and Sanskrit.

Without a formal degree, Ramanujan is said to have dropped out of college and pursued research in mathematics on his own, living in stark poverty, at the brink of starvation. It was in 1910 at age 23 that support from renowned mathematician Ramaswamy Iyer helped him scored a job clerking at the Madras Port Trust.

Cambridge calling

He would work at the office by day, and do what came naturally to him (theoretical mathematics, that is) in his spare time. British mathematician G Hardy wrote Ramanujan a letter in 1913, expressing interest in learning more about his work. It was "essential that I should see proofs of some of your assertions", he is said to have added.

Ramanujan responded to Hardy, who eventually became his mentor, on principles of mutual interest to them, saying:

"I beg to introduce myself to you as a clerk in the Accounts Department of the Port Trust Office at Madras... I have no University education but I have undergone the ordinary school course. After leaving school I have been employing the spare time at my disposal to work at Mathematics. I have not trodden through the conventional regular course which is followed in a University course, but I am striking out a new path for myself."

G Hardy and Ramanujan ended up working together in Cambridge for five years shortly after their first correspondence. Their collaboration was a clash of different cultures, beliefs, and working styles, but his work in Mathematics made a left a deep impression on Hardy for years to come. Hardy was quoted to have said about Ramanujan in a book:

"He could remember the idiosyncrasies of numbers in an almost uncanny way. It was Littlewood (a mutual colleague) who said that every positive integer was one of Ramanujan's personal friends. I remember once going to see him when he was ill at Putney. I had ridden in taxi cab number 1729 and remarked that the number seemed to me rather a dull one, and that I hoped it was not an unfavorable omen. "No," he replied, "it is a very interesting number; it is the smallest number expressible as the sum of two cubes in two different ways."

A self-made luminary

Born to a housewife and a sari clerk, his family home in Kumbakonam was small and modest. The modest thatched-roof house on Saranhapani Sannidhi Street has been turned into a museum in his honour.

Ramanujan was a self-taught mathematician. He contributed inordinately to the world of mathematics and was globally popular for his work  one of the most influential mathematicians of his time.

From compiling over 3900 mathematical theorems and equations to having discoveries, buildings and streets named after him, Ramanujan's assertions in mathematics were unshakeable and profound.

He's the man that put the "mathematics" in National Mathematics Day.

2018 has been an eventful year and here's our comprehensive list of year ender stories.
By Khalid Abdelaziz KHARTOUM (Reuters) - At least one protester was killed in the northern Sudanese city of Atbara on Friday, the security chief said, as people took to the streets across the country for a third day against price rises and corruption.

By Khalid Abdelaziz

KHARTOUM (Reuters) - At least one protester was killed in the northern Sudanese city of Atbara on Friday, the security chief said, as people took to the streets across the country for a third day against price rises and corruption.

Police fired teargas at groups who gathered in Atbara and the capital Khartoum's twin city of Omdurman after noon prayers, witnesses said, and residents reported hearing gunfire in surrounding areas and in the southern state of White Nile.

Web users reported problems accessing the internet, and some accused the government of blocking social media including Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp in a bid to stop protesters communicating. There was no comment on that from the government.

Public anger has been building over price rises and other economic hardships, including a doubling in the cost of bread this year and limits on bank withdrawals.

At least eight people died during larger protests on Thursday when some demonstrators called for the overthrow of President Omar al-Bashir.

Security services said they used restraint in containing demonstrations that on Thursday took place as far afield as Dongola to the north and al-Qadarif to the east - and a government spokesman said 'infiltrators' in the crowd had spread trouble.

In a rare press conference, the head of Sudan's National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS), Salah Abdallah Mohamed Saleh, said seven people had been arrested in connection with the burning of ruling party office buildings in earlier protests.

"We recognise that we must have self-restraint and manage things wisely and take care of the lives of the people and of public property, and we are not bothered by demonstrations, but we are upset by the lapse in security," said Saleh, also known as Salah Gosh.

He said one person died during what he said was an attack on a police station in Atbara.

"LAPSE IN SECURITY"

Saleh blamed rebels with links to Israel whom he said had been brought into Sudan by a network based in Nairobi, Kenya, for inciting the violence. He did not offer evidence to back up the assertion.

Police had stepped up their presence outside Khartoum's main mosques ahead of the third day of demonstrations.

There were small-scale protests across at least eight neighbourhoods in the capital on Friday, but they were short-lived, witnesses said.

Authorities have declared states of emergency and curfews in cities in at least four of Sudan's 18 states, according to local media.

The education ministry suspended some school or university classes in the states of al-Qadarif, White Nile and Nile River, private TV channel Sudania 24 reported.

The ministry has also announced that it would shutter universities in Khartoum state and schools and kindergartens in the capital city.

Sudan's economy has struggled to recover from the loss of three quarters of its oil output - its main source of foreign currency - when South Sudan seceded in 2011.

Long lines continued to stretch outside of ATMs and bakeries in Khartoum early on Friday.

Bashir, one of Africa's longest-serving leaders, took power in an Islamist and military-backed coup in 1989. Lawmakers this month proposed a constitutional amendment to extend term limits that would have required him to step down in 2020.

(Additional reporting by Nafisa Eltahir in Dubai and Yousef Saba in Cairo; Writing by Nadine Awadalla; Editing by Aidan Lewis and Andrew Heavens)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Two people have been arrested in connection with the 'criminal use of drones' at London's Gatwick Airport, police said Saturday, after three days of disruption in which and tens of thousands of people missed their flights.

London: Two people have been arrested in connection with the "criminal use of drones" at London's Gatwick Airport, police said Saturday, after three days of disruption in which and tens of thousands of people missed their flights.

"As part of our ongoing investigations into the criminal use of drones which has severely disrupted flights in and out of Gatwick Airport, Sussex Police made two arrests just after 10 pm (2200 GMT) on 21 December", the force's Superintendent James Collis said.

Drones were first sighted hovering around Britain's second-busiest air hub on Wednesday, grinding the runway to a standstill and causing chaos for more than 120,000 people in the run-up to Christmas.

A statement released on Sussex Police force's website said the probe was ongoing, and officers were using "a range of tactics" to "build resilience to detect and mitigate further incursions from drones".

"We continue to urge the public, passengers and the wider community around Gatwick to be vigilant and support us by contacting us immediately if they believe they have any information that can help us in bringing those responsible to justice," the statement added.

"Every line of enquiry will remain open to us until we are confident that we have mitigated further threats to the safety of passengers."
Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan telephoned UN chief Antonio Guterres and raised the issue of Kashmir, a UN spokesman has said.

United Nations: Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan telephoned UN chief Antonio Guterres and raised the issue of Kashmir, a UN spokesman has said.

Stephane Dujarric, the spokesman for the UN Secretary General, did not give further details about the conversation between Khan and Guterres.

When asked by PTI to comment on India's strong retort to Khan that Pakistan should mind its own business and that Kashmir is an integral part of India, Dujarric said, "Our position on Kashmir has been reiterated. There is an observer group as mandated by the Security Council,"

He was referring to the UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP). Dujarric added that the Pakistani Prime Minister wanted to speak to the Secretary-General.

"It's only normal that the Secretary-General speak to Heads of Governments and Heads of State and, as I said, I can confirm that the call took place and that the Prime Minister raised the issue of Kashmir," Dujarric said.

In a set of recent tweets, Khan said that "Kashmiris must be allowed to decide their future". He also tweeted that Pakistan would raise the issue of India's alleged human rights violations at the United Nations.

External Affairs ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar in response said that "the statements coming out from their side demonstrates the insincerity and duplicity".

The UNMOGIP was established in January 1949 and currently has a total of 118 UN and civilian staff. Following the India-Pakistan war in 1971 and a subsequent ceasefire agreement of 17 December of that year, the tasks of UNMOGIP have been to observe, to the extent possible, developments pertaining to the strict observance of the ceasefire and to report there on to the Secretary-General.

India has maintained that UNMOGIP has outlived its utility and is irrelevant after the Simla Agreement and the consequent establishment of the Line of Control (LoC).
The extraordinary resignation letter that US defence secretary Jim Mattis handed to a surprised President Donald Trump was not just a product of two years of accumulating frustration with an impulsive boss, but an outline of the strategic hazards facing the next Pentagon chief.

Washington: The extraordinary resignation letter that US defence secretary Jim Mattis handed to a surprised President Donald Trump was not just a product of two years of accumulating frustration with an impulsive boss, but an outline of the strategic hazards facing the next Pentagon chief.

Mattis, who was quietly back at work on Friday while stunned Pentagon staff soldiered on around him, implicitly warned in his letter to the president of the threat to the US from allowing alliances to fray and of the risk that disrespecting allies will undermine US credibility.

It was an outline of the challenges facing the nation and whoever takes over as defence secretary when Mattis leaves 28 February.

"As this Administration continues to implode, Secretary Mattis' extraordinary resignation is a significant loss and a real indication that President Trump's foreign policy agenda has failed and continues to spiral into chaos," said Senator Bob Menendez, the ranking Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee.

Mattis announced on Thursday his plan to resign, a move prompted by the presidents decision to pull all of the approximately 2,000 US troops from the fight against the Islamic State group in northeastern Syria.

Mattis also was dismayed by plans under consideration to cut the number of US troops in Afghanistan and, as his letter made clear, did not see eye to eye with a president who has expressed disdain for NATO and doubts about keeping troops in Asia.

The person nominated to succeed Mattis will face a Senate likely to probe for evidence of new strategic direction in hotspots like Syria, Afghanistan and the Korean peninsula.

In making clear that he could no longer tolerate Trump's approach to American foreign policy, Mattis appeared to fashion a resignation letter that not only expressed his reasons for leaving but also sounded an alarm. He implicitly criticized the president's unwillingness to stand up to Russia or take a stronger stance against Chinese assertiveness.

"I believe we must be resolute and unambiguous in our approach to those countries whose strategic interests are increasingly in tension with ours," Mattis wrote.

"It is clear that China and Russia, for example, want to shape a world consistent with their authoritative model, to promote their own interests at the expense of their neighbours, America and our allies." Nurturing and extending US alliances was a pillar of Mattis' approach to his job, which means he was at odds with Trump on that score from the earliest months of his tenure.

"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 wrote.

William Cohen, a former defence secretary and long-time friend of Mattis, put a finer point on this Mattis assertion by saying in response to his resignation, "He cannot be expected to stand behind a president who disrespects our allies and ingratiates himself to our adversaries."

In addition to the frayed state of US relations with NATO, Mattis' successor also is likely to face other hazards hinted at in his resignation letter. These include preserving and rationalising a strategy for ensuring a lasting defeat of the Islamic State group by the dozens of nations that had backed the US after it entered Syria in 2014.

German officials expressed polite irritation that Washington had not consulted them on the Trump decision to pull out of Syria.

"As an ally and member of the anti-Islamic State coalition we would have considered prior consultation by the US government about the withdrawal of US troops helpful," government spokeswoman Ulrike Demmer said.

The Pentagon was still reeling on Friday from the news that Mattis was leaving. Inside what is normally a very orderly building, military members who are trained to take orders, salute and move ahead were stunned and a bit shaken.

Military missions in Syria and Afghanistan that just a week ago seemed clear and mapped out, were now thrown into chaos. Deep in the bowels of the Pentagon, planners scrambled to pull together a troop withdrawal strategy for Syria that the White House would accept, all while knowing that their boss a few floors above them quit over that order.

Mattis, 68, is the first Pentagon chief to resign in protest over a president's foreign policy in many decades. In fact, there may be no historical equivalent to the circumstances of Mattis' departure. The last defence secretary to resign was Chuck Hagel in November 2014, and although he had expressed differences with President Barack Obama over Syria policy, Hagel was essentially pushed out by an administration that viewed him as ineffective.

Robert McNamara, who served as defence secretary for seven years over two Democratic administrations, left the Pentagon in February 1968, three months after President Lyndon Johnson announced McNamara was resigning to become president of the World Bank.

McNamara differed with Johnson and the military over Vietnam war policy amid an escalating anti-war movement, but his departure was not an explicit rejection of Johnson's policies.
Transparency on the economic benefits of CPEC to Pakistan and how the loans were structured is what Pompeo was seeking.

Four months ago, US secretary of state Mike Pompeo was queried on the likely US response to Pakistans approach to the IMF for a $9 billion bailout package for its struggling economy. He made it clear that US support as a major stakeholder of the IMF was contingent upon Pakistan coming clean on the terms and conditions of the financing of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a sub-arm of Chinas Belt & Road Initiative (BRI).

Transparency on the economic benefits of CPEC to Pakistan and how the loans were structured is what Pompeo was seeking. No surprise that we have heard little about the IMF bailout since then despite Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan having taken up the issue early in his tenure. It is yet early times and evidence of Chinas real strategic intent in investing heavily in infrastructure in Asian and African countries is only just emerging. The military impact in favour of China is obviously going to be much larger than the economic benefit that will accrue to the client states of the BRI; that remains a truism at least as far as Pakistan is concerned.

Pakistans comparatively advantageous geostrategic location in South Asia is rarely quoted in Indian strategic circles; that its real estate in different ways is a potential boon to the neighbouring five major civilizations: Indian, Chinese, Central Asian, Persian and Arab. Its a question of who exploits it to advantage and to whom Pakistan denies that advantage. Denying India access to Central Asia through its territory is perceived as an advantage to Pakistan; just as providing Central Asian Republics access to the Indian Ocean.

However, the greatest advantage Pakistan can offer to any nation is to none else than China if direct overland access to the Arabian Sea is provided, ostensibly to carry containerised road-bound trade traffic and potentially transport energy through pipelines. That bypasses the circuitous and vulnerable sea lanes of communication (SLsOC) stretching from West Asia to Straits of Malacca and beyond.

Its what the CPEC is in theory and even Pakistans economic community has little idea how it has been configured from the economic angle. Questioned on the cost-benefit of the project, which later included construction of a number of power projects and agricultural research institutions at a total outlay of $62 billion, the Pakistani responses have always been vague. With Pakistan currently in near economic ruin and facing a potential commencement of $4-5 billion debt servicing for CPEC from next year, it is now well entrapped in Chinas debt diplomacy.

This appears to have been a carefully orchestrated situation to bring the true intent of CPEC to the Pakistan leadership; something it cannot flinch from. Even without this coercive economic approach, Pakistan would have been a willing partner to align with China to mutual military advantage. The economic ruin has made it more compulsive for it with no real choice.

The current status of CPEC, or that in the next three to five years, is hardly likely to accrue any major economic benefit to Pakistan except the improvement of infrastructure. The economic viability of trade is limited. There are no energy pipelines in the offing and a railway is yet very far. However, the potential does exist with advancing science and technology, especially considering the seismically unstable terrain of CPEC.

It is with research in science and technology that China seeks to embed its military strategy and put itself at an advantage in comparison to other big powers. The Wests obsession with West Asia will wane. The Pacific zone is already being contested by China and the Indian Ocean Rim is generally devoid of Western presence. This will afford China the potential to project power through forward presence in the Indian Ocean Rim (IOR) through client states that would be economically and militarily beholden.

In real military terms, what is emerging is the relatively greater naval advantage to China with its almost complete control of Gwadar. By providing eight additional submarines to the Pakistan Navy (PN), Chinas scope of domination of the Western Indian Ocean has enhanced manifold and logistics for the PLA Navy (PLAN) will be far simpler. The perceived Indian blockade of Pakistans coastline in event of war could be jointly contested by PLAN and PN enhancing scope of Sino-Pak collusion in a domain other than the Himalayan region.

In conjunction with Hambantota port in Sri Lanka, a prospective port in Maldives (currently shelved), the China-financed Chittagong port expansion and the newly contracted multi-billion dollar sea port project at Myanmars Kyaukpyu town, BRI will ultimately aid not so much in trade than in ensuring the PLANs strategic presence in the Indian Ocean even as the US looks to Indias greater role in the Indo-Pacific.

A much lesser known component of BRI is the central role Pakistan plays in Chinas Beidou satellite navigation system. Pakistans so-called special relationship has allowed it access to the systems military service, allowing more precise guidance for missiles, ships and aircraft. Analysts believe that this cooperation is meant to be a precursor to Beidous expansion to other BRI nations to end reliance on the US military-run GPS network that Chinese officials fear is monitored and manipulated by the United States.

This is also feared to be an indication of increasing amount of investment in harnessing the interest and eventual attraction of client nations in Chinese military and civil technology at rates far cheaper than the western defence industrial complex provides.

Pakistan, the flagship nation of BRI, thus far considered a frontline US state, has chosen to follow a path of resistance towards any acquiescence to Western demands on issues it considers strategically in its interest; the use of proxy hybrid war against neighbours, for example. Increasingly being removed from the roster of states who receive US largesse in terms of commercial and military assistance, Pakistan appears to have made up its mind to tie the knot of strategically linking itself with China to serve mutual interests.

Chinas interests appear hardly commercially viable but once alternative science and technology dangled before client nations is bitten, the scope could be enormous and competitive to the defence industrial complex of the West. Pakistan once again becomes the state to demonstrate this with deep cooperation in the field of military aviation. Expansion of cooperation on the JF-17 fighter jet is looked upon as an alternative to the US-built F-16 fighters.

Should India be wary? Given our extremely tardy procedures of acquisition, none too great a delivery in research and development in the defence field and the overall lack of willingness to change, Pakistan possibly dreams of overtaking Indian military capability. With increasing warnings from the Indian military establishment that dual front collusive threats have enhanced, India should not be dependent only on the diplomatic engagement with China and be content with the economic impoverishment of Pakistan as an assurance of its security.

These are extremely temporary situations which can be turned around very quickly. Pakistans reluctance to pull back from the risky investment in proxy war, even in the face of its current economic crunch, is indicative of it confidence to eventually turn the corner. Long-term comprehensive military capability with dynamic strategic thought process appears to be the only answer for India.
By Andrew Chung and Lawrence Hurley WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Supreme Court on Friday dealt a setback to President Donald Trump by refusing to allow his administration to implement new rules prohibiting asylum for people who cross the U.S. border illegally, with conservative Chief Justice John Roberts joining the four liberal justices in denying the request. The justices on a 5-4 vote rebuffed the administration's bid to put on hold a California-based federal judge's order preventing it from carrying out the policy making anyone crossing the U.S.-Mexican border outside of an official port of entry ineligible for asylum

By Andrew Chung and Lawrence Hurley

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Supreme Court on Friday dealt a setback to President Donald Trump by refusing to allow his administration to implement new rules prohibiting asylum for people who cross the U.S. border illegally, with conservative Chief Justice John Roberts joining the four liberal justices in denying the request.

The justices on a 5-4 vote rebuffed the administration's bid to put on hold a California-based federal judge's order preventing it from carrying out the policy making anyone crossing the U.S.-Mexican border outside of an official port of entry ineligible for asylum.

The planned asylum change was a key component of Trump's hardline policies aimed at making it tougher for immigrants to enter and stay in the United States.

Roberts, who last month rebuked Trump over his criticism of the judiciary, joined liberal Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer, Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor against the administration. Trump's two high court appointees, Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch, joined the two other conservative justices, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, in dissent.

"The Supreme Court's decision to leave the asylum ban blocked will save lives and keep vulnerable families and children from persecution. We are pleased the court refused to allow the administration to short-circuit the usual appellate process," said Lee Gelernt, a lawyer for the American Civil Liberties Union, which challenged Trump's policy.

San Francisco-based U.S. District Judge Jon Tigar blocked the policy on Nov. 19. The San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals then refused the administration's request to lift Tigar's order.

Tigar's ruling prompted Trump to call the jurist an "Obama judge" and blast the 9th Circuit in general as a "disgrace." Tigar was appointed to the bench by Democratic former President Barack Obama.

Trump's comments led to an extraordinary response from the normally reticent Roberts, who defended the independence of the federal judiciary and wrote in a public response to Trump on Nov. 21, "We do not have Obama judges or Trump judges, Bush judges or Clinton judges," Roberts said.

The port-of-entry restrictions, due to expire after 90 days, were made through a presidential proclamation Trump issued on Nov. 9 alongside a new administration rule. The administration has sought ways to block thousands of Central American men, women and children travelling in caravans to escape violence and poverty in their home countries from entering the United States, with Trump calling the people in the caravans a national security threat.

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.

Trump's proclamation stated that mass migration on the border had precipitated a crisis and he was acting to protect the U.S. national interest. Trump's policy was crafted to alter American asylum laws that have given people fleeing persecution and violence in their homelands the ability to seek sanctuary in the United States.

The Supreme Court in June backed Trump in another major immigration-related case when the justices in a 5-4 ruling endorsed the legality of the Republican president's travel ban on people from several Muslim-majority nations. Roberts joined the court's other conservatives in that ruling.

On Wednesday, a different judge blocked another of Trump's asylum-related orders, this one aimed at restricting asylum claims by people citing gang or domestic violence in their home countries.

(Reporting by Andrew Chung and Lawrence Hurley; Editing by Will Dunham)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
By Jonathan Landay and Mark Hosenball WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Foreign powers, including Russia, China and Iran, sought to influence voters in the U.S. 2018 mid-term elections, but there is no evidence of any penetration into U.S. voting systems, the top U.S.

By Jonathan Landay and Mark Hosenball

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Foreign powers, including Russia, China and Iran, sought to influence voters in the U.S. 2018 mid-term elections, but there is no evidence of any penetration into U.S. voting systems, the top U.S. intelligence official said on Friday.

U.S. Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats added that the intelligence community did not assess the impact of the foreign influence efforts on the election results.

The findings were included in a report that Coats submitted to U.S. President Donald Trump and U.S. agencies involved in election security as required by an executive order signed by Trump in September.

The order declared election interference a national emergency in the wake of an intelligence assessment that Russia conducted an influence operation to sway the 2016 presidential vote to Trump over his Democratic challenger Hillary Clinton.

Russia denies that it interfered in the 2016 contest.

"At this time, the intelligence community does not have intelligence reporting that indicates any compromise of our nation's election infrastructure that would have prevented voting, changed vote counts or disrupted the ability to tally votes," Coats said in a statement on the 2018 election report.

"The activity we did see was consistent with what we shared in the weeks leading up to the election," he continued. "Russia, and other foreign countries, including China and Iran, conducted influence activities and messaging campaigns targeted at the United States to promote their strategic interests."

Coats did not elaborate on details of the foreign influence operations, and he said that the intelligence community did not assess their impact on voters who last month elected a new U.S. Congress, state legislatures, governors and other officials.

"The Russians did not go away after the 2016 election," Mark Warner, the senior Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said in a statement on the new report.

"Now that the Russian playbook is out in the open, we're going to see more and more adversaries trying to take advantage of the openness of our society to sow division and attempt to manipulate Americans," Warner added.

Special Counsel Robert Mueller is investigating possible collusion during the 2016 presidential race between Russia and the Trump campaign. Trump denies any cooperation and has repeatedly denounced Mueller's probe as a "witch hunt."

(Reporting by Jonathan Landay and Mark Hosenball; Editing by Sandra Maler)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
More than 400,000 US government employees will go without pay, 380,000 will be put on leave without pay as America hurtles towards a partial government shutdown days before the Christmas holidays and all this is happening over another Donald Trump tantrum. That's the short story of a wild and endless day in Washington DC when many stunned lawmakers who had just gone home for the holidays had to scramble back on flights and trains to the capital city to cast their votes for a downright ridiculous Trump negotiation drama.

New York: More than 400,000 US government employees will go without pay, 380,000 will be put on leave without pay as America faced a partial government shutdown midnight Friday just days before the Christmas holidays and all this is happening over another Donald Trump tantrum. That's the short story of a wild and endless day in Washington DC when many stunned lawmakers who had just gone home for the holidays had to scramble back on flights and trains to the capital city to cast their votes for a downright ridiculous Trump negotiation drama. The House has adjourned without a deal on spending, virtually guaranteeing a partial government shutdown at midnight Friday. Senators are also being told there will be no further votes Friday as talks continue. Without a deal, funding for parts of the government will expire at midnight.

The popular narrative is that a "scared" and "vulnerable" Trump has been pushed to a corner and caved to the demands of wingnut hard-right commentators who said he must deliver on his bedrock promise of the 2016 campaign - the border wall - or shut down the government and wing it depending on whatever happens. More and more four star generals are saying America is on very dangerous ground, Russian commentators are reacting with glee, saying "he's doing all this on his own!" and "erratic" seems like an understatement to explain Trump's apocalyptic behavior. Allies and enemies alike are reacting with shock at Trump's instability and incoherence in all that he is doing, especially as the Robert Mueller probe draws closer and closer to the White House. So, where's this Trump administration going without its training wheels? With he last caregiver James Mattis gone, all Trump has left is his own children and a bunch of misfit toys with a bunker mentality, egging him on, saying this is what draining the political swamp looks like, it's all good.

The reality is very different, though. Trump, everyone except his acolytes agrees, is behaving like a teenager on rampage. He invoked Ronald Raegan to justify his doozy plans, here's what Ronald Reagan's son had to say: "My father was sane!"

"This guy is acting like Henry the eighth, can't get his divorce, can't get anything done and then he goes crazy. Who are these guys - Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter...they are telling the US president what to do, they are lighting him up and he is burning the country down", railed opponents, finally losing their patience with Trump's unprecedented yo-yo act.

On the shortest day this winter, Trump plunged America into a darkness that goes beyond the particulars of the border wall or the Syria pull out or the Mattis resignation or anything else. It's all of that and then some. Wasn't Mexico supposed to pay for this mythical border wall con that Trump has spun up? How is it that it's suddenly the US taxpayer who must pay? The wall, like so many of Trump's claims, is a visual persuasion trick which was meant to stick for instant political gain. What Trump and his immigration point man Stephen Miller really want is this: Stop all immigration. Period.

"Mr President, you're not getting your wall. Not today, not next week": With that stinger, US Senators are readying to sink an ill-fated spending bill sending the American government into partial shutdown on a wild day in Washington,

A week ago, Trump said he'd be "proud" to shut down the government if Congress, led by fellow Republicans, didn't give him the money he wanted for his long-promised border wall with Mexico. Now, the government is heading toward a partial shutdown if a spending impasse isn't settled by midnight. And Trump is saying that if enough Senate Democrats don't go along with a House-passed plan that includes the border money, then it'll be a "Democrat Shutdown!"

Trump already faces a difficult 2019, likely to be dominated by Mueller's investigation into whether his 2016 campaign colluded with Russia and congressional probes into his businesses, his family and some cabinet members.

What Trump should be really worried about today is Republicans are turning on him. He needs at least 34 Senators to stick with him to avoid being impeached. With Mattis' exit, the math is beginning to change.
(Reuters) - A former top fundraiser for U.S. President Donald Trump suffered another legal setback on Friday in his efforts to pin the blame on Qatar for a hack of his emails, as a judge tossed his lawsuit against a veteran United Nations diplomat. Elliott Broidy, a businessman who held senior finance posts in Trump's 2016 presidential campaign and his inaugural committee, sued Jamal Benomar in July, claiming he orchestrated the dissemination of hacked emails to media outlets.

(Reuters) - A former top fundraiser for U.S. President Donald Trump suffered another legal setback on Friday in his efforts to pin the blame on Qatar for a hack of his emails, as a judge tossed his lawsuit against a veteran United Nations diplomat.

Elliott Broidy, a businessman who held senior finance posts in Trump's 2016 presidential campaign and his inaugural committee, sued Jamal Benomar in July, claiming he orchestrated the dissemination of hacked emails to media outlets.

Benomar, a British citizen born in Morocco and a former U.N. special envoy for Yemen, had denied involvement and sought to get the lawsuit thrown out by asserting diplomatic immunity, a status confirmed by the Trump administration last month.

Siding with Benomar, Manhattan federal District Judge Cathy Seibel on Friday dismissed the case, court records show.

"To be clear, I have never spoken with nor met Elliott Broidy. I never was involved in any hacking scheme," Benomar said in a statement applauding the court decision.

Broidy, who has claimed he was targeted by Qatar and its agents over his efforts to shift U.S. policy against the Persian Gulf nation, plans to appeal the decision, his lawyer said.

"We don't believe that Mr. Benomar's claim of diplomatic status should provide him with immunity in this case," Lee Wolosky said.

Broidy has accused Qatari hackers of leaking his emails to the media, leading to the publication of damaging stories that increased scrutiny of his access to Trump and lobbying efforts aimed at benefiting his patron, the United Arab Emirates, at the expense of Qatar.

A federal judge in California in August granted Qatar's request to be dismissed from a similar lawsuit, citing sovereign immunity. Qatar has denied any involvement in the hacks.

Broidy appealed that dismissal. That case is pending.

(Reporting by Nathan Layne in New York; Editing by Dan Grebler and Rosalba O'Brien)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
By Ginger Gibson, Steve Holland and Susan Heavey WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump conceded on Friday there was a good chance the Senate would not approve his demand for $5 billion towards funding his border wall project and that there probably would be a government shutdown beginning at midnight.

By Ginger Gibson, Steve Holland and Susan Heavey

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump conceded on Friday there was a good chance the Senate would not approve his demand for $5 billion towards funding his border wall project and that there probably would be a government shutdown beginning at midnight.

Before meeting with Senate Republicans at the White House, Trump had written on Twitter that "Democrats now own the shutdown," despite having said last week that he would be "proud" to shut down the government over the issue of border security and "I'll be the one to shut it down."

"If the Dems vote no, there will be a shutdown that will last for a very long time," he said in a tweet.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer refused to take the blame.

"President Trump, you own the shutdown," he said on the Senate floor. "You said so in your own words."

Republican Senators Bob Corker and Richard Shelby said negotiations were under way to see if a compromise funding bill could be shaped.

A senior Senate Republican aide said there was hope that Democrats and Republicans could find a sweet spot in a temporary spending bill that would provide more money for border security than was in the bill the Senate passed earlier this week - but not the $5 billion for a wall that the House approved.

Republican Senators Lamar Alexander and Marco Rubio expressed frustration with what they said was a shifting position by the White House. Rubio said that earlier in the week the Republicans had supported the funding bill without wall money because Vice President Mike Pence had told them the White House was open to such a proposal.

"REASONABLE PATH"

"We had a reasonable path and there was every indication from the president that he would sign it," Alexander said.

Trump had summoned Senate Republicans to the White House on Friday morning to push for his wall funding before they took up procedural votes on whether to consider a bill passed by the House of Representatives granting $5 billion for the wall. But afterward he said there was a good chance the bill would not clear the Senate and that a shutdown was likely.

The procedural vote had the potential to be a drawn-out affair as many senators who had left Washington to start their Christmas break, thinking the temporary funding issue was settled, were trickling back to work.

Schumer, speaking on the Senate floor, chastised Trump and told him to abandon his shutdown strategy.

"You're not getting the wall today, next week or on January third when Democrats take control of the House," he said.

Earlier in the week the Senate, where Republicans have a 51-49 majority, passed a short-term government funding bill that included no money for the wall. On Friday Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell urged his members to vote for a bill that was approved by the House on Thursday to give Trump $5 billion towards building the wall on the Mexican border - one of the major themes of his presidency.

In a series of early-morning tweets on Friday, Trump called on McConnell to use the "nuclear option" to force a Senate vote on legislation with a simple majority, rather than the standard "supermajority" of 60 votes. But there was not enough support among Republican senators to do so.

The threat of a U.S. government shutdown, which would leave thousands of federal workers idled at Christmas, continued to fuel investor anxieties on Friday over the trajectory of global economic growth as world stocks extended a steep sell-off.

TENSE TIMES

The showdown added to tensions in Washington as lawmakers also grappled with Trump's sudden move to pull troops from Syria, which prompted Defense Secretary Jim Mattis to resign and furthered concerns over the investigation of Russian meddling in the 2016 election that Trump won.

Three-quarters of government programs are fully funded through the end of the federal fiscal year next Sept. 30, including those in the Defense Department, Labor Department and Health and Human Services.

But funding for other agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, the Justice Department and the Agriculture Department, was set to expire at midnight on Friday.

If the House measure is put to a vote in the Senate, Democrats have pledged to deny it passage. It remained unclear what would happen if the House measure fails there.

A partial government shutdown could begin, with affected agencies limiting staff to those deemed "essential" to public safety. Such critical workers, including U.S. border agents, and nonessential employees would not get paid until the dispute ends. National parks also would close unless the government declares them essential.

Alternatively, lawmakers could seek a solution that Trump finds acceptable, although it was unclear what that would be.

Trump had planned to leave Washington on Friday for a holiday stay at his Florida resort but the standoff made his plans uncertain.

The border wall was a key Trump campaign promise in the 2016 election, when he said it would be paid for by Mexico, and he sees it as a winning issue for his 2020 re-election campaign.

(Reporting by Richard Cowan, Ginger Gibson, Roberta Rampton and Susan Heavey; Writing by Bill Trott; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe, Jonathan Oatis and Cynthia Osterman)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States on Friday called on Beijing to release two Canadians detained in what are widely believed to be tit-for-tat arrests related to the high-profile detention in Canada of an executive of a major Chinese corporation. China last week detained two Canadians - Michael Kovrig, a former diplomat and an adviser with the International Crisis Group (ICG) think tank, and businessman Michael Spavor - after Canadian police arrested Huawei Technologies Co Ltd's chief financial officer, Meng Wanzhou, on Dec 1

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States on Friday called on Beijing to release two Canadians detained in what are widely believed to be tit-for-tat arrests related to the high-profile detention in Canada of an executive of a major Chinese corporation.

China last week detained two Canadians - Michael Kovrig, a former diplomat and an adviser with the International Crisis Group (ICG) think tank, and businessman Michael Spavor - after Canadian police arrested Huawei Technologies Co Ltd's chief financial officer, Meng Wanzhou, on Dec 1.

In the United States, State Department spokesman Robert Palladino said that Meng, who is also the daughter of the company's founder, was facing a "fair, unbiased and transparent legal proceeding."

"We also express our deep concern for the Chinese governments detention of two Canadians earlier this month and call for their immediate release," he said in a statement.

The United States has sought to extradite Meng, who is out on bail in Canada, on charges of misleading multinational banks about Iran-linked transactions, putting the banks at risk of violating U.S. sanctions.

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.

(Reporting by Diane Bartz; Editing by Dan Grebler)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
McGurk, appointed to the post by President Barack Obama in 2015 and retained by Trump, said in his resignation letter that the militants were on the run, but not yet defeated, and that the premature pullout of American forces from Syria would create the conditions that gave rise to Islamic State

Washington: Brett McGurk, the US envoy to the global coalition fighting the Islamic State group, has resigned in protest to President Donald Trump's abrupt decision to withdraw US troops from Syria, joining Defense Secretary Jim Mattis in an administration exodus of experienced national security officials. Only 11 days ago, McGurk had said it would be "reckless" to consider Islamic State defeated and therefore would be unwise to bring American forces home. He decided to speed up his plan to leave in mid-February.

McGurk, appointed to the post by President Barack Obama in 2015 and retained by Trump, said in his resignation letter that the militants were on the run, but not yet defeated, and that the premature pullout of American forces from Syria would create the conditions that gave rise to Islamic State. McGurk also cited gains in accelerating the campaign against Islamic State, but that the work was not yet done.

His letter, submitted Friday to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, was described to The Associated Press on Saturday by an official familiar with its contents. The official was not authorized to publicly discuss the matter before the letter was released and spoke on condition of anonymity. McGurk, whose resignation is effective 31 December, was planning to leave the job in mid-February after a US-hosted meeting of foreign ministers from the coalition countries, but he felt he could continue no longer after Trump's decision to withdraw from Syria and Mattis' resignation, according to the official.

Trump is acting to pull all 2,000 US troops from Syria and has now declared victory over Islamic State, contradicting his own experts' assessments. Many lawmakers have called his action rash and dangerous. Mattis, perhaps the most respected foreign policy official in the administration, announced on Thursday that he will leave by the end of February. He told Trump in a letter that he was departing because "you have a right to have a Secretary of Defense whose views are better aligned with yours."

The US began airstrikes in Syria in 2014, and ground troops moved in the following year to battle Islamic State and train Syrian rebels in a country torn apart by civil war. Trump, in a tweet this past week, abruptly declared their mission accomplished. The decision will fulfill Trump's goal of bringing troops home from Syria, but military leaders have pushed back for months, arguing that the Islamic State group remains a threat and could regroup in Syria's long-running civil war. US policy has been to keep troops in place until the extremists are eradicated.

McGurk said at a state department briefing on 11 December that "it would be reckless if we were just to say, 'Well, the physical caliphate is defeated, so we can just leave now.' I think anyone who's looked at a conflict like this would agree with that." A week before that, General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the US had a long way to go in training local Syrian forces to prevent a resurgence of Islamic State and stabilise Syria.

He said it would 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 had been trained. McGurk, 45, previously served as a deputy assistant secretary of state for Iraq and Iran, and during the negotiations for the landmark Iran nuclear deal by the Obama administration, led secret side talks with Tehran on the release of Americans imprisoned there.

McGurk, was briefly considered for the post of ambassador to Iraq after having served as a senior official covering Iraq and Afghanistan during President George W Bush's administration. A former Supreme Court law clerk to the late Chief Justice William Rehnquist, McGurk worked as a lawyer for the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq after the 2003 US-led invasion and joined Bush's National Security Council staff, where in 2007 and 2008, he was the lead US negotiator on security agreements with Iraq.

Taking over for now for McGurk will be his deputy, retired Lt Gen Terry Wolff, who served three tours of active duty in Iraq. Jim Jeffrey, a veteran diplomat who was appointed special representative for Syria engagement in August, is expected to stay in his position, officials said.

Islamic State 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 US-supported Syrian Democratic Forces to drive them out.

The pocket is home to about 15,000 people, among them 2,000 Islamic State fighters, according to US military estimates. But that figure could be as high as 8,000 militants, if fighters hiding out in the deserts south of the Euphrates River are also counted, according to according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the conflict through networks of local informants.

The SDF, a Kurdish-led force that is America's only military partner in Syria, said Thursday: "The war against Islamic State has not ended and the group has not been defeated." The group is at the front lines of the battle against Islamic State along the Euphrates River. It said a US withdrawal would leave Syrians "between the claws of enemy forces."

At their height in 2014, Islamic State militants controlled approximately a third of territory in Syria and Iraq, including major cities in both countries. The group flourished in the political vacuum of Syria's civil war, in which President Bashar Assad has violently put down a 2011 uprising against his family's 40-year rule.
Operations for several key US agencies will cease in the early hours of Saturday, despite last-ditch talks that continued on Capitol Hill between White House officials and congressional leaders in both parties.

Washington: The US House of Representatives adjourned on Friday without Congress passing a spending deal, assuring a partial government shutdown at midnight as President Donald Trump and lawmakers remain at odds over border wall funding.

Operations for several key agencies will cease in the early hours of Saturday, despite last-ditch talks that continued on Capitol Hill between White House officials and congressional leaders in both parties.

Trump is seeking $5 billion for construction of a wall on the US border with Mexico. Democrats are staunchly opposed, and the absence of an elusive deal means federal funds for dozens of agencies will lapse at midnight.

It remained unclear how long the shutdown will last. But the optics are bad, as hundreds of thousands of federal employees will be either furloughed or forced to work without pay in the run-up to the Christmas holiday. The House is due back in session at noon (1700 GMT) on Saturday.

The Senate, meanwhile, remained open late Friday, but there were no signs yet of a breakthrough, and the chamber was quiet.

Senators told reporters that congressional leaders from both parties were negotiating behind the scenes with White House officials including Vice President Mike Pence, Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, and incoming chief of staff Mick Mulvaney.

One focus of discussion was the $1.6 billion in border security funding that was a part of pending Senate legislation, number two Senate Republican John Cornyn told AFP. However, conservatives in the House would likely baulk at that figure.

"There's no agreement," Congressman Mark Meadows, chairman of the House Freedom Caucus of ultra-conservatives, told reporters as he made his way from Senate meetings to the House. "There's a whole lot of numbers being thrown around," but a maximum $1.6 billion for border security "is not acceptable."

Trump was scheduled to fly to Florida late on Friday for his Christmas break, but the White House said the president postponed the trip and would remain in Washington in an effort to salvage a spending deal.
It's not easy to pick winners in the apparel retail segment, and not just because stock picking in general is a challenge. The real issues are that companies that may hit the mark in one year frequently can't keep it up for long, and while shifts in fashion may not be too big a problem for shoppers, they're a challenge for long-term investors.

In this segment from MarketFoolery, host Chris Hill and senior analyst Seth Jayson consider the current challenges facing U.S. clothing brands and retailers, the way both higher- and lower-end brands have been finding success, and how Europe factors into the equation.

A full transcript follows the video.

This video was recorded on Dec. 18, 2018.

Chris Hill: Let's talk about fashion. This has come up a few times in this month alone on this show. Apparel retail is a tough business in general. It's tough for investors to get right for extended periods of time. I feel like, in any given 12-month period, any number of stocks have done well. But over, say, a five-year period, they're trailing the market. When you look at apparel retail, fashion retail right now, what stands out to you?

Seth Jayson: I was reading a story on Bloomberg. It made me really wonder what's going on right now in the U.S. A lot of retailers and fashion retailers are doing OK. They're doing better than they have for some time. In the few years leading up, Europe was helping out those that had significant global operations. Then, we had a bifurcated market. Some of the higher-end companies were doing well. Think of a Lululemon. Meanwhile, some of the cheaper companies were going crazy, doing well selling lower-end stuff.

This article on Bloomberg was about ASOS, a company a lot of people in the U.S. won't have heard of. They do $3 billion or something in sales last year.

Hill: ASOS?

Jayson: Yeah. Internet clothing. I didn't know much about them. A U.K. company. They issued just a doozy of a "we ain't doing so great" statement last week. I thought it was really interesting. "Oh, there's that Brexit thing hitting the U.K." Turns out, that's not really the case. Sales in the U.K. were alright. It's Germany and the rest of the continent over there that are really hurting them.

That made me wonder, what do we make of this? This company sells low-end, cheap clothes on the internet. It's tough to make money doing that. We saw good results from H&M, which is familiar to shoppers and investors in the U.S. because they do well here. They actually had good sales numbers not long ago.

I'm really wondering where things are going to shake out. Under Armour is trying to sell a lot overseas. Depending on some European business, still primarily U.S. They're stinking it up lately, and they're premium. Lululemon, the stock's down, but the sales have been going well. They don't do a whole lot in Europe. They're U.S., Canada, and Asia.

If you're in some of these companies, you probably want to examine what is going on, pay attention to what's going on with European apparel and European fashion. If you're in something like Guess, you're more exposed to that. How's a company like Deckers going to be doing in the shoes segment? Or, one we may be talking about next, Skechers. Not to get too far ahead of ourselves.

Hill: Spoiler alert.

Jayson: One of the problems with the ASOS numbers was that there was a big drop in branded shoe sales in the E.U. This was an alarm bell for me because I had assumed that Europe was continuing to chug along OK. For a couple of companies right now, clearly it's not.
With retirement becoming increasingly expensive, saving independently is all the more crucial -- especially since Social Security by itself won't be enough to pay for retirement. Thankfully, there's some good news in this regard: 401(k) contribution limits are increasing in 2019, which means workers will have a greater opportunity to pad their nest eggs.

Currently, workers under 50 can contribute up to $18,500 a year to a 401(k), while workers 50 and over can contribute up to $24,500. Once 2019 kicks off, these figures will rise to $19,000 and $25,000, respectively. This means that no matter your age, you'll have an opportunity to sock away an extra $500 next year in your 401(k), and if you save in a traditional 401(k) rather than a Roth, you'll also knock $500 off your taxable income in the process.

If your goal is to max out your 401(k) in 2019, make sure to take the appropriate steps to defer that additional $500 (it's probably just a form or request to your payroll or HR department). That said, if you do take advantage of these increased limits, you'll probably be in the minority, since the average American isn't apt to even notice the change.

Americans need to do better on savings

Most workers are advised to sock away anywhere from 15% to 20% of their earnings for retirement, and if you have access to a 401(k), you have a solid opportunity to do just that. Most Americans who have 401(k)s, however, don't come close to maxing out. The average contribution rate for 401(k) plans was 6.8% of salary in 2017 -- the same as it was a year before, according to Vanguard. Since the average U.S. worker today earns roughly $46,641 a year, that translates to an annual contribution of $3,172, not including employer matching dollars. And that's nowhere close to the $19,000 workers that will have the option to contribute next year.

Ramping up your savings game

If you're an average earner, maxing out a 401(k) plan may not be in the cards for you -- at least not right away. After all, to put away $19,000 a year (assuming you're under 50) would mean to give up over 40% of your income if you earn what the typical American does. That said, there are several steps you can take to do better.

First, look at your budget (or create one if you don't have one yet) and find some corners to cut. That could mean canceling your rarely used gym membership, dining out less frequently, or unloading a car if you can get along by taking the bus. Next, think about getting a side hustle. Of the millions of Americans who hold down a second job, 14% do so for the express purpose of boosting their retirement savings rates. Lastly, if you're getting a raise next year, send it directly into your 401(k). This way, you'll remove the temptation to spend that money elsewhere -- and chances are, you won't even miss it.

The more you're able to save in your 401(k), the more financial security you buy yourself in retirement. Even if maxing out at $19,000 or $25,000 isn't an option next year, it never hurts to do a little bit better than you did the year before. In fact, if you were to save an extra $500 a year over the next 20 years, you'd add about $20,500 to your nest egg on top of the amount you were already saving, assuming your investments generate an average annual 7% return. Therefore, while a small increase like $500 may not seem like much at first, it could work wonders for your retirement in the long run.
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.
While those residing in Michigan have long been able to play online with international sites the likes of Americas Cardroom , now the state is looking to operate its own Web card rooms with the passage of a new law.



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The bill, H 4926, introduced by Rep. Brandt Iden in September 2017, passed the Michigan State Senate by a 33-5 vote and in the Michigan House of Representatives fpassed by a 71-35 margin.

Outgoing Governor Rick Snyder is expected to sign the bill into law by next week though the holidays could interfere and there are only a few days left in the calendar year.

Ive spoken to him directly, Ive spoken to his chief of staff, Ive spoken to the person who cleans the floors in his office, Kowall said of Snyder. Everyone has said he is probably going to sign it. Im optimistic that hell sign the bill, especially with Pennsylvania having gone in that direction.

The Michigan Gaming Control Board would oversee any operation of online poker sites in the state.

Michigan would become the first state to legalize internet poker. New Jersey, Nevada, Delaware and Pennsylvania already offer Web poker with varying results.

- Ace King, Gambling911.com
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.
Summer in NZ means long roadtrips country-wide, but with everyone heading off to all the beach hotspots and visiting family, the roads tend to get jammed up pretty badly.

NZTA have been kind enough to provide us with interactive and downloadable maps that show when they expect traffic to be heavy based on travel patterns from previous years around the country. This will help you to plan your holiday journeys in advance and help to make everyone's travels safer and more enjoyable.

You can check out the full interactive map of NZ to check the expected traffic for each area on particular days across the holidays. As we know though, peak traffic periods can change due to incidents, weather or even driver behaviour, so you can check the up to date travel info before you leave as well to make sure everything goes to plan.

We've put together some of the most common journeys, and info on when you should avoid travelling to make your life a little easier:

Auckland to Whangarei

Before Christmas - If you're heading to Whangarei in the days leading up to Christmas you'll want to avoid travelling between 11am and 4pm - this will get really busy around Warkworth. The best times to travel will be early in the morning, or after 6pm.

After Christmas - Any time after 9am through to 5pm is going to be busy all through the days leading up to New Years. Again, early morning or after 6pm at night will be your best bet.

Early January - Traffic will be busiest on the 2nd January Northbound, so avoid heading up this day if you can. Your best bet of a straight run will be the 1st or the 5th, with minimal traffic these days.

Whangarei to Auckland

Early January - Before New Year traffic is looking mostly smooth, but the early days of January will be particularly bad. Traffic will be extremely heavy from 10am every day, going all the way through til 8pm on the 1st and 2nd. It will start to ease off each day, but you should still avoid travellin between 10am and 3pm all the way up until the 6th of January.

Auckland to Tauranga

After Christmas - Avoid travel on the 26th-28th December between 12pm and 5pm. The 29th will be more smooth flowing, then the 30th and 31st will be busy between 12pm and 6pm.

Early January - The worst day for travel will be the 2nd January, heavy between 8am and 4pm.

Tauranga to Auckland

Early January - The worst days for travel will be the 1st - 3rd January, with people heading off from Tauranga heavily from 9am every day, which means heavy traffic back to Auckland right up until 7/8pm each night.

North of Wellington (SH1)

Northbound - Unfortunately every day from 9am will have heavy traffic from the 21st til the 30th December. Christmas Day will be the quitest day to travel. Early January will be busy from 10am until 5pm each day.

Southbound - Avoid travel between 10am until 6pm daily between 22nd December and 6th January. Your best bet will be Christmas Day or New Years Day with the quietest roads these days.

North of Christchurch (SH1)

Northbound - Avoid travel between the 27th - 29th December with heavy traffic from 9am to 5/6pm daily. Early January the times to avoid are 2pm - 6pm from the 3rd til the 6th January.

Southbound - Peak times daily will be between 10am - 5pm. The busiest day will be 2nd January, especially from 2pm - 5pm.

South of Christchurch (SH1)

Southbound - The 26th til the 30th December will be busiest from 9am - 2pm. The 3rd January is the most popular post-New Year day to travel.

Northbound - The 2nd - 4th January will be particularly busy, from 12pm until 6pm. January 5th and 6th will also be heavy during these times.
List of Best battery Backup Smartphones that launched in 2018 Features oi-Harish Kumar

If you are looking to acquire some of the best battery backup smartphones, you can refer our list below. Their batteries come with few amazing features that can make your show long lasting. This is how you get the bestness in the form of such featured devices, that were launched in 2018.

From the list, you can have the Blackberry Evolve which comes with an impressive battery that offers up to 2 days battery life on a single charge. Motorola One Power (P30 Note) is equipped with a massive 5000mAh battery with support for 15W fast charging and a USB Type-C port. With such features, you can constantly go with your multitasking for the longest duration.

Incredibly, a device called OPPO Find X comes with VOOC flash charge technology which allows the battery to charge from 12-87% in just under an hour. There are more devices in the list which also have much better battery related features. These devices not only come with fast charging technology, but also their batteries are AI based for better performance.

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Samsung working on Pixel 3-like Night Sight feature for Galaxy S10 News oi-Vishal Kawadkar Samsung wants to offer the best low-light photography.

Samsung doesn't want to miss a single feature on its flagship Galaxy S10. After months of speculation, a new report suggests that the device will also have a Pixel 3-like Night Sight feature for low-light photography. Samsung's version could also carry a similar moniker: Bright Night.

According to the XDA_Developers report, they found mentions of a "Bright Night" feature inside the code for Android 9 Pie-based One UI beta that was rolled out for the Galaxy Note 9. The Samsung Camera APK in the One UI beta contains code strings that suggest that the feature will capture multiple shots of the same scene and merge them to produce a brighter image.

There a huge possibility that the company might debut the new feature with the Galaxy S10, but might later be rolled out as an update for devices like the Galaxy S9 and Note 9.

Google's Night Sight mode has clearly made a mark on the low-light mobile photography front, as it takes brilliant pictures in low-light settings, though Google isn't the only one trying to make night photography better.

Huawei has added the "Night Mode" to its P20 and Mate 20 smartphones, while Xiaomi and OnePlus have added "Night Scene" and "Nightscape" modes respectively. We'll get to know more about this low-light camera trend in the coming days as Samsung inches closer to the launch of its flagship.

Besides, there are reports floating that Samsung might be working on a fourth variant of the Galaxy S10 that will have 5G connectivity and a bigger screen. Codenamed 'Beyond X' is said to sport a 6.7-inch display and six cameras: two on the front, while four on the rear panel.

The company recently unveiled its Galaxy A9 with four cameras on the rear panel, so it's likely that the Galaxy S10 might have the same layout. The report also claims that the 5G variant will see the light of day in late spring. Samsung is also said to be in talks with several carriers for 5G network tie-ups.

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Huawei collaborates with Croma to kick off its offline strategy Reviews oi-Priyanka Dua In addition to that Croma is also be extending cashback offers on credit and debit cards from banks like HDFC, ICICI, Axis and Standard Chartered Bank.

Chinese tech giant Huawei has announced that Mate 20 Pro will be available for purchase from Croma Croma outlets starting 25th December.

Ritesh Ghosal, CMO, Croma, said, "We have seen a lot of interest for Huawei devices in the premium segment and have tied up with Huawei to deliver an exclusive experience of the Huawei Mate20 Pro at our stores. We are confident that given the robust specs and outstanding looks of the new Mate20 Pro, our customers will be delighted."

The smartphone will be available for purchase at Rs. 71,990 across 50 Croma Stores in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad.

In addition to that Croma is also be extending cashback offers on credit and debit cards from banks like HDFC, ICICI, Axis and Standard Chartered Bank.

Meanwhile, the company has also collaborated with Kartik Aaryan, popular Indian actor for an exclusive popup of the Huawei Mate20 Pro.

Wally Yang, Senior Product Marketing Director, Huawei Consumer Business group said, "India is an important market for us and our aim is to provide a first-hand experience of the most powerful and intelligent Mate ever - Huawei Mate20 Pro for our customers here. We are happy to associate with Kartik Aaryan as he compliments our brand persona, which is bold, fresh and in line with the latest lifestyle trends. We are confident that this association will strengthen our bond with our consumers, and help the brand scale newer heights in the market."

As part of the association, consumers and fans alike will get a chance to experience the device alongside Kartik Aaryan in an interactive session.

Consumers will also get a chance to purchase the device from Croma, Ambience mall, wherein a lucky buyer gets to unbox the new device with Kartik Aaryan and take home some exciting gifts, while another 5 buyers at the popup will have the opportunity to click a group selfie with him along with exciting gifts.

Customers would be able to buy the Huawei Mate20 Pro with a bundled offer wherein customers can get the latest Sennheiser PXC 550 along with the Mate20 Pro.

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ESA release images of 82 km wide icy Korolev crater on Mars News oi-Vishal Kawadkar This could be a great help understanding Mars' structure.

It wasn't long ago that we heard about scientists finding water on Mars' surface. Well, now the time has changed and we now have the actual pictures that suggest the possibility of water there might be true.

The European Space Agency (ESA) has released a few images that were captured by its Mars Express probe. The images show a giant crater called 'Korolev' on the surface of the Red Planet. The newly found crater has been named after chief rocket engineer and spacecraft designer Sergei Korolev, who is known for his contribution in building the Soviet space technology.

The crater was found in the northern lowlands of Mars. It is close to 82km wide and it encircles part of Mars' northern polar cap. It is said to be approximately 2km vertically deep.

The ESA said that Korolev is a well-preserved specimen of craters on the Red Planet, and is filled with ice and not by snow. It is filled with ice due to a phenomenon called a 'cold trap' caused due to the floor of the crater which is two kilometers beneath the rim.

The deepest part of the crater with ice act as a natural cold trap. The air that is moving over the deposit cools down and makes a layer of cold air that's always there above the ice. The layer ensures that the ice remains stable and doesn't let it heat up and disappear. Since air isn't a good heat conductor, it results in keeping the crater icy forever.

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Attribution of Chinese cyber-enabled commercial intellectual property theft

Joint media release

- Senator the Hon Marise Payne, Minister for Foreign Affairs

- The Hon Peter Dutton MP, Minister for Home Affairs

21 December 2018

Today, the Australian Government joins other international partners in expressing serious concern about a global campaign of cyber-enabled commercial intellectual property theft by a group known as APT10, acting on behalf of the Chinese Ministry of State Security.

The sustained cyber intrusions by APT10 were significant and focussed on large scale Managed Service Providers (MSPs)  specialist companies that manage IT services and infrastructure for many medium to large businesses and organisations, both in Australia and globally.

When it is in our interests to do so, Australia publicly attributes cyber incidents, especially those with the potential to undermine global economic growth, national security and international stability.

Australia calls on all countries  including China  to uphold commitments to refrain from cyber-enabled theft of intellectual property, trade secrets and confidential business information with the intent of obtaining a competitive advantage. These commitments were agreed by G20 Leaders in 2015. Australia and China reaffirmed them bilaterally in 2017.

The worldwide cyber security compromise serves as a reminder that all organisations must remain vigilant about security and that organisations such as MSPs must be responsible and accountable to those they serve.

The Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) has issued advice on concrete steps that MSPs and their clients can take to limit their exposure and protect their information.

All Australian businesses and organisations that use a MSP are strongly encouraged to visit www.cyber.gov.au and to implement this advice.

The Australian Government is committed to providing confidence and a level playing field for Australian businesses, exporters and research communities. We are proud of Australian innovation and ingenuity, and we want to ensure Australians retain the benefit of our effort.

The Australian Government is committed to promoting a resilient cyber security culture that benefits all Australians.

Media enquiries

- Minister's office: (02) 6277 7500

- DFAT Media Liaison: (02) 6261 1555

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DNI Coats Statement on the Intelligence Community's Response to Executive Order 13848 on Imposing Certain Sanctions in the Event of Foreign Interference in a United States Election

DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE

WASHINGTON, DC 20511

December 21, 2018

Today I submitted the Intelligence Community's report on foreign interference in the 2018 midterm elections to the President and appropriate executive departments and agencies, as directed by Section 1(a) of the Executive Order 13848, Imposing Certain Sanctions in the Event of Foreign Interference in a United States Election.

At this time, the Intelligence Community does not have intelligence reporting that indicates any compromise of our nation's election infrastructure that would have prevented voting, changed vote counts, or disrupted the ability to tally votes. The activity we did see was consistent with what we shared in the weeks leading up to the election. Russia, and other foreign countries, including China and Iran, conducted influence activities and messaging campaigns targeted at the United States to promote their strategic interests.

We did not make an assessment of the impact that these activities had on the outcome of the 2018 election. The US Intelligence Community is charged with monitoring and assessing the intentions, capabilities, and actions of foreign actors; it does not analyze US political processes or US public opinion.

Preserving the integrity of our election systems and, more broadly, our democracy, is a top priority for the Intelligence Community. We will continue to work this critical topic as we begin preparing for the 2020 elections across all relevant elements of the federal government and with our state and local election partners.



Daniel R. Coats, Director of National Intelligence

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Chinese National Charged with Committing Theft of Trade Secrets

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Friday, December 21, 2018



Hongjin Tan, a 35 year old Chinese national and U.S. legal permanent resident, was arrested on Dec. 20 and charged with theft of trade secrets. Tan is alleged to have stolen the trade secrets from his employer, a U.S. petroleum company.

The announcement was made by Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers, U.S. Attorney Trent Shores for the Northern District of Oklahoma, and Special Agent in Charge Kathryn Peterson of the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office.

"Hongjin Tan allegedly stole trade secrets related to a product worth more than $1 billion from his U.S.-based petroleum company employer, to use for the benefit of a Chinese company where he was offered employment," said Assistant Attorney General Demers. "The theft of intellectual property harms American companies and American workers. As our recent cases show, all too often these thefts involve the Chinese government or Chinese companies. The Department recently launched an initiative to protect our economy from such illegal practices emanating from China, and we continue to make this a top priority."

"The United States filed a criminal complaint against a Chinese national alleging the theft of intellectual property from a company with significant operations in Oklahoma," said U.S. Attorney Shores. "The value of the trade secrets in this case is estimated to be more than $1 billion dollars. Theft of critical research, development, and other intellectual property harms the economic prosperity and security of the United States. My office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation will utilize all tools available to respond to these types of threats. We will protect Oklahomans and Oklahoma businesses by prosecuting those who violate the law."

Tan made an initial appearance Thursday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jodi F. Jayne. A preliminary and detention hearing has been set for Dec. 26.

According to the criminal complaint, Tan allegedly stole trade secrets from a U.S.-based petroleum company regarding the manufacture of a "research and development downstream energy market product." The company's methods of developing the product are of great value, both economically and to competitors. Until recently, Tan worked for the petroleum company and allegedly downloaded hundreds of files, including files related to the manufacture of the product. Investigators allege that Tan was offered a job at a company in China where he planned to use these files to benefit his new employer. Tan has been residing in the United States for the past 12 years.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The FBI conducted this investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel-lyn A. McCormick of the Northern District of Oklahoma is prosecuting the case, with assistance from Trial Attorneys Matthew R. Walczewski and Matthew J. McKenzie of the National Security Division's Counterintelligence and Export Control Section (CES) and Assistant Deputy Chief Brian J. Resler of the Criminal Division's Computer Crimes and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS).

Attachment(s): Download 2018 12 20 Hongjin Tan Complaint

Topic(s):

Counterintelligence and Export Control

National Security

Component(s):

National Security Division (NSD)

USAO - Oklahoma, Northern

Press Release Number: 18-1688

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China accuses US of fabricating facts with cyber-attack accusations

Iran Press TV

Fri Dec 21, 2018 06:04AM

China has strongly rejected "slanderous" accusations recently made by the United States over massive hacking efforts around the world, accusing Washington of "fabricating facts."

China's Foreign Ministry called on Washington on Friday to "stop smearing Chinese on cyber security issues" after it accused Beijing of running a global campaign to target companies and agencies in a dozen countries.

The State Department also indicted two Chinese nationals for allegedly hacking into the computer networks of companies and government agencies in several Western countries with the aim of stealing intellectual property and confidential business and technological information. They have not been arrested.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said China has lodged an official protest against the allegations that she described as "deliberate defamation" and "purely made out of thin air."

"It has long been an open secret for the relevant departments of the United States to conduct large-scale and organized network theft and monitoring activities against foreign governments, enterprises and individuals," she said.

Hua urged the US to drop the charges and warned other countries to "stop deliberate defamation of China, so as not to damage... bilateral relations."

Australia, New Zealand and the UK have also joined the US in accusing China of cyber-attacks.

Hua stressed that Beijing "has never participated in or supported anyone in any way in stealing trade secrets."

This is not the first time that Washington has made such accusations against Beijing. Back in 214, American prosecutors indicted five members of the Chinese military for computer hacking charges.

In October, the Justice Department charged a group of Chinese agents with trying to steal aviation technology from US companies.

Tensions between the two world powers have been running high over several issue, including a bitter trade war.

US President Donald Trump initiated the trade dispute with China in April, when he first imposed unusually heavy tariffs on imports from China. Beijing retaliated with duties of its own and dropped Chinese imports of American products.

Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping reached an agreement on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Buenos Aires earlier this month, which halted the threatened escalation of punitive tariffs while the two sides continue negotiations.

The 90-day halt in the trade war, however, does not seem to have resolved much of the two sides' deep trade differences.

It has, rather, left US tariffs in place on 250 billion dollars' worth of Chinese goods but for now removed the prospect of another 200 billion in tariffs or to impose tariffs on all imports from China.

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Marshall Center Program Engages Experts to Address Cyberspace Challenges, Threats

Dec. 21, 2018

By Christine June

George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies

GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, Germany -- It's a hyperconnected world, where cyberspace provides critical support for the world's economy, civil infrastructure, public safety and national security. But it's also where cyberattacks loom as large as the opportunities with their ability to trigger massive breakdowns.

Seventy-eight cyber professionals from 52 countries are now better equipped to establish policy responses to these rapidly evolving cyber threats after graduating yesterday from the Program on Cyber Security Studies at the George C. Marshall Center for Security Studies here.

The Marshall Center is a German-American partnership that has produced generations of global security professionals for the past 25 years. In 2014, the Defense Department designated it as a Center of Excellence for Transnational Security Studies, due to its cybersecurity program and its courses on countering organized crime and combating terrorism.

Whole-of-Government Approaches

"Our program focuses on areas that are not just within the normal Department of Defense or Ministry of Defense lanes or areas of expertise, but also examines whole-of-government approaches in addressing cyber security issues and challenges," said Philip Lark, the PCSS course director, who was instrumental in developing this transnational course for the Marshall Center in 2014.

In particular, the program addresses internet governance, internet freedom, combating terrorism and cybercrime, developing public and private partnerships, applicability of international law in cyber space, and exploring other critical cyber-related policy issues.

"We are the only DOD regional center that has the authority to do a transnational program like this with participants from all over the world," said retired U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Keith W. Dayton, the Marshall Center's director.

In this class, the professionals worked in a wide variety of national ministries, with the majority from interior, defense, justice and foreign affairs. "This program addresses strategic guidance from our stakeholders: DOD and German Ministry of Defense," Dayton said. Specifically, this guidance is:

 To incorporate and evaluate whole-of-government approaches when developing national cyber strategies and policies;

 To foster an environment of cyber due diligence;

 To share Euro-Atlantic and public-private partnerships proposals globally for addressing asymmetric threats from nonstate actors; and

 To nurture the formation of a global active network of senior-level cybersecurity professionals.

'Greatest Show on Earth'

Mika Kerttunen, director of Studies at the Cyber Policy Institute in Tartu, Estonia, was an adjunct professor for this course.

"The structure of PCSS and how [Lark] has constructed it, gives participants guidance on national strategy as a process and content matter," he said. "PCSS is totally unique and exceptional. It is the greatest show on Earth in this field. It really makes a difference, because [Lark] and the Marshall Center have been able to gather so many people from so many different countries across the spectrum of government and civilian administrations."

When it is repeated year after year, he added, the results become more viable and reach around the globe.

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Army National Guard firefighters conduct validation exercises

By Sgt. Christopher Hernandez December 21, 2018

WHITE SANDS MISSILE RANGE, N.M. -- Roaring down a concrete road not far from the base of the Organ Mountains, two M1142 Tactical Fire Fighting Trucks hastily position themselves away from the downed helicopter set ablaze. The roof turrets from each truck discharge streams of pressurized water onto the flames, and firefighters adorned in structural bunker gear and self-contained breathing apparatuses assemble around the fiery aircraft. These firefighters move expediently to their task, suppressing the flames of the aircraft whilst transporting the casualties away from the wreckage.

This wasn't a real-life event, but it has been designed to replicate one as part of the Michigan Army National Guard and Connecticut Army National Guard firefighter units' mobilization validation exercises here at the White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, Dec. 19. During this week before Christmas, the 1439th/1442nd Firefighter Teams (Alpena, Michigan) and the 256th Engineer Detachment (East Lyme, Connecticut) have been training in sync with each other in preparation for their upcoming deployments.

1st Sgt. Brandon Vaughn, the head Observer Controller/Trainer of this validation exercise from the 157th Infantry Brigade, Camp Atterbury, Indiana, said that he and other OC/Ts have been working with these detachments since last year.

"Our role out here is to assist First Army West and their validation and deployment to increase their readiness in different situations that they normally wouldn't be in," Vaughn said. "They have limited time to do these evaluations, so we have to hit all of the collective tasks under METT-TC (Mission, Enemy, Terrain & Weather, Troops, Time Available, and Civilian Considerations) to ensure that they're trained and proficient under METL (Mission Essential Task Lists)."

To test their adaptive acuity and resolve, the firefighter detachments were immersed in multiple training events with irregular circumstances, expectations and challenges.

"So far, we've been through vehicle fires, did some HAZMAT operations training, aircraft search and rescue operations with the helicopter, and did some rescue operations with a downed Cessna airplane," said Sgt. Scott Clark, 1442nd FT, Alpena, Michigan. "We've rescued victims, put out the fires that are there, mitigated any hazards that are on scene, such as the day before when we had oxygen tanks on board and had to cool those down."

These sporadic conditions of these training events are necessary for the benefit of their readiness, Vaughn said.

"Firefighters tend to get complacent in their training, so since coming out here, we break that up and throw different scenarios at them," Vaughn said. "We put them in different situations like adding oxygen to a fire, putting forth a natural gas leak, and put more victims in other places so we can make them think what to do and change it up."

This sentiment is echoed by the Michigan and Connecticut National Guard firefighters, drawing upon the necessity of expedient readiness as well.

"Putting the heat of the fire on here puts the pressure on us a little bit," Clark said. "Having the mannequins in there puts the life-safety factor upfront too, as we try to get in there and get the victims out. It makes it realistic by having everything there that we would actually have on a crash...or to the most that a training environment can have."

For Spc. Adam Van Dyke, 1439th FT, Alpena, Michigan, performing these tasks and drills in a new training environment has been conducive to their learning experience.

"It is nice to use different training grounds," said Spc. Adam Van Dyke, 1439th FT, Alpena, Michigan. "We're always used to using the same one back in Michigan, so it's nice seeing a different perspective of different situations that we can face."

One of the most significant advantages to this training week has been the unit cohesion that the three National Guard detachments had enriched with one another.

"It really helps us work together, and we go off each other's skill sets since everyone is good at something more than someone else," said Spc. Andrew Sherwood, 256th ED, East Lyme, Connecticut. "Since we've never worked with the Michigan units before, it helps us learn what they are good at, so we can both work together and do better."

Although the OC/Ts have been crucial in guiding these detachments to success, Vaughn attributes a bulk of this process to the firefighters in the White Sands Missile Range.

"The White Sands Fire Department works well with these mobilization units, because without the resources and support of this fire department, we wouldn't be able to do this," Vaughn said. "They assisted with the changing up of scenarios, and provided another set of eyes out here. The White Sands Fire Department training section, the chief, and the captain have all been outstanding in assisting with that. It wouldn't have been the same training if they weren't out here."

Upon the completion of their validation exercises, the 1442nd/1439th FTs and the 256th ED are slated to supplement some of their active-duty counterparts in their mobilization to Eastern Europe.

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USS The Sullivans Returns

Navy News Service

Story Number: NNS181221-09

Release Date: 12/21/2018 1:31:00 PM

By Lt. Daphne White, USS The Sullivans Public Affairs

MAYPORT, Fla. (NNS) -- The guided-missile destroyer USS The Sullivans (DDG 68) returned to Mayport Naval Station Dec. 21, marking the end of a seven-month deployment to the U.S. 5th and 6th Fleet areas of operation.

"The Sullivans led operations daily in the Arabian Gulf that directly impacted freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, and strengthened ties with our partners in 5th Fleet," said Cmdr. Pat Eliason, commanding officer of The Sullivans.

"Our Sullivans Sailors proudly stood watch as we escorted ships through the Strait of Hormuz, they shook hands with Sailors from Iraq and Kuwait during a maritime security exercise in the Gulf, served the community ashore in ports we visited, and navigated professionally and safely under pressure. The Sullivans crew proved again and again that they have the grit and professionalism that it takes to represent the U.S. Navy and the memory of the Sullivan brothers while deployed."

The crew navigated over 40,000 nautical miles, completed two Strait of Gibraltar transits, two Suez Canal transits, two Bab-el Mandeb transits, and 14 transits through the Strait of Hormuz.

The crew also conducted 20 underway replenishments and 24 sea and anchor details during port visits to Rota, Spain; Limassol, Cyprus; Souda Bay, Crete; Manama, Bahrain; Muscat, Oman; Fujairah, United Arab Emirates; and Duqm, Oman.

The Sullivans provided 5th and 6th Fleet Commanders support across 20 warfare areas from surface warfare to ballistic missile defense and air defense. For a large portion of the crew's deployment in 5th Fleet, The Sullivans was the only Arleigh Burke destroyer in the Arabian Gulf, operating with U.S Navy Cyclone-class patrol ships and Combined Maritime Forces partners to preserve the free flow of commerce and freedom of navigation in the Gulf.

While operating independently in the Arabian Gulf, The Sullivans led the 2018 Trilateral Exercise with U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard ships alongside the Iraqi and Kuwaiti navies. The exercise afforded the opportunity for the three countries to practice cooperative maritime security tactics and operations in the Gulf. The Sullivans also provided layered defense and command and control for the 2018 Griffin Missile Exercise with four U.S Navy Cyclone-class patrol ships. Upon arrival of Amphibious Ready Group One in U.S. 5th Fleet, The Sullivans provided layered defense for USS Essex (LHD 2) in support of Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter missions to ensure stability and security in the Central region.

USS The Sullivans (DDG 68) is named to honor five brothers from Waterloo, Iowa who served together aboard USS Juneau during World War II. The Sullivan brothers - George, Francis, Joseph, Madison, and Albert, lost their lives during the Battle of Guadalcanal on November 13, 1942. They were adamant about serving together in spite of the Navy wartime policy to separate family members. Surviving the brothers were their parents, Thomas and Alleta, their sister Genevieve, and the youngest brother's wife, Katherine, and their son, James.

The family today includes two grandchildren of Albert Sullivan: Kelly Ann Sullivan Loughren and John Sullivan.

USS The Sullivans (DDG 68) is the second U.S. warship to be named in honor of the Sullivans brothers. The Captain and crew strive every day to honor their legacy.

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USS Jason Dunham Returns

Navy News Service

Story Number: NNS181221-08

Release Date: 12/21/2018 1:29:00 PM

By Ens. Samantha Rados, USS Jason Dunham Public Affairs

NORFOLK (NNS) -- The guided-missile destroyer USS Jason Dunham (DDG 109) returned to Naval Station Norfolk Dec. 21, completing a seven-month deployment to the U.S. Navy 5th and 6th Fleet areas of operation.

The ship safely navigated the Bab el-Mandeb 16 times, the Strait of Hormuz twice, the Strait of Gibraltar twice, the Suez Canal twice, among other transits, totaling to well over 40,000 nautical miles traveled. Jason Dunham experienced different cultures and landmarks as she pulled into various foreign ports, including: Haifa and Eilat, Israel; the Azores, Portugal; Safaga, Egypt; Djibouti, Djibouti; Duqm, Oman; Manama, Bahrain; Jebel Ali, UAE; and Funchal, Madeira.

"I am very proud of the crew for all of their accomplishments this deployment. We had a junior crew, and this was a challenging deployment. The crew remained flexible, focused and motivated despite the rapidly changing schedule and operational commitments," said Cmdr. John Hamilton, Jason Dunham commanding officer.

"Every Sailor onboard had an impact, and this deployment would not have been successful without the support from the crew and from our loved ones back home."

In addition to the thousands of nautical miles traveled, the Jason Dunham crew also completed numerous complex evolutions. They flawlessly executed 17 underway replenishments, three vertical replenishments, one helicopter in-flight refueling (HIFR), 18 sea and anchor details, upwards of 50 hours of small boat operations, and 900 hours of helicopter operations. The ship conducted over 500 hours of Maritime Security Operations, to include four boardings and the seizure of over 2500 AK-47's. Jason Dunham worked hand-in-hand with foreign countries as she conducted numerous passing exercises, gunnery exercises, and other integrated exercises- to include Eagle Salute 2018- with the Egyptian and Emerati navies. The ship also supported the USS Essex (LHD 2) Amphibious Ready Group with mine sweeping exercises off the coast of Djibouti, Djibouti.

Jason Dunham crew and their families are excited about their return to home port; everybody is happy they will be home for the holidays, to reconnect and spend time with friends and families.

The Arleigh Burke-class destroyer is named for Cpl. Jason L. Dunham, a 22-year-old Marine awarded the Medal of Honor for making the ultimate sacrifice for fellow Marines during a 2004 grenade attack, while serving in Iraq. The ship was commissioned in his honor during a 2010 ceremony in Port Everglades, Fla.

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Meddling by outsiders in Tibet warned against

People's Daily Online

(China Daily) 07:41, December 21, 2018

Beijing urged Washington on Thursday to stop interfering in China's internal affairs by using Tibet autonomous region-related issues, and warned against the implementation of a new act of the US Congress.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said that China resolutely opposes US President Donald Trump's signing into law on Wednesday the Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act of 2018.

It violated basic rules of international relations and sent "severely wrong signals" to separatist forces advocating Tibetan independence, Hua said.

The law calls for the promotion of access for US diplomats, other officials, journalists and others to Tibetan areas of China. If such access is not provided, then the US may restrict Chinese officials deemed responsible for excluding outsiders' entry into Tibet to enter the US.

"The act will harm Sino-US ties, bilateral communication and cooperation in major areas if it is implemented," Hua said at a daily news conference in Beijing.

The US should recognize the high sensitivity of issues involving Tibet, she said, adding that Tibet affairs are China's domestic affairs, and Beijing will not allow outside interference.

The Tibet autonomous region and Tibetan-inhabited areas in the provinces of Sichuan, Qinghai, Yunnan and Gansu are open to foreign visitors, Hua said. Since 2015, nearly 40,000 people from the US have visited Tibet, she added.

Hua noted that taking into account the special geographic and climatic conditions, it is necessary and understandable for the Chinese government to manage entry of foreigners into Tibet in accordance with the law.

Accusations against China ignore the facts and are full of bias, which cannot be accepted, she said.

China's opening-up will only increase, including for Tibet, Hua said.

"China welcomes more foreigners to visit Tibet for tourism and business, and the policy will not change as long as they abide by Chinese laws and regulations and perform necessary procedures," she added.

The US Senate passed the act on Dec 11 after approval from the House of Representatives in September.

Ruan Zongze, executive vice-president at the China Institute of International Studies, said that it is a common practice for the US to interfere in other countries' domestic affairs while calling itself a "lecturer in human rights".

The act makes irresponsible remarks about China, he said."There should be less conflict or grudges between the two countries, not the opposite," he added.

Canadian detained

The Foreign Ministry confirmed on Thursday that a Canadian national is undergoing"administrative punishment" for working illegally in China.

Sarah McIver has been placed under administrative detention, ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said.

McIver's detention is different from two other Canadians currently in detention under suspicion of engaging in activities endangering the national security of the country, she said.

Chinese officials spoke with Canadian counterparts over her detention and will further facilitate matters related to the case via consular means, Hua added.

McIver was reportedly working in China as a teacher before she was detained.

Canadian former diplomat Michael Kovrig and Canadian businessman Michael Spavor were separately detained by national security authorities in Beijing and Dandong, Liaoning province, respectively, on Dec 10 on suspicion of harming national security.

Referring to McIver's detention, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said at a year-end news conference on Wednesday that it appears to be a routine case, and he raised the possibility of it being a visa issue, the Associated Press reported.

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NATO vows continued engagement in Afghanistan amid US troop pullout plan

Iran Press TV

Fri Dec 21, 2018 06:35PM

NATO has emphasized its commitment to maintaining its armed forces in Afghanistan despite Washington's announcement of its intent to pull out thousands of US troops from the war-torn country.

"Our engagement is important to ensure that Afghanistan never again becomes a safe haven for international terrorists who could threaten us at home," NATO's spokeswoman Oana Lungescu said on Friday as quoted in an AFP report.

She declined, however, to comment on the recently announced plan by US President Donald Trump to withdraw a considerable number of the 14,000 American military service members deployed in Afghanistan.

Lungescu underlined that NATO foreign ministers met as recently as this month to express "steadfast commitment to ensuring long-term security and stability in Afghanistan."

The report also quoted an unnamed US official as saying that a "decision has been made. There will be a significant withdrawal."

This while US-based news outlets have also reported that more than 7,000 American troops are due to return home from Afghanistan.

Responding to press inquiries about such reports, Lungescu only stated: "We have seen the reports. For any comments, I refer you to the US authorities."

Moreover, the NATO spokeswoman pointed to Washington's key role in the alliance and specifically hailed US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, who dramatically announced his resignation on Thursday. "Secretary Mattis has made a key contribution to keeping NATO strong and ready to deal with the significant security challenges we face."

"He is widely respected as a soldier and a diplomat... We are grateful for the iron-clad commitment of the United States to NATO," Lungescu added. "US leadership keeps our transatlantic alliance strong."

According to the report, a contingent of the US forces deployed to Afghanistan are part of the NATO-led Resolute Support mission, purportedly engaged in training and advising local Afghan troops battling Taliban militants.

An unspecific number of American combat forces in Afghanistan, however, are part of a US-led so-called "counter-terrorism mission," and it is not clear from initial press reports which of the troops will be the first to be withdrawn from the terror-ravaged nation.

Trump has often been at odds with fellow NATO leaders, accusing a number of European allies, such as Germany and France, of not contributing sufficiently to the alliance in terms of military spending.

A massive US-led military force invaded Afghanistan in 2001 in a declared "war on terror," initially aimed at toppling the ruling Taliban regime in the country and uprooting the presence of allied al-Qaeda terrorist group.

However, nearly 18 years later, Taliban and Daesh terrorists continue to plague Afghanistan. Numerous attempts by US emissaries have been made to engage Taliban in peace talks.

More than 2,400 American troops and military contractors have died in Afghanistan since 2001, with 13 troops killed this year. Since the end of 2014, when the Pentagon declared an end to combat operations in the country, more than 25,000 Afghan soldiers and police officers have been killed.

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Republican and Democrat lawmakers censure Trump over Mattis resignation

Iran Press TV

Fri Dec 21, 2018 05:59PM

American lawmakers from both the Democratic and Republican parties have blasted US President Donald Trump following the resignation of Defense Secretary James Mattis over policy disputes.

Mattis announced on Thursday that he would resign from the post at the end of February, writing in a letter to Trump that he deserved a secretary whose views were "better aligned" with the US president.

The resignation of the Pentagon chief came after Trump confirmed he was withdrawing US troops from Syria despite opposition from allies and top US military officials.

The US president has also ordered the start of pulling out some 7,000 troops from Afghanistan, about half of the total number of American boots on the ground in the war-torn country.

Senate Democratic Leader Charles Schumer described Mattis as one of a few symbols of strength and stability in the US administration.

"President Trump is plunging the country into chaos. The market's down another 500 points, General Mattis is stepping down and we know he has real disagreements with the president in Syria and on the wall," Schumer said.

"Everything that indicates stability, everything that indicates strength, everything that indicates knowledge is leaving this administration," he added, referring to the departures of Mattis and White House Chief of Staff John Kelley.

'I am shaken' by resignation of Mattis

Democratic Representative Nancy Pelosi, the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, told reporters on Capitol Hill that she was "shaken" by the news of Mattis' resignation.

"I'm shaken by the news because of the patriot that Secretary Mattis is. I think everybody in the country should read his letter of resignation," she said.

"I am shaken by the resignation of General Mattis. For what it means to our country, for the message it sends to our troops, and for the indication of what his view is of the commander-in-chief.

Pelosi also called Mattis "a comfort to many of us as a voice of stability in the Trump administration."

Senate Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he was "distressed" by the US defense secretary's resignation.

"I believe it's essential that the United States maintain and strengthen the post-World War II alliances that have been carefully built by leaders in both parties. We must also maintain a clear-eyed understanding of our friends and foes, and recognize that nations like Russia are among the latter," McConnell said in a statement.

"So I was sorry to learn that Secretary Mattis, who shares those clear principles, will soon depart the administration. But I am particularly distressed that he is resigning due to sharp differences with the president on these and other key aspects of America's global leadership," he added.

McConnell concluded his statement by asking Trump to consider a replacement whose views aligned with those of Mattis's.

"It is regrettable that the president must now choose a new Secretary of Defense," McConnell wrote. "But I urge him to select a leader who shares Secretary Mattis's understanding of these vital principles and his total commitment to America's service members."

Mattis's departure is 'scary' and 'bad news'

Reacting to the resignation news, Democratic Senator Mark Warner, vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, stated that the Trump administration would be destabilized by the defense secretary's departure.

"This is scary. Secretary Mattis has been an island of stability amidst the chaos of the Trump administration," he wrote on Twitter. "As we've seen with the President's haphazard approach to Syria, our national defense is too important to be subjected to the President's erratic whims."

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said the resignation announcement filled him with "great sadness."

"It is with great sadness that I was informed of the resignation of General Mattis," he said in a tweet. "He is one of the great military leaders in American history. He should be proud of the service he has rendered to President @realDonaldTrump and our nation."

Senator Chris Murphy, a Democratic from the US state of Connecticut, denounced Thursday's news as "devastating."

"Just imagine the morale crisis at the Department of Defense right now, having sustained the 1-2 punch of the Syria reversal and Mattis resignation," he tweeted.

Senator Marco Rubio, a Republican from Florida, said Mattis's resignation made it clear that America is headed for a "series of grave policy errors which will endanger our nation, damage our alliances & empower our adversaries."

"I hope we who have supported this administrations initiatives over the last two years can persuade the President to choose a different direction," Rubio added. "But we must also fulfill our constitutional duty to conduct oversight over the policies of the executive branch."

Democratic Senator Dick Durbin said Washington has lost the "adult in the room when the President goes off on a tweet-filled, uninformed rant about our national security."

Mattis joins a long list of former Trump administration senior figures who have either quit or been removed, some unceremoniously like Secretary of State Rex Tillerson who Trump fired via Twitter in March.

Trump's White House has had the highest turnover of senior-level staff of the past five presidents, according to the Brookings Institution think tank.

Trump has announced that he will nominate a successor to Mattis shortly.

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Afghan President Says Possible U.S. Troop Withdrawal Won't Affect Security

By RFE/RL December 21, 2018

A significant reduction in the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan won't impact upon the security of the war-torn country, a spokesman for President Ashraf Ghani said on December 21.

It was the first official Afghan reaction to reports in the U.S. media that President Donald Trump is considering a "significant" withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan, with some quoting unnamed officials as saying the decision has already been made.

"If they withdraw from Afghanistan it will not have a security impact because in the last 4 1/2 years the Afghans have been in full control," Ghani's spokesman, Haroon Chakhansuri, said via social media.

The Wall Street Journal quoted an unnamed senior U.S. official on December 20 as saying that Trump "wants to see viable options about how to bring conflicts to a close."

The AFP news agency quoted a U.S. official as saying the decision has already been made for a "significant" U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan.

"That decision has been made. There will be a significant withdrawal," AFP quoted the official as saying.

CNN also reported that Trump has already ordered the military to make plans for a withdrawal of perhaps half of the current 14,000-strong force.

NATO has so far declined to comment on the reports, saying only that is aware of the reports.

In response to an RFE/RL question, NATO spokeswoman Oana Lungescu said, "The Afghan Army and police have been fully in charge of the security of Afghanistan for over four years. They are a brave, committed, and increasingly capable force, who have ensured the security of the parliamentary elections earlier this year.

A significant reduction in the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan won't impact upon the security of the war-torn country, a spokesman for President Ashraf Ghani said on December 21.

It was the first official Afghan reaction to reports in the U.S. media that President Donald Trump is considering a "significant" withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan, with some quoting unnamed officials as saying the decision has already been made.

"If they withdraw from Afghanistan it will not have a security impact because in the last 4 1/2 years the Afghans have been in full control," Ghani's spokesman, Haroon Chakhansuri, said via social media.

The Wall Street Journal quoted an unnamed senior U.S. official on December 20 as saying that Trump "wants to see viable options about how to bring conflicts to a close."

The AFP news agency quoted a U.S. official as saying the decision has already been made for a "significant" U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan.

"That decision has been made. There will be a significant withdrawal," AFP quoted the official as saying.

CNN also reported that Trump has already ordered the military to make plans for a withdrawal of perhaps half of the current 14,000-strong force.

NATO has so far declined to comment on the reports, saying only that is aware of the reports.

In response to an RFE/RL question, NATO spokeswoman Oana Lungescu said, "The Afghan Army and police have been fully in charge of the security of Afghanistan for over four years. They are a brave, committed, and increasingly capable force, who have ensured the security of the parliamentary elections earlier this year.

A U.S.-led coalition has been in Afghanistan since 2001, when it drove the Taliban from power after Al-Qaeda militants -- whose leaders were being sheltered in Afghanistan -- carried out the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States.

However, the Western-backed government in Kabul has struggled to counter attacks from the Taliban and other militant groups since the withdrawal of most NATO combat troops in 2014.

U.S. officials have been attempting to push the Taliban to the negotiating table with the government in Kabul. Many Taliban leaders insist that U.S. forces depart before substantial peace talks can take place.

'Huge Mistake'

Mohammad Taqi, a Florida-based political analyst, told RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal that a rapid U.S. withdrawal would be "a huge mistake."

"If we look at it in context of talks with the Taliban, then it seems [the] Taliban have already strengthened their position," he said. "Now the reports of [a U.S. withdrawal] show a weakening stance by the U.S., which could subsequently undermine [the] Afghan government's position."

On December 20, Zalmay Khalilzad, the U.S. special peace envoy for Afghanistan, 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.

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 following 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 (U.A.E.) and was also attended by Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.

The U.A.E. hailed the talks as "positive for all parties concerned," while the Saudi ambassador to Washington, Khalid bin Salman, claimed the meetings will produce "very positive results by the beginning of next year."

With reporting by RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal, The Wall Street Journal, and Reuters

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/trump-considers-troop-cuts- afghanistan-wsj-reuters/29668426.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.

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What Would A U.S. Troop Reduction In Afghanistan Mean?

By Frud Bezhan December 21, 2018

U.S. President Donald Trump's reported plans to withdraw around 7,000 troops from Afghanistan, roughly half the remaining U.S. military presence there, has prompted much discussion about the impact the drawdown could have on the country.

Analysts interviewed by RFE/RL warn that a partial withdrawal would further degrade security, jeopardize possible peace talks with the Taliban aimed at ending its 17-year insurgency, and strain Washington's relationship with the Western-backed government in Kabul.

'Exacerbate The Conflict'

The already worsening security situation in Afghanistan is likely to be exacerbated by a U.S. troop reduction, according to analysts.

A recent U.S. military report said Taliban control over Afghanistan has increased in recent months, and the government currently controls or influences only 55.5 percent of the country's districts -- the lowest level recorded since it began tracking the data in 2015.

"The Taliban has steadily captured territory in recent years and it's reasonable to expect that trend to continue," says Graeme Smith, an Afghanistan analyst and a consultant for the International Crisis Group, although he adds that in practical terms the withdrawal "may not make a significant difference on the battlefield," and Washington could replace departed troops with security contractors.

The United States would still have 7,000 troops in Afghanistan as part of a NATO-led mission and a separate U.S. counterterrorism mission, if the withdrawal order reported by various U.S. media outlets, citing officials, is carried out. The Pentagon also has 25,239 private security contractors deployed in Afghanistan.

Haroun Mir, an Kabul-based political analyst, says the vacuum left by withdrawing some U.S. forces could have wider security ramifications.

"A U.S. military drawdown without a well thought out strategy behind it and without concerted efforts with internal and regional stakeholders could further exacerbate the conflict in the country and intensify competition among regional stakeholders," Mir says, referring to countries that have been accused of providing support to the Taliban, including Pakistan, Iran, and Russia.

'Breathtakingly Bad' For Peace Talks

Trump's decision could scuttle U.S. efforts to negotiate an end to the conflict, analysts warn.

U.S. special peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad has met Taliban representatives during at least three separate rounds of direct talks in recent months as part of the effort to encourage negotiations between the Taliban and Kabul. The latest talks in the United Arab Emirates from December 17-19 were seen as the most significant yet.

"This makes no strategical sense, as it weakens the U.S.'s own position and that of its local ally, the Afghan government, in the midst of attempts to get a peace process going," says Thomas Ruttig, co-director of the Afghanistan Analysts Network, an independent think tank in Kabul.

Michael Kugelman, South Asia associate at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, says the timing of Trump's troop-withdrawal decision "is breathtakingly bad."

"Announcing a move like this now could squander the best chance to date to launch a peace process to end a war that has raged for far too long," says Kugelman, adding that Washington would lose a major bargaining chip in talks.

An Afghan official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told RFE/RL that Trump's reported decision suggests "some serious progress with talks" in the U.A.E, without elaborating.

Some analysts say the U.S. troop withdrawal could also have a silver lining and could send a useful message to all sides.

"This signals to the Taliban that the U.S. is serious about negotiating an exit," says Smith, adding that it would erode the militant's skepticism that Washington is open to withdrawing from Afghanistan. "This will also force the Afghan government to think about peace as a short-term prospect instead of something that could be delayed for years."

'Kabul Was Blindsided'

Trump's reported decision apparently surprised Afghan officials, even though the U.S. president had previously voiced opposition to the U.S. war effort there. The Kabul government was not briefed on the plans.

"The sudden decision has come as a shock," an Afghan official, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media, told RFE/RL.

Afghan officials put up a brave face, with an adviser to President Ashraf Ghani writing on Twitter that the U.S. decision "will not affect our security."

"It's becoming clear that Kabul was blindsided," says Smith. "Diplomacy gets harder when the White House fails to coordinate with other branches of government and close U.S. allies."

"Considering the decision as a serious U.S. endgame step, political elites in Kabul will probably aim to close ranks and raise questions about the timing and commitments made to maintain stability," says Omar Samad, a senior fellow at the Washington-based Atlantic Council and former Afghan diplomat.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/what -would-a-u-s-troop-reduction-in- afghanistan-mean-/29669650.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.

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Belgium's US F-35 Fighter Purchase Put on Hold After PM's Resignation - Source

Sputnik News

19:18 21.12.2018(updated 19:30 21.12.2018)

BRUSSELS (Sputnik) - Belgium's purchase of US-made F-35 fighter jets for the purposes of re-equipping its air force will be put on hold as a result of the prime minister's recent resignation, a diplomatic source in Brussels told Sputnik on Friday.

"Although the choice was officially made in favour of F-35s, talks with its manufacturer, US conglomerate Lockheed Martin, have to follow. In fact, the provisional government is not charged to do this. So, the situation becomes precarious to a certain extent," the source said.

Earlier in the day, Belgian King Philippe accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Charles Michel after he lost a no-confidence vote following a conflict with his cabinet. He was left in a minority government after the New Flemish Alliance quit the ruling coalition on December 11 because of Michel's approval of the divisive UN compact on migration.

The Belgian government is currently charged with continuing to perform its duties despite the resignation, but it cannot make decisions on important issues, and its activity is currently limited to daily proceedings and emergencies.

On October 25, Michel officially announced that Brussels would purchase US F-35 Lightning II fighters, which are capable of carrying nuclear weapons. As of October, Lockheed Martin and UK-based BAE Systems remained the only two participants of the tender for the re-equipment of the Belgian air force.

The contract on the deliveries of US fighters to Brussels is expected to be signed no later than early 2019.

 Sputnik

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US to Withdraw Troops From Military Base in Syrian City of Al-Tanf - Reports

Sputnik News

10:55 21.12.2018(updated 11:14 21.12.2018)

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The United States will withdraw its troops from its military base located in the south-eastern Syrian city of Al-Tanf, near the Jordanian border, BuzzFeed reported, citing a militant commander at Al-Tanf.

Muhannad al-Talla told BuzzFeed that the US troops, who had been training and fighting alongside Al-Tanf's militants, would withdraw from the base, specifying that he was helping to remove equipment. An anonymous US official confirmed the information, emphasizing that this move came as part of US President Donald Trump's decision to pull US troops out of Syria.

Trump announced this decision on 19 December, claiming that the Daesh* terrorist group had been defeated, and since the US troops were present in Syria exclusively for the fight against Daesh, they now had no reason to remain there.

While concerns that the withdrawal of the US troops would jeopardize the security situation in the region have been voiced, Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, believes that the US military presence in Syria does not contribute to a political and diplomatic settlement of the crisis.

On December 5, Gen. Valery Gerasimov, the chief of the Russian General Staff, said that Russia had suggested to the United States to eliminate the military base in Al-Tanf and to establish joint Russian-US control over the zone instead. According to Gerasimov, Washington has not provided an answer. The general also stressed that the United States justified its presence in Al-Tanf by the necessity to counter Iran, which it alleges is transporting weapons and military equipment to Syria.

*Daesh (also known as ISIS/ISIL/IS) is a terrorist group banned in Russia

 Sputnik

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Afghan Officials Downplay Reported US Troop Drawdown Plans

By Ayaz Gul December 21, 2018

The government in Afghanistan is playing down the significance of reported U.S. troop reduction plans, saying Afghan security forces are capable of protecting and defending the country on their own.

Officials in Washington are reported as saying President Donald Trump is considering withdrawing roughly half of the more than 14,000 U.S. troops stationed in Afghanistan.

The U.S. forces are part of a non-combat NATO military mission of about 20,000 troops whose primary mission is training and advising Afghan forces in their battles against Taliban insurgents and terrorists linked to Islamic State.

"If the few thousand foreign troops that advise, train and assist, leave it will not affect our security," said Fazel Fazly, the chief Afghan presidential advisor in Kabul. He dismissed suggestions the Afghan National Defense Security Forces (ANDSF) would collapse with the departure of U.S.-led International forces.

Under the reported plan, about 7,000 American troops would start going 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 on the reports.

"During the past four and half years, the fight on the frontline and security of the entire nation was carried out by the same forces, and despite the overwhelming war, our national armed and air forces have strengthened day by day and they will grow in strength even more," Fazly vowed.

But U.S. military commanders have been skeptical about whether ANDSF would be able to sustain battlefield pressure from the Taliban without support from foreign partners.

"They are not there yet and if we left precipitously right now I don't believe they would be able to successfully defend their country," Lt. Gen. Frank McKenzie, nominated to head U.S. Central Command, told a Congressional hearing earlier this month when asked whether Afghan forces would be able to defend the country without foreign military support.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said last month that nearly 30,000 ANDSF forces had been killed in the fighting since 2015. The insurgents, currently controlling or hotly contesting about half of Afghanistan, continue to inflict heavy casualties on government forces and make territorial gains.

The Trump administration has recently stepped up efforts to find a negotiated settlement to the war with the Taliban and has engaged the insurgents in direct peace talks.

U.S. special representative for Afghanistan reconciliation, Zalmay Khalilzad, this week concluded another round of talks with Taliban negotiators in the United Arab Emirates. Both sides described the dialogue as productive and promised to meet again in the Gulf country.

The main Taliban spokesman told VOA Friday that during the two-day talks in Abu Dhabi, which stared on Monday, insurgent officials sought nothing but "a date or timeline" for all U.S.-led forces to pull out from Afghanistan. Zabihullah Mujahid said that for his part, Khalilzad sought assurances that terrorists would not be allowed to use Afghan soil to threaten the security of the United Sates.

Ambassador Khalilzad also shared on Thursday details of his interaction with the Taliban.

"Our goal is not to have permanent military bases in Afghanistan. The goal is that if Afghanistan becomes peaceful and terrorism from Afghanistan is not a danger to the world, the United States will withdraw and will have a new relationship with the government of Afghanistan based on a bilateral agreement," Khalilzad told Afghan television channels when asked whether the U.S. would agree to troop withdrawal demand by the Taliban.

Reports about Trump's Afghan drawdown plan emerged a day after his stunning announcement that the U.S. would pull its troops out of Syria.

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who recently returned from Kabul, warned in a series of tweets Islamic State's Afghan affiliate, or ISIS-K remains a direct threat to the U.S. and the terrorist group would "dramatically" benefit from a reduced American troop presence.

The key Trump ally was referring to the September 2001 attacks on American cities that promoted the U.S.-led invasion of the country. Like in Syria, the Afghan troop withdrawal should be based on conditions on the ground, the Senator emphasized.

"The conditions in Afghanistan at the present moment make American troop withdrawals a high risk strategy. If we continue on our present course we are setting in motion the loss of all our gains and paving the way toward a second 9/11," said Graham.

Analysts say the reported plan would undermine renewed U.S. efforts to persuade the Taliban to engage in an intra-Afghan dialogue to end decades of hostilities in the country.

Michael Kugelman, deputy director Asia program and South Asia senior associate at Washington's Wilson Center describe the timing of the U.S. drawdown plan as "breathtakingly bad", fearing the move could squander the latest effort to seek a negotiated settlement to the prolonged Afghan war.

"Let's be clear: Trump's decision, if confirmed, amounts to a propaganda coup and a tactical triumph for the Taliban. It's gotten the troop withdrawals it's always wanted. And it now has an added battlefield advantage. Doubtful the Taliban will reciprocate with its own concession," Kugelman tweeted.

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Differences With Trump's Views Prompted Mattis Departure

By Jeff Seldin December 21, 2018

U.S. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis Thursday announced he was quitting, personally handing his letter of resignation to U.S. President Donald Trump following a lunch meeting at the White House.

While not mentioning Trump by name, the letter from Mattis outlined sharp differences between his views and those of the president, notably on the importance of allies and the use of U.S. power.

"We must be resolute and unambiguous in our approach to those countries whose strategic interests are increasingly in tension with ours," Mattis wrote, warning that Russia and China in particular "want to shape a world consistent with their authoritarian model-gaining veto authority over other nations' economic, diplomatic and security decisions."

"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," Mattis concluded, saying he would step down at the end of February.

The defense secretary's decision came one day after Trump announced he would withdraw some 2,000 U.S. troops from Syria, a move the Pentagon opposed.

Mattis did not mention the dispute over Syria in his letter, but he did note his "core belief" that U.S. strength is "inextricably linked" with the nation's alliances with other countries.

President Trump first announced Mattis's departure on Twitter, saying the former four-star Marine general will retire "with distinction."

"During Jim's 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!"

White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters late Thursday that Trump and Mattis are on good terms despite not agreeing on foreign policy and other issues.

"He and the president have a good relationship, but sometimes they disagree," Sanders said. "That doesn't mean you don't have a good relationship with somebody. He was laying out the reasons he was stepping down from his post."

Still, the resignation has sparked an outpouring of anger and despair from both Republican and Democratic lawmakers, and even top U.S. officials.

"I was deeply saddened," U.S. Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats said in an official statement Friday, describing Mattis as a "national treasure."

"The experience and sound judgement that Secretary Mattis has brought to our decision-making process is invaluable," Coats continued. "His leadership of our military won the admiration of our troops and respect of our allies and adversaries."

Much of the pushback from U.S. officials and lawmakers has centered on the decision to withdraw U.S. troops from the fight against the Islamic State terror group in Syria  a decision that, according to some officials, ultimately convinced Mattis to resign.

U.S.-backed forces have made steady progress against Islamic State over the past several years. Last week, taking advantage of a dramatic increase in U.S. and coalition airstrikes, the forces were able to enter the town of Hajin, part of the terror group's last stronghold in eastern Syria.

But despite Trump's declaration of victory against IS, senior administration officials have said it will be up to the U.S. partner forces to liberate the rest of Hajin and the surrounding areas, where about 2,000 IS fighters have been mounting a stubborn last stand for several months.

Pentagon officials have also warned that despite the gains, IS was still well-positioned to rebuild. And Mattis had said that before leaving, the U.S. must train enough local troops to assume the role of suppressing the militants. He said the United Nations peace process in Syria must progress toward a resolution of the country's eight-year-old civil war.

While a relatively small number of troops are involved, their withdrawal will have sweeping consequences in Syria's long-running civil war. Allies will be more heavily burdened with confronting energized adversaries and Turkey, Iran and Russia's influence in Syria will increase.

"This is scary," said Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chairman Mark Warner, a Democrat. "Secretary Mattis has been an island of stability amidst the chaos of the Trump administration."

Republican senator and former presidential hopeful 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 and empower our adversaries."

While the decision to pull out of Syria may have been the last straw for Mattis, tensions have been simmering over other issues for quite some time, including on Russia and Iran.

Mattis believed Russian President Vladimir Putin has been trying to undermine NATO and assaulting Western democracies.

"[Putin's] actions are designed not to challenge our arms at this point, but to undercut and compromise our belief in our ideals," Mattis told U.S. Naval War College graduates at a commencement ceremony in June.

But Trump has praised Putin's leadership skills and recently caused concern among U.S. allies by calling for Russia's reinstatement in the group of major industrial nations. Russia was expelled from what was then the Group of Eight after Moscow's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.

Another point of contention between the two men involved the Iran nuclear deal.

Mattis argued the U.S. should consider staying in the Iran nuclear deal unless Tehran was found not to be abiding by the agreement. Iran was following the pact's rules, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency, which monitors the use of nuclear energy and has verified Iranian compliance with the accord multiple times since 2015.

Despite Mattis's position, Trump pulled out of the deal in May, saying it had been poorly negotiated during the administration of former President Barack Obama.

As Mattis turned in his resignation, the Defense Department was preparing plans to withdraw up to half of the 14,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan in the coming months, U.S. officials said. The development marks a sharp departure from the Trump administration's policy to force the Taliban to the negotiating table after more than 17 years of war.

Rumors of Mattis leaving the Defense Department have been circulating for months.

In October, Trump appeared on the television news show 60 Minutes, where he told TV anchor Lesley Stahl that while "I like General Mattis," he believed he knew more about NATO than his defense secretary.

"I think he's sort of a Democrat, if you wanna know the truth," Trump 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."

Mattis became secretary of defense shortly after Trump's inauguration and is one of the longest-serving Cabinet members.

Before that, Mattis served 44 years in the Marine Corps and led the Marines and British troops during the bloody Battle of Fallujah in Iraq in 2004.

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NATO Allies Fearful About Departure of 'Trusted' Mattis

By Jamie Dettmer December 21, 2018

For two years, U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has been urging nervous NATO counterparts to judge the Trump administration by its actions and not by the president's tweets or off-the-cuff remarks. But on Thursday, President Donald Trump posted a tweet the Europeans couldn't ignore: an announcement that the four-star general would soon be leaving the Pentagon.

The tweet wasn't altogether a surprise, coming a day after Trump ordered U.S. ground troops out of northern Syria, but it has shocked America's traditional allies, who like Mattis are eager to preserve the U.S.-European alliance. In the Marine general they had a partner they trusted and who they believed helped temper an unpredictable U.S. leader.

A British defense minister was among the first to react publicly to the departure of Mattis. "Very sorry to see Jim Mattis stepping down," Tobias Ellwood tweeted. "Trusted, respected and admired by friends and allies. Feared and revered by our foes. The most impressive military mind I've had the honor to know. Jim, my friend  our world will be less safe without you."

Mattis has especially close ties with the top ranks of Britain's military establishment, deepened during the Persian Gulf War, in Afghanistan, and again in 2003 in Iraq. For the British  as well as America's other European allies  the 68-year-old Mattis was seen as someone they could turn to in order to get their views across to the Trump White House and as a steady hand who might be able to restrain a president who has questioned the very value of the Atlantic alliance, several European military officials said.

On a tightrope

That placed Mattis on a tightrope, testing him all the time. On issue after issue, Mattis was at odds with his boss  on whether torture should be used again on terror suspects, over what strategy the U.S. should pursue in Syria, whether the U.S. military presence should be ended or reduced in Afghanistan, and what posture should be adopted toward an increasingly aggressive Russia and an assertive China. And above all, how to conduct relations with the NATO allies.

Mattis made clear in his resignation letter Thursday the differences he has had with Trump, highlighting his belief in the importance of NATO and America's traditional allies.

"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," 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."

U.S. relations with Europe are at their lowest ebb in the history of NATO after a series of acrimonious encounters between Trump and European leaders. His episodic outspoken criticism of NATO allies has echoed across the continent.

Earlier this year, Trump suggested he might cut U.S. force levels in Europe if the allies didn't boost their military spending. "They kill us with NATO," Trump during a speech in Montana. "They kill us."

His suggestions in the past that he might recognize Moscow's annexation of Crimea and his downplaying Russia as threat, as far as they see it, has only added to their alarm about whether America is still committed to collective defense.

Behind the scenes, Mattis calmed European fears and smoothed ruffled feathers. The Europeans "trust Mattis," according to Nicholas Burns, a retired U.S. diplomat and former envoy to NATO. "They don't trust Trump."

Embodiment of continuity

European military officials said they saw him as the embodiment of continuity in U.S. defense policy in an otherwise unpredictable administration and were comforted by Mattis' insistence he wouldn't resign. But fears had been growing among his NATO counterparts for the past few months he might go, and European officials said they had felt his influence was declining, with the initial signs coming as his allies in the administration were sidelined.

Speaking to British television, Karin Von Hippel, the director of Britain's Royal United Services Institute, an influential think tank, said Mattis' departure was "very concerning" and a "huge deal." Von Hippel said he was the man "everyone was relying on to keep the lid on things."

Mattis' departure has added to growing European alarm. This week, America's European allies felt blindsided by the abrupt changes. The allies, who also have troops in northern Syria operating in partnership with U.S. special forces, were not consulted before Trump decided to pull out the troops. Neither were the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, who have been doing the toughest fighting against the Islamic State terror group.

Washington and defense policymakers at NATO headquarters differ sharply in their assessments of the prospects of an IS resurgence. British and French officials have contradicted Trump's claim to have defeated IS in Syria. And for those officials, the U.S. leader's plans to halve the U.S. troop presence in Afghanistan are especially jarring, as the Western mission there is officially a NATO one.

NATO officials are being careful not to widen the strategic differences with Washington by making public comments. NATO spokeswoman Oana Lungescu has been referring reporters to U.S. authorities for comment on the White House plan to reduce the number of American troops in Afghanistan.

Officials say NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has spoken by telephone with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo about both Syria and Afghanistan, and U.S. officials maintain that Washington "remains committed to the Alliance and to working with allies to deter our adversaries and defend our citizens."

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China Expected to Court SE Asia, Resist Western Allies in Major Maritime Dispute

By Ralph Jennings December 21, 2018

China held what has been widely characterized as upbeat talks this year with Brunei, the Philippines and Vietnam even though all three contest Chinese claims to a vast, resource-rich ocean. The communist leadership, meanwhile, fortified some of the sea's tiny islets, also disputed, and warned outside powers such as the United States to stay out.

Observers expect Beijing to continue on this course in 2019, extending its military and territorial lead in the South China Sea, Asia's biggest maritime dispute, without inflaming anyone to a point where Western allies escalate their challenges.

"There are a lot of things that have happened this year that I think we can use to sort of project what we see next year," said Collin Koh, a maritime security research fellow at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. "We'll still see these parallel movements side by side."

FILE - This aerial photo taken through a glass window of a military plane shows China's alleged on-going reclamation of Mischief Reef in the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, May 11, 2015.

China claims about 90 percent of the 3.5 million-square-kilometer sea that stretches from Singapore to the southern tip of Taiwan. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam call all or parts of the same fisheries-rich sea their own. Since 2010 Beijing has upset the others by landfilling islets, placing military hardware on some and increasing its civilian presence.

The United States does not claim the sea but seeks to ensure the waters remain open to freedom of navigation.

Two-way dialogue

In November, Chinese officials signed a deal with the Philippines to jointly explore the South China Sea's valuable oil or gas reserves. They touched on the same idea that month with Brunei. China separately gave development aid to the Philippines and suggested maritime cooperation with Vietnam.

Vietnam and Philippines were outspoken critics of Chinese expansion before China stepped up dialogue in 2016. Poorer than China, they benefit from its economic help.

"Maritime Southeast Asia by and large, I think, we are wary of China, including Duterte's Philippines although Duterte made a great show of friendship for [Chinese president] Xi Jinping during the state visit earlier this year," said Alan Chong, associate professor at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore.

President Rodrigo Duterte has gotten along with China since taking office in 2016, culminating in President Xi's visit in November.

Vietnam will work with China as well as other powers, said Trung Nguyen, international relations dean at Ho Chi Minh University of Social Sciences and Humanities. Vietnamese and Chinese vessels rammed one another over a Chinese oil rig in 2014. They also engaged in deadly clashes in 1974 and 1988.

"I think that [other] countries also feel that if Vietnam can enhance its capabilities, it's good for the security of the whole region, because Vietnam is one of the few countries in the region that can have a lot of experience dealing with China," Nguyen said.

Code of conduct

Deals with individual Southeast Asian states ease pressure on China to work with the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations bloc on a maritime code of conduct that would help reduce the risk of mishaps, maritime analysts believe.

They agreed to start talks toward a code in 2017 but reached no deal this year with no immediate prospects for a breakthrough in 2019.

China wants to continue state-to-state talks and island construction projects first in case the code restricts its activities, maritime scholars say. China is developing tourism in the Paracel archipelago. It parked military aircraft and possibly missiles on its holdings in the Spratly island chain this year, per data from a U.S. think tank initiative.

"China's strategy in terms of this code of conduct is to make it seem like China is willing to be making it look like there's progress toward a code of conduct but to drag it out as long as possible," said Jonathan Spangler, director of the South China Sea Think Tank in Taipei.

Western allies

Western allies will do more exercises in or around the sea next year but without a sustained, unified front that would push China into conflict, scholars say.

"There might be forces or ships around that area, but they may not be very close, so I would see more naval activities but [they] may not trigger conflict at sea," said Alexander Huang, strategic studies professor at Tamkang University in Taiwan.

Ships from Japan, Australia and Western Europe ventured into peripheral parts of the sea this year. U.S. warships have entered more regularly. In September, one nearly collided with a Chinese naval ship.

In 2019, domestic issues will consume leaders in many of those countries, limiting any coordination at sea, Chong said.

Chinese national defense spokesperson Ren Guoqiang said in September via the official Xinhua News Agency that the sea "is not a stage for certain countries to present their show."

China cites historical records to back its claim to maritime sovereignty.

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UN Security Council Unanimously Backs Yemen Cease-Fire Deal

By Margaret Besheer December 21, 2018

The U.N. Security Council has unanimously endorsed a deal for a cease-fire around the vital Yemeni port city of Hodeida. The agreement was reached last week during U.N.-led intra-Yemeni talks outside the Swedish capital.

"The resolution endorses all the agreements reached by the parties at Stockholm," said British Ambassador Karen Pierce, whose delegation drafted the text. "These critically include a cease-fire, a mutual redeployment of forces from Hodeida city and port, and that came into force on 18 December. It authorizes the United Nations to deploy support for implementation of those agreements, including monitors."

The United Nations will monitor the cease-fire and is authorized by the resolution to deploy an advance team for that purpose for an initial period of 30 days. It is being headed by Major General Patrick Cammaert of The Netherlands, a former U.N. peacekeeping commander. He already has deployed to the region.

The resolution approved Friday "insists" that all parties respect the cease-fire agreed for Hodeida.

The city is the entry point for 70 percent of Yemen's food, fuel and medicines, and it has been under rebel Houthi-control for the past two years, putting it in the crosshairs of the conflict.

The U.N. secretary-general also is being asked to provide the Security Council with proposals before December 31 on how the U.N. plans to carry out monitoring operations.

Additionally under the deal, fighters are to be redeployed to agreed upon locations outside Hodeida within 21 days of the cease-fire coming into effect.

In addition to Hodeida, the parties in Sweden last week agreed to the exchange of thousands of prisoners.

They also came to an understanding aimed at easing the situation in the southwest Yemeni city of Taiz, with humanitarian corridors to allow safe passage of persons and goods across the front lines, as well as to reduce fighting. The council resolution endorsed these agreements.

"The resolution does not address all the issues of the multifaceted crises that Yemen faces, but the implementation of the concrete measures in the Stockholm agreement will provide much needed steps in that direction, with direct and positive humanitarian impact for the people of Yemen," said Swedish Ambassador Olof Skoog. He said Sweden is ready to participate in the monitoring mission.

It took several days of negotiations for the 15 council members to agree on the text. The United States and Kuwait wanted the language to stick to the points agreed in Stockholm and not extend to humanitarian and other issues.

The United States also wanted Iran named for its support to the Houthis. At one point, the U.S. submitted its own draft resolution.

"While we voted for the resolution put forward by our friends the United Kingdom, we regret that it does not call Iran to account for its destructive agenda in Yemen," said U.S. representative Rodney Hunter. "We hope that in the days to come, Iranian missiles or misdeeds do not shatter promise of peace and bring us back to where we were before."

The language in the adopted resolution dropped calls in earlier drafts for condemnations of violations of the international arms embargo imposed on the Houthi rebels and the need for investigations into alleged violations of international humanitarian law.

A Saudi Arabian-led coalition began bombing Iranian-aligned Houthi rebels in support of Yemen's government in March 2015. Since then, the U.N. estimates more than 10,000 people have been killed, mostly due to coalition airstrikes.

While there is a glimmer of hope on the political horizon, the country is still facing massive food shortages that have left millions of Yemenis starving amid a collapsing economy.

The United Nations hopes to convene a second round of intra-Yemeni talks early next year.

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Somalia's Al-Shabab Declares War on Pro-Islamic State Group

By Mohamed Olad Hassan December 21, 2018

Somalia's al-Shabab militants have announced a military offensive against Islamic State-affiliated forces in Somalia.

A statement read Friday by al-Shabab spokesman Sheikh Ali Mohamud Rage on Radio Andalus said the offensive, code named Disease Eradication, is aimed at getting rid of IS-related militants in Somalia.

"A so-called Islamic State has emerged in our land and stated to attempt to divide our Mujahidin [jihadist fighters], weaken our strength and carry out assassinations against our own. We have been ignoring their wicked behaviors for some time to give them a chance to change, but they have continued their wrongheadedness," he said.

"Our senior command has ordered our fighters to attack and eliminate the 'disease' of IS and uproot the tree that would be used to undermine the fruits of the Jihad," Rage said.

The conflict between the two rival terrorist groups has been simmering since the emergence of an IS-affiliated group in Somalia in October 2015. The group found a foothold in the northeastern Puntland state of Somalia, where it began recruiting former al-Shabab fighters before carrying out attacks and assassinations elsewhere in the county.

On Dec. 16, Islamic State reported its first offensive on al-Shabab in Somalia.

On Tuesday this week, IS released a video showing its fighters firing their guns and several dead bodies they identified as al-Shabab members in a mountainous area called B'ir Mirali, southwest of Qandala in Bari region of Puntland. IS claimed to have killed 14 al-Shabab fighters and wounding others.

The IS-affiliated group is estimated to have about 200 active members and is far smaller than the al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab group, which has thousands of fighters in largely rural areas in Somalia.

Hussein Moallim Mohamud, a former Somali counterterrorism officer and national security adviser, said despite having a similar agenda of terrorizing people to achieve jihadist goals inside Somalia, they also have differences.

"Al-Shabab remains predominantly focused on Somali issues and is keen to preserve its allegiance to al-Qaida, while IS is more focused on linking its presence in Somali with international terrorism. Because of this difference each group sees the other to be a threat to its existence," Mohamud said.

Other analysts previously interviewed by VOA Somalia agree that the IS ideology of promoting global expansion and domination does not sit well with al-Shabab leaders, who prefer focusing mainly on domestic matters.

It is not clear what this would mean to the jihadist groups in Somalia and their fight against the Somali government and African Union peacekeepers in the country.

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Cameroon Reopens Border with Nigeria

By Moki Edwin Kindzeka December 21, 2018

Cameroon has reopened its southwestern border with Nigeria after closing it about a year ago because of conflicts between Cameroon's military and armed separatists fighting to create an English-speaking state.

A senior official from Cameroon's military asks the people of Ekok village on the southwestern border with Nigeria to consider the soldiers as friends who are there to protect them.

Cameroon businessman Christopher Efiom, 46, buys food from Cameroon and takes it to Nigeria where it is sold. When he is returning from Nigeria, he buys spare motor parts and sells them in Cameroon. He says the presence of the military in the border market has chased fighters to the bushes and across the border to Nigeria. He says that for a month now, merchants have been able to do business despite ongoing fighting between the military and the separatists.

"There are days that the military goes down to attack the boys [fighters] and when they go down, there is serious gun shooting," Efiom said. "So many casualties are on the field. The Amba fighters usually block us on the way and you can never predict when they are there. There are days that even the military are unable to carry the convoy right to Nigeria."

"Amba" is the self-declared English-speaking region of Ambazonia, where armed separatists are fighting for independence.

Cameroon businessman Cletus Ndungang, 32, says although the military has reopened the border, business has yet to resume fully because most buyers and sellers still fear for their safety.

"Eighty percent of our rice is imported. It is very risky for a businessman to carry rice knowing that there is going to be a problem. Even maize. We also have oil, we have sugar. In fact, all the food, there is a problem because of this barbaric act. Most of the businessmen would not want to come in," he said.

When Cameroon declared war on the armed separatists in November 2017, it said gunmen were attacking border localities in Cameroon's southwest and escaping to Nigeria.

Nigeria denied the assailants were crossing over from its territory into Cameroon.

Bernard Okalia Bilai, governor of Cameroon's southwest region, says collaboration between the Nigerian and Cameroon militaries is bringing peace to the border areas and business is resuming; but, he says, civilians who sought to escape the fighting should look to the military as their partners in working toward peace.

The separatist insurgency gained momentum in 2017 following a government crackdown on peaceful protests by Anglophones, who complain of being marginalized by the French-speaking majority. Some political leaders have called on President Paul Biya to initiate dialogue with the separatists. But Biya  who has ruled Cameroon for 36 years  has refused any talks on Cameroon becoming a divided state.

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Violations Increase in DRC's North Kivu Province as Security Worsens

By Lisa Schlein December 21, 2018

The United Nations reports human rights violations have surged over the past two years in the Democratic Republic of Congo's North Kivu Province as security in that conflict-ridden region has worsened.

A report issued by the U.N. human rights office documents hundreds of cases of violations against civilians in North Kivu province between January 2017 and October 2018. It said a significant increase in the number of armed groups fighting against each other and the Congolese security forces has led to escalating abuse.

The report found that two-thirds of the human rights violations are committed by armed groups, and government army and security forces are to blame for one-third.

Together, it said the number of violations and abuses occurring in North Kivu province amounts to one-third of all the human rights violations documented throughout the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Human Rights spokeswoman, Marta Hurtado said civilians are victims of extra-judicial killings, torture, forced labor and other forms of abuse.

She said sexual violence is on the rise, and women and children often are kidnapped for purposes of sexual exploitation. She added that rapes and gang rapes are being committed by all armed groups as a tactic of war.

"In cases where one group thinks that a specific community has been collaborating or likely collaborating with another group, they do rape women and girls there, and explicitly say it is to punish the whole community for their alleged involvement with another group," she told VOA.

Hurtado said internal displacement is soaring as thousands of people flee their homes to escape the violence. And instability in the region, she said, is affecting the emergency response to the Ebola epidemic and the likely spread of the disease.

The authors of the report fear insecurity in North Kivu could undermine the political rights of the population.

Presidential elections in DRC were to have taken place next Sunday but have been postponed to December 30. The U.N. says violence in the province could discourage many people from going to the polls, thereby preventing many from participating in this democratic process.

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Pakistan stands with China in face of US-led claims

Iran Press TV

Fri Dec 21, 2018 07:02AM

Pakistan has defended China over its treatment of minority Muslim community, describing US and other Western claims of rehabilitation centers for Uighurs as media sensationalism.

Lawmakers in Pakistan's northernmost region of Gilgit-Baltistan demanded earlier this year that authorities in China's Xinjiang province immediately release dozens of Chinese women married to Pakistani men.

Mohammad Faisal, spokesman for Pakistan's ministry of foreign affairs, said in Islamabad some media outlets were spreading fake news about the Chinese women married to Pakistani nationals.

"Some section of foreign media are trying to sensationalize the matter by spreading false information," Faisal said.

"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 undergoing voluntary training. Twenty-three women are free and living in Xinjiang of their own free will."

Human Rights Watch has accused the Chinese government of carrying out "repressive policies" against the Muslims in Xinjiang.

It has claimed governmental controls over day-to-day life in Xinjiang, primarily affecting ethnic Uighurs, Kazakhs and other minorities.

According to estimates cited by a UN panel, numerous camps have been set up in China's vast Xinjiang region, holding as many as one million ethnic Uighurs and other Muslim minorities.

Chinese officials have dismissed the allegations and instead characterized the camps as "vocational education and employment training centers" for "criminals involved in minor offenses."

They have long linked their measures in Xinjiang with counter-terrorism efforts, arguing that separatists are bent on joining Takfiri terrorists like al-Qaeda.

Last March, Chinese President Xi Jinping called on the military to erect a "Great Wall of Steel" around the restive region after an apparent spike in killing that authorities blame on Takfiri terrorists.

Pakistan's pronouncement of support for China comes amid Islamabad's tensions with the US, which have escalated under the Trump administration.

Instead, Pakistan has upgraded its relationship with China, lauding tens of billions of investment dollars that Beijing is pouring into the country as a "game changer".

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US has no intention of easing North Korea sanctions, official says

Iran Press TV

Fri Dec 21, 2018 08:56AM

Washington will not ease its sanctions or those imposed by the UN against North Korea but it is still ready to try and build trust, says US Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun.

Biegun was quoted as saying on Friday that the United States "has no intention of easing our unilateral or United Nations sanctions" against North Korea.

"However, within the context of the engagement that we have with the DPRK (North Korea), we are prepared to explore number of other things that could build trust," he said in contradictory remarks.

Biegun linked trust-building steps to the dismantling of North Korea's nuclear weapons. "We do have a number of initiatives we'd like to look at as we begin the process of denuclearization in North Korea."

However, North Korea said on Thursday it will never unilaterally give up its nuclear weapons unless the US first removes what Pyongyang called a nuclear threat.

The statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency suggested that North Korea will eventually demand the US withdraw or significantly reduce the 28,500 American troops stationed in South Korea.

On Thursday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo expressed hope for a second summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jung-un.

The second summit has been scheduled for early next year, but it is unclear whether North Korea would agree to holding the summit.

The first meeting took place in Singapore in June, when dialog was opened up between the two countries on denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula after months of exchanging military threats.

Since then progress has stalled, with both sides accusing the other of dragging their feet and acting in bad faith.

Trump has repeatedly said that as long as the pressure is on and the crippling sanctions are in place he is "in no hurry" to reach a denuclearization deal with North Korea.

Washington seeks the complete and irreversible dismantling of North Korea's nuclear weapons.

In Thursday's statement, North Korea made clear it is 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.

On Sunday, North Korea hit out at the US for stepping up sanctions, warning that it could force a return to "exchanges of fire" and block the path to nuclear disarmament forever.

The North Korean Foreign Ministry issued a statement, saying the US policy of "maximum pressure" would be its "greatest miscalculation".

It came after Washington slapped sanctions on three North Korean officials last week, including Choe Ryong-hae, a top aide to leader Kim Jong-un, for alleged human rights abuses.

Pyongyang said Washington had imposed sanctions up to eight times against companies, individuals and ships of North Korea, China and Russia and other third countries.

The US, the ministry said, is "bent on bringing ... relations back to the status of last year which was marked by exchanges of fire."

The sanctions, it said, "will block the path to denuclearization on the Korean peninsula forever  a result desired by no-one."

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Trump's Summit Plan Sends Mixed Signals on Talks With North Korea

By Connie Kim December 21, 2018

In announcing his interest in holding another summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, U.S. President Donald Trump appears to be going against his administration's plan to have working-level officials lead denuclearization talks, analysts say.

On his flight back to Washington from the G-20 Summit in Argentina in early December, Trump told reporters that a second summit with Kim will likely take place in January or February of 2019.

While the United States remains committed to talks with North Korea, it is unclear if Trump's diplomacy can make progress with Pyongyang. In what appeared to be a blow to the administration's efforts to denuclearize the isolated country, North Korea's state media said Thursday the country will not give up its nuclear weapons unless the U.S. first removes what Pyongyang called a nuclear threat.

"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.

The struggle over the term "denuclearization" was a sticking point even before Trump and Kim met for the first time in June in Singapore, where they issued a vague statement on the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.

Since then, there has been little apparent progress in the talks. Trump's willingness to meet with Kim again was seen as a high-level intervention to break the impasse.

Mixed messages

Former U.S. officials who have dealt with North Korea extensively, however, caution that Trump's plan to meet with Kim again goes against the administration's position that working-level officials should lead the talks.

"And of course, the future dialogue will take place. It will definitely be something that the Special Representative [Stephen] Biegun will be leading," State Department Deputy Spokesperson Robert Palladino told reporters in late November, only a few days before Trump's announcement on the plans for a second summit. Biegun directs all U.S. policy on North Korea, leads negotiations, and spearheads U.S. diplomatic efforts with allies and partners, according to his State Department bio.

The apparent push by the State Department for working-level talks between Washington and Pyongyang followed North Korea's abrupt cancellation of the planned talks with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in early November. Prior to that derailment, Biegun had been expected to meet with his North Korean counterpart but nothing was ever scheduled officially. The U.S. has been seeking working-level talks with North Korean officials since Pompeo's visit to Pyongyang in early October.

Some experts believe Pyongyang is only interested in direct talks with Trump.

"North Korea has refused to hold meetings at the secretary of state or special envoy [level], preferring to hold a summit with Trump who the regime sees as more likely to offer additional concessions as he did in Singapore," said Bruce Klingner, a former U.S. intelligence official who is now a senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation.

Poor communication

Christopher Hill, chief negotiator with North Korea during the George W. Bush administration, said there may be a communication problem in the administration.

"I don't think there is good communication between NSC [National Security Council] staff and the State Department at this point. I think the big problem is the president doesn't understand that he has a staff that can do things and he only thinks of himself as being able to do things," Hill said.

Klingner agrees.

"I think what it reflects again the administration again has trouble with message discipline and the administration sometimes has one policy and then the president has another," Klingner said.

But Gary Samore, the White House coordinator for Arms Control and Weapons of Mass Destruction under the Obama administration, says the Trump administration appears to be pursuing a two-track approach to talks with the North.

"I think that the two-track strategy is both top-down and bottom-up. It is top-down in the sense that the leaders set the broad outlines of the agreement. And then it is up to the working level officials to actually negotiate the details: sequencing, pace, schedule, verification all of these critical matters. Nobody expects the leaders to negotiate [in] that detail," said Samore.

Christy Lee contributed to this report.

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Russia warns US of confronting Iran

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Moscow, Dec 21, IRNA -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned US and its allies of confronting Iran for solving problems in the Middle East.

Lavrov made the remarks on Friday while addressing a meeting which was held with the attendance of the Foreign Affairs Minister of the Palestinian National Authority Riyad al-Maliki.

The current approach is dangerous since it is likely to cause conflict between Shia and Sunni, he added.

Moscow believes that regional problems will not be solved by threat and dictatorship, he noted.

Problems should be solved through negotiations, he said, adding that this is Russia's stance for solving Palestinians' problems with Israel.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Lavrov referred to the US withdrawal from international agreements like Iran nuclear deal and Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, (INF Treaty), saying the efforts to review international agreements by some Western countries is very dangerous.

Russia is after withdrawal of any illegal forces from Syria, he added.

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Iraq: Iran sanctions waiver extended for 3 months

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Baghdad, Dec 21, IRNA -- 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 neighbor, AFP reported.

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 leaves homes without 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 meters 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.

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Iran, Russia reliable partners in JCPOA, global issues: Diplomat

Iran Press TV

Fri Dec 21, 2018 02:01PM

A senior Iranian diplomat says Iran and Russia are "reliable partners" on many international developments and on a landmark 2015 nuclear agreement, despite the United States' efforts to create obstacles in the way of the deal's implementation.

In a meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergei Ryabkov in Moscow on Friday, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi hailed Russia's "logical, balanced and just" stance on the nuclear agreement, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), after the US move to withdraw from it.

"The JCPOA is the achievement of diplomacy and the US is weakening diplomacy at an international level through its efforts to destroy it," Iran's official IRNA news agency quoted Araqchi as saying.

Back on May 8, US President Donald Trump announced that he would abandon the JCPOA, reached between Iran and six world powers  the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China. 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 November, the Trump administration announced the re-imposition of the "toughest" sanctions ever against Iran's banking and energy sectors with the aim of cutting off the country's oil sales and crucial exports.

A first round of American sanctions took effect in August, targeting Iran's access to the US dollar, metals trading, coal, industrial software, and auto sector.

The US administration hoped to get the other parties to the deal with Iran to likewise scrap the deal, but instead, they stressed that not only would they stick to the agreement, but they would also work to sustain it in the face of increased US pressure. Europeans believe that the nuclear deal is an important element of international security.

Meanwhile, Russia's TASS news agency also quoted Araqchi as saying that Tehran is grateful for Moscow's stance on the JCPOA.

"I totally agree that Iran and Russia and reliable partners. Our cooperation concerning the regional and international agenda has been very honest, we have similar positions on many regional and global issues," the Iranian diplomat said.

He noted that the current crisis surrounding the nuclear deal had stemmed from Washington's actions.

At the same time, he was hopeful that other participants in the deal would continue to implement it, saying, "We hope that the JCPOA's European participants will remain committed to their obligations."

Late in November, Iran's nuclear chief criticized the US administration's efforts to prevent the implementation of the multilateral nuclear agreement through exerting pressure on other countries to make them pursue Washington's policies vis-a-vis the deal.

"This unconstructive US approach shows that this country, as a permanent member of the [United Nations] Security Council, is not committed to its international obligations," Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi said in an address to the third seminar on peaceful nuclear cooperation in the Belgian capital, Brussels.

Elsewhere in his Friday meeting, Araqchi said Iran and Russia share stance on regional and international issues.

He emphasized that many international woes are rooted in wrong policies of the US and some of its allies in the Middle East region.

Russia resolute on JCPOA implementation: Ryabkov

The Russian deputy foreign minister, for his part, said Moscow is resolved to continue implementing the Iran nuclear deal by further developing relations with Tehran in different fields.

Ryabkov expressed his country's willingness to boost political talks with Iran and said bilateral consultations are very important not only for the two countries but for regional and international security.

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IRGC vows to continue missile tests, research more actively than ever

Iran Press TV

Fri Dec 21, 2018 11:31AM

Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) says it will continue its missile tests and research more actively than ever in defiance of the US pressure and sanctions.

Speaking to Iran's official news agency IRNA on Friday, IRGC deputy commander for coordination Brigadier General Ali Fadavi said conducting research on military equipment and missiles is a permanent job of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps.

Fadavi described it as a vital issue for Iran just like breathing, and asked, "Is it possible [for a person] to stop breathing?"

He pointed to the US pressures and sanctions on the Islamic Republic, and said they are always opportunities for Iran, as they create conditions for the country to rely on its own capabilities.

"The harsher the sanctions get, the more defensive capabilities Iran will achieve," he added.

Fadavi's comments came a few weeks after the latest ballistic missile test by the Iranian armed forces. The move was described as a significant one by IRGC Aerospace Commander Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh.

"We will continue to conduct our missile tests and this latest one was particularly significant," Hajizadeh said on Dec. 11, reacting to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's position on Iran's missile tests.

Hajizadeh said that Iran conducts more than 50 missile tests each year. "That the Americans react to certain tests is indicative of the [amount of] pressure on them."

In a statement released on Twitter on December 1, Pompeo claimed Iran had "just test-fired a medium range ballistic missile" in violation of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231.

UN Security Council Resolution 2231 endorsed the 2015 international nuclear agreement, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), from which Washington has withdrawn under the pretext that it should have included Iran's missile program as well.

Tehran rejected Pompeo's claims, saying its conventional missile program is defensive and does not violate that resolution, which "calls on" Iran "not to undertake any activity related to ballistic missiles designed to be capable of delivering nuclear weapons, including launches using such ballistic missile technology."

Iran says all of its ballistic missile-related activities are in full conformity with the relevant provisions of the Resolution 2231.

Over the past years, Iran has made major breakthroughs in its defense sector and attained self-sufficiency in manufacturing military equipment and hardware despite being under Western sanctions and economic pressure.

Tehran asserts that its missile arsenal strictly serves self-defense and poses no threat to other states.

Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami said recently that Iran is currently one of the world's topmost missile powers despite having been subjected to severe sanctions during the past 40 years.

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Iran's Revolutionary Guards Promise to Continue Missile Tests

Sputnik News

22:06 21.12.2018(updated 22:07 21.12.2018)

Any efforts by foreign countries to stop the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps from testing missiles will be futile as long as Iran exists, a senior IRGC official said Friday.

Iran testing missiles is akin to a living body breathing, according to an analogy floated by IRGC Brig. Gen. Ali Fadavi. "Is it possible [for a person] to stop breathing?" Fadavi told Iran's official IRNA news agency Friday, noting that missile preparations are one of the Guards' permanent tasks.

The general noted that US pressure in the form of sanctions has compelled Iran to become more self-reliant, the report says. "The harsher the sanctions get, the more defensive capabilities Iran will achieve," Fadavi said.

Just 10 days ago, the Guards carried out a ballistic missile test in Iran, though the ballistic missile's type is unclear. According to IRGC Aerospace Commander Brig. Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, Iran's military typically conducts about 50 missile tests annually.

US sanctions ratcheted up another level in early November. Sanctions that had been frozen following the 2015 Iran nuclear deal with the P5+1 nations  France, the United Kingdom, Russia, China, the US plus Germany  thawed following US President Donald Trump's May 2018 decision to withdraw from the deal. The US also moved to apply sanctions against 18 individuals and entities in July 2017 who the US said were intimately involved in Iran's ballistic missile program.

The head of the recently formed "Iran Action Group" at the US State Department, Special Representative for Iran Brian Hook, offered a glimpse of Iran's latest weapons in late November.

"We are unveiling Iran's Sayyad 2C surface-to-air missile, which you see behind me. This missile was designed and manufactured in Iran, and the writing in Farsi on its side translates as 'the hunter missile.' The conspicuous Farsi markings is Iran's way of saying they don't mind being caught violating UN resolutions," Hook told reporters at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling.

Tehran maintains that all of its ballistic missile activity is consistent with the relevant statutes in United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231.

The US envoy was formerly an aide to White House National Security Adviser John Bolton, one of the most shameless ultra-hawks in Washington. According to Hook, Iran has the "largest ballistic missile force in the region, with more than 10 ballistic missiles systems either in its inventory or under development," with some of these systems armed with medium-range ballistic missiles that puts "Europe in its range."

 Sputnik

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Iran Under Fire for Delayed Release of Ailing Baha'i Leader

By Michael Lipin, Ramin Haghjoo December 21, 2018

Iran faces new criticism from Baha'i activists for its delayed release of an ailing Baha'i leader imprisoned for a decade and for its threat to jail a Baha'i woman for 11 years.

The Baha'i International Community (BIC) said Iran released the last of seven imprisoned former leaders of the country's Baha'i minority on Thursday. BIC sent VOA Persian photos of 56-year-old Afif Naeimi, a father of two from Tehran, with loved ones who greeted him with flowers after he emerged from the city's Evin prison.

Naeimi and the six other Iranian Baha'i leaders had been arrested in 2008 on national-security-related charges rejected as baseless by BIC, which said they were part of a long-running persecution of Iranian Baha'is by Tehran's Islamist rulers who view them as heretics.

Situation not improved

Iran released the six other leaders of the Yaran, an informal committee that ran the affairs of the nation's Baha'i community, between October 2017 and March 2018.

In a statement posted on its website, BIC criticized the circumstances of Naeimi's detention, saying he experienced "severe" health problems and often received "inadequate" treatment. It said Iranian authorities also "cruelly" determined that the brief time Naeimi spent on a hospital furlough from prison would not count toward serving his sentence, extending his detention by months and making him the last of the former Yaran members to be released.

"We are of course happy that Naeimi has been released. However, this should by no means be seen as an improvement of the situation of Iranian Baha'is as a whole," said Diane Ala'i, BIC representative to the United Nations. "The stark reality is that scores of Baha'is still remain imprisoned in Iran because of their beliefs and tens of thousands more face intense persecution including denial of access of higher education, shop closures, and harassment," Ala'i added.

News of Naeimi's release coincided with Baha'i activists raising concerns about the fate of another Iranian Baha'i, Yekta Fahandezh-Saadi, who lives in the south-central city of Shiraz.

11-year sentence

In a Wednesday phone call with VOA Persian, Fahandezh-Saadi's Austria-based sister, Mona, said Yekta recently heard that she had been sentenced to 11 years in prison for alleged national security offenses. Mona Fahandezh-Saadi said her sister had been given 20 days to appeal the sentence to a Shiraz court.

Iran's Human Rights Activist News Agency (HRANA) has reported that Iranian authorities arrested and temporarily detained Yekta Fahandezh-Saadi in 2010, 2012 and 2014 on similar charges before releasing her. It said she has faced charges of spreading anti-government propaganda and engaging in an anti-government conspiracy.

Mona Fahandezh-Saadi denounced those accusations as phony and baseless, saying her sister is being persecuted simply for being a Baha'i.

There was no immediate comment on the cases of Yekta Fahandezh-Saadi or Afif Naeimi in Iranian state media.

This article originated in VOA's Persian Service.

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Myanmar Army Announces Unilateral Ceasefire Against Ethnic Rebels

Sputnik News

13:47 21.12.2018(updated 14:03 21.12.2018)

The Myanmar Army (Tatmadaw) announced a unilateral ceasefire on Friday in five regional commands (North, Northeast, East, Middle East and Triangle) to facilitate negotiations with rebel groups fighting in different parts of the country.

In the first major breakthrough since 2011, the Myanmar Army had declared a unilateral ceasefire against various rebel groups fighting in different parts of the nation. The proclaimed ceasefire includes de-escalation of troop mobilisation. The move towards a unilateral ceasefire was decided upon to facilitate un-hindered negotiations with the ethnic rebel groups.

The Myanmar Army has formed a negotiations team led by Lt. General Yar Pyae and includes senior and regional commanders. The team will discuss issues with rebel groups, especially the prominent ones like the Arakan Army in northern Rakhine state.

Nevertheless, the Myanmar Army has made it clear that ethnic armed organisations should respect four out of six principles, namely, to keep promises agreed to in peace deals, avoid capitalising on the peace agreement, avoid placing a heavy burden on local people, and to abide by existing laws.

Myanmar Army did not impose a sixth principle "to march towards a democratic country in accord with the 2008 Constitution".

In last few days over 700 people have been displaced by clashes between the Myanmar Army and the Arakan Army (AA) in northern Rakhine State.

A study conducted by the Myanmar Institute for Peace and Security (MIPS) says that there were 44 clashes in November  21 between ethnic armed groups and the army, and 23 between ethnic armed groups themselves.

 Sputnik

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Russia to target any U.S. missiles deployed in Europe after nuclear treaty terminated: Kremlin

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 16:38, December 21, 2018

MOSCOW, Dec. 21 (Xinhua) -- If the United States deploys its missile systems in Europe after terminating the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, Russia will have to aim its own missiles at those systems, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday night.

In an interview with Russia's state-run television Channel One, the presidential spokesman was asked to comment on Russian President Vladimir Putin's words about the possibility of a nuclear war following the U.S. withdrawal from the treaty.

At an annual press conference on Thursday, Putin warned against lowering the threshold for the use of nuclear weapons, saying that it would trigger a global disaster.

"The president meant what he has repeatedly explained. The deployment of these missiles in Europe and their aiming or potential aiming at Russia would lead to Russia aiming its missile arsenal at these missile launchers in order to create parity," Peskov said.

He added that the situation "would spiral further to repeat the scenario that we have already had in the past."

The INF Treaty was signed in 1987 between the Soviet Union and the United States on the elimination of intermediate-range and shorter-range missiles.

The deal marked the first-ever pact reached by Washington and Moscow on nuclear disarmament and a major step forward in restricting the arms race.

Moscow and Washington have accused each other of violating the agreement in recent years amid increasing tensions between the two countries.

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EU extends anti-Russia sanctions for six months

Iran Press TV

Fri Dec 21, 2018 06:48PM

The European Union has extended its anti-Russian sanctions for another six months after current sanctions expire on January 31, 2019.

The EU Council press service announced the decision on Friday.

"This decision follows an update from President Macron and Chancellor Merkel to the European Council of 13-14 December 2018 on the state of implementation of the Minsk agreements, to which the sanctions are linked," read the statement.

The press release stated that the sanctions had been unanimously reinstated "given that no progress has been made" on implementing the Minsk agreements.

The Minsk agreements refer to two ceasefire agreements signed in the Belarusian capital, Minsk, in September 2014 and February 2015 aiming to alleviate the ongoing war between Kiev and pro-Russian forces in Ukraine's eastern Donbass region.

Since then, however, both parties have on numerous occasions accused each other of breaking the cessation of hostilities and failing to implement the agreements.

The sanctions, which were originally introduced after Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was shot down over the Donbass region, target Russia's financial, energy and defense sectors.

The EU, which blamed pro-Russian fighters for the incident, enforced anti-Russian economic sanctions on July 31, 2014 and has renewed them ever since.

Moscow has, however, strongly denied the accusations, presenting its own evidence pointing blame at Kiev for the downed flight.

The EU, however, claims the sanctions are a general response to "Russia's actions destabilizing the situation in Ukraine."

In March 2015, the EU decided the sanctions could be lifted only after the implementation of the Minsk agreements.

The Ukraine crisis has left almost 10,000 people dead and over 23,000 others injured, according to the latest figures provided by the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine.

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The Week In Russia: Putin On Repeat -- Big Press Conference, Little News

By Steve Gutterman December 21, 2018

Russian President Vladimir Putin fielded 66 questions at his annual press conference, holding forth for nearly four hours with a record number of journalists accredited for an event he first held in 2001. He didn't make much news.

Here are some of the key developments in Russia over the past week and some of the takeaways going forward.

Good News, Bad News, No News

The biggest news from Russian President Vladimir Putin's big press conference: He might get married again sometime.

Seriously.

Almost everything else Putin said in the three-hour, 44-minute performance on December 20 was a variation on something he has said before, in some cases several times over nearly two decades in power.

The West is seeking to restrain a resurgent Russia: Check. The Ukrainian government is to blame for Moscow-Kyiv tensions: Check. The economy is doing well but could use a "technological breakthrough": Check.

Even Putin's warning of the threat of nuclear war and "the death of all civilization" was hardly new: He said in late October that Russians will "go to heaven as martyrs" if there's a catastrophic nuclear war with the West, while people in the "aggressor" country would "croak" because they wouldn't have time to repent.

Russia's status on the global stage rests in large part on its nuclear arsenal, and the comments come in the context of U.S. moves to abandon a major Cold War weapons pact, the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF). But beyond a warning that the West had better take Russia and its warheads seriously, they seem to offer few clues about actual policy going forward.

Maybe that's why the Kremlin calls it a press conference, not a news conference: It doesn't produce much news. Different shades can be discerned, perhaps  a little more animus against the opposition one year, a slightly softer tone toward the West the next.

'When Everything's Been Said'

But despite colorful signs and calls for attention that can, probably intentionally, make it look more like a concert or campaign rally than a press conference, the overall effect is monochromatic.

"What do you talk about when everything's been said?" the headline of an editorial in the financial daily Vedomosti asked.

Every year, the press conference looks more and more like "a stage production with a single actor" and an ever-larger group of journalists  1,702 were accredited this time  playing in one long crowd scene, the article read.

"The start of the press conference  about the importance of a breakthrough  was a quote from his spring address" to parliament, Vedomosti said, while his remarks about an incident in which Russian forces fired on Ukrainian naval vessels off Crimea and arrested their crewmen, who are now jailed in Moscow, were an almost "word-for-word" repeat of what he said at a G20 summit on December 1.

On issues like patriotism, Putin's "self-quoting has continued for many years," it said.

Against that backdrop, Putin's hint of wedding bells in the future stood out.

The Wedding Planner

Casting it as a question the state media dared to pose before a president who has reacted angrily in the past to questions about his family, a journalist from the pro-Kremlin tabloid site Life followed up on a query about whether the state might fund the "Russian segment" of the Internet by asking: "When are you getting married. And to whom?"

Putin pointed out that the questions were unrelated and then said that "as a respectable person, I'll have to this at some point, probably."

It's hard to imagine that the question, and the answer, were not planned in advance.

Past press conferences and annual editions of Direct Line, his call-in show, have included plenty of softball questions about Putin's likes, dislikes, hobbies, and health. There was a risque one this time around, when a female reporter asked about is health and winkingly offered "help"  to which Putin winkingly replied, "Katya, we'll discuss it later."

But Putin has made clear that his family life is off-limits to the press -- to the point where virtually nothing about his two grown daughters  where they live, what they do for a living -- has ever been acknowledged by the Kremlin.

And when Putin and his first wife finally confirmed long-standing speculation that their marriage was over, in 2013, they did so in a supposedly spontaneous appearance  a chance encounter with a lone reporter in the Kremlin  that looked awkward but not spontaneous at all.

I'll Say It Again

For many Russians -- in fact for almost everyone, with the likely exception of one person in particular -- some clarity about the political future might be more useful than a hint about his marriage plans.

A legal limit of two straight presidential terms means that Putin, who is 66 and has been president or prime minister since 1999, cannot run for reelection in 2024. As a result, the start of his new term on May 7 set off speculation about how much power he wants to retain when that time comes  and how he might go about it.

But Putin did not address that question at the press conference, because he was not asked. That's a possible sign that he is wary of looking like a lame duck and wants Russians, not least those in the government, to focus on his ambitious economic goals rather than jockeying for future position.

Putin spoke about some of those goals at the press conference, such as a bid to break into the top five economies in terms of size  a tall order for a country listed in 12th place by the International Monetary Fund in 2017.

For at least the third time this year, he also called for a "breakthrough"  and acknowledged that he was repeating himself.

"I have spoken about this many times, and I want to repeat it. We need a breakthrough. We need to leap into a new technological mode," Putin said. "Without this, the country has no future."

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/the-week-in- russia-putin-on-repeat----big-press-conference- little-news/29669672.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.

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EU Formally Extends Sanctions Against Russia For Six Months

By RFE/RL December 21, 2018

BRUSSELS -- The European Union has formally extended economic sanctions against Russia, first imposed more than four years ago for Moscow's annexation of Ukraine's Crimea Peninsula.

The European Council said on December 21 that the measures would remain in place for another six months, until July 2019.

The council, which is the grouping of the governments of 28 EU member countries, said it had adopted its decision unanimously.

EU leaders had agreed on the extension last week to do so, and also considered imposing more sanctions over Russia's seizure of Ukrainian ships off Crimea, but in the end, opted not to.

The measures target Russia's banking, energy, and defense sectors.

Earlier this week, EU diplomats agreed to impose asset freezes and visa bans on five Russians whom the EU believe are responsible for the March poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter in England. The five are believed to be Russian military intelligence agents.



Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/eu-formally- extends-sanctions-against-russia-for -six-months/29669778.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.

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Moscow Court Orders Arrest For Kremlin Critic Browder

By RFE/RL December 21, 2018

A Russian court has issued an arrest warrant for Bill Browder, the latest effort in a long-running campaign by Moscow to prosecute the British-American financier.

The December 21 order by the Tver district court came a month after Russian authorities announced that Browder was being charged in absentia with forming a "transnational criminal group." Officials also alleged he was involved in the death of whistle-blower Sergei Magnitsky in a Moscow jail nearly a decade ago.

Despite the warrant and the new charges, it was unlikely Browder will be prosecuted in Russia. Browder spends most of his time in Britain, and has repeatedly fought efforts by Russia to use Interpol cooperation agreements to arrest him.

Browder's Russian lawyer, Aleksandr Antipov, said Browder had not been informed about either the new charge against him or the hearing.

Russian authorities have said they were investigating Browder for possible involvement in what they called "the fatal poisoning with a chemical" of Magnitsky and three other people, something Browder dismissed as baseless and "Kafkaesque."

The accusations are the latest chapter in the ongoing battle between the Kremlin and Browder, a U.S.-born Briton who was once the biggest foreign portfolio investor in Russia but fell afoul of the government and is now an outspoken foe of President Vladimir Putin.

Browder employed Magnitsky, who was arrested in 2008 after exposing a scheme in which mid-ranking Interior Ministry, tax service, and other officials were allegedly behind a $230 million tax fraud.

Magnitsky was later imprisoned, accused of helping to commit the fraud himself. He died in a Moscow jail in 2009 after what some of his supporters have said was treatment that amounted to torture.

Russian authorities, who admitted that the tax fraud took place, tried and convicted Magnitsky posthumously, and also alleged that it was Browder himself who perpetrated the fraud.

A Moscow court sentenced Browder in absentia to nine years in prison in December 2017 after convicting him of large-scale tax evasion.

Since Magnitsky's death, Browder has campaigned for laws in countries worldwide that are designed to punish those responsible for human rights abuses -- including the 2012 U.S. Magnitsky Act, which has infuriated the Kremlin.

With reporting by Interfax and TASS



Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/moscow-court -orders-arrest-for-kremlin-critic- browder/29669715.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.

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Russia's Media Regulator Checking Legality OF BBC Operations

By RFE/RL December 21, 2018

Russia's media regulator, Roskomnadzor, says it has started checking the legality of the BBC World News channel's Russian operations and its websites, following a statement by British media watchdog Ofcom that Russia's RT television channel had violated impartiality rules.

Roskomnadzor said on December 21 that the goal of the verification is to establish whether the content of the BBC operation is consistent with Russian laws.

The statement comes a day after Ofcom said it was considering sanctioning Russia's state-financed RT, saying it had broken impartiality rules in seven programs earlier this year, including coverage of the poisoning in Britain of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter.

Britain blames the Russian government for the poisoning of the Skripals in the city of Salisbury in March.

Russia has repeatedly denied that its agents were behind the poisoning and accused British intelligence agencies of staging the incident to stoke what they called "Russophobia."

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.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in Moscow on December 21 that Roskomnadzor's move was in response to Ofcom's announced checks of RT operations.

"Many have questions for the BBC regarding its biased coverage of some events, as they are covered not like a media outlet should do but in a preprogrammed and biased way," Peskov said.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova hailed Roskomnadzor's move, writing on Facebook that "it is high time to do that."

"...the British government's blatant interference in the activities of Russian medias outlets (constant propaganda against the RT channel, attempts to defame our reporters and so on) leave us no choice but to give a tit-for-tat response," Zakharova wrote.

The BBC said on December 21 that it worked in full compliance with Russia's laws and regulations to deliver independent news.

"As everywhere else in the world, the BBC works in Russia in full compliance with the country's laws and regulations to deliver independent news and information to its audiences," said a BBC spokesperson.

With reporting by Reuters and TASS

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-s- media-regulator-checks-legality-of-bbc- operations/29668954.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.

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Moscow Court Issues Warrant for Browder's Arrest in Absentia

Sputnik News

20:15 21.12.2018(updated 20:16 21.12.2018)

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  A Moscow court issued a warrant for the arrest in absentia of Bill Browder, the CEO of Hermitage Capital Management, for creating a criminal group, a Sputnik correspondent reported Friday.

"The court ruled to satisfy the request of the investigator and to choose a measure of restraint in the form of detention," judge Alexei Krivoruchko said.

According to the case file, Browder was charged in absentia for organizing a criminal group. The investigators announced his inclusion in the international wanted list.

In turn, Browder's lawyer Alexander Antipov said that he would definitely appeal this ruling.

In 2013, Russia sentenced Browder in absentia to nine years in prison for tax evasion. The court also ruled that Sergei Magnitsky, a tax and legal consultant for Hermitage Capital Management, who died in custody in Moscow in 2010, developed and implemented a tax evasion scheme while working for the businessman. Browder refuted the accusations, saying that he became a victim of a corruption scheme himself.

In February 2017, a Moscow court ruled to arrest Browder and his business partner Ivan Cherkasov, both charged with 4.2 billion rubles ($72.9 million) in unpaid taxes, in absentia.

 Sputnik

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UN General Assembly Votes Down Russian Draft Resolution to Preserve INF Treaty

Sputnik News

20:00 21.12.2018(updated 20:10 21.12.2018)

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The UN General Assembly has voted against adopting the draft resolution proposed by Russia in support of preserving and complying with the terms of the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, General Assembly President Maria Fernanda Espinosa of Ecuador announced after the vote.

"The result of the vote is as follows in favour 43, against 46, abstaining 78," Espinosa said. "The draft resolution A/73/L17 has not obtained the required two-thirds of the vote for its adoption. Therefore, this draft resolution is not adopted."

On December 14, Russia introduced a draft resolution in the UN General Assembly calling for the preservation of and compliance with the INF Treaty, which bans ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges between 500 and 5,500 kilometres (311 to 3,417 miles).

China, Iran, North Korea, Syria, Cuba, Belarus, Vietnam, Pakistan voted for the draft resolution. The United States, Canada, Turkey, Ukraine and all EU member states voted against the measure.

The draft resolution calls on the United States and Russia to continue bilateral consultations on adherence to their INF Treaty obligations and renew constructive dialogue on strategic issues for further progress in nuclear disarmament and the cementing of international stability.

The draft resolution also states the UN General Assembly should consider actions undermining the INF Treaty as moves that hamper global strategic stability and regional security, and calls on all UN member states to step up their efforts to preserve the accord.

The United States and Russia have repeatedly accused each other of violating the INF Treaty in recent years.

In early December, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the United States would suspend its adherence to the INF Treaty within 60 days unless Russia returns to full compliance with the agreement.

US Under Secretary for Arms Control Andrea Thompson told reporters on December 6 that Russia must either end the development of its 9M729 missile system or modify the weapon so that it complied with the INF Treaty.

Russia has repeatedly refuted US allegations that it violates the INF Treaty, saying Moscow has very serious questions regarding the accord's implementation by the United States. Specifically, Moscow has complained about US defence systems launchers deployed in Europe that can fire cruise missiles at ranges in violation of the INF Treaty's terms.

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said during talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov earlier in December that the INF Treaty must be preserved because it is key to European and global security.

 Sputnik

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If US Deploys Missiles in Europe, Russia May Target Them  Kremlin on INF Exit

Sputnik News

14:42 21.12.2018(updated 14:44 21.12.2018)

Speaking at his annual end-of-year press conference on 20 December, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned of an increasing tendency to underestimate the threat of a nuclear war in the world.

Commenting on President Vladimir Putin's remarks about a nuclear war scenario, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that after the United States withdraws from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, Washington may deploy its missiles in Europe.

"Technically, the president meant what he has repeatedly explained. The thing is that the deployment of medium and shorter-range missiles in European countries, just as it was during the Cold War, could potentially be behind the [US'] withdrawal from the INF Treaty. The deployment of these missiles there and their potential aiming at the Russian Federation would lead to a situation where Russia would draw a bead on these launchers with its missile arsenal in order to create parity", he said.

Peskov added that this would result in "the development of the situation in a spiral pattern and the repetition of the situation which we, unfortunately, have witnessed in the past".

During his year-end press conference that lasted almost four hours, President Vladimir Putin said that there was a trend of lowering the threshold for the use of nuclear weapons, which could lead to a global catastrophe.

The president cited the "very dangerous" ideas of developing low-yield nuclear weapons and their tactical use, as well as creating ballistic non-nuclear missiles.

At the same time, he expressed hope that humankind "will have enough common sense and self-preservation not to drive the situation to extremes".

In early December, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that Washington would suspend its adherence to the INF treaty within 60 days unless Russia returned to full compliance of the agreement. Moscow, in turn, has consistently denied any violation of the 1987 accord, which prohibits ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges between 500 and 5,500 km.

Russia has also noted that the United States was deploying launchers for Tomahawk cruise missiles in Romania and Poland, which violated the treaty's provisions.

 Sputnik

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Syrian army retaliates terrorists' attacks in countryside of Hama, Idleb

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Tehran, Dec 21, IRNA -- Syrian Arab Army units continued to retaliate to terrorist groups' violations of the demilitarized zone in Idleb, foiling their repeated attempts to infiltrate from several directions in the countryside of Hama and Idleb to attack military points and safe areas in Hama northern countryside.

SANA reporter in Hama said that army units on Friday targeted with mortars and machineguns the terrorist groups linked to Turkistan Party which moved from al-Zeyara town and its surrounding in the far north of al-Ghab Palin about 95 km from Hama city trying to infiltrate and attack military points, safe towns and villages.

The reporter said that the strikes killed or injured a number of terrorists, destroyed their weapons, ammunition and fortified positions while the remaining terrorists fled away.

In Idleb southeastern countryside, the reporter pointed out that units of the army carried out strikes with automatic weapons against the movement and fortified positions of the terrorist groups in al-Khwain, Skaik, Zarzur, al-Farajeh, Sahal, Jirjnaz and its surroundings leaving a number of terrorists killed.

8072**2050

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Lavrov: US troops presence in Syria illegal

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Tehran, Dec 21, IRNA -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Friday renewed that the presence of US troops in Syria is illegal, considering the announcement of their withdrawal is a step in the right direction, SANA reported.

During a joint press conference with his Palestinian counterpart Riyad al-Maliki in Moscow, Lavrov commented on the US announcement it will withdraw its troops from Syria, as saying: 'Their withdrawal is a step in the right direction".

Lavrov says he wants to see implementation, as well as the hows and whys. "It is necessary to wait for what will happen after this announcement. As I know, there are many questions within the United States about this."

On Wednesday, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said that Washington had begun to pull troops out of Syria.

Lavrov expressed his country's concern over attempts to undermine and foil the bases and international references in the settlement of the Palestinian issue, including the United Nations binding resolutions.

8072**2050

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US likely to end air war in Syria

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Tehran, Dec 21, IRNA -- The United States will likely end its air campaign against ISIS in Syria when it pulls out troops, US officials said, sealing an abrupt reversal of policy which has alarmed Western allies as well as Washington's Kurdish battle partners.

Trump defended his decision on Thursday, tweeting that he was fulfilling a promise from his 2016 presidential campaign to leave Syria. The United States was doing the work of other countries with little in return and it was "time for others to finally fight," he wrote, Reuters reported

US officials said Trump's order to withdraw troops is also expected to mean an end to the US air campaign against Islamic State in Syria, which has been critical to rolling back 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 US official cautioned that a final decision on the air campaign had not yet been made, and did not rule out some kind of support for partners and allies. France, for example, has said it will continue to fight in Syria.

The United States told the UN Security Council it was committed to the "permanent destruction" of ISIS in Syria and would keep pushing for the withdrawal of Iranian-backed forces in the country.

The roughly 2,000 US troops in Syria, many of them special forces, were ostensibly helping to combat Islamic State but were also seen as a possible bulwark against Assad who has retaken much of Syria from his civil war foes with military help from Iran and Russia.

US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, have told Reuters that US commanders on the ground are concerned about the impact of a quick withdrawal and were surprised by the troop pullout decision.

The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which have been fighting the ISIS State with US support for three years, said the withdrawal of troops would grant the militants breathing space to regroup at a critical stage in the conflict and leave Syrians stuck between "the claws of hostile parties" fighting for territory in the seven-year-old war.

8072**2050

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Erdogan welcomes US troop withdrawal from Syria

Iran Press TV

Fri Dec 21, 2018 05:03PM

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has welcomed the United States' announced withdrawal from Syria, temporarily postponing a planned invasion of Syria's Kurdish-controlled northeastern regions.

Erdogan announced the decision speaking at a rally in the Turkish city of Istanbul on Friday.

"We had decided last week to launch a military incursion in the east of the Euphrates river... Our phone call with President Trump, along with contacts between our diplomats and security officials and statements by the United States, have led us to wait a little longer," said Erdogan.

The Turkish president, however, stressed that the delay was not an "open-ended waiting period."

"We have postponed our military operation against the east of the Euphrates river until we see on the ground the result of America's decision to withdraw from Syria," said Erdogan, signaling that a Turkish operation will begin once US troops have left the region.

"In the next months we will see an operational style aimed at removing the YPG (Kurdish People's Protection Units militia) and Daesh (terrorist group) elements on the ground in Syria."

Last week, Erdogan promised a Turkish-led operation against the Kurdish-controlled regions in "the next few days."

The president, however, announced the operation's delay today just a few days after Trump called for a withdrawal of US troops from Syria, earlier.

Many American forces are currently deployed in the Kurdish-controlled regions of Syria.

Turkey saw the US-led military presence as an obstacle in dealing with the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) .

The YPG gained de facto autonomous rule in the region adjoining Turkey's southern border as Syria's central government focused its resources on fighting a foreign-led Takfiri insurgency that plunged the country in turmoil in recent years.

Turkey sees the YPG as its enemy and a "terrorist offshoot" of the separatist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) militant group. The PKK has been engaged in a prolonged insurgency against Ankara since 1984.

Erdogan's comments come as Turkey has expressed frustration over what it believes is a slow implementation of an earlier June agreement for the withdrawal of Washington-backed Kurdish militants from the strategic northern Syrian city of Manbij.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu also raised the matter speaking earlier today.

"We have the Manbij road map, we discussed whether we can implement this by the time that they (US forces) withdraw," said Cavusoglu.

"So many issues that Turkey and the United States should coordinate, and there shouldn't be any vacuum in the country that terrorist groups might also fill."

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Netanyahu says Israel to increase its "efforts" in Syria after US troop pullout

Iran Press TV

Fri Dec 21, 2018 09:44AM

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to intensify Israel's "efforts" in Syria after US President Donald Trump announced a full withdrawal of American troops from the Arab country.

"We will continue to act in Syria to prevent Iran's efforts to militarily entrench itself against us. We are not reducing our efforts, we will increase our efforts," Netanyahu said on Thursday.

"I know that we do so with the full support and backing of the US," Netanyahu said at the fifth Israel-Greece-Cyprus summit held in Beersheba.

Netanyahu said Wednesday he had received advanced warning of the US troop pullout from Syria in telephone conversations with Trump on Monday, and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Tuesday.

Trump on Wednesday announced that US troops had defeated the Daesh terrorists in Syria and he sought to pull some 2,000 US troops out of Syria.

Trump's decision upended a central pillar of US Middle East policy, and stunned US lawmakers and allies, who challenged the president's claim of victory against Daesh.

But Trump says no one should be surprised by the abrupt announcement.

Israel to continue operations along Lebanon border

In his Thursday comments, the Israeli premier also vowed that the Israeli military will continue its operations along the occupied Palestinian territories' border with Lebanon, where Tel Aviv claims are tunnels dug by the Lebanese Hezbollah resistance movement.

"These tunnels were built by Hezbollah with direct support and funding from Iran," Netanyahu claimed.

He also described it as part of "the Iranian web of aggression in the Middle East" and vowed to keep destroying the "tunnels" until its total annihilation.

Back on Dec. 4, the Israeli military started its operation along Lebanon's border under the pretext of "cutting off" the alleged tunnels.

Israeli military spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Conricus claimed that "a number of tunnels" had penetrated the Israeli-occupied territories.

He claimed that Hezbollah has been developing an offensive plan that would "shift the battleground into Israel." According to unnamed Israeli officials, the operation would likely "take weeks."

Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee said the Lebanese government was responsible for the build-up of the tunnels.

Lebanese Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri warned the Tel Aviv regime against launching a new military aggression against his country, saying they would not succeed in case it opted to do so.

Delivering a speech at the Chatham House think tank in London on Dec. 13, Hariri downplayed the possibility of Israel waging another war on Lebanon, questioning what the Israeli military's previous wars had accomplished.

"Did Israeli attacks weaken Hezbollah?" he commented.

Hariri noted that whilst Beirut does not want war, the Tel Aviv regime does not want peace.

"Netanyahu doesn't want peace. He wants a little piece of Lebanon, a little piece of Jordan and a little of Palestine," the Lebanese premier-designate pointed out.

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Syrian Democratic Council Asks France to Help Set up No-Fly Zone Over N Syria

Sputnik News

15:36 21.12.2018(updated 16:54 21.12.2018)

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Syrian Democratic Council (SDC), the political wing of the mainly Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), is asking France to help introduce a no-fly zone over northern Syria, co-chairs of the SDC, Ilham Ahmed and Riad Darar, said Friday in Paris.

Earlier in December, US Special Representative for Syria Engagement James Jeffrey reportedly floated a possibility of UN introducing a no-fly zone in some areas of Syria.

"We are asking France to help introduce a no-fly zone in the north of Syria," the co-chairs told reporters.

The request comes several days after US President Donald Trump announced a withdrawal of American troops from Syria, claiming that Washington had defeated the Daesh terrorist group, adding it had been the only reason for the US presence in the country.

At the same time, French Economic Affairs Minister Nathalie Loiseau claimed Friday that Paris would maintain its military presence in Syria. French Defence Minister Florence Parly, however, refused to confirm the statement, noting that around 1,000 French troops had been operating in Western Asia, including Syria, since 2014 as part of the US-led international coalition.

*Daesh (ISIL/ISIS/IS/Islamic State) is a terrorist organisation banned in Russia

 Sputnik

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US Presence in Syria Not Helping Political, Diplomatic Settlement - Kremlin

Sputnik News

06:11 21.12.2018

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  The presence of the US forces in Syria does not help the political and diplomatic settlement of the crisis in the Middle Eastern country, the Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said.

"The presence of the US forces on the Syrian soil does not help reach the political and diplomatic settlement. Of course, the involvement of Washington in the relevant talks under the UN bumbershoot, the harmonious work of the US officials with [UN Envoy for Syria Staffan] de Mistura in the interests of this settlement would contribute to reaching this final goal," Peskov told Russia's Channel One.

The Kremlin spokesman noted that the main work on the Syrian settlement was focused on the formation of the commission that would rewrite the country's constitution. Peskov recalled that Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has expressed hope for the work on the commission formation to be finalized in the beginning of the next year.

Peskov also spoke about Trump's recent claim that Moscow, Damascus and Tehran were unhappy with the US forces leaving Syria since they would have to fight the Daesh terrorists without the US troops. The Kremlin spokesman recalled that the US presence in Syria was in violation of international law, adding that in some areas under the US control, there was a humanitarian catastrophe and terrorists were being equipped with weapons.

The spokesman also recalled that the US forces were "always withdrawing from some places," like Afghanistan and Iraq where the US troops remain stationed for years.

On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump said the US forces would be pulled out from Syria since the Daesh terror group had been defeated there.

Daesh (also known as ISIS/ISIL/IS) is a terrorist group banned in Russia.

 Sputnik

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Erdogan Vows To 'Remove' Kurdish Militia, IS From Syria After U.S. Withdrawal

December 21, 2018

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said he will clear Syria both of a U.S.-backed Kurdish militia and Islamic State (IS) militants after the U.S. decision to pull troops out.

"In the following months we will see an operational style aimed at removing YPG [Kurdish People's Protection Units] and Daesh [IS] elements on the ground in Syria," Erdogan said in Istanbul on December 21.

On December 12, Erdogan announced that Turkey will launch a new military offensive against Kurdish militants east of the Euphrates River in northern Syria.

Meanwhile, Syrian Kurdish forces involved in the battle against IS remnants said they could withdraw from the front lines and redeploy to the Turkish border if the region they control is attacked by Turkey.

Ilham Ahmad, a leader of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the political wing of the Kurdish-led forces, warned that a Turkish attack could bring the battle against IS in Syria to a halt.

The SDF, an alliance of Kurdish, Arab, and Assyrian/Syriac militias, is militarily led by the YPG, which Turkey regards as a terrorist group. U.S. support for the YPG has strained ties between the two NATO allies.

The Kurds are seen as the big losers of U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to pull out of Syria, a move that leaves Kurds who helped rout IS from most of Syria vulnerable to attack from Turkey.

Based on reporting by Reuters, AFP, AP, and dpa

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/erdogan-vows-to -remove-kurdish-militia-is-from-syria- after-us-withdrawal/29669911.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.

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Turkey Delays Syria Military Operation to Avoid US Friendly Fire - Minister

Sputnik News

21:43 21.12.2018

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Friday that a military advance against Kurdish YPG forces in northeastern Syria would be delayed until the US pullout is over.

"We [chose to] delay our operation to avoid friendly fire after the US announced troop withdrawal from Syria", Cavusoglu said during a visit to Malta, as quoted by the TRT channel.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said he had decided to put off the onslaught after a phone call last Friday with his US counterpart, Donald Trump.

The surprise withdrawal of 2,000 US troops from Syria was announced on Wednesday after Trump said that the objective to defeat the Daesh* terror group had been achieved.

Ties between Washington and Ankara have been strained over US support of Syrian Kurdish fighters who Turkey regards as part of the outlawed separatist Kurdistan Workers' Party.

* Daesh (ISIL/ISIS/IS/Islamic State) is a terrorist organisation banned in Russia

 Sputnik

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Turkey Will Use Russian S-400 Independently of NATO Systems - Source

Sputnik News

09:05 21.12.2018(updated 09:34 21.12.2018)

Amid high tensions between Ankara and Washington over Russian-made S-400 air defence systems, the US State Department has announced the possible sale of Patriot missile system to Turkey.

A source in the Turkish Foreign Ministry told Sputnik that the S-400 systems would be used independently of NATO systems, adding that the purchase of the Russian-made systems would not affect the F-35 jet deal.

"The S-400 will be used []in such a way so as not to cause damage to the F-35 fighters or disclose sensitive information related to the jets," the source said.

The source also didn't confirm Bloomberg's report, which said that Ankara was ready to hand over the S-400s to US technicians for research. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov later said in a comment on the report that the Moscow-Ankara deal stipulates Turkey's non-disclosure of certain data.

The Bloomberg report came on the heels of an announcement that the US had approved a potential $3.5 billion sale of Patriot air and missile defence systems to Turkey. The proposed agreement includes up to 140 Patriot missiles, radar and ground control stations, and must be approved by Congress.

Russia and Turkey inked a loan agreement for the supply of S-400 air defence systems to Ankara last year. The deal triggered disagreement between Ankara and Washington, with the latter threatening to impose sanctions against Turkey, as the United States believes that the weapon is incompatible with NATO's defences.

Despite pressure from Washington, Ankara has on multiple occasions warned it against freezing F-35 deliveries, and threatened to take retaliatory measures.

 Sputnik

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The following editorial appears on Bloomberg Opinion:

Has populism in Hungary overreached? In recent days, tens of thousands of Hungarians have taken to the streets to denounce the government of Prime Minister Viktor Orban. His Fidesz party won two-thirds of the seats in parliament earlier this year - but a new policy on overtime, denounced as a "slave law," seems to be uniting the country in opposition. This misstep could make it easier for Europe's leaders to apply pressure in support of democratic norms, something they've struggled to do up to now.

Orban has consolidated control of the country's media, attacking opposition parties and stifling free speech. This makes the protests all the more surprising. The law that provoked them allows companies to increase workers' overtime from 250 to 400 hours a year. But the protesters have also denounced the government's assault on the rule of law, including the use of questionable administrative courts (with judges picked by Orban's justice minister) to handle political corruption cases.

The sidelining of Hungary's independent judiciary was partly aimed at furthering a scheme to take over the country's free press. This was accomplished when pro-government businessmen handed over full ownership of at least 500 news outlets to a foundation run by a group of Orban's cronies.

Equally alarming is the closure of Central European University's Budapest campus. Orban has actively promoted anti-Semitic conspiracy theories about the American institution's founder, George Soros - a native of Hungary who has not set foot in the country in years - and pushed through a law requiring foreign universities to open campuses in their home countries, or be shut down. Though CEU complied with the law, the Orban government refused to certify it. Earlier this month the university decided to move to Vienna.

The EU's attempts to rebuke Orban haven't worked. In September, the European Parliament voted to begin disciplinary procedures against Hungary's government. Whether Hungary has committed a "serious breach" of the EU's values must be determined by the European Council, made up of governments of the member states. The Council could strip Hungary of its voting rights, but Poland's government has said it will veto any such sanction on Hungary. The EU has let the process stall.

Europe certainly doesn't need another bitter squabble among member states, but failing to respond to Hungary's illiberalism is short-sighted and dangerous. Orban's anti-democratic governance and unwillingness to confront rising anti-Semitism are too serious to ignore. Orban's miscalculation - more than 80 percent of voters object to the new overtime law, according to one poll - may create an opening to try harder.

Europe should finally act to make distribution of cohesion funds (Hungary one of the biggest recipients) contingent on adherence to the rule of law. It should also make clear that it's willing to strip Hungary of its vote on the European Council. If Orban doesn't relent, the European People's Party, the biggest bloc in the European parliament, should expel Fidesz ahead of next year's European elections.

Suddenly, Hungary's citizens are saying they've had enough. Europe should say the same - and mean it.
Maybe you heard about AT&T's new 5G network and thought "hey, 5 is more than 4 so it's clearly better", and then proceeded to anxiously wait to have 5G on your phone. Good news! It's coming way sooner than you might have expected. Only it's not actually 5G. Confused? That's exactly where AT&T's marketing department wants you.

First off, let's clarify. The carrier's 5G network is real but is only going to be available in a very limited number of places at first, as with all new mobile technologies. Also, there is not one 5G capable handset on the market right now. Sure, a bunch of those will probably be announced at CES, but the rollout of both the 5G network and the devices to support it will take some time.

And yet 5G is shaping up to be by far the biggest buzzword of 2019, so what is a carrier to do in order to jump right into that hot action? Well, AT&T thought up a nice trick. It's called "5G E" and it's not 5G. Seriously, it's actually 4G with 4x4 MIMO and 256 QAM. That's the best iteration of 4G ever, but it's still 4G.

Nevermind all that, AT&T execs said, we'll just call it 5G E from 2019 onwards. And we'll work with Android device makers so that there's going to be a 5G E indicator in their status bar where 4G used to be. For real, this is happening.

The initial rollout will cover "a handful of devices", according to an AT&T spokesperson, "with more devices showing the indicator in spring 2019". This has to be the fastest (and cheapest) 5G rollout there's ever going to be. Except, you know, it's not actually 5G. Final twist: the carrier's 5G service will be branded 5G+. Because "5G" obviously wouldn't have been enough, or easy to differentiate for consumers from the 5G networks of its competitors.

Sadly AT&T isn't the first carrier ever to pull something like this. Way back when T-Mobile called its 3G HSPA+ network as 4G because it was late to jump on the actual 4G train, and Sprint even branded its WiMax network as 4G back when that (and Sprint itself) seemed to have a future. RIP, WiMax.

Source | Via
It seems that Samsung is sticking to its plan of implementing new features to its mid-range A-series first and the most recent rumor is a testament for that even though it sounds like a long shot.

According to a Chinese leakster, Samsung is working on an upper-mid-range Galaxy A10 smartphone with an under-display fingerprint reader. The tweet doesn't reveal anything else although, this is not the first time we hear of a Galaxy A10 coming.

Galaxy A10,UDFS.   (@MMDDJ_) December 21, 2018

The same account on Twitter reported that Samsung is working on a Galaxy A model powered by a Snapdragon 845 SoC. The Galaxy A10 seems like the perfect fit for the FP reader and the flagship SoC given that the Galaxy A8s, for example, is rocking a Snapdragon 710.

We hope that more evidence will pile up soon because at this point we are just speculating and guessing.

Source




Haiti - FLASH : Radio TV Kiskeya reduced to ashes





Friday around 9:00 pm a fire broke out in a house next to Radio Kiskeya. Despite all the efforts, the fire spread to the Station and destroyed everything. "We fought for two hours trying to save Kiskeya radio. In vain. The fire destroyed everything and despite our calls the firefighters arrived on the scene only after the damage. Everything is lost," said shocked the star journalist and co-owner of the station, Liliane Pierre Paul.



Radio officials have denounced the lax of firefighters who despite repeated calls arrived more than an hour after the start of the fire, too late to avoid a total loss.



Following this drama several personalities quickly react:



"The fire of Radio Kiskeya grieves me a lot. It is the memory of decades of legitimate struggles for democracy and the emancipation of the Haitian people that goes up in smoke. The Haitian State will do everything to rehabilitate this national heritage," Prime Minister Jean-Henry Ceant



"Too bad news. Radio Kiskeya is ravaged by a major fire. My best thoughts go to Director M. Dandin, Mrs. Liliane Pierre Paul and the staff of the station," Senator Joseph Lambert, Speaker of the Senate.



"Terrible drama, the disappearance in the flames of Radio Kiskeya... Our sympathies to the whole team, especially to Marvel and Lili. Solidarity to this valiant historic team of the Haitian press, strongly affected once again ! "Miloody Vincent, Communication Director of the Ministry of National Education



"The effort of a lifetime gone up in smoke. The competent authorities must determine the circumstances and the origin of this fire. My sympathies to Liliane, Marvel and the whole Kiskeya family," Deputy of Delmas Gary Bodeau, president of the Lower House.



SL/ HaitiLibre


















Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) - Partnership agreements that aim to build a resilient Philippines through science and technology were signed during the quarterly National Resilience Council (NRC) board meeting.

The board meeting formalized agreements between the NRC and the Bataan Peninsula State University, and AIRSPEED International.

During the board meeting, NRC President Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga discussed the milestones of NRC from 2017 to 2018 involving risk management, reduction and preparedness.

NRC co-chair for the private sector Hans T. Sy commended the NRC for pursuing the information and education campaign for various stakeholders to understand risk and resilience.

Sy also emphasized the need to push for investments in resilience among the private sector in partnership with the government.

Meanwhile, NRC co-chair for the government and Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana emphasized the importance of both private and government sectors working together to be better prepared for and to respond to major natural disasters.

Some priorities for action regarding the Sendai Framework that were discussed include the orientation sessions on understanding risk and resilience, private sector investments, exploring collaboration with National Economic and Development Authority and Department of Foreign Affairs on prevention, recovery, humanitarian assistance, and disaster response.

The NRC's public-private partnership agreements also extend to partnerships with national government agencies (NGAs) and local government units.

The NRC aims to enhance internal capacities of local government units through evidence-informed risk governance, and strengthen and sustain high-level collaboration between NGAs and industry.

NRC's major partners are SM Prime Holdings, San Miguel Corporation, Carlos P. Romulo Foundation, Manila Observatory, Ateneo de Manila University, Zuellig Family Foundation and PricewaterhouseCoopers.




Haiti - Social : Unacceptable corporal punishment of children in schools





Renan Hedouville, Protector of the Citizen, expresses his deepest concern at the inaction of the Ministry of National Education, concerning the implementation of the law of 24 September 2001 prohibiting corporal punishment of children.



The Office of Citizen Protection (OPC) reminds the Minister of National Education, Pierre Josue Agenor Cadet, that the Convention on the Rights of the Child stipulates in its Article 19 "States Parties shall take all appropriate legislative, administrative, social and educational measures to protect the child from all forms of physical or mental violence, injury or abuse, neglect or negligent treatment, maltreatment or exploitation, including sexual abuse, while in the care of parent(s), legal guardian(s) or any other person who has the care of the child".



As a result, Renan Hedouville finds it unacceptable that Pierre Richard Emile a substitute teacher at the Lycee Horacius Lavemure, can benefit from the complaisance of the Ministry and continue to circulate freely, after having, on October 4, 2018 inflicted a punishment accompanied by corporal punishment to a 15-year-old student girl in the school compound, pupil who left with a left eye marbled with blood and bruises.



Faced with this fact, Renan Hedouville, while recalling that we are no longer in the era of "Timoun se ti bet", is asking the Haitian State via the Ministry of National Education to apply administrative sanctions and to commit criminal proceedings against not only the faulty teacher, but also any other employee of that establishment who was alleged to have been an accomplice to this degrading action on a pupil.



The OPC would like the Ministry to follow up on this case submitted to the Minister Cadet for an assessment on December 14, 2018, which unfortunately remained unanswered.



In addition, Renan Hedouville reminded Minister Cadet, that this neglect to apply the law and the existence of school corporal punishment in Haiti, may have serious consequences in March 2019, during the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) .



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - Politic : Paris and Marseille inspire the mayor of Port-au-Prince





As part of the support Expertise France for the implementation of the program "Urbayiti" https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-26411-haiti-politic-launch-of-urbayiti-a-42-billion-gourdes-program.html , a delegation led by Ralph Youri Chevry the Mayor of Port-au-Prince recently went on a mission to Paris and Marseille for a sharing of experience in urban management. The objective of the mission was to strengthen the capacity of the Port-au-Prince City Council through field visits and exchanges with the services of the cities of Paris and Marseille.



During its stay, the Haitian delegation met the heads of services and institutions and visited the following projects : School of Cleanliness (Paris), the eco-district of Batignolles (17th arrondissement of Paris), the Parisian workshop of urban planning, the incineration plant SYCTOM (Issy-les-Moulinaux), the Directorate of participatory democracy, citizens and territories and the participative budget of the city of Paris, the Resilience Mission of the city of Paris, the Euro-Mediterranean operation and the Agglomeration Agency of Marseille (AGAM).



Each of these visits and meetings gave rise to exchanges on the targeted themes, namely: territorial planning (urban renewal housing, precarious neighborhoods), participatory governance, relations with civil society and resilience and solid waste management (policy, tools , implementation, etc ...).



The Euro-Mediterranean operation still in progress, is without a doubt the successful experience that has most marked the Haitian delegation by its magnitude and the similarity with Port-au-Prince of the problems it tries to solve and the institutional set-up adopted.



The Mission was also a good opportunity to strengthen Port-au-Prince as the capital of Haiti and to consider the establishment of a decentralized cooperation with the City of Paris on the themes of waste management, resilience urban development, citizen participation and metropolitan governance.



In addition, serious lines of cooperation with the AGAM and the Euro-Mediterranean management structure were explored, for technical support to the management of urban development operations by the Port-au-Prince town hall.



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-26411-haiti-politic-launch-of-urbayiti-a-42-billion-gourdes-program.html26411

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-25556-haiti-politic-end-of-a-mission-of-expertise-france-in-haiti.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-25316-haiti-call-for-tenders-planning-consultation-mission-for-the-metropolitan-area.html



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - News : Zapping...





Haiti and the US discuss common priorities

As part of Haiti's support for self-reliance, US Ambassador Michele Sison and Mark Green, Executive Director of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), met with President Jovenel Moise and Prime Minister Jean Henry Ceant to address the shared priorities of the Government of Haiti and the United States Government to increase water, sanitation and basic sanitation (WASH) services; health and education services and the creation of an open and stable business environment that will attract more investors.



Diaspora : remittances on the rise

Remittances from the diaspora to Haiti increased by 18 percent in 2018, boosted by the strength of the US economy to $3.2 billion (up from $2.7 billion in 2017).



Accessibility works for the disabled

This week, Secretary of State Gerald Oriol Jr. visited the accessibility works of the Carrefour Center for Vocational Training conducted by the Office of the Secretary of State for the Integration of Persons with Disabilities. This work will consist essentially of the construction of accessible pathways serving as links between the various buildings, including the sanitary block; construction of ramps at the institution's main entrance, administrative block, some classrooms and washrooms. The other phase of the project will be to provide the institution with certain working materials to promote access for persons with disabilities to vocational training.



Delivery of birth certificates to 1,500 young people

Friday Renan Hedouville the Citizen Pretector participated in the Cascade Club (Grand'Anse) at the ceremony of delivering of birth certificate to 1,500 young beneficiaries of the PBF project (Peace Building Fund) funded and organized by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP - Haiti), UN Women and the International Organization for Migration (IOM). Mr. Arold Nicola, the Departmental Director of OPC Grand'Anse spoke about the right to identity and vision of the Protector of Citizens to 1,500 young people from different neighborhoods of Jeremie.



39 years of the THN

Sunday, the National Television of Haiti (TNH) celebrate its 39 years of existence. These festivities will be held with ease because of government restrictions said Gamall Jules Augustin, the Director General of the TNH.



Christmas : PAP Jazz Gift Certificates

An original gift for all music fans. PAP Jazz 2019 gift certificates are available at 2 La Pleiade Bookstores (Petion-ville and Bois Patate). For more information: info@papjazzhaiti.org



HL/ HaitiLibre


















Published on 2018/12/20 | Source

Han Ye-seul was featured on the pages of a fashion magazine called GRAZIA. She styled over-sized pants with a suit, a dress with a drastic cut and an off-shoulder jacket with striking red lips and cats-eye make-up.

Advertisement

In the following interview, Han Ye-seul listed the things that made her life complete. She said, "I try to live a positive life. I am passionate about life".

"I don't care about people's eyes or opinions and try to walk down my own path without being moved. I think the best way to grow old is to stand on your own with your own colors and image".

She claims she's going to work harder in 2019 and sent a message to those women in their 20s. "Youth is a time when you get unlimited potential. You can do anything at that age so if you have a dream, don't be scared and just start".

The pictures and interview of Han Ye-seul can be seen through the December issue of GRAZIA.

Meanwhile, Han Ye-seul is starring in a drama called "Big Issue", a successful story of a woman who seeks at least one scandal a week as a paparazzi. "Big Issue" is due to come out in February next year.
Alexas fall from grace began when an Amazon customer made use of his right to personal data access granted by the new EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). His request not only gave him access to his own Amazon search data, but also to around 1,700 Alexa voice files recorded in a strangers living room, bedroom, and shower. The vigilant customer informed Amazon of the error, but Amazon ignored his warning and simply deleted the files from their server.

Luckily, the source had saved the files locally and sent them (confidentially of course) to c't's in-house experts for analysis. Based on details such as the peoples names and local weather forecasts recorded in the files, they were quickly able to identify the unfortunate Echo user whose data Amazon had illegally revealed. The victim was shocked when c't told him what had happened, especially considering that Amazon hadnt bothered to tell him, even though they knew the leak had occurred.

This data privacy disaster occurred because amazon.de saves Alexa voice recordings indefinitely and because the processes it uses to leverage them have serious security issues. This is the worst case scenario that data security and consumer rights experts have been warning us about. It is impossible to tell whether this really is an isolated incident as Amazon claims.

[Update]

Today, Amazon sent us an upgraded statement on the case. The company stressed that it was an "isolated incident" and that contact had been established with the relevant authorities, quote: This was an unfortunate case of human error and an isolated incident. We have resolved the issue with the two customers involved and have taken steps to further improve our processes. We were also in touch on a precautionary basis with the relevant regulatory authorities.

See also the German version of this news article:

(hob)
A former charity director who stole more than 1m from a voluntary organisation, friends and family has received a partially-suspended sentence.

Greg Walsh (70), of Woodbrook Crescent, Castleknock, came to Dublin Circuit Crim- inal Court on signed guilty pleas to 119 thefts totalling 998,476 from various parties, including the Carline Learning Centre, between 2008 and 2016.

Discrepancies

He affirmed further signed guilty pleas to four thefts total- ling 150,000 from Bank of Ireland on dates in February and March 2015.

Judge Pauline Codd sentenced Walsh to four years' imprisonment, but suspended the final two-and-a-half years of the sentence provided he keep the peace and be of good behaviour for a period of two-and-a-half years on release.

The Carline Learning Centre thefts of more than 280,000 came to light when a staff member noticed discrepancies in the accounts when signing off on them before retirement.

Det Gda Padraig Jennings said Walsh had been director and treasurer of the Clondalkin-based charity for disadvantaged young people.

The court heard he mis- appropriated funds to pay the charity's tax bills by lodging the cheques into his own account before making direct debit payments on Revenue's online system.

Walsh, a father-of-four, had no previous convictions.

Det Gda Jennings told Diana Stuart, prosecuting, that the charity still had an outstanding bill to Revenue as a result of the misappropriated money.

He said it had only managed to stay afloat through public support.

He agreed with Patrick Mc- Grath, defending, that gardai thought they would be investigating the Carline matter only, but Walsh revealed details of the other injured parties.

Repayments

The detective said these included friends who gave him money to invest on their behalf while he acted as their bookkeeper.

He said in other cases Walsh acted as tax agent to friends and to his nephew, who would give him money for Revenue.

Det Gda Jennings agreed 785,095 was the net loss to various parties after all repayments to date.

The detective accepted that "robbing Peter to pay Paul" was the best way of explaining all the allegations as things spir-alled out of control for Walsh.
Gardai are investigating after a fire broke out at KBC Bank in Dublin city centre

KBC Bank will increase security after a criminal attack during which fire broke out and windows were smashed.

Gardai are investigating after the bank on the south side of Dublin city centre was targeted at around 11.25 on Thursday night.

Firefighters put out the flames, which broke out in a lobby.

Gardai also said a number of windows had been smashed and they were investigating "criminal damage" at the building in Sandwith Street.

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Whatsapp Windows were smashed at KBC Bank in Dublin city centre

Cordoned

Although the fire was extinguished, the front entrance of the premises was still cordoned off yesterday.

"Gardai in Pearse Street are investigating an incident of criminal damage at premises in Sandwith Street, Dublin 2. The incident occurred at approximately 11.25pm," a garda spokeswoman said.

"Dublin Fire Brigade attended the scene and extinguished a fire in the lobby of the premises. Windows were also damaged in the incident."

It is understood staff were able to attend work as normal yesterday morning.

A KBC spokesman said: "As this matter is the subject of a criminal investigation by An Garda Siochana, we are not in a position to provide comment at this time."

The Belgian-owned bank has been at the centre of controversy over the recent eviction of a farming family in Co Roscommon.

A group of masked men confronted a private security firm on Sunday morning and three security guards were seriously injured, four vehicles set alight and a dog subsequently had to be put down.

A number of investigations are under way into both the attack and the eviction, which was carried out by a group of men believed to be from Northern Ireland.

Separately, Independent TDs Mattie McGrath, Michael Collins and Carol Nolan, as well as members of the Land League, attended a sit-in at the KBC branch in Baggot Street earlier this week.

Following the attack on the bank's Dublin headquarters overnight, KBC Ireland confirmed it is taking extra security measures to protect staff.

"Our staff's safety is of the utmost importance to us. We have taken additional measures to ensure that our people feel safe in their work," a spokesman for the bank said.
The court heard Kinlan had 118 previous convictions, including interfering with vehicles. (stock photo)

A driver mounted the kerb and burst both front tyres after swerving to avoid an oncoming garda car.

Luke Bride (22) had a brown substance in his nose and cann-abis in his system when he was stopped.

Judge Dermot Dempsey sentenced him to five months in prison, banned him from driving for six years and fined him 400.

At Swords District Court, Bride, of Bawn Grove, Malahide, admitted drug driving, uninsured driving, possession of drugs and a breach of the peace.

Gda Cliona Mulligan said she was on patrol on October 24 last year when gardai received numerous calls about a careless driver in the Lusk area.

When Bride saw the patrol car he hit the kerb and the two front tyres blew.

Gda Mulligan said Bride's eyes were glassy and there was a brown substance in his nose.

He later provided gardai with a urine sample which showed positive for cannabis.

In her evidence, Gda Niamh Carey said she had been called to the scene of a car crash at Holywell Link Road in Swords last February 6.

Fire

The car had crashed into a roundabout, landed on its roof and was on fire.

Gda Carey said Bride was the registered owner of the car. She called at his home to see his insurance certificate but he had failed to co-operate. The defendant had also been caught driving uninsured at Oak Hall, Malahide, last March 28, the court heard.

He was also stopped near his home on October 3 and found with 30 worth of cannabis.

The court was told Bride had 12 previous convictions, including one for uninsured driving.

Defence solicitor Fiona D'Arcy said he had been addicted to cannabis at the time.

He had struggled to get his habit under control but had stopped smoking in the past month.

Ms D'Arcy said Bride had no explanation for his driving offences other than he was "young and stupid".

He did not comprehend the seriousness of driving without insurance.

She said Bride was living with his mother and hoped to start a forklift and manual-handling course next month. He had previously been a kitchen fitter.

Recognisances were set for an appeal.
Robyn Smith is now in remission after struggling with cancer since she was just three

The mother of a Dublin teenager who is beating the odds to overcome cancer has spoken of her renewed hope as the family prepares for Christmas.

Robyn Smith has been undergoing ground-breaking medical treatment in the US since August, when she became the first Irish person accepted for a pioneering vaccine trial in New York.

The 14-year-old has been battling the aggressive childhood cancer neuroblastoma since the age of three, and has spent much of her life undergoing treatment.

But despite relapsing three times, she had her first clear scans in February this year - allowing her to join the experimental vaccine trial at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre in the US.

Fantastic

Her mother, Bernadette Dornan, said the progress to date was positive news ahead of Christmas and the New Year.

Bernadette, from Whitehall, in north Dublin, said: "To have Robyn in remission and at home at this time of year is fantastic, and the best Christmas present I could wish for.

"We're happy with the trial and from what I've seen a lot of kids who are on it are responding very well.

"When I think back to last Christmas, we were in a very different place, because Robyn wasn't clear and was on chemo at the time.

"The only concern at the moment is that she had another scan earlier this month, and there was a suspicious spot on her spine. But the doctors are not overly concerned and don't think there's any reason to panic. But obviously we just need to get that checked further."

Robyn was once given just a 5pc chance of survival, but Bernadette - who also has a seven-year-old daughter called Millie - feels more positive than ever, adding: "It's going to be a great Christmas. We've a lot to celebrate this year."
An 87-year-old woman who fractured one of her vertebrae and broke her left wrist when she fell in a Dublin nursing home has been awarded 40,000 damages.

Barrister Grainne Larkin told the Circuit Civil Court that Eileen Ormsby had fallen in a bathroom at Beechlawn Nursing Home, Northwood Park, Santry, but the incident had not been witnessed by anyone.

Ms Larkin said it was believed her fall had been caused by a wet floor, but Ms Ormsby, who was of very advanced years, would be unable to assist a court with regard to details of the incident, which had happ-ened in August last year.

Emergency

Ms Ormsby, formerly of Buttercup Park, Darndale, sued TLC Nursing Home through her daughter, Olga Boylan, who had provided sworn evidence to the court for the purpose of her mother's claim.

Ms Larkin told Judge Siobh-an Ni Chulachain that Ms Ormsby had suffered a fracture to her lower back and broke her left wrist.

She was taken to Beaumont emergency department and, following examination of her injuries, was kept in the hos-pital for five weeks.

In a medical report, Prof Samuel J McConkey stated that Ms Ormsby's injuries had caused significant and prolonged admission to hospital, and hospital reports of her complaints were consistent with a fall as described.

He said she had suffered excessive pain, the treatment of which required the use of opiates.

She had undergone a period of delirium and increased confusion for six weeks following the accident.

For some time she had to wear a back brace.

Ms Larkin said TLC Nursing home had made a settlement offer of 40,000 to Ms Ormsby and she was recommending that the court accept it.

Judge Ni Chulachain, accepting that Ms Ormsby could have difficulty in establishing exactly what happened, approved the offer.

She said Ms Ormsby had been unattended in the bathroom at the time.

Judge Ni Chulachain was told Ms Ormsby's condition had returned to base level following her hospital treatment.

She continues to reside at the nursing home.
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
Last month, in his final judgment before retiring, Supreme Court Justice Kurien Joseph observed that the time had perhaps come to reconsider the place of the death penalty in the Indian criminal justice system. Justice Josephs observations  that drew upon the report of the Law Commission and recent advances in criminology  potentially herald the reopening of a question that has been considered settled for the last three-and-a-half decades, ever since the Supreme Courts Bachan Singh judgment in 1980, which upheld the constitutionality of the death penalty.

One may ask the question: what is the need to reconsider an issue that was considered in detail by five judges of the Supreme Court, after taking into account all possible arguments? The answer is that a lot has changed since 1980: with respect to the field of criminology, as well as with regard to the practical working of the death penalty in India, we have information now that wasnt available to the judges who decided Bachan Singh in 1980.

For example, it is now much clearer that there exists no demonstrable link between the death penalty and the deterrence of crime (one of the fundamental goals of the criminal law). While imposing the death penalty for an ever-increasing range of offences may send out a signal that the government is no-nonsense and tough on crime, the death penalty actually has no discernible effect on preventing crimes. Second, the death penalty  by its very nature  denies the possibility of reformation, which is a second important goal of criminal law. This leaves retribution as the only possible justification. But it is highly questionable whether a punishment that is based solely on retribution  an instinctive desire for revenge  has any place in a society that prides itself on being a civilisation.

More important, however, recent research by Project 39A at the National Law University of Delhi has demonstrated how a disproportionate majority of convicts who are awarded the death penalty belong to economically and socially marginalised classes  that is, the most vulnerable members of society. There are a lot of factors that might explain this phenomenon: lack of access to proper legal representation (especially at the level of the trial courts); lack of access to social and cultural capital; and so on. The fact remains, however, that the death penalty, in its operation, is discriminatory; and when we combine this with the malaise that affects the Indian police system as well as the judicial system more generally  leading to a more-than-high probability of regular miscarriages of justice  it becomes clear that retaining the death penalty is unconscionable.

At this point, you may ask: isnt that a problem across the criminal law, and with any kind of punishment or sentence? Why single out the death penalty? The answer is that the death penalty is the only punishment that, by its very nature, excludes the possibility of making amends in case of a miscarriage of justice. For all other punishments, the existing biases in the criminal justice system can be mitigated (to an extent) by keeping open the possibility that if, one day, an error is revealed, the person who was wrongly punished can be set at liberty, and compensated. Death forecloses that possibility.

Effectively, then, the existence of the death penalty on our statute books arrogates to the State (and, by extension, to society) a presumption of infallibility: we are so confident that our criminal justice system gets it right, that we are willing to inflict a punishment that rules out the very possibility that we might have got it wrong. But not only does the evidence of Indias broken criminal justice system (the countless instances of individuals being framed for crimes they did not commit and being sentenced to death by the lower courts, before finally being acquitted by the Supreme Court) show that we get it wrong far too often, it also shows that the price of our mistakes is visited most violently upon the most vulnerable in society, and upon their families. The death penalty cannot be separated from its implementation, and its implementation is inconsistent with the Constitution.

Justice Josephs last exhortation, then, is a moral and ethical challenge: can we get over our natural and instinctive response to a violent crime  the criminal deserves death!  transcend our immediate reactions, admit our fallibility, and deny ourselves the satisfactory  yet morally unconscionable  authority to deal out death in judgment? The question has been asked. It is up to us to answer it.

Gautam Bhatia is an advocate in the Supreme Court

The views expressed are personal
St Nicholas aka Santa Claus is believed to have lived around 300 AD in Patara, in modern-day Turkey (then considered part of ancient Greece). He was the Bishop of Myra, famous for his good work among the poor, his love of children, and his giving of gifts to the needy.

He is typically depicted as a slim figure clad in the red and gold robes of his religious office. Pictures show him adorned by the traditional halo used to represent good deeds, carrying a staff or a Bible or both.

So how did this rather staid image transform into jolly Christmas Eve figure we know now? Heres a look at the evolution of Santa Claus from charitable icon to saint to North Pole legend.

Nicholas the Bishop of Myra is believed to have lived around 300 AD in Patara, in modern-day Turkey.

13th century: Nicholas the Bishop of Myra was cannonised or declared a saint in the first millennium. By the 13th century, the Dutch were celebrating a tradition in his honour of putting coins in tattered shoes left outside the homes of the poor. St Nicholas did it, they would say. Over time, St Nicholas became Sinterklaas. To this day, the official Sinterklaas of The Netherlands is a rather trim, bishop-ly figure in a white robe, red cloak and bishops mitre, with almost-regal long white hair and beard. He travels, incidentally, by white horse.

16th century: St Nicholas is now popular across Europe. The Dutch Sinterklaas has, in many regions, become Santa Claus. Every year, the feast of St Nicholas or Santa Claus is celebrated on December 6, widely believed to be the death anniversary of the original Bishop of Myra (no one seems certain of the year, but the date is not in dispute).

In the 17th century, the image of St Nicholas took a turn and he became Old Father Christmas or Lord Christmas, acquiring the flowing beard, long hair and large build of a much older icon  the Norse god Woden or Odin (above).

17th century: Nicholass name and image take a turn. He is now called Old Father Christmas, or Lord Christmas, and the legend of the generous bishop in the long beard and robes begins to overlap with that of an older man in similar attire  the Old English chief god Woden, known in Norse legend as Odin. Old Father Christmas acquires his long, flowing beard and hair, and his large build. The Reformation of the 16th century has somewhat erased the Feast of Saint Nicholas; he now begins to represent the spirit of good cheer at Christmas.

1809: St Nicholas makes his way to America via Washington Irvingbest known for his short story, Rip Van Winkle. It was in his first book  A History of New York  a satire on history and politics, that he described Santa Claus as a portly, bearded man who smokes a pipe. It was Irving who made Santa slide down the chimney too.

Artist Alexander Anderson, in 1810, sketches Saint Nicholas as a trim, saintly figure in long robes and halo. But alongside appear Christmas scenes familiar today  a smiling child next to a pouting one; a fireplace with stockings hung on either side.

1810: John Pintard, an antiquarian and founder of the New York Historical Society, commissions artist Alexander Anderson to sketch the saint. Anderson sketches a trim, somewhat saintly figure in long robes and halo. More importantly, the sketch is accompanied by Christmas scenes familiar today  a smiling child next to a crying and pouting one; a fireplace with stockings hung on either side. An accompanying poem describes Saint Nicholas as a giver of gifts on request.

1822: Clement Clarke Moore, a writer and professor at the General Theological Seminary of the Protestant Episcopal Church, writes a Christmas poem for his daughters An Account of a Visit from St Nicholas which becomes popular as The Night before Christmas. He immortalises this version of the legenda St Nicholas with a merry laugh, a twinkle in the eye, and a sleigh drawn by reindeer.

Thomas Nasts illustrations of Santa Claus start out simple and staid, but eventually include toys, a workshop in the North Pole, a gold stopwatch, and mistletoe...

1863: The poem inspires political cartoonist Thomas Nasts illustration, A Christmas Furlough, which appears in Harpers Weekly. It shows an almost-familiar Santa, in beard, hat and coat. In later years, Nast would add a North Pole workshop for toys as well as a list of children both naughty and nice. Prints from this time feature shades of tan, and a basic sled (not a sleigh).

1864: Moores poem gets a range of illustrations, featuring Santas in yellow suits with yellow sack, others show Santa in blue coats, or green.

1868: Sugar Plums, an American confectionary brand, creates an advertisement that shows an elf-like Santa in a red jacket, red-and-green hat and white bloomers, riding a little green sleigh being pulled by vari-coloured reindeer (above).

1881: Nast finally debuts Santa Claus as a round-cheeked, cheerful man with a long white beard, gold stopwatch, bag full of toys, slender pipe  and a red coat. He is also wearing a delicate crown of mistletoe. He is named Merry Old Santa Claus.

Norman Rockwell creates many Santas  sad, tired, confused. But the jolly ones are the ones that stick. This iconic sketch will likely look familiar because its still the basis of most Santa masks.

1920s: Its American artist Norman Rockwell who creates the image of Santa still used in almost every Santa mask. Some of his Santas  he created many sketches  look sad, tired, or confused. The jolly ones are the ones that stick.

Rockwell submits sketches of Santa to Coca Cola for use in their Christmas ads, but they stick with their artist, Haddon Sundblom. He creates the iconic Santa figure we know today, dressed in the colours of Coke  red and white. The legend goes that if you look closely youll see that he resembles, more than any previous vision of Santa, Haddon Sundblom himself.

1931: Coca-Cola decides to use Santa Claus in its special print ads for Christmas. Their Santa is very like Rockwells, except hes in the Coke colours  red and white. The ads print across The New Yorker, Saturday Evening Post and National Geographic and become so iconic that versions are reprinted every year after. From 1931 to 1964, the Coca-Cola version of Santa is shown delivering toys, enjoying cola, visiting children and even appearing alongside American soldiers in WW2. Interestingly, Rockwell submitted paintings of his Santa Claus to Coke, but they stuck with their artist, Haddon Sundblom, who created a Santa that would look, for all eternity, a lot like him!

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Karnataka chief minister H D Kumaraswamy Saturday expanded his six-month old cabinet, inducting eight members from its coalition partner Congress.

Two ministers -- Ramesh Jarkiholi (Municipal Administration) and R Shankar (Forest and Environment) -- were dropped.

The new ministers were administered the oath of office and secrecy at the Glass House at Raj Bhavan by Governor Vajubhai Vala amid tight security.

The new inductees are Satish Jarkiholi, M B Patil, C S Shivalli, M T B Nagaraj, E Tukaram, P T Parameshwar Naik, Rahim Khan and R B Thimmapur, with seven of them hailing from north Karnataka.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi had given the go-ahead for the rejig Friday night after the state party leaders and AICC in-charge of Karnataka K C Venugopal met him and discussed the issue.

Ramesh Jarkiholi, who has allegedly been hobnobbing with BJP leaders and not attending cabinet and party meetings, has been replaced by his brother Satish Jarkiholi.

Shankar is an Independent lawmaker who faced the axe over his reported reluctance to be an associate member of the Congress.
After Priyanka Chopras star-studded wedding reception in Mumbai, star kids dominated the second half of the week with their starry appearances. An annual function at a premium school run by the Ambanis saw a host of star kids and their famous parents in attendance. The second day of the event had all from Aishwarya Rai Bachchan to Gauri Khan accompanying their kids for the gala.

After Shah Rukh Khan attended the function with son AbRam a day before, wife Gauri Khan took the charge the next day and accompanied the little one to the event. Dressed in a white and red costume, AbRam looked all geared up for his performance. However, the boy seemed to be feeling a bit shy as he tried to cover his face from the paparazzi for a moment.

AbRam with mother Gauri Khan at his school. (Viral Bhayani)

AbRam hides his face from the paparazzi. (Viral Bhayani)

Aishwarya and Abhishek had also attended the function a day before and were cheering their daughter Aaradhya Bachchan from among the audience. The star kid had performed on stage at the event. On the second day, the star couple was spotted along with Aaradhya and niece Navya Naveli Nanda at the event.

Actor Raveena Tandon was also spotted accompanying her daughter Rasha Thadani for the function. Actor Sohail Khan too was spotted with younger son Yohan Khan at the school. Karisma Kapoor who had accompanied kids Samiera and Kiaan Raj Kapoor on the first day wasnt spotted the next day. However, the star daughter gladly waved to the paparazzi in her mothers absence.

Hrithik Roshans sons at their school. (Viral Bhayani)

Apart from the star families and their kids, the owners - the entire Ambani family was spotted at the venue. Newlywed Isha Ambani along with her husband Anand Piramal and mother-in-law was spotted at the event. Akash and Anant Ambani were also spotted with their partners.
Actors Kareena Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan are enjoying the perfect vacation with their son Taimur in South Africa. A recent picture from their travels shows the family enjoying horse riding together.

In the photo, being shared by their fanpages online, Kareena and Saif are seen on horses while Taimur got a little pony. Kareena is seen in a white T-shirt, looking intently at her son while Saif is in a black polo shirt, pointing towards Taimur. The little baby is holding the ponys reins in his hands and all three are wearing equestrian riding helmets.

Kareena and Saif celebrated Taimurs second birthday by the beach in Cape Town on Thursday. They cut a big green cake together and pictures from the celebrations were also shared online by her team. Kareena and Saif are in South Africa to shoot for a luggage brand and enjoy a safari with their son on his birthday. Her pictures from the scenic tourist destination went viral a few days ago.

More pictures from their vacation show Saif embracing Kareena at the beach, Kareena and Taimur posing under an umbrella and the whole family enjoying a sunny day on the beachside.

Kareena and Saif celebrated pre-birthday bash of Taimur in Mumbai before they left for South Africa, with all their close friends and family members in attendance.

Saif will soon be seen in the second season of Sacred Games while Kareena will begin shooting for Good News with Akshay Kumar, Diljit Dosanjh and Kiara Advani and for Takht with Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt, Vicky Kaushal and others.

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Actor Karisma Kapoors ex-husband Sunjay Kapur and his wife Priya Sachdev have become parents to a baby boy. According to reports, Priya gave birth a week ago.

The new parents have decided to name their son Azarias Kapur. His name comes from Hebrew for God has helped.

The Delhi-based industrialist and his model wife tied the knot in April 2017 in New Delhi then flew to New York for the reception. The two had been dating since 2013. Priya celebrated her baby shower in October and shared pictures from the party on Instagram.

Sunjay and Priya tied the knot in April 2017. (Instagram)

In addition to the delicious-looking sweet treats, Priyas baby shower boasted an array of bite-sized foods perfect for nibbling with a drink in hand. While we dont know where or when the bash went down, we do know it was nothing short of magical.Priya also has a daughter named Safira Chatwal, with ex-husband Vikram Chatwal while Sunjay has a daughter Samiera and son Kiaan with Karisma.

Sunjay and Karisma tied the knot in 2003 and their divorce was finalised in June 2016. The Delhi high court advised the couple to explore the possibility of a settlement when they wanted a divorce in 2005. Karisma moved out of his house in Delhi in 2010 to Mumbai, which was when her younger son Kiaan was born. In 2014, the two decided to end their marriage and filed for divorce.

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That politics, like business, follows cycles was evident in 2018.

At the beginning of the year, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), despite scraping through to win Gujarat in late 2017, was still on a high. The opposition, especially the BJPs main rival, the Congress, appeared in tatters. The BJP looked invincible, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi seemed a shoo-in for 2019.

Modi may still be the most popular political leader in the country as the year ends, but a lot of other things have changed.

The BJP is now in power in five fewer states than it was at the beginning of the year. The air of invincibility that once surrounded the party is gone. The Congress is resurgent. Through the year, it has held Parliament to hostage, belying the fact that it won a mere 44 of the 545 seats in the Lok Sabha in 2014. To be sure, this isnt something any party should be proud of in a Parliamentary democracy, but the BJP, when it was in opposition between 2004 and 2014 patented a disruption-led approach as its own; the Congress has followed suit. Other opposition parties also seem energised. There is a sense that it is possible to defeat the BJP  something that seemed inconceivable at the start of the year.

And so, the turning of the cycle, is the biggest political trend of the year.

In state after state, a clear non-BJP political axis in emerging.

It is now certain that the Congress, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the Left parties will form a grouping in Tamil Nadu. In Bihar, a coalition of the Congress, the Rashtriya Janata Dal, the Rashtriya Lok Samata Party, and four others is already in place.

In Uttar Pradesh, there is speculation that the Samajwadi Party (SP), the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), and the Rashtriya Lok Dal have already forged an alliance, although the Congress may still be in play (there is buzz that Congress President Sonia Gandhi is meeting BSP supremo Mayawati, with whom she shares a warm relationship, in Delhi).

The Congress and the Telugu Desam Party will probably come to an understanding in Andhra Pradesh (if they already havent). In Maharashtra, the Nationalist Congress Party and the Congress are in talks, and look likely to fight the 2019 election together.

Then there are Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh, where the Congress is in a reasonably sound position to form an anti-BJP grouping given its performance in the assembly elections in these four states. In Karnataka, the Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) alliance, already in power, looks set to contest the parliamentary polls together.

Thats 350 seats where there is already a clear (or soon-to-be-clear) anti-BJP alliance. Add to the mix West Bengal, where the Trinamool Congress is likely to win the majority and Odisha, where the Biju Janata Dal is the dominant party, and it is evident that at least at the state level, the competition is quite clear for at least 75% of the seats in the Lok Sabha.

That  the re-emergence of the importance of local players who seemed to wilt under the initial onslaught of the BJP (think the SP and the BSP in Uttar Pradesh, for instance)  is the second big political trend of the year. Indeed, many analysts maintain that it is in the best interests of all opposition parties to see 2019 as a battle of the states.

The problem for the opposition is that such a battle-of-states approach may make it difficult for them to arrive at a consensus on leadership. Already, there are at least three leaders who have been spoken of as a prime ministerial candidate in these parties: Rahul Gandhi, Trinamool chief and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, and the BSPs Mayawati. There may be more.

A year ago, Gandhi may not have made this cut and the fact that he does is the third big political trend of the year. With Rafale, Gandhi managed to convert what some see as a non-issue into an issue. He has also taken ownership of the farm loan waiver issue, and the speedy announcements of waivers by Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh (within two days of a Congress government taking over) is unlikely to have gone unnoticed.

Many of the recent elections were won, and lost, on issues that arent entirely new: an agrarian crisis; lack of jobs; and caste and class. Since late 2013, many of the elections India witnessed have seen waves, usually in favour of the BJP. With the wave ebbing, it shouldnt surprise anyone that old unsolved issues are back. That, the end of the wave and the return of old problems, is the fourth big political trend of the year.

The fifth trend, and we need spend very little time on it because it isnt a new one, is one that has shaped every election since late 2013: the Modi factor. It was evident in Rajasthan where the Congress should have won a landslide win but didnt. Sure, it may be fraying at the edges as anything that is five years old will, but it is there, and will probably play a leading role in deciding what happens in 2019.

chanakya@hindustantimes.com
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) swung into damage control and tried to put up a united front on Saturday, a day after a controversy erupted over some of its legislators demanding the withdrawal of the Bharat Ratna awarded to late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and MLA Alka Lamba claiming she was asked to resign for not backing a resolution to that effect in the Delhi assembly.

Speaker Ram Niwas Goel clarified that the contentious resolution on the anti-Sikh riots in 1984, which broke out after then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was killed by her Sikh bodyguards, was passed by him without any reference to Rajiv Gandhi. Deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia said Chandni Chowk MLA Lamba, who said she was asked to resign, would continue to be a member of the ruling party.

Speaker Goel said MLA Jarnail Singhs proposed amendment for taking back Rajiv Gandhis Bharat Ratna  the countrys highest civilian award was not adopted.

The original resolution had no mention of Rajiv Gandhi, he said, adding that a few AAP MLAs put forward that demand as they got emotional on the issue.

The controversy broke out on Friday after reports of the Delhi assembly passing the resolution. Facing flak from political rivals, the AAP said on Saturday the reference to Rajiv Gandhi was added by Malviya Nagar legislator Somnath Bharti without informing the House.

Addressing a press conference, Sisodia said no action had been taken against the three AAP legislators at the centre of the controversy  Lamba, Bharti and Tilak Nagar legislator Singh.

No resignation has been submitted or asked for. Also, no showcause notice has been sent to the two other MLAs. Every legislator is free to expressing their personal views...Even BJP legislator Manjinder Singh Sirsa had proposed an amendment on the issue. It does not mean the House adopts all of that as part of a resolution, Sisodia said, stressing that the AAP did not have any demand of stripping Rajiv Gandhi of the Bharat Ratna.

Lamba, who had claimed that she was being punished for opposing the partys stand on Rajiv Gandhi, said she was happy that the party has come out in support of the honour given to late PM.

On Friday, Bharti took responsibility of the act and Lamba tweeted a printed copy of the resolution, including the reference to Rajiv Gandhi that irked the top leadership, according to party functionaries.

But the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) launched an attack on the AAP, asking chief minister Arvind Kejriwals party to clarify whether it wanted justice for the Sikh community that was targeted during the riots or an understanding with the Congress. The Congress, for its part, sought Kejriwals apology and the withdrawal of the resolution.
A Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court Friday held 13 persons  including a retired brigadier, his wife and daughter  guilty of cheating and corruption in connection with the armys branch recruitment examinations held in Agra in 1991.

CBIs public prosecutor Kuldeep Pushkar said the examinations were held in Agra in May 1991 and the copies were later sent to Lucknow for evaluation. During evaluation, the examiners got suspicious and found the handwritings in several answer sheets not matching. These students, they found, scored exceptionally high marks.

When a team was sent to Agra, the suspected applicants could not perform well in confirmatory tests. The exam was later cancelled and the case was handed over to the CBI. The agency charge-sheeted 27 persons in the case and 13 were found guilty of criminal conspiracy, attempted cheating and forgery. The 13 included retired brigadier Jagjit Singh, his wife Usha Bedi and daughter Bharti besides former army subedar major Hari Chand and hawaldar clerk Vir Bhan among others, Pushkar said.

He added that hawaldar clerk Ashok Kumar was also an accused in the case but he died during the course of trial. The public prosecutor said that the handwriting experts confirmed that the handwriting found on the answer sheets matched that of Usha Bedi, Bharti, Vir Bhan and Hari Chand.

This raised suspicion that the answer sheets were left blank by suspected candidates, and later, the answers were written by the accused persons, Pushkar said.

The 13 accused found guilty by CBI Special Judge Rajendra Prasad have been remanded in judicial custody. The court has decided that the sentencing in the case would be pronounced during a hearing on December 24, he said.

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Uttar Pradesh Basic Education Board has released the revised result of UP Teachers Eligibility Test (UPTET) on Thursday after which nearly 20,000 more candidates qualified in the test.

The qualified candidates can now apply for the 69,000 vacant posts of assitant teachers. The last date to register of assitant teacher recruitment 2019 is today. It was extended from December 20 to 22 due to the declaration of UPTET revised results by the order of Allahabad High Court.

Candidates can register for the assistant teacher recruitment 2019 latest by today, December 22, 2018.

After registration, candidates can pay application fee till December 23 and complete their applications till December 24, 2018. After completing the application form and its submission, candidates should take a print out of the filled in application form.

However, the candidates who have qualified in the first list and had registered for the assitant teacher recruitment 2019 do not have to re-apply for the same. Only the fresh qualifiers who qualified in the revised result of UPTET 2018 have to apply by December 22.

UP Assistant Teacher Recruitment 2019: How to apply

Visit the official website of the recruitment registration, atrexam.upsdc.gov.in

Click on the registration link

Complete the registration process on the next page

Print your completed registration details

Submit Application Fee

Save and print your filled application form

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Christian Michel, the alleged middleman arrested in the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal case, was produced before a Delhi court on Saturday. The Delhi court disposed of an application by Michel seeking separate cell, as his counsel stated that he was already provided with a private cell in Tihar . The court further directed Tihar authorities to ensure Michels safety.

In his plea, Michel contended that some of the prisoners would be released in a few days and any wrong statement made by any of them may go against his interest and free and fair investigation of the cas

Also Read: Agusta accused Christian Michel seeks own cell, Tihar response sought

Special Judge Arvind Kumar allowed the Enforcement Directorate to interrogate Michel inside courtroom for 15 minutes after the agency sought his custodial interrogation.

ED sought to arrest the British national in a money laundering case. The court had reserved the order on Michels bail plea on December 19 and had sent him to judicial custody till December 28.

Michel is among the three alleged middlemen being probed in the case by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the CBI. The others are Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa.

(With PTI Inputs)
A Kolkata-Bengaluru IndiGo flight made an emergency landing in Bhubaneswar today after a 32-year-old male passenger fell ill in mid-flight. However, the passenger had died by that time.

As soon as flight 6E 822 took off from the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport at 10.10 am, Rajkumar Karmakar complained of uneasiness. The flight was then immediately diverted to Bhubaneswar and it landed at the Biju Patnaik International Airport at 11.15 am.

Bhubaneswar airport director SC Hota said the airport officials and doctors on duty tried their best to revive Karmakar, but he was declared dead at Capital Hospital where he was taken.

The passenger was sick and his relatives were taking him to Bengaluru for treatment. But after the flight took off, he complained of uneasiness and his pulse rate dropped. By the time he could make it to hospital, he was dead, said Hota.
The BJP on Friday hit out at National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah over his remarks to grant autonomy to Jammu, Ladakh and Kashmir regions if his party comes to power in the state.

Abdullah on Thursday had promised regional autonomy 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 expelled BJP leader and former MLA Gagan Bhagat into the NC fold at the party headquarters here.

National Conference Chief and former chief minister Farooq Abdullah has tried to mislead Jammuites and create confusion and discord in peace loving people of Jammu belonging to different religious and ethnic groups by promising greater autonomy to Jammu in case National Conference comes to power in next elections, State Bharatiya Janata Party Chief Spokesperson Sunil Sethi told reporters here.

By making such statement the real face of communal approach of National Conference has come in open, he said.

Sethi said that National Conference wants to divide people of Jammu Province in regional sub groups to create sub regions of muslim majority by creating mistrust and hatred between people who have always lived in complete harmony.

Jammu is shining example of all religious and linguistic groups living in complete harmony unlike intolerant Kashmiri population who forced Minority Kashmiri Pandits to migrate, he said. NC has no political agenda for the state except for blindly falling in line with the separatists, including Hurriyat Conference, for petty political gains, he added.

Relevance of Dr Farooq for his party is making these types of statements to incite communal passions, he added. On Bhagat joining NC, he said that it exposes the real face of National Conference.

It is very clear that Gagan Bhagat had filed petition against assembly dissolution at the asking of National Conference only which is his new masters, he added. Gagan Bhagat had been expelled from party not because of his matrimonial dispute but because he had kept a young girl belonging to poor family in his house with whom his objectionable pictures and videos came in media and her family is fighting on roads to save her from his clutches, Sethi claimed.

By misusing his position as MLA he had created a situation of fear and helplessness for poor family which was a heinous act as a political worker. In coming elections National Conference will have to give answer to voters of having such person in the party, he added.
A businessman was shot dead by bike-borne assailants in Bihars Darbhanga on Saturday, reports ANI, in second such killing in three days.

K P Shahi was targeted by bike borne assailants on NH 57 near Ranipur in Darbhanga. Details of the incident are awaited.

On December 20, a lone bike-borne assailant shot dead an industrialist, Gunjan Khemka (37), proprietor of G K Cotton Mill, near his factory gate in Hajipur Industrial Estate area, barely 100 meters from the local police station in Bihars Vaishali district.

The deceased, who was also convener of Bihar state BJPs industry wing, was coming out of his factorys gate in his car around 12: 30 pm, when the assailant riding a bike sans any registration number and wearing a helmet, came close and pumped three bullets into Khemka, who was seated next to the driver, and killed him on the spot.

The driver Manoj Kumar had a narrow escape as a bullet slipped by his waist causing a minor slit. He told police that as the assailant tried to flee, he chased him by throwing bricks and stones but to no avail.

Bihar Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) president P K Agarwal said the broad daylight murder of an industrialist has created an atmosphere of fear and insecurity. We are hurt and highly disappointed. We expect the government to take immediate action against the culprit to restore confidence among members of the business community, he said.

Family members said that in 2016, Khemka had survived an attempt on his life. He had been seeking security from the state police since then but was not given, they alleged.

Attack on industrialists and businessmen are a common affair in Bihar. The business community is often targeted across the state by criminals for extortion and ransom.

Hajipur has been notorious in this regard. In the last two years, criminals have gunned down at least five prominent businessmen and traders of the area.
The Goods and Survives Tax (GST) Council meeting is underway in the capital, which is expected to please the middle class as the decision is likely to bring down prices of white goods such as cameras, dishwashers and cement, one of the key inputs for housing construction.

The recent statement of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has raised hopes of the middle class, a key constituency that no government can afford to alienate, especially when the General Election is months away. On Tuesday, Modi had indicated that his government would bring down tax rates of several goods and services to provide relief to the common man. He had hinted that his government was making efforts to bring down 99% items in the top tax slab of 28% to 18% or less.

Follow live updates here

Government officials and industry executives say that the government might remove most of about three-dozen items from the top slab barring sin items such as pan masala, aerated drinks and tobacco products. A final announcement regarding rates rationalization and procedural changes is expected this evening after the GST Council meeting is over, government officials said.

The meeting, Chaired by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley is currently in progress at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. The meeting is attended by representatives of council including Tamil Nadu Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar, Delhi Finance Minister Manish Sisodia, West Bengal Finance Minister Amit Mitra, Karnataka Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Krishna Byre Gowda, Finance Minister of Kerala TM Thomas Isaac, Haryana Finance Minister Captain Abhimanyu and Punjab Finance Ministers Manpreet Singh Badal.

The expected tweaking of GST rates had invited sharp reactions from the opposition because they always maintained that the indirect tax reform way hastily implemented without the proper ground work. While Congress President Rahul Gandhi said that the NDA government had been finally compelled to prune tax rates, his partys stand, after criticizing the idea as the Congress Partys Grand Stupid Thought.

Meanwhile, ex finance minister and former senior leader of BJP, Yashwant Sinha wrote in his latest book that the government has botched up GST, a simple taxation system that eliminates any tax on tax and brings down prices.

It is a better tax, but Modi-Jaitley botched it up at its very beginning. That GST has been tweaked 200 times already and over 400 notifications and 100 circulars and FAQs have been issued since its launch is standing testimony to the folly of the Modi-Jaitley team. The book India Unmade: How the Modi Government Broke the Economy, is published by Juggernaut.

A government official said that the proposed reduction of GST rates would invite criticisms from members belonging to the non-BJP states because that would have revenue implications. The average monthly GST collection is still short of 1 trillion ( 1,00.000 crore), baring an exception for one month, the official, who did not wish to be named, said. The average GST revenue collection in the current financial year is 97,040 crore per month.

The Council is also expected to discuss the need to further relax procedures for the benefit of small and medium enterprises and review refund-related rules that have hit exporters. The council may also consider the issue of transferring ownership of the GST Network in a government-owned company.

(With inputs from agencies)
Acting on the demand of the journalist fraternity, the Chhattisgarh government is mulling a law for the protection of journalists. If sources are to be believed, orders vis-a-vis have been issued and a draft of the journalist protection act will be prepared in the next few days.

We have promised in our manifesto that a law will be made for the protection of journalists if we come in power hence it is our priority. We are very sensitive about the protection of journalists across the state, said chief minister Bhupesh Baghel told Hindustan Times.

Sources close to the chief minister said that a draft of the law will be made after consulting senior journalists, activists, and human rights defenders.

We will discuss the law with the editors across the country and also with organizations of journalists, said an official working on the draft of the law.

Kamal Shukla, a senior journalist working in Bastar region and coordinator of Patrakar Suraksha Kanoon Sanyukt Sangharsh Samiti  which seeks a law to protect journalists, said that it was a welcome decision of the government.

I am thankful to the Congress government that they are making such law. Many journalists of Bastar were booked under various sections of lPC and even sedition law for reporting the fact. This is a relief for the people who are covering Bastar region, said Shukla, who was also booked under sedition charges in Kanker district in 2018.

It is worth mentioning here that about twelve journalists were booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including sedition, in Bastar over the last five years.

In December 2017, Chhattisgarh government in the legislative assembly informed that fourteen journalists were arrested in Chhattisgarh in 2017.

Prabhat Singh, a journalist who was booked by Bastar police and now acquitted believes that the law has both positive and negative implications.

For the honest journalists this is welcome step because now they will not be falsely implicated but for some people who extort money in the name of journalism will also be benefitted, said Singh.

In 2017, the Maharashtra government also made journalist protection law. The Maharashtra Media Persons and Media Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage or Loss to Property) Act, 2017 was passed in Maharashtra legislative assembly, which state that any incident of violence against media persons or damage or loss of property of media persons or media institutions is now punishable in the state.

Over the years, many journalists have allegedly been falsely implicated, arrested and booked under various laws, including stringent sedition law, in the state.

In 2015, Santosh Yadav was booked under the Chhattisgarh Special Security Act. Yadav was booked on charges of rioting, criminal conspiracy and associating with Maoists. Yadav was arrested by police in October 2015 on the suspicion of links with Maoist leader Shankar in Darbha area of Bastar. His arrest led to a protest by journalists and a march to CM house in Raipur. Santosh is currently on bail.

In 2018, a Bastar-based journalist, Kamal Shukla, was booked under the sedition law for allegedly posting a cartoon lampooning the countrys judiciary and government on Facebook. A case against Shukla has been registered at the Katwali police station in Chhattisgarhs Kanker district. Shukla was booked on the basis of a complaint filed by a Rajasthan resident. Kamal too is currently on bail.
A Delhi court on Saturday sent Christian Michel, the alleged middleman accused in the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal case, to seven days custody of the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

Special judge Arvind Kumar denied bail to Michel and sent him to custody after the court was informed that the ED formally arrested him. The agency had sought 15 days remand of Michel to probe his role.

Appearing for the ED, its special public prosecutor, DP Singh, sought 15 minutes to interrogate Michel, following which he was arrested. He informed the court that money was laundered in the VVIP helicopter deal that was routed through two channels facilitated by Bruno Spangnolini and Giueseppe Orsi, despite an integrity pact.

It is submitted that the kingpin of one channel is Christian Michel James and his companions, while second channel is the brainchild of Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa.

Gautam Khaitan is the mastermind behind laundering the proceeds of crime in the second channel. Investigation has also revealed crucial links between these accused persons, the remand paper read.

SPP Singh also contended that custodial interrogation of the accused is also required.

custodial interrogation of Michel is required to unearth the deep-rooted conspiracy and identification of his accomplices who gained undue advantage, and secondly to ascertain the proceeds of crime in their receipt for assisting AgustaWestland procure the contract, the ED said.

Opposing the custody, Michels counsels Aljo K Joseph and Sriram Parakkat contended that the ED should have moved an application for joint interrogation while Michel was in the CBI custody.

The court said: Keeping in view the facts and circumstances, I deem it fit to grant seven days remand of the accused.

The judge also denied bail to Michel saying that he had not joined the investigation on his own. The acquittal of Michel from the Italian court cannot be taken into account as he was not a party in the said cases, the judge added.

There is substance in the contention of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) that the accused did not join investigation nor faced trial in Italy, hence does not have any bearing on the proceedings of the present case, the judge noted. It also disposed of an application by Michel seeking a separate cell after his counsel informed that the jail authorities have given him a private cell.

Michel will be produced in court on December 28 at the end of his seven-day custody.
Confusion prevailed over Delhi Assemblys Friday resolution on withdrawing former prime minister Rajiv Gandhis Bharat Ratna and the consequent resignation of Aam Aadmi Party MLA Alka Lamba.

While Lamba, the Chandni Chowk MLA, in her tweet on Friday said that she was asked by Kejriwal to resign after she refused to support a resolution seeking withdrawal of Bharat Ratna from former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, senior party leader Manish Sisodia on Saturday said no such thing had happened. No resignation has been sought and from no one, all these are rumours, the deputy CM was quoted by ANI as saying.

Within hours of Sisodias statement, Lamba was quoted by ANI as saying she was not resigning.

Lamba, an MLA from Chandni Chowk, on Friday said she had opposed the inclusion of the portion on Gandhi and was being punished for the same.

Today, there was a proposal in the assembly to seek withdrawal of Bharat Ratna award to former PM Rajiv Gandhi. In my speech in the House, I was asked to support this motion. I did not agree and staged a walk out of the House. Now I am ready to face whatever punishment, she said in a tweet in Hindi.

There was no clarity on whether the resolution seeking withdrawal of Bharat Ratna from Gandhi was passed in the House or not. While Assembly secretariat officials and Leader of Opposition, senior BJP leader Vijender Gupta, said the resolution was passed on a voice vote, AAP leaders said that the part about Rajiv Gandhis Bharat Ratna was an amendment, which had not been originally passed.

AAP MLA Jarnail Singh, who moved the resolution in the assembly, told ANI on Saturday the reference to the withdrawal of Bharat Ratna wasnt a part of the original resolution, it was my feeling and I said it. Technically it wasnt in the notice

Earlier, Saurabh Bharadwaj, AAP legislator from Greater Kailash, said the lines about Gandhi was not a part of the resolution placed before the House and distributed among the members.

Lines about late Rajiv Gandhi were added by one MLA in his handwriting proposing an addition/amendment about late Rajiv Gandhi. Amendments cannot be passed in this manner, he said in a tweet.

He then said that the handwritten amendment was added by Malviya Nagar MLA Somnath Bharti and passed on to Jarnail Singh. Bharadwaj said that the portion about Gandhi was not adopted by the House.

Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee president, Ajay Maken criticised AAP for targeting the former PM. Rajiv Gandhi sacrificed his life for the country. True colours of AAP have come out in the open. I have always believed that AAP is the BJPs B team. They fielded candidates in Goa, Punjab, MP, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh just to cut the votes of Congress and help the BJP, Maken tweeted.
The acquittal of all 22 accused in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh case by a special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in Mumbai has brought the spotlight back on the life of the gangster, who was in his mid-30s when he was killed in what the Gujarat police claimed was an encounter. After his death, he was branded as a Lashkar-e-Taiba operative, who wanted to kill the then Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi, a member of the Dawood Ibrahim gang and an extortionist operating in Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. Some claimed he was a police informer turned rogue.

What is not under dispute is that Sheikh belonged to Jharnia in Madhya Pradesh and was a criminal, who operated across Udaipur, Ahmedabad and Ujjain, primarily extorting money from local businessmen.

What is also not under dispute is that he was picked up by the anti-terror squad of the Gujarat Police on November 23, 2005, from a bus on its way to Sangli in Maharashtra from Hyderabad. Three days later his bullet ridden body was found in Ahmedabad. The only case ever registered against him was an arms smuggling case dating back to 1995.

In 1995, the Gujarat police raided his home in MPs Jharia and recovered 25 AK-57 rifles, said a retired Gujarat police officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, given the nature of the case. That consignment of arms passed through Gujarat. He was convicted and imprisoned for five years in Sabarmati Jail, Ahmedabad, the officer added.

Between 1995 and 2005, Sheikhs name cropped up in a firing incident outside Popular Builders office in Ahmedabad in 2004. His name was not there in the FIR lodged but it was mentioned by the CBI in the charge sheet filed in the encounter case. There were also claims that Sheikh helped certain police officers in running an extortion racket, an allegation reiterated in the CBI charge sheet.

Rajasthan based criminal Azam Khan, in his testimony in the Mumbai CBI court, alleged that Sheikh told him that he was behind the 2003 killing of former Gujarat home minister Haren Pandya on the instruction of the then director general of police, D G Vanzara, who has denied this.

Kausar Bi: The death of Sheikhs wife, who was picked up along with him from Andhra Pradesh, and brought to Ahmedabad, remained shrouded in mystery for almost 16 months. The Gujarat government filed a report before the apex court only in April, 2007, stating Kausar Bi was dead and her body had been burnt on November 29, 2005, three days after her husband was killed in an alleged encounter.

As per the the CBI charge sheet, she was burnt in IIol, home village of the then director general of police, D G Vanzara, who was discharged in the case in 2017.

Tulsiram Prajapati:

A close confidante of Sohrabuddin Sheikh and a sharp shooter, he allegedly killed Udaipurs local gangster Hamid Lala on December 31, 2004, to provide the former dominance in the local extortion racket. It is believed that he helped Gujarat police to track down Sheikh in Andhra Pradesh.

He was the third person, along with Kausar Bi and Sheikh, picked up by the Gujarat police from a bus going to Sangli in Maharashtra from Hyderabad.He was 28 when killed, allegedly by joint team of Rajasthan and Gujarat police in December 27, 2006. Like Sheikh, he was from Madhya Pradesh, where he had some two dozens cases registered against him, and operated across Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat.
The outrage over the statutory order (SO) issued by Union home secretary Rajiv Gauba on Thursday authorising 10 security and intelligence agencies to lawfully intercept, monitor and decrypt information through a computer resource seems misplaced simply because these agencies already had this power under the Information Technology (IT) Act and the rules framed under the act, according to current and former government officials.

Still, the order may violate aspects of the privacy judgment given by the Supreme Court on August 23 last year, one expert said. Opposition parties on Friday criticised the government over the move, describing it as unconstitutional and an assault on fundamental rights, alleging that country was being turned into a police state.

The 10 agencies are the Central Bureau of Investigation, the National Investigation Agency, the Research and Analysis Wing, Intelligence Bureau, Narcotics Control Bureau, Enforcement Directorate, the Central Board of Direct Taxes, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, Directorate of Signal Intelligence (in service areas of J-K, North East and Assam) and the Commissioner, Delhi Police.

According to the officials, none of whom wished to be identified, the SO limits the number of agencies that can snoop on computer traffic. Before the order was issued, there was no bar on any agency, which could approach the competent authority, Union home secretary in their case, seeking interception or monitoring of computer traffic, the officials added. This included the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) or Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). Indeed, SEBI has been demanding powers to intercept phone calls and messages.

By listing out the agencies authorised to intercept, monitor and decrypt data, delays in sharing information with agencies by various service providers including applications such as WhatsApp will end, said a senior official who did not wish to be named. Earlier, our requests were delayed or rejected because agencies werent expressly listed out, he said. Now if data isnt shared, there is a possibility that the service providers can be prosecuted, he added.

There are two main acts governing the legal provisions for surveillance in India: the Telegraph Act of 1885 and the Information Technology Act of 2000.

The first allows for the interception of calls and messages while the second deals with provisions to intercept digital information including data stored on a computer, internet traffic and other data flows.

The power to intercept and monitor the computer traffic comes from section 69 (1) of the IT Act. The section states that the Centre or a state government or any of its officers specially authorised for the purpose can order or direct any government agency to intercept, monitor or decrypt any information generated, transmitted, received or stored in any computer resource if they are satisfied it is necessary to do so in the interest of the sovereignty or integrity of India, defence of India, security of the state, friendly relations with foreign states or public order or for preventing incitement to the commission of any cognizable offence relating to above or for investigation of any offence.

The government has further codified rules in this regard.

Rule 4 of the IT (Procedure and Safeguards for Interception, Monitoring and Decryption of Information) Rules of 2009 provides that the competent authority (home secretary in case of the central government) may authorise an agency of the government to intercept, monitor or decrypt computer resource traffic.

But since 2009, since the rules were framed, no agency was notified under rule 4 by the government. Now the anomaly has been rectified with by the SO issued on Thursday, said a home ministry official.

Government officials and independent experts agree that the SO issued on Thursday doesnt confer any new powers to any of the security or law enforcement agencies.

Notification has been issued to notify the Internet Service Providers, Telecommunication Service Providers, intermediaries etc. to codify the existing orders. The order has been issued to ensure that any interception, monitoring or decryption of any information through any computer resource is done as per due process of law. It will also prevent any unauthorised use of these powers by any agency, individual or intermediary, said Bharat Bhushan Babu, the MHA spokesperson, adding that even with the SO, all cases of interception or monitoring or decryption will still require approval by the Union home secretary.

In states, the principal secretary of the home department will be the competent authority to grant such approvals.

Former chief of Bureau of Police Research and Development, NR Wasan too says there is nothing new in the SO except for the fact the government has now limited the number of agencies authorised to intercept or monitor the traffic.

Law enforcement agencies were using powers to intercept or monitor computer traffic earlier also under the IT Act and Rules, with the prior approval of the home secretary. But technically, before the SO was issued, any agency could technically approach the home secretary to seek approval for interception or monitoring of computer traffic but now only 10 central agencies will have such authorisation, said Wasan who has served both in the Central Bureau of Investigation and the national Investigation Agency.

Cyber law expert Pavan Duggal concurred that nothing has changed. The government has just exercised its power under Section 69 of the IT Act and the rules framed under it, he said.

But independent of the notification, the powers under the ambit of section 69 itself need to be re-examined following the privacy judgment as it can have a detrimental impact on personal privacy and data privacy, he added.

Section 69 was last challenged in SC in 2015 when the right to privacy was not defined. In the judgment pronounced on August 23 last year, the Supreme Court held that privacy is a fundamental right. If the section is now challenged in Court, Duggal explained, judges will reexamine if the powers that the state enjoys under section 69 are still constitutionally valid.

Experts also say that though the SO brings the IT Act at par with the Telegraph Actthe same 10 agencies have been authorised for interceptionthere is an inherent difference in their respective scopes. The Telegraph Act says there should be a condition of a public emergency or interest of public safety for intercepting information but the IT Act is silent about these .

The grounds under the IT act are wider and lack some of the safeguards provided under the Telegraph Act, said Smriti Parsheera, a technology policy researcher at the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy, an autonomous government research institute.

The government has clarified that like the Telegraph Act, there are clauses in the IT Act and rules as well to prevent any misuse of the interception mechanism.

All such cases of interception are reviewed by a committee headed by the cabinet secretary. The committee meets at least once in every two months. In states, the chief secretary holds the power to review the cases, said the home ministry spokesman.

To be sure, Government agencies regularly ask tech companies to turn over user data. Companies like Google and Facebook share a transparency report every six months where they disclose the number of requests. In January to June 2018, the Indian government made a total of 16,580 requests to Facebook requesting user data of 23,047 Facebook users. In 53% of the cases, some data was producedbut it is not clear what information was provided. In the same period, the government made 5,105 requests to Google to get user data of 10,676 users. Information was produced in 58% of the cases. To put this in perspective, only the US government made more requests (42,466 requests for 70,528 accounts) to Facebook than the Indian government.
The Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council today brought down prices of goods such as TV sets, cinema tickets and video games from the top 28 percent rate, which now only be levied at only 28 items like air conditioners, cement, and sin items such as pan masala, aerated drinks and tobacco products.

Announcing the decision after the GST Council meeting, Union finance minister Arun Jaitley said that monitors and TV screens, tyres, power banks (of lithium-ion batteries) have brought down from 28% to 18% slab, while accessories for carriages for specially abled persons have been brought down to 5%.

He said it was decided not to cut GST cut on cement and auto parts, in view of the revenue implications.

Among other cuts he announced were on movie tickets, where those costing up to 100 have been brought down from 18 to 12 % and those priced above 100 from 28 to 18%.

The meeting, chaired by Jaitley, was attended by representatives of council including Tamil Nadu fisheries minister D Jayakumar, Delhi finance minister Manish Sisodia, West Bengal finance minister Amit Mitra, Karnataka rural development and panchayat raj minister Krishna Byre Gowda, Kerala finance minister TM Thomas Isaac, Haryana finance minister Captain Abhimanyu and Punjab finance ministers Manpreet Singh Badal.

Prime Minister Narendra Modis statement on Tuesday that the tax rates of several goods and services would be brought down to provide relief to the common man has raised hopes of the middle class, a key constituency that no government can afford to alienate, especially when the General Election is months away.
US president Donald Trump Friday received unusual support from an Indian-American Democratic lawmaker on his reported plans for a substantial troop withdrawal from war-ravaged Afghanistan.

Congressman Ro Khanna, who was recently re-elected from the 17th Congressional District of California, said President Trumps instincts to withdraw from Afghanistan were correct.

He said to end the security challenge posed by terrorism in the war-torn country, it was important to encourage local peacebuilding efforts and engaging regional actors such as India and Pakistan.

In sum, Trumps instincts to withdraw are correct. But the tactical implementation matters. He needs to surround himself with people like George Shultz, Bill Perry, Larry Korb, or Ben Rhodes who can help him carry it out, Khanna said in a statement.

So far, he is the only Democratic lawmaker to support Trump on his reported move in Afghanistan.

The White House so far has refrained from making any comment on the move to withdraw troops from Afghanistan.

An overwhelming majority of lawmakers have vehemently opposed the idea. They argue that this will embolden Taliban and make America unsafe.

Khanna, who has been a bitter critic of Trump, in an unusual statement said he supported a responsible withdrawal of American military forces from Afghanistan.

If we hope to end the security challenge posed by terrorism, the answer is not an indefinite deployment of US troops in the region. Instead, we must have a robust, multilateral, and inclusive diplomatic initiative to encourage national reconciliation, local peace building efforts, and the engagement of regional actors such as Pakistan, Iran, Russia, China, and India, Khanna said.

The State Department needs a strategy to secure an inclusive and lasting peace settlement, a plan for the full withdrawal of US troops from the country and sustained support for non-military peace building solutions to secure any political settlement reached by the Afghan people, he said.

We also need a short timeline for withdrawal so there can be a smooth transition, a sense of the intelligence platforms and networks that can replace them to guard against terrorist threats, and a plan on how we would act on actionable intelligence if terrorists posed a threat to our homeland, Khanna said.

He said the current approach of engaging in direct talks with the Afghan Taliban as a means of achieving a political solution to the conflict was good.

After 17 years of war, we need a negotiated political settlement to the war that is acceptable to the Afghan people and allows the United States to end our involvement in war as soon as possible, he said.

Over USD 43 billion dollars are currently being spent on Afghanistan each year and the Taliban now exerts influence or maintains control over 50 per cent of Afghan territory. This shows our military-first strategy and the surge is not working, Khanna added. According to media reports, the White House has ordered the Pentagon to draw up plans for a troop withdrawal from Afghanistan.

The White House has asked the Pentagon to look into multiple options, including a complete withdrawal, NBC News reported quoting two defence officials.
Proposal to form Group of Ministers to study revenue trend approved

The GST Council meeting approved proposal to form a 7-member Group of Ministers to study the revenue trend, including analysing the reasons for structural patterns affecting the revenue collection in some of the states.

The study would include the underlying reasons for deviation from the revenue collection targets vis a vis original assumptions discussed during the design of GST system, its implementation and related structural issues.

New GST rates to be effective from Jan 1: Jaitley

The new GST rates will be effective from 1st January, 2019. New GST return filing system to come into effect from July 1 next year: Jaitley

GST on real estate to be reviewed in the next meeting: Jaitley

The Law Fitment Committee will take a view on GST on real estate in the next meeting. There is a consensus that something needs to be done on this, said the Union finance minister.

Jan-Dhan account holders will be exempted from GST

The services supplied by the banks to Jan-Dhan account holders will be exempted from GST, announced Arun Jaitley.

8 items left in the 28% bracket luxury & sin items are included: Jaitley

There are 28 items left in the 28% bracket if we include luxury and sin items. 13 items are from automobile parts and 1 is cement. Cements revenue is 13,000 crore & automobile parts revenue is 20,000 crore. If they are brought down from 28% to 18% implications are of 33,000 crore, announced Jaitley.

Business class ticket in 12%, economy class ticket in 5% GST Slab

Economy class air ticket will be under 5% and business class ticket will be under 12% GST slab, announced Arun Jaitley.

Cinema tickets upto 100 brought down from 28% slab

Cinema tickets upto 100 will be brought down from 28% slab to 18% slab and above 100 has been brought down to 18% from 28%, announced Jaitley.

7 items brought down from 28% slab: Arun Jaitley

Television sets, video games and powerbanks among 7 items which will be brought down from 28% slab, announced finance minister Arun Jaitley.

Monitors and Television screens, Tyres, Power banks of Lithium-ion batteries have brought down from 28% to 18% slab. Accessories for carriages for specially abled persons have been brought down to 5%.

TV, computers come down from 28% GST slab, says Uttarakhand finance minister

22 goods have come down from 28%. Goods like TV, auto parts, computers etc included. Only the luxury & sins goods items remain in the 28% slab. GST on real estate will be discussed in the next GST Council meeting, said Uttarakhand finance minister Prakash Pant.

Cameras, dish washers and cement likely to get cheaper: Reports

The Goods and Survives Tax (GST) Council meeting is underway in the capital, which is expected to please the middle class as the decision is likely to bring down prices of white goods such as cameras, dish washers and cement, one of the key inputs for housing construction.

The recent statement of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has raised hopes of the middle class, a key constituency that no government can afford to alienate, especially when the General Election is months away. On Tuesday, Modi had indicated that his government would bring down tax rates of several goods and services to provide relief to the common man. He had hinted that his government was making efforts to bring down 99% items in the top tax slab of 28% to 18% or less.

33 items moved from 18% GST slab

33 items have come down from 18% to 12% & 5% as they are common mans consumption goods, sais Puducherry CM V Narayanasamy

GST Council meet: Which items to be retained in 28% slab

The items that are likely to be retained in the 28 per cent slab include aerated drinks, cigarette, bidi, tobacco products, pan masala, smoking pipes, automobiles, aircrafts, yachts, revolvers and pistols, gambling lottery.

Council likely to slash tax rates on automobile tyres to 18% from 28%: Reports

According to reports, the Council is likely to slash tax rates on automobile tyres to 18% from 28%. A 28 per cent tax on automobile tyre 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 told PTI.

Another item under discussion could be cement. Cement is an area where huge instances of evasion was taking place. If tax rates come down more people will buy it from the formal channel and would also boost housing sector as well, the official added.

Possible lowering of GST rates caused by healthy receipts

The lowering of GST rates has been made possible by healthy receipts. The average monthly GST collection in 2017-18 was 89,885 crore, which rose to 97,040 crore in the current financial year, giving a headroom to absorb the revenue losses due to a proposed lowering of GST rates. In general, a lowering of rates is usually offset by higher volumes

Govt might propose lowering of GST on a majority of items currently in the highest slab of 28% to 18%

The government will also propose lowering the goods and services tax (GST) on a majority of items currently in the highest slab of 28% to 18%, as announced by the Prime Minister on Tuesday, to boost consumer sentiment ahead of general elections.

Want to make GST as smooth as possible for the enterprises, said PM Modi on Tuesday

The Prime Minister said the effort will be to ensure that 99 per cent of all items, including almost all items used by the common man, would be kept at a GST slab of 18 per cent or less.

We are of the opinion of making GST as smooth as possible for the enterprises, he said.

In earlier days, the GST was framed according to the existing VAT or excise tax structures exercised in those respective states. (With) the discussions held from time to time, the tax system is getting improved, Modi said.

Also Read: Working to bring 99% things in sub-18% GST slab, says PM Narendra Modi

Working to bring 99% things in sub-18% GST slab, said PM Modi on Tuesday

Indicating that further simplification of the Goods and Services Tax is on the anvil, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said his government wants to ensure that 99 per cent things attract sub-18 per cent GST slab.

Today, the GST system has been established to a large extent and we are working towards a position where 99 per cent things will attract the sub-18 per cent GST slab, Modi said.

Modi indicated that the 28 per cent slab of GST would only be restricted to a few select items, such as luxury goods.

P Chidambaram termed Centres eight tax rates under GST regime stupid idea

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Friday termed the BJP governments eight tax rates under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime stupid idea saying filing GST returns has been a nightmare.

The stupid idea was the BJPs idea of having eight rates when GST was first implemented in July 2017, the former finance minister tweeted.

Read: A stupid idea: Congress leader P Chidambaram on BJP govts eight tax rates under GST regime

GST Council meeting underway under chairmanship of Arun Jaitley

The 31st GST Council meeting is underway at Vigyan Bhavan under the chairmanship of finance minister Arun Jaitley.

The agenda for the meeting has not been made official yet. However. topics such as simplified returns, completely online refunds process are likely to be discussed in the meeting.

Delhi: 31st GST Council meeting underway at Vigyan Bhavan under the chairmanship of Finance Minister Arun Jaitley pic.twitter.com/j7T2sbffmF  ANI (@ANI) December 22, 2018

Twitter war erupted on Friday between BJP, Congress over GST single rate slab

A twitter war started between Congress and BJP after Prime Minister Modi on Tuesday indicated that the 28 per cent slab of GST will soon only be restricted to a few select commodities, such as luxury items.

Following the remarks by Prime Minister, Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Thursday tweeted, The Congress Party has finally jolted Narendra Ji from his deep slumber on Gabbar Singh Tax. Though still drowsy, he now wants to implement what he had earlier called the Congress Partys, Grand Stupid Thought. Better late than never Narendra Ji!

This was followed by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley taking a dig at UPAs legacy of higher indirect tax on most items, and terming Congress Presidents idea of the single slab as stupid.

Former finance minister and Congress leader P Chidambaram on Friday joined Congress President Rahul Gandhi in endorsing the idea of having a single rate in the Goods and Services Tax (GST), while criticising the BJPs initial idea of having 8 rates as stupid.

Markets to closely track GST Council meet

Market to closely track GST Council meet due Saturday, which is expected announce reduction of tax slabs for several items.

GST damaged Indias economy, said P Chidambaram on Friday

Claiming that demonetisation and a flawed Goods and Services Tax (GST) had damaged Indias economy, the former Union Finance Minister said every citizen knew that the twin measures had impacted the country, destroyed jobs and small and medium enterprises.

GST Council meeting begins under chairmanship of Arun Jaitley

The 31st GST Council meeting has begun at Vigyan Bhavan under the chairmanship of Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.

Delhi: 31st GST Council meeting begins at Vigyan Bhavan under the chairmanship of Finance Minister Arun Jaitley pic.twitter.com/NEoRbw1CXB  ANI (@ANI) December 22, 2018
For 93-year-old Olga Anklesaria, one of the distinct memories of St Pauls Cathedral, Calcutta, from the early years  she has been attending the service here for six decades  is that the women always wore hats. About 60% of the congregation was still foreigners at the time. It changed as the British started leaving and the congregation became more local, she says.

While there is an abundance of beautiful Raj-era churches in India, when the cornerstone for St Pauls was laid in 1839  in 2019, it will be 180 years since work on the cathedral began  it was with the idea of building the first Anglican cathedral in India. As such, it was meant to represent the glory of the lord, as well as the grandeur of the British colonial rulers.

It was a dream close to the heart of Bishop Daniel Wilson, the fifth bishop of Calcutta, who arrived there in 1832. Like his predecessors, Wilson presided at St Johns Church, consecrated in 1787. But though St Johns served as the seat of the bishop before St Pauls was built, and is today referred to as the old cathedral, it was never meant to be one, says Mary Ann Dasgupta, a former American citizen who came to Calcutta in 1963 and is currently putting together the history of the cathedral. For one, that church was too small.

As Bishop Wilson himself wrote in June 1839, It has long been a subject of reproach, not only to the good taste, but to the piety of the greatest Empire in the Eastern world, that our Government House, our Mint, our Town Hall, our Custom House, our Bridges, and even our Ghats ---- to say nothing of our official residences and private dwellings ---- should be upon a scale in some measure correspondent with the position we hold in India, whilst our Cathedral [St. Johns, built in 1787] is mean, inappropriate, and incommodious.

There were also churches in Bombay and Madras that had subsequently been designated cathedrals, but none had been built for that purpose. St Pauls would be, in Bishop Wilsons words, the FIRST PROTESTANT [since the Anglican Church was created in opposition to the Roman Catholic faith in England, it is also referred to as a Protestant Church] CATHEDRAL erected to the honour of God in India.

A Dream Comes True

On June 12, 1839, seven acres of land were handed over to Bishop Wilson for the cathedral he wanted so badly.

The East India Company, in 1840, gave a grant of 1.50 lakh for its construction, stipulating that the seating should be for 800 to 1,000 people. Bishop Wilson himself donated another 1 lakh and left a further endowment of 1 lakh to the church in his will. Construction began in 1839 and the cathedral was consecrated in 1847. So iconic was this cathedral in the east that in 1845, Queen Victoria presented 10 pieces of silver-gilt plate to Bishop Wilson for it.

No expense or effort was spared in ensuring the majesty of St Pauls. The cost of the building, when it was it was completed in 1847, came to approximately 4,85,853.

An inside view of the cathedral. (Arijit Sen/HT Photo)

The main structure is predominantly brick masonry, built in the English Gothic architectural style. Some of the best British and Indian talent has, over the years, helped in its beautification. The cathedral clock, for example, was made by the famous Vulliamys of London, and is similar to the one at Christ Church, Oxford. Behind the London-made high altar on the east wall are mosaic panels depicting the life of St Paul. In 1875, the Maharaja of Kashmir presented 2,000 towards the first mosaic panels. All the designs were by Sir Arthur William Bloomfield of London.

Then there are the exquisite stained-glass windows on the east and the west. The original east window was a gift from the dean and chapter of Windsor Castle, but was destroyed in a cyclone of 1864. The present window arrived, again from London, in 1868, with bars between the glass that were specially designed to weather storms and copied from those at the Oxford Cathedral. The design of the Great West Window with its central figure of Justice was chosen by Lady Mayo and executed by Messrs. Morris & Co., Bloomsbury, who employed Sir Edward Burne-Jones as their principal artist to execute it. He was an uncle of the writer Rudyard Kipling. In February 1942, the Great West Window was dismantled and the pieces were stored in the main support pillars of the tower as a precaution against possible Japanese bombing, says Dasgupta.

A section of the Great West Window. Writer Rudyard Kiplings uncle, Edward Burne-Jones, was principal artist on the stained-glass window. (Arijit Sen/HT Photo)

Near the cathedral entrance is a statue of Bishop Reginald Heber, the second bishop of Calcutta. Made by Sir Francis Chantrey, it is a replica of the one at St. Pauls Cathedral, London, also by the same artist.

Pride Of Place

The cathedral enjoyed immense social prestige. The viceroy attended service at St Pauls, says a member of the church. Among those who married at St Pauls was a grand nephew of the bard Rabindranath Tagore Gyanendramohan who in 1852 wed the daughter of a reverend.

One of the tablets inside records that it was placed by Lord Curzon viceroy and governor or India honorary colonel of Lumsdens Horse [the Indian mounted infantry corps founded in Calcutta in 1899] in honour of those members of the first corps of British volunteers from India who have fought and died for the empire.

There were three royal visits  the first, in 1875 by the Prince of Wales or King Edward VII as he became later; the second in 1911, when Queen Mary attended service here and the third in 1961, when Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh attended service, after which she presented the Cathedral a silver-gilt chalice.

The cathedral doesnt have a cemetery attached to it - only two Bishops are buried on the grounds, while Rev Wilson had his own burial vault built inside  but there are many memorial tablets inside. A panel inside the cathedral reminds visitors that this was the metropolitical and mother church of the Anglican Church of India, Pakistan, Burma and Ceylon until 1970 (Church of India, Burma and Ceylon before 1947) , when it became a part of the Church of North India (CNI). Today, it serves as the mother church of the CNIs Calcutta diocese.

Transcending Time

But the draw of St Pauls Cathedral goes beyond its religious significance. Declared a historic monument by the Indian government in 1975, it is one of the main tourist attractions in Kolkata. People of all faiths visit, whether drawn by its majestic beauty or to kneel in prayer. Numerous actors have shot there for films, including, as a church member mentions, Amitabh Bachchan, for his 2016 release Teen.

Time has left its dark smudge on the white exteriors. There are cracks on the walls inside. As a tablet near the entrance informs, twice, earthquakes in 1897 and 1934,damaged its spire. The present tower was erected in 1938. A tablet near the cathedral entrance informs that it was renovated and restored in 1992-94 out of the contribution of worshippers and visitors. The process for another renovation has been initiated, says Rev. Abir Adhikari, priest or presbyter-in-charge, St Pauls. For now, the Christmas lights have been strung up and the Nativity scene laid out. The throng of visitors for the midnight service on Christmas Eve will spill out beyond the cathedral walls into the lawns. Even West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee is known to attend.
Sweepers cleaning the Howrah Express at the railway yards in Amritsar on Saturday made a suprising but heart-wrenching find - a newly-born baby boy flushed down the toilet.

The baby was fully naked and had been sought to be strangulated with a dupatta (stole) when he was pulled out from the toilet by the sweepers at the washing platform.

Around 2:30 pm, I got a call from one of our sweepers, who told me that he had found a dead body of a child from the train and . immediately rushed towards the train, Sabhi, who oversees the washing work of trains, said.

He said when he entered the train he found the baby flushed down in a toilet of AC compartment D-3. A part of a dupatta, which was lying out of the toilet. When we pulled out the dupatta, the baby, around whose neck it was tied, came out. We were astonished at seeing that the baby was alive.

Sabhi said that they washed the baby, took to Amritsar civil hospital, and informed the government railway police (GRP).

Dr Sandeep at the civil hospital said, When the baby was admitted his body was shivering due to cold. We, immediately, placed him in a heater to warm him. Four doctors, specialized in children, have been working to cure the baby, who is now out of danger. It seems the baby is of one day old.

Station house officer (SHO) of Amritsar GRP, Balbir Singh, said, The train reached at Amritsar railway station at around 10:30 am and then went to the washing platform. It seems the boy remained in the toilet for more than four hours that too in severe cold weather. His lucky survival has left us stunned.

He said they have registered a case under Indian Penal Codes section 317 (exposure and abandonment of child under twelve years, by parent or person having care of it) against unidentified persons. Police have also been examining the CCTVs at different railway stations to who was behind the act.
The Narendra Modi government is close to finalising a new model for its flagship farm insurance scheme, which will give it far greater control over an initiative on which a lot is riding ahead of next years general polls.

The model under consideration is similar to agricultural insurance schemes in Spain and Turkey, two systems that civil servants in the agriculture ministry studied extensively with the help of a World Bank team, an official familiar with the plan said on condition of anonymity.

The government is likely to move to a risk-pooling system of insurance, under which the government will get a deciding role on virtually everything, from fixing premiums to payouts. Insurance firms will be responsible only for implementing the programme in return for a fee.

We have already examined it. We are in the process of taking a call on it, the official cited above said, adding, the government is analysing the costs and benefits of shift to such a scheme.

The timing is significant. A farm crisis, the outcome of a glut in output and plummeting agricultural commodity prices that are forcing farmers to sell their produce below the cost of cultivation, is weighing heavily on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which lost power this month in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, three key states in the Hindi heartland, partly on account of this. Agrarian distress is likely to be one of the key campaign issues in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls too. In the insurance business, risk-pooling has been around for decades, particularly in health insurance, in both developed and emerging economies. The ministry recently reviewed global insurance best practices, in which it was assisted by the World Bank. The Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), as the Modi governments farm insurance scheme is called, became operational in 2016-17 and is now in its third year. It has undergone a series of changes to overcome hurdles such as delayed payouts that tend to anger farmers.

According to economist Ashok Gulati, who recently analysed PMFBY in his work Supporting Indian Farms the Smart Way, prompt insurance settlement will need something more than just an efficient business model: costly technology. India needs a fleet of cloud-penetrating satellites for faster crop-loss estimates, he says.

Setting up such a constellation could cost up to 2,000 crore, assuming an average cost of 400 crore per satellite, according to Gulatis calculations. The government would do well to adopt better models but given Indias federal structure, success will to a large extent depend on the efficiency level of states, said K Mani, a professor at the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University

A recent review of the farm insurance scheme showed Uttar Pradesh on top, as far as timely processing was concerned. Bihar is one of the worst performers. West Bengal, a laggard until recently, has moved up the ranks after clearing all outstanding claims. Under classic risk-pooling mechanisms, risks (or premiums of individuals covered) are bundled onto a common platform, which allows for higher costs of those at greater risk to be offset by lower costs of less risky.

A thumb rule is that larger risk pools create more stable premium regimes and make for greater predictability of risk.

The government will likely tweak the model to create a pool where, in theory, all participating insurance firms transfer their risks. The pool will be run by an agency created by the government, which will also sit on its board, the official cited above said.This state-run agency that will maintain the pool will also fix the premium rates for all crops everywhere. Since insurance firms will only be looking after implementing the scheme, they will only quote the administrative rates they intend to charge, through a bidding process. Crop insurance is mandatory for any farmer with a farm loan, which the government also subsidizes. Farmers pay between 1.5% and 2% of the premium, while the rest is shared equally by states and the Centre.

The strength is in the implementation capacities, the official cited above said, when asked why he thought the new model was better. If a company takes, say, a 1% charge for implementing the scheme in a particular area and is found wanting, it may be debarred from the scheme in the future. The pool will prefer companies with a better performance ranking in the last seasons. The official said bidding would only be opened for administrative costs to run the scheme, while the entire premium and the entire liability falls on the government. In other words, the model offers greater oversight and control.
GDP numbers are misleading, RBIs autonomy is in extreme danger and demonetisation is the biggest banking scam, former finance minister Yashwant Sinha claims in his new book.

He also says that Prime Minister Narendra Modis idea of self-employment is a distraction from the more serious issue of unemployment and underemployment.

Sinha, who has been quite vocal about the governments policies since the past couple of years, quit the BJP in April. Party leaders have been dismissing his allegations on several issues with BJP chief Amit Shah once asking if people should believe the ministers or those who did not get jobs.

According to Sinha, Modi blew a golden opportunity to send the economy soaring to new heights.

He could have fixed the UPAs legacy issues and fundamentally raised India from a poor country to a middle-income country, but he squandered the chance, he says, adding his book demonstrates how Modi unmade India.

Though the book India Unmade: How the Modi Government Broke the Economy is a critique of the NDA governments economic management, Sinha says he has not always been a critic of Modi.

Nor do I have a personal vendetta against him for not appointing me minister or giving me some other post, as some people incorrectly speculate In fact, the truth is that I recognised his mettle early on and was one of the first senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders to say he should be made the partys prime ministerial candidate in the 2014 elections, he claims.

He has been severely critical of Modi on demonetisation, jobs, GDP figures and Make in India among others policies and programmes.

The Modi governments lasting legacy will be the catastrophe that was the demonetisation of high-denomination currency on November 8, 2016, he argues.

Demonetisation was a whimsical decision that served no purpose of governance. It did, however, provide Modi with a populist campaign plank of having taken tough decisions to nab the corrupt rich. His decision paid a rich electoral dividend in Uttar Pradesh in 2017. But as far as the constantly shifting governance objectives of demonetisation went, it was a big zero, he says.

On the second anniversary of demonetisation, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had said that demonetisation resulted in increasing the tax base and a higher tax collection (both direct and indirect) for the government, thereby improving its fiscal health. He had also clarified that the real purpose of demonetisation was not the confiscation of cash but to bring it to the formal economy and make the holders pay tax.

On Make in India, Sinha writes, The malaise of Indian industry during Modis tenure is typified by his most famous flagship scheme, Make in India. It is his biggest failure; it is also an unoriginal idea. It is nothing more than a revival of the National Manufacturing Competitiveness Council that the UPA set up in 2004, whose first chairman was V Krishnamurthy. He also says that the growth rates were seemed to have been recalibrated to make the governments economic management look good, with an average rate of 7.35 per cent over its first four years.

The jobs Modi mentioned like pakoda sellers, autorickshaw drivers, tea-stall boys and newspaper deliverers are all in the informal sector and are nobodys idea of an aspirational job, he says.

He terms GDP figures as way below Indias potential. But then India is the only country in the world that grows at 7.35 per cent, without investment, without industrial growth, without agricultural growth. Just like magic, he writes in a sarcastic vein.

The GST concept, he says, is good because it is simple and will lead to lower prices because there wont be any tax on tax; therell be tax set-offs at every stage; and it will widen the tax net for transactions.

It is a better tax, but Modi-Jaitley botched it up at its very beginning. That GST has been tweaked 200 times already and over 400 notifications and 100 circulars and FAQs have been issued since its launch is standing testimony to the folly of the Modi-Jaitley team. Sinha says that UPAs management of the economy was also flawed.

When the global financial crisis hit us, the (UPA) government decided to focus on increasing consumption demand, and it began reducing or even eliminating some excise duties.

This, along with the debt waiver and MNREGA, was meant to put money in peoples pockets to encourage consumption demand. Yet all these welfare measures hardly encouraged productive activity and did not increase investment, he writes.

The Modi government, according to him, had everything going for it on all fronts; it had the kind of opportunity few governments have had in independent Indias history, yet it squandered its mandate.

In summation, the Modi government is just about event management. He is the best in creating false impressions. In the process, Modi has given India its lost half-decade. Elect him again and by 2024 it will be a lost decade, he warns.

The book, published by Juggernaut, is co-authored by journalist Aditya Sinha.

So, why is the need for the book?  Over the last fifty-five months, the Modi government has dished out a stunning continuum of untruths and boasts about its economic management, performance and accomplishments. It thus becomes essential to speak truth to power, and so it is my job that this book be a statement of fact.
A 40-year-old Pakistani man, who has been staying at a Bhopal police station since the last nine months after his 10-year jail term got over here, would be repatriated to his home country on December 26, officials said on Saturday.

The repatriation of Mohammed Imran Warsi is taking place after over a week of software engineer and Mumbai resident Hamid Nihal Ansari being released by Pakistan after he served six years in a jail in that country on espionage charges.

Warsi, 40, has been living at Shahjahanabad Police Station in Bhopal since March when he walked out of a jail in the city after completion of his sentence, as he was awaiting completion of legal formalities.

Warsi had been convicted on charges of conspiracy, cheating and forging documents under provisions of the Passport Act and Official Secrets Act by a local court in 2008.

We have to send Warsi to the Wagah border by December 26 where he will be handed over to Pakistani officials after completion of legal work, Shahjahanabad city superintendent of police Nagendra Kumar Pateriya told PTI.

Office of the district foreign registration officer (FRO) Dharmveer Yadav has sent a letter and other documents to the Shahjahanabad police station to facilitate the repatriation of Warsi, Pateriya said.

For Warsi, Shahjahanabad police station has become home. Though he is not under detention, Warsi cant leave the station. Police personnel provide him meals and look after his daily needs. He sleeps inside the police station during the night, officials said.

Shahjahanabad police station is a nodal station where foreigners to be repatriated wait for completion of their legal formalities. Pateriya said Warsi got married to an Indian woman and the couple have two sons  a 13-year-old and an 11-year-old.

They currently live in Kolkata where Warsi had lived for around four years before moving to Bhopal, he said.

Last Tuesday, Hamid Ansari, who was arrested in Pakistan in 2012 for allegedly entering that country from Afghanistan reportedly to meet a woman he had befriended online, was repatriated and handed over to India at the Wagah-Attari border.

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A passenger onboard Vistara airlines Amritsar-Delhi-Kolkata flight had to be offloaded on Thursday at Delhi airport due to unruly behaviour, the airlines said.

We had an unruly customer situation who insisted on smoking onboard. He was issued a warning letter by the captain and later offloaded when he refused to comply, a statement by the airlines said.

The flight was delayed by over three hours as a result of this incident.

On November 26, a 21-year-old man travelling on a Mumbai-bound Jet Airways flight was deplaned and taken into custody at the Kolkata airport after he allegedly made a social media post from inside the aircraft saying he was a terrorist.

A co-passenger informed the captain of the flight that Yogen Poddar allegedly wrote on a social media app, saying he is a terrorist on board on a day the country was observing the tenth anniversary of the terror attacks in Mumbai.

While he was on board he was chatting with his friend on the Snapchat app with a handkerchief on his face. He had written Terrorist on flight, I destroy women hearts, which was noticed by one of the passengers on board namely Mr Benjamin Placket, who was seated one seat diagonally behind him, a Central Industrial Security Force source said.

He immediately informed the same to the captain of the flight. The captain passed the message to Jet Airways duty manager and the passenger was detained by Jet Airways security, the source said.
With the BJP and a sulking set of Paswans appearing to have agreed on seat sharing in Bihar for the 2019 elections after several rounds of talks, there is intense speculation now over who will contest one seat that the math so far isolates. Re-enter Mukesh Sahni, who calls himself the Son of Mallah (boatman).

But first the numbers. Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan and his son Chirag Paswan have, sources said, agreed that their Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) will contest only five of the 40 members that Bihar sends to the Lok Sabha, and one in Uttar Pradesh or Jharkhand.

Provided Paswan senior, currently a Lok Sabha MP, gets a Rajya Sabha seat.

The LJP had earlier demanded seven, the number it had contested in 2014. But senior allies BJP and Nitish Kumars Janata Dal (United) reportedly want to contest 17 seats each in an equal split decided upon earlier.

If the Paswans are okay with five, there are 35 parliamentary seats in Bihar up for grabs and leaders in both the BJP and JD (U) asserted that neither side will climb down from the 50:50 formula and agree to the other contesting 18 seats to its 17.

A leader who is familiar with todays negotiations, said the BJP and the JDU may thus contest 17 seats each and one may go to Mukesh Sahni, a 38-year-old former Bollywood set designer who launched an outfit of his own, Vikasheel Insaan Party, last month. The buzz is that he intends to contest the Lok Sabha election from the Muzaffarpur seat, currently held by the BJP.

Sahni calls himself the son of Mallah (boatman), and had first made headlines before the Bihar assembly elections in 2015, when he pledged to organise the Nishads  who include a number of backward sub-castes including the Mallahs  into a political force.

Mukesh Sahni, who has designed sets of blockbusters such as Devdas and Bajrangi Bhaijaan, didnt contest the 2015 elections. But he did make an impact.

Sahni last month told Hindustan Times that leaders from the NDA and other alliances were in touch with him. Whoever offers the best deal, we will join them, Sahni had said.

Inducting Sahni as an ally into the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), the leader said, will also help fill the gap left by Upendra Kushwaha, a backward class leader who exited the alliance earlier this month over seats sharing. Kushwaha has now joined the mahagathbandhan or grand alliance in Bihar which is made up of six parties and includes Lalu Yadavs Rashtriya Janata Dal, the Congress and Jitan Ram Majhis Hindustani Awam Morcha-Secular.

The Kushwahas make up for a little over 6 per cent of the states population. But the Nishad account for 14 per cent and, Sahni believes, can influence the outcome in at least 15 Lok Sabha seats.
The ruling Congress and its allies in Puducherry would stage a demonstration in front of the Parliament in New Delhi on January 4 to press for their demand for statehood to the Union Territory.

PWD Minister and president of PCC A Namassivayam said in a press release in Puducherry Saturday that the legislators of the ruling Congress, its ally the DMK and Left parties, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, MDMK, Indian Union Muslim League and Federation of the Students Associations among others would take part in the protest.

A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of leaders of various parties convened by chief minister V Narayanasamy 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 Narayanasamy on various issues.

Namassivayam claimed that the territorial government was presently struggling to implement public welfare schemes as the Union Territory was not a full-fledged state and its administration was totally under the control of the Centre.

The separate identity of Puducherry cannot also be ensured because of this unique, amusing situation, he added.

He also recalled that despite resolutions pressing for statehood being adopted on several occasions on the floor of the territorial Assembly, the Centre was continuously rejecting the demand.

Puducherry and its outlying regions of Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam merged de jure with the Indian Union in 1962 after liberation from the French regime and it has since been a Union Territory.
A Punjab National Bank (PNB) officer was abducted and later killed by unidentified criminals in Gaya district in Bihar.

The banks Customer Service Point (CSP) in-charge Pintu Singh was abducted late on Friday from near Amas, Officer in-chrage of Amas Police station Shayam Lal Sarah said.

After his kidnapping which was after 11 pm., Singh is believed to have been shot dead around 2 am. on Saturday, according to police. Deep injury marks were found on his head.

Singhs killing came barely 48 hours after a businessman was shot dead in Vaishali district. The back-to-back killings have triggered violent protest by villagers, who have blocked the GT Road disrupting traffic for hours, Sarah added.

Also Read: Businessman shot dead in Bihar, second killing in three days

Gunjan Khemka, the industrialist was shot dead on Thursday in Hajipur in Vaishali. His son, Gopal Khemka is a well-known businessman in Patna.

Khemka was targeted on his way to his factory in Hajipur, about 30 km from Patna, Vaishali Superintendent of Police Manavjit Singh Dhillon said.

Police are still in dark and yet to make any breakthrough in the case.

Opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal and Congress leaders have targeted chief minister Nitish Kumar for the rise in crime and total collapse of law and order.

There is no law and order in Bihar. It is free for criminals and they do as per their will, RJD spokesperson Bhai Virendar said.
The Supreme Court has agreed to examine whether a state government can belatedly initiate proceedings to claim land that was notified for acquisition over six decades ago.

The decision comes after 27 farmers from Guria village in West Bengals Purba Medinipur district approached the top court against the states move to take over their agricultural land that it claims to have acquired 67 years ago.

The farmers want the SC to set aside a Calcutta high court order refusing to intervene in the government action that asks farmers to vacate 35 acres required for a brick field. A bench of justices AM Sapre and Indu Malhotra has asked the state to respond to the petition by January second week.

Filed through advocates Rohan D Bhowmick and Uday Gupta, the petition says the farmers and their families have been cultivating land for generations. In 2015, they were shocked when the local authorities summoned them to say that the land did not belong to them but to the state public works department (PWD).

The state authorities provided details about acquisition proceedings under the West Bengal Land (Requisition and Acquisition) Act, 1948, to the petitioners and told them the same thing had happened when they were children. The land was turned over to the government and, years later, vested with the PWD.

However, the authorities failed to produce any document in support of the completion of acquisition proceedings, including the passing of the award and payment of compensation. A desperate search by the farmers for scraps of information about the acquisition revealed nothing, the court was told. They were forced to approach the court when the authorities threatened to evict them from the land.

In September this year, the HC did not favour the farmers. It concluded that the farmers had woken up too late. The acquisition was duly notified, published in a gazette and culminated in an award.

But, the farmers asserted, the state neither took physical possession of the land nor paid them any compensation. Though acquisition proceedings were initiated 67 years back for the purpose of a brick field, but no possession was taken by the land acquisition collector and no award was passed and no compensation was paid, hence said proceeding has been lapsed by operation of law, the petition contended.

Petitioners father and forefathers were owners of the land. After the expiry of their father and forefathers, they have become owners of the respective plots of land by way of inheritance, and they are in possession and cultivating the land since, long without any interruption from any corner, it said.

The petition comes close on the heels of another plea filed by activist Medha Patekar challenging the legality of the amendments made to the land acquisition law by five states. Patkar contended that the changes allow forcible acquisition of land for both private and public infrastructure projects. The top court has agreed to look into the matter.
(CNN)  RT faces potential penalties after Britain's media regulator ruled that its coverage of the Skripal poisonings breached impartiality rules.

Ofcom said in a statement Thursday that the Russian broadcaster failed to preserve "due impartiality" in seven programs that aired after the poisoning of former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal.

"The seven breaches represent a serious failure of compliance with our broadcasting rules," the regulator said.

Ofcom said that RT broke rules that require broadcasters to give "due weight" to a wide range of opinions when covering major political controversies.

RT now faces potential sanctions, Ofcom said. The broadcaster could be fined or even have its license revoked.

The broadcaster said in a statement that it was "extremely disappointed" by the decision.

"We operate under rules outlined by the regulator, and always strive to abide by them. It appears Ofcom has failed to fully take on-board what we said in response to its investigations," it said.

The broadcaster said it would review the findings before deciding how to respond.

RT had argued that its mission was "to make available an alternative point of view on world events, especially Russia-related ones."

Skripal and his daughter were poisoned by the nerve agent Novichok in what the British authorities said was an attack conducted by agents of the Russian military intelligence service, known as the GRU.

RT is owned by Russian state-owned news agency RIA Novosti. RT's UK broadcast licenses were granted to the company's television division, ANO TV Novosti.

The channel has a very small viewership in the United Kingdom, but members of parliament have frequently appeared on the channel.

This story was first published on CNN.com "UK regulator says Russian broadcaster RT broke its rules"
Photo: Iain Best

Birders in B.C. have been excited about a couple of rare sightings, including a Fieldfare in Salmon Arm last week.

In Kelowna, Iain Best sent us a photo of a Muscovy duck wandering around in his driveway in the Black Mountain area.

The Muscovy duck is a large duck native to Mexico, Central and South America. Males weigh up to seven kilograms. The females are considerably smaller, and only grow to roughly half the males' size. The bird is predominantly black and white, with the back feathers being iridescent and glossy on males, while the females are described as more drab.

The Muscovy duck is a tropical bird, but adapts well to cooler climates and can thrive in sub-zero weather.

Although the duck is not native to our area, they have been bred as domestic birds commonly known in Spanish as the "pato criollo" or backyard duck. The ducks have been bred since pre-Columbian times by Native Americans and are heavier and less able to fly long distances than the wild subspecies.

Best tells Castanet that his wife's family raised this type of duck many years ago in the Kootenays, so it may not be that far away from home after all.

So far, this feathered fowl has managed not to end up as someone's Christmas dinner bird.
The newly elected Congress governments in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan are facing their first test in the agriculture front in the middle of the rabi season (January to March) due to shortage of urea in several districts.

Farmers in Raisen and Guna districts in Madhya Pradesh staged protests and blocked roads after the cooperative societies ran out of the urea on Thursday. The farmers alleged that black-marketing was rampant by private traders. There were reports of protests from Dewas and Neemuch on Friday also.

Meanwhile, in Rajasthans Hadoti region, long queues were seen outside cooperative committee offices for urea.

Commissioner, agriculture production, Madhya Pradesh, additional chief secretary, PC Meena, says 18 of the 51 districts in the state is facing a shortage. He claims that the shortfall was due to channelising urea to Haryana and Punjab.

We are getting additional railway racks for urea and the crisis will end within three to four days. Also, there are some logistical problems leading to the crisis. There is no black marketing going on, I havent received any complaints, says Meena.

However, farm group leaders allege that the shortfall is due to rampant sale of urea in the black market.

A 45 kg bag of urea cost ~250 and farmer gets it in credit when they purchase it from the cooperative society, but private traders are selling it at ~450 per bag and there is nobody to check it. Traders have been given a free hand because they contributed funds during elections, alleges Bharatiya Kisan Union state general secretary Anil Yadav.

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh-backed Bharatiya Kisan Morcha Madhya Prant general secretary Shivkant Dixit says the shortage is due to governments policy of giving more urea to traders and less to cooperative societies.

Earlier 20% of urea was given to traders, now it is 50%. Farmers prefer to buy it from society as they get credit, and hence the long queues, says Dixit.

According to figures of the agriculture department, Madhya Pradesh needs 13 lakh tonne of urea for the ongoing rabi season and so far the state has received 8 lakh tonne, of which 1.5 lakh tonne is still in godowns. The urea quota of Madhya Pradesh is 3.70 lakh tonne every month.

Before the state elections in November, the central government gave 4.10 lakh tonne, with the promise that the state would be given the same quantity during December and January. But till Thursday, the Centre has released only 1.89 lakh tonne of urea, said officials of the agriculture department.

We need an additional 80,000 to 90,000 tonne of urea in December and we have been promised that five railway racks of urea (each rack carries 3,000 tonne of urea) will be provided to MP. It should be sufficient to tide over the crisis, says Meena.

But the Kamal Nath-led Congress government in Madhya Pradesh is not taking any chances. The chief minister talked to railway minister Piyush Goyal and Union chemicals and fertiliser minister Sadananda Gowda and urged them to provide additional railway racks and urea and also directed officials to monitor the situation.

Meanwhile, the situation in Rajasthan is also grim.

I have been standing in the queue outside shops for the last couple of days to get 30 bags of urea, but I have not got a single bag, said Raju Nagar, 45, a farmer from Gadepan village in Kota district. Each bag contains 45 kg urea.

Bharat Singh, Congress MLA from Sangod, Kota, blamed the Centre for the urea shortage. The Centre failed to allocate sufficient urea to the states and now farmers in Rajasthan are bearing the brunt, he said.

Blaming the Congress government, Bharatiya Janata Partys (BJP) Kisan Morcha state secretary Mukut Nagar said, farmers are struggling to get urea for the rabi season, its for the newly-elected state government to ensure its availability.

However, officials deny of any urea shortage. Divisional commissioner, Kota, KC Verma said the railway racks with 3,198 metric tonnes of urea arrived on Friday and distributed to cooperative societies. He added that the Kota division has so far received 1.61 lakh metric tonnes from its annual quota of 2.38 lakh lakh metric tonnes.

Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot has also assured that farmers will not face any urea shortage and monitoring will be done at district-level.

On Gehlots directions, chief secretary DB Gupta spoke to additional secretary Dharam Pal, and urged him to ensure availability of urea. Principal secretary agriculture and cooperative, Abhay Kumar has been asked to meet secretary fertiliser Bharathi Sivaswami Sihag to discuss the issue.
Sabarimala was on the boil again since early morning on Sunday as a group of women from Tamil Nadu attempted to reach the hill shrine. Angry protesters blocked the women, all reportedly below 50 years of age, leading to a tense stand-off.

Though the women, part of an outfit called Maniti, arrived at Sabarimala with heavy police protection, the devotees converged in no time, blocking them at Pamba base camp. Though the women said they were a group of 40, protesters could identify only 11 and blocked them. Maniti leader L Vasanthi is among the 11.

Senior police officials present at the spot tried to reason with the women, informing them about the volatile situation, but they insisted on going ahead. Prohibitory orders are in place in the hilltop shrine and its two base camps. The devotees, however, defied section 144 to block the women.

Fearing that more protestors will descend at the shrine, police have suspended bus services temporarily. The women said that they came after getting assurance from Kerala police, which the latter denied.

Follow live updates here: Women activists attempt to visit shrine, blocked by angry devotees

Maniti, a Chennai-based women collective formed in the wake of honour killings, said on Saturday that at least 40 women, all aged between 22 to 45, will reach Kottayam and Erumeli in small batches and proceed to the temple.

Most of us are observing customary fast and we are coming as pilgrims, not as activists. We have informed the state government about our pilgrimage and we expect protection to worship at the hill abode, said L Vasanthi.

But Sabarimala Karma Samiti, an umbrella organisation of multiple outfits opposing the entry of women of reproductive age to the ancient shrine, had announced its plan to block them and its volunteers have fanned out to many railway stations and bus terminals to spot them.

We will not allow them to crush the age-old customs of the temple. It is not a picnic spot for activists, said Samiti leader KP Sasikala.

The shrine in Pathanamthitta district has been witnessing violent protests by a section of devotees and right-wing groups since the Supreme Courts September 28 verdict allowing women of all ages to worship at the temple.

Trouble began when the state government rushed to implement the verdict. Both the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) feel the affidavit of the state government supporting womens entry led to the top courts verdict.

As the shrine opened for the annual pilgrimage on November 17, the government imposed many restrictions, including prohibitory orders, at the hilltop and the base camps to tackle protesters and deployed more than 10,000 police personnel.

The state also witnessed three shutdowns over the issue and an uneasy calm is still prevailing at the temple area.

A senior police officer had earlier said that the womens team from Tamil Nadu will be told about the ground situation and requested to return but if they insist, officials will approach the government to take a decision.

Since the pilgrimage is going smoothly now, the Travancore Devasom Board, which runs the temple, is not in favour of vitiating the atmosphere.

Even two months after the verdict. women in the barred age group (10 to 50) were not allowed to worship at the temple. The apex court will take up a bunch of review petitions against its verdict on January 22.
Hitting out at Naseeruddin Shahs comments on Bulandshahr violence, president of Navnirman Sena Amit Jani called the legendary actor a traitor and also booked him a ticket for Karachi.

Speaking to HT, Jani said that he has booked the ticket costing 14,691 for Shah for August 14, which is the Independence day of Pakistan.

Shah found himself at the centre of a major controversy on Friday over his remarks in reference to the killing of a policeman in Bulandshahr earlier this month.

He said the death of a cow was being given importance over killing of a policeman in the violence.

If Naseeruddin Shah feels scared in India, he can go to Pakistan. The UPNS (Uttar Pradesh Navnirman Sena) has booked a air-ticket for him to Pakistan for August 14, UPNS chief Amit Jani told PTI.

Like him, if anybody else feels scared, the UPNS will also book air-tickets for them to Pakistan, he said. Wondering why his comments on mob violence were being misconstrued with some people calling him a traitor, actor Shah said Friday in Ajmer that he spoke as a worried Indian and has the right to express concerns about the country he loves.

What I said earlier was as a worried Indian. I have said this earlier as well. What did I say this time that I am being called a traitor? It is very strange, Shah had said yesterday.

I have to bear criticism. If they have the right to criticise, then I also have the same right. I am expressing concerns about the country I love, the country that is my home. How is that a crime? he asked.

Shah was responding to a question about the backlash he is receiving on social media following his remarks. The actor had expressed anxiety over the growing mob violence in a video interview with Karwan-e-Mohabbat India, which the organisation shared on its YouTube channel on Monday. In the interview, the actor expressed concern over the well-being of his children, who he said have not been brought up as followers of any particular religion.

(With inputs from PTI)
Four men, who allegedly kidnapped two minor children of a florist in Sultanpur demanding 50 lakh, killed the younger one, when police raided their hideout Friday, police said.

Superintendent of police (Sultanpur) Anurag Vats said Priyansh, 6, and Divyansh, 8, were kidnapped by four miscreants Thursday when they were returning from their school in Katra. Their father lodged an FIR after getting a ransom call.

Also Read: Spurt in crime in Uttar Pradesh puts Yogi Adityanath government in a spot

When police raided the criminals hideout, the abductors attacked the kids with a spade, killing Priyansh and seriously injuring Divyansh. The kidnappers have been arrested. Divyansh is in ventilator support at a Lucknow hospital.

Chief minister Yogi Adityanath assured stern action against the culprits and announced 7 lakh compensation to the family.
Actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan on Saturday said that his Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) will make an alliance with like-minded parties ahead of Lok Sabha polls 2019.

During the meeting, 18 executive committee members and six high-level committee members have authorised Kamal to take the final decisions over making an alliance for LS polls.

Speaking to the media at party headquarters in Alwarpet at Chennai, Kamal said, we are ready to join hands with the like-minded parties. We have formed a committee to select candidates for Lok Sabha polls. Of course, I am also to face the general elections this time.

When asked if MNM would join either Congress or Bharatiya Janata Party, Kamal said his party will never join hands with anyone who looks to change the DNA of Tamil Nadu.

We will decide the alliance during election time. Our election campaigns will speak for the development of the state. I have said that I am open for the alliance. As of now, I cannot make it clear that whether I am going to head an alliance or join under an alliance lead by some other leaders. It depends upon the parties coming down to speak with us, said Kamal.

When Kamal was in New Delhi in June to register his party with the Election Commission, he met Congress chief Rahul Gandhi. But when Rahul and Sonia Gandhi visited Chennai to unveil Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam patriarch M Karunanidhis statue, Kamal ended the speculations saying he has not decided anything about the alliance.
Senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Alka Lamba was asked to resign from the party on Friday after a controversy erupted over a resolution in the Delhi Assembly seeking withdrawal of the Bharat Ratna awarded to former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi.

Sources in the party said the action was taken against Lamba after she allegedly made last-minute changes to the resolution, on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, by adding mentions to Gandhi. The alleged additions to the resolution sought to withdraw the Bharat Ratna over the former PMs comments on the 1984 riots.

Contrary to the AAPs allegation, Lamba, an MLA from Chandni Chowk, said she had instead opposed the inclusion of the portion on Gandhi and was being punished for the same.

Today, there was a proposal in the assembly to seek withdrawal of Bharat Ratna award to former PM Rajiv Gandhi. In my speech in the House, I was asked to support this motion. I did not agree and staged a walk out of the House. Now I am ready to face whatever punishment, she said in a tweet in Hindi.

There was also controversy on whether the resolution seeking withdrawal of Bharat Ratna from Gandhi was passed in the House. While Assembly secretariat officials and Leader of Opposition, senior BJP leader Vijender Gupta, said the resolution was passed on a voice vote, AAP leaders said that the part about Rajiv Gandhis Bharat Ratna was an amendment, which had not been originally passed.

It cannot be an amendment as it was read out and given as a part of the resolution that was tabled in the House for the first time. If AAP legislators want to amend the resolution by withdrawing the part about Rajiv Gandhi, it could be done in another session of the House, said an official requesting anonymity.

Moving the resolution, Jarnail Singh, AAP MLA from Tilak Nagar, said in the House Gandhi justified the riots by his statements. This House also resolves that Centre should withdraw Bharat Ratna from the then acting PM Rajiv Gandhi, read the lines in the resolution, which officials in the Delhi secretariat confirmed was adopted by the House.

Earlier, Saurabh Bharadwaj, AAP legislator from Greater Kailash, said the lines about Gandhi was not a part of the resolution placed before the House and distributed among the members.

Lines about late Rajiv Gandhi were added by one MLA in his handwriting proposing an addition/amendment about late Rajiv Gandhi. Amendments cannot be passed in this manner, he said in a tweet.



He then said that the handwritten amendment was added by Malviya Nagar MLA Somnath Bharti and passed on to Jarnail Singh. Bharadwaj said that the portion about Gandhi was not adopted by the House.

Later, in a tweet, Lamba said, I was asked to support the resolution demanding taking back the Bharat Ratna awarded to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. Since I didnt agree to this, I staged a walk out. I am ready to accept whatever punishment given to me.

Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee president, Ajay Maken criticised AAP for targeting the former PM. Rajiv Gandhi sacrificed his life for the country. True colours of AAP have come out in the open. I have always believed that AAP is the BJPs B team. They fielded candidates in Goa, Punjab, MP, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh just to cut the votes of Congress and help the BJP, Maken tweeted.

Vijender Gupta, who was in the House, said the resolution, including the part concerning the Bharat Ratna, was adopted and that it was now in the records of the House. They (AAP) are left red-faced by the move because they are planning an alliance with the Congress, which will obviously be affected by the resolution, he said.

Delhi Assembly comprises 66 MLAs from AAP, three from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and one Shrimoni Akali Dal.

Former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar quit the party this week following his conviction in a case related to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots that followed the assassination of the then PM Indira Gandhi. Rajiv Gandhi, who took over the reins of the party and the government following his mothers demise, was posthumously awarded Bharat Ratna, the countrys highest civilian award, in 1991.

Fridays resolution also sought to term the 1984 anti-Sikh riots as genocide.
Tears rolled down the eyes of Sarfuddin as he hugged his children  two sons and a daughter  after spending 16 days in jail on fake charges of cow slaughter in Bulandshahr.

For Sarfuddin, a post-graduate in political science, the 16-day nightmare is over but questions and agony remain.

As Sarfuddin returned to his village Nayabaans after his release from jail on Friday, he burst into tears on seeing the villagers coming to meet him.

Interestingly, Nayabaans is also the native village of Bajrang Dal district co-ordinator Yogesh Raj, who had lodged an FIR against Sarfuddin and three others accusing them of cow slaughter.

Yogesh is prime accused in Bulandshahr violence which led to violence in Bulandshahr resulting in the killing of two people, police inspector Subodh Kumar Singh and a local Sumit Kumar. Yogesh is on the run.

I don`t know why the Allah punished me for none of my fault. Who will return 16 precious days of my life and sufferings of my family and children, said Sarfuddin, who runs a small cloth shop in Syana town of Bulandshahr.

We are being targeted because we are Muslims. The administration has failed to nab the real troublemakers even 18 days after the violence, he said.

Squarely blaming Yogesh Raj for hatching a conspiracy to send him to jail on false charges, Sarfuddin said: He was against me as I was the president of village`s Waqf Madni Masjid. I was trying to seek permission for mounting loudspeaker on the mosque and to carry out some construction work. Yogesh was against it and pressurised the officials not to entertain our requests.

The special investigation team (SIT) looking into the Bulandshahr violence gave a clean chit to Sarfuddin and three others, identified as Sajid, Asif and Banne. They were released from jail late on Thursday evening.

According to Sarfuddin, Yogesh included his name in the FIR along with that of Sudaif Chaudhary, Iliyas, Sajid, Anas, Sharafat and Parvez. He alleged that the police sent him, along with Sajid, to jail without verifying facts.

I thank the SIT and the media who highlighted the fact that we were falsely implicating in the case, which eventually ensured justice, he said.

Sarfuddin said he would reopen his shop and send his children to school again.

His brother Mohd Hussain said the children were reluctant of going to school as they were unable to stand the remarks being made by fellow students.

I had gone to participate in Tablighi Ijtema in Bulandshahr on November 30. I was assigned the duty of taking care of the parking lot. I stayed there till the religious programme ended on December 3, Sarfuddin said.

My brother Mohd Hussain and other villagers joined me there on December 1 and in the evening of December 3. We were there when we came to know about the violence and killings of inspector Subodh Singh and Sumit, he said.

Sarfuddin said as the situation was volatile they decided to stay away from the village and went to a relatives home. It was there that my brother received a call from the police who informed him that I was wanted in cow slaughter case, he said.

Sarfuddin said Hussain tried to explain that he was not present in the area when the incident took place but the police insisted that he be handed over to them.

After discussing the matter, the villagers decided that I should be handed over to the Syana police in their presence, he said.

The villagers said that another named accused Sajid and his family had shifted to Faridabad about 12 years ago. Sajid was also attending Tablighi Ijtema after which he returned to Faridabad.

Villagers said they called Sajid from Faridabad and handed him over to the police on December 5.

Another accused, Sharafat, was released after three days of detention when the police found no evidence against him.

Police also picked up one Asif from Aurangabad locality and Banne of Kheliya village. Notably, their names were not in the FIR.

However, the SIT found all of them innocent and recommended their release.

Asifs brother Aas Mohammad said, He (Asif) lives in Mumbai with his two children and wife. He is into the sale and purchase of watches. He had come here to meet us. The police barged into our house on December 4 and took him with them.

We tried to convince the police but they threatened us that they would book us too, Mohammad alleged.

Asif has decided to leave for Mumbai on Saturday and said he would not visit the place again.

I have spent my precious 16 days in jail despite being innocent. I dont want to come here again, said Asif.

Another accused Banne, who also returned to the village, refused to talk about the trauma that he suffered in jail.

We have returned to our families only because of media which highlighted the issue and compelled the SIT to carry out fair investigation. We still believe that there are many honest policemen, said Sarfuddin and Asif.
President of Uttar Pradesh Nav Nirman Sena Amit Jani on Friday targeted cine actor Naseeruddin Shah asking him to move to Pakistan if he feared living in India. Jani claimed to have also booked an air ticket for Shah for August 14, the independence day of Pakistan.

Known for his controversial statements, Jani addressed mediapersons in Agra and targeted Naseer for his recent statements on mob violence and wave of fear gripping the nation. Shah has recently said in an interview that he was worried about the future of his children. He was speaking in the backdrop of Bulandshahr violence in which a police inspector and a villager were killed following incident of cow slaughter. If Naseeruddin Shah feels scared living in India, then he should leave the country and shift to Pakistan for which we can make arrangements, stated Jani. Jani said that he had posted the ticket to Naseers address in Mumbai so that he could plan his visit to Pakistan accordingly .

Amit Jani had been courting controversies and had recently named candidates for forthcoming Lok Sabha elections who included controversial names booked for killing and hatred.
Seat-sharing talks between Ramvilas Paswans LJP and the BJP for Lok Sabha seats in Bihar have ended on acceptable terms.

After holding talks with BJP president Amit Shah on Thursday, Paswan along with his son and MP Chirag Paswan held discussions with union minister Arun Jaitley on Friday over seat-sharing arrangements in Bihar.

We are and will remain in NDA. Seat-sharing will be announced in days to come, Ram Chandra Paswan, MP and Ramvilass brother, who attended the meeting, said. Talks are going on. An announcement will be made at an appropriate time. We have put our points before the BJP leadership and the important thing is that we are being heard. Hope everything will be fine, Chirag told reporters.

Chirag had recently given an ultimatum to NDA to sort out seat-sharing issues in Bihar by December 31 or else it would also decide its future course of action.

If sources are to be believed, after talks with Shah and Jaitley, LJP has agreed to contest on five seats in Bihar, one in UP, beside a Rajya Sabha seat, or six seats in Bihar alone. The BJP-JD (U) had already announced to contest on 50% seats each, said an NDA leader.

The LJP, which has six MPs, wants to contest in the same number of seats for 2019 Lok Sabha polls. The party had contested on seven seats and won six in 2014. Besides, the party has also been demanding a Rajya Sabha seat for Ramvilas, who is not keen to contest the Lok Sabha polls.

In the last Lok Sabha polls, the BJP had contested from 30 seats and won 22 in Bihar, while the LJP won six seats and the Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP), which is now a part of Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) had bagged three. In 2014, the Janata Dal-United (JD-U) had contested on its own but performed poorly. It had won only two seats.

The LJP won six out of seven seats with a vote percentage of 6.50 in 2014 Lok Sabha seats against 3.04% votes received by the RLSP. Besides, Paswan still enjoys the clout among Dalits and Mahadailts, which form 16% of Bihars population.

JD (U) sources said that Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, who reached New Delhi Friday evening to attend a private function, will hold a series of talks with both the alliance partners in the next two days. In all probability, an announcement over number of seats to be contested by each party will be made either on Saturday or Sunday, said a JD (U) leader.
Honeywell International Inc. CEO Darius Adamczyk isnt the type to play the hype man, so when he says hes extraordinarily excited about something, its meaningful. Those were the words he used earlier this year to describe Honeywells vision for using technology to improve air travel and stake out a leading position in the burgeoning field of connected aircraft. Its Kristin Slykers job to make that happen.

Slyker, 44, leads the companys efforts to sell antennas that enable satellite communications, high-speed in-flight WiFi service and software that can improve fuel efficiency, predict maintenance needs and help pilots plan flights. Its a job she says she never would have envisioned for herself when she joined the company more than 16 years ago in an information-technology role. Having grown up in the Phoenix area, where Honeywell Aerospaces headquarters are located, she graduated from Arizona State Universitys W.P. Carey School of Business with a degree in computer information systems. But with a father who served in the Air National Guard, airplanes were an important part  and occasional playground  of Slykers childhood.

This job brings it full circle, Slyker, vice president of connected-aircraft customers and partnerships, said in a Dec. 4 interview on board Honeywells Boeing Co. 757 test plane as we circled the Grand Canyon. The plane, stripped of most passenger accoutrements save for a dozen or so seats, now serves as a flying laboratory for Honeywells latest innovations. These include its GoDirect software services and connected radar that crowdsources information from other planes, satellites and ground systems to give pilots a more complete and accurate picture of the weather.

One reason Slyker may not have envisioned her job is that it didnt officially exist until early 2017, when Honeywell Aerospace CEO Tim Mahoney established connected aircraft as its own business and tapped her to lead it. Connectivity is in Honeywells DNA: the company has been enabling cockpit satellite communications since the 1980s, and has a long history with radar and flight-planning services. The turning point for converting its connected-aircraft aspirations into a full-fledged business was when it gained the ability to pair those traditional offerings with big-data mining and real-time information, Slyker says. The market also had to be ready for next-generation technologies.

Buzzwords like connected and digital tend to translate as overplayed and expensive to industrial investors bruised by General Electric Co.s poorly executed foray into software. Honeywell has pitched its connected-aircraft business as a means to make its aerospace unit, the companys largest, less vulnerable to economic slumps. Demand for connectivity upgrades and software services isnt dictated by flight hours or gross domestic product to the same extent as new plane purchases and traditional repair work, Ben Driggs, president of services and connectivity at Honeywell Aerospace, said in an interview. The big question, as it was for GE, is whether this can be a new source of revenue for Honeywell or if these investments are simply necessary to maintain its hold on high-margin maintenance work, says Scott Davis, CEO of Melius Research.

Its easy to understand the business model for Honeywells JetWave equipment that enables reliable WiFi even over oceans. The company also sells access to that connection via a distribution agreement with satellite communications operator Inmarsat Plc. In an increasingly connected world, the ability to be plugged in and entertained at all times holds appeal for passengers  and for the airlines that can charge them for that service. The less tangible part of Honeywells connected-aircraft push is the idea of using data harvested from plane parts to improve operations. United Technologies Corp.s $30 billion takeover of avionics maker Rockwell Collins Inc. is a bet that scale will help it get ahead in connected aircraft, but Honeywell is prioritizing quality over quantity. What works in Honeywells favor, Davis says, is its bottom-up mindset.

The company starts with a known problem  like the delays passengers can face while an airline tracks down a fueling truck from the other end of the airport  and then tries to find a way to solve it via software and data analytics. In this case, its Honeywells GoDirect Ground software, which uses data scraped from fueling and baggage-sorting trucks to give operators better awareness of how their fleet is being used, allowing them to allocate vehicles more efficiently and improve turnaround times.(2) It sounds simplistic, but its easy to spend a lot of money in software and wind up with offerings people arent willing to pay for. Im not going to build my infrastructure in the hope that Im going to find a problem to solve, Slyker said. Im building my infrastructure to solve the problems I know exist.

She has unique insight into what those problems are. Before coming to Honeywell, Slyker worked in programming and program management at Accenture with a focus on the oil and gas industry. She drew on that background at Honeywell as she transitioned from IT, working first with the team that decided what next-generation business jet technologies the company should invest in before eventually handling planning and controls for the commercial-aviation businesss $1 billion annual research and development budget. She also spent about four years as vice president of commercial-customer operations for Honeywells integrated supply-chain team, which is a fancy way of saying she had to manage cranky phone calls if deliveries didnt show up or quality issues arose. This isnt a job I envy, but it trained her to make customers needs the starting point for decision-making.

That mentality is paying off. Swissport International, the worlds largest ground-service provider, inked a deal this month to deploy GoDirect Ground across its operations.No financial terms were disclosed, but the 13% reduction in maintenance costs Swissport reported after applying Honeywells service across five ground-handling stations earlier this year was enough to entice it to sign up for a bigger project.

The benefit of Honeywells multi-faceted approach to connected aircraft is that it doesnt necessarily need to earn billions of dollars in revenue from predictive-maintenance software to be successful in this industry. In addition to satellite antennas, Honeywell also sells a little gray box it calls the Aircraft Data Gateway, which gives airlines a way to securely and wirelessly transfer information on and off a plane. Its what makes this whole idea of connected-aircraft and real-time information work, so you can see the appeal even for airlines that may prefer to build data-analytics capabilities in house. Honeywells predictive-maintenance offerings should also allow the company to save costs on its own repair work: if you know something will break ahead of time, it tends to be a more minor (and less expensive) fix.

All of this math is made easier by the fact that Honeywell hasnt been throwing money around willy-nilly on software. Its connected-aircraft operations blossomed out of three acquisitions and, true to Honeywell form, they were niche and reasonably priced. The company bought wireless-connectivity company EMS Technologies for $491 million in 2011 and then paid an undisclosed amount to acquire fuel efficiency software-maker Aviaso and in-flight airtime provider Satcom1 in 2015. Contrast that with GEs recent announcement that it will sell a majority stake in its ServiceMax field-technician software business to Silver Lake for seemingly a lot less than the $915 million it paid for it in 2017.

Connectivity is a squishy word that many companies abuse, but Slyker and Honeywell have a concrete approach to it that should pay off one way or another.

(1) This software was developed in partnership with telematics company Pinnacle.

(2) Swissport was acquired by HNA Group in 2016. The debt-laden Chinese conglomerate is attempting to unload assets and was reportedly in talks to sell Swissport to Brookfield Asset Management.

Brooke Sutherland is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering deals and industrial companies. She previously wrote an M&A column for Bloomberg News.

For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion

2018 Bloomberg L.P.
Photo: EarthSky

In 2013, Voyager 1 left the solar system, moving at around 62,000 km/h.

In the last few weeks, Voyager 2 followed.

They bear messages to any alien civilizations that might find them, including recordings of sounds of Earth. However, space is so huge, it is unlikely anyone will come across them.

Launched in 1977, the two spacecraft were intended to give us close views of the outer planets. Back then we did not have the technology to slow the spacecraft down to go into orbit around those planets.

They just shot past at high speed, taking pictures and making other observations as they went. As seems usual these days, the results that came back from those robot explorers have forced us to discard a lot of our favourite theories about the working of the outer solar system.

When we fly outward from Earth, we eventually reach the magnetopause, where our planet's magnetic field ends and we enter the realm of the solar wind.

There is a definite point at where we leave Near-Earth space and enter interplanetary space. The solar wind flows outward past all the planets, with most of them having their own backyards, enclosed by their magnetic barriers.

Eventually, the solar wind meets the magnetic field of our galaxy, the Milky Way. The meeting point is called the heliopause.

Inside the heliopause, we are in the solar system, beyond we are in interstellar space. The solar system is our cosmic backyard, and we are now venturing over the back fence into interstellar space.

This brings us face-to-face with unimaginably huge distances and spans of time. Light takes about 100,000 years to travel from one side of our galaxy to the other, so we say it has a diameter of 100,000 light years.

Light takes about eight minutes to travel from the sun to us. The solar system is less than a light day in diameter, and it took the Voyager spacecraft since 1977 to reach the heliopause. The nearest star after the sun lies 4.3 light years away.

If Voyager 1 were heading in the right direction, it would take around 80,000 years to reach it. Images from the Hubble Space Telescope show millions of galaxies, extending out billions of light years from us.

To explore even our own galaxy would require spacecraft able to travel at huge speeds, far faster than anything we can achieve now. This brings us to Mother Nature's speed limit.

Albert Einstein showed, and experiments have proved him right, that any material object cannot travel faster than the speed of light. At that speed, it would still take 4.3 years to get to the nearest star. However, as we get closer and closer to the speed of light, funny things happen to time.

We could return from our trip to the nearest star, after a two-way journey time of nine to 10 years, depending on how long we spent exploring, and find that centuries or millennia had passed on Earth.

For all intents, we would have to regard the trip as one-way, because when we got back, everything we were familiar with would be long gone. In science fiction, this problem has been "solved" with ideas like "warp drive", "jumps through hyperspace" and so on.

The latest work in physics suggests such things might well be possible. However, at the moment, we have no ideas as to how we can make them happen.

One stunning thing we have found from our space probes out there exploring the solar system is how long they have continued to work. Probes have been sending us back data after decades or more.

One explanation for this might be that those robots are well beyond the reach of engineers and scientists who have bright ideas as to how to tweak those devices to make them "work better.

Since this is my last article for 2018, I am taking this opportunity to wish you a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year.
China on Friday dismissed as untrue a US media report that alleged that it has hatched a secret plan to build fighter jets and other military hardware in Pakistan as part of the USD 60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project.

The CPEC, which connects Gwadar Port in Balochistan with Chinas Xinjiang province, is the flagship project of Chinese President Xi Jinpings ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

The Islamabad datelined report in the New York Times said Pakistani Air Force and Chinese officials were putting the final touches to the secret proposal.

Chinese officials have repeatedly said the Belt and Road is purely an economic project with peaceful intent. But with its plan for Pakistan, China is for the first time explicitly tying a Belt and Road proposal to its military ambitions  and confirming the concerns of a host of nations who suspect the infrastructure initiative is really about helping China project armed might, the report said.

According to our information the relevant report is not true, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Hua Chunying, told a media briefing when asked about the report, which coincided with the eighth Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) meeting of the CPEC during which both sides signed an agreement to expand industrial cooperation in diverse fields and attract investment in special economic zones.

Hua said the CPEC is an important framework for cooperation bearing the long-term interests in mind.

All-weather friends and close allies, China and Pakistan have been jointly building the J-17 Thunder, a single seater multi-role combat aircraft. Pakistan has been eyeing a number of new advanced Chinese jets including the stealth fighter.
United States president Donald Trump signed a bill Friday to name a Virginia post office after Humayun Khan, the Muslim-American soldier killed in Iraq whose parents he attacked during the 2016 campaign.

The measure was sponsored by Republican Representative Tom Garrett of Virginia and passed Congress unanimously. The U.S. Postal Service office that will bear the former Army captains name is in Charlottesville, where he attended the University of Virginia. Khan died at 27 in 2004 and was posthumously awarded a Purple Heart and Bronze Star.

His parents, Khizr and Ghazala Khan, appeared together on stage at the 2016 Democratic Convention, with Khizr Khan criticizing then-Republican presidential nominee Trump for his calls to ban Muslims from entering the U.S. Ghazala Khan didnt speak, later writing in the Washington Post she didnt think she could keep her composure.

Trump suggested Ghazala Khan was forbidden from speaking and questioned whether Khizr Khan wrote his own words or if Hillary Clintons campaign did instead.

In a statement later issued by his campaign, Trump said Captain Khan was a hero and should be honored as should any military service member who dies in combat.
As abrupt as the Trump administrations decision was to halve the number of American troops in Afghanistan by half, India has been prepared for an eventual cut-back or pull-out for a long time now and would like to know the nature and time frame of the reduction to assess implications for its involvement.

There has been no formal response from India to the US decision yet. But people in the know in New Delhi said that assuming the Trump administration had indeed taken a call  but, just to be clear, there has been no tweet or announcement as about the Syrian pullout  India would want to see which US troops are being pulled out, those involved in counter-terrorism or those advising Afghan combat troops, or both.

And the time frame. Will they leave before the upcoming Afghan elections or after? Leaving before could determine the nature of the elections  whether they will be free and fair  which, in turn, could determine the legitimacy and the outcome, said a person familiar with the deliberations.

These two factors would critical to assessing the repercussion for India  whether the troop cut would be hugely consequential or one that can be managed.

The Trump administration has decided to withdraw 7,000 of 14,000 American troops from Afghanistan, from Americas longest war yet at 17 years. But there has been no official announcement and, as the New Delhi source pointed out not even a tweet from President Donald Trump. Also not available, thus, are details about the time-frame and the nature and size of remaining forces.

President Trump has been keen to pull out of Afghanistan, as was President Barack Obama, but has sought to base it on conditions and an arbitrarily drawn timeline as preferred by his predecessor. But the move to cut the troops presence has not been explained if its linked to improved in condition or tied to peace talks.

Even allies such as Germany and the United Kingdom who have large troops presence in Afghanistan were not consulted.

The presence of American and NATO forces has been critical for the security situation and Afghanistan and New Delhi would be following developments arising out of the Trump administrations decision closely. Not only do we have four consulates and an embassy there in Afghanistan, but also a large number of ongoing development projects, said a person familiar with Indias views on the issue.
A new accelerator and capital fund headed by an Indian-Canadian woman is looking to speed up innovation in the cannabis industry in Canada and create opportunities in the recently-legalised sector.

While cannabis for medical use was legal in Canada earlier, it became the first G-7 nation to legalise it for recreational use in October. Later that month, Barinder Rasode co-founded Grow Tech Labs, a Vancouver-based accelerator, of which she is the CEO.

Because this is a new industry and we are dealing with the challenges of supply, high-quality cannabis, processing and packaging, the industry requires innovation to deal with the pain points, she said.

Grow Tech has already funded one company that is now working on technology around the growing of cannabis because we realised the supply shortages and the quality of the product have become quite a big conversation, Rasode said. Formally, though, the first cohort of that will be in its inaugural Accelerating Cannabis Innovation Program that will take shape in January.

Grow Tech isnt Rasodes first foray in the cannabis industry. In April 2017, she founded the National Institute for Cannabis Health and Education to foster a conversation between the cannabis industry and mainstream business professionals and health associations.

For Rasode, who was born in Ludhiana and grew up in Kamloops, British Columbia, another goal is to facilitate diversity within the fledgling industry while creating openings for visible minorities: women and indigenous entrepreneurs. We want to create equal opportunities for those groups that might traditionally have faced barriers, the 49-year-old mother of three said.
History has forever entwined India and the United Kingdom at various levels, but rarely have Indian events and issues figured so prominently in London as in 2018.

The Vijay Mallya extradition saga rolled on throughout the year, while the cut-and-thrust of domestic politics was reflected in two high-profile visits: the April visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the Commonwealth Summit, and the August visit of Congress president Rahul Gandhi to interact with policymakers, MPs, scholars as well as Indian journalists and students.

Strengths and challenges of Indian law, banking, prisons, politics and the media were closely examined during the Mallya extradition hearings, as the flamboyant businessman used the media contingent waiting outside the court to try and change the narrative that he stole money from India.

The Westminster magistrates court recommended Mallyas extradition, but many hoops remain before this can happen. He, however, remains enmeshed in several other legal cases, including those seeking to possess his houses and assets.

On the diplomatic front, there was a change of guard in India House, when Y K Sinha retired and Ruchi Ghanshyam took over as only the second woman high commissioner since 1947 (Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit was the first).

One Indian issue that has long endured in the UK is the row over Khalistan, which figured during Modis visit when the Indian flag was torn by a Khalistan supporter; a rally in Trafalgar Square in August seeking a so-called referendum for the independence of Punjab ; and a senior Indian official prevented from entering the Shepherds Bush gurdwara in November.

In July, the Theresa May government brought the curtain down on the sensitive issue of enacting a law to bar caste-based discrimination. After years of debate, it decided not to legislate but to rely on emerging case-law courts.

The 1.5 million-strong Indian community has been deeply divided on the issue, with influential Hindu, Sikh and Jain lobbies denying that caste-based discrimination exists in Britain and contending that enacting such a law would entrench ideas of caste where none exist, while several individuals, Dalit and other groups insist it exists.

During most of 2018, there were four Indian-origin ministers in the May government: Alok Sharma, Shhailesh Vara, Rishi Sunak and Suella Braverman (nee Fernandes), but Brexit-related concerns prompted Vara and Braverman to resign in November. Preet Kaur Gill was appointed shadow minister for international development.

Members of the Indian community continued to figure prominently in royal honours lists. Also for the first time, a Sikh soldier of the Coldstream Guards  Charanpreet Singh Lall  figured in the in traditional Trooping the Colour ceremony at Buckingham Palace for Queen Elizabeths birthday in June.

Meanwhile, Neil Basu was appointed head of Scotland Yards counter-terror operations, while Imtiyaz Shaikh, who hails from Vasco da Gama, became the first councillor of Goan origin to be elected to the council in Swindon.

On Independence Day, Scotland Yard returned to the Indian high commission a 12th century Buddha statue that was stolen from the Archaeological Survey of Indias museum in Nalanda, Bihar, in August 1961, and recovered in the UK.

The year also saw a school in England launch a unique course on Hinglish, the popular portmanteau of English and Hindi used in Indian films, newspaper headlines, television and everyday discourse. Teachers in the school are surprised at the interest in the course.

The India-UK links also extended to the difficult world of stammering. A delighted Matthew Richardson, returning after conducting the first McGuire Programme in New Delhi in December for 30 people, said, They arrived as people unable to speak effectively and left as proud public speakers. Helping people in India to break the stigma of stammering is something I am very proud of.

And finally, Bihar Diwas, on March 22, was celebrated in a unique location: Patna, in Scotland, a village in East Ayrshire founded in the early nineteenth century by a Briton, who was born in Patna, Bihar but returned to Scotland, to house mine workers. The chief guest was also appropriate: the Patna-born Y K Sinha, the former high commissioner.
Pakistans foreign minister has welcomed President Donald Trumps decision to withdraw half the USs troops from Afghanistan.

Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Saturday told reporters in the central city of Multan that the decision is good for ongoing peace talks between the Afghan Taliban and the US

Qureshi says Pakistan welcomes the peace discussions that took place earlier this week in Abu Dhabi and will continue to support the Afghan peace process. The minister said Pakistan has released some Taliban to help facilitate the talks.

The latest talks between the Taliban and U.S. special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad focused on the withdrawal of NATO troops, the release of prisoners and halting attacks on civilians by pro-government forces.

Khalilzad has tweeted that talks held in United Arab Emirates were productive.
A 20-year-old Indian woman in Sharjah was saved from committing suicide in the nick of time by police on Saturday, after she threatened to end her life and livestream the act following trolling on social media.

The woman was reportedly upset over negative comments about her photo she had posted online. She posted a message on social media, saying she would make a video of her suicide bid, police said.

She said she would stream the bid live from her residence in Sharjahs Al Nahda area around 2 am on Saturday as she was distressed at being trolled and cyber-bullied on social media, the Khaleej Times reported.

Sharjah Police swung into action and raced against time to save the woman as they managed to identify the source and location from where the suicide message was posted.

Police officers from the CID and patrols department reached her flat in a building located in Al Nahda and knocked at the door. The girls father opened it and was shocked to see the police, said Colonel Faisal bin Nassar, deputy director of the Sharjah Polices Criminal Investigation Department.

Police told him that they had come to rescue his daughter, who was planning to commit suicide. When police entered her room, they found the woman sitting alone in a dark corner, and apparently preparing to end her life.

On seeing the police, she lost her temper but they managed to calm her down.

The woman told police that she decided to make a live video of her suicide as she was mocked by social media users over her photo. The comments had angered and upset her and she decided to take the extreme step.

Police immediately provided psychological support and counselling to cool her nerves and persuade her to let go of the very thought of suicide, Faisal said.
A Formula-E car race and concerts where men and women mingle freely epitomize the reform agenda of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

But theres a hard limit to the reforms  as revealed by the brutal killing of Saudi critic and writer Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi agents close to the crown prince in October and the reported torture of five womens rights activists in detention.

The crown prince presides over a nation where he alone defines the pace and scope of change.

The concerts and car race cap several months of profound change in Saudi Arabia, including the opening of the first movie theatre in April and the lifting of the worlds only ban on women driving in June.
The United States federal government shut down partially early Saturday after President Donald Trump and the Congress failed to reach an agreement on a spending bill that would set money for a wall along the border with Mexico.

There was no estimate of how long the shutdown or when the negotiations would resume to find a deal to keep the government funded till February. President Trump had cancelled his travel plans to his Florida resort for Christmas and was staying in town.

Departments impacted by the shutdown included agriculture, state, interior, justice, homeland security and NASA. Defence, postal services and veteran affairs and the bulk of the federal government, three-fourths, escaped as their budgets had been cleared earlier. In all 380,000 federal workers will stay home and 420,000, considered essential workers, will work but without pay.

This is the third shutdown in the two years of President Trumps tenure and Republican control over both chambers of Congress, and all three have taken place in 2018.

Were going to have a shutdown, President Trump said in a video recording made released by the White House as it became clear negotiations were not leading anywhere and the Congress decided late evening there will be no vote on Friday.

Theres nothing we can do about that because we need the Democrats to give us their votes. . . . Lets be bipartisan, and lets get it done. The shutdown hopefully will not last long.

The president has sought $5.7 billion to build 215 miles of wall like border structure  which he is now saying will be made of steel-slats, a picture of which he tweeted Friday  to sign the spending bill to fund the part of the federal government impacted by the shutdown.

Democrats have declined to pass any such measure and told the president in a dramatic meeting broadcast live from the White House recently that if he forced a shutdown, he will own it and will be responsible for it, which, Trump conceded, in a tactical lapse, that he has been trying to wriggle out of since.

Faced with dimming prospects of getting the money, the White House indicated the president could be willing to sign a spending bill without it in the interest of keeping the government funded. But then he buckled to furious pushback from his support, specially some right-wing commentators such as Rush Limbaugh and Ann Coulter.

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, Coulter wrote in scathing column headlined, Gutless president in a wall-less country.

Trump unfollowed Coulter on Twitter in predictable pique, but got the message. And is now standing firm on his border wall funding. This is his last chance as he has no chance of getting the money when Democrats take over the House of Representatives in January
The US government was partially shut down early on Saturday in a fierce dispute over President Donald Trumps demands that Congress assign USD 5 billion for a wall along the border with Mexico.

After failing to strike a budget deal on Friday, congressional leaders and the White House pledged to keep talking through the weekend in search of a deal to end the shutdown ahead of the Christmas holiday.

The impasse came after Trump threw a wrench into the works earlier in the week by refusing to agree to a short-term funding deal cut by Democratic and Republican senators because it did not include the USD 5 billion for his border wall.

The US House of Representatives, where Republicans have a majority until Democrats take over on January 3, then passed a bill that including the $5 billion, but it ran aground in the Senate and the shutdown began at midnight on Friday.

After it became clear the House bill lacked the votes to pass, Senate leaders huddled with vice president Mike Pence and other White House officials to try to figure out a path forward.

They failed and lawmakers in both houses of Congress were sent home.

Trump tried to blame Democrats.

Were going to have a shutdown. Theres nothing we can do about that because we need the Democrats to give us their votes, he said in a video posted to his Twitter account two hours before the midnight deadline.

Democrats repeatedly reminded Trump, and voters, that he said last week he would be proud to shut the government down in order to get wall funding.

President Trump has thrown a temper tantrum and now has us careening towards a Trump shutdown over Christmas, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said on the Senate floor on Friday.

About three-quarters of federal government programs are funded through to Sept 30 next year, but the financing for all others - including the departments of Homeland Security, Justice and Agriculture - expired at midnight.

Federal parks will close and more than 400,000 federal essential employees in those agencies will work without pay until the dispute is resolved. Another 380,000 will be furloughed, meaning they are put on temporary leave.

Law enforcement efforts, border patrols, mail delivery and airport operations will keep running.

IMPASSE

For the shutdown to end, both the House and the Senate will have to approve any deal negotiated between Trumps team and Republican and Democratic leaders.

The shutdown could persist at least until a new Congress convenes on January 3, and Democrats take control of the House from Republicans. That does not necessarily mean, however, that Trump would agree to a compromise.

The shutdown comes at the end of a perilous week for the president, one that saw Defense Secretary James Mattis resign in protest after Trumps sudden decision to pull US troops out of Syria.

The Syria move was widely criticized, even by senior Republicans in Congress. And continued heavy losses in the stock market were in part fueled by the political turmoil.

While Trump made the promise of building a border wall a fixture of his 2016 election campaign, it is not a top-tier priority for most Americans.

According to a Reuters/Ipsos poll in late November, only 31 percent of those surveyed said improved border security should be one of the top three priorities for Congress.

That suggests Trump is taking a political risk by gambling on a shutdown to press his point at a time when Democrats are gearing up for their 2020 presidential primary and looking for issues with which to seize an advantage.
I currently work at Starbucks, as senior team lead at the UBCO campus.

Recently, both my manager and a female co-worker were verbally accosting me, harassing me, abusing me, yelling at me, and threatening to leave me alone as we were short handed.

A few days later, a female co-worker was asked how her day was as she was handed over a beverage. She replied, while looking at me, "I just wanna shoot her."

Shortly after that, my manager came to work, and I explained to the situation. I was still scared for my life.

Meanwhile, this co-worker is still employed as if nothing happened, and I am having issues with sleeping, eating, and working. I have notified the union and HR.

On Dec. 10, I went to the doctor, to get help. He prescribed me some anti-anxiety medicine to help me through the holidays.

Close to three weeks, and the only thing that has happened is the ladies having to sign a form acknowledging discipline. Meanwhile I am suffering.

We are scheduled back after the holidays as the campus is closed. Meanwhile, I am not bringing in an income.

If this was done at the airport, CBSA, the police would be there right away, taking the person into custody. Post office, bank or any other local or federal agency, this would have been dealt with right away.

I go back to work Jan. 10. I still have my job. My health is another issue.

I am a hard worker and team player who works to provide for her family. I will not cast myself away from my job. I will fight back.

I hope that it helps others.

Tina Renko
Half Moon Bay, CA (94019)

Today

Mostly cloudy skies this evening will become partly cloudy after midnight. Low 47F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Mostly cloudy skies this evening will become partly cloudy after midnight. Low 47F. Winds light and variable.
I thought, naively perhaps, that during an election campaign it was the medias job to keep all sides honest: to fact check, to analyse arguments and tactics, to point out self-interest, to foster constructive discussions centred on key principles.

The electoral reform referendum campaign suggests otherwise. The Yes side, myself included, based its arguments on independent academic research and data drawn from organizations such as the United Nations and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. The No side based its arguments on disinformation, fearmongering, and specious comparisons with countries with different histories, cultures and socio-economic problems, and proportional representation systems that have little similarity to those proposed for BC.

Despite this discrepancy in the quality of argument, Big Media including corporate chains and monopolies waged a relentless campaign against proportional representation with most opinion columnists and editorials repeating the talking points of the no PR side. For example Black Press newspapers with wide coverage across the province including the Vernon Morningstar published Tom Fletchers diatribes without analysis or counterbalance.

A strong and vibrant democracy depends on well-informed voters making sound decisions based on fact and intelligent analysis. According to Vivadatas 2018 study, Trust in News, 70 per cent of Canadians trust national daily newspapers to provide that information. The media, during the referendum campaign, betrayed that trust.

Susan Young, Vernon
Regions occupancy falls, while room rates increase - Beijing room rates continue to drive overall performance growth - Seoul hotel demand helped by bounce back in international visitors

Regions occupancy falls, while room rates increase - Beijing room rates continue to drive overall performance growth - Seoul hotel demand helped by bounce back in international visitors

Hotels in the Asia Pacific region reported mixed results across the three key performance metrics during November 2018, according to data from STR.

U.S. dollar constant currency, November 2018 vs. November 2017

Asia Pacific

 Occupancy: -1.5% to 72.8%

 Average daily rate (ADR): +1.5% to US$108.92

 Revenue per available room (RevPAR): flat at US$79.32

Local currency, November 2018 vs. November 2017

Beijing

 Occupancy: -1.7% to 77.5%

 ADR: +3.9% to CNY626.51

 RevPAR: +2.2% to CNY485.68

Despite a 0.7% decrease in demand (room nights sold) and an overall decline in occupancy, Beijing posted its highest absolute ADR for any November since 2011. STR analysts note that ADR has increased year over year in the market for 19 consecutive months. That has led to consistent growth in RevPAR, which was up 10.6% year to date through November.

Seoul, South Korea

 Occupancy: +3.6% to 73.0%

 ADR: -2.8% to KRW162,001.84

 RevPAR: +0.7% to KRW118,270.42

November was Seouls second-consecutive month of RevPAR growth after a 19-month stretch of declines that were due in part to geopolitical tension with China. Demand was up 11.6% for the month with a 34.6% rise in the Group segment and a 7.6% lift in Transient business. STR analysts attribute that growth to continued increases in international arrivals from key markets such as Japan, Taiwan and Mainland China. Overall, visitor arrivals to South Korea bounced back and increased 31.1% during the first 10 months of the year, according to the Korea Tourism Organization.

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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.

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Photo: The Canadian Press

A world-renowned Alberta ski resort is appealing a $2.1 million fine it received for cutting down endangered trees five years ago.

Lake Louise Ski Resort pleaded guilty last December to taking down a stand of trees, including 38 endangered whitebark pine, along a ski run in 2013.

The fine, which was imposed last month for charges under the Species at Risk Act and Canada National Parks Act, amounts to roughly $55,000 per tree.

"The sentence is grossly disproportional and demonstrably unfit given ... the actual facts and background of the offence," defence lawyer Alain Hepner wrote in the appeal notice filed Friday.

The court will be asked to either stay the charges or reduce the penalty to $200,000.

An agreed statement of facts said that in 2013 a trail crew, consisting of six employees including a supervisor, began cleaning up, doing fencework and trimming and removing some trees on Ptarmigan Ridge at the ski resort.

The document said that in late September of that year, the workers cut down a number of trees, including endangered whitebark pine, without a permit.

Judge Heather Lamoureux ruled Nov. 30 there was a "cumulative impact" on the whitebark pine with "potential risk of undermining the survival of the species in the decades to come."

She noted the trees were cut in a national park, the resort failed to ensure its employees knew the whitebark pine was endangered and the trees that were destroyed were all healthy.

The five-needle whitebark pine provides food and habitat for animals, as well as helps stabilize steep subalpine slopes.

The tree exists at high elevations in western North America at, or close to, the treeline. They have been growing on the continent for 100,000 years and can grow to be between 500 and 1,000 years old.

But Hepner said the judge didn't take into account remediation efforts the resort took after the trees were cut down or the "lack of impact of the loss of 38 whitebark pines to the population."

With 200 million whitebark pines in Canada, Hepner said the trial judge erred in finding the loss of 38 trees affected the species as a whole.

A spokesman for the resort says steps have been taken to ensure no other whitebark pines are cut down. Staff are better educated and the 7,000 whitebark pines within the resort area are now marked, the resort said.
Johnny Depp has been playing wizards, murderous barbers, pirates and chocolate factory owners/Michael Jacksons for years now, in roles that require such elaborate costuming and makeup that we barely realize it's Johnny Depp (which I guess could be considered a good thing). In other words, it's been a long time since Chocolat.

But Depp still holds on. He's been appearing regularly in huge movies while staying out of his former leading man spotlight, going more and more towards the ageing rockstar a-la-Keith Richards look (a lot of bracelets, hats, shirts with floppy sleeves) that was likely influenced by his most iconic role: Captain Jack Sparrow, a role that he will not reprise.

Although Depp's public persona is now, to an extent, inseparable from Jack Sparrow, the people at Disney are ready to move on and leave with him with his outfits. The new reboot of the series, written by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick who also wrote Deadpool, will proceed Depp-less because, as Disney's film production chief Sean Bailey put it to The Hollywood Reporter, "we want to bring in a new energy and vitality. I love the [Pirates] movies, but part of the reason Paul and Rhett are so interesting is that we want to give it a kick in the pants. And that's what I've tasked them with." RIP Captain Jack.
It wouldn't be appropriate for me to take a dig at Joyner or anyone, before assessing the situation. Yesterday afternoon was the moment Joyner Lucas spoke his piece about the regrettable encounters he's had with "shoddy" journalists since bubbling up. The following Tweets are pretty straightforward; he doesn't throw anyone under the bus, except for Peter Rosenberg who was reportedly fiddling on his phone during an in-studio interview with Lucas this past year.

https://twitter.com/_/status/1076210231321911296



https://twitter.com/_/status/1076211981240037376



In some respects, it's almost as if he's just using the Twitter platform as an open-call to journalists to better their practices, without ruling out flip side of the argument. Other than Rosenberg, we don't know who the culprits are and it doesn't seem to matter.

Those who did Lucas dirty will feel it in their gut. The posts aren't necessarily aimed at the general public, even though the repercussions of a "media boycott" will certainly be felt by those deep-lying fans. This conundrum is very symptomatic of a rapper trapped inside a polarizing debate with no solution in sight.

https://twitter.com/_/status/1076213395878141952



https://twitter.com/_/status/1076214588016742400



If you battle Tory Lanez, win or lose, you're up against his legion of fans, not just his lyrical prowess. If the media manages to make a spectacle out of the situation, well..we're back at the chicken and egg paradox are we not? But in Lucas' defense, he is probably walking away from the media, so he can let the dust settle, and resume his musical career free of the tabloids. I'm with Joyner on this one for what it's worth, the "for-profit" system can really summon the ugly out of a sensible person, all peoples.

https://twitter.com/_/status/1076213395878141952



https://twitter.com/_/status/1076216830245490689


WASHINGTON - House Democrats have spent the past two years slamming Republicans for inaction, if not obstruction, of policies aimed at addressing climate change. But now, the question of what to about one of the great issues facing mankind is dividing Democrats as they prepare to take control of the House for the first time in eight years.

The rising political star Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a New York congresswoman-elect, shook up the party last month when she proposed what she calls a Green New Deal. Modeled on Franklin D. Roosevelts 1930s era public works program, Cortez says the federal government should spend upwards of $1 trillion over the next decade to build wind and solar farms, charging stations for electric cars and other projects that cut the production of greenhouse gases.

Ocasio-Cortezs plan, which gained the support of 40 other House Democrats, was shot down this week by the presumptive Speaker, Nancy Pelosi of California, and other leaders, who instead said they would revive a select committee on climate change that was disbanded by Republicans in 2011. Ocasio-Cortez responded: We dont have time to sit on our hands as our planet burns.

The intra-party tensions follow a series of warnings from scientists that climate change is accelerating, including a report from the United Nations that if warming is left unchecked, the world could suffer devastating food shortages, wildfires, flooded coastlines, and the mass destruction of coral reefs as soon as 2040. The only way to avoid that scenario, the UN said, is to cut carbon emissions nearly in half by 2030 and to net zero by 2050.

Massive shift

To accomplish such a feat in the United States would likely entail shifting the power grid almost completely away from coal and eventually natural gas while replacing most of the nations more than 276 million vehicles, almost all of which run on gasoline or diesel, with electric models. It would require government intervention on a scale arguably not seen in U.S. history and inevitably force Congress to raise taxes on energy.

The conundrum facing Democratic leaders is how to address climate change without alienating U.S. industry and workers that benefit from low energy costs while somehow satisfying the progressive wing of their party, which sees climate change as an existential threat that demands a full-scale response. Finding a way to pay for massive clean energy investments would not come easily; even in the Democratic stronghold of Washington state, voters in November decisively rejected a carbon fee to support clean energy development and other efforts to address climate change.

Progressives want a carbon tax, but thats not what people want, said Frank Maisano, a Washington energy consultant and partner at the law firm Bracewell. Cortez doesnt have to worry about her seat. But theres a whole lot of Democratic members in Republican areas that do have to worry.

While Ocasio-Cortez might have lost the battle, its far from clear thate she has lost the war. Since winning election in November, the political newcomer inspired more than 1,000 environmental activists to storm Democratic leaders offices on Capitol Hill demanding they support the Green New Deal, while also attracting a sizable block of representatives expected to wield power in the new Congress.

Rep. Gene Green, D-Houston, who after 26 years representing Texas refining and petrochemical interests in Washington is stepping down, said Cortezs faction was inevitably going to push the party further to the left on clean energy. It happens every time when you get the majority, you want to be responsive your new members, he said.

Meanwhile, more Americans are demanding action on climate change. A recent survey by Yale University and George Mason University found that more than 80 percent of registered voters supported the policies of the Green New Deal, including 64 percent of Republicans. In the November election, Democratic gubernatorial candidates running on clean energy platforms beat Republican incumbents in six states, including Colorado, New Mexico, Wisconsin and Illinois.

Not going quietly

On the heels of all the devastating news, people are realizing we have to address the climate crisis,  said Tiernan Sittenfeld, senior vice president for government affairs at the League of Conservation Voters.

The environmental movements newfound momentum is already drawing push back from many within the U.S. energy sector, for whom climate action represents a radical shifting of their business model if not an existential threat. Earlier this week, the U.S. Chamber of Commerces Energy Policy Institute put out a report warning the Keep it in the Ground movement, which advocates for an end to oil and gas drilling and with which Cortez is intrinsically linked, has cost the economy more than $90 billion through canceled drilling and pipeline projects.

In order to harness our abundant natural resources and innovation, we must have adequate infrastructure, said Karen Harbert, president and CEO of the institute. Unfortunately, a small but vocal group of activists is waging fights against these projects.

Even as energy giants like Exxon Mobil and BP become increasingly cooperative on climate change, publicly advocating for a revenue-neutral carbon tax and better controls on methane leaks, a deep divide remains with environmentalists.

Limits of private enterprise

Much as the Great Depression exposed the limits of private enterprise and required government intervention, so do the vast challenges of climate change, say Ocasio-Cortez and her supporters. She, for one, says the time for working with industry to cut greenhouse gas emissions has passed and its time for government to start overhauling the U.S. economy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Weve also seen that merely incentivizing the private sector doesnt work, reads the draft copy of her Green New Deal legislation. Its certainly possible to argue that, if we had put in place targeted regulations and progressively increasing carbon and similar taxes several decades ago, the economy could have transformed itself by now. But whether or not that is true, we did not do that, and now time has run out.

james.osborne@chron.com

Twitter: @osborneja
Alaina Sampson was working when she got a notification on her phone, saying her package had arrived at her west Houston home.

The 29-year-old saleswoman had ordered a $40 electric blanket on sale from Kohls.com, a Christmas gift for her mother who lives in a drafty home in Louisiana. A few hours later, Sampson got another notification from her video doorbell. She pulled up the live video feed, and saw a man running to his car with her package in tow.

It really upset me that he had the audacity to come into my driveway to steal my package, Sampson said. I was at work, so I couldnt do anything about it. It was just frustrating to work hard to have a nice Christmas and people are stealing your stuff.

Package thefts have become a growing problem across the country, Texas and Houston as more people shop online. Nearly 26 million Americans have had a holiday package stolen, according to a study by InsuranceQuotes, an Austin-based online insurance marketplace.

In Houston, police say, package thefts have increased by 80 percent since 2015, when the Houston Police started tracking the crime. SafeWise, a home security company research firm, estimates that nearly 20 out of every 1,000 Houston residents have had packages stolen and ranks the city No. 7 in the nation for package theft.

Houston was the largest city on SafeWises national list, which was dominated by Texas cities including No. 1 Austin and No. 8 Dallas.

Package Theft Rising in Houston 2015 - 193 package thefts 2016 - 269 2017 - 347 See More Collapse

The problem, of course, is exacerbated during the holidays, the busiest shopping season of the year. Americans spent a record $110.6 billion online between Nov. 1 and Dec. 19, an increase of 17.8 percent from last year, according to Adobe Analytics, a research firm tracking online shopping

When the number of packages goes up, thefts go up, Houston Police spokesman John Cannon said.

Package theft is difficult to solve -- even with the proliferation of security cameras and video doorbells -- because its a crime of opportunity, said Sgt. Eugenio Gonzalez with Houston Polices burglary and theft division While there are some groups of so-called porch pirates roaming around snatching packages, many are first-time criminals.

Its easy pickings, said Gonzalez.

But police retailers, couriers and some consumers are still fighting back against porch pirates. In California, New Jersey and New Mexico, police have partnered with Amazon to catch thieves through video surveillance nd GPS-enabled bait packages.

Amazon, the nations largest e-commerce retailer, has several options to curb package thefts. Amazon Key allows in-home delivery of packages. Customers must have a special smart door lock, which gives delivery personnel brief access to customers front foyer. Consumers can watch the delivery in real time through a video camera.

The Seattle e-commerce giant also allows in-car delivery for limited Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, Cadillac and Volvo vehicles. Amazon works with car manufacturers to electronically unlock cars and leave packages in the trunk.

Amazon and other retailers such as Home Depot also allow packages to be delivered to special electronic lockers. Consumers use a pass code to open the locker. Amazon has more than 2,800 lockers in more than 70 cities nationally.

Package Concierge, a Massachusetts automated package locker manufacturer, operates 38 package lockers in Houston apartment complexes, giving 17,000 residents a secure way to get their online orders. The average apartment complex receives 53 packages a day during the year, but doubles to 110 packages a day in the two weeks before Christmas.

Couriers, including the U.S. Postal Service, UPS and FedEx, allow packages to be held at secure locations for pickup.

Some consumers are taking matters into their own hands by setting out decoy packages. Recently, a former NASA engineer rigged a package that sprayed glitter and a fart-smell cologne on porch pirates when they opened it  and filmed their reactions. The resulting video went viral on YouTube, with more than 42 million views.

Houston police dont recommend people set out bait packages to try to catch package thieves. Instead, they encourage residents to call and report thefts and have officers investigate.

Residents should schedule deliveries when someone is home, or have it delivered to peoples workplace or a neighbors house, police said. The department also encourages installing video cameras, buying shipping insurance and using package lockers.

I never tell anyone to take the law into their own hands, Gonzalez said. I myself will be getting a Ring video doorbell for my family.

Sampson, whose package was stolen off her porch in early December, said she was able to get a refund from Kohls, but couldnt order another electric blanket because the model was sold out. She is now rethinking what to get her mom for Christmas.

As a result of the porch theft, Sampson avoided online purchases during the holiday season. Sampson, a frequent online shopper and Amazon Prime member, said she will resume buying online after the holidays, but will have orders delivered to her workplace.

Im cautious now, Sampson said. Ill always be worried this time year if I order something online. I dont want to have anything stolen.

paul.takahashi@chron.com

twitter.com/paultakahashi
BERLIN - For two years, as the Trump presidency grew increasingly chaotic, the world invested its hopes for a stable and reliable United States in a retired four-star Marine Corps general with the nickname "Mad Dog."

On Friday, those hopes turned to despair as allied capitals awoke to the news that Defense Secretary Jim Mattis would leave his post. Even among U.S. adversaries, there was unease at the thought that President Trump will direct U.S. foreign policy without the last of his once-vaunted trio of generals to rein him in.

"Mattis was the last man standing for what had been U.S. foreign policy since World War II," said Norbert Rottgen, chairman of the foreign affairs committee in the German parliament and an ally of Chancellor Angela Merkel. "With him gone, this really marks a juncture in the Trump presidency. Now we have an unrestrained Trump, which is a dangerous signal for the year ahead."

In China and Russia - U.S. adversaries that were cited in Mattis's resignation letter as deserving of tough treatment - there was open anxiety that the world had just become more vulnerable to conflict.

"Our concern is who comes next," said Yue Gang, a retired People's Liberation Army colonel and military commentator in Beijing. "If Trump chooses a lackey who isn't willing to serve as a balance to his instincts, the worry is that the world becomes even more unstable."

The announcement Thursday that Mattis would step down came after a dispute with Trump over the president's decision to withdraw troops from Syria - a choice that allies said they had not been consulted on. The secretary's departure was followed by word that the president was also preparing to downsize the U.S. military presence in Afghanistan.

In his resignation letter, Mattis implicitly rebuked the president for undermining U.S. alliances and failing to recognize the threat posed by the United States' enemies.

Trump has rattled global confidence many times before: by questioning the U.S. commitment to defend NATO allies, by cozying up to Russian President Vladimir Putin and by jousting with America's democratic partners at every turn, while seeming to give authoritarians a pass.

But in regions of the world that bear the imprint of decades-long U.S. influence, the Mattis news crystallized some of the worst fears about the trajectory of Trump's foreign policy: an increasingly volatile, unreliable and inward-looking United States.

"A morning of alarm in Europe" was how Carl Bildt, co-chairman of the European Council on Foreign Relations and formerly prime minister of Sweden, described the reaction to news of the defense secretary's exit.

Mattis, he wrote on Twitter, "is the remaining strong bond across the Atlantic in the Trump administration. All the others are fragile at best or broken at worst."

Rottgen said Mattis's exit and the U.S. withdrawal from Syria and Afghanistan should prompt Europe to step up and fill the void left behind.

"We have to be mature, and we have to rely more on ourselves," said Rottgen, whose country has about 1,000 troops in Afghanistan and none on the ground in Syria. "How many more wake-up calls do we need in order to engage?"

The concern felt in Berlin was no less pronounced in Paris, where Francois Heisbourg, a former French diplomatic adviser, wrote on Twitter that Mattis had stabilized a dysfunctional administration and "helped preserve the Western alliance system."

Without him, he said in an interview, Europe could no longer rely on that system with any confidence.

"The pressure [on Europe] to do something radical is going to increase," said Heisbourg, who is president of the International Institute for Strategic Studies. "It won't simply be about hedging. It will actually be about preparing Plan B rather than assuming we're going to stick with Plan A."

The French government committed to keeping troops on the ground in Syria even without U.S. involvement. Defense Minister Florence Parly said Friday on RTL radio that the Islamic State has been reduced but not eliminated. She said the French government "does not at all share" Trump's interpretation that the fight in Syria is over.

Parly also saluted Mattis as a "partner" and a "great soldier."

Britain, the United States' most active partner in Syria, appeared caught off guard by Trump's decision to withdraw troops. Karin von Hippel, director general of RUSI, a London-based think tank, said Mattis had "done the best job possible of controlling Trump's isolationist impulses."

But with Mattis gone, countries such as Britain will be left "trying to figure out how to continue to push these liberal values that we have believed in and promoted since the Second World War without America's leadership."

Even countries that don't share those values were on edge Friday.

"Mattis was tough, but not without realism: He didn't seek conflict with Russia," lawmaker Alexey Pushkov, a foreign-policy specialist in the upper house of Parliament, wrote on Twitter. "Will the replacement be for the better?"

But another lawmaker in the upper house, Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Konstantin Kosachev, saw a heartening sign in the general's departure. On issues such as relations with Russia and China, Trump's view was so different from his defense secretary's that the president essentially forced Mattis out, Kosachev said in a Facebook post.

"This is an interesting signal - likely a positive one," Kosachev said.

As for the Kremlin's official response, spokesman Dmitry Peskov, asked about Mattis as a restraining influence on Trump, had this dry rejoinder: "In our times, guessing who restrained President Trump from doing what is the work of political scientists and a rather thankless task."

Mattis has persistently warned about China as the greatest long-term threat facing the United States, a view that permeated last year's National Security Strategy paper, in which the administration recast China as a competitor. While Beijing saw Mattis as one of its toughest critics, it also saw him as a straight-shooter in an administration that the Chinese government otherwise has struggled to decipher.

Yue, the retired People's Liberation Army colonel, said the Chinese military had high regard for Mattis, who, even in times of high tension, stressed the importance of avoiding a shooting war between the two powers.

"Even though toward us he was tough and vexing, the Chinese military felt assured dealing with this type of professional military man," Yue said.

It is largely because of Mattis, "viewed as a 'mature guy' within the Trump administration," said Shen Yamei, a researcher at the China Institute of International Studies, that "military relations between China and the U.S. have been relatively stable."

In parts of South Asia and the Middle East, warnings emerged that the abrupt shift in strategy propelling Mattis's exit would be a grievous mistake, even as Kabul struck a calm note.

A senior official in Pakistan's Foreign Ministry, speaking about the possibility that Trump might remove about 7,000 of the 14,000 U.S. troops deployed to Afghanistan, said that "any troop withdrawal or major reduction in their number before peace is restored would be a very unwise move. It would bring chaos and disorder, more fighting and perhaps a civil war." The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment on the matter.

But in the first public comments from the Kabul government on reports of the U.S. troop reduction, several aides to President Ashraf Ghani sought to put a brave face on the development, saying that such a drawdown would have no major impact on Afghanistan's ability to defend itself. Their reaction marked a notable contrast with prior appeals for U.S. troops to remain as a force for stability.

Israel, meanwhile, was most alarmed by Trump's abrupt decision to abandon Syria.

There was a sense that, with Mattis on the way out, Israel was losing a voice for its security interests in the Middle East. Michael Oren, a deputy in the prime minister's office and former Israeli ambassador to the United States, noted that, like Israel's leadership, "Mattis believed that a strong American presence in the Middle East served as a buffer to Iran and other hostile elements."

"Today as in the past, Israel will have to defend itself with its own forces to deal with the great threats in the north," Oren tweeted.

News of Mattis's departure reverberated on the Korean Peninsula, where Pyongyang has said this week it will not give up its nuclear arms until the "U.S. nuclear threat to Korea" is eliminated.

Kwon Bo-ram, a researcher at South Korea's state-run Institute for Defense Analyses, said the uncertainty created by the resignation could affect the ongoing defense cost-sharing talks between Seoul and Washington. The two sides failed to reach a deal amid disagreement over a bigger South Korean share of the cost.

In Iraq, Mattis has loomed large -- first as a Marine commander during the bloodiest battles in Fallujah following the American invasion in 2003 and later as a sympathetic ear to Iraqi officials.

Former officials expressed unease at the prospect of a Pentagon without Mattis's intimate knowledge of Iraq's precarious security environment.

"The task of getting through to the Trump administration has become much harder," said an adviser to former Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi who spoke on the condition of anonymity, "if not impossible."

- - -

Stanley-Becker reported from Florence, Italy. The Washington Post's Pamela Constable in Islamabad, Joanna Slater in New Delhi. Luisa Beck in Berlin, Gerry Shih in Beijing, Anton Troianovski in Moscow, Loveday Morris and Ruth Eglash in Jerusalem, Min Joo Kim in Seoul, James McAuley in Paris, Michael Birnbaum in Rotterdam, Chico Harlan in Rome, Tamer El-Ghobashy in Toronto and Karla Adam in London contributed to this report.

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Video: In a tweet Dec. 20, President Trump announced Defense Secretary Jim Mattis would step down in February. Mattis joined the administration early in Trump's presidency.(Sarah Parnass/The Washington Post)

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Brett McGurk, the U.S. envoy to the international coalition fighting the Islamic State, has resigned in protest of President Donald Trump's decision to abruptly withdraw U.S. troops from Syria.

His resignation, confirmed by a State Department official familiar with the matter, comes on the heels of Defense Secretary Jim Mattis' announced departure earlier this week because of differences with the White House over foreign policy, immediately following Trump's announcement on Syria. Mattis said he would stay on until February to ensure a smooth transition.

Both Mattis and McGurk objected to what they saw as shortsighted decision and a breach of faith with U.S. allies including the Syrian Kurds, who fought alongside U.S. forces in Syria and now face a dangerous and uncertain future.

For Trump, the long-serving officials are the first high-profile departures in protest of his policy decisions.

McGurk had already planned to leave by mid-February to take up a year-long post at Stanford University in March. Instead, he submitted his resignation letter, effective Dec. 31, to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo late Friday.

In a tweet Saturday evening, Trump asked if McGurk was a "Grandstander." "The Fake News is making such a big deal about this nothing event," Trump wrote.

The resignations send a worrying signal to foreign partners whose support is crucial to containing the Islamic State, said former officials.

Trump this week ordered the withdrawal of all 2,000 or so U.S. troops from Syria and declared the Islamic State defeated. The move blindsided senior officials and ran counter to his own top aides' advice, including that of Mattis.

"We have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency," Trump tweeted on Wednesday, a day before Mattis announced his resignation.

But earlier this month, McGurk said that the Islamic State was far from vanquished despite its loss of territory. "Nobody working on these issues day to day is complacent. Nobody is declaring a mission accomplished," McGurk said at a State Department briefing. "Defeating a physical caliphate is one phase of a much longer-term campaign."

McGurk, appointed to the job in 2015 by President Barack Obama and retained by Trump, had long maintained that the U.S. mission in Syria should focus on countering the Islamic State rather than wider regional ambitions such as the overthrow of Syrian President Bashar Assad, said diplomats who worked with him over the years.

Like many administration officials dealing with counter-Islamic State policy, McGurk was taken aback when Trump national security adviser John Bolton announced in September that U.S. forces would stay there for the indefinite future as part of a plan to counter Iran-a new goal for the deployment. "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, the Syria policy had been loosely based on a likely drawdown by the end of 2019, and McGurk and others were doubtful that Trump, who had repeatedly insisted he wanted to leave Syria, was fully cognizant of or had signed off on the new decision.

McGurk meanwhile was seeking to stabilize the eastern third of Syria, which had been liberated from the militants and was under U.S. control. Trump had announced that the United States would no longer pay to help restore vital services such as electricity and water to towns and cities destroyed by combat, including heavy U.S. air bombardment, and McGurk successfully solicited coalition contributions to cover the financial shortfall.

Aside from Mattis' resignation, the most significant factor in McGurk's decision was an inability to reconcile the president's decision with his experience as the U.S. diplomat who "spent time with the guys on the ground who have been fighting and dying," including Kurdish fighters in Syria, said an official familiar with his views. "To just suddenly, in one split second" have to tell them the United States was leaving, "is hard to face."

Even so, the official said, McGurk had always told the fighters "you cannot count on us for a longterm stay," and advised them to start thinking about Syria's future after the Islamic State's defeat. Numerous U.S. officials have said that final territorial defeat remains months away, and that thousands of militant "sleeper cells" throughout Syria have been conducting guerrilla attacks in liberated areas and are awaiting a U.S. departure to reorganize.

The United States began airstrikes in 2014 against Islamic State strongholds in Syria, a country already riven by civil war since 2011. U.S. ground troops entered the country in 2015 to provide support to the Kurdish-led forces fighting the militant group.

McGurk, who played a leading role in negotiating the 2011 U.S. withdrawal from Iraq for Obama, sought ways to forge alliances in a region rife with sectarian and other rivalries. He was, for instance, the driving force behind the creation of the Syrian Democratic Forces, led by Kurds but also including Arabs - a move that he hoped would assuage Turkish concerns. The Syrian Kurdish militia, the YPG, is closely affiliated with the PKK, which is regarded as a terrorist organization by both Turkey and the United States.

The move, though, never fully satisfied any of the parties. And with the pending U.S. withdrawal, what happens to the SDF's 60,000 fighters is unknown. Speculation has ranged from an all-out battle with Turkish forces currently massed on the border, to a Kurdish deal with Assad that would put the SDF under the control of Assad allies Russia and Iran.

Several U.S. officials said late last week that the ongoing status of the U.S. air war, which has been engaged in daily strikes against a remaining ISIS pocket in southeastern Syria, also remains unclear.

McGurk's tenacity and personal touch in building relationships served the counter-ISIS effort well, colleagues said. He met face-to-face with Kurdish and Arab leaders of the SDF, and was a constant presence in Baghdad and Irbil, the capital of the autonomous Kurdish region in northern Iraq, becoming the most recognizable American official in the country at a time when an Islamic State blitz threatened both capitals.

"At the end of the day he was focused on defeating ISIS," said one former official, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the matter's sensitivity. "All of his engagements make this [Syria decision] untenable because there's a betrayal to foreign partners."

McGurk valued partnerships, not only with the Kurds but with the British and the French, opposing a rapid withdrawal that left America's commitment to those partners in limbo, said one diplomat, who was not authorized to speak about U.S. personnel.

His departure likely will complicate the counter-ISIS effort, said former officials. "Anybody coming into this role will have a very difficult time being credible with our foreign partners," said Nicholas Rasmussen, former director of the National Counterterrorism Center under Presidents Obama and Trump. "Obviously our diplomats are only as credible as the willingness of their country to live up to their commitments, and that has been undermined significantly in this case."

- - -

The Washington Post's Liz Sly in Beirut, Tamer El-Ghobashy in Toronto and Anne Gearan in Washington contributed to this report.

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Video: A bipartisan group of senators on Dec. 20 urged President Trump to reconsider his announced withdrawal of all U.S. forces from Syria.(Patrick Martin/The Washington Post)

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The year was 1980, the location was Houston and the question came from the crowd at a presidential primary debate between Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush - two bellwether conservatives who would eventually serve together as president and vice president.

Should "illegal aliens," the crowd member asked, be allowed to attend U.S. public schools?

Bush said immigration policy needed to be "sensitive" and "understanding" toward the "really honorable, decent, family-loving people" that had crossed the U.S.-Mexico border without documentation.

Reagan echoed that sentiment.

"Rather than talking about putting up a fence, why don't we work out some recognition of our mutual problems, make it possible for them to come here legally with a work permit," he said. "And then while they're working and earning here, they pay taxes here. And when they want to go back they can go back."

The border, he said, should be open "both ways" - and border security policy should take into account the economic challenges facing Mexico.

Reagan's words that night, and his stance in countless other public and private statements as president, contrast starkly with the false history lesson President Trump offered Friday in an early morning tweet, hours before a potential government shutdown over funding for the president's border wall.

"Even President Ronald Reagan tried for 8 years to build a Border Wall, or Fence, and was unable to do so," the president wrote in a tweet. "Others also have tried. We will get it done, one way or the other!"

Trump's simplified characterization of Reagan's policies are not accurate.

"There was not any discussion at the senior policy levels during the Reagan administration about fencing or a wall that I can recall," Doris Meissner, who was executive associate commissioner of the Immigration and Naturalization Service during the Reagan administration, wrote in an email.

Meissner, who went on to serve as INS commissioner during the Clinton years and is now a senior fellow at the bipartisan Migration Policy Institute, said immigration was not a national issue in the 1980s in the same way it is today.

"Border enforcement was a concern, as it had always been, but it was a period where the president supported efforts to change laws in ways that would strengthen the immigration system and make it possible to enforce immigration laws more effectively," Meissner said. "It was an era where immigration was a bipartisan issue, in which both parties worked at coming together to find solutions despite hard-fought policy disagreements. And President Reagan signed those bills."

In fact, Reagan signed a sweeping immigration reform bill into law in 1986, which made any immigrant who entered the country before 1982 eligible for amnesty.

"I believe in the idea of amnesty for those who have put down roots and who have lived here, even though some time back, they may have entered illegally," Reagan said during a 1984 presidential debate.

Two years later, the Immigration Reform and Control Act also made it illegal, for the first time, for an employer to knowingly hire an undocumented worker.

"Future generations of Americans will be thankful for our efforts to humanely regain control of our borders," Reagan said at the time, "and thereby preserve the value of one of the most sacred possessions of our people - American citizenship."

But the bill ultimately failed to make true reform happen because it did not create a realistic way to punish employers hiring undocumented laborers. It did, however, provide a path to legal residency in the United States for nearly 3 million immigrants who had come to the country illegally.

"The memorable thing about Reagan is that he was a Californian," Meissner said. "He was not anti-immigration."

Reagan was an advocate of legal migration, and of creating legislation that increased border security by air and land through more agents, surveillance and resources. But a wall or fence was never on the table, at least not in the same way erecting a physical barrier has been proposed by the Trump administration.

"I don't think a border wall as such was discussed at the time. Mainly because it hadn't quite come to that," said Clark Judge, a speechwriter and aide in the Reagan White House. "If there were other things contemplated, they were never really acted on."

With the 1986 immigration bill, the understanding was that amnesty could come in the context of greater border security enforcement, said Judge, who now serves as managing director of the White House Writers Group Inc. But the enforcement part never really followed.

Former Sen. Alan Simpson, a Republican from Wyoming and co-author of the 1986 immigration bill, said that was because the law "didn't have any teeth because they took the guts out of it."

Many ideas for securing the border were discussed as lawmakers spoke with constituents and researched how to write the reform legislation. "And Lord sakes, people mentioned everything," Simpson said: vehicles, airplanes, more agents, more money and yes, maybe some physical barriers. He does not, however, recall talk of a wall.

"I don't remember Reagan saying we need a wall," Simpson said. "Reagan was really sensitive to that stuff."

In his speeches and statements about U.S. relations with Mexico, Reagan often emphasized the importance of a close friendship with and economic understanding of the United States's "neighbor" to the south.

"God made Mexico and the United States neighbors, but it is our duty and the duty of generations yet to come to make sure that we remain friends," Reagan said during a 1981 welcoming ceremony for Mexican president Jose Lopez Portillo. "Our very proximity is an opportunity to demonstrate to the world how two nations, talking together as equals, as partners, as friends, can solve their problems and deepen their mutual respect."

In a statement on United States immigration and refugee policies in 1981, Reagan said that both the U.S. and Mexico have "historically benefited from Mexicans obtaining employment in the United States."

"Our nation is a nation of immigrants," he said. "More than any other country, our strength comes from our own immigrant heritage and our capacity to welcome those from other lands."

A search of materials available digitally through the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum revealed that the former president rarely, if ever, discussed fencing or a wall at the U.S.-Mexico border. It was not a policy talking point during his administration, the records show.

The most frequent mention of any border wall was the one that ran through Berlin, which Reagan famously encouraged communist leaders to tear down.

In a private meeting with Portillo, Mexico's former president, in 1979, Reagan wrote that he hoped to discuss how the two countries could make their shared border "something other than the location for a fence," according to NPR reporting.

U.S. Border Control didn't begin building physical barriers on the southern border until 1990, the year after Reagan left office, in which a 14-mile long "primary fence" was erected in San Diego. It wasn't completed until 1993.
As a candidate for president, Donald Trump vowed to end the so-called War on Christmas.

As president, Trump claims to have done so.

People are proud to be saying Merry Christmas again, Trump tweeted last year on Christmas Eve. I am proud to have led the charge against the assault of our cherished and beautiful phrase.

MERRY CHRISTMAS! the president added.

Trump was approximately the hundredth person to wish me a Merry Christmas that day alone.

In fact, contrary to right-wing rumors, there has never been a War on Christmas in the United States. That just isnt a real thing.

But that hasnt stopped Trump from taking credit for the fact that Christians all around the world are once again preparing to celebrate a major religious holiday, or fundraising accordingly.

Last week, the Trump Make America Great Again Committee  a joint fundraising committee composed of Donald J. Trump for President, Inc., and the Republican National Committee  sent a mass email inviting Americans to sign the only Official First Family Christmas Card.

This week has been an absolute debacle, even by the Trump administrations standards.

As the week began, Congress was scrambling to pass a short-term spending measure required to keep the federal government open past Friday at midnight.

Grieder: Border security debates should be grounded in reality

Trump had previously threatened to shut down the government rather than sign any such measure if it didnt include $5 billion in funding for a border wall.

On Wednesday, Trump announced  via Twitter  that he proposed to pull all U.S. troops out of Syria.

This caught both the Pentagon and our allies by surprise. And many Americans were discomfited by the subsequent revelation that Trump came to this decision after a phone call with Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the president of Turkey.

Whether that phone call fully explains Trumps decision is debatable. The president has been behaving somewhat erratically in response to developments in Special Counsel Robert Muellers investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Hes also been frustrated by Republican leaders in the Senate, who refused to furnish him with $5 billion in funding for a border wall in the spending measure they passed on Wednesday.

In any case, Trumps announcement was applauded by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

It also spurred Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis to announce that he will resign in February.

You have the right to have a Secretary of Defense whose views are better aligned with yours, wrote Mattis in his resignation letter, which he submitted after meeting with the president at the White House on Thursday.

Grieder: Family separations are cruel and gratuitous

That afternoon Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen had told the House Judiciary Committee that she cant be exactly sure how many people have died in the departments custody.

The question arose last week after the Department of Homeland Security confirmed that a 7-year-old Guatemalan girl, Jakelin Caal Maquin, died earlier this month after being apprehended with her father by Border Patrol.

And on Thursday evening, the House passed a short-term spending measure including the $5 billion Trump demanded, making it very difficult to avoid a partial federal government shutdown at midnight Friday.

Oh, it was also a really bad week for the stock market. Traders on Wall Street were seemingly unsettled by the sheer degree of uncertainty emanating from Washington, D.C.

I would suggest that we all send lumps of coal to the White House, but our coal-loving president would probably misinterpret the gesture as a tribute from a grateful American people.

I would compare the president to the Grinch who stole Christmas, except for the fact that Trump cant actually steal our Christmas gifts and decorations as the Grinch does in the 1957 childrens book by Dr. Seuss.

Trump probably lacks the physical agility to clamber onto a rooftop, or to shimmy down anyones chimney. He doesnt even have a little dog, as the Grinch does, to help him pull his getaway sleigh.

And after this week, Trump may have to worry about whether he can count on the support of Congressional Republicans, who have helped him get away with his various misdeeds over the past two years.

Grieder: Donald Trump ought to stop disrespecting Texas

Did he just say that? asked U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, a Republican from Maine, after hearing that Trump had announced that he would refuse to sign a short-term spending measure unless it includes border-wall funding.

Ugh, are you ruining my life? she asked, rhetorically.

It remains to be seen what the consequences of this weeks chaos in the nations capital city will be. But Trump has, if nothing else, had a disruptive impact on this years holiday season.

So lets hope that Trump himself has a merry Christmas, this year. The festivities may not bring him joy, of course. But they should distract him from politicsand all of us could use a day or two of peace.

erica.grieder@chron.com
Federal workers braced Friday for a possible partial government shutdown that could close national parks, slow visa and passport applications, potentially delay reimbursements to Texas for disaster recovery and leave thousands temporarily jobless ahead of the holiday season. Thousands of others will keep working, but will not be paid.

For most Texans, though, effects of the shutdown wont likely be too harsh: Social security checks and veterans benefits will still be paid. Texas schools will stay open. Airport security will still be in full force.

Effectively, little will change for the average Texan  for now, at least. While most federal agencies are funded for the short term, its not clear how long they could stretch their allocations. Not is it clear how long this shutdown might last: President Donald Trump has indicated hes willing to keep the government closed for as long as it takes to fund a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico, a proposal at the center of Congressional budget debates despite Trumps earlier promise that Mexico would pay for the proposed structure.

Trumps statements have caused some holiday anxiety for some of the 200,000 or so federal workers in Texas who have been deemed non-essential and will face furloughs or delayed paychecks. Nationally, more than 350,000 workers could get temporary pink slips, and there are non-monetary effects, too. This week, the American Federation of Government Employees released internal poll results in which huge majorities of its members said they had not been given direction on what to do during a shutdown.

Included among them: Workers at Big Bend National Park and the dozen other areas in Texas that are overseen by the National Park Service. The actual parks will stay open, but areas requiring federal workers  including visitors centers and full-service bathrooms  will be closed, the NPS said in a statement.

Also potentially furloughed would be all but about 200 of the 3,055 workers at Johnson Space Center in Houston, which will be closed to the public, a NASA spokesperson said. Several hundred more could be on call, according to a NASA memo submitted to the White House last week.

The workforce will be enough to monitor the International Space Station, but not to offer tours and other visitor attractions inside the center.

Meridyth Moore, a spokesperson for the separate nonprofit Space Center Houston, said Friday that its still business as usual for her organization.

Right now were anticipating to offer everything, Moore said.

Mayor Sylvester Turner this week called the looming shutdown a disservice to Houstonians, but said the city would not suffer any immediate funding or service loss.

Turner also said the shutdown will not affect the citys ability to get federal block grants to assist with recovery from Hurricane Harvey, despite the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development seeing substantial furloughs. HUDs reimbursements to Texas for expended funds could be delayed, however, according to a Brittany Eck, a spokesperson with the Texas General Land Office, which is overseeing the more than $5 billion in federal disaster funds allocated to Texas by Congress.

Commissioner George P. Bush also wrote a letter Friday in which he asked HUD Secretary Ben Carson to ensure that there is adequate staff excepted from a possible furlough to provide continuity in this critical ongoing disaster recovery mission.

Congressman Will Hurd was one of eight Republicans to vote against the funding for a border wall when the House of Republicans passed its proposed budget on Thursday.

I spent almost my entire adult life protecting this country, I have more border than any other member of Congress, he told the Chronicle Friday. Ive been to the border probably more than any other member of congress. And building a wall from sea to shining sea is the most expensive and least effective way to do border security.

He also decried the idea of using the shutdown as a political tool.

The only way you get things done is by doing it in a bipartisan fashion, he said. This is where we have to realize we should be working together to get things done.

robert.downen@chron.com
Chelsea Powrie

Dozens of people gathered atop Munson Mountain Friday afternoon, braving the cold and wind to witness the winter solstice sunset and celebrate that days will now be getting longer.

Four stones at the site, known as Pen Henge, mark the spot on the horizon, when viewed from the heel stone, where the sun sets at each solstice and equinox.

"You can't see anything connected with the moment of solstice, so what we do is observe the southernmost sunset of the year," said astronomer Chris Purton, who spearheaded the installation of Pen Henge back in 2009.

He and the Penticton meeting group of the Okanagan Centre of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada meet at the site every summer and winter solstice. Purton gives a short spiel about the solstice to any members of the public who would like to come. He said he likes the event because it ties this small group of people to many others around the globe.

"As we're celebrating the solstice here, there are peoples all over the northern hemisphere which are having observances or celebrations of some kind," Purton said.

The stones are anchored to the rock with rebar and have been in place since 2010. When the sun sets on the solstices, the marker stones cast a shadow pointing directly back at the heel stone. Unfortunately, Friday was cloudy and the sun only a blurry light through the haze, but the small crowd still cheered and clapped when the moment of sunset arrived at 3:27 p.m.

The group then trooped back down the mountain to Township 7 winery to warm up and celebrate.
When John Healey began his career as a young prosecutor in Fort Bend County in the early 1980s, Ronald Reagan was president, MTV had just gone on the air and the then-rural county had fewer than 175,000 residents.

As Healey prepares to leave the office where hes spent his entire career, including 26 years as the countys top prosecutor, the sprawling suburb has roughly 764,000 residents with a growing number of diverse communities.

A Republican, Healey announced his retirement more than a year before the blue wave that swept many Democrats into county offices, including his own. Democrat Brian Middleton, a Houston defense attorney who once worked for Healey, will succeed him at the start of 2019.

Healey said hes had conversations with his former assistant prosecutor and notes they have a good relationship. Hes got to put his own stamp on this office as best he can and lead it in the direction he believes its best to go in, Healey said of Middleton, the first African-American to be elected district attorney in Fort Bend.

For his part, Healey, 63, said hes comfortable with his decision to retire and not seek reelection. He plans to make a trip next month to the Great Smoky Mountains with his wife Theodora, a retired teacher.

I was stronger in my resolve that this was the right time, Healey said in a recent interview from his Richmond office. I didnt want to be just shy of 68 years old in this office (when I retired). I wanted to get on with my life.

Healey, who first started working at the district attorneys office January 1982, has seen the county and the courthouse transform over his nearly 37 years. Hes seen former prosecutors move up in their careers and become judges in Fort Bend and Harris counties.

I think it speaks well of the environment (that the Fort Bend County) commissioners court has allowed us to create here, which we took advantage of, Healey said. They couldve given us all the opportunities and all the resources and all the tools to do a good job, but unless youre hiring good people  that good job is not going to be realized.

Memorable cases

The DAs office has handled thousands of cases under Healey, but some stand out years later.

Healey still remembers a compliment he got from a judge in the 1980s as he was working on the capital murder case of Charles Goosby, who was charged in multiple killings.

The judge told the defense attorney and myself that he had never seen two better-prepared attorneys and I think he meant that, Healey said.

He recalled the 2003 case of Thomas Bart Whitaker, who was convicted in a murder-for-hire killing of his mother and brother and was scheduled to be executed this past February. In a last-minute move, Gov. Greg Abbott commuted his sentece to life in prison.

He said his heart went out to Donald Leonettis family, after the man accused of killing the t-shirt business owner and philanthropist decided not to take a plea deal in 2016. Earlier this year, Healey met with Leonettis widow and mother before Eric Norris ultimately accepted the plea deal in court.

I looked them in the eye and I said, Are you sure this is what you want to do? And they told me ,Yes, Healey said.

Sam Dick, who served as Fort Bend Countys district attorney in the late 1980s, described Healey as a careful and diligent attorney when he worked for him.

He was very conscientious, very thorough, Dick said. He was hard-working. He had a good sense of balance about justice.

Looking to help

Outside of the courtroom, Dick said Healey was a friend who showed great compassion toward others in the community.

John does a lot of stuff behind the scenes, Dick said. Hes not looking for the glory. Hes genuinely looking to help other people. Hes just a good person.

Healeys success in the courtroom, though, was not met without some controversy. In 2015, a Sugar Land chiropractor, David Rabbani, accused Healey of saying that he would be lenient in prosecuting his son if Rabbani donated to his campaign. Rabbani filed a complaint with the Texas State Bar against the district attorney, but that was dismissed.

He also was accused by the state bar of professional misconduct after not promptly notifying a man in prison that evidence used against him may have been tainted. That complaint was later dismissed.

Healey stressed that his office has maintained high standards. No, our office has tried to be ethical and above board to the nth degree, Healey said. The legacy is not one of withholding information. Its one of disclosing information.

New direction

When Healey turns over the keys of the DAs office to Middleton, hell be passing them along to a former colleague, but also one with a different background and legal outlook. Healey had backed fellow Republican Cliff Vacek, a retired longtime district court judge steeped in the legal establishment.

As part of Middletons platform for district attorney, he said the intake process could be reformed so that cases were more thoroughly reviewed before trial, improving the quality of cases going to court. He also has a passion for bail reform, adding that a risk assessment tool could be created to determine what type of bond should be set for a suspect.

Its just been slow  slower than whats needed, Middleton said of the progress on criminal justice reform in the county. Weve been working on bail reform for years, but it just hasnt been accomplished. Maybe he does have some interest in some criminal justice reform, but not to the degree that Im interested.

Healey said that his office has been an advocate of criminal justice reform, noting his support of creating special courts for veterans, mental health and drunken driving. As for bail reform, Healey said, his office has been in talks for more than a year about a plan for bail reform that he says is currently being vetted by criminal justice advocates.

Despite their differences, Middleton considers Healey a friend and says they talk frequently.

He has a magnetic personality. People tend to like him, Middleton said. Hes crossed cultural barriers. Hes done a good job in the minority community of reaching out and making them feel welcome.

Healey said hes observed changes in Fort Bends criminal justice system and politics during his more than quarter century in office, He said, for example, that he believes, juveniles are committing more serious crimes such as murder and aggravated robbery.

Theres a layer of a lack of caring and a lack of sensitivity that we didnt see in the juveniles that committed the most serious crimes before I was district attorney, Healey said.

County becomes more blue

The county is also tilting more toward the Democrats, from Hillary Clinton winning the county in 2016 to ousting longtime County Judge Bob Hebert, a Republican, this past fall. Hebert will be succeeded by Democrat KP George.

I think you have a well-organized Democratic Party that mobilized a lot of people on fear across the board in the ballot of Donald Trump, said Healey. Those that voted straight-ticket voted good Republicans out of office, didnt care that they were doing it, and maybe didnt even know that they were doing it.

Steven Rocket Rosen, who went to South Texas College of Law with Healey and has remained friends with him, said hes watched Healey create a family atmosphere among his employees at the district attorneys office and retain respect in the community.

He always had a good name because of his honesty, his moral and his ethics, Rosen said. He instilled confidence in the community. In this society, we need stability. His job is to make sure that you can be on these highways and feel safe, that you can be safe in our schools. You can only do so much, but he went beyond the call of duty.

As he exits office, Healey said, he still has some goals left unchecked such as implementing a boot camp training program for new prosecutors and a citizens district attorneys academy to help residents learn how the office works.

But hes ready for his time off and looks forward to enjoying retirement, including more travels with his wife.

Im going to miss being with the people on a day-to-day basis, especially the people inside this office who are very special and dear to me.

brooke.lewis@chron.com

twitter\brookelewisa
As Christmas holidays go, this years promises to better than usual for Pvt. Lucas Perry-Johnson and certainly better than some in his past.

Hes heading home to see his family. Mom is in Phoenix. Dads in Tuscon.

It was only six years ago that he was homeless at the age of 12.

We really didnt have anywhere to go. Stayed in a hotel room, my grandma got me a pair of jeans, and thats about it, recalled Perry-Johnson, 18, of Tucson. Its little things like that really make you appreciate all the things that youve gone though.

Well before dawn Thursday, the first of 5,500 soldiers, sailors and airmen due to go on Christmas leave got out of bed and headed to San Antonio International Airport, part of the annual holiday pilgrimage known as Exodus.

Around 3,000 are soldiers at the U.S. Army Medical Department Center and School, which trains combat medics and other health personnel.

The soldiers, along with airmen and sailors, will continue to stream out of their bases through the weekend. Around 380 sailors left San Antonio on Thursday, with 500 scheduled to depart on Friday and another 120 due to fly out over the weekend, said Larry Coffey, a spokesman for the Navy Medicine Education, Training and Logistics Command.

More than 1,500 airmen also will leave town, many of them from technical schools and the Air Forces Special Warfare training pipeline at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, said Bob Rubio, a spokesman for the 37th Training Wing.

Others will come from Goodfellow AFB in San Angelo.

READ ALSO: For those in the military, Thanksgiving dinner served all sorts of way

Airman Yaneli Cameros, 18, was among the first from Lackland to reach the airport. Fresh out of Security Forces training, she had never been away from home before joining the Air Force and couldnt wait to get back to Spring Valley, New York, so she could surprise her family and enjoy some homemade food.

Yet more was on her mind than just impressing her mom, Rina Cameros, with her uniform or catching up with her brother, Samuel, now 8. Her 21-year-old sister, Esmeralda, is pregnant and just learned the baby will be a girl.

Im excited. Its my first niece, my moms first grandchild, Yaneli Cameros said. I was actually trying to postpone taking leave so I could go around the time the baby was due.

Pvt. Aaron Goldman, 18, wasnt as ambitious. His plans after arriving home in Orlando, Florida, on Thursday afternoon were as simple as they get  sleep in.

And sleep a lot.

When I go home, Ill probably sleep for the rest of the day, he said. That was a big change, going from sleeping whenever I wanted to being on strict, scheduled early wakeups. So it will be nice to go home and sleep when I want to.

Dreams of getting away from the prying eyes of ever-watchful NCOs were part of the Christmas spirit. So, too, was the handful of troops playing video games in the USO Lounge at the airports Terminal B.

Others napped in recliners, a couple played chess and one or two watched Jimmy Stewarts character George Bailey get thrown out of Nicks Bar in the Christmas movie, Its a Wonderful Life.

Now Playing: Pvt. Danielle Nelson, USO volunteer Gary Wilke and Pvt. Lucas Perry-Johnson talk about going home for Christmas. Video: San Antonio Express-News

Two sailors played the board game Battleship.

I sunk the whole fleet, said Hospitalman Devon Paditsone, 23, of New York City.

The fleet commander he defeated, Hospital Apprentice Arleen Claveria, 19, of Chicago, came up with an idea that was bound to be a hit with her parents.

Im going to change into my dress blues at the airport when I get home and surprise them, she said. You know, just for the Christmas spirit, to make them happy.

OnExpressNews.com: As their careers take off, Air Force women try to balance work and family

Around the corner, Pvt. Danielle Nelson had the look of a soldier headed out on Exodus. It turned out she had just arrived in San Antonio, along with other GIs, from Fort Sill, Oklahoma, where theyre in basic training. Though tired after being up since 8 p.m. the night before, she was brimming with excitement.

Her next stop was a day-care center, where Nelson, 18, was to pick up her niece, Kiyah Marie Stevens, age 9 months, and nephew, Prince Wayne Scott, 2. They live on San Antonios East Side.

I pretty much raised them, said Nelson, who graduated from East Central High School last summer and joined the Army to help the kids have a better life.

When she goes back to basic training, she plans to hang their photos on her wall locker.

I cant wait. I dont think Ive ever been this excited before. Ive had a lot of great experiences but this is by far a great feeling, Nelson said. Just the feeling of being so happy to come home.

On the other side of the USO Lounge, a couple of those watchful NCO-officer types, Majs. Gary Billingsley and Damian Pardue, reflected on their first time arriving at San Antonio International as enlisted men headed to basic training.

Pardue, 46, of Vancouver, Washington, began his Air Force career here in 1994. Bill Clinton was president then, and the United States was at peace. He hadnt seen much of the world and wondered if joining up had been a mistake.

Going in my mind was just the fear of the unknown, Pardue said.

Did I make the right choice? laughed Billingsley, 43, of Sedalia, Missouri, an 18-year veteran. What am I doing?

Goldman and Perry-Johnson, who will go to Afghanistan with the 10th Mountain Division next year, were among those headed home who harbored no doubts about their decisions, even with the country at war.

With Christmas just days away, both were humble and grateful.

I still know that there is a lot to learn, and I dont necessarily deserve anything more than I did before. I havent fully made it through, said Goldman, who has 3 more months left in his medic course.

But Im proud of the fact that I made it through basic and that Im doing something that not a lot of people do. I just know its not the end of my journey. Theres still a lot left, he said.

Perry-Johnson, the private from Tuscon, said this would probably be his best Christmas yet because I get to spend all this time with my family.

It really makes it more significant and sentimental, because luckily I havent missed a holiday with my family yet, so its good to kind of carry on that tradition, he said. But knowing I probably wont see them for a long time, it makes me appreciate the time I have with them a lot better.

sigc@express-news.net
Pride in our states exceptional history and traditions related to the Old West may help explain Texans clinging to some practices that should be consigned to the states past. That includes the death penalty, which continues to be carried out more frequently in Texas than anywhere else in America.

In fact, this year Texas reversed course from the national trend it had been following and executed 13 people; which was more than the 12 executions that occurred in the rest of the United States. Seven people were put to death in Texas in both 2016 and 2017.

After nearly 18 years in prison and numerous appeals, Joseph Garcia was executed Dec. 4 at the Texas State Penitentiary at Huntsville. Garcia was one of the Texas Seven inmates convicted of murder in the Christmas Eve 2000 slaying of a North Texas police officer during their escape attempt.

With 224 inmates currently on death row in Texas, a 25-year low, more executions appear certain to follow Garcias. Less certain is what those executions will accomplish other than removing those executed from society  a goal that could be achieved just as well and less expensively by life sentences.

The cost leading to an execution, including appeals and incarceration, easily exceeds $1 million; compared with less than $700,000 to keep an inmate in prison for 40 years.

Of course, money isnt the most important reason for Texas to reconsider capital punishment. With DNA testing and other improved evidence collection methods, it is now indisputable that sometimes the wrong person is sentenced to death.

The Innocence Project says at least 162 inmates have been released from death row nationwide because they were wrongly convicted. The reasons range from mistaken eyewitness identification, official misconduct, and false or misleading forensic evidence.

A report published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences concluded that approximately one out of every 24 prisoners on death row nationwide between 1973 and 2004 was wrongly convicted.

Not even one death of an innocent person should be considered acceptable or the collateral damage of an imperfect criminal justice system. That imperfect system becomes even harder to defend when viewed through the lens of race, which shows the color of a defendants skin can determine whether he or she is sentenced to death.

All seven defendants sentenced to death in Texas this year were people of color. Thats no anomaly. In the past five years, more than 70 percent of death sentences in Texas have been imposed on people of color  and in particular, African Americans.

Blacks are less than 13 percent of the Texas population but 43 percent of the states death row inmates. Hispanics are 38 percent of the state population and 27 percent of those on death row.

The American Bar Association says the disadvantages faced by low-income defendants also play a role in who gets the death penalty. Since blacks are disproportionately poor in America, they are more likely to be represented by defense counsel with high caseloads, poor training, and inadequate resources.

A recent study in the Boston College Law Review said the discrepancy in how black defendants are treated in Americas courts is glaring. White defendants are 25 percent more likely than black defendants to have their most serious initial charge dropped or reduced to a less severe charge, the study said.

Prejudice shouldnt be the difference in whether someone is put to death. Neither should a clumsy defense, mishandling of evidence, a mistaken eyewitness, or an overly zealous prosecutor with political ambitions  all of which have been factors in wrongful convictions.

The Supreme Court in 1972 ruled the death penalty as applied was unconstitutional, only to reinstate it in a 1976 ruling establishing what were expected to be better safeguards against arbitrary death sentences. Nonetheless, most states have abandoned the barbaric practice. Thirty-seven states have not had an execution in the past five years, and 31 of those states have not executed anyone in the past 10 years. Texas needs to join them.

Capital punishment is no deterrent to murder. Despite the high-profile serial-killer and mass-murder cases that get the most news coverage, homicides are more likely to result from personal conflicts involving people who know each other and arent thinking about facing a judge in a court of law. A date with a lethal injection needle isnt on their minds.

No matter how or why a murderer killed someone, he should pay for his crime. Vengeance, however, should play no role in the outcome. Any vengeful satisfaction felt is fleeting. It will never fill the hole left in the hearts of a murder victims family and friends.
Headed into this final weekend before Christmas, the Washington drama bubbled over amid border-wall spats and the old, familiar shutdown politics weve come so dismally to expect whenever its time to give the government the money it needs to function.

The wall-funding squabble had been nearly resolved earlier in the week, but when President Trump got word that some of the Houses most extreme members had begun calling him weak, he changed course. It was either money for the wall  that same unnecessary wall he has told us for years Mexico would pay for  or get ready for a very long shutdown, he suddenly announced.

What rubbish. But also, what masterful sleight-of-hand. For behind all that bluster was a far more significant setback for the president  and the nation. He doesnt want to talk about, and hed prefer the rest of us ignore it.

But last weeks resignation of Defense Secretary Jim Mattis set alarm bells ringing all over the capital.

Mattis resignation is a signal event in Trumps chaotic first two years in office. It marks a dangerous moment for America itself and for the type of world  free trade, international cooperation and democratic ideals  that America has spilled so much blood, toil and treasure to bring about since the end of World War II.

Its not that Mattis himself is irreplaceable  no single member of an administration is.

What struck Washington like a thunderclap was why  and how  he resigned. The final disagreement concerned Trumps abrupt announcement that hes pulling all 2,000 American troops out of Syria and reducing by 7,000 our troop-strength in Afghanistan. What Mattis said in his letter was even more explosive. He said Trump deserves a defense chief who shares fundamental views on Americas role in the world and how it should treat its friends and adversaries.

My views on treating allies with respect and also being clear-eyed about both malign actors and strategic competitors are strongly held and informed by over four decades of immersion in these issues, Mattis wrote.

The fall-out was explosive. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell immediately (and wishfully) urged Trump to find a replacement who thinks like Mattis when it comes to foreign policy and national security. I am particularly distressed that he is resigning, McConnell said.

Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, who has supported Trump on most things, tweeted: We are headed towardsa series of grave policy errors which will endanger our nation.

Republican Gov. John Kasich of Ohio, Republican Sen. Ben Sasse of Nebraska, and Democrats too numerous to mention expressed actual alarm. This chaos, Kasich said, both internationally and domestically is putting us in danger and must stop immediately.

Danger. Chaos. This isnt political disagreement. Its fear  valid fear.

After two years, has Trump finally whittled his administration down to the team of loyal followers he wanted all along? He is now served by aides attuned not to the interests of the nation but who with bat-like accuracy are attuned to Trumps own mercurial moods, shifting strategies and impermanent values.

Many Trump aides have resigned under scandal, been indicted or otherwise shamed.

But from the beginning there was a class of seasoned advisers above such squalid reproach  men and women prepared to offer Trump a view of the world that comports with reality, with American principles, with presidential responsibility. . One by one, theyve either resigned or been fired.

Former Marine Gen. John Kelly, out as White House chief of staff. Army Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, out as national security adviser. Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Hailey, out as ambassador to the United Nations. Former ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson, out as secretary of state. Even Jeff Sessions, the first Senator to back Trump, out as attorney general when his unexpected backbone proved too much for the president to tolerate.

Whats left? A foreign policy set by an untethered Trump and the only people he seems to listen to: war-whisperer John Bolton, son-in-law Jared Kushner, young nativist Stephen Miller and the hosts over at Fox and Friends.

What can we do, other than buckle up and brace for impact? We must demand that Republicans and Democrats in Congress stiffen their spines and prepare, as Rubio newly promised this week, to shoulder the oversight duties afforded Congress by the U.S. Constitution. If ever there was a time for scrutiny and assertiveness in Congress, this is it.
For most of the week, it appeared Washington would avoid a government shutdown. The Senate passed a stopgap bill on Wednesday, paving the way for House approval. But President Donald Trump blindsided his own allies and chose to pick a fight he cannot win. Republicans manage to always get blamed and take some hits for government shutdowns over the budget, but this one may be worse for the GOP than usual.

PATRICK: Trump delivers on shutdown threat and reminds us who comes first

In life, pain can be a helpful mechanism in that it lets you know you are engaged in behavior that is bad for you. If you put your hand on a hot stove, it is the resulting pain that makes you pull your hand away lest you are seriously harmed or even killed. The problem is, in a political context, Trump does not feel any pain. He does not know he is engaged in behavior that is bad for him and those around him. He thinks he is right, that he won with a great landslide and that he is invincible. And now he thinks his position of "border security" vs. a government shutdown will serve him well. But in reality, the president and his Republican allies will be the only ones who will suffer. For the Democrats, the present-day budget fight is a pain-free exercise.

Trump thinks that because he came out on top of last week's border security reality show with the Democratic leadership in the Oval Office, the broader fight favors his position. Not so. The dynamic of today's shutdown argument will never reduce itself to border security vs. no border security. A wall vs. no wall is not the public question or the political debate. Democrats will say "we are for border security, too, but . . . " and their allies in the media will reinforce that position and mostly make Trump look like a nut. Trump will rant, and most Republicans will be reduced to just standing around mumbling for days, possibly weeks.

Usually, in these budget battles, the government shuts down, Republicans take a pounding for a few days and the government reopens. The half-life of any political damage to the GOP is actually very short. But, as is often the case, Trump may take us to a completely new and different place. As John Podhoretz rightly observed on Twitter, "What this shutdown farce will do is make sure Republican legislators really hate Trump, even as they fear him far less."

The fact is a growing number of retiring or defeated Republicans are skipping votes and are either uninterested or intransigent. The president's position in Congress is getting weaker by the day. The Democrats will not yield. Why should they? Ultimately, after a howling media storm, the White House will move some money around within the budget proposals and the president will claim he is going to fund the wall via the Defense Department or some other impossible scheme. Maybe he will revert to saying Mexico will pay for the wall. But ultimately, he will retreat and claim victory while leaving Republicans in Congress to limp back home. If Trump were smart, he would offer protection for special counsel Robert S. Mueller III in exchange for some money for the wall. Mueller isn't going anywhere, and it doesn't cost Trump anything to give cosmetic reassurance that Mueller's investigation will be protected.

No matter how it ends, Trump will probably sleep better than other Republicans because, in his mind, he will have won. But the damage will be done. Exactly how much damage to his reelection prospects and how much damage to the GOP, nobody knows.

Rogers is a contributor to Post Opinions, a political consultant and a veteran of the Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush White Houses and several national campaigns.
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An Abbotsford, couple that has been close to two years to bring their newly adopted son home from Africa will have to wait even longer.

CTV News reports that the Canadian government is not prepared to grant the child citizenship.

Kim and Clark Moran received a letter from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada saying that the federal department has concerns about two-year-old Ayo, whom the couple claims they adopted from an orphanage in Nigeria and gained custody of in August.

A third party is believed to have come forward with an allegation that Ayo's adoption came from a private residence and not an orphanage.

In a statement, IRCC did not reveal any details regarding the Ayo's paperwork, but said "the Government of Canada has obligations under international conventions to ensure children are not abducted, bought or sold, or removed from their biological families without legal consent."

Kim said the family is working with an immigration lawyer and the adoption agency.

"We're not giving up, but it feels really overwhelming to think about what this means and what they're trying to do to us right now," she said.

"I can't believe that this is our life, that this is our story."

-with files from CTV Vancouver
Photo: The Canadian Press Networking cables in a server bay are shown in Toronto on Wednesday, November 8, 2017. An annual snap-shot of telecom services taken last summer for the federal government shows a year-over-year decline in Canadian wireless prices but, as usual, most other G-7 countries had less expensive packages.

An annual snap-shot of telecom services, released Friday, shows a year-over-year decline in Canadian wireless prices but, as usual, concludes that most G-7 countries had less expensive packages.

"While progress is being made, prices in Canada remain expensive compared to other nations," the department of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, which commissioned the study, said in a statement.

For example, Canadian plans with two gigabytes per month of data cost an average of $75.44 per month when the 2018 survey was conducted in June and July, down from $81.61 per month in 2017.

The study also compares higher and lower levels of service, but wireless plans with 2 GB of data are a good benchmark because they reflect the usage patterns of many Canadians.

The report found the average price in four mid-sized American cities was nearly 20 per cent lower than the Canadian average, at $61.26 for plans with 2 GB of data, on a currency-adjusted basis.

Prices for 2 GB plans were even lower in Berlin ($45.80), Paris ($30.91), London ($26.56), and Rome ($21.11) and only Tokyo was more expensive at $81.52  the only city studied that showed a year-over-year increase.

In Australia  the only non-G7 country covered by the annual study  the currency-adjusted price of $24.70 in Sydney was less than one-third the Canadian average price for a Level 4 service that includes 2 GB of data.

The study segmented the wireless market into six levels of service. Level 1 (with only talking time and no text or data) cost an average of $25.73 and Level 6 (feature-rich family plans with at least 10 GB of shared data) costing an average of $227.87 per month.

Key players in Canada's wireless industry, however, argue there have been serious short-comings with the annual study prepared annually for the federal government since 2008.

The Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association, which represents most of the country's major carriers, said Friday that it's pleased that ISED recognizes that prices for wireless services are coming down in Canada.

"We remain concerned, however, that this study doesn't provide an accurate comparison of wireless services between countries given it doesn't take into account the many, many different promotions offered by Canada's service providers as they vigorously compete for customers," CWTA said in an emailed statement.

Similarly, a report from NERA Economic Consulting commissioned by Telus Corp., which isn't a CWTA member, argues that the official Canadian study is poorly designed and subject to incorrect interpretations.

"It really makes very little sense because it compares (the prices of) entirely different plans," NERA managing director Christian Dippon said in an interview, prior to ISED's release of this year's report.

Dippon reached that conclusion after examining earlier reports prepared from 2008 through 2017 by either Wall or the Nordicity Group, using parameters set by either the government or the federal telecom regulator.

The NERA study proposes an alternative methodology that compares Canadian plans to a benchmark that purports to measure how much international providers would charge for the same level of service.

According to NERA, 89 of 111 Canadian mobile wireless plans in its sample were below their international benchmark.

The press secretary for ISED Minister Navdeep Bains said he wasn't available to comment on the report Friday.

In a statement, Bains said: "We're working hard to bring down the cost of cell phone plans. And while we're making progress, our government remains focused on promoting greater competition in the telecom sector to drive down prices for Canadians, while making sure they can also benefit from the latest technology and high-quality services."
The couple that brews together, stays together.

Theresa Cashen and Mitchell Kehoe, co-owners of Kelowna's newest brewery, began dating in 2012 after meeting at university in Halifax, and they began brewing beer in their apartment together shortly after.

The hobby quickly developed into something bigger.

I started to collect a bigger and bigger library of different strains of yeast in my fridge until I needed a bigger fridge just to hold yeast, on top of all the space for beer, bottles, and kegs and carboys, Kehoe said, adding they eventually added a freezer specifically for hops to their Halifax apartment.

In the spring of 2017, the couple moved west to Kelowna, where Cashen grew up, and after months of searching for the right spot, they found a commercial location just north of Reid's Corner for their brewery.

Wild Ambition Brewing opened its doors on Dec. 8, and Cashen and Kehoe were blown away by the turnout.

Our opening Saturday was incredible ... we couldn't have imagined a better response, Cashen said, adding people came from nearby UBC Okanagan and other businesses in their industrial park, in addition to beer lovers coming from across the city.

We've got so many other great breweries in town now. It's a wonderful community to be a part of and they all came out and showed their support.

Cashen and Kehoe's beer is made a little differently than most, focusing on mixed-fermentation brewing, which utilizes different types of yeast and other microbes to produce unique flavours instead of relying solely on hops and malt for taste.

That kind of mixed-fermentation beer rather than just fermenting with a single, purified monoculture of brewer's yeast is something that not a lot of people in Canada are doing, Kehoe said.

When I started brewing it didn't take too many batches before I started getting a lot more interested in the kind of mystique of the flavours imparted by the microbes rather than just the input ingredients  the malt, the hops.

When Mitchell sets his mind to something, there's no stopping him in terms of the amount of information he's going to try and absorb and research and experiment with, Cashen added.

Wild Ambition had three beers for sale when they opened, and they added a fourth on Friday  a dark sour beer that was aged for several months in French oak barrels from Okanagan wineries.

The brewery, located at 1-3314 Appaloosa Road, is open Friday, Saturday and Sunday. As the brewery is only a two-person operation at this point, weekdays are for brewing.
Imperial Valley News Center

Alleged Robber of Jewelry and Gemstones Arrested and Extradited from Colombia

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania - A Colombian national was arrested in Colombia and extradited to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania last night on charges related to his alleged role in the robbery of an employee of a New York business that sold jewelry and gemstones.

Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Departments Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Scott W. Brady for the Western District of Pennsylvania, Special Agent in Charge Robert Allan Jones of the FBIs Pittsburgh Field Division and Chief T. Robert Amann for the Northern Regional Police Department in Wexford, Pennsylvania made the announcement.

Oscar Javier Rodriguez Roa, 35, of Bogota, Columbia, was charged by indictment unsealed Thursday in the Western District of Pennsylvania with one count of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act Robbery and one count of Hobbs Act Robbery. Roa is scheduled to make his initial court appearance in U.S. District Court in Pittsburgh before U.S. Magistrate Judge Maureen P. Kelly.

The indictment alleges that on May 8, 2013, in the Western District of Pennsylvania, Roa and others conspired to rob and robbed an employee of a New York business that sold jewelry and gemstones. Roa and others allegedly took jewelry and gemstones from the employee against his will by actual and threatened force, violence, and fear of injury.

The investigation of this case was led by the FBIs Pittsburgh Field Division, with the assistance of the Northern Regional Police Department. The Justice Departments Office of International Affairs provided significant support with the defendants extradition.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles A. Eberle of the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania and Trial Attorney Leshia Lee-Dixon of the Criminal Divisions Organized Crime and Gang Section in the Justice Department are prosecuting the case.
California Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Scheme to Smuggle Rifle Scopes and Tactical Equipment to Syria

Los Angeles, California - Rasheed Al Jijakli, 57, a Syrian-born naturalized U.S. citizen who resides in Walnut, California, was sentenced Thursday to 46 months in prison for his role in a scheme to smuggle rifle scopes and other tactical gear to Syria in violation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and sanctions imposed on Syria by the United States.

The announcement was made by Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers and U.S. Attorney Nicola T. Hanna for the Central District of California. The sentence was issued by U.S. District Judge James V. Selna.

During todays sentencing hearing, Judge Selna agreed with prosecutors that the goods Jijakli took to Syria were instruments of death.

Jijakli pleaded guilty to the felony offense on Aug. 13 and admitted he conspired with others to export tactical gear from the United States to Syria. That tactical gear included U.S.-origin laser boresighters, and day- and night-vision rifle scopes.

From June through July of 2012, Jijakli and a co-conspirator purchased the tactical gear. On July 17, 2012, Jijakli traveled with the tactical gear from Los Angeles to Istanbul with the intent that it would be provided to Syrian rebels training in Turkey and fighting in Syria.

Jijakli provided some of the tactical gear, specifically the laser boresighters, to a second co-conspirator, who Jijakli learned was a member of the militant group Ahrar Al-Sham. Jijakli also provided the goods to other armed Syrian insurgent groups in Syria and Turkey.

Jijakli and his co-conspirators knowingly provided at least 43 laser boresighters, 85 day rifle scopes, 30 night-vision rifle scopes, tactical flashlights, a digital monocular, five radios, and one bulletproof vest to Ahrar Al-Sham and other Syrian rebels in Syria, or with knowledge that the tactical gear was going to Syria.

Additionally, in August and September 2012, Jijakli directed co-conspirators to withdraw thousands of dollars from Palmyra Corporation, where Jijakli was the chief executive officer, to pay for tactical gear that would be provided to Syrian rebels. In his plea agreement, Jijakli specifically admitted directing that $17,000 from Palmyra be used to purchase tactical gear intended for Syrian rebels.

The case against Jijakli was the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcements Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Department of Commerces Office of Export Enforcement, and IRS Criminal Investigation.

The case against Jijakli was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Takla of the Central District of Californias Terrorism and Export Crimes Section, and Trial Attorney Christian Ford of the National Security Divisions Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
Blockchain technology has been in the news a lot over the past few years. Most of these headlines center around the debate over whether bitcoin is a worthwhile investment. But in all the talk of price movements and extended bear markets, the innovations taking place within the broader industry (and their potential global impacts) all too often get overlooked.

Far from simply offering a new investment opportunity , cryptocurrency and blockchain more generally represent unprecedented opportunities for greater data security and a decentralized internet and economy. I spoke with Justin Sun, Founder and CEO of blockchain tech giant TRON, to better understand the innovations taking place on the ground floor of cryptocurrency.

TRON and BitTorrent Integration

One of the notable developments taking place in the cryptocurrency field is TRON's recent purchase of software company BitTorrent. Together, they share a vision of a decentralized, barrier-free internet.

"One of the reasons we purchased BitTorrent, besides its great team, is that we'll be able to test scalability like no one else, with 100 million monthly active users getting exposure next year to blockchain," Sun says. "TRON and BitTorrent will continue to work on separate projects, while orbiting each other and collaborating on that goal of decentralizing the internet."

One of those collaborations takes the form of Project Atlas, which will roll out next year.

"That project will incentivize BitTorrent users to share more content through the use of cryptocurrency," Sun says. In the process, the project aims to connect the BitTorrent peer-to-peer network and the TRON blockchain network in order to open up a global, borderless economy.

More details about the project will be discussed at the upcoming niTRon Summit, which will be held in San Francisco from Jan. 17 to 18. The event will feature workshops, speaking panels, and even an appearance from Kobe Bryant.

"Kobe graciously agreed to sit down on stage for a fireside chat with me because we both believe in entrepreneurship," Sun says. "niTRon is all about that, and unleashing the creativity of people who feel like they are being locked out of sharing and profiting with their work because big-name companies erect barriers to that content."

In addition to its subversive bent, niTRon will also focus on providing general education about cryptocurrency and the possibilities of a decentralized internet. "We also want niTRon to be about education--focusing on understanding the fundamentals of blockchain, cryptocurrency, and peer-to-peer sharing," Sun says. "Many of our fantastic list of panelists will be speaking to these topics."

Supporting Developers

In order for the project of a decentralized internet to be realized, it's essential for up-and-coming developers to have the tools necessary to continue innovating.

TRON is responding to this need by supporting developers in several ways. The company recently launched an accelerator program with the intent of attracting more developers to the TRON ecosystem.

"We think we stand out with our accelerator program because it's stable, more efficient and has lower fees associated with it," Sun says. "The biggest issue really is educating developers globally--first on 'why blockchain?' and second on 'why TRON?' That's why we recently launched the $1 million (USD) TRON Accelerator DApp competition. By giving prizes totaling that $1 million, the developer community gets to... execute their ideas or projects on TRON."

In addition to its accelerator program, TRON also supports developers via a suite of tools including TronGrid, TronWeb, TronStudio, and TronBox, which together assist with everything from event server support to migration and development.

"Community members have also contributed by releasing browser-based wallets for easy DApp integration and libraries to ease the development of large projects," Sun says. (These resources can be found here.)

Walking the Walk

"It is my deep belief that technology should be fair and distributed," Sun says. That's why he's so committed to the vision of a barrier-free, decentralized internet--and it's why he was motivated to create TRON in the first place.

Sun also backs up that belief via charitable contributions. Recently, his company donated $3 million to the Binance Charity Foundation , which is dedicated to global sustainable development.

"Blockchain is a collaborative environment; it needs nurturing," Sun says. "We were thankfully in a good position financially to serve as an example to others that long-term thinking and support is what's needed to boost the industry in general."

To that same end, TRON is also looking ahead to the future regulatory landscape for cryptocurrencies and aspires to serve as an example of how to respond to these regulations in constructive ways.

"We are operating under the assumption that regulation will come to the industry in many places," Sun says. "In many ways, it will be necessary to legitimize the market and separate good practices from bad. We recently hired a chief compliance officer to make sure we're always a good partner with our community and with governments."
People sometimes ask me what I think is the defining characteristic of an entrepreneur. What they really want to know, I believe, is the one quality that distinguishes a true entrepreneur from any other businessperson. I've thought about that quite a bit myself, and I've decided, if I had to narrow it down to one trait, it would be the ability to see things differently. A true entrepreneur is able to look at a situation and identify an opportunity, or a solution to a problem, or a path around an obstacle that, for some reason, everyone else has missed.

This came to mind recently when I met an entrepreneur named Linda Pagan. She's a milliner. That is, she makes and sells hats. Her store, located in New York City on Thompson Street in the SoHo district of Manhattan, is called simply the Hat Shop NYC. My wife, Elaine, and I were walking in the neighborhood when we happened upon the shop and decided to go in. Elaine wanted a hat to wear to the Inc. 5000 conference, and she picked one out. She also noticed the interesting hatboxes the store had and asked if her hat came with a box.

"Oh, yes," Linda said. "All of our hats come with boxes. There's a paper-packaging factory in Brooklyn that makes our boxes. As a matter of fact, see this box over here?" She pointed to a huge hatbox. "That type of box has become a big seller for our manufacturer, which is really thanks to me."

"What do you mean?" I asked. I couldn't imagine that she sold enough hats of that size to make a big difference to the box manufacturer.

She explained that she had been getting more and more requests for hats with large brims, mainly from women who were planning to attend the Kentucky Derby or New York City's Easter Parade. But she didn't have boxes wide and deep enough to hold such large hats. She had called the owner of the paper-packaging factory and described the kind of boxes she needed. Unfortunately, he said, the die cutter required to make boxes of that size had broken down decades earlier, and he hadn't fixed it because there wasn't enough demand for large hatboxes.

But without the appropriate boxes, Linda couldn't sell the wide-brimmed hats for which customers were willing to pay a premium. That meant sacrificing what was potentially a significant source of revenue. She asked the factory owner how much it would cost to fix the die cutter. A couple hundred bucks, he replied. She said she would gladly pay for the repair. Nevertheless, by the time she'd hung up the phone, Linda could tell he still wasn't convinced that it would be worth the effort and expense.

So she was surprised when, a few months later, the large hatboxes she'd requested arrived from the factory, but without the bill for fixing the die cutter. She talked to the factory manager, who told her that the owner had done some investigating on his own and concluded that there was, in fact, a growing market for hatboxes much larger than he was used to making. He had the die cutter fixed and proceeded to sell so many of the big boxes that he felt it wouldn't be right to bill Linda for the repair. He was grateful to her for recognizing an opportunity he had been totally unaware of.
Icelands festive film about the devastating effects of palm oil plantations has been named the UKs favourite Christmas advert for 2018.

The TV commercial, an animated tale of an orangutan that has lost its home and family to deforestation, was released in collaboration with environmental organisation Greenpeace.

It was initially reported that the advert had been banned from TV for being too political.

However, advertising industry advisory body Clearcast later clarified this had been a misunderstanding, saying it could not be shown on TV due to the supermarkets collaboration with Greenpeace, as opposed to the supposed political nature of the advert itself.

The research into the nations favoured Christmas adverts, which was conducted by YouGovs ad testing service, assessed several factors, including which ones were liked the most and which were most in keeping with its brands identity.

According to the survey, four in five people said they liked Icelands advert, 83 per cent said they thought it stood out among others and 87 per cent found the message easy to comprehend.

Furthermore, three quarters of the public said they thought the advert was believable.

While the Iceland advert may have come out on top as the nations favourite, a minority of people (39 per cent) said they believe the film fit with the supermarkets image.

Coming in second on the list of the UKs most liked Christmas adverts was Sainsburys The Big Night, which sees an eight-year-old girl perform a rendition of the New Radicals You Get What You Give while dressed as a star.

A total of 65 per cent of the British public said they like the advert, with 55 per cent also saying they thought it stood out.

In third place comes supermarket Aldi, whose advert saw the return of the anthropomorphic vegetable Kevin the Carrot.

Kevin the Carrot proved so popular with consumers that plush toys inspired by the character quickly sold out when they went on sale in store and online.

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In fourth places comes McDonalds depiction of Santa Claus trying to source carrots for his reindeers, closely followed by Boots mother-daughter tale in fifth place.

While Tesco may not have been placed in the UKs top five Christmas adverts of 2018, its film about the diverse ways that families celebrate the festive period was named the most fitting for its brand, with 65 per cent of the public saying so.

A majority of people (60 per cent) said the same thing about Cadburys Christmas advert, which relays the trials and tribulations of trying to pull off Secret Santa smoothly.

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While this years John Lewis advert may not have been its most popular, it did appear the most memorable, with 66 per cent of people saying they found it easy to remember.

Despite the fact the Iceland advert may have had the most impact on the nation since its release in early November 2018, YouGov states that Aldis Kevin the Carrot campaign was the most effective overall.

The success of Aldis campaign here, along with its status as one of the most-liked, indicates it has been successful at telling an entertaining story while still effectively showcasing its products, the market research company says.
When Sheree Hatton started working at the whole foods distributor Suma six years ago, she knew it was different to anywhere else shed ever worked.

Hatton lives in Halifax with her husband and young daughter. In her previous job in advertising and sales for a newspaper, she was used to a hierarchical business with targets for workers. Suma, a workers co-op where each employee owns a share of the business, offered her a chance to have a say in everything from overall strategy to day-to-day operations.
Warning signs of potentially deadly illnesses could be missed during the winter rush as overstretched GPs deal with 100 patients a day, the chair of the Royal College of General Practitioners has warned.

Pressures from seasonal ailments and people trying to get appointments before the holidays mean many GPs are left fretting at the end of the day about whether they might have missed something.

Its incredibly stressful, said the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) chair Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard after warning that in recent weeks she had dealt with more than 100 patients in a day, including phone consultations and emails.

A recent survey of NHS GP workloads found one in five were seeing more than 50 patients a day, but European Union medics have a safe limit of 20 patient contacts.

Declining GP numbers have hampered attempts to extend consultations beyond the standard 10 minutes, with the extra pressures of responding to letters and updating notes being completed in GPs own time.

An RCGP survey of 1,000 GPs found four out of five respondents believe the care they give is compromised over the winter period.

The thing that causes the greatest stress is not being able to do a safe job, a good job, Professor Stokes-Lampard said.

Amazingly, the evidence doesnt show much harm at the moment but we worry about what problems we are storing up for the future, What have I missed today that could matter in the future? Have I missed something in an important letter from the hospital?

Because if a hospital consultant sends me a three page letter and on the final page there is an important throwaway comment about by the way I found a funny lump would you be so kind as to refer that on its really easy to miss that sort of thing if you are rushing.

Everyone the Government blames for the NHS crisis  except themselves Show all 6 1 /6 Everyone the Government blames for the NHS crisis  except themselves Everyone the Government blames for the NHS crisis  except themselves The elderly We acknowledge that there are pressures on the health service, there are always extra pressures on the NHS in the winter, but we have the added pressures of the ageing population and the growing complex needs of the population, Theresa May has said. Waits of over 12 hours in A&E among elderly people have more than doubled in two years, according to figures from NHS Digital. Getty Everyone the Government blames for the NHS crisis  except themselves Patients going to A&E instead of seeing their GPs Jeremy Hunt has called for a honest discussion with the public about the purpose of A&E departments, saying that around a third of A&E patients were in hospital unnecessarily. Mr Hunt told Radio 4s Today programme the NHS now had more doctors, nurses and funding than ever, but explained what he called very serious problems at some hospitals by suggesting pressures were increasing in part because people are going to A&Es when they should not. He urged patients to visit their GP for non-emergency illnesses, outlined plans to release time for family doctors to support urgent care work, and said the NHS will soon be able to deliver seven-day access to a GP from 8am to 8pm. But doctors struggling amid a GP recruitment crisis said Mr Hunts plans were unrealistic and demanded the Government commit to investing in all areas of the overstretched health service. Getty Everyone the Government blames for the NHS crisis  except themselves Simon Stevens, head of NHS England Reports that key members of Ms Mays team used internal meetings to accuse Simon Stevens, head of NHS England, of being unenthusiastic and unresponsive have been rejected by Downing Street. Mr Stevens had allegedly rejected claims made by Ms May that the NHS had been given more funding than required. Getty Everyone the Government blames for the NHS crisis  except themselves Previous health policy, not funding In an interview with Sky Newss Sophy Ridge, Ms May acknowledged the NHS faced pressures but said it was a problem that had been ducked by government over the years. She refuted the claim that hospitals were tackling a humanitarian crisis and said health funding was at record levels. We asked the NHS a while back to set out what it needed over the next five years in terms of its plan for the future and the funding that it would need, said the Prime Minister. They did that, we gave them that funding, in fact we gave them more funding than they required Funding is now at record levels for the NHS, more money has been going in. But doctors accused Ms May of being in denial about how the lack of additional funding provided for health and social care were behind a spiralling crisis in NHS hospitals. Getty Images Everyone the Government blames for the NHS crisis  except themselves Target to treat all A&E patients within four hours Mr Hunt was accused of watering down the flagship target to treat all A&E patients within four hours. The Health Secretary told MPs the promise  introduced by Tony Blairs government in 2000  should only be for those who actually need it. Amid jeers in the Commons, Mr Hunt said only four other countries pledged to treat all patients within a similar timeframe and all had less stringent rules. But Ms May has now said the Government will stand by the four-hour target for A&E, which says 95 per cent of patients must be dealt with within that time frame. Getty Images Everyone the Government blames for the NHS crisis  except themselves No one Mr Hunt was accused of hiding from the public eye following news of the Red Crosss comments and didnt make an official statement for two days. He was also filmed refusing to answer questions from journalists who pursued him down the street yesterday to ask whether he planned to scrap the four-hour A&E waiting time target. Sky News reporter Beth Rigby pressed the Health Secretary on his position on the matter, saying the public will want to know, Mr Hunt. Sorry Beth, Ive answered questions about this already, replied Mr Hunt. But you didnt answer questions on this. You said it was over-interpreted in the House of Commons and you didnt want to water it down. Is that what youre saying? said Ms Rigby. Its very difficult, because how are we going to explain to the public what your intention is, when you change your position and then wont answer the question, Mr Hunt. But the Health Secretary maintained his silence until he reached his car and got in. Getty

Tired and stressed doctors are also more likely to unwittingly double click and skip past a whole result missing red flag symptoms that might need more investigating, she said.

But recognising that theyre under strain, Professor Stokes-Lampard said the main consequence of increased pressures was to make doctors extra cautious.

Overprescribing or referring patients for more tests than they usually would adds strain onto hospitals and the wider NHS, which is struggling after eight years of a funding squeeze.

That actually increases cost and pressure in the whole system overall. But we can cause unintended harm by doing tests that arent appropriate for that person, the Lichfield GP said.

To relieve pressures over winter, she is calling for more promotion of self-care strategies, and for authorities to direct patients to reliable information sources such as NHS Choices as well as asking them to consult their pharmacists for minor ailments.

Other basics include checking on neighbours in the colder months and ensuring they or other relatives have their prescriptions filled before the Christmas shutdown.

Sometimes... the paramedics are forced to take someone to hospital just because there is no one there just to check in on somebody two hours later, Professor Stokes-Lampard said.
As one surveys the Continent this Christmas it is hard to decide which once progressive state leads the race to the bottom when it comes to testosterone-fuelled muscular reaction. Theres a case to be made for Poland, whose ruling Justice Party has spent the last two years looking to strip back womens reproductive rights. Then theres Hungary, where Viktor Orban, the prime minister, has just shut down down gender studies.

My vote, though, goes to Italy, for a no-holds-barred, across-the-board assault on womens rights: and I am especially thinking of them in this season of goodwill to all, as the ruling coalition seeks to weaponise family values in its crusade to put women back where they belong. To wit, on a pedestal, and in the kitchen, fulfilling their proper roles as mothers and home-makers.

Extra points, too, for bringing the church into it, or more accurately, that celebration of universal motherhood: the nativity. Because what is slowly emerging in Italy, as in a number of countries, is a final struggle between a progressive, intersectional feminist agenda which respects and promotes diversity, and something much more atavistic, grounded in religious fundamentalism  very much driven by militant Catholicism, but thereby hangs another story  and the traditional family.
Winston Churchill called Russia a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma  but Labours Brexit policy can appear much more complicated than that.

Jeremy Corbyn has deliberately obscured his intentions, as he seeks to ride the twin horses of a pro-EU membership yearning for another referendum and many traditional supporters who voted to leave the EU.

The Labour leader is at again this weekend, insisting that  as prime minister, after a snap election  he will persuade EU to give the UK a better deal, even with just 97 days until departure.
George Osborne has denied that a lack of money following his harsh austerity programme was the cause of Britains homelessness crisis.

The former Conservative chancellor dismissed growing warnings that the severe spending cuts he introduced were behind the explosion in rough sleeping, saying: No, I entirely reject that.

Its not a lack of money. Thats not a consequence of austerity  thats just a consequence of bad policy, Mr Osborne insisted.

The denial came despite the revelation that child homelessness is at a 12-year high, with 123,600 minors in temporary accommodation in England  a 70 per cent rise since the Conservatives came into power

Nearly 600 homeless people died last year in England and Wales, other official figures showed this week, a 24 per cent increase over the past five years.

And a British Medical Journal report concluded that austerity was at the heart of the rise in rough-sleeping from 1,768 in 2010 to 4,751 in 2017  although charities believed the true figure was much higher.

Cheaper social housing has withered, support programmes run by local authorities and others have been slashed, with benefit cuts  and harsh sanctions which remove benefits  also blamed.

Interviewed on BBC Radio 4s Today programme, Mr Osborne  who was sacked by Theresa May and quit as an MP last year  argued that poverty would have been worse without austerity.

The causes of homelessness Show all 7 1 /7 The causes of homelessness The causes of homelessness Family Breakdown Relationship breakdown, usually between young people and their parents or step-parents, is a major cause of youth homelessness. Around six in ten young people who come to Centrepoint say they had to leave home because of arguments, relationship breakdown or being told to leave. Many have experienced long-term problems at home, often involving violence, leaving them without the family support networks that most of us take for granted The causes of homelessness Complex needs Young people who come to Centrepoint face a range of different and complex problems. More than a third have a mental health issue, such as depression and anxiety, another third need to tackle issues with substance misuse. A similar proportion also need to improve their physical health. These problems often overlap, making it more difficult for young people to access help and increasing the chances of them becoming homeless Getty/iStock The causes of homelessness Deprivation Young people's chances of having to leave home are higher in areas of high deprivation and poor prospects for employment and education. Many of those who experience long spells of poverty can get into problem debt, which makes it harder for them to access housing Getty Images/iStockphoto The causes of homelessness Gang Crime Homeless young people are often affected by gang-related problems. In some cases, it becomes too dangerous to stay in their local area meaning they can end up homeless. One in six young people at Centrepoint have been involved in or affected by gang crime Getty Images/iStockphoto The causes of homelessness Exclusion From School Not being in education can make it much more difficult for young people to access help with problems at home or health problems. Missing out on formal education can also make it more difficult for them to move into work Getty Images/iStockphoto The causes of homelessness Leaving Care Almost a quarter of young people at Centrepoint have been in care. They often have little choice but to deal with the challenges and responsibilities of living independently at a young age. Traumas faced in their early lives make care leavers some of the most vulnerable young people in our communities, with higher chances of poor outcomes in education, employment and housing. Their additional needs mean they require a higher level of support to maintain their accommodation Getty Images/iStockphoto The causes of homelessness Refugees Around 13 per cent of young people at Centrepoint are refugees or have leave to remain, meaning it isn't safe to return home. This includes young people who come to the UK as unaccompanied minors, fleeing violence or persecution in their own country. After being granted asylum, young people sometimes find themselves with nowhere to go and can end up homeless Getty Images/iStockphoto

Asked about the rising number of deaths in doorways, he said: The country was close to bankrupt  you know, the famous letter we got when we walked in the Treasury, theres no money left.

Mr Osborne claimed the criticism he did get was as the person who put up VAT, put up stamp duty, got rid of the non-dom tax regime  prompting the suggestion he met the wrong people.

But he argued: The tax rises that I either introduced, or attempted to introduce, tuned out to be amongst the most controversial. The public expend savings were a necessary part of a package of getting this country back on its feet.

He said the Rough Sleepers Initiative, set up by Tony Blairs government, had been very effective  underlining policy action was the key  but experts say it was less of a priority after the Coalition came into power, in 2010.

Shadow housing secretary Melanie Onn said: Conservatives like George Osborne are in denial about their responsibility for the homelessness crisis.

The rapidly rising homelessness we've seen since 2010 is a direct result of the Tories' short-sighted cuts to housing investment, social security benefits and hostel funding.

On Brexit, Mr Osborne attacked what he called the reckless decision to pursue a no-deal option, saying: I dont think the country voted to mobilise the Army, stockpile medicine, hoard food and go around the world buying every fridge available.

That is not what was offered and that is now what is happening.

And he argued that a general election was an under-reported likelihood for 2019 because the simplest way to solve political impasses has been to return to the public.

He praised the current attempts by MPs to block a no-deal Brexit, saying: The British political system is trying to pull the country back from this cliff edge of the referendum result.

The reason why Parliament is now actively talking about things like the Norway option of a relationship with the EU is precisely because the political system is now trying to act as a check on what essentially is a reckless decision  that is to precipitously leave the European Union without an agreement

Mr Osborne said the Conservative party was heading towards a prolonged period in opposition unless it adapted to modern Britain, by becoming more socially-liberal and pro-business.
Amber Rudd has launched a scathing attack on "ghastly" European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker, criticising his behaviour with women.

The Work and Pensions Secretary hit out over footage from last week's European Council meeting in Brussels, which showed him playing with a woman's hair.

Ms Rudd, a former minister for women and equalities, branded the behaviour "grotesque" in an interview with The Telegraph. She said he would probably have been subject to an official complaint if it happened in the UK.

Mr Juncker, a former prime minister of Luxembourg, also clashed with Prime Minister Theresa May.

They were caught on camera having a robust discussion the day after Mr Juncker used a press conference to describe her negotiating strategy as "nebulous".

Ms Rudd replaced Esther McVey at the Department for Work and Pensions a month ago, having been sacked as Home Secretary over the Windrush Scandal.

In a wide-ranging interview, which will fuel speculation she has leadership ambitions, the Hastings MP was asked about Mr Juncker.

She said: "(He's) ghastly. What I minded before that were those pictures of the way he was holding the Prime Minister. I did not like that."

Discussing the indecent on his arrival at the European Council meeting, she added: "It's grotesque. I mean, if that happened in our Parliament I hope there would be a formal complaint. When I used to go the EU for meetings, I often had a terrible cold to insist that I didn't get enveloped in a bear hug.

"All the EU commissioners love doing their big hugs."

Press Association
The US government has been forced into a partial shutdown after Democrats refused to meet Donald Trumps demands for five billion dollars to start erecting a wall on the Mexico border.

The White House halted work at a string of cabinet-level departments and dozens of agencies after hours of bargaining with congressional leaders produced no compromise.

White House budget chief Mick Mulvaney sent agency heads a memorandum late on Friday telling them to execute plans for an orderly shutdown.

Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby told reporters: We don't have a deal. We're still talking.

With negotiations expected to continue, the House and Senate both scheduled rare Saturday sessions. House members were told they would get 24 hours' notice before a vote.

Recommended Congress leaders race to avoid government shutdown as deadline looms

The gridlock blocks money for nine of 15 cabinet-level departments and dozens of agencies - including the departments of Homeland Security, Transportation, Agriculture and State and Justice.

The lack of funds will disrupt many government operations and the routines of 800,000 federal employees. Around 420,000 workers will work unpaid just days before Christmas, while 380,000 will be given a leave of absence, meaning they will stay home without pay.

Those being given a leave of absence include nearly everyone at Nasa - and around eight in 10 employees of the National Park Service will stay home and many parks were expected to close.

However, some agencies, including the Pentagon, were already funded for the year in agreements reached earlier so they will operate as normal.

Meanwhile, the FBI, the Border Patrol and the Coast Guard will continue to function and Transportation Security Administration officers will continue to staff airport checkpoints.

Mr Trump said on Friday that a partial shutdown of the government would "hopefully not last long", after Republican senators failed to muster the votes needed to approve a funding measure that included $5bn for the border wall.

He said: "We're going to have a shutdown. There's nothing we can do about that because we need the Democrats to give us their votes."

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A joint statement by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said: Instead of honouring his responsibility to the American people, President Trump threw a temper tantrum and convinced House Republicans to push our nation into a destructive Trump Shutdown in the middle of the holiday season.

Senator Lisa Murkowski expressed disappointment at the lack of a deal, and Lamar Alexander said: This is a complete failure of negotiations and a success for no one.

Mr Trump has said he would accept money for a Steel Slat Barrier with spikes on the top, which he said would be just as effective as a wall and at the same time beautiful.

He posted a widely ridiculed image of the proposed structure on Twitter.

The president called Republican senators to the White House on Friday morning, but Republicans said afterwards that the session did not produce a strategy.

Earlier this week, the Senate approved a bipartisan deal keeping government open into February and providing 1.3bn dollars (1.03bn) for border security projects but not the wall.

In a Republican victory on Thursday, the House rebelled and approved a package temporarily financing the government but also providing 5.7bn dollars (4.51bn) for the border wall.

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

However, a Senate procedural vote on Friday afternoon showed that Republicans lacked the 60 votes they would need to force that measure through their chamber.

Additional reporting by AP
Nine miners are trapped inside a salt mine in the Russian town of Solikamsk in the central Perm region.

A rescue operation is under way following an incident at a facility owned by Russian company Uralkali shortly after 10am Moscow time on Saturday morning.

Officials said the fire erupted when 17 workers were inside the mine, where the potassium-rich salt potash is dug up around 740 miles east of Moscow.

While eight of them were evacuated, nine miners were blocked by smoke following a fire. The mining company said the workers were all employees of a subcontractor doing maintenance work.

The subcontractors chief, Andrei Maksimov, told the Interfax news agency that the chances of finding the trapped miners alive were slim.

Rescue teams have been unable to reach the area where the workers were located because of heavy smoke.

An accident took place at the same Uralkali mining site in 2014 when a huge sinkhole opened up. The crater, found to measure 30 by 40 metres, appeared over an abandoned mine.

No-one was injured in the accident, but shares prices dropped sharply when work was briefly suspended because of the sinkhole. The company said it was caused by a large inflow of brine.

Additional reporting by agencies
The gunman who shot five people dead at a Christmas market in Strasbourg had reportedly pledged his allegiance to the Isis.

Investigators found a video stored on a USB stick in which Cherif Chekatt confirmed his support for the extremist group, according to a judicial official.

The video was said to have been discovered at the 29-year-olds home.

Chekatt died in a shootout with police two days after the deadly attack at Strasbourgs popular Christmas market on 11 December.

Shortly after his death, Isiss Amaq news agency claimed he was a soldier of the group.

However, French interior minister Christophe Castaner rejected the claim as totally opportunistic.

Five people were killed and 12 others were wounded in the gun attack earlier this month.

A manhunt was launched after Chekatt escaped but he was cornered by French police and shot dead in the Neudorf area of the city two days later.

His parents and two brothers were among seven arrested as police investigated whether others were involved in the attack.

People light candles and lay floral tributes during a gathering around a makeshift memorial at Place Kleber, Strasbourg, on 16 December (AFP/Getty) (Sebastien Bozon/AFP/Getty Images)

However, his father Abdelkrim Chekatt denied knowing his son was planning the shooting and said he had tried to discourage his extremist beliefs.

He last saw him just three days before the attack.

The four family members were later released due to the lack of incriminating evidence at this stage, the Paris prosecutors office said.

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Chekatt was on French security services watch list for radicalism and had 27 criminal convictions for offences in France, Germany and Switzerland.

Investigators have been working to determine whether he had any accomplices in the Christmas market attack.

A memorial for the shooting victims was held in Strasbourgs Kleber square on Sunday.

The service took place close to the eastern citys popular Christmas market, which is the largest in France.

Associated Press
For two days last week, audiences at Moscows Gogol Centre theatre were served up an age-old question: Just who in Russia has a happy life?

In common with the rest of the theatres repertoire, Nikolai Nekrasovs 1869 classic came with a bohemian workaround. The 2018 version had rap music, contemporary dance scenes, sex and fairly gratuitous nudity. But the gist of the tale remained the same: seven peasants traipsing across the largest country on earth, all in search of just one happy Russian.

The men move from priest to boyar, labourer to bureaucrat, men to women. Along the way, they are hindered by Russia: by incarceration, corruption, violence and vodka.

Eventually, they conclude no one is really happy or free. Only, perhaps, the tsar has it good. And even then, no one is sure.

The contemporary resonance of Nekrasovs epic will have been lost on few in the audience. No one will have needed to see the casts Freedom to the director! T-shirts, revealed on final curtain, to know one important member of the production was missing. Or that the man, the virtuoso director Kirill Serebrennikov, was at home under house arrest, as he has been for the last sixteenth months.

Recommended Russian theatre director detained on embezzlement charge

Serebrennikov is one of four people who stand accused of forming a crime syndicate, defrauding the Russian state to the tune of 133m rubles (1.5m). The charges relate to a grant awarded by then-president Dmitry Medvedev to develop experimental theatre.

Serebrennikov and his co-defendants deny all the charges, and have described them as absurd.

While the theatre world occasionally cuts corners with tax and cash payments, few believe the directors problems are at all down to money. With provocative productions that touched on many taboo subjects such as homosexuality, Serebrennikov had, after all, created powerful enemies in the conservative elite.

For many, the trial has become no less than a test of creative freedom in Russia.

At the very least, it is a test of creativity in the state prosecutors office. Less than 0.1 per cent of all trials that reach court in Russia end with acquittals. So far, there is little evidence this case will buck the trend, with proceedings occasionally bordering on the absurd.

Initially, Serebrennikov and his co-accused stood accused of taking money for a play that supposedly never made it to the stage. Defence lawyers pointed out A Midsummer Nights Dream was not only staged but actually received theatre awards.

This week, investigators presented several new tomes of evidence  invoices, all supposedly signed by Serebrennikovs co-defendant, Alexei Malobrodsky. The vast majority of these documents bore no relation to the charges. Most were innocuous enough: phone bills, and electricity statements. But a substantial number of the documents also contained forged signatures.

Over the course of an hour, Malobrodsky and his lawyers attempted to raise objections with the presiding judge.

This is not my signature, your honour, Malobrodsky said. These documents are forged and should not be considered.

At one point, Malobrodskys lawyer, Kseniya Karpinskaya, called for the state prosecutor Oleg Lavrov to be removed from the case. Presenting false and tendentious evidence, she argued, showed he had no interest in the objectivity of his case.

Judge Irina Akkuratova promised to retire consider the request. Three minutes later, she returned with a decision that surprised no one.

The judge does not see any basis for the claim, she said.

Speaking with The Independent outside the courtroom, the lawyer Karpinskaya said the evidence presented by the state prosecution was highly irregular, and proved nothing: Maybe they havent made a decision yet about where they are taking the case. But the danger is that when we reach the end of the process, the judge will have forgotten that its all junk.

Already, the trial has come at considerable cost to the defendants and their families.

Serebrennikov, an only child, was this year unable to be by his dying mothers side. His father, too, is currently suffering ill health, and is isolated from his son, several hundred miles away in Rostov.

A participant in the 'Being Kirill Serebrennikov' film, shot by two film institute students, reveals a message 'Russia, what do you want from me?' (Oliver Carroll)

Alexei Malobrodsky meanwhile saw his health deteriorate significantly during a year of pre-trial detention. He suffered a suspected heart attack in May, and only afterwards was released from detention. Last week, the trial was interrupted several times following another heart scare, and he remains under close medical supervision.

Karpinskaya says her clients pre-trial detention was clearly disproportionate, and used to push him to give evidence against Serebrennikov, the only real target of the prosecution.

Someone had it in for Serebrennikov, she says. I cant say who and why, though I have my suspicions. The other defendants are simply collateral.

The resources being thrown at the case bear little correlation to the alleged sums involved. There are many theories  but little light  about who could be the driving force behind the prosecution. Might it represent an attack on Vladislav Surkov, the once-all-powerful presidential aide and a prominent Serebrennikov backer? Was Vladimir Medinsky, the ultra-conservative culture minister somehow involved? Could Tikhon Shevkunov, Putins personal confessor be scheming?

The only man who matters, Vladimir Putin, has made several contradictory statements on the case. At one point, he called investigators fools, before later suggesting serious economic crimes had been committed.

One thing seems certain: The trial has become unusually sensitive for the Russian political system.

Earlier this month, two students in Russias leading film school were threatened with expulsion after they began making a film about Gogol Centre and the Serebrennikov affair.

Director Artyom Firsanov told The Independent the schools management subjected him to several hours of intense questioning. They asked him to stop filming and withdrew permission to use the schools facilities  allegedly after receiving a call from above.

Shooting for Being Kirill Serebrennikov continued nonetheless in a hastily rearranged studio located in a suburban shopping centre. Over the course of a day, more than fifty people turned up to deliver short pieces to camera. Some employed song, while others appeared with portraits of the absent director, his mouth painted over.

The last participant stood simply, with his back to the camera, before removing his t-shirt to reveal a message written across his shoulders.

Russia, what do you want from me? it read.
A man has died in a car crash in the south of France, after vehicles at a roundabout were brought to a halt by so-called yellow vest (gilets jaune) protesters.

The fatality raises the death toll related to the anti-government protests to 10, with most people dying in traffic accidents.

Local authorities said the 36-year-old driver died after his car collided with the back of a lorry that had stopped near a group of protesters.

The crash occurred near the southern town of Perpignan.

Around 200 roundabouts across France were blocked on Saturday, during a sixth consecutive weekend of unrest.

Clashes at the Paris fuel protests: in pictures Show all 29 1 /29 Clashes at the Paris fuel protests: in pictures Clashes at the Paris fuel protests: in pictures Water cannons are turned on the protesters Reuters Clashes at the Paris fuel protests: in pictures Riot police detain protesters EPA Clashes at the Paris fuel protests: in pictures A car is set alight in the protests AFP/Getty Clashes at the Paris fuel protests: in pictures The Arc de Triomphe is graffitied with the slogan: 'he yellow vests will triumph' Reuters Clashes at the Paris fuel protests: in pictures Protesters barricade themselves on the Champs Elysees as police line the streets Reuters Clashes at the Paris fuel protests: in pictures A protester fires at police with a slingshot AFP/Getty Clashes at the Paris fuel protests: in pictures A protester holds up a sign that reads 'your Europe ruins us' Reuters Clashes at the Paris fuel protests: in pictures A protester gestures amidst burning cars EPA Clashes at the Paris fuel protests: in pictures Protesters walk amidst tear gas near the Arc de Triomphe Reuters Clashes at the Paris fuel protests: in pictures A protester runs amidst tear gas Reuters Clashes at the Paris fuel protests: in pictures Protesters on the Champs Elysees amidst tear gas AFP/Getty Clashes at the Paris fuel protests: in pictures Protesters in yellow vests gather outside the town hall in Bordeaux EPA Clashes at the Paris fuel protests: in pictures Protesters gather on the Champs Elysees after the police deploy tear gas AFP/Getty Clashes at the Paris fuel protests: in pictures Protesters stand by the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Paris AFP/Getty Clashes at the Paris fuel protests: in pictures A protester waves a French flag Reuters Clashes at the Paris fuel protests: in pictures Riot police take formation AFP/Getty Clashes at the Paris fuel protests: in pictures A general view of the Champs Elysees in Paris today as protesters clash with police Reuters Clashes at the Paris fuel protests: in pictures A protester wears a jacket reading 'Macron, thief, lier, crook, go away, the people banish you' AP Clashes at the Paris fuel protests: in pictures Protesters gather on the Champs Elysees AFP/Getty Clashes at the Paris fuel protests: in pictures Protesters hold a French flag by a burning barricade AFP/Getty Clashes at the Paris fuel protests: in pictures Protesters gather by a fire AFP/Getty Clashes at the Paris fuel protests: in pictures Water cannons are turned on the protesters Reuters Clashes at the Paris fuel protests: in pictures A protester wears an adapted yellow vest reading 'Macron's cemetery: here lies your buying power' AFP/Getty Clashes at the Paris fuel protests: in pictures Protesters gather by a burning car AFP/Getty Clashes at the Paris fuel protests: in pictures Riot police advance through tear gas followed closely by their water cannon EPA Clashes at the Paris fuel protests: in pictures Tear gas is deployed to deter the protesters Reuters Clashes at the Paris fuel protests: in pictures A protester waves a French flag amidst tear gas AP Clashes at the Paris fuel protests: in pictures Protesters walk amidst tear gas by the Arc de Triomphe Reuters Clashes at the Paris fuel protests: in pictures A protester holds a sign asking for the reintroduction of ISF (an old French tax on wealth) AFP/Getty

But the streets were calmer than in previous weeks and fewer numbers of protesters had gathered to march, particularly in Paris, which has borne the brunt of the unrest.

On 1 December the French capital saw its worst urban riot in decades, with 133 injured and over 400 arrested.

On Saturday, dozens of demonstrators in southern France chanted Macron resign as they blocked traffic near the Spanish border.

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The yellow vest protests began in November as a show of public anger against a rise in fuel tax, which was later scrapped.

The demonstrations have since grown to encompass widely felt frustration against French president Emmanuel Macron, with many protesters complaining that he governs only for the rich.

Additional reporting by agencies
The leader of a growing independence movement in south Yemen has called for a split from the north and warned southerners would defend their lands militarily if ignored, igniting fears the country could face another civil war.

Speaking to The Independent, Aidarus al-Zoubaidi, president of the so-called Southern Transitional Council (STC), demanded an immediate referendum on the secession issue and urged the United Nations to address the southern question in future peace talks scheduled from next month.

The former governor of Aden said the STC was extremely disappointed it was excluded from recent UN-held peace talks in Sweden, which resulted in a tense truce between the Houthi rebels and the recognised Yemeni government.

Yemen, which was only unified in 1990, has been torn apart by a complex four-year war between the Iran-backed rebel group who control the capital, Sanaa, and the recognised government supported by Saudi Arabia, the UAE and its Gulf allies.

The Sweden talks did not address the issue of southern independence, which has been simmering since fighters in the south, largely backed by the UAE, took a leading role in the conflict.

Mr Zoubaidi warned that southern forces would defend their lands if they were not taken seriously, claiming the majority of the south wanted a return to independence, with the southern port city of Aden as their capital.

The STC will aim to launch a dialogue with all Yemeni political parties and use all peaceful and democratic means to discuss the right of self-determination. The southern people have been struggling since 1991 to restore the legitimacy of our land, he said.

We respect all UN laws and resolutions, we prefer dialogue over disagreements, but if that doesnt happen we will defend ourselves and our land energetically. We are on the ground military and security wise, and we will defend our land with all means and options available.

The STC was formed last summer from a faction of the so-called Southern Movement which since 2007 has been calling for and working on the separation of Yemen. Violence already flared in January when STC forces seized control of Aden, from the recognised Yemeni government that is temporarily based there.

Yemen has only been one country since 1990. Before then South Yemen was a Soviet-backed, independent socialist state until it agreed to unification with northern leader, the late Ali Abdullah Saleh, shortly after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Salehs administration, which was later toppled by a 2011 Arab Spring uprising, crushed the southern movement, which railed against what it said was the unfair distribution and allocation of Yemens oil wealth and continued political sidelining.

In 1994, central government forces brutally put down the last and final separatist rebellion.

But luck changed for the southerners with the Houthi takeover of the country in early 2015, which forced recognised Yemeni President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi to flee the country.

Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies including the UAE launched a bombing campaign in March of the same year to reinstate Mr Hadi, fearing the encroachment of Iranian influence on their borders.

Southern forces, trained and armed by the Emiratis, were a crucial part of the troops that ejected the Houthis from Aden and corralled them into the north where they remain.

Fighters in the south have also been integral in the battle against Al-Qaeda in Yemen as well as Isis and are key part of government forces in their latest offensive against the flashpoint city of Hodeidah.

Children suffering from acute malnutrition in Yemen Show all 17 1 /17 Children suffering from acute malnutrition in Yemen Children suffering from acute malnutrition in Yemen Doctors take some blood of Yemeni Yousef Abdullah Bakhit Ali, 13, suffering from severe acute malnutrition. With ongoing and unending conflict in Yemen, humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate across the country Unicef/Huwais Children suffering from acute malnutrition in Yemen A doctor weighs Yemeni baby Yahya Hamoud Ali Al Huzef, 9 months suffering from malnutrition Unicef/Huwais Children suffering from acute malnutrition in Yemen Ali Mohammed Ahmed Jamal,12 years old and suffering from severe acute malnutrition. He arrives with his family at a Unicef supported treatment centre in a hospital in Sanaa Unicef/Huwais Children suffering from acute malnutrition in Yemen A doctor measures the arm of Yemeni Ali Mohammed Ahmed Jamal, 12, who is suffering from malnutrition at a treatment centre in a hospital in Sanaa Unicef/Huwais Children suffering from acute malnutrition in Yemen There are over 400,000 severely malnourished children in need urgent lifesaving assistance in Yemen Unicef/Abdulhaleem Children suffering from acute malnutrition in Yemen Ali Mohammed Ahmed Jamal is weighed Unicef/Huwais Children suffering from acute malnutrition in Yemen A doctor measures the arm of baby Yahya Hamoud Ali Al Huzef Unicef/Huwais Children suffering from acute malnutrition in Yemen Unicef are currently working to reach 275,000 malnourished children with critical life-saving supplies and care for over 5 million people with safe and clean water to stop the spread of life-threatening diseases Unicef/Huwais Children suffering from acute malnutrition in Yemen Yahya Hamoud Ali Al Huzef with his family in his house in the outskirts of the capital Sanaa Unicef/Huwais Children suffering from acute malnutrition in Yemen The country is on the brink of famine and children's chances of survival are becoming slimmer by the day Unicef/Abdulhaleem Children suffering from acute malnutrition in Yemen Ali Mohammed Ahmed Jamal has his arm measured Unicef/Huwais Children suffering from acute malnutrition in Yemen Unicef are currently working to provide nearly 1 million children with vaccines and healthcare Unicef/Huwais Children suffering from acute malnutrition in Yemen Unicef/Huwais Children suffering from acute malnutrition in Yemen Unicef are working with partners around-the clock to save children suffering from malnutrition and disease Unicef/Abdulhaleem Children suffering from acute malnutrition in Yemen Unicef are currently working to provide 9 million people with emergency cash assistance to help families buy basic commodities so they can survive Unicef/Huwais Children suffering from acute malnutrition in Yemen Ali Mohammed Ahmed Jamal is suffering from malnutrition Unicef Children suffering from acute malnutrition in Yemen Unicef/Abdulhaleem

Many fear ignoring the calls for southern succession will only undermine a tense truce, brokered earlier this month by the UN in Sweden, which is currently holding in the Red Sea port. The four-year war in Yemen has sparked the worlds worst humanitarian crisis in terms of numbers with over two-thirds of the country now relying on aid to survive. The UN said last week a staggering 20 million people could starve as the country teeters on the brink of one of the worst famines of our time.

Hopes are resting on the Sweden ceasefire deal in which all sides have agreed to withdraw from Hodeidah, which would then be ruled by a joint local committee overseen by the UN.

On Friday the UN security council agreed to the deployment of UN monitors to the Red Sea port to observe the implementation of the ceasefire. The British-drafted resolution, the first on Yemen to be signed in three years, also endorses a prisoner exchange agreement, and a statement of understanding around the war-torn central city of Taiz. However, the issue of the south is also not mentioned.

Mr Zoubaidi, who is based between Aden and the UAE, says now is the time to address the southern question as the UNs envoy to Yemen, Martin Griffiths, is planning a fresh round of talks in January to finalise a long-term peace plan and lay out the future of the country.

The powerful political figure was initially the governor of Aden under President Hadi but was fired in April 2017 for his loyalty to the southern campaign, which had become increasingly frustrated with the recognised authorities. In January 2018, tensions reached breaking point when UAE-trained separatists seized control of Aden from forces loyal to Saudi-based President Hadi, throwing the anti-Houthi alliance into chaos.

Smoke rises from inside a military camp the day after fighters from the separatist STC took control of the pro-government position in the northern Dar Saad district of Aden in January (Photo: SALEH AL-OBEIDI/AFP/Getty Images)

Although the fighting died down and a tense calm has held, the STC remains a powerful force in the port city. Their supporters and affiliated forces control key areas like the airport, and even the presidential compound.

Mr Zoubaidi suggested Mr Hadi remain as an interim president until a referendum on the issue of secession is held in the south.

We are ready to launch negotiations with all parties and we have already informed Mr Griffiths. He said he had remained committed to end the disagreements between the warring parties, he told The Independent.



President Hadi has failed to listen to the people of Yemen and is unwanted. He has no popularity in the south ... As far as the government is concerned, it is based in Aden but is unable to provide services and basic needs for people. It cannot play its role in any victory. Hadis project is not acceptable, neither in the north nor in the south.

President Hadi has failed to listen the people of Yemen and is unwanted. He has no popularity in the south Aidarus al-Zoubaidi, leader of the STC a southern separatist movement

Yemen experts have long warned that ignoring the southern issue will undermine any attempt at long-term peace and, at worst, could see another conflict.

Adam Baron, visiting fellow of ICFR who specialises in Yemen, said even if further peace deals were negotiated between the Houthis and the authorities, there will be no stability until the southern question is answered.

This is one of the most important issues facing Yemen both today and yesterday and if it is not dealt with, it is going to facing Yemen for plenty of tomorrows, he told The Independent.

This has already fuelled significant tension in Aden, if it not resolved, it does risk fuelling the outbreak of violence in the future.

The tensions have piled pressure on the UAE, which has unfurled an impressive series of military bases across southern Yemen and supported the southerners with training.

A senior official from the Emirates told The Independent that the issue of a separate south needed to be resolved under the aegis of the UN and other relevant international institutions.

It is not something that can by imposed by any party, internal or external. The UAE respects the collective wisdom of the Yemeni people in regard to all these contentious issues and will act always in accordance with its utmost respect for the sovereignty for Yemen, the official added.
Seventy years after the UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide came into force, its effectiveness is disputed.

Jewish lawyer and Polish refugee Raphael Lemkin coined the word genocide in 1943 to describe the killing and destruction of peoples, deriving the word from the Greek genos (people, tribe or race) and the Latin cide (killing). Against the backdrop of the Holocaust, this had been, in the words of Winston Churchill, a crime without a name  at least officially.

But on 9 December 1948, the international community formally adopted a definition of genocide within the 1948 convention  essentially enshrining the message of never again in international law.

But questions over whether the convention has achieved what it set out to do focus on three key failings.

First, the very application of the term genocide is applied too slowly and cautiously when atrocities happen. Second, the international community fails to act effectively against genocides. Third, too few perpetrators are actually convicted of their crimes.

Failure to define

Consider how many genocides have occurred since the 1948 convention and its ratification in 1951. Now consider that only three have been legally recognised  and led to trials  under the convention: Rwanda in 1994, Bosnia (and the 1995 Srebrenica massacre), and Cambodia under the 1975-79 Pol Pot regime.

The widespread killing and displacement of Yazidi by Isis and Rohingya in Myanmar are ongoing and recognised by the UN as a whole, but have yet to be officially recognised as genocides by some individual states. Similarly, 13 years after atrocities took place in the Sudanese region of Darfur, criminal investigations continue but no official charges of genocide have been made under the convention.

Perhaps more broadly applied than the legal definition is the academic one  something which changes subtly depending on who is defining it. Criminologist Nicole Rafter, for example, also specifically named the Indonesian genocide of 1965-66 and the Guatemalan genocide of 1981-83.

Political scientist Adam Jones, meanwhile, also names the genocides committed under Saddam Hussein against the Kurds in 1988-91 in Iraq, and by West Pakistan forces against Bangladeshis in 1971. He also highlights crimes committed during Stalins Great Terror and by China in Tibet.

And the list of genocides that might fall under the UN definition is frighteningly long. The International Criminal Court is investigating several states in which human rights violations and war crimes may have occurred.

Armenians mark 101 years since genocide Show all 10 1 /10 Armenians mark 101 years since genocide Armenians mark 101 years since genocide Armenian people carry torches during a march to commemorate the mass killings of Armenians Getty Armenians mark 101 years since genocide Armenian people take part in a march in commemoration of the 101th anniversary of the mass killings of Armenians by Ottoman forces in 1915 Getty Armenians mark 101 years since genocide People hold a flag during the laying of the flowers at the Genocide Memorial in Yerevan Getty Armenians mark 101 years since genocide President Serzh Sargsyan and actor George Clooney attend the laying of the flowers at the Genocide Memorial in Yerevan Getty Armenians mark 101 years since genocide Armenian clergymen, US actor George Clooney, center, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, second right front, and guests attend a ceremony at a memorial to Armenians killed by the Ottoman Turks, in Yerevan AP Armenians mark 101 years since genocide Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian (C,R) and US actor George Clooney (C) attend a ceremony at the Genocide Memorial in Yerevan Getty Armenians mark 101 years since genocide A general view of attendees and mount Ararat during the laying of the flowers at the Genocide Memorial in Yerevan Getty Armenians mark 101 years since genocide Lebanese of Armenian descent burn an effigy of Turkish president Erdogan during a protest in front the house of Turkish Ambassador to mark the 101st anniversary of the mass killing of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire in 1915, near Beirut, Lebanon EPA Armenians mark 101 years since genocide Activists hold portraits of victims during a silent demonstration to commemorate the mass killings of Armenians by Ottoman Turks in Istanbul Reuters Armenians mark 101 years since genocide Activists hold portraits of victims during a silent demonstration to commemorate the mass killings of Armenians by Ottoman Turks in Istanbul Reuters

Myanmar already is under criminal investigation over its treatment of its Muslim Rohingya minority, and the genocide against the Yazidi has been defined by the UN as such. Other genocides, such as that involving Australias stolen generations, are academically debated but have never formally or legally been recognised as such. Indeed, many states may not acknowledge a genocide when others do. The US, for example, famously never officially recognised the 1915 Armenian genocide as one.

In her 2018 Nobel lecture, Nobel Peace Prize winner Nadia Murad, a survivor of the most recent (Yazidi) genocide, referred to several other instances when the Yazidi people have been victims of the same crime, but these atrocities have never officially been recognised.

There is, it seems, an ongoing distinction between genocide and genocide.

Failure to act

Prevention is a critical part of the convention and parties can call upon the UN to intervene when they have evidence of a genocide. The actual application of this, however, has been woeful.

Former UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon acknowledged, for example, that UN troops were pulled out of Rwanda when they were most needed and further acknowledged that the innocent at Srebrenica were abandoned to slaughter in 1995.

Atrocities committed by government troops against Tamils in Sri Lanka between 1983 and 2009 were never officially recognised as a genocide, but UN troops stationed there also stood by impotently as thousands were massacred, and the world watched in apparent indifference.

On 15 December 2018, the US House of Representatives formally labelled the crimes against the Rohingya in Myanmar as a genocide but still there is inaction to support those displaced in Bangladesh and help them to rebuild their lives. Meanwhile, Myanmar remains unsafe for them. The status of Yazidi refugees is also still in a state of flux and many are fearful of returning to their homes.

Some criminal investigations are underway while the genocides continue. And when the physical evidence of killings is uncovered, evidence of the criminal intent for genocide must also be gathered, and the ringleaders identified and caught.

Failure to prosecute

The true number of perpetrators in Rwanda, the former Yugoslavia and Cambodia is unknown, but still only a handful have been convicted. So far, 93 Rwandans and 161 former Yugoslavian perpetrators have been indicted. But there have been only two UN-backed prosecutions of Cambodian perpetrators of genocide. Indeed, Nuon Chea and Khieu Samphan were already serving life sentences for their crimes against humanity in Cambodia when they were convicted, while countless others live freely in the country, untouched by international law. Surely more must be done.

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In thanking the Nobel committee for her peace prize, Murad stated that the only prize in the world that may restore our dignity, is justice and the prosecution of criminals. With so few convictions to date, the international community has much catching up to do if Murads wish for a more peaceful future is to be realised.

Seventy years after the UN convention, genocide remains ever present in our global society. For Nobel laureate and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel, never again was a prayer, a promise, a vow. Unfortunately, this vow is all too often broken.

Rachael Burns is an associate lecturer in criminology at the University of York. This article first appeared on The Conversation (theconversation.com)
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines)  For some Filipinos, the holidays mean heading home to their provinces for the long break to spend time with their loved ones.

Families get to indulge in a festive Noche Buena gathering while waiting for the clock to strike 12.

You wake your kids  or baby siblings  up at midnight for the gift-giving. Or maybe you pop a bottle of wine for the traditional Christmas cheers.

It's the same story you look forward to  getting to rest and spend quality time with the family.

But it's never the same case for some Filipinos.

Take the case of Paulo, who grew up celebrating Christmas with not one, but three mothers.

In a clip for SM Supermalls, Paulo narrates the tale of growing up with his three mothers Teresita, Martha, and Isabel.

"Ako si Paulo, at tatlo ang nanay ko. Bata palang ako ganito na kami mag Pasok eh," he introduces in the video.

[Translation: Ever since I was a kid, this has always been our way of celebrating Christmas.]

He recalled how  as a kid  his mothers would bring him to the toy store or accompany him during occasional "food trips."

But even with the unusual set-up, Paulo only has one wish for the holidays: to spend time with his little family.

Growing up in an orphanage was never easy, but Paulo managed to push through with the help of his three "mothers."

And for the Christmas season, Paulo made sure he gave back to the "angels" who had been there for him since Day 1.

"Kahit iba-iba sila, isa lang ang gusto nilang ipadama," he adds.

" Kahit pa lumaki ako sa bahay-ampunan, punong puno ang buhay namin ng pagmamahal dahil sa kanilang tatlo  lalo na pag pasko."

[Translation: They may have different ways of expressing their love, but all three want the same thing for me. I may have grown up in an orphanage, but they've always made sure our lives were filled with love  especially during Christmas.]

It may have been a highly unusual setup for Paulo and his mothers, but truthfully, with his simple wish granted, he wouldn't have it any other way.
Garda at the scene of a shooting in west Dublin on Saturday evening (Brian Lawless/PA)

A man in his mid 30s has been shot dead in Dublin.

Gardai are investigating the fatal shooting in Blanchardstown on Saturday evening.

The victim was pronounced dead at the scene.

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The area has been sealed off for a technical examination and the office of the state pathologist has been informed.

Gardai are appealing for witness to the shooting at at Blakestown Cottages at around 6.50pm

Anyone with information is urged to contact them on 01 6667000, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda station.
Action: Garda Commissioner Drew Harris and his team have drawn up a Border security plan in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Photo: Damien Eagers / INM

Additional armed gardai are being posted to the Border in the New Year.

The decision to boost the strength of Special Branch and Armed Support Units (ASUs) has been fast-tracked by fears of a hard border post-Brexit.

Garda Commissioner Drew Harris and his security advisers are concerned about the problems that could arise with a hard Brexit acting as a recruiting weapon for dissident republican gangs.

The move follows a review by senior officers at Garda headquarters of the existing armed strength in the region.

Two ASUs are currently deployed in Ballyshannon, Co Donegal, and Dundalk, Co Louth, and are tasked with providing armed intervention and support for the northern region, which covers the Border.

Now security chiefs have decided to create a third ASU, which will be based in the Cavan-Monaghan division.

It has also been agreed to deploy more Special Branch teams, from their headquarters at Harcourt Square, Dublin to bases in the northern region to help cope with the potential security problems that will arise from a British no-deal departure.

"Our armed units are stretched at present to cover an area from Donegal across to Louth and this decision would have been introduced anyway, as a result of the review," a senior officer said.

Contingency planning for Brexit by gardai under Assistant Commissioner Michael O'Sullivan, who is in charge of national security and intelligence for the force, is well advanced and covers options that could be adopted by the UK as they exit the EU.

A no-deal Brexit, which could result in the re-introduction of customs posts, will put the biggest strain on garda strength in the Border divisions and PSNI manpower.

The British government has given approval to PSNI Chief Constable George Hamilton to launch recruitment to increase the strength of his force by 300 new officers and staff. However, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said there are no similar contingency plans here. Gardai said a lot would depend on the reaction from both republican and loyalist communities to Brexit.

Intelligence indicates dissident republican gangs are monitoring to see if they can exploit any opportunities to create mayhem and use the return of customs posts as a recruitment tool while increasing cross-Border smuggling rackets to boost funds.

Several key figures in dissident terror groups are due for release from Portlaoise prison in the coming months.

Most of the main groups are leaderless and their hierarchy structures have collapsed because the gardai have put leading terrorists behind bars. Internal struggles have also reduced their effectiveness.

The so-called OnH group, once regarded as posing one of the most serious threats to security, has split into three factions following the declaration of a ceasefire last January.

A relatively new group, called Arm na Poblachta, has emerged in the North but is not a player on this side of the Border.

Longer-term republican terrorists in the Donegal-Derry area continue to run their own activities there though they have some links with the New IRA.

The combined strength of the dissident republican groups is estimated at between 300 and 400 and all have been infiltrated by the garda's specialist units.
Tanaiste Simon Coveney has moved to pile pressure on London to find a way of maintaining an open Border in the event of a hard Brexit.

Amid growing concerns that Border infrastructure will become unavoidable after Brexit, Mr Coveney said the UK has obligations under the Good Friday Agreement which must be upheld.

And he suggested that those in the House of Commons who are opposed to the so-called backstop, including Jacob Rees-Mogg, should study Irish history.

"This is all happening because of a decision the United Kingdom has made that Ireland is trying to respond to in a reasonable and respectful way to protect our own interests.

"Primary responsibility here lies in London, not in Dublin, in relation to contingency in the absence of being able to ratify a deal that the British government signed up. I think it's important that's where the focus should remain," Mr Coveney said.

He noted Prime Minister Theresa May had said "many times that physical border infrastructure should not and cannot re-emerge on the island of Ireland".

Asked by the Irish Independent how Ireland plans to avoid a hard Border in the event that the UK crashes out of the EU without a deal, Mr Coveney said nothing would happen in that area while the Withdrawal Agreement was on the table.

"For us to be exploring or talking about other options that are not easily put together is not wise," he said.

The Foreign Affairs Minister urged MPs who are opposed to the backstop to educate themselves on the history of Northern Ireland.

He said they "need to remind themselves of the violence and tragedy and division".
Has there been any breakthrough on Brexit this week?

The short answer is no. The European Commission and Irish Government both published details of their no-deal planning this week, and it paints a worrying picture for this country.

How is Ireland fixed for a no-deal scenario?

There has been plenty of background planning taking place - but that doesn't take away from the reality that a no-deal Brexit will hurt us economically and socially.

Tanaiste Simon Coveney described the contingency plans as "stark" and "sobering", adding that implementing them will be a "damage limitation exercise".

What are the key points from the Irish plans?

A lot of focus has been put on expanding ports and airports.

New land is needed at Dublin and Rosslare ports to deal with potential customs checks. Extra staff are also being hired.

Some 45 pieces of emergency legislation will have to be passed when the Dail returns in the new year.

The plans warn that medicine supplies could be affected.

And Irish exporters will struggle with "severe delays" if their goods are transported using the so-called 'landbridge' across Britain to the continent.

What about the Border in a no-deal scenario?

This is still the great unknown. The European Commission has said that every consignment of live animals and animal products coming from the UK would have to undergo checks at the point of entry into the EU.

However, the Irish Government is refusing to accept this means border posts will have to be erected.

At the same time, neither Taoiseach Leo Varadkar nor Tanaiste Simon Coveney can explain how checks could be carried out without a border.

If the contingency plans for a no-deal Brexit have been published, is that an acceptance that the Withdrawal Agreement is dead?

No. Both the Irish and UK governments continue to insist there is still hope that the Withdrawal Agreement will win approval in the House of Commons.

Prime Minister Theresa May has made little progress in convincing more MPs to back it, though.

A debate is still raging in Britain over a second referendum.
When you are tucking into your Christmas feast next week, spare a thought for the farmers and workers whose efforts make it possible.

Men such as Andrew Fitzpatrick, who has spent the last 42 years picking Brussels sprouts by hand at Hilltown Growers farm in Garristown, Co Dublin.

The farm is run by brothers John and Simon Gormley, who took over from their father, in the 1990s.

Andrew (58) told the Farming Independent that he began working at the farm when he was 16 and has been picking Brussels sprouts by hand for the Christmas market since 1976.

"I pick nine acres of sprouts all by hand. I start picking in September until the end of March. I mostly pick by myself, but when it gets busy John and two other lads would help me. I'd work at the weekends too coming up to Christmas," says Andrew.

Come rain, hail or shine, Andrew can be seen stooped in the fields picking the sprouts - working his way through 9ac in total during a typical growing season.

"It doesn't matter what the weather is like. This is my livelihood. I sort them and grade them myself and they are then graded again in the shed."

The Brussels sprouts that Andrew picks are all supplied to Marks & Spencer and Tesco stores nationwide, which Andrew says puts pressure on them to ensure the sprouts are just right.

"They have to be up to scratch. Most sprouts around the country are picked by hand but Marks & Spencer only accept hand-picked sprouts so everything has to be up to standard and you've to watch out for blackspot," he says.

During the summer the sprouts, which were planted during the first week of May, were watered regularly to protect them from the harsh drought conditions, and he recalls it as a stressful time.

"We watered them every day, which cost money, but if we hadn't have done this, we wouldn't have saved the crop. It was a worry and we thought the crop would be affected," says Andrew.

"This is the lads' farm and it's how I earn a living, so it was a concern, but luckily yields have been very good. I'm very happy with them. There was a very good recovery overall."

John Gormley adds that 95pc of sprouts nationwide are machine harvested and that Andrew is "one of the last of the old stock" in the country who picks them by hand.

"He has real attention to detail and out in the field is where he is happiest," says John, whose farm also grows broccoli and swedes.

Over 100 miles down the road in Piltown, Co Kilkenny, James O'Shea of O'Shea's Fruit & Veg is busy sorting carrots for Aldi's Christmas shelves.

For James, Aldi's 'Kevin the Carrot' Christmas advertising campaign has put vegetables to the forefront of people's minds.

"We grow 240 acres of carrots and 180 acres of potatoes. Aldi will sell four million carrots during the Christmas period so it's nice to see that we are a huge part of that," says James, who has been working with the retailer since 1999.

He has started to use robots to sort some of the vegetables, but this hasn't affected his staffing. He currently employs 200 staff to harvest his own crops and sort the vegetables that come from a variety of suppliers in the south-east for the O'Shea's wholesale business.

"Planning how we will grow our carrots begins 12 months in advance, so we are already thinking of next Christmas now. We plant the carrots, which are of the Nairobi variety, between May and February. The growing season is about 120 days," says James.

"We try to sow at different densities and intervals to ensure carrots grow at the right size. We try to harvest carrots every day but it isn't always possible. We pick them at five degrees and store at two degrees for optimum temperature."

The Kilkenny man adds that many of his suppliers were working 24-hour days during the drought period of the summer but, through irrigating the carrots, they were able to save much of the crop.

Discounts

"It was a really hard time. We had eight irrigators on the go. Yields have been back a bit but overall it's been really good and we're mad busy now, thank God."

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Meanwhile North Cork potato grower Nora Sheehan (pictured above) is calling on supermarkets not to discount potatoes this Christmas period.

"Potatoes are such a huge part of Christmas dinner in Ireland, there will be more demand for them than ever at this time of year so there is no need for discounting."

Nora and her husband, Connie, supply the wholesale market. She says that while price and yield of potatoes has been stable this year, waste due to secondary growth is bound to be an issue.

Nora hopes people support smaller cornershops this year, where her products are sold.

"The wholesale market is diminishing every year. People don't want to go to smaller cornershops because they can get everything cheaper in larger stores.

"There's no point complaining - there were challenges and losses but we got through it."
Feud: Michael Ferris (pictured) was jailed for five years for the manslaughter of his farming neighbour Anthony OMahony

The family of slain Kerry farmer Anthony O'Mahony are "relieved" the Director of Public Prosecutions has formally challenged the five-year jail term handed out to his killer.

Mr O'Mahony's brother, Seamus, said last night they were taking "some small comfort" from the fact the sentence imposed on Michael Ferris (63) earlier this month for manslaughter will now be reviewed.

Anthony O'Mahony (73) was killed when his car was rammed by a teleporter machine driven by Michael Ferris at Rattoo, Co Kerry, on April 4, 2017.

The elderly farmer - hailed as one of Ireland's foremost horticulture experts - suffered horrific injuries as most of his major organs were ripped out of his body by the steel prongs of the teleporter.

The sentence was imposed in the Central Criminal Court after Ferris was acquitted of Mr O'Mahony's murder at a Kerry trial last October.

Ferris claimed he had snapped that day after a long-running dispute over the noise caused by a crow banger on Mr O'Mahony's land.

However, Mr O'Mahony's family said his good name and reputation had been shredded during a hugely upsetting trial process.

"The entire court case and then the sentencing were very upsetting," Seamus O'Mahony said.

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"But it is a slight help that the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) is going to appeal the sentence.

"But we do not believe we received the justice we deserved.

"Anthony did not get justice."

Seamus said they were informed by gardai on Thursday that the DPP would formally appeal the sentence as unduly lenient.

However, the family were informed the challenge to the alleged leniency of the sentence could take up to 12 months to resolve.

"We still believe this was a miscarriage of justice. But the DPP's action is some small comfort to us. It is a small help," said Mr O'Mahony.

Neighbours said the DPP's action came as no surprise.

"They always felt the five-year sentence was very lenient," one neighbour said.

"They [the O'Mahony family]don't want to go through the ordeal of hearing how Anthony died all over again, but they also want to see a sentence that somehow reflects the awful circumstances in which he was killed.

"They were very upset by the sentence and the fact that [Ferris] could return to his land here in just over two years' time."

Outside the sentencing hearing in Dublin, the O'Mahony family warned "justice has not been served".

Mr O'Mahony's niece, Marie, said the sentence was "disproportionate" to what had happened on April 4 and acknowledged her entire family were very upset by what had happened.

"We don't feel it [the sentence] is sufficient," she said.

Mr O'Mahony's nephew, James, also hit out at the five-year term imposed.

"We feel the sentence should have been higher and was disproportionate," he said.

Michael Ferris has been in custody since he was first charged before Tralee District Court.

His sentence was backdated to April 2017.
Nearly $2bn was wiped off shares in drugmaker Perrigo during early trading in New York yesterday, on news that tax authorities here had hit the business with a 1.6bn tax bill.

The stock plunged more than a quarter to its lowest level since Perrigo bought Irish pharmaceutical company Elan in 2013.

Perrigo is disputing the Revenue bill, which relates to Elan's earlier sale of the intellectual property behind a drug called Tysabri.

Revenue has determined the proceeds should have been taxed at the 33pc rate of capital gains tax. But Elan contends that the proceeds of the sale were trading income and should have only been subject to 12.5pc corporation tax.

Perrigo said it would file an appeal to the Tax Appeals Commission.

"No payment of any amount related to this assessment is required to be made, if at all, until all applicable proceedings have been completed," the company said.

In a statement, Perrigo confirmed it had been told about the assessment on November 29, although it did not alert investors until this week.

The company said it did not believe that the Irish tax decision would have an impact on its financial position at the end of the financial year.

"Perrigo strongly disagrees with both the basis on which Elan Pharma has been assessed and the methodology used to calculate the amount set out.

"Perrigo firmly believes...that Irish Revenue's position is incorrect as a matter of law." The company said there is case law to back up its argument that Elan had filed its tax returns correctly. It also said that on previous occasions it had treated income from selling intellectual property as trading income, and that Revenue had not disputed these cases.

Wells Fargo analyst David Maris slashed his price target on Perrigo's stock from $64 to $46.

"Given the tax authority makes the rules, it seems reasonable to think they may have the upper hand in this argument," Mr Maris wrote in a note to clients.

The 1.6bn figure does not include any interest or penalties that Revenue may charge the company.

The dispute comes hot on the heels of the European Commission's ruling that Apple owes Ireland 13bn in back taxes. In addition, US chipmaker Analog Devices is battling Revenue over an alleged bill of 43m.

The cases may make policymakers here nervous because of their potential to damage sentiment among multinationals towards Ireland.

The IDA declined to comment, while the American Chamber of Commerce Ireland, a representative group for US businesses operating here, did not respond to a request for comment.

Perrigo, which has its headquarters in Dublin, is one of the world's biggest suppliers of over-the-counter medicines. It makes private label versions of branded products like Sudafed and Claritin.

Additional reporting Bloomberg
In 1993, Yale University's Joel Waldfogel took a survey of students and, based on their responses, concluded that "holiday gift-giving destroys between 10pc and a third of value" because, to put it simply, what you paid for a present exceeds how it is valued by the recipient.

In his 2009 book 'Scroogenomics: Why You Shouldn't Buy Presents for the Holidays' he wrote that $12bn in the US and $25bn worldwide was thrown away at Christmas in "an orgy of wealth destruction".

So the Irish Independent put 'Scroogenomics' to five of the country's leading economists.

Governor of the Central Bank of Ireland Philip Lane says he has had to endure accusations that economists are overly concerned with prudence and prices, taking the fun out of life - "especially at Christmas".

In reality, he says, expertise in economics is no use when it comes to buying gifts.

"A training in economics provides absolutely no guidance in picking presents for families or friends. The only recipe for success is to have a sufficiently close relationship that you have some hope of understanding what kind of gift might be happily received," he said.

Professor Alan Barrett of the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) and Dr Loretta O'Sullivan of Bank of Ireland are both inclined to find something worthwhile in Waldfogel's approach.

Prof Barrett is still stung by the disappointments of Christmas past.

"I can still remember as a small child the feeling of excitement as I unwrapped gifts only to suffer the horrible disappointment of realising it was a jumper or some other piece of clothing," he said.

"I can still feel the disappointment that I experienced on those occasions and how it was made worse by having to pretend that you really liked the jumper."

To be fair to Waldfogel, the dismal science is at its best when its "counter-intuitive, irreverent and interesting" - in the word's of 'The Economist' newspaper.

Loretta O'Sullivan says her own family has gone done the Kris Kindle route in recent years, but she sees merit in Waldfogel's approach.

"By making us reveal our preferences, it helps reduce the inefficiency of present giving. Putting my festive hat on, though, there is something warm and fuzzy about the Christmas gift tradition - efficient or otherwise," she said.

Waldfogel is still an economist and he stands over Scroogenomics, but Seamus Coffey of University College Cork takes a wider view.

"We give gifts because we enjoy it - or in some cases we do it to avoid the negative consequences which not doing it will bring. Plug 'keeping the peace' into your cost-benefit analysis and you'll find reason enough to justify why we do it," he said.

What would Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe make of that? After all, he wasn't 'keeping the peace' by spreading Budget goodies, which Mr Coffey excoriated the minister for in recent weeks.

Dr Tom Healy of the Nevin Institute for Economic Research takes a similar view to Mr Coffey.

He tells a tale of an economist in a department store asking for help to find something that was neither 'outrageously expensive nor 'tacky' and ending up with a beautifully wrapped gift.

"Economists are limited in their knowledge and use of data," he said.

"Giving and receiving unlocks human emotions and needs that go well beyond money. Human behaviour such as that of the sales assistant is based on qualities of helpfulness and kindness that are not directly measurable and go beyond monetary reward or sales commission."

On the way out, Dr Healy relates: "The economist stopped and gave a small token of money to someone begging in Henry Street. It was not the money that mattered in that case. It was that someone was recognised, had their hand shaken and asked for their name."
Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe has been criticised for failing to raise the issue of the repeated failure of insurers here that are regulated in other EU countries.

The minister admitted in a Dail reply that he has not put the problem on the agenda for meetings with fellow European finance ministers.

It comes after Irish policyholders narrowly escaped having to meet the cost of claims from the collapse of Danish regulated Qudos.

But the Irish compensation fund is picking up the tab for the failure of Setanta.

Insurance companies that are registered and regulated in other EU states are allowed to operate here under freedom of services rules. The Central Bank of Ireland has no way of knowing if they are financially sound.

Danish-regulated Qudos is just the latest insurer to collapse leaving policyholders scrambling for alternative cover and leading to questions over who covers the claims.

The 2014 collapse of Malta-regulated Setanta Insurance left this country's compensation fund with a potential 100m liability.

Enterprise Insurance, whose collapse also affected Irish customers, was regulated in Gibraltar. There are fears this country's insurance compensation fund, funded by a 2pc levy on premiums, will have to meet some of the claims of Denmark-regulated Alpha.

The Central Bank is pushing for a common approach across the EU to how policyholders are compensated when insurers fail.

But Mr Donohoe has admitted he has not raised with other EU colleagues the issue of foreign insurers "passporting" in here, failing and then leaving Irish compensation funds to pay out.

Answering a question from Fianna Fail's Michael McGrath, Mr Donohoe said: "As it has been some time since the council has discussed insurance matters I have not to date directly raised with my European counterparts issues regarding insurance regulation, consistent enforcement of European insurance regulation and the need for compensation mechanisms to be put in place across the EU.

"However, the deputy can be assured that as and when appropriate I will do so."

Mr McGrath said policyholders here are having to pick up the tab for failures of regulation in other EU states: "Following the failure of Setanta, Enterprise, Alpha and now Qudos, it is incredible that Minister Donohoe has not raised the issue of insurance directly with his political colleagues at an EU level."

A spokesperson for the minister said he would be responding to plans to change EU solvency rules for insurers.
G'wan, it's Christmas - open up the After Eights. Slide out that tasty festive treat from its open wrapper. Start the rapid nibbling around the dark chocolate fondant square, throw another briquette on the fire and let me take you back to Christmas Eve, AKA the eve of my birth, over *coughs loudly over the number* years ago.

My wonderful mother Noeleen, just 25 years young and pregnant with her second baby, sits heavy under the tinsel-decorated, twinkling Christmas tree, wrapping her last gift. Indeed, quite possibly the actual last of the 'Cheeky Charlies.' She adds it to the spilling pile of wrapped presents that sprawl across the floor, then with a belly full of crisps and dry, fat-basted turkey stuffing sambos on white batch bread, she sits back and watches, what to this day, is still my favourite film of all time, It's A Wonderful Life. When it ends, sobbing with inner festive glee and hormonal angst, she makes her way to bed early, already six days overdue with little old me.

"Whatever you do, don't go on Christmas Day!" her gynaecologist only half-joked with her the day before, puffing on a giant cigar in his rooms on Charlemont Street. "As if!" Noeleen had hauled herself and myself up off the examination couch and bid him a very Happy Christmas telling him: "We have all Robert's relations from England home for Christmas dinner in ours tomorrow. All the plans have been made."

You know what they say about best laid plans.

While tucked up in bed on that bitterly cold, frosty Christmas Eve she began to feel the force of her contractions. My dad, the aforementioned Robert, 'merrily' returned from The Falcon Inn on Camden Street, with all his English relatives in tow, for a late-night turkey sambo, another glass of Guinness and a little Christmas sing-song. As men did in those days. Ahem.

My granny Maggie, my maternal grandmother, was staying over that night and was on stand-by to mind my older sister Samantha, should the unwanted occur. Granny looked after the English rellies with great Irish pride, carving more turkey, heating mince pies, opening tins of Quality Street, Jacob's biscuits and even slicing some of her famous homemade Christmas pudding while making hot whiskeys all round. When they left in the early hours, granny and dad went up to bed.

At six o'clock in the morning I decided within the womb to see if Santa had arrived. After all, that's what's kids do, right? Wake up early on Christmas Day - no kid in their right mind sleeps through the greatest day of the year! I gave my mother-to-be a swift kick in the ribs and she woke fully.

"Robert, wake up, this is it." She groaned, as only a heavily pregnant woman can groan; a low guttural sound, not dissimilar to a man who has been kicked in the you-know-where.

(Go on, have another one. That's the thing with After Eights, they are nibbled in seconds.)

However, Dad, who had - bless - overindulged in the festivities the night before lept up and ran straight for the en-suite bathroom. "Robert!" my mother called for him.

"What's wrong with him?" my granny, now up, hopping on the landing with one leg in her thick industrial tights, asked. "I'm in labour, Mam," my mother said in a series of pants.

"How are you going to get Mass?" my granny gasped in horror as my mother stared her down.

"What's wrong with Robert?" Granny asked again.

"He has a hangover, Mam - he's throwing up!" my mother, doubled over, told her mother.

"Oh, the poor fella! Robert? What's wrong?" My granny dashed to the bathroom, both legs now safely ensconced in the thick industrial tights. There, she lovingly tended to the man of the house, as my mother puffed and panted in the background. Granny ran for a cold wet towel for his head. Fetched paracetamol for his head. She made him hot tea and, believe it or not, he managed a few little bites of some dry toast. The trooper! "There, there Robert. I know. Just try another little bite, you have a long day ahead of you, pet." Granny minded him well as my mammy-in-waiting continued to moo.

Eventually Dad was feeling well enough to tackle the hard day ahead, and off they went to Mount Carmel hospital where I was born a short four hours later - at 10 o'clock on Christmas morning. "Without so much as an aspirin," as my mother would later explain.

From that very hour on, the following conversations have followed me whenever I'm asked my date of birth.

Them: "The 25th of December? You were born on Christmas Day? Hate that!"

Me: "Oh, well I don't . . . "

Them: "But Christmas Day? What a nightmare for you and your poor mother!"

Me: "Actually it was very special for us both."

Them: "Christmas Day - but you miss out on birthday presents!"

Me: "To be honest, it's quite the opposite, I've always had two birthdays."

Them: "Don't believe you."

So, what's it really like sharing a birthday with Jesus Christ, as well as other double-uppers like Shane McGowan, Humphrey Bogart, Kenny Everett and Justin Trudeau to name but a few? What is it really like to have the two biggest days of the year morphed into one? Let me tell you I love it! It's incredibly special. Please don't say you don't believe me, or that I couldn't possibly, because I do. And here's why: Because I milk it for every damn thing that's it's worth!

I play that birthday/Christmas card like a sweet-sounding fiddle. My parents had always ensured I had my birthday a week before. Never a set date every year, sometimes December 16, sometimes December 19, sometimes December 20, and it added to the excitement.

How many people can wonder what date their birthday will be on every year? Only me and the leap year babies. And then, even after I have celebrated the other birthday and got all my presents, Christmas Day is still my birthday so there is always an extra birthday present that Santa brings too! Does Santa bring you a birthday present? Didn't think so.

Win. Win. Ching! Ching!

Then, its gets juicier because a lot of the time people forget, then feel guilty they forgot and overcompensate.

Them: "Oh my God, I'm so sorry! I forgot with all the merriment that it's also your birthday!"

Me: (Self-deprecating face and dismissing hand movement) "Ahh don't be silly, it's fine"

Them: "It's isn't! Happy Birthday Caroline! Hey everyone, listen up, it's Caroline's birthday!

Another chorus of Happy Birthday rings out and people fuss over me.

"Me: "Ahh you don't have to really... oh, well thank you!"

(You haven't eaten the whole box, have you? You could try my old trick of putting the empty wrappers back in? Really annoys people!)

Also, you know the way, if you are like me anyway, you see lots of things you'd like for Christmas but don't want to be greedy? Those Christmas ads make everything look so good. But Christmas is not a time for greed, right? Well, another big plus to my DOB is, I can be 'Covetous Christmas Caroline'. I can saunter around shops pointing and saying nonchalantly, "Hmm, that's lovely, isn't it?" Or, "I really like that and that and that but do not get me two presents, one is fine. I mean it this year!" Yeah right! I know that my poor husband, mother, father, sister, brother, or pals are clocking them all.

One of the absolute best things about a Christmas Day birthday is you don't really think about the new number. You are too full of joy and turkey and ham and Brussels sprouts and the alluring, engaging, captivating, magic that I find is Christmas Day. Who cares if I'm another year older? Look! - another selection box! It's the one day of the year that the simple things matter. Family trumps ageing.

In saying that, when I do roll myself into bed a year older, the facts are, I've loads of great face creams - the really good ones, the make-your-eyes-water-with-the-price-of-them ones that I nonchalantly pointed out in the stores - to lash on.

All in all, it's like a 'soft' birthday, that other year older never really registers quite as harshly as any other day of the year.

But in all seriousness, now that I'm older, having a Christmas birthday is beginning to become a lot more meaningful to me. It's sort of magical when I think back to that quiet morning when, on those deserted Dublin roads to Mount Carmel Hospital, when my incredible parents and me in utero, drove through the most exciting wakening of the year.

To be born on Christmas Day finally means something more than double presents to me. And the fact that all these year later I still celebrate the birthday a week before, when I go for dinner with my family and they still make a huge fuss over me, just makes it more and more special every year.

I couldn't in good conscience discuss my Christmas birthday without saying that there was one person who didn't forget ever, and that was granny Maggie. As soon as she would walk into our house on Christmas morning forever after my birth, it was never 'Merry Christmas', it was always: "Happy Birthday love!"

So, I'll leave you with this: I love my Christmas Day Birthday. Love, love, love it. Everything about it. Christmas is deep in my soul, the tradition and the sentiment. Yes, I'm fond of an alcoholic beverage and a turkey stuffing sandwich, which, as my story proves, are all genetically linked! And no, I never got off homework on my birthday in school or got the bumps in the school yard nor did I ever see people outside my immediate family on my birthday, but that was more than OK. That was all part of the special charm that is having your birthday on Christmas Day.

'Bride Squad Runaway', written by Caroline Grace-Cassidy and Lisa C Carey, will be published by Black & White Publishing in Spring 2019
Dame Julie Andrews is over the moon about the new sequel to Mary Poppins, the films director has said.

The veteran star won an Oscar for her role as the practically perfect nanny in the 1954 classic film but turned down the chance to make a cameo appearance in the follow-up Mary Poppins Returns, which stars Emily Blunt in the tile role.

Director Rob Marshall told the Press Association: I know her very well, shes a very good friend and early, early, early on, before we started writing, I spoke to her about it.

I told her who was playing Mary Poppins and she threw her arms up in the air and said I love her. She has very good taste, I agree.

Then I started talking about the possibility, should we write something for you? Would you like to be involved? And she said Oh no no no, this is Emilys show, she needs to run with it and she was so right about that, she really was.

It was a very generous thing to say and smart because she knew we need to see this Mary Poppins and accept this Mary Poppins, and shes pretty special, Julie.

Marshall, who also directed Into The Woods and Chicago, said Dame Julie has given her verdict on the new offering, saying: Shes seen it, she said I loved it in huge capital letters and the email that she sent was literally I cant tell you how long and about everything.

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[It was] about Emily, she said Emily was wonderful, she loved her voice, she loved every single person in the cast, she was just over the moon about the whole thing, I was relieved and thrilled.

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The film does include a cameo from Dick Van Dyke, 93, who played chimney sweep in the original film and Marshall said: I called him and I asked him, and it was just a dream come true to be able to talk to my literally childhood hero, and he is so joyous and so alive and so young.

His youth is unbelievable, so to have him on this film was a joy. He actually grabbed my hand as we were walking on to the set and he literally said to me I feel the same spirit here on this film as I did on the first one and that was something special.

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He added: When they came to me with it I really wanted to take it on, even though I was daunted by the idea of it because I love the first film so much as everybody pretty much does in the world.

I did feel if it was going to be done I wanted to do it, I wanted to be that person who was ushering in the spirit of that beautiful first film into our film and at the same time create something completely new, an original musical, so it was a real balancing act the whole time.

Mary Poppins Returns is out in UK cinemas now.
Martina Fitzgerald received a significant payout from RTE and was asked to sign a non-disclosure agreement after agreeing to part ways with the broadcaster.

Ms Fitzgerald sought legal advice after her political correspondent contract was not renewed by RTE.

Yesterday, the broadcaster released a statement announcing Ms Fitzgerald's 18-year career at the station was coming to an end.

It is understood her legal team struck a deal with RTE's lawyers which will see her receive a substantial payment.

She was also asked to sign a confidentiality clause which means she will be unable to discuss the terms of her exit package.

Last night, a friend of Ms Fitzgerald said she was "thrilled" with the deal struck with the broadcaster.

"RTE offered her a settlement and she is delighted with the outcome," the source added.

"RTE insisted on a confidentiality clause so neither she or the broadcaster can discuss the terms of the offer."

The source added: "She won't be in any rush to make a decision on her next career move due to the settlement."

An RTE spokesperson refused to comment on the payment or the confidentiality clause in the agreement.

It is understood Ms Fitzgerald will continue to promote her recently published book 'Madam Politician'.

In RTE's statement, managing director of news and current affairs Jon Williams said Ms Fitzgerald was an "integral part" of the station's coverage of general elections, referendums and other political events over the past five years.

"We wish Martina every success in her future endeavours," Mr Williams added.

In the same statement, Ms Fitzgerald said she took "great pride" in working in Leinster House during key political events over the last five years.

"I loved every minute reporting on political developments - and providing analysis and context - for RTE's audience," she added.

"Thank you to my colleagues who helped me with all this work and to everyone for their loyalty and decency."

Several senior politicians, including Cabinet minister Mary Mitchell O'Connor spoke out publicly against RTE's decision not to renew Ms Fitzgerald's contract as a political correspondent.

Ms Fitzgerald was replaced by long-time RTE political reporter Paul Cunningham who was appointed after the role was advertised as an open competition internally.

Mr Cunningham is a highly regarded and award-winning journalist who has worked at RTE for 25 years.
OVER 30,000 people were forced to wait for over 24 hours on hospital trolleys this year due to under resourcing, HSE information reveals.

According to the report, 30,922 people experienced waits of more than 24 hours in emergency departments of Irish hospitals between January and October of this year. More than a third (10,855) of those who experienced the delay before admission into the hospitals were older than 75.

Fianna Fail Health Spokesperson Deputy, Stephen Donnelly, who was given the information, said that the number of patients on trolleys has reached a crisis point.

This year has seen an ongoing crisis in our Emergency Departments with a record number of patients on trolleys, the 100,000 threshold was broken even before November was over, he said.

While its not surprising that so many have endured such long waits its still appalling and unacceptable. To put it in perspective the number of people enduring 24 hour waits would fill the Mater Hospital fifty times over. To make a bad situation worse, more than one in three were aged over 75. This is a disgraceful situation and must be viewed as borderline elder abuse.

There is a serious need to increase capacity in all our hospitals and it must be addressed as a matter of urgency. Its not just extra hospital beds that are needed; we also need to see more step-down facilities and home care to reduce the number of delayed discharges. 172,377 bed days were lost during between January and October. If the trend continues for all of 2018, it will break 200,000. This is wasteful and inefficient and a horrendous situation for patients to be in.

Deputy Donnelly criticised Fine Gaels budget plan and although he said that this year has already been far worse than last, he said that the problem will persist in 2019, if the HSE service plan is not improved.

It is simply extraordinary that on Budget Day the Minister for Health could say that we are in the era of Slaintecare, yet two months later approve a HSE Service Plan that will reduce the number of elective inpatient treatments, he said.

The Service Plan shows that the HSE missed virtually all of its acute hospital targets during 2018. The long waits that the over 75s endured in emergency departments is the most glaring example of this failure.

Overall the tone of the plan seems to be maintenance not expansion. Take primary care for example. The Programme for Government promises a decisive shift, but funding for new developments in primary care in 2019 is just 4.5 million  just over half of one percent of the budget allocated.

One thing is clear though. With this government Slaintecare will be a long time coming.
Concern has emerged that mental health services will have to be rationed next year.

The fear comes as the HSE's National Service Plan for 2019 signalled the 16bn budget will be severely stretched.

Mental Health Reform said there was no funding reflecting demographic pressures and unfunded services, estimated at 40m in 2018, sparking fears of rationing.

Meanwhile, Fianna Fail health spokesman Stephen Donnelly said hospitals face a difficult year.

"The service plan shows the HSE missed virtually all of its acute hospital targets during 2018," he said.

"The long waits that the over 75s endured in emergency departments is the most glaring example of this failure.

"Similarly, in relation to outpatient appointments it is just not good enough for the Minister for Health Simon Harris to approve a target for one in five people to wait more than a year to be seen.

"There is a 100pc target for acute hospitals to be implementing requirements for CPE superbug screening but it is scandalous only 36pc were compliant in 2018.

"The tone of the plan seems to be maintenance, not expansion," he added.
Michael D. Higgins used the annual presidential Christmas address to plea with the Irish public to ensure that there is room at the inn for migrants seeking a better life.

Speaking at Aras an Uachtarain, President Higgins said in his Christmas and New Year message, that we must be compassionate to those who travel here for refuge.

We must care for, he said, our fellow citizens across the world who live in the dark shadows of conflict persecution, violence, injustice and poverty.

Hospitality is the great universal and unifying value that connects all of the faith systems and languages across the world, he added.

It is appropriate then, that we should respond to the changing pattern of migration into our country in a spirit of openness and hospitality, welcoming and supporting those who wish for a better life or simply a life free from fear.

So as we leave behind the dark days of mid-winter and move towards a season of new beginnings and new possibilities, let us do so with a renewed commitment to social solidarity. Let us ensure that those who are vulnerable, in Ireland and across the world, do not walk alone but know that we are willing to travel beside them on their difficult journeys, their journeys of hope.

As global citizens, we must never hesitate to raise our voice in union with all those who pursue a more just world, making new connections with each other and the vulnerable planet we all inhabit. We must also ensure there is room at the inn for those who, like Mary and Joseph 2,000 years ago, have undertaken long and difficult journeys in search of safety and a future of hope.

President Higgins, who has begun his second term as president having won the October election, also urged the public to care for the most vulnerable Irish people. While he rejoiced in the season of celebration and joy, he asked that Irish people look after their compatriots who have found themselves without a home in the coming year.

Christmas, recalling as it does the birth of Christ as an infant to his mother and father in the most humble of circumstances, insecure and facing flight, is a time to remember the vulnerabilities that should be shared, and addressed, by us all, he said.

In particular, vulnerabilities experienced by those who are at risk, excluded and so many for whom there is no place at the inn. In Ireland today, far too many of our people are missing the necessary securities of home.

There are those who are concerned about their access to health services and education, for the right to voice their concerns and experience full participation in our republic.
Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald has begun legal proceedings against a Fianna Fail TD regarding comments he made on social media platform Twitter.

The High Court defamation action has been launched in relation to a tweet posted by Louth TD Declan Breathnach in October last year.

The tweet, posted on the second anniversary of the murder of Garda Tony Golden, has since been deleted.

Its contents have been the subject of correspondence between solicitors for both TDs in recent months.

However, proceedings were only initiated on Thursday.

A statement of claim has yet to be filed with the court, but it is understood that Ms McDonald is seeking damages.

Sinn Fein was contacted for comment on behalf of Ms McDonald, but none has been forthcoming.

Mr Breathnach, who was elected to the Dail for the first time in 2016, declined to comment. However, it is understood he intends to defend the proceedings.

The 'Sunday Independent' previously reported that solicitors for Ms McDonald sent Mr Breathnach a two-page letter in October alleging a comment made by him was "totally false and highly defamatory".

The legal firm said Ms McDonald was seeking a "sincere and fulsome" apology.

The Fianna Fail TD was also asked to undertake that he would not repeat the comments he made on Twitter.

The solicitors said Ms McDonald wanted to be sent a proposal by Mr Breathnach for how he planned to compensate the Dublin Central TD.

A response sent by solicitors representing Mr Breathnach did not accept the allegation levelled against him.

It also said his comment on Twitter was "entirely reasonable" and not defamatory. The letter said Mr Breathnach had noted Ms McDonald's discomfort and had removed the tweet "as a matter of courtesy".

It is the second time in recent years that Ms McDonald has issued proceedings for defamation.

Actions initiated by Ms McDonald and party colleague Pearse Doherty in 2014 over an opinion column in the 'Irish Examiner' dealing with the Mairia Cahill rape case were settled the following year.

The newspaper published an apology.

Ms McDonald's predecessor as president of Sinn Fein is currently suing the BBC in the High Court in Dublin for defamation.

The action follows allegations in a 'Spotlight' programme that Gerry Adams sanctioned the murder in 2006 of Denis Donaldson, a former senior party official who was also a British agent.

The claims have been vehemently denied by Mr Adams.
Facebook has now removed the post in question and said the comments referred to by the Taoiseach were in violation of its standards. Stock image

Leo Varadkar: The Taoiseach said online remarks about the Strokestown eviction were incitement of violence Photo: Damien Eagers

Leo Varadkar: The Taoiseach said online remarks about the Strokestown eviction were incitement of violence (Brian Lawless/PA)

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is pledging to force social media companies to remove online comments which he says are an "incitement of hatred and incitement of violence".

Mr Varadkar says social media giants "don't seem to think that they are in any way accountable".

The Taoiseach was responding to social media comments on the Roscommon eviction row. Facebook posts called for security personnel involved in the Strokestown case to be shot and fed to pigs.

Mr Varadkar said the social networks can't control the posts but they can take them down.

"And the fact that they don't take down posts that incite hatred and incite violence is just unacceptable in my view," he said.

Facebook has now removed the post in question and said the comments referred to by the Taoiseach were in violation of its standards.

The promised clampdown on social media firms comes as KBC Bank takes additional security measures after its office in Dublin city was targeted in a suspected arson attack.

A protest against evictions and supporting the family involved is planned for Strokestown tomorrow.
Top chef Neven Maguire has produced a helpful roasting a checklist of five pointers to get your Christmas off to a healthy and sumptuous start.

Neven told the Irish Independent: A lot of people are nervous and daunted by cooking turkey at Christmas but they should remember, this bird is just like a big chicken.

We want a moist and flavoursome turkey and thats it. Some people are cooking for their in laws and its probably one of the biggest meals of the year for them and they get totally stressed out about it.

At my cookery school I show people the top tips. Its 20 minutes for every pound of turkey and make sure its cooked through.

One of the most popular recipes I have ever cooked was my boneless turkey breast marinated in buttermilk. It is a fuss-free and uncomplicated dish that will still please your guests this Christmas.

Using a turkey breast, marinate it in buttermilk, rosemary, a little bit of thyme, some garlic and some sliced orange. Leave in the buttermilk overnight and then take it out of the buttermilk and pat it dry with kitchen paper. Brush with some butter infused with orange, garlic and a little bit of herbs and then add some smokey bacon before popping in the oven and regularly basting it in its juices.

Nevens top five tips - Christmas turkey for newcomers:

1. Order your turkey in advance from your local butcher and try to get a quality assured free range turkey. When deciding what size turkey to buy, a good rule of thumb to follow is double the weight for the number of servings. For example, a 3 kg turkey will easily feed six people and an 8 kg turkey will work for 16 people.

2. If you are cooking for one or two people, a turkey breast is a great option that will leave you with some leftovers.

3. Weigh your turkey once it has been stuffed to work out the cooking time. Allow 15 to 20 mins for every  kg and make sure the turkey is at room temperature before cooking.

4. Oven temperatures can vary and especially at Christmas when there is so much coming in and out of the oven. A dial or spike thermometer can be picked up without breaking the bank and it is the most accurate. If you dont have one, push a skewer into the thickest part of the turkey thigh and the juices should run clear. If they are pinkish, place back in the oven for another 15 minutes, then test again.

5. Once the turkey is cooked, its important to let it rest. Cover it with some foil and tea towels for about 25-30 minutes. This will allow the juices to settle back into the meat, leaving it deliciously moist and easier to carve. For neat slices, use a sharp carving knife or long thin bladed knife. Never use a serrated knife as this can rip the meat.

Neven Maguire is chef proprietor of MacNean House and Restaurant, Blacklion, Co Cavan. For more information log onto www.nevenmaguire.com. His latest book Nevens Maguires Home Economics for Life is published by Gill.
Prannie Rhatigan is a doctor from Sligo who has long championed the benefits of cooking with seaweed  and her latest book gives it a delicious Christmas twist.

As a medical doctor, Prannie Rhatigan's trademark has always been mixing the good with the good for you, and her new book, Irish Seaweed Christmas Kitchen, sparkles with lots of dishes and drinks laced with seaweed - plus some gentle hints for making the most of those good resolutions where health and eating are concerned.

Mild turkey curry

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Not everyone cooks a turkey these days, but for those who do, there always comes that day in the Christmas holidays when what remains of the turkey needs a makeover. Look no further. Fresh herbs, coconut milk and a dried seaweed blend combine with the mild curry to produce a warming and delicious dish. Many years ago, a college friend with Indian roots recommended Patak's Mild Curry Spice Paste as a worthy substitute for his mother's recipe. We have been using it ever since, though as far as I know, his mother still thinks he makes his curry paste from scratch.

Seaweed used: Dried seaweed blend.

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 tbsp vegetable oil or clarified butter

2 medium onions, chopped

 tsp ginger, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

1 tsp sugar

150g (5oz) Patak's Mild Curry Spice Paste

250ml (8fl oz) water

20g (oz) dried seaweed blend (see below for more on Super Seaweed Blends)

400g (14oz) tinned tomatoes, chopped

100ml (4fl oz) coconut milk

2 tbsp mango chutney (optional)

400g (14oz) turkey meat, cooked and diced

100g (3oz) fresh coriander (optional)

Serve with: 300g (10oz) basmati rice

Method

1. In a 2-3 litre thick-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, warm the oil. Add the onion; cook till clear and soft. A lid helps this process.

2. Remove saucepan from the heat, add the ginger, garlic and sugar.

3. Stir in the curry paste, return to the heat and add the water and seaweed mix, then bring to a slow simmer for 5 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent burning on the bottom of the pot.

4. Add the chopped tomatoes, coconut milk and mango chutney. Simmer for about 5 minutes uncovered.

5. Add the diced turkey, then cover and slow-cook over a low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. If you have an AGA, now is the time to place the curry in the cool oven for 2 hours or so, to really let the flavours develop.

6. Serve your curry piping hot, accompanied by cooked basmati rice, to which has been added the remaining coconut milk and the chopped coriander.

Chef's tip

It is important not to lose focus on a steady veg intake over Christmas. A salad of sliced red peppers and raw carrots served with this curry adds some additional crunch and colour.

Quinoa nori pancakes with beetroot

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Beetroot gives these pancakes a lovely pink hue, making them an attractive breakfast choice for children, and as they are naturally sweetened with banana, what's not to like? This recipe involves grinding washed quinoa grains into a fine flour. It's a good idea to grind several batches at once and store in a ceramic or glass airtight container. Keeps for a week to 10 days. I have been making the flour this way for years but now you can buy quinoa flour ready-milled to save time. If you buy the quinoa flour ready-made, skip straight to step 4.

Seaweed used: Nori, fresh or dried.

Serves 4

Ingredients

100g (3oz) quinoa (or quinoa flour - see note, above)

15g (oz) fresh nori, washed and squeezed dry, or 1 tsp dried nori

1 egg

200ml (7fl oz) goat's milk or milk of choice

1 tsp vanilla

1 small banana, mashed

2 tbsp fresh, grated beetroot

Method

1. Wash the quinoa well in a fine sieve, rubbing between fingers to remove the bitter coating.

2. Spread onto a dry pan over low heat to drive out the moisture.

3. When completely dry, use a coffee grinder and blitz to a fine flour in small batches.

4. Place all the ingredients into a blender and pulse until it becomes a smooth pancake batter.

5. Heat the pan and use a little oil or butter to coat it very lightly.

6. Drop tablespoons of batter onto the medium-hot pan. When bubbles appear on the surface of the pancake, the bottom is cooked. Flip once.

7. Keep a savoury theme going with your favourite hummus or serve with a dollop of cream cheese, a fruit compote and a sprinkling of pomegranate.

Christmas hot chocolate carraigin nog

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A special treat at Christmas that warms from fingertip to toe...

Seaweed used: Carraigin. Serves 2

Ingredients

A couple of sprigs of carraigin

2 mugs of milk of your choice

2 tbsp cold milk

2 tsp raw cacao powder or hot chocolate mix

2 medium eggs

Honey, to taste

Equipment needed:

A small whisk

Method

1. Rinse the carraigin in cold water. Place in a saucepan with the 2 mugs of milk and soak for a few minutes until softened. Put on the heat and simmer until the milk has thickened slightly - 20 minutes or so.

2. Meanwhile, prepare the 2 mugs with cacao by mixing 1 tbsp cold milk and 1 tsp cacao powder to a paste in each mug.

3. Beat 2 eggs well in a bowl.

4. Remove the milk from the heat and tip over the beaten eggs, whisking briskly so that they don't curdle. Strain back into the saucepan, pushing down on the sieve to get the most through.

5. Discard the contents of the sieve to the compost and return the saucepan of milk to the heat. Whisk again for a few seconds while the milk heats up. Taste and sweeten with honey.

6. Strain equal amounts into each mug. Stir well and use a frother if you have one to put a nice froth on top. Serve at once.

Chef's tip

Traditionally, an egg nog contains brandy so if you're making this for adults, you might like to add a dash.

Super Seaweed Blends

Seaweed blends can be purchased from shops or from the many excellent suppliers harvesting along Irish coastal waters, and you can make up your own blend from a mix of dried, harvested seaweeds. The Seaweed Blend from the Irish Seaweed Kitchen (irishseaweedkitchen.ie) is a finely milled mix of Prannie's favourite brown, red and green seaweed that took her years to perfect. The combination has an optimal distribution of her favourite health-givers, and the consistency and flavour of the blend lend it the kind of versatility that puts it to the top of every Christmas kitchen list. It can be blended into smoothies and soups and sprinkled over rice, pasta, salad dressings, fish and eggs. Mix a teaspoon of the blend with a touch of crushed garlic and enough olive oil to make a paste, and serve on a plain rice cracker for a thoroughly delicious snack.

* Extracted from Prannie Rhatigan's Irish Seaweed Christmas Kitchen by Dr Prannie Rhatigan with photography by Jill Oestreich, 18.50 + P&P from irishseaweedkitchen.ie
Spare a thought for the chefs and cooks of the nation, who spend the month of December working their socks off so that the rest of us can enjoy ourselves.

By the time Christmas Day comes, many of them will be so sick of the sight of turkey and ham, or of the dishes that feature in the special menus that they have been cooking night after night for the whole month, that they'd probably eat just about anything other than the traditional feast.

That's the reason why so many chefs are partial to a nice seafood platter, rib of beef or Beef Wellington come the big day. Hotel chefs, of course, will be working on Christmas Day, and will have to postpone their own celebrations until later.

We spoke to three hard-working food workers about what they'll be cooking for their families this Christmas - or what they would be cooking if they weren't working.

Cormac McCreary

Executive Head Chef at Sheen Falls Lodge in Co Kerry

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When he worked at the Ritz in London, Cormac McCreary lost count of the number of Christmas dinners he cooked between the middle of November and the big day. By the time Christmas came, he couldn't face the sight of another turkey with sausage stuffing, or any more pigs in blankets. "This year it's not so bad because we don't do the same number of functions at Sheen Falls. But I will be working on Christmas Day and we'll be serving a traditional dinner to our guests."

When Cormac isn't on duty at Christmas, he's happy to let his mum do most of the cooking, "other than the ham, which I do for her and my aunties. I make a glaze with aromatics like star anise, pepper, Dijon mustard, ground cloves, honey and wheat bran, to give a bit of crunch. It has a lovely sweetness to it."

Even though he's not the biggest fan of turkey ("I actually prefer a Beef Wellington," he says), Cormac is full of praise for his mum's potato croquettes coated in almonds, her potato gratin and her Christmas pudding, made to a family recipe that's been handed down through the generations.

"The food comes second on Christmas Day," he says diplomatically. "It's really all about everyone getting together, and there's a nice feeling to that, even if the food isn't great."

CORMACs GOATS' CURD & BEETROOT SALAD

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We always go for a light starter to spare our appetites for the main course. This dish looks impressive but it's actually really easy to make. You can prepare the pickled beetroot and puree in advance for added convenience.

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the goats' curd filling:

200g goats' curd

30g honey

5g chopped chives

Seasoning

For the pickled beetroot:

10g salt

3 golden beetroot

3 beetroot

500ml water

75ml white wine vinegar

60g honey

1g five spice

For the beetroot puree:

3kg grated beetroot

1ltr port

300ml orange juice

200g Demerara sugar

For serving: Candied walnut (optional)

Mixed leaves (optional)

Method

1. Let the goats' curd reach room temperature and mix all ingredients for the filling together with a wooden spoon.

2. For the pickled beetroot, fill a roasting tray with table salt and place the beetroot on top, cover with tin foil and cook at 1800C for 60-75 minutes, depending on the size. The beetroot should be just soft in the middle. When cold, peel them and slice the golden beetroot into wedges and the purple beetroot into slices and put into two separate containers. In a separate pan, bring all the other ingredients to the boil, remove from the heat and pour over the beetroots and refrigerate.

3. For the beetroot puree, place all ingredients in a pan and cover with tinfoil and cook on a low heat until soft. Once soft remove foil and cook until dry, then blend the mixture until smooth.

4. Spread the goats' curd filling in between two slices of purple beetroot at a time. Place goats' curd towers on plate (approx two per person) and garnish with small dollops of beetroot puree, wedges of golden beetroot and candied walnut and leaves (if using).

Cormac's pudding with brandy Anglaise

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Ideally a Christmas pudding should be made several months before Christmas (we usually make ours in early August), but don't worry if you've left it until the last minute. This recipe will still work a treat.

Makes two puddings

Ingredients

120g suet

80g flour

180g sultanas

180g currants

180g raisins

40g glace cherries, chopped

40g mixed peel

42g prunes, chopped

70g grated cooking apples

42g grated carrot

1 orange (zest and juice)

1 lemon (zest and juice)

33g ground almonds

120g breadcrumbs

80g brown sugar

13g salt

2g mixed spice

2g ground nutmeg

2g ground cinnamon

10g crystallised ginger (chopped)

14g golden syrup

7ml cooking brandy

27ml Guinness

23ml bitter or a strong IPA

27ml Madeira

27ml cherry

9ml rum

14g milk

1 whole egg

For the brandy anglaise: 75ml milk

75g cream

Half vanilla pod

2 egg yolks

20g sugar

15ml brandy

Half orange zest

Method

1. Mix suet and flour together and add everything else - make sure to mix well.

2. Place in two grease-proof tins and place the tins in deep trays of water. Cover in tinfoil and bake at 150oC for six hours.

3. To make brandy anglaise, boil the milk and cream with vanilla and, in a separate bowl, mix eggs and sugar. Combine by pouring milk and cream over eggs and sugar, return to heat and cook until the mixture starts to thicken. Be careful not to scramble the eggs. Add brandy and zest and then pass through a strainer.

Jutarat Suwankeeree (known as R)

Chef and co-owner with her husband, Conor Sexton, of Nightmarket in Ranelagh, Dublin

When the last customers have vacated their tables at Nightmarket in Ranelagh on Christmas Eve - the staff will be hoping that it's not too late - chef R, her husband Conor and their daughter Emily (8) will be loading up the car with plenty of food and heading down to Conor's family in Kildimo, Co Limerick.

The Sextons have a traditional Christmas dinner: prawn cocktail or smoked salmon, soup, turkey, ham, five different kinds of potatoes, and Christmas pudding. "It's not food that appeals to me," says R, "so I bring ingredients with me to make a few Thai dishes. I'll make two versions of each dish - one spicy and one not - so that everyone is happy. I really don't understand cold turkey and ham. In Thailand, even the salads have warm ingredients."

While Christmas is not a major celebration in Thailand, the new year is a time when families gather for a feast, as they do at Chinese New Year in the spring also. "Younger people like the Western idea of New Year," says R. "Children bring gifts and money to their parents at New Year; it's part of Thai culture to support them as they grow older. They don't reciprocate with gifts. We eat family-style, with the food in the middle, and sit around the table for a long time. It's very sociable and we believe that sharing makes the food taste better. Everyone has a job, whether it's serving rice or drinks, or clearing away. I'm old enough now not to have to get up and clear the table."

A typical Thai menu is an exercise in balance, featuring at least three of the five elements of taste - spicy, sweet, sour, bitter and salty. "We'd have something deep-fried and something steamed, something spicy and something not too spicy, soup, curry and a stir-fry, with some fresh fruit to finish," says R. "It's all about taste and texture."

It'll be a quick visit to Limerick for R and her family, as Nightmarket will be back open on December 27. "People are craving a different kind of food by then and our phone will be ringing off the hook," says Conor. "They'll have had enough of turkey sandwiches."

RS GREEN CURRY WITH SEA BASS

Green curry is the most classic of Thai curries. The curry is named for the colour of the fresh green chilli used in the curry paste. This curry should taste rich and creamy from coconut milk and at the same time spicy, salty and slightly sweet.

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Serves 6

Ingredients

2 cups coconut cream

6 tbsp green curry paste (Mae Ploy or Nittaya brand)

2 tbsp palm sugar, coarsely chopped

475ml coconut milk

2 tbsp fish sauce

8 Thai apple eggplants, cut into 4

100g small aubergine

6 kaffir lime leaves, torn

2 long red chillies, diagonally sliced

Handful of Thai sweet basil leaves

6 fillets sea bass no skin, oven baked

Method

1. Pour  cup of coconut cream into a pan or a wok and set it over high heat. Bring the cream to a boil, stirring often, then decrease the heat to medium. Cook, stirring until the cream has reduced and breaks. Add the curry paste. Fry over a medium heat, stirring regularly to prevent the paste burning, until the paste is fragrant and turned a shade or two darker. The longer you're cooking it at low sizzle, the greater the curry will taste.

2. Add the palm sugar, until the sugar has melted (if you want to cook with chicken, you have to add chicken now before adding in coconut cream and coconut milk). Add the remaining coconut cream, then coconut milk, season with fish sauce. Have a taste and consider gradually adding more of the curry paste.

3. Bring to the boil, reduce heat, add Thai eggplant and small aubergine and simmer for about 3-4 minutes. Add kaffir lime leaves, red chillies, Thai sweet basil and oven-baked sea bass then turn off the heat.

RS TOM KHA WITH CHICKEN

This is one of the best known Thai soups, mild with the richness of coconut cream.

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Serves 3

Ingredients

475ml chicken stock

1 cup coconut milk

1 cup coconut cream

2 stalks lemongrass, cut into 2-inch long pieces

3 red shallots, peeled

10 slices galangal

3 kaffir lime leaves, torn

200g skinless chicken breasts or thigh fillet, sliced

200g oyster mushrooms, torn

Pinch of salt

2-3 tbsp fish sauce

1 tbsp palm sugar, coarsely chopped

2-3 bird's eye chillies (scud)

1 tbsp lime juice

3 tbsp coriander leaves for garnish

2 tbsp chilli oil for garnish

Method

1. Combine stock with coconut milk and coconut cream in a pot. Bring it to boil. Add lemongrass, shallots, sliced galangal and kaffir lime leaves to the boiling stock, let it simmer for a few minutes, then add chicken and mushroom. Turn down the heat and continue to simmer until the chicken is cooked. Season with a pinch of salt, fish sauce and palm sugar. Turn off the heat.

2. Add scud chillies and lime juice into the soup, top with coriander and chilli oil.

3. The soup should taste rich of coconut milk, salty, sour and a little bit spicy.

RS CHICKEN LAAB

This salad is originally from north-east Thailand. The word laab means the meat is mince or chopped finely, then cooked with spicy dressing.

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Serves 2

Ingredients

150g skinless chicken breast or thigh fillets, minced

3 tbsp chicken stock

Pinch of salt

Pinch of white sugar

3 tbsp lime juice

1 tbsp roasted chilli powder

2 tbsp fish sauce

3 red shallots, finely sliced

Handful of mint, coriander, culantro or eryngium (long-leaf coriander)

2 tbsp kaffir lime leaves, finely chopped

2 tbsp ground roasted rice

3-4 dried whole red chillies for garnish

Method

1. Heat the wok or pan over high heat with oil, swirl to coat the wok or pan then add minced chicken. Stir-fry and break up the meat to avoid clumps, add stock. Stir-fry until chicken is cooked (about 3-4 minutes), do not overcook or the meat will be tough.

2. Remove the wok from the heat, season with salt, white sugar, lime juice, chilli powder and fish sauce. Mix in shallots and herbs. Sprinkle with roasted rice and dried whole red chillies as garnish.

3. This salad should taste spicy, sour and salty. Eat with raw vegetables such as cucumber, fine beans and cabbage.

Lily Ramirez-Foran

Shop-keeper and cookery teacher at Picado Mexican in Dublin 2

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Growing up in Mexico, Lily Ramirez-Foran remembers the nine days leading up to Christmas as a very special time. "The neighbours all get together, in a series of 'posadas'. People travel from house to house carrying Joseph, Mary and the donkey from the oldest person's Nativity set, going from house to house looking for shelter. There are candles, songs and rituals, and you're not a proper Mexican if your hair wasn't set alight in one of these processions at least once when you were a child.

"By Christmas Eve the figures are back in the house from which they came originally. There's a special star-shaped pinata and 'ponche' to drink, a warm tropical fruit punch with spices and a little alcohol, either tequila, mescal or rum. You can make it without alcohol - my Irish niece and nephew love it. And Christmas Eve is when we have the big feast."

When Lily spent her first Christmas in Ireland at the age of 25, she missed the traditions from home. "The first year that I was in Ireland was tough," she says. "I remember bursting out crying because I was used to the big celebration being on Christmas Eve, and nothing really happened. Alan's [my husband's] family like to go into town on Christmas Eve for breakfast and then be home before it gets too busy. They sit by the fire with hot chocolate in the afternoon and hot whiskeys later, but there's no big meal, no big table. At home my mother would make a stuffed leg of pork - pierna mechada - that would take all day. You make a stuffing out of cloves, garlic, pancetta, olives and prunes - the chopping takes forever! - and pierce the meat with a long skewer to insert the stuffing. Then you rub it with guajillo paste, which is mild and fruity.

"The pork cooks for 10 hours at a low heat in orange juice and cider. It's a very labour-intensive dish but completely delicious. The next day we'd have the leftovers in rolls that are soft like a Waterford blaa that you fry in butter."

Because Picado Mexican is open on Christmas Eve for last-minute gifts, Lily says that these days she usually cooks the pierna mechada for New Year's Eve, when she has more time. "For Christmas this year I will cook pozole soup and tamales, which are both celebratory dishes too. You can give the tamales an Irish twist with St Tola goats cheese."

LILYS BEAN & GOATS CHEESE TAMALES

Tamales are one of the most traditional and celebratory dishes you'll find in Mexico, hence most Mexicans enjoy them during Christmas and New Year's celebrations. They date from pre-colonial times and are delicious to eat. I particularly love them with an Irish twist: a generous amount of creamy and mild goats' cheese, like Irish organic St Tola cheese, but if you're not into goats' cheese, you can always use a good quality cheddar cheese.

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Serves 4-8

Ingredients

For the tamales

25-30 dried corn husks

Boiling water from the kettle

For the filling

450g tinned refried beans with chipotle

120g St Tola goats' cheese (original)

For the tamal dough

500g tamales masa harina

1 tsp table salt

 tsp ground cumin

 tsp garlic powder

250g pork lard

500ml warm water

Method

1. Start by prepping your corn husks. Put the stopper in your kitchen sink (you can also use a big container for this). Place the dry corn husks at the bottom of the sink making sure to separate them beforehand. Cover the husks with boiling hot water from the kettle, you might have to boil the kettle a few times for this, but soaking the husks in hot water is essential for the success of your tamales. If you find they are floating on top of the water, use a heavy bowl to weight them down. Leave them soaking while you get on with the rest of the steps.

2. Follow by getting the filling ingredients for the tamales ready. Put the spiced beans in a bowl with a spoon. The beans don't need to be heated, cold is fine. Cut the cheese in long strips of about -inch thick. You want enough cheese to flavour but not to dominate the taste of the tamal. Lay the filling ingredients on the worktop or table where you are working and proceed with making your tamal dough.

3. In a large bowl, put together the tamales masa harina, salt, cumin and garlic powder. Mix well until all the dry ingredients are well incorporated.

4. Add lard and the warm water and using a spoon (water is hot) incorporate everything to the point where you can stick your hands in and knead the ingredients. Knead for about 4 minutes until you have a dough that is soft and a little sticky.

5. When the dough is ready, drain the husks and shake them a little before putting them on a colander sitting on a plate to catch any dribbles of water left. Place the husks on the table with the dough, beans and cheese and get ready to assemble the tamales.

6. Please note that husks have a smooth and a ridged side, so you will always use the smooth side of the husk (naturally curves into it) to put the dough on and for the purpose of this recipe, you also need to be aware of the narrow and the wide ends of the husk. Keep this in mind for the next step.

7. Grab a husk on your hand, narrow end pointing away from you. Take a generous amount of dough, enough to cover  of the husk, and using your thumbs, spread the dough thinning it out to about -inch in thickness. Don't spread the dough as far as any of the sides. Leave a quarter of an inch dough-free at the wide end of the husk and the sides of the husk (this will allow for the dough to expand without leaking out of the husk. Go as far as the husk starts narrowing down (this will allow you to fold the tamal properly).

8. Take a generous spoonful of spiced refried beans and spread them vertically on the dough; I go a little off-centre to the right to be able to comfortably fold the tamal. Follow by adding a couple of slices of goats' cheese on top of the beans.

9. Now we need to fold the tamal. Take the right hand side of the husk and fold it to the centre of the tamal. Follow by folding the left hand side of the husk into the centre of tamal, folding it over the right hand side one you just did. Then take the narrow end of the husk, the one pointing away from you, and fold it upwards towards you. This will cover the two other folds. Use some discarded bits of husk to make a belt to secure all folds in the husk. Set it aside on a plate. Repeat steps 6 to 9 until you have used all your dough and filling.

10. Put some water in your steamer and turn the heat to medium high. Place all the tamales in the steamer basket standing up (opened side facing the lid of the steamer) and put the steamer lid on. Placing the tamales standing is super important as it helps them keep their shape and not leak out into the steamer! Bring the water to a boil and steam your tamales at medium heat for about 1 hour or until they are cooked. After the hour, you can carefully take one out using kitchen togs and attempt to unwrap the husk. If the husk comes clean off the dough, your tamales are ready! If not, return the tamal to the steamer and steam for another 20 minutes before checking again. It shouldn't be more than 1 hour and 20 minutes.

11. Serve them hot with a generous amount of your favourite salsa (I love my home made salsa roja). If you are not eating them straight away, take them out of the steamer into a cooling rack and let them cool down completely. They freeze really, really well; just make sure they're completely cold before putting them in plastic bags and into the freezer.

LILYS RED POZOLE

Pozole is perhaps the one dish I miss the most from home. A spoonful of it is enough to bring me right back to my mother's kitchen table. I particularly crave it this time of year, as many Mexicans enjoy it as a celebratory meal to see the old year out and ring in the new one.

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Serves 6

Ingredients

1 kilo pork shoulder, cut into 3-4inch chunks

3l water

1 head garlic, whole & unpeeled (about 45g)

1 tbsp table salt

20g dried guajillo chilli

10g dried cascabel chilli

1 garlic clove, peeled

2 tbsps dried Mexican oregano

830g tinned pozole kernels/hominy

For the garnishes

Iceberg lettuce or white cabbage, thinly sliced

Fresh radishes, thinly sliced

1 onion, finely chopped

4 limes, cut in quarters

Mexican oregano

For serving

Corn tostadas

Method

1. Put the meat, the water, the whole head of garlic and the salt in a large, heavy-bottom pot with a lid and bring it to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer at medium heat for about two hours or until the meat is fully cooked and tender. The result should be very tender meat with plenty of stock left. Discard the garlic head and fish the meat out onto a board. Roughly shred the meat (including a bit of the fat) and set aside. Reserve all the stock as this will be the basis for the soup.

2. While the meat cooks, clean and deseed the dried chillies. Put them into a pot with about half a litre of water and turn the heat onto high. Boil them for 15 minutes before switching the heat off and allowing the chillies to cool in the water.

3. Drain the chillies and transfer them to a blender or food processor. Add the garlic clove, the oregano and at least two ladlefuls of the reserved pork stock. Liquidise the ingredients until you have a smooth sauce.

4. Pour the sauce into the reserved stock, add the drained pozole kernels and mix well. Turn the heat on to medium and let the soup simmer for 20 minutes before adding the chopped meat. Mix well and check for seasoning. The soup should taste a little bit bitter, so don't worry at this point, just check for saltiness.

5. While the soup cooks, get all the soup's garnishes ready. Lettuce or white cabbage, onion, radishes, limes and - very importantly - the tostadas. Pozole without tostadas is not the same at all!

6. Set all the garnishes and the tostadas in the middle of the table and call the troops for dinner. Serve the soup very hot in deep bowls making sure you include plenty of meat and kernels in every bowl. Leave space in the bowl for the garnishes: a handful of lettuce or white cabbage, plenty of radishes, two teaspoons of chopped onion and lashings of lime juice.

7. Eat the soup hot with plain tostadas rubbed with a bit of lime juice and a sprinkle of salt. If you are daring enough, add a bit of a very hot salsa to your pozole as another garnish or a thin layer of salsa to your tostada before eating it.

8. Traditionally, Mexicans use De Arbol Chilli-based salsas for this. However, my Irish family just skips the hot salsa and enjoys the tamer version of the soup. Pozole keeps well in the fridge for up to a week and it freezes very well.
What do foodies want for Christmas? Katy McGuinness has the answers.

1 Restaurant vouchers

You can't go wrong with a voucher for someone's favourite restaurant. Personally, I'd be delighted with one for any of the following: Etto, Uno Mas, Forest Avenue, Michael's of Mount Merrion, Campagne, Ox

Many restaurants, including The Greenhouse, L'Ecrivain, Amuse, One Pico, Bon Appetit, Bang, Pickle, China Sichuan, The Wild Goose Grill, Chameleon, Klaw, Wineport Lodge, Rinuccini, Suesey Street, Fade Street Social, Shelbourne Social, Greenes, Brownes Tuam, La Boheme, Dela, The Strawberry Tree, Fishy Fishy, The Pig's Ear, Yellow Pepper, Luna, The Fatted Calf, Zuni, Bastible, The Muddler's Club, Saba, Cafe Velo, Sage Midleton, Ferrit & Lee, Klaw, Nightmarket, La Cote and Blair's Cove offer online vouchers that you can print off at home right up until the Big Day.

2 Cookery classes

Lily Ramirez-Foran offers cookery classes followed by BYOB supper in her Picado Mexican shop in Dublin, with new classes being released each day until Christmas Eve, from 60, picadomexican.com

Catherine Fulvio's (above) Ballyknocken Cookery School has classes covering everything from Fabulous Mains & Desserts to Mastering Fish & Sauces, 140, ballyknocken.ie.

Riot Rye in Cloughjordan offers dedicated sourdough bread-making classes, from 125, riotrye.ie.

At The Tannery in Dungarvan, there are classes focusing on everything from Meat-free Cooking to Flavours of the Middle East, from 75, tannery.ie.

3 Destination restaurant

A reservation at a destination restaurant, with flights. You won't go far wrong with Brat (London), The Sportsman (Kent), Extebarri (near Bilbao), Estela (New York) or Amass (Copenhagen).

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4 Good olive oil

The new season Capezzana (left) is fabulous - you'll find it in independent retailers and wine shops such as 64 Wine in Glasthule.

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5 The ultimate garlic crusher

The 'Garject' (right) by Aussie brand Dreamfarm was voted the world's best garlic crusher by people who know their onions. Made from a weighty steel, you can stick two unpeeled garlic cloves in at a time. The press crushes the garlic through and then scrapes it for you with a sliding scraper design feature. When you're done, there's a spring to eject your peels. Hey Presto! 35. Pick it up at Triggerfish Cookshop in Blackrock, Co. Dublin.

6 Copper saucepans

Mauviel have been making copper pots in Normandy, France since 1830. Copper, with its rose-like shine, is the ultimate in cookware because it is the best conductor of heat and gives an even distribution of heat around the pan. The timeless quality of these pans makes them an heirloom, which goes some way towards justifying the price. Set of three saucepans with matching copper lids. Priced 950 at Triggerfish Cookshop, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, triggerfishcookshop.ie.

7 Cork pop-up

The next 'Chef Sessions' pop-up takes place on February 25 at the Market Lane group's ORSO restaurant in Cork city centre. Four of the group's younger chefs train intensively for two-to-three months to present an eight-course menu using ingredients that have truly inspired them. Tickets are 75 and include wine and beer pairings. See orso.ie.

8 Introduction to Butchery course

The one-day Introduction to Butchery course at Croan Cottages, to be held on March 23-24, would make a great gift for a meat lover. Led by two expert butchers, the morning session will involve the butchery of a hogget, and in the afternoon, students will butcher a deer into its primal cuts before learning how to stuff and link pork sausages. 175 to include lunch, or 225 with overnight accommodation. See croancottages.com.

9 Hamper

We particularly like the hampers of Irish cheese and natural wine at Loose Canon, 29 Drury Street, Dublin 2 (30-150), and the seafood hampers at Klaw Seafood Cafe in Temple Bar. You'll also find good hampers at shops such as Lotts & Co (above), Ardkeen Stores, McCambridges, Urru, Fallon & Byrne and Cavistons. Focus on Irish goods from small producers and you won't go wrong. Dunnes Simply Better also has hampers starting at 50 - their products consistently perform well in comparative taste tests.

10 Cookbooks

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Diana Henry: How to Eat a Peach, Octopus Books, 35: The Northern Irish writer's latest book is another beauty, with seasonal menus that will transport you to an afternoon by the seaside in Brittany before moving on to a sultry evening eating mezze in Istanbul. As always, Diana's writing is exquisite.

Nik Sharma: Season, Chronicle Books, 26: Nik Sharma's recipes are a revelation, his flavour combinations inspiring and vivid. One for the jaded cook who needs to get his or her kitchen mojo back.

Jamie Oliver: Jamie Cooks Italy, Penguin Michael Joseph, 30. With some of Jamie's books there's a sense that he's going through the motions - this is not one of them. It's terrific.

MFK Fisher: Consider the Oyster, Daunt Books Publishing, 9.99: The legendary food writer's tribute to that most delicate and enigmatic of foods is a gem, her prose wise and witty.

Gaudry & Friends: Let's Eat France, Artisan $50: This massive tome is a virtual encyclopaedia devoted to French food with recipes, profiles of French food icons including Brillat-Savarin and Bocuse, and region by region guides to cheese, charcuterie and signature dishes. One for Francophiles.

Niki Segnit, Lateral Cooking, Bloomsbury Publishing, 35: Anyone who uses Segnit's first book, The Flavour Thesaurus, will relish this companion volume, a practical handbook designed to help creative cooks develop their own recipes.
Irish woman and former People of the Year winner Emma Fogarty opened up on last nights Late Late Show about the horrors she endures every day due to her skin condition Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB).

EB, also known as butterfly disease, is a severe, rare genetic skin blistering condition where the skin is as fragile as the wings of a butterfly.

Her skin blisters and tears at the slightest touch, and the condition has left 80pc of her body covered with open sores.

There is no cure for EB, and the only form of treatment is constant, painful bandaging of the skin.

The Laois woman, formerly was a mortgage advisor, explained to viewers how even the task of getting to the Late Late Show yesterday was a huge challenge.

Its constant pain. Even sitting here now, I put on a smile for everyone, for you [to Ryan], for Colin, but I think inside Im crying, because today for example  I've rested all week, Ive stayed in bed all week just to be here today, for the endurance of today.

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This morning I got up, I started a four-and-a-half-hour bandage change with Georgina and my nurse Denise, and they did that, and it was torturous as always, and I was crying and screaming, it was very upsetting.

Then I tried to take a cat nap as they say, and I took that, because you need that  to re-energise yourself, and then I got ready and came up here.

The journey in itself is very difficult so thats here, and then being here and going home.

Today I started my day crying and I will get into bed today crying.

Hollywood actor Colin Farrell, who has been friends with Emma since he first contacted her to congratulate her on her People of the Year award in 2010, appeared alongside Emma on the Late Late couch next to Emma and described her as amazing.

Youre the most amazing person Ive ever met, I mean you really give what I would call strength a kick in the h**e for your bravery. I mean youre just so inspiring.

Farrell also paid tribute to his son James, who has the genetic disorder Angelman syndrome, which mainly affects the Central Nervous System.

"He's magic," Farrell said. "And, you know, life seems to present itself with all these different deviations from what we call 'the norm' or 'the typical'. And my James, as Emma has her own genetic deviation from what is typical, my son has a genetic deviation from what is typical. And he has Angelman syndrome, and he's magic."

"He's a very inspiring young man," he explained. "He has had his own trials and tribulations and has reached benchmarks in his life."

"You know, he took his first steps as I've said before when he was two weeks short of his fourth birthday. We talk about a child taking their first steps as being a profound moment in a child's life or a parent's life. But if you're told your child might not ever walk, try those steps on for size when you see those ones...

"He's brilliant. He uses an iPad to communicate. He's moody, he's cheeky, though he's, I think, incredibly happy. He's strong-willed. Yeah, he's a magic, magic young man."

Emma and Colin appealed to the public to help raise funds for Debra Ireland, which supports families living with EB, by texting "BUTTERFLY" to 50300 to donate 4, and see www.debraireland.org.
I think 2018 will be looked on as a pivotal year for motoring. One could almost feel the shift in sentiment across a whole range of issues. Naturally, talk of diesel dominated the headlines and airwaves as buyers in their considerable numbers moved, or thought about moving, to petrol, hybrid or electric.

The trend will shift up another gear next year but 2018 was when, I would argue, a definitive line was crossed.

After years of humming and hawing, we seemed to collectively accept we are moving towards something different. Exactly what that is remains unclear in detail but certain in global terms: the future is electric and we better get on board.

When I spoke with then environment minister Denis Naughten back in the early spring, I had to put it to him four times that he meant what he was saying.

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Yes, he replied each time. By 2030 no new diesel, petrol or hybrid (that was the real shocker) cars would be on sale in Ireland. What an 'official' statement that was.

He was, and the Government presumably remains, certain such a bold target can be met. I don't think it can be nailed in that time frame but it will be done at some stage soon enough thereafter. The recent announcement of an extended and improved charging infrastructure is encouraging. Sure, there's a long way to go in what is a relatively short window - 11 years - but there is momentum gathering.

The fact of the matter is we are heading down a one-way street toward Electric City. Such 'certainty' has and will accelerate one-time dominant diesel's demise. For many years it was the equivalent of the must-have Christmas toy. Then, thanks mainly to Volkswagen's dark arts with cheating emissions in cars, it quite suddenly became so 'last year'. Overnight, the bells rang out for other power bases.

Diesel had been number one virtually every year since 2008. That's when we canonised it as the Saint of Lower CO2 emissions and tempted tens of thousands to switch to the fuel that cut purchase and road taxes. There wasn't a word about the really harmful effects that NOx emissions can have on health in densely-populated urban areas. They've only concentrated our minds this past three years or so - and more emphatically in 2018.

It is important to remember too that diesel's current sales decline is part of a realistic readjustment. Prior to the great turn on, petrol was at least as popular - if not more.

Now that a semblance of sense has been restored, more people are buying petrol for the moderate number of kilometres they travel each year. A few years ago they'd have been buying diesel to cover 7,000kms. Madness.

It is also dawning on people that petrol technology has improved beyond recognition. Unprecedented numbers of those came on the market in 2018. It's also worth mentioning that petrol cars are usually 2,000 or so less expensive than diesels to buy new; you'd put a lot of fuel in your tank for that lump of money.

It was a pivotal year also for the sort of new car most of us now want to drive: it's an SUV or Crossover. We are buying so many that the genre currently makes up the single largest segment on the market.

It is trending at an extraordinary level. It would be simplistic to say people are just jumping on the fashionable bandwagon. There is a bit more to it than that. They like the high-seated driving position, the space, versatility and opportunity to drive something different from the saloons and hatchbacks which dominated sales charts for so long.

Such has been the surge in SUV buying and the plunge (there is no other word for it) in your conventional small/large family saloon during 2018 that some industry observers doubt if the latter can survive in the medium term. It's looking like Christmas present and future for the SUV and electric cars; but Christmas past for saloons and diesel.

And it's Christmas every day for buyers and sellers of used imports; 2018 was another record year of buying them.

They now nudge the 100,000 mark for the first time - an extraordinary figure in our relatively small Irish market.

Here you have a situation where cars up the North, as an example, can be bought for less simply because the exchange rate has been favourable to the euro against Sterling. And while lots of people went North or to England for 'bargains', so did dealers.

Some import high volumes of used cars and sell them alongside 'Irish' vehicles whose price has been reduced because of the cheaper UK motors. Only in Ireland, eh? I must say, I am intrigued by the entire exercise.

Now more people are buying an import without leaving the country; they get a warranty from their Irish dealer and the reassurance of proximity should anything go wrong. It's called having your cake and eating it. And 2018 highlighted that with gusto. However, the volume of import buying has impacted heavily and negatively on two areas this past year.

One, your 'Irish' trade-in is, as I've outlined, worth considerably less than it would have been at this stage of its life three years ago. So if you want to trade against a new car, you'll have to dig deeper.

Two, people are, as a result of cheaper fresh imports, buying far fewer new cars than the current economic backdrop would warrant.

But nothing is normal these days. Despite talk of a booming economy, there are gloomy predictions for new-car registrations next year as some experts anticipate even higher numbers of used imports.

That's a debate for another day.

For now, after a topsy-turvy 2018, it is clear we, as car buyers, have become a much more discerning lot. Online access has played a huge part but so has the near-incessant discussion around diesel and electric.

Hybrid as a concept and solution caught on big time in 2018 too: it was definitely a pivotal year on that front. Sales figures reflect major hybrid growth but I believe we'll see dramatically more as people focus on taking the first step from diesel/petrol to pure electric cars.

Several global makers announced they are ending or phasing out production of new diesels. Toyota is probably the most noteworthy in that respect as it has just ceased making diesel passenger cars full stop in favour of heavy reliance on hybrid.

Like so many other developments over 2018, the Toyota decision underlines my claim that it has been a pivotal year for motoring and motorists.

So here's to another one in 2019. Happy Christmas.
Just as 'Christmas' kicked off some time last August, so 'January' is a loosely applied term in travel. The sales are already starting. Here's our pick of the bunch...

1 holiday deposits

Need to book a holiday? Have absolutely no cash? Click&Go allows you to secure holidays with a 1 deposit. It says 100,000 customers have taken up the offer to date, with a second deposit of 150 due four weeks after booking, and the balance due 10 weeks before departure. clickandgo.com.

50pc off Aer Lingus flights

Aer Lingus has up to 50pc off three million European seats and North American flights from 189 each-way. Fares are valid for travel from May 1 to September 30, and the sale expires on January 15. aerlingus.com.

25pc off ferry travel

Stena Line is offering 25pc off travel to Britain and France on bookings made before January 8 for travel from January 7 to December 18 of next year. Book on stenaline.ie/newyear.

10pc off your 2018 Camino

Thinking of a Camino next year? CaminoWays.com has 10pc off all bookings made before December 31. Use the code earlybird10.

9.99: Flights with Ryanair

Does Ryanair ever not have a sale? Oh well, who's complaining. Low fares include the UK from 9.99, Faro from 14.69 and Ibiza from 21.55 (all from Dublin, all one-way) as we publish. ryanair.com.

289: Shelbourne Hotel Special

Dublin's Shelbourne Hotel is completing a multi-million euro refurb from January 1 to April 5, and it has a Pardon Our Appearance offer including B&B, overnight parking, a bottle of wine from 289 per room. 01 663-4500; theshelbourne.ie.

PS. Exclusive holiday discounts

Have you seen Independent Discounts? The site has a host of special offers and discount codes, with travel brands ranging from Aer Lingus to ClickAndGo.com, Irish Ferries and Expedia.ie. This week, offers include 50pc off bookings with newsletter sign-ups on Booking.com. See discountcode.independent.ie/travel-accommodation.

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In fashionable Williamsburg, we don ugly shoes before hitting the bowling alley.

There, we feast on BBQ ribs, crunchy fries, sinful mac-and-cheese and succulent prawns, all washed down with G&Ts and Cokes. A funk band works its magic on stage, entertaining a crowded dancefloor. Welcome to the hi-tech Brooklyn Bowl, a hip hybrid of ten-pin bowling, gluttonous food and rock 'n' roll. It's what American dreams are made of. brooklynbowl.com

Guilty pleasures

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Lazing on a hammock, I take in the jaw-dropping view from my trendy suite at 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge. To the right, just minutes away, is the magnificent bridge; to the left, the Statue of Liberty stands majestically in the distance. I've just returned from the hotel's rooftop bar, where guests relax in the infinity pool, anticipating sunset over the Atlantic. Others sip on cooling cocktails, or tuck into lobster rolls and poke bowls. Mellow beats play in the background, and punters stay to enjoy drinks and dancing and the city's panorama until late. But morning welcomes a different scene as yogis roll out their mats for sunrise practise. At this hip, eco-friendly hotel base in Brooklyn, it's all about balance.

Top Tip

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Take a stroll in Domino Park, set along the East River on the site of the old Domino Sugar Refinery. With sweeping views of the Manhattan skyline, the park features playful fountains, a beach volleyball court and clever playground using reclaimed materials from the original factory, a nod to Williamsburgs industrial roots. dominopark.com

Insider intel

On the Williamsburg Bites tour, a local will guide you to the best eateries, offering cultural tidbits about the neighbourhood along the way. We ate at a traditional Polish bakery, authentic pizzeria and artisan chocolate factory, and devoured smoky Sloppy Joes and cheesy bagel-bombs before finishing up in a retro-style ice-cream parlour. After much indecisiveness, I chose the home-made miso-and-cherry flavour: a sweet scoop of heaven. likealocaltours.com

Top tip

Walking the Brooklyn Bridge? Start before sunset, so you get to experience the skyline by day and night. Allow a good hour for the 1.5km walk, and take the subway back. See also freetoursbyfoot.com

Glitches

I took the Williamsburg Bites tour in a 35C heatwave: pick a cooler day to really savour the adventure!

Get there

Gillian was a guest of the 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge (1hotels.com; B&B in a Dumbo king room from 485) and Aer Lingus, which flies up to four times daily to New York (aerlingus.com; 'Saver' fares from 159 each-way). For more ideas on what to see, do and eat in New York, see nycgo.com.

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There was nothing my late mother would not do to try find some way for my father to spend Christmas Day at home. This wasn't always easy. Like many people in essential jobs, his working conditions were far removed from the rather comfortable cocoon now existing for many white-collar workers in Ireland where offices remain closed between Christmas and New Year.

My father was a sailor, and any time spent with his family was dictated by tides and shipping company schedules. Christmas might see him docked in Dublin, but he could just as easily be stranded in Le Havre or Rotterdam back when workers often needed to exchange Christmas greetings with their families in long distance calls to public phone boxes on street corners, and economics dictated that telegrams were more sparsely phrased than haikus.

I still possess the telegram sent by my mother to the MV Dundalk, moored in Liverpool, in 1959 informing him of my birth: "Baby boy. Both splendid. Love. Bridie."

However, the most memorable telegram to reach him in a European port arrived just before what would have been their first Christmas apart. It read "Father dying. Come home. Bridie." and threw my father - a Wexford man - into such panic that his captain granted him compassionate leave to find a passage back to Ireland. A friendly ship got him to Dublin on Christmas Eve, but he had no time to think about visiting his young family in Finglas and no way of contacting us. His sole thought was to catch the first train to Wexford, sitting among hordes of emigrants returning for Christmas, fervently hoping he had not missed his father's funeral.

Only when the his parents' front door was opened by my grandfather - looking as healthy as Stephen Ireland's granny - did my father realise that my mother had executed what today we would term a "Ballybrack FC manoeuvre".

Thankfully no sailors observed a minute's silence for my perfectly healthy grandfather, like Leinster Senior League clubs recently did for the mythically deceased Fernando. However, such was my mother's desperation to have her husband home for Christmas that this conscientious woman was prepared to concoct "a cunning plan".

Indeed she had already outlined the labyrinthine plan in a long letter to my father which was meant to reach his ship several days before the telegram, but like many letters to Santa, her letter got lost amid the maelstrom of Christmas mail and even today, six decades later, may be awaiting collection on some dock in Hamburg or Calais. Thankfully, my father caught the last Wexford train to Dublin and Christmas was spent with his wife, who had a fire lit in the parlour in expectation of his arrival.

I'm not sure what complex journeys some readers will have undertaken in recent days, with this same instinct to be with loved ones at Christmas, but I know that - unlike in my father's time - traffic at Ireland's ports and airports will be equally heavy in both directions.

For every Irish-born son or daughter returning from Toronto or Newcastle, someone else's daughter or son will be flying out, eagerly looking forward to being greeted by loved ones in Gdansk or Bucharest.

The instinct to be together at Christmas seems sewn into the DNA of many families linked by unbreakable childhood memories. Few people can emotionally ignore Christmas because this time of year is marked out by absences and new presences around our tables which make us take stock of time passing. Families hold an unspoken census each Christmas, with arrivals hailed and absences mourned. Joy and sorrow are engrained into this season.

This year will be the first Christmas spent alone for many people who have nursed partners through terminal illnesses, while parents of babies will find it uniquely joyous as the first Christmas with their child.

We should respect the rights of people with conscientious objections to Christmas, those who wish to stand aside from the pandemonium for valid and private reasons. They may not mark it as such, but it will still be a landmark in their minds.

It will be a time of enormous pressure for people who are unemployed or on zero hours contracts and are so desperate to get their children Christmas presents that the concept of an unhappy loan shark in December is an oxymoron.

While I oppose capital punishment, at Christmas I could make an exception for advertising executives who callously use every emotional trick to unlock wallets by bombarding children with images of perfect parents coming home with perfect gifts in perfect worlds.

Few worlds are perfect, but if we look back, it is not the presents that we remember from childhood Christmases. If we are lucky, we remember the anticipation and feeling of being enveloped by love when we woke early to clamber into parents' beds, overcome by the sense of an occasion that we could not truly make sense of.

At this time of year, as Byron said, "The heart must pause to breathe". Perhaps the greatest gift we can give to each other is ourselves. Hopefully , few families will need to resort to the subterfuge my mother once engaged in to get her husband home and hopefully, with Skype, the distances will seem less than when families crowded into phone boxes to await long distance calls.

This Christmas excited children will speak by WhatsApp to grandparents in 50 languages. Families will enjoy old rituals or make new ones. Young couples will celebrate this being their first Christmas together.

Some of us will luxuriate in good cheer, and others will wish to get the day finished. But for all of us, it will be special because - consciously or unconsciously - it is how we measure time.

I won't wish everyone a happy Christmas, although I sincerely hope it will be joyous, but I do offer the wish that each of us will have whatever type of Christmas we want.

It gets dark and cold early, but Christmas is always a time of hope, because - as we reflect on another year ending - we invariably find that, as Brendan Kennelly wrote, "Something that will not acknowledge conclusion insists that we forever begin".
Bobby Arthur (left), John Harte, Alan OBrien and Ken Sloane, Chairperson, DkIT, TeachersUnion of Ireland Branch at the retirement function for fifteen members of the TUI in DkIT held in The Oriel Centre

On Thursday night I headed for the Oriel Centre Dundalk Gaol where a special retirement and Christmas party was being held for members of the TUI many of whom taught and teach in the DKiT. With 15 retirees and a huge collection of party revellers, the place was packed by the time I got there.

I as only in the door when I met up with Aoilean Ni Eigartaigh from Drumcondra and Anna Leach-Morgey from Blackrock who were welcoming everyone as they came in and assured me it was going to be a nice quiet celebration.

Next, I got talking to lecturer Brian Boyd from Banbridge who was chatting to John Harte from Armagh who said he hung up the mortarboard and duster last year and was thoroughly enjoying his free time and was looking forward to a night with all his old mates.

Just in the door was head of the school of engineering Tom Dooley from Dromiskin who was there to bid a find farewell to colleagues and have a laugh with some he hadn't seen in a while.

After this I got talking to Brendan and Lorraine McQuillan from Blackrock who were with John and Rosemary McArdle from Blackrock who were enjoying their retirement and were there to make the best of the night with all their old friends.

Also in their company were Marie Bouquet from Dunleer who is with the TUI and Deirdre McArdle-Clinton and Pat Clinton from Donaghmore who told me they have retired a few years ago and were up for making the best of it. So much so they have just released Jewel of the North East a history of the third level college in Dundalk from the days of the Regional Technical College through to the Dundalk Institute of Technology and also reflects the social history of Dundalk during that period.

Not too long later I then met up with Bridget Kelly from Ardee and Sergio Moreira from Portugal who were there to wish all the best to the retirees but also enjoy the Christmas party too.

Just arrived in the door were Alan O'Brien from Drogheda and Noel Stapleton from Manydown Close who said it was great to see all the old faces again and was really looking forward to the night with them.

Making my way through the crowd I caught up with Nigel Clinton from Dublin Road and Eoghan Bailey from Blackrock who retired last year and said he doesn't know how he had to time to work now that he was enjoying himself.

I headed over for a word with Paul McDonald originally from Cavan but now hanging his hat on Dublin Road who best described his retirement as an extension to his summer holidays and it was great to see all the old faces again.

Not too long Later I met up with Ciaran Carragher from Kilkerley and Bernard O'Hare from Mullacrew who were there as moral support, but were really up for making the best of the Christmas party.

Making my way over to another table I then got talking to Mark Kavanagh from Tallanstown who was talking to retiree Fionnuala Dullaghan from Farndreg who told me even though she had retired, she had been asked back not once, but twice to work. The same sentiment was shared by Bernadette Cassidy from Ravensdale, obviously Business Studies realised the pair were irreplaceable, I thought!

After this I got a word with Jim O'Donohoe from Donabate who was certainly enjoying his free time but admitted he did miss the camaraderie with his fellow lecturers.

One man who was very busy on the night was Seamus Bellew from Stamanaran who was setting up an area where everyone could have a look at the Jewel of the North East and was up for making the best of the occasion.

Finally, before I departed, I caught up with my old friend Bill and Margaret McCarthy from Mullaharlin Road who were looking forward to seeing all the old faces but more to partying the night away!
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse shows limitless possibilities for future spin-offs

The costumed alter ego of orphan Peter Parker has been spinning a web of intrigue across popular culture since 1962 in comic books, TV series, newspaper strips, films and a Broadway musical.

A live-action incarnation of Spider-Man portrayed by London-born actor Tom Holland is currently waging war against supervillain Thanos in the Avengers films.

One web-slinging saviour is evidently insufficient because the dazzling computer-animated adventure Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse introduces a menagerie of gifted spider-folks, who tick myriad racial, socio-economic and anthropomorphic boxes.

There is a half-black, half-Hispanic teenage hero, a sassy Asian female heroine, a grizzled old school crusader torn from the pages of a noir thriller, two markedly different reflections of Peter Parker... and a talking pig.

Laughs come thick and fast courtesy of a self-referential script that gleefully pokes fun at itself.

'How many more spider-people are there?' gasps the central character.

'Save it for Comic-Con,' knowingly responds Peter, acknowledging the fan conventions that gleefully whip the Spider-faithful into a froth of excitement.

Peter Ramsey, Bob Persichetti and Rodney Rothman's film employs a striking visual palette, which honours the comic books (the central character's internal monologue manifests as boxed captions) as it confidently lives up to its billing as 'a pretty hardcore origin story'.

Brooklyn teenager Miles Morales (voiced by Shameik Moore) enrols in a boarding school at the behest of his parents (Brian Tyree Henry, Luna Velez).

He takes a break from studies to spend time with his uncle Aaron (Mahershala Ali), who indulges Miles's passion for street art by venturing into the sewers beneath New York City to spray paint a mural.

A radioactive spider descends from the dark and bites Miles's hand, imbuing the high school student with incredible powers.

Miles discovers he has inherited the same abilities as Spider-Man (Chris Pine), who recently died at the hands of menacing crime lord Wilson Fisk (Liev Schreiber).

The kingpin is conducting experiments, which disrupt the space-time continuum.

Consequently, a washed-up Peter B Parker (Jake Johnson), Spider-Gwen (Hailee Steinfeld), Spider-Ham (John Mulaney), brooding Spider-Noir (Nicolas Cage) and inventor schoolgirl Peni Parker (Kimiko Glenn) materialise in Miles's bedroom.

They join forces with the teenager to defeat a rogue's gallery of villains including Green Goblin (Jorma Taccone) and Doctor Octopus (Kathryn Hahn).

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is an imaginative and frequently exhilarating expansion of familiar mythology with limitless possibilities for future spin-offs.

Vocal performances relish the script's irreverent humour like when Spider-Ham signs off in Looney Tunes stylee - 'That's all folks.' - and Peter wonders aloud, 'Is he allowed to say that? Legally?'

Jocularity is balanced with tender moments of anguished soul-searching, all calibrated to inspire audiences to swing to the same dizzy heights as Miles.

It just requires a leap of faith. Tight-fitting spandex optional.
Tributes have flowed in from around the world for Brid McBride, Kilcurry, who died at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda on Monday December 10th.

Brid was a leading figure in the amateur drama scene in Ireland and internationally.

She was involved with the Castle Players and later the Dolmen Theatre Group, but it's for her work with the Dundalk Amateur Drama International, which formed the heart of the Maytime Festival, that she is best remembered. She was also a well known adjudicator, and travelled abroad to adjudicate at drama festivals including the United States and Germany where she made lifelong friends.

Brid served as President of Dundalk Maytime Festival and was also Vice-President. She was presented with a Bord Failte Welcome Award in 2006 for her work in welcoming visitors to Dundalk and Co Louth.

She had also contributed to a number of radio shows, including Mike Murphy's on RTE, as an arts critic.

Imelda McDonagh said: 'As Secretary of the Association of Drama Adjudicators, Ireland, I would like to express our sincere sympathy on the passing of a great lady of theatre who will be fondly remembered both as a warm and kind person but also a visionary figure on the Irish drama scene.'

Offering her condolences to Brid's husband Peadar and family, Rosemary Caine said @I have the most wonderful memories of Brid and the Dundalk Theatre Festival In 2004. It was a pleasure to work with her and be welcomed by her to my home county - in tow with Wilde Irish Women. She was so devoted to the Arts and had rare insight into their effect on the spirit and soul. Brid was rare as she was uniquely gifted. A born leader and organizer. I feel privileged to have known her. I have the most enduring memories of our time together.'

'Brid and I met as she adjudicated various shows in which I was involved at Roadside Theater in Heidelberg, Germany,' said Sylvia L. Rausch. 'We shared a great love of the theater, but also a appreciation of stories and how they can change mankind. I will greatly miss her smile, her spunk, and her crazy earrings!'

Brid is survived by her husband Peader and son Ruaidhri and daughter Brianan , daughter-in-law Liza, son-in-law Sean (Callan), grandchildren Ciara and Aran, the extended McBride and Kelly families, nieces, nephews, relatives, neighbours and friends. She was predeceased by her son Cormac.

There was a large attendance at her funeral which took place on Thursday morning following Mass in St Brigid's Church, Kilcurry.
It will be 43 years tomorrow (Wednesday) December 19th since a Loyalist gang planted a car bomb in the centre of Dundalk, which caused the deaths of two local men.

Hugh Watters, a 60-year-old tailor and married father of four was killed instantly, while 61-year-old Jack Rooney, a fireman for the local council passed away three days later.

The bombing has long been blamed on a loyalist paramilitary group affiliated to the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF), but no one was ever charged.

A monument to Jack Rooney and Hugh Watters now stands outside Dundalk Courthouse, across the road from where the bomb exploded.

Ongoing calls for answers as to who was behind the devastating bombing were echoed again this week as the anniversary approached.

Louth TD Declan Breathnach raised the issue in a Dail debate with Tanaiste Simon Coveney, saying that 'legacy issues from the Northern Ireland Troubles continue to impact on many families.'

'I refer not only to the Dublin-Monaghan or Dundalk bombings, but also to many individual cases that have had an impact both North and South. It is an issue that persistently comes up in the Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement and through the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly.'

Deputy Breathnach highlighted the 'huge frustration among the affected families with the lack of response, particularly from the British, and the lack of progress in finding solutions to this issue.'

'I want to ask the Tanaiste, genuinely, if any progress is being made and when we can see some success in giving these people hope of closure on their issues.'

Speaking on the issue, the Tanaiste said: 'Legacy is a huge part of reconciliation in the context of the work we all need to do in Northern Ireland between communities and families. There has been a reasonably successful public consultation process on legacy and the implementation of new legacy structures that have been agreed between the two Governments. That will require legislation in Westminster which not be introduced until well into next year. We continue to raise the issues of the Dublin and Monaghan bombings with the British Government in regard to releasing information that has not yet been made available. We will work in partnership with the British Government, particularly Ms Karen Bradley and her office, to ensure that the consultation that has taken place with all political parties in Northern Ireland and with many victims' groups is reflected in new proposals, whether through legislation in Westminster or new legislation that the Government will introduce in this House to ensure that we play our part in future legacy inquests.'
St. Vincent's secondary school and St. Malachy's girls' school joined forces recently to raise funds for the Zoe Murphy Appeal.

The charitable pupils form both schools were keen to raise funds for the appeal which aims to raise 100,000 which will go towards a life-changing surgery for Dundalk toddler Zoe Murphy who has Cerebral Palsy.

Laura Jones, a teacher in St. Vincent's had personal reasons for wanting to help raise money for the worthy cause, as she teaches Zoe's older sister Kayleigh, who is a first year student in the school.

Alongside fellow teacher Victoria O'Hagan, Laura organised a disco for the junior school, along with a Halloween Fancy Dress competition and she was delighted when they raised over 1,500 for the Appeal.

Following on from the huge success of the fundraiser, another first year student, Valerie Aigbodian decided that she wanted to do more to help raise money.

Valerie approached her former primary school Principal Brid Galligan in St. Malachy's girls' school and asked if it would be possible to make a donation.

A total of 300 was raised and Valerie added that she was 'absolutely thrilled' as she 'just wanted to do something to help little Zoe and her family.'
An artwork by eight-year-old Wicklow student Dahlia Tansey, from Lacken National School, Blessington, has been chosen to illustrate the 2019 Texaco Children's Art Calendar.

One of 13 chosen to illustrate the publication, Dahlia's piece, entitled 'Sisters', will appear during the month of May and will be seen in thousands of homes throughout Ireland in 2019.

Winning a Special Merit Award in the 7-8 years age category of the 2018 competition, it was one of a number said by a competition adjudicator to perfectly illustrate the astounding talent and imagination of children and the essential role played by schools who encourage and inspire their students through art education.

Calendars are currently available through a select number of Texaco service stations countrywide.
Thirteen projects from Wicklow schools have qualified for the 2019 BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition, which will take place in the RDS in January.

With just a few weeks to go, finalists of the BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition (BTYSTE) are busily preparing their projects for the 55th annual exhibition. Taking place from January 9 to January 12, the brightest minds from across the island will gather under one roof to compete for the coveted title of BT Young Scientist and Technologist of the Year 2019.

Avondale Community College has an entry in the Chemical, Physical and Mathematical Sciences involving an eggshell filtration system to remove pollutants from water.

Another entry from Avondale in the Biological and Ecological section will examine the question: 'Are dairy farmers wasting money on footbath solutions?'

Two students from Presentation College in Bray have been working on a project called 'Blue is the new Green', which examines the feasibility and possible applications of water harvesting in Irish schools.

An entry from Colaiste Chill Mhantain aims to see will Hydroxymethylfurfuraldehyde (HMF) levels in honey affect the quality of the honey and what impact the honey will have on human health.

Students from St Mary's College will ask the question 'Rounding up the bees: Is there Round-up in our honey?' while a second entry from St Mary's wonders 'Technology becoming smarter, humans becoming dumber - Is it the reversal of The Flynn Effect?'

Three students from St Mary's College have entered a project called 'Want a safe car? Wheel get right on that'.

A St Mary's College entry in the Social and Behavioural Sciences category looks at how to build happiness and the school has another entry in the Biological ad Ecological section called 'Children with Autism can't wait'.

St Gerard's students are investigating the mystery of the Killiney Beach amber. Another St Gerard's project looks into the incidence and impact of micro-plastics on Irish farms.

Dominican College Wicklow will investigate a statistical analysis of changing attitudes towards male workers in early years childcare and education.

Gaelcholaiste Na Mara students have an entry titled 'Aithnionn ciotog ciotog eile' which will also feature.
The online hair and beauty app WhatSalon, co-founded in 2013 by Buttevant entrepreneur David O'Flynn, has been snapped by the Jonas division of Canadian giant Constellation Software Ltd.

The app, which currently employs 11 people, allows people across the UK ready access to users to find and book a salon or spa appointment in 'real-time' at times and locations to suit their individual needs.

While the terms of the deal are subject to a strict non-disclosure agreement, it means that the app will now be able to expand to operate in a number of other countries including Ireland.

Headquartered in Toronto, Constellation has annual revenues of $2.1billion and employs in excess of 13,000 people. Its Jonas division already boasts a portfolio of more than 70 companies in 20 'vertical' niche markets across the globe, including salon brands serving more than 45,000 premises.

Mr O'Flynn, who will stay on to oversee the expansion of the app into the future, is the CEO and founder of Tolisons Capital, which specialises in early-stage technology investments.

He is a former governor of the University of Limerick and a founding member of the Irish Chapter of the Entrepreneurs Organisation.

Speaking to The Corkman, Mr OFlynn said he hoped to expand the number of WhatSalon employees to 40 over the next couple of years, with the tech development and digital marketing elements of the company continuing to operate out of Ireland.

"This is a very big deal for us, and in the sense that a large multi-national has come in behind us, it will be key to our expansion plans into the future," said Mr O'Flynn.

"This is not the end of the story by any stretch, but it is a significant step in the right direction for us," he added.

Mr O'Flynn was quick to point out that none of this would have been possible without the initial 50,000 set-up grant from the North Cork Enterprise Board (now the Local Enterprise Office).

"In a way, this was something of a unique enterprise, as the Enterprise Board did not, under normal circumstances, allocate funding towards the tech sector. I will always be grateful to the board for backing me and having faith in the concept," he said.

He said the success of WhatSalon over a relatively short space of time shows that there are huge opportunities for original and innovative small applicants to test out their ideas at a local level before seeking additional funding from larger bodies such as Enterprise Ireland.

"This deal means that there is a very exciting future ahead for WhatSalon, and it is my belief that it will become a key player in the global health and beauty sector," said Mr O'Flynn.
The Mallow sugar factory controversially closed down in May 2006 with the loss of 240 jobs following almost eight decades in operation

A proposal that the site of the former sugar factory in Mallow be redeveloped into a regional hub for the bio-economy sector has been unanimously adopted by local county councillors. The factory closed in 2006 with the loss of 240 jobs after almost eight decades in operation and has been idle since.

Cllr John Paul O'Shea (Fine Gael) placed a motion for Cork County Council to write to Greencore, who own the site, to ask about their plans for it and if they would investigate the possibility of using it for new bio-economy developments.

In a two-pronged approach, the authority will also write to the Ministers for Agriculture and Climate Action and the Environment requesting they lend their support to the redevelopment of the site.

The EU defines the bio-economy as "the production of renewable biological resources and the conversion of these resources and waste stream into value added products such as food, feed, bio-based products and bio-energy".

It has become a hot topic over recent years as governments look to renewable, 'green' production methods to address the issues of pollution from fossil fuels; create sustainable economies; and tackle climate change.

Speaking at the December northern area committee, Cllr O'Shea pointed out that the Government had earlier this year signed a policy statement on the bio-economy and that as a country we needed to look at ways to encourage its growth and development.

"Since the factory closed more than a decade ago, there has been talk of reintroducing the sugar industry, which would be good thing. However, if that were to happen it would more than likely be based in the midlands, which would be more accessible for the entire country," said Cllr O'Shea.

He said that given it was unlikely the Mallow site would ever reopen as a sugar factory, "it would be remiss of this council not to encourage Greencore and the Government to explore other possibilities.

"I think there is a huge opportunity in this site. I am suggesting the bio-industry as someone who has gotten quite interested in the sector over recent months," he said.

"With the emphasis now on meeting national and international targets on bio-economy, I think that as a country we need to utilise the best sites available. It would be great to see the Mallow site brought back to its former glory and, just as importantly, provide new jobs for the locality," he added.

Supporting the motion, Cllr Gearoid Murphy (Fianna Fail) said that while he would love to see the sugar industry return to Mallow, "we have to deal with reality".

"The site is lying idle, so it is important that we explore all and any innovative approaches for its future use," he said.

Cllr Melissa Mullane (Sinn Fein) said the site had "huge promise", particularly given the fact that it has a link to the main rail network.

However, Cllr Timmy Collins (Independent) struck a more sombre note saying that the site had been left idle for too long and that he could not see anything going there. "That said, this is a good motion and I hope something can come out of it," he said.

Divisional manager James Fogarty said writing to Greencore and the Ministers would be a positive move.

"This is a fine site, and it would be an awful pity if we could not muster up something for it," he said.
The sod was turned on four new units for Charleville Sheltered Housing Services at their complex at Love Lane last Thursday by Cllr Ian Doyle, who was deputising for the Mayor of County Cork.

The development of the four units is phase one of an extra eight new houses, which will be in addition to the 25 individual housing units that the organisation already provides for elderly people from the town and area.

Charleville Sheltered Housing Services (CSHS) has received capital assistance scheme funding of 793,000 through Cork County Council to build the extra units, which when completed will increase the capacity of CSHSto meet the needs of 40 individuals from the community. This will enable residents to age-in-place and live independently in their own spacious self-contained home.

The two phases of additional homes are being delivered in partnership with Cork County Council and the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government, and are part of a pipeline of new build supported housing that will see the housing association increase its stock by 50%.

At the sod turning ceremony, Cllr Ian Doyle acknowledged the work of Sr. M. Celestine and the work of Charleville Sheltered Housing Services and Cork County Council in bringing this project to fruition.

"Supports that enable older people to remain in their communities are absolutely vital. Age-friendly housing is about being close to family and social networks alongside essential public services. Housing is a critical part of our social support infrastructure, but it has been undervalued," he said.

John O'Donnell, the chairperson of CSHS, said that the sod turning is a strong endorsement of the progressive supported housing model that Charleville Sheltered Housing Services has been championing for the past 30 years.

"Housing that includes a range of supports and on-site communal facilities for assisted independent living is a response to our changing demographics. Residents at the Charleville campus range from 55 to 93 years, and there are a higher number of people living alone with 14% of the population in North-west Cork aged over 65 years. We see our clustered housing model located in the centre of Charleville as the way forward," said Mr. O'Donnell.

Construction of the four additional units will commence in January. CSHS has been providing supported housing in the town for almost 30 years. Members of the voluntary board of directors have backgrounds in nursing, GP practice, building contractors and general management. The organisation provides a 'home help' service for residents in their homes, assisting with medication, personal care and housekeeping.
Fergus O'Dowd, TD for Louth and East Meath, invited the Minister for Justice, Charlie Flanagan TD, to Drogheda last week to meet with local Gardai and residents.

"We met with Local Chief Superintendent Christy Mangan and Local Superintendent Andrew Waters, to sit down and discuss what we need in Drogheda as we enter a new phase of population growth and with that new levels of requirements and strains on our existing force. I want to also ensure that we are taking all the necessary action to deal with recent situations including addressing the lack of CCTV in the Moneymore area and the need for addiction services to have outreach workers that can work within specific communities.

"I also wanted the Minister to meet and see at first hand the valiant work that is taking place locally through proactive policing and community movement to combat this criminal activity. The Gardai have undertaken numerous large scale operations over the last number of weeks to disassemble the root of this problem.

"We are the biggest town in Ireland and with Drogheda continuing to expand, we need the resources to match that growth. I will be meeting with the local authority and state agencies over the coming weeks to progress these issues."

'Criminals should be lying in their beds in fear and not the people of Moneymore or other estates,' he told the meeting.
Chief Superintendent Christopher Mangan delivered probably the most compelling statement that the town of Drogheda has heard in decades at last week's Joint Policing Committee meeting in Millmount.

In front of a TD, senator and councillors, it laid the bare facts on the table - take action now on the drug trade or 'we face losing a generation' in this town.

He told how he was going to work one morning and saw a couple of 11 and 12 year olds walking to school.

'I know many of these young people will be involved in drugs in three to four years time. We have 12 to 14 year olds involved in this, doing the evil deeds for them (drug dealers).'

He urged everyone in the room to stick together and tackle the problem in the town.

'This dispute is between drug dealers who have fallen out and they are in combat to gain ground,' he stated. He said it's not unprecedented and these events have been in Drimnagh, Sherrif St and Limerick in the past.'

He said Operation Velour began earlier this year and involved Drogheda gardai and CAB targeting two serious crime gangs and drug trafficking.

11 properties were searched and 300,000 seized along with 15 cars.

Operation Stratus then followed in July, looking at crime gangs involved in the sale and supply of drugs in Drogheda, Ardee and some parts of Dundalk.

'It's a struggle for the drugs trade in Drogheda and there's been attacks on both sides. A lot have not been reported to us. There are a number of threats under investigation and we've engaged with those people. There are ordinary, decent families and their siblings have become involved in criminal activity.'

He said young people were supposed to be 'minding' drugs but then consume them and and families are told to pay up. 'Some do, some just can't,' the Chief Supt explained.

'There was one group and then two and then it splintered. They recruit young people, some selling to maintain their own habit and then they get into debt and they carry out attacks for these people.'

He told of the litany of crimes that began with a shooting on the Cement Road in July and spread into October, November and December, a catalogue of arson attacks, pipe bombs, false imprisonment, assaults and intimidation of families.

'At one stage we had five crime sites in the same night, we were running out of guards,' he revealed.

270,000 was seized in bundles and had to be hand counted while 32,000 worth of cocaine was also found.

'We now have 24 hour armed patrols in the area, but at times 'rumour and innuendo' has done nothing to help the fight, including untrue reports that a faction were coming from the UK.

'We are dealing with these people in the only way we can, forcefully and head on. Back down to them and they'll trample over you and they'll take over. They have caused considerable damage to each other and were running a cosy cartel and now they are before the courts.

'We can take on what we have to do, but it's a social problem too, it's social services, it's the council. We have to look at this in a detailed way. There are issues in this town that need to be sorted out.'

He said the gardai were always the 'fall back organisation' and were left to 'clean up the mess at 3 or 4am in the morning.'

He said they had to deal with medical conditions and other issues. It's up to others to assist too. 'In another 10 years we'll still be dealing with it unless we do something. A lot of organisations that could help are poorly resourced,' he added, stating that he had met the Red Door Project and was encouraged by their efforts.

He says the extra gardai now on the streets has made a difference and the feedback has been positive from the public. But if those numbers were there all the time, things could be different.

He was critical of the cutbacks in the force in recent years, Drogheda well below what is needed to properly police the biggest town in the country. Drogheda has no uniform inspectors, but do have 61 portfolios to be tackled.

'If you have the right number of people, you patrol in places like Moneymore and you transfer fear of crime from the victim to the criminal. Drug dealing has been gathering momentum in this town for 20 years.'

He said it was time for the community to act now and the present 'scenario' needed to be used for the long term betterment of the town and its people.

'I would like to see a Louth Drugs Unit, but it has to be resourced. I had two cars rammed in Dundalk and they have not been replaced. You have to invest to reap rewards, but I overspent my budget by 200% last year.'

The headline figures
His dulcet tones greeting the town with 'Hello There' were as synonymous with Drogheda as Oliver Plunkett's head, Laurence's Gate or Millmount.

Tributes were paid from right across the world of Irish Country music and beyond to the former LMFM radio presenter Dermot Finglas, who died last Wednesday.

The broadcasting great is survived by his wife Maria, and a circle of family, friends and fans from his career which spanned almost 40 years.

He was a likeable, easy-going and very obliging person, who would do anything for you, said Heady Eddie Caffrey, Dermots colleague in local radio since 1979.

Of course, he also had that amazing voice, and the passion for country music, which of course is so popular in the North East, making his weekday show one of the most listened to on the station for decades.

Former Presidential hopeful Gavin Duffy says he knew from the minute he heard Dermots voice he was destined for broadcasting.

I was just 18 years old and working in (pirate radio station) Boyneside Radio, when one day I passed someone delivering coal in Donaghys Mill, explains Gavin. I said hello, and this man replied Hello There in this incredible voice, and I just stopped in my tracks and asked him had he ever thought of working in radio. He auditioned with us that weekend, and the rest, as they say, was history.

At the peak of his career, Dermots popular midweek country music show Country n Irish aired every evening from Monday to Friday (7pm-9pm), attracting audiences of thousands from all over Ireland.

As well as showcasing the best in local, national and international country music, he interviewed all the greats from Big Tom to Dolly Parton.

Singing legend Declan Nerney says Dermot was a great source of encouragement to musicians and young radio presenters alike.

He was the yardstick for anyone wanting to get into the business yet was a man of the people and never looked down on anyone. Every Christmas eve you would get a phonecall to wish you a happy Christmas, he told the Drogheda Independent.

He had a huge volume of listeners and will be sadly missed by all who knew him.

Dermot was also in demand as a compere, where his velvet tones added gravitas to many events all over the northeast.

In 2006, Dermot scaled back his show from daily to broadcast only on Sundays and his final show aired in 2016.

Dermot did so much for so many groups, not least St Itas school.

He always acted as the MC for their raffles and always visiting the school. He organised a Country and Western show in the TLT as part of their campaign to raise funds for a new minibus.
There was big success for Bree recently as it was announced that the village had been awarded second place in Leinster at the Bank of Ireland National Enterprise Town Awards.

The announcement was made at a lavish ceremony at Lyrath Hotel in Kilkenny and the gang from Bree were delighted to take their certificate for second place.

Bridie Galavan, Betty Kelly and Claire Doyle from Bree Community Development Group were joined by representatives from Wexford County Council at the awards and collected the certificate along with a cheque for 1,000 to be used in the local community.

Chairperson Bridie Galavan described the award as a deserved recognition of the strength of community spirit and resilience in Bree.

'The people of Bree and surrounding areas have always shown tremendous energy and commitment in seeking to improve local facilities and create new opportunities for our local community,' she said. 'These awards demonstrate in a very real way that with financial and mentoring support, communities all over Ireland can achieve incredible success.'

This year's awards saw collaboration between business groups and communities from over 83 towns and urban villages nationwide, with entries demonstrating exemplary entrepreneurial initiatives being undertaken to boost local economies.

At the award ceremony, a total of 40 awards were given with an overall prize fund of 157,000 allocated to encourage further innovation and entrepreneurship within winning towns.

Speaking at the awards JJ Keyes, Head of Co. Wexford at Bank of Ireland said: 'Every year we are so impressed by the enterprising spirit and achievements of towns and villages nationwide, as people work together, to drive growth locally and build thriving communities.

On behalf of Bank of Ireland, I would like to congratulate Bree and local council representatives for their joint success at this year's awards.'
The First Holy Communion class at Oylegate NS who donated 180 of their communion money in memory of baby Emma Heffernan

The staff and management of the Slaney Inn in Oylegate present a cheque for 2,430 along with parents Carol and Fergus and their son Billy

Five years on from the tragic passing of their baby daughter Emma at just four months old, Fergus and Carol Heffernan are as devoted as ever to raising funds for the Jack & Jill Foundation and after enlisting the overwhelming support of the Oylegate Glenbrien community, they have raised over 47,000 in their daughter's memory.

Born in July 2013, baby Emma's life was tragically cut short following complications.

'We didn't know until Emma was born that there was any problem,' said mum Carol. 'After she was born, we found out she had a problem with her brain and she was rushed to Dublin. When we got there, we were pretty much told that unfortunately there wasn't much they could do for her and we were sent back to Wexford.'

It was at this point that the Jack & Jill Foundation played a major role in ensuring that Carol and Fergus had the chance to make the most of their short time with their daughter.

'Jack & Jill actually approached us to help,' Carol said. 'They helped us to get her home. Our son Billy was only three at the time, so it made a huge difference. They provided funding for a nurse to come in and take care of Emma at night for the eight weeks she was at home with us.'

The support of the foundation was something that Carol and Fergus never forgot and from that moment on they set about raising funds and awareness for Jack & Jill.

'Basically, we wanted to remember Emma and to help other families in similar situations,' said Carol. 'We started holding some fundraising events like a couple of runs and selling Jack & Jill Christmas cards and things like that. Both parishes of Glenbrien, where we live, and Oylegate have been absolutely wonderful and have always been on board with any fundraising we do.

'They even come to me with ideas and I think it's their way of remembering Emma and keeping her memory alive as well.'

Five years on and the family has raised over 47,000 for the cause. This year, to mark Emma's 5th anniversary, they organised a climb of Mount Leinster which raised 5,116 itself. Neighbour Lorraine Fortune, who is a member of the defence forces, carried her backpack up the mountain and raised 500 of this herself.

As well as this, the Kavanagh family at the Slaney Inn in Oylegate raised over 2,400 by donating the profits of their 5 bingo page and also held a breakfast morning at their new restaurant. Also this year, the communion class at Oylegate National School donated some of their communion money to the cause, raising a further 180 in Emma's memory.

All of this is real tangible evidence that community spirit is alive and well. The communities of Oylegate and Glenbrien have pulled together to support the efforts of one of their own and to remember a little one, taken much too soon. It is something that both Carol and Fergus are eternally grateful for and they hope to continue their work to help other families who find themselves in similarly tragic situations.
So the phoney war is over and peace has broken out in Leinster House.

The news that Fianna Fail and Fine Gael have reached an agreement on the confidence and supply deal that is propping up Leo Varadkar's Government is extremely welcome and provides a degree of certainty in what are profoundly worrying times for Ireland and Europe.

While Westminster continues its descent into utter farce, the most powerful politicians on Kildare Street have displayed great sense in agreeing the deal.

With the tremendous British folly of Brexit looming ever closer, the next few months are set to be dramatic and the last thing Ireland needed was any uncertainty about our Government and who will be negotiating on the country's behalf.

Europe has been resolute in its support of Ireland and our Government's conciliatory but resolute and unified stance has been in marked contrast to the shambolic approach of Theresa May's warring Conservatives.

Whatever your opinion of Mr Varadkar and his Government's domestic policies, their handling of the Brexit negotiations - if not the Brexit preparations - has been exemplary.

While never descending to the level of the frequently moronic Brexiteers - some of whose comments on Ireland beggar belief - the Government has remained dignified and authoritative in its approach to the UK and our allies in Europe.

Narrow political ambition and infighting - of the type that has torn the Tories apart and led to Brexit in the first place - so often trumps the good of the nation.

Mercifully, in this case, it seems for once that party politics have taken the back seat to dealing with what represents a game changing national emergency.

Fine Gael - who are reportedly giddy on the back of polls that would suggest a comfortable electoral win over the auld enemy in Fianna Fail - have resisted the temptation to go to the people in a bid to see off Micheal Martin and his party allies once and for all.

Meanwhile, Mr Martin - who has been fighting off a potential party mutiny for years now - can enjoy a break from staving of his leadership rivals.

With an election now set for early 2020, the Fianna Fail grass roots now know when the party's previously unthinkable and phenomenally unpopular deal with the Fine Gael devil will end.

Rather than infighting, FF constituency teams the length and breadth of the country can now begin preparing for the electoral fight to come.

Concerns over the leadership can be put aside in the expectation that in 2020 Michael Martin will either lead the party into Government or step aside.

It is strange to think that a minority Government has actually provided Ireland with stability in a time of political turmoil across Europe.

One imagines that Ms May and her embattled allies - however few of them she has - must be looking at the Varadkar administration with great envy.
The members of Crossabeg Senior Citizens group have held their 37th Christmas party and one of those in attendance has been a member of the group since the very beginning.

Mary Quinn is a founder member of the organisation and she spoke to this newspaper about this year's Christmas get-together which she described as a very enjoyable event.

'I was on the founding committee which was a lot smaller than the one now, which has 10 members,' she said.

'The committee is delighted with how this year's party went and with the fact that everyone enjoyed it,' she added.

There were 100 people seated at the function which took place in the Ferrycarrig Hotel.

'We had 100 people there, which was great,' said Ms Quinn.

'Everyone got a gift and they also got a drink each as well,' she added.

Sheila Fortune and Greg Ryan cut the Christmas cake and took great pleasure in doing so.

Rev Arthur Minion and Fr Jim Finn both attended and complimented the organisers for arranging the party for members.

They were also full of praise for the enthusiasm of the organisation which organises a range of events and activities for members each year.

The current committee is composed of: Chairperson - Joe Berney; Secretary - Mary Quinn; Treasurers - Alice Devine and Anna Cowman; committee members: Siobhan Kehoe; Mary Fox; Mick Kehoe; Dorothy O'Connor; Noreen McDermott and John Foley.
After nearly two years of hell, the family of David 'Motcha' Walsh will now try to move on with their lives after his fiancee Tina Cahill from New Ross was sentenced to eight years in prison in Australia for his killing. The 27 year-old will be eligible for release in February 2022, when she is expected to be immediately deported back to Ireland.

Cahill had pleaded guilty to manslaughter after stabbing her fiance to death after a night out at their Sydney home in February 2017. Justice Peter Johnson handed down the prison sentence at New South Wales Supreme Court on Wednesday stating that he was 'not satisfied beyond reasonable doubt the offender intended to kill Mr Walsh' and that he accepted the offence was committed 'in the heat of the moment'.

While passing judgement, Judge Johnson took the time to sympathise with David's family back in Enniscorthy, commenting on the heartbreak his death had caused, as evidenced in victim impact statements read into evidence at the court in recent weeks.

'They reflect the enormous loss suffered by each of them resulting from the death of Mr Walsh,' he said. 'And the terrible news of his death received by them in Ireland from a distant land.'

He added: 'The distress suffered by each of the family members is clear from their victim impact statements' and 'that grief is no doubt compounded by the fact that his death occurred in a country far away from their homes in Ireland.'

Compounding the heartache of David's family back home, the Australian court reflected on the tumultuous relationship he had with Cahill, during which time she painted him as jealous, controlling and often violent towards her.

'I am satisfied the psychiatric evidence supports the existence of significant depression on the part of the offender at the time of the killing which arose from the unusual and abusive relationship with Mr Walsh,' the Judge said.

He described the relationship as a volatile one 'marked by incidents of violence on both sides of the relationship'. He said that Mr Walsh used 'controlling conduct, verbal abuse and demeaning language towards Ms Cahill who responded with the use of violence, including the use of weapons, usually at times when both were intoxicated'.

Given the 'drunken and fractious' nature of their relationship, Judge Johnson said their decision to get engaged on New Year's Eve 2016 'could be considered an extraordinary development'.

In passing sentence, the judge said the extensive history of domestic violence was taken into consideration and added that Mr Walsh was 'the principal perpetrator of the violence including his controlling and jealous behaviour towards Tina Cahill over a period of time'.

He said Ms Cahill committed acts of violence towards Mr Walsh which were essentially 'reactive to his violent or aggressive behaviour' and cited three incidents in September, October and November of 2015 which were also considered as part of the sentencing. These incidents involved violence by Tina Cahill and David Walsh towards each other.

Judge Johnson found that on October 3, 2015, Cahill had used a knife to inflict minor injuries on Mr Walsh during the course of a drunken argument.

He said: 'The offender did not intend to inflict significant harm to Mr Walsh although, even at the hearing, she could not really explain why she attacked him with a knife.'

The court was told Tina stabbed Mr Walsh after he insulted her family.

During another incident in November 2015, Tina said she picked up a candle and, with her back turned, threw it over her shoulder. The candle struck Mr Walsh to the right side of his forehead, causing three deep lacerations and rapid blood loss. As a result of this she was charged with reckless wounding of Mr Walsh and sentenced to a two-year bond which included a condition that she complete domestic violence rehabilitation. The bond was current when she stabbed her fiance to death.

When taking into account events on the night of David's death on February 15, 2017, Judge Johnson said that he couldn't be satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that she meant to kill him. He said he had noted that Cahill showed genuine remorse and had 'excellent prospects of rehabilitation'

Relaying events, Judge Johnson said that Mr Walsh was heavily intoxicated and agitated on the night when Cahill and friends, including a man called Matthew Hyde, returned from a night out. They found the front door had been smashed in by Mr Walsh and there was a trail of blood inside the house. David Walsh was asleep on the couch but woke up and hit Matthew Hyde from behind and yelled 'who the f*** are you?'.

Mr Walsh mistakenly believed Mr Hyde was there with Tina and repeatedly punched him. The court heard that 29 year-old Mr Walsh was 'irate and his body language was aggressive'.

Tina Cahill then punched Mr Walsh in the face and he pushed her back trying to punch her in the face at which point she walked to the kitchen and got a sharp bladed knife. Her friend told her to put it back, but she replied 'No, he needs to be taught a lesson. It's not fair, look at poor Matthew.'

Tina's friend Grace Keegan tried to push her away but she stabbed David Walsh in the neck. The knife hit the left side of his neck, causing a cut under his jawline. Police and paramedics were called but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Judge Johnson said that Mr Walsh's behaviour that night was 'the last straw' for Cahill.

With the maximum prison sentence for manslaughter being 25 years, Cahill was said to have been 'content' with the sentence handed down.

Solicitor James Trevallion said his client was 'a model prisoner and has one of the most trusted jobs in prison.'

'Everyone is happy that the matter has now been finalised and Tina will serve her time,' he added.

Perhaps not so 'happy' will be David's family back in Enniscorthy, who are facing into another Christmas without their father brother and son. A member of the family refused to comment on the sentencing, saying that it had been a tremendously difficult couple of years, both with Motcha's death in February of 2017 and the passing of his father John 'Jonners' Walsh after a battle with cancer.

John passed away on his birthday, not even a year after laying his beloved son to rest after bringing his body home from the other side of the world, and his first anniversary occurred last week.

While the sentencing, to a certain extent, will draw a line under matters, Ms Cahill's imprisonment will provide scant consolation as they face the prospect of another difficult Christmas without David.
Fingal Libraries has mounted an exhibition to mark the centenary of the death of Richard Coleman, a native of Swords, who died in Usk prison, Wales, on the night of December 7th, 1918.

The exhibition, which is on display in County Hall, Swords for the rest of the week, tells the story of Richard's short life, and includes many original documents and items, donated to Fingal County Council by his nephew, Risteard Coleman (R.I.P.).

Richard 'Dick' Coleman (1890-1918), was one of eleven children living in Main St. Swords, his father a teacher in the Swords New Borough Male School on Seatown Road.

He played a major part in the fight for Irish freedom, as outlined in the exhibition, and spent time in many different jails and prisons, in Britain and Ireland, including Dartmoor, Lewes, Cork, Dundalk, and Mountjoy, where he joined Ashe on his ill-fated and ultimately fatal hunger strike.

His final destination after arrest for his part in the so-called 'German Plot', was Usk Prison, Wales, where the harsh conditions, a severe winter, and the 'flu epidemic, led to his death from pneumonia. He was 28 years old.

His funeral in Dublin City was attended by massive crowds, who followed his cortege to Glasnevin, where he is buried beside many of his comrades-in-arms.

Commenting on the exhibition Betty Boardman, County Librarian said 'Fingal Libraries are pleased to present this poignant exhibition of Richard Coleman's short but eventful life as part of our Decade of Centenaries commemorations and I know the many original documents and items donated by his nephew will prove of huge interest.'
Community groups will be out in force to raise funds for GOAL this Christmas.

Now in its 37th year, the GOAL Mile is held in villages, towns and cities all over Ireland every Christmas and is one of the country's largest and longest-running annual fundraising events.

In 2017, GOAL Mile events organised in Dublin raised over 70,000 to support GOAL raise funds and awareness for their programmes across the developing world.

Alan Vard from GOAL said, 'The GOAL Mile has become a tradition for many families and communities over the Christmas period, and thanks to organisers, millions have been raised to support GOAL's work in the developing world since the first Mile was staged in 1982.

'The beauty of the GOAL Mile is its simplicity.

'People don't need to register in advance but simply show up to their nearest event, run or walk a Mile and contribute whatever they can afford to GOAL on the day.'

There is a lot of activity happening in Dublin this Christmas with a number of individual miles organised in conjunction with public miles, including in Fingal.

On Christmas Eve, Morton Stadium in Santry will host a GOAL Mile from 10.30am organised by James McKenna.

On Christmas Day there will be a GOAL Mile organised by Alan Farrell TD at Malahide Castle, Back Road, Car Park, starting at 11am.

On New Year's Day, Skerries Rugby Clubh and organiser Gerry Weldone will host a GOAL Mile from 12.30pm.

If you are interested in taking part in your local GOAL mile, all you need to do is find out the date and time of your local event, put on your walking or running shoes and show up!

There is no need to register; just turn up and donate what you can to GOAL on the day. Visit www.goalmile.org for more.
Santa with local children at the turning on of the Ballyboughal Christmas lights

Elizabeth Murphy, Eimear Cleary, Christian Healy Boland, Katie Teefy and Sophie Patry with Santa at the turning on of the Ballyboughal Christmas lights

The Cahill family at the turning on of the Ballyboughal Christmas Lights

Fingal's rural villages are not being left out when it comes to the turning on of festive lights and Ballyboughal is a shining example.

Ballyboughal Community Council secured the services of none other than Santa himself to arrive in the village last week and switch on the beautiful Christmas Lights.

Stephanie Davis O'Brien, secretary of the community council, told the Fingal Independent: 'On behalf of the Community Council Committee, I would like to thank the large crowd that turned up on for this event, including our local representatives.'

She also thanked local clergy for attending and gardai who helped with traffic control on the night.

Mulled wine and mince pies were enjoyed by all with carol singing to accompany the festive food.

Stephanie said: 'A special thanks to all our sponsors for helping to make this event a success.

'The Ballyboughal Community Council Comm would like to wish everyone a HappyChristmas.'
Fingal children with developmental challenges are waiting longer than most in the country for 'early intervention' assessments with waiting times of up to 31 months in the county, leading many to question just how early is early intervention available in the region.

Asking just that question is Deputy Darragh O'Brien TD who was shocked by the response to a parliamentary question he posed on the subject to the Minister for Heath, Simon Harris TD.

The answer from the HSE admits: 'The current longest waiting time for children to access services from the Early Intervention Team in North County Dublin is up to 31 months.

'There is a high demand for Early Intervention Services in the area. There are a growing number of local factors driving this demand, namely the increasing child population and growth in terms of the children presenting with complex needs.'

The Minister for Health said: 'I understand each parents' priority is for their child and I empathise with their frustration.'

According to the HSE, CHO Dublin North City and County are 'working proactively' with the HSE National Disability Office in an effort to address waiting times for access to Early Intervention Services in this area and has commenced the recruitment process for one of each of the following posts: Psychology, Occupational Therapy, Speech and Language Therapy, Physiotherapy and Social Work.'

But Deputy O'Brien was not reassured by the answer.

He said: 'The information I've received this week is damning to say the least.

'To leave children waiting up to two and a half years for an assessment from an early intervention team is an exceptionally long time and is among the longest nationwide. '

Deputy O'Brien added: 'As the HSE have rightfully acknowledged in their correspondence to me, Fingal has an increasingly young population with a growing number of children living in the area - why then have no improvements been made to the level of resources allocated to the region?'

He said: 'It's immensely frustrating that despite knowing that early intervention is imperative for a child's development and their future quality of life - we're expected to let them and their families in the North County endure 31 months of waiting.

'More critically, their health is likely deteriorating with assessment and appropriate follow on treatment. '

Deputy O'Brien concluded: 'There is clearly not enough capacity to carry out these assessments and that must be rectified.

'We need a plan that incorporates additional staff members to deal with these disgraceful waiting lists. I intend on following on with the Minister in this regard as a matter of urgency.'
The council has unveiled a new noise action plan for Dublin Airport but the plan does not take account of the future implication of a new runway at Dublin Airport or the imminent Government Bill that would make the council the noise regulator for Dublin Airport.

The plan relates to the situation as it pertains today and is a statutory obligation that the council must fulfill.

Cllr David Healy (GP) complained that while the council is under a legal obligation to make the plan, it does not seem to be under a legal obligation to implement it and in previous years, there has not been the funding to properly implement the plan.

Cllr Darragh Butler (FF) said he understood that Dublin Airport was the main economic driver for the county but he was eager to ensure the council do everything possible to mitigate noise disturbance for neighbours of the airport.

Council official, John Daly admitted that while drafting the plan was compulsory there 'isn't very much compulsory about the actions'.

He drew a distinction between the action plan and the drawing of the airport noise zones, which he said was the daa's role. He acknowledged there was an issue with sound insulation and where to draw the line in terms of where noise mitigation measures can be provided but he said the council could do nothing about that.

Mr Daly said that in making the plan, there has been 589 submissions from members of the public during a public consultation period.

He said that many of those related to the new runway which was outside the scope of the plan. He said the plan cannot look to the future, and 'deals with the situation as it is now'.

Other issues that were raised during the public consultation period is the drawing of the noise contours, sound insulation and buy-out schemes for neighbours of the airport and WHO guidelines on noise.

Mr said that other issues had been considered like a request for a better complaints system when registering noise disturbances from the airport.

Mr Daly said that aircraft have been getting quieter over the last few decades but at the same time, traffic in the skies has increased.

He said that during the public consultation period, some new noise monitoring sites were suggested and they would be looked at by the council. The plan was noted by councillors at this month's meeting of the full council.
Sinead Aherne, captain of the All-Ireland winning Dublin Ladies Football team and Emer Keenan, captain of the All-Ireland Junior Camogie champions, join the Mayor of Fingal, Cllr Anthony Lavin, Cllr Daragh Butler and some young Dubs of the future at County Hall

An extraordinary year for Dublin GAA and the Fingal players that make the victorious teams tick, was marked at County Hall recently when Fingal County Council honoured the achievements of the county's three All-Ireland winning teams.

Fingal County Council has honoured three Dublin All-Ireland winning teams at a special reception at a trophy-filled County Hall in Swords.

It was a wonderful evening at County Hall as members of the Dublin senior men's and ladies All-Ireland winning teams, as well as the Dublin Junior Camogie team were honoured for their sporting exploits during the summer.

The cups were paraded proudly into the Council Chamber on Monday evening as Fingal County Council paid tribute to the four-in-a-row Dublin men's winning team and the two-in-a-row ladies team.

Also joining the reception was the Junior Camogie team who were also crowned All-Ireland champions in 2018.

Welcoming the teams to County Hall, Mayor of Fingal Cllr Anthony Lavin said: 'The dedication that sportsmen and women display is an inspiration to all in their community.

'The GAA and LGFA bring people of all backgrounds and ages together in an inclusive and exciting way.

'It allows those who take part in playing or running the clubs to connect with their community, make friends and learn a fantastic skill.

'Thank you all for your contribution and for joining us to celebrate this evening.'

Cllr Lavin added: 'With 24 clubs across Fingal, the communities have very proactive players, managers and volunteers who dedicate their time and effort to running the facilities needed for these teams to train, compete and represent their clubs and county at all levels.'

He said: ''As Mayor of Fingal, I would like to thank you all for your hard-work which benefits so many people across the county.'

Fingal County Council Chief Executive Paul Reid also attended the celebration and paid tribute to the winning teams, describing them as role models to young people across the county.

He said: 'Sport plays an important role, not just in terms of physical health but mental health for our young people.

'It's a pleasure and a privilege to meet you all here this evening.'
The 2019 Small Firms Association's Business Connect event takes place on Thursday, 7 February 2019 in the Aviva Stadium, Dublin 4.

Now in its second year, Business Connect is an exciting marketplace event designed to give delegates a window into the decision making and purchasing processes of Ireland's leading companies.

At the event, delegates will hear from experts such as Ibec CEO Danny McCoy on the impact of Brexit on small businesses, as well as larger companies such as Abbott on their successful cooperation models with their smaller counterparts. Kingsley Aikins, founder and CEO of The Networking Institute, will speak on the right pitch and how to unlock that deal.

Along with informal networking between large and small firms, the 2019 edition of the event will see the introduction of pre-booked facilitated networking sessions between delegates and purchasing decision makers in large organisations.

This networking will match purchasers and decision makers in large Irish and Multi-National companies who are actively searching for small firms to provide them with goods and services.

Commenting on the 2019 Business Connect event Sue O'Neill, Chairperson of the Small Firms Association said: 'We are really excited about our second Business Connect event. As well as best in class speakers and case studies to help small firms better equip themselves to win contracts and work with large customers, our new facilitated networking sessions will pair suppliers with large companies who are actively seeking their services.'

Speaking for sponsor AIB, Catherine Moroney, Head of Business Banking said: 'We are delighted to support Business Connect 2019. With AIB's profile of business customers we are very well placed to make the connection between large businesses and small firms.'
An employee at a wholesale fresh produce delivery company in Oldtown, who was caught stealing fuel from a truck in the early hours of the morning and put the fuel in his own vehicle, did so as he was under financial pressure, Balbriggan District Court has heard.

Georgie Gordov (45) lost his job at Sam Dennigan in Palmerstown, Oldtown as a result of breaching his employer's trust, Balbriggan District Court heard.

The court heard on June 9 at 3.41am the defendant, who was employed at the company as a truck driver, was observed on CCTV stopping one of the trucks and then taking fuel from the truck's tank.

The amount of fuel was 25.

He identified himself on CCTV and lost his job as a result of the theft.

The defendant, of Sorrel Dale in Clonsilla pleaded guilty to stealing diesel from Sam Dennigan on June 9.

He has two previous convictions.

Defence barrister Patrick Jackson said the defendant has 25 with him in court to pay for the diesel.

'He is originally from Russia and has been living here the past 16 years,' said Mr Jackson.

He said the father-of-two was under financial pressure and was struggling to meet his mortgage repayments.

'He has written a letter of apology for the boss of the company and his employment there was terminated as a result of his actions,' said Mr Jackson.

Judge Dermot Dempsey remarked that it is 'a serious breach of trust' and imposed a conviction and fined him 300.

He fixed recognisances in the event of an appeal.
Castlebridge-born illustrator Lauren O'Neill has won an An Post Irish Book Award for her work on 'Blazing a Trail - Irish Women Who Changed the World' written by Sarah Webb and published by O' Brien Press.

The book shines a light on remarkable Irish women who have shaped the country we live in, from the nationalist Maud Gone, rebel leader Countess Markievicz and pioneering aviator Lilian Bland to the Enniscorthy-born designer Eileen Gray, the artist Mainie Jellett and President Mary Robinson.

'Blazing a Trail' also includes future world shapers such as the actor Saoirse Ronan, the scientists and business women Annie and Kate Madden and the boxer Katie Taylor.

It won the Children's Book Award (Senior) at a glamorous awards ceremony held in the Clayton Burlington Hotel, Dublin where Lauren got to walk the red carpet in true celebrity style.

'I was mostly just excited to be invited so I was a bit shocked to take home an award at the end of the night, to be honest', said the Wexford woman who attended the Presentation secondary school before studying at Waterford Institute of Technology and the National College of Art and Design where she obtained a degree in Visual Communications.

'But the whole Blazing team put so much time and effort into the project, that I was delighted to see it acknowledged', she said.

Lauren worked as a graphic designer in studios around Dublin for several years but always took an 'illustrative' approach to her design projects so she gradually found her way into illustration and eventually became confident enough to go out on her own as a full-time illustrator.

'My years working in studios were invaluable for learning how to run a business and communicate with clients and it gave me the opportunity to explore my own style through different commercial projects and personal work. I don't think I would be succeeding otherwise', she said.

Lauren was asked to illustrate the 'Blazing a Trail' book by O' Brien Press as she had worked on a few earlier projects with the publishing company and they felt her style would be a good fit.

'Sarah already had most of the writing and research done when they approached me about doing the illustrations so I had a good sense of what they were looking to achieve and was really excited to collaborate with her on it' said Lauren.

'I'd never worked with her before but she was so passionate about the subject matter that it really rubbed off on me. We met a few times after that but would mostly share ideas and feedback via email, working closely with the editor Aoife K. Walsh and in-house designer Emma Byrne, who finally put the whole book together. It was over a year in the making, from initial briefing to the date of publication'.

Lauren said she was given creative licence with the characters and was able to be interpretive with the illustrations. 'We really wanted to give a sense of their achievements and personalities, as opposed to just your basic portraits'.

'Irish history is full of real-life inspirational women who have shaped the country and world we live in. These illustrations are my tribute to just a few of them and they are my own interpretations of their everyday lives, their passions, personalities and achievements. I hope they'll give young readers a sense of what it means to be a trailblazer and inspire them to change the world in their own unique way', Lauren wrote in the foreword to the book.

Pressed to pick her own favourite character, she chose the story of the surgeon Dr. Margaret Bulkley as one of the most interesting for her.

Born in 1799, Margaret was one of the first women in the world to study medicine and become a doctor, more than 50 years before women were allowed to attend college.

From Cork, she was a niece of the Irish painter James Barry and when her father was put in prison for not paying his bills, Margaret and her mother and sister moved to London where she met her uncle's friends, including General Francisco de Miranda, who was a revolutionary from Venezuela.

Margaret wanted to become a surgeon and join General Miranda's military campaign, so using her inheritance and presenting herself as a man, she studied medicine at Edinburgh University.

She later joined the British Army, taking the name 'Dr. James Barry' and living 'James' for the rest of her life.

Margaret became a Medical Inspector in South Africa and performed one of the first caesarian sections in the world where the mother and the baby survived.

It was only after she died that it was discovered she was a woman. This shocked the British Army which cancelled plans for a military funeral.

However, if Lauren had to pick her favourite illustration from the book, it would have to be that of the renowned designer and architect Eileen Gray whose work is on show at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Museum of Modern Art, New York and the National Museum of Ireland at Collins Barracks, Dublin.

'Blazing a Trail' is not Lauren's first awards triumph as she also illustrated 'Gulliver' a modern re-telling of the classic tale Gulliver's Travels by Mary Webb and also published by O' Brien Press, which won the Children's Books Ireland Honour Award for Illustration in 2016.

'That did wonders for my confidence as a children's illustrator, in particular', she said.

Apart from children's books, Lauren is also busy with other types of work including adult publishing and she draws the character Aisling for the Oh My God What a Complete Aisling books by Emer McLysaght and Sarah Breen who were also winners at the recent Irish Book Awards.

She does editorial work for magazines and character design for animation as well as illustration for music posters, packaging, advertising and generally anything that requires pictures.

She was the lead character designer on Elton John's official Rocket Man video last year. 'I was so star struck to be working on it', she confessed.

Lauren lives in Dublin with her husband Donal Walsh, also from Wexford, and often hosts drawing workshops for children.

A daughter of James and Annette O' Neill, she makes regular return visits to Wexford to catch up with family and friends who are all very proud of her award-winning achievements.
Eight refugee families who are living in the Gorey district were given a huge welcome ceremony last week in Gorey Library.

The whole north Wexford community was out in force at the 'Cead Mile Failte' event in support of the families, who were also presented with certificates from CEO of Wexford Local Development Michael Wall for taking part in courses such as English lessons, safe pass, driving and preparing for work.

Chairman of Gorey Municipal District Cllr John Hegarty said the response from the community to these families has been really encouraging and it was great to see the whole community out in force as they received their certificates.

The event also featured the premiere of a documentary made by the 'Ladies Community Focus' group which focused on the experience of women from the Gorey district. Music was provided by Ceol Mo Chroi and translation was by Doras Luimni and food by The Taste Factory' from Enniscorthy.

Since the eight families arrived to Gorey, two babies have been born since which is wonderful to see. The families are a mix of Arab and Kurdish who are from Iraq and Syria. They have broad backgrounds and in the group there is a law graduate, agricultural engineer, computer software technician, farmer, taxi driver, heavy goods driver, hairdresser/barber and a business owner.

Some of the families were collected from Lebanon and brought to Ireland by the Department of Justice, others came from Greece - many of whom landed there by boat. The eight families are supported by dedicated volunteers who assist with English language support and activities.

'This programme not only offers our new arrivals a chance to rebuild their lives, careers and hopes in a new country, but also offers us Gorey people a new perspective on the world and our role in it,' said Cllr Hegarty.

Cllr Hegarty added there was a time not so very long ago that Irish people were forced to leave Ireland and go to America and other countries to dream of a better future.

'We are now familiar with the stories of how they eventually helped build their new countries, and in some cases going right the way to the White House,' said Cllr Hegarty. 'With this in mind, who knows the potential contributions that our newest Wexfordians will make to our town, district, county, country into the future.'

The Government announced its Irish Refugee Protection Programme in 2015 in response to mass migration throughout southern Europe resulting from extreme conflict in Africa and the Middle East. In response to this, Wexford County Council commenced the Wexford Refugee Resettlement Project in 2017 under Doras which supports Syrian and Iraqi families who arrived recently in the towns of Gorey, New Ross, Wexford and Enniscorthy. The Project has full participation and is now working to deliver full integration of the 45 families by way of day-to-day support; to facilitate access to relevant services; and to build capacity both in the new arrivals and in the receiving community as the families adapt to their life in Ireland.
Gorey's very own Mark Redmond and Patrick Fitzpatrick will perform in the beautiful surrounds of Dublin's City Hall as part of Tradfest 2019 next month.

Tradfest, Ireland's largest festival of trad, folk and world music, begins on Wednesday, January 23, until Sunday, January 27, with a wealth of talent to showcase.

Mark has a vast experience as a performer on the uilleann pipes in a traditional context, but also in a wide range of genres.

Most recently, Mark had the honour of performing for Pope Francis at Phoenix Park during his visit in August. He has also performed as a soloist with the RTE Concert Orchestra, RTE National Symphony Orchestra, performed solo on the occasion of the state visit of Queen Elizabeth II to Ireland in 2011 and at the Eucharistic Congress in 2012 where he closed the ceremony at Croke Park in 2012.

He also collaborates frequently with Riverdance, Celtic Legends, the Irish Memory Orchestra, the Irish Harp Orchestra and as part of the Daoiri Farrell trio.

Originally from Gorey, Patrick started playing music when he was seven years old in the local pipe band. After a few years immersed in the pipe band world, he became interested in Irish music.

Patrick joined the Army School of Music at the age of 18 and spent 10 years playing solo clarinet in the No 1 Army Band. In 1990 he joined the band of An Garda Siochana where he is still presently employed.

Patrick loves playing all types of music but traditional Irish music is his true passion. He has featured as a soloist on many high profile concerts and recordings such as Carraig Chuaire, Echoes of Eireann and Going Home by Phil Coulter. He is currently studying a Masters in traditional performance at DIT.
Sean Doyle Painting Contractors (SDPC) based in Gorey received the Supply Chain Partner of the Year for Ireland East at the Sisk Supply Chain Awards last week.

Shortlisted from hundreds of Ireland's major contractors in the construction industry, SDPC took the overall win for Ireland East. In operation since 1987, SDPC have an outstanding portfolio of projects both in Ireland and the UK.

More than 500 guests gathered at the Burlington Hotel in Dublin for the prestigious black-tie John Sisk & Son Supply Chain Awards event ceremony.

SISK, a leading provider of construction services, spent a total of 1 billion with its supply chain in 2018 and these awards recognise the excellent performance, commitment and dedication shown by their supply chain partners.

Stephen Bowcott, CEO of John Sisk & Son, said the event was a fantastic opportunity to further build on the strong relationships they have with their Supply Chain partners across the businesses and to recognise and acknowledge the excellent performance, commitment and dedication shown by the supply chain partners across Sisk projects.
Sean Hogan from Ballyrahan celebrated his 80th with his wife Mary Hogan and their daughter Carol Breen with Tom and Anne McKay

Sean Hogan from Ballyrahan, Gorey received the best present for his 80th birthday party that was held in the Loch Garman Arms last week.

As a surprise, his daughter Carol Breen organised a special visit from his sister Anne, who flew in from Scotland to celebrate her brothers 80th birthday.

'What made it so special was the fact they haven't seen each other in five years,' said Carol. 'I was glad to have pulled it off without him noticing.'

Carol and her mother Mary, who is originally from Monageer, organised the surprise party for Sean in the Loch Garman Arms where he usually would go for a quiet drink or two.

'I think he started to get suspicious when we went in the front door,' added Carol.

Close family and friends of Sean all jumped out yelling surprise. Carol said her father had a great time and was overwhelmed by the amount of people who made the effort to come out for his birthday.

Music was provided by the Heartbeats Band from Ferns, while the delicious cake was baked by Joanne's Cafe.
There will be Kerry fare aplenty on RTE's Raidio na Gaeltachta this festive season it would seem, with a range of offerings from Killarney, Dingle, and the wider Corca Dhuibhne Gaeltacht region.

The first of these broadcasts will be provided by the station's Munster magazine show 'An Saol o Dheas', which will broadcast live from O'Flaherty's in Dingle this Friday, December 21.

Helen Ni She and her team will start their broadcast after midday and have invited the locality in for an afternoon of music, song, and dance, with a range of prizes up for grabs as well. There will also be a recap of the most Irish festival of them all, Oireachtas na Samhna, which was held in Killarney once again this autumn.

If one fancies the idea of the sounds of traditional music, song, dance, drama, and more filling their homes on Christmas Day, then tuning in from 3pm on the most wonderful day of the year would seem a good move.

As well as this, there'll be a second chance to tune in to episodes from the Dara O Cinneide-presented Fili Chorca Dhuibhne series over the Christmas period, with broadcasts on December 28 and New Years' Eve.

Other treats include a special edition of Malairt Poirt le Muireann at 7pm on December 29, as well as Treasa Bhreathnach's documentary on the stories of the transgender community, airing at 5pm on Thursday, January 3. A full list of festive programming and times is available at www.rte.ie/rnag.
Pupils in four Kerry Primary Schools are set to start learning using virtual reality thanks to a new project being spearheaded by IT Tralee.

Ardfert National School, Abbeydorney National School, Tralee's Educate Together National School and Scoil Mhuire de Lourdes in Lixnaw have all signed up to participate in the innovative new VR teaching programme...

Initially the pilot programme will see pupils taught part of the English and Irish language curriculum using VR and 'augmented reality' technology. In time it's planned to introduce the technology in other subjects such as history, geography, science and the arts.

The project uses VR-enabled low-cost digital devices which are used to create a "virtual, engaging collective learning environment" for each student in a class that can be controlled by the teacher.

The system is based around the Google Expeditions software, which is available for use by schools free of charge.

The software is run on low-cost, tablet-style devices, housed in a low-cost headset 'holder', with all units in a class 'tied' together through a WiFi gateway.

All of the content within the system can be fully vetted and controlled by the teacher at all times from what is referred to as a 'master' tablet. Dr Joseph Walsh, Head of School of STEM at IT Tralee, explained the potential benefits of the technology.

"Children have enquiring minds that are naturally curious and adaptable. Digital technology can create an environment that nurtures these values and harnesses these attributes. It also encourages the competencies that children will need to develop and thrive in future global economies," he said.

The IMaR Technology Gateway and Lero at IT Tralee will provide tech support to the schools and will install and maint the school VR kits throughout the three years of the project, as well as providing technical support to the teachers involved.
The students and staff of the Kerry College of Further Education really got into the festive spirit this year with the college organising several events to celebrate the holiday season.

To raise money for the Tralee soup kitchen students set up a mobile Santa's Grotto which saw them organising visits by Santa and his elves to several local primary schools.

The next event saw students donning Georgian clothes - inspired by the recent opening of the college's town centre campus on Georgian Denny Street - to hold a Goergian carol singing session on The Mall. That event - involving students and staff from the college's music and childcare departments - was held to raise money for the St Vincent de Paul Christmas appeal.

The yuletide festivities at the college were rounded off with a Campus Christmas Party which saw McHales Catering - who run the canteen at the KCFE Clash campus -laying on a free Christmas dinner for all the college's students. A lovely gesture ahead of the holidays.
The spirit of Christmas is alive and well in Tralee thanks to the public and the staff and volunteers of Tralee International Resource Centre (TIRC) who have put together Christmas shoeboxes for asylum seekers, separated from their families for Christmas.

The Christmas shoeboxes were presented to the 99 men who live in Atlas House in Tralee while awaiting refugee status in the country. It is one of three Direct Provision Centres in the town.

Each shoebox contains small gifts for the asylum seekers, which were donated by the public and by the staff and volunteers at the centre, who also wrapped all the boxes and delivered them to Atlas House on Monday last.

"Christmas can be a difficult time for those separated from their families and we wanted to make it special for all those who are spending Christmas without loved ones," said manager of Tralee International Resource Centre (TIRC) Mary Carroll.

"I also want to thank everyone who donated."
Smiles all around as they get set for the Tralee 5km fun run on Sunday from Tralee Bay Wetlands. Pictured are Joanna Fitzgerald, Tracy Moriarty and Valerie Hartnett

The Collins family who took part in the Tralee Santa 5km Fun Run on Sunday. Pictured here are Donal, Deirdre, Jack, Danny and Sophie. All photos by Joe Hanley

As it is one of the best-loved festive events in the town every year, it was no surprise the Tralee Santa 5km fun run proved to be such a hugely successful event once again in 2018.

Close to 6,500 was raised by the hundreds of eager runners and walkers who laced up their shoes on Sunday morning as the good weather organisers had promised finally emerged from behind the clouds.

The route for this year's event saw runners and walkers leaving the Tralee Bay Wetlands, up the main road toward Blennerville, turning left at the bridge, down Kearney's Road and back down Ballyard Hill and crossing the finish line inside the Wetlands again.

The charity run is held in memory of teenager Fiona Moore who passed away as a result of of Pulmonary Hypertension in May 2013 aged just 16, while she was waiting on a lung transplant.

Each year a different children's charity is chosen to be the recipient of the money raised from the run; charities who benefited in previous years include the Cashel Ward in UHK, Make-a -Wish, Heart Children Ireland, Barretstown and Ronald McDonald House.

This year's chosen charity is Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children in Crumlin. Fiona's father, Martin, thinks that the fact that their run continues to bring out hundreds of runners year on year, is a testament to the wonderful community they have around them.

"We're ecstatic. The weather, the atmosphere, the colour and the support as always, it really amazes us every year," organiser Martin Moore told The Kerryman on Tuesday.

"What has to be acknowledged is how many people come together to help us pull this off every year. The Wetlands were fantastic as always."

Mary down there, I have to single her out, she and the rest of the staff couldn't have done more for us," she continued.

"The gardai, the stewards, the sponsors in Cliffords and Lee Strand, it's just a great community effort. A special mention to a few key people who have helped out massively: Mags Quillinan, Mike Broderick and Gary Kavanagh, they all were an enormous help."
A taxi driver arrested in connection with the death of respected Tralee psychiatrist Dr Martin Lawlor has been released without charge and gardai are to prepare a file on the case for the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Dr Lawlor - a 49-year-old father of three - died after he was struck by a car close to the International Hotel at Cork Airport on the N27 Kinsale Road in Cork in the early hours of Saturday morning.

It is thought the incident happened at around 4am on Saturday morning - as Dr Lawlor made his way back to the hotel following a night out with colleagues - though the alarm wasn't raised until after 5.30am when a passing motorist spotted Dr Lawlor's body at the side of the road.

Paramedics attended to Dr Lawlor, but he was pronounced dead at the scene and removed to Cork University Hospital.

The driver of the car that struck Dr Lawlor didn't remain at the scene though a short time after the incident was reported a taxi was stopped by Gardai operating a routine checkpoint a few kilometres from the scene.

Gardai suspicions were raised when they observed that the taxi had sustained serious damage to its windscreen.

The driver - understood to be a man in his 60s from Cork city - was arrested and detained at Togher Garda Station. He was held until late on Saturday night when, following extensive questioning he was released without a charge.

A file on the matter is now being prepared for the DPP.

Deputy State Patholigist Dr Michael Curtis carried out a post mortem examination on Saturday and the findings will form part of the DPP file.

Gardai in Togher have appealed to anyone who may have travelled the Kinsale road between 4am and 5.30am or who witnessed or has dash cam footage of the incident to contact them.

Described as "a champion of mental health issues" Dr Lawlor worked for the HSE. He was from Tralee but had been living in Manchester with his family for several years.

Dr Lawlor had been due to fly back to England just a few hours after the tragedy unfolded.

Dr Lawlor, who worked for the HSE, but also undertook psychiatric consultancy work in northern England, was the director of the Centre for Recovery and Social Inclusion in Ireland and a founder of 'State of Mind Ireland' a group set up to improve and promote positive mental health and wellbeing among athletes.

Dr Lawlor had worked closely with Tralee GAA club Kerins O'Rahillys on the State of Mind project and the club said it was devastated to hear of his tragic death.

"It is with profound shock and sadness that we have learned of the death of our friend Dr Martin Lawlor of State of Mind following a road traffic accident. We extend our deepest sympathies to his family and friends," said a club spokesperson.

Dr Lawlor's sister Dr Susan Lawlor - with whom he had co-founded 'State of Mind' - said the family was "devastated" at the loss of their "lovely brother and friend."
Fianna Fail councillors are largely behind party leader Micheal Martin's decision to extend the confidence and supply arrangement for another budget with the Fine Gael government.

Councillors met with FF TD John Brassil and Senator Mark Daly on Monday on the issue, where they expressed some misgivings - and Councillor John Francis Flynn said he believes Martin is using Brexit as a 'decoy'.

That's at a time when Fianna Fail continues to lag behind Fine Gael in polling. A majority consensus on the decision was achieved in the meeting, John Brassil said: "Councillors have concerns over issues like housing, health, rural broadband and roads. The County Councillors wanted the opportunity to make their views heard and I was quite happy to hear them, of course," Deputy Brassil said.

"I would have been quite happy to go to the people of Kerry in an election as I am not happy with the Government's performance on key issues like health, broadband and roads," Deputy Brassil said.

"But if Brexit wasn't happening, and happening in such a chaotic fashion, it would be a very different story. We would be facing an imminent election."

Asked if he thought Martin was using Brexit as an excuse, Deputy Brassil replied: "He was very clear in the discussion I had with him on it: He would not have made the decision but for Brexit."

"John McGuinness might be demanding an election next May but we're talking about an election after the next budget, a difference of six months, that's all.

"There's no guarantee in the meantime - we're not handing the Government a blank cheque.

"For all its faults. confidence has managed to achieve quite a bit, from re-introducing local improvement schemes to retention of mortgage interest relief; the introduction of an affordable housing scheme was another confidence and supply measure."

However, FF Cllr John Francis Flynn was critical of the move to extend confidence: "Brexit is being used a decoy," he said.

"I am not happy with what is going on in health and housing, and Brexit is not a good enough excuse to overlook these issues, especially when University Hospital Kerry is in crisis."

Cllr Flynn has now called for the party in Kerry to invite Micheal Martin to a meeting before all the county's delegates, to better gauge the grassroots' mood.
Tralee has received a major boost with the news that a UK-based pharmaceutical-packaging company is to create over 100 jobs in the town.

On Monday, Central Pharma - a world leader in the outsourced packaging and supply of medicines - announced that it is to move into the IDA-built 5million Advance Manufacturing Facility at Kerry Technology Park.

The company will invest some 2million to bring the building up to the required standards - which involves the installation of several high-specification production lines - and it is hoped the plant will be up and running by July 2019.

The privately owned company, headquartered in Bedford, UK, is the leading outsource partner to the world's top pharmaceutical companies.

The Tralee plant - which the company said could eventually employ up to 150 people - will package and ship pharmaceutical products to Europe, the UK, the US and other destinations worldwide.

Central Pharma CEO Alwyn Smit said the company has ambitious plans for the Tralee site, and it is already envisaged that a supply warehouse - which would create significant additional employment - will be built adjacent to the factory, and the company has already secured an option on a neighbouring site to allow for future expansion.

Mr Smit said the potential for expansion on sites close to the planned factory was a key factor in why Central Pharma had opted to locate in Kerry and not in Cork, where much of the Irish Pharmaceutical industry is based.

He also highlighted the sites' proximity to Institute of Technology Tralee.

"Post-Brexit, Ireland offers a stable environment from which to service our European customer base. We are very excited to establish a best-in-class operation here as a part of IT Tralee. Thanks to the investment that has been made in IT Tralee, there exists great resource potential here for us to tap into," Mr Smit said.

"The fact that the site is adjacent to a University that has a STEM faculty played a major role in our decision to come here, as did the availability of the property itself - IDA's Advance Technology Building is an excellent turn-key property solution which is ideal for us."

Speaking at the job announcement at Tralee's Ballygarry Hotel on Monday morning, Kerry-based Junior Minister Brendan Griffin said the news was "a hugely positive development" for Tralee, Kerry and the entire Southwest region.

"I warmly welcome these additional 100 jobs for Kerry, which is a great boost to the economy of the county. Behind each of these 100 jobs are real people and real households, and these jobs are so important to them. I wish the company and their employees every success for the future," said Minsiter Griffin. IDA CEO Martin Shanahan - who is from Abbeydroney - also addressed the gathering.

"The project will benefit the local economy and create a substantial number of jobs. It will act as an excellent reference seller for IDA for further investment into the region. It has also proved the value of IDA Ireland creating these Advance Technology Buildings in regional locations to strengthen their offering in working to attract investment," he said.

Mayor of Kerry Norma Foley also welcomed the "wonderful news".

"Tralee and Kerry offer companies wonderful facilities and a highly skilled workforce, and today's announcement will further enhance the reputation of the town and county as great places to invest and do business," she said.
For all the challenges it faces, Ireland's Tidiest Town has everything to play for when it comes to driving economic growth into the future as a new 'health check' report on Listowel revealed last week on its public launch.

For Listowel has received a massive vote of confidence from all questioned in the comprehensive surveys carried out as part of the work of the report. It's a response giving townspeople a great deal of optimism as well as providing a clear template from which to now direct economic strategy into the future.

From the quality of its cafes and restaurants to customer service in shops, the quality of shops, the habits of shoppers and much more, the findings were largely deeply positive. But it shows where Listowel needs to build too - not least in improving traffic flow and providing improved parking. The report also paints a picture of a rural town amply served by outstanding attractions, but where a little more planning could go a long way in making Ireland's Tidiest Town even more attractive.

Carried out and crunched by a team of students and academics at the IT Tralee, the surveying of town users threw up fascinating results, showing that a massive 89 per cent rate Listowel's cafe and restaurants as best of all; with 87 per cent of respondents describing as 'good' the sense of security in the town by day; 88 per cent rating as 'good' the choice of eateries; parks and green spaces getting a massive seal of approval; and the general attractiveness of the town rating 87 per cent, among many other positives.

"The Town Centre Health Check is a very important piece of research, and as a benchmark based on feedback from customers, retailers and visitors, it gives us a great indication of where we are and outlines the areas we need to work on," Alliance Chair Stephen Stack said of the report.

"What is most pleasing about the research is the tremendous sense of pride coming through from everyone in the town. If we can harness this pride and back it up with a set of of actions...then we will give people who visit our town the best possible experience and more reasons to spend in the town and stay with us."

Listowel finally has a clearer sense of how much it loses to the bigger shopping centre of Tralee thanks to the report. But the loss contained in the main is in the clothing sector with the vast majority of respondents (81 per cent) doing their main grocery shopping in Listowel.

The response across the board from business owners was hugely positive too, but shows them united with regular shoppers in the two items with which they are least enamoured: parking and traffic flow. Traders are also keen on competition: Increasing the number of shops in town was among their key recommendations.

Traders are shown as very positive, with 68 per cent expecting trade to improve over the next two years. Just seven per cent fear it will get worse in that time frame.

A footfall survey and land-use survey was also carried out by the IT students. Footfall shows Listowel is busiest on Friday mornings (counted outside Moloney's in the Square).

Meanwhile, the land-use survey revealed an overall 91 per cent occupancy rate within the town centre boundary, 20.2 per cent of which was accounted for by retail use.
Castlebridge-born illustrator Lauren O'Neill has won an An Post Irish Book Award for her work on 'Blazing a Trail - Irish Women Who Changed the World' written by Sarah Webb and published by O'Brien Press.

The book shines a light on remarkable Irish women who have shaped the country we live in, from the nationalist Maud Gone, rebel leader Countess Markievicz and pioneering aviator Lilian Bland to the Enniscorthy-born designer Eileen Gray, the artist Mainie Jellett and President Mary Robinson.

'Blazing a Trail' also includes future world shapers such as the actor Saoirse Ronan, the scientists and business women Annie and Kate Madden and the boxer Katie Taylor.

It won the Children's Book Award (Senior) at a glamorous awards ceremony held in the Clayton Burlington Hotel, Dublin where Lauren got to walk the red carpet in true celebrity style.

'I was mostly just excited to be invited so I was a bit shocked to take home an award at the end of the night, to be honest', said the Wexford woman who attended the Presentation secondary school before studying at Waterford Institute of Technology and the National College of Art and Design where she obtained a degree in Visual Communications.

'But the whole Blazing team put so much time and effort into the project, that I was delighted to see it acknowledged', she said.

Lauren worked as a graphic designer in studios around Dublin for several years but always took an 'illustrative' approach to her design projects so she gradually found her way into illustration and eventually became confident enough to go out on her own as a full-time illustrator.

'My years working in studios were invaluable for learning how to run a business and communicate with clients and it gave me the opportunity to explore my own style through different commercial projects and personal work. I don't think I would be succeeding otherwise', she said.

Lauren was asked to illustrate the 'Blazing a Trail' book by O' Brien Press as she had worked on a few earlier projects with the publishing company and they felt her style would be a good fit.

'Sarah already had most of the writing and research done when they approached me about doing the illustrations so I had a good sense of what they were looking to achieve and was really excited to collaborate with her on it' said Lauren.

'I'd never worked with her before but she was so passionate about the subject matter that it really rubbed off on me. We met a few times after that but would mostly share ideas and feedback via email, working closely with the editor Aoife K. Walsh and in-house designer Emma Byrne, who finally put the whole book together. It was over a year in the making, from initial briefing to the date of publication'.

Lauren said she was given creative licence with the characters and was able to be interpretive with the illustrations. 'We really wanted to give a sense of their achievements and personalities, as opposed to just your basic portraits'.

'Irish history is full of real-life inspirational women who have shaped the country and world we live in. These illustrations are my tribute to just a few of them and they are my own interpretations of their everyday lives, their passions, personalities and achievements. I hope they'll give young readers a sense of what it means to be a trailblazer and inspire them to change the world in their own unique way', Lauren wrote in the foreword to the book.

Pressed to pick her own favourite character, she chose the story of the surgeon Dr. Margaret Bulkley as one of the most interesting for her.

Born in 1799, Margaret was one of the first women in the world to study medicine and become a doctor, more than 50 years before women were allowed to attend college.

From Cork, she was a niece of the Irish painter James Barry and when her father was put in prison for not paying his bills, Margaret and her mother and sister moved to London where she met her uncle's friends, including General Francisco de Miranda, who was a revolutionary from Venezuela.

Margaret wanted to become a surgeon and join General Miranda's military campaign, so using her inheritance and presenting herself as a man, she studied medicine at Edinburgh University.

She later joined the British Army, taking the name 'Dr. James Barry' and living 'James' for the rest of her life.

Margaret became a Medical Inspector in South Africa and performed one of the first caesarian sections in the world where the mother and the baby survived.

It was only after she died that it was discovered she was a woman. This shocked the British Army which cancelled plans for a military funeral.

However, if Lauren had to pick her favourite illustration from the book, it would have to be that of the renowned designer and architect Eileen Gray whose work is on show at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Museum of Modern Art, New York and the National Museum of Ireland at Collins Barracks, Dublin.

'Blazing a Trail' is not Lauren's first awards triumph as she also illustrated 'Gulliver' a modern re-telling of the classic tale Gulliver's Travels by Mary Webb and also published by O' Brien Press, which won the Children's Books Ireland Honour Award for Illustration in 2016.

'That did wonders for my confidence as a children's illustrator, in particular', she said.

Apart from children's books, Lauren is also busy with other types of work including adult publishing and she draws the character Aisling for the Oh My God What a Complete Aisling books by Emer McLysaght and Sarah Breen who were also winners at the recent Irish Book Awards.

She does editorial work for magazines and character design for animation as well as illustration for music posters, packaging, advertising and generally anything that requires pictures.

She was the lead character designer on Elton John's official Rocket Man video last year. 'I was so star struck to be working on it', she confessed.

Lauren lives in Dublin with her husband Donal Walsh, also from Wexford, and often hosts drawing workshops for children.

A daughter of James and Annette O' Neill, she makes regular return visits to Wexford to catch up with family and friends who are all very proud of her award-winning achievements.
Wexford people are being forced to commute to Dublin to work and have a sad life because of the Government's neglect of rural Ireland.

This was the opinion voiced by several councillors, who expressed concern and frustration at how different arms of the Government have washed their hands of the county's rural communities in recent times.

Cllr Michael Whelan said families need to be accommodated in villages and small towns across the county.

'We need a policy where empty houses are turned around as quickly as possible and we need families back into these houses and to keep schools open,' he said.

Cllr Whelan said Duncannon is a village which has lost its post office this year and its shop in recent times.

'Locals are trying to get the fort open. There is a potential shop owner looking to come into the village and I can't show him a development plan for the area.'

Cllr John Fleming said the last person leaving rural Ireland needs to be asked to turn off the light.

'That's the way things have gone. We are being hit from all sides in rural County Wexford.'

Cllr Ger Carthy said the lack of broadband is negatively affecting communities across rural Wexford.

He said Irish Water's policies mean single houses will be a thing of the past.

'That will have a knock-on effect on how we maintain our communities, our schools and other organisations. We need to have a proactive and not a reactive housing policy.'

Calling for a plan to be formulated for rural County Wexford incorporating Irish Water and different relevant agencies. Cllr Carthy said a cross-party committee should steer it.

Cllr Pip Breen said Irish Water is the reason the county's villages' growth have been stymied.

He said: 'There are proposals to improve sewerage facilities in villages which will take three to four years. No-one can wait that long in rural Ireland. These villages will die. There are three to four houses in my area which the owners just left as the banks would not engage with them. Now they are dumping grounds as there are no owners and therefore no-one around to police them.'

He said Eir cherry-picked houses down country lanes having completed broadband provision on the main thoroughfares, thereby shutting out other broadband providers from generating business in remote rural areas.

Cllr Barbara Anne Murphy said: 'During the industrial revolution people didn't flock to towns and cities. We are a rural, dispersed people and we don't want to live in big cities. We want to live in rural towns and villages. They are part of our history and where are want to be.'

She said poor broadband and non existent phone reception is another issue.

'I signed a contract for broadband in August and they are only getting out to me this week. On the phone front I have to hang out a certain window in my house and hold my elbow at a certain degree (to get reception). We are simply not getting the resources. Without sewerage we can't get housing schemes built. They would keep our local schools and communities going. We want to ensure our people are getting exactly what they deserve.'

She said access to health services is also a major issue.

'If you have a heart attack please ensure you have it in Dublin. There are 150,000 of us here and it's about time they knew we existed.'

Cllr Michael Sheehan echoed the need for a cross-party committee.

He said the county ranks among the lowest for education nationally. 'We have the highest number of people attending second level education only and also for school absenteeism. On the transport front we simply don't have the services we require. Our villages and towns are going to wither unless there is investment in broadband and transport. '

Cllr Sheehan said County Wexford has among the highest number of people accessing services for drug, alcohol and mental health issues.

'We are scoring high for people living with loneliness and in fear and a recent IDA report showed that only 600 jobs were created in the south east last year. All of these things raise huge challenges for us at a time when we are being bypassed in New Ross and in Enniscorthy. I am not sure we can meet these challenges unless we get investment from the Government.'

Cllr Paddy Kavanagh said: 'We are being swallowed up as a county by Dublin. We are in an unenviable position where we are lumped in with Waterford, south Tipperary and the south east region. It's just not working for us.

'We are near enough to Dublin where we have to commute to if we want a job but what kind of a lifestyle is there when you have to drop the children at a child-minder at 6 a.m. Then, unless you're at the Glen of the Downs before 7 a.m., you add another hour to your day's drive stuck in a line of traffic.'

Cllr Kavanagh said County Wexford isn't called the Model County without due cause.

'People in other counties have this perception that we are all naturally wealthier but it's a fallacy. Yes we produce 10 per cent of the country's food but food is being produced for nothing. In the 80s farmers got 45 per cent of the market value milk sold for and now it's down to 16 per cent. The money is going to the supermarket middleman and to the supermarkets.'

He said multiples are shutting down small businesses in towns and villages across the county.

'As a county we are not getting our fair share for what we produce. We are seeing the best of the county leaving us every day to go to Dublin. It's a very tough lifestyle if you have to get into a car every morning and every evening. It's a sad life. Sunday night these commuters are facing into a rat race again.'

He said the county's youth are starved of a third level education.

'The reality is our young people are leaving the county and they're not coming back.'

Cllr Lisa McDonald said Irish Water officials need to be asked why it's taking six months to get a water connection for a house.

She said: 'A lot of Wexford people are working from home. The regeneration of rural communities is needed. There is a fantastic, state-of-the-art school in Poulfur. We need to ensure that area is kept vibrant along with rural communities across the county and this comes back to Irish Water.'

She called on the executive and her colleagues in Wexford County Council to take this issue by the scruff of the neck and find a solution for Wexford.

Cllr McDonald said developing an ambitious tourism strategy is the best avenue to securing the future of communities across the county, including along the route of the planned Rosslare Strand to Waterford Greenway.

Cllr Johnny Mythen said: 'We have a major problem and unfortunately it comes down to policy. I am from Enniscorthy. We live in small towns in a rural area which has the third highest level of rural deprivation in the country. We have a strong case to put forward for funding.'

The councillors agreed to mount a cross-party campaign to seek funding and support to protect rural County Wexford.
The charity Christmas road run that took place in Campile this year had an added visual spectacle to it this time around as Ireland's biggest tractor was one of the machines participating.

The 620hp Case quad-track machine features cutting-edge technology and is worth around 550,000. It was on display during the run and proved to be a great attraction for spectators of every age.

The event was organised to raise money for the St Louis Day Care centre and the route saw the participants leave from Glanbia in Campile and travel around a circuit in south Wexford before making their way back to the village.

The organisers were very happy with the turnout and the enthusiasm of the participants in decking out their tractors and vehicles with a colourful array of Christmas lights was brilliant to see.

While the convoy of vehicles was predominantly comprised of tractors a number of lorries and vintage cars also took part adding to the overall spectacle of the event.

The participants of the run were delighted to be able to support one of the most highly regarded community facilities in the area.

The St Louis Day Care centre enables older people in the area retain their independence.

The centre provides quality day care services in addition to a social, recreational and educational outlet for older people in the county.
Despite being handed an eight year sentence for killing her fiance, which has led to shock and upset in her hometown, New Ross woman Tina Cahill said she is content with the judge's verdict in the harrowing case.

Tina has been in jail in Australia for 22 months after she was arrested for killing her fiance, father-of-four David 'Motcha' Walsh at their Padstow, Sydney, home between February 17 and 18 last year. The 29-year-old father of four, originally from Moran Park, Enniscorthy, died after Cahill struck him following a drunken row involving several people at the home.

Cahill (27) was sentenced to eight years in jail, with the possibility of parole after five years, so she is likely to be released in early 2022 aged 30 - when she is expected to be immediately deported back to Ireland.

Cahill pleaded guilty to manslaughter in mid-October meaning her trial - which was due to last up to eight weeks - did not go ahead, but her parents and sister were not spared courtroom agony as the sordid details of the relationship Cahill and Motcha had was relayed in court during a week long sentencing hearing which followed.

During the week of hearings Cahill's defence barrister James Trevallion told the court of the `provocation and controlling behaviour' by the deceased towards Ms Cahill in the weeks and days before he died, shortly after the couple were engaged. He spoke of `how degrading and psychologically damaging and violent that behaviour was.'

The defence argued that Cahill carried out the killing under `substantial impairment' and that she had suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of Motcha Walsh's conduct towards her.

Prosecutor Nanette Williams said that the Crown accepted the plea to the less serious offence on the basis that Cahill was suffering an abnormality of mind at the time.

Speaking at court in Sydney on Wednesday, Justice Peter Johnson said she had a `stormy' relationship with Motcha.

At the time, she was on a good behaviour bond and the subject of an Apprehended Violence Order (AVO) issued to protect Mr Walsh, after she was convicted of recklessly wounding him with a glass candle holder in 2015.

Cahill previously gave evidence about his repeated violence, including punching strangers and biting her all over her body, his accusations of her sleeping with other men and his deleting texts from her phone. Ms Williams noted Cahill told police, after an AVO was issued against Mr Walsh to protect her, that she held no fears against him. `I was in fear of getting in more trouble from David if I told the truth,' she said, saying she also wanted to protect him.

She had packed her bags many times to leave him, but Mr Walsh would tell her everything was going to be different.

`He would be making me dinner, buying me flowers, buying me a teddy bear but after two to three weeks it would go back to the way it was. I honestly thought he was going to change, He was someone I did love and adore.'

Statements from two Irish men who previously dated Cahill were read out in the court, with one of her exes saying they would still be together if she hadn't moved to Australia. Her other ex described her as `a bright, bubbly girl who was always good to be around'.

Mr Trevallion said there was no evidence his client had ever struck Mr Walsh without any provocation and noted she was smaller than him.

He submitted she had no intention to kill, the stabbing had involved a single jab and Motcha was the one who initiated the violence.

Justice Johnson said the case involved `unusual features' such as a `type of two-way domestic violence'.

At the sentencing hearing on Wednesday Justice Johnson handed down the prison sentence at New South Wales Supreme Court stating that he was 'not satisfied beyond reasonable doubt the offender intended to kill Mr Walsh' and that he accepted the offence was committed 'in the heat of the moment'.

While passing judgement, Judge Johnson took the time to sympathise with Motcha Walsh's family back in Enniscorthy, commenting on the heartbreak his death had caused, as evidenced in victim impact statements read into evidence at the court.

Judge Johnson said: 'They reflect the enormous loss suffered by each of them resulting from the death of Mr Walsh and the terrible news of his death received by them in Ireland from a distant land.'

He added: 'The distress suffered by each of the family members is clear from their victim impact statements', adding 'that grief is no doubt compounded by the fact that his death occurred in a country far away from their homes in Ireland.'

News of the killing in February 2016 reverberated like shock-waves through New Ross, where Cahill grew up, attended school and worked at Tesco, and was a devastating blow for the Cahill and Walsh families.

Dan and Rita Cahill attended the hearings in Australia, supporting their daughter during an emotionally torturous time in her life.

The Australian court reflected on the tumultuous relationship Motcha had with Cahill. During the trial she outlined his jealous, controlling and often violent behaviour towards her.

'I am satisfied the psychiatric evidence supports the existence of significant depression on the part of the offender at the time of the killing which arose from the unusual and abusive relationship with Mr Walsh,' the Judge said.

He described the relationship as a volatile, one 'marked by incidents of violence on both sides of the relationship'.

He said that Motcha used 'controlling conduct, verbal abuse and demeaning language towards Ms Cahill who responded with the use of violence, including the use of weapons, usually at times when both were intoxicated'.

Given the 'drunken and fractious' nature of their relationship, Judge Johnson said their decision to get engaged on New Year's Eve 2016 'could be considered an extraordinary development'.

In passing sentence, the judge said the extensive history of domestic violence was taken into consideration and added that Motcha was 'the principal perpetrator of the violence including his controlling and jealous behaviour towards Tina Cahill over a period of time'.

He said Cahill committed acts of violence towards her fiance which were essentially 'reactive to his violent or aggressive behaviour' and cited three incidents in September, October and November of 2015 which were also considered as part of the sentencing.

These incidents involved violence by Cahill and Walsh towards each other.

Judge Johnson found that on October 3, 2015, Cahill had used a knife to inflict minor injuries on Mr Walsh during the course of a drunken argument. He said: 'The offender did not intend to inflict significant harm to Mr Walsh although, even at the hearing, she could not really explain why she attacked him with a knife.'

The court was told Cahill stabbed Motcha after he insulted her family.

During another incident in November of that year, Cahill said she picked up a candle and, with her back turned, threw it over her shoulder. The candle struck Mr Walsh to the right side of his forehead, causing three deep lacerations and rapid blood loss. As a result of this she was charged with reckless wounding of Motcha and sentenced to a two-year bond which included a condition that she complete domestic violence rehabilitation. The bond was current when she stabbed her fiance to death.

When taking into account events on the night of Motcha's death on February 15, 2017, Judge Johnson said that he couldn't be satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that she meant to kill him. He said he had noted that Cahill showed genuine remorse and had 'excellent prospects of rehabilitation'.

Relaying events, Judge Johnson said that Motcha was heavily intoxicated and agitated on the night when Cahill and friends, including a man called Matthew Hyde, returned from a night out. They found the front door had been smashed in by Motcha and there was a trail of blood inside the house. Motcha was asleep on the couch but woke up and hit Matthew Hyde from behind and yelled 'who the f*** are you?'.

Motcha had mistakenly believed Mr Hyde was there with Cahill and repeatedly punched him. The court heard that Motcha was 'irate and his body language was aggressive'.

Cahill then punched him in the face and he pushed her back trying to punch her in the face at which point she walked to the kitchen and got a sharp bladed knife. Her friend told her to put it back, but she replied 'No, he needs to be taught a lesson. It's not fair, look at poor Matthew.'

Cahill's friend Grace Keegan tried to push her away but she stabbed Motcha Walsh in the neck.

The knife hit the left side of his neck, causing a cut under his jawline. Police and paramedics were called but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Judge Johnson said that Motcha's behaviour that night was 'the last straw' for Cahill.

With the maximum prison sentence for manslaughter being 25 years, Cahill was said to have been 'content' with the sentence handed down.

Mr Trevallion said his client was 'a model prisoner and has one of the most trusted jobs in prison. Everyone is happy that the matter has now been finalised and Tina will serve her time,' he added.

Cahill had worked in Melbourne after first emigrating before moving to Sydney with two friends from New Ross. Motcha, who is originally from Moran Park in Enniscorthy, was facing a number of charges in Ireland but had moved to Australia. The charges included an assault of his ex-partner in 2012, assaulting three garda at Enniscorthy Garda Station that same year and three other assault charges. These included assault causing harm to an Enniscorthy man at Burger Macs on Selskar Street, Wexford, on June 9, 2013, and assault on another local man which took place on April 15, 2012.

Motcha was also facing a charge of assaulting three gardai at Enniscorthy Garda Station at the beginning of 2012. The investigation into his killing was led by the Bankstown Station in Sydney and the New South Wales Homicide Squad, with assistance from the Irish consulate in Sydney.
Pictured are Chris and John Fortune, from Kilmore Potatoes, receiving the Horticulture, Potatoes award, from Bord Bia CEO, Tara McCarthy, and Chairman, Dan MacSweeney. Picture: Finbarr O'Rourke

Pictured is the national winner in the Horticulture, Field Vegetable section, John B Dockrell (second from right) with farm manager, Paul Doran, receiving their presentation from Bord Bia CEO, Tara McCarthy, and Chairman, Dan MacSweeney at the Bord Bia Origin Green Farmer Awards. Picture: Finbarr O'Rourke

Two Wexford businesses have taken home top honours at this year's Bord Bia Origin Green Farm awards.

John B Dockrell Ltd, based in Screen, and Kilmore Potatoes took home the top awards within the horticulture section and in doing so fought off opposition from the best growers in the country.

John B Dockrells, which specialises in carrots and lettuce, won the award in the field vegetable category and impressed the judges with its knowledge and overall crop and soil husbandry practices.

The judges commented that the practices utilised by the business, allied to excellent water management, gave it an edge over the other finalists.

Brothers, John and Chris Fortune, with their company Kilmore Potatoes won the potato category having displayed 'impressive biodiversity measures' on their farm which includes 30 acres of uncropped land.

They were competing in a very competitive category with just two marks separating all of the finalists.

The judges were also impressed with the brothers' well thought-out strategy for variety selection and planting based on market analysis and demand.

The Wexford victors were among 11 category winners at the awards which are aimed at recognising Ireland's most sustainable, efficient and environmentally friendly family farms.

There were over 240 people from within the farming sector and agri-food industry in attendance at the event.

In total there were 39 finalists and they qualified for the culmination of the competition having come through a rigorous process that included on-farm judging by teams composed of representatives from Bord Bia, Teagasc, the Irish Farmers Journal, UCD and IT Blanchardstown.

Bord Bia's Chairperson, Dan MacSweeney, highlighted the importance of sustainable food production to the future of Irish farming and rural economies.

'This isn't just a win for industry,' he said.

'It translates into more value coming back to the rural economy right across Ireland as growth in sustainably produced food and drink delivers jobs and activity to local communities now and in the future,' he added.

Presenting the awards Bord Bia CEO, Tara McCarthy, paid tribute to the achievements of all the finalists: 'The pursuit of excellence by Origin Green farmers is at the heart of the Irish food and drink industry's export success.'

She said her organisation highlights such farms to food buyers as living examples of the highest values in Irish food production.

'When they visit these farms they see the commitment to protecting the land and its environment for future generations of food producers and consumers,' said Ms McCarthy.

'It is from this foundation that we can build durable relationships with food buyers for the food we export.'

All of the finalists will also be invited to participate in a Bord Bia organised visit to an overseas market to view how the organisation uses their achievements to win new business.
This year's annual St Stephen's Day family walk and run in Templeudigan will be held as a fundraiser for the Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust.

The Templeudigan St Stephen's Day walk is a local tradition which will be held for the fourth time this year. The first walk was held in 2015 as a venture to raise funds to pay for the costs of building Templeudigan Park. Each year since Templeudigan Parish Council has chosen a different charity to benefit from the event. This year's chosen charity is the Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust, an organisation which provides financial support to Irish families who are trying to bring home to Ireland the remains of loved ones who died abroad in tragic circumstances. A spokesperson for Templeudigan Parish Council said they have chosen to support the Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust because they have comforted many families in their darkest hours.

The Templeudigan St Stephen's Day walk will follow a scenic 8km route through the local hills. Many families walk together on the morning but the event also sees a lot of runners who take part because of the challenging climbs. A registration fee of 10 - all of which will go to charity - can be paid in Templeudigan Hall from 10 a.m. on St Stephen's morning and the walk and run will start at 10:30 a.m. from Templeudigan Park. Refreshments will be served in the hall after the walk.
Shane Hanley, Adam Hanley, age 3, Christine Clinton and Grace Hanley, age 7 from Ballinacarrow, Sligo, winners of a trip to Lapland through the Sligo Retail Park Elf on the Shelf competition last Sunday. Pic: Carl Brennan

It is a Christmas to remember for the Hanley family from Sligo who are travelling to Lapland thanks to Sligo Retail Park.

The Hanley, from Ballinacarrow, won the chance to meet Santa in Lapland in the Retail Park's Elf on the Shelf competition, courtesy of Sunway Holidays and Sigma Retail Partners.

Mum Christine, dad Shane, daughter Grace and son Adam will fly from Ireland West Airport, Knock on Friday to meet Santa and take sleigh and snowmobile rides.

The Hanleys found the Elf on the Shelf hiding out in Sligo Retail Park and posted a selfie to the Park's Facebook page to help them win the prize.

The Elf had been sent from the North Pole by Santa to check whether Sligo children were naughty or nice in the run-up to Christmas.

"We are delighted to win and are sure we will have a wonderful time," said Christine.

"I moved from store-to-store each day so hats off to the Hanley family for finding me," said the Elf on the Shelf. I was very pleased to be in beautiful Sligo to watch over all the girls and boys, who were all very nice. The Hanleys will have a great time when they travel to Lapland to meet my boss, Santa."
It's one hundred years since Countess Markievicz became the first woman elected to Parliament.

Sligo County Council held a special Christmas concert last Friday to mark the occasion, with local women invited along to speak, organised by Donal Tinney and the organising committee.

Mayor Councillor Rosaleen O'Grady, Councillor Marie Casserly, Councillor Sinead Maguire, Mercy College students Mara Mulligan and Kate Ryan, Nike Ogun, Emma Stroud, MEP Marian Harkin and Abbie Melly were among the speakers at the event.

There was music from Sligo County Council's choir, Notorious4, Aileen Concannon, Kieran Quinn and Eoin Troy.

Mayor Rosaleen O'Grady also unveiled a plaque to Bridhid O'Mullane, who held the first meeting to establish the Sligo branch of Cumann na mBan in City Hall in 1917.

In 1918, she was elected a member of the Executive of Cumann na mBan.

Councillor Marie Casserly told the assembled crowd that she was inspired by Countess Markievicz.

"Being a county councillor, a woman, a wife, a mother and teacher living as Constance did under the green slopes of Benbulben, I have always wondered, what it was about her background, the Gore Booth family and growing up in the community of North Sligo that influenced her politics and fanned her nationalist, socialist and revolutionary flame. It does appear to have been a mixture of upbringing and the physical environment in which she lived.

"She was also arguably Ireland's first card carrying feminist and once famously said 'it is one of the crying wrongs of the world that women because of their sex should be disbarred from any position or any right that their brains entitle them to hold'.

"This is still very much a mantra for our time and is a testament to her visionary ideals but also reflects sadly the glacial pace of change for women in Ireland.

"We are beginning to address this now but it has been very much a case of going backwards before we went forward.

"This makes Constance's legacy all the more inspiring and important."

Mayor Councillor Rosaleen O'Grady says her name still generates debate, even to this day.

"While this is a celebration, it is also a reflection, as we consider the social and political influences that shaped her view of Ireland and her place in it.

"Countess Markievicz earned her place in history by becoming the first woman elected to parliament, we can only imagine how that achievement resonated across Irish society. Particularly among women who were still fighting for the basic right of democratic expression.

"Depending on your perspective at the time, she was admired, she was resented, lauded and championed. There is no doubt she was a divisive personality who attracted unwavering loyalty.

"She is a figure that still generates comment and debate. This event also facilitates a broader discussion on the story of Irish women in politics.

"The fact that Countess Markievicz is known to every school child in the county ensures that she is already a focal point for such discussion."
The extension of the Government's confidence and supply agreement was crucial with the Brexit deadline looming, according to Deputy Tony McLoughlin.

Deputy McLoughlin said the extension of the confidence and supply arrangement was arrived at after the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar wrote to Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin setting out an ambitious programme as part of an extension of the current Confidence & Supply Arrangement, and seeking an agreed election date for the summer of 2020.

"Brexit is on the horizon and approaching every day. This is not a time for political instability and chaos in Ireland as clearly demonstrated in London over the last week. There is no greater contrast in Brexit preparations than the current set of unique circumstances with a united and determined approach from the Irish Government which has never once wavered from our key commitments as compared to the division in Westminster," Deputy McLoughlin said.

"The commitment to continue the confidence and supply arrangement further strengthens Ireland's hand in negotiating a successful outcome to Brexit, and securing all we have achieved to date. Most commentators said the 32nd Dail would not last very long and said little would be achieved. I think we can all see how this Government continues to defy its critics and continues to make improvements in our daily lives. It also means that as a result, I will continue to represent with dignity and hard work, the people of Sligo - Leitrim Constituency in Dail Eireann until at least the Summer of 2020."
Nazareth House Boys' Band performances in Sligo and further afield will be remembered by older readers of The Sligo Champion.

The band's diminutive bandmaster, Josie Cummins, was a distinctive figure in Sligo for several decades from the 1930's onwards.

Josie taught the four young boys who won the brass Quartet competition at the 1934 Sligo Feis Ceoil.

The last surviving member of the 1934 winning Quartet, and the oldest surviving former Nazareth House 'Homeboy', recently returned to Nazareth House and Sligo for the first time in 80 years.

97-year-old Michael Porter's welcome 'home' by the Nazareth Sisters featured in this newspaper on 2nd and 9th October this year.

Michael Porter's full life history, and that of his three Brass Quartet colleagues, William Walsh, William Patrick McGowan and Patrick Joseph Baker, has been recorded in two recently published books by author, historian, teacher and social worker, John Michael Murphy (The Quartet: Care Lives of Irish Catholic Homeboys; and: The Quartet: After-Care Lives of Irish Catholic Homeboys).

The prominent Nazareth House buildings behind the stone wall in Church Hill have been a familiar feature to generations of Sligonians.

There will be few families who do not know of an elderly person who spent their last years at Nazareth House and the care of the elderly continues today in the Nazareth Care Village complex. Since the large Boys' Home closed in 1993, however, the care of the nearly 2,000 children like Michael Porter and his brass Quartet colleagues, who spent most of their childhoods at Nazareth House, is in danger of being forgotten.

Was there much abuse?

This is now the automatic question most people in Ireland have when a care institution is mentioned.

Most publicity about care in children's homes in Ireland, and indeed elsewhere, has resulted from Inquiry reports into the many abuse and ill-treatment complaints.

Author John Michael Murphy has written a series of related articles for The Sligo Champion about life in care at Nazareth House Boys' Home in the period between the two World Wars.

His work, in contrast, will set the care of the boys in context by examining the more mundane aspects of care life: those everyday aspects of life that are often eclipsed by the highly publicised emphasis on abuse and ill treatment.

The articles will also examine where the 'Homeboys' went in the immediate years after leaving care, how many of them remained in Ireland, and what happened to some of them thereafter.

The family circumstances of the boys, their communication and contact with their families, and how many of them were 'reclaimed' by families after care is also covered in the articles.

What family, carers and clergy hoped to achieve from care, and what they did not seek to achieve, also features. As the research for the books is based on extensive interviews and correspondence the words of family, Homeboys and carers will be quoted wherever possible.

Next week: 'Why The Poor Sisters of Nazareth Came to Sligo' will feature in the 24th December Christmas Eve edition of The Sligo Champion.
According to the latest Rent Index from the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB), rents are on the rise in the county.

in the July - September period (Q3) of 2018, the standardised rent was 1,122 per month, up from 1,044 one year earlier (78 increase).

The standardised national average rent of new tenancies in County Sligo was 759, up from 672 (+87) one year earlier and up 68 on the previous quarter (Q2 2018).

However, although rents are now at a record high, and the Irish rental market is experiencing unprecedented demand, the number of landlords is falling with a decline of 8,829 tenancies and 1,778 fewer landlords than in 2015.

Commenting on the latest Rent Index results, Rosalind Carroll, Director of the Residential Tenancies Board said: "Affordability still remains an issue for the rental market with continued economic, employment and population growth contributing to rising demand across the country. We can also see rents across the country have continued to increase year-on- year."

Local Sinn Fein Councillor, Chris MacManus has called on Minister Murphy to urgently rethink his government's rental policy in the wake of the RTB latest figures.

Councillor MacManus said: "The RTB report released today provides for stark reading.

"The year-on-year increase in rents across the State is 7.5%, here in County Sligo it's 13%. In real terms that means rents here in Sligo increased from a monthly average of 672 to 759 in the space of one year.

"The data confirms that the government's policy is not working. This is no surprise to those of us working with many families in housing distress seeking housing assistance and unable to obtain anything in the private rental sector. Housing Assistance Payments are of minimal benefit.

"Even if you qualify, rents are several hundred euros beyond HAP entitlements. My office is constantly being asked about affordable private rental accommodation. There's very little of it out there."
Ireland as a country has 'a real problem with alcohol'. That is according to Sligo native and alcohol awareness advocate Eunan McKinney.

Son of the late Liam McKinney who was heavily involved in the arts community in Sligo, and cited as a driving force behind the Hawk's Well Theatre, Eunan is Head of Communications and Advocacy at Alcohol Action Ireland.

Ahead of the imminent indulgent Christmas period, Mr McKinney spoke to The Sligo Champion about Ireland's drinking culture, teenage alcohol consumption and how parents need to address the issue in the correct way.

Quoting worrying statistics, Mr McKinney outlined that over 1,000 people each year in Ireland die in relation to alcohol.

Adding to this, he stated that over 12 % of the beds occupied in the country's hospitals are by people who have alcohol related illnesses. He added that half of all suicides, alcohol is a contributing factor.

The former political adviser to the Minister for Primary Care from 2012 to 2014, Mr McKinney, who grew up in Temple Street, was passionate about bringing about the now enacted Public Health Alcohol Act, describing it as a 'big win' in tackling the drink culture of the country.

He explained that the principle elements of the act relate to price, placement, product and promotion and said sadly 60,000 to 70,000 children each year start drinking.

"We live in a country that consumes close on to 11 and a half litres of pure alcohol per person, it is quite high by European standards. The global figure is around six litres, the European average is nine litres.

"We're really above what is anyway regarded as acceptable behaviour.

"If we followed the low risk guidelines established by the Department of Health and the HSE we would be drinking 40% less than we do today."

Speaking in relation to alcohol consumption by teenagers, Mr McKinney said that parents who believe introducing their teenagers to alcohol is the right approach are not correct.

"I think there's definitely a belief among the current cohort of parents that there's a real prospect of controlling the teenager's experience with alcohol if they introduce them to it first.

"That's a fallacy, it's misguided. In fact what it does is, it lowers the bar in relation to what is acceptable behaviour for the teenager and then they subsequently go beyond that."

McKinney went on to explain that the introduction of alcohol by parents leads a child to believe that it is acceptable to get alcohol from others in other environments.

He said data shows that when children are introduced to alcohol too young they invariably end up drinking more at a point of 'adult threshold'.

"This leads to greater levels of adult disorders and adult dependencies.

"It demonstrates just how corrosive the culture is.

"Parents are simply trying to do their best, they know the dangers, they see the difficulties and they're trying to grapple with this issue," acknowledged Mr McKinney.

Asked what parents should do instead of introducing alcohol, the spokesperson said parents need to address the subject of alcohol much earlier than when their children are in their mid teens.

"It needs to be a much earlier conversation than with your 15 -year-old saying 'everyone is doing it why can't I ?" he explained.

Adding to this, Mr McKinney explained that building a close relationship with children was a must when explaining that alcohol is something only for adults and that setting boundaries was very important.

"Set boundaries and stick to them, you do have to hold the line. People need to understand where their children are going and what they are doing.

"Every child should be entitled to an alcohol free childhood.

"We're not introducing them to cigarettes or tobacco or certainly not introducing them to drugs so why would we do it with alcohol," he concluded. For more on alcohol consumption and advice for parents visit www.askaboutaclohol.ie.
Fine Gael TD for Sligo-Leitrim says he was disappointed on Friday morning to find his Sligo office had been vandalised overnight. The front of the office in John Street was daubed with graffiti and slogans overnight.

'Baby killers', 'Herod's killers', 'Fine Gael baby killers' was among the graffiti that greeted Deputy McLoughlin upon his arrival at his office on Friday morning.

"I was so disappointed to see this morning (Friday) that my busy constituency office in Sligo has been vandalised and defaced overnight," he said.

The incident came after the bill to legalise abortion cleared its final hurdle in the Houses of the Oireachtas.

Following hours of heated debate in the Seanad - which reflected many of the hours of debate which preceded it - the legislation was passed last week. The bill will now go to the President to be signed into law. The bill passed the final vote by 27 votes to 5.

"We live in a proud democracy and despite anyone's opinion on any referendum, this behaviour can never be condoned.

"Everyone is fully entitled to their opinion and vote in Ireland and to express it in a democratic manner," Deputy McLoughlin said.

The long-serving Fine Gael politician, who voted 'No' last May, added that politicians should respect the will of the people, with 66% of people voting in favour of repealing the eighth amendment.

"The people spoke through the ballot box at the referendum on the eighth amendment to the constitution last May with more than 64pc voting that day".

McLoughlin added: "That result has to be respected by us as politicians.

"We live in a democracy where such matters are decided by the Irish people who direct the Oireachtas through their votes.

"These values always have to be upheld and respected," Deputy McLoughlin said.

Gardai were at the scene for some time on Friday morning investigating the incident.

There was also allegedly urine and faeces sprayed on the walls and through the letterbox.

The law will now allow for abortion up to 12 weeks. After 12 weeks a termination may be sought where there is a risk to the life or health of a woman or in cases of fatal foetal abnormality.
Wicklow County Council has agreed to carry out a feasibility study for a swimming pool for west Wicklow.

The west of the county is the only area in Wicklow without a publicly owned pool. The announcement follows the establishment of the campaign group Community Swimming Pool for West Wicklow during the summer. A petition calling for support for a community swimming pool was also started in July and received over 2,000 signatures.

Deirdre McCormack helped establish the campaign group and is delighted at the support being offered by Wicklow County Council.

'The feasibility study is wonderful news. We carried out a survey recently and found out just how many people were having to go outside of west Wicklow in order to swim. It's the same with local schools as well. They all have to go to Wexford, Kildare, Dublin or Carlow to avail of a swimming pool. That's basically money going elsewhere which could be going into our own area if we had our own swimming pool.

'Our petition received over 2,000 signatures so there is a real appetite for our own community pool. There will be a local election next year and a general election will take place, probably after the next year or so. We just want to make sure that our local representatives are aware that this is a real issue which needs support,' said Deirdre.

Local children are also being encouraged to colour in Christmas cards bearing the Community Swimming Pool for West Wicklow logo, which will be sent to Chief Executive of Wicklow County Council Frank Curran, to showcase the level of demand for a community pool in the west of the county.

Deputy Stephen Donnelly has praised the community campaigners for highlighting the need for a local pool.

'When pupils from sixth class in Blessington No. 1 school came to visit me in Leinster House recently I asked for their biggest concerns. Every single student told me they wished there was a nearby swimming pool. On the back of that meeting, I wrote to the Minister for Sport Shane Ross asking for funding and so I'm really delighted to hear that a feasibility study is being commissioned. It's fantastic to know those children are a step closer to making their dreams a reality,' said Deputy Donnelly.
Frank Curran, Chief Executive of Wicklow County Council, Deputy Andrew Doyle and Cllr Pat Vance, cathaoirleach of Wicklow County Council, unveil the plaque at the launch of the Avondale Heights development in Rathdrum

Tenants received the perfect Christmas present when they were handed the keys to their new properties when 20 new houses were opened at Avondale Heights, Rathdrum, and a further seven at The Old Schoolhouse, Arklow, on Tuesday.

The Rathdrum scheme includes a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom homes for families and individuals. The eight one-bed units are full disabled accessible and come complete with wheelchair-ready wet rooms. In Arklow, the former library on St Mary's Road has been transformed into seven A-energy rated apartments, three one-bed, and four two-bed units. Delighted tenants were on hand to receive their keys after the launch.

The high-quality homes were constructed by Northern Irish contractors QMAC Construction Ltd and Coyne Group respectively. The sod turning for Avondale Heights only took place in September of last year and work on the Arklow project commenced last February.

Local clergy members blessed each property and prayed that the new residents will enjoy many happy times in their new homes.

Speaking at the official opening in Rathdrum, county council cathaoirleach Pat Vance said: 'I recognise the serious challenge we face in terms of housing and a critical focus and priority has been firmly placed on responding to this challenge by Wicklow County Council through the development and implementation of the Social Housing supply programme. Today heralds the first of many official openings that will take place over the coming months and years as Wicklow County Council vigorously progresses its development programme under the Rebuilding Ireland banner'.

Minister of State, Andrew Doyle, TD, said: 'I am pleased to be here today to welcome all the new residents into their homes on time for Christmas. The Government is committed through Rebuilding Ireland to addressing the need for more social housing units by working with local authorities such as Wicklow County Council, and we will continue to address the needs of Ireland's growing population by delivering further housing developments. I am highly impressed by the standard of the homes that have been constructed in this beautiful area, and I am sure each resident will be very happy with their new home'.

Over the course of the next two years, the council's programme is expected to deliver new homes for almost 400 households on the social housing list. The council currently has 18 projects at various stages of construction and tendering with funding of over 51.6m sanctioned by the Department.
Santa Claus didn't let Saturday's heavy winds and rainfall put a dampener on his visit to Blessington.

Santa was west-bound to switch on the Christmas lights but was greeted by some horrendous weather conditions. However, the organisers of the event were quick to react and created a wonderful Christmas Grotto in St Kevin's Community Hall so Santa could meet and greet local children while safely tucked away from the elements.

Mrs Claus usually keeps a low profile at this time of year but she has a soft spot in her heart for the kids of Blessington so she too accompanied Mr Claus on his journey from the North Pole. Upon their arrival in Blessington, Mr and Mrs Claus were then escorted to the town centre by the local fire service.

Before meeting all the local kids, Santa took time out to officially switch on the lights hanging from the lovely Christmas tree erected in the square.

It goes without saying that Santa and Mrs Claus came bearing gifts, and each young boy and girl they encountered went home clutching a surprise present.

The crowds gathered for Santa's visit were also very complimentary about some of the new lights hanging around the town.

The day also featured designated drop off points for the annual shoe box appeal for the Peter McVerry trust and Teach Tierman women's refuge.
The US government is in partial shutdown amid an impasse over funding for the Mexican border wall (Carolyn Kaster/AP)

Americas elected leaders have partially closed down the US government over their inability to compromise on money for a wall along the Mexican border.

Congressional Democrats are refusing to accede to President Donald Trumps demands for 5 billion US dollars (3.9 billion) to start building his long-promised barrier, and the stalemate is a chaotic finale for Republicans in the waning days of their two-year reign controlling government.

Vice President Mike Pence, Mr Trumps son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner and White House budget chief Mick Mulvaney left the Capitol late on Friday after hours of bargaining with congressional leaders produced no apparent compromise.

Mr Mulvaney sent agency heads a memorandum telling them to execute plans for an orderly shutdown, although he wrote that administration officials are hopeful that this lapse in appropriations will be of short duration. Both the House and Senate have scheduled rare Saturday sessions.

The impasse blocks money for nine of 15 cabinet-level departments and dozens of agencies, including the departments of Homeland Security, Transportation, Interior, Agriculture, State and Justice.

The disruption affects many government operations and the routines of 800,000 federal employees.

About 420,000 workers are deemed essential and will work unpaid throughout the shutdown. An additional 380,000 will be told to stay at home without pay.

A #TrumpShutdown hurts the men & women who keep us safe: taking away paychecks from 41,000 federal law enforcement & corrections officers  plus nearly 90% of Homeland Security employees. pic.twitter.com/dEho7pSSb7  Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) December 21, 2018

Federal employees had already been granted an extra day of holiday on Christmas Eve, thanks to an executive order Mr Trump signed this week. The president did not go to Florida on Friday as planned for his own Christmas break.

Workers being told to stay at home unpaid until the impasse is resolved include nearly everyone at Nasa and 52,000 workers at the Internal Revenue Service.

Some agencies, including the Pentagon and the departments of Veterans Affairs and Health and Human Services, were already funded and will operate as usual.

The US Postal Service, busy delivering Christmas packages, will not be affected because it is an independent agency. Social security cheques will be sent as usual, troops will remain on duty and food inspections will continue.

Also still functioning will be the FBI, the Border Patrol and the Coast Guard. Transportation Security Administration officers will continue to staff airport checkpoints and air traffic controllers will be on the job.

Regrettably, America has now entered a #TrumpShutdown. My statement with @NancyPelosi: pic.twitter.com/Z2ZIbTY72W  Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) December 22, 2018

Mr Trump has savoured the prospect of a shutdown over the wall for months. Last week he said he would be proud to close down the government, and on Friday said he was totally prepared for a very long closure.

Many of Congresss most conservative Republicans welcomed such a confrontation, but most GOP politicians have wanted to avoid one because polling shows the public broadly opposes the wall and a shutdown over it.

Democratic leaders Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer said in a statement that Mr Trump threw a temper tantrum and convinced House Republicans to push our nation into a destructive Trump Shutdown in the middle of the holiday season.

Mr Trump had made clear last week that he would not blame Democrats for any closure. Now, he and his GOP allies have spent the past few days saying Democrats bear responsibility.

The president said now is the time for Congress to provide taxpayers money for the wall, even though he has long claimed Mexico would pay for it. Mexico repeatedly has rebuffed that idea.

This is our only chance that well ever have, in our opinion, because of the world and the way it breaks out, to get great border security, Mr Trump said on Friday.

Democrats, who opposed major funding for wall construction, will take control of the House on January 3.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 21)  For Christmas, President Rodrigo Duterte is calling for compassion and kindness from Filipinos.

"As we take part in this joyous occasion, may we contemplate on the wealth of the lessons that we can learn from the narrative of Christ's birth. Let the ideals of compassion, kindness and reconciliation guide us and our countrymen in the spirit of shared humanity," Duterte said in his Christmas message televised Friday.

"Together, let us bring hope and peace in our nation this yuletide season and we welcome the coming year with much hope and optimism," he added.

Watch his full Christmas message here:
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Even by the standards of the Trump administration, it was an extraordinary 48 hours, culminating in the resignation of Jim Mattis.

The consensus is that the departure of the defence secretary is a disaster, depriving the administration of one of the few grown-ups in the room.

If that were not enough, Trump has fallen out with two of his most vociferous cheerleaders, Senator Lindsey Graham and ultra-conservative firebrand columnist Ann Coulter. Graham described the president's decision to pull out of Syria as a "stain on the honour of the US".

Coulter rounded on him for failing to build his long-promised wall on the southern border.

"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," she wrote.

Given the fractious relationship the president has had with many of his appointees, perhaps one should not be completely surprised that Mattis had enough. He saw how Trump had used Jeff Sessions as a punching bag, before putting his long-suffering attorney general out of his misery just after the mid-terms.

Rumours had been circulating that Mattis was on the way out for some time and Trump's interview with '60 Minutes' in October reinforced that belief. "I think he's sort of a Democrat, if you want to know the truth," he said.

The president dismissed his defence secretary's unease with the administration's Nato policy. "Frankly, I like General Mattis," he added. "I think I know more about it than he does."

To put it mildly, this was a pretty insulting way to treat a retired four-star Marine general.

Mattis got his own back by flatly contradicting Trump's anodyne Twitter announcement that his defence secretary was "retiring".

Mattis made clear that there were fundamental differences in policy, from the decision to withdraw troops from Syria to Trump's confrontational relationship with America's Nato allies.

What should ring alarm bells is the reaction from senior Republicans. Florida Senator Marco Rubio warned the US was headed towards "a series of grave policy errors". There was similar unease in the House with Mike McCaul, the GOP chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, saying he "slept better" knowing Mattis was in charge of the US military.

Given the uneasy relationship between Trump and the Republican establishment, the latest row once again raises the possibility he could face a challenge for the GOP nomination.

However, the Trump administration's revolving door seems to have done the president little harm among his core voters. ( Daily Telegraph London)
For more than a decade, China has been expanding its influence in Africa at a rate that has raised eyebrows in Europe and the US. From forging bilateral relationships based on huge investment deals to building the headquarters of the African Union in Addis Ababa, Beijing's engagement with the continent ranges from the predictable to the highly symbolic.

It can also be eye-catching: an estimated one million Chinese now live in Africa, seeing in the continent opportunity that eludes them at home. Some are investors; others are entrepreneurs opening Chinese restaurants and health centres; others still are engineers and labourers constructing ports, railways, airports, hospitals, schools and stadiums. An estimated 10,000 Chinese-owned firms now operate across Africa.

In addition, there are the hardy Chinese migrants I have encountered in tiny villages deep in rural Malawi or Uganda, who have literally set up shop, selling groceries to locals. In the Angolan capital Luanda, I met sophisticated, university-educated young Chinese who told me they moved to Africa because they saw it as a land of opportunity.

China's engagement with Africa is not new but it has become more multi-faceted over the last 10 years. It is growing at such a rate that Beijing overtook the US as a trading partner with Africa almost a decade ago. The first Chinese military base outside China was opened in Djibouti more than a year ago, not far from where the US military has an operations centre.

It is this reality that lies behind the attempt by Donald Trump's national security adviser John Bolton to cast the Trump administration's new Africa strategy in terms of the geopolitical rivalry between Washington and Beijing.

Trump himself has paid little attention to Africa: he has not yet visited the continent and earlier this year ranted against immigration from what he described as "s***hole countries" there and elsewhere. But the hawkish Bolton, speaking at a recent event in Washington, did not mince his words.

"It's very important for the US and the West as a whole to wake up," he argued. In Africa, he insisted, the greatest challenge comes from a "predatory" China. "They are deliberately and aggressively targeting their investments in the region to gain a competitive advantage over the US," Bolton said, going on to argue that China uses "bribes, opaque agreements and the strategic use of debt to hold states in Africa captive to Beijing's wishes and demands".

Referring to the large-scale infrastructural programmes overseen by the Chinese, Bolton argued the debts incurred were turning some countries into little more than economic vassals of Beijing. In fact, several African politicians have told me they welcome Beijing's "pull up your sleeves and build" attitude. "The Chinese don't treat us like hopeless charity cases," as one put it. "They come here, ask what we need and then they build it."

Last month, Tanzania's president John Magufuli said he prefers Chinese to Western aid as it comes with fewer conditions: "When they decide to give you, they just give you."

That said, China has also faced criticism in Africa over poor labour practices, sometimes shoddy infrastructure projects and what some see as another - albeit different - neo-colonial approach.

Bolton announced a new programme called "Prosper Africa" which he said would see the US presenting alternatives to the Chinese approach to development on the continent but he conceded Washington had limited means to compete with Beijing's massive investment there.

China's growing clout in Africa is also of concern in Europe. The EU may still outpace Beijing in terms of trade with the continent - some 36pc of Africa's trade is with the EU, compared with 16pc with China - but there is worry about a seeping loss of influence.

In September, European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker said the EU should offer a free-trade agreement to the whole of the African continent and a new investment alliance. The latter he said could create up to 10 million jobs in Africa in the next five years. While Juncker made reference to China's growing push in the continent, the main frame for the conversation about EU- Africa relations these days is migration.

Africa's population is expected to double in the next three decades to 2.5 billion, half of them under 24. The focus now is on development funding that helps African countries provide opportunities for this youthful demographic at home. Juncker argued the EU should move away from merely providing development assistance and instead treat Africa as an equal. The Chinese often present themselves as such in Africa, arguing theirs is a "win-win" scenario for both. Time will tell whether the continent eventually tilts more east than north.
Afghan officials and America's Western partners reacted with unease yesterday to reports that the United States planned to withdraw more than 5,000 of its 14,000 troops from Afghanistan, after tentative steps toward peace talks.

Although there has been increasing acceptance in Kabul that US President Donald Trump was impatient for progress in ending the 17-year war, comment from a US official that he was planning to withdraw at least 5,000 troops, coupled with the resignation of Defence Secretary Jim Mattis, came as a surprise.

Mattis has been widely seen in Afghanistan as a guarantor of US engagement, and his departure would inevitability raise worries in the minds of many Afghan officials.

The news followed a two-day meeting in Abu Dhabi between US special peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad and Taliban representatives at which the two sides discussed the withdrawal of international forces and a ceasefire in 2019.

However, with the plans still unconfirmed and further meetings expected in Saudi Arabia in early January, it was unclear whether a ceasefire was close and whether the news heralded a wider settlement. "The withdrawal will certainly affect overall operations but we will have to wait and see which units are going to go home first. It is too early to say anything for now," said a senior Afghan government official. "Depending on how the Taliban react, the government might ask forces to reduce operations," he said.

But Haroon Chakansuri, spokesman for President Ashraf Ghani, said the withdrawal would not affect overall security because the role of US forces has been to assist and advise Afghan troops.

The US has about 14,000 troops in Afghanistan as part of a Nato-led mission, known as Resolute Support, and a separate US counter-terrorism mission largely directed against militant groups like Isil and al-Qa'ida. In addition, some 8,000 troops from 38 other countries in Resolute Support provide training and support for Afghan forces.

The Taliban is fighting to oust foreign forces and defeat the Western-backed Kabul government.

With the insurgents in control of large stretches of the country and chronically understrength Afghan forces suffering thousands of casualties a month, even a partial US withdrawal could reduce the incentive of the Taliban to strike a deal and erode the willingness of Afghan troops to fight.

"We all know the morale of the Afghan forces has hit an all-time low, they are under-equipped, poorly paid and they lack co-ordination. We train them to the best of our abilities," said a Western diplomat from a Resolute Support member.

A withdrawal of so many troops would represent an abrupt shift in US strategy announced a year ago, which saw thousands of troops sent to Afghanistan and air strikes intensified to put pressure on the Taliban to talk.

But for months, diplomats have joked grimly about a "Tweet of Damocles" hanging over Afghanistan - the fear that Trump could take to social media to announce the United States was pulling out.

The reports appeared to have caught some allies by surprise.

"The US has not consulted us on the withdrawal and today we will start meetings to discuss it," said one Western diplomat in Kabul.
The US envoy to the global coalition fighting the Islamic State group has resigned in protest over President Donald Trump's abrupt decision to withdraw US troops from Syria.

Brett McGurk joins Defence Secretary Jim Mattis in an exodus of experienced national security officials.

Only 11 days ago, Mr McGurk had said it would be "reckless" to consider IS defeated and therefore would be unwise to bring American forces home.

His resignation letter was submitted on Friday to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

Mr McGurk, appointed to the post by President Barack Obama in 2015 and retained by President Trump, said in his resignation letter that the militants were on the run, but not yet defeated, and that the premature pullout of American forces from Syria would create the conditions that gave rise to IS.

Mr McGurk also cited gains in accelerating the campaign against IS, but that the work was not yet done.

Mr McGurk, whose resignation is effective from December 31, was planning to leave the job in mid-February after a US-hosted meeting of foreign ministers from the coalition countries, but he felt he could continue no longer after Trump's decision to withdraw from Syria and Mr Mattis' resignation.

President Trump is acting to pull all 2,000 US troops from Syria and has now declared victory over IS, contradicting his own experts' assessments. Many have called his action rash and dangerous.

Mr Mattis, perhaps the most respected foreign policy official in the administration, announced on on Thursday that he will leave by the end of February.

He told President Trump in a letter that he was departing because "you have a right to have a Secretary of Defence whose views are better aligned with yours".

The US began airstrikes in Syria in 2014, and ground troops moved in the following year to battle IS and train Syrian rebels in a country torn apart by civil war.

President Trump, in a tweet this past week, abruptly declared their mission accomplished.

The decision will fulfil President Trump's 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.

US policy has been to keep troops in place until the extremists are eradicated.

Mr McGurk, 45, previously served as a deputy assistant secretary of state for Iraq and Iran, and during the negotiations for the landmark Iran nuclear deal by the Obama administration, led secret side talks with Tehran on the release of Americans imprisoned there.

Mr McGurk, was briefly considered for the post of ambassador to Iraq after having served as a senior official covering Iraq and Afghanistan during President George W Bush's administration.

A former Supreme Court law clerk to the late Chief Justice William Rehnquist, Mr McGurk worked as a lawyer for the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq after the 2003 US-led invasion and joined President Bush's National Security Council staff, where in 2007 and 2008, he was the lead US negotiator on security agreements with Iraq.

Taking over for now for Mr McGurk will be his deputy, retired Lt Gen Terry Wolff, who served three tours of active duty in Iraq.
Vice President Mike Pence with Jared Kushner and Mick Mulvaney as they depart for the night without a bill that would pay for President Donald Trumps border wall a (Alex Brandon/AP)

Donald Trump said the government was totally prepared for a very long shutdown (J Scott Applewhite/AP)

Donald Trump said the government was totally prepared for a very long shutdown (Evan Vucci/AP)

The US House of Representatives has adjourned without a deal on spending, virtually guaranteeing a partial government shutdown at midnight in the US on Friday.

Senators are also being told there will be no further votes on Friday as talks continue.

President Donald Trump's team was on Capitol Hill late on Friday trying to broker a compromise as he pushes for billions of dollars in border wall funding.

Without a deal, funding for parts of the US government will expire at midnight.

The Senate has adjourned without a deal on spending, an hour after the House ended its session, guaranteeing a partial government shutdown will begin at midnight in the US on Friday.

Senators expect to return at noon on Saturday as talks continue.

Vice president Mike Pence and other White House officials were on Capitol Hill late on Friday trying to broker a compromise as President Donald Trump pushes for five billion dollars in border wall funding, a proposal Democrats staunchly oppose.

Without a deal, funding for about 25per cent of the government expires at midnight.

Expand Close Vice President Mike Pence with Jared Kushner and Mick Mulvaney as they depart for the night without a bill that would pay for President Donald Trumps border wall a (Alex Brandon/AP) / Facebook

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Whatsapp Vice President Mike Pence with Jared Kushner and Mick Mulvaney as they depart for the night without a bill that would pay for President Donald Trumps border wall a (Alex Brandon/AP)

Nine Cabinet-level departments and dozens of agencies, including the departments of Homeland Security, Transportation, Interior, Agriculture, State and Justice, will be affected by the shutdown.

The US government has partially shut down after President Donald Trump was unable to agree with Democratic and Republican politicians on spending for his border wall.

Government operations will be disrupted during the shutdown and hundreds of thousands of federal workers will be given a leave of absence or forced to work without pay just days before Christmas.

The shutdown comes after Vice President Mike Pence, acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney and senior adviser Jared Kushner spent much of Friday on Capitol Hill trying to break the stand-off.
The US House of Representatives last night adjourned without a deal on spending, virtually guaranteeing a partial government shutdown.

President Donald Trump's team was on Capitol Hill late last night, trying to broker a compromise as he pushed for billions of dollars in border wall funding.

Without a deal, funding for parts of the US government was due to expire at midnight.

President Donald Trump admitted that there was a "very good" chance the US government would shut down after he failed to get Democrats to agree $5bn in funding for his proposed border wall.

Republicans and Democrats in Congress made last minute efforts to avoid the Christmas shutdown but appeared poles apart from agreeing a new spending bill.

Without an agreed bill, funding for large swathes of the government was due to run out, leaving 800,000 public workers without pay over Christmas.

The shutdown would mean the closure of national parks, the Internal Revenue Service, and 95pc of Nasa's operations.

However, special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation would be among the government-funded projects not affected.

Mr Trump had initially agreed to a spending bill that did not include funding for the wall, but was targeted by a severe backlash from some of his own most prominent supporters.

The president then decided he would not sign a spending bill without money for the wall.

Chuck Schumer, the Democrat leader in the Senate, speaking on the Senate floor, said: "Mr President, you will not get your wall. President Trump, you own the shutdown."

Mr Trump, in the Oval Office, said: "It's up to the Democrats as to whether or not we have a shutdown tonight. I hope we don't, but we're totally prepared for a very long shutdown"

Mr Trump had called on Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader in the Senate, to use the "nuclear option" requiring only a simple majority of 51, rather than a "supermajority" of 60 votes, to pass the spending bill. However, Mr McConnell said there was not enough support among Republicans to introduce that option.

The uncertainty contributed to further losses on the US stock market yesterday.
Pro-independence protesters clashed with riot police in Barcelona and blocked roads across Catalonia as the Spanish government held a controversial cabinet meeting in the city yesterday.

What Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez had billed as a "show of appreciation" for Catalonia amid long-running tensions instead drew an outpouring of anger from independence supporters who described the visit as a "provocation".

At least 11 people were arrested as groups of protesters barricaded streets in a failed attempt to prevent the meeting from taking place, an objective which then switched to keeping Mr Sanchez and his ministers hemmed inside the Llotja de Mar palace.

As police charged against masked protesters who encroached on the security perimeter set up around the building, organisers of the self-styled Catalan Republic Defence Committees (CDR) urged demonstrators to remain peaceful and refrain from throwing objects.

The Catalan government also put out messages on social media asking people to protest peacefully against the presence of the Spanish government. But in several areas of Barcelona, violence broke out, with riot police wielding batons to push back protesters, the most radical of whom pelted them with stones and overturned bins. In at least one confrontation, officers fired foam bullets.

More than 20 major roads were blocked around the Catalan capital yesterday morning, as well as train services being halted by flaming barricades. The city's transport authority said road traffic was cut by half compared to a normal day.

Some 50 people were treated for injuries, around 30 of them police officers, the Catalan Mossos d'Esquadra force said.

"They've come to say 'here I command'," Earnest Maragall, a Catalan parliamentarian and the Republican Left's candidate for mayor of Barcelona, said of the Spanish cabinet's visit. Omnium, the grassroots group whose leader Jordi Cuixart was among four jailed Catalan separatists who on Thursday ended a three-week hunger strike, denounced it as a "provocation".

The meeting was held on the anniversary of the snap Catalan election called by Madrid after it dissolved the government in response to its declaration of independence last year - a vote that again returned pro-independence parties to power.

Earlier this month, Mr Sanchez's Socialist government had admonished the Catalan administration for police passivity in the face of CDR protests and roadblocks.

That led Spain's interior ministry to design a security plan for the cabinet meeting that included thousands of police officers brought in from outside Catalonia. ( Daily Telegraph London)
Donald Trump said the government was totally prepared for a very long shutdown (Evan Vucci/AP)

The US government has partially shut down after Democrats refused to meet President Donald Trumps demands for five billion dollars to start erecting his Mexican border wall.

Vice President Mike Pence, Mr Trumps son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner and White House budget chief Mick Mulvaney left the Capitol late on Friday after hours of bargaining with congressional leaders produced no apparent compromise.

We dont have a deal. Were still talking, Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby told reporters.

Late on Friday, Mr Mulvaney sent agency heads a memorandum telling them to execute plans for an orderly shutdown.

He wrote that administration officials were hopeful that this lapse in appropriations will be of short duration  an expectation that was widely shared.

With negotiations expected to continue, the House and Senate both scheduled rare Saturday sessions. House members were told they would get 24 hours notice before a vote.

The gridlock blocks money for nine of 15 Cabinet-level departments and dozens of agencies, including the departments of Homeland Security, Transportation, Interior, Agriculture, State and Justice.

The lack of funds will disrupt many government operations and the routines of 800,000 federal employees.

Roughly 420,000 workers were deemed essential and will work unpaid just days before Christmas, while 380,000 will be given a leave of absence, meaning they will stay home without pay.

Expand Close Vice President Mike Pence with Jared Kushner and Mick Mulvaney as they depart for the night without a bill that would pay for President Donald Trumps border wall a (Alex Brandon/AP) / Facebook

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Whatsapp Vice President Mike Pence with Jared Kushner and Mick Mulvaney as they depart for the night without a bill that would pay for President Donald Trumps border wall a (Alex Brandon/AP)

Those being given leave of absence include nearly everyone at Nasa and 52,000 workers at the Internal Revenue Service. About eight in 10 employees of the National Park Service will stay home and many parks were expected to close.

The Senate passed legislation ensuring workers will receive back pay, which the House seemed sure to approve.

Some agencies, including the Pentagon and the departments of Veterans Affairs and Health and Human Services, were already funded for the year in agreements reached earlier, and they will operate as usual.

The US Postal Service, busy delivering packages for the holiday season, will not be affected because it is an independent agency. Troops will remain on duty and food inspections will continue.

Also still functioning will be the FBI, the Border Patrol and the Coast Guard. Transportation Security Administration officers will continue to staff airport checkpoints and air traffic controllers will also remain at work.

Mr Trump has openly savoured a shutdown over the wall for months, saying last week he would be proud to have one and saying on Friday he was totally prepared for a very long closure.

While many of Congress most conservative Republicans were welcoming such a confrontation, most Republican politicians have wanted to avoid one, since polling shows the public broadly opposes the wall and a shutdown over it.

Looking for a way to claim victory, Mr Trump said he would accept money for a Steel Slat Barrier with spikes on the top, which he said would be just as effective as a wall and at the same time beautiful.

Mr Trump called Republican senators to the White House on Friday morning, but Republicans said afterwards that the session did not produce a strategy.

Early this week, the Senate approved a bipartisan deal keeping government open into February and providing 1.3 billion dollars (1.03 billion) for border security projects but not the wall.

In a Republican victory on Thursday, the House rebelled and approved a package temporarily financing the government but also providing 5.7 billion dollars (4.51 billion) for the border wall.

On Friday afternoon, a Senate procedural vote showed that Republicans lacked the 60 votes they would need to force that measure through their chamber. That jump-started negotiations between Congress and the White House.

The White House said Mr Trump did not go to Florida on Friday as planned for the Christmas holiday.
Veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah doesn't believe in mincing his words and this is the main reason why he ends up receiving a lot of flak.

Recently, he landed himself at the center of a major controversy over his remarks on the spate of mob lynching cases in the country following the killing of a policeman in Bulandshahr earlier this month.

Agencies

He said the death of a cow was being given importance over killing of a policeman. Wondering why his comments on mob violence were being misconstrued with some people calling him a "traitor", actor Naseeruddin Shah said on Friday that he spoke as a "worried Indian" and has the right to express concerns about the country he loves.

"What I said earlier was as a worried Indian. I have said this earlier as well. What did I say this time that I am being called a traitor? It is very strange," Shah told reporters here at his alma mater, St Anselm's Senior Secondary School.

Raising his voice against the criticism he received, he asked,

Naseeruddin Shah: What I said earlier was as a worried Indian. What did I say this time that I am being termed as a traitor? I am expressing concerns about the country I love, the country that is my home. How is that a crime? pic.twitter.com/XcQOwmzJSh  ANI (@ANI) December 21, 2018

"I have to bear criticism. If they have the right to criticise, then I also have the same right. I am expressing concerns about the country I love, the country that is my home. How is that a crime?"

Shah was responding to a question about the backlash he is receiving on social media following his remarks. The 68-year-old actor had expressed anxiety over the growing mob violence in a video interview with Karwan-e-Mohabbat India, which the organization shared on its YouTube channel on Monday. In the interview, the actor expressed concern over the well-being of his children, who he said have not been brought up as followers of any particular religion.

The internet was clearly divided.

Those who constantly chant "Hindu khatre mein hai", are terming Naseeruddin Shah as a traitor for saying "he's afraid for his children". Apparently, only one group of people has the right to be concerned for themselves, baki sab anti-national.  Pratik Sinha (@free_thinker) December 21, 2018

Naseeruddin Shah is right. There is indeed an atmosphere of fear, anxiety and intimidation... for traitors in todays India. This is new India. It no more entertains parasites who made their whole career here but feel more safe and loved in the enemys territory.  Sonam Mahajan (@AsYouNotWish) December 21, 2018

Naseeruddin Shah has been doing full-on identity politics himself, but when the other side gets down to identity politics, he smells fear and intolerance.

He doesnt think twice before tainting his own nation which has loved him so much, given him so much fame  Abhijit Majumder (@abhijitmajumder) December 21, 2018

News of no importance : 52 tribals enslaved for 3 years in Karnataka.

News of regional importance : 251 farmers suicides in Karnataka.

News of national importance : Taapsee Pannu ne troll pel diya.

News of international importance : Naseeruddin Shah ko darr lag raha hai.  THE SKIN DOCTOR (@theskindoctor13) December 21, 2018

Naseeruddin Shah by speaking the truth has performed his duty to the nation. Our constitution, our ethos, our culture, our way of life are under attack.We will standup & protect it. Those who have a problem with this can go anywhere they like. India belongs to all of us. Period  shahid siddiqui (@shahid_siddiqui) December 21, 2018

"Tomorrow if a mob surrounds my children and asks them: 'Are you Hindu or Muslim?' they will have no answer. Because they have no religion." Don't see anything wrong in what Naseeruddin Shah is saying. As a father, he can't be afraid for his children?  PDG (@PratimDGupta) December 21, 2018

Naseeruddin Shah's fear as minority in India were misplaced as the ruling party had to deploy entire It cell and media channels to discredit him. It is the govt which is in fear.  Happucrat (@AreeDada__) December 21, 2018

Naseeruddin Shah's fear as minority in India were misplaced as the ruling party had to deploy entire It cell and media channels to discredit him. It is the govt which is in fear.  Happucrat (@AreeDada__) December 21, 2018

Shah 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.

For the uninitiated, on December 3, Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh and a student, Sumit Kumar, were killed in mob violence in Uttar Pradesh's Bulandshahr district after cow carcasses were found strewn around.

The main accused in the case is a local Bajrang Dal leader, Yogesh Raj.
Celebrities surely know how to have larger than life celebrations. This year, a lot of celebrities tied the knot and endless jokes started with their endless number of receptions. We were not over Ranveer-Deepika's endless reception parties that now we have newly-weds PC-Nick giving them a tough competition.

Agencies

After hosting three grand receptions in India, PC-Nick is all set to host their fourth reception in Los Angeles in the last week of January.

A Mid-day report has quoted a source as saying,

After their honeymoon in Switzerland, Priyanka will fly down to Mumbai for a schedule of The Sky Is Pink. She will join Nick in LA towards the month-end, to host a reception for their friends. Her team is currently doing a recce in Malibu and will soon finalise a venue. It will be a black-tie event, with Priyankas close friends Kerry Washington, Dwayne Johnson, Ellen DeGeneres, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, on the guest list. Many other Hollywood stars, including her co-stars from A Kid Like Jake and Isnt It Romantic?, and Nicks friends from the music fraternity are also expected. Besides her family, Priyankas cousin Parineeti Chopra is also likely to fly down for the soiree.

Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas solemnised their affair of six-months by tying the knot in a multiple-day wedding ceremony at the Umaid Bhawan in Jodhpur.
Hamid Ansari, an Indian youth who was languished in a Pakistani jail for six years returned home earlier this week.

In Bhopal, there is a man who has a similar story. Mohammad Imran Qureshi Warsi, a resident of Gulshan Iqbal locality of Karachi, has been living in the Shahjahanabad Police Station in Bhopal for almost one year.

Warsi, who served a 10-year-jail sentence for spying was released from prison this year after completing his sentence.

File Image

The 36 years old, just like Ansari had entered the country searching for his lover. But unlike the Indian techie, fond his love and even married her in 2003 and had two children and was living in Kolkata before he moved to Bhopal.

According to Warsi, who belongs to a family which migrated to Pakistan following the partition, he got in trouble after he asked for a share of his forefathers property. He says that it was then his Indian relatives alerted the police that he was a Pakistani.

Warsi, who was arrested on charges of spying was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment in January 2008, and was fined Rs 80,000. Though his jail term ended in January this year, he had to spent another two months behind the bars as he could not afford to pay the fine.

Ever since his release Warsi has been living in the Shahjahanabad Police Station, where he is not detained, but cannot leave the compound.

According to Jatin Desai, a Mumbai-based activist Warsi was supposed to leave for Pakistan last month, but it was halted the last minute due to some technical reasons.

AFP

Speaking to the Indian Express, Warsi had said that since he has a family here, he wants to live in India. Since the repatriation of Hamid Ansari, there are also reports that Warsi will be sent back to Pakistan on December 26.

He told India Today that once he is back in Pakistan, he will start paperwork to bring his wife and sons to the country to live with him.
A former FBI agent had taken break-dancing quite literally as he broke a persons lower leg at the Denver bar in June this year.

30 year old Chase Bishop was having a gala time at the bar, flaunting some dance moves when a gun from his back pocket fell down and as he tried to reach for it, it fired a bar patron and wounded him. The former cop pleaded guilty to his accidental shooting on Friday reported Reuters.

District Attorney Beth McCann said, We believe that this agreement strikes an appropriate balance of seeking justice for the victim and ensuring that this type of incident does not happen again.

Remember the dancing FBI agent that did a back flip and accidentally shot someone? Chase Bishop just took a plea deal. He pleaded guilty to assault 3 (a misdemeanor) and was sentenced to 2 years probation and $1,200 in fines. He will also pay into the victims compensation fund. pic.twitter.com/J8x72iGBdV  Meghan Lopez (@Meghan_Lopez) December 21, 2018

Bishop said that his whole life he had cared and protected people as part of his duty. Never expected the result of my actions to lead to something like this he was quoted as saying to the judge, Denver Post reported.

Under the plea deal if Bishop agreed to his crime then it would spare him from serving an imprisonment term. He agreed to take it and admitted to his wrongdoing. 25 year old Reddington, the person who got injured was still recovering from a severed artery in his lower leg. Reddington was satisfied with the plea agreement that included no jail time.

Photo: Reuters/Chase Bishop

The FBI agent was sacked some time later after the unfortunate incident. Bishop was initially charged with second-degree assault, a felony. In exchange for his guilty plea, Bishop will serve two years of unsupervised probation, the district attorney said.

In June this year, Bishop was boasting some dance moves as the crowd around him cheered and filmed him. However, as he performed a back flip and squatted, preparing for his next move, his gun fell off the holster. He tried to reach for it but it fired and a flash of light could also be seen in the video. As it fired people moved aside in dismay following which he was charged with felony.
Juice may be a dog, but he's something of a celebrity in China. Having starred in multiple movies over the years, he commands a six-figure salary.

But what happens when Juice gets too old for showbiz? Well apparently his owner has the perfect replacement.

Images courtesy: Reuters

ALSO READ: This Chinese Doctor Has Made World's 1st Genetically Modified Babies That Can Never Get AIDS

He Jun, Juice's owner, has hired a biotech firm to clone the beloved canine, so his talent can live on even when he passes away. According to Reuters, Sinogene has been offering pet cloning services to customers since 2017, with fees starting at approximately Rs 38 lakh.

If you're wondering why Jun didn't just mate nin-year-old Juice with a female, that's because he couldn't. Apparently he'd picked up the good boy in as a stray and neutered him at the time. So instead, he's cloned his beloved pet, and has ended up with Little Juice.

"Juice himself is a piece of intellectual property with social influence," he told Reuters. "We believe he'll (Little Juice) be even better than the older Juice."

This is perfectly legal in China which, despite already having conducted extensive research into cloning, has formulated no laws restricting the practice on animals. Sinogene reportedly gathered genetic samples from Juice's lower abdomen and then used that DNA to fertilise an egg. Little Juice was born later in September this year.

"We've discovered that more and more pet owners want their pets to accompany them for an even longer period of time," Sinogene CEO Mi Jidong told Reuters.
Actress Karisma Kapoor (left) with the late actress Sridevi on the sets of Zero, which is the last film of Sridevi, who died in February this year. (Karisma Kapoor/Instagram photo)
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Sohrabuddin Shaikh's brother Rubabuddin (center) is shown entering CBI court in Mumbai on Dec. 21. Twelve years after the sensational killing of Sohrabuddin, his associate Tulsiram Prajapati and the rape and murder of Kausar Bi, Shaikhs wife, a Special CBI Court here acquitted all 22 accused in the politically sensitive case, saying "witnesses and proofs were not satisfactory. (IANS photo)
WASHINGTON - December 21, 2018 (Investorideas.com Newswire) U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke announced today the completion of a historic interagency memorandum of agreement (MOA) between 12 federal agencies for expanded participation by federal agencies in the 477-Demonstration Project ("477-initiative"). The MOA is a key requirement identified in amendments provided under the Indian Employment, Training, and Related Services Consolidation Act of 2017, Public Law 115-93, as signed by President Donald Trump on December 18, 2017. The 477-initiative was initially created by Public Law 102-477, the Indian Employment, Training and Related Services Demonstration Act of 1992, 25 U.S.C. section 3401 et seq., which allows federally recognized Tribes to integrate employment and training-related, formula-funded federal grants into a single plan with a single budget and single reporting system to improve effectiveness of those services, reduce joblessness in Indian communities, while reducing administrative, reporting, and accounting costs.

"Tribal prosperity starts with a skilled workforce," said Secretary Zinke. "Bringing federal agencies together to create job-training programs in Indian Country seems like a no-brainer, but it took the leadership of President Donald J. Trump to make this happen. This new agreement will streamline key processes across our government, allowing for the flexibility needed to best fit tribal industries and economies. Every American Indian should have a path to success through the dignity of work - that is the American Dream." "I thank Secretary Zinke for his leadership in expanding federal participation in the 477-initiative," said Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Tara Mac Lean Sweeney. "The Bureau of Indian Affairs, Division of Workforce Development is proudly committed to streamlining the administration of the 477-initiative because job training is an essential component in how Native families gain access to economic security. We look forward to closely working with the other 11 federal agencies to make tribal economies robust."

Since the inception of the 477 Demonstration Project, the Bureau of Indian Affairs has served as the lead agency for implementation. The Division of Workforce Development within the BIA Office of Indian Services will continue to spearhead the implementation of the 2017 amendments and the responsibilities outlined in the MOA. More than 220 Tribes utilize the 477-initiative to streamline the administration of tribal job training programs.

List of participating federal agencies since 1992:  Department of Education  Department of Health and Human Services  Department of the Interior  Department of Labor List of additional participating federal agencies since 2017:  Department of Agriculture  Department of Commerce  Department of Energy  Department of Homeland Security  Department of Housing and Urban Development  Department of Justice  Department of Transportation  Department of Veteran Affairs

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December 21, 2018 (Investorideas.com Newswire) 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 DanWeir@DNIMetals.com 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 contact@provenandprobable.com.

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.

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. Click here for important disclosures about sponsor fees.

4) Statements and opinions expressed are the opinions of the author and not of Streetwise Reports or its officers. The author is wholly responsible for the validity of the statements. The author was not paid by Streetwise Reports for this article. Streetwise Reports was not paid by the author to publish or syndicate this article. The information provided above is for informational purposes only and is not a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Streetwise Reports requires contributing authors to disclose any shareholdings in, or economic relationships with, companies that they write about. Streetwise Reports relies upon the authors to accurately provide this information and Streetwise Reports has no means of verifying its accuracy.

5) This article does not constitute investment advice. Each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her individual financial professional and any action a reader takes as a result of information presented here is his or her own responsibility. By opening this page, each reader accepts and agrees to Streetwise Reports' terms of use and full legal disclaimer. This article is not a solicitation for investment. Streetwise Reports does not render general or specific investment advice and the information on Streetwise Reports should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Streetwise Reports does not endorse or recommend the business, products, services or securities of any company mentioned on Streetwise Reports.

6) From time to time, Streetwise Reports LLC and its directors, officers, employees or members of their families, as well as persons interviewed for articles and interviews on the site, may have a long or short position in securities mentioned. Directors, officers, employees or members of their immediate families are prohibited from making purchases and/or sales of those securities in the open market or otherwise from the time of the interview or the decision to write an article until three business days after the publication of the interview or article. The foregoing prohibition does not apply to articles that in substance only restate previously published company releases. As of the date of this article, officers and/or employees of Streetwise Reports LLC (including members of their household) own securities of DNI Metals, a company mentioned in this article.

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December 21, 2018 (Investorideas.com Newswire) The Public Utilities Commission of Nevada (PUCN) approved NV Energy's three-year Integrated Resource Plan today, which will double the company's renewable energy portfolio through the construction of more than 1,000 megawatts of new solar power.

The plan also calls for 100 megawatts of energy storage, helping create a more flexible and clean grid that delivers reliable power that benefits all Nevadans. Earlier in the planning process, the PUCN approved a plan for the utility to spend about $66 million per year on energy efficiency programs through 2021 - a 30 percent increase from previous years. And, in a separate decision today, the PUCN concluded it was cost-effective to set energy storage targets for the state. The determination was made following an investigation prompted by the passage of Senate Bill 204, which passed in the 2017 Legislature.

These regulatory actions send a clear signal that clean energy expansion is a priority for Nevada. In addition to creating thousands of jobs and generating tremendous economic impact, the continued advancement of Nevada's leadership in this industry will continue to attract innovative energy companies and businesses with sustainability goals to the Silver State.

"Major employers in Nevada have made commitments to invest in energy efficiency and power their operations with renewable energy, and they welcome NV Energy's move to embrace clean energy resources," said Anne Kelly, senior director of policy and the BICEP Network at Ceres, a sustainability nonprofit organization working with influential investors and companies. "Today's decision presents a significant economic opportunity for Nevada to continue to develop its rich renewable resources and accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy, ensuring that the state remains a beacon for corporate renewable energy investments."

"The economics of advanced energy are undeniable  projects are penciling at record-low costs while saving money for businesses and consumers," says Ray Fakhoury, State Policy Manager for the Advanced Energy Economy, a national business group. "The PUCN's determination is another step in the right direction, ensuring Nevada diversifies its energy mix while improving the state's regional competitive advantage as an attractive destination for the businesses of all sizes."

"With the PUCN's decision on NV Energy's 2018 IRP, Nevada is making progress on energy efficiency, allowing the businesses of Nevada to save money and bolster their competitiveness, all while reducing emissions," says Jennifer Kefer, Executive Director for the Alliance for Industrial Efficiency. "We look forward to working with NV Energy in future IRP proceedings to encourage them to promote greater use of clean and efficient combined heat and power (CHP) and waste heat to power (WHP) by offering incentives to support deployment and including utility-owned CHP in its plans."

"Large manufacturing companies advocated for this decision because it saves them money," said Ellen Zuckerman, a senior energy consultant who works for several Fortune 500 manufacturing companies. "When Nevada businesses spend less on electricity, they can invest more in local jobs."

About CEW4NV:

Clean Energy Works for Nevada is a coalition of businesses and advocates who support a strong clean energy economy for the Silver State.

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A demand that drugs company Perrigo pay Revenue 1.6bn in a dispute over tax involving its 2013 acquisition of Elan and the multiple sclerosis drug Tysabri is a straightforward tax 101 row, experts have said.

Nonetheless, the issue could be seen as a reminder for other multinationals still considering moving intellectual property into Ireland about the potential for large tax disputes.

The Revenue Commissioners want Perrigo, which has its head offices based in Dublin, pay around 1.6bn.

The dispute is about whether Perrigo should have paid a much higher rate of tax when it acquired Elan and Tysabri over five years ago. Its a tax 101 case, said a corporate tax expert, involving a dispute between the appropriate rate of tax that a company should pay.

The big difference between the Perrigo case was it was a regular tax dispute between a company and a tax authority, while the finding by the EU that Apple has to repay the Government at least 13bn was based on state-aid law.

Another expert said that the dispute was company-specific but could still have effects by making multinationals think twice before shifting more intellectual property rights into Ireland. Corporate tax receipts this year have soared to about 10bn, as the tax base of multinationals based here expanded.

Perrigo had long signalled up the dispute. In its latest annual report, it also said it had outstanding issues with the US tax authorities over Tysabri.

We have ongoing audits in multiple other jurisdictions the resolution of which remains uncertain, it said.
Bank of Scotland has been forced to compensate thousands of customers for incorrectly charging an extra days mortgage interest for the 2008 Leap Year.

According to the bank, the 10-year-old overcharging error only came to light during a recent review of its Irish mortgage accounts  conducted prior to its sale in September of Irish retail mortgage loans to Australian-owned loan portfolio and property manager, Pepper Asset Servicing.

The bank has set up a helpline for the estimated 28,000 affected customers.

While the bank itself refused to quantify the exact number saying a guess on numbers is likely to be inaccurate, the Irish Examiner was told by staff operating the helpline that the figure is understood to be in the region of 28,000.

The bank also refused to say how much compensation is involved, but again helpline staff said they understand the bulk of the redress figures are double digit. This could put the total payout at up to 2.8m.

Asked if the bank has informed the Central Bank of the error, a spokesperson for Bank of Scotland said: We are in contact with the regulator about this.

The spokesperson also said that the additional days interest was charged for the February 29, 2008, [leap year] which has not occurred in any other leap year.

We are currently reviewing relevant accounts and will ensure that no customers are out of pocket as a result, she said.

The letter sent to customers contains an apology from the bank and a cheque to cover financial loss. This includes the incorrectly charged days interest plus compensatory interest at 8% per year, calculated from June 2008 to December 2018, plus an additional 1 to ensure you are not out of pocket for any fees your bank may charge for encashing your refund.

Joint mortgage account holders should each receive 50% of the amount due.

This paper asked the Central Bank if it is aware of the overcharging error and of the number of people affected by it and the amount of compensation involved.

The Central Bank said while it cannot comment on individual firms it is aware of the error and has engaged with the firm in question.

In a statement, the Central Bank said it expects all firms to have adequate systems and controls in place and where issues that affect customers arise, they should be addressed and rectified, with the overarching objective of protecting consumers interests, including ensuring that they are not left out of pocket.

Firms must also communicate clearly and promptly with affected customers and ensure that any identifiable loss is remediated. Any customer who considers that they have been affected by this error should contact Bank of Scotland via Pepper.

The helpline number is 1890 812823.
Plans to give Irish workers thousands of surplus US visas every year look set to fail.

Ireland has campaigned to be added to the E-3 visa programme which is currently available to Australians.

Australia currently only takes up about 5,000 of the 10,000 visas allocated.

A bill to allow Ireland access to the remaining visas needed US Senate clearance but has failed by one vote.

Niall O'Dowd from IrishCentral.com, says it now seems highly unlikely Irish people will now get access to the scheme.

"We had to get the bill passed by unanimous consent which means 100 senators, we got to 99 and then for some reason we've never been quite able to figure out Senator Tom Cotton from Arkansas put a hold on the bill and prevented it going through," said Mr O'Dowd.

"Unless it happens to get through while the Senate is still discussing the issue of the government shutdown, we're not going to get it through."
Bayern president Uli Hoeness says Rummenigge "has impressively demonstrated his qualities in this office over the past 16 years and we are sure that he's the right man to also lead Bayern Munich successfully in the coming years."
Calls on social media for violent attacks on the bailiffs in the Roscommon eviction incident are akin to incitement of hatred and unacceptable, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said.

This week, after the violence during an eviction in Strokestown, Roscommon, posts on social media called for the bailiffs involved to be shot and fed to pigs, while a manager at KBC Bank was told he was a scumbag who should be in a coffin.

Facebook has said such post did not violate their terms of service and left the page up.

However, Mr Varadkar said such calls were not acceptable and should be taken down.

As far as I am concerned, social media posts like that are incitement of hatred and incitement of violence, he said. And if you were a publisher of a newspaper or a broadcaster, you wouldnt be allowed to promote that kind of stuff and you would be held accountable for it.

Social media companies dont seem to think that they are in any way accountable, I know they cant control the posts that people put up on websites or on social networks, but they can take them down.

And the fact that they dont take down posts that incite hatred and incite violence is just unacceptable in my view.

Mr Varadkar said that, from a Government point of view, what we need to work out is what is the best and most effective way of changing that, and, you know, one of the things we are working on is a Digital Safety Commissioner and we could do that in 2019.

We just would need to be sure that would actually be effective, as we want to do something that is effective, he said.

You can always be seen to be doing things in politics, but we actually want to do something that works and Richard, in particular, is going to work in that area over the course of 2019.

A Facebook spokesperson said earlier this week that while there was no place for content such as bullying, incitement or glorification of violence on Facebook, the page in question would not be shut down.

They said: In this case, we reviewed the page in question and it was found not to be in violation of our policies.

We urge people to use our reporting tools if they find content that they believe violates our standards so we can investigate and take swift action. We complete the review of the vast majority of reports within 24 hours.

An investigation into the conduct of a group of men who carried out an eviction in the Co Roscommon town has been commenced by the Private Security Authority (PSA).

The McGann family were evicted from their home in Falsk last Wednesday week.

In the early hours of last Sunday, the property was stormed by a gang who beat the security guards, burned their vans and cars, and forced them out of the house.
A man has died following a road traffic collision in Kells, Co Meath last night.

A 24-year-old male passenger was fatally injured in a collision between two cars at Boynabought, Kilmainhamwood, Kells, Co Meath.

The 24-year-old male driver and the male driver of the other vehicle were both taken to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda.

Gardai attended the scene of the incident at around 8pm yesterday evening.

The road has been reopened following forensic investigation.

Gardai are appealing for any witnesses to contact Navan Garda Station on 046-9036100, the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111 or any Garda Station.
By Catherine Shanahan, Philip Pullella, and Nicole Winfield

A call by Pope Francis for clerical paedophiles to turn themselves in has been described as a non-runner by the head of an agency for child sexual abuse survivors.

Maeve Lewis, executive director of One in Four, was responding to the Popes appeal to priests who abuse minors during his traditional Christmas address to the Curia, the Vaticans central administration.

The idea that sex offenders would hand themselves in is not a runner, said Ms Lewis.

They dont engage with the authorities.

She said the Catholic Church needs to absolutely co-operate with civil authorities. It is not enough to talk about the need for cultural change in the Catholic Church, she said, adding: That day is long gone.

What we need now is action, Ms Lewis said.

In his address to the Curia, Pope Francis said: To those who abuse minors, I would say this: Convert and hand yourself over to human justice, and prepare for divine justice.

The Pope said the Church will spare no effort to do all that is necessary to bring to justice whoever has committed such crimes. He described crimes of abuse against children as abominations.

It is undeniable that some in the past, out of irresponsibility, disbelief, lack of training, inexperience, or spiritual and human short-sightedness, treated many cases without the seriousness and promptness that was due, he said.

That must never happen again. This is the choice and the decision of the whole Church. The Church will never seek to hush up or not take seriously any case.

Commentators described his speech as one of his strongest comments ever on the crisis sweeping the Catholic Church. It comes two months ahead of an extraordinary summit on the global sexual abuse crisis that will be attended by the heads of some 110 national Catholic bishops conferences and dozens of experts and leaders of religious orders in the Vatican.

However, Andrew Madden, the first person in Ireland to go public about clerical child sexual abuse in 1995, tweeted yesterday that the Pope has not a scintilla of credibility left.

Pope Franciss remarks cap an appalling year for the Catholic Church, one that began with his own botched handling of a sprawling sex abuse scandal in Chile and ended with the US hierarchy in a free-fall of credibility as state prosecutors have begun uncovering decades of cover-up.

He warned the Vatican bureaucrats who run the 1.2bn-strong Church that the scandal now undermines the credibility of the entire enterprise.

He prayed for help so that the Church can discern true cases from false ones.

This is no easy task, since the guilty are capable of skilfully covering their tracks, and choosing victims who they know will keep silent, he said.
The family at the centre of an eviction controversy in Co Roscommon earlier this week have called for a peaceful protest tomorrow.

Local farming and public representatives are expected to speak at the protest which is due to begin at noon on Church St in Strokestown.

The protest follows violent clashes earlier in the week on the farm the family was evicted from.

Eight security personnel were injured and a number of vehicles burnt out during the incident.

Two members of the family have since moved back into their home.

Tomorrow, protestors will gather to call for an end to forced evictions. Local Sinn Fein MEP Matt Carthy says the family want it all to take place in a peaceful manner.

"The McGanns are very clear that these protests need to be about more than them," he said.

"This is about all of those who have been victims of a failed government housing policy and a failed government approach to the banks.

"It's also in opposition to the very oppressive actions of banks and vulture funds over recent times.

"So they welcome the fact that people are mobilising but they urge that all protests be as unobtrusive as possible."
Tenders are now being sought for the construction of a badly-needed bypass in County Cork, but doubts remain over the fate of two similar projects.

Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) announced yesterday that it is seeking a contractor to build the 200m-plus Macroom bypass, which could be completed by the end of 2022.

The 22km dual-carriageway will run from the east of Macroom across the Carrigadrohid Reservoir and onto Ballyvourney.

It will consist of four bridges over the rivers Sullane, Laney, Foherish, and Bohill, and involve the diversion of the River Owengarve.

In addition, there will be 18 road bridges and 13 culverts.

Macroom-based Agriculture Minister Michael Creed said the publication of the tender for the bypass marks one of the final steps before the commencement of the construction phase of this crucial project.

The news that the scheme has finally moved to tender will be warmly received by commuters and residents in the area, said Mr Creed. This is one of the priority projects under Project Ireland 2040 and every effort is being made to ensure this critical piece of infrastructure is commenced and completed at the nearest possible opportunity.

The news was also welcomed by Fine Gael councillor Ted Lucey, chairman of the Blarney/Macroom municipal district council.

TII spokesman Sean ONeill said it is hoped work will start by next September.

A project of this scale and complexity would take approximately three years to complete, he said. Maybe, again, all going well, the project is completed and open by end of 2022 at the earliest, but more likely in 2023.

He said some of the project will be challenging due to the nature of the ground conditions in some areas.

As part of the project, the protected Kerry slug will have to be transferred out of the construction area to a suitable new habitat.

Work will also have to be carried out to ensure the safety of the protected freshwater pearl mussel, which is also present in the area.

Meanwhile, Cork county councillors are to seek a meeting with TII to get clarification on start dates for the construction of the Cork-Limerick motorway (M20) and relief roads in Charleville and Mallow.

The issue was raised at a meeting of the councils Northern Division by Fine Gael councillor Kay Dawson.

Senior engineer Jim Moloney said a business case and project brief for the Charleville road is with TII and that a preliminary line for the road has been decided.

However, he said the council has no indication of the current status of the project.

Charleville-based Fianna Fail councillor Ian Doyle said that while he welcomes the enquiry, careful consideration has to be given to the impact that a relief road might have on the local business community.

We have 15,000 vehicles passing through Charleville every day and just 1% of those stopping brings huge benefits to the town, he said. All I am saying is that when people throw out the words Charleville and traffic, they need to look at the situation as a whole. As a county town, we are punching well above our weight and want to keep it that way.

He said a serious cause for concern is that a definitive timeline for the M20 project has yet to be put in place, despite assurances from the highest levels in Government that the JCBs are nearly ready to start work on the motorway.
THE tree is up, Santa letters are in the post and the kinder-spawn fret endlessly as to whether the man himself will pony up on their extensive list of demands, but it is only on hitting Dublin that I begin to feel the first stirrings of Christmas spirit. The town is delightfully en fete: enough lights to humble the milky way, pine forests in every window and streets packed with grimly determined shoppers.

I am here for a Yuletide gathering of professional peers, extended lunch in Chapter One; by the time I arrive, Christmas and I are linking arms, both calling for a glass. Though not the subject of todays review, as always, dining here is a splendid treat: superb, uniquely Irish hospitality allied to great cooking and I get my first taste of Christmas with a course of Goose Sausage, Smoked Bacon and Red Cabbage. When we leave, dusk is falling and Im ready to sing carols for Ireland.

Later that evening, we arrive at Green Man Wines, a wine merchants/wine bar in Terenure. It is a straightforward retail space but the trove of bottles lining the walls is decor enough for me in this oenophiles Aladdins Cave where I previously enjoyed a lovely evening of random nibbling while proprietor David Gallagher furnished us with excellent choices by the glass.

Im unsure if its a temporary arrangement to clear space at the front of the shop, at what is any wine merchants busiest time of the year, but all tables are now to the rear and we four, my erstwhile wine guru, Il Professore, his Champion Moll and the Fair Lady of the Tuber, plonk down.

When the natural (organic, low intervention) wine phenomenon first hit these shores a few years ago, Il Professore, something of a traditionalist, was a confirmed naysayer but he has commendably mellowed and before I know it has ordered straight from the hipsters playbook, a Pet Nat (Petillant Naturel  mild effervescent wines), the current range, this one, Col Tamarie, an organic Italian white from Veneto, of the Prosecco DOC. Cloudy and crammed with those unfiltered funky, yeast flavours that would have appalled IP just a few years ago, it is dry, crisp, citric and a whole lot of sparkling floral fun. We nibble Valencia almonds, deep fried corn kernels, and lupins (a legume), typical Mediterranean snacks, the merit of the latter two, a radically divisive issue at our table.

Our first dish proper is a bowl of Kellys small yet very flavoursome, sweet, nutty Wild Mussels, though it misses a trick to not also furnish bread for mopping up a fine broth of parsley, garlic and butter.

We seem to have accidentally stumbled on a theme, Italian, natural; our next bottle, Vermentino di Sardegna Tino (Mora & Memo 2015), selected by waiter Lorenzo is a fine choice, deeply floral, herbaceous and fresh, it is beautifully balanced, lingers long on the palate and pairs well with the bolshie little bivalves.

Next up, Flat Iron Steak, tender, pink within, carmelised on the outside, served with Parsnip Fries, Watercress, and a terrific Bearnaise, flush with tarragon and dill, so good, I order more along with a second portion of the criminally addictive, sweet and crispy parsnip fries. Presa Iberico, shoulder of Spanish Iberico pork, is equally flavoursome, a good chaw and served with a sweet red pepper Mojo sauce.

One great joy of GMW is the sense of dining within the actual wine list that comes from being able to stand up, walk over to a wall of wine and spend a few minutes mulling over your next choice. Im determined to do so for at least one of tonights bottles but somewhere between the A of Austrian blaufrankisch and B, most especially, a too bountiful range of Burgundies, I surrender to Lorenzo, reasoning Christmas will be over by the time I choose. His selection is gorgeous: an organic Italian Syrah (Julie & Giulia Cortona 2015); bright, juicy, crunchy, great structure and acidity and loads of spicy fruit  immensely drinkable.

The food offering in GMW is designed to serve the wine, not the other way around, but it is still extremely decent, well-cooked and tasty grub, a fine servant to some splendid wines. It may not be Chapter One but there is a special place in my world for both. Happy Christmas.

The tab

128 (excluding tip)

How to:

Wednesday to Saturday, 5pm to 10pm

The verdict

Food: 7

Service: 8

Value: 8.5

Atmosphere: 8.5

Green Man Wines, 3, Terenure Road North, Dublin 6

Tel: 01-5594234

www.greenmanwines.ie
Amanda Keane didnt want to be pouring pints forever. She soon landed an exciting UN job in Hanoi  but now shes happy to be back in Ireland and surrounded by family this Christmas, writes Kelly OBrien.

Growing up in rural Tipperary, Amanda Keane used to look forward to exchanging letters with her pen-pals in Kenya.

From a young age, her parents told Amanda and her brother about conditions overseas. She became acutely aware that not everyone was as lucky as her  there are people around the world living in poverty.

This knowledge is what inspired Amanda to try to work in the area of overseas development  the ultimate goal being to work for the United Nations.

After completing a BA in Applied Languages in UL, living abroad a few times, moving to Dublin, working in hospitality for four years, completing an MA in Gender Studies in UCD, and spending time in Mexico working with women affected by prostitution, my long-time dream of working in the UN finally came true, says Amanda.

I was beginning to despair of ever putting my experience to good use, and thinking Id end up forever pouring pints, when I came across the UN Volunteers programme sponsored by Irish Aid. Every year, Irish Aid sponsor around 10 Irish 20-somethings to go abroad and work for the United Nations for 12 months. I was selected to join UN Women in Vietnam.

Settling into life in Hanoi was easy enough, Amanda explains.

It was easy for me to manage on my living allowance and I found a place to live no problem, made friends quickly, and found my way around the city.

She faced some challenges in work initially, struggling to understand the UN systems, but soon found her feet.

I ended up doing some pretty substantial work within UN Women on gender equality in ethnic minorities, and co-ordinating an effective response to violence against women, she says.

My social life was good, and homesickness was rare. My biggest issue in Vietnam was the physical environment, and my body never fully adapted to the high pollution, heat, and humidity. All in all, though, life was good.

That being said, Amanda reveals that there were some things that didnt sit well with her.

I couldnt quite shake the feeling that, deep down, I wanted to put my skills and knowledge to use in Ireland, even though I knew how hard it was to find a paid role in the not-for-profit sector, she says.

As I had grown older and began to understand how things like gender, class, and race intertwine to create inequality, I started to see all the problems in Irish society that I thought only happened abroad. While the experience and exposure I was gaining in Vietnam was incredible, I also knew that ultimately I wanted to work in the NGO sector to end sexual exploitation and always planned to revert back to this area.

In September, Amanda was offered a second year with UN Women, and verbally accepted  glad to have 2019 figured out, and happy to continue working in the area of gender equality. Scrolling through Twitter in September, however, she saw Ruhama was hiring.

I knew I had to apply, she says. Ruhama is Irelands dedicated frontline NGO providing support to women affected by prostitution and sex trafficking. After returning from Mexico and before departing for Vietnam, I had volunteered with Ruhama as an English language tutor and was extremely passionate about the organisation and its stance on the abolishment of prostitution.

Part of me was afraid to apply for fear of rejection but I did, knowing that this was exactly what I wanted to do.

She was offered the position in October and, though passionate about the work being done in Vietnam also, made the decision to hand in her notice and return to Irish shores.

Fast forward to right now and I am back in Dublin, settling into my new job and, even though Im freezing, Im extremely content, she says .

While Amanda admits it is a little daunting to be home, and is currently living with family due to the state of the rental market at the moment, she is happy to be back.

I love it here, she says.

I have my friends, theres the buzz of the city, and there has also been an increase in the number of people here who are standing up for what they believe in and fighting for equality.



More than that, Im working for an organisation I wholly believe in, at a crucial time as Ireland continues to implement the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act passed into law in 2017 which criminalizes the purchase of sex, and decriminalizes the individual selling sex. Over the next few years, Im hopeful that we will see a continual shift in attitudes to the commodification of womens bodies in Ireland.

Amanda says she had been dreading the prospect of not being home for Christmas this year, and now is happy to be back and surrounded by family.

I have no plans to leave again any time soon, and Im very excited to see what life back in Ireland has in store for me this time around,

It taught me a lot about myself and life

A distinct lack of job opportunities at home forced a newly graduated Jessie Keogh to think about looking for work abroad.

Eager to enter the working world, but reluctant to go too far from her partner, the Kilkenny native set her sights across the pond.

I missed proper tea and brown bread. Jessie Keogh went to London soon after she finished college, but is happy to be home now.

I had just finished college, she says. There wasnt much happening at home at the time, so I considered making the leap abroad. My other half was still finishing his final year of college So I decided I was going to go to London.

I hit the job boards and went hell for leather. I started researching online and applying for different jobs that interested me.

Before long, Jessie secured an interview and flew over especially for it. Upon her return, and two days before her sisters wedding, Jessie found out she had been successful.

I told my family and my friends and they were all very happy and supportive of me, she says. Looking back, I think they might have felt it was a bit rushed though. It all kind of happened in the space of a few weeks. It was a huge decision to make at the time, especially as I was going to be away from my partner, but I was really determined and eager to start working and making my way, as they say. So, in the end, I decided to just go for it.

The most difficult thing for me was leaving my boyfriend and, actually, my car! As silly as that sounds, it was like leaving behind a bit of independence, even though I was probably being the most independent I ever was by moving away and starting a new life.

Jessie made the leap and moved to London  applied for a national insurance number, set up a British bank account, found a place to live, and entered the working world.

The hardest part for me was letting go of college life, she says. I really missed seeing my friends every day and the carefree aspect of it. It took me a while to find my way and adjust.

As it turned out, however, Jessie found she wasnt happy in the work shed secured.

I really didnt like my job, she says. I wasnt happy in it at all. I wanted to stay and find another job in London, but it just wasnt happening for me. In the end, I got offered a job back home, so I came back.

Looking back, I think I definitely rushed into it. I was so eager to just get working that I didnt stop to really think: Is this job actually for me? 

While it didnt work out for Jessie abroad, she is happy she had the experience.

It taught me a lot about myself and life in general and it definitely toughened me up, she says. But I am really happy to be home now. Im doing a job I really enjoy and Im close to all my family and friends.

Aside from missing proper tea and brown bread, I just missed Irish people in general while I was abroad. Its not until you go away that you realise we are a very special breed! We are just so friendly, warm, and welcoming and I missed that.

Our Australian adventure brought us closer together

Living and working abroad was always the goal for Corkonian James Twomey and his wife, Kerrywoman Lisa Stack.

The duo talked about it relentlessly, quizzing friends who had gone abroad and returned as well as those who had gone abroad and stayed there.

After extensive research, the duo came to the conclusion that Australia was the logical choice, given the relatively easy access to working holiday visas.

Wed always talked about going abroad with our friends and families so I dont think it was a big surprise when we did, says John. Our thinking at the time was we didnt have a mortgage or children and wanted a bit of an adventure, so what did we have to lose by taking a chance?



I do remember my grandad asking me about the decision, as we were both working steady jobs, and wondering if we could just go on a holiday instead  out of concern that wed lose that security we had  but he understood and wished us well.

The couple, who were just dating at the time, left for Australia in 2012.

We had friends in Perth and I sent a box of clothes and stuff to them with the idea that wed collect it and keep moving, says James. We travelled from Sydney to Melbourne, then flew to Perth where we hung around for a little longer and a little longer and then Lisa got a job where they offered to sponsor her for permanent residency. So we decided to hang around and see how it went.

In total, the couple spent just under six years living Down Under.

I dont think we knew how long we were going to go for, but I knew in my mind we werent going for a backpacking holiday, says James. My intention was to go and try to live in a different place and really get to know it, and if it stuck and we liked it we went with the idea that we were going to have a real go at trying to become part of wherever we went.

James Twomey and Lisa Stack initially went to Australia on working holiday visas

We were pretty lucky setting up life in Australia, and it was actually pretty easy, from what I remember. Im an engineer and Lisas an accountant, so Australia and Ireland are pretty well aligned for those professions, in terms of recognising qualifications.

While getting settled into Oz was relatively easy, James said that might not have been the case if it hadnt been for the help of fellow expats.

Friends in Australia were a help in getting set up, he says. My cousin had been in Sydney for a few years before, so we crashed with him when we arrived. Lisas friend has relations north of Melbourne that let us stay, and our friends in Perth put us up for the first couple of months until we got working and were able to rent our own place.

While moving abroad was the right move for James and Lisa on the job front, the experience also brought them closer together.

I would say we probably learned more about each other while we were in Australia that we had before we moved, says James. I think its one of the best decisions weve made together.

The couple flew back to Ireland to get married in September of 2016, and then returned to their lives on the opposite side of the world. They received Australian citizenship in January of this year, but only a few months later decided to return to Ireland on a permanent basis.

Really, I think wed done everything we wanted to do living in Australia, says James. We got our citizenship, so well always be part Australian, but home was calling and we wanted to come back and give it a go here together, closer to friends and family.

And so far, so good. Weve moved to Dublin, which is new for both of us. We both found work in roles we wanted very quickly, and were looking forward to spending Christmas at home together for the first time in five years. Were looking forward to it.

I'm very thankful that I've had the opportunities to move around

More than 80,000 Irish citizens emigrated in 2011, fleeing an economic downturn and a discernible lack of job opportunities. Mayo woman Helena Murphy was one of them.

I had recently completed a degree and jobs were few and far between, she said.

I was living in Galway working in customer service and finding it nigh impossible to get work in my area of interest  law.

Helena Murphy

Helena revealed it seemed obvious she would have to get further qualification to stand out from the crowd.

I decided to apply for a Master's Degree in International Law in Leiden, the Netherlands. It didn't even cross my mind to apply to an Irish university, she said.

My first step was researching the courses that interested me and I began the application process roughly nine months before the enrolment date. I also had to prepare myself financially, but thankfully the costs of moving to the Netherlands were fairly minimal. The university enrolment fees were just over 1,000 - which is a fraction of the cost of a masters in Ireland.

Helenas family and friends were hugely supportive of the move. Most saw it as inevitable, in fact, considering the economic circumstances.

Looking back, Helena said it was the right thing for her to do at the time, but that she did have to get used to a different way of life.

In the Netherlands I quickly had to adjust to Dutch timekeeping and also to their culture which I think is noticeably different from ours, she said.

They have a reputation of being a bit direct and people there are certainly more upfront than Irish people.

While Helena was prepared for this, it was still a bit of a culture shock  and once that made her miss the distinctive humour and warmth of the Irish.

After one year of study in the Netherlands, Ireland was still not a viable option for Helena. The economic situation was no better than it had been a year before  even for a girl newly armed with a masters degree.

She moved to Brussels for a year to work, followed by stints in London and Berlin.

Its fair to say that I had a slightly nomadic existence for a few years but I'm very thankful that I've had the opportunities to move around and have the experience of living in different countries.

Roughly six years after leaving for the Netherlands, Helena eventually started to think about returning home on a permanent basis.

When I initially left, I had no idea when I would move back to Ireland and it was not something I gave any thought to at the time, she said.

But I eventually moved back for a job opportunity in a law firm. The job market has improved hugely since I moved abroad in 2011 and I felt like the time was right to move back.

While Helena admits to feeling a little frustrated with a number of aspects of her move home  such as the high cost of living in Dublin and what she refers to as sub-standard public transport and cycling facilities  Helena is glad to be back.
Last Tuesday evening, political correspondents gathered with the Government press secretary for our weekly post-Cabinet briefing.

Reporters are informed in vague enough terms about what matters were discussed by ministers earlier that day.

Because the agenda was so heavy, the Cabinet meeting had to be split in two, which meant our briefing was later than usual too.

One of the items to be discussed by ministers was the new HSE service plan for 2019. This is the master plan as to how the health service plans to spend its whopping 17bn current and capital budget for next year.

That is 17 billion.

Given the scale of the monies involved, one naturally assumed it was the subject of a detailed debate among ministers, with issues fleshed out to the letter and probing examination of budgets.

One also assumed that the health budget in the past three years has seen double-digit growth year-on- year, on top of what have become predictable budget overruns of in excess of 500m a year.

So one asked the Government press secretary the question: Was there a prolonged discussion at Cabinet on the HSE Service Plan?

Eh, no, it was only noted by Cabinet, as is normally the case, came the reply.

But it seems that even these year-on-year record increases in funding are not enough.

Yesterday, health economist Brian Turner of University College Cork warned that the HSE has very little wriggle room in its budget for next year and if additional money is required, services might have to be cut.

Dr Turner told RTEs Morning Ireland that while the 200 extra beds planned for 2019 will help the overstretched service, they will be only a drop in the ocean.

Dr Turner was commenting on the HSE Service Plan which reveals that a record day-to-day spending budget of 16bn has been allocated in 2019, an increase of almost 850m on 2018s budget.

The increase comes following an overspend of 700m in health this year. Dr Turner added that 114m will immediately go on last years over-run.

The HSE is being up-front that they will have to cut services, he said.

They have indicated there are a number of risks, but theyre not clear which services could potentially be cut.

Dr Turner said one option would be to cut elective procedures to ensure emergency procedures are prioritised.

Another area of concern in relation to the budget will be public service pay restoration.

So in light of these risks, surely it would have been more advisable to do more than merely note the 17bn plan?

Is it any wonder that we end up with the charade every year in relation to health, when such little attention is paid?

At the same Cabinet meeting, to reinforce the chaos of health spending, ministers approved a 400m cost increase to the increasingly expensive National Childrens Hospital.

As Taoiseach Leo Varadkar informed the Dail, the project, which was initially forecast to cost about 450m is now going to cost at least 1.43bn.

Quite correctly, the increase left many agog.

We are now told that the projected cost is 1.4bn, said Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin.

This is despite the fact that on 27 September, and the week before that, the Minister for Health, Simon Harris, said it would nbe about 983m. In the space of about six weeks it has apparently gone from less than 1bn to 1.4bn, which is extraordinary stuff.

We have a Minister for Health, we have a Cabinet committee on health, and yet the recently projected cost of 1.4bn seems to have caught everybody by surprise, including the Taoiseach. It has an impact on other projects within the health service and indeed across the public service in general.

Mr Martin demanded to know why the nabsence of transparency on this?

"Deputy Cowen [Fianna Fail spokesman on Public Expenditure] has been pursuing this for quite some time, as indeed have many journalists such as Fiachra O Cionnaith [of this parish].

Will the Taoiseach confirm that the up-to-date projected cost, including IT and fit-out costs, is 1.4bn? Is that the upper limit of the cost of the hospital? How did this overrun occur? Were there deficiencies at the tender stage?

Will the Taoiseach outline to the House what other projects will be delayed or cancelled as a result of the overrun on the children's hospital, and will he specify that in terms of Health and other

departments?

Will the Government stop stone-walling on this and provide a detailed and transparent presentation on this entire issue, because the public is entitled to know?

In response, the Taoiseach said the Cabinet met and discussed the escalating costs.

We agreed to accept the new overall cost, which is 1.433bn, he said.

That represents a 450m increase on what we had projected in April 2017. Of that, 319m is made up of increased constructions, 50m is VAT and the remainder relates to staff planning, design teams, risk contingency, and the management equipment service to make sure that the hospital is properly equipped.

There will be further investigations as to how these costs escalated by so much since April last year, and the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board will be available to brief members of the Committee of Public Accounts (PAC) and of the Oireachtas joint committee, to give them any information that they want about this project and about the reasons behind the escalating costs, he said in a bid to assuage concern.

One noted with deep irony that in this instance, the PAC was deemed to be an appropriate body to investigate the overrun, when so recently it had been branded a kangaroo court by some.

But in truth, Varadkars answer was completely insufficient. Behind the scenes, he is said to be furious at having to make available such enormous pots of additional cash, but what is sadly lacking so far is any sense of accountability from those responsible.

The reason I raise this is that this hospital project was deliberately not given to the HSE or the OPW to build, precisely to avoid such unforeseen cost escalations.

A board has been appointed, with plenty of expertise of building such big projects, yet this escalation of costs has occurred. And worse, Varadkar made it clear that more pain is likely.

Plans for the National Children's Hospital.

The problem is that for the State, we are so far down this track that pulling out is not an option.

Despite being the biggest payer for services, it yet again seems we are not able to use that muscle to deliver cost-effectiveness for the taxpayer.

However, as Mr Varadkar made clear, because of this incredibly sloppy management of budgets, other much-needed projects will suffer, either through delay or cancellation.

All of this must also be remembered in the context that the HSE is struggling to find a new director general, meaning a major vacuum has been allowed to open up at the top of the health service.

After seven years in office, Fine Gael must finally realise that has done enormous damage when it comes to healthcare. This week is just the latest example of its incompetence and mismanagement.
"We looked to score and then protect our advantage," Calleri said. "It was a very good cross from Borja. We had talked about him looking for me at the far post."
Burma AA Issues Threatening Letters to Rakhine Police, Village Head

Photos of a warning letter issued by the Arakan Army went viral on Facebook on Saturday morning, December 22, 2018. / Facebook

YANGON The Arakan Army (AA) sent warning letters, each accompanied by a bullet round and the official AA stamp, warning the recipients against disturbing those who are implementing the way of Rakhita, a phrase which was coined by the political wing of the AA, the United League for Arakan.

One letter was sent each to the head of a local police station in Buthidaung Township, the Nwar Yon Taung village administrator and a well-connected timber businessman on Friday. The letters said that if someone disrupts their movement, the AA will decisively take action against them.

The Irrawaddy phoned one of the letter recipients on Saturday but the mobile phone was switched off.

The warnings come just days after reports from locals that a Myanmar Army (Tatmadaw) helicopter launched hellfire missiles and machine gun attacks above a village towards the densely forested mountain range where Arakan Army (AA) fighters are currently based in northern Rakhine States Kyauktaw Township, causing the the entire village of Chin Ma Won Zaung to flee to neighboring Thalu Chaung Village on Wednesday.

U Kyaw San Tin, a local from Thalu Chaung Village, said that a group of 84 people from Chin Ma Won Zaung Village are currently sheltering at Thalu Chaung Monastery. He said that as a helicopter opened fire into the forest, a number of empty rounds poured down onto the village and some displaced villagers found a bullet belt which had fallen from the helicopter.

Despite Myanmar President Offices spokesman U Zaw Htay stating on Friday at the weekly press briefing that the army did not use helicopter attacks in fighting with the AA in northern Rakhine, locals who escaped the conflict zone were able to show photo evidence of the bullet belt which fell from the helicopter.

A local social worker, Ko Zaw Win from Kyauktaw Township, who recently went to the conflict area to carry out relief efforts said that despite the Tatmadaws Commander-in-Chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaings announcement that they will halt all military operations in five military commands for four months, fighting continued to take place in northern Rakhine as of Saturday. On Saturday morning, the armys artillery unit fired serial artillery shells, some of which are said to have landed on Panyar Wa Village.

Ko Zaw Win said, Villagers from Pa Nyar Wa also fled to other locations. Most of them are daily laborers and rely on farming. As the fighting is fierce there, they cannot tend their cattle.

According to him, about 180 displaced people sought shelter in Thalu Chaung Village yesterday. U Kyaw San Tin also said that a Tatmadaw artillery unit based one mile away from his village fired heavy artillery into the forest constantly on Saturday. Some women and children, feeling threatened by the loud explosions, had already left the village for safer places while men remain in the village in order to maintain their properties.

The AA announced this morning via their official Facebook page that the Tatmadaw launched artillery fire near Pa Nyar Wa and Maung Hnama villages today and fighting has intensified since Dec. 18. The military did not release any update about the skirmishes in northern Rakhine State.

With armed conflicts flaring up in Buthidaung, Rathedaung, Ponnagyun and Kyauktaw townships, the number of displaced persons has climbed drastically. U Khine Kaung San, founder of Wunlark Foundation, estimates around 800 displaced villagers are sheltering in neighboring villages in different townships and local relief groups are overseeing humanitarian assistance for the internally displaced persons.

In Rathedaung Township, villagers have been ordered by local authorities to display their family registration documents on the front of their houses in preparation for surprise headcounts. Some local observers are speculating that with the Tatmadaws Western Commend on high alert, fighting could further intensify between the AA and government troops on the ground.
West Ham was bidding to win a fifth match in a row but fell behind when Robert Pereyra wriggled free in the penalty area and was caught by a clumsy late challenge from Fabian Balbuena.
Last year, a state prosecutor accused Ronaldo of four counts of tax fraud from 2011-14 worth 14.7 million euros ($16.5 million). Ronaldo was accused of having used shell companies outside Spain to hide income made from image rights.
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The Tribune in February reported that John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance, which developed the skyscraper that opened in 1970, would no longer have its name on the building. It is now known as 875 North Michigan Avenue after John Hancocks parent, Toronto-based insurer Manulife Financial  which no longer pays for naming rights  asked that the Hancock name no longer be associated with the tower.
Koji has long been used in Japan to make soy sauce, sake, miso and other traditional foods. Now, this ancient fermented ingredient is trending on both sides of the Pacific as restaurant chefs and home cooks see it as a convenient source of flavor-boosting umami, which is often described as a sense of savoriness.

What is koji? According to "A Dictionary of Japanese Food," it is "rice, barley or soybeans infected with the mold (kabi) called Aspergillus oryzae." Porridge-like, koji comes in a variety of forms. Shio-koji is made with salt; shoyu-koji is made with soy sauce; ama-koji is a sweetened variety.

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Koji can be purchased as a prepared product (check Japanese stores or online at shopmitsuwa.com) or you can purchase dried koji and ferment it yourself; instructions are online at various sources.

"It is a very old naturally fermented food, that's gotten very popular in Japan in recent years as a natural source of umami as well as beneficial flora for your digestive system," writes Makiko Itoh, a food writer and blogger, in an email sent from her home in Vaison-la-Romaine, France. "It's great to use in marinades for meat, poultry or fish."

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What does koji taste like? I tried both Kanekichi's Kojiya brand salt and soy kojis. The salt koji looked like an off-white lumpy sauce. The aroma was slightly briny, the taste more emphatically salty and bright  like the flavor equivalent of an exclamation point. The soy koji was smoother and had a salty, caramel-like flavor. It reminded me of a Chinese bean paste but with less obvious salt. Again, a very bright-tasting product.

Itoh uses salt koji to create a quick sauce made from canned tomatoes. The ingredient "enhances the umami in the tomatoes and gives the sauce a 'meaty' flavor without adding any meat,'' she writes.

 Bill Daley, Tribune Newspapers
Eduardo Marmolejo, 36, was one of two Chicago police officers killed on Dec. 17, 2018, when they were hit by a train. He and his partner, Conrad Gary, 31, were pursuing a shooting suspect on foot near Metra tracks when they were hit by an outbound South Shore train.

(Chicago Tribune)
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 22)  One of the most wanted Abu Sayyaf members who has been at large for 17 years was nabbed December 20 in joint police operations in Binondo, Manila.

A report by the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) identified the bandit as Sudais Asmad, alias Abu Nas who was among those responsible for the kidnapping of 15 employees of Golden Harvest Plantation in Basilan in June 2001.

The police report also linked Asmad to Abu Sayyaf leader Isnilon Hapilon, one the terrorist leaders behind the the deadly battle of Marawi last year.

The police said Asmad was also among the Abu Sayyaf members in Basilan who was supposed to augment the terrorist forces in Marawi City.

A previously arrested member of the bandit group also identified Asmad as the groups recruiter in Luzon, whose job was guised as a Balik Islam, or an Islam conversion initiative.

He is in Manila purportedly to receive financial support from sympathisers of the Dawlah Islamiya and unknown missions, NCRPO said.

The police cited in its report that Asmad relocated from Bgry. Landang, in Zamboanga del Sur, worked as a delivery boy, and lived in the slums of Baseco Compound in Tondo, Manila.

However, fact-checking reveals that Landang is located in Zamboanga City. There are also two villages named Landang Laum" and "Landing Gua" in the city. It is unclear which of these two villages Asmad came from.

The Abu Sayyaf bandit was apprehended by the joint operatives of the Regional Special Operations Unit, Regional Intelligence Group, and the Philippine National Police (PNP) Intelligence Group, who served a warrant of arrest issued by a Basilan Regional Trial Court a decade ago.

A .45 caliber Remington Rand INC pistol with a magazine containing four live bullets and another live bullet in the chamber were confiscated from the bandit during his arrest.
It was not clear what injuries the firefighter suffered, but he was taken to Presence St. Francis Hospital in Evanston, where his condition had stabilized, said Chicago Fire Department spokesman Curtis Hudson.
WASHINGTON D.C. --

UPDATE 12/22

After failing to reach an agreement on border wall funding, both sides digging in.

Trump tweeted, "Our great country must have border security."

Senator Chuck Schumer (D) Minority Leader says, "Mr. President, if you want to open the government, you must abandon the wall."

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell declaring the senate out of session until after Christmas asking Democrats and the President to come up with a deal.

McConnell says, "We've pushed the pause button until the President, from whom we'll need a signature, and Senate Democrats from whom we will need votes, reach an agreement."

Following a lunch meeting with the President on Saturday, Republican Senators indicated they would settle for less than the $5 billion the President wants for the border wall, but balked at Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumers offer of $1.3 billion.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina says, "I'll tell you what it's gotta be. It's gotta make some sense. I don't think I would take an offer of 1.3 when i've been previously offered 1.6."

Both sides arguing this is all a political stunt.

Schumer says, "The wall is President Trump's bone to the hard right people. It's no way to spend $5 billion, for political bone."

Graham says, "They just have a hatred for Trump, they've won the house, they want the fight, they don't wanna solve the problem they are going backwards not forwards."

Now with the halls of congress empty, not much optimism that this shutdown will end soon

As of midnight Saturday, more than 400,000 federal employees are temporarily working without pay. Including some border security officials.

---

President Donald Trump says, "Let's get it done. The shutdown hopefully will not last long."

After a dramatic day, the senate adjourned Friday night without a deal to avert a government shutdown, but an agreement to keep working.

Senator Mitch McConnell the (R) Majority Leader says "I hope Senate Democrats will work with the white house on an agreement that can pass both houses of congress and receive the president's signature."

Lines of communication between key players did reopen in a last-minute effort. Early Friday afternoon, a government shutdown seemed inevitable.

Senate Republicans returning to capitol hill after a meeting at the white house where the president reiterated he wouldn't budge on his border security demands.

Later the white house sent Vice President Mike Pence, budget chief and incoming acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney and Adviser Jared Kushner to capitol hill to meet Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer.

Senator Chuck Schumer (D) Minority Leader says "We are willing to continue discussions on those proposals with the leader, the President, the Speaker of the House, and the Leader of the House."

Thursday night House Republicans furiously worked to pass a stopgap spending bill. Extending government funding until February and adding 5.7 billion dollars for a wall.

The House also adjourned Friday night, waiting for the next move.

Representative Kevin McCarthy (R) House Majority leader says, "I'm not bringing any bill to the floor that does not have the support of the president and we got to make sure it protects the border and the same time as it funds government."

The President Friday night putting the shutdown burden on the Senate.

President Donald Trump says, "Now it's up to the Senate and it's really up to the Democrats because we need their votes."

This partial government shutdown impacts nine of the fifteen cabinet level departments and a number of agencies.

It accounts for about 25% of government funding and about 420,000 federal workers will be working without pay until the shutdown is over.
EAGLE POINT, Ore. -- A group held a Christmas vigil and rally Friday evening outside of the Eagle Point Police Department. They want to remember Matthew Graves, the man shot and killed in a Carl's Jr. restroom by police in September.

An organizer and long-time friend of Graves, Lashea Smith, said Graves loved Christmas and was extremely generous and kind.

"He was just such a giver and a great friend, you could count on him for anything," Smith said.

After the shooting, a Grand Jury later cleared both officers involved of any wrongdoing.

Following the release of body camera footage and transcripts of the shooting, the Graves family filed a wrongful death lawsuit. It claims Graves' civil rights were violated.

The lawsuit names the City of Eagle Point, the Eagle Point Police Department, and Officer Cardenas responsible for the deprivation of Matthew Graves' civil rights and his wrongful death. It asks that a federal jury determine the "full and fair value" of those damages, plus fees for experts and attorneys.

Smith said they want to focus on spreading awareness about mental illness.

They also want better training for officers when they are interacting with someone with a mental illness.

"We felt like it got escalated and it never should have happened the way it did," Smith said.

She said she will continue to plan vigils in the future to show support to the Graves family.
MEDFORD, OR-- Today at the airport in Medford everyone Newswatch 12's Leah Thompson spoke to had something to be excited for.

Macy Berashear a traveller says "I'm headed to Tulsa, Oklahoma."

Steve Susland also a traveller passenger says "Today we are going to Arizona."

For some that means going home.

Macy says "I'm flying back home for the holidays week/ week and a half."

and for others that means going somewhere different for the holiday this year.

Steve says "Warmer Christmas."

Everyone Leah spoke to today was in good spirits. It was surprising because a number of flights were delayed and a few cancelled. Macy Bearshers's flight was delayed today and you could never tell with how excited she was to go home.

Macy says, "I'm most looking forward to eating. As an adult you don't really care about the presents anymore. It's all about the food."

The airport administrative office says they are expecting more people flying in and out of the airport this year compared to last year. With rain and snow chances in the forecast this weekend more cancellations and delays are very possible.

Macy says "I'm most excited about seeing my family members."

So whether you are driving to family's home an hour away this holiday or flying across the country... be prepared for any last minute hiccups or delays.

To check flight status for Medford Airport follow this link: http://jacksoncountyor.org/airport/Flights/Flight-Schedules
In a lab at County hospital, he met chemist Karin Zacharias. Zacharias and her Jewish family had made their way out of Germany and to Shanghai in the late 1930s. Old friend Ilse Lehmeier, who was also from Germany and first met Zacharias in Shanghai, said they both came to the U. S. in 1947. They both eventually came to Chicago.
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For the last 25 years, I have had the privilege of being a designated airman medical examiner by the Federal Aviation Administration. To earn that privilege, it required flying to FAA headquarters and taking a one-week training course followed by refresher training material every three years.

The FAA grades medical examiners annually by our judgment and decision-making. The nature of the questions we are required to ask the pilot candidates, and the exam, have been dictated by the rigors of being a pilot and reflect the stresses unique to flying a plane safely. Many of them were created after a plane crash, fatality and the resulting National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigation revealed a health reason involved in the crash.

I attended my refresher course in Washington, D.C. this past week over a three-day period. Physicians designated by the FAA fly to the event and stay at their own expense. By law, the FAA is not permitted to pay for food, coffee or any expenses. Over 50 percent of the attendee physicians are pilots who fly to the conference in their own private planes. There are about 2,800 physicians performing these exams around the world and, judging by the grey hairs, and canes in the crowd; they are getting significantly older reflecting the same process in the physician population in our country.

This was the first time I attended this meeting, and I saw a significant number of women physicians in the audience which makes me believe there is diversity in the physician examining population as well. The speakers on medical topics are first rate. We heard from leading doctors at the best places, all leaders in aerospace medicine and research in cardiology, neurology, psychiatry, otolaryngology, ophthalmology, fatigue and sleep medicine. I learn a great deal of general medicine to bring back to my medical practice medicine at these sessions.

Performing FAA exams for pilots is not a particularly lucrative proposition. You see three classes of candidates including the commercial pilots for class 1 exams, navigators for class 2 exams and general aviation or civilian private pilots for class 3.

As our pilot population continues to age, domestic airlines are now retiring them at age 65. If perfectly healthy, a class 1 pilot starts getting EKGs annually at age 39, and they are then seen every six months at a minimum. The exam and paperwork take 45 minutes at least and must be transmitted back to the FAA by computer. If you detect a problem either by your taking a history, or performing an exam, there is a further investment of time and research to provide the FAA safety experts with the medical records they need to determine if the pilot is healthy enough to safely fly a plane.

I would say the vast majority of examiners charge only $175 or less for these exams. Try getting that time, attention and value when you go to most physicians for an exam.

The reward for being a designated airman medical examiner is being part of a team that keeps the skies safe for the flying public. Seeing accident and mortality rates decrease year after year brings an extraordinary sense of satisfaction. I get to work with extraordinarily talented and dedicated employees of the FAA, from the staff at my Regional Flight Surgeons headquarters in Atlanta, and the professionals in Oklahoma City and D.C. who read, train and study so when I fly from place to place, I arrive there intact after an uneventful flight. There you have it. Commercial air travel is really safe.

Steven Reznick is an internal medicine physician and can be reached at Boca Raton Concierge Doctor.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
SPRINGFIELD, Ore. -- All 437 students at Guy Lee Elementary School in Springfield got a free pair of shoes on Friday thanks to the community and a local business.

The students have been learning about kindness all month long and during a Friday assembly they were each surprised with a brand new pair of shoes from Rack Room Shoes.

The shoes were wrapped up like Christmas presents, and the students opened them all up at once. Each pair was hand-picked by a staff member who worked with parents, staff and volunteers to get the correct size for each student.

Principal Amber Mitchell said some of their students come from low-income families so getting a free pair of shoes means their parents have one less thing to worry about during the holidays.

"We do have a lot of students who come to school with shoes that have holes in them and are in poor condition and so for them to have a brand new pair of shoes right before the break is a really nice surprise for them," Mitchell said.

This is the third year Rack Room Shoes has worked with Guy Lee Elementary to surprise the students with new kicks. This year they donated $6,000 to make it happen.
SPRINGFIELD, Ore. -- After months of investigating, officials were able to make a sex abuse arrest Wednesday morning.

Springfield police have been investigating sexual abuse allegations against Roy Jay Williams for the past few months.

Williams is accused of sexually abusing at least two girls under the age of 14 between 2012 and 2014. Police said during that time he was living on A Street in Springfield.

The Marion County Sheriff's Office helped Springfield police arrest Williams at a home in Aumsville, Oregon. He was booked into the Marion County Jail and will be transferred to the Lane County Jail.

Williams is facing charges of unlawful penetration, rape, and sodomy.
CRESWELL, Ore. -- The mother of Creswell Middle School student accused of creating a hit list targeting students said her son was bullied.

The mother, who didn't want to be identified, said her son could be expelled and face felony charges. She said her son never admitted to being bullied before.

"I'd never thought my kid would be the one to plan something like this," she said. "He just made a bad choice and I think it's probably a good thing he did get caught because it brought him out to say I'm being bullied and harassed."

The mother wants to apologize to the students who are on the list, as well as their parents. She is urging parents to talk to their kids about bullying and believes the Creswell School District needs to have a zero-tolerance policy.

"If it were my kid on that list I'd be mad too," she said. "I'd be full force going to law enforcement and going to the school making sure this doesn't happen again."

Creswell Superintendent Todd Hamilton said he couldn't discuss any disciplinary actions or the reason behind the hit list, but said they take bullying seriously. He said Staff at the Creswell School District are trained to recognize and prevent bullying. He encourages parents to talk with their kids and tells students to come forward to a trusted adult.

"Regardless of where a report comes from if it comes to us we are going to look into the matter," Hamilton said. "We work hard to develop relationships with kids here at school and we know that parents work hard to develop relations with their own kids. A lot of it is just finding the time or making the time to talk with their kids."

The mother said her son has been released from custody and they don't have guns in their home. She said he's been suspended and an expulsion hearing is scheduled for next month.
COOS BAY, Ore.  A marijuana dispensary in Coos Bay has been fined by the Oregon Liquor Control Commission for four violations.

Positive Vibrations either has to pay a $4,290 fine or have its licensed suspended for 26 days.

Documents filed by the OLCC said the dispensary made social media posts involving cartoon images that could be attractive to minors.

They said the posts also depicted people consuming marijuana and encouraged people to get high.

The OLCC documents said the dispensary also advertised a free pre-roll marijuana item online, which is illegal.
The winner of this weeks online reader poll for funniest tweet is, Opening gifts that say From Mom & Dad and knowing that Dad is going to be just as surprised as you are, by @kelllicopter. To read a list of my choices for the top 10 winter-holiday tweets of all time, visit chicagotribune.com/zorn, where you will also find instructions on how to sign up to receive a weekly email alert after each poll is posted.
AUSTIN, Minn.  A trial is scheduled for a Mower County man accused of physically abusing an eight-week-old child.

Nathaniel Ambrose, 22 of Austin, was arrested in August and charged with 1st degree assault causing great bodily harm. The Lyle Police Department says it got a call on August 25 from the Olmsted Medical Center about an infant boy brought in with facial bruising, a possible brain bleed, rectal tearing, and bruising on his scrotum. The boy was transferred to St. Marys Hospital and court documents say pediatric intensive care staff said the injuries were consistent with child abuse.

The childs mother told police the injuries appeared after the infant was cared for by her boyfriend, Ambrose.

Court documents state that when questioned by authorities, Ambrose denied any abuse and said when the baby seemed limp, Ambrose took him into the shower and lightly shook him and tapped him on the cheek, after which Ambrose said the child went back to normal.

Ambrose has entered a not guilty plea and his trial is scheduled to begin on April 29, 2019.
HAMPTON, Iowa  A Franklin County man is facing several felony charges after some money was stolen from an apartment complex on Thursday.

Brady Joe Hunt, 38 of Hampton, is accused of 2nd degree theft, two counts of unlawful possession of a prescription drug, a controlled substance violation, possession of marijuana-2nd offense, and failure to use a drug tax stamp.

Law enforcement says security video from an apartment complex in the 200 block of 1st Street NW in Hampton shows Hunt leaving the apartment where $3,000 in cash was stolen. The video shows Hunt going into the laundry room on the third floor, where Hunt reportedly dropped the money down the dryer vent to the 2nd floor.

Authorities say Hunt collected the cash from the 2nd floor laundry room, then returned a short time later to hide $1,310 in cash along with 10 grams of methamphetamine, less than an ounce of marijuana, syringes, one Viagra pill, and 69 Alprazolam pills.

According to court records, Hunt was arrested Friday and booked into the Bremer County Jail on $25,000 bond.
ROCHESTER, Minn.  A man accused of fighting with his girlfriends parents has a change of heart.

Richard Joseph Morrison, Jr., 21 of Rochester, pleaded not guilty to gross misdemeanor domestic assault on December 13 but changed that plea to guilty on Friday. Police say he threw a patio table at a 47-year-old woman on September 23.

Morrison has been given one year of supervised probation and must pay a $400 fine or do 40 hours of community service.
ROCHESTER, Minn. - A man accused of pulling his penis out on a city bus has been arrested.

William Goad, 29, is facing a charge of indecent exposure after he allegedly exposed himself to a 16-year-old girl.

Authorities said the girl dropped something on the bus floor and noticed the man exposing himself.

The girl got off the bus and walked into Canadian Honker and the man continued walking along 2nd St.

Restaurant staff helped the girl get ahold of her mother who then picked her up.
WABASHA COUNTY, Minn.  Two people from Rochester were hurt when their car crossed the centerline and hit a semi.

The Minnesota State Patrol says it happened Thursday around 3 pm on Highway 42 in Wabasha County.

Merlin John Ricklefs, 82 of Rochester, was driving north on the north side of Plainview and hit the southbound semi driven by Clinton Alan Sjoquist, 34 of Goodhue. Merlin Ricklefs and a passenger, Karen Lee Ricklefs, 81, suffered what are described as non-life threatening injuries and were taken to St. Marys Hospital for treatment.

Sjoquist was not hurt. The State Patrol says all three were wearing their seat belts.

Road conditions were wet at the time of this crash. The Wabasha County Sheriffs Office and Plainview police, fire, and ambulance assisted at the scene.
MASON CITY, Iowa - A partial federal government shut down will take affect at Midnight tonight after the House adjourned until Saturday at Noon, with the Senate following not long after. The move comes as they're working to reach an agreement on a spending bill that President Trump would then need to sign. On Thursday, House Republicans voted for a spending bill with funding for a Southern border wall, though the Senate is expected to vote it down.

Now, Air Force veteran and Purple Heart recipient Brian Kolfage is raising money through a GoFundMe account to fund the wall's construction, and the response is capturing national headlines.

As of 8:30 p.m. Friday evening, the "We the People Will Fund the Wall" GoFundMe campaign has raised over $13.6 million by over 220,000 people since it began Sunday, and is expected to grow.

With the outpouring of support from people across the country, we're hearing that this effort is a part of some citizens taking part in an active role in civic participation, and is considered to be an example of a grassroots campaign.

Beth Schumacher taught high school social studies classes for nearly four decades, and follows politics closely. She sees grassroots campaigns as a positive influence on politics.

"We have a role in this government. And sometimes, it takes us as the people to step in and say, 'we need to do something positive and to let our folks that we've elected in Washington see this is the direction we would like to take."

Schumacher believes technology and social media outlets are enabling all of us to take a vested interest.

"We can say, 'woah, that's really happening now? Across the world? How are we going to deal with it?' So I think that gets people really fired up about things."

Tahmyrah Lytle is only 23 years old, but she's a committed political activist, leading grassforts efforts regarding environmental issues, as well as working to increase voter turnout. She finds it interesting that crowdsourcing is playing an increasing role in the political arena.

"I don't always agree with it. I understand it's a necessity, and I think it's interesting that people choose that form of engagement and kind of putting their money where their mouth is, I think that's kinda cool."

However, she is expressing concerns about if Kolfage's campaign or any others using crowdsourcing is legitimate and if funds used will go towards their intended purpose. Lytle prefers the old school methods of making your voice heard.

"Call up your representatives, find an organization that you think is actually fighting for and doing tangible change on this topic."

The Department of Homeland Security can't use the funds raised unless Congress approves it, though Kolfage says that Ohio Rep. Warren Davidson has introduced a bill that would accept public donations to fund construction. Kolfage says that if the campaign doesn't reach its goal, every cent donated will be refunded.
Stuff reports:

If everyone in the world could move to whatever country they wanted to, New Zealands population would swell by 231 per cent. United States-based research firm Gallups most recent Potential Net Migration Index (PNMI), a 2015-2017 survey of more than 450,000 adults from 152 countries, has revealed that New Zealand would see a substantial influx of people if migration were free.

In fact our increase would be the biggest in the world, percentage wise. Wed go from under 5 million population to over fifteen million.

Controlled migration is very beneficial to New Zealand. Our points and skills systems means that most immigrants boost the economy and help generate tax revenue which funds social services.

But uncontrolled immigration would be very different.

The countries that would have the biggest percentage population increase with open borders would be:

New Zealand 231% Singapore 225% Iceland 208% UAE 204% Switzerland 187% Australia 179% Kuwait 169% Bhutan 162% Canada 147% Luxembourg 131%

The countries that would lose the most population are:

Sierra Leone -70% Haiti -63% Liberia -60% Congo Kinshasa -50% Nigeria -46% Syria -44% Kosovo -42% El Salvador -40% Guinea -36% Senegal -34%

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While the new omicron variant could slow its rebound, business travel is expected to eventually return. While some local companies are eager to get back to their globe-trotting ways, others have realized they dont need to be on the go as much as they used to be.
Kendallville, IN (46755)

Today

Partly cloudy this evening then becoming cloudy with periods of light rain after midnight. Low 32F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%..

Tonight

Partly cloudy this evening then becoming cloudy with periods of light rain after midnight. Low 32F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%.
With the 1 year anniversary of SHINee Jonghyun's passing only a few days ago, fans had taken action left and right. From creating memorials, meet-ups to creating tribute videos and support groups - Jonghyun's tragic death has made an alarming impact on the K-Pop community.

Although fans have worked hard to bring together friends and other K-Pop fans, companies and other fans have even started campaigns to not only show awareness and support but to also take action and raise funds to donate to various preventative causes/outreach programs. One company, Kos Allure, paired up to initiate the 'Peace to Jonghyun' campaign where 10% of all sales will be donated to the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention (ASFP for short).

This promotion began when a fan afflicted by Jonghyun's death wanted to do something that made people donate while also receiving something that could comfort them, too. While suicide cannot be fixed overnight, Kos Allure felt that "self-care is the first step in making yourself feel good and avoid the stress that can overwhelm you." In an attempt to get people motivated to donate, the Korean makeup brand will be giving every customer a "Stree-Relief" facemask of their choice by using the code JHPEACE at checkout! Overall, not only will you be donating 10% of your purchases towards a helpful cause, but you will also be receiving something comforting in return!

For more info on the campaign, check out the video down below or visit www.kosallure.com for more details!
The mailers were said to paid for by the Illinois Integrity Fund, but no other evidence of such an organization could be found. Tirio went to court seeking to unmask the people behind the smear campaign, but lawyers for his primary opponent Janice Dalton and Breaker Press, which printed the flyers, fought in court against revealing the names. On the stand Friday, Dalton said she didnt know who was behind the flyers  though she used similar language in campaign robo-calls  and was dismissed from the suit.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 22)  The Philippines is among the countries in Southeast Asia dubbed as the worst places for journalists, according to the report of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ).

Media impunity in the Philippines ranked 7.7 points out of 10, the highest among the seven countries in the region in the report entitled "Southeast Asia Media Freedom Report 2018."

Myanmar followed with 7.5 points, and then Indonesia with 7.4 points.

The report stated the state of media freedom in the Philippines is "worsening to seriously declining." It added that threats posing to media freedom include cyberattacks, poor wages and working conditions, censorship, and the government's attack on the workspace.

Media killings

The report cited that 12 journalists and media personnel have been killed under President Rodrigo Duterte's term.

It also identified 85 cases of assault against journalists from June 30, 2016 to May 1, 2018. The cases include murders and attempted murders, death threats, online harassment, police surveillance, and the revocation of operating licences.

Malacanang, however, clarified that these killings had nothing to do with their job as journalists.

"From what I gather from those who have been killed, may kinalaman sa personal na pamumuhay nila [it has something to do with their personal life], nothing to do with journalism," Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said in a press briefing Friday.

Harassment

It cited the case of Rappler whose license to operate was revoked by the Securities and Exchange Commission due to foreign ownership issues. Its CEO Maria Ressa posted bail after an arrest warrant was issued against her due to tax evasion charges.

Critics had pointed out state actions against Rappler are an attack on press freedom, but Malacanang repeatedly denied this.

"You violate a law. You cannot be immune from prosecution and, binibigyan naman siya (Ressa) ng due process at nakalabas nga siya eh [she's given due process and she's out]," Panelo explained.

Duterte slammed Rappler, broadcast network ABS-CBN, and broadsheet Philippine Daily Inquirer (PDI), amid critical media coverage of his war on drugs which have left more than 5,000 dead. He has also threatened to block the renewal of ABS-CBN's congressional franchise, and file tax evasion cases against the family owning PDI.

Media resilience

The report, however, pointed out that Filipino journalists are resilient, as they faced a similar situation in 1972 when former President and dictator Ferdinand Marcos declared martial law all over the country.

Marcos shut down the media then, but the report lauded the "mosquito press," which continued publishing newspapers clandestinely.

"Today's journalists, besieged though they may be, remain just as jealously protective of their rights and freedoms," IFJ said." Now, more than ever, they need to unite and build strong unions and associations to protect and advance their rights, improve their skills and strengthen their ethics."
State law sets signature requirements based on the number of people who voted in the last election for an office. In the case of Chicago Heights mayor, the minimum number of valid signatures needed  5 percent of votes cast  was 139, said Dennis Gianopolus, a Lansing attorney serving as legal counsel to the electoral board.
Muzaffarabad, December 19: Protests were held against Pakistan government in Pakistan Occupied Kashmirs (PoK) Muzaffarabad demanding immediate termination of the hydropower plant project underway on the Neelum-Jhelum rivers. The protesters also demanded authorities to refrain from sanctioning any further projects. Locals even shouted anti-Pakistan slogans. Locals also blamed the Pakistan government for recklessly exploiting natural resources of the area. PoK is already facing a water crisis. The project will further aggravate the water problem. Pakistan Takes U-Turn; Says Saudi Won't Be Part of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

Last week also, women activists staged a protest in Muzaffarabad against Neelum-Jhelum Hydropower project. A large number of protestors came out and raised slogans against Pakistan government. The project has affected the lives of many people and has forced them to migrate to other places. Bus Service Between Pakistan And China Through PoK: India Lodges Strong Protests.

Protests held against Pakistan in Muzaffarabad, Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK), demanding immediate termination of the hydropower plant project underway on the Neelum-Jhelum river & also demanded authorities to refrain from sanctioning any further projects pic.twitter.com/MQ45cWTGv1  ANI (@ANI) December 19, 2018

The NeelumJhelum Hydropower is designed to divert water from the Neelum River to a power station on the Jhelum River. The power station is located 42 km south of Muzaffarabad, and has an installed capacity of 969 MW. Construction on the project began in 2008 after a Chinese consortium was awarded the construction contract in July 2007.

Meanwhile, earlier this month, a massive protest broke out in Hunza, Gilgit Baltistan on Tuesday against Pakistan. The protesters gathered in large numbers to express their anger against the Pakistani government. They were demanding fundamental and constitutional rights. Recently, reports surfaced that people in PoK continue to face troubles due to the incompetence of the local authorities.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 19, 2018 10:13 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
It was a tough year for his office, handling 243 autopsies to date, Russell said. While the total number of deaths for 2018 is not yet available, the number of opioid deaths will be higher than last year  so far there are 48 confirmed and more than 20 suspected cases, he said.
- The UN has raised its voice against the new trends on drug trafficking and other related crimes in Nigeria and other sub-regions in Africa

- The United Nations Office on Drug and Crime (UNODC) boss, Yury Fedotov, revealed that the sale of hard substances are spreading to Europe from Africa

- Fedotov also disclosed that West and Central Africa, along with North African countries, accounted for 87% of pharmaceutical opioids seized worldwide

The United Nations Office on Drug and Crime (UNODC) says Nigeria, West and Central Africa face disruptive and destabilising new trends regarding drug trafficking and other crimes.

The executive director of UNODC, Yury Fedotov, said this at the UN's security council session, presided over by Cote dIvoire, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

READ ALSO: NAIJ.com upgrades to Legit.ng: a letter from our Editor-in-Chief Bayo Olupohunda

The briefing was the councils first thematic meeting on drug trafficking and its threat to stability, peace and security, since December 2013.

Fedotov said the UNODCs 2018 world drug report shows that West and Central Africa, along with North African countries, accounted for 87% 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 hard substance seizures, suggesting that drug 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 hard substance seizures, with Lagos and Cotonou being the main airports concerned.

Recently, an increased number of seizures of precursors such as Ephedrine and Phenacetin 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.

Fedotov noted that the agency estimated that in 2016, there were more than 34 million cannabis users and 1.8 million hard substance users in West and Central Africa.

Only one in 18 drug users with addiction issues have access to medical treatment, 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.

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.

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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 said.

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.

Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that the unit comptroller of the Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone A of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), Muhammed Aliyu, had reportedly rejected a N50m bribe to clear a container of tramadol worth N808 million.

The command also intercepted various contrabands with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N5.1bn within August 17, to December 10, 2018.

Comptroller Aliyu told the press on Tuesday, December 11, that the seizures comprise of 58 vehicles, 34 of which are exotic brands as well as 39,664 bags of 50kg foreign parboiled rice.

NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng. We have updated to serve you better.

Customs Seize N1bn Worth of Codeine: Importation of Fairly-Used Bags, Shoes Banned | Legit TV

Source: Legit
- Atiku Abubakars claim of having a background from Wurno local government area of Sokoto state has beeen challenged.

- The claim was challenged a coalition of youth organisations from the state

- Wurno is the home town of the first Sultan of Sokoto, Late Muhammadu Bello, the son of Shehu Usman Dan Fodio

A Coalition of Youth Organisations in Wurno local government area of Sokoto state says Atiku Abubakars claim of being an indigene of the area is false.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Atiku, the 2019 Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), during the North West rally in Sokoto on Dec. 3, said that his background was from Wurno local government area of the state.

NAN also reports that Wurno is the home town of the first Sultan of Sokoto, Late Muhammadu Bello, the son of Shehu Usman Dan Fodio.

READ ALSO: EFCC intercepts $2.8m at Enugu Airport

Reacting to the claim on Friday in Sokoto, the group in a statement jointly signed by Alhaji Murtala Wurno and Alhaji Kabiru Wurno Chairmen of Garlic Farmers Association and Rice Farmers Association of the council respectively, said Atiku had nothing to do with the area.

They said that the claim was intended for cheap political popularity.

The PDP presidential candidates claim of being an indigene of Wurno local government is just for his political gain in order to get the votes of the people of Sokoto state.

We, the coalition of youth organisations in Wurno have dissociated our area from this claim.

We urge Atiku to concentrate on his Agenda for Nigeria and stop making spurious claims

Wurno local government is a famous town blessed with people of good reputation and scholars who always succeeded in preaching the best for humanity.

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Meanwhile, Legit.ng had reported that the national coordinator of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria in Benue state, Alhaji Garus Gololo, claimed that if elected, Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), would create division in the country.

Gololo made the comment on Thursday, December 20, in response to a statement by Atiku's spokesperson, Phrank Shuaibu, that there would be more killings of farmers by suspected Fulani herdsmen if President Muhammadu Buhari is re-elected in 2019.

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2019 Presidency: Nigerians reveal why they prefer Atiku to President Buhari - on Legit TV:

Source: Legit.ng
- President Buhari said he would fulfil all the promises he made to the southeast

- The president said this at the inauguration of a water project in Imo state

- Speaking through the minister of water resources, Suleiman Adamu, the president said he loves Igbo people and added that his administration is not neglecting any region

President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday, December 21, reiterated that his administration was not neglecting any part of the country.

President Buhari, who spoke through the minister of water resources, Suleiman Adamu, during the inauguration of a multi-billion naira water project at Ehime Mbano local government area of Imo state, said he loves Igbo people.

According to The Punch, the president said that the people of the southeast geopolitical zone should rest assured that he would fulfil every promise he made to them.

READ ALSO: Ogun APC excos will serve their term - Amosun dares Oshiomhole

The minister said: President Muhammadu Buhari holds Igbo people in high esteem and will do everything within his reach and power to fulfil his promises to the people of the region.

He explained that the water project, which was initiated by Senator Benjamin Uwajumogu (Imo North), was appropriated in the 2019 budget estimate.

According to Adamu, the project will make clean water available to the people of Ehime Mbano.

Speaking at the event, Senator Uwajumogu said his constituents would support Buharis re-election bid.

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Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa state said he was disappointed in President Buhari's decision not to restructure Nigeria despite calls for him to do so from different corners of the nation.

Seriake said the tragedy of Buhari's administration was his refusal to restructured the country.

The governor said today, this while speaking at the public presentation of a book We Are All Biafrans".

NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng We have updated to serve you better.

What is working well and what needs improvement in Nigeria? | Legit TV

Source: Legit
- Nine Nigerians have been arrested in the United States for online scams

- One of them is reportedly the son of veteran Fuji musician, Kwam 1, Sultan Omogbadebo Anifowoshe, 26, aka Ayinde,

- The suspects were arrested during the Chicago-based investigation, dubbed Operation Gold Phish

Nine Nigerians, including the son of veteran Fuji musician, Kwam 1, 26-year-old Sultan Omogbadebo Anifowoshe, have been arrested in the US and Nigeria as part of an international investigation into online 'love scams' and 'mystery shopper' schemes that made victims lose at least $2 million over the past two years.

During the Chicago-based investigation, dubbed Operation Gold Phish, law enforcement identified a variety of cyber-enabled fraud schemes allegedly carried out by conspirators in the US and Nigeria.

READ ALSO: Investigator narrates how she unmasked Nigerian scammer who posed as a US soldier

A criminal complaint filed December 4, 2018, in US District Court in Chicago charged nine defendants with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Arrests were recently carried out in Illinois, Texas, and Nigeria, and all of the defendants are now in law enforcement custody.

Meanwhile, eight suspected internet fraudsters have been arrested for their roles in a widespread Africa-based cyber conspiracy that allegedly defrauded United States companies and citizens of approximately $15 million since at least 2012.

READ ALSO: Real reason KWAM1 doesn't live with any woman in his multi-million naira mansion revealed

The United States Department of Justice reports that five of the defendants - a Mexican, two Americans, a Ghanaian and a Nigerian, were arrested in the US.

Legit.ng gathers that the other three suspects - two Ghanaians and a Nigerian, were arrested overseas and were being held pending extradition.

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BUSTED: Professional Hacker Nabbed Over Fraudulent Purchase of N28million Porshe | on Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit.ng
The internet is buzzing right now with joy as Nollywoods actress Funke Akindele Bello and her musician hubby Rasheed Bello aka JJCSkillz finally welcome their twins together.

The multi-talented actress revealed this via her Insta-story. She wrote, Thank you Lord, 'oluwa e tobi (God is great)'. In another post, she wrote, 'mo je oruko titun (I have been given a new name).

Her post has left her fans and followers thanking God on her behalf even as they storm their social media pages to share the good news.

READ ALSO: Funke Akindele and hubby JJCskillz celebrate 2nd wedding anniversary (photos)

Funke Akindele and husband JJC Skills welcome first child together

Source: Instagram

Funke Akindele and husband JJC Skills welcome first child together

Source: Instagram

This is coming years after Lagos-based pastor, Olagorioye Faleyimu, said that Funke Akindele may not have children of her own and might end up with another broken home.

However in response to the prophecy, Funkes husband, JJC Skillz, reaffirmed his love and commitment to his sweetheart of the Jenifas Diary fame, saying she gave him a new life.

READ ALSO: Celebrating famous actress Funke Akindele with 4 beautiful photos

Check out some of their tweets below:

While JJC has children from his previous relationships, this is Funkes first child since their marriage.

Huge congratulations to Funke Akindele.

NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng We have upgraded to serve you better

Linda Ikeji: Why I'm Pregnant But Not Married - on Legit TV

Source: Legit
Nigerians have been thrown into jubilation mood after the news of Nollywood actress Funke Akindele and her husband, welcoming their twins together went viral!

According to inside source, the new babies arrived on Friday, December 21, in L.A, USA. They are the couples first children together since they tied the knot in 2016. The couple had met 2013, when Funke Akindele was searching for a director for her television show Jenifa's Diary.

Recall that this is coming years after Lagos-based pastor, Olagorioye Faleyimu, said that Funke Akindele may not have children of her own and might end up with another broken home.

READ ALSO: Funke Akindele and husband JJC Skills welcome twins together

However in response to the prophecy, Funkes husband, JJC Skillz, reaffirmed his love and commitment to his sweetheart of the Jenifas Diary fame, saying she gave him a new life.

Top celebrities, colleagues as well as well wishers have all taken to social media to celebrate the new parents.

Check out some of their posts below:

Check out tweets from fans and well wishers below:

READ ALSO: Actor Femi Adebayo welcomes first child with his beautiful wife in the US (photos)

Recently, Funke and her husband marked their second wedding anniversary. The couple took to social media to share videos showing off their photos.

In a video shared on Funke Akindele's Instagram page, the couple made a slide of memorable moments taken in photos to celebrate their anniversary.

The talented actress also used the opportunity to thank her husband for loving her, for being patient with her, for the care and support he always gives her. She prayed that they both live long together in happiness.

NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng We have upgraded to serve you better

Congratulations to Funke Akindele and Rasheed Bello.

Davido Gifts Girlfriend, Chioma N45 Million Present | Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit Nigeria
- President Muhammadu Buhari hosted leaders of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) countries for its 54th ordinary session in Abuja

- Buhari called on all member countries to ensure payment of all statutory community levy in order to empower and enable its commission to implement the sub-regional integration agenda

- President Buhari described the gathering as a clear testimony of the collective resolve to integrate the West African sub-region

WELCOME ADDRESS BY THE CHAIR OF THE AUTHORITY, H.E. PRESIDENT MUHAMMADU BUHARI AT THE OPENING SESSION OF THE 54th ORDINARY SESSION OF THE ECOWAS AUTHORITY OF HEADS OF STATE AND GOVERNMENTIN ABUJA ON 22nd DECEMBER 2018

Protocols:

It is my pleasure, on behalf of the Government and People of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, to warmly welcome you to Abuja, on the occasion of the 54th Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

2. Let me again restate my sincere appreciation to you, Excellencies, for the confidence reposed in me, to steer the ship of our sub-regional organization, as Chair of the Authority.

Excellencies, Distinguished Guests,

3. The fact that we have gathered here today is a clear testimony of our continued collective resolve and commitment to the effective integration of the West African sub-region. We applaud the significant progress made by our Community in the recent past, particularly in the areas of political governance, peace and security as well as economic and social fields. These achievements have positioned ECOWAS as an example of a regional economic community on our continent.

READ ALSO: Badeh allegedly met Aisha Buhari, Kyari before he died over his trial for corruption - Report

President Buhari with President of Ghana Nana Akufo-Addo, President of Burkina Faso Roch Marc Kabore and President of Sierra Leone Julius Maada at the 54th ECOWAS summit. Photo credit: Femi Adesina

Source: Facebook

4. In this regard, I would like to salute your individual efforts not only for striving to promote peace, stability and development in your respective countries but also for your unwavering commitment to regional issues of interest and concern.

5. I wish at this juncture, to pay special tribute to His Excellency, Nana Akuffo-Addo, President of the Republic of Ghana and His Excellency, Alpha Conde, President of the Republic of Guinea, the ECOWAS facilitators in the resolution of the Togolese political crisis, for their tireless endeavours towards a peaceful settlement.

6. I am also glad for the significant progress made through our collective efforts towards the resolution of the political and institutional crisis in Guinea Bissau. Within the framework of our regional solidarity, we have assisted the Governments of Togo and Mali in tackling political and security problems while also addressing food challenges in parts of the sub-region.

7. We have also extended electoral support and assistance to several countries and acted pro-actively to neutralize some potential conflicts through preventive diplomacy before they exploded. In this connection, we welcome the successful elections held in Sierra Leone and Mali in 2018.

Excellencies, Distinguished Guests,

8. Despite these successes, ECOWAS is still confronted by several challenges. The sub-region continues to face difficulties in the economic, governance, peace, security and humanitarian fields.

9. As we all know, the primary objective of ECOWAS as set out in its Treaty, is topromote cooperation and integration, leading to the establishment of an Economic and Monetary Union in West Africa, in order to raise the living standards of our people and contribute to the progress and development of the African continent.

10. Indeed as a Community, our aspiration is to create a borderless, peaceful, prosperous and cohesive region, based on good governance and where our people have the capacity to access and harness its resources through the creation of opportunities for sustainable development, job creation and environmental preservation.

11. These lofty ideals are however not attainable without peace and security. That is why I have decided to make the issue of peace and security the major focus of my Chairmanship. I am happy to inform this august assembly that our efforts have started yielding dividends as we have been able to douse tension and restore confidence in some potentially disruptive political situations, particularly in Guinea Bissau, Togo and Mali.

Excellencies, Distinguished Guests,

12. It is a matter of concern that terrorism and violent extremism have continued to threaten the peace and security in our sub-region. This threat calls for collective action on our part, if we are to effectively and definitively eliminate it. As we work on new strategies to combat and eradicate this menace, we require the support of our partners to ensure the achievement of our objectives.

13. Still on sub-regional peace, as you are all aware, Nigeria and Senegal will hold general elections in February 2019. On my part, I have already made a pledge to conduct free, fair and credible elections. In the same vein, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies and other political stakeholders, have expressed their unwavering commitment to the conduct of peaceful elections devoid of violence, rancour and acrimony, in the higher interest of the nation.

Your Excellencies,

14. Our determination to create a safe and stable sub-region must be predicated on a strong and capable organization. You will all agree with me that no institution can function effectively without adequate funding.

15. This would require that all hands are on deck and that all Member States ensure the payment of the Statutory Community Levy as and as when due. By so doing, we will empower and enable the Commission to implement the Integration Agenda, as we march towards the year 2020, and actualize our vision of building an ECOWAS of Peoples and not of States.

Excellencies,

16. In light of the continuing fragility of our economies linked closely to commodity prices, our nascent democracies, the negative effects of climate change on our farming systems, the globalisation of crime and terrorism, we are required on a daily basis, to join forces to eliminate these factors that militate against a secure, conducive and prosperous environment for the benefit of our people. These realities remind us of the need for even stronger intra-ECOWAS solidarity in order to address emerging challenges.

17. This is indeed the very sense of our Union. To that end, important decisions are taken in the course of our meetings, with the goal of impacting transforming positively on the lives of our citizens.

18. During this 54th Ordinary Session, the task before us is to appraise our Community. In this regard, we are expected to take several decisions on a number of issues I have already mentioned. As is our custom, our Session would consider these matters from the reports on todays agenda as follows:

a. The 2018 Annual Report of ECOWAS,

b. The Report of the 81st Ordinary Session of the Council of Ministers,

c. The Report of the 41st Ordinary Session of the Mediation and Security Council,

d. The Reports on the Political and Security Situation of the Region, and

e. The Report on the Process for the Establishment of the ECOWAS Single Currency,

19. I wish to commend the Council of Ministers and ECOWAS Commission for the very useful documents which have been circulated.

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Excellencies Ladies and Gentlemen,

20. I will conclude my remarks by wishing us fruitful deliberations. I hereby declare open, the 54th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government.

I thank you for your kind attention.

Legit.ng previously reported that President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday, July 31, emerged the chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

He was elected at the 53rd ordinary session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government in Lome, Togo.

The president's personal assistant on new media, Bashir Ahmad, disclosed this in a message posted on his Twitter handle, @BashirAhmaad.

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Nigeria News 2018: Buhari Reacts To APC Senators Betrayal | Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit.ng
Authorities in northeastern Pennsylvania say a former court clerk stole $43,000 from a county office.

The Times News reports 60-year-old William McGinley was charged Friday in District Court in Jim Thorpe with multiple offenses including theft by unlawful taking-movable property, receiving stolen property and theft by failure to make required disposition of funds.

Authorities say the Jim Thorpe man stole funds from bail money and prison booking fees while working as a Carbon County Clerk of Courts. McGinley retired on May 1 after serving 28 years. Officials say McGinley told special agents on Dec. 3 that he had used stolen funds to gamble on poker machines.

The Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office investigated the case.

Judge Eric Schrantz set McGinleys bail at $50,000.
The suspect charged in the overdose death of a Bethlehem Township man warned the victim the drug he was selling had caused four people to fall out from using it, township police said.

Police were called the morning of June 15 to a home on Long Court for a possible overdose, and found Andrew Snyder, 31, dead on the bathroom floor.

Snyders father said his son was a heroin addict, and he last saw his son the night before when Andrew walked outside to meet Matthew Rush, according to township police. Police took the victims cellphone, drug paraphernalia and drugs they found in the bathroom.

Snyders cause of death was ruled acute fentanyl intoxication. Police said the drugs found in the bathroom contained fentanyl, an opioid painkiller significantly more powerful than heroin.

Investigators spoke with Rush two days later, and he reportedly admitted to selling Andrew Snyder what he believed to be heroin.

Police said they searched Snyders cellphone and found text messages between the pair for a $150 deal for stuff.

Rush told Snyder to be careful with the drug, according to police.

Its raw it doesnt even come in bags its just one tied up bag and it almost looks like crack rock...it honest to go is no joke, Rush reportedly wrote.

Rush later said he knew of four people who fell out after using the drug two to three weeks before, police said.

Rush, of the 3800 block of Carter Road in Bethlehem Township, was charged Friday with drug delivery resulting in death and drug possession with intent to deliver. He was sent to Northampton County Jail in lieu of $100,000 bail.

Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @SarahCassi. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
New penalties go into effect Sunday in Pennsylvania for habitually violating the state law on driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Also this weekend, Bethlehem-based Troop M of the Pennsylvania State Police announced their Christmas Holiday Enforcement effort begins at midnight Saturday and continues until midnight Tuesday, Christmas Day.

Troop M's New Year's Holiday Enforcement is scheduled midnight Saturday, Dec. 29, through midnight Tuesday, Jan. 1.

Police said their PADEEP (Pennsylvania Aggressive Driving Enforcement Education Program) initiative will target "drivers who aggressively operate their motor vehicle in a manner which is dangerous to members of the public."

In addition, troopers specially trained in STEADD (Selective Traffic Enforcement Against Drunk Drivers) and DRE (Drug Recognition Expert) will focus on apprehending motorists driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Enforcement will concentrate on violations consisting of speeding, reckless driving, seat belt violations and child seat belt infractions, Troop M said in a news release.

Across their Bucks, Lehigh and Northampton county territory, Troop M investigated 26 crashes and made 13 DUI arrests during the Christmas 2017 enforcement period.

Source: Pennsylvania State Police

During the New Year's 2017 period, Troop M investigated 62 crashes and made 28 arrests for DUI.

Source: Pennsylvania State Police

Pennsylvanias stricter penalties for repeat offenders were signed into law by Gov. Tom Wolf on Oct. 24, as Act 153 of 2018.

Under the new law, any individual convicted of their third DUI with a blood-alcohol content of 0.16 or higher could be found guilty of a felony offense, Pennsylvania Senate Republicans said in a news release.

The same penalty would apply to all individuals convicted of four or more DUI offenses.

The law also increases penalties for motorists who cause the death of another person as a result of a DUI, including a potential first-degree felony charge for repeat offenders. It allows for an additional five years' imprisonment for a person who commits homicide by vehicle while driving without a license or driving under suspension. It provides for up to an additional two years imprisonment for a person who commits aggravated assault when driving without a license.

In addition, the law increases the penalty for driving under suspension for a prior DUI, from a summary offense with a minimum $500 fine and up to 60 days in jail to a summary offense with a mandatory minimum of 90 days in jail and $1,000 for a second offense, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. A third and subsequent offense will be a misdemeanor of the third degree with a mandatory $2,500 fine and six months in jail.

Adults are prohibited under the law from accompanying someone driving on a learner's permit when "under the influence of alcohol or drugs to a degree that they endanger themselves or others," PennDOT says.

State police in Troop M urge travelers to Think before You Drink and be mindful of continuing efforts to enforce the legal blood alcohol limit of 0.08 for adult drivers. Those under 21 who drive may face penalties with any amount of alcohol in their system.

Police also remind drivers who see flashing lights to slow down and steer clear.

Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
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.

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.
Phillipsburg is reconsidering is rules for a medical marijuana facility in town after it was revealed the current proposal would put a growing operation within 1,000 feet of an elementary school.

The town still wants the distributor, Council President Bobby Fulper said Friday, but the company will quickly have to find a new location for its processing facility.

"It's a matter of morals and ethics," he said. "There's no way we can put drugs next to kids."

The current proposal by NETA NJ -- a limited liability company based out of Ewing -- would put a dispensary at 55 Main St. and a separate cultivation and processing plant at 400 Heckman St., to the rear of Phillipsburg Elementary School, according to a report Friday by Politico, citing health department documents.

The health department has not yet posted the detailed applications on its website. A listed phone number for NETA NJ could not be found.

The NETA NJ application was one of six given the green light this week by the state health department, out of 146 total applicants. It would be the first in Warren County -- residents here currently must drive at least an hour to Woodbridge to pick up such prescriptions.

Before opening, applicants must pass background checks, meet safety and security requirements and obtain municipal approval.

In November, the town council approved the first reading of an ordinance specifying where medical marijuana operations can go. Per that ordinance, dispensaries are not allowed near schools but processing facilities would be, provided they meet certain criteria -- including no public access, innocuous signs, no marketing of the site and no unusual odors.

However, ordinances must be twice approved by the end of the year before becoming law. This one also required a review by the town planning board. Fulper said neither happened.

That means the original ordinance is dead and council will have an opportunity to craft a new one at its first meeting next year.

Fulper said council did not know the exact location of NETA NJs proposal when the first vote was taken, but that the town and company have committed to exploring other properties within Phillipsburg.

The clock is ticking. Politico reports that the company has 30 days to secure a location and meet other requirements, or consider new plans.

Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @SteveNovakLVL and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
There are no costings available to provide a footbridge spanning the canal in Sallins.

Information about the probable cost of the bridge has been sought by Cllr Sorcha ONeill, who has campaigned for a bridge to span the canal.

She said she has received an estimate for 80,000-100,000.

But she says Kildare County Council indicated the cost would be 600,000.

The bridge would cross the waterway at the national school.

Cllr ONeill said KCC initially indicated that no money was available for this project .

There are at least five of these bridges in Tullamore so I thought they couldnt be that expensive, however I was quoted about 600,000, said Cllr. ONeill.

According to KCC, the higher estimate for the cost of the bridge could be connected to a figure quoted for a sum sought under a government fund.

The Rural Regeneration and Development Fund was set up to provide funding for rural renewal across the State.

KCC says 560,000 was sought under the RRDF for Sallins from the Department of Rural and Community Affairs. This will go towards the cost of carrying out necessary surveys, assessments and design work to bring forwards a number of plans to rejuvenate.

These include public realm improvements; new pedestrian and cycle connections including canal crossings; greenway connections and more direct rail station access; delivery of amenity lands and developing vacant and brownfield (land previously used or built on).

However a footbridge is not included in these plans.

KCC official Evelyn Wright said it is difficult to provide an estimate for a footbridge without a plan and any new bridge proposal would have to go through an assessment process like any other project.

KCC district manager Peter Minnock said he would liaise with Waterways Ireland, which has overall responsibility for the canal.
Overcrowding at Naas Hospital during last month was much worse than November 2017.

Some 356 patients were taken into the hospital through the accident and emergency ward without a bed during November, which is 100 more than last November.

It is the highest November figure for Naas Hospital since 2010, according to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, which compiles patient figures.

When compared with other hospitals in the eastern region it means that Naas was more overcrowded than St. Jamess Hospital, Beaumont Hospital, Connolly Hospital (Blanchardstown) and St. Vincents Hospital  all in Dublin.

Only two Dublin Hospitals  Tallaght and the Mater  were more overcrowded in the region.

The INMO says that there was an 115 person increase on November 2017 when the overcrowding figures for hospitals throughout the country are added up.

And the number is more than twice (plus 107%) as bad as 2006 when the recording of figures began.

At Tullamore, which serves part of County Kildare some 549 patients were admitted without a bed last month and the figure for Portlaoise, which also serves part of the county, was 248 and both these were higher than a corresponding figure in 17.

The INMO has attributed much of the overcrowding to understaffing, caused primarily by low pay levels in Irish nursing and midwifery.

INMO general secretary Phil Ni Sheaghdha said the health service has 227 fewer staff nurses than December 2017.

Behind each number is a vulnerable patient suffering in poor conditions, with overworked staff pulling out all the stops to provide the best possible care.

2018 is already the worst year on record for patients on trolleys and there are still several weeks to go. January and February are typically the worst months, so nurses and midwives will be looking to the new year with a sense of dread, said Ms. Ni Sheaghdha.

She also said that this isnt just a winter problem any more.

The health service needs more beds. Extra beds require extra nurses, but the HSE simply can't hire enough on these wage levels."

Meanwhile the HSE has announced a number of measures to strengthen the ability of hospitals, including Naas, to manage the increase in demand in services over winter.

The HSE says its part of a plan developed for management and continuous delivery of care during the period of highest demand due to severe winter weather, seasonal influenza and the spread of other health care associated infections that place pressure on the system during the winter period.

Delays in access to inpatient beds for patients presenting to the five emergency departments in the hospital group including Naas present an on-going challenge.

Each site are implementing measures to reduce numbers on trolleys in our Hospitals and improve Patient Experience Times (PETs) in the Emergency Departments, said Arlene Crean of the Health Service Executive. The measures include Enhanced Minor Injuries, Rapid Assessment and treatment at Naas along with an acute medical review clinic to reduce waiting time for patients clinically assessed for discharge, also at Naas.
LifeStyle

The best Lifestyle shows are right here, from Australia and around the world. Catch up with the experts on home design and interiors, food and cooking, the property market, and get fresh ideas with the savviest of renovators. Whether you need inspiration for cooking up a storm, to refresh a tired room, or tips to sell your property, Foxtel Lifestyle will always something new for you to watch. Enjoy your favourite experts like Andrew Winter and Neale Whitaker, or Shaynna Blaze and Jamie Oliver live or On Demand.
A COMPASSIONATE young Limerick mother who has been diagnosed with incurable breast cancer is determined to embrace the true spirit of Christmas  she will cook dinner for 16 of her nearest and dearest on Tuesday before organising a massive fundraiser in aid of the Mid-Western Cancer Foundation.

Meg Curran, nee Wiley, a native of Kilmallock, is battling stage four metastatic breast cancer. But instead of dwelling on the negative, the vibrant mum-of-two is focusing on making memories  after treating her family to Christmas Day dinner she will set about putting the finishing touches to Pinkalicious, the giant fundraiser taking place in Houlihans 41 Bar in Kilmallock on January 5.

Some people say but you are so well, how can you be when you have this? Well I am. I dont know how I am but I am, Meg, 39, told the Leader this week.

Metastatic breast cancer, which I have, isnt common. If you are diagnosed with it, I want to show that you can be like me, you can be OK, you can keep going, get up and get on with it.

Megs journey began in March of this year when she discovered a lump in her breast. The lump, she says, seemed to appear overnight but didnt worry her. Meg knew a lot of women who found lumps and bumps especially before their menstrual cycle, which turned out to be glands or cysts.

Megs 9.30am appointment on March 20 on the fourth floor of the breast clinic in University Hospital Limerick didnt cause her any concern. She went alone thinking Ill be in and out, no problem. By 11.30am however, things were different. The female doctor and nurse showed her to the quiet room - a room Meg had passed a few times that day and thought to herself, that must be the bad news room. And now here she was sitting in this room waiting to be told her own bad news.

The doctor explained to Meg that both her breasts and lymph nodes were cancerous.

Meg would need a double mastectomy.

The next step was to have a CT of the thorax and liver and a bone scan to ascertain if the cancer has spread.

Meg had the tests done privately to speed up the process. She had the scans and results back within a week.

Meg paid another visit to the quiet room and, unfortunately, the news wasnt good. It was confirmed that Meg has stage four metastatic breast cancer. The disease had spread to other organs. No surgery. No cure. Just a case of managing the disease as best as possible.

This was the beginning of our terrible new journey, a journey no one wants to take but, unfortunately, is one which more and more people are taking every day.

Meg started chemotherapy in April and finished it in August. She decided to shave her head before allowing her hair to fall out. She decided a wig isnt for her and is wearing fashionable chemo caps instead.

Its only hair, she says, It will grow back.

The daughter of Eileen and the late John Wiley who ran a successful tarmacadam business, Meg is the youngest of five.

She married Paul Curran, a west Cork man in 2011 and they are parents to two beautiful boys Jack, 5, and Scott, 4.

Theyre fine, she says of her beloved boys. It is our reality we have to get on with it.

The aim of Pinkalicious, she says, is to raise awareness of the good work being done by breast care staff and to show that life can go on as normal after being diagnosed with this terrible disease.

And its about creating memories, she smiles.

Founded by Megs oncologist Professor Rajnish Gupta the aim of the Mid-Western Cancer Foundation in UHL is to streamline donations and provide holistic care for people in the Mid-West.

Funds raised also go towards the ongoing research into this disease that is affecting more and more people every day. The foundation offers a range of services including counselling, social work, and support to people affected and also to their families.

To support the Pinkalicious event on January 5 you can purchase tickets in Keatings Pharmacy Kilmallock, Houlihan's 41 Bar, The Hair Boutique in Kilmallock or contact Meg on 087 4188574. Tickets are priced at 20 which also includes entry into a raffle.

It will be a night to remember and I would like to thank all the sponsors and everyone who has supported the event and to wish everyone a Merry Christmas, says Meg.

Megs close friend Niamh Webb ORourke who is helping to organise the event along with Clodagh Houlihan said Megs determination to fight this until the bitter end is incredible.

I have lived across the road from Meg my entire life and while we may not be blood related, she is like the big sister I never had. I adore her two boys Jack and Scott and they are basically our adopted family. The day Meg got her news and rang my mum for the two of us to come over to her, we knew straight away it wasn't good news. While our emotions obviously took control, Meg kept telling myself and mum to stop crying that she will fight this and that could not be more true.

I have never in my life witnessed anyone as resilient as Meg, her determination to fight this until the bitter end is incredible. I have laughed, cried and sat in silence with Meg on this terrible journey with her family and friends. I am honored to know Meg and to support her with her Pinkalicious event in January. She is one in a million and I can't thank her enough for showing me how to live, enjoy and love life".

For anyone diagnosed with cancer in recent times, Meg has these words of wisdom: Speak to your oncologist and have faith in them. Go with what feels right for you. And speak to people. Dont bottle it up.
Hussain said companies need people who can look at a problem and think about ways to fix it or make a product more functional and user-friendly. Only after a solution is developed is the process handed over to engineers to figure out how to make a product do what the Design Thinkers suggest.
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Inmates at Limerick Prison completed 1,000 kilometres on treadmills and rowing machines as part of a joint fundraiser with Limerick Prison staff in aid of MS Ireland.

All-Ireland senior hurlers Barry Murphy, Pat Ryan, Darragh ODonovan and Richie English were welcomed by staff when they visited the jail on Mulgrave Street with the Liam MacCarthy Cup.

Staff were invited to get their photograph taken with the prized cup following a donation to MS Ireland. A presentation was also made to Richie English, whose father Paddy has MS.

We invited in a number of people from our local community, because Limerick Prison is a part of the local community since 1821, prison governor Mark Kennedy said.

Every year, we have a number of fundraising events for charity and this one was for MS Ireland. Staff in the prison, and the prisoners themselves inside, raised money, he added.

The prisoners did 1,000 kilometers in the gym between treadmills and rowing. The hardworking staff here raised money as well, with an opportunity for them to get their photo taken with the MacCarthy Cup.

Weve a long association with GAA here, so its great to see the Liam MacCarthy Cup arrive back into Limerick Prison after a long wait, Diarmuid Kelly, of South Liberties GAA club, said.

The hurlers are a great bunch of lads, absolutely brilliant role models for Limerick and for sport. It's a great honour to host them today.

Wed like to thank everyone thats behind them, the county board and especially JP and Gerry McManus and Joe McKenna with the academy, all their hard work has culminated in this.

The fundraiser is for MS Ireland, Richie Englishs dad is a sufferer. Its nice to get the lads in and to give back to local charities.

Donations came in from staff who took their photos with the cup and the Governor is doubling it.

Governor Mark Kennedy and assistant governor Theresa Beirne are brilliant for promoting sport and GAA, and organising this charitable event.
DIARMUID McIntyre, director of the HearSay International Audio Arts Festival in Kilfinane, made an impassioned plea for support at a Cappamore-Kilmallock municipal district meeting.

He said there is a massive imbalance in the councils arts funding in the city compared to the county.

We have got very little funding from the council. Every time we jump through hoops for funding the hoops are moved. Our American sponsor has pulled out. We cannot afford to run HearSay. I love it and its going to die, said Mr McIntyre.

In a presentation to councillors, Mr McIntryre said there isnt another festival like it in the world. The first HearSay took place in 2013 and is held every two years. The fourth event is on from April 4 to April 7, 2019 in Kilfinane.

HearSay sees some of the finest audio makers take over the mountain village. It is described as a unique coming together of two communities, the international creative audio community including radio feature producers, film sound designers, sound artists, audio fiction makers and podcasters  and the south Limerick community. Contributors share their work with one another, sharing, listening, giving and getting feedback.

Contributors include Oscar, BAFTA, PPI, Prix Italia, and Emmy winners and they are made feel at home by locals. There is 92 events over four days in 19 venues. One slide showed renowned chef Kevin Thornton doing a piece with David Attenboroughs sound man.

The economic impact in the rural community with just over half the attendees coming from abroad is massive in the village and all over south Limerick. There was 604 bed nights in 2015, 1,064 in 2017 and 1,880 expected in 2019. Socially he said the festival gave confidence to a village that was dying.

HearSay has the potential to be rural Limericks Eva International, said Mr McIntryre.

HearSay received no City of Culture funding, he said.

The council and Creative Irelands combined support for the first three editions of the festival has averaged less than 3,000, said Mr McIntyre.

Speaking after the meeting, Mr McIntyre said in their 2019 national Arts Council application, HearSay was the highest scoring application submitted in its category.

This was the basis of our festival application to Limerick City and County Councils open call, along with our business plan to make HearSay year round and sustainable. HearSay received the lowest funding allocation over the strand c application.

It received 10,000 - the minimum amount for a successful application for that strand. This was lower even than LEAF, a brand new festival for the city.

There was an allocation of 10,000 to nine festivals in strand b - the maximum amount that could be allocated. Eight of these nine were city based, he said. The 10,000 that HearSay received works out at 1/300th of the operation of the councils arts programme budget or 1/62nd of the festivals budget, he said

Sheila Deegan, arts officer with the council, said there was an assessment panel and we have to honour that.

That was the decision made, she said. Ms Deegan said they are working closely with Mr McIntyre.

Their success is obvious  it is a flagship festival. We are working to support him in lots of ways. We have expertise in marketing and communications in the council, said Ms Deegan.

Cllr Lisa Marie Sheehy said she was completely embarrassed at the end of Mr McIntyres presentation.

I just live down the road. It is an amazing festival. it brings the whole community together. We cant leave something like this die. We are always talking about rejuvenating rural Ireland. As a municipal district we need to be sticking up for our festival. We are always beating the drum of the city v county, said Cllr Sheehy.
UP to 40 elderly people in Limerick are to benefit from a pilot project which will see them given help to get online.

Early in 2019, a group of so-called silver surfers are being selected to take part in the Acorn project.

This will see them being given and instructed in a tablet computer device.

Codenamed Acorn, the product is a specially designed computer tailored to address the needs of seniors in a closed secure network.

Its designed to encourage elderly people to engage and interact online at both a social and commercial level; the design has the aim of enhancing seniors independence, and helping them look after health, finance, communications and security concerns online.

Speaking at this weeks home and community strategic policy committee, Anne Rizzo of the community development department, revealed Limerick is only the second local authority to trial this project, as part of its local Age Friendly Initiative.

This has huge potential, and I think it could be huge both across Ireland and across the world. Im delighted to be on the ground floor with this. It could be a new buzz in 2019, she told members.

The local authority is working with the older persons council on the scheme, which will see technical support afforded over a six month period.

There will be no out-of-pocket expenses, she insisted.

Ten people on this committee have been given the tablet, and will be asked for feedback, while another 30 people are also in the process of being identified.

Asked by committee chairman Cllr Marian Hurley how this will be done, Ms Rizzo said there have already been 60 expressions of interest in taking a tablet.

After the six month period, those taking part will get to keep the tablet, and will only have to pay the cost of getting online  with the Age Friendly Network bidding to negotiate preferential rates for connecting to the internet, with either An Post, Vodafone, and Tesco Ireland.

Its a three horse race, with An Post in the lead, Ms Rizzo disclosed.
TWO County Limerick households, one with young children, could wake up on Christmas morning and find themselves without water, Sinn Feins Cllr Ciara McMahon has warned.

And she called for urgent action to be taken to prevent such a scenario.

It is a scandal. They are at their wits end, she said at a meeting of Adare Rathkeale councillors this Tuesday.

With the unanimous backing of her fellow councillors, the meeting agreed to make representations to the chief executive of Irish Water, Gerry Grant in a bid to find a solution in time for Christmas. The councillors are also to ask the chief executive of Limerick City and County Council, Conn Murray, to intervene in the matter.

The two households affected are located about three miles from Ballyhahill village and only joined the public water system two years ago, Cllr McMahon explained. They were at the end of the line, she said, and pressure was poor with the result that every evening they found themselves without water to drink, to have a shower or to flush a toilet.

Because it is not a constant outage, they (Irish Water) are refusing to bring out bottled water, she said. What are they going to drink? From the river?

A number of possibilities had been put about for the poor pressure, Cllr McMahon continued. One was that the incorrect pump was put in the first day. Another was that water was being diverted to Loughill because of low reservoir levels and a third possibility was that there was an illegal connection somewhere along the line.

The residents have been very understanding but now they are at breaking point, she said. And she called on the councils executive to do something.

Something has to be done for the week of Christmas, Cllr Kevin Sheahan agreed. It is a crisis situation. What can we do? To say we can do nothing is not sufficient. We need action from Irish Water.

He suggested writing to the companys chief executive demanding they ensure the families affected have an adequate supply of quality water for the Christmas period and beyond.

I am asking for a reply by return, Cllr Sheahan said.

It is up to them (Irish Water) to deal with their customers, director of services Caroline Curley told councillors.

I know it is an outside utility but we have to take some responsibility, declared Cllr Stephen Keary, arguing for a temporary solution by supplying a tanker. He also proposed asking chief executive Conn Murray to contact his Irish Water counterpart.

An Irish Water spokesman this Wednesday acknowledged the inconvenience this issue is causing but assured people they were were working to resolve it as a matter of priority.

There have been intermittent pressure drops in the water main which can lead to temporary supply outages in properties at the end of the network, he confirmed.

But he continued: Emergency repairs were carried out earlier this month following a burst pipe and a subsequent pump failure. Water supply was restored as soon as possible following this incident.

Working with Limerick City and County Council staff, we have since carried out further investigations which have not uncovered any additional issues with the Irish Water infrastructure in the area , leaks etc. We are investigating the possibility that there is an unregistered connection to the water main which may be causing these pressure fluctuations, he said.

However, the spokesman added, further investigation will be required to locate the source of the issue. In the meantime we will continue to monitor the supply.
This year, a crew of nine parishioners spent a total of nine hours over two days putting together and decorating 18 Christmas trees, hanging white angel silhouettes created by Ken Veselik on the walls, arranging at least 30 poinsettias, which were paid for by some of the 150 parish families -- and putting together the Nativity scene, among other decorations in the main church, entryway and smaller chapel.
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said Saturday the state will intervene to keep the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island open during the federal government's shutdown.

During the shutdown the state will fully fund National Park Service personnel and operational costs of $65,000 a day, as it has during previous shutdowns, to keep the sites open to visitors.

Hence, the sites will be open Sunday and remain open every day except Christmas Day Dec. 25, weather permitting, Cuomo said.

The two sites have a major impact on the state's economy, according to a statement from Cuomo, who also spoke on CNN Saturday afternoon about the shutdown.

According to an annual report by the National Park Service, 4.5 million people visited Liberty Island in 2016, generating $263.2 million in visitor spending annually and supporting 3,400 jobs, with an economic output of $364 million.

Shutting down the park would deny access to an average of 12,000 daily visitors and affect more than 900 direct jobs at the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, the governor's office said.

In his statement, Cuomo said:

"We will not allow President Trump's repugnant symbol of division close the true representations of who we are as a state and a nation. As we've done before when Washington's dysfunction has shut down the government, New York will step up and ensure the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island remain open for the world to look to for strength and hope during this tumultuous time."
Jamal Khashoggi had been in the United States for only a few months when the forces he had fled in Saudi Arabia made clear that he would never fully escape.

He was at a friend's home in suburban Virginia in October 2017 when his phone lit up with an incoming call from Riyadh. On the line was Saud al-Qahtani, a feared lieutenant of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

The royal heir and his henchman were at that point in the early stages of a brutal crackdown in the kingdom - arresting rivals, torturing enemies and silencing critics. Khashoggi had previously been banned from writing or even tweeting, but fear that worse could be in store had prompted him to seek refuge in the United States.

Qahtani was uncharacteristically amiable on the call. He told Khashoggi that public comments praising Saudi reforms, including a decision to allow women to drive, had pleased the crown prince. He urged Khashoggi to "keep writing and boasting" about Mohammed's achievements. While the conversation was cordial, the subtext was clear: Khashoggi no longer lived under Saudi rule, but the country's most powerful royal was monitoring his every word.

Khashoggi reacted with a combination of the nerve and trepidation that would define the remaining months of his life. He challenged Qahtani about the plight of activists he knew had been imprisoned in the kingdom, according to a friend who witnessed the exchange. But even as he did so, the friend said, "I saw how Jamal's hand was shaking while holding the phone."

A year later, Khashoggi, 59, would be dead, and Mohammed and Qahtani would be implicated by U.S. intelligence agencies in his killing, which was carried out by a team of assassins dispatched from Riyadh.

The crime has roiled relations between the United States and Saudi Arabia, exposed the ruthless side of a crown prince who was supposed to represent the kingdom's enlightened future, and revealed the extent to which the Trump administration prioritizes protecting an oil-rich ally over humanitarian concerns.

The case has also taken on the dimensions of a global cause. Khashoggi, a contributing columnist for The Washington Post, was a writer of modest influence beyond the Middle East when he was alive. In death, he has become a symbol of a broader struggle for human rights, as well as a chilling example of the savagery with which autocratic regimes silence voices of dissent.

Khashoggi's life and work, particularly in his final year, were inevitably more complicated than can be captured in that idealized frame. The complete truth about his fate remains elusive in large measure because of a determined Saudi effort to obscure events - an effort that included relaying false information to executives at The Post in the days after Khashoggi's death.

This account of his final 18 months, which reveals new details about Khashoggi's interactions with Saudi officials, his activities over the last year of his life as an exile and his killing, is based on interviews with dozens of associates, friends and officials from countries including Saudi Arabia and the United States as well as Turkey, where Khashoggi was killed and dismembered inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2.

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Khashoggi was an advocate for reform in his country, but neither saw himself as a dissident nor believed in bringing radical change to a nation that has operated for the past eight decades as an absolute monarchy.

He relished his newfound freedoms in the United States, and the attention his writing got from a Western audience, but often resisted appeals from associates to be more forceful in his criticism of the kingdom. He was by many accounts depressed by the separation from his country and the strain that his departure and work placed on his family.

Even in exile, Khashoggi remained loyal to Saudi Arabia and reluctant to sever ties to the royal court. In September 2017, at the same time he was embarking on a new role as opinion columnist for The Washington Post, he was pursuing up to $2 million in funding from the Saudi government for a think tank that he proposed to run in Washington, according to documents reviewed by the paper that appear to be part of a proposal he submitted to the Saudi ministry of information.

Khashoggi also sent messages to the Saudi ambassador to the United States, Khaled bin Salman - the brother of the crown prince - expressing his loyalty to the kingdom and reporting on some of his activities in the United States, according to copies reviewed by The Post.

In one case, Khashoggi told the ambassador that he had been contacted by a former FBI agent working on behalf of families of victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks - in which 15 of the 19 hijackers were Saudi. He said he would to go forward with the meeting and emphasize "the innocence of my country and its leadership."

But in the conspiracy-driven climate of Middle East politics, Khashoggi came under mounting suspicion because of his writing as well as associations he cultivated over many years with perceived enemies of Riyadh.

Among Khashoggi's friends in the United States were individuals with real or imagined affiliations with the Islamist group the Muslim Brotherhood, and an Islamic advocacy organization, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, regarded warily for its support of the public uprisings of the Arab Spring. Khashoggi cultivated ties with senior officials in the Turkish government, also viewed with deep distrust by the rulers in Saudi Arabia.

After leaving the kingdom, Khashoggi sought to secure funding and support for an assortment of ideas that likely would have riled Middle East monarchs, including plans to create an organization that would publicly rank Arab nations each year by how they performed against basic metrics of freedom and democracy.

Perhaps most problematic for Khashoggi were his connections to an organization funded by Saudi Arabia's regional nemesis, Qatar. Text messages between Khashoggi and an executive at Qatar Foundation International show that the executive, Maggie Mitchell Salem, at times shaped the columns he submitted to The Washington Post, proposing topics, drafting material and prodding him to take a harder line against the Saudi government. Khashoggi also appears to have relied on a researcher and translator affiliated with the organization, which promotes Arabic-language education in the United States.

Editors at The Washington Post's opinion section, which is separate from the newsroom, said they were unaware of these arrangements, or his effort to secure Saudi funding for a think tank. "The proof of Jamal's independence is in his journalism," Fred Hiatt, editorial page editor of the Post, said in a statement. "Jamal had every opportunity to curry favor and to make life more comfortable for himself, but he chose exile and - as anyone reading his work can see - could not be tempted or corrupted."

A former U.S. diplomat who had known Khashoggi since 2002, Salem said that any assistance she provided Khashoggi was from a friend who sought to help him succeed in the United States. She noted that Khashoggi's English abilities were limited, and said that the foundation did not pay Khashoggi nor seek to influence him on behalf of Qatar.

"He and I talked about issues of the day as people who had come together, caring about the same part of the world," Salem said. "Jamal was never an employee, never a consultant, never anything to [the foundation]. Never."

It is not clear that the Saudi government knew of Khashoggi's ties to the Qatar foundation, although the kingdom routinely engages in surveillance of dissidents abroad.

To friends and family members, Khashoggi's connections were indicative of his intellectual curiosity and disregard for rigid national, religious and ideological boundaries. He traveled constantly, attended dozens of conferences each year, and developed long-standing friendships with people whose opinions were at odds with his own.

Nevertheless, Khashoggi knew that his writings and associations carried risks. He told friends and colleagues repeatedly that he would be imprisoned if he ever reentered Saudi Arabia, and spoke often of his concern for his four children, including a son who remained in the kingdom and had faced intermittent harassment from the authorities there.

In the end, Khashoggi underestimated what Saudi Arabia was capable of as he entered the consulate in Istanbul to collect paperwork needed to remarry and begin rebuilding a personal life that had experienced some turmoil during his exile.

"His biggest fear was being imprisoned but not being killed," said the friend who witnessed the Qahtani call, who requested anonymity for his own security. "He had never thought of that."

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The October 2017 phone call was part of a long series of interactions between the Saudi columnist and Qahtani, a 40-year-old veteran of the Saudi Air Force who emerged from a decade of maneuvering in the royal court as one of the crown prince's closest advisers.

Qahtani was given broad authority to protect the image of the crown prince, widely known by his initials, "MBS." It was an assignment that involved flooding social media platforms with propaganda and using espionage capabilities to monitor critics. At times it also meant banning those perceived as being disloyal - including Khashoggi - from writing or posting comments online. Under Mohammed and Qahtani, many activists have also been imprisoned for their dissent.

With more than a million followers on Twitter, Qahtani is derisively known as "Lord of the Flies," a reference to the swarms of social media operatives - "electronic flies" - that descend on perceived adversaries of the kingdom and Mohammed.

Even before Mohammed began making his move to claim the title of crown prince, Qahtani was scouring the private sector for tools that could aide him in his efforts of suppression. Emails released by WikiLeaks show that someone using Qahtani's identity pursued spyware capabilities from an Italian company as early as 2012.

A lawsuit filed last month by a Saudi exile in Canada, Omar Abdulaziz, accused the Saudi government of monitoring his text message exchanges with Khashoggi by using Israeli software designed to secretly control an ordinary smartphone, turning it into a surveillance device against its owner.

Qahtani was working to mute Khashoggi's voice as early as 2016.

The journalist, a native of Medina, had an eventful but often bumpy career over several decades in Saudi Arabia. Drawn to radical causes in his early years, Khashoggi traveled to Afghanistan in the 1980s as a correspondent where he interviewed Osama bin Laden and posed for a picture holding a military rifle.

Khashoggi was fired twice as editor of Saudi Arabia's Al-Watan newspaper because he was seen as agitating against the government. But he was also an insider in the royal court. In between those editing stints, Khashoggi worked as an adviser to Prince Turki Al-Faisal, the former head of Saudi intelligence, when the prince served as ambassador to the United Kingdom and then the United States.

The first major clash between Qahtani and Kashoggi came in late 2016, when the writer was working as a columnist for the London-based Al-Hayat newspaper. At a time when Mohammed and others were celebrating the election of Donald Trump, who promised a far warmer relationship with Riyadh than President Barack Obama had pursued, Khashoggi was more cautious, warning in mid-November 2016 on Twitter that the Saudis should be wary of the untested American president.

Shortly thereafter, while Khashoggi was attending a conference in Qatar, Qahtani called to inform him that he was "not allowed to tweet, not allowed to write, not allowed to talk," said a Khashoggi associate who, like others, also requested anonymity for security reasons.

Qahtani added, "You can't do anything anymore - you're done."

Khashoggi's ban over the ensuing eight months coincided with a period of intense intrigue in Riyadh. As Mohammed maneuvered to consolidate power, his enforcer began building his capabilities, including so-called "tiger teams" tasked with carrying out overseas abductions and the interrogation of prisoners. It was hard to reconcile such operations with the innocuous name of Qahtani's department: the Center for Studies and Media Affairs.

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In April 2017, Khashoggi left Saudi Arabia for three weeks to stay in London with a Saudi businessman and fellow former adviser to Prince Turki, Nawaf Obaid, who had had his own falling out with the royal court. The two talked about Khashoggi's desire to move to the United States, according to a person familiar with their discussions.

But Qahtani surfaced again, calling Khashoggi in London to tell him that all would be forgiven if he returned to Riyadh. It was part of Qahtani's "hot-cold" handling of Khashoggi, the person said, alternating between being menacing and reassuring.

In June 2017, Mohammed and his supporters carried out an extraordinary power grab, detaining the designated crown prince Mohammed bin Nayef, a 57-year-old grandson of the founding Saudi monarch. He emerged from his detainment to issue a humiliating public pledge of loyalty to his much younger cousin, Mohammed, relinquishing the title of crown prince.

The turbulence added to Khashoggi's fears. In June, as Mohammed was plotting, Khashoggi made his exit, packing his bags, locking up his house and boarding a flight to Washington.

His departure triggered a further attempt to secure his obedience. This time it came not from Qahtani but the Saudi information minister, who called Khashoggi in August to tell him that the writing ban had been lifted and that the government might be prepared to give him money to set up a pro-Saudi think tank in Washington.

The minister, Awwad Alawwad, the former Saudi ambassador to Germany, also relayed a potentially unsettling request. "The crown prince would like to see you," the minister said, according to a Khashoggi colleague who overheard the call. Saudi officials deny that the minister mentioned Mohammed.

Always conflicted about his relationship with the royals, Khashoggi explored the think tank offer, and even submitted a proposal, according to documents reviewed by The Post. His plan described an entity that would be called the "Saudi Research Council" in Washington, with an initial budget of $1 million to $2 million.

The proposal outlined ideas such as cultivating relationships with other influential organizations, but it seemed aimed at shoring up the Saudi reputation abroad. It notes, for example, that "an irresponsible media" had unfairly maligned the kingdom over alleged connections to terrorist groups for many years, and that the council could work on behalf of Riyadh "to regain its positive role and image."

The proposal also outlined a plan to form a team for the purpose of "monitoring potential negative news." The team would follow emerging story lines and social media "that might explode against the kingdom" then "notify the ministry in Riyadh."

The prospect of such a Saudi-friendly endeavor appealed to members of Khashoggi's family who at times faced travel restrictions and other hardships imposed by Riyadh in apparent retaliation for his work. Khashoggi's eldest son, Salah, a banker in Saudi Arabia, and other family members urged him to pursue the think tank plan.

But Khashoggi was also being prodded by others to reject Riyadh's entreaties, and it's not clear that the ministry of information was ever prepared to proceed.

Khashoggi appears to have reached a fateful decision in this period to turn further away from the only country he ever considered home. His marriage subsequently disintegrated and his eldest son cut off contact with him for months, friends and associates said.Khashoggi's children declined to be interviewed for this article.

In conversations, Khashoggi seemed alternately despondent and invigorated, proclaiming to one friend: "I am a free man, and I am going to change Saudi Arabia."

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Khashoggi's arrival in Washington came at an auspicious time for The Post, which was seeking writers for an online section called Global Opinions. One of its editors, Karen Attiah, reached out to Khashoggi to ask him to write on the forces roiling Saudi Arabia.

On Sept. 18, 2017, Khashoggi's first column for The Post appeared with a stark opening line: "When I speak of the fear, intimidation, arrests and public shaming of intellectuals and religious leaders who dare to speak their minds, and then I tell you that I'm from Saudi Arabia, are you surprised?"

The column was also a declaration of his own independence. "I have left my home, my family and my job, and I am raising my voice," he wrote. "I want you to know that Saudi Arabia has not always been as it is now. We Saudis deserve better."

To hear such unflinching words from a Saudi writer was rare. The fact that they appeared on such a prominent platform would likely have been unnerving to those around the crown prince.

Mohammed had largely succeeded in Washington at casting himself as a leader who would bring Western-style reforms to Saudi Arabia. He had cultivated such a close relationship with the Trump administration that he routinely traded messages and phone calls with Trump's son-in-law and adviser, Jared Kushner, outside traditional diplomatic channels.

Khashoggi was now writing for a publication that could undercut the crown prince's narrative in Washington. It was less than two weeks later that Khashoggi got the call that made his hands tremble.

Khashoggi did at times praise the crown prince, crediting him for reforms, including allowing movie theaters to open in the kingdom. But he also seemed to grow more bold in his criticisms.

In November, Khashoggi compared Mohammed to Russian President Vladimir Putin just as a brutal new crackdown began in the Saudi capital. Hundreds of wealthy Saudis, including members of the royal family, were detained at the Ritz-Carlton hotel, many of them reportedly beaten while being interrogated, accused of corruption and forced to surrender billions of dollars in assets. Khashoggi criticized Saudi Arabia's policies in Lebanon, its bombing campaign in Yemen, its blockade of Qatar, its repression of women and its opposition to a free press.

Khashoggi was never a staff employee of the Post, and was paid about $500 per piece for the 20 columns he wrote over the course of the year. He lived in an apartment near Tysons Corner in Fairfax County ,Virginia, that he had purchased while working at the Saudi Embassy a decade earlier.

As the months went on, he struggled with bouts of loneliness and stumbled into new relationships. He secretly married an Egyptian woman, Hanan El Atr, in a ceremony in suburban Virginia, though neither filled out paperwork to make it legal, and the relationship quickly fizzled.

Khashoggi pursued other ventures. Among them was a plan to create an organization called Democracy for the Arab World Now. He sought out financial backers and turned for organizational help to Nihad Awad, the head of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. The organization has worked to ensure the fair treatment of Muslims in the United States, but its support for the uprisings of the Arab Spring led Saudi authorities to see it as an adversary.

Khashoggi cultivated friendships with people with ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, an organization that he joined when he was a college student in the United States but subsequently backed away from. The organization is banned by autocratic regimes in the Middle East.

Khashoggi also appears to have accepted significant help with his columns. Salem, the executive at the Qatar foundation, reviewed his work in advance and in some instances appears to have proposed language, according to a voluminous collection of messages obtained by The Post.

In early August, Salem prodded Khashoggi to write about Saudi Arabia's alliances "from DC to Jerusalem to rising right wing parties across Europe...bringing an end to the liberal world order that challenges their abuses at home."

Khashoggi expressed misgivings about such a strident tone, then asked, "So do you have time to write it?"

"I'll try," she replied, although she went on to urge him to "try a draft" himself incorporating sentences that she had sent him by text. A column reflecting their discussion appeared in the Post on Aug. 7. Khashoggi appears to have used some of Salem's suggestions, though it largely tracks ideas that he expressed in their exchange over the encrypted app WhatsApp.

Other texts in the 200-page trove indicate that Salem's organization paid a researcher who did work for Khashoggi. The foundation is an offshoot of a larger Qatar-based organization. Khashoggi also relied on a translator who worked at times for the Qatari embassy and the foundation.

Hiatt, The Post's editorial page editor, said that Khashoggi's writings show no attempt to favor the Qatar position. "He doesn't attack Saudi Arabia's campaign against Qatar, as Qatar might have wanted," Hiatt said. "Nor does he embrace MBS's reforms, as the crown prince might have wanted. On the contrary: he courageously stands up for Saudi dissidents - and for the cause of freedom throughout the region - while trying to nudge the reforms in a constructive direction."

Khashoggi and Salem seemed to understand how his association with a Qatar-funded entity could be perceived, reminding one another to keep the arrangement "discreet." He voiced concern that his family could be vulnerable.

As she reviewed a draft of the Aug. 7 column, she accused him of pulling punches. "You moved off topic and seem to excuse Riyadh...ITS HIGHLY PROBLEMATIC." The next day he wrote back that he had submitted the column, saying, "They're going to hang me when it comes out."

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By July 2018, the Saudi crown prince had commanded subordinates to find a way to bring the exiled columnist back to the kingdom, according to intercepted communications examined by U.S. intelligence officials.

They saw an opportunity in late September, when Khashoggi entered the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul seeking paperwork he needed for a marriage to a Turkish woman. He was told to return the following week. Khashoggi said he would be back the following Tuesday.

After attending a weekend conference in London, Khashoggi returned to Istanbul early in the morning on Oct. 2 and called the consulate to say he would be there by 1 p.m. He met his fiancee, Hatice Cengiz, for breakfast and told her of his plan. Concerned about him going alone, she skipped obligations at a university in Istanbul to accompany him. As he left his phones with her and went inside, it was the last time she ever saw him.

Several Saudi teams were already in place, having arrived on a pair of jets from Riyadh. The operatives had met with Qahtani before leaving, according to Saudi officials. Assigned to the team was Maher Mutreb, a Mohammed bodyguard who had worked at the Saudi embassy in London at the same time as Khashoggi.

What happened inside might never have emerged were it not for listening devices planted in the Saudi consulate by Turkish intelligence. The recordings span several days and capture operatives discussing in advance of Khashoggi's arrival their plans to subdue and kill him, according to Western intelligence officials.

Khashoggi seemed to realize quickly that he was in danger. A member of the team asked whether he would take tea, and Khashoggi replied yes with an edge in his voice that made it clear that he sensed that this ritual act of politeness presaged something sinister, according to the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss classified material.

A member of the team informed Khashoggi that he was going back to Saudi Arabia, according to a Western official who said that for a moment Khashoggi seems to have believed that he was going to be drugged and abducted. The Saudi team, however, brought a syringe packed with enough sedative to be lethal, the officials said.

The rest of the recording suggests there was no intent to take Khashoggi alive, multiple officials said. It captures the writer gasping for air in a physical struggle that gives way to silence. The horror resumes with the sound of an electric motor, presumably a saw that a special member of the team - a crime scene expert from the Saudi Ministry of Interior - used to dismember Khashoggi's body.

Saudi officials maintain that the team did not bring a saw but used implements found at the consulate, citing the statements that the suspects have given authorities.

Khashoggi's body has not been recovered. Saudi officials said that the killers entrusted Khashoggi's remains to an accomplice in Turkey. Turkish authorities said the Saudis have yet to provide any evidence or identify this supposed individual.

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Khashoggi's disappearance, reported to Turkish authorities by Cengiz after she had waited outside the consulate for more than three hours, set off a frantic search for clues in Istanbul and Washington.

At The Post, publisher Fred Ryan appealed for help from senior Trump administration officials at the White House and State Department. Ryan also drafted a letter to Mohammed, delivered via diplomatic channels, the day after Khashoggi disappeared.

Trump officials were responsive during the initial days after the writer's disappearance. Then, suddenly, the administration's willingness to engage seemed to evaporate. It was as if Mohammed's ardent backers understood, perhaps from early intelligence reports, that Khashoggi would not be found alive and that what they faced was no longer a case of a missing journalist but a looming diplomatic crisis.

Ryan's attempts to get information from the Saudi government were met with denials and falsehoods.

After days of requests, Khaled, the Saudi ambassador and brother of the crown prince, agreed to meet with Ryan at The Post publisher's Georgetown home. He arrived around 9 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 7, five days after Khashoggi disappeared.

The ambassador indicated that he had been gathering information from Riyadh and that Saudi Arabia did not regard Khashoggi as a threat. "Jamal has always been honest," he said. "We have never perceived him as being an asset of [a hostile country] or anyone else."

The ambassador proceed to make a series of assertions that defied logic and were contradicted by details emerging from Istanbul.

Ryan asked about reports that Saudi planes had flown into and out of Istanbul around the time of Khashoggi's disappearance, pressing the ambassador on the presence of any Saudi aircraft. The ambassador responded categorically, saying that such reports were "baseless" when, in fact, such flights had taken place and the teams had flown back to Saudi Arabia within hours of Khashoggi's death.

Asked to provide evidence backing up Saudi Arabia's claims that Khashoggi had departed the consulate safely, the ambassador said that video cameras at the compound "weren't recording" because of technical problems.

Ryan was incredulous. "You can walk around the block here and you will appear on a dozen video cameras," he said motioning to the surrounding neighborhood. "I don't understand this." Saudi authorities have since concluded that the consulate cameras were intentionally disabled.

Ryan questioned the ambassador about other Saudi claims that seemed riddled with gaping holes of logic. Why would Khashoggi have exited through the consulate back door, as some had suggested, when his fiance was waiting out front? Why would he deviate from what he had done just days earlier, when he entered and left through the same door?

The ambassador was adamant. Allegations of Saudi involvement were "baseless and ridiculous," he said, noting that Saudi investigators had already arrived in Istanbul and questioned employees at the consulate. "It's impossible that this would be covered up and we wouldn't know about it," he said.

In a statement Friday, Saud Kabli, the director of communications at the Saudi embassy, said, "Nothing the Ambassador shared with Mr. Ryan in their conversation was an attempt to mislead. The information provided was the best information we had at that time. Unfortunately, that information has since proved to be false."

The conversation concluded after an hour. Ryan ended by saying that if Khashoggi were killed or abducted by Saudi Arabia it would be "the most depraved and oppressive act against a journalist in modern history."

Recalling the meeting in an interview, Ryan said that "overwhelming evidence has emerged indicating that virtually everything they told us was false."

Saudi Arabia has detained 21 people in connection with Khashoggi's killing, and removed five senior officials - including Qahtani - from their jobs. Saudi officials have continued to deny that the crown prince was involved. Though the CIA has concluded with medium to high confidence that Mohammed ordered the operation, President Trump has sought to insulate the crown prince, saying "maybe he did, maybe he didn't."

Turkish intelligence officials have identified Qahtani as the mastermind and indicated that he was the recipient of a message from a member of the kill team during the operation informing him that the "deed" had been done.

Saudi officials suggested that Qahtani created the crisis by driving Khashoggi from the kingdom, only to see him gain a more prominent platform for his criticism abroad. Qahtani then hatched the plot to silence Khashoggi in an effort to avoid the wrath of the crown prince, a theory that has the virtue from the Saudi perspective of shielding the royal heir from blame.

U.S. intelligence agencies tracked a flurry of messages between Mohammed and Qahtani in the hours before and after Khashoggi was killed. The Post was shown purported copies of those messages, texts that centered on mundane matters including a solar energy program and discussion of remarks by a foreign official. It was not possible to establish the authenticity of the documents.

Associates of Khashoggi draw little distinction between the crown prince and his enforcer. "Qahtani has been the source of all evil" for Khashoggi, said a friend of the journalist. "A thug. A liar. A bastard." But each time Qahtani targeted Khashoggi, the associate said, "it's understood who is telling him to do it."

On Oct. 3, one day after Khashoggi's death, while his fate remained uncertain, his researcher contacted the Post to say that he had a draft of a column that Khashoggi had begun writing before his disappearance. It was published two weeks later.

In it, Khashoggi lamented that "Arab governments have been given free rein to continue silencing the media at an increasing rate," and that the region was "facing its own version of an Iron Curtain, imposed not by external actors but through domestic forces vying for power."

"We need to provide a platform for Arab voices," he said.

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The Washington Post's Julie Tate and Zakaria Zakaria contributed to this story.
Jim Rogers, the former chief executive of Duke Energy who became one of the first prominent energy industry officials to recognize the threat of climate change and argue that it should be addressed through federal policy, died Dec. 17 at a hospital in Louisville, where he was visiting family. He was 71.

The cause was sepsis, said his longtime Duke spokesman, Tom Williams.

Rogers, a lawyer by training and a policy person at heart, became chief executive of Duke Energy in 2006 having spent 18 years at the helm of three other utilities. The second, Cinergy, was merged into Duke.

Duke Energy then became one of the country's biggest utilities with interests in coal, natural gas and nuclear power, and it became a public policy platform for Rogers, who helped bring the Democratic National Convention to Duke's hometown of Charlotte in 2012.

Seeing tougher restrictions on coal as inevitable, Rogers broke taboos in the utility industry and became a supporter of a cap-and-trade approach that President Barack Obama favored to reduce carbon emissions. During negotiations over the cap-and-trade bill that ultimately passed the House but failed in the Senate, Rogers frequently told audiences and reporters that "if we are not at the table, we will be on the menu, and I intend to be at the table."

Jason Bordoff, founding director of Columbia University's global energy policy center and former National Security Council senior director for energy and climate under Obama, said that Rogers "saw the potential for clean electricity sources like renewables earlier than many of his peers."

Bordoff also said that Rogers was "a key member of the U.S. Climate Action Partnership that developed a template for the climate legislation passed by the House of Representatives."

Since Rogers became its chief executive, Duke Energy has invested more than $4 billion on wind and solar power projects.

But Rogers also came under criticism from environmental groups because he favored a gradual transition away from coal. They also contended that he had not moved fast enough to shut down coal plants or to clean up the coal ash waste that had built up over decades. That corporate legacy surfaced recently after the rains from Hurricane Florence led to a Duke coal ash facility overflowing its banks and into the Cape Fear River.

James Eugene Rogers Jr. was born in Birmingham, Ala., on Sept. 20, 1947, and grew up largely in Danville, Kentucky. He took a job as a reporter writing obituaries for the Lexington Herald-Leader and worked his way through the University of Kentucky, where he received a bachelor's degree in business administration in 1970 and a law degree in 1974.

He then became a Kentucky Supreme Court law clerk, a litigator at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and a partner at the Washington law firm of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld. He was an executive at Enron's gas pipeline unit, leaving a dozen years before the company's financial collapse.

At Duke, Rogers was a generous booster of Charlotte, North Carolina, where the company was based. He co-chaired an $83 million fundraising campaign to establish new museums in Charlotte. In 2011, Rogers and his wife, Mary Anne, gave $4.1 million for the construction of a new health and science building at the city's Queens University.

In 2012, Rogers headed a local host committee for the Democratic National Convention that needed to raise nearly $37 million. But the national party had restricted corporate donations, hampering fundraising efforts. Asked by The Washington Post how he would raise the money, Rogers said in 2011, "I'm standing on street corners with a tin can and trying to collect some money. I don't know if I'm going to find 370 friends to give me $100,000 each."

When the local committee came up $10.9 million short, the shortfall was covered by Duke Energy. The move cost shareholders $6 million, the Charlotte Observer reported.

In 2012, Duke merged with Progress Energy, creating the country's largest utility. But it became a turbulent corporate marriage. The new chief executive of the combined company was ousted within hours of the deal's closing, and Rogers was reinstated. But the North Carolina Utilities Commission, finding investors had been misled, approved a settlement under which Rogers retired in 2013.

Over 25 years as the top executive of two utilities, he helped guide them to 12 percent average annual returns, according to Williams, the Duke spokesman.

Rogers brought the same energy to his next act, as a director and fundraiser for institutions including the Nature Conservancy. He also wrote a book, "Lighting the World" (2015), which offered pragmatic solutions that the public and private sectors could use to lift the world's poorest people out of poverty.

Climate change hung over his career at Duke. "I believe in global warming," he told comedian Stephen Colbert in a 2009 interview. But Rogers still said that he favored a search for ways to extract carbon dioxide from the exhaust of coal plants, a costly technology that is still being researched. He told Colbert he hoped to "decarbonize" the fleet of coal plants, not junk it.

Rogers said he read extensively about climate change, including Al Gore's book "An Inconvenient Truth." "It's not like I woke up one morning and felt God spoke to me," he said in an interview in 2007. "It took years of reading and thinking about it."

Though a supporter of nuclear power, Rogers also said it was too expensive to "bet the farm" on it. He compared the site of an abandoned nuclear plant with the set of a "Mad Max" movie.

Rogers was at times openly critical of congressional Republicans for defeating the cap-and-trade plan that was modeled on a similar plan President George H.W. Bush used to slash sulfur dioxide emissions. Rogers, who as chief executive of PSI Energy had supported Bush's plan, was convinced later that the same approach would cut carbon dioxide emissions.

In the 2011 Post interview, Rogers said that "the only approach to address the carbon issue [is one] that allows us to successfully reduce emissions in a way that is fair and allows us to transition to a [less carbon-intensive] world. Unfortunately, the people who invented it have demonized it - the Republicans. When they created it, they called it the greatest use of market forces to solve the problems of the world."

By that time, especially with the surge of cheap shale gas, Duke sped up the retirement of coal plants.

Today, one of the final new coal plants to go online in the United States is named for Rogers. Because it is relatively new, Duke doesn't expect to close it until 2048.

Rogers's first marriage, to Robyn McGill, ended in divorce. Survivors include his wife of 41 years, the former Mary Anne Boldrick of Charlotte, North Carolina; three children from his first marriage, Chrissi Morgan of Pebble Beach, California, Kara Black of Sandwich, Massachusetts, and Ben Rogers of Madison, New Jersey; a brother; two sisters; eight grandchildren; and a great-grandson.

In his work, Rogers said that he employed what he called "the grandchildren test."

"I want them to be able to look back and say, 'My granddaddy made a good decision,' " he told the New York Times in 2008, " '-and it's still a good decision.' "
If a shutdown takes place, National Park Service law enforcement personnel will continue to patrol the national lakeshore but all other park rangers will be on furlough. While all trails except Pinhook Bogs bog trail will be open, educational and informational programs hosted by National Park Service staff and volunteers will not take place, Richea said. This includes all activities, tours, lectures, events and programs.
WASHINGTON - Five years ago, a conservative revolt in Congress led to a 16-day partial government shutdown. Earlier this year, a Senate Democratic protest produced a three-day closure. On Friday, there was a new antagonist from beyond Capitol Hill: President Donald Trump.

As dozens of federal agencies stood on the brink of partially shuttering at midnight, lawmakers in both parties grappled with the jarring dynamic as they raced to strike a last-minute spending deal. The days of presidents trying to head off a chaotic, costly shutdown had given way to a president digging in to secure funding for his border wall - even if it resulted in a shutdown.

Trump's defiance - and his role as enabler for conservative insurgents - left a bitter taste for some veteran Republican lawmakers, who nevertheless have largely catered to his whims for two years. His posture has also injected fresh tension into the suddenly shaky relationship between Congress and the White House, which is expected to become rockier when Democrats take control of the House in under two weeks.

"I have a hard time seeing the benefit of shutdown politics ever," said Sen. Roy Blunt, Mo., the vice chairman of the Senate Republican Conference. "And maybe the worst of all shutdown politics would be Christmastime shutdown politics. So, that's my view. And it apparently is not the president's view."

The government funding fight could be a preview of other battles to come. A showdown over raising the nation's borrowing authority is expected to occur sometime in the spring or summer of 2019, raising the possibility of another fierce partisan showdown between the White House and Congress with far-reaching consequences for the fate of the world's financial markets.

Trump declared last week that he would be "proud to shut down the government for border security," as he demanded $5 billion to fund a massive wall on the border with Mexico, a signature campaign promise that he repeatedly insisted Mexico would finance.

On Friday, he sought to shift culpability to Democrats. "Shutdown today if Democrats do not vote for Border Security!" he tweeted. Later, he wrote: "The Democrats now own the shutdown!"

But on Capitol Hill, some Republicans were unconvinced by his attempt to deflect responsibility. Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., who is retiring at the end of 2020 after three terms, blamed both Trump and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., for the standoff.

"A government shutdown should not be part of the budget negotiation any more than chemical warfare should be a part of war. It should be off limits," Alexander said. "There's no excuse for talking about a shutdown."

After Trump's $5 billion ultimatum last week, Democrats rebuffed him, standing firm behind their counteroffer of $1.3 billion for fencing. The talks were at a stalemate until the White House backed down Tuesday and Trump's chief spokeswoman said the administration would find "other ways" to fund the wall.

The Senate passed a measure by voice vote on Wednesday that would have extended government funding until Feb. 8, averting a shutdown and effectively punting the debate over the wall into 2019. But Trump, egged on by members of the hard-right House Freedom Caucus, rejected that plan, sending House Republicans scrambling to pass a plan with $5.7 billion for his wall.

Although Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., agreed to move forward on the bill Friday, it was clear it didn't have the votes to pass. As the clock ticked toward the midnight deadline for replenishing federal funds, the White House and congressional negotiators went back to the drawing board.

Some attributed Trump's hardening stance as the week went on to pressure to deliver the wall from prominent conservative media personalities, including Rush Limbaugh.

"This is tyranny of talk radio hosts, right?" said retiring Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., one of the most outspoken Trump critics in the Republican Party.

"And so, how do you deal with that?" added Corker. "Do we succumb to tyranny of talk radio hosts?"

Corker didn't have an answer to that question of what Republicans should do as a remedy, even as he questioned whether the party would retain its faith in the president moving forward.

"Are Republicans really going to trust the guy that comes out of the White House on a go-forward basis?" Corker wondered aloud. "I mean, this is a juvenile place we find ourselves at."

Other Republicans explained Trump's renewed push for the wall by pointing to the urgency he felt from the conservative base. The pressure is certain to increase closer to the 2020 presidential and congressional elections, especially with Senate Republicans defending 22 seats to Democrats' 11.

"I think he had thought he would be able to accept this, but I think once he saw the reaction from the base, I think it strengthened his resolve to try to move forward," said Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., speaking of the stopgap bill that passed the Senate by a voice vote. "And unfortunately, that puts us in this position we've got right now."

While it is impossible to know who the public would blame for a shutdown, a Quinnipiac University poll released this week showed that 51 percent of voters would blame Trump and Republicans in Congress more, while 37 percent would blame Democrats in Congress more.

One of Trump's staunchest allies on Capitol Hill dismissed the notion that they would suffer politically.

"There is not a linear connection to votes at the ballot box," said Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., the head of the Freedom Caucus. "I can't find any correlation between the way people vote and the blame they associate with a shutdown."

Meadows pointed to the brief January shutdown in which Senate Democrats, led by Minority Leader Charles Schumer pf New York, tried to use the spending deadline as leverage to gain protections for young undocumented immigrants. The shutdown was not a focal point in the fall midterm elections.

In 2013, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, helped lead an unsuccessful effort to stop the Affordable Care Act that led to a more than two-week government closure. Then-President Obama vigorously opposed the move.

Still, Republicans added to their House majority in the next year's midterms and won control of the Senate.

This time, the threat of a shutdown revolved heavily around one of the president's core proposals. Democrats, who are fresh off an election in which they gained 40 seats in the House amid a backlash to Trump and his agenda, have signaled they have no reservations about engaging in a protracted political debate over Trump's wall.

"He said Mexico was going to pay for it. He said it at the rallies," said Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, in an impassioned speech on the House floor on Thursday, referencing the president's campaign promise to compel the Mexican government to finance the wall's construction.

"And you're calling us and saying our words are hollow? Are you kidding me?" Ryan screamed.

Even if there are no long-term political consequences for the Trump and the GOP, many Republicans on Capitol Hill were in agreement that shutdown bluster is not a fruitful negotiation tool. Both the 2013 shutdown and the January funding lapse ended without the instigators getting what they sought.

"By and large, the lesson that we've learned is shutting down the government, or threatening to do so, is never really good leverage," said Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla. "But it seems to be happening now pretty frequently."

- - -

The Washington Post's Mike DeBonis contributed to this report.
ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Running for office had never crossed Katie Fry Hester's mind.

Then some of her neighbors in Howard County, Maryland, a community known for its inclusiveness and "Choose Civility" bumper stickers, stopped speaking to one another. Over politics.

"Seeing this partisan divide, it really sort of got to me," the self-described moderate Democrat said.

Fry Hester tookher two young daughters to march with hundreds of thousands of women on the Mall in Washington. She joined activist groups, including Bridge Builders, which she helped form with other women from her neighborhood. To her own surprise, she launched her first run for elected office. In November, she won a seat in the Maryland General Assembly by 531 votes, ousting a three-term Republican lawmaker.

Next month, Fry Hester will be part of the largest group of women to ever serve in the Annapolis statehouse. The cadre includes lawyers, millennials, public policy workers and former legislative aides; women who have always been politically active and women who have rarely, if ever, shown up at town council meetings.

They are part of a national groundswell of women who say they were driven to run for office by a desire to improve their communities but also by the last presidential election.

During the 2016 election cycle, 920 women who were potential candidates contacted Emily's List, a group that backs Democratic women who support abortion rights, spokeswoman Lindsay Crete said. Two years later, that number jumped more than 40-fold, to a staggering 42,000.

Diane Penkova Fink, executive director of Emerge Maryland, part of a national network that identifies potential female Democratic candidates, calls it "the Hillary factor" - women who were energized by Hillary Clinton's campaign, discouraged by Donald Trump's victory, or both. But for Hester and the Democratic women elected with her, pushing back against the Republican president is far from their only goal.

They say they want to advance bills of particular interest to women and families, from education to health care to the environment; build common ground and encourage more women to seek public office.

"I've heard people say "You don't look like a senator,'" said Senator-elect Sarah Elfreth, 30, of Anne Arundel County. "It's my job to change the face of what a senator looks like."

- - -

Maryland's feminist claim to fame is former U.S. senator Barbara Mikulski, a Democrat who was the longest-serving woman in Congress when she retired in 2016. But the state has never elected a woman to the its top job. And since Mikulski left, there have been no women in Maryland's congressional delegation.

In the statehouse, however, just over half of the 60 newly elected lawmakers - 31 - are women. Because of them, the 188-memberGeneral Assembly will include 72 women (63 Democrats and 9 Republicans) when it convenes next month, smashing the previous record of 67. They are aware that Maryland's statehouse - like others across the country - is known as an old-boys network, where sexual harassment can be pervasive. But they believe their time has come.

At a recent orientation session in Annapolis, those peppering the presenter with questions about drafting bills included Del.-elect Mary Lehman, a Democrat and former Prince George's County Council member, and Wanika Fisher, 30, a fellow Prince Georgian who will be the youngest woman in the county delegation.

Fisher, the daughter of African and Indian immigrants, says political engagement is part of her DNA. A former prosecutor, she also has worked as a legislative aide and on numerous campaigns.

"I've always felt the way to make change or to move space forward is through activism and government," she said. "My family struggled in apartheid and came here, so it really made me interested."

Like Fry Hester, she credits other women - including her Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority sisters and her mentor, former state delegate Jolene Ivey, a Democrat, with supporting her first run for office. Shewas a part of Emerge Maryland'sclass of 23 women who trained in 2017. Sixteen of them were elected.

"It gave me a network of women to go to when I needed advice," Fisher said.

Also part of the Emerge class was Elfreth, president of the Anne Arundel County Democratic Club, who will be the youngest woman ever to serve in the Maryland Senate, and Lesley Lopez, 35, from Montgomery County.

Elfreth's road to the statehouse began when state Sen. John Astle, D-Anne Arundel, told her the day after the presidential election that he was likely to give up his seat.

"Are you interested in running?" he asked.

Elfreth had considered a career in politics since servingas a student member on the University System of Maryland Board of Regents while attending Towson University. As a college senior, she heard a lecture by Madeleine Kunin, the first female governor of Vermont, who said:"If you're passionate and capable, it's your obligation to run for office."

Some friends and family told Elfreth to do it. Others were more discouraging. In the end, Elfreth figured a man would not pass up the opportunity she was being offered.

"This incredible window had opened up, and I wanted to take advantage of it," she said.

She fended off criticism during the campaign from supporters of her opponent, Republican Ron George, who tried to characterize her as out of touch with the district because she is unmarried and has no children.

When political opponents referred to her as a "girl," she said, "That's fine, because girls can do great things, too." And she said she cares about the issues affecting families even if she doesn't yet have one of her own.

Her fellow Emerge alumna, Lesley Lopez, 35, a former journalist and Capitol Hill aide from Montgomery County, said it wasn't just Trump's win that pushed her to run, it was "how women [candidates] were being treated, from Hillary Clinton to Carly Fiorina." She was also upset about the 10-year battle Del. Kathleen Dumais, D-Montogmery, had to wage to terminate the parental rights of rapists.

"There seemed to be a deficit of respect," said Lopez, who describes herself as a domestic abuse survivor. "It was clear that representation is an issue, and we can't take representation for granted."

- - -

Many of the new female lawmakers say they've been warned about the slow pace of Annapolis. They have a to-do list. But they also know the benefits of being patient.

Elfreth said she looks forward to "building on" the work of veteran female legislators.For example, she said she is excited to join with state Sen. Nancy King, D-Montgomery, the new chair of the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee, who has worked to provide more access to affordable child care.

"I was raised by a single mom," Elfreth said. "I look at that as an economic issues, family issues, making it easier for people to raise families."

She also wants to partner with Del. Shelly Hettleman, D-Baltimore County, on making sure rape evidence kits are preserved.

Fisher said "anything around criminal justice reform is super important to me. Consent and sexual assault, gun violence, and overpolicing of black men and people of color all keep me up at night." She wants to address overcrowding and lack of affordable housing in places like Langley Park and protecting seniors from financial crimes.

Del. Sheree Sample-Hughes, D-Wicomico, the incoming president of Women Legislators of Maryland, said the group has not finalized its agenda but plans to continue to push for legislation that deals with women's equality. Last session, one of its top priorities was addressingsexual harassment.

Earlier this year, a longtime Baltimore lawmaker was disciplined for sexual misconduct, and a female lawmaker accused a lobbyist of touching her inappropriately. Legislative leaders just got their first annual accounting of how many harassment complaints were filed over the past 12 months against lawmakers and General Assembly employees. They are planning more intensive training to combat the problem in 2019.

"I'm very excited about the new energy," Sample-Hughes said of the incoming lawmakers. "There is strength in having women at the table."

Fry Hester, an agricultural and biological engineer, was named co-chair of the Senate subcommittee on cybersecurity, information technology, and biological and biotechnology. She said she wants to boost the collaboration between government and the private sector to help Maryland become the "Silicon Valley for biotechnology and cybersecurity," encouraging women in the sciences along the way.

She used purple campaign literature, in a gesture of bipartisanship, and knocked on about 40,000 doors during her campaign.

In a nod to Republican Gov. Larry Hogan, who often says he does not care which side of the aisle an idea comes from, Fry Hester plans to reintroduce a bill her Republican predecessor sponsored: a tax credit for seniors.

"I just hope that over the next four years people will say Katie did good work for our district," she said, "and it didn't matter what party she was from."
Seeing the man "stuck in the back of his head," she said, so when the holiday season rolled around last year, Andrew wanted to find the man and to help other homeless men like him. They came up with the idea to pack blessing bags comprised of a blanket, socks, toiletries and snacks hand-chosen by Andrew and give them to an organization in the city.
I bet that all Julian Castro wants for Christmas is for former Congressman Beto ORourke to stay retired.

And I bet ORourke  an Irishman who speaks Spanish and does a decent impression of a Latino Democrat  would probably just as soon not run against a real one.

But now that Castro  a rising star and former San Antonio mayor  has launched an exploratory committee for a presidential run in 2020, and ORourke is polling at the top of what will be a crowded field for the Democratic nomination, pundits are quick to put the two Texans on a collision course.

Observers assume that ORourke takes votes from Castro, and vice versa. So, Democrats have to choose between Team Julian or Team Beto.

As a columnist, objectivity is discouraged and bias is required. So let me put my bias on the table right off the bat.

Ive known Castro for 16 years, and I consider him a friend. Of course, that designation doesnt spare you from being skewered now and then. Ive criticized Castros decisions, like the one to accept President Barack Obamas nomination to be secretary of housing and urban development. HUD is the Cabinets version of the barrio, where presidents stick Latino superstars until they lose their luster. Castro is humble, authentic, calm, pragmatic and thoughtful in attacking problems. Still, I often find him too cautious, guarded and calculating  traits that have the effect of taking an intelligent and capable young man and making him appear to be something he is not: uninteresting.

Speaking of trying to be something youre not, I think ORourke is guilty of cultural appropriation. Born Robert Francis ORourke, he was tagged Beto not by Latinos but by a white male  his father, who told reporters that he thought it would be politically advantageous for his son in a state like Texas, which is now about 39 percent Latino. ORourke became Robert at Columbia University and reverted back to Beto when he came home to Texas. While his supporters insist he doesnt pretend to be Latino, the truth is that he doesnt discourage those who want to believe that he is Latino. And yet, before white audiences, he plays it straight with mainstream messaging. You could say that ORourke wants to have his flan and eat it, too.

But that doesnt mean Im on Team Julian.

ORourke has skills. He electrifies crowds, speaks plainly and grabs hold of thorny topics with both hands. He also raised $70 million running against Ted Cruz for the Senate seat in Texas this year  and even though he lost, he delivered one of the best showings in decades for a Democrat in a statewide race. Sure, hes a novice. But look whos in the White House.

Besides, as a Latino, Im offended that this somehow wound up as the celebrity death match for Democrats in 2020.

Yes, this is a Latino thing. Ethnicity drives this showdown narrative. This media concoction of Julian vs. Beto is really just a contest to see who gets to avenge Donald Trumps anti-Latino racism.

Oops. I said the r-word. Get over it.

Whether youre a cable news host or president of the United States, just wanting to secure the U.S.-Mexico border isnt, all by itself, racist. But wanting to secure it because you think whats on the other side of that border is inferior to whats on this side? Well, yeah, that fits the definition pretty well.

Back to the Democrats death match. Why is the media so determined to pit Castro against ORourke? Why not set up either of them to battle Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker or any one of the other nearly two dozen Democrats who are likely to vie for their partys nomination?

A recent article floated the idea that Biden might consider ORourke as a running mate. But Castro and ORourke are automatically competitors?

Color me suspicious. For some white liberals, ORourke might be just Latino enough  which is to say not at all. As a Latino politico recently told me, the failed Senate candidate is like that Mexican restaurant that white people gravitate to because the salsa isnt too spicy and the chimichangas are acceptable.

Thats fine for some folks. You gotta eat. But I expect Latinos to know the real thing when they see it.

ruben@rubennavarrette.com
Has there ever been anyone who crowed more about his imaginary capabilities? Now Trump claims to know "more about technology than any body." If it weren't so disgusting it would be hilarious. But what this monster does on a daily basis affects all of our lives. I hope you people who elected him are ecstatically happy about the damage he's doing. It's what you wanted.
The post office network has a central role to play in the delivery of social welfare services, according to Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, Regina Doherty TD.

The Minister met with the President of the Irish Postmasters Union, Mr Padraig McCann as well as its General Secretary, Mr Ned OHara and other officials in Longford last Friday to discuss current issues in the network of offices.

Minister Doherty emphasised that the potential of post offices to provide additional state services should not be overlooked.

She added, The post office network is an important channel for the delivery of social welfare services  particularly in rural Ireland.

While other methods of payment are becoming more available to welfare recipients, I believe fundamentally that people should have choice in how they receive these payments.

Roughly four in ten social welfare recipients use their local post office to collect their payments and this is a testimony to the post office networks important role at the heart of many communities.

Indeed, as we work to develop and support rural Ireland, I believe there is great potential to explore how other state services could utilise this vital and valued local channel.

The Department for Employment Affairs and Social Protection makes approximately 79 million social welfare payments per annum of which nearly 31 million are by cash via the post office network. The Department is the largest retail customer of An Post and among its top ten customers for postal services.

Read Also:

Longford Cllr wants government to intervene in threatened Post Office closures




A joint investigation between authorities in Massachusetts and New Hampshire has led to the seizure of 16 stolen firearms, including several semi-automatic rifles, and more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition from a house in Pepperell, officials said.

The investigation by Massachusetts State Police, the office of Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan and police in Nashua, New Hampshire, was focused on two suspects wanted in connection with the recent theft of firearms in Nashua, Massachusetts State Police wrote in a statement.

Early Thursday, a Massachusetts State Police trooper located a Nissan Altima used by one of the suspects outside a residence in Dracut.

The trooper learned that both suspects were sleeping inside the residence, the statement said. Dracut police responded to assist.

Both suspects, Wayne Shay, 36, of Nashua, and Sheri Napier, 36, of Dracut, were taken into custody without incident on warrants out of New Hampshire, State Police said.

Authorities learned that the stolen firearms were located at a Pepperell residence, the statement said.

Police seized 17 high-capacity magazines, a 100-round drum magazine, more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition and the 16 stolen firearms, State Police said, which included:

Three AR-15 style semi-automatic rifles

Two AK-47 style semi-automatic rifles

Two .357 Magnum revolvers

An Uzi style semi-automatic rifle

An M11 Tec 9 style semi-automatic firearm

An SKS semi-automatic rifle

A .308 caliber semi-automatic rifle

A .22-caliber AR-15 style semi-automatic rifle

A 16 gauge shotgun

A .22-caliber semi-automatic pistol

A 9mm semi-automatic pistol

A .380-caliber semi-automatic pistol

Shay and Napier will be arraigned in Ayer District Court as fugitives from justice on the New Hampshire warrants.

Additional charges out of Massachusetts are expected.
A section of Boylston Street is shut down in Boston after winds ripped off part of a buildings facade and blew it onto the street.

WCVB reported that wind caused of a piece of the Samuel & Associates building facade to fall into the road near 1300 Boylston St. Friday afternoon.

A car was damaged by one of the falling pieces, according to WBZ.

Samuel & Associates said it is working with structural engineers to make sure the facade is secure.

The road is expected to remain closed until that work is complete.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 22)  The House of Representatives will act on President Rodrigo Duterte's call to abolish the Road Board amid corruption allegations surrounding the agency, House Majority Leader Rolando Andaya Jr. said Saturday.

"The President has spoken. We heard his message to the House. We will act based on his guidance," Andaya said in a statement.

In an interview with CNN Philippines, Andaya said they are looking at their options on how to follow the President's orders once Congress resumes session on January 14.

"The first option would be to withdraw the previous withdrawal of support in the old version of the bill. That's the first option. And the second option is to fine-tune or to come up with a better version of the bill. And then in that situation, maybe there could be a bicam (bicameral conference) na pwede pong gawin muna [that can be done for now] before we proceed with the President's side on it," he said.

Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel "Migz" Zubiri, in a statement, said if House is now resolved to abolish the board, they can recall the enrolled copies sent to Malacanang and re-convene into a bicameral committee.

"We can re-convene the bicam upon the motion of both houses on Jan. 14 and meet for a day to simply craft the wordings to the law that will abolish the agency and revert the income and the funds to either the DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways) or National Treasury," Zubiri said.

Andaya repeatedly claimed President Duterte told him and House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to keep the Road Board, but Duterte said Sunday that he wants to scrap the board which was supposedly a "milking cow" of corrupt government officials.

The House leader said with the President's decision, the lower chamber can now focus on the budget, the so-called "parked pork" and the insertions in the 2018 budget from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).

Andaya, however said, that the abolition must have no "residues."

"If the President wants an abolition of the road board, let it be real abolition. No residues. No Three Road Kings," he said.

The Road Board, tasked to manage the road users' tax or the motor vehicle user's charge (MVUC) for repairs and maintenance of roads, had been repeatedly slammed by the Commission on Audit over billions of pesos worth of unimplemented and unobligated projects, and millions of pesos of excessive costs and overpayment.

The "Road Kings" Andaya was referring to are the secretaries of the DPWH, the Department of Transportation (DoTr), and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). Andaya earlier said these chiefs will have "dictatorial powers" over the MVUC.

The House has rescinded its passage of House Bill 7346, which abolishes the board, under the leadership of Arroyo. Both chambers of Congress passed the bill abolishing the Road Board when Davao del Norte Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez was House Speaker.

Senate President Vicente "Tito" Sotto III said the Senate could pass the bill without Arroyo's signature, since the measure was passed in toto.

However, Andaya said the House will support the abolition under the following conditions:

proceeds from the MVUC will be a line-item fund in the annual budget of the DPWH in the General Appropriations Act; and

"non-user activities" such as garbage collection will be removed as an activity where the MVUC can be spent.

Under the proposed measure, the Road Board would be abolished and the MVUC would 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 DENR.
You are here: China

Due to the opening of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, Macao's visitor arrivals increased by 15.3 percent year-on-year to 3,266,283 in November 2018, the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR)'s statistic department said here on Saturday.



The latest report from Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) said that overnight visitors (1,589,246) and same-day visitors (1,677,037) rose by 5.1 percent year-on-year and 26.9 percent year-on-year, respectively.

The average length of stay of visitors held steady year-on-year at 1.2 days, with that of overnight visitors rising by 0.1 day to 2.2 days and that of same-day visitors staying at 0.2 day.

Visitors from the Chinese mainland grew by 15.3 percent year-on-year to 2,283,628 in November, primarily from Guangdong province (925,414) and Hunan province (115,763). Visitors from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (591,077) surged by 25.6 percent.

Meanwhile, visitors from the United States (22,538), Australia (8,435), Canada (8,261) and Britain (6,448) registered year-on-year increases.

In the first 11 months of 2018, visitor arrivals totalled 32,233,838, up by 9.1 percent year-on-year; overnight visitors (16,751,684) and same-day visitors (15,482,154) grew by 7.2 percent and 11.1 percent respectively. The average length of stay of visitors stayed at 1.2 days, with that of overnight visitors (2.2 days) rising by 0.1 day and that of same-day visitors (0.2 day) remaining unchanged.

Analyzed by source market, visitors from the Chinese mainland (22,811,627) and Hong Kong SAR (5,646,200) increased by 13.3 percent and 1.0 percent respectively from January to November.

Visitors from the United States (182,199), Australia (80,263) and the Britain (53,396) recorded year-on-year growth, whereas those from Canada (66,377) saw a decrease.




A nurse working for the state Department of Correction was arrested this week after authorities say she gave unprescribed Suboxone strips to two inmates.

Federal officials said Julie Inglis-Somers, 39, of Kingston was arrested in Jacksonville, Florida, after fleeing Massachusetts last week. She has been charged with one count of distributing a controlled substance.

Inglis-Somers was working as a nurse at the Massachusetts Alcohol and Substance Abuse Center in Plymouth when she provided Suboxone to two inmates, according to the office of United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling.

Suboxone, a Class III controlled substance used to treat heroin addiction, is sometimes abused. The drug is coveted contraband in prisons across the country and is particularly popular in Massachusetts, officials said.

Authorities alleged that Inglis-Somers provided the drug to the inmates on Nov. 18 and Dec. 4.

MASAC is one of five facilities in Massachusetts where, under Massachusetts General Laws, a state court judge can send a person who the judge has determined to be a danger to self or others due to substance abuse.

It is the only such facility overseen by the Massachusetts Department of Correction.

The charge of distribution of a controlled substance provides for a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $500,000.
FOXBORO - Massachusetts State Police are investigating a Friday night crash on Interstate-95 that left a driver with serious injuries.

A 22-year-old Woonsocket, Rhode Island, man was driving south at about 10:45 p.m., when he lost control of his 2005 Saab and struck a guardrail near the interchange of Interstate-495, police said.

The man was brought to Rhode Island Hospital by ambulance with serious injuries, police said.

No other vehicles were involved. The cause of the crash is being investigated by Trooper Joseph Durning with assistance from the State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section and Crime Scene Services Section.

Mansfield Fire and Emergency Medical Services and Massachusetts Department of Transportation assisted at the scene.
MIDDLEBORO -- A woman who died when her SUV spun out of control and caused a four-vehicle crash on Interstate-495 has been identified as a Brockton resident.

Anita Stevens, 57, was killed in the crash that occurred at about 4:15 p.m., Friday, and closed the three northbound lanes of the busy highway for at least two hours, Massachusetts State Police said.

Stevens was driving a GMC Envoy which spun out of control when she was entering I-495 north from Route 44. Her vehicle stopped facing southbound and was struck head-on by a Cadillac CTS driven by a 55-year-old Wareham woman.

The Cadillac then spun into the left lane of the highway, hitting a Kia Optima which then struck a Toyota Sienna. The two men in the Kia and Toyota were not injured.

The driver of the Cadillac was taken to Good Samaritan Hospital, in Brockton, suffering serious injuries, police said.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation by the Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section, Crime Scene Service and detectives attached to the Plymouth District Attorneys Office, police said.
SPRINGFIELD  When his head pops out of the water, Marc Vizcarrondo, 6, is all smiles as he holds on to his swim teacher, Sara Mitchell.

"I get more nervous than he does. He loves to be in the water," said Giselle Vizcarrondo, Marc's mother.

A year and a half ago, the idea of Marc, who is autistic, getting back into the water seemed impossible as he fought for his life at Baystate Medical Center after nearly drowning at Camp Star Angelina in the citys Forest Park neighborhood in August of 2017.

He spent two weeks in the hospital after spending several minutes under water before anyone noticed, according a lawsuit filed by his parents against the city. It was his first day at the camp that caters primarily to disabled children and young adults.

Marc is now living with brain damage as a result of a non-fatal drowning," Vizcarrondo said, adding that she made a decision at the hospital the moment she knew Marc would survive. "It was very painful to know that my son would never be the same. I promised myself that this should not happen to any child again.

Vizcarrondo and Marcs father, Lorenzo Gaines, decided to create the Miracle Marc Foundation.

"Our mission is to raise awareness about water safety, provide financial support for families to access swimming lessons and most importantly advocate for change of legislation and policy," she said.

Families can apply for scholarships to get their child private lessons or group swimming lessons at Rebecca Johnson School in McKnight. The scholarships are funded by private donors, fundraising efforts and, Marcs parents hope, through state funding in the future. Gaines is the president of the board of directors for the foundation and selects scholarship recipients along with other board members from the community, Water Wonders, a private swim school based in Massachusetts and Connecticut, and Baystate Health.

Participants are selected based on financial need and lack of access to swimming pools. All children are accepted, but priority will be given to children with special needs.

The lessons are provided by Sara Mitchell, a swim teacher for Water Wonders, which serves 200 swimmers a week.

We have been offering swim lessons since 2008 with the philosophy that we could meet all the swimmers where they were at, said Rebecca Bennett, owner of Water Wonders. There is a demand for helping children with different needs learn how to be safe in the water, and that has been our charge since day one. Sara was really passionate about doing this. She is a swim teacher for us, but also teaches kindergarten at Rebecca Johnson, so this was really important to her too.

The first eight-week session just finished up last week, and 22 children went through the program. The first session scholarships for all of the children were donated by Water Wonders.

Michelle Norman, a parent facilitator at Rebecca Johnson, is a former swim instructor herself. She wanted her 5-year-old grandson, Kamden Cook, to go through the program and to hear Marcs story.

He is the first swimmer to successfully complete the learn to swim program," Norman said. I have seen over the last couple of weeks the improvement in his swimming. He is more confidant and more relaxed in the water and thats what we want, for them to not have a fear of the water.

Norman said Marc and his family are an inspiration to her.

I really believe that Marc was saved for a higher purpose, so that other children could learn about his story and learn the importance of being safe in the water and knowing how to swim, she said.

Ashley Tosado, of Springfield, wanted her son August Tosado, 2, to learn to swim as early as possible. He is the youngest student in the class.

We have a pool at home and I just want him to be comfortable in the water and I want to feel confident that he is safe, she said. It has been a great experience to watch him develop his skills. Its a wonderful program.

The program will be held throughout the year at the Rebecca Johnson pool. In the future, Vizcarrondo hopes to expand the program to other pools in Springfield schools and eventually to neighboring cities and towns that have a need for swimming lessons.

Seeing their son back in the water, interacting with other children and learning to swim has been a nerve-wracking but satisfying experience for Gaines and Vizcarrondo.

I was nervous for him and for all the kids really, Gaines said. "What we realized after the first class was that many of these kids have a false sense of security and a false confidence. A lot of them didnt know that you dont run on the deck of a pool or that you should use a ladder to get in and out. Water Wonders has done an amazing job with their instruction.

Vizcarrando said even though Marcs life is different now, she is glad her son is alive.

The first time he went back in the water, I was terrified," she said. "I wanted to jump in the water with him, but when he is in the pool, he is smiling and excited. I dont know how you can love something that tried to kill you, but he cant wait to jump in.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about one in five people who die from drowning are children 14 and younger, with children ages 1 to 4 having the highest drowning rates. For every child who dies from drowning, another five receive emergency department care for nonfatal submersion injuries.

For more information about the Miracle Marc Foundation, to donate or to apply for a scholarship visit miraclemarcfoundation.org.
SPRINGFIELD -- Police arrested a 31-year-old man wanted for trafficking in cocaine in Florida.

Police initially arrested Henry Coira, of 17 Commonwealth Ave., on a default warrant out of Chicopee District Court for possession of cocaine, said Ryan Walsh, police spokesman.

During the arrest they also learned he was wanted in two different counties in Florida on cocaine charges, he said.

Coira was charged on a warrant from Hillsborough County for trafficking in 400 grams to 150 kilograms of cocaine and on a warrant from Waukesha County for possession with intent to distribute 5 kilograms of cocaine, Walsh said.

Coira was arrested at about 2:30 p.m. on Commonwealth Avenue, he said.
An armed man accused of robbing three men at gunpoint in Fall River Friday night was subdued by the victims after they caught up with him down the street, police said.

Fall River police were dispatched to the area of the traffic rotary at North Main Street and Airport Road around 10:30 p.m., where they found a man being held to the ground by three other males.

After speaking with the men, police said they quickly determined that the man being held down, identified as 25-year-old Quincy Sears, had tried to rob them at gunpoint.

Several minutes earlier, authorities said the men were outside of Royal Pizza when they were approached by Sears, who was wearing dark clothing, a ski mask and gloves.

Sears then pointed a handgun at them and demanded one of the victims hand over all his money, authorities said.

One of the men tried calling 911, at which point police said Sears threatened to shoot them. After getting cash from one of the victims, he began to run toward the rotary.

The victims chased Sears down in their car, catching up with him and holding him down.

Police said they found a replica handgun bb-gun in the area where Sears was captured. Sears was still wearing the black ski mask and gloves, according to authorities.

Officer Paquette attempted to speak with Sears regarding his side of the incident, but it was apparent that his account of the incident was far different than the three victims, Fall River police said in a statement. Officer Paquette found it very peculiar that Sears was wearing black ski mask and gloves on a very mild winter night and Sears had a very poor explanation of what he was doing prior to being captured.

Police said Sears suffered injuries during the scuffle and was brought to the hospital for further evaluation.

He was charged with armed robbery while masked, three counts of assault with a dangerous weapon and intimidation of a witness.
A Brockton woman died of injuries she sustained when her car spun out of control on I-495 in Middleboro and was struck head-on by another vehicle. Two other cars were also damaged in the multi-car crash.

The Massachusetts State Police said a preliminary investigation indicates that the 47-year-old Brockton woman was entering the northbound lanes of I-495 from Route 44 at about 4:15 p.m., when, for an unknown reason, her Chevy Envoy spun out of control coming to rest pointed southbound. It was struck head-on by a Cadillac CTS operated by a 55-year-old Wareham woman.

Police said the Cadillac spun into the left lane of the divided highway, hitting a Kia Optima which then struck a Toyota Sienna. The two men in the Kia and Toyota were not injured.

The Brockton woman was transported to Morton Hospital in Taunton where she was pronoounced dead. The driver of the Cadillac was taken to Good Samaritan Hospital in Brockton where she is being treated for serious injuries.

The Collision Analysis and Reconstriction Section, Crime Scene Service and detectives attacched to the Plymouth District Attorney's Office are investigating the incident.

The identity of the dead woman is being witheld pending notification of family.
GREENFIELD -- A Greenfield man admitted Friday to being a heroin dealer, and was sentenced to eight years and one day in state prison.

Stephen J. Hall Jr., 28, appeared in Franklin Superior Court, where he pleaded guilty to money laundering, possession of heroin with intent to distribute, possession of a firearm and ammunition without an FID card, and improper storage of a firearm.

Before Judge John Agostini, Hall agreed to forfeit $239,706 -- including $50,000 in cash found buried in Northfield. Assistant Northwestern District Attorney Jeremy Bucci said the cash was associated with the drug trade.

"Hall represented a major source of supply in Franklin County," Bucci said following the hearing. "This was a very serious crime."

Bucci said it was "the most significant seizure of heroin in recent memory" in the Greenfield area.

Hall has been held at the Franklin County House of Correction since Aug. 21 -- the day he and his girlfriend, Lauren P. Donovan, were arrested following an undercover investigation by Greenfield police and the Northwestern District Anti-Crime Task Force.

At the apartment the two shared, police executed a search warrant and found nearly 13,000 bags of heroin, over $90,000 in cash, and a loaded Glock 30S semi-automatic handgun on a living room table, court records show.

Hall and Donovan were initially indicted on drug and gun charges on Sept. 7.

Hall's change of plea followed a separate indictment where he and his father, Stephen Hall Sr., were charged with money laundering.

That charge hinges upon $200,000 in a Greenfield storage unit. The younger Hall and Donovan, "independently and unaware of each other," tried to gain access to the box of money while incarcerated, and their conversations were recorded, authorities said.

Donovan, who needed $20,000 to post bail, made jailhouse phone calls to friends, trying to persuade someone to break into the unit, according to an affidavit filed by Greenfield Police Detective Kevin Rowell.

Separately, Hall told a jailhouse visitor to get the cash and give it to his father. The elder Hall did come into possession of the box, Rowell's affidavit states.

Hall Sr. allegedly allocated $20,000 for Donovan's bail, $20,000 for his son's lawyer and cash for family and friends. The rest -- around $146,000 -- he allegedly split with Donovan, who on Aug. 27 was bailed out by a friend.

Hall Sr. then allegedly buried $50,000 cash in his mother's back yard in Northfield. Following his Dec. 4 arrest, Hall Sr. dug it back up in the presence of police, Rowell's affidavit states.

On Dec. 5, Donovan, following a meeting with her lawyer, relinquished $53,000 to investigators in the parking lot of the Franklin County Courthouse.

She will be back in court Jan. 29 to face drug and gun charges. Hall Sr. is due to be arraigned on the money laundering charge on Jan. 10.

The total amount of cash seized included $93,756 from Hall Jr.'s apartment, $50,000 dug up from the ground, $22,900 seized from Hall Sr.'s home in Montague, $53,010 from Donovan's car and $20,000 posted for Donovan's bail.

Bucci said Hall Jr. could have seen a lengthier prison sentence if he had gone to trial and been found guilty.

Responding to questions from Agostini in the courtroom, Hall said he has a ninth-grade education and is unemployed. Defense attorney David Rountree said that his client would work toward his GED in prison.

"It's a good step for him to make progress and step forward," Rountree said.

Bucci, following the court hearing, issued a statement regarding the seized cash.

"Those ill-gotten gains have been secured by investigators working with the Northwestern District Anti-Crime Task Force pending a Superior Court forfeiture action," Bucci said.

The prosecutor praised the task force for "protecting our community against those who poison and endanger us with heroin and illegally possessed firearms," and commended Rowell for his police work.

"Their unrelenting work in this case was impressive and has stopped a major heroin distributor in Franklin County," Bucci said.
By MARK SHERMAN, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP)  Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is resting in a New York hospital following surgery to remove two malignant growths in her left lung, the third time the Supreme Courts oldest justice has been treated for cancer and her second stay in a hospital in two months.

Worries over Ginsburg's health have been a constant of sorts for nearly 10 years, and for liberals, particularly in the last two. Ginsburg, the leader of the court's liberal wing and known to her fans as the Notorious RBG, has achieved an iconic status rare for Supreme Court justices.

If she did step down, President Donald Trump would have another opportunity to move a conservative court even more to the right. "Wishing Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg a full and speedy recovery!" Trump tweeted after the court's announcement Friday.

But Ginsburg has always bounced back before, flaunting her physical and mental fitness.

After past health scares, she has resumed the exercise routine popularized in a book written by her personal trainer and captured in a Stephen Colbert video. Weeks after cracking three ribs in a fall at the Supreme Court in November, the 85-year-old Ginsburg was asking questions at high court arguments, speaking at a naturalization ceremony for new citizens and being interviewed at screenings of the new movie about her, "On the Basis of Sex."

Ginsburg will remain in the hospital for a few days, the court said. She has never missed arguments in more than 25 years as a justice. The court next meets on Jan. 7.

While it's hard to refer to good luck and cancer diagnoses in the same breath, this is the second time for Ginsburg that cancerous growths have been detected at an apparently early stage through unrelated medical tests.

The nodules on her lung were found during X-rays and other tests Ginsburg had after she fractured ribs in a fall in her Supreme Court office on Nov. 7, the court said. In 2009, routine follow-up screening after Ginsburg's colorectal cancer 10 years earlier detected a lesion on her pancreas. Doctors operated and removed the growth they'd previously spotted, plus a smaller one they hadn't seen before. The larger growth was benign, while the smaller one was malignant.

Doctors who are not involved in Ginsburg's care said she may have gotten lucky again, although they caution it is too soon to know.

"This is just luck" that the growths were found through those rib X-rays because accidentally discovered lung tumors tend to be early-stage when surgery works best, said Dr. Giuseppe Giaccone, an oncologist at Georgetown University's Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Dr. John Lazar, director of thoracic robotic surgery at MedStar Washington Hospital Center, said it's not uncommon to see slow-growing lung cancers in women in their 80s, and they tend to respond well to surgery and go on to die of something unrelated, he said.

Ginsburg's previous bouts with cancer were so long ago they're unlikely to be related, Giaccone said.

"If she doesn't need anything but the surgery, it is a very good sign," Lazar said.

Both doctors said patients typically spend three days or four days in the hospital after this type of operation.

On Friday, doctors at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York performed a procedure called a pulmonary lobectomy on Ginsburg. The growths they removed were determined to be malignant in an initial pathology evaluation, the court said, citing Ginsburg's thoracic surgeon, Dr. Valerie W. Rusch.

But there was "no evidence of any remaining disease" and scans taken before the surgery showed no cancerous growths elsewhere in her body, the court said. No additional treatment is currently planned, it said.

Among other health problems, she also broke two ribs in a fall in 2012 and had a stent implanted to open a blocked artery in 2014. She was hospitalized after a bad reaction to medicine in 2009.

Appointed by President Bill Clinton in 1993, Ginsburg rebuffed suggestions from some liberals that she should step down in the first two years of President Barack Obama's second term, when Democrats controlled the Senate and would have been likely to confirm her successor.

She already has hired clerks for the term that extends into 2020, indicating she has no plans to retire.

AP Medical Writer Lauran Neergaard contributed to this report.
The Red Sox have reached a minor-league deal with righty Ryan Weber, a source confirmed Friday evening. Weber's deal includes an invitation to major-league spring training.

Weber is the latest veteran righty to join the Sox for spring training, as Boston signed Erasmo Ramirez and Zach Putnam earlier in the week. The Sox have now signed six players with major-league experience (Juan Centeno, Tony Renda and Gorkys Hernandez, also) to non-guaranteed contracts this winter.

Weber, 28, has thrown 73.2 innings in the bigs, seeing significant time with the Braves in 2015 and 2016 and short stints with the Mariners (2017) and Rays (2018) since. Though he has only thrown nine major-league innings over the past two years, he has impressed at Triple-A, posting an 0.85 ERA in 31.2 innings for Tacoma in 2017 and a 2.73 ERA in 115.1 innings for Durham last year.

Weber has worked as both a starter and reliever throughout his career. Like Putnam, he's a ground-ball pitcher, though Weber relies heavily on a sinker and rarely throws a four-seam fastball.
You are here: China

SF Airlines, the aviation branch of China's express giant SF Express, has put its 50th aircraft, a B757 all-cargo freighter, into service, according to the airline.



With its fleet size expanding to 50, SF Airlines is now a medium-sized airline, it said.

SF Airlines has continuously strengthened its capaicty to meet China's surging demands in air freight transportation alongside the country's strong economic growth.

It also signifies a milestone for the airline in upgrading its network and air logistics services, SF Airlines continued.

SF Airlines has the country's largest all-freighter fleet, and to date, it operates 27 B757, 17 B737, five B767 and one B747 all-cargo freighters.

The Shenzhen-based airline focuses on providing air express and customized air freight services to SF Express.

Thanks to its large domestic and global network, SF Airlines has transported around 2 million tonnes of cargo since operations began in 2009.

China has seen its air express industry surge in recent years. In 2017, China transported 7.06 million tonnes of air mail cargo, a 5.6 percent year-on-year increase, according to statistics from the Civil Aviation Administration of China.




SPRINGFIELD  A 67-year-old Springfield man has been indicted on charges of kidnapping, child rape and enticing a child in connection with an 11-year-old East Longmeadow boy.

A Hampden Superior Court grand jury on Dec. 14 indicted Kenneth Gullotti on two charges of kidnapping a child, two charges of enticing a child and four counts of rape of a child (aggravated by the difference in age between the alleged perpetrator and victim).

The crimes are alleged to have happened on Sept. 29 and Oct. 7.

On Oct. 10, East Longmeadow Police Detective Michael Ingalls met with the boys parents, who told Ingalls they had discovered two gay social network applications on their sons phone.

Upon looking through their sons profile on the application Hornet, it was found he was in multiple conversations with adult males, some sharing pornographic photos of themselves with the young 11-year-old male and also enticing him for sex, Ingalls wrote in his statement of facts. It appears that in some of the conversations, the 11-year-old male portrays himself as someone older in the beginnings of the conversations, but in three chats the victim tells the adult males he is chatting with an age under 16 at which time they continue talking with him.

Gullotti denied charges in November in Palmer District Court, but the indictments have moved the case to Hampden Superior Court.

At the Palmer arraignment, Assistant District Attorney David Chivers said that after communicating with the victim, Gullotti allegedly picked him up from his East Longmeadow home on two occasions without the knowledge of the victims parents.

Gullotti allegedly took the boy back to Springfield, where he performed oral sex acts on the victim.

Two other men were charged in Palmer District Court in connection with the investigation, but neither has been indicted in Hampden Superior Court.

Raymond Corbeil, a 48-year-old employee as a facilities worker in the Springfield school district, is facing a count of enticing sex from a child under the age of 16.

Police discovered explicit conversations with Corbeil on the boys cellphone, according to a criminal complaint.

Corbeil has been suspended from his job pending an investigation, Springfield Public Schools told MassLive.

Nineteen-year-old Nathaniel Paulo, of Ludlow, was also charged in connection with the investigation. Paulo is facing nine counts of distributing obscene matter to a minor.
Daphne Moore, clerk in the Hampden Superior Court, pleaded not guilty on Friday to drug and money laundering charges after being accused of helping her daughter run a gun and drug ring.

Moore, 55, is accused of assisting with the operations of a drug and gun ring allegedly run by her 28-year-old daughter Nia Moore-Bush, who was indicted in January on allegations of working with her husband to run firearms, heroin and cocaine between Western Massachusetts and Vermont.

In federal court in Worcester, Moore pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin, cocaine and cocaine base, distribution and possession with intent to distribute heroin, cocaine and cocaine base, money laundering conspiracy, aiding and abetting money laundering and false statements.

Moore was wearing ankle shackles during her arraignment, but authorities removed her handcuffs for the proceeding.

Moore was arrested Friday. Nia Moore-Bush, also known as Nia Dinzey, is currently in federal custody.

Moore served as an assistant clerk magistrate in Hampden County. She earned $109,449 last year, according to state payroll records.

During the arraignment, Moores attorney, Linda Thompson, said it was not clear if Moore still retained her job as a court clerk.

My efforts to contact the clerk of courts today have not been fruitful, Thompson said, adding that she believed there would be no reason that Moore could not continue her employment.

Thompson, when asked if she would comment about the charges against her client, said this is insane, before pausing and declining to comment further.

Moore was released on conditions, including that she have no contact with co-defendants, with the exception of her daughter. She was asked to not discuss the cause with her daughter.

Moore has legal custody of her daughters two children, ages 4 and 9, her attorney said during the arraignment.

She was also released on the condition that she not travel outside of Massachusetts, with the exception of driving her grandson to karate lessons in Enfield, Connecticut.

Thompson said Moore has taken her grandchildren to see their mother behind bars, something that the children need to do and have done on a regular basis with Ms. Moore, Thompson told the court.

In addition to Moore and her daughter, those facing charges are:

Dinelson Dinzey, 35, of Springfield, who is currently in federal custody

Jamieson Gallas, 37, of Barre, Vermont, who is currently in federal custody

Tracy Parsons, 46, of Barre, Vermont, who is currently released on conditions pending trial

Oscar Rosario, 33, of Springfield, who was arrested Friday

Luis Niko Santos, 24, of Springfield, a fugitive

Amanda Atkins, 35, of Barre, Vermont, who was arrested today.

All eight are named in a 24-count superseding indictment that was unsealed Friday in connection with a heroin trafficking conspiracy and face charges of conspiracy to distribute heroin, cocaine, and crack cocaine.

Six of the defendants are accused of engaging in money laundering offenses, two of the defendants are accused of conspiring to engage in the unlicensed dealing of firearms and Moore is alleged to have made false statements to federal agents in connection with the investigation.

The investigation into Moore-Bush and her husband, Dinzey, began when a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives informant told ATF agent Anthony Dipaolo that Moore-Bush was marketing dirty guns for sale, Dipaolo said at a January hearing.

It expanded into an investigation of an alleged narcotics operation that was shipping heroin and cocaine up I-91 from Springfield to Vermont.

At the time, Dinzey and Moore-Bush lived with Moore at 120 Hadley St. in Springfield. Moore continued to work on the third floor of the Hampden trial court at the time.

Multiple conversations between Moore-Bush, Dinzey and their co-defendants from Barre, Vermont were captured on wiretaps, according to federal authorities.

Moore was not initially implicated following her daughters arrest in January. But now, authorities say she actively helped Moore-Bush launder drug and gun money, then lying about those transactions to investigators.

Moore is accused of operating a TD Bank account that stored money from her daughters drug sales.

Between January and September 2017, co-defendants Gallas, Parsons and Atkins allegedly deposited thousands of dollars of cash into the account.

Moore and her daughter also used ATM transactions to withdraw $9,500 from the account between November 2017 and January 2018, knowing the money stemmed from narcotics sales, according to the indictment.

When questioned by ATF and Internal Revenue Service agents, Moore allegedly lied. She is now facing a federal charge of false statements.

Moore allegedly falsely stated that she did not know where Moore-Bush conducted her banking when, in fact, she knew that Moore-Bush used accounts held in Moores name in trust for Moore-Bush, Lellings office said in statement. She also falsely stated that she did not know that individuals from Vermont had been at her house and the whereabouts of a black Audi when, in fact, Moore had met and interacted with individuals from Vermont at her home and knew that Moore-Bush had sold the black Audi.
A year after Worcester EMS paramedics Andrew Person and Sean Doherty delivered Layane DaSilvas son in ambulance on the side of the road, it was almost as if the now 1-year-old still knew them.

DaSilva invited the two paramedics to her home in Worcester to celebrate her son Joshuas first birthday.

Upon seeing the paramedics, Joshua went right into their arms, said a spokeswoman for UMass Memorial Medical Center. Worcester EMS is a department of the medical center.

Person and Doherty brought a present for Joshua: A toy medical kit.

Joshuas brother, Isaac, joined the celebration.

In recent weeks, paramedics in Central Massachusetts have helped delivery three babies.
According to recent evidence, our ancestors might have started domesticating cacao trees, the beans of which we ground into cocoa, as many as 1,500 years earlier than we had previously thought. Share on Pinterest One recent study overturns assumptions about when and where we first consumed cocoa. Its safe to say that most of us enjoy chocolate in at least one of its many forms. This treat is made from cacao (or cocoa) beans, the seeds of Theobroma cacao, or the cacao tree. Chocolate, however, isnt just a guilty pleasure. In fact, many studies indicate that in its purest form, it can actually benefit our health. As we have reported on Medical News Today, dark chocolate can enhance our brain health, help us see better, and protect our hearts. Ancient Mesoamerican peoples  such as the Olmecs, the Maya, and the Aztecs  who lived as early as 3,900 years ago, reportedly used cacao beans to brew sacred drinks and sometimes trade as currency. So, for a long time, researchers believed that we first domesticated Theobroma cacao trees about that time in Central American regions. However, a new study  the findings of which appear in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution  presents evidence that we found and cultivated the cacao tree much earlier, and in a different region of the Americas.

Cocoa used much earlier than we thought The researchers who conducted this new study  hailing from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, as well as many other academic institutions  analyzed the genomes of numerous cacao trees looking for markers of diversification that would suggest early domestication. This analysis led them to believe that the domestication of Theobroma cacao may actually have originated in equatorial South America, rather than in Central America. Moreover, this likely happened over 1,000 years earlier than experts had thought. This new study shows us that people in the upper reaches of the Amazon basin, extending up into the foothills of the Andes in southeastern Ecuador, were harvesting and consuming cacao that appears to be a close relative of the type of cacao later used in Mexico  and they were doing this 1,500 years earlier. Study co-author Prof. Michael Blake, University of British Columbia The authors explain that traces of cacao on ancient pottery from South American regions provided them with further clues about when these ancient civilizations might have started cultivating the plant, and how it later found its way to Central America. They were also doing so, explains Prof. Blake, using elaborate pottery that predates the pottery found in Central America and Mexico. This suggests that the use of cacao, probably as a drink, was something that caught on and very likely spread northwards by farmers growing cacao in what is now Colombia and eventually Panama and other parts of Central America and southern Mexico, he adds.
Anyone experiencing regular or disturbing night sweats may wish to see a doctor.

Also, there can sometimes be a link between some medications and low testosterone or other medical conditions.

Testosterone is the primary sex hormone in males and is responsible for processes such as sperm production and building muscle mass. The levels of testosterone gradually decline with age. When testosterone levels are low in males, the body may develop many symptoms, including night sweats.

Night sweats are a common symptom of hormonal changes, such as in females who are going through menopause and experiencing a drop in sex hormones. Hormonal imbalances can affect males, as well.

Night sweats are where a person wakes up with clothes or sheets that are damp from sweating. Sleeping with too many clothes on may be the cause, but night sweats can also be the result of a hormonal imbalance, such as low testosterone that can affect both males and females.

A study in the journal Drugs  Real World Outcomes estimates that between 34 and 41 percent of adults visiting the doctor and 10 to 14 percent of older adults experience night sweats, although the issue may not be diagnosed.

There is no single cause of night sweats, and various issues can lead to them, including:

Low testosterone

Share on Pinterest Low testosterone levels can cause night sweats.

Low testosterone, which some doctors may refer to as low T, is a common hormonal condition that affects males.

It means that the body is not producing enough testosterone. The condition may be more common as males age and the bodys natural processes start to slow down.

Low testosterone levels may cause symptoms that include:

low energy levels or fatigue

hot flashes

mood changes

low sex drive

erectile dysfunction

enlarged breast tissue

Importantly, these issues may have other causes, and anyone experiencing them may want to talk to their doctor.

Many situations can prompt low testosterone levels, including injuries or tumors that affect the testicles or glands. Some genetic conditions or chronic diseases may lead to low testosterone, as well.

Certain medical treatments, such as radiation therapy or chemotherapy, can also affect hormones and cause low testosterone.

Medications

Sometimes medications can cause night sweats. For instance, night sweats may be a known side effect of specific medicines.

The same study in Drugs  Real World Outcomes notes that antidepressants, for example, may be a cause of night sweats. The research notes the symptom in many people taking selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Many other drugs can cause similar issues, including hypertension drugs and antibiotics.

Medications that block or change hormones, such as hormone therapies, thyroid hormone supplements, or some drugs for certain cancers, may all potentially cause night sweats too.

Medical conditions

Share on Pinterest Some people may experience night sweats after drinking alcohol.

Some medical conditions may lead to night sweats in both males and females. These can include the following:

anxiety disorders

panic attacks

autoimmune disorders

HIV

AIDS

sensory issues, such as numbness

substance abuse

overactive thyroid

certain cancers, such as leukemia or Hodgkin lymphoma

some infections

A sleep disorder may also be an underlying cause of night sweats. A study in the journal BMJ Open notes that night sweats were three times more likely in people who had untreated sleep apnea.

People with sleep apnea may notice other symptoms, such as feeling tired, no matter how much sleep they get.

Drinking too much alcohol may also cause night sweats in some individuals, especially if they drink before bed.

Sometimes night sweats can be a symptom of normal changes in the body, such as menopause. During this time, females experience a drop in their hormone levels, which may lead to many symptoms and, frequently, night sweats.
European premiums tick lower on bearish view. Weak demand pressures premium in Thailand. US and Brazil premiums flat due to illiquidity. European billet premiums slip

Aluminium billet premiums in Europe fell amid the potential return to the market of Rusal material and waning demand, with most first-quarter orders fulfilled.



The US Treasury Department announced on December 19 that it intends to remove sanctions against the Russian aluminium producer next month.



Participants see the potential for an increased supply of Rusal billets re-entering the market in the coming months, and they expect Rusal to offer competitively to regain market share after being out of the market for most of 2018.



"When you look at it, people have fully stocked themselves for Q1, but they know by Q2 negotiations [that] Rusal could be back and prices will be a lot lower," a trader in Europe said.



Said a...
To the editor:

Dreams come true. Don't give up. Never quit.

How many times have you heard those words? Most people forget about their dreams of success, facing discouragement and disappointment. I once accepted the reality of my dream not coming true and being an absolute failure because of being discouraged and then accepted disappointment.

Starting with the dream, at age 11, I hoped to write a fiction novel sold on the top ten best selling list, write a famous poem or perhaps an article for a newspaper? I had hope, inspiration, my faith and followed my intuition.

Too many of us associate our dreams coming true with money. The bottom line for me is that success doesn't necessarily involve money.

I once wrote a poem in high school and asked my English teacher how he would grade my poem. At the time, Mr. Cook wasn't convinced I actually wrote it. When I convinced him, he stated he would have graded it an A-plus. Years later my poem was published in "Recollections of Yesterday," and I was given the Editor's Choice Award.

I recall giving a motivational speech to freshmen students at my old high school about how important it is to get a diploma. After that visit, I received letters of appreciation from students. One letter inspired me to not give up on my dream of becoming a writer. On that particular day, a student planned to quit school and decided to graduate because of what I had said. I simply asked students "how" they defined success.

Believing that I had something important to write, eventually I started believing in my dream again. At this point, I had written for The Marlette Leader and the Lapeer County Press, with little or no attention. Keep in mind, I wasn't paid and needed experience.

When I moved to Huron County, so many years ago, I gave up on my dream. Like many females, I had a husband and family. I dropped out of college when I decided to become a legal secretary. That education ended with a husband who didn't want me to work outside our home. It didn't help that my father and sister died that year and my mother the following year. I was just devastated.

I am a firm believer that my attitude can and will determine a better outcome. In 1996, I became physically disabled and saw a positive outlook. Now I see things in life differently.

When I began the incredible journey of discovering the family I never knew and researching the family ancestry, it opened the door for a lifetime dream to come true.

I wrote a biography of my great-grandfather Private John Yoders, and his biography will be in his medical records permanently and can only be requested through our National Archives. I was not paid for this and it is priceless.

When I began writing columns about my family ancestry in the Huron Daily Tribune, I didn't realize my lifelong dream was coming true. I was enabled to tell the great-grandfather's story of his contribution in the Civil War, in another newspaper, The Washington-Observer Reporter in Pennsylvania, reaching over 200,000 readers. I wasn't paid for these stories and yet it is priceless.

I owe a debt of gratitude to the Huron Daily Tribune for publishing what I wrote because it made my lifelong dream come true. I became a writer.

There is no limit to what I can achieve. Now I can explore the possibility of writing that fiction novel.

Dreams really do come true. Hope and inspiration can be found everywhere you look. There are many generous individuals who will encourage you, seek them out. Once again, the sky is the limit!

Gale R. Nichols

Bad Axe
BAD AXE  The Huron County Community Foundation is special in that it is a foundation that counts on the continued support of communities in Huron County.

The Huron County Community Foundation is a charitable savings account for the county. Thats the easiest way to describe what we do, said Mackenzie Price Sundblad, foundation executive director. Whats interesting, is that giving back, that happens on both sides of the community foundation. Community members give to the community foundation, to our endowments, that create permanent pots of money available for us to then give to causes in the community. So, its really two different kinds of giving, and both of them are having permanent impacts on our community.

Over the past year, the foundation was able to give out over $139,000 in grants and donations to help out projects in communities in Huron County.

One (project) that comes to mind is the splash pad thats happening in Port Austin, Price Sunblad said. Right now, there is a group of people that are anxious to bring that free community resource to our county, so they were one of our grant recipients. Weve given to everything from the American Cancer Society, to our schools, to our lighthouses, homeless solutions, the nature center and different projects for the village of Elkton, and then some of the basic needs places.

The foundation was able to make those donations on the strength of nearly 270 donations from different individuals and organizations.

To me, that shows truly a wide range of support, Price Sunblad said. Those gifts that come from those 270 people, those range from $25 to multiple $1,000 gifts. Each one of them goes into our endowments to create a lasting impact in the county. It shows that Huron County is so unique because people do care and people genuinely want to ensure that their communities are there and vibrant for generations for years to come. Its because of every single one of those gifts.

The foundation was started in the late 1990s on a single $1,000 donation from a Huron County resident.

Since then, the foundation has grown to nearly $5 million in endowed assets.

Its a grassroots growth, Price Sundblad said. If you compare it to other community foundations in the area, they had large family foundations that rolled hundreds of thousands of dollars of assets into their community foundations. Were an anomaly, that we started with one individual, Martha Theummel, writing a $1,000 check to get it started, and then it truly has been consistent community support over the past two decades that has allowed us to grow.

After the support that the foundation has seen this past year, and over the past two decades, they have big goals for 2019, and they will be able to achieve those goals from the continued support of the community.

Thats one of the bigger topics that we will be discussing in 2019, Price Sundblad said. When it comes to new challenges and new opportunities, as our world changes and as our county changes, there will always be new challenges and new opportunities. The community foundation is uniquely located in that we can continue to make an impact on those challenges and we can really bring light to the opportunities that we have.

The consistent giving that we have had over the last two decades, I have no doubt in my mind will continue because of the type of people that are giving those dollars, she added. These are people that genuinely care about the community and as the community foundation, we promise to continue to be good stewards of those assets and will continue to listen to our community and how they would like Huron County to be in the future and continue to support efforts that support that vision.
PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo.  Adults arguing over a $5 billion border wall may have caused the government to shut down, but to the joy of children, one key federal department will continue to function: the one that tracks Santas journey around the world on Christmas Eve.

His journey is tracked every year through a Santa Cam in a program run by the defense departments NORAD Tracks Santa Program.

NORAD  The North American Aerospace Defense Command  put out a Tweet reassuring boys and girls that the important government function will continue  despite adults fighting over border wall funding.

The Tweet: In the event of a government shutdown, NORAD will continue with its 63-year tradition of NORAD Tracks Santa on Dec. 24.

Military personnel who conduct NORAD Tracks Santa are supported by about 1,500 volunteers who make the program possible.

NORAD is a binational U.S. and Canadian Command charged with aerospace and maritime warning and aerospace control of North America as well as monitoring aerospace activity globally.

But during the holidays, they have the supplementary mission of tracking Santa as he travels around the world, 22,000 feet above the Earth.

The tradition began in 1955 when a local advertisement directed children to call Santa  only the number was misdialed. Instead of reaching Santa, the phone rang through to the crew commander on duty at the Continental Air Defense Command Operations Center, the predecessor to NORAD.

On duty that night was Colonel Harry Shoup, who has come to be known as the Santa Colonel.

Shoup received numerous calls that night and rather than hanging up, he had his operators find the location of Santa Claus and reported it to every child who phoned in that night.

The program has grown through the years and evolved to make tracking easier with the use of technology. To track Santa, visit www.noradsanta.org or call 1-877-HI-NORAD,

This years NORAD Tracks Santa kicked off Dec. 1, with a more mobile-friendly website, social media channels, Santa Cam streaming video and a call center that will operate around the clock on Christmas Eve.

Volunteers will join NORAD on Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs to help track Santas journey.

Each year, the NORAD Tracks Santa Website receives nearly nine million unique visitors from more than 200 countries and territories around the world. Volunteers receive more than 140,000 calls to the NORAD Tracks Santa hotline from children around the globe.

Beginning at 12:01 a.m. Mountain Standard Time  or 2:01 a.m. Eastern Standard Time  on Dec. 24, website visitors can watch Santa make preparations for his flight

Beginning at 6 a.m. Eastern Standard Time, trackers worldwide can speak with a live phone operator to inquire as to Santas whereabouts.

Since regular operations protecting North America must also continue, volunteers take two-hour shifts for a 23-hour period. It is so joyous reporting on Santa, however, that most volunteers stay longer, a NORAD spokesman has said.

NORAD officials have said some of the answers to popular questions: Santas sleigh is propelled by nine-reindeer power; the fuel is hay, oats and carrots; and its maximum speed is faster than starlight. And the sleigh weighs 75,000 gumdrops.

One of the most common questions is, How can Santa travel the globe in one night?

The answer to that, a NORAD spokesman has said, is that Santa experiences time differently than we do. So our day may be a week or month to him.

Once Santa leaves the North Pole, his trip starts at the International Date Line and moves west, according to NORAD.

A spokesman has explained the satellites used to track Santa have infrared sensors that can see heat and so Rudolphs red nose is easily spotted.
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis' stunning resignation over deeply held policy differences with President Donald Trump on the Syria withdrawal and other issues set off speculation Friday at a demoralized Pentagon on who else might follow him out the door.

Mattis was in his Pentagon office Friday, but there was no immediate word from Defense Department officials on whether he had signed off on the formal withdrawal order that would go to U.S. Central Command, and then to Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve, to set in motion the process of pulling an estimated 2,000 U.S. troops out of Syria.

Former Defense Secretary William Cohen, a close friend of Mattis, said the crisis of confidence the former general reached in Trump's leadership would cause others in the top echelon of the Defense Department to consider their own feelings on whether to continue serving a sometimes erratic commander-in-chief.

Cohen told CNN that he spoke Wednesday night on the phone with a "distraught" Mattis, who was struggling with the decision of whether to resign.

Mattis had opposed Trump on a range of other issues, Cohen said, but he had reached the "breaking point" when Trump announced Wednesday via Twitter that he was ordering the Syrian withdrawal.

"I called him at the Pentagon and told him -- 'tell me it's not true.' I can tell you he was distraught" over the withdrawal and what he felt would be a "betrayal" of coalition allies and local partnered forces in Syria, Cohen said.

"Jim Mattis could not accept that," said Cohen, a former Republican senator from Maine. Cohen recalled Mattis as saying, " 'I have never resigned from anything, I have carried the fight in every battle I have been in, but I cannot do this in the name of our country.' "

Others at the Pentagon now will have to make their own decisions on whether they "resign or do they stay," Cohen said. "When it comes to the point where you can no longer carry out his [Trump's] directives, it's time for you to step aside."

The immediate speculation at the Pentagon was on the status of Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Joseph Dunford, who has also had differences with Trump.

Dunford served under Mattis as a colonel in command of the 5th Marine Regiment in the 2003 invasion of Iraq, when Mattis commanded the 1st Marine Division. Together, they were the first two Marines to hold the top uniformed and top civilian posts at the Pentagon.

Dunford's term as Joint Chiefs chairman runs through next fall, but Trump earlier this month named Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Milley to succeed him. Dunford has given no indication yet as to whether he would step down early once Milley is confirmed by the Senate.

The choice of Milley was considered to be another factor in Mattis' break with Trump. Mattis had favored Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein to succeed Dunford.

Mattis' departure is expected to have an impact on the pace and direction of the Defense Department's efforts to meet the growing challenges posed by Russia and China, while also carrying out other worldwide commitments.

However, one of the main concerns voiced by members of Congress from both sides of the aisle was the effect of Mattis departure on the troops, whose respect he earned in four decades in uniform.

Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Illinois, an Air Force major who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, said on Twitter that Mattis' resignation "was an act of patriotism, standing for American principles above all else."

He added, "The military is absolutely devastated by this."

At a news conference Thursday, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-California, diverted from discussing the government shutdown threat to state her concerns about Mattis' departure.

"I am shaken by the resignation of General Mattis," she said. "Our troops looked to him as a leader, and now he's leaving them. This is a very sad day for our country."

-- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com.
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.
Brett McGurk, the U.S. envoy for the global coalition to defeat Islamic State (ISIS), has resigned in the wake of President Trump's decision to pull U.S. troops out of Syria, Fox News confirmed Saturday -- coming on the heels of the resignation of Defense Secretary Jim Mattis earlier this week.

U.S. officials said this week that the Trump administration is making plans to pull all 2,000 troops out of Syria, and Trump later tweeted that "we have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency."

Ground troops moved into Syria in 2015 to combat ISIS in the region, amid an escalating Syrian civil war. Trump had talked about pulling out of Syria before, but military leaders had warned about ISIS re-emerging should the U.S. do so. There is also concern about abandoning the U.S.' Kurdish allies.

On Thursday, Trump announced that Mattis was retiring in February. Mattis' resignation letter said that Trump had a right to a Defense Secretary "whose views are better aligned with yours" on policy. Sources told Fox News this week that Mattis' resignation was "in protest" over the president's national security policies and that more resignations could be coming.

The Associated Press, which first reported McGurk's resignation, reported that he said in a resignation letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo that ISIS was on the run, but wasn't yet defeated and that U.S. work in Syria wasn't yet done. Fox News has learned that McGurk submitted his resignation letter on Friday, a day after Secretary Mattis resigned. His resignation is effective December 31.

McGurk, appointed by former President Barack Obama in 2015, had said in a Dec. 11 press conference that it would be "reckless" to consider ISIS defeated and that the "enduring defeat of a group like this means you can't just defeat their physical space and then leave."

"Nobody is saying that they are going to disappear. Nobody is that naive," he told reporters. "So we want to stay on the ground and make sure that stability can be maintained in these areas."

An official told the Associated Press that McGurk was planning to leave the job in mid-February, but felt he could no longer continue after Trump's decision and Mattis' resignation.

McGurk previously served as a deputy assistant secretary of state for Iraq and Iran, and led secret side talks with Iran about the release of American prisoners during the negotiations for the Iran nuclear deal.

McGurk had previously worked as a Supreme Court law clerk to the late Chief Justice William Rehnquist. He had also served on former President George W. Bush's National Security Council staff, where in 2007 and 2008, he was the lead U.S. negotiator on security agreements with Iraq.

McGurk's departure is the latest sign of criticism from Trump's allies in his administration, and in Congress, for the decision.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. recently blasted Trump for his decision to pull troops out of Syria, calling it an "Obama-like decision" -- an allusion to Obama's decision to pull troops from Iraq in 2011. In return, Trump fired back, saying it was difficult to understand why Graham would be against saving countless 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!" Trump tweeted.

On Saturday, Trump said that ISIS is "largely defeated" and that other countries, such as Turkey could take care of whatever is left.

"We're coming home!" he tweeted.

Fox News' Nicholas Kalman, Jennifer Griffin, Ben Florance and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Nearly 57,000 U.S. Coast Guard members and civilian employees could face furlough without pay if Congress fails to pass a stop-gap spending bill that would keep portions of the government running until Feb. 8.

Unlike the Defense Department services, the Coast Guard, which resides in the Department of Homeland Security, will be greatly affected by a budget stalemate if it isn't resolved by midnight.

While it's uncertain how day-to-day Coast Guard operations would be affected, it's likely that the active-duty force, which totals more than 40,500 members, would work without pay during the duration of a shutdown. This has occurred in previous shutdowns; the service members later were awarded their regular paychecks. The Coast Guard would not comment on the possible effect of a shutdown on operations until one occurs and referred all other questions to the Office of Management and Budget, CWO Barry Lane said.

The latest shutdown comes at a time when the service finds itself operating under tight funding conditions while its global missions are on the rise.

The Coast Guard had been hopeful that the pending budget would have included budget dollars for a much-needed heavy polar icebreaker. But the budget impasse has threatened that funding, since the House of Representatives reapportioned the money for the ship to help pay for President Donald Trump's desired border wall.

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For five months, the Coast Guard has been capped at fiscal 2018 spending levels while its sister services under the DoD received their 2019 funding shortly before the new fiscal year started in October.

The service has just one working heavy-lift icebreaker, the Polar Star, which provides services to Antarctica, and a medium icebreaker, which primarily conducts patrols and science missions in the Arctic, a region where other nations, most notably Russia and China, are moving to extend their military footprint.

In addition to an increase in Arctic missions, the Coast Guard's worldwide operations are growing: The service is heavily involved in drug interdictions in South America and the Caribbean, intercepting roughly 457,000 pounds of cocaine in fiscal 2018. In 2017, the Coast Guard set a service record, seizing 493,000 pounds of drugs on the high seas and in ports.

The service's mission is to protect the borders, provide maritime traffic safety, conduct port operations, perform search-and-rescue duties and enforce fisheries laws. It is expanding its interest in hybrid warfare tactics and has been seeking out new technologies to improve operations, including mimicking the Army's future vertical lift program.

Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Karl Schultz said at a Military Reporters and Editors conference earlier this year that one of his priorities is to make a case for a bigger, better funded Coast Guard.

"We do sit in that discretionary, non-defense part of the budget, so we're competing with a lot of national priorities," he said. "Ninety percent of the Coast Guard budget is classified as non-defense discretionary funding. We were shortsighted in the past not making some of these needs known."

-- Oriana Pawlyk can be reached at oriana.pawlyk@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @Oriana0214.
Runners know that it is not a question of whether you have pain or injury, but when that pain or injury will occur.
ANN ARBOR, MI - An Ypsilanti Township man will spend the next several years in prison in connection with a fatal shooting on New Years Eve last year.

Gregory James, 26, was sentenced to three years and seven months to nine and six months Wednesday, Dec. 19 in Washtenaw County Trial Court on weapons charges and lying to the police in the death of Kevin Hughbanks, 50.

James was initially accused of shooting Hughbanks during an argument Dec. 31, 2017 in a carport at the Cliffs Communities housing complex on Cliffs Drive, off Grove Road, in Ypsilanti Township.

James left a trail of blood in the snow of the housing complex and was later found at the hospital with stab wounds he suffered in the altercation with Hughbanks, police said.

Though prosecutors for months considered a homicide charge against James in the death, they ultimately decided against it.

Prosecutors determined there wasnt enough evidence to disprove that it may have been a justifiable homicide, said Chief Washtenaw County Prosecutor Steve Hiller.

There were two theories that arguably supported justification in this caseself-defense, and Michigans common law doctrine that allows the application of deadly force against a fleeing felon, he said.

Still, someone did lose their life as a result of James' illegally carrying a gun, Assistant Washtenaw County Prosecutor Yasmine Wint told Washtenaw County Trial Court Judge Archie Brown on Wednesday.

Brown found James guilty of illegally carrying a concealed weapon, being a felon in possession of a firearm, using a firearm to commit a felony and lying to a peace officer after an October bench trial.

Brown also found James guilty on three felony counts of delivery of less than 50 grams of a controlled substance in a separate case from November 2017, records show.

James was sentenced to serve 19 months to 30 years in prison in that case, consecutive to the 2-year felony firearm sentence in the death case.

Effectively, his total sentence between the two cases is 43 months to 32 years in prison, Hiller said.

James declined to speak at the hearing, and an attorney and family members for James declined to speak following the sentencing.
OTTAWA COUNTY, MI -- Police used surveillance cameras to track down a teen driver who struck and injured a 12-year-old boy in a school parking lot, then left the scene.

The crash happened about 2:55 p.m. Friday, Dec. 21 at Harbor Light Middle School in Park Township.

Ottawa County sheriffs deputies said Elijah Saucedo was a pedestrian in a parking lot when he was struck by a silver SUV that did not stop. He was taken to a hospital for injuries not considered life-threatening.

Police used school surveillance cameras to identify the vehicle and track down the driver, an 18-year-old Holland Township woman. A report will be sent to Ottawa County prosecutors for possible charges.
KALAMAZOO, MI -- The runner-up in the November election at Kalamazoo Public Schools will fill the boards vacant spot, the Board of Education decided Friday.

Jason Morris, the third highest vote-getter, in the Nov. 8 election, will join the board at the next regular meeting, Thursday, Jan. 10, Board President Patti Sholler-Barber said Friday, Dec. 21, during a special meeting.

A vacancy on the seven-person board was created when Trustee Lauren Freedman resigned. She is moving to Washington, she told board members in a letter of resignation.

Morris holds a bachelors degree in marketing and Spanish from Western Michigan University, he said in his questionnaire response during the election. He served four years as the Parkwood Upjohn Parent Teacher Organization Co-President. He was also the Co-Chair for the 2018 School Enhancement Millage $96 million for School Improvements.

Its an honor to be selected, Morris said Friday night in an interview with MLive. I will do my best to uphold the traditions and will work to make the Kalamazoo Public Schools system the best it can be.

Morris will work on advancing vocational training in the district to make Kalamazoo job ready, he said. The (Kalamazoo Promise) is amazing, but we need to augment that with the skilled trades."

Morris will join two other newcomers on the board, which is responsible for evaluating the district superintendent and creating policies.

Trustees Carol McGlinn and Craig Herschleb are leaving the board. McGlinn did not seek reelection after more than 10 years in the seat, while Herschleb lost his position on the board during the November election.

The Michigan Association of School Boards recommends a board make a public call for applications and hold open interviews that comply with the Open Meetings Act, according to the MASBs Simple Guide to the Fundamentals of Board Vacancies.

McGlinn said appointing Morris was more democratic because it reflected the wishes of the community. Trustee Ken Greschak asked whether they were doing their due diligence in appointing someone versus requesting applications.

Sholler-Barber said since Freedmans resignation announcement on Nov. 9, the board consulted with their legal team and determined this was the best route to take.

This has been vetted," Sholler-Barber said. Its the correct procedure."

Morris was not in attendance Friday night. He accepted the offer over the phone with Sholler-Barber after the meeting ended.

Choosing Morris was the logical response because a long appointment process would have taken the boards focus off of the students' education, Sholler-Barber said. This also allows for the three new members to start at the same time, she said.

The voters have spoken, she said. We need to start in January with a full board.

Morris was active throughout the election and is well known in the community, she said. This will not be a surprise appointment to the community. Its a good nomination.

Morris will serve until the next election in 2020, when voters will choose who will serve as a trustee, Sholler-Barber said.
KALAMAZOO COUNTY, MI -- A Michigan doctor at risk of deportation because of a 1991 misdemeanor conviction as a teen has received a pardon from outgoing Gov. Rick Snyder.

Dr. Lukasz Niec, a physician at Bronson HealthCare, was among about three dozen people to receive pardons on Friday, Dec. 21. He came to the United States from Poland when he was 5.

Niecs story became a high-profile issue in January when he was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in January at his Kalamazoo area home.

He was told they were there because of two misdemeanor convictions from the early 1990s.

Niec was released on bond after spending about two weeks in jail. In later interviews, he said he believed a custody battle with his ex-fiancee led someone to make a tip to ICE.

Niec went to the state parole board in July to seek a pardon, even though one of the cases was wiped from his record through a youthful offender program called the Holmes Youthful Trainee Act (HYTA)

ICE doesnt recognized the HYTA dismissal, however.

Late Friday, Niec said he was thrilled to hear about the pardon and he hoped that it would end the threat of deportation.

He said ICE authorities still have his passport and green card and hes scheduled to go before an immigration judge in September.

The scare has convinced him its time to apply for U.S. citizenship.

I should have done it earlier," he said. I guess I should have thought it was more important.
KALAMAZOO, MI  Police are asking the public for help identifying two suspects in a Dec. 19 credit union robbery.

Two men robbed the Lake Michigan Credit Union at around 5 p.m. in the 400 block of South Westnedge Avenue. The suspects made contact with the teller and demanded money, according to the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety. The suspects fled with an undisclosed amount of money. Police attempted to track them with a K-9 but did not find them.

KDPS released surveillance photos and suspect descriptions Friday, Dec. 21. The first suspect is a black man, age 18 to 25 years old with long black hair and brown eyes. He stands 6 feet to 6 feet 4 inches tall and weighs 175 to 190 pounds. He was wearing a navy blue jacket with a hood, khaki cargo pants and Nike high top shoes with a black and grey design and a white sole.

The second suspect is a black man, age 18 to 25, with black hair and brown eyes. He stands 5 feet to 5 feet 5 inches tall, weighs 140 to 160 pounds, and was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, khaki cargo pants that tie in front and khaki and black winter tie-up boots.

Anyone with information on the robbery or the suspects can call KDPS at (269) 337-8139 or Silent Observer at (269) 343-2100.
MUSKEGON COUNTY, MI  A so-called financial planner has been convicted of 14 felonies related to the theft of more than $300,000 from an elderly widow who said she was left practically destitute.

A Muskegon County jury convicted Gary Edward Duke Haynes, 58, of nine counts of embezzlement from a vulnerable adult, four counts of filing a false tax return and one count of conducting a criminal enterprise.

Haynes has addresses in Spring Lake and Comstock Park, according to state documents.

The charges were brought by Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette. Haynes met the victim in 2006 at a financial planning seminar he led and served as her agent for 10 years, according to Schuettes office.

Schuette alleged that Haynes had taken the womans money from her account and transferred it to bank accounts belonging to his two companies: Senior Planning Resource and Future by Design. He had told the woman some of the money would be invested in annuities in her name, but it never was, according to Schuettes office.

He took more than $300,000 over four years, documents show.

Haynes was tried this week in the courtroom of Muskegon County Circuit Judge Annette Smedley. The jury returned its guilty verdict on Thursday, Dec. 20. Sentencing is scheduled for 9 a.m. Feb. 1.

The woman, who was 85 at the time she met Haynes, paid a fee to attend Haynes 2006 financial planning seminar. She asked him to help her pay her bills because she was not comfortable with computerized billing, according to Schuettes office. She gave him access to her computer, financial accounts and passwords, according to the attorney generals office.

Eventually, she became suspicious he was stealing from her and alerted her nephew who contacted authorities.

During testimony at Haynes preliminary examination, the woman said she moved to the Fruitport area from Arizona in 2005. Aside from a cleaning lady who also took her on errands, the woman said she didnt have local friends or family who she saw regularly.

I talked to (Haynes) about handling my affairs because I had no one and I didnt know anyone here, she testified.

She said Haynes would come to her home and use her computer to pay her bills. Some months, he never showed up, her bills were late and she had to pay late fees, she said.

The woman testified that her savings were wiped out and she was living only on Social Security checks that werent enough to pay all her bills. She said she was paying just enough to satisfy her creditors.

Under questioning from Haynes attorney, the woman said she never gave Haynes permission to make a loan to him or put her money in a house flipping company or any of his other businesses or bank accounts. She also didnt agree to be a business partner of his or otherwise finance his activities, she testified.

She had never made any sort of arrangement to pay Haynes for his services, the woman said.

According to a state document, Haynes allegedly was successful in coercing the woman to liquidate a $107,735 annuity and place the funds in a bank account he controlled. He then invested the funds in a risky and illiquid house flipping venture, according to the notice of intent to revoke Haynes investment adviser representative registration.

Haynes registration was revoked by the state, and the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs fined him $10,000 in April.
Uh-oh! It could be you, or it could be us, but there's no page here.
The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) has virtually become a lame duck association following the postponement of its scheduled summit in Pakistan in 2016, but its leaders have not stopped offering diplomatic platitudes to try and resuscitate it.

Despite having huge potential to economically and socially integrate the region, the SAARC has failed to yield desired outcomes. And amidst deepening uncertainty on its future, the SAARC member states have observed its 34th Charter Day, with heads of government expressing their commitment to its common objectives and vision.

Nepal's Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli said the SAARC, as a common forum of South Asian countries, would continue to enhance understanding among its member states. "Regional cooperation in South Asia is not a choice, but a necessity," he added.

Nonetheless, the ongoing deadlock has prevented the SAARC nations from making regional cooperation a reality. As the current chair, Nepal is desperate to revive the stalled SAARC process as well as pass the baton to Pakistan, but India's apparent reluctance to energize it has left it in limbo.

Pakistan is now looking to Nepal to oil the wheels of the SAARC. In his recent meeting with former Pakistani PM Yusuf Raza Gilani in Kathmandu, Oli assured him that Nepal would facilitate from its side to hold the 19th SAARC Summit in Pakistan and urge India to participate in it. Sad to say, Nepal's diplomatic efforts have not come to fruition.

The SAARC Charter itself does not allow its members to discuss bilateral and contentious issues. It states that "decisions at all levels shall be taken on the basis of unanimity." If one member disagrees on any issue, such as holding the annual summit or including particular content in the declaration, other members cannot push them unilaterally.

The SAARC is now unable to see momentum on par with other regional bodies such as ASEAN or the European Union and it is crystal clear that without improved ties between India and Pakistan, the SAARC is unlikely to gain ground.

A flicker of hope has emerged in India-Pak ties with Imran Khan elected the new premier of Pakistan. He has since expressed his desire to resolve all outstanding issues through dialogue with India. In a major development, Pakistan opened the Kartarpur Corridor to facilitate the visa-free movement of Indian Sikhs to their religious site in Pakistan last month. India also reciprocated Pakistan's groundbreaking decision that has remarkably thawed tension between the two neighbors.

Will this development improve India-Pakistan relations, thereby accelerating the SAARC process? This is yet to be seen. However, the Kashmir issue has always been a major pain point in their bilateral ties since their independence. This has prevented them from accruing benefits from their bilateral and regional relations.

Nonetheless, time has come for both neighbors to put aside their severe differences and work together to activate the SAARC. This association comprises the world's largest number of poor people, yet carries with it immense prospect of mutual trade, connectivity and economic prosperity.

Even if India is inclined to bypass the SAARC and promote the sub-regional groupings such as the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) and the Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal (BBIN) Initiative, it can hardly stay away from several SAARC mechanisms and programs to which it is strongly associated.

This can also be gauged from Indian PM Narendra Modi's Charter Day message. While promising to boost regional cooperation and integration, Modi mentioned an array of initiatives such as the launch of the South Asia Satellite, the extension of India's National Knowledge Network to South Asian countries and the South Asian University, as well as the SAARC Disaster Management Centre (Interim Unit) which India has fully or partially funded. "They are geared towards promoting people-to-people contact and connectivity in the region," he added.

The 19th SAARC Summit, scheduled to be held in Pakistan in 2016, was postponed for an indefinite period after India walked out of it, blaming Pakistan's hand in the terrorist attack in Uri of India-administered Kashmir. Bangladesh, Bhutan, Afghanistan and the Maldives quickly followed suit, however, Nepal and Sri Lanka extended their support to Pakistan in its bid to host the Summit.

Adopted by the heads of state and governments at the first SAARC Summit in Dhaka on Dec 8, 1985, the Charter heralded the start of a new era of regional cooperation in South Asia. The SAARC nations are bound by a shared culture and history but the lack of political trust and shared vision towards a win-win development has badly stunted its natural growth.

Ritu Raj Subedi is an associate editor of The Rising Nepal.





Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.
On December 19, U.S. President Donald Trump announced via his twitter account that he was withdrawing American troops from Syria.



Albeit a surprise for the international community, Trump's decision is by no way accidental, but stems from long-time consideration. The decision could be understood within the general context of America's withdrawal from the Middle East, which can be dated back to a decade ago.

The withdrawal might signify America's change of strategy in the region, but the U.S. still remains the single most important player there.

It can be defined as America's efforts to reduce or just not to increase its strategic resources in a volatile region, and in many ways it also means America's declining willingness getting deeply involved in being a regional policeman.

The process actually started in 2009, when President Barack Obama took office. Soon after being sworn in, he announced an America withdrawal from Iraq, which was accomplished over the following two years. Obama also decided to withdraw troops from Afghanistan, although it has never been implemented since the U.S. still keeps a large number of troops there.

Obama was also very prudent in getting involved militarily in the Syrian crisis. Despite stating at the very beginning that the U.S. would stand on the right side of history, he never seriously intervened in that country.

However, he did finally decide to organize a coalition against ISIS, and dispatched troops in the area east of the Euphrates, namely the Kurdish region. This decision was for both countering ISIS and balancing Russia's military presence in Syria.

Trump also proved reluctant to invest strategic resources in Syria and the Middle East in general. Upon his election, he stated on many occasions that the U.S. would withdraw from Syria. On March 30, he said openly that the country had wasted US$7 trillion in Middle East wars with nothing achieved.

However, he didn't immediately follow up on a withdrawal due to the strong opposition from the Department of Defense. Now, he's finally "grasped the nettle."

It is ironic that Donald Trump and Barack Obama share the same reluctance of investing many military resources in Syria though the two differ widely on many issues. That might signify the serious deficit of U.S. strategic resources and Americans' growing unwillingness to get involved in Middle East affairs. Of course, they adopted different approaches.

Barack Obama's withdrawal plan stemmed from relocation of U.S. strategic resources at a global level. Or to put it another way, Obama wanted to put more strategic resources into the Asia-Pacific region. Trump might also want to have more resources there, but he also wanted to have more economic resources for domestic economic development. That is what we know as his American First approach.

Despite reluctance, the U.S. cannot avoid a certain presence in Syria for some time. Obama used to set a red line for U.S. military intervention. He made clear in early 2013 that the U.S. would not intervene militarily unless Syrian government used chemical weapons on civilians.

And shortly after that, it was reported that civilians on the opposition side were attacked by chemical weapons. The blame was laid on Bashar Assad's government.

And shortly after Trump talked about U.S. withdrawal from Syria on March 30, 2018, it was also widely reported that the Assad government had used chemical weapons against Syrian people. It is reasonable to believe that chemical attacks had been too often used to keep U.S. involved.

Anyway, Trump has finally decided to withdraw from Syria. It is true that this decision might mean America's relative decline in general and the weakening of its will to get deeply involved in foreign causes. As a result, the regional players including Turkey and Iran and major external players like Russian will have much bigger roles to play in Syria's transition agenda, and in the Middle East at large.

However, the U.S. still has the largest number of military bases in the region from Bahrain to Djibouti, and the largest military personnel as well. And it is also likely that the U.S. will play its due role in Syrian issue by providing economic assistance and military advisory for YPD, the Kurdish forces long supported by the U.S. in countering ISIS.

It is also expected it will invest more resources in pushing forward its agendas in other Middle East issues, for instance, the Israel-Palestine peace process.

Dr. Jin Liangxiang is Senior Research Fellow with the Center for West Asian and African Studies, Shanghai Institutes for International Studies. For more information please visit:

http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/jinliangxiang.htm

Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.
 Flash

Beijing said on Friday that it firmly opposes Washington and its allies slandering China's cybersecurity, and urged the United States to withdraw cyber espionage charges against two Chinese nationals.

The US has made unwarranted accusations concerning internet security against China and indicted two Chinese citizens for alleged cybertheft, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said in an online statement.

This, she said, was "fabricating facts out of thin air", and China has lodged "stern representations" with the US.

China is a defender of cybersecurity and resolutely opposes, as well as cracks down on, any form of cyber-stealing activities, she said.

"The Chinese government had never participated in, or supported anyone, stealing commercial secrets", she added.

US prosecutors charged two Chinese nationals, Zhu Hua and Zhang Shilong, and alleged both were linked to China's Ministry of State Security intelligence agency. The charges allege stealing of confidential data from US government agencies and businesses around the world.

The hackers are accused of breaching the networks of Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co and IBM, and then using the access to hack into the computers of those companies' clients, but IBM said it had no evidence that sensitive data had been compromised, Reuters reported.

"We urge the US to immediately correct its erroneous actions, stop slandering and tarnishing China on cybersecurity issues, and cancel the so-called charges against the Chinese citizens to avoid impairing bilateral relations as well as cooperation in relevant areas", Hua said.

China will take necessary measures to safeguard its own cybersecurity and interests, she said.

It has been an "open secret" that relevant departments of the US have hacked and listened in to foreign governments, enterprises and individuals on a large scale, she said.

"The US making baseless criticisms of China in the name of so-called cybertheft is blaming others while itself should be blamed, and is self-deception, and China absolutely cannot accept this," she said.

This is not the first time that accusations from Washington were false, she said.

As the world's leading power, the US is arrogant and selfish, she said at a daily news briefing, adding that the country does its utmost to suppress other countries' development rights.

Other countries, such as the United Kingdom, also have smeared China on cybersecurity issues, Hua said, adding that China asks those countries to respect the facts to avoid damaging their relationship and cooperation in major areas with China.
 Flash

China and Pakistan have agreed to broaden the scope of CPEC, further strengthen the JCC mechanism through increased frequency of exchanges at the eighth meeting of the Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) on China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) held in Beijing on Dec. 20, 2018.



Ning Jizhe, deputy head of China's National Development and Reform Commission(NDRC), co-chaired the meeting with Pakistan's Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Reform, Makhdum Khusro Bakhtyar.

Ning said that CPEC serves the fundamental interests of two countries and their peoples. Calling the visit of Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan to China as "phenomenal success" he expressed confidence that the China-Pakistan relationship would continue to grow and prosper.

Bakhtyar has reiterated Pakistan's firm commitment to CPEC which he termed as the heart and soul of Pakistan-China economic cooperation. Appreciating the progress made in CPEC, Pakistan's Minister for Planning said, "the stage is now set to take it to the next level wherein the cooperation can be diversified to more trade and industrial cooperation, socio-economic development, agriculture, people-to-people interaction and knowledge sharing under the clear vision set by our leadership."

Highlights of the JCC included conclusion of a MoU on Industrial Cooperation andestablishing a cooperation framework on socioeconomic development. The MoU of industrial cooperation would include cooperation in diverse industries such as textiles, petrochemicals, iron and steel, and mines and minerals.

Pakistan's Minister for Planning said that cooperation in industrial sector would help attract investment in special economic zones and encourage relocation of Chinese industry.

While undertaking review of areas of cooperation under CPEC, the two sides expressed satisfaction and showed willingness to expedite work on all projects including Gwadar.
 Flash

Amid ongoing tense frictions between Moscow and Washington, Russian President Vladimir Putin appeals to his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump to resume direct talks so as to discuss urgent issues on bilateral and international agendas.

Noting that the two countries "have reached the bottom of our relations" at his annual press conference Thursday, Putin reconfirmed his readiness for dialogue and said it is time for both sides to think with a clear head and start mending bilateral ties.

Despite Putin's bona fide gesture, experts say it is difficult to restart bilateral high-level meetings, as Russia-U.S. relations will see a "gradual deterioration" in the foreseeable future.

FUTILE EFFORTS

"I have said many times that we are ready, and we believe that there are issues we must discuss together," Putin said.

"Whatever happens, we have to build up bilateral relations and we are ready for it. We will start doing it as soon as the opposite party is ready," he added.

As someone who got stood up twice in one month, Putin's agitation and eagerness are understandable. After a meeting with Trump in Paris was canceled up in early November, another chance was spoiled weeks ago when the U.S. president, on his way to Buenos Aires, called off their scheduled meeting on the sidelines of the Group of 20 (G20) summit held in the Argentine capital.

The last-minute decision took many by surprise, as the meeting was widely anticipated to be a follow-up to a summit in Finland's capital Helsinki in July, the only official meeting ever between Putin and Trump, at which they reached limited consensus.

Alexey Bogdanov, associate professor at the Department of American Studies of the St. Petersburg State University, called the Helsinki summit "a symbol of unfulfilled expectations of the year."

He noted that the United States intended to use the summit to influence Russian policies, while Russia wished to ease the sanction pressure through the meeting. Both positions were kept in the subsequent contacts by Russian and U.S. officials, which eventually wiped out the groundwork laid at the Helsinki summit.

"In this sense, Trump's refusal to meet with Putin during the G20 summit clearly testifies a growing conviction of the U.S. side that dialogue is ineffective to the development of relations with Russia in a constructive way," Bogdanov said.

Meanwhile, Trump has encountered harsh criticism domestically after the Helsinki summit, being accused of catering to certain Russian demands, which hurt his political reputation. Therefore, it turns out that meeting with Putin not only failed to bring substantial advantages, but also had obvious drawbacks.

"The factors that led to the cancellation of meetings in Paris and Buenos Aires did not vanish, but aggravated over time," said Viktor Olevich, a leading expert of the Russian Center for Actual Politics think-tank.

GROWING HOSTILITY

The past months have seen escalating tensions between Russia and the United States with the continued sanction game and military confrontation.

Following a nerve agent attack on a former Russian spy in Britain in March, the two countries expelled large numbers of each other's diplomatic personnel, and Washington imposed multiple rounds of economic sanctions on Moscow.

Moreover, Russia and the United States, along with their allies, have both conducted large-scale military drills throughout the year while trading accusations of violating border areas and threatening regional security.

"The current situation in Russia-U.S. relations can be best described by the phrase 'gradual deterioration.' The unsustainable foundation of these relations formed in the last 30 years has been consistently destroyed," Bogdanov said.

Now the battered bilateral relations are faced with even more challenges. After the U.S. midterm elections and the Democrats' victory in the House of Representatives, the issue of relations with Russia is becoming increasingly critical for the Trump administration.

Putin also expressed concern over the influence brought by the change of power in the U.S. Congress on the prospects of direct dialogue between the leaders.

"We can predict new attacks on the incumbent president with nearly 100 percent of certainty. I don't know if he will be able to start a direct dialogue with Russia in these conditions," Putin said at the press conference.

This forces Trump to continue to "stick to a hardline against Russia" in order to prevent the strength of his critics and opponents from growing, Bogdanov said.

Worse still, a Russian citizen Maria Butina confessed last week to conspiring with others to influence U.S. politics in 2015-2018, although Moscow accused Washington of forcing her to cooperate with investigators in exchange for a shorter prison term.

Butina's guilty plea could serve as evidence for Russia's long-alleged interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, which is expected to further drive up the hostile sentiment between the two sides.

Washington has repeatedly said that new sanctions are on the way.

"The immediate future is the unwinding of the sanction spiral. This is evidenced by both the actions and the official rhetoric of Washington," Bogdanov said.

GLOOMY OUTLOOK

The Russia-U.S. impasse is deeply rooted in their irreconcilable divergences on a whole palette of issues, where they failed to set up fundamental principles of relations, experts said.

These issues include global financial architecture, world trading system, international strategic stability, Syria, Iran, Ukraine and so on.

"The sanctions do not in fact depend on specific events ... but they reflect the lack of a common understanding of security problems at all levels -- national, regional and global," Bogdanov said.

In particular, the U.S. decisions to withdraw from the Iranian nuclear deal and the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty exactly showed the different manners of the two countries in securing regional security, Bogdanov said.

Viewing each other as geopolitical rivals, Russia and the United States are almost destined to continue the confrontational dynamics in the long run.

Washington is eager to maintain the U.S.-centered world order and has undertaken a whole range of steps to isolate Russia, while Moscow cannot accept the U.S. domination in the world, experts said.

"The U.S.-Russia relationship today, for the foreseeable future, could be the most dangerous relationship, because the United States won't compromise and Russia will not accept defeat," said Dmitry Trenin, director of the Carnegie Moscow Center.

"We should not expect any significant changes in Russia-U.S. relations in the near future. This relationship will only deteriorate," Olevich said.

NEW OPPORTUNITIES

Well aware of the worsening situation, Russia has started pursuing multi-pronged countermeasures.

Facing increasing sanction pressure, Russia has launched a de-dollarization plan for its economy, including reducing the U.S. debt and encouraging use of the Russian ruble in certain international payments.

Efforts were also seen in the defense field. Putin said Thursday that Russia is developing new weapons to keep strategic balance and defend its security in response to a rising nuclear threat caused by the U.S. pullout from arms control treaties.

In addition, worsening Russia-U.S. relations are pushing Moscow to develop relations with other countries like China, Japan and India.

The strategic partnership between Moscow and Beijing has reached the highest level in history, and Russia is also actively making efforts to facilitate the signing of a peace treaty with Japan.

Russian experts warned that rising conflicts between Russia and the United States could affect international politics in general.

"Conflicts between the leading powers affect the lives of less influential and less powerful countries," Olevich said.

Nevertheless, experts said that the deadlock of Russia-U.S. relations will not run out of control.

"Neither party thinks that it can gain anything by going into war ... There is no intention in either country to attack the other," Trenin said.
Carlos Ghosn | Nissan Motor Company | The long-serving boss of the Japanese automobile company, whose list of feats include reviving Renault, saving Nissan and re-energising the auto industry, was arrested by Japanese authorities over allegations of understating his compensation and swindling money from Nissan for personal use. Ghosn along with representative director Greg Kelly was taken into custody for failing to declare around $44 million on Nissan's security reports submitted over five years starting 2011. He was arrested in Tokyo on November 19 and was later sacked from the Nissan board. (Image: Reuters)

Binny Bansal | Flipkart | The co-founder of Flipkart resigned in November after an independent probe into an allegation of serious personal misconduct. The development came a few weeks after Walmart acquired a 77 percent stake in Flipkart for $16 billion. (Image: Reuters)

Nirav Modi | Nirav Modi Global Diamond Jewellery House | The diamond merchant, along with his uncle Mehul Choksi, in connivance with certain bank officials, allegedly cheated Punjab National Bank of about Rs 14,000 crore through issuance of fraudulent letters of undertakings (LoUs). This is one of the biggest financial frauds in India. Both Modi and Chokshi fled India before they could be arrested. (Image: Reuters)

Chanda Kochhar | ICICI Bank | The former MD and CEO of Indias second largest private lender had to seek early retirement over allegations of conflict of interest over loans to Videocon Group, worth Rs 3,250 crore (ICICI was part of the consortium of lenders). Kochhars husband Deepak Kochhar had a business relationship with Videocon Group. (Image: Reuters)

Usha Ananthasubramanian | Allahabad Bank | The former MD and CEO of the oldest joint stock bank in India came under the lens of the CBI earlier this year in connection with the Rs 14,000-crore fraud at PNB by diamond merchant Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi. Ananthasubramanian was the MD and CEO of PNB before she moved to Allahabad Bank.

Ramesh Tainwala | Samsonite | The global chief executive of the luggage company quit following allegations of falsifying his academic credentials. Tainwala became Samsonites Asia-Pacific head in 2011 and global CEO in 2014. According to allegations, Tainwala never completed the PhD programme that he claimed to have enrolled in 1992.

Vikram Kothari | Rotomac | The owner of the stationery brand was arrested by CBI earlier this year for defaulting a bank loan of Rs 800 crore. In 1999, Vikram took charge of Rotomac. During his tenure, Rotomac emerged as a top player in the writing instruments market. Its promotional tagline likhtey, likhtey, love ho jaaye became popular and Rotomac was then endorsed by Bollywood actor Salman Khan and Raveena Tandon.

Rana Kapoor | Yes Bank | The founder and CEO of one of Indias largest private banks was asked to exit from the company by Reserve Bank of India (RBI) that refused to extend his tenure, which ended on August 31. Yes Bank has been under the central bank's lens after it reported divergences in classification of non-performing assets (NPAs) as compared to the assessment by RBI.
The IL&FS statutory auditors failed in their duty and misrepresented facts, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) has stated in their probe report.

The ICAI, in their report, stated that the worlds premier auditors  Deloitte Haskins & Sells LLC, EY affiliate SRBC & Co. LLP and KPMG affiliate BSR & Associates LLP  were negligent and overlooked the actual situation at IL&FS, IFIN and ITNL.

Moneycontrol has reviewed a copy of the report submitted to the Ministry of Corporate Affairs on December 3. The MCA submitted this report to the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) Mumbai bench on Friday.

The outcome of the probe could mean trouble for the auditors, especially with the Modi government setting up NFRA, a regulator that will soon be set up under the Companies Act. Moneycontrol has previously reported that IL&FS will likely be the first case NFRA will take up.

Deloitte Haskins & Sells LLC was the statutory auditor of IL&FS till FY2017, IFIN and Deloitte audited accounts from FY2016 to 2018, while in the same tenure, Deloitte audited accounts of ITNL from 2016 to 2018.

EY affiliate SRBC & Co. LLP was the statutory auditor for IL&FS for FY17-18 and for ITNL from FY2016-2018.

KPMG affiliates BSR & Associates LLP was the statutory auditor for IFIN from FY2016-2018 and in the same tenure, BSR audited accounts of ITNL from FY2016-2018.

In the case of IL&FS, statutory auditors did not conduct a proper examination. They did not check requisite approvals from competent authorities for managerial remuneration. Auditors even failed to report that the company did not meet the criteria for Core Investment Company as stipulated in the RBI Circular dated January 5, 2011.

In some cases, the consolidated financial statement of IL&FS for 2016-2017 demonstrates that there were various subsidiaries with negative net assets and those with substantial value of positive assets, which were loss-making entities or with negligible positive returns. While blindly relying on the Group Companies Statutory Auditors Report, the auditors failed to record special circumstances prevailing across the group companies did not conduct further examination.

The ICAI raised concerns regarding investments in indirect subsidiaries by IL&FS. Their report stated, Statutory Auditors failed to make a note of the investments made by IL&FS in its various direct and indirect subsidiary/group companies whose net worth were negative. This demonstrated impairment in the said investments which the statutory auditor was duty bound to note/report as per the relevant accounting standard and/or failed to produce the crucial documents in support."

The ICAI found that statutory auditors failed to report about serious mismatches between assets and liabilities, which clearly indicated liquidity concerns on the balance sheet. They failed to note and report the exact sources and applications of cash flow, relative strength of the IL&FS group companies, which itself created doubt over long-term viability of the companies.

In the case of IL&FS Financial Services, which was one of the entities which defaulted in servicing its debt, statutory auditors had failed to apply the RBI directions and state the fact in its report.

As per the ICAI report, The RBI had observed that the Net Owned Funds (NOF) of IFIN had turned negative and it was over leveraged in its annual inspection report for FY 2014-15 and similar observations were made subsequently as well."

IFIN did not present an actual picture of bad loans in their books. As per the report, The share of bad loans is much higher than that disclosed in the annual report and thus the provisioning requirement should have been much higher than what is reflected in the balance sheet. Further the provisions created against NPAs were also not adequate."

The ICAI report also stated that statutory auditors had failed to adhere to the RBI circular on Disclosure in the Notes to Accounts to the Financial Statements  Divergence in Asset Classification and Provisioning. There were huge debts outstanding on part of IFIN, pointing towards overleveraged position. There were increasing liabilities/loans and increasing borrowing costs which auditors completely failed to investigate.

The report mentioned that the statutory auditors failed to identify and assess the risk of material misstatement whether due to fraud or error. Significant amount of IFIN seems to be routed through its subsidiary which shows diversion of funds, which were not provided in the statements made by statutory auditor.

IFIN indulged in financial transactions with its own subsidiaries which were non-viable. However, the auditors failed to pinpoint this in their report. There were clear indications of high risk involved that questioned the very viability of IFIN, but it was completely ignored by the auditors.

ICAI findings showed that the auditors miserably failed to report data excessive reliance on short-term borrowings for financing long-term assets, adverse key financial ratios and significant deterioration in the value of assets used to generate cash flow.

In fact, to the contrary, the statutory auditors mentioned that in view of its positive net worth, positive cash flow, credit ratings and Boards' proposals, there was no doubt on the ability of the entity to continue. This is a clear misrepresentation of facts.

In the case of ITNL, from a perspective of related party transactions, parties to whom loans were given were mostly accruing losses. However, the strategy adopted by ITNL with regard to making investments was not changed. This resulted in profit-making companies turning into loss-making entities, which was not mentioned by the statutory auditors in their reports.

The ICAI report stated, No procedures were implemented in order to verify whether the companies which were raising trade debt(s), loans and advances were in fact profit making entities and in a position to repay the amounts being raised and becoming due. The consolidated financial statement of ITNL for the Financial Year 2016-2017 demonstrates that there were various subsidiaries with negative net assets & those with substantial value of positive assets which were loss making entities or with negligible positive returns. While blindly relying on the Group Companies Statutory Auditors Report, the auditors failed to record special circumstances prevailing across ITNLs group/subsidiary companies and failed to conduct a further examination on the said group companies.

Moneycontrol has reached out to EY, Deloitte and KPMG for comment. This article will be updated when a response is provided.
Customers buying television sets (upto 32 inches) could see a decrease in prices January 1 onwards. The GST Council today reduced the goods and services tax (GST) for television screens upto 32 inches from 28 percent to 18 percent.

Avneet Singh Marwah, CEO, SPPL (exclusive brand licensee of Thomson TV in India) said they will be reducing prices from January 1 by 8 percent. He said the next wish would be to have GST reduced for TVs upto 40 inches.

"This is good news for the market and sentiments will improve from now on. Further, this will help improve the penetration of television (upto 32 inches) in the market," he added.

All television brands including LG, Samsung and Sony are expected to announce a price cut over the new few weeks.

Television makers had sought a reduction in GST for products upto 40 inches in this category. They had said televisions are no longer a luxury product.

In July 2018, televisions (upto 27 inches) that were earlier under 28 percent GST were brought down to 18 percent. The GST slab of 28 percent is the highest and is reserved for luxury products like high-end cars.

In the consumer durables space, air-conditioners are still taxed at 28 percent. This is because the GST Council is of the view that they are a luxury product.

A few dealers that Moneycontrol spoke to said this will boost New Year sales.

"All large television brands have offers for the first few weeks of the New Year. A tax cut will mean that customers will get additional benefit," said the Mumbai zonal head of a consumer electronics firm.

TV makers were reeling under cost pressures due to 28 percent GST on one side and a rise in manufacturing costs on the other, due to rupee depreciation and fuel price increase. Panel costs were also hiked during the festive season.

A majority of the raw materials, including the panels for televisions, are imported from abroad.
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Petronet LNG said on December 21 it will not buy an additional 1 MMTPA of LNG from RasGas of Qatar following the restructuring the supply agreement with the latter.

Petronet LNG Limited in December 2015 announced the signing of a binding sale and purchase agreement with RasGas of Qatar (LNG Supplier) for a supply of an additional 1 MMTP A of LNG for onward sale to IOCL, BPCL, GAIL and GSPC.

At the request of the four entities, the contract has been re-structured by having a direct arrangement between the LNG supplier and the Indian entities with effect from January 1, 2019, Petronet LNG said in a BSE filing.

Petronet will now continue to provide the storage, receiving and re-gasification services for the above-mentioned contract but will not be the buyer of LNG.
AAP MLA Alka Lamba said on December 21 she will tender her resignation as "demanded" by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for not supporting a resolution in the assembly on revoking late PM Rajiv Gandhi's Bharat Ratna.

The Delhi Assembly on December 21 adopted a resolution on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in which it was demanded that the Bharat Ratna awarded to former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi be withdrawn, but the AAP swiftly distanced itself from the reference to the Congress leader.

The matter became a major crisis with AAP MLA Alka Lamba alleging she was "put under pressure" to support the resolution, which she resisted and boycotted.

Lamba said she was ready to face "any consequences" and claimed she spoke to AAP supremo and CM Kejriwal who, she said, asked her to resign as MLA. "I am ready to do so", she said.

The Chandni Chowk MLA said she was not happy with the demand to take back Bharat Ratna from Gandhi and staged a walkout in protest.

Interestingly, the AAP later distanced itself from the resolution.

"After I staged a walkout, I got a message from the chief minister to tender my resignation," she told PTI.

When asked whether she will quit, Lamba added, "I have won on a party ticket. I will tender my resignation as demanded by the party," the former Youth Congress leader said.

In a tweet, she said, "I was asked to support the resolution demanding taking back the Bharat Ratna awarded to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. Since I didn't agree to this, I staged a walk out. I am ready to accept whatever punishment given to me."
Christian Michel_

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on December 22 arrested Christian Michel, the alleged middleman in the Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal case.

Michel was produced before Special Judge Arvind Kumar where the ED sought his 15-day custody.

The court allowed the ED to interrogate the British national inside the courtroom for 15 minutes after the agency sought his custodial interrogation. Michel was arrested thereafter.

The ED had sought his separate arrest in a money-laundering case saying there was a gap in the money trail being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation and them.

"We are two different agencies. It's impossible to have a joint investigation in the ambit of the law. We need to stand on our own feet," the ED said.

The agency said that it needs to probe money laundering aspect of the chain of proceeds of crime and the properties brought with that money, all of which have to be identified and recovered.

"We are aware of an investigation of Euro 30 million. The CBI's investigation is of more than EUR 37 million. We have to cover that gap," the ED said.

It further alleged that two of the properties have been bought out of the proceeds of crime and hence it is purely in the scope of money laundering.

"The money has been used and came through a hawala channel. It has not come through official channel. That has to be probed and he needed to be confronted in that regard. The co-accused have to be confronted with.

"Both channels -- one channel through which money came and the other through which it was used -- have to be unearthed. Money trail has to be identified. The nexus of Guido Haschke, Carlo Gerosa and Gautam Khaitan (the other accused) also have to be unearthed," the agency said.

It said that the agency was forced to seek "open-ended non-bailable warrant (NBW)".

Open-ended NBW does not carry a time limit for execution unlike non-bailable warrant.

The ED alleged that Michel has not joined the investigation in Italy and it cannot be said that the points the agency wants to probe here has already been investigated.

Michel was arrested in the UAE and extradited to India on December 4. The next day, he was produced before the court, which allowed his five-day custodial interrogation by the CBI.

It was extended by five more days, and later for another four days.

The court had reserved the order on Michel's bail plea on December 19 and had sent him to judicial custody till December 28.

Michel's counsel Aljo K Joseph opposed his 15-day custody saying there was already a prolonged detention by the CBI and his further custody by the ED will be "hampering his fundamental right".

"The ED did not try to question him while he was in the probe agency's custody. His custody by one agency could have been used by the ED as well," Joseph said.

He further alleged that both the agencies have not done independent probe and are seeking Michel's confession.

"We are filing all the documents related to his financial transaction. Indian authorities are again asking for custody for his confession. All the documents have been collected by the Italian government. They have not done any investigation by themselves," the counsel said.

Michel has been lodged in a separate cell in Tihar prison on the court's directions. The court also directed jail authorities to provide adequate security to him.

Michel is among the three alleged middlemen being probed in the case by the ED and the CBI. The others are Haschke and Gerosa.

The CBI has alleged there was an estimated loss of Euro 398.21 million - about Rs 2,666 crore - to the exchequer in the deal that was signed on

February 8, 2010 for the supply of VVIP choppers worth Euro 556.262 million.

The ED, in its charge sheet filed against Michel in June 2016, had alleged that he received Euro 30 million - about Rs 225 crore - from AgustaWestland.
A final and mandatory safety inspection report has given the Noida Metro Rail Corporation (NMRC) the approval to launch commercial operations of the Aqua Line, officials said on December 21.

With the approval, the NMRC has now written to the Uttar Pradesh government to finalise the date of inauguration of the much-awaited Aqua Line that would run between Sector 71 station in Noida and the Depot Station in Greater Noida, covering 29.7 km through 21 stations.

"The Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety (CMRS) report has been received and it has its sanction for the commercial operations of the metro service. The report also praised the civil and track work of the metro system, NMRC Executive Director P D Upadhyay said.

NMRC's managing director has written to the state government for finalizing the date of inauguration, said Upadhyay, who was in Lucknow on December 21, handed over a letter to Chief Secretary Anup Chandra Pandey.

He also said the fares of the Aqua Line would be decided in the NMRC Board meeting scheduled on December 28.

"Chairman Sanjay K Murthy, the additional secretary to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs will chair the meeting," he added.
It took 13 rounds of diplomatic discussions between India and China to resolve the face off between their militaries in Doklam last year, according to a report by a parliamentary panel.

The report by the committee on External Affairs termed the Chinese intrusion at Doklam as a "blatant but unsuccessful attempt" to unilaterally change the status quo at the India, Bhutan, China tri-junction in Doklam, seriously affecting India's security interests.

Complimenting the government's handling of the face-off, the committee said it remained concerned that Chinese infrastructure built "uncomfortably" close to the tri-junction has not yet been dismantled.

The committee, headed by former minister of state in External Affairs Ministry Shashi Tharoor, said Doklam was not a sovereignty issue for India as the disputed territory was Bhutanese, but nevertheless it was a major security challenge for New Delhi.

"The committee would like to put on record their highest appreciation for the brave and timely action of our security forces which checked the PLA (Peoples Liberation Army) troops from continuing with their road construction activity in South Doklam," the panel said in the report tabled in Parliament on Monday.

Troops of India and China were locked in a 73-day face-off in Doklam from June 16 last year after the Indian side stopped the building of a road in the disputed area by the Chinese Army. The impasse ended on August 28.

The report quoted the then Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar as telling the panel on October 18 last year that 13 rounds of diplomatic discussions were held with China and they were led by the Indian envoy in Beijing.

Vijay Gokhale, who succeeded Jaishankar as Foreign Secretary in January, was India's Ambassador to China during the Doklam crisis.

The report said diplomatic communications with China began following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's conversation with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Hamburg on July 7 last year on the sidelines of the G20 summit.

In the talks, India contested the Chinese claim of sovereignty in Doklam region, conveyed to Beijing that its action represented a significant change in status quo with serious security implications for India and amounted to unilateral determination of the tri-junction point, according to then foreign secretary.

The committee complimented the government's overall handling of the crisis as it managed to send necessary signals to China that India will not "acquiesce" in its unilateral and forceful attempts to change the status quo at any of India's territorial boundaries.

It expressed concerns over multiple reports which allude to Chinese presence around Doklam plateau and the statements from Chinese authorities about chances of similar happenings in future also even after the standoff at Doklam ended.

"The government has categorically denied that there is any direct threat from Chinese troops presently. The committee, however, are of the opinion that while dealing with China, it is always better to have a sense of 'healthy scepticism'," it said.

The panel said India's defence forces and the diplomatic corps have shown firmness in responding to the crisis without actually being drawn into any kind of political rhetoric.

The foreign secretary was quoted in the report as saying that during the entire course of the Doklam standoff, the ground situation was "very civil and that there was no body contact".

To avoid border skirmishes, the panel strongly desired that a comprehensive Border Engagement Agreement is concluded between the Indian Army and the PLA, subsuming all established mechanisms for confidence building between the two sides.

The Committee also expressed unhappiness over grossly inadequate border road infrastructure along the India-China frontier.
 Flash

The U.S. sudden decision to withdraw from Syria is read by political experts as a positive step toward pushing forward the political process in Syria's more than seven-year war.

Different circumstances surround the Wednesday decision of U.S. President Donald Trump to withdraw forces from Syria, as the United States has around 2,000 special forces deployed in 12 positions in the country.

The first reason behind the planned pullout of the U.S. forces is that Russia has been repeatedly urging the United States to withdraw from Syria as such a presence is further complicating the political landscape in the country, given the fact that the United States entered Syria in 2014 without the consent of the Syrian government.

The second reason is the recent Turkish threats to launch a military campaign against the U.S.-backed Kurdish militia of the People's Protection Units (YPG) and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which are regarded by Turkey as terrorist groups due to their links with the Turkey-banned Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).

It is worth noting that the U.S. forces are embedded with the Kurdish militia and it would be difficult for any Turkish campaign to differentiate between the forces.

The reason is expected to be the main driving force behind the timing of the U.S. withdrawal from Syria, as Ankara is Washington's key NATO ally and when the United States is pushed to choose between them, Turkey would surely win over the Kurds for the U.S. interest in the region.

Following the declaration of the White House about the withdrawal of the U.S. forces, which will take place within 100 days, Turkish reports said Friday that the planned Turkish campaign on the Kurdish militias in the eastern bank of Euphrates River in eastern Syria has been postponed.

There is no specific date or information on how long it would be pushed back, but experts believe that the Turkish forces could carry out limited operations against the Kurdish militia once the U.S. withdrew its forces.

Aside from the details surrounding the timing of the withdrawal, political analysts agree that it is a positive development for Syria and it could push the Kurdish militia in northern Syria to review their stances and realize that they cannot count on the U.S. forces anymore and they should come under the umbrella of the Syrian state.

Nuwairan Ahmad, a Syrian Kurdish political expert, told Xinhua the pullout of the U.S. forces will help accelerate the political process in Syria.

"The withdrawal of the U.S. forces from Syria is a positive one because the entry of the U.S. to Syria was illegal. The withdrawal would help in accelerating the political process in our country," Ahmad said.

As for the Kurdish-led SDF, which has been supported by the United States throughout several key battles against the Islamic State (IS) group, Ahmad said their best choice is to come under the umbrella of the Syrian army, otherwise they would face the Turkish forces and would risk losing areas to the Turkey-backed rebels akin to what happened in Afrin, a predominantly Kurdish region that fell to the Turkish forces earlier this year in northern Syria.

Ahmad noted that in Afrin, when the Kurdish forces confronted the Turkish forces, people suffered. "We don't wish to see that scenario repeat in any other place."

For his part, Muhannad Haj Ali, a Syrian lawmaker, agreed that the U.S. presence in Syria is basically illegal, and their withdrawal would help the political process in Syria.

"The U.S. presence in Syria ... we consider it as an act of aggression. The withdrawal comes as part of a Russian pressure on the United States to pull out in order to accelerate the Syrian political process and find a peaceful solution to the Syrian crisis," he told Xinhua.

The Kurdish militias, which have been ruling areas in northern and northeastern Syria with the help of the United States in the hope of enforcing a federal rule, must show a sign of good will and hand over their weapons to the Syrian Army, the lawmaker said.

"If the Kurdish militias want to show a sign of good will and a good initiative, they should hand over their illegal weapons to become under the umbrella of the Syrian army and from this point we can set off for a dialogue to discuss all points that could benefit the country," he said.

Ali said the Turkish forces could still launch limited operations in northern Syria, if the situation remains unchanged.

"I expect that the Turkish forces would launch a limited operation in some areas because they have concerns about the presence of the Kurdish forces in northern Syria," the lawmaker pointed out.

Maher Ihsan, another political expert, said no matter what reason is behind the U.S. sudden decision of withdrawing forces, the withdrawal should be a positive one for Syria because the presence of the U.S. forces on the ground complicates the situation.

"If they are gone, it would be easier to discuss the Kurdish situation with the Kurd themselves without the pressure of the United States. Any possible settlement between the government and the Kurds would push away any Turkish campaign on Syrian soil because their fears then would be unwarranted," he said.

He added that "the presence of foreign forces, which came to Syria without the consent of the Syrian government, is negative for any possible settlement, and now with the U.S. decision to withdraw, the political process would have more chances and I think we are moving to a brighter era."
Parliament

The ruling Congress and its allies in Puducherry would stage a demonstration in front of the Parliament in New Delhi on January 4 to press for their demand for statehood to the Union Territory.

PWD Minister and president of PCC A Namassivayam said in a press release on December 22 that the legislators of the ruling Congress, its ally the DMK and Left parties, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, MDMK, Indian Union Muslim League and Federation of the Students Associations among others would take part in the protest.

A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of leaders of various parties convened by Chief Minister V Narayanasamy here on December 19 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 Narayanasamy on various issues.

Namassivayam claimed that the territorial government was presently struggling to implement public welfare schemes as the Union Territory was not a full-fledged state and its administration was totally under the control of the Centre.

"The separate identity of Puducherry cannot also be ensured because of this unique, amusing situation," he added.

He also recalled that despite resolutions pressing for statehood being adopted on several occasions on the floor of the territorial Assembly, the Centre was continuously rejecting the demand.

Puducherry and its outlying regions of Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam merged de jure with the Indian Union in 1962 after liberation from the French regime and it has since been a Union Territory.
Sajjan Kumar

Former Congress leader Sajjan Kumar on December 22 moved the Supreme Court challenging the life imprisonment awarded to him by the Delhi High Court in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case.

Senior advocate H S Phoolka, who is representing the victims of the riots cases, said he has been conveyed by the the apex court registry that Kumar has filed an appeal against the high court's judgement.

He said the victims had already filed a caveat to pre-empt any ex parte hearing in favour of Kumar.

Kumar was convicted and sentenced to life for the remainder of his life by the high court on December 17 in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in Raj Nagar area.

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 a Gurudwara in Raj Nagar part II during that period.

The high court had on Friday rejected Kumar's plea seeking extension of time till January 30 to surrender for serving his punishment.
The Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council on Saturday slashed the rate on retread tyres to 18 percent from 28 percent, being one of the several items that the government sought to make cheaper.

Retread tyres are refurbished tyres on which the worn out tread is replaced using new ones. It caters to the replacement segment. The market of retread tyres is not very big in India, but most tyre-making companies are involved in this business.

GST on new tyres remains at 28 percent, bringing disappointment to more than half a dozen listed and unlisted tyre companies who have been seeking a cut on taxes to fight competition from Chinese companies.

The GST cut will benefit only the replacement market and not the new tyre market. There is not a huge market for retread tyres in India," said an official from a tyre company.

Indian tyre-making companies have been battling against tyres from China, many of which carry a cheaper price tag. Another demand of Indian companies was to increase customs duty on imported tyres.
Chinese President Xi Jinping said Sino-India relations are "actively" moving forward with deepening mutual trust and cooperation, as the foreign ministers of the two countries held extensive talks in New Delhi under a newly established framework.

In his message of congratulations to the first meeting of 'High Level Mechanism on Cultural and People-to-People Exchanges' being held in New Delhi, Xi said China and India are both ancient civilisations boasting long history and splendid culture.

The two civilizations, with close exchanges and mutual learning from the ancient time, have both made significant contributions to the human development and progress, he said.

"Today, China-India relations are actively moving forward, with mutual political trust deepening, practical cooperation accelerating, people-to-people and cultural exchanges flourishing, and bilateral coordination in international and regional affairs sustaining," state-run Xinhua news agency quoted Xi as saying.

It has been proved by practice that a good bilateral relationship benefits not only both countries but also the whole world, Xi added.

The Chinese president also expressed the hope for the two sides to make proper use of the high-level people-to-people exchange mechanism.

With the help of the profound implication in the two Oriental civilisations, China and India should promote the communication between the minds of the two peoples and forge a close development partnership, Xi said.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on December 21 held extensive talks in New Delhi and agreed on "ten pillars" of cooperation to enhance cultural and people-to-people exchanges.

The 10 pillars are cultural exchange, cooperation in films and television, cooperation in museum administration, cooperation sports, exchanges between youths, cooperation on tourism, exchanges between states and cities, cooperation in traditional medicine, cooperation in yoga and cooperation in education.

The 'High Level Mechanism on Cultural and People-to-People Exchanges' was decided upon during the Wuhan summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi.
Malaysia is seeking $7.5 billion in reparations from Goldman Sachs Group Inc over its dealings with scandal-linked state fund 1MDB, the Financial Times (FT) reported on December 22, citing the finance minister.

Separately, Bloomberg reported that Singapore had expanded its criminal investigation of 1MDB to include Goldman Sachs, in a sign of increasing scrutiny of the bank's role in the suspected multi-billion-dollar money laundering scheme.

Malaysian prosecutors this week filed charges against Goldman Sachs in connection with its role as underwriter and arranger of three bond sales that raised $6.5 billion for 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), the first criminal action against the US bank over the scandal.

Goldman Sachs has consistently denied wrongdoing and said certain members of the former Malaysian government and 1MDB lied to the bank about the proceeds of the bond sales.

In addition to the bonds' total value, Goldman Sachs should also return $1 billion to cover $600 million in fees paid to the bank and bond coupons that were "higher than the market rate", the FT quoted Malaysian Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng as saying.

Lim also told the FT that reparations should at least be more than $1.8 billion, the sum Goldman Sachs has told investors it had set aside to cover potential losses related to 1MDB legal proceedings.

"Their figure is $1.8 billion. Ours is $7.5 billion," Lim said.

Malaysia is not currently negotiating with Goldman, but charges filed on Monday could bring the bank to the table, Lim said.

In an emailed response to Reuters, a Goldman Sachs spokesman said the bank intended to "vigorously contest these charges".

"The 1MDB bond offerings were meant to raise money to benefit Malaysia; instead, a huge portion of those funds were stolen for the benefit of members of the Malaysian government and their associates," the spokesman said.

"Certain members of that government and 1MDB lied to Goldman about the use of proceeds from these transactions."

Critics have said the fees earned by Goldman Sachs were far in excess of the normal 1-2 percent a bank could expect for helping sell bonds.

Goldman has said the outsized fees related to additional risks: it bought the unrated bonds while it sought investors and, in the case of a 2013 bond deal which raised $2.7 billion, 1MDB wanted the funds quickly.

Malaysia has sought jail terms and billions in fines from Goldman Sachs and four individuals who allegedly misappropriated about $2.7 billion from the 1MDB bond proceeds.

The US Department of Justice alleges that a total of about $4.5 billion was misappropriated from 1MDB and used to buy, among others, real estate in London and New York, expensive jewellery and artwork, and a private jet.

EXPANDED INVESTIGATION

Bloomberg, citing unidentified sources, reported that Singapore has expanded a criminal investigation into fund flows linked to 1MDB to include Goldman Sachs.

Authorities in Singapore were trying to determine whether some of the $600 million in fees that Goldman earned from the three bond deals flowed to the Singapore subsidiary, the news agency said.

In response to the report, the Singapore police said their criminal investigation into entities involved in 1MDB-related offence in Singapore had been going on since 2015. They did not comment further.

A spokesman for Goldman Sachs said in a statement: "The firm continues to cooperate with all authorities investigating this matter."

Goldman Sachs (Singapore) PTE was one of the three units charged by Malaysia this week.

Shares of the US investment bank fell to a two-year low this week after Malaysia filed the charges.

Two former Goldman Sachs bankers, Tim Leissner and Roger Ng, have been charged by Malaysia and the US Department of Justice.

Singapore has banned Leissner, the bank's former Southeast Asia chairman, from its securities industry for life after he pleaded guilty in the United States for conspiring to launder 1MDB money and violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

The United States is also seeking extradition of Ng, who has been detained in Malaysia.
People block a road during protest against the anti-encroachment drive launched on a massive scale by Jammu Development Authority (JDA) in Nikki Tawi area, in Jammu. (Image: PTI)

Security personnel stand guard outside an army camp where bodies of six militants of Ansar-ul-Ghazwat- ul- Hind, killed in an encounter with army, are kept for identification at Trall, in Pulwama. (Image: PTI)

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley at the 31st meeting of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council, in New Delhi. (Image: PTI)

GMC workers demolish Lal Singh Mansion which was marked 'unsafe' by officials as it posed threat to life and property, in Guwahati. (Image: PTI)

Migrants, intercepted off the coast in the Mediterranean Sea, walk after disembarking a rescue boat at the port of Malaga, southern Spain. (Image: Reuters)

Somali security officers take position after a second explosion near the president's residence in Mogadishu, Somalia. (Image: Reuters)

Passengers use an escalator in Gatwick Airport, in Crawley, Britain. Full operations resumed on Saturday after British police arrested two people in connection with "criminal use of drones". (Image: Reuters)

Pope Francis visits his predecessor, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, at the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in Vatican. (Image: Reuters)

Tribal women participate in a candle light vigil to mark Tring Festival, in Agartala.(Image: PTI)
White House

Foreign powers, including Russia, China and Iran, sought to influence voters in the US 2018 mid-term elections, but there is no evidence of any penetration into US voting systems, the top US intelligence official said on December 21.

US Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats added that the intelligence community did not assess the impact of the foreign influence efforts on the election results.

The findings were included in a report that Coats submitted to US President Donald Trump and US agencies involved in election security as required by an executive order signed by Trump in September.

The order declared election interference a national emergency in the wake of an intelligence assessment that Russia conducted an influence operation to sway the 2016 presidential vote to Trump over his Democratic challenger Hillary Clinton.

Russia denies that it interfered in the 2016 contest.

"At this time, the intelligence community does not have intelligence reporting that indicates any compromise of our nation's election infrastructure that would have prevented voting, changed vote counts or disrupted the ability to tally votes," Coats said in a statement on the 2018 election report.

"The activity we did see was consistent with what we shared in the weeks leading up to the election," he continued. "Russia, and other foreign countries, including China and Iran, conducted influence activities and messaging campaigns targeted at the United States to promote their strategic interests."

Coats did not elaborate on details of the foreign influence operations, and he said that the intelligence community did not assess their impact on voters who last month elected a new US Congress, state legislatures, governors and other officials.

"The Russians did not go away after the 2016 election," Mark Warner, the senior Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said in a statement on the new report.

"Now that the Russian playbook is out in the open, we're going to see more and more adversaries trying to take advantage of the openness of our society to sow division and attempt to manipulate Americans," Warner added.

Special Counsel Robert Mueller is investigating possible collusion during the 2016 presidential race between Russia and the Trump campaign. Trump denies any cooperation and has repeatedly denounced Mueller's probe as a "witch hunt."
White House

White House said on December 21 it will not comment on any future strategic developments, amid media reports that US President Donald Trump has asked the Pentagon to prepare a plan for a significant troop withdrawal from Afghanistan.

The White House has ordered the Pentagon to draw up plans for a troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, NBC News reported quoting two defense officials.

The White House has asked the Pentagon to look into multiple options, including a complete withdrawal, the report said.

"We are not going to comment on future strategic developments," Garrett Marquis, spokesman of the National Security Council, the White House told PTI when asked about the news reports.

The US currently has 15,000 troops on the ground in Afghanistan.

According to multiple media outlets, Trump wants to reduce the strength of his troops by 7,000.

The White House has not responded to questions related to this except for saying that it does not want to comment on any future strategic decision.

Congressman Mac Thornberry, Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said he was deeply disturbed by reports that the administration is planning to cut the number of American troops in Afghanistan by half.

"Among my concerns are that such a move would complicate the remaining troops ability to protect themselves, cause coalition partners to reduce their presence as well and set back progress in helping the Afghan security forces be able to provide for their country's security," Thornberry said.

He said it will relieve pressure on the Taliban at a critical juncture in peace negotiations and allow ISIS, al Qaeda and other terrorist groups in Afghanistan to rebuild and eventually launch terrorist attacks against Americans.

"Considerable progress has been made in the last two years against terrorist organisations in a variety of places around the world. Reducing the American presence in Afghanistan and removing our presence in Syria will reverse that progress, encourage our adversaries, and make America less safe," Thornberry said.
Public sector banks (PSBs) have collected more than Rs10,000 crore over the past three years from customers as penalty for not maintaining minimum balance in saving bank account and as charges for additional transactions on automated teller machines (ATMs) beyond the permitted free transactions. This information was given in the Lok Sabha by Shiv Pratap Shukla, minister of state for finance.

Since this money recovered goes directly in to bank's net profit, bankers are reluctant to pay any heed to customer's woes on these charges.

As expected State Bank of India (SBI) tops the list of fines collected from its account holders. During FY2017-18, the state-run lender has collected Rs2,433.84 crore from customers for non-maintenance of monthly average balance in their accounts. During the current fiscal, till September 2018, SBI has recovered Rs459.88 crore from account holders.

The information given by the minister shows that 21 PSBs have collected Rs1,000 crore in the first six months of 2018-19 as charges for not maintaining minimum balance in saving accounts.

The minister told the Lok Sabha that as per Reserve Bank of India (RBI), as on March 2017, there were 150.21 crore savings account opened in scheduled commercial banks, out of which 53.30 crore were basic saving bank deposit accounts (BSBDA) and Jan-Dhan accounts. In short, the banks would have recovered penalty from nearly 97 crore account holders.
Sahara group subsidiary Sahara Q Shop Unique Products Range Ltd is being probed by the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) following complaints by 744 people, the Lok Sabha was informed. Separately, market regulator SEBI has refunded Rs98.56 crore, including interest to over 12,500 investors, shows the reply in the lower house.

In a written reply, Pon Radhakrishnan, minister of state for finance , said, "The registrar of companies (ROC) office at Mumbai has received 744 complaints against Sahara Q Shop. As per the recommendation from the ROC, the ministry of corporate affairs (MCA) has ordered investigation into the affairs of the company to be conducted by SFIO vide order dated 31 October 2018."

Replying on a question whether investments in other Sahara group companies, like Sahara Q Shop are covered by the Supreme Court's 31 August 2012 order, the minister replied in negative. He said, "The Supreme Court directed SEBI to make refunds to only those investors who invested in optionally fully convertible debentures (OFCDs) of Sahara India Real Estate Corp Ltd (SIRECL) and Sahara Housing Investment Corp Ltd (SHICL).

As on March 2018, SEBI had received 15,146 application involving 43,405 accounts and refunded Rs98.56 crore, including an interest of Rs45.26 crore to 12,522 applicants involving 35,300 accounts, Mr Radhakrishnan informed the Lok Sabha.

Earlier on 31 October 2018, the market regulator had asked Sahara India Commercial Corp Ltd (SICCL) and its promoters, directors to refund with 15% interest per annum, amount collected from investors for investment in OFCDs of the company.
 Flash

Romanian President Klaus Iohannis on Friday reiterated the desire to conclude the Brexit process in an orderly manner during his country's presidency.



"The withdrawal agreement agreed on a political level by the European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom (UK) remains the most efficient instrument for limiting the negative consequences of Brexit and for ensuring the legal certainty for the citizens and the business environment, and the conclusion will allow building a future ambitious partnership between the UK and EU," Iohannis told a joint press conference with visiting Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz.

Romania is taking over the Presidency of the EU Council from Austria from Jan. 1, 2019.

Iohannis underscored the very good institutional coordination and the support offered by Austria for achieving an efficient transition to the EU Council Presidency.

"I hailed the results the Austrian colleagues have managed to obtain in a series of important files for the entire Union," said the Romanian head of state, assuring of Romania's entire openness and commitment to continue these efforts at European level.

The talks between Iohannis and Kurz also focused on other priority topics on the European agenda, such as the post-2020 future EU budget.

"Looking towards the future, we agreed that the new 2021-2027 multiannual financial framework represents an opportunity to support the advancement of European policies by setting a balanced and fair EU budget after 2020...We have discussed the need for security of the European citizens and for a proper response to the migration crisis," he added.
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has directed Fortis Healthcare (FHL) and Fortis Hospitals (FHsL) to recover Rs 403 crore along with due interest from Malvinder Mohan Singh, Shivinder Mohan Singh and other entities within three months.

The development comes after FHL and FHsL approached the regualtor on its earlier "ad-interim ex-parte" order in the matter of Fortis Healthcare passed on October 17, 2018.

In its interim order posted on the SEBI website on Friday, the regulator said: "FHL and AFHsL shall take all necessary steps to recover the above mentioned amount of Rs 403 crore (approx.) along with due interest from Noticee nos 3 to 11, within three months from the date of the 'Interim Order'."

"The Noticee nos. 3 to 11 shall, jointly and severally, repay the above mentioned amount of Rs 403 crore (approx.) along with due interest to FHsL, within three months from the date of the 'Interim Order'."

In addition, Malvinder Mohan Singh and Shivinder Mohan Singh have been directed not to associate themselves with the affairs of FHL and FHsL in any manner whatsoever, till further directions.

Disclaimer: Information, facts or opinions expressed in this news article are presented as sourced from IANS and do not reflect views of Moneylife and hence Moneylife is not responsible or liable for the same. As a source and news provider, IANS is responsible for accuracy, completeness, suitability and validity of any information in this article.
December 22, 2018

The MoA Week In Review - OT 2018-69

Last week's posts on Moon of Alabama:

December 17 - How Putin's Russia Weaponizes X

One of the two companies who wrote the Senate reports was caught running a fake "Russian influence" campaign:

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. An internal report on the Alabama effort, obtained by The New York Times, says explicitly that it experimented with many of the tactics now understood to have influenced the 2016 elections. The projects operators created a Facebook page on which they posed as conservative Alabamians, using it to try to divide Republicans and even to endorse a write-in candidate to draw votes from Mr. Moore. It involved a scheme to link the Moore campaign to thousands of Russian accounts that suddenly began following the Republican candidate on Twitter, a development that drew national media attention. We orchestrated an elaborate false flag operation that planted the idea that the Moore campaign was amplified on social media by a Russian botnet, the report says.

The U.S. military will retreat from the al-Tanf border area in the southeast of Syria where it was blocking the crossing between Syria and Iraq. The reopening of the border will help the economies of both countries.

As expected the Russians are taking the initiative to put the northeastern area back under Syrian government control over. A delegation of the Kurdish YPG and the SDF forces will shortly visit Moscow where they will receive new orders.

This Daily Beast piece confirms our take that Trump torpedoed the neocons' plans for Syria. He took the offer Erdogan made as a chance to escape the trap: Boltons Hawkish Syria Plan Backfired, Pushing Trump to Get Out - The national security adviser expanded U.S. goals in Syria to challenge Iran. But Trump wasnt on board, senior officials say, and Turkey took an opportunity to push the U.S. out.

How long until Bolton gets fired?

A good read from Matt Taibbi on the lunacy of the domestic U.S. discussion: We Know How Trumps War Game Ends - Nothing unites our political class like the threat of ending our never-ending war

Unlike Taibbi I expect the discussion to die down over the coming holidays. If it does not do so, Trump will create some new outrage to divert from the issue.

Service announcement: Over the next five days your blog host will be visiting family and do a lot of cooking. Posting will be light.

Use as open thread ...

Posted by b on December 22, 2018 at 9:17 UTC | Permalink

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next page 
Average price of gas drops another 9 cents

--Midland price is down by more than 50 cents in last eight weeks

By Stewart Doreen

sdoreen@mrt.com

For the second straight week, AAA Texas is reporting a 9-cent drop in the average price of gas in Midland, and for the second straight week, no Texas city posted a larger drop.

The organization reports Midland and Abilene were tops when it came to the larger average price decline. Last week, Midland was alone at the top of the states 27 larger metropolitan areas.

The 9-cent drop was nearly double the state average (5 cents) and means that in the past eight weeks, drivers in Midland have seen prices drop 51 cents, to an average of $2.54 a gallon for regular unleaded.

What also didnt change week to week was that Midland had the highest average in the state, according to AAA Texas. The average in Midland is 52 cents higher than the state average and 66 cents behind the average reported in Amarillo  the lowest in the state. Drivers in Midland are paying, on average, 35 percent more than their neighbors to the north for a gallon of gas.

Midland and Odessa, at $2.51 a gallon, are well behind other cities in the region. The prices in those cities are: $1.91 in Lubbock, $1.96 in San Angelo, $2.01 in Abilene and $2.03 in El Paso.

When it comes to the decline over the past eight weeks, there is still room for improvement, but Midland -- down 51 cents  has closed or is closing the gap with other cities in the region. In Odessa, that decline is also 51 cents. Other price decreases over the past eight weeks are: San Angelo, 52 cents; Amarillo, 58 cents; Lubbock, 65 cents; El Paso, 68 cents; and Abilene, 70 cents.

Distributors have told the Reporter-Telegram there are many complexities in the fuel business that impact pricing. They pointed to the high cost of transportation from Gulf Coast refineries and Midlands distance from pipelines. There are also issues with the high cost of living, at least in Midland and Odessa, where rents are climbing at rates incomparable around the nation. Theres also the supply-and-demand factor. There is a great demand in Midland and Odessa relative to the amount of supply.

AAA Texas reports that the last time Texans paid an average of $2.02 for a gallon of regular unleaded gas  which was the case this week -- was July 2017. With 8.4 million Texans expected to travel 50 miles or more to their holiday destination, a year-end travel record and 4 percent increase over last year, the organization expects drivers will certainly experience savings at the pump compared to this time last year.

AAA Texas expects 8.4 million Texans to drive to their holiday destination this year, which is a 4 percent increase year-over-year, said Daniel Armbruster, AAA Texas/AAA New Mexico spokesman. No doubt, cheaper gas prices are fueling their decision to hit the road.

Year-over-year, only two cities in Texas are showing higher averages  Midland (5 cents) and Odessa (6 cents), according to AAA Texas. The state average  year-over-year  is a drop of 15 cents. Six of the 27 areas are showing drops of 20 cents or more.

Gas price report

Cheapest gas: $2.41 (Sams Club, Tradewinds/SH 191)

Cheapest gas (non-membership club): $2.45 (Sunoco, SH 191/FM 1788; Alon, Big Spring/Florida Avenue; Stripes, Front/Garfield)

Cheapest prices in West Texas: Lubbock $1.72, Amarillo $1.78, El Paso $1.84, San Angelo $1.79, Abilene $1.91, Odessa $2.37, Midland $2.41

Mid-Odessa Texas

Thursday $2.538 $2.005

Last week $2.587 $2.071

Last month $2.861 $2.316

Last year $2.466 $2.182

Source: TexasGasPrices.com
A federal lawmaker wants to know why Gov. Bruce Rauners administration helped nearly every county in the state sidestep work requirements for food stamps users.

U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis of Taylorville applauded a move by President Donald Trump administrations to reform rules governing the waivers that states seek from work requirements for food stamps. And he wants to know why Rauners administration sought another waiver from the federal rules for 2019 despite low unemployment.

Last month state officials said they requested a waiver from the federal work requirements for able-bodied adults without kids to get food stamps. The request was for all Illinois counties except DuPage.

All counties in Illinois are included in the waiver request with the exception of DuPage County due to low unemployment rates, Illinois Department of Human Services spokeswoman Meghan Powers said.

More than 1.7 million people in Illinois enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, benefits in August, about 13.2 percent of the states population.

Davis wants more answers.

I want to know from the governor why did you just knock DuPage County out because it conveniently gave Illinois the right percentage go give Illinois the right to this waiver process, Davis said.

Davis said there are plenty of jobs for able-bodied adults, but last month IDHS said many such people have mental illness, substance use disorders or significant physical limitations. Davis said he isnt buying it.

The statistics just dont bear that out, Davis said. Were talking about 74 percent of able-bodied adults in Illinois that dont fit into those expectations.

The Foundation for Government Accountability estimates of 346,000 able-bodied adults without kids in Illinois, 9,000 are subject to work requirements.

The Trump administration has proposed changing the rules for granting such waivers to states like Illinois.

Officials with the Illinois Department of Human Services plan to provide Davis with additional information about the waiver.

Yesterday we received a letter from Congressman Davis regarding Illinois recent [Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents] waiver request, Powers said. We are pulling together the information requested by the congressman and will be responding directly to him in the upcoming days.

U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said the changes are meant to restore the system to what it was meant to be: Assistance through difficult times, not lifelong dependency.

When the federal farm bill passed without waiver reforms, Davis said it was a missed opportunity. He applauded the Trump administrations move to make things more stringent.

Illinois and (other) states would have to have a threshold of at least 7 percent total unemployment before they can ask for a blanket waiver like Illinois did, Davis said.

The rule would apply to able-bodied people between the ages of 18 and 49 who dont have dependents. The rule would not apply to the elderly, the disabled or pregnant women.

Opponents of the work rules say taking food away from people doesnt help them get jobs.

There is no evidence that draconian work requirements have any effect on peoples ability to find and maintain a job, and plenty of evidence that it hurts people, Illinois Collaboration of Youth CEO Andrea Durbin said. Instead, Illinois and the nation should be focusing on strengthening services that help people achieve well-being so they can reach their potential and give back to the community as employed adults.

Once the proposed rule is published in the Federal Register there will be a 60-day comment period.
CARROLLTON  A Carrollton woman died in a two-car head-on collision Friday that left five others injured.

The accident happened about 8:45 a.m. on U.S. 67 near the Macoupin Creek bridge, according to the Greene County Sheriffs Department.

Authorities arrived to find severe damage to both vehicles with the driver and a passenger in one of the cars trapped inside. They were extricated by Carrollton Fire and Rescue Department personnel.

The driver of that car, Mary Griffith, 47, of Carrollton, was flown to Mercy Hospital in St. Louis, where she later died from her injuries, according to Illinois State Police.

Three passengers in her car  Shyanne Griffith, 19, of Carrollton, an 11-year-old girl from Carrollton and a 1-year-old girl from Jerseyville  were also injured. Shyanne Griffith was taken to Thomas H. Boyd Memorial Hospital in Carrollton and the children were taken to Jersey Community Hospital in Jerseyville, according to police reports.

The driver of the other car, Bryce Dooley, 26, of Decatur, was taken to Thomas H. Boyd Memorial Hospital. Emergency crews tried to take a passenger in Dooleys car, 25-year-old Pana resident Hailey Taylor, to the hospital by air, but weather conditions prevented it. She was taken to Memorial Hospital in Springfield by ambulance.

Police are still investigating the crash, which resulted in the road being closed for about five hours. Initial reports indicate Dooley was driving north when he crossed the center line for an unknown reason and collided with Mary Griffiths southbound vehicle head-on.
RUSHVILLE  Con artists preying on peoples kindness have turned at least two Rushville residents from givers to victims this week.

Rushville police Chief Mick Myers said one person reported being scammed Monday and a second person discovered they were hoodwinked Friday.

In the first incident, a resident had befriended someone on the internet who claimed to be a traveling doctor performing services overseas as a missionary, Myers said. The bogus doctor asked the Rushville resident to help pay some bills, promising the money would be paid back.

The Rushville resident went to the post office, bought money orders totaling $5,000 and mailed them to a White Plains, New York, address. The money orders were reimbursed using fraudulent personal checks that were not accepted by the bank.

In Fridays incident, a resident reported receiving an innocent-appearing email with an offer to receive $5,000  but the recipient had to put down money in good faith to receive the payout, Myers said.

The victim bought several Google Play cards, scratched off the numbers, then texted the numbers to someone with a Miami, Florida, phone number.

When the residents checking account became overdrawn, the victim realized it was a scam.

Myers said he tried to call the Miami number but no one answered.

If it looks too good to be true, then stay away from it, Myers warned.
JOLIET (AP)  For the past 30 years, WCSF 88.7 at the University of St. Francis in Joliet has been entertaining listeners in Will County and around the world.

About 25 people, most of them USF students, volunteer their time to broadcast music, shows and Fighting Saints sports. Its a mainly student-run station in which they do everything from deciding the music line-up to providing their on-air talents to promotions.

The station actually began as the WCSF Radio Club under Richard Lorenc, a USF Associate Professor of Communications and Media Arts, in 1978 as a carrier current station. It could only be heard in the dorms on campus via a 10-watt transmitter that students could plug into a wall outlet.

About 25 people, most of them USF students, volunteer their time to broadcast music, shows and Fighting Saints sports. Its a mainly student-run station in which they do everything from deciding the music line-up to providing their on-air talents to promotions.

The station actually began as the WCSF Radio Club under Richard Lorenc, a USF Associate Professor of Communications and Media Arts, in 1978 as a carrier current station. It could only be heard in the dorms on campus via a 10-watt transmitter that students could plug into a wall outlet.

Then the station got its educational FM radio station license, and the students did their first broadcast on Sept. 5, 1988, Lorenc said.

Its about learning first, Lorenc said. Thats why we offer the radio classes. (The students) take the radio classes and earn a spot on the station.

Now the station is a robust operation with students creating their own programming, especially now with digital media. They record podcasts and stream online, which has given the station international exposure.

WCSF has gained a reputation for introducing its listeners to new artists. Anthony Musiala, WCSFs station manager, said they receive dozens of records from up and coming artists every week.

(Promoters) know that were one of the forefront stations out there who are playing these newer artists, Musiala said.

One of the stations most popular programs is the Spirit of Christmas, 24 hours a day of commercial-free Christmas music, running from Thanksgiving Day to Jan. 2. Its been a tradition for the last 25 years.

Bob Zak, the general manager of WCSF in 1993, thought there was a lack of Christmas music on the radio at the time and decided to start the program. Its taken off ever since, proving a bit of a challenge to get a variety-filled rotation of over 4,000 songs.

It take a lot of work, a lot of planning, a lot of good, quality automation to keep the station on the air 24 hours a day, said Don Burke, director of programming for the Spirit of Christmas. We pick every song.

The Spirit of Christmas has become a staple, Burke said, so much so that hell receive calls on a live request show he does on Sunday evenings from longtime listeners.
Columbia College logo View Photos

Update Saturday at 6:30 a.m.: With an offer by the Yosemite Community College District (YCCD) for the two sides to meet, the Yosemite Faculty Association (YFA) still questions why that date is on the last day of the year.



As reported here late yesterday, the YCCD offered a date of Dec. 30th to meet with the YFAs negotiating team and pointed to a state code requiring the two sides to meet at least once after the release of the fact-finding report to discuss its findings and attempt to hammer out an agreement before the districts can unilaterally implement its best and final offer after which the union can strike.

That stance prompted further response from YFA President Jim Sahlman on Friday night. In a written statement he questioned, The YFA is puzzled as to why the YCCD is waiting to settle our contract. The YFA is waiting, willing, and ready to meet immediately at any time and at any placeday or nightto settle this contract. Each day of delay adds uncertainty to our students.

Sahlman also noted, YFA has offered to start ironing-out specific details of an agreementwhich there are manybecause this process is going to be time-consuming. There is much to discuss. However, the YCCDs strategy seems to be to delay, delay, delay. He advised that the final fact-finding report came on December 19 and calls for a meeting went unanswered by the YCCD Chancellor Henry Chiong Vui Yong with district telling the union there would be no negotiations until the end of the year. Calling it a dangerous and risky for students who are left in limbo, Sahlman argues, If the YCCD is going to risk the educational options for students in Spring 2019, then the students deserve to know whether attending classes in the YCCD serves their best interests. Otherwise, students may unknowingly be registered for classes that may not materialize next semester.

The initial response from the YCCD regarding the possible faculty strike and additional information on the conflict can be viewed below.

Update at 5:46pm: A strike announcement by community college faculty drew a response and offer to meet before years end.

Late Friday, Yosemite Community College District (YCCD) officials announced the district is offering to meet Dec. 30 with the YFAs negotiating team. They further stated that YCCD remains hopeful that a fair and responsible agreement can be reached that respects faculty, serves the interest of students and avoids a strike.

The YCCD release points out that California Government Code (section 3548 et seq.) requires the district and YFA to meet and negotiate at least once after the release of the fact-finding report to discuss its findings and attempt to reach agreement and that the parties must exercise this final negotiation opportunity before the district can unilaterally impose its last best final offer or the union can engage in economic activity, including a strike.

Original Post at 4:38pm: Columbia, CA  A community college faculty strike may be coming soon after the new year begins.

According to Yosemite Faculty Association (YFA) President Jim Sahlman, on Friday, the YFA Executive Board voted to authorize a strike for Jan. 14. Its members are faculty who work at Columbia College and the two Modesto Junior College campuses.

As reported here, YFA members staged a recent protest last month over what they termed as unfair labor practices by Yosemite Community College District (YCCD) officials during increasingly contentious communications between the two groups over ongoing labor contract negotiations.

A notice to YCCD stated that more details will be forthcoming for faculty and then subsequently to the YCCD community, adding that YFA considered it a professional duty to give faculty, staff, and most importantly students as much time as possible to prepare.

The statement went on to say, YFA has gone three years without a contract and the advisory report has been finalized. We are willing to negotiate now, over the holidays, all day and all night. We are willing to use the advisory report as a guide but will not begin the spring semester without a contract in place when the District even refuses to meet and negotiate.

Officials with YCCD stated Friday that the mediators fact-finding report will be released Dec. 29 and that YCCD will at that time release a statement.

YFA States Its Position

More of the statement issued by Sahlman on behalf of YFA reads as follows:

It is with great disappointment that I announce that the District has formally and totally refused to negotiate with YFA over the advisory terms of the fact-finding report during the 10-day period concluding impasse, as provided for under the state bargaining law. Accordingly, the YFA Executive Board has called for a strike for Spring Semester. We have no choice, as the District even refuses to meet during the last window required for negotiations.

YFA is immediately ready to use the report as a guide to negotiate resolution to this crisis, to act as quickly as possible to ensure students have advanced notice of the state of negotiations and ensure there is ample time to work out any details not covered by the advisory report. The District has refused, despite our entreaties.

YFA is willing to meet any time at any place, with any District representatives. We want to go over the report with the District as intended and use it as a guide to resolve negotiations as soon as possible, now that we have a roadmap.

The purpose of the advisory report is to allow the parties to meet and negotiate using the advice of that report, and specifically gives a 10-day final opportunity to do so. After that 10 days, impasse is over and the obligation to negotiate concludes. After 10 days the District may impose its last, best and final offer on faculty and refuse to negotiate further.
Miami Police Department(MIAMI) -- Police officers in Miami are searching for brazen armed robbers who were caught in the act on surveillance video.

The video shows the victim putting his backpack in his trunk at about 1 a.m. Thursday when a car pulls up and two men get out from the passenger seat and back seat, the Miami Police Department said.

The robbers, both armed with guns, force the man to the ground.

As the victim lies face down on the ground, one robber holds a gun to his back and the other takes several bags out of the victim's trunk.

"The suspects managed to make off with multiple bags containing the victims property, including jewelry, shoes and electronics," the police department said in a news release.

Our Robbery Unit is investigating an armed robbery that took place yesterday, 12/20/18, at approx 1:03 a.m. in front of 2048 NW Miami Court, where a male victim was robbed of his personal belongings at gunpoint. If you have info, please call us at 305.603.6370. @CrimeStopper305 pic.twitter.com/AWciO1TJmG  Miami PD (@MiamiPD) December 21, 2018

Police are searching for the getaway driver and the two armed men. Their car was described as a black Cadillac sedan.

Anyone with information is urged to call the police at (305) 603-6370.

Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 22)  Three United Nations (UN) special rapporteurs are tasked to investigate human rights violations against detained Senator Leila de Lima.

The referral of De Lima's case was one of the recommendations made by the UN Human Rights Council - Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD), in its assessment published on November 30.

De Lima's case was referred to UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression David Kaye; UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences Dubravka Simonovic; and UN Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers Diego Garcia-Sayan.

The working group said it found that De Lima's detention lacks legal basis. The senator was arrested in February 2017 and remains in detention at the Philippine National Police Custodial Center in Camp Crame, Quezon City.

The assessment also pointed out that President Rodrigo Duterte's administration, which De Lima is a staunch critic of, has shown "unfavorable intentions" towards the embattled senator.

"The Working Group expresses its serious concerns about the unfavourable remarks made publicly by the President and his allies against her after she expressed her intention to investigate the extrajudicial killings under the so-called war on drugs. The Government did not rebut these allegations," it said.

The UN working group also expressed concern over Duterte's remarks against De Lima, which they deemed "sexist."

"The Working Group thus considers that Ms. De Lima has also been targeted and the subject of attacks and discriminatory language due to her gender," it added.

The Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, Garcia-Sayan, is tasked to look into violations of De Lima's rights for a fair trial -- in light of the ouster of former Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, another Duterte's critic.

"The Working Group concludes that the violations of Ms. De Lima's rights to a fair trial are of such gravity as to render her deprivation of liberty arbitrary," the assessment stated.

The Working Group urged the Philippine government to immediately free De Lima, and enforce her right to compensation and other reparations.

Malacanang said this development is an intrusion to Philippine sovereignty.

"They have been saying that and we have been saying, the problem with you people is you are listening to the critics of this administration. You are not investigating on your own. There is a process in this country and we follow that process. They are there, because probable cause was found," Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said Friday.

De Lima is facing charges for her alleged involvement in the proliferation of drugs at the New Bilibid Prison, as head of the Justice Department from 2010 to 2015.
MEXICO CITY (AP)  Unidentified assailants have left a severed human head in a Styrofoam cooler outside the offices of a newspaper in Mexico's northern border state of Tamaulipas.

A hand-written sign left with the cooler threatened journalists.

The Expreso newspaper in the state capital of Ciudad Victoria reported Friday that the sign said: "For newspapers allied with million (dollar) agreements with (Gov. Francisco Garcia) Cabeza de Vaca, they are not going to save you and here is the proof."

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The sign continued: "Keep staying quiet and you'll see."

In 2012, an explosive device aboard a car detonated outside the same Expreso office. No one was injured, but the blast broke windows and caused damage to the office and other buildings.

Tamaulipas has long been dominated by the Gulf drug cartel.
U.S. marshals arrested a 21-year-old fugitive in Texas for the Dec. 4 shooting of two teenagers in a marijuana sale gone wrong in Fremont, authorities said Wednesday.

Law enforcement took Christian Lucas Kelling of Fremont into custody Dec. 12 after finding him at a home in Pflugerville, Texas, according to Fremont police. Kelling is accused of fatally shooting 17-year-old Damani Chadly and injuring a 19-year-old friend, causing the pairs car to crash into a home on the 34000 block of Torrington Court.

Fremont police said Wednesday that Kelling was selling marijuana to Chadly and his friend when they began to argue. As the driver, who was not identified, left the scene, Kelling shot multiple times at the vehicle, police said. Investigators allegedly found marijuana packaged for sale in the victims car.

Paramedics pronounced Chadly dead at the scene. The 19-year-old victim fled from the crash but was found by a resident not far from the wreck with non-life-threatening gunshot wounds.

Eight minutes after the shooting, surveillance videos captured a 2013 Honda Civic linked to Kelling fleeing northbound on Fremont Boulevard, which authorities said was the closest route to the freeway from the crime scene. An Alameda County judge issued a warrant for Kellings arrest Dec. 12, and police said his Civic was found in San Leandro without license plates.

The suspect allegedly went to Texas and showed up at his familys home in Pflugerville, where a vehicle with California license plates was located, said Lt. Mike Tegner, of the Fremont Police Department. U.S. marshals entered the familys home and found a loaded semi-automatic firearm, magazines, a sound suppressor, ammunition, a large sum of cash and what appeared to be marijuana.

Kelling had planned to leave the country soon, authorities said.

One of the ways we located him is that he had purchased a plane ticket for a flight out of Texas, an international flight, Tegner said. From that information we received, we were able to find the house associated with him.

Kellings family did not know about the Fremont shooting, and he was uncooperative with investigators, police said.

He is in the Travis County Correctional Complex in Texas, awaiting extradition back to California to appear in court, authorities said.

Gwendolyn Wu is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: gwendolyn.wu@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @gwendolynawu
If champagne and several-course meals are on your New Year's Eve to-do list, San Antonio has you covered.

For $50 and up, fine dining establishments in the Alamo City are hosting a variety of dinners Dec. 31. Some include buffets, others provide goodie bags, many offer live music and most include a champagne toast.
Houston police investigators are working to sort out the number of robberies tied to a group of teenagers who were arrested this week in connection with a holdup on the city's west side, according to HPD spokeswoman Jodi Silva.

Walter Davis, 18; Sedrick Thomas, 17; Jamarcus Johnson, 17; Deandre Henderson, 17; and Trevon Rideout, 18, were all charged with aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon after allegedly stealing a man's car keys, wallet and cellphone last Saturday at an apartment in the 1500 block of Enclave Parkway, police said.
A total of 25 units from the San Antonio Fire Department battled an apartment fire Saturday afternoon on the Northside that left multiple people without a home just days before Christmas.

Firefighters are investigating the fire that started in the attic of a residence of the Antonian Apartments in the 3900 block of Fredericksburg Road about 12:30 p.m.

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Officials say about 20 people had to be evacuated from their homes but that no one was seriously injured. One firefighter was treated for minor burns to his foot, officials at the scene said.

Two dogs, a snake and some hamsters were rescued by firefighters who say they are still searching for one missing dog.

The fire was aggressive and quickly spread to other units along the top of the building according to Joe Arrington, SAFD spokesman. But firefighters were able to contain the blaze to eight apartment units in two buildings before finally extinguishing it.

Roger F. Solar, a resident of the complex of about 3 years, said he tried to see what was happening from his apartment window. "Couldn't see anything," he said. "Nothing but gray smoke." Though he noted he saw a piece of burning roof blow off the top of the building ay one point.

About half of the affected units have heavy fire damage, and the other half suffered heavy smoke and water damage, Arrington said.

RELATED: San Antonio furniture store deemed total loss after morning fire

Officials say they are working with the complex to find temporary onsite housing for the individuals displaced. The Red Cross may also be employed to help those people find shelter.

Solar said the people living at the complex will probably do a clothing/donation drive for those displaced by the fire.

Fire officials do not yet have a monetary estimate of damages.
A San Antonio furniture store was deemed a total loss early Saturday after sustaining heavy damage from a morning fire according to San Antonio Fire Department officials.

Firefighters responded about 3:35 a.m. to Lake Furniture Co., located at 3800 block of W. Commerce St., where they found the building under "heavy fire conditions," according to Joe Arrington, SAFD spokesman.

RELATED: Mysterious call leads San Antonio police to a woman with a gunshot to the head

He said first responders used ladder trucks to extinguish the flames because of the rapidly deteriorating conditions.

No injuries were reported. Arrington said the building will be subject to an emergency demolition because of structural integrity and safety concerns.

The cause of the fire is under investigation by the arson division. Because of the extent of the damage, there is a chance the cause will remain undetermined, Arrington said.
The office of the presidency is known for wearing down the mere mortals who hold it.

At the very least, it prematurely ages its occupants. Often, it humiliates them, forcing them to rehabilitate their reputations later (George H.W. Bush and Jimmy Carter). In the worst case, it chews them up and spits them out (Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon).

It is a journalistic trope that this is happening to Donald Trump before our eyes. The media constantly write stories about how the president is panicked and cornered, barely able to handle his duties, as the walls perpetually close in.

But as far as any outside observer can tell, hes as ebullient and combative as ever, and has never blinked no matter how intense the pressure of any given controversy.

Far from getting crushed by the weight of the office, Trump doesnt seem to feel it at all. Never has any president been as outwardly unfazed by the majesty of the presidency or made less accommodation to its trappings and norms.

President Trump still acts like hes Celebrity Trump fighting a vicious flame war with Rosie ODonnell, except his targets now might be another head of state, or his own attorney general, or losing members of his own party.

The idea that hes a representative of the nation apparently makes very little impression on him. He never stops to think that any given gibe might be unworthy of the office, or maybe that he, blessed with more power and showered with more attention than anyone on the planet, has an obligation to be elevating and restrained, even if no one else is.

One of the attractions of the presidency to him appears to be that he can continue to punch down  but do it from a higher altitude than ever before.

To draw on examples from just this past weekend, he inveighed against stupid skits mocking him on Saturday Night Live, questioning their legality. He called Michael Cohen a rat, using terminology favored by the mob (although usually in private). And he commented on the pending prosecution of Maj. Matt Golsteyn.

Even after two years, he hasnt lost his capacity to surprise. Did the president of the United States really render the last name of the incoming chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, Adam Schiff, as an expletive? Did he call that TV anchor low IQ? Did he insult the looks of the porn star he had an affair with? Did he call his former secretary of state dumb?

Of course he did.

In the competition between blurting out whatever happens to be bothering him and paying a little heed to acting presidential, its never a contest.

This doesnt mean that Trump should give up his enormously powerful megaphone on Twitter, or pretend to be something hes not (even if he could). He just shouldnt go out of his way to affirmatively advertise his animosities and half-baked opinions.

Much of this is ephemera, but collectively and over time it creates a lasting impression. A major factor in the drubbing that Republicans suffered in the suburbs in November was a reaction against Trumps persona, as underlined by his own conduct and tweets. If he cares about keeping the presidency  and he surely does  he should care a little more about respecting the dignity of the office.

The great advantage of the presidency is that it is naturally set up to invest people elected to it with a certain grandeur, via the White House, saluting Marines, Air Force One, Hail to the Chief and ceremonial events large and small. All it requires is showing up and, very often, reading from a script. Rather than simply pocketing this benefit, Trump tends to undercut it 280 characters at a time.

If hes ever brought low, its less likely to be from the pressures of his responsibilities than his cussed inability or unwillingness to make a minimal effort to conform to his role.

comments.lowry@nationalreview.com
The worst mass shooting in the history of the United States brought national attention to the bump stock.

This firearm attachment effectively transforms semi-automatic weapons into automatic weapons. They were used in October 2017 in Las Vegas when a gunman slaughtered 58 people at a country music concert. Hundreds of others were injured.

The gunman fired on the crowd for more than 10 minutes from a hotel suite. Authorities found 23 assault weapons, including 14 with bump stocks, in the killers hotel room.

President Donald Trump had promised a ban on bump stocks, saying in March they turn legal weapons into illegal machines.

His administration has made good on this promise. A ban will take effect 90 days after the publication in the Federal Register. Bump stock owners either must destroy these devices or turn them over to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Its been estimated 280,000 to 520,000 bump stocks have been sold in the United States since 2010, the Associated Press reported. Its unclear if bump stock owners will comply with the ban, but at the least, it will keep more of these devices from circulating.

The National Rifle Association had lobbied to have existing bump stock devices grandfathered in with this ban, and Gun Owners of America has promised a lawsuit, citing Second Amendment rights.

That will be a question for the courts, but these responses miss the larger point. Elected officials have a moral and ethical responsibility to reduce and end the scourge of mass shootings in America. And a bump stock can be used to facilitate a mass shooting since it is basically a workaround for laws limiting machine guns.

This is a very narrow action, but after the slaughter in Las Vegas, it was overdue.
The hefty price tag attached to the recommendations from a Texas House committee for curbing the growing drug problem in the state could prove a challenge for budget writers when the Legislature convenes in January.

A multilevel attack on the problem in the next two years could cost an estimated at $931.1 million. Thats a significant expense under any circumstances but even more daunting when the state is facing major high-cost funding requests for Medicaid, school finance and continued Hurricane Harvey-related recovery efforts.

However, its not something that can be ignored. Failure to tackle the problems caused by drug abuse in a timely manner could have devastating consequences over the long term. The potential loss of lives and financial costs related to emergency medical care and incarceration could be staggering.

We urge bipartisan support for the recommendations that were made following an exhaustive review of the statewide problem. The report brought together a wide range of individuals from diverse fields with a common interest in minimizing the drug abuse problem in Texas.

Fortunately, not all proposed recommendations come with a price tag. The 108-page report from the House Select Committee on Opioids and Substance Abuse includes many suggestions that will not require a major outlay of cash  just a change in the way business is conducted.

Included in the list is a recommendation to encourage doctors to prescribe fewer opioids and find alternative methods for pain management. The panel also recommends high-risk Medicaid patients be locked into one pharmacy and one doctor to keep better tabs on the prescription drugs they are taking.

It is also seeks the passage of good Samaritan laws to minimize the liability a person might face when helping someone who is overdosing and a requirement that out-of-state pharmacies report when they dispense controlled substances in Texas.

The state panel also recommends expanding drug courts and placing overdose-prevention drugs such as naloxone in first-aid kits. The committee is also urging closer monitoring of the growing prevalence of methamphetamines in the state, as reported by emergency responders and advocates who testified.

Among the most startling findings from the committees six hearings, held across the state, was on how the drug abuse problems are affecting the most vulnerable Texans.

State records indicate that 90 of the 172 fatalities in 2017 in families involved with the Texas Department of Protective Services involved a parent or caregiver using a substance or under the influence.

The testimony also revealed there are approximately 23,670 inmates among the 145,000 people in the state prison system who are incarcerated on drug-related offenses.

Last year, 3,000 people died from opioid and other drug overdoses in Texas. As significant a problem as those numbers reflect, they pale by comparison to the devastating statistics in other states. Across the country, an estimated 11.5 million Americans are misusing pain-reliever opioids. Approximately 20.1 million people in the U.S. 12 or older have a substance-abuse disorder. On average, 115 Americans die from an opioid overdose each day.

Thats unacceptable. We can change that. Tackle the low-cost items first, but finding funding for the rest should also be a priority.
Janice Dotson-Stephens was a mother and a grandmother. She was 61 years old and lived with mental illness  and she should never have died in jail, much less been there.

She found herself in the Bexar County Adult Detention Center after San Antonio police arrested her this summer and charged her with criminal trespass. It was a dubious charge, but for the next five months, she languished, slipping through bureaucratic cracks until she died on Dec. 14, likely of natural causes.

Five months in jail. For nothing warranting that.

Her bail was $300, sparking national outrage about the tragic and shameful unfairness of Americas cash bail system  one that locks up people for being poor, and forces guilty pleas to secure release.

Bail reform has swept the nation, and this travesty is a chilling reminder of why change is overdue. But there is a deeper failure here. Despite obvious warning signs, the criminal justice system failed to promptly notice and treat Dotson-Stephens mental illness.

From arrest to death, the system failed at critical moments. Police officers didnt see her mental health issues. Neither did judges or pretrial services workers, even though she repeatedly refused interviews and personal recognizance bonds, meaning she would have been free without any cash bail.

No one knows if her court-appointed attorney ever visited her  a damning gap in the system. Her family had no idea where she was. They have said they checked the jail and treatment providers to no avail and worried she was on the streets.

And when a psychiatric evaluation was finally conducted after she had spent months in jail  it somehow was lost. Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar said case notes show she was found incompetent. If so, she would have received mental health treatment. Instead, she died in the jails infirmary.

A lot of incompetence. A lot of breakdowns, Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff told us. She never should have been there.

The story begins on July 17 on the East Side at Mount Zion Sheltering Arms, an affordable housing complex for the elderly and disabled.

Dotson-Stephens was not a resident, but her husband, Reginald Stephens, is a resident. Michelle Dotson, one of their children, said her mother kept her own apartment. But when symptoms from paranoid schizophrenia and manic depression would flare up, she found her way to Reginald Stephens apartment.

She seeks his support and his comfort, so she was actually staying with him, temporarily she said.

There was a disturbance. San Antonio Police were called and they found Dotson-Stephens upset and agitated. She refused to provide her name and insisted she lived at the property, the police report says. It does not mention interviewing Reginald Stephens.

She was screaming and hollering, Mary Lou Kasberg, the complex manager, told us. She said, Take me to jail. And thats what they did.

This is where the system first failed her.

The officers did not have to take her to jail. They could have taken her to a mental health care provider.

There are so many people (who) are going into the jail that should be diverted the civil commitment route, said John Bull, presiding judge of the citys municipal court, who was not involved in this case.

The next failure came at magistration.

One of the reasons we have editorialized about representation at bail hearings is to ensure defendants understand what is happening to them. Defendants such as Dotson-Stephens. Having an attorney at this critical moment might have brought awareness of her mental health issues. She deserved an advocate.

Even so, with or without representation, the magistrate could have released her. Or the magistrate could have ordered a civil commitment, and subsequent evaluation. She was arrested before, and the family has said she had been referred to treatment. If that happened  and the family would know if it had  that case history should have been available.

Instead, Dotson-Stephens was slapped with a $300 bond and sent to jail. Its been said jail costs $50 a day, so taxpayers spent $7,500 to keep her locked up. Why?

Again and again, day after day, Dotson-Stephens refused to be seen by pretrial services. She refused personal recognizance bonds. She refused to be interviewed for a court-appointed attorney. July turned to August.

These were warning signs. Bright, flashing warning signs that something was not right.

In an email, Jim Bethke, the former head of the Texas Indigent Defense Commission, who now oversees the Lubbock Private Defender Office, said a competency evaluation can be done at any point, and expedited.

This is because its not possible to force medication on someone, outside of extreme circumstances, unless that person is found to be incompetent.

He also said at any point in the detention period medical staff could evaluate a person and transfer him or her to a county or state hospital for treatment.

There is also a question about representation. According to a county timeline, Dotson-Stephens was appointed an attorney, Jerry Valdez, on Aug. 8. Did Valdez ever visit her?

He did not respond to our email and phone messages, but Salazar, Bexars sheriff, told us there is no record of visitation. Wolff, the Bexar County judge, said, I have no idea what the hell he did.

If he didnt visit, another missed opportunity.

Dotson-Stephens stayed in the jails infirmary due to mental health concerns and underlying physical health issues, Salazar said. Months passed. A psychiatric evaluation was ordered in late August by Magistrate Andrew Carruthers. It was completed on Oct. 2 by University Health System, according to the county. But its unclear what happened next. Health officials have said it was sent. County officials have said the judge has said it was not received.

How could someone spend so long in jail, on nominal bond, for such a minor offense? How could Dotson-Stephens plight go unnoticed until she eventually died?

Salazar was at a loss.

The way the system is set up, I dont have the power to just let people go if I dont agree with the reason they were here, he told us.

But his staff could monitor the jail population and keep track of how long people are there and for what charges.

Salazar told us he is now asking staff to give me a list of all the people who are here on misdemeanors.

These would be defendants such as Dotson-Stephens. People charged with nonviolent offenses and locked up with low bonds. Shouldnt that have been happening all along? Salazar said the countys antiquated system makes such a task difficult.

The family has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the county, University Health System and pretrial services.

Right now we just want answers. My mother was mentally ill and mental illness is very complex, Michelle Dotson said. Outside of her mental illness, she was a good mother.

Throughout this year, we have written about inherent inequalities in the criminal justice system. Dotson-Stephens incarceration and death magnifies all of the systems failures. Cash bail for nominal offenses. No oversight of court-appointed attorneys. A failure to quickly recognize mental health issues.

She wasnt just an inmate. She was a mother of four children. She had 10 grandchildren. Five months in jail for an offense that didnt warrant that.

Its appalling.

Fix this broken system.

This editorial is part of the Unequal Justice series, which explores the inequities in Bexar Countys criminal justice system and how they can be fixed.
Re: Holocaust denial sign stirs anger, Wednesday:

No one knows who painted the sign that was placed on the grounds of the Holocaust Memorial Museum of San Antonio with the words attributed to President Donald Trump  fake news and MAGA.

The last paragraph of the article cites a similar incident in 2015 that appears far worse than what occurred recently. Funny how there was no one to blame then, not even Louis Farrakhan, who has expressed anti-Semitism and hostility against Jews and has suggested that Jews are the enemy.

By the way, President Trumps son-in-law is indeed a Jew.

Leo Q. Gomez

Sculley for mayor

I have been reading about the inroads being made by women in politics. About time.

If you are interested in seeing two people have simultaneous heart attacks, see if you can get Sheryl Sculley to run for San Antonio mayor. For 13 years as city manager she has obviously learned everything possible about the mayor job and tricky manipulation of City Councils. She has been able to control the city budget in spite of the City Council.

Think about it. Wanna-be mayor City Councilman Greg Brockhouse and firefighters union President Chris Steele would end up having crying sessions over the total control they would lose in San Antonio. After all, they fooled San Antonio voters. Why not fool them now?

Philip McKeon, Converse

Bilingualism redux

Re: Called racist, Your Turn, Wednesday:

Terri Frey says that requiring job applicants to be bilingual in English and Spanish is a way to prevent Anglos from applying. However, she forgets that many Latinos do not speak Spanish, and many Anglos do. And you dont have to learn Spanish as a child to become fluent. I was already out of law school before I learned Spanish, but it was helpful to me in my career.

Joe De Mott, immigration lawyer
Julian Castro has to be upset that his potential presidential campaign is being upset by Robert ORourke.

Castro must be wondering how a multimillionaire white guy called Beto, who pretends to represent the minority working class, has become the Democratic Partys new face for the Latino vote. It is even more ironic when you realize ORourkes political campaigns have always been run against a minority candidate.

You have to question why former President Barack Obama has called ORourke to meet with him in D.C. yet has not called on Castro, who was his secretary of housing and urban development. Could it be because when Castro was in charge of HUD, it had over $500 billion in bookkeeping errors?

Dont feel bad, Julian. Obama never called Hillary to encourage her to run for president either.

Carthel W. Williams, Spring Branch

Winning ticket

I believe that a ticket supporting Julian Castro for president and Beto ORourke as his vice president would ensure a win in 2020.

Castro has a proven track record that illuminates his managerial skills  both locally and nationally. ORourke has shown he embodies true empathy for the disadvantaged  a skill sorely lacking in todays politics. Also remember how he became a national celebrity and came close to beating Sen. Ted Cruz. His youthful energy reminds me of John F. Kennedy and Barack Obama.

Charles Chuck Mire

Not fake news

Re: Serial crimes, no hard time, front page, Dec. 16:

Brian Chasnoffs article is a prime example of why we subscribe to the paper (print and electronic). That it appears on the front page is especially encouraging.

Im deeply concerned about inadequate deterrence for DWI, and I think this article will bring more serious attention to the issue.

I know its a struggle to maintain effective local journalism these days, when it must be tempting to outsource news, but we are grateful that the writers and editors of the Express-News care about and have the resources to bring us stories like this one. Keep it up.

Michael M. Cornett

Serial enabling

Re: Serial crimes, no hard time, front page, Dec. 16:

The in-depth story on a repeat offender serving no prison time, unfortunately, is not an anomaly.

Whether a repeat offender serves any time is based on two factors: enablers and money. Money is the biggest factor, paying for high-dollar attorneys, fines, bail and appeals. Enablers allow the behavior to continue.

I know this from firsthand experience. A drunken driver committed his fifth DWI when he crashed into my vehicle in Bandera County. The previous four DWIs occurred in Bexar County, and each time he received a slap on the wrist. My injuries were extensive and severe, resulting in countless surgeries, over a year in the hospital and years more in rehabilitation.

The drunken driver was convicted of intoxication assault and awarded prison time. His family paid a lot of money to keep him on the streets while the conviction was appealed; thats when he committed another DWI. I sued him, but his family made sure he was penniless.

The appeal was eventually denied, and before the authorities could pick him up, he killed himself. If his family had allowed him to be held accountable for his behavior, they would not have had to bury their son.

Even though I will live with the physiological damage for the rest of my life, I take comfort in the fact that he will never hurt anyone again. Repeat offenders pose a serious threat to public safety, yet the criminal justice does little to impose harsher restrictions on the offenders.

B. Caldwell, Pipe Creek

Coincidence?

Re: Serial crimes, no hard time, front page, Dec. 16:

James Preston Green has been convicted of DWI four times  but he always gets probation, even when hes convicted while on probation. His father attends a weekly Bible study led by Bexar County District Attorney Nico LaHood.

God may work in mysterious ways, but LaHoods ways arent quite so mysterious.

Ken Phelps

Too many lights?

I guess I am a Grinch, but I am wondering if the tradition of lighting the trees at the University of the Incarnate Word and the River Walk, as well as houses and yards in Windcrest and other parts of the city, is cost-effective?

I think it is a waste of money that could be used elsewhere and probably contributes to global warming.

Gay Z. Wright

Presume innocence

Re: Where Americans stand divided, Another View, by Alex R. Piquero and Erin Orrick, Monday:

The problem with any movement is its misuse by others for their personal gain. In the Black Lives Matter and the #MeToo movements, the other side is automatically wrong. Anybody abusing blacks or women is automatically guilty until proven innocent.

What happened to the legal presumption of innocence until proven guilty? People and the media automatically jump to conclusions without knowing all the facts, and we try those people in the court of public opinion instead of in a court with a jury of their peers judging their innocence or guilt.

There are people who see this and know that it is unfair, and that is why we are divided on this issue.

Robert M. Louie, Houston

Blame father

Why are the media not placing responsibility on the father for the death of the 7-year-old Guatemalan girl? He took her on a 2,000-mile journey without proper provisions.

He should be blamed for her death, not the Border Patrol.

Doris Kinsey
Losing presidential candidate in the July 30 elections and leader of FreeZim Congress, Joseph Busha, has come out guns blazing against President Emmerson Mnangagwa for failing to deliver his electoral promises while leaving millions to suffer under a severely harsh economic condition.

Busha had no kind words for the New Dispensation which he said has brought about the same sufferings that the country faced in 2008.

I feel sorry for the people who marched and were in a celebratory mood in December 2017. They are facing the same situation we faced in 2008 were people were queuing for money in the banks, people were queuing for fuel on petrol stations and they could not go to their holidays purely because of shortages.

If you were around in 2008 and you went away only to come back in 2018, certainly there would no difference because the environment and circumstances remain the same.

We talk about a new dispensation when there is no change. A new dispensation is about new leadership not change of positions. So our view is that there is no change because Zimbabweans are still battling to get cash to be able to do their activities, said Busha.

The South African based businessman noted that despite making a number of promises during campaigns, Mnangagwa still does things the old way and is slowly running out of ideas.

Come 2023, Busha urged Zimbabweans to vote wisely and be wary of empty promises by Zanu-PF.

There are issues to do with job creation and improvements of lives. The people will always remain hopeful but they need something tangible. One of the things that Zimbabweans were repeatedly told was that the criminals which were causing corruption would be removed, but that has not been done.

Those few ministers who have been taken for questioning Im not quite sure if those are the only people who have committed crime in Zimbabwe, Busha charged.

During the campaigning period, Mnangagwa made a cocktail of promises including creating employment, opening up new industries through foreign direct investment among others.

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Investigations are underway following the disappearance of two tonnes of sugar and other food items from Harare Central Prison meant for the inmates last week.

This was revealed by the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS) Commissioner General Retired Major General Paradzai Zimondi during his acceptance speech of goods donated to Chikurubi Female Prison by Grace Faith Ministries in Harare today.

Retired Major General Zimondi raised grave concern over reports to the effect that prison officers are in the habit of stealing food meant for inmates.

It has come to my attention that some of our officers are showing behaviour not expected from the force. Any prison officer found to have stolen food and donations meant for prisoners will face the full wrath of the law, he said.

Bishop Charles Matondo of Grace Faith Ministries pledged to continue supporting the ZPSC to improve the lives of the underprivileged.

It is the duty of every individual to help those who are underprivileged. Early next year, we are coming back again to see how best we can help, he said.

The donation comprises mealie meal and sugar beans worth over $3500.

Zimbabwe has plunged into its worst economic crisis in a decade, fuel lines are snaking for hours, prices are spiking and residents goggle as the new government insists that the country  somehow  has risen to middle-income status.

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Yves here. Some design and regulatory proposals to mitigate the risks of the deployment of artificial intelligence.

By Valerie Frissen, a professor in ICT and Social change at Erasmus School of Philosophy, Gerhard Lakemeyer, Professor of Computer Science and head of the knowledge-based systems group, Department of Computer Science 5, Aachen University of Technology, and Georgios Petropoulos, a visiting fellow at Bruegel with extensive research experience from holding visiting positions at the European Central Bank in Frankfurt, Banque de France in Paris and the research department of Hewlett-Packard in Palo Alto. Originally published at Bruegel

Machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) systems are rapidly being adopted across the economy and society. Early excitement about the benefits of these systems has begun to be tempered by concerns about the risks that they introduce.

1. Introduction

Machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) systems are rapidly being adopted across the economy and society. These AI algorithms, many of which process fast-growing datasets, are increasingly used to deliver personalised, interactive, smart goods and services that affect everything from how banks provide advice to how chairs and buildings are designed.

There is no doubt that AI has a huge potential to facilitate and enhance a large number of human activities and that it will provide new and exciting insights into human behaviour and cognition. The further development of AI will boost the rise of new and innovative enterprises, will result in promising new services and products in  for instance  transportation, health care, education and the home environment. They may transform, and even disrupt, the way public and private organisations currently work and the way our everyday social interactions take place.

Early excitement about the benefits of these systems has begun to be tempered by concerns about the risks that they introduce. Concerns that have been raised include possible lack of algorithmic fairness (leading to discriminatory decisions), potential manipulation of users, the creation of filter bubbles, potential lack of inclusiveness, infringement of consumer privacy, and related safety and cybersecurity risks. There are also concerns over possible abuse of dominant market position,[1] for instance if big data assets and high-performing algorithms are used to raise barriers to entry in digital markets.

It has been shown that the public  in the widest sense, thus including producers and consumers, politicians, and professionals of various stripes  do not understand how these algorithms work. For example, it has been shown that Facebook users have quite misleading ideas about how algorithms shape their newsfeeds (Eslami et al.).[2] At the same time, the public is broadly aware that algorithms shape how messages are tailored to and targeted at them  for example, in the case of news or political information, and of online shopping. Algorithms also shape the logistics of vehicles, trades in financial markets, and assessments of insurance risks.

To date, however, by far the most common and dominant implementation of algorithms has been in messages that target people directly. Thus, to build awareness among a broad public, the topic of platforms that affect everyone cannot be avoided. The two domains, shopping and news (or political information: whether some non-news dissemination can be counted as news is precisely at issue in algorithmically disseminated fake news) are also relatively long-established.

But it is not only the public that does not understand how algorithms work. Many AI experts themselves are painfully aware of the fact that they cannot explain the way algorithms make decisions based on deep learning and neural networks. Hence there is also considerable concern among AI experts about the unknown implications of these technologies. They call for opening up this blackbox: from this perspective explainability of algorithms is one of the key priorities in this field[3].

Furthermore, the application of AI in robotics has created numerous new opportunities but also challenges. Already the extensive use of industrial robots in production has raised productivity for decades. The introduction of smart robots will only increase this trend and transform employment conditions in an unpredictable way.

The introduction of autonomous vehicles certainly has the promise of leading to smart and efficient (urban) transportation systems. However, autonomous vehicles also raise ethical issues related to the decision-making processes that are built into their hardware and software. A widely used example is the case of an unavoidable accident where the autonomous car is called to choose at an instant of time whether it will sacrifice its occupants to protect pedestrians or not.

An area of immediate concern is the possible use of AI technology to develop lethal autonomous weapons. As illustrated very graphically by the video Slaughterbots (see autonomousweapons.org) it is conceivable today that drones equipped with AI software for navigation and face recognition can be turned into cheap lethal weapons capable of acting completely autonomously. Allowing such weapons to become reality will likely have catastrophic consequences at a global scale.

In terms of ethical challenges AI and robotics raise questions that are unprecedented. Given the increasing autonomy and intelligence of these systems we are not just talking about societal implications that merely ask for new ethical and legal frameworks. As the boundaries between human subjects and technological objects are virtually disappearing in AI, these technologies affect our fundamental understanding of human agency and moral responsibility. Who bears responsibility for AI-behaviour is a complex ethical issues. What is needed is a shared or distributed responsibility between developers, engineers, industry, policymakers and users. And last but not least we will also need to take into account the moral responsibility of the technology itself, as it develops towards increasingly autonomous behaviour and decision-making.

2. Policy response

The breakneck pace of development and diffusion in AI technologies urgently requires the development of suitable policies and regulatory infrastructures to monitor and address associated risks, including the concern that vast swaths of the economy and society might end up locked-in to sub-optimal digital infrastructures, standards and business models. Addressing these challenges requires access to better data and evidence on the range of potential impacts, sound assessment as to how serious these problems might be, and innovative thinking about the most suitable policy interventions to address them, including through anticipatory and algorithmic regulation strategies that turn big data and algorithms into tools for regulation. We need to adopt a more balanced approach that also considers the human factor and the proper place of AI in our democratic society. And for this we need a trans-disciplinary research agenda that enables the building of knowledge on which responsible approach towards AI can flourish.

However, the research community concerned with algorithms is diffuse. Different academic disciplines are studying these issues from a variety of perspectives: technical, social, ethical, legal, economic, and philosophical. This work is incredibly important, but the lack of a shared language and common methods makes discourse, synthesis, and coordination difficult. As such, it has become near-impossible for policymakers to process and understand this avalanche of research and thinking, to determine which algorithmic risks are already being tackled through technical measures or better business practices, and what algorithmic risks are relatively underserved.

Formal policy interventions and regulatory frameworks are unlikely to be enough to steer an increasingly algorithmic society in desirable directions. It is likely that corresponding changes are also called for in the behaviours of day-to-day users of algorithmic services and platforms whose choices eventually determine the success or failure of online platforms, products and services. A better understanding of the risks and hidden costs of AI decision-making could inform their choices. This could lead in turn to the development of social norms upholding regulation and making it more effective. Europe should take the lead in developing the codes of conduct and the regulatory and ethical frameworks that guide the AI community in developing responsible AI.[4]

3. Recommendations

Adopt transparency by design principles over how the input data in AI algorithms is collected and is being used . Many times algorithmic bias is inherited by the fact that input data does not well represent the sample and introduces bias towards specific categories of people. Transparency over how data is collected in decision-making algorithmic systems is necessary to ensure fairness. Invest in research on explainable AI . In this way we can increase the transparency of algorithmic systems. AI systems are based in deep-learning techniques in which many times the intermediate layers between the input data and the algorithmic output are considered a black-box. Explainable AI can substantially contribute to understanding how these automated systems work. Integrate technology assessment (TA) in AI research. In order to create awareness of the potential societal and ethical impacts of AI not after the fact but in an early stage of development, prospective policy research such as TA helps to create both awareness of unintended consequences of AI within the AI community and agility among policymakers. Increase public awareness . As AI algorithms penetrate more and more our life we should be well informed about their usefulness and potential risks. Educational and training programmes can be designed for this purpose. In this way, individuals will not only be aware of dangers but they will also maximise the value from using such systems. In addition, public discussions at a local level on the implications of AI systems should be organis Develop regulatory and ethical frameworks for distributed responsibility . These frameworks should include clear standards and recommendations over the imposed liability rules which facilitate the protection of both users and manufacturers through efficient and fair risk-sharing mechanisms. Develop a consistent code of ethics in the EU and at the international level , based on shared European values that can guide AI developers, companies, public authorities, NGOs and users . Authorities, big professional organisations (e.g. the partnership on AI) and NGOs should work together closely and systematically to develop a harmonised code of ethical rules that will be, by design, satisfied by AI systems. Experimentation . As with clinical trials of new medicines of pharmaceutical companies, AI systems should be repeatedly tested and evaluated in well-monitored settings before their introduction in the market. In such experiments, it should be clearly illustrated that the interaction between individuals and AI systems (e.g. robots) satisfies the standards of safety and privacy of human beings. They should also provide a clear message on how the design of AI systems should be modified in order to satisfy these principles. Ban lethal autonomous weapons . Europe should be at the forefront of banning the development of lethal autonomous weapons, which includes the support of the respective initiatives by the United Nations.

Note: the authors have participated in the CAF / DG Connect Advisory Forum

Footnotes:

[1] See Ariel Ezrachi and Maurice E. Stucke (2016), Virtual Competition: The Promise and Perils of the

Algorithm-Driven Economy, Harvard University Press.

[2] Eslami, M., Karahalios, K., Sandvig, C., Vaccaro, K., Rickman, A., Hamilton, K. & Kirlik. A. 2016.

First I like it, then I hide it: Folk Theories of Social Feeds . Human Factors in Computing Systems

Conference (CHI). See also Eslami, M., Rickman, A., Vaccaro, K., Aleyasen, A., Vuong, A., Karahalios,

K., Hamilton, K., and Sandvig, C. 2015. I always assumed that I wasnt really that close to [her]:

Reasoning about invisible algorithms in the news feed. Proceedings of the 33rd Annual SIGCHI

Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, Association for Computing Machinery (ACM):

153-162.

[3] See for instance: https://www.technologyreview.com/s/604087/the-dark-secret-at-the-heart-of-ai/

[4] See for instance V. Dignum (2017), Responsible Artificial Intelligence: Designing AI for Human Values. In: ITU Journal: ICT Discoveries, Special Issue, No 1. Sept 2017.
(Natural News) Research has confirmed that a traditional Chinese herbal medicine is safe to use in the treatment of liver failure at recommended doses. The study, published in the journal BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, verified that the traditional Chinese herbal medicine Jiedu Huayu is safe for treating liver failure at 130 grams per kilogram (g/kg) or less a day.

Jiedu Huayu granules are composed of six herbs, namely: capillary wormwood (Artemisia capillaris), peony root (radix paeoniae rubrathe), the Chinese rhubarb (Rheum officinale), snake-needle grass (Oldenlandia diffusa), turmeric root (radix curcumae), and grass-leaf sweet flag (Acorus gramineus).

Although earlier studies have proven that Jiedu Huayu is effective in treating liver failure, there are not enough studies on the toxicity and safety of this Chinese herbal medicine. Thus, researchers from The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Nanning, Guangxi Province, China assessed the toxicity and safety of an oral administration of Jiedu Huayu to mice.

For the study, the researchers orally gave male and female mice different doses of Jiedu Huayu: 80, 100, and 130 g/kg per day for 13 weeks. Throughout the study, they monitored the animals clinical signs, body weight, food consumption, hematological and biochemical parameters, organ coefficients, and histological changes.

Treatment of Jiedu Huayu did not cause any side effects on the mices liver, kidney, and lung function at any of the given doses, according to the studys findings.

These proved that treatment with Jiedu Huayu granules at 130 g/kg per day or lower is safe.

Improving liver health naturally

In addition to herbal medicines like Jiedu Huayu, liver health can also be improved with foods and supplements.

Amla fruit extract: Amla, one of the most important foods in Ayurvedic medicine, is rich in vitamin C, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory properties. According to studies, Amla is effective in preventing the toxic effects of industrial chemicals, heavy metals, and pharmaceutical drugs.

Amla, one of the most important foods in Ayurvedic medicine, is rich in vitamin C, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory properties. According to studies, Amla is effective in preventing the toxic effects of industrial chemicals, heavy metals, and pharmaceutical drugs. Burdock root: Burdock root is rich in iron, calcium, and vitamin C. This herb promotes bile flow and protects the liver. Studies suggest that it protects against the harmful effects of acetaminophen and carbon tetrachloride and protects the liver from excessive alcohol intake.

Burdock root is rich in iron, calcium, and vitamin C. This herb promotes bile flow and protects the liver. Studies suggest that it protects against the harmful effects of acetaminophen and carbon tetrachloride and protects the liver from excessive alcohol intake. Chlorella: Chlorella, a single-celled, freshwater algae, can bind toxins and heavy metal through the chelation process. It is also rich in nutrients such as B vitamins, Vitamins C and K, minerals, essential fatty acids, and fiber.

Chlorella, a single-celled, freshwater algae, can bind toxins and heavy metal through the chelation process. It is also rich in nutrients such as B vitamins, Vitamins C and K, minerals, essential fatty acids, and fiber. L-glutathione: L-glutathione is often referred to as the master antioxidant because it is the most potent antioxidant made by the body. Moreover, the highest levels of l-glutathione are found in the liver. This antioxidant is composed of three amino acids: cysteine, glycine, and glutamine. Glutathione plays an essential role in detoxifying the body.

L-glutathione is often referred to as the master antioxidant because it is the most potent antioxidant made by the body. Moreover, the highest levels of l-glutathione are found in the liver. This antioxidant is composed of three amino acids: cysteine, glycine, and glutamine. Glutathione plays an essential role in detoxifying the body. Milk thistle extract: For liver health, milk thistle is probably the best herb. Its most active ingredient called silymarin is a polyphenol that has a potent antioxidant activity, which scavenges harmful free radicals. In addition, milk thistle enhances the activity of glutathione. Studies also suggest that this herb prevents inflammation, stimulates new liver cell production, and inhibits glutathione depletion.

Top 10 foods for a healthy liver:

Avocados

Beets

Cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, and cauliflower

Garlic

Grapefruit

Artichokes

Leafy green vegetables

Lemon

Turmeric

Walnuts

It is important to take care of ones liver because it plays the role of a garbage collector in the body. Its job is to break down the toxins in the body and remove it from the body. However, the liver may be overworked or may not be able to keep up with its job because of the excessive levels of chemicals and pollutants present today. Therefore, it is essential to take extra measures to optimize liver function, and you can do this by eating the right foods and taking supplements.

Read more news stories and studies on traditional Chinese medicines like Jiedu Huayu by going to ChineseMedicine.news.

Sources include:

Science.news

BetterNutrition.com
(Natural News) In traditional Chinese medicine, Fang Feng (Saposhnikoviae divaricata) has been used to treat various health conditions, including allergic rhinitis and rheumatism. A study review, which was published in the Chinese Journal of Natural Medicines, confirmed that this traditional Chinese herb is indeed an effective natural remedy for allergic rhinitis.

For the study review, a team of researchers from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University (RMIT University) in Australia evaluated the phytochemical, pharmacological, and pharmacokinetic properties of Fang Feng.

In the study review, the research team looked into a collection of studies on in vitro and biochemical studies of Fang Feng. According to the research team, the discussion on the various class of chromones and coumarins in Fang Feng provides an insight to the pharmacological effects of these bioactive components as anti-inflammatory, analgesic, immunoregulatory, antioxidative, and anti-proliferative agents.

Based on the findings of the review, the research team verified the effectiveness of Fang Feng as a therapeutic medicine. This led the research team to confirm that the use of traditional Chinese medicine Fang Feng is effective in treating allergic rhinitis.

Allergic rhinitis, a very common condition characterized by the inflammation of the inside of the nose, is caused by an allergen, such as pollen, dust, mold, or flakes of skin from certain animals. Typically, this condition causes cold-like symptoms, which include sneezing, itchiness, and a blocked or a runny nose. These symptoms usually occur soon after being exposed to an allergen. Although most people with allergic rhinitis have mild symptoms that can be easily treated, some suffer from severe and persistent symptoms, resulting in sleep problems and interfering with daily life. (Related: Home Remedies for Allergic Rhinitis  10 Must-Know Treatments.)

More on Fang Feng

Also known as Ledebouriella Root, Fang Feng is grown in the province of Heilongjiang in China, where it is prepared according to ancient traditions. Even though the use of this medicinal plant as a treatment for ailments like common colds and arthritis dates back to the ancient times, people continue to use this herb to treat various internal and external symptoms.

During the ancient times, the Chinese used this medicinal plant to enhance their health and to treat a number of diseases. Fang Feng was widely considered as an effective treatment for common colds. It was also used to treat symptoms such as chills, fever, and throat pain. Because colds often spread from one person to another, this medicinal plant got its name as the protector from the wind. In fact, the name Fang Feng originates from the phrase guard against wind.

Today, many people still use Fang Feng to enhance their health. This medicinal herb is still used to treat symptoms associated with the common cold or flu, such as chills, body aches, and headaches. In addition, it is now used by people with arthritis to treat their condition and relieve rheumatic pains. It can also be used for body spasms, such as the trembling of the hands and feet. Fang Feng can also be used to treat rashes and other skin allergies.

Like all other medicines, Fang Feng should not be used more than recommended. In most cases, the recommended dose is between three and nine grams. It is not advisable for use in people who feel weak or have anemia.

Read more news stories and studies on traditional Chinese medicines like Fang Feng by going to ChineseMedicine.news.

Sources include:

Science.news

NHS.uk

NaturalWellBeing.com
After complications from bypass surgery landed him in a Boston hospital, a Connecticut man will be heading home to spend the holidays with his family.

Daniel Haaser says he can't wait to spend the holidays with his wife and two kids. The tight-knit family is from Germany, but they now live in Burlington, Connecticut.

"We go on water sporting vacations to the Caribbean between Christmas and New Year's," Haaser said Friday.

The family's normally exciting holiday plans looked less likely after he was taken to Brigham And Women's Hospital a week ago with a failing heart that left him near death.

"I started panting and trying to catch my breath and, you know, just begging for air," he said.

Bypass surgery back in September left Haaser with a leaking heart valve, which caused fluid to leak throughout his body.

"Despite heart surgery, his mitral valve was still leaking and because of that his heart failure was getting worse," said Dr. Akshay Desai, medical director of the Cardiomyopathy and Heart Failure Program, Advanced Heart Disease Section at Brigham and Women's Hospital.

Operating on Haaser's heart would have been too risky, so doctors chose a less invasive option called a MitraClip procedure.

"Passing a catheter through the leg up into the heart and through the mitral valve and where the mitral valve was leaking we were able to deploy some clips very much like a paperclip," Desai explained.

Desai said Haaser's heart was too weak for another open heart surgery, which is why the MitraClip procedure was so necessary and life-saving.

Haaser, who is a software engineer, has had enough experience volunteering as an emergency medical technician to know how high the stakes were.

"But I now know what the patients that I transport, what they feel, and will certainly use that to my patients' advantage," Haaser said.

Not only was the MitraClip procedure a success, but Haaser was well enough after the procedure to go home for the holidays and be with his family. He was discharged from Brigham and Women's Hospital at 2 p.m. Friday.

"For the first time in months, I feel as if I get my life back," he said.
The Trump administration's decision to make asylum seekers wait in Mexico while their cases wind through clogged U.S. courts was announced with crucial details still unknown  a move that creates uncertainty along the border and possibly an incentive for people to cross illegally before the change take effect.

The policy shift would force asylum seekers to stay in often-dangerous Mexican border cities as they navigate the American immigration court system.

On Friday, little had changed at Mexico's busiest U.S. border crossing, where Mauricio Gomez of Nicaragua joined about 150 others to learn if his name would be called to claim asylum.

"We are aware of the news, but nothing has happened so far," said Gomez, 41, who hoped to join a cousin in Nebraska. "We don't know when they are going to implement it."

Details were missing when the U.S. announced the policy Thursday in 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 are adjudicated, a process that can take years. The process at the border remains status quo until specific new procedures are put in place.

Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said the next step was "more legal paperwork" with Mexico.

"So, we'll work on a technical agreement with them, but we have our teams working on that now," she told Fox News on Friday.

The U.S. characterized the policy as a unilateral move, but Mexico almost simultaneously said it would grant foreigners permission to stay in the country while their asylum claims are considered in the U.S. and that they could seek work authorization. The two governments have been in discussions for months, and the timing of the twin announcements suggested a high level of cooperation and coordination.

A Homeland Security official, speaking to reporters Thursday on condition of anonymity, said some details were expected in the coming days and that the policy would be rolled out in phases at different locations on the border. The U.S. said the policy will not apply to children traveling alone or to Mexican asylum seekers.

The mechanics may get complicated: Where will immigration hearings be held and how will asylum seekers get there? How will they communicate with attorneys? How will they be returned to Mexico?

Details about implementation and "the circumstances in which people will be shuttled back and forth across the border are not at all clear," said Alan Bersin, a former Customs and Border Protection commissioner who helped negotiate repatriation agreements with Mexico as a senior Homeland Security official under President Barack Obama.

Government protocols are meant to establish uniform guidelines "rather than leave it up to the operators in the field to make it up as they go along," Bersin said.

Some U.S. authorities worry that any lag between the announcement and implementation may encourage some asylum seekers to cross illegally before the changes take effect. Illegal crossings surged between Trump's election and inauguration in fear of what the new president might do.

Bersin said smugglers always seek to take advantage of perceived "loopholes," and they may view a lag in implementation as an incentive.

There is also uncertainty on the legal front. Judges have blocked some of Trump's biggest strokes on immigration, the latest reminder coming Friday when a divided Supreme Court decided it would not let the administration begin enforcing a ban on asylum announced last month for anyone who illegally crosses the U.S.-Mexico border.

Andrew Selee, president of the nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute, said elements of the rollout may be challenged in court as they become known. That could include issues such as whether phone access is sufficient to consult an attorney or what happens if the Mexican government is at fault for someone failing to cross the border in time for a court date.

"All of these pieces, every logistical piece, can be litigated. This can go on for years," Selee said. "I actually wonder if this will ever be implemented."

A migrant named Ismael, who declined to give his last name for fear of reprisal in his native Honduras, went to the Tijuana border crossing Friday to check his place on a list of asylum seekers kept in a tattered notebook managed by the migrants themselves. U.S. inspectors process about 100 claims a day at the crossing, and there are more than 1,800 waiting.

Ismael, who has been waiting in Tijuana for nearly three months, heard about the policy change on the news and wondered when it would take effect. He was shaken by the recent killings of two Honduran migrants in Tijuana and feels unsafe and unwelcome in the Mexican border city. But, he said, returning to Honduras would be too dangerous.

The United States has its laws, he said. "I don't agree, but if they send us back here, what can one do? Wait."

Associated Press Writer Colleen Long also contributed to this report.
The officer in charge of Internal Affairs for the Hartford Police Department is now the center of an investigation into his own actions, following allegations the high-ranking officer allowed his signature to be copied onto training reports.

Hartford Police Chief David Rosado confirmed Assistant Chief Jason Thody is the subject of an internal affairs investigation following his testimony at an October arbitration hearing for a terminated officer. NBC Connecticut exclusively obtained documents from the hearing including a transcript, training report, and Thodys time cards. Attorney Marshall Segar, who questioned Thody for the Hartford Police Union, confirmed the documents.

Thody was called to testify that he delivered fair and impartial policing training to former H.P.D. officer Robert Lanza, who was fired this January after he was arrested by Plainville police for a DUI. The case against Lanza was later dismissed after he completed an alcohol education program, according to the Hartford Police Union.

In the hearing, under cross-examination, Thody was presented time cards showing he was at an out-of-state training conference on the date he supposedly signed off on Lanzas training report.

Later, the transcript shows Thody said he was no longer sure he personally trained Lanza, and he testified that it was standard practice for his signature to be photocopied onto as many as 150 training forms.

All of these are photocopied. I dont sign personally, he said according to the transcript.

The executive director of the states Police Officers Standards and Training Council confirmed to NBC Connecticut that training instructors are required to sign each training form individually, and only for classes they have taught.

The internal affairs investigation into Thody is being led by departments other assistant chief, Rafael Medina, according to Chief Rosado. Thody continues to perform his regular duties which include overseeing the Internal Affairs division as well as training for the entire police department, he said.

Hartford Police Union President John Szewczyk said his members expect command staff to be held to the same standard as rank and file officers.

We feel this is a violation of trust against the membership and a violation of the publics trust as well, Szewczyk said.

Chief Rosado declined an on camera interview and sent NBC Connecticut a statement reading, As with any complaint we receive, it is being investigated and it would be inappropriate to comment before that investigation is complete. I respect our union and I am happy to continue discussing any concerns they have directly with them.

Thody was a captain when the training form in question appears to have been signed in 2016. He retired from the force earlier this year and was almost immediately re-hired by Chief Rosado as an assistant chief. He collects his Hartford police pension of more than $113,000 a year on top of his salary.
Authorities say they've charged a Houston-area couple in the death of their 2-year-old daughter for leaving the child overnight in their car after returning from a party.

Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said in a statement Friday that Olga Esquivel and Angel Esquivel-Blanco, both 25 and from Humble, are charged with abandoning a child.

Alicia Esquivel died of heat exposure in September after being left in the car for about 12 hours.

Olga Esquivel told investigators they returned from the party about midnight and she helped her intoxicated husband inside, where they both fell asleep.

Authorities say after realizing the girl was in the car, she waited more than an hour to call 911 because her cellphone battery had no power.

The parents have bonded out of jail. A working phone number could not be found for them.
A man climbed 15-20 feet up the National Christmas Tree on the Ellipse just south of the White House Friday evening, U.S. Park Police confirmed.

Police believe he was in some kind of emotional distress and negotiated with him to climb out of the tree.

He was taken to a hospital for psychiatric evaluation.

Some tree lights were damaged during the incident.

White House and Capitol Security Breaches

People had lined up to get in to see the tree, but police closed the White House pageant area and will keep it closed the rest of the evening. The lights remained off Friday night.

Saturday's holiday performance, which was the last one scheduled this season, is canceled.

D.C. Fire and EMS assisted Park Police.
Audrey Geisel, the widow of children's author Dr. Seuss and longtime overseer of his literary estate, has died.

Random House Children's Books announced that Geisel died Wednesday at age 97, "peacefully" at her home in La Jolla, California.

Dr. Seuss, whose real name was Theodor Geisel, died in 1991 and two years later Audrey Geisel founded Dr. Seuss Enterprises. Numerous publishing projects followed, along with the Broadway show "Seussical." She also served as executive producer for some film adaptations of his work, most recently "The Grinch," which came out last month.

Geisel donated millions to UC San Diego along with more than 12,000 items of her late husband's work, including original drawings and sketches.

The university dedicated the Geisel Library in 1995 to honor the couple after a $20 million gift from them. There is a cafe named in honor of Mrs. Geisel inside the library.

Geisel also dedicated her time and donated funds to support local charities and organizations, like the La Jolla Playhouse, Old Globe Theatre and the San Diego Zoological Society.

She was a Chicago native whose parents broke up when she was little and who as an adult would be in the middle of two broken marriages. She and Theodor Geisel, who was 17 years older, were both married to others when they began an affair in the 1960s. Theodor Geisel's first wife, Helen, killed herself and Audrey Geisel sent away the two daughters she had with her first husband after she and the author married in 1968.

"They wouldn't have been happy with Ted, and Ted wouldn't have been happy with them. He's the man who said of children, 'You have 'em and I'll entertain 'em,"' she told The New York Times in 2000.

"Ted's a hard man to break down, but this is who he was. He lived his whole life without children and he was very happy without children. I've never been very maternal. There were too many other things I wanted to do. My life with him was what I wanted my life to be."
Several North Texas Breweries debuted a new beer this week as part of a nationwide effort to raise money for the thousands of families displaced in Northern Californias devastating Camp Fire.

Sierra Nevada partnered with 1,400 breweries around the country to roll out a Resilience IPA. 100% of the sales will go to the Sierra Nevada Camp Fire Relief Fund.

Several North Texas breweries are among them including Steam Theory Brewing in Trinity Groves.

The craft beer industry is really generous, and were always looking for ways to give back, said Steam Theory co-owner Chuck Homola.

When his brew master, who happens to be from California, found out about the request, it took only three or four days to get the process started.

Friday they debuted the brew, which they hope to sell all seven barrels of.

Its great that all around theyre showing that support and that here in Dallas somehow we can do our part even just by showing up and having a beverage here. Its giving back, said customer Charlie Vann.

If the beer sells out all over the country, Sierra Nevada hopes to raise more than $15 million for direct Camp Fire relief.

For a link of participating breweries, click here.
First U.S. President Donald Trump attacked Canada on trade. Then Saudi Arabia punished it for speaking up for human rights. Now China has the country in its cross-hairs, detaining two Canadians in apparent retaliation for the arrest of a top Chinese tech executive on behalf of the United States.

Canada is caught between two super powers and taking the punishment  and its ally to the south has been conspicuously absent in coming to its aid.

"We've never been this alone," historian Robert Bothwell said. "We don't have any serious allies. And I think that's another factor in what the Chinese are doing. ... Our means of retaliation are very few. China is a hostile power."

The two Canadians, Michael Kovrig, a former diplomat in China, and Michael Spavor, an entrepreneur who lived in northeastern China near the North Korean border, were taken into custody Monday on suspicion of "engaging in activities that endanger the national security" of China, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said. Canadian consular officials have had no access to them.

Their detentions ratchet up pressure on Canada, which arrested Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial officer of telecommunications giant Huawei, on Dec. 1 at the request of the United States. The U.S. wants her extradited to face charges that she and her company misled banks about the company's business dealings in Iran. A Canadian judge released Meng on bail Tuesday.

The case has set off a diplomatic furor among the three nations in which Canada has been stuck in the middle.

Until now, Canada had a largely good relationship with China, forged by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's father, late Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, who helped establish the one-China formula that enabled many other countries to recognize China in the 1970s. Canada acknowledged there is one government of China and does not officially recognize Taiwan.

China has since become Canada's second-largest trading partner, after the United States. Chinese investment has powered real estate booms in Vancouver and Toronto. And one-third of foreign students in Canada are Chinese. Justin Trudeau has even talked about a possible free-trade agreement with China in a bid to diversify Canada's trade, which relies on the U.S. for 75 percent of its exports.

But the Canadian prime minister has said little since news of this week's arrests became public. Opposition Conservative leader Andrew Scheer said Trudeau isn't being forceful enough with the Chinese.

"This situation demonstrates that Justin Trudeau's naive approach to relations with China isn't working," Scheer said.

It's Canada's second dispute with a major power this year. In June, Trump vowed to make Canada pay after Trudeau said he wouldn't be pushed around in talks to hammer out a new North American trade agreement, an unprecedented attack on America's closest ally. Trump called Trudeau weak and dishonest, words that shocked Canadians.

Then Trump said this week that he might intervene in the Huawei case if it would help clinch a trade agreement with China, upending U.S. efforts to separate the court proceeding from U.S.-China trade talks and contradicting Canadian officials who said the arrest was not political.

Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland took a swipe at Trump, saying it was "quite obvious" any foreign country requesting extradition should ensure "the process is not politicized."

"Normally, Canada can count on the United States to back them up on such an issue," said Laura Dawson, a former economic adviser at the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa and director of the Canada Institute at the Wilson Center think tank in Washington. Dawson said it's unusual for Washington to "leave Canada hanging high and dry."

"President Trump has made it clear that old alliances don't matter so much anymore," she said. "He has made no secret of his preference for a go-it-alone approach and his lack of regard for traditional alliances."

In years past the U.S. might have defended Canada when came it under attack and other countries would know the U.S. had Canada's back. Not now. In August, the Saudi government expelled Canada's ambassador to the kingdom and withdrew its own ambassador after Canada's foreign ministry tweeted support for an arrested Saudi activist. The Saudis also sold Canadian investments and ordered their citizens studying in Canada to leave. No country, including the U.S., spoke out publicly in support of Canada.

And now the stakes are much higher. Canada is one of the few countries in the world unabashedly speaking out in defense of human rights and the international rule of law. And Chinese trade with Canada is increasingly key as Canada looks to boost its exports in Asia as its trade with the U.S. is threatened by Trump's tariffs on Canadian goods.

"At the beginning of Trump there was this idea that maybe the Chinese would replace the Americans" as Canada's pre-eminent trade partner "but that's just nuts," said historian Bothwell, a University of Toronto professor. "Relations for any smaller country with China are really grave."

Derek Scissors, a China specialist at the conservative American Enterprise Institute, called China's actions toward Canada "thuggish."

"You detain a Canadian because the Canadians can't do anything. It's bullying behavior," he said.

Noting Canada was just following a routine extradition process with the United States, Scissors said America should be saying: '''Why are you picking up Canadians? You have a problem with us.'"

David Mulroney, a former Canadian ambassador to China, said not only the U.S. but other Western nations should be standing up for Canada.

"It would be nice if publicly and also behind the scenes if countries like the United States, the U.K., Australia and France would put in a word on our behalf and let the Chinese know how damaging this is to their reputation and to the notion that China is a safe place to work and pursue a career," Mulroney said.

"I think a lot of foreigners in China are looking over their shoulder right now," he added.

Christopher Sands of the School of Advanced International Studies in Washington said the world took note of how Trump treated Canada during trade negotiations and how the U.S. stayed silent when Saudi Arabia overreacted to Canada's expression of human rights concerns over treatment of the Saudi dissident.

"In normal times, the U.S. sends a signal, usually discreetly, to allies to cut it out and play nice," Sands said.

"What makes this worse is that China is lashing out at Canada not for Canada's initiative, but for Canada's honoring of a U.S. warrant. The damage done by our silence in terms of alliance relations is truly awful," he said.
A social services worker in Florida's Polk County has been arrested on charges of possessing and trading child pornography.

Deputies arrested 28-year-old William Smith on Friday, WFLA reports. The Polk County Sheriff's Office says he lives in Bartow and is a case manager for the Youth & Family Alternatives, Inc. of Lakeland.

According to the arrest affidavit, Smith had sexually graphic images of boys and girls between the ages of 5 and 12.

The sheriff's office launched an investigation after receiving a CyberTipline report on Friday about an account on the blogging site Tumblr that deputies say belonged to Smith.

The arrest affidavit says a review of the blog's direct messages indicated "the user has an interest in young children."

The affidavit shows Smith messaged other users asking for pictures and videos of children and talked about child porn and sex with children.

Tumblr provided 48 videos and images to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children for review. Deputies say they reviewed the files and determined several included child pornography. The affidavit says several files contained multiple child victims.

According to the sheriff's office, deputies determined at least 15 prepubescent boys and girls were seen in the files engaged in sexual conduct with apparent adults or exposed in a lewd manner.

After reviewing the files, deputies responded to Smith's home in Bartow where they met him as he returned home with his wife. Authorities then obtained search warrants for Smith's home, car and iPhone.

The affidavit says Smith admitted during an interview with detectives to trading child pornography on several social media platforms including Tumblr, Kik, Snapchat and Dropbox.

Detectives say Smith told them he "probably has child victims that are infants on his computer/cell phone." The sheriff's office says he denied inappropriately touching a child and said he "considers the screen his protection from actually touching a child."

The affidavit shows Smith also told detectives he has an addiction to porn, including child pornography, and "needs help." Detectives say he admitted to viewing child porn for approximately three to five years.

Smith was arrested and charged with 15 counts of possession of child pornography. He was taken to the Polk County Jail and is being held on no bond until his first appearance hearing.
What to Know Dozens of firefighters converged on the heart of Midtown Manhattan Friday after a raging fire broke out at a high-rise office building

The fire erupted at 330 Madison Ave.  a block from Bryant Park

Twelve units responded to the scene, with dozens of firefighters combating the blaze, according to fire officials

Violent flames and thick black smoke engulfed a high-rise office building in the heart of Manhattan Friday morning, sending employees and customers who had been inside fleeing by the hundreds as stunned bystanders watched the drama.

The fire broke out around 10 a.m. at 330 Madison Ave.  a block from Bryant Park, between East 42nd and East 43rd streets. At least one witness told News 4 it may have started in the lobby, among Christmas decorations, before spreading to the second floor.

In Photos: Midtown High Rise Engulfed in Plumes of Smoke as Dozens of Firefighters Combat Fire

Casey Beal, an employee in the building who works on the 14th floor, said the fire alarm went off, adding "you could see black smoke outside the windows."

Dimytro Fedkowskyj, another employee, said that as he was leaving staircase started to get backed up and fill with smoke, but that the building personnel made sure everyone got out.

FDNY Deputy Chief Dean Koester commended the building personnel for bringing out everyone to safety.

"The building personnel performed the evacuation very well," he said, adding that "they had people exit from a different entrance, so that was perfect."

The official origin and cause remain under investigation.

Video from the scene shows the surrounding area blocked off by fire trucks as fire personnel work doggedly to combat the blaze. Intense flames could be seen billowing out of lower floors as jarring black smoke filled the Midtown air.

Those evacuated were allowed to go back in after 1 p.m., around the same time that streets were reopened.

Twelve units responded to the scene, with about 65 firefighters combating the blaze, fire officials said. Sources said the blaze was under control before noon.

No injuries have been reported, according to fire officials.

Smoke Billows From Carmine's in Times Square
What to Know The huddled masses will still able to visit the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island during the U.S. government's partial shutdown

An alert posted Saturday on the official National Park Service webpage for the sites says they're open thanks to funding from New York state

It's the third time in five years the state has kept the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island open during a federal government shutdown

The huddled masses are still able to visit the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island during the U.S. government's partial shutdown thanks to funding from New York state.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Saturday the state is spending about $65,000 per day to keep the monuments open. It's the third time in five years it's done so during a federal shutdown.

Cuomo, a Democrat, says it was an easy decision when research shows Lady Liberty and Ellis Island generate a daily economic impact of about $1 million.

About 10,000 people visit each day.

Cuomo says that "while we're watching government at its worst in Washington, the Statue of Liberty is a symbol of America at her best."

He's planning deliver his third inaugural address on Ellis Island on New Year's Day.
A Florida high school student-turned-activist who survived one of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history is headed to Harvard.

David Hogg, who took a year off after graduating Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in June 2018, said on Twitter Saturday that he'll "be attending Harvard in the fall with a planned major in Political Science."

Since the Feb. 14 massacre at Stoneman Douglas that left 14 students and three faculty members dead, Hogg has been one of the most visible activists in the gun control movement and the March for Our Lives campaign launched by him and other classmates.

Hogg and other survivors have been vocal advocates for gun reform, making countless media appearances and grilling lawmakers during town halls. Their efforts sparked massive walkouts and peaceful protests at schools across the country and also drew international attention. Hogg and other students were in South Africa in November and were awarded the International Children's Peace Prize for their work with March for Our Lives.

The group organized a demonstration in Washington in March, with hundreds of thousands of people filling the streets of the nation's capital. Satellite demonstrations were also held across the country on the same day.

March for Our Lives then hit the road over the summer, visiting 80 communities in 24 states to help register young voters and spread its message against gun violence.

Hogg has made several visits to Massachusetts as part of his efforts. In August, he attended the kick-off for the March for Our Lives 50 Miles More walk against gun violence. In September, Hogg, along with other youth activists, made an appearance at Harvard to talk about engaging young voters. Hogg also returned to Boston in October for a public discussion about civic activism and gun control at the Boston Public Library.

Hogg co-authored a book, "#NeverAgain: A New Generation Draws the Line," with his younger sister Lauren. The book offers an inside look at the early days of the grassroots effort that made Hogg and other Parkland shooting survivors household names. Hogg writes that the March for Our Lives group came "together to try to heal the world and found out that was the best way to heal."
Shoppers at a Delaware mall fled the retail center Friday night following what police are investigating as reports of gunfire.

The incident occurred about 9 p.m. inside Christiana Mall.

About 10:45 p.m., a state police spokesman said the ongoing investigation had not yet found any evidence of an actual shooting. No arrests had been made as of that time, state police said.

Troopers were still going store-by-store to clear the mall, police said.

Delaware state police tweeted that troopers were on scene investigating.

"Please avoid the area," state police said initially. "Further information will be released as it becomes available."

A triage area was set up for injuries that occurred to shoppers who fled the mall. One witness, Haley Quickel, of Middletown, who was inside the mall's Target at the time of the initial incident, said the chaos spilled into the parking lot.

"Mostly, there was a lot of people crying and saying they left all their stuff inside," Quickel said. "Everyone was just trying to get out and into their cars, honking horns."
San Diego Unified School District officials are informing parents and former students of a large data breach. Personal data including Social Security numbers from as many as 500,000 students was compromised or possibly stolen, officials say.

The breach dating back to January 2018 was uncovered in October by district IT employees who were investigating phishing emails.

Staff determined an unauthorized person or persons, was gathering network access log-in information from staff and using that information to log into the districts network services, including the district student database, the district states.

Student records from 2008 up to the present are impacted, district officials told NBC 7. Families of students whose data may have been accessed have been contacted by the district, spokesperson Maureen Magee said.

Birth dates, Social Security numbers, state student identification numbers, addresses, phone numbers, health enrollment or savings/flex spending account information and discipline incident information are examples of what may have been exposed, according to the district.

For select members of staff, the information may also include tax information, routing numbers and account numbers as well as viewable paychecks.

"We are not able to confirm, specifically, whether your personal data was viewed or copied from our systems as a result of this incident. We only know that the viewing or copying of some personal data was possible or occurred between January 2018 and November 1, 2018," district officials state in the letter to parents.

Officials said the breach also allowed the unauthorized person the ability to alter data within those systems.

Staff members were notified immediately about the breach and were able to reset their accounts, the district said.

Read the entire letter here.

More than 121,000 students are served by the San Diego Unified School District, the second largest school district in the state of California.

Because the breach includes former students, district officials estimate nearly a half of a million students and former students may be impacted by this data breach.

The San Diego Unified School Police Department and employees with the district's IT department are investigating the data breach.

"We have continued to implement and explore additional security measures, and continue to review and audit our practices to prevent this from happening again," district officials said.

District officials said the information they can release was limited because the investigation into what happened is ongoing.

They advise students and former students to pay attention to their credit information and report any unusual or unexpected activity to credit card companies or credit reporting agencies.

A local campus police officer of the School Police Dispatch may be contacted at (619) 291-7678 to file a police report, district officials said.

This is a developing story.
Furloughed federal workers may be feeling a squeeze on their bank accounts during the government shutdown, but plenty of businesses are trying to ease the pain with freebies and discounts.

For more on the shutdown, here's what you can and cannot do, what's open and what's closed, and how to find help in the D.C. area.

From discount admission at paid museums to cheap drinks to fitness classes, here's where you can score a deal:

Food and Drink Deals

World Central Kitchen

701 Pennsylvania Ave. NW

Chef Jose Andres' nonprofit organization World Central Kitchen is running an "emergency kitchen" to feed federal workers affected by the shutdown. It's open daily from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and serves a "rotating menu of hot meals, sandwiches and salads," a statement from the organization said. Take-home meal kits will be offered soon. Go here for more info.

&pizza

Broccoli Bar (1817 7th St. NW)

Andres has also teamed up with &pizza to open a second kitchen at Broccoli Bar for for furloughed government workers and their families, daily from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Across the Pond Restaurant & Pub

1732 Connecticut Ave. NW

Federal workers get 10 percent off with government ID at Across the Pond Restaurant & Pub. Not valid on in-house specials.

Free Beer Via Pay It Furloughed

Various Locations

Furloughed and unpaid workers and contractors can score free beers  paid for with funds donated online at PayItFurloughed.com. Three local breweries, Atlas, DC Brau and 3 Stars, plus Shop Made In DC, are participating as of Jan. 15. Those looking to buy a beer for others can do so here; those looking to get a free beer may find more info here.

Baked by Yael

3000 Connecticut Ave. NW

Federal employees and contractors can get a free coffee through the shutdown. Zoo employees required to work without pay can get a free bagel sandwich or small soup each weekday.

The Brighton

949 Wharf St. SW



Show your federal ID for 10 percent off your order at this spot on The Wharf.

Capitol Lounge

229 Pennsylvania Ave. SE



Capitol Lounge offers federal employees with on-theme cocktails for $5. Drinks include the Nothing Really Mattis and the Border Wall Banger.

Charlie's on the Avenue

1501 Mt Vernon Ave., Alexandria

Get 20 percent off your meal with a government ID.

City Tap Penn Quarter

901 9th St. NW

Happy hour is extended from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. every day during the shutdown. That includes $5 select drafts, $6 house wines and $7 beer and a shot combo.

Cork Wine Bar & Market

1805 14th St. NW

Cork Wine Bar says it's offering all-day happy hour through the shutdown.

The Dog Park

705 King St., Alexandria, Virginia

The shop is offering 20 percent off all dog and cat food (cans/kibble) for those affected by the shutdown, with government or contractor ID.

Duplex Diner

2004 18th St. NW

Duplex Diner is offering furloughed feds a free Monday meal and a glass of wine. Bring your ID or business card.

Hula Girl Truck

4044 Campbell Ave., Arlington, Virginia

Furloughed government employees can show their ID to get a free beer and a burger at the bar during happy hour, which runs Monday to Friday 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Live Oak Restaurant

1603 Commonwealth Ave., Alexandria

Show your government ID and get 20 percent off your meal.

Maggiano's Chevy Chase

5333 Wisconsin Ave. NW

The Italian chain is offering 50 percent off to government employees.

Peri Peri Original

6456 Old Beulah St., Alexandria

Anyone with a federal government ID can get a free chicken or beef burger, with the option of adding free fries or a soda, available until the shutdown ends.

Pork Barrel BBQ

2312 Mt Vernon Ave., Alexandria

Furloughed workers and out of work federal contractors can get a free pulled pork sandwich until the shutdown ends.

The Queen Vic

1206 H St. NE

Federal government employees can flash the bartender a federal ID during the shutdown for an 18 percent discount.

ThinkFoodGroup Restaurants

Various Locations

Jose Andres promised to give federal workers and their families a free sandwich at the bar of any of the famed chef's restaurants, including Oyamel, Zaytinya, America Eats Tavern and Beefsteak. The offer stands from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. daily until the shutdown ends, Andres tweeted. You'll need to show a federal ID.

Wings Over College Park

4200 Hartwick Road, College Park, Maryland

Guests with a current federal government ID can get free wings and sandwiches.

Artechouse's 'New Nature' Exhibit in DC Gives a High-Tech Look at the Outdoors

Music, Museums and Experiences

B&O Railroad Museum

901 W. Pratt St., Baltimore

Show your federal ID for free admission as long as workers are furloughed.

George Mason University Basketball

EagleBank Arena, Fairfax, VA

Complimentary tickets to men's and women's basketball games are availaible for federal workers affected by the shutdown. Limit two per federal employee with a valid government ID. Offer can be redeemed at the box office on the day of the game. Call the ticket office at 703-993-3270 for details.

George Mason University's Center for the Arts

4400 University Drive, MS 2F5, Fairfax, VA

Federal employees can see performances of MOMIX Jan. 25 at 8 p.m., Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra Jan. 26 at 8 p.m. and "The Phantom Tollbooth" Jan. 27 at 2 p.m. for $5.

George Mason University's Hylton Performing Arts Center

10960 George Mason Circle, Manassas, VA

Federal employees can see performances of "The Phantom Tollbooth," Jan. 26 at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. for $5.

Glen Echo Park

7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo, Maryland

Glen Echo Park Partnerships for Arts and Culture are offering free and discounted events for furloughed workers by showing a government ID. Events featured are dances, children's theater, nature programs and yoga classes. See the schedule here.

The Mansion on O Street

2020 O St. NW

Furloughed federal employees will receive a free beer or glass of wine with regular admission during the government shutdown by showing their ID upon arrival.

National Building Museum

401 F St. NW

Federal employees can show their ID for free admission until the shutdown is over. The DC Is Open campaign is offering a number of discounts.

Nile Rodgers & CHIC

MGM National Harbor

Nile Rodgers & CHIC are offering 300 pairs of free tickets to their Jan. 26 concert at MGM National Harbor to government workers affected by the shutdown. The first 300 people to apply here will get a pair of tickets.

Newseum

555 Pennsylvania Ave. NW

Federal employees get free admission during the shutdown by showing their badge in person at the admissions desk. Everyone else can get 15 percent off on general admissions tickets at Newseum.org during the shutdown (the tickets must be used by Dec. 31, 2019). The DC Is Open campaign is offering a number of discounts.

Phillips Collection

1600 21st St. NW

Federal employees get free admission with government ID during the shutdown.

10 Ways to Have Fun Indoors This Winter

Fitness

Bender JCC of Greater Washington

6125 Montrose Road, Rockville, Maryland

Take a swim, steam in the sauna, or work out at Bender JCC of Greater Washington. Stop by the center between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. with a government ID.

CYCLED!

1110 Ripley St., Silver Spring and 6960 C Maple St. NW

Take an indoor cycling class at CYCLED! of Silver Spring, or try a cycling, barre or yoga sculpt class at the Takoma Park location. Use the code "SweatItOut@CYCLED!" to sign up, and to show your government ID at check-in.

Montgomery County Parks:

Various Locations

Furloughed government employees can get the following discounts, with valid federal ID:

50 percent off any public skating admission at Cabin John Ice Rink and Wheaton Ice Arena (for federal employees and up to three family members)

50 percent off a bucket of balls at the South Germantown Driving Range

50 percent off a Spot Time court fee at Pauline Betz Addie Tennis and Wheaton Indoor Tennis

25 percent discount on all permits and rentals, good for events happening while the permit holder is furloughed

RYDE Cycle

1025 N. Fillmore St., Suite J, Arlington

For the duration of the government shutdown, the rhythm-based cycling studio in Clarendon is offering free 5:30 p.m. classes Monday through Thursday for those with a federal ID. Also offering free shoe rentals for all classes for those with a federal ID.

Sweat DC

3232 Georgia Ave. NW, Suite 105

All are offered a free two-week pass. This Petworth studio is known for 45-minute, high-intensity core-cardio-strength classes. The Sweat Strong class uses higher levels of equipment, more dynamic moves and offers more one-on-one attention.

Yoga in Daily Life

2402 Mt Vernon Ave., Alexandria

Take free yoga classes during the shutdown; just bring your government ID. See the class schedule here.

Other Services

Acupuncture at Whole Health Associates

1625 K St. NW, Suite 375

Whole Health Associates is offering free seated (ear) acupuncture treatments to any furloughed federal employee Monday, Jan. 28 from 9 to 11 a.m. They say the treatment helps with stress, sleep and "a bit of detox to clear us of both physical and psychological 'garbage'." Tea and sandwiches will be available too. RSVP via email at whole.health.associates@gmail.com or by calling 202-822-1711.

Haircuts at Bishops

1742 Connecticut Ave. NW

Furloughed federal workers can get free haircuts.

Haircuts at Salon deZEN

118 N. Fayette St., Alexandria

Show your valid government ID for a free haircut until the shutdown ends. Valid 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday with select stylists. Limit one haircut per person for four-week period.

Headshots From Istrico Productions

3145 Mt Vernon Ave., Alexandria

Get free headshots from Istrico Productions. They'll also help you format the photo for LinkedIn. Message the business on Facebook or call them at 202-643-0675 to set up an appointment.

Knitting Classes FibreSpace

1319 Prince St., Alexandria

FibreSpace is periodically offering free knitting classes for furloughed workers. Check their Facebook page for upcoming events.

Rides From Via

Ride-share service Via is offering a free $10 credit for new users with "ViaForLow." You'll need to download the app for Apple or Android.

For Federal Employees Who Work at BWI Marshall Airport

The 600+ federal employees who work at BWI Marshall Airport can receive discounts on meals, free chair massages, free grocery items and more. Concession participants include Subway, Jamba Juice, Pinkberry and more.

The airport is also hosting a food drive for affected workers. Those who want to donate to the food drive can bring non-perishable items to the Maryland Transportation Authority Police and the lower level of the BWI Marshall Airport.

Have any discounts to add to the list? Email tips@nbcwashington.com or tweet at us!
A Chinese researcher claims that he helped make the world's first genetically edited babies  twin girls born this month whose DNA he said he altered with a powerful new tool capable of rewriting the very blueprint of life.

If true, it would be a profound leap of science and ethics.

A U.S. scientist said he took part in the work in China, but this kind of gene editing is banned in the United States because the DNA changes can pass to future generations and it risks harming other genes.

Many mainstream scientists think it's too unsafe to try, and some denounced the Chinese report as human experimentation.

The researcher, He Jiankui of Shenzhen, said he altered embryos for seven couples during fertility treatments, with one pregnancy resulting thus far. He said his goal was not to cure or prevent an inherited disease, but to try to bestow a trait that few people naturally have  an ability to resist possible future infection with HIV, the AIDS virus.

He said the parents involved declined to be identified or interviewed, and he would not say where they live or where the work was done.

There is no independent confirmation of He's claim, and it has not been published in a journal, where it would be vetted by other experts. He revealed it Monday in Hong Kong to one of the organizers of an international conference on gene editing that is set to begin Tuesday, and earlier in exclusive interviews with The Associated Press.

"I feel a strong responsibility that it's not just to make a first, but also make it an example," He told the AP. "Society will decide what to do next" in terms of allowing or forbidding such science.

Some scientists were astounded to hear of the claim and strongly condemned it.

It's "unconscionable ... an experiment on human beings that is not morally or ethically defensible," said Dr. Kiran Musunuru, a University of Pennsylvania gene editing expert and editor of a genetics journal.

"This is far too premature," said Dr. Eric Topol, who heads the Scripps Research Translational Institute in California. "We're dealing with the operating instructions of a human being. It's a big deal."

However, one famed geneticist, Harvard University's George Church, defended attempting gene editing for HIV, which he called "a major and growing public health threat."

"I think this is justifiable," Church said of that goal.

In recent years scientists have discovered a relatively easy way to edit genes, the strands of DNA that govern the body. The tool, called CRISPR-cas9, makes it possible to operate on DNA to supply a needed gene or disable one that's causing problems.

It's only recently been tried in adults to treat deadly diseases, and the changes are confined to that person. Editing sperm, eggs or embryos is different  the changes can be inherited. In the U.S., it's not allowed except for lab research. China outlaws human cloning but not specifically gene editing.

He Jiankui (HEH JEE'-an-qway), who goes by "JK," studied at Rice and Stanford universities in the U.S. before returning to his homeland to open a lab at Southern University of Science and Technology of China in Shenzhen, where he also has two genetics companies. The university said He's work "seriously violated academic ethics and standards" and planned to investigate. A spokesman for He confirmed that he has been on leave from teaching since early this year, but he remains on the faculty and has a lab at the school.

The U.S. scientist who worked with him on this project after He returned to China was physics and bioengineering professor Michael Deem, who was his adviser at Rice in Houston. Deem also holds what he called "a small stake" in  and is on the scientific advisory boards of  He's two companies.

The Chinese researcher said he practiced editing mice, monkey and human embryos in the lab for several years and has applied for patents on his methods.

He said he chose embryo gene editing for HIV because these infections are a big problem in China. He sought to disable a gene called CCR5 that forms a protein doorway that allows HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, to enter a cell.

All of the men in the project had HIV and all of the women did not, but the gene editing was not aimed at preventing the small risk of transmission, He said. The fathers had their infections deeply suppressed by standard HIV medicines and there are simple ways to keep them from infecting offspring that do not involve altering genes.

Instead, the appeal was to offer couples affected by HIV a chance to have a child that might be protected from a similar fate.

He recruited couples through a Beijing-based AIDS advocacy group called Baihualin. Its leader, known by the pseudonym "Bai Hua," told the AP that it's not uncommon for people with HIV to lose jobs or have trouble getting medical care if their infections are revealed.

Here is how He described the work:

The gene editing occurred during IVF, or lab dish fertilization. First, sperm was "washed" to separate it from semen, the fluid where HIV can lurk. A single sperm was placed into a single egg to create an embryo. Then the gene editing tool was added.

When the embryos were 3 to 5 days old, a few cells were removed and checked for editing. Couples could choose whether to use edited or unedited embryos for pregnancy attempts. In all, 16 of 22 embryos were edited, and 11 embryos were used in six implant attempts before the twin pregnancy was achieved, He said.

Tests suggest that one twin had both copies of the intended gene altered and the other twin had just one altered, with no evidence of harm to other genes, He said. People with one copy of the gene can still get HIV, although some very limited research suggests their health might decline more slowly once they do.

Several scientists reviewed materials that He provided to the AP and said tests so far are insufficient to say the editing worked or to rule out harm.

They also noted evidence that the editing was incomplete and that at least one twin appears to be a patchwork of cells with various changes.

"It's almost like not editing at all" if only some of certain cells were altered, because HIV infection can still occur, Church said.

Church and Musunuru questioned the decision to allow one of the embryos to be used in a pregnancy attempt, because the Chinese researchers said they knew in advance that both copies of the intended gene had not been altered.

"In that child, there really was almost nothing to be gained in terms of protection against HIV and yet you're exposing that child to all the unknown safety risks," Musunuru said.

The use of that embryo suggests that the researchers' "main emphasis was on testing editing rather than avoiding this disease," Church said.

Even if editing worked perfectly, people without normal CCR5 genes face higher risks of getting certain other viruses, such as West Nile, and of dying from the flu. Since there are many ways to prevent HIV infection and it's very treatable if it occurs, those other medical risks are a concern, Musunuru said.

There also are questions about the way He said he proceeded. He gave official notice of his work long after he said he started it  on Nov. 8, on a Chinese registry of clinical trials.

It's unclear whether participants fully understood the purpose and potential risks and benefits. For example, consent forms called the project an "AIDS vaccine development" program.

The Rice scientist, Deem, said he was present in China when potential participants gave their consent and that he "absolutely" thinks they were able to understand the risks.

Deem said he worked with He on vaccine research at Rice and considers the gene editing similar to a vaccine.

"That might be a layman's way of describing it," he said.

Both men are physics experts with no experience running human clinical trials.

The Chinese scientist, He, said he personally made the goals clear and told participants that embryo gene editing has never been tried before and carries risks. He said he also would provide insurance coverage for any children conceived through the project and plans medical follow-up until the children are 18 and longer if they agree once they're adults.

Further pregnancy attempts are on hold until the safety of this one is analyzed and experts in the field weigh in, but participants were not told in advance that they might not have a chance to try what they signed up for once a "first" was achieved, He acknowledged. Free fertility treatment was part of the deal they were offered.

He sought and received approval for his project from Shenzhen Harmonicare Women's and Children's Hospital, which is not one of the four hospitals that He said provided embryos for his research or the pregnancy attempts.

Some staff at some of the other hospitals were kept in the dark about the nature of the research, which He and Deem said was done to keep some participants' HIV infection from being disclosed.

"We think this is ethical," said Lin Zhitong, a Harmonicare administrator who heads the ethics panel.

Any medical staff who handled samples that might contain HIV were aware, He said. An embryologist in He's lab, Qin Jinzhou, confirmed to the AP that he did sperm washing and injected the gene editing tool in some of the pregnancy attempts.

The study participants are not ethicists, He said, but "are as much authorities on what is correct and what is wrong because it's their life on the line."

"I believe this is going to help the families and their children," He said. If it causes unwanted side effects or harm, "I would feel the same pain as they do and it's going to be my own responsibility."

___

AP science writer Christina Larson, video journalist Emily Wang and researcher Fu Ting contributed to this report from Beijing and Shenzhen, China.

This Associated Press series was produced in partnership with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
A partial federal shutdown took hold early Saturday after Democrats refused to meet President Donald Trump's demands for $5 billion to start erecting his cherished Mexican border wall, a chaotic postscript for Republicans in the waning days of their two-year reign controlling government.

Vice President Mike Pence, Trump son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner and White House budget chief Mick Mulvaney left the Capitol late Friday after hours of bargaining with congressional leaders produced no apparent compromise. "We don't have a deal. We're still talking," Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby, R-Ala., told reporters.

Late Friday, Mulvaney sent agency heads a memorandum telling them to "execute plans for an orderly shutdown." He wrote that administration officials were "hopeful that this lapse in appropriations will be of short duration"  an expectation that was widely shared.

With negotiations expected to continue, the House and Senate both scheduled rare Saturday sessions. House members were told they'd get 24 hours' notice before a vote.

The gridlock blocks money for nine of 15 Cabinet-level departments and dozens of agencies, including the departments of Homeland Security, Transportation, Interior, Agriculture, State and Justice.

The lack of funds will disrupt many government operations and the routines of 800,000 federal employees. Roughly 420,000 workers were deemed essential and will work unpaid just days before Christmas, while 380,000 will be furloughed, meaning they'll stay home without pay.

Those being furloughed include nearly everyone at NASA and 52,000 workers at the Internal Revenue Service. About 8 in 10 employees of the National Park Service will stay home and many parks were expected to close.

The Senate passed legislation ensuring workers will receive back pay, which the House seemed sure to approve.

Some agencies, including the Pentagon and the departments of Veterans Affairs and Health and Human Services, were already funded for the year in agreements reached earlier, and they will operate as usual.

The U.S. Postal Service, busy delivering packages for the holiday season, will not be affected because it's an independent agency. Social Security checks will still be mailed, troops will remain on duty and food inspections will continue.

Also still functioning will be the FBI, the Border Patrol and the Coast Guard. Transportation Security Administration officers will continue to staff airport checkpoints and air traffic controllers will also remain at work.

Trump has openly savored a shutdown over the wall for months, saying last week he'd be "proud" to have one and saying Friday he was "totally prepared for a very long" closure. While many of Congress' most conservative Republicans were welcoming such a confrontation, most GOP lawmakers have wanted to avoid one, since polling shows the public broadly opposes the wall and a shutdown over it.

Initial Republican reaction to the shutdown was muted. Among the few GOP lawmakers who issued statements as it began were Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, who expressed disappointment at the lack of a deal, and Lamar Alexander of Tennessee. "This is a complete failure of negotiations and a success for no one," Alexander said.

"Instead of honoring his responsibility to the American people, President Trump threw a temper tantrum and convinced House Republicans to push our nation into a destructive Trump Shutdown in the middle of the holiday season," said a joint statement by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.

Despite saying last week he'd not blame Democrats for the closure, Trump and his GOP allies spent the last two days blaming Democrats anyway. Trump said now was the time for Congress to provide taxpayers' money for the wall, even though he's said repeatedly that Mexico will pay for it  something that country has repeatedly rebuffed.

"This is our only chance that we'll ever have, in our opinion, because of the world and the way it breaks out, to get great border security," Trump said Friday. Democrats will take control of the House January 3, and they oppose major funding for wall construction.

Looking for a way to claim victory, Trump said he would accept money for a "Steel Slat Barrier" with spikes on the top, which he said would be just as effective as a "wall" and "at the same time beautiful."

Trump called GOP senators to the White House Friday morning, but Republicans said afterward that the session did not produce a strategy.

Early this week, the Senate approved a bipartisan deal keeping government open into February and providing $1.3 billion for border security projects but not the wall. In a GOP victory Thursday, the House rebelled and approved a package temporarily financing the government but also providing $5.7 billion for the border wall.

Friday afternoon, a Senate procedural vote showed that Republicans lacked the 60 votes they'd need to force that measure through their chamber. That jump-started negotiations between Congress and the White House.

Republicans conceded that one of their biggest hurdles was Trump's legendary unpredictability and proclivity for abruptly changing his mind.

"The biggest problem is, we just don't know what the president will sign," said Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz.

The White House said Trump did not go to Florida on Friday as planned for the Christmas holiday.
Last year, during one particularly frenetic stretch in Donald Trump's presidency, a top Republican senator said there were three men guarding the country from chaos: Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, White House chief of staff John Kelly and then-Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

Within weeks, not one will be left in the administration.

Mattis will be the last to go, and his abrupt resignation Thursday marks the end of the 'contain and control' phase of Trump's administration  one where generals, business leaders and establishment Republicans struggled to guide the president and curb his most disruptive impulses. They were branded in Washington as the "troika of sanity," the "axis of adults" and the "committee to save America."

But as Trump careens toward his third year in office, their efforts are in tatters and most are out of a job.

The early consequences of the new era were already apparent at year's end, with Trump on the verge of a government shutdown over the advice of GOP leaders and ordering the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria over Mattis' objections. A similar pull-back in Afghanistan appeared to be in the works. The financial markets, spooked by uncertainty from a nearly yearlong trade war, tanked.

"We are headed toward a series of grave policy errors which will endanger our nation, damage our alliances & empower our adversaries," Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., tweeted after Mattis' resignation.

The shrinking circle around Trump is now increasingly dominated by a small cadre of longtime Trump loyalists and family members, ex-Fox News talent, and former GOP lawmakers who were backbenchers on Capitol Hill before being elevated by the president. Attracting top flight talent will only get more difficult as more investigations envelop the White House once Democrats take over the House in January.

To some of Trump's most ardent supporters, the exodus leaves the president with a team that is more in line with his hardline campaign promises. They viewed some of his early advisers as obstacles to enacting the unabashed nationalist agenda they believe Trump had been elected to implement.

Mattis wrote in his resignation letter that Trump deserved a Pentagon chief "whose views are better aligned with yours." It was not readily apparent whom that might be, as Trump's decision in Syria drew widespread bipartisan condemnation this week.

Soon after Trump entered the White House, aides seeking to restrain the brash and inexperienced president's foreign policy decisions recognized that those best adept at advising him were or had recently been in uniform. Trump, who never served himself but attended a military academy as a youth, granted them outsized respect.

Mattis was one of three generals who filled the top ranks of Trump's staff, along with Kelly and H.R. McMaster, who spent a year as national security adviser. Mattis' appointment required a congressional waiver to laws meant to preserve the civilian nature of the Department of Defense.

Mattis and outgoing Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Joseph Dunford became almost weekly dinner guests of the president early in his administration, particularly before First Lady Melania Trump moved to Washington late last spring. The seemingly informal briefings for the president were in fact carefully orchestrated persuasion sessions designed to ease the president into abandoning some of his disruptive campaign rhetoric and accepting the advice of his senior national security advisers.

But Mattis' departure highlights how those early efforts delayed Trump's disruption, rather than averting it. His decision to depart follows a clash with the president over withdrawing troops from Syria, where a small military force has been fighting Islamic State extremists. The president is also said to be seeking to draw down American forces in Afghanistan, another move the Pentagon disagrees with.

Trump's split with Mattis followed a pattern of public breakdowns with advisers who served as guardrails in the administration.

Trump initially hailed Tillerson, the head of ExxonMobil executive, as out of 'central casting' when as was tapped as secretary of state, before being unceremoniously discarded by the president earlier this year. Earlier this month, Tillerson described Trump as "pretty undisciplined, doesn't like to read doesn't like to read, doesn't read briefing reports, doesn't like to get into the details of a lot of things, but rather just kind of says, 'This is what I believe.'"

Kelly suffered a similar fate. Hired to bring order to the Oval Office, the retired Marine ultimately found he, too, could not control Trump, who subjected Kelly to a series of public humiliations. Kelly is slated to leave in two weeks.

Trump treated Mattis with respect in announcing his departure via tweet, though he cast the move as a retirement rather than a resignation.

It was Mattis who made clear in his letter that he was leaving over a dispute with the president. Still, he said he would remain on through February to allow Trump time to nominate and confirm a successor, expressing concern about high-level turnover at the Pentagon at a critical juncture.

Indeed: The last of the committee to save America was trying to mitigate the damage one last time.
U.S. health officials have traced a food poisoning outbreak from romaine lettuce to at least one farm in California, which voluntarily recalled red and green leaf lettuce as well as cauliflower because they may be contaminated with E. coli.

Adam Bros. Farms in Santa Barbara County said Thursday it was issuing the new recall, for the listed products harvested between Nov. 27 and Nov. 30, "out of an abundance of caution."

The Food and Drug Administration cautioned Thursday that other farms are likely involved in the romaine lettuce E. coli outbreak and consumers should continue checking the label before purchasing the product.

The Food and Drug Administration said 59 people in 15 states have now been sickened by the tainted lettuce. That's seven more cases than previously reported, but regulators said they are fairly confident that the lettuce which first triggered the outbreak has been removed from the market. The FDA told consumers to avoid romaine lettuce just before Thanksgiving.

Officials said a water reservoir at Adam Bros. Farms in Santa Barbara County tested positive for the bacterial strain and the owners are cooperating with U.S. officials. Officials from the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have not determined how the water reservoir  which is used to irrigate lettuce  became contaminated.

Adam Bros. said in a statement that "sediment from a reservoir near where the

produce was grown tested positive for E. coli" but said that while harvested produce may have come into contact with filtered, treated water from the reservoir, none of that water tested positive for the bacteria.

The company said that there have been no illnesses reported in the recall of red leaf lettuce, green leaf lettuce and cauliflower. Those products were distributed across the country; find identifying product information here.

A man who answered the phone at Adam Bros. Farms Thursday said he could not comment on the government announcement. According to the company's website, it only grows vegetables products, including broccoli, cauliflower, celery and various types of lettuce. Not all Adam Bros. products have been recalled, according to the statement.

E. coli can get into water and soil through multiple routes, including waste from domesticated animals or wild animals, fertilizer and other agricultural products.

The FDA's Dr. Stephen Ostroff said investigators have linked the tainted romaine lettuce to multiple distributors and processors, suggesting it must have come from several farms.

The government also narrowed the source of the outbreak to three California counties: Santa Barbara, Monterey and San Benito. That's down from six California counties under investigation when regulators began warning the public last month.

Regulators said people should only buy romaine lettuce with a label listing where and when it was harvested. Lettuce from outside the three California counties that was harvested after Nov. 23 should be safe to eat.

Romaine harvesting recently began shifting from California's Central Coast to winter growing areas, primarily Arizona, Florida, Mexico and California's Imperial Valley. Those winter regions weren't yet shipping when the illnesses began.

E. coli, the bacteria often associated with food poisoning, usually causes sickness two to eight days later, according to health authorities. Most people with the infection get diarrhea and abdominal cramps. Some cases can be life-threatening, causing kidney failure and seizures.
What to Know A Worcester County grand jury has indicted the ex-girlfriend of a man whose body was found along a New Hampshire roadside last summer.

A grand jury handed up an indictment Friday charging Julia Enright, of Ashburnham, with murder in the death of 21-year-old Brandon Chicklis.

The indictment moves the case to Superior Court. Enright is scheduled to be arraigned on Jan. 3, 2019.

A Worcester County grand jury has indicted the ex-girlfriend of a man whose body was found along a New Hampshire roadside last summer in connection with his murder.

Worcester District Attorney Joseph Early Jr. said a grand jury handed up an indictment Friday charging 21-year-old Julia Enright of Ashburnham with murder in the death of 20-year-old Westminster resident Brandon Chicklis. She was originally arrested in July, but the indictment moves the case to Superior Court. She is scheduled to be arraigned on Jan. 3, 2019.

Investigators said Enright killed Chicklis by a treehouse near her home in Ashburnham, which police were able to trace from the victim's cell phone records. Chicklis' blood was found on the stairs to the treehouse, inside it and under it.

"It was apparent that the treehouse had recently been cleaned and a new rug had been placed on the floor," Assistant Worcester District Attorney Terry McLaughlin said in court in July. "When the rug had been removed, it had appeared the blood had seeped through the floorboards of the treehouse down underneath."

Investigators said they believe Enright then moved Chicklis' body to New Hampshire.

A family member of Chicklis told NBC10 Boston Enright and Chicklis once dated and that they remained friends after breaking up some time ago. Prosecutors said the two had been classmates at Montachusett Regional Vocational High School in Fitchburg.

Old friends of Enright who spoke to NBC10 Boston last summer described her as "eccentric." Authorities have yet to reveal a motive for the murder.

Chicklis was last seen on June 26 as he was leaving to visit his father in Windham, New Hampshire, for a belated Father's Day celebration. Family members reported him missing the next day when he didn't show up.

His body was found by a jogger on July 10 off Route 119 in Rindge, New Hampshire, about 20 to 40 feet from the roadside. His car was found in a supermarket parking lot in another part of town.

Rindge is located just over the New Hampshire border, about 20 minutes away from Westminster and over an hour from Windham.
A Maine woman is reportedly accused of endangering the welfare of a child after a toddler allegedly ate part of her marijuana brownie.

Melissa Morneault, 33, was charged by Fort Kent Police after a 3-year-old boy consumed an unknown quantity of the edible, according to Bangor Daily News.

Police told the newspaper that Morneault, who is not the boy's mother, did not directly give the child the brownie; however, the edible was allegedly not labeled as containing marijuana.

Authorities told Bangor Daily News one of the boy's parents took him to Northern Maine Medical Center after he became lethargic and unresponsive. After he was evaluated there, the boy was taken by medical helicopter to Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor.

Police said the boy has since recovered.

Morneault is expected to appear in Fort Kent District Court on Feb. 4. It's unclear if she has an attorney.
The Michigan attorney general has filed second-degree murder charges against a pharmacist and the co-founder of a Massachusetts pharmacy who are blamed for a fatal meningitis outbreak.

Barry Cadden was co-founder of New England Compounding Center and Glenn Chin was a pharmacist. They are currently serving federal prison sentences for convictions in a separate case related to the 2012 national outbreak. At least 76 people died and hundreds more became ill nationwide because of tainted steroids.

The attorney general's office charged Cadden and Chin in connection with 11 deaths in Livingston County. Spokeswoman Andrea Bitely says investigators connected the compounding pharmacy to Michigan clinics that were supplied with the steroids.

Bitely tells the Livingston Daily Press & Argus that Michigan waited to file charges until after Cadden and Chin were prosecuted in Boston federal court.

___

Information from: Livingston Daily Press & Argus, http://www.livingstondaily.com
Police in New Hampshire are looking for a man who has been missing for more than two weeks.

Officials say 27-year-old Dylan Sanford of Somersworth walked away from a home on Market Street on Dec. 5. He has not been seen or heard from since.

Sanford is described as being about 5'11 and 170 pounds. He is white with short brown hair and blue eyes. He has multiple tattoos, including a cross on his back, Roman numerals on his inner forearm, and the "Serenity Prayer" on his ribs.

Anyone with information is asked to call Somersworth Police at 603-692-3131.
A former Vermont teacher's aide has pleaded guilty to a charge of lewd conduct with a child.

Josie Spears of Highgate pleaded guilty on Wednesday to lewd and lascivious conduct with a child, violating court orders and other charges.

Spears was arrested in February 2017 after police say she sent nude photos to a 9-year-old and molested him.

She originally pleaded not guilty to the charges. Police said she twice violated conditions of her release.

Prosecutors say her effective prison sentence will be at least two years, as well as home detention and probation.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Ultomiris (ravulizumab) injection for the treatment of adult patients with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH), a rare and life-threatening blood disease.

"The approval of Ultomiris will change the way that patients with PNH are treated," said Richard Pazdur, M.D., director of the FDA's Oncology Center of Excellence and acting director of the Office of Hematology and Oncology Products in the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. "Prior to this approval, the only approved therapy for PNH required treatment every two weeks, which can be burdensome for patients and their families. Ultomiris uses a novel formulation so patients only need treatment every eight weeks, without compromising efficacy."

PNH is a rare acquired disorder that leads to the rupture or destruction of red blood cells (hemolysis). Patients with PNH are missing a certain protein that normally protects red blood cells from being destroyed by the patient's immune system. Patients with PNH have sudden, recurring episodes where red blood cells are prematurely destroyed which may be triggered by stresses on the body, such as infections or physical exertion. During these episodes, the following symptoms may occur: severe anemia, profound fatigue, shortness of breath, intermittent episodes of dark colored urine, kidney disease or recurrent pain. PNH can occur at any age, although it is most often diagnosed in young adulthood.

Ultomiris is a long-acting complement inhibitor that prevents hemolysis. The efficacy of Ultomiris was studied in a clinical trial of 246 patients who previously had not been treated for PNH (treatment naive), who were randomized to be treated with Ultomiris or eculizumab, the current standard of care for PNH. The results of the trial demonstrated that Ultomiris had similar results to eculizumab (non-inferior)  patients did not receive a transfusion and had similar incidence of hemolysis measured by the normalization of LDH levels in patients' blood (lactate dehydrogenase, or LDH, is an enzyme required during the process of turning sugar into energy in the body's cells). In addition, Ultomiris was studied in a second clinical trial of 195 patients with PNH who were clinically stable after having been treated with eculizumab for at least the past six months. These patients were randomly selected to be treated with Ultomiris or to continue eculizumab. Ultomiris again demonstrated similar effects to eculizumab (non-inferior) based on several clinical measures including hemolysis and avoiding transfusion.

Common side effects reported by patients in clinical trials were headache and upper respiratory infection. Health care providers are advised to use caution when administering Ultomiris to patients with any other systemic infection.

The prescribing information for Ultomiris includes a Boxed Warning to advise health care professionals and patients about the risk of life-threatening meningococcal infections and sepsis. Health care providers are advised to comply with the most current Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommendations for meningococcal vaccination in patients with complement deficiencies. Patients should be immunized with meningococcal vaccines at least two weeks prior to administering the first dose of Ultomiris, unless the risks of delaying treatment outweigh the risks of developing a meningococcal infection.

Patients and health care providers are advised that vaccination reduces, but does not eliminate, the risk of meningococcal infection. Patients should be monitored for early signs of meningococcal infections and evaluated immediately if infection is suspected. Ultomiris is available only through a restricted program under a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS). Ultomiris must be dispensed with a patient Medication Guide that describes important information about the drug's uses and risks.

The FDA granted this application Priority Review designation. Ultomiris also received Orphan Drug designation, which provides incentives to assist and encourage the development of drugs for rare diseases.

The FDA granted the approval of Ultomiris to Alexion Pharmaceuticals.

Source: https://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm629022.htm
A certain proportion of the adult population has not only white adipose (or fatty) tissue, but also the brown kind. This brown adipose tissue helps to convert sugar and fat into heat. People with brown adipose tissue are better at regulating their body temperature in the winter, and are less likely to suffer from excess weight or diabetes.

An international team of researchers led by Christian Wolfrum, Professor for Translational Nutritional Biology at ETH Zurich, has now discovered that the statin class of pharmaceuticals reduces the formation of brown adipose tissue. Statins are prescribed as a way to reduce the risk of a heart attack since they reduce cholesterol levels in the blood. They are among the most commonly prescribed drugs worldwide.

Of mice and men

Wolfrum and his colleagues have been researching brown adipose tissue for many years. They looked into the question of how "bad" white fat cells, which form the layer of fat under our skin, become "good" brown fat cells. Having conducted cell culture experiments, they found out that the biochemical pathway responsible for producing cholesterol plays a central role in this transformation. They also discovered that the key molecule regulating the transformation is the metabolite geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate.

Earlier studies showed that the cholesterol biochemical pathway is also central to the functioning of statins; one of their effects is to reduce the production of geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate. This is why the researchers wanted to know whether statins also impact the formation of brown adipose tissue. And indeed they do, as the scientists have now shown in studies on mice and humans.

One thing the researchers did was study positron emission tomography scans of 8,500 patients at the University Hospital Zurich. This let them determine whether the person had brown adipose tissue. It was also known whether the patients were taking statins. Evaluating the scans shows that 6 percent of those not taking the medication had brown adipose tissue, but this tissue type was present in only a little over 1 percent of those who were taking statins.

The researchers conducted a separate clinical study of 16 people at the University Hospitals of Basel and Zurich to demonstrate that statins reduce the activity of brown adipose tissue.

"Incredibly important medications"

Although the study demonstrated that statins have a negative impact, Wolfrum warns against talking them down. "We also have to consider that statins are incredibly important as a way to prevent cardiovascular disease. They save millions of lives around the world, and they are prescribed for a very good reason," he says.

However, statins also have another negative effect: in high doses, they slightly increase some people's risk of developing diabetes - as has been shown in other studies. "It's possible that these two effects - the reduction in brown adipose tissue and the slightly increased risk of diabetes - are related," Wolfrum says, adding that this question requires further research.

But Wolfrum stresses that even if such a link were established, that would be no reason to demonise statins. Rather, it would become imperative to conduct further research into the mechanisms behind this and find out which patients are affected. It might then be possible to take a personalised medicine approach and continue to recommend statins to most people, while proposing alternative therapies for a small group of patients.

Source: https://www.ethz.ch/en/news-and-events/eth-news/news/2018/12/statins-reduce-brown-adipose-tissue.html
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(CNN)  A suspected jihadi linked to the brothers who carried out the 2015 Charlie Hebdo killings is in French police custody in Djibouti, a law enforcement source told CNN Thursday.

Peter Cherif is allegedly an associate of Cherif and Said Kouachi, who killed 12 people at the satirical publication in Paris in apparent retribution over its portrayal of the Muslim prophet Mohammed in cartoons.

The attack, on January 7, 2015, sparked three days of terror in France as authorities staged an intensive manhunt for the suspects. A total of 17 people were killed.

Cherif 's arrest was first reported by French news website Marianne. He will be extradited to France soon, according to the law enforcement source.

This story was first published on CNN.com. "Suspect linked to Charlie Hebdo attackers in French custody"
New Delhi:

In one of the biggest decisions which will directly impact the finances of a common man, the GST Council on Saturday reduced the rates of 33 items. After the meeting, Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy said that "(Many) items have come down from 18% to 12% and 5% as they are common man's consumption goods."

He also said that the original demand by the Congress that all goods should come down to 18% and below has been agreed by the Government of India. However, the 34 luxury items will not be part of the current changes. Uttarakhand Finance Minister Prakash Pant said that "22 goods have come down from 28%. Goods like TV, auto parts, computers etc included."

Also Read | New GST cuts: Film tickets, TV sets to cost less; cement remain in sin slab

The decision comes days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that his government wanted to ensure that "99 per cent items attract sub-18 per cent GST slab."

PM Modi had indicated that the 28 per cent slab of GST would only be restricted to a few select items, such as luxury goods. However, West Bengal Finance Minister Amit Mitra had blamed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for undermining the constitutional authority of the GST Council.

"The statement of the Prime Minister made just before the GST Council meeting undermines the constitutional authority of the GST Council as it pre-empts the decision-making authority of the council," Mitra had alleged.

Also Read | Better late than never: Rahul Gandhis jibe at PM Modi over single slab GST

The GST Council has been constituted under Article 279A of the Constitution and it can alone which has been constitutionally empowered to decide on the GST rate for goods and services, Mitra had said.

The neutrality if the council in the decision making thus stands severely eroded and will be highly detrimental to the future functioning of the GST Council, he had said.

"Is there any hidden agenda behind the prime minister giving directive to the finance ministers," he had asked.

Mitra said that the West Bengal government had been demanding a reduction in the GST rates on essential items from 28 per cent to 18 per cent and from 18 per cent to 12 per cent.

Meanwhile, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley is likely to hold a press conference on GST Council's big decision at 4 pm today.

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New Delhi:

Amid talks of tax rate cut ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council meeting will convene on Saturday. During the meeting, the Council is likely to make a decision on slashing tax rates on several items such as cement, automobile tyres to 18 per cent from the current 28 per cent. "A 28 per cent tax on automobile tyre impacts common man because ultimately he has to shell out the tax. The overall focus on December 22 Council meeting will be to lessen the GST burden on common man," PTI quoted a GST official as saying.

The meeting, first after Prime Minister Narendra Modis remark that his government was planning to bring 99 per cent items under the slab of 18 per cent or less. As of now, there are 34 items left in the highest tax bracket of 28 per cent. These include automobile tyre, cement, large screen colour television, digital camera, air conditioners and other commonly used items.

Also Read | Better late than never: Rahul Gandhis jibe at PM Modi over single slab GST

The other items like aerated drinks, cigarette, bidi, tobacco products, pan masala, smoking pipes, automobiles, aircraft, yachts, revolvers and pistols, gambling lottery are likely to be retained in the 28 per cent slab.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said his government was planning to further simplify the GST tax regime by bringing most items under the 18 per cent slab. "We are of the opinion of making GST as smooth as possible for the enterprises. In earlier days, the GST was framed according to the existing VAT or excise tax structures exercised in those respective states. (With) the discussions held from time to time, the tax system is getting improved," Modi had said during his speech at the Republic Summit in Mumbai.

The Goods and Services Tax (GST) has five tax slabs  0 per cent, 8, 12,18 and the highest 28 per cent. While several essential items of daily use were kept under the 0 per cent slab, luxury and some white goods attracted 28 per cent tax.

Also Read | Government working to bring most items in 18 per cent GST slab: PM Modi

The government has collected over Rs 7.76 lakh crore from the GST in the first eight months (April-November) of the current fiscal, below the monthly target of 1.12 lakh crore. The 2018-19 budget had estimated annual GST collection at Rs 13.48 lakh crore.

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New Delhi:

After Google crowned Priyanka and Nickas wedding at Jodhpuras Umaid Bhawad Palace as the second most-searched wedding of the year, The new It-couple are throwing lavish receptions and the party doesnat seem to end anytime soon. Latest reports suggest that the drool-worthy couple is going to throw their fourth wedding reception in Los Angeles for their Hollywood friends.A

Now hereas the most exciting part. Expected to be a star-studded event, names like Kerry Washington, Dwayne Johnson, Ellen DeGeneres, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, are on the guest list.A Arenat you excited?

A source has quoted to Mid-Day.com, aAfter their honeymoon in Switzerland, Priyanka will fly down to Mumbai for a schedule of The Sky Is Pink. She will join Nick in LA towards the month-end, to host a reception for their friends. Her team is currently doing a recce in Malibu and will soon finalise a venue. It will be a black-tie event, with Priyankaas close friends Kerry Washington, Dwayne Johnson, Ellen DeGeneres, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, on the guest list. Many other Hollywood stars, including her co-stars from A Kid Like Jake and Isnat It Romantic?, and Nickas friends from the music fraternity are also expected. Besides her family, Priyankaas cousin Parineeti Chopra is also likely to fly down for the soiree.a

Nickyankaas latest reception was held at the JW Marriott in Juhu decked up with Nick and Priyankaas signature aNPa logo. Coupleas pictures and videos from their reception are so special that you can hardly miss the chemistry between the two. The sizzling chemistry of Priyanka and Nick looks quite intense while the couple cannot hide their excitement as theyare seen giggling and holding hands like little kids!

Newlyweds Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone were the show-stealers at Nickyankaas Mumbai reception. The newlyweds danced away the night on Bollywood tunes. One of the video circulating on the social media shows Priyanka and Deepika having a dance face-off on their song aPingaa making it an unforgettable affair!

Watch the video here:

The couple tied the knot in an extravagant wedding affair in Jodhpuras Umaid Bhawan Palace. After days of excitement and fun-filled festivities, the much-in-love couple took their wedding vows in a Christian ceremony on December 1, followed by a Hindu wedding on December 2. Popularly known as NickYanka, hosted a grand wedding reception on December 4 in Delhi while other two receptions in Mumbai.

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New Delhi:

Aam Aadmi Party MLA Alka Lamba said she was not resigning after her senior party leader and Delhi Deputy Chief MinisterA Manish Sisodia said no resignation has been sought from anyone and all these are "rumours".A The commentsA of both the leaders came a dayA afterA Lamba said the party has asked for her resignation and she was ready to resign, news agency ANI quoted her as saying.

The move came hours after the AAP denied that the Delhi Assembly passed a resolution demanding the withdrawal of the Bharat Ratna award given to former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, accusing him of ajustifyinga the killing of innocent Sikhs in the 1984 riots. The 1984 anti-Sikh riots refer to the violence against Sikhs following the assassination of former prime minister Indira Gandhi in October 1984.

"I am not resigning," Lamba told ANI.

Aam Aadmi Party MLA Alka Lamba: I am not resigning. (File pic) pic.twitter.com/dXmvnSkEpp a ANI (@ANI) December 22, 2018

Earlier, Sisodia said: "No resignation has been sought and from no one, all these are rumours."A

Manish Sisodia, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister on Alka Lamba: No resignation has been sought and from no one, all these are rumours pic.twitter.com/r2SCb4Bg8F a ANI (@ANI) December 22, 2018

"The Party has asked for my resignation. I'm ready to resign but Rajiv Gandhi has sacrificed a lot for the country and I didnat support the proposal in Assembly of taking back his Bharat Ratna. I've been asked to resign because I stood against the decision of the party," Lamba had said on Friday night.

The Delhi Assembly on Friday adopted a resolution on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in which it was demanded that the Bharat Ratna awarded to former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi be withdrawn, but the AAP swiftly distanced itself from the reference to the Congress leader. The matter became a major crisis with Lamba alleging she was "put under pressure" to support the resolution, which she resisted and boycotted.

A Lamba said she was ready to face "any consequences" and claimed she spoke to AAP supremo and CM Kejriwal who, she said, asked her to resign as MLA.A

The Chandni Chowk MLA said she was not happy with the demand to take back Bharat Ratna from Gandhi and staged a walkout in protest. Interestingly, the AAP later distanced itself from the resolution. "After I staged a walkout, I got a message from the chief minister to tender my resignation," she told news agency PTI.

When asked whether she will quit, Lamba had said: "I have won on a party ticket. I will tender my resignation as demanded by the party." A

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New Delhi:

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah on Saturday slammed the Congress-JDS government in Karnataka over Cabinet expansion at a time, he claimed, people of Tribal communities were being made to suffer in the most inhuman conditions in the state. Shocking that members from Dal*** & Tribal communities, were enslaved and made to suffer in the most inhuman conditions, but the Congress-JDS govt is busy with Cabinet expansion! People are watching, the BJP president tweeted. Shah was referring to the reports claiming 52 people from tribal communities, including women and children, were enslaved and forced to work for 19 hours without wages.

Led by HD Kumaraswamy, the Congress-JDS alliance government in Karnataka is likely to carry out the much-anticipated Cabinet expansion on Saturday. According to the sources, two ministersRamesh Jarkiholi (Municipal Administration) and R Shankar (Forest and Environment) -- are likely to be excluded from the Kumaraswamy Cabinet.

Also Read | Deve Gowda, Kumaraswamy 'most opportunistic' politicians: Former Karnataka chief minister Yeddyurappa

Karnataka legislators, Satish Jarkiholi, MB Patil, CS Shivalli, MTB Nagaraj, E Tukaram, PT Parameshwar Naik, Rahim Khan and RB Thimmapur would be inducted into the ministry, Congress Legislature Party Leader Siddaramaiah said in a statement.

As per the coalition pact between the Congress and the JDS, six ministerial posts are vacant for the Congress party while the JDS can nominate two more ministers from its quota. This time, only Congress leaders will be given the place in the Cabinet and JDS leaders will have to wait till the next expansion likely to take place after Makar Sankranthi.

Meanwhile, disgruntlement seems to be simmering in the Congress with a few senior aspirants not being considered for the ministerial berth in the Cabinet expansion. Sowmya Reddy, daughter of senior Congress MLA and former Minister Ramalinga Reddy, expressed her discontent for not considering her father for the post. She had also refused to accept the offer of Parliamentary Secretary post.

Read More | Karnataka government celebrates Tipu Sultan Jayanti amid tight security, protests by BJP

Another senior party leader and MLA from Hirekerur, BC Patil, also expressed his resentment for not being considered for any ministerial post. Earlier in October, the three-time legislator had said that the Congress was upholding "dictatorship" in the name of the party by dragging the Cabinet expansion in Karnataka.

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New Delhi:

The Noida police Friday arrested 126 people from a fake call centre here for allegedly being involved in extorting money from US citizens after threatening them with arrest for having discrepancies in their social security number, a senior official said.

In a late Thursday night raid at the call centre in Noida, Sector 63, operators and callers, including women, were arrested and police seized several computer systems and cash worth over Rs 20 lakh, the official said.

This is the biggest raid so far by the district police.

Gautam Buddh Nagar Superintendent of Police Ajay Pal Sharma said a total of 126 people were arrested, 312 computer systems seized and cash worth over Rs 20 lakh recovered from the scene.

"The workers at the fake call centre would call up US citizens and intimidate them saying there were problems with their social security number, a nine-digit identification number issued to US citizens, and tell them to pay penalty to get it fixed or face arrest," Sharma said.

He said the callers would pose as Social Security Department officials and tell US citizens that their social security pin has got stolen and they needed to follow some legal procedures and pay penalty money to get the issue resolved.

These callers of the call centre would first drop a voice message detailing the issue on the voice mailbox number of their targets and leave a message asking them to call back. There were many who doubted it, but some would call back and fall in the trap, Sharma said.

When the gullible people called back, these callers would solicit money saying they were being penalised and if they do not pay the penalty the federal investigators may prosecute them or arrest them, the SSP said.

He said the callers would ask for up to $3,500 and transfer it through target purchasing of "playstore cards" in the US which the call centre owners would get encashed with the help of their aides in America, Dubai and China.

This money was then transferred through bank accounts, investigation on which is on, Sharma, who led the operation, said.

"The call centre would make $50,000 every night on an average by duping gullible Americans," Sharma said, adding the money they have extorted runs into crores of rupees.

The call centre owners have been operating the centre from different places in the National Capital Region for last three years, he said, adding they would keep it shutting and restarting every now and then to avoid detection.

The call centre would function from 7 pm to 5 am, Sharma said.

"An initial probe has revealed that they had partners in the US, Dubai and China where these "playstore cards" would be encashed. The 126 arrested included three key persons who were running the Noida call centre but the mastermind is someone else and we are probing the case to reach them," SSP the SSP said.

They also used Truecaller, a global mobile app, to find the names of the people they would call up and address them by their full names, saying they are from the Social Security Department, leaving little chance for the panic-stricken people to doubt the credentials of the callers, speaking in English with an American accent.

A case has been registered against the arrested persons at the Phase 3 police station under Indian Penal Code sections 308 (extortion), 420 (cheating) and under various relevant sections of the Information Technology Act.

Over the past few months, about a dozen fake call centres have been busted in Noida and scores of people arrested for duping foreigners, including Americans and Canadians, officials said.

This was the biggest raid by the Noida police so far, in which they arrested largest number of call centre employees duping the US nationals, though the Special Task Force (STF) had arrested 151 people from three call centres for cyber fraud around two years ago.

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New Delhi:

In a fresh episode of diplomatic tension, Indian envoys in Pakistan have said that Islamabad is not treating them right. According to the latest media reports, several Indian diplomats complained about abrupt power supply disconnection. Many found out that they were not able to access their mails as the Internet was blocked. Many Indian diplomats said that the Pakistani authorities were not issuing new gas connections to them. Others said that the guests visiting diplomats were being harassed. In fact, an official reportedly said that an intruder was spotted trying to enter his house. This incident happened earlier this month, the news agency ANI said on Saturday.

This is not the first time that the Indian diplomats have complained about such harassment. Earlier in March, there was similar kind of issue between the two nations. Both nations had accused each other of harassing the diplomatic staff.

At that time, Pakistan had issued a demarche to India saying it was becoming difficult for its diplomats to function in Delhi. It was said that the March episode of hostility was sparked by an ISI raid on a residential complex under construction for Indian diplomats in Islamabad.

Read More | Pakistan: Indian diplomats stopped from meeting Sikh pilgrims in Lahore gurdwara

Before this, on February 16, the Indian High Commissioner had met the Foreign Secretary of Pakistan and lodged a strong protest against multiple acts of hooliganism against Indian properties and personnel.

It is said that over 7-8 men raided the residential complex last month and disconnected water supply and electricity to the property owned by India. Indian high commissioner Ajay Bisra met the Pakistan foreign secretary on Feb 16 to protest such astc of hooliganism against Indian staff and property.

Read More | India lodges another protest after diplomats harassed in Pakistan

Even after the strong protest by Bisaria, the power supply wasnt restored for over two weeks. Bisarias car was intercepted recently in the middle of the road as he was prevented from attending an event, sources here said.

Apart from March tension, recently, Pakistani authorities had yet again proven their hostile attitude. Last month, while the Sikh community in Pakistan was observing the 550th birthday of Sri Guru Nanak Dev at Nankana Sahib and Gurdwara Sacha Sauda, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) officials masquerading as Sikhs stopped the entry of Indian diplomats from Islamabad from meeting Indian pilgrims visiting Gurudwara Sacha Sauda in Farooqabad near Lahore. The Indian High Commission officials led by Ranjit Singh and Sunil Kumar were also allegedly insulted outside the holy place and were stopped from entering the premises of Gurdwara Nankana Sahib.

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New Delhi:

At least six terrorists were killed in an encounter that broke out on Saturday in Tral area of Jammu and Kashmirs Pulwama district. A joint team of Armys 42 RR, SOG and CRPF launched a cordon-and-search operation following credible inputs about the presence of militants at Arampora hamlet of Dadsara today early in the morning, an official said. In the meantime, the forces fired some warning shots towards a militant hideout situated in an orchard along the Tral-Awantipora road. The militant group hiding inside the hideout opened fire triggering off a gunfight which lasted for a brief time, he said.



ALSO READ | Ensure J-K gets new government by May 2019, Omar Abdullah asks PM Modi



During the course of the gunfight, six militants of Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind militant outfit including its Deputy Chief Soliha have been killed, he said.



Following the encounter, the authorities have snapped mobile Internet services in the area. The train services have also been suspended in the Valley. "We have suspended all trains running in the Kashmir valley on Saturday, a senior railway official was quoted by Kashmir Life as saying. No train will chug on Budgam-Srinagar-Islamabad-Qazigund in south Kashmir to Banihal in Jammu region. Similarly, trains will also not run on Srinagar-Budgam and Baramulla in north Kashmir, he said. He said the service will be resumed only after they get a fresh advisory from the authorities.

The bodies of all the slain militants along with as many weapons and other arms and ammunition were recovered from their possession, he said, adding: The identities of the other five militants is being ascertained. So far one body was recovered from the gunfight site. He looks like a foreigner," Greater Kashmir quoted SP Awantipora Mohammad Zahid Malik as saying.



ALSO READ | J-K: President's rule to come into force from midnight



Additional security forces and state police personnel have been deployed to prevent any demonstration near the encounter site.

On Friday, two Army officers were killed as Indian and Pakistani troops exchanged heavy firing along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara district. One junior commissioned officer (JCO) was killed in the firing and another succumbed to injuries later at a medical facility, an Army official said. The ceasefire violation occurred at the around 11.55 am.

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New Delhi:

The six-month-old HD Kumaraswamy-led coalition cabinet in Karnataka was expanded in Bengaluru on Saturday, withA eight ministers being inducted. Two ministers -- Ramesh Jarkiholi (Municipal Administration) and R Shankar (Forest and Environment) -- were dropped. The new ministers were administered the oath of office and secrecy at the Glass House at Raj Bhavan by Governor Vajubhai Vala amid tight security. The new inductees are Satish Jarkiholi, MB Patil, CS Shivalli, MTB Nagaraj, E Tukaram, PT Parameshwar Naik, Rahim Khan and RB Thimmapur, with seven of them hailing from north Karnataka.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi, after meeting party General Secretary in charge of Karnataka KC Venugopal, CLP leader Siddarmaiah, Pradesh Congress Chief Dinesh Gundu Rao and Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara gave the go-ahead on Friday night.

Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala administers oath to new State cabinet ministers at Raj Bhavan in Bengaluru



Y: ANI pic.twitter.com/6BUqch4qQe a News Nation (@NewsNationTV) December 22, 2018

However, Congress's coalition partner JD(S) was not part of the round of cabinet expansion.

According to the agreement 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).

"The cabinet expansion-cum-reshuffle decision was taken in view of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, so there is proper caste and regional representation from across the state," news agency IANS quoted an official as saying.

Ramesh Jarkiholi, who has allegedly been hobnobbing with BJP leaders and not attending cabinet and party meetings, has been replaced by his brother Satish Jarkiholi.

Shankar is an Independent lawmaker who faced the axe over his reported reluctance to be an associate member of the Congress.

(With PTI inputs)

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New Delhi:

The ongoing controversy over veteran Bollywood actor Naseeruddin Shah's recent remarks on mob violence in India has reached Pakistan, with its Prime Minister Imran Khan asserting that his government will "show" the Narendra Modi government "how to treat minorities". The actor found himself at the centre of a major controversy over his remarks in reference to the killing of a policeman in Uttar Pradeshs Bulandshahr district on December 3. Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh and a student, Sumit Kumar, were killed in the mob violence after cow carcasses were found strewn around. The main accused in the case is a local Bajrang Dal leader, Yogesh Raj, who is still absconding.

Addressing an event to highlight the 100-day achievements of the Punjab government in Lahore, Khan asserted that his government is taking steps to ensure that religious minorities in Pakistan get their due rights, which was also a vision of the country's founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

The Pakistani prime minister added thaa his government will make it sure that the minorities feel safe, protected and have equal rights in 'New Pakistan'."We will show the Modi government how to treat minorities...Even in India, people are saying that minorities are not being treated as equal citizens," he said referring to Shah's statement.

In a video interview with Karwan-e-Mohabbat India, the veteran actor said the death of a cow was being given importance over killing of a policeman in India. He 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...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," Shah added.

Khan also said if justice was not given to the weak then it will only lead to uprising. "The people of East Pakistan were not given their rights which was the main reason behind the creation of Bangladesh," he said.

Khans statement came days after the US government added Pakistan, China and Saudi Arabia along with a few other countries to a blacklist of nations where violating religious freedom and the rights of minorities is on the rise. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he had designated Pakistan among countries of particular concern in a congressionally mandated annual report, meaning the US government is obliged to exert pressure to end freedom violations.

According to a Human Rights Watch report, at least 19 people were put on death row in 2017 after being convicted of Pakistans blasphemy law, and hundreds awaited trial. Most of the people facing these blasphemy charges are members of minority groups.

Meanwhile, eminent intellectuals on Saturday said it was a matter of grave concern the way the organisers of the Ajmer Literature Festival called off an event, set to be addressed by Shah, after protests by right-wing groups over the actor's remarks.

In a statement issued here legendary actor Soumitra Chatterjee, Bengali actors Sabyasachi Chakraborty, Paran Bandyopadhyay, theatre personality Kaushik Sen, director Kamaleswar Mukherjee, director Anik Dutta, and others said, "The way an actor of Naseeruddin Shah's stature was being humiliated and institute was deplorable."

(With PTI inputs)

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New Delhi:

Veteran Bollywood actor Naseeruddin Shah has come under right-wing outfits the target for his remark on Bulandshahr violence that the death of cow was given more importance than the killing of a policeman. During an interview with Karwan-e-Mohabbat India, Shah, referring to the recent Bulandshahr violence in which a cop was killed on the recovery of cow carcasses, had said, There is complete impunity for those who take the law into their own hands. In many regions, we are witnessing that the death of a cow has more significance than that of a police officer.

Soon after his remark, it took now time Shah turned from one of the most respected actors of the Hindi film industry into many things - a traitor, a Pakistani agent. The President of Uttar Pradesh's Nav Nirman Sena, Amit Jani, booked him a one-way ticket to Pakistan dated for August 14, 2019. Pakistan celebrates its Independence Day on August 14.

Also Read | Bulandshahr violence: Yogi Adityanath orders strict action against cow slaughter

This didnt stop here and a BJP leader from Uttar Pradesh said that Naseeruddin Shah is growing into a Pakistan agent. "Naseeruddin Shah is a good artist. In one of his movies, he played the role of a Pakistani agent. I think he is growing into that character now," Uttar Pradesh BJP chief Mahendranath Pandey said.

Pandey was referring to a famous Bollywood movie Sarfarosh in which Shah had played the character of a sinister Pakistani Intelligence agent. The movie also starred another famous actor Amir Khan in the lead role. Interestingly, Khan had also expressed similar concerns over the increasing intolerance in the country and received the same backlash his Sarfarosh co-star is facing today.

Shah, however, refused to be bogged down by right-wing bashing and defended his remarks, saying he made them as a concerned Indian citizen. What did I say this time that I am being termed as a traitor? I am expressing concerns about the country I love, the country that is my home. How is that a crime? he asked.

Also Read | Bulandshahr violence: My father wanted us to be secular citizens, says son of murdered UP cop

Bulanshahr violence

On December 3, police inspector Subodh Kumar Singh was fatally shot at a point-blank range above his left eye during mob violence in Chingrawathi village of Bulandshar following the recovery of cow carcasses in a sugarcane field. After the killing of the policeman, Additional Superintendent of Police (Rural) Raees Akhtar said that the cow killers were their priority and the killing of the cop and rioting was on the backburner for the time being. The Uttar Pradesh police even arrested three people accused of the alleged cow slaughter even as the killers of the cop were still at large.

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New Delhi:

A day after massive drama in the Delhi Assembly that sparked a 'mutiny' in ruling Aam Aadmi Party, Vidhan Sabha Speaker Ram Niwas Goel tried to explain the truth of Rajiv Gandhi resolution. Talking to media on Saturday morning, Goel explained that there was a proposal for discussion on 1984 riots case on Friday. "The original resolution had no mention of Rajiv Gandhiji, it was added by AAP MLA Jarnail Singh on his own in his speech," Goel was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. In a bid to clarify the chaos, Goel said that "it (84 riots) is an emotional issue and people get swayed while speaking."

The Arvind Kejriwal government had also said that same thing after the resolution snowballed into a full-blown political crisis. Party spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj had also said that the lines about the former prime minister were not part of the original text placed before the House and it was a handwritten amendment proposed by a member that cannot be passed in such a manner.

Read More | AAP asked for my resignation over resolution on Rajiv Gandhi, I'm ready to resign: MLA Alka Lamba

AAP MLA Jarnail Singh, while moving the resolution in the Assembly, had mentioned Gandhi's name while reading the text and demanded the Bharat Ratna to the Congress leader be withdrawn for "justifying anti-Sikh riots". Meanwhile, after Friday's drama, it is still not clear whether Alka Lamba has resigned from the party or not.

Read More | Kejriwal, Sukhbir Singh Badal welcome Sajjan Kumar's conviction in 1984 anti-Sikh riots: Who said what?

Yesterday, she had claimed that she didn't support the resolution and hence was asked by the AAP to quit from the party. Lamba also staged a walkout. After the walkout, the Chandni Chowk legislator said that "I got a message from the CM to tender my resignation. I'm ready to do so".

"I was asked to support the resolution demanding taking back the Bharat Ratna awarded to former PM Rajiv Gandhi. Since I didn't agree to this, I staged a walkout. I am ready to accept whatever punishment given to me," she said in a tweet.

Meanwhile, the Congress reacted sharply with its Delhi chief Ajay Maken saying Rajiv Gandhi sacrificed his life for the country and the true colours of AAP which is the "B team of BJP" has come out.

"Sh. Rajiv Gandhi sacrificed his life for the country.True colours of AAP have come out in the open! I have always believed that AAP is the B team of BJP!", Maken tweeted.

During Friday proceedings, dominated by AAP, Jarnail Singh read out the one-page resolution which also mentioned the demand to take back the award from Gandhi. After that Speaker Ram Nivas Goel told the House that the riots were a "very serious issue" and all MLAs should support the resolution by standing up. Following this, all AAP MLAs stood up. Goel then said the resolution is adopted by voice vote.

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New Delhi:

Former Congress leader Sajjan Kumar on Saturday moved to the Supreme Court against his conviction in the 1984-anti Sikh riots case by the Delhi Court. On Monday, Sajjan Kumar was held guilty of killing five people during the anti-Sikh riots following the assassination of then prime minister Indira Gandhi by his Sikh bodyguards. More than 3,000 Sikhs were brutally killed in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots following Indira Gandhis assassination by her Sikh bodyguards who were upset with her over the Armys Operation Bluestar inside the Golden Temple in Amritsar. Congress leaders Jagdish Tytler and Sajjan Kumar were accused of masterminding the riots.

Pronouncing the final verdict in the case against Sajjan Kumar, the Delhi High Court had observed that the mass killings of Sikhs between November 1 and 4, 1984 in Delhi and the rest of the country in the aftermath of Indira Gandhis assassination was carnage of unbelievable proportions.

Also Read | Rahul Gandhi says he supports punishment to those involved in 1984 anti-Sikh riots



What happened in the aftermath of the assassination of the then PM was carnage of unbelievable proportions in which over 2,700 Sikhs were murdered in Delhi alone. Law and order clearly broke down and it was literally a free for all situation. Aftershocks of that still being felt, the High Court said while reading out the judgment.

Besides Sajjan Kumar, Captain Bhagmal, Girdhari Lal and former Congress councillor Balwan Khokhar have been sentenced to life imprisonment, while Kishan Khokkar and former legislator Mahender Yadav have been sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Earlier on Friday, the Delhi High Court had rejected Sajjan Kumar's plea seeking more time to surrender after he was sentenced to life imprisonment in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case. Following his conviction in the anti-Sikh riots case, the High Court had ordered him to surrender before the administration by December 31.

Also Read | Carnage of unbelievable proportion: Delhi High Court's observation on 1984 anti-Sikh riots



Sajjan Kumar had sought a months time to surrender, saying that he has eight grandchildren and needs time to settle personal matters. However, a bench of Justices S Muralidhar and Vinod Goel said it saw no grounds to grant him the relief and dismissed the plea.

Sajjan Kumar had moved an application before the Delhi High Court and sought a months time to surrender, saying that he has eight grandchildren and needs time to settle personal matters.



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New Delhi:

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Saturday left the TwitteratiA going gaga as one of her latest tweets make people wondering the meaning of the same. While some claim it to be a One Time Password, others suggest that her tweet is featuring the Pin Code of a country. Earlier, in a similar incident in 2017, theA Union Ministry of Finance tweeted "Sawa we h we s see see", which also took the confusion right up to the 'covfefe' levels. Taking to Twitter, Sushma wrote, "638781", without any further clue for her followers.A However, the cryptic tweet was later deleted from the official handle of Swaraj after taking the social media by storm for over 20 minutes this afternoon.

In a related note, when our team searched in Google, it learned that 638781 is a postal code of Singapore.

Swaraj, who is known for her active social media participation, earlier found herself at theA receiving end of trolls with many of her followers posting abusive comments on her Twitter handle.

The External Affairs Minister,A who has earned the reputation of cutting the red tape of the government machinery to help people over Twitter, was in for a rude shock at that time. She was being targeted for the action against a passport officer who was in the eye of the storm for allegations about harassing an interfaith couple.

However, a daring Sushma decided to turn the tables on the trolls by naming and shaming them.

Here is howA Twitterati reacted over the cryptic tweet from the EAM's twitter handle on Saturday:

In a RGB color space,A hex #638781A is composed of 38.8% red, 52.9% green and 50.6% blue. Whereas in a CMYK color space, it is composed of 26.7% cyan, 0% magenta, 4.4% yellow and 47.1% black. It has a hue angle of 170 degrees, a saturation of 15.4% and a lightness of 45.9%.A YZ a OEEECYOOEES ECYE (@priiyanshu_) December 22, 2018

638781 Cases regarding MoEA has been resolved and still counting. CongratulationsYZYZS. a Raviraj Sanas (@RavirajSanas) December 22, 2018

What is 638781 a Dr. Manish Kr.Mishra (@ManishK25536436) December 22, 2018

Earlier, SwarajA had declared that she will not contest the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.A She cited health grounds as the reason behind her decision to give the upcoming general elections a miss. She is a Lok Sabha MP from Madhya Pradesh's Vidisha.A The External Affairs Minister has been suffering from diabetes for quite a long time. In 2016, Swaraj had suffered kidney failure and underwent the transplant at Delhi's All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).A

Who is Sushma Swaraj?



Known for her eloquence and powerful speeches, Sushma Swaraj was first elected to the Haryana Legislative Assembly in 1977 and became the Labour and Employment minister in the Devi Lal-led government. She was again elected to the Haryana Legislative Assembly in 1987 and became the Education, Food and Civil Supplies minister.

Swaraj was first elected to the Lok Sabha in 1996 from South Delhi constituency. She had defeated Congress party's Kapil Sibal. She was also made the Information and Broadcasting minister in 1996 under Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. However, the government collapsed in just 13 days. Sushma Swaraj was again elected to the 12th Lok Sabha in 1998 from South Delhi. She was made the Cabinet minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government.

In October 1998, she was sent to Delhi by the BJP top leadership to replace Sahib Singh Verma as the chief minister. However, Swaraj could not prevent the party from a humiliating defeat at the hands of Congress party under the leadership of Sheila Dikshit. She was elected from Hauz Khas but later resigned from it and retained her Lok Sabha seat. In 1999, Swaraj was given the responsibility to take on Congress president Sonia Gandhi from Congress bastion Bellary in Karnataka. She had lost the election but garnered approximately 45 per cent of total votes polled. She was again made the Information and Broadcasting minister in 2000. She took charge of the Health and Family Welfare Ministry in 2003.

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New Delhi:

The controversy over mega-billion Rafale fighter jet deal refuses to die down. With every passing day, new facts and statements are being made to either justify or slam the deal. Now, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd chairman R Madhavan has stated the reason as to why the aerospace company was not listed as the offset partner with the Dassault Aviation. Talking to reporters on Friday, Madhavan explained that the Narendra Modi government wanted to buy the combat jets quickly.

Hence, even though the HAL was capable of production, but the current government decided to purchase 36 aircraft separately as it was necessary to buy them as soon as possible, he said.

Read More: Rafale Deal: After Congress claims of 'lie', Centre asks top court to make 'corrections' in judgment

For the 36 (fighter jets), the question of production here (in India) does not arise, he told reporters in Udaipur on Friday.

The defence deal may help the Indian Air Force in fulfilling the acute shortage of fighter jets, however, the politics and the upcoming Lok Sabha elections mean it wont be a smooth sailing for the Reliance, the offset partner in the deal.

Recently, Senior Congress leader M Veerappa Moily had said that if his party was voted to power in the next Lok Sabha polls, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited would be accommodated as an offset partner and Anil Ambani's Reliance Defence eased out of the Rafale deal.

Read More: Congress leader Veerappa Moily accuses IAF chief of 'lying' over Rafale Deal, BJP hits back

Earlier, the Congress had alleged that the Narendra Modi government had misled the Supreme Court about the CAG report on Rafale deal. Later, the NDA government filed a new affidavit in before the top court seeking correction in the judgment that led to a controversy in the public domain. The Modi government moved the application seeking a correction with regard to two sentences in paragraph 25 of the judgment delivered by the Supreme Court on December 14.

The Centre wants the Supreme Court to substitute the words  and the report of the CAG has been examined by the Public Accounts Committee (hereinafter referred to as PAC). Only a redacted portion of the report was placed before the Parliament and is in public domain with The report of the CAG is examined by the PAC. Only a redacted version of the report is placed before the Parliament and in public domain.

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New Delhi:

A BMW veers off the road before being rammed into the side barriers and mounting a ramp on the shoulder and then propelling so high into the air it hits the tunnel roof before then flipping upside down and smashing onto the road. This is not an action sequence from any Hollywood flick, but for real! The incident took place in the Borik tunnel, near Poprad, northeast Slovakia on December 20. Miraculously, the 44-year-old driver survived the crash, with only minor bruises.

The video of the incident, that was shared by the Slovak Republic Police, has been watched 2.1 million times on its official Facebook account since it was posted online on December 20.

Watch the video:

Shortly before 5 am on Thursday a BMW passenger was involved in a car accident in front of the Borik tunnel in east Slovakia. The 44-year old driver, who comes from the Bardejov city, did not suffer any injuries, maybe only bruises, but not even breaks, News.com.au quoted police spokesman David Puchovsky as saying.

The police added that an alcohol test was conducted and it had a negative result. It seems he suffered a microsleep.

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New Delhi:

The US government is heading for a partial shutdown till President Donald Trump and Congress can reach a mutual consensus on their long-running battle over Trump's demand for a wall on the border with Mexico. Funding for a range of federal agencies expired on Friday midnight. Donald Trump is insisting on a $ 5.7 bn deal to build his long-promised US border wall. The shutdown means the departments of homeland security, transportation, agriculture, national parks and forests will close. Earlier, a substitute spending bill was passed in order to keep federal agencies open until February 8 but the agreement did not include funding for Donald Trump's wall. More than half of the 1,700 people who work for the executive office of the president would be would be put on temporary leave.



ALSO READ | After Syria, Donald Trump to pull half of US troops from Afghanistan



Following the House's vote on Thursday night, Appropriations Committee Chairman Rodney Frelinghuysen said, "I now urge the Senate to pass this continuing resolution and prevent a government shutdown."



On Friday, Donald Trump had said at the White House that chances of a shutdown are probably pretty good, adding, Were going to get a wall.

Republican Senator Lamar Alexander said, We had a reasonable path and there was every indication from the president that he would sign it."



President Trump has thrown a temper tantrum and now has us careening toward a Trump shutdown over Christmas, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said on the Senate floor. Youre not getting the wall today, next week or on January 3rd, when Democrats take control of the House, Schumer added.



ALSO READ | US welcomes India 'reinvigorating' its ties with Maldives



More than 420,000 federal employees deemed essential would continue to work without pay during a partial shutdown, including about 41,000 law enforcement and corrections officers and nearly 150,000 Homeland Security employees. Those working without pay  three days before Christmas  would include about 53,000 TSA workers, 54,000 Customs and Border Protection agents and officers and 42,000 Coast Guard employees, according to a report by Democrats on the Senate Appropriations Committee.



Donald Trump made a wall along the U.S.-Mexican border to combat illegal immigration and drug trafficking a key campaign promise in the 2016 election, when he said it would be paid for by Mexico.

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BETHEL  For seventh-graders Hannah Stowell and Alexandra Bender, empowering other girls is second nature.

Both girls said their mothers and other female relatives have inspired them to fight for gender equality.

Its just something Ive grown up with, Stowell said. We have a lot of amazing women in our lives that help us and teach us that were just as important, too.

Its why the students decided to start a club at Bethel Middle School dedicated to gender equality and promoting education for girls around the world.

Were really fortunate to go to this school and have everything we have, said Stowell, president of the club. Its important to help people who dont have the same opportunities we have.

The club, Girl Up, is affiliated with the United Nations organization of the same name. The organization, founded in 2010, provides leadership training programs for girls and funds efforts to promote their education, health and more.

The whole idea of empowering girls and their education sounded cool to us, said Bender, the clubs vice president.

Girl Up has more than 1,900 clubs around the world, according to its website. Most of the clubs are at high schools or colleges.

Middle school is pretty revolutionary that these girls are doing this, said Caitlin Boles, the clubs adviser and a seventh-grade social studies teacher at the school.

The club meets twice a month and has 25 members. The girls said they would love to bring the club to the high school once they attend there.

Stowell said when she learned her cousin is part of her high schools Girl Up program in New Hampshire, she loved the idea and her mom encouraged her to bring the club to Bethel.

The girls gave a presentation to Boles about the club and asked her to be their adviser. Boles was quickly on board.

As a social studies teacher, we only hope our kids would want to do something like this, Boles said.

The club ties perfectly into the social studies curriculum on human rights, a lesson Boles said she hopes helps the kids build empathy and become true global citizens.

A big thing for me is making the kids be the activists, be the change-makers, she said.

The fact that these girls are willing to go above and beyond to really educate, not only themselves, but others, is a real gift, Boles added.

The students are studying human rights violations around the world, with Bender learning about the lack of education for girls in Sudan and Stowell researching the same issue in Uganda.

Stowell said she has learned 35 percent of Ugandan girls drop out of school to marry, while 23 percent drop out due to pregnancy.

Its important that Girls Up teaches girls in this country that their education is just as important as their peers, Stowell said.

The clubs first fundraiser, a Penny Wars drive, will begin in the new year. They will collect money for a school Girl Up is building for refugee girls in Uganda. By raising $1,000, the club will fund a classroom, including part of a teachers salary and supplies.

The club also plans to hold a Zumba night later this school year to raise money. The students also hope to raise awareness among their peers for issues girls around the world face.

One of the things we want to do is try and just make kids understand that this stuff is really happening, Stowell said. You may not want to go to school every day. You dont want to wake up early, but our education is important.
A statement about immigrants stands proudly on Main Street.

The Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art has set out alongside Ridgefields beloved principal thoroughfare We the People (detail) by Dahn Vo, a Vietnamese-born sculptor. Its part of the museums Main Street Sculpture Project, dating back to 2004.

What the artist Vo has done is create a replica of the Statue of Liberty, but in pieces rather than as a whole, and displayed those pieces all over. One of them is now in front of the Aldrich.

Publicizing the sculptures Main Street landing, Emily Devoe of the Aldrich wrote:

We the People (detail) is one of 250 individual parts of the artists 1:1 replica of the Statue of Liberty. Vos segmented version was never intended to be assembled, but rather to allow the viewer to experience the world-famous icon on a human scale and to reflect the idea of liberty from multiple perspectives.

Hmmmm. Including, presumably, the perspective of befuddled passersby.

The Main Street Sculpture series has a long and memorable history, some of it highlighting the multiple perspectives to be found on many, if not all, aspects of reality  and art.

Downtown Dada

Locals who have wandered down Main Street over the years may recall a few of the Main Street Sculpture projects highlights  some but not all of which appear to draw on the lets tweak the Philistines noses ethic that has brought joyous giggles to a portion of modern art world at least since an inspired Dadaist thought to move a urinal from the mens room to the gallery space wall. (Living in the age of Google, it doesnt take long to learn that inspired Dadaist was Marcel Duchamp, and he did his urinal as art thing back in 1917.)

The Aldrichs Main Street Sculpture series has over the years included memorable works that a grumpy Philistine might describe as: The Greek Goddess with Watermelon; The Rats in the Trees; The Signs to Nowhere; and, farther back, The Thing That Looks Like A Hutch; the Big Baby; and, of course, enormous and much-beloved, The Thumb.

There were, no doubt, others. But these were memorable. They made an impression. And some inspired  as any contemporary artist worthy of the title would doubtless love  a bit of controversy here in this aggressively quaint suburb.

Memory suggests that the The Thumb, the Big Baby (looking a little too jolly in his diapers) and, of course, the more recent Rats in the Trees inspired some expressions of dismay and opposition from locals who felt this sort of art might be profound or provocative or whatever, but it wasnt appropriate  at least not for being put right out there on Ridgefields beloved faux-colonial Main Street.

The museum appears to take the placing of strange things on Main Street quite seriously.

It can be argued that the Main Street Sculpture Project is the most important of all of the Aldrichs initiatives in that it broadcasts in very public way the nature of the institution, as well as acting as a bridge between the community and the museum Devoe wrote.

People walking down Main Street, she noted, will stop to look at and take pictures of the sculpture  often selfies or shots with friends and family beside the artworks.

Lady Liberty

It would be difficult to argue that the pieces of the Statue of Liberty do not constitute a serious statement  and a lot of work.

The Aldrichs Devoe wrote: Made using repousse (hammered metal), the same technique employed by the French sculptor Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi to create the original statue in 1876, the individual parts of Vos segmented version have been dispersed around the world and have to date been exhibited in more than 15 countries.

And this is, after all, the Statue of Liberty  Lady Liberty, the cherished symbol that has stood in New York Harbor for 132 years now, welcoming refugees and immigrants.

It also seems a safe bet to say the sculpture is a statement on refugees since Vo, who now works out of both Germany and Mexico, was once a refugee himself.

In 1979, when Vo was four years old, his family fled Vietnam in a homemade boat and were rescued at sea by a Danish freighter; they eventually settled in Denmark, where he grew up, according to Devoe. His early life as a refugee and his assimilation into European culture are reflected in Vos art, while his reimagining of the Statue of Liberty takes on increased urgency in our current moment in time, where immigration and refugee crises have become issues of both national and worldwide debate.
NEW HAVEN  Through the efforts of a Yale Law School clinic, more than 50,000 U.S. Army veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan are part of a newly certified class-action lawsuit that challenges the less than honorable discharges they received.

A federal judge Friday certified the suit for those veterans who developed post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury or other mental health conditions in the service and subsequently were pushed out for infractions that could be attributable to undiagnosed mental health problems stemming from their military service.

Steve Kennedy and Alicia Carson, Army veterans who served at the height of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, were the named plaintiffs in the April 2017 suit on behalf of themselves and tens of thousands of others who have been similarly affected in order to ensure fair treatment when veterans apply to have these service characterizations changed.

The plaintiffs are represented by the Yale Law School Veterans Legal Services Clinic and co-counsel at Jenner & Block.

Since September 2001, more than 2 million Americans have served in either Iraq or Afghanistan.

Nearly a third of them suffer from PTSD and related mental health conditions, but the military continues to issue less-than-honorable (bad paper) discharges at historically high rates, often for minor infractions, the suit states.

Such characterizations often impose a lifetime of stigma, impair veterans employment prospects, and deny veterans access to critical government services such as the GI bill, disability benefits and mental health treatment.

Although the Army Discharge Review Board promises these veterans a path to correct unjustly harsh discharges, the ADRB frequently denies claims in defiance of recent Department of Defense policies intended to ease this process for veterans with service-connected PTSD and related conditions, according to the plaintiffs.

This decision means that thousands of servicemembers who have been denied the support of VA resources because of an unfair discharge status may have another chance at relief, said Kennedy, who served in Iraq and is a founder of the Connecticut chapter of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America.

The cost of this continuing refusal to reckon with the reality of mental illness in the military is more than unjustly denied benefits  it is a generation of lost promise and opportunity for countless soldiers suffering the invisible wounds of war as a result of their sacrifice for country, Kennedy said.

The decision follows another recent one approving a nationwide class of Marine and Navy veterans against the Naval Discharge Review Board, which is also pending in the District of Connecticut.

Almost five years ago, the Department of Defense ordered the Army and other service branches to take into account the role that PTSD and other mental health conditions play in veterans discharges, said Jordan Goldberg, a law student in the Yale Veterans Legal Services Clinic.

But the ADRB continues callously to dismiss veterans claims in open defiance of these rules. This lawsuit is about holding the Army to its commitments and securing justice for the veterans whose honorable service has gone unrecognized for too long, Goldberg said in a statement.
NEW HAVEN  Its late December, and for the first time in decades, Guitar George Baker isnt playing anywhere around Christmas or New Years.

Right now he is fighting cancer  liver cancer  and could use your support and your prayers.

But make no mistake: reports of George Bakers demise are more than a little exaggerated.

Baker, a local treasure with a smooth-as-silk delivery and a warm smile on his face even when times are tough, has been a professional musician for 63 of his 80 years on Earth.

A musical Merry Christmas message from George Baker and Mark Zaretsky.

The Louisiana-born, New York-polished local icon spent three years in the late 1960s and early 1970s as Marvin Gayes bandleader. He has been a beloved, ubiquitous part of the New Haven and Connecticut music scene for the past 33 years; a blues, jazz and funk guitarist, vocalist and bandleader who performs regularly at Cafe Nine and many other venues.

While hes not out rubbing shoulders this December, Baker wishes all his friends and fans a Merry Christmas and is eager to get back out to play soon.

Im ready to go do gigs right now, Baker said, talking to a reporter who also happens to be a friend and fellow musician, on Friday, 19 days after he announced in a post on his Facebook page that he had cancer and was going to bow out of playing gigs, at least for a while.

But nearly three weeks later, after beginning, and then ceasing, chemotherapy that he said kicked my ass, Bakers numbers are looking better. Hes looking good and hes getting a bit of cabin fever.

Dont be surprised if you see him out and about sometime soon.

Its looking good  I stopped taking the pills and the levels (still) went down, Baker said. Life is a process  youve got to be ready for the unwanted. ... Its like a hard slap, but you cant slap nobody back.

Is he scared?

Do I look scared? Baker said, flashing that smile again. Scared of what?

A native of rural Louisiana, Baker grew up in New Roads, La., with the Guy brothers  Buddy and Phil  and as a young man played with blues great Jimmy Reed, as well as Gene Allison, Johnny Adams, The Flamingos, The Shirelles, The Drifters and Melba Moore, among many others.

In the late 1960s, he played in the house band of the famed Apollo Theater in Harlem.

Baker lived in New York City from 1961 until 1985, first in Brooklyns Bedford-Stuyvesant section and later in Park Slope, near the current location of the Barclay Center.

His health generally has been good, except for a bout with what was later found to be Hepatitis C that he believes he caught from a poorly-screened blood transfusion while being treated for an ulcer in 1975.

Ive always been proactive about my health ... and gotten checkups, for many years through the Musicians Union in New York. Hes been particularly fastidious since 1975.

In May 2012, doctors found something the size of a pinhead on his liver. They discussed treatment, but by time we decided what to do it was September and it had grown to about the size of a quarter, he said.

Doctors treated it with chemo administered through a catheter.

But now the cancers back.

Doctors say its at an intermediate stage and Baker said the cut-off for a transplant is 75 years of age.

He stopped performing in early November when the levels of tumor markers were found to be high in his liver, then had procedures on Nov. 8 and again on Dec. 12. He said hell know more when he has another MRI in January.

As for the prognosis, nobody really knows, Baker said, sitting at the dining room table Friday afternoon in friend Todd Lyons East Rock apartment, joined by longtime friends Hayward Gatling and Les Ross.

But he is hoping for the best.

Bakers medical procedures are at least partially covered by Medicare, but he currently is unable to perform, and hasnt had the financial support that provides coming in for several weeks.

Friends have discussed organizing a fundraising drive or a benefit, but details have yet to be firmed-up. In the meantime, anyone who wants to help support Baker while he isnt working can donate via Paypal by sending funds to guitargeorgebaker@gmail.com.

Baker decided to tell the world about his struggle because at this point, Everybody knows. My niece knows. People in New York know. ... I dont like rumors, he said. I figured Id tell people myself.

So in a Dec. 2 Facebook post, he told beloved friends and fans that I will be stepping away from the microphone  at least for a time  in order to do battle with that formidable foe, cancer.

Im 80 years on this planet, and I feel just as passionate about my music as I did when I was a kid, Baker wrote. But for now I must save my strength and put my faith in modern medicine, as well as old-fashioned love  that is, the energy and beautiful vibes God has blessed me with for all these years.

Ill still be performing now and then (stay tuned!) and Im not going anywhere, so please keep me in your thoughts, as I will be thinking of all of you, he wrote. With deepest love and gratitude, Guitar George.

That drew an outpouring of love from friends near and far, with 162 people chiming in to offer him love, prayers and good wishes.

mark.zaretsky@hearstmediact.com
West Haven Police Department

WEST HAVEN  A suspect police say has several previous arrests for bank robbery was charged Friday in the robbery of TD Bank, 636 Campbell Ave., police said.

The robbery occurred at about 11 a.m. Bank employees described the suspect as a male wearing a black mask over his face and dressed all in black. He last was seen fleeing on foot north on Campbell Avenue, police said.
Sal Annunziato looked out at his expectant audience and said, This is my story and its the truth.

And then for almost two hours, Annunziato poured out his dramatic account about being the grandson of the notorious mobster of the same name.

Maybe youre old enough to remember this long-feared crime figure, nicknamed Midge Renault from his days as a teenage boxer. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s and into the 1970s, he led a Mafia gang that terrorized the Greater New Haven area. They had the power to do whatever they wanted and they ruthlessly used it.

Annunziato the younger still has deep emotional scars from being raised in such a family. And now, with the help of journalist Chris Hoffman, who has written articles about Annunziato the elder for Connecticut magazine and other publications, Annunziato has begun doing a stand-up show describing what it was like.

His debut came last Monday night at the Best Video Film & Cultural Center in Hamden, in front of a sell-out, captivated crowd. He will do a repeat performance there Jan. 14 but thats already sold out too.

When I watch movies about the Mob, they really glamorize it, Annunziato said. People think the Mob is glamorous or cool. No. Its not glamorous. It wasnt cool. It was (expletive) horrible.

I dont need to watch The Sopranos, he said. I lived The Sopranos. It really messes with your head. Being in that world is mass destruction. No one gets away.

But he added, I was born into the life and I escaped. I never forget how blessed I am.

Referring to his father, Frank Annunziato, and his fathers father, Annunziato said, Im a typical drug addict and alcoholic, like my dad and grandfather. The only difference is I got sober or I wouldve died young, just like them.

He is 58 and said he has been sober for 30 years.

My grandfathers been gone for 40 years and his name still comes up several times a week, Annunziato said. When Im performing (music) at a bar, somebody will ask me: Hey, arent you related to that Sal guy? Ill say, Yeah, he was my grandfather: a made man in the Genovese crime family.

He said having that name was also a burden for him when he was a kid. At school, kids would say, I saw your name on the news last night or Sal! Youre on page one today! Id throw up before I went to school.

Annunziato said his grandfather was just 5 feet 2 inches tall and weighed 120 pounds, although he ballooned out to 200 pounds at the end.

But in his prime, He looked like Edward G. Robinson. He wore a fedora and strutted around like the biggest cock in the henhouse. Hed fight anybody anywhere. The violent streak of this guy was so scary.

However, Annunziato added, Midge was a really complicated guy. You never knew who youd get. He was wildly generous; hed hand out $100 bills like sticks of gum. He loaned a car to a bartender so he could go on his honeymoon. People said he had a heart of gold.

But there was a whole other side. God help you if my grandfather didnt like you or if you crossed him. Hed crack a barstool over your head and hed shoot you. He shot a lot of people.

Annunziato said it was impossible to relax around his grandfather because you never knew what would trigger him. It was like being around nitroglycerin. One minute hed be a fun-loving guy, the next minute hes beating the (expletive) out of somebody.

He had an intensity; you could feel it. It was scary. You knew he was getting intense when his nostrils flared.

This is what happened when a person crossed Annunziato: He hit the guy, ran over his legs forward and backward, hit him several more times, then left.

But the FBI was always investigating him and his cronies. Sometimes they got enough to send him off to prison for a while. Annunziato showed us the New Haven Registers front page headline from Jan. 2, 1962: Annunziato Creates a Furor on Surrender.

He shows up a half-hour late, Annunziato said. Hes hanging out with a U.S. marshal. A Register photographer takes a picture of him and Midge goes nuts. He bounds down the courthouse steps, screaming: Ill kill you! Ill break your legs! Then he and the marshal go out to lunch! They have a few belts together. Thats the power the Mob had in those days.

Six years later, Annunziato was released from prison. He thinks hes going to pick up where he left off. But Eddie Devlin had started a gang of Irish and Italian guys. Midge gets out and says, This is my turf, get out of here. Devlin says: (Expletive) you. So Midge forms a crew and there was a full-fledged gang war.

Midge put his son in charge of that effort. It turned our lives upside down. At our house in East Haven, anything was possible. Our attic became a hang-out for these gangsters. My mother (Rita) is cooking chicken cutlets and these guys are running in and out.

Annunziato recalled being told to ring a buzzer if he saw anybody dangerous approaching the house. Im 8 years old and Im on the look-out for guys trying to whack my father!

But he said his dad was broken by the constant stress and violence. He went over the deep end on drugs and booze. He was killing people for my grandfather and he couldnt handle it. He turned to heroin and became a full-blown junkie.

Annunziato said his father sometimes became suddenly, unpredictably violent, just like Midge. Annunziato recalled seeing his father beat his mother.

I dont know how my mom did it. She was always and still is all about love. Love for her husband, love for her three sons. Without her, I know my brothers and me would never have turned out the way we did.

He also recalled seeing his grandfather storm into the house and savagely beat his father because he was using heroin. He cracked open my fathers head with the butt of a gun. My mothers screaming, my brothers and me are looking on in horror. Seeing your dad beat up, that violence, it scars you. Theres such a fear in you.

Annunziato said the music of that era helped us keep our sanity. He called his brother Frankie out of the crowd and, with Sal playing guitar, they sang nice harmony to the Beatles This Boy.

But then Annunziato recalled visiting his father at Yale New Haven Hospital. He was terminally ill at 39. My dad said, Sal, I ruined my life. I never forgot that.

When he died, I thought, Oh my God, am I going to end up like that? Dead by 40?

His grandfathers death at 59 was also bleak. By June 1979, he had lost his power and self-control. He knew the end was near. Then one day Tommy the Blond came to pick him up. He knew when they pulled away together, he was going to get whacked. He drove off into the sunset with Tommy the Blond. They never found a trace of my grandfather.

Annunziato the younger also battled addiction to drugs for years. But after trips to the emergency room and warnings from doctors and nurses that he would die just as his father did, I stopped. I knew it was life or death for me.

Today, working as a yoga instructor and as CEO of a software company, I use my story as an example of coming out of the darkness and into the light. I made it because of love. Thats really what its all about.

Then he handed out Love Tribe wristbands with the message: Hearts open no matter what!

randall.beach@hearstmediact.com
I applaud your publishing Michael Galants excellent (Nov. 18) essay, Chris Murphy wants a new foreign policy. As Murphys constituent, so do I.

Still, I couldnt agree more with Galant about Murphys bellicose attitude toward Palestinians and apparent veneration of a Zionist Israel. Consider a 2015 press release issued on Murphys becoming a ranking member of the Mideast Subcommittee of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, in which he says:

I also look forward to working across the aisle to continue to support our sacred ally Israel as it faces unprecedented threats and instability along its borders.

Whats sacred about our ally, Israel?

Is it sacred for Israel to maintain an apartheid-like system that mirrors U.S. Jim Crow, with laws that claim Israeli sovereignty over all pre-1948 Palestine, the annexation of the occupied Palestinian territory of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem and Gaza? Is it sacred to pass a nation-state law that makes the 20-plus percent of the Israeli population  mainly Palestinian-Israelis  formally second class and erases Arabic as an official language?

And whats sacred about Murphys opposing the nonviolent, peace-seeking Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movements (BDS) against Israel, or Israels banning international supporters of BDS  including Jews  from Israel? Moreover, theres nothing sacred about the denial of the free speech of members of 20 peace groups also being banned from Israel including the American Friends Service, Jewish Voice for Peace, and BDS South Africa.

Finally, is it sacred for Murphy to annually support giving Israel billions of U.S. taxpayers money that could go to American education, health care, our crumbling infrastructure  especially while Israels actions represent a corruption of American value for equality before the law?

No peace and security will come from the current foreign policy Senator Murphy advocates toward Palestine-Israel. Indeed, close observers of the conflict acknowledge the death of the two-state solution, while many increasingly see the only sustainable and just solution is the formation of One Democratic State.

Theres a Mideast foreign policy Id like to see Senator Murphy take the lead on.

Justine McCabe

New Milford
A man and woman were criminally charged after their malnourished pit bull died outdoors.

Trent Brewer, 22 and Oniesha Noble, 23, were charged with animal cruelty, Atlantic County Prosecutor Damon Tyner announced Friday.

Egg Harbor Township police were called to a home on Booker Avenue Sunday after residents complained about a dog tied up at a home without shelter.

Officers found the body of Gucci the pit bull tied to a shed. An animal necropsy showed that she died of starvation and malnourishment, and was eating toxic mulch in desperation.

Brewer was arrested at the home on Thursday. Noble was told to turn herself in and did. She was released on a summons while Brewer was taken to the Atlantic County Justice Facility pending a court hearing.

Anyone with information about the incident can contact Egg Harbor Township detectives at 609-927-5200.

Joe Brandt can be reached at jbrandt@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JBrandt_NJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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The Margaret E. Heggan Free Public Library in Washington Township is offering a series of programs for college-bound students during January.

Focus on College will be the theme during Teen Homework Haven, which is offered on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings from 5 to 7 p.m.

On Jan. 2, 8 and 9, students can complete a career/interest survey to consider their options. Help with filling in the universal college application will be the focus on Jan. 15, 16 and 22. On Jan. 23, 29 and 30, students can get help writing their college application essay.

Students are also encouraged to bring any projects, research questions, and other homework concerns to Teen Homework Haven nights. A librarian will be available to assist with any homework questions.

The Margaret E. Heggan Free Public Library is located at 606 Delsea Drive. Visit www.hegganlibrary.org or call 856-589-3334 for more information.
A desperation scramble to prevent a goal led to one on the other end of the ice for the Devils.

Taylor Hall scored his second goal of Fridays game against the Ottawa Senators at Prudential Center in Newark, capping off a 2-on-0 rush with Kyle Palmieri, after defenseman Sami Vatanen and forward Nico Hischier did everything in their power to keep a puck out of the Devils' net.

Vatanen started by sliding into the crease to get a stick on a Brady Tkachuk shot, keeping it out of net, but sending it into the air above the crease. With goalie Keith Kinkaid pulled out a bit, Vatanen and Hischier then hit the ice to guard the net, and they eventually cleared the puck away from danger.

Palmieri forced a turnover to start a breakaway, and Hall motored to catch him for the 2-on-0 advantage. Palmieri dropped a pass to Hall, who popped in his second goal in a 72-second stretch.

Through two periods, Hall had two goals and two assists, while Palmieri and Hischier also scored.

Chris Ryan may be reached at cryan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @ChrisRyan_NJ. Find NJ.com Devils on Facebook.
The Eagles recently tried to sign Minnesota Vikings practice squad defensive end Ifeadi Odenigbo to their 53-man roster, according to Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press. The second-year player declined the deal in favor of a raise from the Vikings.

While Odenigbo remains on Minnesotas practice squad, he will make $28,235 per week. That weekly salary is the equivalent of what Odenigbo would make on the Eagles' active roster.

The Vikings selected Odenigbo in the seventh round of last years draft. He spent his entire rookie season on the Vikings' practice squad. The 6-foot-3, 258-pound Northwestern alum spent time with the Arizona Cardinals and Cleveland Browns this season before re-signing with the Vikings' practice squad.

The Eagles recently signed second-year defensive end Daeshon Hall off the Houston Texans' practice squad. Hall played nine snaps during his Eagles debut against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 15.

Odenigbo may have been another option to replace injured fourth-round pick Josh Sweat, who was placed on injured reserve following the Week 14 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.

The Eagles currently have four defensive ends on the active roster. Hall plays behind Brandon Graham, Michael Bennett and Chris Long. Philadelphia also has rookie defensive end Joe Ostman on the practice squad.

Mike Kaye may be reached at mkaye@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@Mike_E_Kaye. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
JERSEY CITY  The Hudson County Prosecutors Office has released more information on an incident in which police shot a man in his home Friday night.

A 36-year-old man, who was described by Jersey City police as violent and emotionally disturbed, pulled out a weapon on Jersey City police officers who had responded to 144 Orient Ave. before 10 p.m., the prosecutors office said, relaying information from the Jersey City police.

One of the responding officers then shot the man in the torso, the prosecutors office said. The names of the police officer and the man were not released.

The man, who lives with his parents in the home, was taken to the RWJBarnabas Healths Jersey City Medical Center and he is in critical, but stable condition, Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez said in the statement.

According to police radio transmissions, police arrived after the home about 10-15 prior to the shooting and described the man as a combative emotionally disturbed person.

No one answered the door at the home Saturday afternoon.

The incident is being investigated by the prosecutors office, which is normal procedure when a police officer is involved in a shooting.
JERSEY CITY  Hundreds of students got the chance to write about how a book inspired them, and a few were even awarded for their work.

WBLS and HOT 97 FM radio stations  along with CarePoint Healths Christ Hospital, Jersey City Public Schools Superintendent Marcia V. Lyles, Mount Olive Baptist Church and the Jersey City Police Department  helped present awards to Darinka Arones of Liberty High School, Zahira Thomas of Dickinson High School and Jasmere Gillis of Lincoln High School on Tuesday.

The winners were given $1,000, $500 and $250, respectively. The awards were funded by the Rev. John H. McReynolds, pastor of Mount Olive Baptist Church.

The students were three of more than 200 who participated in the contest, which entailed writing about their life experiences and how Mount Olive Baptist Church first lady and Jersey City Department of Recreation youth opportunity coordinator Tamika McReynolds book From Federal Prison to First Lady inspired them.

This contest is part of the city, its public schools and Mount Olive Baptist Churchs teen mentoring program that drives to help educate local high school students on careers in the healthcare industry and health in their community.

It is great to see so many Jersey City students engaged in the ... program, and they were eager to share their life experiences through the essay contest, said Mayor Steve Fulop in statement. The partnership with Christ Hospital and the Department of Recreation has created a great program to provides hands-on experience for our citys youth as they continue to grow and prepare for their bright futures.
A man was shot by police inside a Jersey City building Friday night after pulling a weapon on police, police said in radio transmissions.

The Hudson County Prosecutors Office confirmed in a tweet that it is investigating a police-involved shooting. It is standard operating procedure that the prosecutors office investigate all incidents in which police shoot people.

Just after 10 p.m. Friday, the man was reported by critical, but stable condition, police said in radio transmissions.

According to radio transmissions, police responded to 144 Orient Ave. at roughly 9:35 p.m. on the report of a combative, possibly emotionally disturbed person. Some 15 minutes later, an officer said over the radio Male pulled a weapon on us. He is down. Send a bus on a rush.

No details on the shooting were immediately available Saturday
ARLINGTON, Va.  Three decades ago, terrorists blew up Pan Am Flight 103 as it was returning to New York from London.

The tragedy forever changed the lives of the families of the 259 passengers on board the plane and 11 people on the ground in Lockerbie, Scotland. But it also changed the country. Today, airline security is stronger than it was before Pan Am 103 was blown up Dec. 21, 1988, and the relatives continue to keep the pressure on year after year.

Thats the success story, said Bert Ammerman of River Vale, whose brother Tom was aboard Flight 103. "We were answering to a higher authority. We were not going away until our loved ones are properly remembered. I can say, 30 years later, that my brother did not die in vain.

Ammerman and hundreds of other relatives and friends, some who werent even alive at the time, jammed a tent at Arlington National Cemetery Friday in front of the memorial cairn erected some years ago to commemorate the bombing.

Formed in tragedy, bonds between the families have never frayed.

The list of speakers -- which included Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and Transportation Security Administration head David Pekoske -- talked about the impact the families have had in the intervening three decades.

The Pan Am 103 bombing was a wakeup call for commercial aviation, said Chao, who traveled to Lockerbie in 1988 as a deputy transportation secretary. It was the beginning of the end of our innocence, and it ushered in a new era of aviation vigilance and security thanks largely to the work that you have done."

The plane was blown up by a bomb inside a cassette recorder, and hidden inside a suitcase loaded on an Air Malta flight. It was then transferred to Flight 103. At the time, airlines were supposed to make sure the passenger who checked the bag was on board, but that was not done in this case.

The breakdown in security led the relatives to focus their attention on tightening aviation security measures. They met with President George H.W. Bush and lobbied Congress.

When these folks came in, you knew why you were there, said former Rep. James Walsh a Republican from Syracuse, where 35 of the victims were returning from a Syracuse University overseas study program. They were grieving. It just cried out for justice. The human loss was astonishing. You felt you had to do something.

Their efforts led to a law enacted two years after the bombing. Another security breakdown contributed to 9/11 when, for the first time, terrorists were willing to commit suicide aboard airliners rather than plant bombs while they stayed off the plane. After that tragedy, the federal government took over airline security and set up the TSA.

The problem of governance in our generation has been closing barn doors too late, said former U.S. Sen. Robert Torricelli, D-N.J., who was a House member after the bombing of Pan Am 103 and met with some of the relatives. It was the first time in my life -- but it was not to be the last -- that I sat across from people who lost almost everything they valued in life. I felt proud of the United States government almost every day that I served but with the parents of those victims and again after 9/11, I felt the country had let them down.

One person eventually was convicted in the bombing, Abdel Baset al-Megrahi, but he was released from prison early on the grounds that he was terminally ill. He lived for three more years in Libya. The Libyan government accepted responsibility for the attack and agreed to pay $2.7 billion to the victims' families.

Rosenstein, who with Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker, FBI Director Christopher Wray and hundreds of Flight 103 families dedicated a plaque at FBI headquarters Thursday to commemorate the tragedy, said the investigation was continuing to this day.

We continue to pursue leads, he said. And we will not stop until we are certain that everyone accountable is either in prison, or no longer living. Our quest for justice will never wane.

The 30th anniversary has given the relatives a chance to reflect.

Its like theres life before something like this happens, and life after, said Paul Hudson, who lost his daughter Melina. There is still life, but its different.

The current president of Victims of Pan Am 103, Kara Weipz, was just 15 when her brother, Syracuse University student Richard Monetti of Cherry Hill, was killed. Shes known the other relatives twice as long as shes known her brother. Now her oldest of three children, Ricky, is heading off to college.

These people are my family, said Weipz, who now lives in Mount Laurel. Im proud to be part of this group who has enacted so many changes. Airline security reforms saved lives.

"Especially now with the 30th anniversary, were really reflecting on the good that came out this tragedy. This was an act of hate and you can only combat an act of hate by spreading love.

Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JDSalant or on Facebook. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.
Gov. Phil Murphy on Friday began rolling out recommendations for how to drive down New Jerseys ever-ballooning costs for government-worker health benefits  but stopped short of suggesting the cuts that some top state lawmakers are considering.

Instead, the Murphy administration says the states health care plans should leverage their size and shorten contract lengths to save taxpayers money, according to an interim report from a task force the rookie governor convened.

Murphy, a Democrat, called the 12-page report an excellent starting point in our ongoing pursuit of innovative solutions to improve the way we provide health benefits to public employees.

This is a Goliath of a task, but the blue print laid out today provides sound, actionable items that are achievable in the immediate future while we work towards long-term solutions, the governor added in a statement.

New Jersey provides retirement and health benefits to more than 810,000 state and local government workers. But the costs are annual drain on the state budget  which is largely the result of numerous past governors, Democratic and Republican, failing to fully fund pensions.

The states pension and health benefits liability currently sits at about $152 billion. By comparison, the state budget for the current fiscal year is $37.4 billion.

Murphy convened this task force in May to find ways to reduce health costs. It includes state and national health policy and purchasing experts, union leaders, and experts from within the administration.

Among their chief suggestions in this report:

Leveraging the $7 billion the state spends a year on health care to drive better health outcomes at lower costs. That includes creating pilot programs, directly contracting with providers or vendors to test and evaluate care delivery and payment innovations, and more.

Shortening contract lengths with third-party administrators and network providers that provide little to no opportunity for innovation or re-negotiation. The panel recommends reducing contracts to three years with a one-year extension option.

Making sure health plans set clear expectations for clinical quality improvement and that the provider includes metrics, goals and penalties for achieving or failing to achieve these expectations.

Setting detailed parameters for what constitutes network adequacy" for mental health and substance abuse.

Making sure committees that design health plans make evidence-informed decisions based on payment data.

The report does not address ways to tackle soaring pension costs.

The approach is much different than Murphys Republican predecessor, Chris Christie, who bolstered his national profile by cutting a deal in 2010 and 2011 with Democratic leaders of the state Legislature to overhaul New Jerseys pension and health benefits.

That included workers agreeing to pay more for health care and Christie promising to eventually make full pension payments. Though Christie did funnel more into the system than previous governors, he later slashed pension payments and never kept his vow to fully fund them.

Christie also began calling for more cuts before he left office. Union leaders recoiled and Democratic leaders were never on board.

Murphy, a progressive Democrat who won election last year with heavy labor support, has vowed to finally fully fund the pension system.

At the same time, New Jerseys top state lawmaker, state Senate President Stephen Sweeney  a more moderate Democrat  has convened his own, bipartisan panel to find ways to save the state money.

Its final report  called the Path to Progress and released in August  suggests new tolls, merging school districts, and making cuts to pension and health benefits.

State Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, D-Middlesex, New Jerseys third-highest-ranking state official, has not publicly endorsed Sweeneys plan. But he, too, has called for state leaders to find ways to make spending cuts to rein in the budget.

Still, Sweeney and Coughlin would need Murphys support to enact those plans. And Murphy would need Sweeney and Coughlin to help install his health benefit recommendations.

Its unclear what the outcome will be, especially because Murphy and Sweeney have often butted heads in the governors rookie year.

Murphy last week also refused to rule out another round of state tax hikes for next year. The governor instituted a set of tax increases last year to help pay for increases to pensions, education, and transportation.

But Sweeney and Coughlin have already said they wont consider any tax hikes unless there are significant spending cuts.

At least one Republican, state Sen. Steven Oroho, dismissed Murphys suggestions Friday as abstract.

It seems like another attempt to kick the can down the road, while ignoring real proposals in our Path to Progress report, said Oroho, R-Sussex.

EDITORS NOTE: This report has been updated to clarify that the task force is focused on New Jerseys government-worker health benefits, not its pension system.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @johnsb01. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.
WASHINGTON -- President Donald Trump vowed to shut down the federal government over his demand for a wall along the U.S.-Mexican border, and New Jerseys House Democrats were more than willing to give him credit when he followed through.

Parts of the government shut down Saturday for the third time under Trump after he said he would not sign legislation continuing funding through Feb. 8 for several agencies, including, ironically, Homeland Security. Most of the government already had been funded through Sept. 30 under earlier appropriations bills.

Many of New Jerseys Democratic lawmakers used the same word to describe Trumps refusal to keep the government open without wall funding: tantrum.

The American people dont support this wall, or the tactics Trumps using to get it. Republicans and Democrats in Congress already passed a compromise, and I hope Trump will consider putting on his big boy pants and joining us so that we can re-open the government.  Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (@RepBonnie) December 22, 2018

This needless shutdown is a Trump shutdown. Despite controlling all three branches of government, Republicans still are incapable of governing. Donald Trump is throwing a childs temper tantrum and Republicans prefer stroking his unhinged ego to running a country. https://t.co/ctsnAh0vSn  Bill Pascrell, Jr. (@BillPascrell) December 22, 2018

There are more than 4,900 federal workers in New Jersey who will be furloughed or work without pay over Christmas because Donald Trump is throwing a tantrum for his vanity wall. Those are families who will suffer because of the #TrumpShutdown. Republicans need to learn to govern.  Rep. Donald Payne Jr (@RepDonaldPayne) December 22, 2018

The #TrumpShutdown is now in effect.



Sadly, American workers are the ones suffering because of Trumps egotistical, politically-motivated temper tantrum.



My full reaction: pic.twitter.com/IFc2bmF8R1  Donald Norcross (@DonaldNorcross) December 22, 2018

Some lawmakers discussed the impact of the shutdown, though also placed the blame on the president.

CongratsTrump wanted a #GovernmentShutdown and now hes got it. He can celebrate all he wants, but hundreds of thousands of unpaid and furloughed federal employees will be hurting this holiday season. This shutdown could have been averted. The American people deserve better.  Senator Bob Menendez (@SenatorMenendez) December 22, 2018

These departments are crucial to keeping us safe and our economy moving. Training for emergency responders who assist during natural disasters will be delayed. TSA, which keeps our airports running, will have its hands tied behind its back.  Rep. Frank Pallone (@FrankPallone) December 21, 2018

If Trump shuts down the government over his wasteful border wall there will be real consequences for 1,000s of federal employees in NJ & across our country. More than 420,000 federal workers will work without pay & 380,000 will be furloughed ahead of the holidays. Unacceptable.  Sen. Cory Booker (@SenBooker) December 21, 2018

I will continue to work to get the government back open.  Rep Josh Gottheimer (@RepJoshG) December 22, 2018

Why did House Republicans support the border wall knowing that the spending bill was doomed in the Senate? After a midterm election when four of New Jerseys five GOP seats flipped to Democrats, in part because of a revulsion to Trumps policies, Rep. Frank LoBiondo, R-2nd Dist., explained his vote.

Laurie - A NO vote is to shut down the government. I will not vote to do that & was not sent to Washington by my #SouthJersey constituents to shut down the government. Period. Frank https://t.co/gQG6uFiO24  Frank LoBiondo (@RepLoBiondo) December 21, 2018

Outgoing House Appropriations Committee Chairman Rodney Frelinghuysen, R-11th Dist., also said his vote was designed to keep the government open.

I do not support a government shutdown under any circumstances, Frelinghuysen said. This measure keeps our government open for six additional weeks to allow the House of Representatives, Senate, and White House additional time to reach an agreement on our remaining appropriations work.

Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JDSalant or on Facebook. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.
Want to visit a brewery but dont want to leave your dog at home?

New Jersey is one step closer to eliminating that dilemma.

The state Senate on Monday passed a bill to make it legal for pooches to join their owners at breweries in the state.

State Sen. Michael Doherty, a main sponsor, said the measure was inspired by brewery owners who said being dog-friendly makes for good business.

Any time we see an industry thats actually growing in New Jersey, we should seize any opportunity we can to help those businesses succeed, Doherty, R-Warren, said. Employers face enough challenges as it is because of all the red tape in this state."

The bipartisan bill (S2753/A4264) now needs to be passed by the state Assembly before Gov. Phil Murphy decides whether to sign or veto it.

The measure would permit dogs in the sampling and tasting areas of breweries in the state, including those that are indoor-only.

It would ban dogs from areas where beer consumption might be contaminated and areas where they risk contaminating equipment or glassware.

Plus, brewery staff would be barred from directly touching the dogs while on duty and would be required to immediately wash their hands should they touch a dog.

Another main sponsor, state Sen. Christopher Kip Bateman, said the legislation is all the more necessary because breweries are on the rise, especially in small communities, and have become popular destinations for younger adults.

Unfortunately, this generation is leaving New Jersey at higher rate than any other population group, including retirees, Bateman said. "By allowing dogs in breweries, we can give the next generation of families another reason to stay in New Jersey and frequent the businesses they love.

Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @johnsb01. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.
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 
Googles relatively new Pixel 3 finally made the trip over to DxOMark and earned an overall score most would consider to be lacking. Here, we take a closer look at the Pixel 3s review with a focus on elements that may have contributed to it being ranked below unassuming devices like Xiaomis Mi Mix 3.

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Googles Pixels may have their issues but no one can doubt the fact that the flagships have, at the very least, always delivered industry-leading camera performance and equally impressive software experience. The first of those two was tested extensively by DxOMark yesterday, as the Google Pixel 3 made its way to the photography benchmarking website for evaluation.

The Pixel 3 left the stables of DxOMark with a handsome overall score of 101, the exact same score the iPhone XR earned. Its rather interesting that both phones are the only flagships with a single rear camera, and both end up with the same overall score. A score of 101 puts the Pixel 3 above the Samsung Galaxy S9+ (99), Xiaomis Mi 8 (99), and the OnePlus 6T (98). It also sees the Pixel 3 land behind other flagships like the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 (103), and iPhone XS Max (105).

In the still photography score, the Pixel 3 earned a score of 103, slightly worse than the Huawei P20 (107) and Samsung Galaxy Note 9 (107) but on par with devices like the Mi 8 (105) and Samsung Galaxy S9+ (104). Notable weaknesses include noise in lowlight conditions and occasional ghosting and color fringing.

The Pixel 3s bokeh score of 50 is among the lowest, with devices like the Huawei P20 scoring as high as 65 in that aspect. The zoom score of 47 is equally as disappointingthe Note 9 and S9+ leaving with scores of 66 and 65 respectively. Its obvious that the phones single rear camera limits it in these aspects.

In the video segment, the Pixel 3 managed a score of 98, head and shoulders above phones like the Galaxy Note 9 (94), Huawei P20 (94), and Mi 8 (88), but on par with the leading P20 Pro (98) and iPhone XS Max (96). Most users have panned the Pixel 3s video capabilities, so this comes as something of a surprise. Notable weaknesses include occasional color dullness and slight jerkiness when autofocusing in lowlight conditions.

All in all, theres not much to complain about the Pixel 3s scores. While a score of 103 in the photography department may be a bit underwhelming, its important to note that the score is a summary of more defined individual capabilities. In the Pixel 3s case, it was let down by sub-par zoom and bokehboth of which are a result of using just one rear camera.

For some perspective, the iPhone XR, another flagship with just one rear camera, scored 35 in both the zoom and bokeh categories. That considered, its impressive what Google managed to do with just software in those categories. We can also see the Pixel 3 excel in the video categoryone in which more cameras sensors are inconsequential for the most part.
Some AT&T customers may start seeing a 5G E label appearing on their Android smartphones soon. It might initially seem to some that the telecommunications company is already offering 5G network connection to its subscribers, but the truth is the label stands for 5G Evolution, which is still classed as 4G technology.

4 Reviews , News , CPU , GPU , Articles , Columns , Other "or" search relation. 3D Printing , 5G , Accessory , AI , Alder Lake , AMD , Android , Apple , ARM , Audio , Business , Camera , Cannon Lake , Cezanne (Zen 3) , Charts , Chinese Tech , Chromebook , Coffee Lake , Comet Lake , Console , Convertible / 2-in-1 , Cryptocurrency , Cyberlaw , Deal , Desktop , E-Mobility , Education , Exclusive , Fail , Foldable , Gadget , Galaxy Note , Galaxy S , Gamecheck , Gaming , Geforce , Google Pixel , GPU , How To , Human 2.0 , Ice Lake , Intel Evo / Project Athena , Internet of Things (IoT) , iOS , iPad Pro , iPhone , Jasper Lake , Lakefield , Laptop , Launch , Linux / Unix , Lucienne (Zen 2) , MacBook , Mini PC , Monitor , MSI , OnePlus , Opinion , Phablet , Radeon , Renoir , Review Snippet , Rocket Lake , Rumor , Ryzen (Zen) , Science , Security , Single-Board Computer (SBC) , Smart Home , Smartphone , Smartwatch , Software , Storage , Tablet , ThinkPad , Thunderbolt , Tiger Lake , Touchscreen , Ultrabook , Virtual Reality (VR) / Augmented Reality (AR) , Wearable , Windows , Workstation , XPS , Zen 3 (Vermeer) Ticker

The indicator 5G E will start showing on some phones belonging to AT&T customers soon. The deliberate usage of 5G in the label is likely to lead some users into believing their handset is accessing the next-generation network, but this is not the actual case. The full name for the AT&T service is 5G Evolution, but phones connected to this will still be using 4G LTE networks. The companys blog describes what customers can expect from 5G E:

5G Evolution technologies enables [sic] a peak theoretical wireless speed of 400Mbps for capable devices, or an average around 40Mbps based on real-world experiences.

The 5G E service is potentially fast, but it is still not actual 5G. What could be seen as even further evidence of AT&Ts deliberate ambiguous marketing is that the E in the indicator is considerably smaller than the 5G part, so a quick glance may mislead a user into thinking their phone has connected to a non-existent 5G network.

It has been pointed out that AT&T has carried out this kind of disingenuous marketing practice before. The company utilized the 4G indicator when customers were using the HSPA+ standard, which was still part of the 3G network.
NEW YORK FILM ACADEMY GUEST SPEAKERS

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andare among the many figures in the film industry who have sent their family members to study at the New York Film Academy. We are honored to be the film and acting school of choice of these other luminaries includingand(U2), directorsandNew York Film Academy is honored to have many of the industrys best impart their knowledge to our film school students as guest speakers, including Kim Cattrall, Seth Rogen, Kevin James, Glenn Close, Bryan Cranston, Rachel Maddow, Jamie Lee Curtis, J. K. Simmons, Mira Nair, Russell Hornsby, William Wegman, and many more.was founded on the philosophy thatcombined with best industry practices is more valuable than years of theoretical study for filmmakers and actors. This educational model allows students to achieve more in less time than at all other film or acting schools in the world.offers camps, short-term workshops, conservatory-style programs, and degree programs. The Academys one- and two-year conservatory-style programs include topics in Filmmaking, Acting for Film, Producing, Screenwriting, 3D Animation, Cinematography, Broadcast Journalism, Photography, Graphic Design, Musical Theatre, and Game Design; as well as an accelerated three-year Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree programs in Filmmaking, Acting for Film, Producing, Screenwriting, 3D Animation, Graphic Design, and Game Design, and a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Media Studies. Our school also offers two-year Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degrees in Filmmaking, Acting for Film, Screenwriting, Producing, Cinematography, Documentary, Game Design and Photography, and two-year Associate of Fine Arts (AFA) degrees in Filmmaking, Acting for Film, Producing, Screenwriting and Game Design, and a Master of Arts (MA) in Film and Media Production at our Los Angeles campus . Each program is structured for students who want intensive training from award-winning faculty, using professional facilities and equipment starting their first day of classes. In the first year of any of our filmmaking programsRegister in any of our world-class programs and get on the path to achieving your goals.For those considering sharpening their skills, the New York Film Academy offers a wide selection of immersive, hands-on workshops, where our inspriring instructors teach students to create their own original work. Students interested an intensive short-term workshop can choose from topics in filmmaking virtual reality , and musical theatre Be ready for the most challenging and rewarding experience of your life. Gain unsurpassed real-world experience in filmmaking, acting for film, screenwriting, producing, cinematography, 3D animation or musical theatre. Enroll in a short-term workshop or spend one, two, or three years dedicated to perfecting your craft, instead of just reading books and attending lectures.Our student body is remarkably diverse. Across our New York City Los Angeles and South Beach campuses, our students represent, and this diversity adds to the creative atmosphere and fosters a unique artistic community.
Fidel Castro, visiting New York City in 1960, complained about the treatment he was getting at a Manhattan hotel and stormed out. Its managers later put up for auction the chicken feathers they said he left behind in Room 806.

Ugandas brutal dictator, Idi Amin, had a statement read in 1975 at the United Nations General Assembly in which he called for the extinction of Israel as a state. He had started his day in a somewhat happier mood, smiling for the cameras at East 45th Street and First Avenue, where he and two of his children dedicated a plaque at the site of a future Uganda mission.

New York City  home to the United Nations and some of the most ethnically diverse communities on the planet  often finds itself in the curious position of being grudgingly hospitable to some of the worlds most controversial heads of state and loathsome tyrants.

The arrival yesterday of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iranian president best known here for criticizing the United States and calling the Holocaust a myth, is the latest example of the diplomatic dance New York has long performed with international firebrands.
The tumors could be primary lung cancers, meaning they originated in the lung. Or they could be growths that spread to her lung from cancer in another organ. The justice had colon cancer in 1999 and pancreatic cancer in 2009.

When you have two lesions in the lung, it usually means it came from someplace else, said Dr. Raja Flores, chairman of thoracic surgery at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in Manhattan. Its probably something that spread from the pancreas to the lungs.

That Justice Ginsburg is alive 10 years after being treated for pancreatic cancer  which is often rapidly fatal  indicates that she probably had a relatively slow-growing form of the disease. Therefore, Dr. Flores said, he expected that the tumors in her lungs would also tend to be slow-growing, what he calls turtles.

Testing on the tissue removed during surgery will determine the diagnosis, he said.

If they see pancreas cells, or colon cells, or just lung cells, that will help dictate further treatment, Dr. Flores said, but he added that the justice might not need any more treatment.

The fact that this is out, and there is no evidence of disease anywhere else, makes me think she is not in any danger of checking out anytime soon, he said. She should be up walking around tomorrow. As long as she doesnt get a blood clot or pneumonia, shes fine. I imagine her back on the bench in six to eight weeks. I would say sooner, but she is 85 years old.
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From its Lower Manhattan headquarters three blocks north of Wall Street, an unlikely city agency seemed to be ramping up for battle.

It bought 140 Glock 9-millimeter semiautomatic pistols. It spent $155,000 on ammunition, $140,000 on body armor, more than $800,000 on two-way radios and $54,000 for night-vision goggles. There were discussions about buying assault rifles and even acquiring a decommissioned police boat.

Such an approach might be standard procedure for a front-line law enforcement agency like the Police Department, but it wasnt exactly typical for the citys Department of Investigation.

The agency is charged with investigating waste, corruption and mismanagement in city government, where it has traditionally focused, in large measure, on white-collar crime. None of its employees have been shot at or assaulted in the line of duty, according to the agency, and officials could not recall a single instance in which an employee had fired a gun at a crime suspect.
By Friday, he was in full attack mode. During morning Executive Time, he let loose with a classic Twitter barrage, slamming Democrats and urging the Senate Republican leader, Mitch McConnell, to go nuclear if necessary  that is, blow up the legislative filibuster to push through an agreement with a simple majority of votes. Disinclined to abandon his institutional prerogatives for even the most magnificent wall, Mr. McConnell immediately made clear this was not an option.

At an afternoon bill signing, the president continued trying to shift blame onto Democrats, calling the wall an issue of crime and safety, claiming that it would pay for itself on a monthly basis and asserting that even President Ronald Reagan had failed in his quest for a border wall (which, in fact, Mr. Reagan never sought).

Senators trickled back into town to vote on a procedural motion on whether to move forward with the Houses latest proposal, which includes Mr. Trumps wall money. But Senate leaders made clear that nothing was likely to move until a new bipartisan compromise could be reached. Midafternoon, Ms. Sanders told Roll Call that there might be some lower level of wall funding that would satisfy the president. The talks to resolve the dispute collapsed Friday night. And the shutdown became a certainty.

This is what happens when the nations chief executive holds a leadership philosophy akin to that of the Petyr Baelish character on Game of Thrones  namely, that chaos is a ladder. For most people, uncertainty and disorder are scary, unsettling forces to be avoided. But for Mr. Trump, they are cherished friends and strategic assets, in part specifically because other people are so anxious to avoid them. The president clearly believes that throwing everyone else off balance gives him an edge  that is, if he can make the turmoil fierce enough, those around him will give up and give in.

Better still, even when he doesnt get his way, piling on the pandemonium keeps people from focusing on any one piece of it. The normal human mind can cope with only so much drama before it gets overloaded. Mr. Trump grasps better than most that a single scandal is cause for public outrage, while a million scandals is a statistic.
But our Commodus-in-Chief isnt just an irascible buffoon whose worst impulses can be confined to Twitter but whose policy instincts largely align with yours. Trump thinks of himself as a man of ideas. Withdrawal from Syria, along with partial withdrawal from Afghanistan, is consonant with the quasi-isolationism hes preached for decades. He is sympathetic to Erdogan, as he is to other tyrants, because he is indifferent to considerations of human rights and civil liberties.

Above all, hes against meddling, whether its meddling in the affairs of others  or having others meddle in his. The Trump Doctrine is the doctrine of unaccountability.

Its also the doctrine of dishonor. And this is what should most concern you and whatever is left of your in-house resistance. The United States is about to abandon our allies to the tender mercies of thugs. We are breaking our word to those who helped us decimate the Islamic State. We are standing aside so that Erdogan, Bashar al-Assad, Vladimir Putin, and the Taliban can roll in, and ISIS can fight on.

For Mattis, who first became a Marine during the Vietnam era, memories of what befell our betrayed allies from that conflict cant be far from his mind. Nobody should expect the secretary to carry out a policy that would keep him from looking a comrade-in-arms in the eye.

So it is with you, Anonymous, wherever you might work in the administration. Until now, you may have convinced yourself that real honor lay in putting up with it  with the craziness of your boss and the disdain of your neighbors  because the good of the country (as you see it) demanded it. And until now, you had Mattis to serve as your role model.

But Mattis is going. And the argument can no longer be sustained. If Trump is capable of doing this to Mattis, whats to keep him from soiling your carpet, too? And even if he never gets to it, you must know by now that you are no longer keeping a bad thing from getting worse. All you are doing is disguising how bad it is, thereby helping it to become worse.

Trump will never have trouble surrounding himself with ambitious and unscrupulous flunkies. Do you want that to describe you? Get out while you still can, whoever you are.
In 2016 he ignored the best advice of political experts who posited that Republicans could win in a demographically changing America only by toning down immigration rhetoric, and he won the presidency, victorious even in states Republicans hadnt captured in decades. He accomplished this despite registering as the least popular major party nominee (winner or loser) since Gallup began measuring favorability in 1956.

Any window for Mr. Trump to govern from the center has long since closed. Attempting to pivot now will win him no new fans, and it will only alienate his most passionate supporters, depriving him of his biggest political asset just as the 2020 presidential election enters its preliminary stages.

There is no vow that defined Mr. Trumps campaign more than his promise to build a border wall. If he is going to enter the campaign in the embarrassing position of not having fulfilled that pledge, at the very minimum hes going to have to show that he exhausted every option at his disposal and fought for the wall tooth and nail. A high-profile government shutdown battle is a way to accomplish that.

Most likely, perhaps at some point after House Democrats take control, Mr. Trump will be forced to sign a bill without wall funding, as he will no longer have the votes for it in the House. Coming off a huge electoral victory, Democrats arent about to surrender and give Mr. Trump what would be the biggest victory of his presidency.

On Friday, the president was already setting the stage to deflect blame for any eventual capitulation hell have to make. He urged the Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell, to use the nuclear option to allow Republicans to overcome a Democratic filibuster and pass legislation with a simple majority. This wont happen, as Mr. McConnell has opposed such a course, and even if he wanted to pursue it, it isnt even clear that there is a simple majority that would support it. But it signals where Mr. Trump is heading. Hell eventually suck up the border wall loss and blame intransigent Democrats for not caring about border security as well as weak-kneed Senate Republicans who refused to pull the nuclear trigger.

Mr. Trump will spend the remainder of his first term trying to make up for the loss by appealing to his base in other ways. For example, he will confirm a flood of conservative federal judges, a job that will become easier in January thanks to Republican gains in the Senate. Additionally, with the 2020 Democratic field wide open, theres a chance that Mr. Trumps opponent will also be a polarizing figure  like Hillary Clinton in 2016  setting the stage for a base vs. base election that he would relish.

Its quite possible that his strategy of feeding the base will doom his chances of re-election, but at this point its the best play he has.

Philip Klein is the executive editor of The Washington Examiner.

Follow The New York Times Opinion section on Facebook, Twitter (@NYTopinion) and Instagram.
Back in Hanoi, Ms. Hang runs Marin from a two-bedroom apartment in a leaky building on the citys outskirts. The apartment doubles as her home. Marin is financed by small, individual donations and operates on an annual budget of about $10,000.

The day before, the scene in the apartments front room had been chaotic. Relatives of missing soldiers crowded the doorway, waiting their turn to consult with Ms. Hang. She sat in front of a laptop at a desk near the kitchen, tending alternately to the visitors requests for help and others that came to her two cellphones.

You need to call the local military office in Ninh Thuan province and find out where and how he was killed, she told a caller who was looking for his uncle.

After 15 years of helping families track down missing soldiers, Ms. Hang has become an expert on the minutiae of military records and arcane government paperwork. The families seeking her help usually have little more information than that on the official death notice  name, birth date, enlistment date, date and place of death (which is often recorded simply as The Southern front). For many families, Ms. Hang is their only hope.

Since the fighting between Americans and Vietnamese ended in 1975, the Vietnamese government has taken some steps to recover the bodies. Shortly after the war ended, official remains-gathering teams traveled to the central provinces, to the sites of some of the worst battles, to dig up hastily buried or abandoned soldiers. The task of identifying the remains was complicated by the brutal nature of the war; the artillery used by Americans and their Southern Vietnamese allies was so powerful it often obliterated everything in its path. Even when the search teams found a corpse or a set of bones, identification was difficult because North Vietnamese soldiers werent issued dog tags as their American and South Vietnamese counterparts were.

Today Vietnam is one of the worlds fastest-growing economies. But the end of the war ushered in two decades of intense poverty, thanks largely to American economic sanctions, part of a broader set of policies that were a way short of combat for America to continue to wage war on Vietnam. As a result, in those decades neither the Vietnamese government nor individual families had spare resources to devote to finding the missing.

It wasnt until the early 2000s, when Vietnams economic situation had improved after market reforms in the 1990s, that families began to search in earnest for their missing loved ones. In overwhelmingly self-financed efforts, they pooled resources and began to travel from the north to the central provinces to search for the bodies of relatives. Though the Vietnamese government has made overtures of support for gathering and identifying remains, its efforts continue to be mostly limited and often inept, according to volunteers and families with whom I spoke.
FRONT PAGE

An article on Friday about President Trumps proposal to withdraw about 7,000 troops from Afghanistan misstated the number of NATO troops deployed in the country. It is 8,000, not 16,000.

NATIONAL

An article on Friday about Zachary Fuentes, the deputy White House chief of staff, misstated the length of Mr. Fuentess active duty service. In July 2019, it will be 15 years, not 19 years.

NEW YORK

An article on Friday about a Manhattan music school for the visually impaired misstated how The New York Times obtained a letter sent to the schools students by Dr. Alan Morse, the president of Lighthouse Guild International. The letter was provided by Jillian Raquet, a student at the school, not by Leslie Jones, the schools director.

ARTS

A music review on Tuesday about the early-music group Ensemble Correspondances misidentified the singer in the group who appeared as the Elder in a performance of Charpentiers Christmas Pastorale. It was Etienne Bazola, not Nicolas Brooymans (though Mr. Brooymans also sang in the piece).
Five male models have come forward to claim that the photographer Bruce Weber exploited or sexually assaulted them, according to a lawsuit filed Friday in federal court in New York.

The five plaintiffs, who are referred to by initials in the lawsuit, were all aspiring models at the time of their interactions with Mr. Weber. The complaint calls Mr. Weber a serial sexual predator and says he conducted breathing exercises at both photo shoots and at his private home studio, in which he touched the men and insinuated that he could help their careers if they complied. It describes the exchanges as a form of fraud.

Lawyers for the plaintiffs also describe Mr. Webers actions as sex trafficking, after a judge in a lawsuit alleging sexual assault by Harvey Weinstein ruled that the Trafficking Victims Protection Act could apply to casting couch scenarios.

Its considered a commercial sex act because the person who applied is hoping to get a job, said Lisa Bloom, of the Bloom Firm, which represents the five models.
Im using what was a traumatic experience for me to help promote racial justice, she said.

Ms. Dumpson, now 22, was singled out after she became the first black woman to serve as American Universitys student body president in May 2017. The same day, bananas hanging from nooses were found around the campus.

After news outlets reported on the nooses, Andrew Anglin, who runs The Daily Stormer, posted Ms. Dumpsons picture and personal information online and exhorted his followers to harass and bully her, a tactic he has also employed against Jewish and Muslim targets.

One of the people who heeded his call was Mr. McCarty, also now 22, a student and actor who had been leading a secret life online, posting hateful messages and songs under the alias Byron De La Vandal, a reference to Byron De La Beckwith, the Ku Klux Klan member who assassinated the civil rights leader Medgar Evers. He was identified as Mr. McCarty by an anti-fascist group in April.

The lawsuit stated that Ms. Dumpson constantly feared for her safety amid the relentless harassment, and was eventually diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. Despite that turmoil, she graduated from American University and is now enrolled in law school.

As part of the settlement, Mr. McCarty agreed to assist Ms. Dumpson in her legal efforts against his two co-defendants, Mr. Anglin and Brian Andrew Ade.
Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a reliable lieutenant in partisan battle, is now one of the presidents most vocal critics on Syria. Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the majority leader, issued a rare statement that he was distressed by the departure of the defense secretary, Jim Mattis. Even Fox News, the mirror Mr. Trump has used to reflect the story of a presidency reshaped in his own image, has broadcast segments critical of his abrupt decision to pull troops.

As he lost the public support of those once willing to step forward on his behalf, Mr. Trump grew angry over his news coverage and told people close to him that he would be fine without Mr. Mattis. He rebuffed them for even expressing concern.

Mr. Trump also privately groused about having to postpone departure plans for his 16-day trip to Mar-a-Lago, his Florida resort. On Friday, Melania Trump, the first lady, had already made plans to leave town with the couples son Barron, according to her spokeswoman. Mr. Kushner and his wife, Ivanka Trump, the presidents daughter, who are also planning to go to Mar-a-Lago, were preparing to stay with Mr. Trump in Washington, an administration official said.

Outside the family, a litany of staffing problems loomed as the shutdown deadline drew nearer. Mr. Trump privately complained that Mr. Mulvaney, who stepped into the vacancy left by John F. Kelly after others turned down the chief of staff position, had given him few options for averting the shutdown.

As the day drew on, reports surfaced that Mr. Mulvaney, who is set to take over for Mr. Kelly on Jan. 2, had once called Mr. Trumps plans for a border wall absurd and almost childish.

The consequences of Mr. Trumps self-sown chaos reverberated throughout the broader Trump orbit, where some conservatives alarmed by Mr. Mattiss departure said privately that they were finally fed up with the president and regretted having worked to support him. Other allies agreed with his idea for a path out of the Middle East, just not the chaos with which it was done.

With whispers abounding through Mr. Trumps camp, Democrats were far more willing to point out publicly what people close to the president said privately.
WASHINGTON  The Pentagon is considering using small teams of Special Operations forces to strike the Islamic State in Syria, one option for continuing an American military mission there despite President Trumps order to withdraw troops from the country.

The American commandos would be shifted to neighboring Iraq, where an estimated 5,000 United States forces are already deployed, and surge into Syria for specific raids, according to two military officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

The strike teams are one of several options  including continued airstrikes and resupplying allied Kurdish fighters with arms and equipment  in a new strategy for Syria that the Pentagon is developing as officials follow the order Mr. Trump gave on Wednesday for a military drawdown even as it tries to maintain pressure on the Islamic State.

The Pentagon will deliver the options to Mr. Trump for approval within weeks  well before Defense Secretary Jim Mattis steps down at the end of February. Mr. Mattis resigned on Thursday, in part because of Mr. Trumps decision to overrule his senior advisers and withdraw troops from Syria.
WASHINGTON  Over the course of 24 extraordinary hours this week, 17 years of American military policy was thrown out the window as President Trump spurned his defense secretarys plea to keep United States troops in Syria and began the long process of pulling out of Afghanistan.

On Friday morning, Americas 1.3 million active-duty service members woke up to a new reality: Their leader, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, had resigned over the Syria withdrawal and Mr. Trumps rejection of international alliances, and everything he and other military leaders had told them through three presidencies had suddenly been abandoned.

Terrorists must be challenged abroad before they end up here at home? No longer. Americans must defend their friends and stand up to authoritarians in places like Russia and Iran? A thing of the past.

As Mr. Trump overturned the post-9/11 national security consensus, the reverberations spanned the globe. In northeastern Syria, Special Operations troops who just the day before were fighting in the dirt around Hajin, the last Islamic State stronghold in the country, were now telling their Kurdish allies that they would be leaving them alone in the fight.
Choosing the years 100 Notable Books and then the 10 Best isnt easy. Campaigns are mounted and long debates ensue. In the end, theres general agreement  on some books more than others  but sometimes theres disappointment when a favorite doesnt make the cut. So this year, we asked a few staff members on the Books desk to tell us about their should a beens or could a beens for 2018.

First, Those That Didnt Make Our 100 Notable Books of 2018 

[Read The 100 Notable Books of 2018.]

One of the most remarkable and mesmerizing books I read this year was Ill Be Gone in the Dark, Michelle McNamaras true crime story about the Golden State Killer, a serial rapist and murderer who terrorized suburbs in California in the 1970s and 1980s. The book made an impression on me not because of the narrative or the prose, but because it was unfinished, offering a rare window into the messy and psychologically taxing process of researching and writing a book. McNamara was obsessed with the unsolved crimes, but died before finishing the book. Her husband, Patton Oswalt, recruited researchers to finish it, but instead of trying to mimic her voice and flesh out chapters, her co-authors let the jagged edges of the unfinished project show. Some chapters are pieced together from her notes, and are marked with disclaimers. Other sections read like raw, unfiltered research, and one chapter consists entirely of a transcript from McNamaras interview with a criminalist in the Contra Costa sheriffs office. McNamara wasnt alive to see it when the Golden State Killer was finally arrested this spring, but some credited her research for drawing attention to the case.  Alexandra Alter

This year, I really enjoyed reading Monstress, Volume Three: Haven, the third collection of the darkly beautiful Image Comics series written by Marjorie Liu and drawn by Sana Takeda. Issues of Monstress began to appear in 2015, but the story is so immersive that I wait and buy the annual trade collections so I can binge it up, Netflix-style. Although its not for the squeamish when it comes to violence and language, Liu and Takeda have created a vivid, dynamic world, sort of a steampunk Asia of a century ago, and populated it with sharp characters and an intricate mythology that incorporates gods, monsters and everything in between. Female characters dominate Lius story line  which unfolds bit by bit like a novel through Takedas gorgeous sequential panels  and touches on themes of race, war, duality, friendships and the meaning of family. In all my decades of reading comics, Ive never seen anything quite like Monstress, and even though it falls in the category of epic fantasy, it also confirms my suspicion that sarcastic cats are secretly in charge of everything.  J.D. Biersdorfer

Lynne Tillmans latest novel, Men and Apparitions, makes few concessions to the reader  in this it is like all of her books, which channel slightly neurotic characters (O.K., wholly neurotic characters) and lead us deep into their psyches with little concern for conventional story lines or other helpful guideposts. What they offer instead is nearly claustrophobic access to another consciousness, working out psychological obsessions with verve, intelligence and often comical deflection. In this book the neurotic in question is the ethnographer Zeke Stark, whose ruminations amount to a series of dense essays about Instagram, pop culture and (beneath it all) his baffled pain over the wife who has left him for his best friend. Its challenging, bonkers and maybe kind of great?  Gregory Cowles
Scott Keller Sanders and Peter Scott Wilson were married Dec. 17 at the Manhattan Marriage Bureau in New York. Angel L. Lopez, a staff member of the New York City Clerks Office, officiated.

Mr. Sanders (left), 55, is an interior designer with offices in New York and Palm Beach, Fla. He graduated from Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio and received an associates degree in interior design from Parsons School of Design.

He is the son of Shirley A. Sanders and Charles I. Sanders of Piqua, Ohio.

Mr. Wilson, 63, retired as a partner in the New York law firm Cravath, Swaine & Moore, where he was a member of the mergers and acquisitions practice. He graduated from McGill University in Montreal and received a law degree from Harvard.

He is a son of Marie K. Wilson of New York and Donald J. Wilson of Santa Fe, N.M.

It was hardly love at first sight in 2004 when the couple met at Hell, a bar in the meatpacking district known for having a vintage-looking jukebox with an eclectic selection.
Ana Helfer replays the day over and over in her mind.

In the winter of 1997, she had just loaded her car with groceries when she discovered that she needed a jump-start. She called everyone she knew, but no one picked up. So she walked back to her Staten Island apartment to see if someone could help.

No one was around, not one person, Ms. Helfer, 55, recalled. But I did see his car in the driveway, so I went and asked him if he could help me out. The car belonged to her landlord, Brian Helfer.

After helping with her car, he asked Ms. Helfer on a date. They married the next fall. Afterward, she said, he quickly became emotionally and physically abusive.

I always think, Why? Why didnt I just call one of the tow companies to give me a jump? Ms. Helfer said recently in her Staten Island home, shaking her head. Why didnt I just sit and wait for someone to come. The hell with the groceries. You go with the woulda, coulda, shouldas, and it eats you away. It does nothing, because it doesnt change anything.
Pope Francis had grim tidings for predatory priests, in this life and the next.

Hand yourself over to human justice, and prepare for divine justice, the pope said in a Christmas address at the Vatican, making clear that the church will no longer protect them, hush up or not take seriously any case.

The warning came after the release of the latest catalog of church horrors, a scathing report by the Illinois attorney general, Lisa Madigan, finding that nearly 700 priests had been accused of abusing children over the years, while the names of only 185 were made public. Its terrible, and terribly familiar. Earlier this year, a grand jury report in Pennsylvania accused bishops of covering up seven decades of widespread clerical abuse of children, and at least 16 state attorneys general have opened similar investigations.

The words of the pope and the authorities  about justice, divine and human  should be of deep concern at two major gatherings that the Catholic Church hopes will initiate genuine change in an institution almost brought to ruin by cascading revelations of clerics sexual abuse of minors, and systematic cover-ups by their bishops.

Action at the meetings  first a gathering of all American bishops outside Chicago in early January, then a summit meeting of the heads of all the national bishops conferences in the Vatican in late February  will be crucial if the church is to overcome broad skepticism after years of denial, obstruction of justice and callousness toward victims of predatory priests.
However, I for one am grateful that there are doctors, carpenters, car mechanics, dentists, law enforcement officers, lawyers, judges, plumbers, architects (you name it) who do obsess about getting things just right, who settle into the system instead of shaking it up . Very few will become another Steve Jobs, J.K. Rowling or Martin Luther King, and getting relatively poor grades wont propel them to become so.

Hoyt Taylor

Pittsboro, N.C.

The writer taught at Groton School for 28 years.

To the Editor:

For 12 years, I have silently carried the shame of graduating high school with a 2.1 G.P.A., a feeling that has transcended the ink on my transcript to how I see myself within the world. After high school, I had no intention of going to college. I was happy with that because I believed I would fail anyway. When I was 17, I became a father. It propelled me to attend community college, but the insecurity from high school constantly ruminated in my mind as I transferred to the University of California, Berkeley, then earned a masters degree at U.C.L.A .

Today, I can see that my grades do not define me and my potential. Thank you, Adam Grant, for showing that I shouldnt carry the stigma of my G.P.A. around as an indication of who I am, my worth, whether I will succeed or what I can achieve.

Alex Serna

San Juan Capistrano, Calif.

The writer is executive director of Breakthrough SJC, a nonprofit that guides low-income students through college.

To the Editor:

I am probably one of the straight-A squares whom Adam Grant talks about. Ive gotten only two A-minuses in my life from kindergarten through Harvard. Now, I am a medical student.

Perfectionists are squares who follow all the rules. Society needs us, too. We are weirdly detail-oriented, and that works well in a field where details are the difference between life and death. We might not be the visionaries who will fundamentally transform the world, but we sure can keep a lot of the wheels rolling so that there is something left to transform. And I will admit, grade-grubbing perfectionists can be an annoying bunch.

So go forth, my fellow straight-A students! You are valuable, too. Just try to be better humans while you are doing it.
Why is the federal consent agreement relevant now?

In March 2018, The New York Times reported that a voter-profiling company, Cambridge Analytica, had harvested the personal data of millions of Facebook users without their knowledge or permission.

The voter-profiling company obtained the data from a researcher who had offered a personality survey app on Facebook. Although only about 270,000 Facebook users agreed to share their data to participate in the survey, the Facebook platform enabled the app to improperly harvest the personal details of millions of those users friends  consumers who had not agreed to share their information with the survey app, The Times reported.

Privacy experts, law professors and at least one former F.T.C. official have argued that Facebooks failure to prevent the survey app from obtaining the data of users friends violated the federal consent agreement. So did Facebooks failure to prevent the app developer from sharing both users data and the data of users friends with Cambridge Analytica, these critics said.

They said the Cambridge Analytica episode suggested that Facebook had failed to adequately conduct the risk assessments the agreement required it to do. It also failed to obtain required, explicit consent from users friends for the sharing of their data with third parties, the privacy experts said.

They also argued that Facebook had failed to operate a comprehensive privacy protection program and take reasonable precautions  steps the company was obligated to take under the consent decree.

The consent decree requires Facebook to always be vigilant to possible privacy problems and try to solve them, said David C. Vladeck, a professor at Georgetown Law and a former director of consumer protection at the F.T.C. who oversaw the investigation that led to the consent decree. Cambridge Analytica made clear that Facebook was not auditing third-party apps.

On March 26, the F.T.C. said it was conducting an investigation into Facebooks privacy practices. An agency spokeswoman declined to comment last week on the progress of the investigation.
ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK, Colo.  The visitors centers at Rocky Mountain National Park were locked and dark on Saturday. Drivers breezed through gates without stopping at tollbooths to pay the parks $25 entrance fee. And as adventurers switchbacked up the snowy roads toward the parks sledding hills and backcountry ski terrain, they encountered a new sign: ROAD CLOSED.

So began the opening hours of the latest shutdown for a federal government that has become familiar with furloughs, and a country that has almost come to shrug off stalemates and spending fights  at least at first.

Its an annoyance, but you can work around it, said Desmond Hadlum, who drove in with his wife, Ann, to go snowshoeing. They stopped a park ranger at the entrance gate to ask about the shutdown.

So far, so good, the ranger replied.

But the shutdowns effects  especially visible on Saturday at closed or unstaffed National Park Service sites, and at checkpoints at airports and the nations borders as officers stood guard without pay  will be magnified once the standoff seeps past Christmas, when federal offices would ordinarily be open and staffed with the approximately 380,000 employees who have been told to stay home while President Trump and Congress try to reach a spending accord.
In an unusual move against Russian-style election deception inside the United States, Facebook said on Saturday it had removed five accounts of Americans who used its platform improperly in the hard-fought Alabama Senate election last year.

Among those whose accounts were removed was a prominent social media researcher who worked on the Alabama operation, Jonathon Morgan, according to a person briefed on the companys action. Facebook did not name those whose accounts were closed, and it was not immediately possible to identify the others.

The company acted in response to reports in The New York Times, The Washington Post and other news outlets in recent days that a small group of social media experts had secretly used deceptive tactics in the Alabama race that were explicitly modeled on Russias meddling in the 2016 American presidential election. The group sought to split the conservative vote to undermine the Republican candidate, Roy S. Moore, and to boost support for the Democrat, Doug Jones, who won by a small margin.

Mr. Morgan has said the operation was an experiment to learn more about the kinds of methods Russia had used, and not to influence the outcome of the race. But the episode has sparked fears that the fraudulent Russian operations on social media could be imitated widely by American political operatives and further undermine voters ability to sort truth from fakery as they choose candidates.
With lawmakers cleared out of Washington and no end to the impasse in sight, some speculated that it would be left to Democrats to reopen the government when they take over the House next month. In an interview Saturday morning, Representative Nancy Pelosi of California, the Democrats nominee to be speaker, vowed that they would do just that.

We have certainty, Ms. Pelosi declared. We will end this the first week in January.

The shutdown that began Saturday was the third of Mr. Trumps 23 months in office and an ignominious end to a year that began much the same way, with a three-day government shutdown in January.

The latest breakdown, which hinges almost entirely on the impulses of a mercurial president, only added to the sense that, as Senator Claire McCaskill, the departing Democrat from Missouri, said in her recent farewell speech, something is broken, and if we dont have the strength to look in the mirror and fix it, the American people are going to grow more and more cynical.

With Senate Democrats saying they will never accede to Mr. Trumps insistence on the $5 billion for his wall, and the White House offering no indication that the president will accept less, nine of the federal governments 15 cabinet-level departments have officially shuttered. They include the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Homeland Security and the Interior; other agencies, like the Defense Department, are unaffected because Congress had already approved their spending.
Still, for all the reports of a fuming president alarmed at possible impeachment, Mr. Trump rarely expresses such specific anxiety out loud, associates said. Instead he expresses frustration, anger, mania  all of which aides read like tea leaves to discern what lies beneath.

It will be a challenge not to be consumed by it, Mr. Short said. It would only be human when its the coverage leading the news every day to be distracted, but it will be important to have the internal discipline not to be.

No one outside of Mr. Muellers office, of course, knows for sure what he will report, but so far he and other prosecutors have drawn a devastating picture of a president surrounded by people who have lied to the authorities, cheated on their taxes, skirted campaign finance laws and secretly worked for foreign interests. The question is what Mr. Mueller will say about Mr. Trump.

Does he create a story that the man never put the presidency first? asked Doris Kearns Goodwin, whose newest book, Leadership: In Turbulent Times, chronicles four presidents. There has to be a narrative. The individual things may not hit the people who support him, but if theres an overall narrative, people may understand.

Mr. Trump has not helped himself with decisions that opponents use to draw a narrative of a president unusually deferential to Russia, including his withdrawal of troops in Syria, which drew the public approval of President Vladimir V. Putin.

Mueller will decide whether theres collusion with the Russians on the election, said Mayor Rahm Emanuel of Chicago, a former White House chief of staff to Mr. Obama. But we can now say theres collusion with the Russians on foreign policy, and its not to Americas benefit.

More recently, Mr. Trump has taken to spending time reminiscing about the happier days of his candidacy and his 2016 victory. He spent the fall showing different groups of visitors what he calls his love letters from North Koreas iron-fisted dictator, Kim Jong-un, expressing admiration for Mr. Trump. And he still takes joy in aspects of the job, primarily those that demonstrate power. The roads closed for me! he declared to friends this year after a motorcade ride.
First they heard about the spies. Then they heard about the secret brothels and the private planes. And the whole time, they were hearing about the assassins.

The details exposed in South Africas corruption scandals have upended the countrys perception of the governing party, the African National Congress, threatening its decades-long control of the government.

A generation after the end of apartheid in 1994, black South Africans are still mostly shut out of the countrys economic opportunities, while A.N.C. officials have enriched themselves largely through government contracts.
MOGADISHU, Somalia  A suicide car bombing on Saturday near the presidential palace in Mogadishu, the Somalian capital, has killed at least 13 people and wounded at least 17 others, the police said.

A second blast went off nearby shortly afterward, as a plume of smoke rose over the capital and ambulances were arriving on the scene.

The Shabaab, an Islamist group linked to Al Qaeda, claimed responsibility for both blasts in a broadcast on its Radio Andalus. The group said the second explosion had also been a car bomb.

A police official, Capt. Mohamed Hussein, said the bomber had targeted a military checkpoint near the rear entrance of the heavily fortified palace. Another police spokesman, Col. Ahmed Mohamud, said the death toll included civilians and soldiers.

Among those killed were a prominent journalist, Awil Dahir Salad; two security personnel; and a driver working for the local station Universal TV, whose car was passing the checkpoint at which the first blast went off, according to another reporter, Abdiasis Ibrahim, who works for the London-based Universal TV.

Among the wounded were the deputy mayor of Mogadishu, Mohamed Tuulah, and a former regional official, Warsame Jodah, according to local news reports.

Saturday is a business day in Somalia, and lawmakers and other officials had been traveling nearby when the explosions ripped through the area.

At first I saw a vehicle driving to and fro, then we tried to stop people walking here and there, and then in the blink of an eye the vehicle exploded, causing havoc, a traffic police officer, Mohamed Harun, told The Associated Press.

The Shabab have carried out a relentless campaign of attacks in Mogadishu, sometimes targeting civilians. The groups members want to dislodge the central government and impose a strict interpretation of Shariah law.

The Shabab have lost much of their territory after being forced out of Mogadishu since 2011 as a result of attacks by African Union forces and increased American air power. But they remain a potent killing force.

In October 2017, a double truck bombing killed more than 380 people and injured hundreds of others, the worst attack in decades.

The United States subsequently stepped up airstrikes against the militants.
Guyanas fragile multiracial coalition government fell after a no-confidence vote in the National Assembly late Friday, setting off a general election campaign nearly two years before President David A. Grangers constitutional term is complete.

The surprise collapse comes less than four years after a coalition of Indo-Guyanese and Afro-Guyanese politicians, promising a new style of inclusive politics, defeated a party that had held power for more than two decades.

A retired military commander, Mr. Granger has had trouble controlling a fractious cabinet and has been slow in putting together a regulatory and environmental framework to prepare the country for the first commercial production of oil, scheduled in 2020.

The discovery of oil by Exxon Mobil off Guyanas Atlantic coast in recent years promises to transform the economy of the English-speaking South American country of 750,000 people. But even advisers to the government have warned that with the countys history of corruption, Guyana risks squandering billions of dollars in annual revenue from taxes and royalties.
The demanding craft of eagle hunting was passed on to her by her grandfather, Matei. With him by her side, she and her eagle have even hunted wolves.

Her grandfather taught her all he knew of hunting with eagles  how to call to the bird in the sky, how to whisper to it soothingly when perched on her arm. When he died, she inherited his prized bird.

After my grandfathers death, I wanted to continue his way, Zamanbol said.

Just as Zamanbol began learning the craft at a young age, the training of the birds starts soon after an eaglet is captured from the nest, often after a hunter has made a rugged climb up a cliff. The resulting relationship between hunter and eagle is close and spans years; some last more than a decade, with a few hunters even talking about the eagle as if it were their child.

Hunters will often sing to their eagles to get them used to their voice.

Female eagles, larger and stronger than males, are used almost exclusively in the hunt. Once grown to about 15 pounds, the eagles ride with their hunters on horseback into the mountains, where they are released to scan the landscape for prey, typically foxes and rabbits.
MANILA  A Philippine congressman was shot and killed on Saturday, in an attack the police suspect could be politically related ahead of elections next year.

The lawmaker, Rodel M. Batocabe, 52, an ally of President Rodrigo Duterte, was shot eight times during a gift-giving ceremony for older Filipinos in the eastern Albay Province, according to Senior Inspector Mayvell Gonzales of the local police. A police escort was also killed.

Mr. Batocabe was the first member of the Philippines 297-seat House of Representatives to be killed in recent years, but he was the 21st official murdered since Mr. Duterte took office two years ago and began a brutal anti-narcotics crackdown.

At least three of those killed were on a long list of officials whom Mr. Duterte has accused, without providing evidence, of involvement in the drug trade.
Brett McGurk, the special presidential envoy to the coalition fighting the Islamic State, has accelerated his resignation, telling colleagues this weekend that he could not in good conscience carry out President Trumps newly declared policy of withdrawing American troops from Syria.

Mr. McGurk, a seasoned diplomat who was considered by many to be the glue holding together the sprawling international coalition fighting the terrorist group, was supposed to retire in February. But according to an email he sent his staff, he decided to move his departure forward to Dec. 31 after Mr. Trump did not heed his own commanders and blindsided Americas allies in the region by abruptly ordering the withdrawal of the 2,000 troops.

His decision comes right after the departure of Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, whose own resignation letter was seen as a rebuke of the presidents actions in the region.

The recent decision by the president came as a shock and was a complete reversal of policy that was articulated to us, Mr. McGurk said in the email to his colleagues. It left our coalition partners confused and our fighting partners bewildered, he added.
TORONTO  Canada tried to turn up pressure on China on Saturday over the detention of two Canadians caught up in a struggle between global superpowers, with its foreign minister calling their imprisonment arbitrary and a precedent that is worrying not only for Canada but for the world.

China seized the two Canadians, the former diplomat Michael Kovrig and the entrepreneur and writer Michael Spavor, shortly after Canada detained a Chinese telecommunications executive at the behest of the United States. The detentions of Mr. Kovrig and Mr. Spavor have rattled Canadians, many of whom do business and have family in China, and the government stressed that it was working feverishly for their release.

We also believe this is not only a Canadian issue, Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said in a conference call on Saturday. It is an issue that concerns our allies.

Canada is in a tricky spot, boxed in between its two largest trading partners and worried about having to choose sides. After feeling burned by negotiations to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement, the country is trying to strengthen trade relations with China to lessen dependence on economic ties to the United States.
HELSINKI  Finlands police are investigating whether a lawmaker had cheated Parliament out of over $14,000 in tax-free reimbursement after claiming allowances for a second home that turned out to be a Helsinki sauna.

The member of Parliament, Ville Vahamaki of the nationalist Finns Party, denied any wrongdoing in a statement.

The Finnish tabloid Iltalehti reported in July that he and another member of Parliament had been claiming elevated housing allowances for a sauna they had rented in the basement of an apartment building.

In practice, I use it for laundry and so forth, Mr. Vahamaki told the newspaper at the time.

Mr. Vahamaki is suspected of having defrauded Parliament of around 13,000 euros (about $14,800) in the form of unjustified allowances, the Finnish National Bureau of Investigation said in a statement, adding that he had paid the money back.
LONDON  British authorities have arrested a married couple on suspicion of wreaking havoc with a drone at Gatwick Airport, forcing hundreds of planes to be grounded or diverted and delaying tens of thousands of holiday travelers.

Henry Smith, a member of Parliament whose constituency includes Gatwick Airport, said that law enforcement officials identified the two as Paul Gait, 47, and his wife Elaine Kirk, 54. Local police officials said they had detained a man and a woman of the same ages on Friday night, but they did not name them. They are from Crawley, a town just south of the airport.

The couple are suspected of disrupting civil aviation services and endangering people or operations  offenses that carry a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, according to the police. They have not been formally charged and are still in custody, but the police did not release further details.

The incident exposed the vulnerabilities of the airport to outside interference and drew attention to the limitations of security officials responding to such a threat at a peak travel time. Gatwick is Britains second-largest air travel hub.
OSLO, Norway  The Norwegian police have concluded that footage showing the brutal killing of a Scandinavian tourist in Morocco by suspects who also filmed themselves pledging allegiance to the Islamic State is most likely authentic.

Norways National Criminal Investigation Service, known as Kripos, said in a statement on Friday, There is no concrete evidence indicating the video is not real.

It came as the Moroccan authorities announced the arrests of nine more people in connection with the killing of the university students Maren Ueland, 28, of Norway and Louisa Vesterager Jespersen, 24, of Denmark, in a remote corner of the Atlas Mountains. Morocco considers the killings a terrorist act.

Thirteen men in all have been detained in the case. Moroccos Central Bureau of Judicial Investigations said the nine new suspects had been arrested in the regions of Marrakesh, Essaouira, Sidi Bennour, Tangier and Chtouka Ait Baha. They were carrying arms and suspicious materials used in the manufacture of explosives at the time of their arrests. No further details were released.
The authors are graphics editors for The Times.

The authors are graphics editors for The Times.

The criminal justice reform bill known as the First Step Act, which President Trump signed into law on Friday, has been lauded as a sorely needed instance of bipartisan lawmaking. The law will reduce sentences for federal prisoners while seeking to balance public safety needs.

It is a bright moment in a highly partisan time. The title claims it is the first step of further reform, but this legislation follows a growing number of state-level moves that are gradually undoing decades of tough-on-crime policies that caused the nations prison population to swell.

Here, you can check your knowledge of the American criminal justice system and how the First Step Act fits in.

Who is affected?

In the United States, people are locked up in correctional facilities under the jurisdiction of federal, state and local authorities. The First Step Act applies only to some federal prisoners.

As of 2016, the share of people incarcerated in the federal system was

Show me the answer  less than a tenth of the total number incarcerated in the country. That leaves more than 1.9 million incarcerated people who will not be affected by the law.

Among other provisions, the law retroactively reduces sentences for crack cocaine, shortens mandatory minimums for some offenses and makes it easier for prisoners to earn early release. Also included are affirmations of policies that place prisoners near their families or homes and prohibit the shackling of pregnant inmates.

These reforms will make a difference, albeit for a relatively small number of federal prisoners. Some advocates think this federal law will send a signal to states that have lagged in enacting criminal justice reform.

Why does the system need reform?

Compared with other countries, the U.S. incarceration rate is 

Show me the answer  the highest in the world. In second place is El Salvador, which has the worlds highest rate of intentional homicide, according to the United Nations.

A recent study from Cornell found that almost half of American adults have had a family member jailed, the result of a criminal justice system that is impractical, unjust and ineffective. State correctional budgets grew to nearly $50 billion in 2015. Black men receive harsher sentences than white men for the same crimes. And research suggests that increased incarceration has little to no effect on preventing crime.

How much crime is there now?

The incarceration rate has increased by 50 percent since 1990.

1,000 inmates per 100,000 residents 800 Rate peaked in 2007 600 400 450 inmates per 100,000 residents 200 117 0 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2017 1,000 inmates per 100,000 residents 800 Rate peaked in 2007 600 400 450 inmates per 100,000 residents 200 117 0 '60 '70 '80 '90 '00 '10 '17

Simultaneously, the violent crime rate has 

Show me the answer  nearly halved.

The disconnect between public perception of crime and what is actually happening is part of the reason criminal justice reform has been difficult to pass.

How has the prison population changed?

The incarcerated population has grown sevenfold since 1970, far faster than the countrys population.

Between 1986 and 2013, the average number of months served in federal prisons 

Show me the answer  more than doubled.

As of 2016, one out of every nine prisoners in the country was serving a life sentence, a number that has increased nearly fivefold since 1984. Because of long sentences, the average age of those incarcerated has risen in tandem with the average health care cost per inmate. But older people are less likely to commit another crime when released.

In recent years, states across the political spectrum have made concerted efforts to safely reduce correctional populations, said Jake Horowitz, the director of Pews public safety performance project.

Whether reforms should apply retroactively and to people convicted of violent crimes has been a point of contention. An earlier version of the First Step Act would have retroactively shortened some lengthy sentences, but the clause was removed to win the support of law enforcement groups and President Trump.

To reduce the number of people serving lengthy prison terms, more retroactive sentence reductions will be necessary. Because people convicted of violent offenses are concentrated in state prisons, states will need to make policy decisions that take this difference into account, such as more funding for parole and re-entry programs that help people transition back into society and reduce recidivism.

New York was able to reduce its correctional population over the past two decades without suffering an increase in crime by changing policing practices and emphasizing treatment programs, community service and fines instead of prison time. Other states have enacted reforms that include retroactive sentence reductions, legalization of marijuana and improved risk assessment for pretrial detention and parole decisions.

Crime and incarceration are not a zero-sum game, Mr. Horowitz said. You can actually have less of both.
Will growing demand for traditional Chinese medicine threaten wildlife?

Feature

oi-Deepika S

The growing demand for traditional Chinese medicine throughout the world has inadvertently increased the threat to wildlife. Endangered animals, such as the tiger and rhinoceros, are already facing the pressures of habitat destruction and the trade in skins, horns and furs.

The animal most at risk of extinction is the tiger. Long revered in China as a symbol of power and strength, the tiger is still coveted for its medicinal properties. This regard for the majestic animal and its healing abilities is driving the animal to extinction. Only a century ago there were eight kinds of tigers, with over 100,000 wild tigers in the world. Today only five tiger subspecies exist, with fewer than 5,000 wild tigers in the world.

Rhinos face a similar plight. For centuries rhino horn has been used to treat fevers, convulsions, and delirium. But over time the number of rhinos has dwindled. In Asia, only about 2,800 rhinos remain. Even plant life is threatened by increased demand.

Turtles have been used in Chinese traditional medicine to treat a wide variety of ailments and diseases. Despite a lack of scientific evidence demonstrating a causative link between turtle consumption and medicinal benefits, many people in China believe they provide benefits such as maintaining youthful beauty in women and improving sexual function in men. Because of these beliefs and their symbolic importance, turtles have been highly sought after for more than 3,000 years.

What is Chinese traditional medicine?

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) originated in ancient China and has evolved over thousands of years. TCM practitioners use herbal medicines and various mind and body practices, such as acupuncture and tai chi, to treat or prevent health problems. In the United States, people use TCM primarily as a complementary health approach. These herbal medicines use parts from animals and thus leading to wildlife threat.

In May 2017, Beijing announced that it is developing 57 traditional medicine centers this year in countries that are part of its globe-spanning Belt and Road Initiative, like Poland and the United Arab Emirates. In 2017, it grew by 20 percent, fuelled by more than 4,000 traditional-medicine hospitals across the country. Now China is aggressively promoting the practices overseas.

China's exports of traditional Chinese medicine reached $3.6 billion. This year, for the first time, the World Health Organization included details of traditional Chinese medicine in its all-important annual compendium of diseases and health problems.

Chinese medicine growing global

China's growing affluence means that TCM is undergoing a legitimate renaissance, buoyed by government sponsorship as Beijing seeks to boost its global soft power. TCM had an almighty publicity coup when the chemist Tu Youyou won the 2015 Nobel Prize for her wormwood-based malaria treatment. The number of TCM-related papers in Science Citation Index journals has also soared 30-fold to 3,000 annually over the past two decades.

However, not everyone is happy about greater reliance on TCM. Some conservationists worry that the WHO's decision, on top of TCM's growing popularity, may seal the fate of endangered species historically used for traditional curatives-and even send ones not currently threatened into a death spiral because of elevated demand.

Wildlife trafficking- world's fourth profitable criminal trade

With estimated total revenues of up to $23 billion a year, wildlife trafficking is now considered the world's fourth-most-profitable criminal trade after drugs, weapons and human trafficking. Even with China's ivory ban, at least 20,000 elephants are poached each year for their tusks 55 dead elephants a day. More than 7,000 African rhinos have been slaughtered for their horns in the past decade. The rate of poaching for tigers and rhinos has slowed, and the price of rhino horn not long ago almost twice as expensive as gold - has dropped by two-thirds, according to WildAid. But the gains are fragile, the dangers ever-present.

China is the world's largest market for wildlife trafficking, and the United States is second. Consumers in both countries, many of them ignorant of these animals' endangered status, are driving demand for the black market in animal products. As long as people covet the tiger bone and rhino horn in medicines and tonics, and as long as they remain uneducated about suitable alternatives, the decisions of responsible acupuncturists won't be enough to save these animals.

Despite, international efforts to protect endangered animals are often not supported by domestic legislation and enforcement, so trafficking hot spots continue to boom.

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Story first published: Saturday, December 22, 2018, 16:13 [IST]
A new media strategy of the government in the offing to counter narratives made by opposition

India

oi-Vinod Kumar Shukla

New Delhi, Dec 22: The government and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are planning to strengthen its media team in view of the next general elections in 2019. It is also being realised that some kind of aggression is required to counter not only narrative made by the Congress but also its affiliates but in a very contrived manner with all facts and figures.

A section in the government is of the view that it was the false narrative made by the Congress and its affiliate that had harmed the BJP in three Assembly elections. So they must be countered and rebutted properly.

BJP, LJP clinch deal, Rajya Sabha seat likely for Ram Vilas Paswan

Sources said that some new names are being considered not only from the party line but also individuals who agree and subscribe to the policies of the party and the government to speak on including some corporate honchos to speak on economic issues. It will not only be countered on television but on print and social media as well.

Some good write-ups to be written in the print media especially issues like farm crisis, Rafale, intolerance and many such narratives created by the Opposition. The Congress and its affiliates sometimes go overboard to criticise institution and hold the government responsible for doing the same so that will also be countered.

Some of the senior ministers interacting with media will also be helped with all kinds of supports to counter propaganda against the government. A team is working on the nitty-gritty and very soon a new set of people will be around to defend the government and the party.

BJP wants and TMC does not want 'save democracy yatra' for 2019 Lok Sabha polls

Actually, the government has realised that the way aggressive and sometimes false propaganda is unleashed by the Congress and its affiliate organisations that needs to be countered properly. Narrative against the government will be responded with counter-narrative.

A source involved in this activity said that false propaganda of the Congress and its affiliates beneficiaries will be responded by facts and figure. The government plans to go aggressive on them.
AgustaWestland: ED arrests James Christian Michel

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Dec 22: The Enforcement Directorate has arrested alleged AgustaWestland middleman, James Christian Michel. The ED would question in connection with the financial transactions that went into the VVIP chopper deal.

Special Judge Arvind Kumar first allowed the Enforcement Directorate to interrogate the British national inside the courtroom for 15 minutes after the agency sought his custodial interrogation.

AgustaWestland: Michel disguised kickbacks as consultancy fees

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had on Friday moved a petition in Delhi's Patiala House Court seeking production warrant of Christian Michel, alleged middleman in Rs 3,600 crore AgustaWestland VVIP chopper scam.

The production warrant is an order issued by a criminal court of law to produce a person before the court in connection with criminal proceedings pending against him.

According to the ED charge sheet filed in a court two years back, Michel had received kickbacks to the tune of 30 million Euros from AgustaWestland for the deal involving the purchase of 12 VIP helicopters. The deal, signed in 2007, was scrapped in 2013 following the bribery allegations.

At present, Michel is in judicial custody and is lodged in Tihar jail. He too has filed a new petition asking the judicature to allocate him a special cell in the prison. In its plea, Michel has stated that the other inmates of the cell are bothering him with too many questions.

In AgustaWestland case, a 12 million Euro payout to Italian political party under scanner

It is submitted that the accused Christian James Michel apprehends that the inmates along with him in the cell are trying to interact with him in a detailed manner and asking him questions pertaining to the pending investigation," reads his petition.

"It is submitted that such interactions with the common people/residents in the cell may go against the interest of the investigation as well as the rights available to the accused in the jail. They tried to mention that the safety of the persons who are interacting with the accused may at some point of time be in jeopardy," the petition of Michel further reads.
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AgustaWestland: LoC against former IAF chief set to be cancelled

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

New Delhi, Dec 22: A Delhi court has directed the CBI to cancel the look out circular (LOC) issued against former IAF chief S P Tyagi, who is an accused in the VVIP chopper scam.

Special Judge Arvind Kumar directed the probe agency to inform the concerned authorities about it.

AgustaWestland: Michel disguised kickbacks as consultancy fees

CBI had issued LOC against Tyagi in 2013. It is a circular issued by the authorities to check if a person who is travelling is wanted by the law enforcement agencies.

The CBI on September 1, 2017, had filed a charge sheet in the case in which Tyagi and British national Christian Michel were named as accused along with others.

Eight others were also named in the charge sheet in connection with a bribery case in the VVIP chopper deal.

Tyagi (73) is the first chief of the Indian Air Force to be chargesheeted in a corruption or a criminal case by the CBI and he has denied all charges against him.

On January 1, 2014, India scrapped the contract with Italy-based Finmeccanica's British subsidiary AgustaWestland for supplying 12 AW-101 VVIP choppers to the IAF over alleged breach of contractual obligations and charges of paying kickbacks to the tune of Rs 423 crore by it for securing the deal.

The CBI has alleged there was an estimated loss of 398.21 million euro (approximately Rs 2,666 crore) to the exchequer in the deal that was signed on February 8, 2010 for the supply of VVIP choppers worth 556.262 million euro.

Delhi Court reserves order on Christian Michel's bail plea for Dec 22

Besides Tyagi, the agency has also chargesheeted retired Air Marshal J S Gujral along with eight others, including five foreign nationals, in the charge sheet filed in the court.

The company, AgustaWestland, is also one of the accused.

Others named in the charge sheet are -- Tyagi's cousin Sanjeev alias Julie, advocate Gautam Khaitan, alleged European middlemen Carlo Gerosa, Christian Michel, Guido Haschke, former AgustaWestland CEO Bruno Spagnolini and former Finmeccanica Chairman Giuseppe Orsi.

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Story first published: Saturday, December 22, 2018, 6:32 [IST]
Congress to contest LS polls on Jai Kisan, Jai Naujawan, Na Hindu, Na Musalman slogan

India

oi-Vinod Kumar Shukla

New Delhi, Dec 22: The Congress seems to have realised that farm crisis across the country has become the Achilles Heal for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to deal with. So it is going to work on such slogan that can attract more and more people towards it. Besides targeting the government on other corruption related issues, the farmer issue is going to remain big for them.

If sources are to be believed then the Congress is going to fight on the slogan Jai Kisan, Jai Naujawan, Na Hindu, Na Musalman (Long live farmers, Long live youth, neither Hindu, nor Muslims). This is going to be the central theme of the Congress for 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

A new media strategy of the government in the offing to counter narratives made by opposition

The success of the Congress in three states - Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh-- have given the party the mantra of success for the Lok Sabha elections. These issues will work for the Congress and if they are supported by youths and farmers of the country, no one can stop the Congress coming to power at the Centre.

The offensive of the Congress led by Rahul Gandhi will continue of the issue of corruption so the Congress has got a lot of issue in its hands as the Central government is not too keen on loan waiver of farmers as they feel that this will impact economy adversely.

Karnataka Cabinet expansion today; Ramalinga Reddy, BC Patil not in lucky six

So the BJP government is working on many different schemes that they claim would work for them. Despite a section of BJP leaders demanding loan waiver of farmers in Chhattisgarh but CM Raman Singh did not pay any heed to it leading a debacle in the state. The BJP in principal is not in favour of loan waiver.
J&K govt accountable for every rupee spent on ground after revoking Article 370: FM Sitharaman

J&K downgraded to UT from state, like a CM demoting to MLA: Ghulam Nabi Azad

If normalcy to be brought in Kashmir, Article 370 has to be reinstated: Farooq Abdullah

Jammu and Kashmir: 6 militants killed in Pulwama encounter

India

oi-Chennabasaveshwar P

Pulwama, Dec 22: Six militants have been killed in an encounter at Arampora village in Pulwama district on Saturday.

Security forces launched a cordon and search operation in Arampora village in Awantipora area of the south Kashmir district following specific intelligence about the presence of terrorists there, a police official said.

Radicalisation, terror in Valley, India's biggest concerns

Swayam Prakash Pani, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), said six terrorists were killed in the encounter.

According to reports, one of the militants killed in the operation was identified as Soliha Mohammad, reportedly a top aide of militant Zakir Musa. Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind is a cell of Al-Qaeda operating in the Kashmir valley.

It may be recalled that last week, an encounter in Pulwama district, left seven civilians dead after the Indian Army opened fire during clashes that broke out following an operation. Three militants of Hizbul Mujahideen and an Indian Army soldier were killed in the operation on 15 December 2018.

One of the militants, Zahoor Ahmad Thokar, was a former Indian Army soldier of the Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry. He had joined Hizbul Mujahideen in June 2017.

(With PTI inputs)
If normalcy to be brought in Kashmir, Article 370 has to be reinstated: Farooq Abdullah

J&K official arrested on bribery charges suspended

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

Jammu, Dec 22: The Jammu and Kashmir government has suspended a deputy excise commissioner after he was arrested by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on bribery charges, an official spokesman said.

Pending enquiry into his conduct, Syed Muried Hussain Shah (KAS), Dy Excise Commissioner, Jammu, under orders of transfer as Director Land Management, Jammu Development Authority (JDA), has been placed under suspension with immediate effect, he said.

Radicalisation, terror in Valley, India's biggest concerns

During his suspension, Shah will remain attached with the General Administration Department, the spokesman said.

The ACB apprehended Shah while accepting the bribe of Rs 2 lakh from a retired Army officer for clearing the file of renewal of wine shop license in the city.

A complaint was lodged by Col HDS Rainal (retd), Jammu, that the official was demanding bribe for clearing the file, an ACB officer said.

The complainant said that his family had a business in the name of Dalip Singh Wine Shop at Narwal, Jammu, and the license was pending since May this year in the Excise Department, he said.

It was stated that his father had died and his mother being blind was made to run from pillar to post for renewal of the license for the last eight months, the officer added.

Pak trying to revive terrorism in Punjab, fuelling unrest in Kashmir: Rajnath

On the basis of the complaint, a prima facie case of criminal misconduct on Shah's part was found and accordingly a formal case was registered and investigation was initiated, he said.

A team was constituted which apprehended Shah while demanding and accepting bribe from the complainant in the presence of independent witnesses, the officer said.

The accused was arrested on the spot and, thereafter, a team of the ACB was also dispatched for conducting house search of the accused at his residence in Paloura, Jammu, he said.

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Story first published: Saturday, December 22, 2018, 5:49 [IST]
Curfew in Ahmedabad extended till 6am on May 21; Night curfew to continue in 36 cities for another 3 days

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Medical emergency forces Emirates plane to land in Ahmedabad

India

oi-PTI

Ahmedabad, Dec 22: A mid-air medical emergency on board an Emirates Airlines flight from Dubai to Myanmar's Yangon forced the aircraft to divert to the city airport in Ahmedabad today.

The aircraft contacted the Ahmedabad Air Traffic Control (ATC) this afternoon after a five-year-old British national on board the flight developed medical complications, the airport authorities said in the statement.

"Ahmedabad ATC immediately approved the diversion and initiated priority landing procedures. At that time, the aircraft was flying at 35,000 feet", the statement said.

Upon landing, the child was taken to a private hospital near the airport in an Airports Authority of India ambulance.

He is still undergoing treatment at the hospital, officials said, adding that the flight departed for Yangon around 3pm.

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Story first published: Saturday, December 22, 2018, 23:11 [IST]
Rahul Gandhi's old tweet goes viral: 'Mark my words, govt will take back anti-farm laws'

As Mamata Banerjee takes swipe at Rahul Gandhi, Cong says such posturing for personal ambition will help BJP

No one killed Sohrabuddin, Justice Loya, they just died: Rahul takes a dig at courts ruling

India

oi-Deepika S

New Delhi, Dec 22: Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on Saturday took a swipe at the special CBI court's decision to acquit all 22 accused in the alleged fake encounter killings of gangster Sohrabuddin Shaikh in 2005.

"NO ONE KILLED...Haren Pandya. Tulsiram Prajapati. Justice Loya. Prakash Thombre. Shrikant Khandalkar. Kauser Bi. Sohrabuddin Shiekh. THEY JUST DIED," Gandhi wrote on Twitter.

NO ONE KILLED...



Haren Pandya.



Tulsiram Prajapati.



Justice Loya.



Prakash Thombre.



Shrikant Khandalkar.



Kauser Bi.



Sohrabuddin Shiekh.



THEY JUST DIED.  Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) December 22, 2018

On Friday, the special CBI court cleared the names of the accused saying the evidence brought before the court could not establish the role of any of the 22 in the case.

The 13-year-old case saw several twists and turns, including 92 prosecution witnesses turning hostile. At one point, BJP president Amit Shah was also arrested briefly in 2010.

Sohrabuddin Sheikh encounter: All including 21 cops acquitted for want of evidence

The three victims who were returning to Sangli in Maharashtra from Hyderabad in a bus were taken into custody by a police team on the night of November 22-23, 2005.

The couple were taken in one vehicle and Prajapati in another. The CBI, which was the prosecuting agency, said Shaikh was killed on November 26, 2005, allegedly by a joint team comprising Gujarat and Rajasthan police, and Kausar Bi three days later.

Prajapati, who was lodged in an Udaipur central jail, was killed in an encounter on the Gujarat-Rajasthan border on December 27, 2006.

Of the 22 accused, 21 are junior-level police officials from Gujarat and Rajasthan, who the CBI said were part of the teams that abducted the three and later killed them in staged encounters. The remaining accused was the owner of the farm house in Gujarat where Shaikh and Kausar Bi were illegally detained before they were killed.

Police said Sohrabuddin was linked with terror groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba and was allegedly conspiring to assassinate Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was then the chief minister of Gujarat.

The case was initially probed by the Gujarat CID before the CBI took over in 2010. The Supreme Court in 2013 directed that the trial be shifted to Mumbai from Gujarat on the central agency's request to ensure a fair trial.

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Story first published: Saturday, December 22, 2018, 20:28 [IST]
Naseeruddin Shah health update: Actor doing well, likely to be discharged from Mumbai hospital on Friday

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Now Naseeruddin Shah gets a flight ticket to Pakistan

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

Meerut, Dec 22: The Uttar Pradesh Navnirman Sena said it will send veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah an air-ticket for Pakistan over his comments on the Bulandshahr violence.

The actor found himself at the centre of a major controversy over his remarks in reference to the killing of a policeman in Bulandshahr earlier this month.

RSS and VHP accuse Naseeruddin Shah of working on political agenda of others

He said the death of a cow was being given importance over killing of a policeman in the violence.

"If Naseeruddin Shah feels scared in India, he can go to Pakistan. The UPNS (Uttar Pradesh Navnirman Sena) has booked a air-ticket for him to Pakistan for August 14," UPNS chief Amit Jani said.

"Like him, if anybody else feels scared, the UPNS will also book air-tickets for them to Pakistan," he said.

Wondering why his comments on mob violence were being misconstrued with some people calling him a "traitor", actor Shah said Friday in Ajmer that he spoke as a "worried Indian" and has the right to express concerns about the country he loves.

"What I said earlier was as a worried Indian. I have said this earlier as well. What did I say this time that I am being called a traitor? It is very strange," Shah told reporters here at his alma mater, St Anselm's Senior Secondary School.

"I have to bear criticism. If they have the right to criticise, then I also have the same right. I am expressing concerns about the country I love, the country that is my home. How is that a crime?" he asked.

Naseeruddin Shah's Ajmer event cancelled amid protests

Shah was responding to a question about the backlash he is receiving on social media following his remarks.

The actor had expressed anxiety over the growing mob violence in a video interview with Karwan-e-Mohabbat India, which the organisation shared on its YouTube channel on Monday.

In the interview, the actor expressed concern over the well-being of his children, who he said have not been brought up as followers of any particular religion.
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Parrikar blackmailing PM Modi in Rafale deal to retain his chair: Jaipal Reddy

India

oi-PTI

Panaji, Dec 22: Senior Congress leader and former Union minister Jaipal Reddy has accused Manohar Parrikar of trying to "blackmail" Prime Minister Narendra Modi through the Rafale deal to retain his chair as the Goa chief minister.

Reddy was addressing the party's concluding function of 'Jan Akrosh' Rally at Margao town Thursday.

The Congress has been holding 'Jan Akrosh' rallies across Goa demanding "resumption" of governance in the state, claiming Parrikar's health has affected the functioning of the administration.

AgustaWestland: LoC against former IAF chief set to be cancelled

Reacting to Reddy's statement, the BJP said the Congress was trying in vain to raise the Rafale issue despite it being cleared by the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court on December 14 gave the Narendra Modi government a clean chit on the procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets from France and dismissed all petitions seeking a direction to the Central Bureau of Investigation to register an FIR for alleged irregularities in the deal.

The apex court had said there was no occasion to doubt the decision-making process in the multi-billion dollar Rafale deal.

The former Information and Broadcasting minister demanded Parrikar's resignation and said he was "sticking" to the chief minister's chair "like a leech"

"He talks of morality, what morality is there of Mr Manohar Parrikar sticking to the chair like a leech," Reddy said in the presence of Congress leaders, including state chief Girish Chodankar, former Goa chief ministers Digambar Kamat, Ravi Naik, Francisco Sardinha, and others.

"I know he is in a position to blackmail PM Narendra Modi... Is he blackmailing PM to keep him in the chair as chief minister? We need to think about it," he added.

Before assuming charge as Goa chief minister, Parrikar was Defence minister in the Modi Cabinet.

PTI

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Story first published: Saturday, December 22, 2018, 9:10 [IST]
No politics please: UPs deep rooted problem of radicalisation, terror have to be cleaned up

Radicalisation, terror in Valley, Indias biggest concerns

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Dec 22: At the two day DGP's meet being held in Gujarat, a host of issues were discussed with regard to radicalisation and cross border infiltrations.

On Friday, Prime Minister, Narendra Modi arrived at Kevadiya in Gujarat, for the Conference of Director Generals of Police and Inspector Generals of Police. The PM held discussions with select groups of officers, on specific security and policing issues.

The discussions shall continue today and Modi will also release a commemorative stamp on National Police Memorial, and launch the Portal of the Cyber Coordination Centre.

He will present President's Police Medals for distinguished service to IB officers, and address the gathering.

Radicalisation, terror in the Valley: Top on the agenda at DGP meet

The officers are discussing a host of issues. Top on the agenda is radicalisation, terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir and cross border infiltration. The top leadership will be appraised about the situation and the future course of action to tackle the problems will also be discussed.

These three subjects have been the primary area of concern for security forces. The problem at Jammu and Kashmir is immense and the government would look for ways to curb terror and recruitments into terror groups in the Valley. Further the issue of radicalisation has also been discussed at the meet. While the problem is under control to a large extent as of now, the officials would discuss measures to ensure that such instances are brought down further.
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RJD MLA gets lifer in rape case

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

Patna, Dec 22: A local court on has awarded life sentence to suspended RJD MLA Raj Ballabh Yadav and two others convicted in a case related to raping a minor girl over two years ago.

Three others were sentenced to 10 years rigourous imprisonment in the case.

The court had convicted Yadav and the five others, including four women, on December 15 for the rape of the minor girl at his residence in Bihar Sharif on February 6, 2016.

Special MP and MLA court judge-cum-Additional District and Sessions Judge Parshuram Singh Yadav awarded life imprisonment to Raj Ballabh Yadav under sections 376 (rape) and 120(B) (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code and the POCSO Act.

Yadav, who is an MLA from Nawada, now stands to lose his membership of the Bihar Assembly.

According to section 8(3) of Representation of People Act, 1951, a person convicted of any offence and sentenced to imprisonment for not less than two years shall be disqualified from the date of such conviction and shall continue to be disqualified for a further period of six years since his release.

SC cancels bail granted to suspended RJD MLA Raj Ballabh Yadav

The court also slapped a fine of Rs 50,000 on Yadav.

The two others who were also awarded life imprisonment were ordered to pay a fine of Rs 20,000 each. A fine of Rs 10,000 was imposed on the remaining three.

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) suspended Yadav from the party on February 14, 2016, after he was named as accused in the rape case.

In its chargesheet, the Bihar police had also named a woman and her relatives as accused on the ground that they were supplying women and girls to the MLA.

Yadav had evaded arrest for a considerable time and finally surrendered after a local court issued a proclamation notice and an order to attach his properties.

He had later secured bail from Patna High Court, which was cancelled by the Supreme Court on November 24, 2016.

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Story first published: Saturday, December 22, 2018, 7:34 [IST]
Violation of SC order barring bandhs will be \"viewed seriously\": Kerala HC to state authorities

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Sabarimala row: Activist Rahul Easwar told not to enter Pamba

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

Kochi, Dec 22: The Kerala High Court has granted bail to Ayyappa Dharma Sena leader Rahul Easwar, who was re-arrested earlier this week for defying the bail conditions imposed in a case related to violent protests at Sabarimala in October.

He was arrested on Monday after a local court revoked his bail.

Sabarimala violence case: Police arrest Rahul Easwar for defying bail condition

Granting the fresh conditional bail, Justice Sunil Thomas directed the activist not to enter Pamba, an important pilgrim spot enroute to the hill shrine of Lord Ayyappa at Sabarimala.

The judge also directed him to sign at Pathanamthitta police station once every month.

Easwar was arrested from a rest house in Palakad on Monday, two days after the court at Ranni in Pathanamthitta district ordered his arrest for failure to appear before the local police as stipulated in the bail condition.

The Ayyappa Dharma Sena leader spearheaded protests against the implementation of the Supreme Court verdict permitting women of all age groups into the Lord Ayyappa temple.

He was earlier arrested in the case relating to violence at the Lord Ayyappa shrine when it was opened for the monthly prayers on October 17, for the first time after the apex court lifted the ban on menstrual age women visiting the shrine.

'Childish, outrageous excuses to arrest', says Rahul Easwar after his bail cancelled

The local court, while granting bail, had stipulated several conditions, including that he has to appear in the Pathanamthitta police station every Saturday.

However, on December 8, he failed to appear, police had said, following which the court cancelled Easwar's bail.

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Story first published: Saturday, December 22, 2018, 6:40 [IST]
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Tandoor murder case: A chronology

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

New Delhi, Dec 22: The Delhi High Court Friday ordered "forthwith" release of former youth Congress leader Sushil Kumar Sharma, serving life term for the murder of his wife Naina Sahni in 1995.

Sharma has already undergone over two decades of incarceration in the case.

A bench of Justices Siddharth Mridul and Sangita Dhingra Sehgal passed the order.

Now 56, Sharma had shot dead his wife in 1995, objecting to her alleged relationship with a male friend. He had then chopped her body into pieces and attempted to burn it in a restaurant oven.

Known as the Tandoor (oven) murder case, it is one of the landmark cases in India in which DNA evidence and a second autopsy were used to establish the guilt of the accused.

The high court set aside and quashed the recommendations of the sentence review board (SRB) which had rejected Sharma's representation for pre-mature release.

It also set aside the "non-speaking affirmation" of SRB's recommendations by the Lieutenant Governor, who is the competent authority.

"We accordingly direct that the state shall release Sushil Sharma forthwith," the bench said.

The court had earlier issued notice to the Delhi government and sought its stand on Sharma's plea seeking release from custody on the grounds that he has been jailed for over two decades, including the period of remission, and his continued incarceration was illegal.

Sharma, who is in prison since 1995, had contended that he has already undergone the maximum prescribed sentence as mandated under the SRB guidelines.

Advocate Amit Sahni, appearing for Sharma, had said that guidelines on premature release state that life convicts sentenced for a single offence are to be released after completion of 20 years of incarceration and those who had committed heinous crimes are to be granted the relief after 25 years.

Delhi government standing counsel (criminal) Rahul Mehra had said the LG, who is the competent authority to decide the pre-mature release of convicts, had accepted SRB recommendations not to release Sharma and all records were put before him.

In his petition, Sharma had said even though his case falls in the first category, he had also undergone 29 years of incarceration, with remission, and 23 years and six months, without remission.

Sharma had also contended that his conduct in prison and while out on parole has been "exemplary" and he has never misused his liberty.

Following is the chronology of events in the Tandoor murder case, in which the Delhi High Court Friday ordered "forthwith" release of former youth Congress leader Sushil Kumar Sharma, serving life term for the murder of his wife Naina Sahni in 1995.

A chronology:

Jul 2, 1995: Police recover burnt body of Naina Sahni from Baghiya restaurant in Ashok Yatri Niwas (now Sanghrila hotel). Arrests restaurant manager Keshav Kumar.

Jul 10: Police arrest Sharma in Bangalore.

Jul 27: Police files chargesheet.

May 9,1996: Trial court frames charges of murder, criminal conspiracy and destruction of evidence against five persons.

Nov 3: Court convicts Sharma.

Nov 7: Sharma sentenced to death, Keshav gets seven years rigorous imprisonment.

Dec 2003: Sharma moves Delhi HC challenging trial court judgement.

Aug, 2006: HC fixes hearing on day-to-day basis.

Feb 19, 2007: HC upholds death sentence of Sharma.

Oct 8,2013: SC commutes to life imprisonment the death penalty of Sharma.

Dec 21, 2018: HC orders "forthwith" release of Sharma.

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Story first published: Saturday, December 22, 2018, 7:05 [IST]
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The US drawdown in Afghanistan could be a major concern for India

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Dec 22: India is watching closely as the United States orders an American drawdown in Afghanistan. US President Donald Trump is bringing home around 15,000 troops over the next 60 days.

India is watching with concern these developments as this move could well open the doors for the Taliban to get more powerful in the region, where India has a great presence.

Why India should be wary of Pakistan brokering peace talks on Afghanistan with the US

This development comes in the backdrop of Pakistan going out of its way to broker a political truce in war torn Afghanistan. India had in fact conveyed its concerns to the United States about the role Pakistan is playing.

Donald Trump said, "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. Russia, Iran, Syria & other are the local enemy of ISIS. We were doing [their] work. Time to come home & rebuild," he explained over Twitter, as even Republican lawmakers and many conservative talking heads - but for a few isolationists-excoriated him.

"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 also said.

Concerned:

The developments come in the wake of a shift in India's Afghanistan policy, from a no engagement with militants to some form of engagement. On Tuesday, the two day talks between US special envoy for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad, and a Taliban delegation ended in Abu Dhabi. The meeting was also attended by officials from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

Following the meeting, Khalilzad flew directly from the UAE to Pakistan to brief the army chief, General Qamar Bajwa. Following this he flew to Kabul, where he briefed President Ashraf Ghani.

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India however feels that Pakistan's attempt to shape the peace talks is to its advantage. It is also a bid to position itself better in Afghanistan and also counter India's presence in the country, top officials from New Delhi told OneIndia.

Think Tank Global Security Review in its most recent paper says that the ISI supports and aids terror including the Haqqani Network and Afghan Taliban. Regional expert Alexandra Gilliard said that the Pakistan government helped the US create a dialogue with the Taliban and took all credit, after all, the Afghan Taliban is homegrown.

India a portioned enemy:

Further it was also pointed out that Pakistan considers India as its partitioned enemy and it is very much active in Kashmir. Gilliard explained that in Afghanistan the primary goal of Pakistan is to prevent India from gaining ground. As the Taliban eyes for more control, the ISI has provided it with military aid to ensure that Afghanistan remains unstable.

Indian officials say that its primary concern about Pakistan brokering the peace talks would ensure that the Taliban gains more control in Afghanistan. If this were to happen then the Pakistan gains a natural ally in Afghanistan.

Pakistan feels that India has used its improved relationship with the United States to increase its presence in Afghanistan. Pakistan would do anything to end this and hence has been going out of its way to ensure that the peace talks succeed.

Indian officials say that it is not the end of the road. The US does recognise India as a strategic player in Afghanistan. Moreover the US would not withdraw from Afghanistan anytime soon as it would not want to leave in a hurry and let terrorists take control of the country.

Talks with Russia:

India on the other hand has also been working closely with Russia on the issue. 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.

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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.

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.

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Story first published: Saturday, December 22, 2018, 12:13 [IST]
If normalcy to be brought in Kashmir, Article 370 has to be reinstated: Farooq Abdullah

Why the killing of Soliha Mohammad is a blow to the Ansar in Kashmir

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

Srinagar, Dec 22: It was a big win for the security forces in Jammu and Kashmir in the war against the dreaded Ansar Ghazwat-ul Hind. Among the six terrorists who were gunned down, one of them has been identified as Soliha Mohammad.

Soliha was a dreaded terrorist and a right hand man of the outfit's chief, Zakir Musa. The Ansar is a relative new terror outfit that was formed last year after Musa fell apart with the Hizbul Mujahideen.

Punjab on high alert after Kashmir terrorist Zakir Musa is spotted

The security forces had launched a cordon and search operation in Arampora village in Awantipora in South Kashmir. The operation was launched after specific intelligence was provided about the presence of the terrorists.

The encounter today is a big blow to the Ansar, which had grown in strength and also numbers in the Valley. This outfit was being nurtured by Pakistan, not just to strike in the Valley, but also coordinate with terror groups in Punjab as well.

Jaish terrorists have infiltrated Punjab: State remains on high alert

It may be recalled that Musa was recently spotted in Punjab, following which a high alert was declared. Security officials tell OneIndia that the killing of Musa's aide is a big blow to the outfit. Soliha was a high profile terrorist and helped Musa set up modules of the Ansar in the Valley.

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Story first published: Saturday, December 22, 2018, 10:55 [IST]
Are Imran Khan and Gen Bajwa at war over appointment of new ISI chief?

Will show Modi govt how to treat minorities, says Imran Khan

India

oi-PTI

Lahore, Dec 22: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday said he will "show" the Narendra Modi government "how to treat minorities", amidst a controversy over Bollywood actor Naseeruddin Shah's remarks on mob violence in India.

Shah finds himself at the centre of a major controversy over his remarks on the cases of mob lynching in India following the killing of a policeman in Uttar Pradesh's Bulandshahr district earlier this month.

Addressing an event to highlight the 100-day achievements of the Punjab government in Lahore, Khan asserted that his government is taking steps to ensure that religious minorities in Pakistan get their due rights, which was also a vision of the country's founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

Imran Khan condemns civilian killings in Pulwama, vows to take up issue with UN

Khan said his government will make it sure that the minorities feel safe, protected and have equal rights in 'New Pakistan'.

"We will show the Modi government how to treat minorities...Even in India, people are saying that minorities are not being treated as equal citizens," he said referring to Shah's statement.

In a video interview with Karwan-e-Mohabbat India, the veteran actor said the death of a cow was being given importance over killing of a policeman in India.

He said the "poison has already spread" and it will be now difficult to contain it.

Imran Khan's minister proved yet again that Hafiz Saeed is Pakistan's asset No. 1

"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...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," Shah added.

Imran Khan said if justice is not given to the weak then it will only lead to an uprising.

Giving an example, he said, "The people of East Pakistan were not given their rights, which was the main reason behind the creation of Bangladesh."

On December 3, Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh and a student, Sumit Kumar, were killed in mob violence in Bulandshahr after cow carcasses were found strewn around.

The main accused in the case is a local Bajrang Dal leader, Yogesh Raj.

PTI

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Story first published: Saturday, December 22, 2018, 23:03 [IST]
The successful stories of the Vanuatu Skills Partnership are mostly seen in key economic sectors as tourism. Photo of Chez Maureen Bungalow at Gaua, one of the products that was supported by Vanuatu Skills Partnership to meet international standards
TS Inter 1st year result 2021 to be declared soon: List of websites to check

CBSE Term 1 exam for major papers today: Set of guidelines to be followed

Why the Chinese are optimistic about ties with India

International

oi-Madhuri Adnal

Beijing, Dec 22: Chinese President Xi Jinping said Sino-India relations are "actively" moving forward with deepening mutual trust and cooperation, as the foreign ministers of the two countries held extensive talks in New Delhi under a newly established framework.

In his message of congratulations to the first meeting of 'High Level Mechanism on Cultural and People-to-People Exchanges' being held in New Delhi, Xi said China and India are both ancient civilisations boasting long history and splendid culture.

India-China to boost people-to-people ties

The two civilizations, with close exchanges and mutual learning from the ancient time, have both made significant contributions to the human development and progress, he said.

"Today, China-India relations are actively moving forward, with mutual political trust deepening, practical cooperation accelerating, people-to-people and cultural exchanges flourishing, and bilateral coordination in international and regional affairs sustaining," state-run Xinhua news agency quoted Xi as saying.

It has been proved by practice that a good bilateral relationship benefits not only both countries but also the whole world, Xi added.

The Chinese president also expressed the hope for the two sides to make proper use of the high-level people-to-people exchange mechanism.

With the help of the profound implication in the two Oriental civilisations, China and India should promote the communication between the minds of the two peoples and forge a closer development partnership, Xi said.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on Friday held extensive talks in New Delhi and agreed on "ten pillars" of cooperation to enhance cultural and people-to-people exchanges.

China not keen on rupee-yuan payment plan with India's unstable currency

The 10 pillars are cultural exchange, cooperation in films and television, cooperation in museum administration, cooperation sports, exchanges between youths, cooperation on tourism, exchanges between states and cities, cooperation in traditional medicine, cooperation in yoga and cooperation in education.

The 'High Level Mechanism on Cultural and People-to-People Exchanges' was decided upon during the Wuhan summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi.

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Story first published: Saturday, December 22, 2018, 12:30 [IST]
Explosive growth on Global Patent Management Software Market by top profiling companies IPfolio, CPA Global, Anaqua Inc, Patrix AB, Gridlogics, IAMIP Sverige AB, Inteum Company.

Patent Management Software Market

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The Global Market has been classified into different segments according to application and type in a market research publication put on sale by Research N Reports. Bearing the title, Global Patent Management Software Market by Manufacturers, Regions, Type, and Application, Forecast to 2025, the publication has offered a key analysis on three major types of the product. A patent management software helps to customer to management of the due deadlines so that they can be met accurately, creation of a centralized case repository, and the power to manage patent cases efficiently. Besides these, the analysts have shed light on diverse applications such as display temperature, display voltage, and display current.This report focuses on the global Patent Management Software status, future forecast, growth opportunity, key market and key players. The study objectives are to present the Patent Management Software development in United States, Europe and China.Get Sample Copy of this Report@:Some of the Key Players of this Market: IPfolio, CPA Global, Anaqua Inc, Patrix AB, Gridlogics, IAMIP Sverige AB, Inteum Company, LLC, Questel, VajraSoft Inc, AppColl, Alt Legal, PatSnap, Shenzhen Wade.The key opportunistic regions in the market and the top trends impacting the development of the global Patent Management Software Market have been presented through this report. The recent growth and development patterns of this market have also been encapsulated in this study. The report also covers the key players and throws light on the strategies being adopted by them for better penetration into the market .The global Patent Management Software Market is gaining pace and industry have started understanding the benefits of analytics in the present day highly dynamic environment. The market has witnessed several important developments over the past few years, with mounting volumes of data and the shift from traditional analysis platforms to self-service analytics being some of the most prominent ones.Get Discount on this Report@:The considerable amount of market data that is accessible to any market, in general, make it a tough task to narrow it down to the most important details and dimensions applicable to the business issues at hand. Many organizations could lack the truly necessary committed properties and the exact aptitudes required for hoarding a far-reaching statistical surveying. Intensive statistical surveying strategies help associations in clearly determining the most basic risk factors in the market that should be measured for operational decision-making.Market segment by Type, the product can be split intoCloud BasedOn-PremisesMarket segment by Application, split intoGovernmentIndustriesEnterprisesUniversitiesResearch InstitutesService AgenciesObjective of Patent Management Software Market Study:- To provide detailed analysis of the market structure along with forecast for the next 05 years of the various segments and sub-segments of the Global Patent Management Software Market.- To provide insights about factors affecting the market growth.- To analyze the Patent Management Software Market based on various factors- price analysis, supply chain analysis, porters five force analysis etc.- To provide historical and forecast revenue of the market segments and sub-segments with respect to four main geographies and their countries- North America, Europe, Asia, and Rest of the World (ROW).- To provide country level analysis of the market with respect to the current market size and future prospective- To provide country level analysis of the market for segment by technologies, by applications and sub-segments.- To provide strategic profiling of key players in the market, comprehensively analyzing their core competencies, and drawing a competitive landscape for the marketTo know more about Report Visit @:After studying key companies, the report focuses on the startups contributing towards the growth of the market. Possible mergers and acquisitions among the startups and key organizations are identified by the reports authors in the study. Most companies in the Patent Management Software Market are currently engaged in adopting new technologies, strategies, product developments, expansions, and long-term contracts to maintain their dominance in the global market.Table of ContentsPatent Management Software Market Research ReportChapter 1 Patent Management Software Market OverviewChapter 2 Global Economic Impact on IndustryChapter 3 Global Market Competition by ManufacturersChapter 4 Global Production, Revenue (Value) by RegionChapter 5 Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by RegionsChapter 6 Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by TypeChapter 7 Market Analysis by ApplicationChapter 8 Manufacturing Cost AnalysisChapter 9 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream BuyersChapter 10 Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/TradersAbout usResearch N Reports is a new age market research firm where we focus on providing information that can be effectively applied. Today being a consumer driven market, companies require information to deal with the complex and dynamic world of choices. Where relying on a sound board firm for your decisions becomes crucial. Research N Reports specializes in industry analysis, market forecasts and as a result getting quality reports covering all verticals, whether be it gaining perspective on current market conditions or being ahead in the cut throat Global competition. Since we excel at business research to help businesses grow, we also offer consulting as an extended arm to our services which only helps us gain more insight into current trends and problems. Consequently, we keep evolving as an all-rounder provider of viable information under one roof.Contact:Sunny DenisResearch N Reports10916, Gold Point Dr,Houston, TX, Pin  77064,+1-8886316977,sales@researchnreports.com
BILLINGS, Mont.  President Donald Trumps administration miscalculated the potential benefits of putting better brakes on trains that haul explosive fuels when it scrapped an Obama-era rule over cost concerns, The Associated Press has found.

A government analysis used to justify the cancellation omitted up to $117 million in estimated future damages from train derailments that could be avoided by using electronic brakes. Revelation of the error stoked renewed criticism Thursday from the rule's supporters, who called the analysis biased.

Department of Transportation officials acknowledged the mistake after it was discovered by the AP during a review of federal documents. They said a correction will be published to the federal register.

But transportation spokesman Bobby Fraser said the decision not to require the brakes would stand under a Congressional act that said the costs couldn't exceed the rule's benefits.

"This was an unintentional error," Fraser. "With the correction, in all scenarios costs still outweigh benefits."

Safety advocates, transportation union leaders and Democratic lawmakers oppose the administration's decision to kill the brake rule, which was included in a package of rail safety measures enacted in 2015 under President Barack Obama following dozens of accidents by trains hauling oil and ethanol in the U.S. and Canada.

The deadliest happened in Canada in 2013, when an unattended train carrying crude oil rolled down an incline, came off the tracks in the town of Lac-Megantic and exploded into a massive ball of fire, killing 47 people and obliterating much of the Quebec community's downtown.

There have been other fiery crashes and fuel spills in Alabama, Oregon, Montana, Virginia, West Virginia, North Dakota, Illinois and elsewhere.

Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley said the administration should reconsider the brake rule in light of its miscalculation.

"The omission of $117 million from the rule's anticipated benefits is further proof that the Trump administration is willing to cut corners to put industry profits ahead of the American people's safety," said Merkley, a Democrat. He called for "a new cost-benefit analysis that is full and transparent."

After the brake rule was enacted, lobbyists for the railroad and oil industries pushed to cancel it, citing the high cost of installing so-called electronic pneumatic brakes and questioning their effectiveness.

But supporters of the brakes said the issue should be reconsidered given the miscalculation and concerns about other benefits that may have been ignored, including reducing the frequency of runaway trains and severity of train-on-train collisions, said Robert Duff, a senior adviser to Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, a Democrat.

"This is not theoretical risk. We've actually seen these derailments," Duff said.

Unlike other systems where brakes are applied sequentially along the length of a train, electronic pneumatic brakes, or ECP, work on all cars simultaneously. That can reduce the distance and time a train needs to stop and cause fewer cars to derail.

"These ECP brakes are very important for oil trains," said Steven Ditmeyer, a rail safety expert and former senior official at the Federal Railroad Administration. "It makes a great deal of sense: All the brakes get applied immediately, and there would be fewer cars in the pileup."

Under Obama, the Transportation Department determined the brakes would cost up to $664 million over 20 years and save between $470 million and $1.1 billion from accidents that would be avoided.

The Trump administration reduced the range of benefits to between $131 million and $374 million.

Transportation Department economists said in their analysis that the change was prompted in part by a reduction in oil train traffic in recent years. Even as ethanol shipments on U.S. railroads have continued to grow, reaching about 500,000 carloads annually, crude shipments peaked in 2014 and fell to about 200,000 carloads last year.

But in making their cost-benefit calculations, government economists left out the most common type of derailments in which spilled and burning fuel causes property damage but no mass casualties, the AP found. Equipping fuel trains with electronic brakes would reduce damages from those derailments by an estimated $48 million to $117 million, according to Department of Transportation estimates that were left out of the administration's final tally.

Including the omitted benefits reduces the net cost of the requirement to as low as $63 million under one scenario laid out by the agency. Other scenarios put the net cost at more than $200 million.

Transportation spokesman Fraser said that would not have changed September's decision to cancel the electronic brake requirement because of the cost.

The Association of American Railroads declined comment on the agency's cost benefit calculations. Spokeswoman Jessica Kahanek said the move to rescind the Obama rule was in line with the requirements set forth by Congress, which passed a 2015 measure saying the Department of Transportation must repeal the braking requirement if expected costs exceed benefits.

The biggest share of oil now moved by rail goes from the Bakken oil patch of North Dakota and Montana to the West Coast, where fears of an accident were realized two years ago when 16 tank cars carrying Bakken oil derailed, igniting a fire that burned for 14 hours along the banks of the Columbia River near Mosier, Oregon.

The accident was caused by track problems. An investigation by the Federal Railroad Administration concluded electronic brakes would have made it less severe.

John Risch, national legislative director for the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers, said electronic brakes also would have prevented the deaths at Lac-Megantic.

He added that the omission of benefits from the government's findings further tilted a study that was otherwise flawed.

It flies in the face of earlier, much more comprehensive studies, Risch said. We are using a 120-year-old technology with mechanical brakes. Theyve come to the peak of what you can do with them.
A federal judge on Friday denied release for a civilian employee of the Washington County Sheriffs Office accused of distributing child pornography online while at work.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Youlee Yim You found Luke DeRoy Krieger, 39, a danger to the community and a risk of flight.

She denied his lawyers request to release Krieger with a GPS ankle-monitoring bracelet to either his home or his sisters or mothers residences with restrictions that he not access the internet.

The government is hitching this detention on the allegations of this case, Assistant Federal Public Defender Bryan Francesconi argued.

Krieger is a native Oregonian who has substantial family and support, Francesconi told the court, pointing to the defendants relatives and friends seated behind him in the federal courtroom. He has no prior criminal record and has served as a Marine before he was honorably discharged, his lawyer added.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Ravi Sinha countered that Krieger engaged in more than 100 online conversations with undercover officers from Homeland Security Investigations in London and in the United States, expressing his desire to have sex with young girls, while he was working for a law enforcement agency.

Krieger expressed sexual fantasies about children he came into contact with frequently and talked of his desire to put a spy camera under a trampoline in his neighborhood to watch children while they played, the prosecutor said.

None of the residences Krieger sought to be released to would be appropriate, Sinha argued. Kriegers home is also occupied by his girlfriend and her children. Children live in the three surrounding homes. His sisters home is across the street from a daycare, Sinha said.

Krieger also went to exceptional effort to delete online chats and try to stymie the investigation through encryption of his devices, the prosecutor said.

Mr. Krieger poses an extraordinary risk to this community, Sinha told the court.

The judge agreed. She denied his release without prejudice, meaning Krieger and his lawyer could argue again for release at a future date if other information arises.

If convicted of coercing or enticing a minor to have sex, Krieger could face a minimum 10 years in prison and a maximum of life.

Krieger, an information systems analyst, pleaded not guilty Wednesday to enticing a minor and distributing child pornography. He was placed on unpaid administrative leave after his arrest Tuesday.

Hes due back in court on Jan. 18.

-- Maxine Bernstein

Email at mbernstein@oregonian.com

Follow on Twitter @maxoregonian http://twitter.com/maxoregonian
Updated, 11:05 a.m. Saturday: Oregon State Police say Mankin has returned to the hospital.

Authorities are seeking the publics help to find a 32-year-old Oregon State Hospital psychiatric patient missing since fleeing the Salem campus on Thursday.

Kelsy E. Mankin ran from state hospital employees around 6:20 p.m. while taking part in a group activity, the Oregon Health Authority announced Friday. He is not considered to be a danger to himself or others, but authorities advise anyone who sees him to not approach.

He is described as standing 5-foot-9, about 176 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. He was wearing a blue jacket and blue jeans and carrying an off-white jacket when he left the Salem hospital.

The state health authority asks anyone who spots Mankin to call 911 or Oregon State Police at 800-452-7888.

Mankin was admitted to the state hospital in October 2016. He was found guilty except for insanity in Lincoln County for possession of weapons by an inmate and supplying contraband.

According to court documents, county jail deputies discovered a pen with a sharpened metal tip in Mankins cell and hed injured himself in the past with an improvised weapon.

-- Everton Bailey Jr.

ebailey@oregonian.com | 503-221-8343 |@EvertonBailey
Oregon state workers collect pay and benefits that largely mirror their counterparts in comparable markets, a new study has found.

The report found state employees total compensation was, on average, 97.5 percent of market, a result that falls within the 95 to 105 percent range the state considers competitive. It also deemed their salaries a little light, at 92 percent of market, but that Oregons more generous benefits made up for that in overall compensation.

Oregon employees overall compensation was 102 percent of neighboring state employees, 98 percent of private sector employees and 93 percent of employees in Oregon and Washington counties where the state often recruits, the study released this week concluded.

The state has historically undertaken a compensation survey every two years to determine how pay and benefits stack up with comparable employers. The purpose is to make sure Oregon maintains its status as a market employer whose workers are paid on par with similarly situated employees in comparable markets.

The results are used to help make recruiting, compensation and budget decisions, and in collective bargaining. Gov. Kate Brown also has suggested that it would provide necessary data for negotiations tied to changing pension benefits in the upcoming legislative session.

Whether the study can legitimately serve that purpose will be the subject of debate, as the results are heavily dependent on the studys methodology. There is some disagreement about what costs the results should include or, in this case, ignore.

The Department of Administrative Services made a number of changes to the study this year after receiving input from the governors office, unions and the Oregon Business Council. It also sought the help of an outside consultant.

This is a DAS study, though the department sought outside input, said Mark Rasmussen, the states manager of classification and compensation. Essentially the report shows were a market employer, especially when you take the benefits structure into account. Were within the range we should be.

Melissa Unger, executive director of the Service Employees International Union Local 503, said that while compensation remained competitive, it had slipped in the last two years. She said the state should be concerned about its comparisons with the private sector and counties, as those are a big source of competition.

Moreover, she said, the report agrees with our analysis that our benefits are good, but if they were to be cut, it would have to be made up in wages. And benefits are cheaper for the state to provide than straight wage competitiveness.

Business groups had a different take. They maintain that the results may be a valid baseline comparison to use in employee recruitment, but that they underestimate the cost and the value of medical and retirement benefits for existing employees.

The study included an extensive comparison of medical benefits for state employees in Oregon and those in other markets, for instance. Looking at the most popular medical plan choice, the results showed that there was minimal difference between what the state of Oregon and the average market employer pays per employee. When it came to state employees out-of-pocket expenses for medical premiums, however, the difference was stark  $5,439.48 less per year for an employee and family rate in Oregon compared with the labor market. That benefit to employees, however, is not reflected in the overall percentage comparisons of Oregon employees versus the market.

The study provided a fairly comprehensive looks at other benefits. On the vacation front, Oregon provides 68 and 92 hours of additional leave over the market average for represented and management employees, respectively. When taking into account the average employee salary, that equates to a value of $1,918.96 for represented employees and $2,596.24 for management employees, the study said.

When it came to retirement benefits, however, the studys analysis was uncharacteristically anemic and potentially misleading. The study set aside the cost of pension benefits for older Tier One and Tier Two employees, for example, and calculated them exclusively by looking at the net pension contribution rates for employees hired after Aug. 28, 2003, or Tier 3.

That ignores three important pension costs for the state: the significantly higher costs for more generous benefits for Tier One and Two employees; the charge tacked onto pension rates of all current employees, including Tier 3, to pay back the underfunded portion of their benefits; and the cost of the debt payments on pension obligation bonds issued by state to lower its pension costs. In the last case, the study included the benefit of the borrowing but not its cost.

Jeremy Rogers, vice president of the Oregon Business Council, said he appreciated the state seeking input on the 2018 methodology. He said the report is helpful in terms of evaluating Oregon as a prospective employer in the market for recruiting new employees.

That being said, he said, the findings will have a limited role in the pension policy debate that could take place in 2019 because it doesnt include Tier 1 and 2 retirement benefits, which represent a substantial portion of payroll and are the focus of many proposed PERS reforms.

It doesnt account for the out-of-pocket costs of employees for health benefits which is major part of take home pay. And its not clear that the retirement costs used in the study even account for the full cost of (Tier 3).

This years study covered approximately 413 executive branch job classifications, from office assistants to park rangers, hairdressers to agency directors. The classifications covered account for 26,600 of the states approximately 35,000 employees. It does not include strike-prohibited bargaining units or employees in the judicial or legislative branches, the Oregon Lottery or university employees.

-Ted Sickinger

tsickinger@oregonian.com

503-221-8505; @tedsickinger
Three elderly residents of Holgate Manor in Southeast Portland have filed a lawsuit against the apartment complexs owner and managers.

The three plaintiffs  Anna Lendya, 92, Vera Kozakevich, 79, and Stepan Mironichenko, 91  alleged elder abuse, unlivable conditions and retaliation for participating in a tenants union at the complex.

In August, the complex was the target of a rare organized rent strike.

The lawsuit, first reported Friday by Willamette Week, alleges a laundry list of complaints about the conditions of apartments at Holgate, among them faulty plumbing, electrical issues and rodent and cockroach infestations.

The lawsuit says that Holgate Manor managers retaliated against them by raising rents after they formed a tenants union and that they hired security guards who harassed and spied on the tenants.

Lendya, Kozakevich and Mironichenko all arrived in the United States as Soviet-era Ukrainian refugees and the tactic reminded them of being watched and monitored by secret police in their native country, the lawsuit said.

The apartment complexs managers said in a statement Saturday that it had invested $1 million in repairs since it bought the property.

The Holgate Manor team believes all residents deserve well-maintained homes and upgraded units that are affordable, the statement said. It is concerning that a lawsuit appears to be the response to repairs and upgrades that have been made to improve the community for all.

Holgate Manor tenants began organizing earlier this year after Fred Kleinbub of La Jolla, California, bought the complex for $12 million and managers announced plans for major renovations.

They offered to pay residents up to $5,500 to vacate ahead of renovation work -- it said Saturday it had paid $100,000 to date to residents to relocate -- and the company said residents could return at discounted rates once the work was completed, though the discount would last only for one year.

Residents who didn't take the payment, however, said their rents were raised 9.9 percent this year -- just under the threshold when landlords must compensate tenants for moving costs under city code.

The property had long offered apartments for unusually low rents for the neighborhood. That had attracted a attracted a diverse set of residents, some living there for more than a decade.

-- Elliot Njus

enjus@oregonian.com; 503-294-5034; @enjus

Visit subscription.oregonlive.com/newsletters to get Oregonian/OregonLive journalism delivered to your email inbox.
Updated 1:37 p.m. Saturday: Police have identified the victim as Ian R. Olson, 18, of St. Helens.

A worker at a Motel 6 in Northeast Portland found a man dead inside one of the rooms Friday.

Portland police were called around 11:15 a.m. to the motel at 518 N.E. Holladay St. The worker was entering the room to clean it and discovered the man inside.

An investigation is ongoing to determine what caused the mans death. Police havent yet released the mans identity or any more details on the case.

Portland police ask anyone with more information to contact their non-emergency line at 503-823-3333.

-- Everton Bailey Jr.

ebailey@oregonian.com | 503-221-8343 |@EvertonBailey
Christmas is a magical time of year growing up. For former resident Cathy Guisewite, the holiday season in Midland still holds a special place in her heart.

"It's the perfect Christmas town," she commented in a recent phone interview.

Guisewite, who now lives in Los Angeles, is best known for her comic, "Cathy," which ran from 1976 to 2010. Born in Dayton, Ohio, Guisewite and her family moved to Midland when she was 5 years old. She spent the rest of her younger years here, graduating from Midland High in 1968. To this day she harbors fond memories of her childhood home.

"The community of school, family and church, everything was connected and so grounded. It was a very happy place to grow up."

Guisewite enjoyed spending the winter months outside, viewing the decorations at the Midland County courthouse, performing in Christmas ice shows at the Central Park ice rink, making snowmen and snow angels with her older sister Mary Anne and going tobogganing on a rickety course.

"When I see pictures of it back then, I'm amazed that people let their kids on that thing," Guisewite mused.

Like most families, the Guisewites kept busy during the holiday season. In the days before the Santa House, Guisewite and her sisters, Mary Anne and Mickey, went to visit Santa at the Community Center. She learned to knit mittens from her Girl Scout leader, Mrs. Ward, to give to the Mitten Tree - a program that collects new gloves, mittens and scarves for children. Then there was the annual Christmas concert at Memorial Presbyterian Church on Ashman Street, a highlight of the year.

"My sister and I were very involved in the youth groups. We did a lot of Christmas things there."

The Christmas festivities continued at the Guisewite residence. Even though the family lived in four different houses during their time in Midland, their holiday spirit remained strong.

"We definitely got into Christmas."

Guisewite's favorite Christmas memories revolve around her family. She and Mary Anne would deliver handmade snowmen treats made out of apples, toothpicks and marshmallows to their neighbors. After chopping down their own Christmas tree, they would make decorations out of paper strips and aluminum foil to hang alongside strands of popcorn and red wooden cranberries.

Among the gifts the Guisewite children received, one of the most memorable was a little too big to fit under the tree: a piebald horse.

"His name was Apache. My (older) sister was the horse lover in the family and she went on to get into English riding," Guisewite explained, adding that visiting the horses on Christmas became a family ritual.

Today, the family traditions remain strong, and there's even room for new ones, including making "gingerbread" houses out of graham crackers. Guisewite and her sisters continue to gather at their mother's house in Florida for a Slovakian-themed Christmas.

On Christmas Eve they have a vegetarian dinner of lentil soup, cabbage and mushrooms and bread.

"It's a simple peasant meal. You're not supposed to eat meat until Christmas morning," she said.

After a Christmas feast of kielbasa, ham and nut rolls, the family opens presents in the living room before taking a little time for themselves.

"Some people go the beach, and then we go out to dinner."

After the holidays, Guisewite has another event to look forward to - the publication of her first book, "Fifty Things That Aren't My Fault: Essays from the Grown-Up Years." While the Cathy comic strip portrayed aspects of Guisewite's life through the years, "Fifty Things" will focus more on her current stage of life.

"It's about dealing with an older daughter, older parents, older self and the challenges that come with it," she stated.

The book is currently available for pre-order and is set for release on April 2, 2019.

For more information about Guisewite, visit her website, www.cathyguisewite.com
MSU Extension of Midland County and cooperating parent educators sponsor the Parent's Corner. Send submissions to Midland County MSU Extension Educator, Lisa Treiber, 220 W. Ellsworth St., Midland, MI 4864

Winter Exploration

Enjoy your break from school while exploring the wonders of nature in Michigan. This indoor program at Chippewa Nature Center, 400 S. Badour Road, Midland, offers a variety of self-guided, hands-on exploration stations. Experiments, fun facts, crafts and scavenger hunts are just a few of the types of activities visitors will find. The exhibits are open Dec. 19 - Jan. 2. Visit www.chippewanaturecenter.org to check on hours or call 989-631-0830.

Stress Less

Mindfulness means paying attention to the present moment without judgment. People who understand and cope well with emotions usually do better in school and at work, form stronger relationships, have fewer behavior problems, handle their own negative emotions better and tend to lead happier, healthier and less stressful lives. Michigan State University Extension will be hosting a series of five classes (Wednesdays, Jan. 9 - Feb. 6) at Chippewa Nature Center, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. This series of five classes is designed for teens, adults, teachers and parents, introducing the research behind mindfulness and basic meditative practices. The group will discuss activities, tips and best practices to bring mindfulness practices into your life, home or classroom. Although the classes build upon each other, you are welcome to attend individual classes. Registration is recommended, but not required. Visit www.chippewanaturecenter.org, click on the January calendar, and click on "Stress Less with Mindfulness series" to register, or contact Sean Knurek at 989-832-6713.

Healthy Food, Families

Michigan State University Extension will be providing an interactive and hands-on series of lessons to participants interested in learning how to make healthier choices and cook delicious, affordable meals. Topics to be covered include: Why does our body need a variety of foods, how to convert your favorite meals into delicious and nutritious meals, how to make sense out of food labels and how to use them to choose the right foods for your family, how to budget to purchase a greater variety of foods each month, and how to keep the foods you purchase safe for you and your family. The six-week series begins Jan. 10, at the Midland County MSUE (3rd floor of the County Services Building) from 11 a.m. to noon. This program is free, but participants do need to register. Call 989-832-6648 or 989-758-2504 or e-mail salo@msu.edu to reserve spot.

Trinity Lutheran Preschool

Trinity Lutheran Preschool is offering a winter Two's & You session starting Jan. 4. The classes meet Friday morning from 9:30 - 11 for 15 weeks. Children will participate in a variety of early childhood activities while attending with a loving adult. Cost is $100 with $25 due at registration to secure spot. Call 631-0692 or visit www.tlcmidland.org for more information and a registration form.

Nature Preschool

Nature Preschool registration packets for the 2019-20 school year are available online (hard copies will be available at the Chippewa Nature Center Visitor Center). Families will also be able to submit their class preferences online through the 2019-20 Nature Preschool Placement Request Form.

NEMCSA Head Start

NEMCSA Head Start is a free preschool program for qualifying families with children ages 3-4. Head Start also serves children with special needs and/or disabilities. Head Start is a member of the Midland County Regional Preschool Partnership. Your first step to enroll is to complete a preschool interest form online at www.michiganpreschool.org. NEMCSA Head Start offers full day and half-day preschool classrooms that run 4 days a week. Classroom locations in the Midland and Sanford areas include sites at Longview Early Childhood Center, First Baptist Church, M20 Site and Sanford Early Childhood Center. Contact Megan Greer at 989-832-0968 or Kelly Schram-Scoles at 989-832-7520 to schedule an application appointment to learn if your family is eligible for these free NEMCSA Head Start Preschool Program.
Every member of the audience in the packed historic courtroom at the Midland County Courthouse was silent as the incumbent state representative removed his official Michigan House of Representatives pin and pinned it on his wife.

Annette Glenn was sworn-in as state representative for the 98th House District by Judge Dorene Allen on Friday.

A Republican, Glenn won the 98th District House seat over her Democratic opponent, Sarah Schulz, in the Nov. 6 general election. Glenn received 20,209 votes to Schulz's 18,629.

Admitting that she is not a lengthy speaker, a tearful Glenn finished her acceptance speech by giving a rendition of the Boy Scout Oath, which she learned as a Cub Scout leader: "I promise to do my best, to do my duty to God and my country, and to help other people."

Glenn described herself as "very blessed" to be able to represent the people of Michigan's 98th House District. She said her immediate goals while in the position will be to improve third-grade reading scores, reforming auto insurance so the district's rates are competitive and continuing to fund skilled trades.

Opening remarks were given by her husband, Gary Glenn, whom she will replace in the 98th District seat. Gary Glenn told the story of how after his diagnosis with stage 4 metastatic prostate cancer in January 2016, his wife would drive him to Lansing every week so he would not miss a vote. It was during this time Glenn began to familiarize herself with the work environment of the Legislature.

"She would sit with me during every committee meeting, which means she knows a lot more about the energy issue than your average freshman legislators will," Gary Glenn said. "She sat with me on the floor every single day, and got to know, build relationships with and earn the respect and the affection of members of the Legislature with whom she'll be serving starting in January.

Glenn will be in Lansing on Jan. 9 to take another ceremonial oath along with 109 other Michigan legislators.
No one should be without this holiday season and the residents at Washington Woods believe that extends to those in the police, sheriff and fire departments of Midland.

But instead of giving gifts, residents will be passing out ready-made meals to firefighters, police and sheriff's officers on Christmas Eve.

"We thought it'd be neat to do something for the firemen because they're hear daily," said Cyndi Sanderson, a resident at the senior housing development for the past six years. "We're just so thankful for the firemen and everything they do to help us here."

Sanderson, and fellow residents Carl Burgess and Dolores Davis, devised the idea to feed the three fire departments and officers at the Law Enforcement Center around Thanksgiving. Originally the plan was to feed Fire Station 1 as a way to say thank you for the work the firefighters there did for the residents. When they found out the station had Thanksgiving meals covered, the plan then changed to providing an early Christmas dinner.

The three reached out to their fellow residents at Washington Woods to see if they would help with monetary donations. The response they received, Davis said, was way more than they bargained for. In a few short weeks, instead of just feeding one fire station and the LEC, they would be feeding all three stations with the money they raised.

"Lots of people drive past (Washington Woods) and see it's a senior living place, and we feel that people need to know we're not just sitting around with our walkers and a couple times a month yelling bingo," Sanderson said. "We want to be active in our community and give back to our community. We want people to know that we care and that we're thankful we're able to do this."

Meals for the service folks include ham, scalloped and au gratin potatoes, stuffing, coleslaw, baked beans, cheese and cracker trays with sausages, rolls, vegetable and dip trays, macaroni and cheese, corn, cheesecakes, pies and more. The amount of food they ended up buying needed roughly seven fridges and freezers to be stored in, one of which was a deep freezer.

Davis joked that while the original plan was for a simple turkey, ham, mashed potato and stuffing spread, they "got sidetracked" when at the grocery store. The spread will be used to feed roughly 40 people, with leftovers expected, Sanderson said.

Lori Jung, assistant manager of senior housing, said in her four-year tenure with Washington Woods she can't remember a donation effort of this caliber happening.

"It warms my heart to have this as a resident thought of project. (The staff) had no part in this," Jung said. "(The residents) thought, developed, fundraised and will prepare the food -- it's just amazing to see how the residents want to say thank you to the people who have helped them."

Davis and Sanderson said they hope the donation drive for a holiday dinner becomes a yearly tradition at Washington Woods, even if they may not be the ones spearheading the efforts. Davis added it was the generosity of the residents that impressed them as well and that the three were "so thankful," as without their help, none of this would have been possible.

"Maybe next year, if we can't do it, someone else will pick it up," Davis said, "but we just want to show (the fire and police departments) we're really thankful."
To the editor:

In the editorial section of the Wednesday, Dec. 5, edition of the Midland Daily News, a guest view from the Detroit News was included. The guest view dealt with potential legislation that would end union release time for public schools in Michigan. The guest view would lead one to believe that union release time is causing budget problems for school districts around the state and that release time has no impact on students. Both of these points are simply untrue.

If the Mackinac Centers estimates are to be believed, union release time costs school districts about $3 million in salary. Sounds like a lot, but in reality, $3 million out of a state education budget of over $1 billion represents less than one-half of 1 percent of the total education budget. The actual reason why many school districts have budgetary issues is due to the fact that the state has not adequately funded schools over the past 12 years. For example, the Midland Public Schools foundation allowance is about the same as it was for the 2005-06 school year.

With regard to union release time having no impact on students, what exactly do the proponents of the legislation think union leaders in the school districts are doing with their release time? As president of the Midland City Education Association, almost all of my release time is used helping both teachers and the district solve education-related issues. In other words, as the district and the union work together to solve problems, we allow the school district to operate more smoothly. A smooth running district benefits everyone including students. Union release time is also used to bargain teacher contracts with the district. Among the provisions in a contract are class size maximums, language regarding adequate classroom resources and materials, and guaranteed conference and preparation time so that teachers can do lesson plans, collaborate with other teachers, and contact parents. All of these things directly impact students.

The true motivation of this legislation is to weaken the influence of the teachers union. There is a reason why this legislation was brought up during the lame duck session. There is a reason why firefighter and police unions are exempted. The state teachers union tends to support Democratic candidates while firefighters and police unions tend to support Republicans. This is not about saving school districts money; this is about punishing public school teachers. I am pretty sure that legislators were voted into office to help solve real problems in the state: the crumbling roads and infrastructure, the loss of manufacturing jobs, and the inadequate funding of public schools. Please get back to the business of serving your constituents, not continuing your attack on those who educate our states youth.

MARK HACKBARTH

President, Midland City

Education Association
Gov. Tom Wolf earlier this week announced the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) has approved grants totaling $791,412 for 12 projects to increase the production of Pennsylvania-made malt and brewed beverages and enhance the Pennsylvania beer industry through promotion, marketing, and research-based programs and projects.

Increasing the quality, production, and sale of malt and brewed beverages produced in Pennsylvania is vital not only to our growing beer industry, but these improvements also enhance agricultural and tourism opportunities in the Commonwealth, Wolf said in press release. These grants will explore how agriculture can better support brewers, give new tools and resources to beer makers, and ultimately help improve the craft beer experience for Pennsylvania consumers.

Act 39 of 2016 created the Pennsylvania Malt and Brewed Beverages Industry Promotion Board and authorized the PLCB to approve up to $1 million annually for development and marketing of the Pennsylvania beer industry. Back in late June, the states wine industry received nearly $1 million in PLCB grant money for a similar purpose.

PLCB Board Chairman Tim Holden said that the craft beer and brewing industry continues to grow and thrive in Pennsylvania, and these grants will fund projects focused on agricultural research, industry training, product development, economic development and consumer engagement to advance production and marketing of Pennsylvania beers.

The grant projects, summarized as follows, were recommended for approval by the Pennsylvania Malt and Brewed Beverages Industry Promotion Board. It includes the grant project, the organization receiving the grant, and the grant amount:

Beer Tourism Grant for the Craft Beer Trail of Greater Philadelphia: Grant will allow Visit Philadelphia to market and promote greater Philadelphias craft beer and breweries in order to boost Philadelphia and Pennsylvanias image as one of the countrys best places for craft beer; drive visitation to the five-county Philadelphia area and its roughly 100 breweries; and encourage more people to visit breweries during their time in the area, increase the number of breweries people visit and boost sales at breweries in the region. Visit Philadelphia, $125,000

Pennsylvania Craft Brew Festival: Modelling the successful Pennsylvania Wine Fest held each year at Seven Springs Mountain Resort, the first Pennsylvania Craft Brew Festival is expected to attract 5,000 to 7,500 people and 30 producers to take advantage of tastings and brewer education workshops. Economic impact of the 2019 event is estimated at $1.2 million for the Laurel Highlands Tourism Region. Somerset County Chamber of Commerce, $105,000

Improving the Agricultural Value Chain for the Craft Fermented Beverage Industry: Explore brewer demand for agricultural inputs for beer production and inform growers about increasing market opportunities, demand for ingredients and costs for producing crops for the beer industry. The project will facilitate agricultural literacy among brewers, who need to better understand crops seasonality and production costs, and farmers, who need better understanding of how to work with and supply local brewers. Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences $98,702

Establishing and Maintaining a Research and Educational Hop Yard in Southwest Pennsylvania: Establish a hop yard in Washington County that will be an educational hub focused on sustainable production of hops, disease management, and growing conditions that will increase hop yield and growing success. The project will integrate local high school students and university students in design of the hop yard and development of marketing and business plans for hops as a local commodity and crop. California University of Pennsylvania, $72,500

Educational Outreach for the Brewing Industry:Development of education, training and technical assistance to build a skilled workforce for the brewed beverage industry. Educational short courses, professional training and laboratory work aims to develop a strong foundation of educational and apprenticeship-type experiences to benefit current employees in brewing, as well as train a future workforce. Shippensburg University, $71,701

Pennsylvanias Brewers Yeast Library: Improve the knowledge, processes and opportunities for small breweries in northwest Pennsylvania through development of a Brewers Yeast Library, which will offer training and short courses and use of Edinboro University facilities for propagation of yeast. Brewers will gain the knowledge and skills to grow and care for their own yeast, which could save brewers money and avoid contamination and flavor issues. Edinboro University, $71,060

The Story of Beer in Pennsylvania: Creation of a stand-alone, permanent exhibit in Pittsburgh informing consumers about Pennsylvania breweries and beers. Compelling stories about the legacy and vibrancy of beer in Pennsylvania will be presented in interactive, interesting and entertaining ways, compelling consumers to learn more about Pennsylvanias brewing heritage and explore Pennsylvania breweries and beers. National Beer Museum Development Group, $59,700

Cumberland Valley Beer Trail Marketing and Visitation Increase: Enhance promotion of the existing Cumberland Valley Beer Trail through new photography and videography and expanded marketing campaigns to new outlets and target markets. Marketing efforts aim to increase the sale of malt and brewed beverages produced in Cumberland County and the surrounding region, as well as increase sales and visitation to other area attractions, lodging, dining and shops through beer tourism. Cumberland Area Economic Development Corporation, $50,000

Critical Success Factors for Advancing Beer Tourism in Pennsylvania: Identify, through surveys and interviews of owners of craft breweries in Pennsylvania, current barriers and success factors of craft brewery businesses; discuss with local tourism bureaus selection and promotion of beer tourism activities; and present research outcomes through outreach materials and a handbook. Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences, $47,276

Measuring Amylase Activity in Non-Barley Malts for Gluten-Free Beer: Explore the use of gluten-free alternatives to barley in brewing to identify optimal mashing conditions and complementary combinations of gluten-free grains to achieve fermentable sugars comparable to those derived in barley and wheat worts. Effort will benefit Pennsylvania brewers who are brewing or wish to develop gluten-free beers. Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences, $46,766

Educating Hops Growers to Enhance and Promote the Pennsylvania Microbrewing Industry: Development of research-based recommendations for current and prospective hops growers on practices to start or improve their hop yard to produce high-quality product for the microbrewing industry. Grant will sustain an existing research hop yard, provide for hop growing schools in eastern and western Pennsylvania to promote and educate growers on best practices and create an online hops database. Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences, $35,175

Malting Barley Extension and Outreach: Raise awareness among farmers, mills and distillers about quality standards for malting barley, which may lead to increased local production, improved grain quality, and availability of grain meeting quality standards. Roundtable discussions and listening sessions with brewed beverage industry members will inform development of educational materials and field days for growers, buyers and brewers. Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences, $33,532

The PLCB awarded the inaugural round of grants supporting Pennsylvanias beer industry in February 2018, with grants for 13 projects totaling nearly $705,000.
JIM THORPE, Pa. (AP)  Authorities in northeastern Pennsylvania say a former court clerk stole $43,000 from a county office.

The Times News reports 60-year-old William McGinley was charged Friday in District Court in Jim Thorpe with multiple offenses including theft by unlawful taking-movable property, receiving stolen property and theft by failure to make required disposition of funds.

Authorities say the Jim Thorpe man stole funds from bail money and prison booking fees while working as a Carbon County Clerk of Courts. McGinley retired on May 1 after serving 28 years. Officials say McGinley told special agents on Dec. 3 that he had used stolen funds to gamble on poker machines.

The Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office investigated the case.

The blatant theft committed by this public official, coupled with his failure to properly account for these funds in the public record, has backlogged numerous criminal cases in which the defendants were entitled to receive their money back at the conclusion of their cases, Attorney General Josh Shapiro said in a statement. His actions represent a significant breach of the public trust and his duties as an elected official.

Judge Eric Schrantz set McGinley's bail at $50,000.

Auditor General Eugene DePasquale credited a recently completed audit for assisting with a criminal investigation which led to the theft charges.

The audit, which reviewed Jan. 1, 2013 to Dec. 31, 2016, discovered $1,250 in bail money belonging to Carbon County was missing. The information was turned over by auditors who were working with investigators.

The audit also determined there were no missing state funds. Carbon County turned over nearly $1.6 million in fines, fees and court costs to the state during the audit period.

My audit was essential in accounting for public funds, DePasquale said in a press release sent out Friday evening. It is rewarding to know my teams work with law enforcement and county investigators helped hold this long-time elected official accountable."

___

Information from: Times News, http://www.tnonline.com
SHAMOKIN - The fired unwed pregnant Catholic school teacher will be paid until the end of the school year per her contract.

That was revealed Friday by Tony Varano, a member of the Our Lady of Lourdes Regional School Board, who believes Naiad Reich was fired unjustly.

Bishop Ronald Gainer of the Diocese of Harrisburg

She has decided not to pursue legal action to try to get her job back, he said.

Reich was fired Dec. 7 for violating what is commonly known as a morality clause in her contract because she is pregnant, living with the father and not intending to get married in the near future.

Bishop Ronald W. Gainer of the Harrisburg Diocese, in a letter sent to her Wednesday, rejected her request to be reinstated.

Attempts to reach Reich were unsuccessful, but Varano said she was very upset upon learning she would not be reinstated.

Reich, who taught English in the 8th, 10th and 11th grades, has the support of parents and students, he said.

"She has been the victim in all of this," he said. "I think board members are victims, too. I feel strongly about that."

READ MORE: Unwed, pregnant teacher fired from Catholic school asks bishop for her job back

Varano, a businessman and major contributor to the school in Coal Twp. outside Shamokin, said he was exploring all options as he believes his rights have been violated.

The school board, which has fiduciary duties, was not consulted before Reich was fired as would have been done before Sister Mary Anne Bednar became high school principal this year, he said.

The board, except for the three priests and two nuns that sit on it, believes the firing was a "rogue move" by Bednar and the diocese secretary of education, Varano said.

Gainer and the diocese have relied on the school board the past seven years to do most of the fundraising, he said, noting a debt was paid off.

Varano, an alumnus who lives in Berwyn, credits the board activity for an increase in enrollment in pre-K through 12th grade.
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WASHINGTON  The extraordinary resignation letter that Defense Secretary Jim Mattis handed to a surprised President Donald Trump was not just a product of two years of accumulating frustration with an impulsive boss, but an outline of the strategic hazards facing the next Pentagon chief.

Mattis, who was quietly back at work Friday while stunned Pentagon staff soldiered on around him, implicitly warned in his letter to the president of the threat to the U.S. from allowing alliances to fray and of the risk that disrespecting allies will undermine U.S. credibility.

It was an outline of the challenges facing the nation and whoever takes over as defense secretary when Mattis leaves Feb. 28.

"As this Administration continues to implode, Secretary Mattis' extraordinary resignation is a significant loss and a real indication that President Trump's foreign policy agenda has failed and continues to spiral into chaos," said Sen. Bob Menendez, the ranking Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee.

Mattis announced on Thursday his plan to resign, a move prompted by the decision by the president to pull all of the approximately 2,000 U.S. troops from the fight against the Islamic State group in northeastern Syria.

Mattis also was dismayed by plans under consideration to cut the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan and, as his letter made clear, did not see eye to eye with a president who has expressed disdain for NATO and doubts about keeping troops in Asia.

The person nominated to succeed Mattis will face a Senate likely to probe for evidence of new strategic direction in hotspots like Syria, Afghanistan and the Korean peninsula.

In making clear that he could no longer tolerate Trump's approach to American foreign policy, Mattis appeared to fashion a resignation letter that not only expressed his reasons for leaving but also sounded an alarm. He implicitly criticized the president's unwillingness to stand up to Russia or take a stronger stance against Chinese assertiveness.

"I believe we must be resolute and unambiguous in our approach to those countries whose strategic interests are increasingly in tension with ours," Mattis wrote. "It is clear that China and Russia, for example, want to shape a world consistent with their authoritative model ... to promote their own interests at the expense of their neighbors, America and our allies."

Nurturing and extending U.S. alliances was a pillar of Mattis' approach to his job, which means he was at odds with Trump on that score from the earliest months of his tenure.

"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," Mattis wrote.

William Cohen, a former defense secretary and long-time friend of Mattis, put a finer point on this Mattis assertion by saying in response to his resignation, "He cannot be expected to stand behind a president who disrespects our allies and ingratiates himself to our adversaries."

In addition to the frayed state of U.S. relations with NATO, Mattis' successor also is likely to face other hazards hinted at in his resignation letter. These include preserving and rationalizing a strategy for ensuring a lasting defeat of the Islamic State group by the dozens of nations that had backed the U.S. after it entered Syria in 2014.

German officials expressed polite irritation that Washington had not consulted them on the Trump decision to pull out of Syria.

"As an ally and member of the anti-IS coalition we would have considered prior consultation by the U.S. government about the withdrawal of U.S. troops helpful," government spokeswoman Ulrike Demmer said.

The Pentagon was still reeling Friday from the news that Mattis was leaving.

Inside what is normally a very orderly building, military members who are trained to take orders, salute and move ahead were stunned and a bit shaken.

Military missions in Syria and Afghanistan that just a week ago seemed clear and mapped out, were now thrown into chaos. Deep in the bowels of the Pentagon, planners scrambled to pull together a troop withdrawal strategy for Syria that the White House would accept, all while knowing that their boss a few floors above them quit over that order.

Mattis, 68, is the first Pentagon chief to resign in protest over a president's foreign policy in many decades. In fact, there may be no historical equivalent to the circumstances of Mattis' departure. The last defense secretary to resign was Chuck Hagel in November 2014, and although he had expressed differences with President Barack Obama over Syria policy, Hagel was essentially pushed out by an administration that viewed him as ineffective.

Robert McNamara, who served as defense secretary for seven years over two Democratic administrations, left the Pentagon in February 1968, three months after President Lyndon Johnson announced McNamara was resigning to become president of the World Bank. McNamara differed with Johnson and the military over Vietnam war policy amid an escalating anti-war movement, but his departure was not an explicit rejection of Johnsons policies.
A Myerstown man is facing sexual abuse charges after officials said he was caught on a Nanny Cam having sexual contact with a 15-year-old girl.

The Lebanon County Detective Bureau charged Michael Jovich, 35, with statutory sexual assault, indecent assault, endangering the welfare of children and corruption of minors, the Lebanon County District Attorneys Office said Friday.

A person not identified by police told investigators that on Dec. 3, he reviewed a Nanny Cam he placed in his apartment in the Green Tree Village in Lebanon. The person found he had inadvertently captured Jovich having inappropriate sexual contact with a 15-year-old girl.

Investigators learned Jovich engaged in sexual contact with the girl, including sexual intercourse, the DAs office said. The contact began in April 2018, and occurred in multiple locations in Lebanon, Heidelberg Township, Myerstown and along the Appalachian Trail.

Jovich was arrested on Friday and was placed at the Lebanon County Correctional Facility on $250,000 bail. A preliminary hearing on the charges is scheduled for Jan. 3, 2019.
A Roman Catholic priest on Friday became the first person sentenced to prison as a result of a Pennsylvania grand jury investigation that found hundreds of clergy had abused children over seven decades.

The Rev. John Thomas Sweeney, 76, received 11 months to five years in state prison and will have to register as a sex offender for 10 years.

He pleaded guilty in July to misdemeanor indecent assault on a minor after being accused of forcing a 10-year-old boy to perform oral sex on him while counseling the fourth-grader about misbehaving on a school bus.

"I want the public to know that he's profoundly remorseful for any pain, anguish and discomfort that the victim has suffered as a result of his actions," said Sweeney's lawyer, Fran Murrman, after the sentencing in Westmoreland County.

"During the last 25 years Father Sweeney has engaged in hundreds of acts of charity and goodwill, hoping to partially atone for the behavior. And he takes this matter seriously and accepts full responsibility," Murrman said in a phone interview.

Sweeney was taken away in handcuffs after the sentencing hearing.

Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro, whose office prosecuted Sweeney, described him as a predator priest who used his position to abuse a child. Shapiro noted the victim testified against Sweeney.

"Justice was served in this case thanks to the bravery of this survivor to come forward and speak his truth," Shapiro said.

The sweeping grand jury report, released in August, found that more than 1,000 children had been abused, although the great majority of cases that had not previously resulted in criminal prosecutions were too old to pursue. The report also blamed church officials for helping conceal the abuse.

Church officials have expressed contrition over the report's findings and have noted that they now follow better procedures for handling these cases and that many of the grand jury's findings date back many years.

A legislative effort to allow lawsuits over child sexual abuse to move forward that would otherwise fall outside the state's legal time limits for such lawsuits stalled this fall because of opposition by leaders of the state Senate's Republican caucus.

Sweeney was arrested in July 2017 for the assault that took place during the 1991-92 school year at St. Margaret Mary Elementary School in Lower Burrell, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) northeast of Pittsburgh. That charge stemmed from the grand jury investigation.

The boy, now in his 30s, told the grand jury last year that Sweeney lectured him about his behavior before placing his hands on the back of the boy's head and assaulting him. The victim told investigators that after the attack Sweeney's secretary gave him milk and cookies.

Sweeney became a priest in 1970 and served in western Pennsylvania parishes in Latrobe, Greensburg, Smock, Freeport, Apollo, Lower Burrell and West Newton. He was removed as pastor at Holy Family in West Newton last year after church officials learned of the investigation.

Murrman said the Greensburg diocese is in the process of defrocking Sweeney.
By Terrence Alladin

Good public policy requires that decision makers consider all possible alternatives of a policy, including the unintended consequences. One possible unintended consequence of Russian interference into the 2016 election could be the Pelosi presidency. Russian President Vladimir Putins decision to authorize interference with the 2016 election in favor of Donald Trump could result in the appointment of Nancy Pelosi as the first female President of the United States. This was a consequence that Putin did not consider when he approved his election interference policy.

According to U.S Code Title 3 Chapter 1 Section 19 Vacancy in Offices of Both President and Vice President; Officers eligible to act.

If, by reason of death, resignation, removal from office, inability, or failure to qualify, there is neither a President or Vice President to discharge the powers and duties of the office of President, then the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall, upon his(her) resignation as Speaker and as Representative in Congress, act as President.

The Russia scandal could pave the way for the United States to have its first female president.

Can you say President Pelosi? The Mueller investigation into the 2016 election and Russian involvement could have a broader impact on Presidential politics than previously considered. Robert Muellers report to Congress could lead to the impeachment of President Donald Trump by the Democratic controlled House of Representatives. An impeachment could result in either his resignation or his conviction by the Senate.

However, although an impeachment of President Trump is significantly more likely due to the Democratic controlled House of Representatives, his conviction is not assured in a Republican Senate. It will be difficult for some Republican Senators to vote in favor of conviction regardless of the evidence against the President. However, with a Presidential election on the horizon and many of those Senators facing re-election, there is a strong possibility that some may vote to convict the President.

Another possibility is that Robert Muller could seek to indict the President. An indictment will involve extended court battles and may result in the President being forced to resign. However, it is inconceivable that President Trump will ever resign unless he is absolutely forced due to the indictments and public pressure.

A conviction will result in his removal from office which will pave the way for Vice President Pence to assume the Presidency. However, Vice President Mike Pence could also be caught in the Russia probe. He could be facing his own charges of inaccurate statements to Congress and the American public.

Pence could be explaining how it was that he never knew about contacts with Russians or Wikileaks and how it was that he never knew that Michael Flynn was under federal investigation for his(Flynn) contact with Russian officials. Additionally, the Vice President was involved in the termination of former FBI Director James Comey. He denied that Comey was fired over the Russia investigation. Later he was contradicted by the President, who stated that Comey was indeed fired over the Russia investigation.

It appears that Vice President Pence will be involved in his own Russia probe and thus may not be able to assume the position of President of the United States. This means that Nancy Pelosi could be taking the oath of office as the first female President of the United States of America. Although the idea of Nancy Pelosi as President of the United States may seem far-fetch and highly unlikely, just remember that not too long ago a Donald Trump presidency was also considered far-fetch and highly unlikely. Thank you, Vladimir.

Terrence Alladin is an assistant professor of criminal justice at Lebanon Valley College in Annville, Pa. He holds a Ph.D. in public administration from Penn State University with concentrations in criminal justice, public policy analysis and organization theory.
By Hugh Hewitt

When the only people applauding a major national security decision are the me and my shadow team of Sens. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Mike Lee (R-Utah), the conclusion that a major error has been made is inescapable.

President Trump has made such a major error. He needs to gather in his experienced, genuine supporters on the Hill  Sens. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) and Todd C. Young (R-Ind.) plus a couple of young warriors-turned-congressmen such as Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.) and Rep.-elect Dan Crenshaw (R-Tex.)  and revisit the decision to pull U.S. troops out of Syria.

This decision puts one of Trumps signal achievements  the defeat of the Islamic State  in grave danger. As much as it would pain veterans of the Obama administration to admit, it was Trump who changed the rules of engagement in the battle with the Islamic State. It was Trump who oversaw their rout and retreat. But the Islamic State is not defeated. And even if the Islamic State stays on its collective heels, those who would replace them  Iran, Bashar al-Assads regime and Russia  are greater threats to Americans in Iraq and to our ally Israel.

Retired Gen. Stan McChrystal was my guest on my radio show Thursday. He was originally scheduled for a conversation about his superb new book Leaders  mandatory reading for everyone with authority inside the Beltway  but of course I began the discussion with questions about the decision to scamper from Syria:

Hewitt: We set this [interview] up weeks ago, and yesterday, the president announced were pulling out of Syria. You have to know what that means in the military. What do you think of that decision?

Gen. McChrystal: I think its ill-taken. I think that we will lose our influence in the region. And while we may not like the risk of having soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines there, we have to have influence in the region, and that means presence.

HH: And so when we withdraw from that, does that put the gains in Iraq at risk, in your view?

SM: I think it does. I think it puts the stability of the entire region more broadly at risk.

HH: And in terms of ISIS being defeated, there is still 15-20,000 flying the black flag. You went one on one with these guys. Were going to talk about Zarqawi, because Zarqawi figures in your book, Leaders. Do you think theyre eradicated? Are they still a risk?

SM: I think theyre a big risk. And ISIS is as much an idea as it is number of fighters. So you can get fixated on counting heads. In reality, its a franchise kind of system. Its very powerful still, and it needs to be dealt with.

HH: Okay, so now when soldiers hear theyre going home, theyre usually pretty happy. But do you think the soldiers who get sent to Syria are unhappy about doing what is in essence garrison work at this point, right?

SM: I think they think its important. The ones Ive talked to think its important. And they also know, particularly this generation, if we dont get it done, theyll be back.

HH: All right, last question on this. The presidents made a decision. Leaders sometimes make bad decisions. Thats in your book, a lot of bad decisions. Lee and the third day at Gettysburg, right? Well come to that. So Lindsey Graham has said dont do this. Youve got Tom Cotton, Dan Sullivan, Todd Young, Joni Ernst, a lot of combat veterans. What would you do if youre confronted with overwhelming evidence of a bad decision? Whats the advice a leader ought to follow in that situation?

SM: Well, I think the leader ought to listen to advice. Now there are times a leader has to go against advice, because a leader has the ultimate responsibility. But the reality is if a lot of rational people are saying something different from what you decided, you ought to relook at it.

Listen to this general, President Trump, and to your friends who have given you credit where credit has been due: for rebuilding our hollowed military, for hitting Assad twice, for standing up to Russia in Ukraine, for pushing NATO members to meet their defense commitments, the new NAFTA with Canada and Mexico, etc.

Dont put all of that at risk with a disastrous decision to invite the return of the Islamic State terrorists you ordered our military to defeat, or the rise of an Iranian-dominated crescent of terrorism and war that will draw tens of thousands of Americans back to the land where they have already secured a stable peace at great cost in lives, wounds and treasure  twice. Stay the course. Keep the peace.

Hugh Hewitt, a conservative radio host and author, is a columnist for The Washington Post, where this piece first appeared. His work appears frequently on PennLive Opinion.
PITTSBURGH  JuJu Smith-Schuster is officially questionable to face the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.

Smith-Schuster (groin) was limited in practice on Thursday and did not practice Friday. Though Mike Tomlin typically does not select players who do not practice on Fridays to play on Sundays, Steelers said they expect Smith-Schuster to suit up against the Saints.

James Conner (high ankle sprain) did not practice all week. He is out for a third straight week.

All other Steelers to appear on practice participation reports this week are set to play, including Cameron Heyward (hyperextended knee), Bud Dupree (knee) and Terrell Edmunds (concussion protocol).
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.
The holiday season is all about giving, and if youre looking for a way to help someone in need this year, dancewear brand SteelCore is hosting the perfect initiative. The brands founder (and former New York City Ballet dancer) Marisa Cerveris launched project #DisplacedDancers this winter to help northern California-based dancers in the Paradise, Chico and Malibu areas, whose lives were affected by the wildfires that recently devastated parts of the state.

Not only did many dance students and teachers lose their studios to the wildfires, but their homes and personal belongings (including dancewear and supplies) were destroyed, too. Thats where Cerveris #DisplacedDancers comes in. SteelCore, whose studio boutique is located in Bethlehem, PA, has teamed up with activewear brands Shashi and PhysicalMind to put together care packages with leotards, shoes and other accessories that will be donated to dancers in need.

And individuals can help, too. Now through January 31, 2019, SteelCore is holding a Buy One, Give One sale on its website, pledging to donate an item for each item purchased. So whether youre looking for a new leotard or pair of leggings for yourself or to give as a gift to your dance bestie, you can show your support for the California dance community at the same time.


Master of One | Part IV: A Devastating Divorce, Family Life & More

December 22, 2018 Chad Holloway

This is the fourth article in a five-part series in PokerNews Master of One series on Men The Master Nguyen. In Part I, author Chad Holloway highlights his journey to Vietnam alongside Men Nguyen began, while in Part II he talks about how Nguyens poker origin, charity work, and more. In Part III, Nguyen addressed many of the controversies surrounding his career.

Men The Master Nguyen claims to be a changed man. Whether or not you believe him is up to you, but theres no denying his circumstances have changed. In 2010, the last year he won a World Series of Poker bracelet, Nguyens world changed dramatically when his wife of 20 years, Van Nguyen, filed for divorce.

It was a big blow for Nguyen, perhaps even a mark of shame given how divorce is perceived in Vietnamese culture. Nguyen is nothing if not traditional. Making matters worse was the fact the split turned out to be a long, drawn-out affair, one that turned ugly on many fronts.

Here's a look inside Nguyen's family and home back in 2010:

Men the Family Man

Men is a proud man, but when he talks about his loved ones he shows a vulnerability not seen at the poker tables. Hes the head of his family, and its clear the responsibilities that come with being the patriarchal figure weigh heavy on him.

According to Nguyen, he has ten children  seven daughters and three sons  all living in the United States. The oldest is married and going to be a doctor, while the youngest is 18 years old. While talking with him, I didnt get the sense that Nguyen wasn't overly close with his kids, but it was apparent he was proud of them.

I tried to save my marriage, but it didnt work out.

One story he liked to tell was about three of his daughters, who were each born on December 22 four years apart (1991, 1995, and 1999).

What are the odds? he asked with a smile.

As for his ex-wife, Van Nguyen, it seems a sore subject for Nguyen, who admitted he was embarrassed to return to Vietnam after the divorce. He tells me three years before the split, she forced him to go through anger management in an effort to save their marriage.

Gave me a lot of good things. Walk away when youre mad. Let it go, baby, Nguyen recalled. I tried to save my marriage, but it didnt work out.

One of their biggest points of contention was a house theyd bought in 2007 for $600,000. Nguyen sought a buyer and eventually found one, though itd have been for a loss. Van Nguyen refused to sign the papers until the deal fell through. Later on, after a long, exhausting process, Nguyen would sell the house for just $165,000.

As mentioned earlier in this series, Nguyen didnt do much on the felt from 2011-17. Part of the reason is he didnt take many shots, instead opting to grind for his paycheck. Thats because he had $4,000 a month in alimony and child support to pay. Now that his youngest has turned 18, that pressure is alleviated.

Even so, Nguyen has grown accustomed to his more modest lifestyle. Outside of the WSOP, he prefers to return home to Vietnam where his $1,100 a month in social security goes a lot further. When he does play a big tournament, hell often find a backer. Its a far cry from the days of the poker room when he was pulling in millions and doing the backing, but as he says, Its less stressful.

A typical family dinner at Men "The Master" Nguyen's household.

Nothing Left to Lose

Im numb right now, Nguyen admitted. Why? My wife, my kids, my ex take the house away. Ive changed a lot after I got divorced from my wife. Big change. I sacrifice myself for my family. I get hurt from my family a lot. Nobody hurts you except the ones you love.

"I get hurt from my family a lot. Nobody hurts you except the ones you love.

Its clear the divorce, as well as some sour family financial matters, have had a devastating effect on Nguyen, but he seems to be emerging from the darkness, which is perhaps why hes seen an uptick on the felt. His recent poker success may be the result of a nothing left to lose mentality.

Its a thought Nguyen hadnt seemed to consider.

It makes you stronger, he said. When you fall one time, when you fall a second time, it happens. You start looking toward the future. I always remember, to know me is to love me, thats all I can say. Why? Because Im honest.

Welcome to the Masters Lair

Men "The Master" Nguyen's house in Vietnam.

Back when he was flush with cash, Nguyen bought a $500,000 home in Phan Thiet, one that could house his extended family and serve as home when he was back in the country. At 13 meters wide and 50 meters long, its big by Vietnamese standards, but not so much by the touchstones of American culture.

The backyards, half of which sits under a canopy, is the hub center of the Nguyen household. Its where the bathrooms are located, including Mens private stall where hes constructed a makeshift sauna that hes particularly proud of. Its also where the women cook in the kitchen, scooters are queued, and Nguyens liquor cabinet straddles a door-less entryway.

In the interior, each room I saw was small but efficiently utilized. As for where the Master lays his head, I cannot say as, like the rest of the family, I was not permitted upstairs. What I can say is that the place was a palace compared to where Nguyen grew up, which I had the chance to visit. It wasnt much bigger than a closest, but still, it remains in the family as home to Nguyens nephew and his wife and child.

Nguyen may have spent more than half his life in the United States, but his house in Vietnam is clearly home. Phan Thiet is where he was born, and if he has it his way, its where hell die. In the meantime, its where he plans to spend time with friends and family.

As for a retirement plan, Nguyen says that when his playing days are behind him, he may sell his WSOP bracelet collection. According to him, he previously turned down a $1.2 million offer for it.

I dont know if hes bluffing, but Id call.

Here are some shots of Nguyens family and home in Phan Thiet:

Be sure to come back tomorrow for Part V of this five-part series on Men The Master Nguyen where youll learn not only his thoughts on the Poker Hall of Fame but also what some current Hall of Famers have to say about him.
PokerStars Off the Hook for $870 Million in Kentucky

December 21, 2018 Mo Nuwwarah

PokerStars received an $870 million Christmas present on Friday, as a Kentucky court reversed a previous decision that held The Stars Group liable for said amount in damages.

The world's online poker leader will hope this closes the book on a situation that was hanging a bit over the company's head over the past several years on a couple of fronts. Not only was it a potentially large financial liability, there were potential legislative issues related to being in bad standing with a U.S. state.

"We applaud the decision of the highly respected three-judge panel of the Kentucky Court of Appeals, said Marlon Goldstein, chief legal officer of The Stars Group. The merits of the case prevailed, and we look forward to putting this matter behind us as we sharpen our focus on executing on our growth strategy going forward."

History of the Case

Several years back, the state filed suit against PokerStars in the aftermath of Black Friday seeking damages and seizure of the PokerStars domain name, along with other online poker giants Absolute Poker, Ultimate Bet and Full Tilt Poker.

Eventually, a judge awarded the state $870 million in damages. Exactly where that number comes from is unclear, but a Kentucky state law allows recovery of losses by individuals of funds lost in illegal gambling. Apparently, even though around $18 million was collected by PokerStars from Kentucky residents, a judge awarded the state $290 million and then treble damages.

PokerStars' parent company Amaya disputed the ruling and entered the appeals process. Here on PokerNews, it was noted that the statute relates to only individuals recovering illegal gambling losses, not the state, and that would prove to be a major point in PokerStars' favor in the case.

PokerStars Prevails

The Kentucky Court of Appeals heard the case and came down strongly against the original ruling.

"Allowing a complaint, like the one put forth by the Commonwealth, to move forward would lead to an absurd, unjust result, the court ruled. It would mean that any private person with knowledge of the general nature of Appellants electronic gaming format could allege (a Loss Recovery Act) claim in a wholly conclusory and generic fashion and walk away a billionaire without ever having identified a single gaming transaction with specificity.

According to the link InsiderLouisville story, the appeal succeeded largely because the statute covers the losses of individuals, and no individuals who lost money were party in the suit. Instead it seems this was simply a case of the state attempting to take advantage of an archaic law to rake in a pile of profit for itself.

While PokerStars reps naturally walked away pleased for the moment, the other party isn't feeling so festive. The case may soon head to the State Supreme Court.

On the other hand, there remains the possibility that the two parties come to an agreement on a settlement. According to OnlinePokerReport, that was a strong possibility earlier this year.

Given the new ruling, The Stars Group would appear to be in a stronger negotiating position, but OPR still raised the possibility of a settlement as the final step in wrapping up this saga.

The Stars Group owns a majority shareholding in iBus Media.
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Incoming House Judiciary Committee chairman Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) said that Democrats are going to subpoena acting attorney general Matt Whitaker and force him to testify.

Nadler said on MSNBCs All In with Chris Hayes, He agreed to come before our  before my committee in January to testify about this and other questions. And we  and we agreed to that, and he agreed to that. Now theyve been backtracking. They wont agree to a date, they wont agree to a time. So I sent the letter to him today demanding that he set up a time and a date in January when he can appear before our committee and I said that I hope we didnt have to use compulsory process to bring him there. If we have to, we will.

Video:

Incoming House Judiciary Committee chairman Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) said that Democrats are going to subpoena acting attorney general Matt Whitaker and force him to testify. https://t.co/K3cEgJDi8F pic.twitter.com/LqyJe6BoGE  Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) December 22, 2018

Rep. Nadler later added, He should show up. We will subpoena him if we have to. He has not said he wouldnt show up. But we cannot pin them down to a date and a time and they seem to be backtracking on that.He cant get away with not appearing before the committee indefinitely because well subpoena him. And he has to respond to that. And he will. Id rather he come before the committee on a less compulsory basis, but he will come before the committee and we will ask him these questions and well take whatever necessary measures we think appropriate.

Matt Whitaker cant hide

The free ride is over for Trump and his White House. Trump cant hide his mole on the Mueller investigation from House Democrats. Next month, he is going to have to appear before the House Judiciary Committee and he is going to have to answer a lot of questions in public that he would rather not be asked.

Democrats are coming and they are going drop their entire weight of the oversight powers on Trump and his corrupt administration.

For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.

Follow Jason Easley on Facebook.
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By Jan Strupczewski

BRUSSELS (Reuters)  Key allies of Washington expressed concern on Friday about the resignation of U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and the policies of President Donald Trump that prompted it, praising Mattis as a committed partner.

Mattis said on Thursday he would quit after falling out with Trump over the latters foreign policies, including the surprise decision to pull troops out of Syria and plans for a drawdown in Afghanistan.

Secretary Mattis has made a key contribution to keeping NATO strong and ready to deal with the significant security challenges we face, NATO spokeswoman Oana Lungescu said. He is widely respected as a soldier and a diplomat.

Mattis has been seen in Europe as firmly committed to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) military alliance, unlike his ex-boss.

Trump has warned European allies the United States could withdraw its support unless they boost defense spending.

We are grateful for the iron-clad commitment of the United States to NATO. U.S. leadership keeps our transatlantic alliance strong, Lungescu said.

Former Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt, head of the liberals in the European Parliament, said the resignation only made it more urgent for the European Union to push on with its plans to bolster its own defense capabilities.

Mattis checked President Trumps worst instincts & was a strong supporter of NATO & multilateralism. His departure is bad news & makes it look like (Russian President Vladimir) Putins plan is being delivered on, Verhofstadt said on Twitter.

MACRON FAILS TO PERSUADE

Mattis resignation also sparked concern among Washingtons Asia-Pacific allies, who credit the retired general with building trust and tempering isolationist impulses.

The region includes strong U.S. allies Japan, South Korea and Australia and has some of the worlds most volatile flashpoints, with high tension on the Korean peninsula and Chinas militarization of the South China Sea causing friction.

The resignation also surprised Kabul, where the retired Marine had been seen as a guarantor of U.S. engagement. Afghan officials reacted with unease to plans to withdraw more than 5,000 of the 14,000 U.S. troops in the country.

After being tipped off by White House sources and diplomats, French President Emmanuel Macron called Trump on Tuesday to warn him against the Syria decision, a French official said.

He told him: Be careful, we think that would be a bit too early, the official said.

Macron has often been cast as the one leader who had some influence on Trump, with a good personal and working relationship.

French Defence Minister Florence Parly said Trumps decision to pull troops out of Syria in the belief that Islamic State (ISIS) had been defeated was extremely grave.

We do not share the analyses that the territorial caliphate has been annihilated, Parly said on RTL radio. Its an extremely grave decision and we think  the job must be finished.

German Defense Minister Ursula Von der Leyen called for clarity on future policies.

Because the United States has such a prominent role and responsibility in the global security architecture, it is important for everyone to quickly get clarity about succession and the future course, she said in a statement.

(Additional reporting by Leigh Thomas in Paris and Tom Sims in Frankfurt, Tom Westbrook in Sydney and Josh Smith in Seoul; Reporting by Jan Strupczewski; editing by Philip Blenkinsop and Andrew Roche)
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Rachel Maddow leveled Trump in a matter of seconds for shutting down the government so that he wont be embarrassed when he watches Fox News.

Maddow said, I will say, though, that the whole reason we are going through this ridiculous exercise is so the president wont be embarrassed when he watches the Fox News channel and they remind him about his campaign promises in which he said he was going to build a wall. I will just point out if that will be the basis on which we shut down the federal government, there is an issue his campaign promised, remember, was technically that Mexico was going to pay for the wall, right? If this whole fight right now was about Mexico was going to shut down their government rather than pay for the wall, that would be relevant to his previous campaign promises on this. He never promised Ill build the wall and U.S. Taxpayers are going to pay for it and Democrats will vote for it. That wasnt the campaign promise. That wasnt even what he said he could do.

Video:

Rachel Maddow leveled Trump in a matter of seconds for shutting down the government so that he wont be embarrassed when he watches Fox News. https://t.co/aJ6nu2PQ39 #maddow pic.twitter.com/RDZEBntCl0  Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) December 22, 2018

Rachel Madddow Nailed It

The government is going to be shut down because Fox News and some talk radio hosts hurt Trumps feelings by pointing out that he didnt get any funding for his border wall like he promised he would do in the government funding bill. Trump broke his promise. Fox News point it out. Trump was upset that he couldnt watch his favorite channel anymore, so he shut down the government, just so Fox News would stop criticizing him.

Trump is making Ted Cruzs Obamacare government shutdown look like an act of genius.

Rachel Maddow was right. This shutdown is ridiculous and absurd. It is also going to be very painful for the hundreds of thousands of federal workers who arent going to be getting paychecks.

The shutdown is just dumb, and what makes it even worse is that Trump still wont get any money for his wall when it is over.

For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.

Follow Jason Easley on Facebook.
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In a private meeting with Jared Kushner, Vice President Mike Pence, and Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, Sen. Chuck Schumer made it clear that the wall is a no go.

According to reports, Schumer said:

A Chuck Schumer spokesman says the minority leader told Mike Pence, Mick Mulvaney and Jared Kushner at a private meeting that any proposal for a border wall cant pass the Senate. The Democrats arent making fresh offers.  Laura Litvan (@LauraLitvan) December 21, 2018

Democrats cant make this any clearer. The votes do not exist in the Senate for one single cent of wall funding. Trump can shut down the government, but the same offer of $1.6 billion for border security, not wall funding is what is on the table. Democrats arent going to give Trump a dime for his wall, and he is going to feel the heat from this shutdown.

As Schumer said earlier in the day from the Senate floor, The Senate, every Democrat, and every Republican has already unanimously supported a clean extension of government funding. Democrats supported the measure because we do not want to see the government shutdown. We have no demands other than that.

Democrats arent shutting down the government. They arent the ones demanding $5 billion for the wall that cant pass the Senate. Unlike Trump, Democrats are living in reality. The votes arent there. Trump cant get anything for his wall. His White House staff has been told so in person, so if Trump shuts down the government, its all on him, but the wall isnt happening.

For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.

Follow Jason Easley on Facebook.
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Shortly after Donald Trump shut down the federal government because Republicans and Democrats in Congress wouldnt agree to his childish wall fantasy, one Senate Democrat is pledging to give her salary to charity.

In a pair of tweets, Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada said, Sadly, President Trump has brought our country into yet another crisis right before the holidays. We should be working together to end to this shutdown.

I cannot take a salary during a government shutdown knowing that so many federal workers in Nevada and across the country will go without pay, she added.

I cannot take a salary during a government shutdown knowing that so many federal workers in Nevada and across the country will go without pay. Ill be donating my salary to a Nevada charity for every day of the Trump shutdown.  Senator Cortez Masto (@SenCortezMasto) December 22, 2018

As The Hill reported on Saturday, The Nevada Democrat also donated her salary to constituents during a government shutdown in January.

This is the third Trump shutdown in one year

If youre looking for (another) sign that Donald Trump is unfit to be president of the United States, here it is.

The shutdown that kicked off hours ago is not some isolated incident. Its becoming a common element of the Trump administration.

As CNN reported, the current shutdown is the third one thrust upon the American people in a single year, and it comes with full Republican control of the government.

This is what happens when an unstable game show host is elevated to the United States presidency.

Follow Sean Colarossi on Facebook.
Senate Democratic Leader Charles Schumer (N.Y.) and House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) had harsh words for President Trump early Saturday morning over that they are calling the Trump shutdown.

Thanks to Trump large parts of the federal government are being closed after Congress failed to pass legislation that would provide funding for his ineffective and expensive border wall.

Schumer and Pelosi also said that the cause of the shutdown was Trumps temper tantrum and not any recognizable government policy.

The two Democratic congressional leaders issued a joint statement this morning after the midnight deadline to fund the government had passed.

They said in the statement:

President Trump has said more than 25 times that he wanted a shutdown and now he has gotten what he wanted.

Democrats have offered Republicans multiple proposals to keep the government open, including one that already passed the Senate unanimously, and all of which include funding for strong, sensible, and effective border security  not the presidents ineffective and expensive wall.

If President Trump and Republicans choose to continue this Trump Shutdown, the new House Democratic majority will swiftly pass legislation to re-open government in January.

Democrats are making very clear that Trump himself caused the shutdown and should be held accountable. With great fanfire Trump summoned Pelosi and Schumer to the Oval Office for a televised meeting last Tuesday.

During that meeting, with millions of people watching on TV, he said that he would take the mantle and own a shutdown over funding for his border wall.

Then yesterday Trump tried to subvert Democratic arguments that he was to blame for the shutdown by posting a video on Twitter saying that it was up to Democrats to bring the funding lapse to an end.

Now its up to the Senate, and its really up to the Democrats, because we need their votes, Trump said in the video. Were going to have a shutdown  theres nothing we can do about that.

Call it a Democrat shutdown, call it whatever you want, he added. Lets work together, lets be bipartisan and lets get it done. The shutdown hopefully will not last long.

OUR GREAT COUNTRY MUST HAVE BORDER SECURITY! pic.twitter.com/ZGcYygMf3a  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 22, 2018

Members of both the House and the Senate will continue discussions today about how to resolve the impasse.

The shutdown affects about 25 percent of the federal government. White House budget chief Mick Mulvaney sent a memo to federal agencies late Friday telling them to execute preparations for a shutdown.

Impacted by the loss of funding are an estimated 800,000 federal workers in the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Justice, Treasury, Homeland Security, Interior, State, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and the Environmental Protection Agency.
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Fallout continued on Saturday days after Donald Trump announced a sudden and reckless withdrawal of all U.S. troops in Syria, hanging American military members out to dry.

According to CBS News, Brett McGurk, special presidential envoy for the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, had been planning to exit his post in February 2019. But sources tell CBS News that he informed Secretary of State Mike Pompeo that he will accelerate his departure due to a strong disagreement with President Trumps snap decision to withdraw 2,000 U.S. troops from Syria, effectively abandoning U.S. allies in the region.

The report notes that following Trumps snap decision via Twitter to pull troops from Syria, there is more uncertainty than ever in the region.

More from the stunning CBS News report:

McGurk submitted his resignation on Friday, just one day after Defense Secretary James Mattis quit his post citing fundamental disagreements with the commander-in-chief  including one over the importance of honoring U.S. alliances. The special envoy was publicly left in the lurch by the presidents sudden declaration on Wednesday that he was pulling U.S. forces out of Syria, against the advice of his top national security advisers and without consulting U.S. allies. As leader of the counter ISIS mission, McGurk had been in the region to meet with coalition partners including Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani last week when Mr. Trump made his sudden decision to pull U.S. support.

Trumps instability is putting U.S. troops in danger

Donald Trumps growing instability at home over Robert Muellers special counsel investigation is pushing him to make increasingly reckless decisions.

In the case of his move to rapidly withdraw from Syria without even bringing in the Pentagon and U.S. allies, Trump is putting U.S. troops in danger and further advancing the interests of American adversaries like Russia and Iran.

As Rachel Maddow said after Trumps sudden announcement, U.S. troops and their families (dont) expect to have their safety and their lives just batted around like it doesnt matter.

The presidents decision on Syria likely wont be an isolated incident. It led to the resignation of Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis and now the special envoy leading the fight against ISIS. There could be more military officials who follow suit.

These abrupt resignations will only mean Trump is surrounded by fewer adults, leading to more decisions that further isolate allies, endanger U.S. troops and embolden American enemies.

Donald Trump is only going to get more dangerous.

Follow Sean Colarossi on Facebook.
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The amount of convincing evidence showing how Russia bailed out Donald Trump is rapidly increasing. And according to Foreign Policy Magazine, this new evidence will soon bring the president much more trouble than he currently has.

Foreign Policy (FP) reported that before he ran for president, Trump and his family didnt even attempt to hide their substantial debts to Russia.

Russians make up a pretty disproportionate cross-section of a lot of our assets, Donald Trump, Jr. said in 2008. Remarkably, Trump Sr. was able to lie about his Russian dealings during his 2016 campaign and get away with it.

Alan Lapidus, who for many years was Trumps architect, told FP that after Trump had serious financial troubles, including bankruptcy filings, in the late 1990s and early 2000s the president was desperate for money. According to Lapidus:

Trump could not get anybody in the United States to lend him anything  and so all the money to fund his mid-2000s projects came out of Russia.

His involvement with Russia was deeper than hes acknowledged, Lapidus added.

Another former Trump business associate told FP anonymously that most of what he called the overseas money was given to Trump in real-estate deals and the purchase of condos.

The associate told FP:

He was saying to himself, What else could I do in the world? Ill just convince people to buy my brand. And the only people who were willing to buy it were tasteless Russians, people who like the absurd, ostentatious gold-leaf lifestyle he has. Youre not going to sell that brand to blue bloods in Greenwich, Connecticut.

Trump biographer Gwenda Blair talked about his miraculous recovery from bankruptcy and mountains of debt that threatened to bury his entire business empire:

Trump was on the Titanic heading down. Everyones drowning around him.  Suddenly he gets saved. Its almost like a spaceship landed right next to where he was in the water.

By the time he ran for president, Trump had been enmeshed in this mysterious overseas flow of capital for a decade and a half, the FP report noted.

Yet the source of the money coming to Trump wasnt really that mysterious. Most investigators believed the source included money launderers from Russia and former Soviet republics who bought up dozens of his condos at inflated prices.

Purchasing real estate properties with cash is a loophole in the laws against laundering money, and Trump took advantage of that loophole as he took millions of dollars in cash from shady Russians involved in organized crime. In fact, receiving and laundering illicit cash was one of the top revenue-generating activities of Trumps business for the two decades before he ran for president.

According to FP, federal and congressional investigators are now focused on the Trump Organization as much as the president himself in probing alleged Russian influence.

A Capitol Hill staffer told FP:

Our broader concern is the extent to which the Trump Organization has received an influx of foreign sources of money over the years, and if that continues to compromise the president.

Be sure that federal prosecutors, including Bob Mueller, know exactly the extent to which the Trump Organization has received an influx of foreign sources of money over the years. They also know that it continues to compromise the president. So does Rep. Adam Schiff, the incoming chairman of the House Intelligence Committee.

As FP points out:

One question Mueller must certainly be probing is whether the relationships made Trump beholden to certain Russiansand whether the outreach by Russian business people to Trump and his organization reflects Kremlin tradecraft for developing intelligence assets and compromising them.

In other words, there is pretty strong evidence that Donald Trump was cultivated as a Russian intelligence asset. The Russians bought him decades ago, so when he was elected president (with their help) it was time for them to get the return on their investment for which they had waited so patiently for so many years.
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By a three-to-one margin most people who voted for Donald Trump believe he will still build a border wall and make Mexico pay for it, according to a new HuffPost/YouGov survey.

The poll was taken before this weeks government shutdown over wall funding, but it shows the high degree of confidence that Trumps base of supporters still have in their chosen leader.

According to the poll, sixty-three percent of Americans who voted for Trump in the 2016 election think that he will fulfill his campaign promise to build the border wall with Mexico. Just 22 percent of 2016 Trump voters believe he probably will not get the wall built.

And, showing that some people do read Trumps lies on Twitter, four percent of Trump voters said that they believe the border wall with Mexico has ALREADY been built, which the president has claimed in several recent tweets.

According to the Huffington Post, the level of confidence that Trump voters have that he will keep his biggest campaign promise has been mostly stable over the past two years.

And of course, to most Trump voters, it is very important that the Mexican border wall be built. Of all the promises they most want to see their president fulfill, building the wall is tied with draining the swamp for first place. Thirty nine percent of poll respondents said those are the top two priorities they want Trump to accomplish during his presidency.

Trump knows that he can always fire up his base and generate more support by promising to build the wall. But what he doesnt know is how his supporters will react once they figure out that the wall will never be built. And Democratic leaders have made one thing very clear: they will never provide funding for Trumps beloved wall.

So, it may mean that Trump has over-promised, and ultimately will under-deliver on his most important promise. This could be bad for him politically.

The poll results suggest that as long as Trump continues to tweet about the wall, his strongest supporters will believe it remains a possibility, but if he gives up on it, they may do so also. In fact, the survey does discuss what might happen if Trump ultimately abandons his goal of building the wall.

In September of 2017, nearly half of Trump voters said that the repeal of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was their top priority, and over 80 percent of them still expected him to get the healthcare bill repealed.

But eventually Republicans abandoned the idea, once they figured out it would never happen, and would not be politically advantageous to keep trying. When this happened, most Trump voters went along and said it was no longer their top priority either.

In the new poll, just 47 percent expect the president to achieve a repeal of the ACA but another 15 percent now believe that he already has done so. (Its not clear where they got that idea.)

But less than a third of Trump voters now say that repealing the ACA is very important.

This may mean that if Trump abandons his quest for the wall, then the Trump voters desire for the wall will also decline. Their interest in the border wall seems to be proportionate to the extent to which Trump promises them that it will still be built.

The poll also shows that most Trump voters dont expect him to fulfill his campaign promises because they believe that he has ALREADY fulfilled his promises.

According to the survey, fifty-six percent of Trump voters now say he has lived up to most of what he promised. Another 36 percent say that he hasnt done it yet, but they believe he will soon fulfill his promises.

The first group is composed primarily of voters who identify very strongly with the Republican Party. They also label themselves as strongly conservative.

It is very clear that Trump voters still believe in him. Because of his ongoing need for their praise, he keeps promising that he will deliver on his promises that got him elected. This is what they want to hear, but in the long run, as they come to see that Trump will NOT deliver on his most important promises, it is very possible that they will abandon him. This is why he keeps up his losing fight for the wall, and why he blames everyone but himself for his failure to build it.
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According to the editors of the Washington Post, people go into public service to make sacrifices and to accomplish some good for their fellow citizens, not to be pawns in pointless political gamesmanship.

But hundreds of thousands of federal workers who will have to work without pay over the holidays have become exactly that: pawns in a pointless game being played by President Donald Trump and his right wing media overlords. As we reported early this morning, Trump has shut down key parts of the U.S. government in a very misguided political stunt.

Trump, who last week boasted he would be proud to shut down the government, glad to take the mantle. I will be the one to shut it down. He also bragged yesterday that his shutdown would last for a very long time.

But as the Post editors point out, the curtailment of government agencies will impose costs across Washington and the country. Then they added:

Nothing better illustrates the needless stupidity of the shutdown than Mr. Trumps claim to be taking a stand for border security when one of the agencies being caught up is Customs and Border Protection.

After saying he would own the shutdown, on Friday Trump attempted to shift the blame to Democrats. He said the shutdown was their fault for not going along with his ridiculous and unpopular demand for $5 billion to build his beloved border wall  which throughout his campaign he had promised would be paid for by Mexico.

What created the chaos in Washington this week was how he flip-flopped on the stopgap spending bill. As the Post editors wrote:

He signaled he would sign on to a measure, passed by both House and Senate, without wall funding, but then buckled to criticism from the conservative media.

Instead of standing up to him  and doing their job of keeping the government running  House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.)  went along, once again enabling the worst instincts of a bad president.

Yes, the shutdown can be blamed partially on GOP congressional leaders. But at the end of the day, as an article in The Daily Beast points out, the Shutdown Proves Once and For All Trump Has No Idea What Hes Doing.
During Russian President Vladimir Putins annual press conference, Ilya Azar of the newspaper Novaya Gazeta asked him about his relationship with Evgeny Prigozhin, a businessman who has been tied to both the Internet Research Agency in St. Petersburg -- aka the Troll factory -- and the so-called private military company called the Wagner Group.

Putin distanced himself from Prigozhin, and feigned ignorance about Wagner, stressing that what is important is that it operate within the law. The problem, however, is not only that the Wagner Group operates outside Russian law, but that it has never operated within it, and it is not a real PMC at all, but rather a mercenary unit created with the help of the Russian Defense Ministry.

Polygraph.info made many of these points in February 2018, when Wagner garnered worldwide attention after scores of its fighters in Syria, along with local militiamen, attacked U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces near Deir Ez-Zor and were decisively routed by American aircraft and artillery. With Putins latest spin, a recap of some of that earlier coverage is in order.

As for the Wagner Groups legal status, its predecessor was a Hong Kong-registered company known as the Slavonic Corps, which had as its client another offshore-registered company known as Moran Security Group. Although it is registered outside of Russia, the Moran Security Group advertises itself as a private security company specializing mainly in maritime security for cargo ships. This kind of activity is not considered mercenary activities under Russian criminal law, and private security firms are legal in Russia. This, incidentally, is what Putin was most likely referring to during his December 20 press conference, when he referred to the labor market for private security and the almost one million Russian citizens who work in it.

The Slavonic Corps, however, crossed the line when it began operating in Syria in 2013. One of the Corps members who participated in this mission was a former Russian Special Forces soldier named Dmitry Utkin, who would later acquire the alias Wagner, supposedly for his keen interest in Third Reich military history and aesthetics. But when Utkin returned to Russia from Syria, he and two of the Slavonic Corps executives were arrested by the FSB for violating Russian law on mercenary activities. Utkin, however, reappeared in 2014 in Ukraine, along with the so-called private military company Wagner Group. The term private military company is suspect in Wagners case, given the evidence that it was actually set up by the Russian Defense Ministry and still coordinates closely with the Russian state.

The company was initially supplied with modern Russian military equipment, the New Yorker magazine wrote in February about reports that some Wagner personnel were transported to Syria on Russian military aircraft and evidence emerged that some of the mercenary soldiers received state medals.

Shortly after the Deir Ez-Zor incident, Russian lawmakers began talking about creating legislation to legalize private military companies in Russia. However, no such law was passed. In fact, the Russian state-owned media outlet Sputnik stated in an article on the subject: Private military companies are unathorized (sic) in Russia as there is no legislation regulating their activities. The issue, however, became urgent in recent months over rumors about alleged involvement of the so-called PMC Wagner in hostilities in Syria.

In other words, Wagner has never been within the law in Russia, as Putin speaks of it.

Putins suggestion that the Prosecutor Generals Office should look into Wagner led to another interesting revelation. After Putins statement, a representative from the Russian Prosecutor Generals Office told Interfax that they had never received any request to look into the entity PMC Wagner.

The independent Russian news site Meduza quickly found evidence that this was untrue. According to journalist Ilya Rozhdestvensky, after he wrote about the company for the Russian news outlet RBC in 2016, someone asked the Prosecutor Generals Office to investigate PMC Wagner for possibly violating the law against mercenary activity based on the material Rozhdestvensky gathered for his RBC article. Meduza confirmed that the request was received by the Prosecutor Generals Office sometime during August-September 2016, before being passed on to the Moscow Prosecutors office on October 12 that same year. In December 2016, Rozhdestvensky and all the other authors who worked on the RBC article were informed that the Russian Interior Ministry was investigating them for possible extremism and inciting hatred in connection with the article. One official asked him why they had written the article on Wagner, but the case subsequently went no further. According to Rozhdestvensky, the authorities said nothing about an investigation into PMC Wagners activities, and he hasnt heard anything more from them since then.

Considering the evidence on Wagner's beginnings, on activities in Ukraine and, more recently in Syria, our judgment is that Putin's comment on the issue at his annual news conference was false.


Chloe Johnson covers the coastal environment and climate change for the Post and Courier. She's always looking for a good excuse to hop on a boat.
Flanked by Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto, left, and Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, President Donald Trump smiles during a signing ceremony of their trilateral trade agreement, on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Friday, Nov. 30, 2018. The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA as Trump refers to it, must still be approved by lawmakers in all three countries. (AP Photo/Martin Mejia)
The Post and Courier provides a forum for our readers to share their opinions, and to hold up a mirror to our community. Publication does not imply endorsement by the newspaper; the editorial staff attempts to select a representative sample of letters because we believe its important to let our readers see the range of opinions their neighbors submit for publication.
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.
Theology on Tap, a periodic event presented by the Passing Currents Podcast, the Rochester Catholic Young Adult Ministry and Real Presence Radio Network, has set dates for its winter series.

Dates will be Tuesdays, Jan. 8, 15, 22, and 29, and Feb. 5 and 12, at Kathys Pub in Rochester. Each event begins at 6 p.m. with a social hour, with a speaking starting at 7, followed by a Q&A session with the speaker. Each event concludes at 8:30 p.m.

The speaker schedule includes:

Jan. 8:"Getting a Sense of Holy Humor" by Tim Streiff, a talk on finding humor in faith and God.

Jan. 15:"Save Beauty, Save the World" by Brian Kusek, a talk on beauty as a transcendental and how beauty can lead us to God.

Jan. 22:"The Church in Crisis: The Sex Abuse Scandal" by Father Jason Kern, a presentation on the sexual abuse crisis in the Catholic Church, presented by Father Kern, the vocations director for the Diocese of Winona-Rochester.

Jan. 29:"Grill the Priest" with Fr. Tim Biren, an open Q&A session with Fr. Tim Biren, pastor of the parish cluster of Eyota and St. Charles.

Feb. 5:"Living Out the Truth of Sexuality" by Teresa Martin, a talk, based primarily on the letters of Pope John Paul II, on Catholic teachings on sexuality.

Feb. 12:"Why You Shouldnt Kill Yourself" by Susan Windely-Doust, Ph.D., a talk on the moral and ethical implications of physician-assisted suicide.

For more information on Theology on Tap, visit www.passingcurrentspodcast.com/theology-on-tap.

Rochester church hosts classic rock Christmas

On Dec. 23, Peace United Church of Christin Rochester will host a unique classic rock-themed Christmas service, "Let There Be Peace." The service starts at 4 p.m.

This service will feature classic rock music from the 1960s, 70s, and 80s. This service provides a contemporary, creative approach to understanding how Christs birth is still relevant in our lives and world today.

Each classic rock song focuses on how the Christmas Spirit is calling each of us to experience peace in our lives and work for peace in the world. Scripture, poems, video, and messages will be shared throughout the service.

In addition, Peace will offer these holiday worship times:

 10 a.m. Dec. 23, All-Comers Christmas Program.

 4 p.m. Dec. 24, Christmas Eve Lessons and Carols Service with Candlelight Communion.

 6 p.m. Dec. 24, Blue Christmas Service: Contemplative Instrumental with Candlelight Communion.

 10 a.m. Dec. 30, One Service.
Insights

Let peoples voices be heard, Pope Francis tells the church. Not just the voices of the clergy and those who speak from the altar, but the voi Read more
This is 100% stolen from Julie Kelly at American Greatness, but trust me, its worth stealing:

In a recent court filing, the defendants attorneys begged for mercy. The offenderonce a high-level government official assigned with protecting national security secretshad pleaded guilty to one charge of making a false statement to the FBI in 2017. Citing his modest upbringing, community involvement, and decorated military service, the defendants lawyers asked the judge only to impose a sentence of probation rather than jail time. This case has garnered a significant amount of media attention, the attorneys wrote, and plainly sends a message to the public that lying to federal agentseven when those lies were denials animated by a desire to conceal a personal failinghas profound consequences. The appeal was supported by letters written by powerful people, including top lawmakers on Capitol Hill, who attested to the mans overall decency, claiming he had already suffered enough and how his conduct is contradicted sharply by the character of the man that his family and community and country relied upon and loved and respected.

So General Michael Flynnno, wait!

No, that entreaty was not about Lt. General Michael Flynn; it was on behalf of James Wolfe, the former security chief for the Senate Intelligence Committee who was caught not just lying to FBI officials but illegally leaking classified information to journalists, including his 20-something girlfriend. Wolfes misconduct was far more egregiousand damagingthan the process crime committed by Flynn. Late Thursday, a federal judge sentenced Wolfe to two months in jail for one count of lying to the FBI; the prosecution had asked for 24 months. After a tearful apology to the judge, Wolfe essentially escaped with a slap on the wrist. Outrageous. Wolfe, 58, was a key player in the leaking strategy employed by anti-Trump bureaucrats to seed bogus Trump-Russia collusion stories in the news media during the administrations early months. Entrusted with safekeeping the committees most secret documents, Wolfe was caught passing off the information to four reporters. One of the journalists, Ali Watkins, was at least 30 years his junior; their three-year affair began when she was a college intern working for a Washington, D.C. news organization.

I am so old, I can remember when intelligence officials leaking top secret information to women they were sleeping with was frowned upon. At one time, the fear was that such women might be Russian spies. Now, it is reasonable to assume that they are Democrats.

When confronted by the FBI about the affair and the disclosure of classified information to the other reporters, Wolfe repeatedly lied both during a personal interview and on a questionnaire. The investigation into Wolfes activities was so critical and risky that the FBIs executive leadership took the extraordinary step of limiting its notification to two individualsthe Chair and Vice Chair of the [committee]. Had this delicate balance not been achieved, this situation could easily have resulted in the possible disruption of information flowan untenable degradation of national security oversight. Sounds a little bit more consequential than a phone conversation about Russian sanctions, right? But here is the real injustice: While it was clear by both the original indictment and the sentencing memo that Wolfe was responsible for disclosing details about the FISA warrant on Trump campaign aide Carter Page, he was not charged with that crimea felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

The swamp protects its own.

Yes, the truth is coming out, and its a nasty, ugly truth. If you reside in the protected class of Washington bureaucrats who break the law, betray your public duty and attempt to destroy innocent Americans by wielding unchecked power, you will get away with it. You will have a letter of commendation written on your behalf by U.S. senators, including Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Richard Burr (R-N.C.). You will avoid being charged with a felony, even though your conduct presented serious national security risks. You successfully will evade nonstop media coverage by sympathetic journalists while they instead obsess about a lesser crime committed by an ally of the president they despise.

That sums it up pretty well. I confess that I had forgotten James Wolfes name. Somehow, no one seems interested in his crimes. Meanwhile, Ali Watkins, who began her affair with Wolfe while a college student and was covering national security for the Times by the time she was 25it helps to be sleeping with the director of security for the Senate Intelligence Committeeis still employed by the paper, although she has been reassigned to the metro desk. As Julie Kelly says, [h]er sex-for-scoops strategy worked like a charm.

Somehow, though, all of this isnt front-page news.
The case of Claas Relotius, Der Spiegel and the town of Fergus Falls, Minnesota has become notorious. Der Spiegel, Europes most widely-read news source, fired Relotius, one of Germanys most honored journalists, when it came to light that he had made up facts in a number of articles he wrote for the magazine. The Fergus Falls fiction was exposed by two residents of that town, who wrote an article in Medium listing the top 11 most absurd lies in Relotiuss piece, which was titled Where They Pray For Trump on Sundays and was intended to enlighten Europeans about Americas bizarre Trump voters.

The Medium piece is well worth reading in its entirety. Here are a few highlights.

You enter Fergus Falls through a dark forest that looks like dragons live in it? Nope.

The city administrator straps on a Beretta to go to work? Nope.

The same city administrator has never been in a relationship with a woman and has never seen the ocean? Nope. Amusingly, the Fergus Falls residents included in their Medium piece this photo of the city administrator with his live-in girlfriend. At the ocean.

American Sniper is still playing at the local cinema? Nope.

To enter Fergus Falls High School, one must pass through a security line, through three armored glass doors, and a weapon scanner? Nope.

Someone put up a sign saying Mexicans Keep Out? Nope.

It goes on and on. We arent talking about spin or hyperbole here. The reporter made most of his article up out of whole cloth to suit his own prejudices, and those of his readers. The Wall Street Journal has taken note:

Europe faces its largest journalistic scandal in years after Der Spiegel, the continents biggest-selling news magazine, said one of its star reporters fabricated facts in his articles for years. The magazines disclosure, which came after a colleague raised concerns about a recent piece on supporters of President Trump in rural America, was made as Europes established media faces attacks by populist forces at home and abroad.

***

In seven years writing for Der Spiegel, Mr. Relotius became one of Germanys most highly regarded journalists, accumulating 10 coveted awards. But in a separate video interview on the magazines website, a colleague said he raised an alarm in November about some facts in an article he and Mr. Relotius co-authored about a pro-Trump militia, which the article described as hunting down immigrants along Arizonas border with Mexico.

Officials at Der Spiegel are wringing their hands over how this could happen at a magazine once famed for its scrupulous fact-checking.

Stefan Niggemeier, an independent media blogger in Berlin and a former Spiegel journalist, said some of the articles at issue appeared to confirm certain German stereotypes about Trump voters, asking was this possible because of an ideological bias?

Do you think?

The affair cast doubt on the effectiveness of Der Spiegels renowned fact-checking department, once described as the largest in the world by the Columbia Journalism Review. The magazine, which said it employs around 70 fact-checkers, said its system had failed.

***

In response to questions from The Wall Street Journal, Ms. Anderson [one of the authors of the Medium piece] wrote in an email that none of the people she spoke with in Fergus Falls referenced in the Der Spiegel article were approached for fact-checking by the magazine. In an article Wednesday, Der Spiegel wrote that Mr. Relotius distorts reality in the article about Fergus Falls. A spokesman for the magazine said that Der Spiegels fact-checking process does not include contacting any subjects of articles, adding that the department reviews each story sentence by sentence for accuracy and plausibility, followed by a review between the department and the storys author.

I think that last observation comes close to the heart of the matter. Stories are reviewed sentence by sentence for accuracy and plausibility. What is going on here is not fact-checking, but plausibility-checking. Is it surprising that the editors at Der Spiegel found Relotiuss absurd smears against the people of Fergus Falls to be plausible? No. Bias reinforced bias, bigotry confirmed bigotry.

This phenomenon is not restricted to the European press. Here in the U.S., we have seen many instances where news outlets like CNN have reported facts that were entirely fabricated. Those facts likewise passed the test of plausibilitythat is, they tended to make Donald Trump and his supporters look bad. This is, I think, one of the key mechanisms through which leftist bias is institutionalized, and the press repeatedly embarrasses itself by printing falsehoods.

The sobering question is, of all the falsehoods printed in the mainstream press, what percentage do you think are ever publicly exposed?
You may have heard yesterday that the Trump administration suffered a defeat in the Supreme Court or words to that effect, with Chief Justice Roberts joining the devout leftists to cast the deciding vote. Mark Shermans AP story leads: A divided Supreme Court wont let the Trump administration begin enforcing a ban on asylum for any immigrants who illegally cross the U.S.-Mexico border. Adam Liptaks New York Times story leads: The Supreme Court refused on Friday to allow the Trump administration to immediately enforce its new policy of denying asylum to migrants who illegally cross the Mexican border.

What happened?

The Supreme Court entered an order in Trump v. East Bay Sanctuary Covenant. The order provides: The application for stay presented to Justice Kagan and by her referred to the Court is denied. Justice Thomas, Justice Alito, Justice Gorsuch, and Justice Kavanaugh would grant the application for stay. I have embedded a copy of the order below via PDF.

Whats it all about?

The Supreme Courts docket in the case is accessible online here. The case contests the legality of the Trump administrations rule requiring applications for asylum to be presented at designated ports of entry. San Francisco Judge Jon Tigar has entered a temporary restraining order and, most recently, a preliminary injunction preventing the Trump administration from enforcing its rule.

Judge Tigars order is one of the series of nationwide injunctions entered by the judicial branch of the #Resistance to the Trump administration. Courts in the Ninth Circuit have proved a prolific source of such orders. (The Ninth Circuit treated Judge Tigars temporary restraining order as a preliminary injunction. This week Judge Tigar formally entered an order granting a preliminary injunction. See Solicitor General Noel Franciscos December 20 letter to the Supreme Court.)

The general rule in federal cases is that non-final orders cannot be appealed. Federal law makes an exception for grants of injunctive relief. The Trump administration filed an emergency motion for a stay pending appeal of Judge Tigars order in the Ninth Circuit.

The Ninth Circuit docket in the case includes links to the filings of the parties. The Trump administrations application for stay and reply in support of application for a stay provide useful background on the case.

The Trump administration moved for an emergency stay of Judge Tigars order in the Ninth Circuit opinion. With one judge dissenting, a three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit upheld Judge Tigars grant of preliminary relief in a 65-page opinion. The court correctly stresses that this case arrives at our doorstep at a very preliminary stage of the proceedings. Judge Tigar hasnt ruled on the merits or entered final judgment granting injunctive relief, but its no secret where hes going.

Having struck out in the Ninth Circuit, the Trump administration promptly sought a stay from the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court has ample grounds for avoiding the case at this point for reasons having little or nothing to do with the merits. It is no surprise that the Supreme Court refused to grant a stay at this early stage of the case; the district court hasnt even entered a final order. The Ninth Circuit ruling addresses the question whether the district courts preliminary injunction should be stayed pending appeal of the injunction to the Ninth Circuit.

As you can see, the Supreme Court order says precisely nothing on the merits of the Trump administrations rule on asylum. This is an overstatement, but not by much. The denial could be based on a pure exercise of discretion not to hear a case at this early stage. The denial is at several removes from the merits. It is hazardous to draw inferences from nothing.

Nevertheless, four justices (Thomas, Alito, Gorsuch and Kavanaugh) would grant the application for stay. Although no inferences can properly be drawn from the Supreme Courts denial of a stay pending appeal (in the Ninth Circuit, from the district court order granting a preliminary injunction), that is striking. Inferences can properly be drawn from this part of the order. I infer the four justices understand that the judicial #Resistance poses a grave threat to the rule of law.

What about Chief Justice Roberts?

He joined Justices Breyer, Ginsburg, Sotomayor and Kagan to deny the stay. I say no inferences can properly be drawn from the order denying the stay, but I will go this far. Adam Liptak is not out of line in reviewing the chiefs jousting with President Trump; the jousting was occasioned by this case. President Trump does not believe that discretion is ever the better part of valor.

The proliferation of nationwide injunctions issued by federal courts has hampered the Trump administrations efforts to address the continuing crisis at our southern border. The Ninth Circuit order itself acknowledges the crisis at page 52 of the slip opinion: We are acutely aware of the crisis in the enforcement of our immigration laws. The Ninth Circuit blames Congress, but the courts of the Ninth Circuit have themselves contributed to the crisis.

The crisis continues. It has become situation normal. We need an intervention that is unlikely to take place any time soon.

Trump Ve Bay Sanctuary by on Scribd
The total financial flows from Nigerias oil and gas sector in 2016 was the lowest in a decade and the fifth lowest since the return of democracy in 1999, the latest Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) Oil & Gas Industry Audit report has revealed.

The report released on Friday in Abuja said aggregate earnings from the sector during the year dropped significantly by over 31 per cent from over $24.79 billion in 2015 to about $17.05 billion.

Compared to the peak earnings of $68.44 billion recorded in 2011, the NEITI report, which covers 1999 to 2016, showed the 2016 figures plunged by over 75 per cent.

The plunge in revenue in 2016 resulted from the double whammy of low oil prices in the global market, the NEITI Executive Secretary, Waziri Adio, is quoted to have said in a statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES by the transparency agency spokesperson, Ogbonnaya Orji.

Mr Adio said the reduction in Nigerias oil production, in turn, was caused by the disruption and vandalism of oil assets and a spike in crude oil theft in the Niger Delta region, among others.

Other key findings from the report were that the oil and gas sector contribution to the countrys gross domestic product (GDP) dropped from 9.5 per cent in 2015 to 8.3 per cent in 2016; total gas produced in 2016 was 3.05 trillion standard cubic feet (SCF), out of which 288.21 billion SCF, or 9.45 per cent, was flared.

Also, about 126 million barrels of oil valued at $5.48 billion, or about N1.37 trillion was allocated for domestic consumption during the year.

From the allocation, about 23 million barrels (18 per cent) was allocated for local refineries; 55.9 million barrels (45 per cent) for Direct Sale-Direct Purchase (DSDP) scheme; 36.6 million barrels (29 per cent) for the Pipelines and Products Marketing Company (PPMC) lifting, and 10.4 million barrels (8 per cent) for offshore processing arrangement.

From the money for domestic crude allocation (DCA), the NNPC deducted about N512 billion upfront for Joint Venture (JV) cash call, N126.5 billion for pipeline repairs and maintenance, N99 billion for under-recovery from petroleum products imports and N20 billion for crude losses.

Also, a total of 101 million barrels of crude oil valued at $4.4 billion was recorded as losses due to theft and sabotage, with SEPLAT Petroleum and Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) alone accounting for over 81 million barrels of crude oil as losses due to sabotage. About 20 other entities reported 19.8 million barrels as losses due to theft.

The Nigeria LNG dividend, loan and interest repayment for 2016, the report said, stood at about $390.2 million, as against $1.07 billion of 2015, a decline of 63.5 per cent.

Again, out of about $8.2 billion budgeted for cash calls in 2016, about $5.5 billion was released, while about $4.9 billion was paid. Non-JV cash call expenses during the year came to about $874 million, representing 17.59 per cent of cash call expenditure.

Yearly, the average price of crude oil per barrel was $43.73 in 2016 as against $52.5 in 2015, he said.

Total oil production in 2016 was 659 million barrels as against 776 million barrels produced in 2015, a fall of 15 percent.

Losses due to crude oil theft and sabotage rose from 27million barrels in 2015 to 101million barrels in 2016, an increase of 274 percent. This was aside from losses due to production deferments by the oil companies put at 144 million barrels in 2016. The figure went up to 65 percent when compared to the 87.5 million barrels in 2015.

The report identified the bombing of the under-water 48-inch Forcados Oil Loading/Export Pipeline in February 2016 as one of many major incidences the industry had to contend with during the year under review.

Following the incident, operations on the pipeline were disrupted for over seven months, with Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) declaring force majeure on crude oil lifting from the facility.

Also, the report said other companies injecting into the Forcados Terminal, including SEPLAT, Panocean Oil, Midwestern Petroleum, Energia, Platform Oil & Gas, Pillar Energy, Waltersmith, and Excel were compelled to shut down production for over 147 days.

Besides, the SPDC also declared force majeure on the Bonny Terminal due to a leak in Nembe Creek Pipeline between May and July 2016, while the Nigeria Agip Oil Company (NAOC) equally declared force majeure on the Brass Terminal between July and August 2016.

According to the report, after surviving the slump in the global oil market in 2008 and 2009, Nigerias oil sector rebounded in 2010 with a 49 per cent increase in total financial flows to $44.94 billion, and a peak earning of $68.44 billion in 2011, with oil prices at the highest ever level above $140 per barrel.

Since then, financial flows from the sector have been trending downwards, with $62.94 billion in 2012; $58.08 billion in 2013; $54.56 billion in 2014, and $24.79 billion in 2015.

Similarly, oil production has been on steady decline, with about 866 million barrels produced in 2012; 800 million barrels in 2013; 798 million barrels in 2014; 776 million barrels in 2015 and 659 million barrels in 2016.

The NEITI audit reports also independently reconcile payments by companies against receipts by government agencies, and cover key financial flows, such as earnings from the sale of the Federations equity crude oil and gas.

The report also covers sector-specific taxes, fees and levies, including royalty, Petroleum Profit Tax (PPT), signature bonus, gas flared penalty, and other flows such as Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) contribution, Nigerian Content Development & Monitoring Board (NCDMB) levy, Nigerian Export Supervision Scheme (NESS) Fees, education tax and others.

Details of the payment show the major earnings for 2016 came from export and domestic sale of Federation equity crude oil and gas with $7.97 billion, PPT with $4.21 billion, and royalty with $1.57 billion.

A major highlight of the 2016 report was that for the first time in Nigerias history, crude oil produced from Production Sharing Contracts (PSCs) overtook output from the Joint Ventures (JVs).

In 2016, PSCs accounted for 324 million barrels, while the JVs accounted for 289.1 million barrels, as against the 320 million barrels for PSCs and 375.5 million barrels for JVs in 2015.

PSCs are production sharing contract arrangement introduced in 1993, which became the leading production arrangement in 2016.

The PSCs are mostly offshore, thus insulated from vandalism and sabotage, and are not constrained by adequacy/availability of equity funding by the Federation. This change in production structure pushes to the fore the need to renegotiate the terms of the PSCs as stipulated in the Deep Offshore and Inland Basin Production Sharing Contracts Act of 1993 so as to increase governments take.

The NEITI report also reveals that the total lifting for 2016 stood at about 668.1 million barrels, as against the 780.4 million barrels lifted in 2015, a drop of about 14.35 percent.

Out of the total liftings for 2016, NNPC lifted about 244.6 million barrels (36.61 per cent) on behalf of the federation, while the companies lifted 423.5 million barrels (63.39 per cent).
Nollywood actress, Funke Akindele, and her musician hubby, Abdul Rasheed Bello aka JJC Skillz, have welcomed a set of twins.

Funkes sister, Ayo Ola-Muhammed, broke the news on Instagram on Saturday.

The boys arrived on Friday in Los Angeles, U.S. They are the couples first children since they tied the knot in 2016 in the United Kingdom.

The 41-year-old actress lost a set of twins in 2017.

A popular pastor, Olagorioye Faleyimu who predicted that the actress would remain childless, is currently being trolled by Nigerians on social media.

However, in response to the prophecy at the time, Funkes husband, reaffirmed his love and commitment to her.

Many congratulatory messages have been posted on the couples Instagram accounts but they are yet to issue an official statement.

Funke also lent some credibility to the trending story when she wrote in her Instagram story: Thank you Lord. Oluwa e tobi (God is great), I am now being called a new name.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Brr05JvhB-q/
Ronald Reagan, considered one of United States presidents with the deepest sense of humour, brought finesse to public debate. At 73 in 1984, Reagan delivered a sharp-tongued barb when a few concerns were raised about his age. Addressing the concern around his old age during a debate, he said: I want you to know also I will not make age an issue of this campaign. I am not going to exploit for political purposes my opponents youth and inexperience.

Of course, the response threw even his most ardent critics off balance, with many rolling in laughter.

The United States presents some of the finest moments in the tradition of political debating. And although communication scholars are divided over the effect of debates, there is a near-total consensus among experts that a candidates performance in the debates can make or break an election.

In Nigeria, recent events have not proven this to be true but, indeed, many of the most memorable moments of an election campaign originate at the debates. It is why many Nigerians look forward to the scheduled presidential debate, slated for January. The recently held vice presidential debate and the interest it generated, clearly, confirm this.

Five candidates penultimate Friday slugged it out at the vice-presidential debates organised by the presidential election debates group and a group of broadcast stations affiliated to the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON). The candidates included vice presidential candidates of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN), Ganiyu Galadima; Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN), Khadijah Abdullahi-Iya; All Progressives Congress (APC), Yemi Osinbajo; Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Peter Obi and the Young Progressives Party (YPP), Umma Getso.

Put together ahead of the 2019 general elections, the debate held at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja. Although all five candidates marshalled their points during the debate, candidates of the two major partiesAPC and PDPattracted the most attention.

Mr Osinbajo of the APC participated in the debate as the running mate to President Muhammadu Buhari, while Mr Obi, a former governor of Anambra State and vice-presidential candidate of Atiku Abubakar, stood in for the PDP. Other candidates, too, did as running mates to their respective presidential candidates.

Now if there is any takeaway from the debate, it is that many who choose to lampoon the major parties for their infamous contributions to Nigerias under-development are at best sophisticated clowns. And if anyone had doubts about this, the last debate put paid to it.

Aside a few signs of hope here and thereagain, ironically, from the candidates of the two major partieswhat the other candidates largely succeeded in doing was to make Nigerians go back to embrace their notorious tormentors: the two major parties whose contributions to Nigerias dysfunction there is a near-national consensus on.

Vice-presidential candidate of the YPP, to start with, dwelt largely on courtesies; she spent most periods stressing the words Thank you very much to the moderator than she did tackling the issues thrown at her. And if there is anyone out there who considered the post of the Vice President a spare tyre, she embodied that Nigerian. No thanks to her mention of Professor Kingsley Moghalu and his philosophy almost in every sentence uttered. Any curious listener would ask, quite legitimately: does Ms Getso, her brilliance notwithstanding, even have any independent thought of her own at all?

Ganiyu Galadima, the candidate of the ACPN, is a stark opposite of his presidential pair, Mrs Oby Ezekwesili. Pardonable as his countryside pronunciation skills appeared, he doubled the assault with a thinking that is at best pedestrian and at worst, crude. ANN candidate Abdullahi-Iya would do better with real insights into how governance works and not platitudes that seem to echo newspaper stand (non-)arguments and conjectures.

In all, its quite an irony that many Nigerians who yawned for alternatives were left at the mercy of Obis muddled up statistics and Osinbajos admittedly defensive oratory display. The consolation, perhaps, is that presidential candidates of these alternative options would fare far better come January when the presidential debate is held.

And that brings us to this very dangerous idea of pitching President Buhari against former vice president Atiku Abubakar at the presidential debate slated for January. There are palpable signs that the president may not show up; that Yemi Osinbajo would again appear on his behalf.

To be sure, mischievous folks have attributed the looming absence of the president to the Jubril Al-sudany conspiracy theory: that because the present occupier of Aso Rock, being a clone of the original Muhammadu Buhari, would not appear in order to maintain his stronghold on power. That thinking, frankly, has been rendered useless by recent events, including the presidents appearance at the national assembly on Thursday where he presented the 2019 budget before a joint sitting of the national assembly. In any case, if Nigerians had any reason to imagine the existence of anyones body double today, they may have to look in the Zionist direction of the very source of the Jubrin from Sudan conspiracy theory.

But beyond this, are there valid reasons why it would be dangerous to pitch President Buhari against Atiku Abubakar and others in a presidential debate? Yes, there are more than a zillion reason.

Already, some of the presidents internet minions have started sharing syndicated posts across social media, saying they would protest the idea of having the president descend so low to the point of debating anyone on issues Nigeriana. They have largely not offered reasons. SATIRE SATURDAY, however, has exclusive insights into the beautiful minds of Buhari idolaters and at no cost, this column will share the reasons on here, pronto.

First, to be sure, President Buhari has done immensely well in the last three-and-half years that it is near-criminal, if not an outright insult, to question the motive of the presidents decision to go for another term, which is what televised debates seek to do. Except one is blind to realities, he would not subject such an excellent performer to any form of questioning. From Aso Rock hospital to Mambila Power project, fuel subsidy to technically defeating Boko Haram, from Lagos-Ibadan expressway to Air Nigeria, the results are clear as daylight. Election debates are largely a slaughter slab; candidates are placed in the eye of the storm and bombarded with questionsfrom the logical to the unreasonable, all the way to the downright absurd. It is beyond irrational to then subject such a man who has worked tirelessly to transform our lives to any form of questioning. In saner climes, he would be handed an automatic ticket, unopposed.

Two, a debate is largely a non-African idea. More importantly in the case of the 2019 presidential election, especially if we look at it from the African perspective, it is downright insulting to the personalities of the major candidates (Buhari and Atiku, especially), both of whom are in their 70s and, who knows, 80s. A large chunk of Nigerias population are youth in their 30s and below. Since debate is largely held by the organisers on behalf of Nigerians (many of whom are youth in their 20s and 30s) is it not entirely un-African and indeed a taboo for young people to subject their grandfathers to questioning? Who questions a seventy-plus elderand maybe in this case, an ancestor?in Africa? Abomination!

Again, any careful observer of trend would notice the mischief being planned by the debate organisers, which beloved Buharists have since uncovered and are now brandishing, quite rightly, as one of the reasons the president must not debate. At the last vice presidential debate, there was only but a tiny space between the candidate of the PDP and that of the APC. Of course, the arrangement will be sustained in the scheduled presidential debate too, ceteris paribus, that being reason other parties were unjustly excluded. Now, does it not amount to an attempted attempt to throw the nation into chaos if President Buhari, a puritan anti-graft campaigner, is placed side-by-side with Atiku Abubakar, the one recognized as the face of global corruption? Although science hasnt proven this, the most contagious of communicable diseases is corruption. How do you then physically place a poor, ailing Buhari (who is prone to another ailment) beside a fantastically corrupt Atiku on the same stage in the name of debate? How else could you choose to abort Nigerias march to the next level? It is no surprise that Atiku immediately said he was eager to debate Buhari. Talk about the unfortunate one who is desperate for companions!

Well, Buharists have since seen through this mischief and will advise the president accordingly.

Finally, the most debasing of issues around the debate is the push for inclusion of youthful but inexperienced baby-aspirants excluded from the debate, as though the presidency is some Ikogosi relaxation centre. What?! Thats clearly the height of it all. Already, the president is so miffed by the entrance of almost every young dick and harry into the presidential race and would not entertain playing ten-ten with them on the same debating stage. Those pushing for their inclusion might have their ways but SATIRE SATURDAY has a better alternative: the president must not attend the debate.

Like United States President Reagan, Mr Buhari will not exploit for political purposes (his) opponents youth and inexperience.

Beyond platitudes, debate or no debate, Nigerians will move to the next level in 2019. They are not blind and they can spot the difference thus far. Of course, this is because like Professor Yemi Osinbajo suggested at the vice presidential debate penultimate Friday, sensible Nigerians know one thing: We (Nigerians) were not were where we were werewhere.

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Oladeinde tweets via @oladeinde
The Rivers State Government says it has approved the termination of the share sale contract for 70 per cent equity of the state-owned power generation assets.

The state government also admitted that the companies whose contracts were cancelled were linked to Sahara Energy, whose co-owner Tonye Cole is the opposition governorship candidate in the state.

The state Commissioner for Information, Emma Okah. while addressing journalists after the State Executive Council meeting in Port Harcourt, said the contract held by First Independent Power Limited in Omoku, Afam, Trans-Amadi and Eleme Gas Turbines to NG Power-HPS Limited had been terminated.

The commissioner said that the government also terminated the concession of the Rivers and Bayelsa State owned Olympia Hotel to Cenpropsaroten Hotel Management Limited.

He stressed that the state government had also terminated the concession agreement between it and Kild concession Limited in respect of the construction of a Toll road and Secondary developments at Abonnema Wharf, Port Harcourt.

Mr Okah said the decisions were part of the resolutions taken at the council meeting, presided over by Governor Nyesom Wike at the Government House, Port Harcourt.

The Rivers information commissioner said that the three companies whose contracts and concessions were terminated, were subsidiaries of Sahara Energy Limited.

The commissioner stressed that the government made the resolutions in line with recommendations of the White Paper on the Report of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry for the Investigation of the past administrations sale of Valued Assets of the state and other related matters under the chairmanship of Justice George Omereji.

He said that the government had directed the AttorneyGeneral and Commissioner for Justice, Zaccheaus Adango, to take further steps as contained in the White Paper.

Mr Cole, an ally of transport minister, recently resigned his position in Sahara Energy to contest the March 2019 governorship election in the state.

He has pledged to defeat Mr Wike who seeks re-election on the PDP platform.
The decisions of the national headquarters of the APC, Nigerias ruling party, should be ignored, a governor of the party has said.

Ibikunle Amosun, the Ogun State Governor, said this on Friday while addressing party supporters.

He also declared that he and his supporters were ready to battle against the interest of the APC national chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, in Ogun.

Mr Amosun, an ally of President Muhammadu Buhari, has been having a running battle with Mr Oshiomhole.

The crisis got worse after Mr Amosuns favourite to be his successor lost out in the politics of the APC primaries. The governor blamed Mr Oshiomhole, ex-Lagos governor Bola Tinubu and ex-Ogun governor, Segun Osoba, for his ordeal. He then vowed to work against Dapo Abiodun who is the APC governorship candidate for next years election and has the backing of Messrs Tinubu and Osoba.

Since then, the Oshiomhole-led National Working Committee has dissolved the Ogun executives of the APC and announced a caretaker committee headed by Yemi Sanusi. Ayobami Olubori was announced as secretary and Tunde Oladunjoye publicity secretary of the committee.

On Friday, however, Mr Amosun said the caretaker committee would not succeed in the state.

The governor, who is a senatorial candidate of the APC after completing his two terms as governor, said only the dissolved state executive led by Derin Adebiyi would be recognised by the state. He said the executive was created by God through the efforts of the members of the party.

APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomole Photo: DailyPost

Mr Amosun said the Adebiyi-led state executive of the party would spend four years in office despite the purported inauguration of the caretaker committee.

You know me by now. For me, I fear God and I respect people. So, it wont be because we are afraid or we dont want to talk. Where we are now, what we should concentrate on is to let them know that Ogun State is the home of President Buhari and we must vote massively for him.

This is the home of the APC. We are human beings. We are no God and that is why we are telling them that in this coming election in Ogun State, it is whoever all of you (people) decide to back that will win the election.

So, the best way to answer them is through our action. And what is the action? We will use our votes to let them know who owns Ogun State. So, if they are looking for a state to destroy, they should not think of Ogun State. We are ready for them.
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For residents of Abata Karuma in Ilorin East, Kwara State, life with erosion has been a hell they contend with daily.

A gully which stretches for metres has not only claimed the only motorable road in the community but has already eaten into the foundation of their houses.

They will come, do meetings with us, promise theyll do it but they havent. They come during elections. Weve seen the sign post indicating that theyve completed it but thats false. We want them to assist us in doing it, Bamidele Dada, a house owner in the community lamented.

Mr Bamidele was referring to politicians, in this case, the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, who in 2017 facilitated a N27 million erosion control project to the area.

A signage indicating that work is either ongoing or completed was erected at the entrance of the community, but when UDEME, a project monitoring initiative, made efforts at identifying the project, only about 50 metres of drainage structure was found on ground.

The few metres drainage done by the contractor in Abata Karuma

Residents, who have now resorted to mounting heaps of tyres to prevent further erosion of their buildings, complained bitterly.

They were not alone in the situation. The erosion had also washed away up to 50 metres of land belonging to Abata Karuma Primary and Junior School, a government school located in the suburb.

Residents said flood claimed the life of students in the school.

Houses prone to erosion

We have been on this as far back as 1999. Weve had many cases where flood carried students away. In fact, whenever its raining, we are always on alert to either shoo them (kids) away or jump into flood to rescue them.

The rain that fell five days ago, assuming there were students and teachers in the school, nobody would have escaped. Thank God there was holiday. This place used to be a road but we cant drive on it again, Mr Dada, who took the UDEME team round the community said, pointing to a big gully.

Erosion has eaten away the school toilet

Another resident who identified himself as Wasiu Efo bemoaned the deceitful nature of the signage.

Even the part they did from the beginning of the road is blocked, he said.

We are always forced out of the house whenever it rains. They just did the small part and raised the signpost with the picture that they have constructed drainage.

The residents wanted to know who was culpable in the abandonment of the project. They also wanted it done soon to save their houses from total collapse, Mr Efo said.

Erosion has taken away the only access road in the community

Quoted with the Abata Karuma project is an erosion control in Oke Aluko area of Ilorin. For this, the UDEME team found a roadside drainage few metres away.

We Are Worried  Saraki

The project director, Bukola Sarakis constituency office, Olayinka Ibrahim, also condemned the poor execution of projects in Kwara State, especially the road project at Ero Omo Kilanko rural road and the Sheik Agbarigidoma road.

He blamed it on poor oversight by the implementing agency. He also narrated what may have led to the situation.

These two projects you mentioned are for the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and we have expressed our dissatisfaction on these projects as well. The unfortunate thing that happened is that when they came for these projects to execute, they did not even inform the constituency office that they were around.

When they first started the project at Agbarigidoma, the engineer only came once till they finished that project, he didnt come back to check. How did they rate certificate of valuation? We need to ask them because when you rate certificate of valuation, you check the quality of job the contractor has done.

After our complaint with them, they said what they can do was to come up with interlock on that road so that being a waterlogged area, that will solve the problem in that area.

So I went to check after five months and discovered that there was pothole there. So, they asked the contractor to come, he called me and he promised to send his guys to come and remedy the potholes.

But in the case of Kilanko, they did not even come to us, I did not even know contractors are working on it until they left. When I visited that site, I saw the bad state of the road. I have complained bitterly to the Ministry.

PREMIUM TIMES visited the Agric Ministry earlier to seek reactions. The deputy director, Procurement Office, declined to talk about the projects saying he just assumed duty.

Procurement department does not do supervision of contracts. What you are talking about would be on oversight function, due diligence and these projects you are talking about, I dont know about them because I just resumed here last week. So you may know, procurement department doesnt award contracts, it only processes contracts awarded by appropriate authorities.

I am yet to even know about the department and what their functions are. I resumed (assumed duty) last week and have been going to series of meetings. I am the wrong person for you to come and ask questions because I dont know much, he said.

Sarakis Completed Projects

UDEME team also tracked other projects initiated and completed by Mr Saraki within Kwara State. One of such is a skill acquisition centre in Eyenkorin, Kwara Central.

The skill acquisition centre built and locked

The project, fully completed, was initiated by Mr Saraki in his first term as senator but has never been put to use.

A guard on duty when the team visited said the site had been there for up to six years.

Its been like this (abandoned) for like six years. The contractor is still in charge. They are yet to hand it over.

Another of Mr Sarakis completed initiatives is a water project, initiated in 2015, also in Araro area of Eyenkorin.

The completed water impoundment project

Abandoned Projects In Kwara North

One of the abandoned projects in Kwara North Senatorial district is the Weru Bridge located in Moro Local Government.

According to the 2016 audit report, captured as a N45 million project in the 2015 budget, construction of the bridge was to be supervised by the Lower Niger River Basin Development Authority.

When UDEME team visited in September, the construction was found half done and a few traces of equipment suggested the site has been abandoned a long time ago.

Abandoned Weru Bridge

Instead of a bridge which would have been an easy passage for members of the community, six able-bodied men, who engaged in the business of ferrying humans and commodities across the bridge were on ground.

They charged a token for passage on a bridge for which millions of public funds had already been allocated and released.

Before the bridge is Yeregi and Omoniju villages and after are Olowu, Karibuje, Onigbangbo, all of which are engaged in agriculture as means of livelihood.

But this means has been cut short as many cannot transport their farm produce for sale in the popular Five-day interval Malete market.

Pelumi Anigilaje, a resident and commercial motorcyclist bemoaned the situation.

All communities after these river are agrarian. They have in abundant yams, yam flour, vegetables etc but there is no way to bring it to the market. Most of them waste.

Sometimes they have to go and pass through Megida which is a very long way, at least three hours to Malete.

Construction site, also abandoned

The situation of Weru Bridge caught the attention of the Auditor General of the Federation in his 2016 report which captured the project as abandoned.

Contract for the construction of Weru Bridge was awarded to a company at a sum of N98.7 million through award letter dated 10th November 2015, with a completion period of 12 (twelve) months.

It was observed that contrary to extant regulations stipulating 15 per cent as mobilisation fees, the sum of N26.8 million representing 27 per cent was paid as mobilisation. A further payment of N16,8 million was made as preliminary expenses, including N2.9 million without proof of expenditure.

During physical verification in April and May 2017, it was discovered that the contractor had abandoned the site. However, reasons for the abandonment were not disclosed, the report noted.

Another abandoned project in Kwara North is the massive multi-million naira Malete water works.

Situated at the outskirts of the town, the N625 million project was intended to provide potable water for residents of Malete and adjoining villages of Alapo, Akodi, Peregi and the Kwara State University.

Though completed, the project has not been able to fulfil the mission for which all lawmakers in Kwara State in 2017 reportedly donated to construct.

Signange for Malete water project

The river has been expanded and all necessary works have been completed, UDEME team observed in September.

Apart from that, a transformer presumed to be the source of power, a block of office for administrative purpose and another building housing some machines were also sighted.

There is an office said to belong to the state water corporation a few metres to the water works but none of its staff were on ground to speak with this team.

The security guard employed by the corporation, said the project had never served clean water to residents.

Water impoundment at Malate

This place was a bush before, they came and expanded the river with the hope of channelling it to the towns. You can see the pipes, they supplied it in three full trucks. Its been up to six years now.

They have delivered it to Kwara Water Corporation. This is where all villagers, including the Fulanis fetch water and do other things. They have laid the pipe into the towns but its not functioning yet. The workers use to come five times in a month. Theyll just come and go back.

We have about four boreholes in town, coupled with fetching here, thats what has been sustaining us, he said.

On this day, most of the residents of the community have gone to the popular Malete market to either buy or sell.

Abdulrasaq Muftau, a farmer was on his way to sell his proceeds of two sacks of okra when the team accosted him.

He painted a sad picture of what residents go through in getting water.

Mr Muftau

We come to this river to fetch. We trek from our houses and sometimes with bike. We use it for everything; drinking, washing and the rest. Even though they built this, we dont have water in our houses. We allow it to settle drink it like that.

They told us that they will finish it that there will be pipe-borne water in Malete and its environs. In fact, they have laid the pipe but there is nothing yet. We heard that the contractor has not been paid fully.

Drinking this water is not good for us. It causes malaria most times. We want them to just make the river clean even if they cant channel it to town.

Damning Report

The Auditor General made an official comment on the poor execution of the Malete project, in his report. He commented on the construction and grading of Malete Water Works, Ilorin awarded to a company in October 2013 for N1 billion.

A complete payment was made for the project but when the AuGF visited the site, he noted that the project on the ground was not commensurate with the funds deployed.

While full payment had been made to the contractor, there were some portions of the project poorly executed. For instance, the embankment constructed at the edge of the spillway is already being threatened by erosion, the AuGF pointed out.

Submerged in water, offices and transformer at the site

Reacting to UDEMEs findings, the Assistant Director at the Lower Niger River Basin Development Authority (LNRBDA) in charge of the two projects, Kayode Sadiq, shifted blame.

The Weru Bridge project is not an abandoned project, the problem with the project is insufficient appropriation for the project. It is whatever is appropriated to us that we get to spend; it is only what is released to us that we can spend on projects, but in 2018, we have made provision for the completion of Weru bridge.

The contractor is trying to mobilise back to site and by the first week of December, he will return back to site for the completion of Weru bridge, he has done 90 per cent of the job.

Malete waterworks is not our project so to say (speak); it belongs to Kwara state water corporation. The federal government is just assisting states in their areas of physical need, so that is why they call it intervention project. We were just there to provide additional facility that they require. We are not to operate the treated plant for them, he said.

Completed Projects In Kwara South

The two projects tracked in Kwara South were found to be completed.

Budgeted for N100 million in 2014, the granite surfacing of the Okesa/Oke Ero Road in Ekiti Local Government has been a solace to the community.

A motorcyclist who plies the road said it has been helpful in transporting humans and agricultural materials.

Our lawmaker really tried when he brought (initiated) that road project. We are very grateful. Its easy for us to move agricultural produce now and people in the village move easily.

The other completed projects in Kwara South is the Omipa Bridge at Idofin Ehin, Isapa Road still in Oke Ero.

The project was budgeted at N37 million and handled by the LNRBDA.
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Saturday said his kinsmen, the ethnic Yoruba, are those who will determine if a Yoruba person succeeds President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023  that is if Mr Buhari gets a second term.

Mr Osinbajo appealed to ethnic sentiments as he met the Alaafin of Oyo in Ibadan, urging the Yoruba to work for the success of Mr Buhari in 2019. He agued that it would take a long time for a Yoruba person to get the Presidency if Mr Buhari fails to return in 2019.

The vice president who spoke at the palace of the Alaafin, Lamidi Adeyemi 111, said Mr Buhari has performed well and deserves another term in the office.

At the palace with the vice president were Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State; governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in Oyo, Adebayo Adelabu; former Senate leader, Teslim Folarin; and Akeem Adeyemi, who represents Atiba/ Afijio/Oyo East/Oyo West in the House of Representatives.

Mr Osinbajo said he was at the palace to pay homage to the monarch and receive his advice.

It is good to pay homage to the palace. I greet you the king, I greet the Alaafin of Oyo and other traditional rulers here present. Anytime I come to the Kabiesi either here or in Abuja, I say it is home coming, he said.

The 2019 general elections is our own. We are not looking at the 2019 but 2023. If we get it in 2019, Yoruba will get it in 2023. Because if we dont get it in 2019, we may not get it in 2023 and it may take a very long time to get it. We need to look at tomorrow and not because of today. What we are doing now is for tomorrow and not for today.

He said Mr Buhari had proven to be a man with zero tolerance for corruption. He described corruption as one of Nigerias major problems.

What I know about Buhari is that he is an honest man. What he says he will do, he will do it, he said.

He urged the people of the southwest not to return the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), saying Mr Buhari had laid a foundation to put Nigeria on the right path.

Now, they are regrouping. These are the people that have ruled for 16 years and they say they want to come back again. They are corrupt. Though, it is still difficult because no man or woman can build a house without a foundation, he said.

Oba Adeyemi earlier in his address described Mr Osinbajo as a cerebral lawyer who has excelled in his profession.

He said, He is a good lawyer, the case he instituted on behalf of Lagos state when the federal government withheld the local government allocations in Lagos state during Obasanjo regime, he won the case. And it was Yaradua that paid the money to Lagos State. The load you are carrying is big, Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa, you will succeed.
The Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) on Saturday announced the promotion of 4,660 personnel, saying the staff members were rewarded for their unwavering diligence and hard work.

Bisi Kazeem, the spokesperson for the FRSC, said in a statement to PREMIUM TIMES that the commission has the approval of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, to promote 1,310 officers and 3,350 others in its rank-and-file.

Among the officers were 73 deputy corps commanders, 51 assistant corps commanders, 70 chief route commanders, 150 superintendent route commanders, 607 route commanders and 359 deputy route commanders.

The 3,350 marshals included 29 chief inspectors, 33 deputy chief inspectors, 48 assistant chief inspectors, 201 principal marshal inspectors, 467 senior marshal inspectors and 525 marshal inspectors.

The 2,037 road marshal assistants who were also promoted comprised 257 chief road marshal assistants, 45 deputy road marshal assistants, 768 senior road marshal assistants, 889 road marshal assistants I, and 78 moad marshal assistants II.

The promotions are effective November 27, 2018, Mr Kazeem said.

Mr Kazeem quoted Boboye Oyeyemi, the FRSC Corps Marshal, as congratulating the officers and urging them to improve on their performance for even greater rewards.

The promotion followed widespread complaints in the service that officers due for elevation were not being considered, triggering the constitution of a review panel that looked into the matter.

PREMIUM TIMES obtained a full list of the 1,310 promoted officers from the FRSC.
No fewer than 25 people are believed to have died or are missing, including a pregnant woman, when a group of migrant boats got stranded at sea and was rescued off the Spanish coast on Thursday.

Briefing reporters in Geneva on Friday, Spokesperson for the UN High Commission Refugees (UNHCR), Elizabeth Throssell, said that colleagues in the field had reported that bodies had been found on two of the boats.

You can imagine how traumatising that was for the people who were rescued, Ms Throssell said.

According to reports, the migrants had sailed from North Africa.

On one of the six vessels found adrift in the Straits of Gibraltar, in the western Mediterranean Sea, 33 people had been rescued, but 12 had died and a further 12 were missing, UNHCR said.

On another of the boats, the UN refugee agency said 57 people had been on board, including one that had already died by the time of the rescue.

There was a massive sea-swell that threw them into the water, Ms Throssell said, adding that among the survivors was a mother and her two-year-old child who was evacuated by helicopter, after she was found to be suffering from hypothermia.

She added that many of the survivors were being held at detention centres at the Port of Almeria in Spain.

Our implementing partner is there to provide the people with information and support and to help any potential protection and other needs and of course to promote access to the asylum process for those who may need it, she said.

Delivering the latest overall statistics on the deadly Mediterranean migration route, UN migration agency (IOM) spokesperson, Joel Millman, said that as of December 19, 113,000 migrants had entered Europe by sea so far in 2018.

According to him, the figure is the lowest recorded in five years.

Recently, however, he said the death rate for migrants attempting to reach Spain, had tragically begun to tick upwards, with 769 fatalities registered on the western Mediterranean migration route.

Thats only slightly more than half of all on the Central Mediterranean route from North Africa to Italy, but whats remarkable is how rapidly that number has increased over the last three months, he said.

Mr Millman said it was likely that there would be more incidents like this in the next 10 days. (NAN)
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has warned that Nigerians should not use mobile telephones in any form while behind the wheel, including whether or not their devices carry hands-free kits.

It is an offence to use mobile telephones in any form while driving, Bisi Kazeem, a spokesperson for the FRSC, told PREMIUM TIMES this week. The warning came after this reporter was pulled by the roadside by road safety marshals on Wednesday morning in Abuja, and reached out to Mr Kazeem to clarify whether the rule existed or the officers were being overzealous.

Although the matter was resolved without a booking for traffic offence, traffic officers warned that there would soon be a nationwide clampdown on persons driving with earphones or other hands-free devices.

The road safety has enforced its policy against a direct use of mobile telephones by drivers for several years, but most drivers switched to hands-free as the most convenient way to circumvent the offence, and traffic officers hardly pull drivers with earphones.

We have not started enforcing it, but it is an offence to drive with earpiece because it is dangerous not only for the driver but other road users, a road safety chief said in addition to Mr Kazeems message.

The delay in enforcing prohibition of hands-free while driving has led many to assume that the option was safe in Nigeria, and it was even the first choice in a list on road safety tips for drivers.

Expert studies around the use of hands-free by Nigerian drivers remained largely scanty, but scientists in foreign institutions have concluded that the option was not safe, and some found it could be dangerous as being twice above alcohol limit.

A collaborative research conducted by scientists at universities in Australia and the University of Barcelona, Spain, and published in 2013 found using hands-free while driving dangerous, and virtually the same as being twice above alcohol limit for drivers.

Another set of scientific findings published by the United States National Safety Council concluded that driving with hands-free could result in a deadly distraction.

Texting while driving has also a serious menace on Nigerian roads, especially among younger drivers. Studies conducted by foreign institutions showed that drivers on mobile telephones reduce their visual scanning of the road ahead or slower to respond to hazards, and recently developed apps that supposedly aid texting behind the wheel offer little protection to drivers.
One of Nigerias oldest financial institutions, Union Bank, on Friday night admitted ownership of a large consignment of cash which anti-graft operatives said they intercepted at the international airport in Enugu.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission announced in a statement Friday evening that two men were arrested at Akanu Ibiam International Airport with a combined cash of $2.8 million (over N1 billion at N360 a dollar).

The agency said the suspects mentioned their affiliation to Union Bank and Bankers Warehouse, a cash-in-transit contractor.

The anti-graft office said it was investigating the recovery as money laundering.

But Union Bank strongly denied wrongdoing, saying the practice was standard in the banking industry and its contractors were licenced by the Central Bank of Nigeria.

In a string of tweets directed at the EFCC on Friday night, Union Bank criticised the anti-graft office for being too hasty at disclosing the development to the public, prior to the completion of investigation.

PREMIUM TIMES learnt on Saturday from Tony Orilade, a spokesperson for the EFCC, that the money was intercepted at about 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, and it came barely a few weeks after operatives recovered about N940 million from a Lebanese and another $370,000 at Lagos Airport.

Mr Orilade said the EFCC made concerted efforts to get Union Bank to corroborate accounts of the suspects, but was frustrated for nearly 24 hours.

We made serious efforts to get Union Bank officials in Enugu and other parts of the country to confirm details of the money, but there was no one ready to cooperate with us, Mr Orilade said. We then decided to count the money before the suspects and took it to the CBN in Enugu where it was deposited and records taken.

Mr Orilade said as of 4:00 p.m. Friday, Union Bank representatives had not come around to claim the money or ask about their staff members arrested.

It was after we released a statement to the media that they started calling and making noise, the spokesperson said.

It was not immediately learnt whether Union Bank or Bankers Warehouse has reached out to the anti-graft office to sort out the matter.

Mr Orilade said the agency was unconvinced by Union Bank merely claiming ownership of the money on Twitter.

Investigation is ongoing, which might prompt prosecution or no prosecution, the EFCC chief said. But we would like to let Nigerians know that when we see anything close to infringement of the law, we do not leave anything to chances.
The Chief of Defence Staff, Abayomi Olanisakin, on Saturday led other service chiefs on operational visit to the Theatre Command of the Operation Lafiya Dole in Maiduguri, Borno State.

He was received by the Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, a lieutenant general, who had been on ground, visiting troops in the frontline to boost their morale.

Shortly after arrival, the CDS held a three-hour closed-door meeting with the service chiefs, where he was briefed by the Theatre Commander, Benson Akinrodoye, a major general.

The Chief of Air Force Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral Ibok-Ette Ibas and Chief of Defence Intelligence, Air Vice Marshal Mohammed Usman, were in attendance.

Addressing journalists after the meeting, the army spokesman, Sani Usman, a brigadier general, said the service chiefs discussed extensively, particularly on activities in the Theatre Command (of the Operation Lafiya Dole.)

Of course, the Chief of Defence Staff conveyed his best wishes to troops here, operating in Operation Lafiya Dole, Mr Usman added.

It will be recalled that the Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali, on December 3, directed Mr Buratai to remain in the North East until security situation in the region improved.

He also directed the Chief of Air Staff, on December 4, to join Buratai in the North East, in coordinating the Nigerian Air Force operations in the zone.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the ministers directives came after the Boko Haram terrorists attacked troops position at Metele in the North of Borno on November 18.

The attack claimed the lives of 23 soldiers, while 31 others sustained injuries as confirmed by the army.

(NAN)
The Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, on Saturday called on the media to support the military to defeat Boko Haram.

Mr Buratai made the call during a dinner and interactive session organised for editors and defence correspondents in Maiduguri.

He said the call was imperative to check the spate of terrorists propaganda inimical to the successful implementation of the counter insurgency campaign.

Mr Buratai said terrorists had thrived on publicity to misinform the public, instill fear in the mind of the people and demoralise troops.

He lamented the spate of campaign of calumny against the military through social media platform by some organisations at the detriment of national security.

Mr Buratai described the allegations of human rights abuses against the military by Amnesty International, lack of equipment and nonpayment allowances to troops as misleading.

The war against terrorism should be a collective responsibility for all, and not just a war between the army and the terrorist group.

The war needs to be reported as it is, and enlighten the people to understand the situation and support the military, he said.

Mr Buratai said the impact of the terrorists propaganda was one of the major challenges facing the military.

Mr Buratai said the dinner was organised to mark the beginning of a new page of military-media relation.

The army chief lauded the media for its effective reportage of the campaign against insurgency, restoration of peace in the Northeast and protection of life and properties in the country.

According to him, the military authorities have established a human rights desk to promote civil military relationship and enhance justice system as well as reorganise various divisions.

Mr Buratai said the military authorities had rehabilitated offices, house and office accommodation, clinics, equipment and initiated various programmes for the improvement of the troops welfare.

He reiterated the commitment of the Nigerian Army to remain disciplined, professional and apolitical in the discharge of its constitutional mandate.

The army, he said, would do its best to end the insurgency, restore peace to the northeast, enhance security and protect the national territorial integrity.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the dinner was attended by Maj.-Gen. Lamidi Adeosun, the Head of Military Training and Operations; Maj.- Gen. Benson Akinroliyo, The Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole and Brig.- Gen. Bulama Biu, Acting General Officer Commanding 7 Division, and other senior military officers.

Others were some representatives of UN agencies, Nigerian Guild of Editors and Nigerian Institute of Public Relation Practitioners.

(NAN)
Birnin Magaji local government area of Zamfara State is under siege by armed bandits with repeated attacks and killing and maiming of women at many local communities in the area.

A victim from Dan-danbo community told PREMIUM TIMES on Saturday that the attackers came around 8 p.m. and started shooting sporadically in the air, scaring residents.

A number of men reportedly ran away, leaving women and children in the community.

There is the fear that some women may have been raped during the attack.

Women and children are currently running for safety, with their belongings, and are taking refuge at Nasarawa Godal community. Some are reuniting with their husbands after they fled from the attack, Friday night.

A source said the affected community in Fridays attack is the Dan-danbo community, situated in the Birnin Magaji local government area of the state.

The attack is coming after PREMIUM TIMES reported on Thursday, how the armed bandits ransacked and killed several people at Garin Haladu and garin Kaka community, while they were working on their farmland.

But, the police source in Zamfara, however, downplayed the number of the dead victims, saying only five persons were killed in the attack.

The attackers beats our women after they told them that they didnt know where we kept our money. They went away with many cows and sheep and goats, including food stuff, a victim taking refuge at Nasarawa godal community, said.

He also said no death was recorded in the attack but highlighted that many women were manhandled.

After the attack, residents fled the community in fear and in the belief that they are no longer protected by security personnel. They say their communities are under a siege and that they are repeatedly attacked by the armed bandits.

Some of the residents said the only safe place is the main town, Birnin Magaji, where soldiers are camped close to the house of Nigerias defence minister, Mansur Dan-Ali, who hails from Birnin Magaji local government area of the state.

Residents of the affected community, Dan-danbo, are now taking refuge at Nasarawa godal community.

In spite of this, there is the fear that the attackers are currently lurking in a nearby bush and may launch an attack on Nasarawa godal community.

Nasarawa godal community is the second biggest town after Birnin Magaji, the headquarters of the local government council. The victims of attacks in these areas are trooping to the community, seeking refuge.

Mohammed Umar, the local government chairman of Birnin Magaji, told PREMIUM TIMES that the frequent attack in Birnin Magaji communities was as a result of the dislodged the criminals hideout at Maradun.

He stated that on Friday, soldiers were in the bush in the affected areas and all efforts are on ground to address the insecurity in the affected areas, not only Birnin Magaji, but in the entire state.

Mohammed Shehu, the spokesperson, Zamfara police command, said he needed more time to investigate before he can confirm the attack.
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.




More than 150 architects and designers from all over Indonesia attended the launch event in Jakarta, where Franck Derouen, Global Director, Architectural Coatings of Axalta introduced the benefit of powder coatings along with colour and finishing trends in architectural designs. Axalta's powder coating technology is developed to produce zero VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) products to meet international standards and specific customer needs for durability, weathering, abrasion, chemical or corrosion resistance, and excellent finishes with a wide range of colors and textures. Inspired by the beauty of nature, the Colorista colour collection presented 16 beautiful colours formulated to comply with international standards for architectural powders such as AAMA and Qualicoat.

"Colour is one of Axalta's passions. We develop colours that capture the imagination and channel the creativity of architects and designers all over the world. We hope that the beauty of the Colorista collection, enhanced by Allure's excellent application process, will inspire the architects and designers to create more iconic architectural projects in the future," said Franck Derouen, Global Director, Architectural Coatings of Axalta.

"As the first powder coating manufacturer in Indonesia, we have been supplying super-durable architectural powder coatings with 25-year warranty since 1995, which is one of the longest track records in this region. We are committed to contributing to the development of the architectural segment in Indonesia through our technology and service," said Dewi Djanuwati, Managing Director of Axalta Indonesia.

"We are very proud of this collaboration with Axalta. We hope to have many more collaborations with Axalta in the future," added Johanes Soetanto, Director of Allure Industries.

About Axalta Coating Systems

Axalta is a leading global company focused solely on coatings and providing customers with innovative, colorful, beautiful and sustainable solutions. From light OEM vehicles, commercial vehicles and refinish applications to electric motors, buildings and pipelines, our coatings are designed to prevent corrosion, increase productivity and enable the materials we coat to last longer. With more than 150 years of experience in the coatings industry, the approximately 14,000 people of Axalta continue to find ways to serve our more than 100,000 customers in 130 countries better every day with the finest coatings, application systems and technology. For more information, visit axalta.com and follow us @Axalta on Twitter and on LinkedIn .

Contact

Dewi Djanuwati

O +6221 8934 115

[email protected]

www.axalta.com

SOURCE Axalta

Related Links

http://www.axalta.com


SEATTLE, Dec. 21, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Demonstrating the West Coast builder's commitment to safety and excellence, BNBuilders is pleased to have been recently awarded two regional safety commendations by the Associated General Contractors (AGC). BNBuilders is widely known for incorporating effective safety measures across its diverse portfolio of project types, including research, healthcare, laboratory, civic, historic, and commercial. Recognized in both California and Washington State, these two safety awards acknowledge BNBuilders' industry-leading culture of safety and innovative best practices.

California

Most recently, BNBuilders was recognized on October 29, 2018 at the AGC of California's 31st Annual Construction Safety Excellence Awards luncheon. BNBuilders took the first place award in the Building Division: Under 400,000 Worker Hours category. The selection process for this award is based on the implementation of a comprehensive safety program, including management involvement, active employee participation, safety training, work site hazard identification and control, and safety program innovation. BNBuilders' Southern California offices have completed numerous projects for private biotech clients as well as higher education, including several projects for The University of California, Los Angeles, most recently, the Geffen Academy.

Washington State

Earlier this year, BNBuilders was also recognized at the AGC of Washington's Build Washington Awards dinner. The company was awarded a Safety Excellence Award in the General Contractor, 350K500K Worker Hours category at the May 30, 2018 event. The awards program is the organization's main event to honor the accomplishments of its members each year. The BNBuilders Seattle team is responsible for the $36 million, 90,000-square-foot historic renovation of the beloved and iconic Denny Hall on the University of Washington's (UW's) Seattle campus, one of the oldest structures in Seattle.

Brad Bastian, President & Co-Founder of BNBuilders, states, "We have worked very hard to make safety a part of our core culture as a company, so it's very rewarding to be recognized as setting the standard of excellence for safety in our industry."

AGC is the nation's top organization for construction and contracting professionals that connects members with opportunities for advocacy, education, career development and networking; access to state and local governments; and innovative programs and events. The AGC of America has 89 local and state-wide chapters, representing more than 26,000 firms.

About BNBuilders

Founded in 2000 in Seattle, BNBuilders is a West Coast general contractor that specializes in complex projects for clients in the life sciences, education, healthcare, public, and technology sectors. They are known for their innovative solutions to highly technical issues, comprehensive preconstruction services, passion for sustainable construction practices, and commitment to the communities in which they do business. With three offices, 500+ employees, and a strong presence in the California and Washington construction markets, BNBuilders is a leader and preferred contractor on the West Coast. For more information, visit www.bnbuilders.com.

Contact: Beth Binger

BCIpr

619-987-6658

[email protected]

SOURCE BNBuilders

Related Links

https://www.bnbuilders.com


SEATTLE, Dec. 21, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Boeing [NYSE:BA] today delivered the first 737 MAX for Royal Air Maroc, which plans to use the fuel-efficient, longer-range version of the popular 737 jet to expand and modernize its fleet.

Morocco's flag carrier - which welcomed its first 787-9 Dreamliner last week - will take delivery of three more 737 MAX 8s and three more 787-9s over the next few months as part of its strategic plan to strengthen its operations.

"We are pleased to receive our airline's first 737 MAX, which will soon be joined by three other airliners from the same family. These new 737 MAX airplanes expand our medium-haul portfolio, which forms the backbone of Royal Air Maroc's fleet. Our choice of this airplane is in line with our strategy of continuously expanding and modernizing our fleet, and comes just a few days after the announcement of Royal Air Maroc's invitation to join the most prestigious Oneworld Alliance. This in turn will further strengthen our leadership position on the continent, both for our country and for Royal Air Maroc," said Abdelhamid Addou, CEO and Chairman of Royal Air Maroc.

The 737 MAX 8 airplanes will build on the success of Royal Air Maroc's fleet of Next-Generations 737s. The MAX incorporates the latest technology CFM International LEAP-1B engines, Advanced Technology winglets, and other airframe enhancements to improve performance and reduce operating costs. It also integrates engine technology to reduce the operational noise footprint of the airplane.

Compared to the previous 737 model, the MAX 8 can fly 600 nautical miles (1,112 kilometers) farther, while providing 14 percent better fuel efficiency. The MAX 8 can seat up to 178 passengers in a standard two-class configuration and fly 3,550 nautical miles (6,570 kilometers).

Royal Air Maroc plans to deploy its 737 MAX 8 on routes from Casablanca to Accra (Ghana), Lagos (Nigeria), London-Heathrow (England), Bologna (Italy) and Paris (Orly and CDG). With the 737 MAX and 787 Dreamliner, Royal Air Maroc will now operate the most capable airplane in the narrowbody and medium widebody segments. It's an unrivaled combination of efficiency and performance that will allow the airline to profitably grow its network and business," said Ihssane Mounir, senior vice president of Commercial Sales & Marketing for The Boeing Company.

"We are thrilled to celebrate two major milestones this month with our long-time customer Royal Air Maroc. Over the past five decades, we have been honored to see them grow on the wings of Boeing airplanes and we are very excited to see the next chapter of our partnership."

Boeing has also partnered with the industrial sector in Morocco, supporting the development of the kingdom's aviation industry through initiatives such as the joint venture MATIS Aerospace that specializes in producing wire bundles and wire harnesses for airplanes. Boeing is also helping to educate local youth through partnerships with EFE-Morocco and the INJAZ Al-Maghrib association.

The 737 MAX is the fastest-selling airplane in Boeing history, accumulating about 4,800 orders from over 100 customers worldwide. For more information and feature content, visit www.boeing.com/commercial/737max.

Contact:

Caroline Tourrier

Boeing Commercial Airplanes Communications

+33-1-70-37-07-07 (Paris)

[email protected]

SOURCE Boeing

Related Links

http://www.boeing.com


OKLAHOMA CITY, Dec. 21, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Energy and Environmental Services, Inc. ("EES" or "Company") (OTC: EESE) today announces that the Company has signed a non-binding letter of intent to merge Patriot Chemicals & Services LLC ("Patriot") into the Company.

Subject to the terms in the letter of intent, upon completion of the merger, the Company will pay to Patriot shareholders $300,000 in cash, $300,000 in notes and 2.0 million shares of EES common stock. Earnouts could add an additional 1.0 million shares in each of year one and year two. The merger is subject to completion of a definitive agreement, to customary representations, conditions and covenants, and to closing price adjustments.

The combination of EES and Patriot would have generated total unaudited consolidated revenues of $7,477,000 for the year ended December 31, 2017. Management estimates that pro forma consolidated revenues for 2018 will be approximately $10,884,000. Upon the merger, Patriot shareholders will hold approximately 4.0% of the total outstanding EES common stock before earnouts. The EES stock closed at $.21 ask per share on December 20, 2018.

For the Company, the merger would realize one of management's key initiatives, which was to gain market share through mergers & acquisitions. "Merging with a leading chemical service company like Patriot will provide an expanded access to the oil and gas industry that will facilitate our sales and enable us to better meet the needs of our customers," stated Leon Joyce, EES CEO. "We believe this merger will help our company grow market share, increase revenue, earnings and create value for our shareholders."

About Patriot Chemicals & Services LLC

Patriot (website www.patriotchemicalsllc.com) is a privately-held production chemical company with locations in Southern Oklahoma, Northeastern Oklahoma, Southeast Kansas, and North Texas. "We are excited about the opportunity to join forces with EES. Merging provides diversity which is especially attractive in today's climate and marketplace," stated Gary Presley, President of Patriot Chemicals. "EES has high quality products that we have been using to treat our customers wells with great success. We have built a large footprint over the last 8 years that will greatly benefit both our companies with this merger."

About EES

Energy and Environmental Services, Inc. (EES), based in Oklahoma City, participates in the oilfield chemical, anti-corrosive coatings and biotech industries. EES was established in 1991 and management has over 50 years of experience blending, manufacturing and packaging custom liquids and solid chemicals for the oil, gas and agricultural industries. Additionally, EES has expanded to develop innovative products and applications for enzyme system technologies and livestock feed supplements.

Company website www.eesokc.com

Safe Harbor for Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this press release are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause Energy & Environmental Services actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Except as required by law, Energy & Environmental Services expressly disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statements.

SOURCE Energy and Environmental Services, Inc.

Related Links

http://eesokc.com


SACRAMENTO, Calif., Dec. 21, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- As a result of the devastation caused by the California wildfires, Flex Technology Group (FTG) is donating over $10,000 to the American Red Cross. Originally an initiative led by Caltronics Business Systems, the entire FTG family of companies came together to support the California wildfire victims this holiday season.

Flex Technology Group Raises Over $10,000 for the American Red Cross and the CA Wildfire Relief Fund

Red Cross volunteers have supported evacuation centers and provided meals, health services, spiritual care, comfort and other support for affected residents. We send our sincere thanks to the Red Cross for their contributions and are proud of the entire FTG team for the added support.

"We're making this donation in honor of the first responders and all who have been impacted," said Dan Reilly, CEO of Caltronics Business Systems. "It's important to come together as a community in times like these and support those in need. We all know families that were affected by these fires and are proud to support the relief efforts undertaken by the American Red Cross, especially during the holidays."

The collective contributions made by FTG employees, which include Caltronics, FlexPrint, Laser Options, ProCopy, Cannon IV, Action Imaging Group, Flo-Tech, Marimon, and ONNYX, will enable the American Red Cross to continue their efforts as they respond to these devastating disasters.

About Flex Technology Group

Flex Technology Group provides customized office technology solutions for national and leading-edge regional companies. The company focuses on print, document management, document production and managed IT solutions, representing industry-leading suppliers such as Canon, Ricoh, Konica Minolta, HP, Lexmark and various software solutions. FTG services almost 20,000 customers nationally. For additional information, please visit www.FlexTG.com.

About Caltronics Business Systems

Since 1975, Caltronics has been providing California with leading edge technology and award winning service in the document management and software solutions industry. Caltronics is a family owned and operated company with offices throughout California and Arizona (Infincom) to serve you locally and nationwide. Today, Caltronics and Infincom offer the most advanced digital copiers, high speed color printers and copiers, multifunctional devices, fax and scanning systems, and document management software available. In fact, Caltronics has sold and installed more digital systems than any other independent dealer in the United States. For more information, please visit www.Caltronics.net.

About American Red Cross

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or cruzrojaamericana.org , or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross .

SOURCE Flex Technology Group

Related Links

https://flextg.com


"Bath Iron Works is privileged to continue producing state-of-the-art surface combatants for the longest running naval shipbuilding program in our nation's history," said Dirk Lesko, President of Bath Iron Works. "This award demonstrates the vital role the DDG 51 plays in the security posture of the United States and the confidence the Navy has in our shipyard to produce these important assets."

There are currently five DDG 51 destroyers in production at Bath Iron Works: Daniel Inouye (DDG 118), Carl M. Levin (DDG 120), John Basilone (DDG 122), Harvey C. Barnum (DDG 124) and Patrick Gallagher (DDG 127). The shipyard's backlog includes Louis H. Wilson Jr. (DDG 126) and the five ships that are part of the multi-year contract awarded in this fall. BIW also is building the third Zumwalt-class destroyer, Lyndon B. Johnson (DDG-1002).

More information about General Dynamics Bath Iron Works can be found at www.gdbiw.com.

SOURCE General Dynamics Bath Iron Works

Related Links

https://www.gdbiw.com


PEARL RIVER, N.Y., Dec. 22, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Qognify - the trusted advisor and technology solution provider for Physical Security and Enterprise Incident Management - today announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire On-Net Surveillance Systems, Inc. (OnSSI) and the OnSSI company - SeeTec GmbH. In bringing these award-winning technology solution portfolios together under one roof - including Qognify VisionHub, OnSSI Ocularis and SeeTec Cayuga - Qognify becomes one of the largest VMS, Video Analytics, PSIM and critical incident management companies in the world. Qognify is backed by global investment firm Battery Ventures.

Also located in Pearl River, New York, OnSSI was founded in 2002 with the goal of developing comprehensive and intelligent IP video management software (VMS). Today, the company has an established presence in more than 100 countries, where its Ocularis and Cayuga VMS solutions are relied upon by education, gaming, government, healthcare, manufacturing, retail, public safety, transportation and utilities organizations. With Qognify's proven pedigree in delivering successful projects for financial services companies, mass-transit infrastructure, large international airports and seaports, as well as smart and safe city projects around the world, the acquisition sees the company establish a dominant global position in both the mid-market and enterprise sectors.

SeeTec GmbH is a pioneer of IP video technology and today a leading provider of VMS software in Europe. The Germany-based company was acquired by OnSSI in 2015 and boasts 100 employees, working out of offices across mainland Europe, Dubai, Scandinavia and the UK.

Steve Shine, CEO and President of Qognify states: "OnSSI and SeeTec solutions have a deservedly excellent reputation throughout the security sector. This is the perfect time to bring together our collective pool of physical security talent and technologies, to increase the range of target markets we are able to serve. The partnership also greatly increases the number of customers and partners for the combined business. This is a very exciting agreement for all of us."

Gadi Piran, Co-Founder, President and CTO of OnSSI comments: "This coming together of two of the security sector's most innovative companies, unleashes unrivalled opportunities for collaboration and brings to market a proposition that meets all security and operational management requirements, from powerful VMS to full scale intelligent situational awareness." Piran adds: "Our collective market reach is truly global, with a strong presence in Europe, the US and Asia that will continue to grow."

Jesse Feldman, General Partner at Battery Ventures, which acquired Qognify from NICE Systems in 2015 states: "Qognify has rapidly established itself as a trusted and progressive brand in the physical security sector. The acquisition of the OnSSI Group - a high-profile brand in the security market in its own right - is a major achievement in its history, but most importantly lays down a marker regarding its intent to grow faster and bigger."

The transaction is expected to be completed by the end of 2018, subject to certain conditions and satisfaction of terms.

About Qognify

Qognify helps safeguarding your world. With a portfolio of Physical Security and Enterprise Incident Management solutions, we work as trusted partners to hundreds of customers around the globe ensuring security, safety and business operations continuity.

Qognify solutions includes video management, video and data analytics, and PSIM/ Situation Management solutions that are deployed in financial institutions, transportation agencies, airports, seaports, utility companies, city centers, and to secure many of the world's highest-profile public events. www.Qognify.com

About OnSSI

On-Net Surveillance Systems, Inc. (OnSSI) was founded in 2002 with the goal of developing comprehensive and intelligent IP video surveillance management software. OnSSI's Ocularis IP security and surveillance VMS platform increases security, reduces operational costs, and helps organizations move closer to prevention. Ocularis delivers open architecture, flexibility, and scalability along with robust cybersecurity protections for a range of applications including education, gaming, government, healthcare, manufacturing, public safety, transportation, and utilities. OnSSI is headquartered in Pearl River, New York and has representation in over 100 countries. With its acquisition of Germany-based VMS company, SeeTec GmbH and the launch of Ocularis 5, OnSSI continues to drive global expansion and technological innovations.

www.OnSSI.com

About SeeTec

Founded in 1996 as a pioneer in IP-based video security, SeeTec GmbH is one of the leading vendors of video management software in Europe  together with OnSSI, Inc. even worldwide. In addition to security applications, SeeTec offers customizable video solutions to support business processes in various sectors such as logistics, transportation, manufacturing, critical infrastructure and cities, banking and retail. SeeTec is headquartered in Bruchsal, Germany, with sales and support offices in France, United Kingdom, Austria, Switzerland, Sweden, Spain, Italy, Turkey and the Netherlands.

www.SeeTec-video.com

About Battery Ventures

Battery Ventures strives to invest in cutting-edge, category-defining businesses in markets including software and services, Web infrastructure, consumer Internet, mobile and industrial technologies. Founded in 1983, the firm backs companies at stages ranging from seed to private equity and invests globally from offices in Boston, the San Francisco Bay Area, London, Israel and New York. Follow the firm on Twitter @BatteryVentures, visit our website at www.battery.com and find a full list of Battery's portfolio companies here.

SOURCE Qognify
NEW YORK, Dec. 21, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Aphria Inc. ("Aphria" or the "Company") (NYSE: APHA) and certain of its officers. The class action, filed in United States District Court, Southern District of New York, and indexed under 18-cv-11427, is on behalf of a class consisting of all persons and entities, other than Defendants and their affiliates, who purchased or otherwise, acquired Aphria securities between October 18, 2018, and December 3, 2018, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"), seeking to recover damages caused by Defendants' violations of the federal securities laws and to pursue remedies under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act") and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder, against the Company and certain of its top officials.

If you are a shareholder who purchased Aphria securities between October 18, 2018, and December 3, 2018, both dates inclusive, you have until February 4, 2019, to ask the Court to appoint you as Lead Plaintiff for the class. A copy of the Complaint can be obtained at www.pomerantzlaw.com. To discuss this action, contact Robert S. Willoughby at [email protected] or 888.476.6529 (or 888.4-POMLAW), toll-free, Ext. 9980. Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address, telephone number, and the number of shares purchased.

[Click here to join this class action]

Aphria is headquartered in Leamington, Canada. The Company produces and sells medical cannabis in Canada and internationally. The Company offers sativa, indica, and hybrid medical marijuana products, as well as cannabis oils. It serves patients and health professionals. The Company also sells its products online.

On January 29, 2018, the Company announced its acquisition of Nuuvera Inc. ("Nuuvera") for approximately C$826 million, which was completed on March 23, 2018 (at a reduced price valued at approximately C$425 million). Announcing the acquisition, the Company touted Nuuvera as "a leading, global cannabis company with a strong presence in Europe, Africa and the Middle East[.]"

Then, on July 17, 2018, the Company issued a press release announcing its planned expansion into Latin America and the Caribbean, through a massive transaction whereby Aphria acquired Scythian Biosciences Inc. ("Scythian") for approximately C$280 million, in cash and Company stock.

According to various public statements by the Company and media reports, Andy DeFrancesco ("DeFrancesco"), controller of the Delavaco Group ("Delavaco"), a purported private equity fund, participated in the founding investment of Aphria. DeFrancesco and the Delavaco Group have purportedly invested or advised on every Aphria equity financing.

Throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and misleading statements regarding the Company's business, operational and compliance policies. Specifically, Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) Aphria engaged in numerous fraudulent acquisitions and transactions in order to provide undisclosed benefits to its insiders; (ii) Aphria substantially overpaid for the assets it acquired in 2018, which in reality had questionable value or were worthless; (iii) Aphria acquired these assets from undisclosed related parties, including Andy DeFrancesco; and (iv) as a result, the Company's public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.

On December 3, 2018, Hindenburg Research ("Hindenburg") published an article entitled "Aphria: A Shell Game with a Cannabis Business on the Side," alleging that "Aphria is part of a scheme orchestrated by a network of insiders to divert funds away from shareholders into their own pockets." The article cited a thorough, on-the-ground investigation into Aphria's latest investments and described in detail the poor quality and questionable value of those investments.

Following publication of the Hindenburg article, Aphria's stock price fell $1.85 per share, or roughly 23.4%, to close at $6.05 per share on December 3, 2018.

Then, on December 4, 2018, the Financial Post published an interview with DeFrancesco to address the allegations described above. DeFrancesco seemingly confirmed his participation in the transactions, stating that the use of shell companies was not unusual in private equity transactions and defending the quality of the assets.

On this news, Aphria's stock price fell an additional $1.54 per share, or 25.45%, to close at $4.51 per share on December 4, 2018.

The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Paris, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com

CONTACT:

Robert S. Willoughby

Pomerantz LLP

[email protected]

888-476-6529 ext. 9980

SOURCE Pomerantz LLP

Related Links

http://www.pomerantzlaw.com


The Original Rainier Brewery property has a total of 187,466 rentable square-feet and consists of four buildings: the Bottling Plant, Malt House, Brew House/Warehouse and General Office. The property was built in the early 1900s to house the Seattle Brewing and Malting Company, the predecessor to the Rainier Brewing Company.

The historic brick and timber structures, in tandem with convenient local amenities, have attracted over 50 tenants across a multitude of industries, creating a community of thriving creative industrial businesses. Tenants include Fran's Chocolates, Patagonia, KEEN Footwear, REI and Elysian Brewing Company. The properties are currently 92% leased.

SKB has plans to further elevate the stature and improve the bustling property, while maintaining the historic integrity.

According to SKB President Todd Gooding, "This is the fourth acquisition for our Urban Industrial platform. We see an untapped demand for local and regional manufactures. The Original Rainier Brewery asset fits this profile."

SKB's Vice President of Acquisitions, Brian Hughes-Cromwick, said that "We are grateful to the Sabey Corporation for entrusting us to leverage the good work they have already done, both at the property and in the community. We are excited to have the opportunity to build off of that work to take the property to the next level and become a part of the dynamic Georgetown community."

About ScanlanKemperBard

SKB is an established real estate merchant banking firm based in Portland, Oregon. Since its inception in 1993, SKB has originated total portfolio activity of $4.3 billion, including equity invested of $1.52 billion, comprised of 28.7 million square feet of office, industrial and retail space and 2,154 residential units. With longstanding relationships in each of their markets, SKB has the ability to source, structure and execute value creation across a wide spectrum of real estate opportunities. Visit SKB online at www.skbcos.com to learn more.

About RGA Reinsurance Group

ReCap Real Estate Investment is a wholly-owned subsidiary of RGA Reinsurance Group of America, a leader in the global life reinsurance industry. ReCap's approach is finding high-quality lending and equity opportunities in both primary and secondary markets where it can extract additional relative value at the same level of risk. Its associates access U.S. and Canadian markets not on the radar of large institutional investors. Since 2008, the RGA real estate platform has grown from a single employee managing third-party asset managers to more than 40 associates managing over $4 billion in debt and equity investments. Visit ReCap online at www.rgare.com/recap to learn more.

MEDIA CONTACTS

Todd Gooding

503-201-6800

SOURCE SKB

Related Links

https://www.skbcos.com/


Washington, Dec 22 : The US Supreme Court has rejected a request from the Donald Trump administration to begin enforcing a ban on asylum for immigrants who illegally cross the US-Mexico border.

The narrow 5-4 ruling on Friday, with Chief Justice John Roberts siding with his four more liberal colleagues, left in place lower court rulings that blocked a proclamation by President Donald Trump in November denying asylum to those entering the country from Mexico, without going through official border crossings, Xinhua reported.

Trump has said the proclamation was in response to caravans of Central American migrants making their way to the US border through Mexico.

The administration has said the rule sought to crack down what it called "meritless asylum claims from aliens who place a tremendous burden on our resources".

Critics have seen the move as unlawful and needlessly cruel to asylum seekers.
Mumbai, Dec 22 : Govinda, who has worked with Ranveer Singh in 'Kill Dill', has said the latter is a really good actor.

Govinda said this on Friday while interacting with the media on his 56th birthday celebration party here.

In his interviews, Ranveer has often said he is the biggest fan of Govinda, and was inspired by him to act in movies.

At Priyanka Chopra-Nick Jonas wedding reception on Thursday, Govinda had a fun time with Ranveer Singh, and the latter posted a 'happy photo' along with Govinda on social media.

Talking about his bond with Ranveer, Govinda said: "He is a really good actor and I feel he works really hard. May God bless him."

Thanking his fans on his birthday, Govinda said: "I am thankful to my audience, parents and the media who have supported me over the years. I hope that they will keep loving and supporting me in this journey."

Govinda has delivered several box-office hits like 'Raja Babu', 'Deewana Mastana', 'Partner', 'Hero No. 1', 'Jodi No. 1', and 'Dulhe Raja' in his career.

Talking about his journey in films, Govinda said: "I don't think much about how my past films have performed at the box-office. I just want to keep working in this industry. Now, my film 'Rangeela Raja' is releasing on January 11."

'Rangeela Raja', a comedy film, is written and produced by Pahlaj Nihalani, and directed by Sikander Bharti.

The film stars Govinda, Shakti Kapoor, Prem Chopra and Mishika Chourasia and Anupama Agnihotri in the lead roles.
Washington, Dec 22 : US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has spoken with Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul Mahdi, underlining the US-Iraq partnership to defeat Islamic State (IS), the State Department has said.

Pompeo, during the telephonic conversation on Friday, noted the US-led coalition would continue to work with Iraqi Security Forces to defeat the IS remnants, according to the State Department statement, Xinhua reported.

He also reiterated his support for the continuation and deepening of the US-Iraq partnership.

The two officials also discussed the territorial defeat of the IS in Syria, which was the rationale behind the Donald Trump-led US administration's decision to pull out US troops from Syria.

The pullout decision also led to speculation about possible adjustment of US military presence in Iraq.

Earlier this month, Iraq celebrated the first anniversary of full liberation of all Iraqi land from the IS militants.

Some observers noted that the influence of Iranian-allied factions in Iraq's political and security arenas might result in continued US military presence in the country.

There are 5,200 US troops currently deployed in Iraq's capital of Baghdad and the country's north and west.
Mumbai, Dec 22 : Ahead of the release of his feature film titled "Decent Boy", which is based on Indian education system, veteran actor Govind Namdev has urged students to respect Indian cultural heritage rather than miming western countries.

"The commercialisation of education in India has led to educational institutions aping the western education system, without paying heed to the necessity of the future Indian generation to put India on the world map as a superpower, or equipping the young generation with a formula for individualistic development and staying relevant by keeping up with the modern millennial society," Govind said in a statement.

According to the "Bandit Queen" actor, it is very important for a person to have a strong sense of their own culture.

He said: "A balance should be maintained by cultivating a respect for Indian cultural heritage rather than miming western countries. In addition to a comprehensive modern education, providing the opportunity to know one's cultural heritage will ensure a stronger sense of belonging amongst the youngsters which will lead a successful, content and wholesome life."

In "Decent Boy", Govind plays a father who is against the commercialisation of education. The film also features actor Ravi Kishan.
United Nations, Dec 22 : Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan's phone call to Secretary-General Antonio Guterres centered on Kashmir, according to a UN spokesperson, who said that it was "only normal" for Guterres to speak to heads of government,.

"I can confirm to you that the phone call did happen and it centered on the issue of Kashmir as brought up by the prime minister," Guterres's Spokesperson Stephane Guterres told reporters here on Friday.

He did not provide any details of their conversation that took place on Thursday.

Asked by a reporter to react to Indian External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar's reported remark that Pakistan should mind its own business and Kashmir is a part of India, Dujarric said, "Our position on Kashmir has been reiterated, there is an observer group as mandated by the Security Council."

The 113-member UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) established by the security council monitors the cease-fire in between the two neighbours in Kashmir.

Dujarric added, "The prime minister called, wanted to speak to the secretary-general. It is only normal that the secretary-general speak to heads of government and heads of state, and, as I said, I can confirm that the call took place and that the prime minister raised the issue of Kashmir."

Radio Pakistan reported that Khan asked Guterres to send a commission of inquiry to investigate the human rights situation in Kashmir as recommended by former UN Human Rights Commissioner Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein earlier this year.

Although Guterres has backed Zeid's call for the investigation and the current Commissioner Michelle Bachelet has endorsed it, neither the Human Rights Council nor other UN bodies have acted on it.

India has said that Zeid's report on human rights violations in Kashmir and the proposal for an investigation were "clearly biased".

UNMOGIP continues to operate under the security council mandate that grew out of a 1948 resolution that set up its predecessor organisation following the fighting that started in 1947 when Pakistani troops disguised a tribesmen invaded Kashmir soon after Independence.

India maintains that the UNMOGIP has no role because of the 1971 Simla agreement between Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and then-President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto stipulating that Kashmir was a bilateral issue with no role for third parties.

(Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in and followed on Twitter @arulouis)
Rome, Dec 22 : Italy will reopen its consulate in the eastern Libyan port city of Benghazi, which has been closed since 2013, Adnkronos has learned from sources.

The decision to reopen the consulate follows a visit to Rome by Libya's powerful eastern military commander Khalifa Haftar earlier this month, according to the sources.

The consulate was closed after gunmen attempted to kill Italy's consul in Benghazi on January 12, 2013 when they opened fire on his armoured car.

In September the previous year, Islamic extremists stormed the US embassy in Benghazi and killed ambassador Chris Stevens, a secret agent and two marines.

Chaos-stricken Libya has had rival governments in Tripoli and the east and has been riven by fighting among rival factions backed by a myriad of armed groups since the Nato-backed ouster of late dictator Muammar Gaddafi in a 2011 civil war.
New York, Dec 22 : US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has undergone surgery in New York on two malignant nodules on one of her lungs, a statement said.

The nodules were found during tests to diagnose and treat rib fractures she sustained during a fall on November 7, the Supreme Court said in a statement, Efe news reported.

The 85-year-old is the most senior justice in the court's liberal wing. She was operated on at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

Surgeon Valerie Rusch said although the nodules were found to be malignant, there was no evidence of any remaining disease and no further treatment is planned, the statement added.

She was expected to spend a few more days in hospital recuperating.

Ginsburg has previously been treated for colon and pancreatic cancer.

Appointed by then US President Bill Clinton in 1993, she was only the second female justice to be confirmed to the court after a career devoted to feminist causes and civil rights.

She has garnered huge public support, earning her the nickname "Notorious RBG."

Supporters fear that if Ginsburg leaves the Supreme Court, her replacement will be chosen by President Donald Trump to expand the conservative majority of the highest court in the country.

In a message on Twitter on Friday, Trump wished Ginsburg a "full and speedy recovery".

During the 2016 US election campaign, Ginsburg described Trump as a "faker", telling CNN "he has no consistency about him. He says whatever comes into his head at the moment. He really has an ego." She later apologised for the remarks.

The Supreme Court is composed of nine justices holding lifetime positions. Currently there are five conservatives and four progressives. The justices are appointed by the President and then confirmed by the Senate, where the Republicans have a majority.

Trump has nominated two judges in less than two years.
New Delhi, Dec 22 : Clearing the smoke of uncertainty over the issue of a cleaner environment, India this year succeeded in its multilateral diplomacy to evolve a roadmap for the international community to decisively address climate change.

Also, India's success in renewable energy auctions, in reducing emissions besides its largest commitment to eliminate all single-use plastic in the country by 2022, has enabled it to win accolades globally.

Even the Indian private sector is not lagging behind in joining the ranks of leading global companies that have committed to set a scientific target to be carbon negative.

Experts believe it's a win-win situation for India as its success in the just concluded diplomatic intrigues in the coalfields of Katowice in Poland lies in promoting a more fine-tuned form of responsibility -- not just among countries, but within them as well.

Eventually, the 24th Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, or COP24, produced a deal that paves the way for implementing the 2015 Paris Agreement, which is supposed to replace the existing Kyoto Protocol in 2020.

Voicing its reservations at the COP24 talks, which saw a holdback due to certain objections of the US, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Brazil and Turkey, India went vocal over the lack of equity in the rules relating to the global stocktaking in the rulebook that implements the 2015 Paris Climate Change Agreement.

In the same breath, India signaled that it is ready to update its nationally determined contributions or NDCs if other countries also do so.

Also playing a crucial role to mitigate climate change and other environmental challenges, India in June announced it would strengthen its support with a 25 per cent increase over its contribution to the $15 million Global Environment Facility's new investment cycle.

India has committed that by 2030, as much as 40 per cent of its installed energy capacity will be based on non-fossil fuels.

India has also won global accolades for opting for green technologies.

India is on track to meet a majority of its Paris goals and become a global climate leader by meeting its targets a decade earlier, US-based Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) said in a report on the margins of COP24.

The Paris agreement enjoins each country to outline, update and communicate its post-2020 NDCs reflecting its ambition for reducing emissions.

According to IEEFA, India's NDCs included three key targets: To achieve 40 per cent of electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuels by 2030, to reduce the emissions intensity of its gross domestic product by 33-35 per cent from the 2005 level by 2030 and to create an additional 2.5-3 billion tonnes of carbon sinks -- reservoirs that accumulate and store carbon dioxide -- through the planting of additional forest and tree cover.

R.R. Rashmi, India's former climate negotiator and now a Fellow at The Energy Resource Institute (TERI), told IANS at COP24: "In terms of India's efforts in reducing its emissions relative to its economic growth, it is a fairly positive story and it is more significant because the energy growth is tremendous."

Even the World Bank praised India's success in renewable energy auctions that delivered record-setting low prices for solar power.

"There is a great opportunity now for countries to learn from each other to accelerate the uptake of good policies," said Riccardo Puliti, Senior Director for Energy and Extractives at the World Bank, in a report this month.

"For example, how did India structure its renewable energy auctions to deliver record-setting low prices for solar?"

A Germanwatch report says carbon dioxide emissions are rising again globally but India's ranking has improved by three points.

But India moved to 11th rank from last year's 14th as a result of improved performance in renewable energy, comparatively low levels of per capita emissions and a relatively ambitious mitigation target for 2030, said Germanwatch's Climate Change Performance Index 2019.

Even India's private sector is not lagging in committing carbon neutral targets.

Taking the lead, Mahindra & Mahindra, the leading manufacturer of utility vehicles and part of the $20.7 billion Mahindra Group, announced its commitment to become a carbon neutral company by 2040.

Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra announced this at the Global Climate Action Summit (GCAS) in San Francisco in September.

Likewise, India's Dalmia Cement Group CEO Mahendra Singhi announced at the GCAS that the company too aims to be carbon negative by 2040.

On the political front, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was selected for this year's Champions of the Earth award -- the UN's highest environmental honour -- along with French President Emmanuel Macron.

(Vishal Gulati can be contacted at vishal.g@ians.in)
Srinagar, Dec 22 : Six militants of the Al Qaeda-affiliate Zakir Musa's group Ansar Ghazwatul Hind, including its Kashmiri deputy, were killed on Saturday in a gunfight with the security forces in Tral area of Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district, the Defence Ministry said.

"Six terrorists have been killed in the Tral area encounter. Weapons and war-like stores have been recovered. The operation is over," Defence Ministry spokesman Colonel Rajesh Kalia said here.

The Kashmiri militant killed is from the Arampora village where the gun battle had taken place earlier in the day. Soliha, alias Rehaan Khan, is the deputy chief of Zakir Musa, and is believed to be among those killed.

Mobile Internet service in the district and rail services between the valley and the Bannihal town of Jammu region was suspended.

The other slain militant identified so far is a foreigner, police said.

Soldiers of Rashtriya Rifles (RR), troopers of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and special operations group (SOG) men surrounded Arampora village early on following specific inputs about militant presence, a police officer said.

"As the cordon was tightened, the militants fired triggering the encounter in which six militants were killed belonging to Zakir Musa outfit, Ansar Ghazwatul Hind.

"Exact identity of the other slain militants is being ascertained," the police officer added.
Washington, Dec 22 : With funding for roughly a quarter of the US government, including appropriations for the Departments of Homeland Security and Justice expiring at midnight, a partial shutdown of the federal administration began on Saturday after the Congress and the White House failed to reach a deal.

Both the US House of Representatives and the Senate adjourned after Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn, a Texas Republican, said there would not be a vote late on Friday in the Senate, the CNN reported.

This is the first time in 40 years that the government has been closed three times in a year. It took effect after US lawmakers failed to break a budget impasse.

It means the departments of Transportation, Agriculture, State, Housing and Urban Development will begin to shutdown and federal national parks and forests will also be close, the BBC said.

Hundreds of thousands of federal employees will have to work unpaid or be put on temporary leave, the report said.

On Friday afternoon, Vice President Mike Pence, budget director Mick Mulvaney and President Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, all arrived on Capitol Hill, where they remained into the evening.

Shortly thereafter, Republican Tennessee Republican Senator Bob Corker said on the Senate floor that an "understanding has been reached" that the Senate will not take any further votes related to the funding issue "until a global agreement has been reached between the President" and congressional leaders.

The procedural maneuver helps streamline the legislative process once a deal is reached, but no such deal had appeared publicly by the time Congress left for the night.

The legislation that had seemed all but certain to succeed earlier in the week was derailed on Thursday, when Trump said he would not sign the bill that had passed in the Senate.

The House on Thursday passed legislation that included Trump's request for $5 billion for a border wall, but it was clear on Friday that that demand did not have the votes needed to pass in the Senate, and was therefore not brought up for a vote -- creating more uncertainty on a path forward.

However, before they adjourned for the night, the Senate passed a bill to ensure federal employees who were furloughed get back pay. It was passed by unanimous consent, but still will need to pass the House, the CNN said.

The measure was brought up by Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin, who represent Maryland, where many DC area federal employees live.

Trump earlier in the day predicted the government would shut down -- and looked to place the blame on Democrats. "The chances are probably very good" that there is a shutdown, Trump told reporters on Friday afternoon while at a White House signing ceremony for bipartisan criminal justice reform legislation.

"It's really the Democrat shutdown, because we've done our thing," Trump continued. "Now it's up to the Democrats as to whether we have a shutdown tonight. I hope we don't, but we're totally prepared for a very long shutdown."

On Wednesday, a stopgap spending bill was passed in order to keep federal agencies open until February 8, but the agreement did not include funding for Trump's wall.

US stocks tanked on Friday as investors digested the latest economic data and the fact that the government was on the verge of a partial shutdown.
Vilnius (Lithuania), Dec 22 : A company controlled by Google's parent Alphabet Inc. has received an electronic money institution (EMI) license in Lithuania that will allow it to offer payment services across the European Union (EU).

Amid the country's efforts to become a regional fintech licensing hub, the Bank of Lithuania issued the EMI license to Google Payment Lithuania, UAB on Friday, Xinhua news agency reported.

"Our regulatory environment and the benefits it offers have been acknowledged by both start ups and world-class fintech companies," a statement quoted Marius Jurgilas, a member of the Board of the Bank of Lithuania, as saying.

The EMI license authorises the company to issue and redeem electronic money and provide payment services.

"We are constantly working to develop payments products and support our customers. We applied for a payment license in Lithuania as part of these efforts," Google spokesman Adam Malczak told local media on Friday.

Google's EMI license in Lithuania was issued around a week after Revolut, a UK-based fintech start-up received European banking license which was facilitated by the Bank of Lithuania, paving the way for the company's banking services throughout Europe.

"The end of this year reflects our efforts and experience of the past few years in actively developing a fintech-conducive ecosystem in Lithuania," Jurgilas said.

Google's EMI license is the 45th such the Bank of Lithuania has issued so far.

In total, more than 100 fintech companies, mostly in payments, electronic money issuance, peer to peer lending, crowdfunding, are licensed in Lithuania, according to the Bank of Lithuania.
Seoul, Dec 22 : South Korean tech giant Samsung Electronics has inked a deal to manufacture seven-nanometre (nm) microprocessors for US-based technology company IBM's central processing units (CPUs).

Samsung will manufacture seven-nm microprocessors for IBM Power Systems, IBM Z and IBM LinuxONE high-performance computing (HPC) systems and Cloud offerings, Yonhap news agency reported on Friday.

The deal is expected to help Samsung, which has Qualcomm Inc. as one of its clients, to beef up its foundry business utilising extreme ultraviolet (EUV) process technology, industry watchers said.

A foundry business refers to making chip designs for other companies that do not have a semiconductor fabrication plant.

"The agreement combines Samsung's industry-leading semiconductor manufacturing with IBM's high-performance CPU designs," IBM said in a statement.

"It positions IBM and Samsung as strategic partners leading the new era of high-performance computing specifically designed for artificial intelligence."

The two companies will also be extending their strategic research alliance, which has lasted for 15 years, IBM said.

Samsung claims that utilising EUV process technology paves the way to produce more precise chips compared with the conventional argon fluoride (ArF) immersion technologies, which can better meet demand from emerging big-data and AI industries.

The South Korean tech giant started the construction of its new production line equipped with EUV facilities in Hwaseong, south of Seoul, in February this year, which will commence operations in 2020.
New Delhi, Dec 22 : Compared to other Asia-Pacific mobile sites, those from India fall behind on speed and therefore run the risk of poor conversions, a new study has warned.

Indian mobile websites, however, score high on product and mobile page design and 'findability', according to the Google-commissioned study from Accenture Interactive.

The study benchmarked over 110 Indian mobile websites across three verticals -- financial services, retail and commerce, and travel.

The researchers found that 86 per cent of Indian consumers are likely to make purchases on mobile sites that have made search and purchase processes seamless.

If not, brands face 20 per cent drop in conversions for every second of delay in mobile page load-time and 53 per cent consumers leave a mobile site that takes longer than three seconds to load.

"Smartphones are a catalyst for consumers to research and carry out commerce online today. It's up to marketers to prioritise a seamless mobile web experience to retain consumers with content and speed," Vikas Agnihotri, Country Director - Sales, Google India said in a statement this week.

"Brands must counter the top three barriers of slow speed, slow server times and lack of caching policy, to build a strong connection with their consumers, improve conversions and build stickiness," Agnihotri added.

The study reviewed over 720 most visited mobile sites across 15 countries in Asia-Pacific. Websites were rated based on 80 user experience best practice guidelines, as well as their speed.

Individualising how brands can increase site speed, the study recommended lightening the website by compressing textual and image assets and identifying and removing backend performance bottlenecks among others.
Panaji, Dec 22 : Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Saturday slammed the BJP for what he described as an orchestrated attack on his party workers at a demonstration organised here by the state BJP to protest against his allegations of irregularities in the Rafale fighter jet deal.

In his message shared on Facebook, Gandhi also said that he was proud of the "spirit of Gandhigiri" displayed by Congress' state women's chief Pratima Coutinho, who was allegedly attacked by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) supporters during the clash on Thursday afternoon.

"Democracy frustrates the BJP. This designed, deliberated and organised attack on Congress workers in Goa is an exemplification of that feeling. The attempt is to instil fear," Gandhi said on the social media site.

"The cowards who came to attack us in Goa, and their bosses sitting here in Delhi, should know, fear is alien to the workers of the Congress party," Gandhi said, adding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should "read about the fate of those rulers who chose to attack non-violent Congress workers in this country".

Meanwhile, the state Congress legislative party and the Pradesh Congress Committee on Saturday met to condemn Friday's attack on the party's workers.

"It was a completely state-sponsored mob which included members of the Chief Minister's Office, Speaker's Office, MLAs, Ministers, top BJP functionaries including the state president and was supported by the police machinery," state Congress President Girish Chodankar said.

Congress leaders also met state Director General of Police Muktesh Chander and demanded action against senior BJP functionaries named in the complaint.

Both the Congress as well as the BJP leaders have filed First Information Reports against each other following the clash, with each accusing the other of rioting, assault, and outraging the modesty of women.
Patna, Dec 22 : At least three persons have been killed by unidentified gunmen over the past 12 hours in three different districts of Bihar, prompting a scathing attack by the opposition on Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's governance.

The latest victim being a construction firm owner, who was gunned down in broad daylight on Saturday in Darbhanga district. Hours before that a bank official was abducted from Gaya and killed.

A property dealer was murdered in Begusarai late on Friday. All these murders came barely 48 hours after the murder of a well-known businessman's father in Vaishali.

All cases were still open, police said.

"Nitish Kumar is busy meeting in Delhi, discussing seat sharing with BJP President Amit Shah and criminals are busy killing businessmen.

"Nitish Kumar has no time for anything other than preparing for 2019 Lok Sabha polls," former Deputy Chief Minister and RJD chief Lalu Prasad's son Tejashwi Yadav said.

In the latest attack, K.P. Shahi, the owner of Shahi construction company, was shot dead around 11 a.m. while he was enroute to his office from his residence in Darbhanga district.

Four motorcycle borne masked men targeted his vehicle and fired indiscriminately, killing him on the spot. Shahi Construction was engaged in road construction at three or four places.

Police suspect 'rangdari' or extortion by a criminal gang as the reason behind his killing.

Darbhanga Senior Superintendent of Police Garima Malik said it is difficult to say what the motive was, but "we have constituted an SIT to probe the case".

Shahi's murder came barely nine hours after the murder of a Punjab National Bank (PNB) Customer Service Point (CSP) in-charge Pintu Singh in Gaya district.

Singh was abducted late on Friday from near Amas at 11 p.m. He is believed to have been shot dead around 2 a.m. on Saturday, according to Amas Police Station Shayam Lal Saran. Deep injury marks were found on his head.

Meanwhile, in Begusarai district, a property dealer Mahesh Singh was shot dead by unidentified criminals around midnight, police said. He was killed in Paspura village under Mufassil Police Station, a district police official said.

All these killings came barely 48 hours after a businessman was shot dead in Vaishali district.

The back-to-back killings have triggered violent protest by villagers, who have blocked the GT Road disrupting traffic for hours, Saran said.

Gunjan Khemka, an industrialist was shot dead on Thursday in Hajipur. His son, Gopal Khemka is a well-known businessman in Patna.

Khemka was targeted on his way to his factory in Hajipur, about 30 km from Patna, Vaishali Superintendent of Police Manavjit Singh Dhillon said.

Police are still in dark and yet to make any breakthrough in the case.

Opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal and Congress leaders have targeted Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for the rise in crime and total collapse of law and order.

Besides Bihar Opposition Leader Tejashwi Yadav, Senior Congress leader Tarique Anwar and Rashtriya Lok Samta Party chief and former Union Minister Upendra Kushwaha have questioned Nitish Kumar's self claimed rule of law in Bihar.

"There is no law and order in Bihar. It is free for criminals and they do whatever they wish," RJD spokesperson Bhai Virendar said.

Ruling JD-U and BJP leaders have refuted opposition leaders allegations.
Islamabad, Dec 22 : Pakistan's Minister for Maritime Affairs Ali Haider Zaidi on Saturday "revealed" tax records of a property in New York allegedly owned but not declared by former President and Pakistan Peoples' Party (PPP) co-Chairperson Asif Ali Zardari.

Zaidi, whose Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party is seeking Zardari's disqualification from Parliament for concealment of assets, shared on Twitter the property tax statements of an apartment in the Manhattan borough of New York City. The documents were in the name of "Asif A. Zardari".

The property documents tweeted by Zaidi mentioned address of the apartment as: 524 East 72 street, Apt 37F, NY, NY Manhattan 10021.

Earlier this week, the PTI had filed an application with the Election Commission in Karachi, seeking Zardari's disqualification for concealing his assets in his nomination form for the July 25 general elections. The petition was filed by PTI Sindh MPA Khurram Sherzaman.

Earlier this week, Zaidi had tweeted the alleged sale deed of the apartment which mentioned the PPP leader as the grantee/buyer.

Meanwhile, a banking court on Friday extended the interim pre-arrest bail of Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur till January 7 in an ongoing money laundering case.

The Federal Investigative Agency was investigating 32 people in relation to money laundering from fictitious accounts, including Zardari and Talpur.

Zardari's close aide Hussain Lawai was arrested in July in connection with the probe.
Agartala, Dec 22 : Chairman of the pro-talks ULFA faction Arabinda Rajkhowa said on Saturday that the Central government was "dilly-dallying" on peace talks with the United Liberataion Front of Asom.

"The (Central) government's dilly-dallying approach is forcing us to revive our negative mindset," Rajkhowa told media.

He said the ULFA is not an anti-Bengali outfit, and that the government is maintaining its "divide and rule" policy.

Rajkhowa along with another ULFA leader Fanindra Medhi were in Tripura capital on Friday to attend the tribals' 'Tring' festival. They also held meetings with the surrendered Tripura militants.

'Tring' is a New Year celebration of the tribals celebrated on December 22 every year across the state.

Rajkhowa said if the government does not implement the surrender package for the former terrorists, they would "go back to the jungle again" (to join militancy).

The Ulfa was divided into two factions after some leaders of the outfit, including Rajkhowa, were arrested in Bangladesh in 2009 and were handed over to the Indian authorities.

Rajkhowa was lodged in the Guwahati Central Jail and was released on bail in December 2010. He had gone underground after ULFA was formed on April 7, 1979.

"We had appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take forward the talks process between the Centre and the insurgent outfit," said Rajkhowa, who joined the peace process in 2011.

ULFA's self-styled 'commander-in-chief' Paresh Barua refused to join the peace talks without discussion on sovereignty. In April 2013, Barua renamed his group ULFA (Independent).

Meanwhile, Tripura police have no information about the visit of ULFA chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa.

"We have no details about Rajkhowa's visit in Tripura. We will get it confirmed from appropriate sources," said acting Tripura Director General of Police Rajiv Singh.
Hyderabad, Dec 22 : Telangana has sought sanction of Rs 100 crore from the central share of CAMPA funds for developing 188 forests blocks within the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) limits.

Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao on Saturday made the request to facilitate financial aid from the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) when Union Minister for Environment, Forests and Climate Change Dr Harsh Vardhan called on him here.

KCR, as Rao is popularly known, also requested him to accord environmental permission for Stage-II Palamuru Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Project.

The Chief Minister requested the Union Minister to visit the Kaleshwaram project which is under advanced construction as well as some places in the state to personally see the programmes undertaken for developing greenery.

Harsh Vardhan met KCR to congratulate on his electoral victory. On this occasion, the CM, along with officials, had a meeting with him on plantation programme, forest conservation, forest rejuvenation, protection of wild animals and environment protection.

Harsh Vardhan was briefed through a PowerPoint presentation on the implementation of "Telangana ku Harithaharam", a massive plantation programme in the state, action to protect the forest, efforts for forest rejuvenation and development of social forestry.

KCR said that the primary objective of Telangana Ku Harithaharam is to increase the green cover from the existing 24 per cent to 33 per cent. Under this programme, it is proposed to plant 230 crore of seedlings, out of which 130 crore will be planted outside reserve forests and 100 crore inside the forest.

At present, every year 40 crore seedlings are planted and in future action plan is prepared to increase the number to 100 crore per year.
Colombo, Dec 22 : Three non-Cabinet, 17 state and seven deputy ministers have been sworn in, it was announced here on Saturday.

According to the the President's Media Division (PMD), Harsha De Silva was sworn in as the non-Cabinet Minister of Economic Reform and Public Distribution, Sujeewa Senasinghe as the non-Cabinet Minister of Science, Technology and Research and Ajith Perera as the non-Cabinet minister of Digital Infrastructure and Information Technology.

Key state ministers included Eran Wickramaratne as the state Minister of Finance and Ranjith Aluwihare as the state Minister of Tourism Development, Xinhua news agency reported.

The new appointments were made a day after President Maithripala Sirisena appointed a new 30-member Cabinet, including himself as the head of the Cabinet.

The appointment of the new Cabinet was expected to end a two-month long political crisis in the country.

Sri Lanka plunged into a political turmoil on October 26 when Sirisena sacked Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and replaced him with former strongman Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Wickremesinghe was reinstated as Prime Minister last Sunday.
Gurugram, Dec 22 : Excited over the recent win of BJP's all five mayoral candidates in Haryana, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar here on Saturday said there was no space for 'monarchy politics' in the state.

Khattar was addressing a rally organised by a camp of ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at Lokra village near Pataudi, some 30 km from here.

"Ahead of the mayoral elections in Haryana, we were scared as the BJP lost three ruling states in central India a few days back, but people supported our work," Khattar said.

Union Minister of State and MP from Gurugram, Rao Inderjit Singh and his supporter Bimla Chaudhary, BJP legislator from Pataudi were not invited for the public meeting.

Without naming Inderjit Singh, Khattar said: "Some politicians believed in monarchy politics and think people will go with them in every election. Time has changed, there is now no space for such politics."

There have been reports that Khattar and Inderjit Singh have differences on several issues and have been seen debating in public for their own stands on various occasions in the past.

Inderjit Singh's family has a strong political hold in south Haryana. He is the son of Rao Birender Singh who served as the second chief minister of Haryana and represents the clan of Rao Tularam Singh.

Tularam Singh was the king of Rewari and one of the key leaders of the Indian rebellion of 1857 in Haryana, where he is considered a state hero.

Inderjit Singh was an MLA in the Haryana Assembly for four terms, beginning in 1977.

The rally was attended by Cabinet Minister Rao Narbir Singh, MLA Sohna Tejpal Tanwar, MLA Rewari Randhir Singh Kapriwas and other senior BJP leaders.
Bhubaneswar, Dec 22 : Senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha member Abhishek Manu Singhvi on Saturday accused the Odisha government of insulting Lord Jagannath by linking a scheme to his name.

The state cabinet on Friday approved a scheme for farmers named KALIA (Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation), which is another name of Lord Jagannath.

"The KALIA acronym was made to connect with the highest religious symbol of India, not only Odisha. This is totally insulting to somebody, who all of us revere. You drag Lord Jagannath into this kind of cheap politics," said Singhvi.

"Is it not a shame that you try to use the religious symbol for votes?" he asked.

He said the 'jumlewasi' disease of the Prime Minister seems to have infected Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

"In the KALIA scheme, there is no Hindi word except Krushak. All other letters are English in the acronym," the Congress leader said.

He said the Chief Minister, who was in deep slumber for 18 and a half years, suddenly woke up and announced a scheme for farmers to please them ahead of the elections.

Singhvi also accused the state government of insulting the Odisha people by staging a walkout during the no-confidence motion against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Parliament in July.

While leaders across parties in the Odisha Assembly sought an appointment with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to seek a hike in Minimum Support Price (MSP) on paddy, the Prime Minister did not give time to them, which was an insult to Odisha, said the Congress leader.

"But, the Chief Minister gave a reward to the Prime Minister by staging a walkout in the Parliament during the no-confidence motion, which in turn helped the government at the Centre," he added.

He also accused the BJP government of manipulating and misguiding people and the Supreme Court on the Rafale issue.

Singhvi said the government misinformed the court that the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) had submitted a report and it was also vetted by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

Describing the Rafale deal as the biggest scam in India, he demanded a JPC probe into the purchase of 36 defence aircraft from France-based Dassault Aviation.

"Our eloquent Prime Minister is surprisingly silent on it," said Singhvi.

He also attacked the government for coming out with a notification allowing 10 agencies to monitor, intercept and decrypt any information generated, transmitted, received or stored in any computer.

Singhvi said the move was a direct attack on the fundamental rights of the citizens and their right to privacy.
Chennai, Dec 22 : Actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan said on Saturday he and his party Makkal Needhi Maiam would contest all the 39 parliamentary seats in Tamil Nadu in the next year general election, but "would not align with those desperate to change the DNA" of the state.

Speaking to reporters after the party's executive committee meeting, Kamal Haasan said: "The party will contest in the Parliament elections. I will also contest. A committee will be formed to identify the contestants for forty seats (39 in Tamil Nadu and one in Puducherry)."

Queried about the parties with whom MNM would have an alliance, Haasan said: "The party will not align with those who are desperate to change the DNA of Tamil Nadu."

He did not rule out alliance talks with Congress.

Kamal Haasan said the party would decide on contesting in the bypolls for 20 assembly seats whenever these are announced.

He said he would announce the number of members his party has on January 31, adding the party has empowered him to decide on electoral alliances.

When asked whether he would lead the alliance or was open to work under someone's leadership, he said that depended on the stature of the alliance partner.
Manila, Dec 22 : A Philippines lawmaker and his police escort were shot dead on Saturday while attending a gift-giving event for senior citizens and persons with disabilities in the country's Albay province.

The police said 52-year-old Rodel Batocabe, a member of the Philippines House of Representatives, and his security escort were gunned down in the afternoon at the covered court of Burgos in south of Manila. They were taken to hospital but declared dead on arrival.

Philippines presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo condemned the assassination, describing it as a senseless killing, Xinhua news agency reported.

"Proper authorities are now investigating this brazen murder as we vow to leave no stone unturned in bringing the perpetrators of this felonious act to justice," Panelo said in a statement.

He said the Presidential Palace expressed its condolences to Batocabe's bereaved family, his loved ones and colleagues in Congress. No group claimed responsibility for the killing.

The Philippines mid-term elections are scheduled for May 2019. Candidate would be contesting for over 18,000 national and local positions like senators, congressmen, governors and city mayors. Batocabe was reportedly running for the Mayor of Daraga.

The police were investigating whether the killing was related to the forthcoming polls.
Thiruvananthapuram, December 22 : The sparring over the proposed women wall is showing no signs of abating with chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan and opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala engaging a fresh war of words over the January 1 event.

Mr. Vijayan took to facebook on Saturday to aim barbs at vested interests trying to undermine the women wall event by spreading misleading propaganda about it.

In an oblique attack on the opposition UDF, the chief minister wrote that now that it had become clear that women from all walks of life would take part in the women wall and make it a huge success, vested interests were panicking and spreading untruths about the proposed programme.

The women wall would be exclusively made up of women and women cutting across caste and community lines would take part in the event, Mr. Vijayan wrote, rebutting the opposition charge that women from minority communities were being excluded from the event.

We had categorically stated that public funds would not be utilised for the programme but still the lie that the government would dip into state coffers to foot the cost of the women wall was being repeated in the hope that at least some people would believe it when the lie was repeated often enough, the chief minister wrote.

Now they were trying to mislead the public by latching onto the document filed by the government before the high court but it had categorically stated by the government that public funds would not be used for the women wall, he added.

The state government had the other day filed an affidavit before the Kerala high court in response to a petition seeking a direction to the government to make clear whether flood relief funds would be used for organising the women wall.

Reports in the media suggested that government informed the court that it would use the Rs. 50 crore earmarked in the budget for welfare of women and children for funding the women wall.

However, the chief minister dismissed such reports as misleading, clarifying that the affidavit had merely detailed the schemes envisaged for women and child welfare.

Meanwhile, speaking to reporters in Kochi, opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala charged the chief minister with deceiving the public over the funding on the women wall and called for his resignation.

The chief minister should explain what necessitated the formation of the women wall. The chief minister was running away from explaining the reasons for organising the women wall, Chennithala said.

Veteran congress leader K C Joseph had the other day moved a notice for breach of privilege against the chief minister accusing him of misleading the assembly about the funding of the women wall.
New Delhi, Dec 22 : A Delhi court on Saturday allowed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to quiz British national Christian Michel, the middleman accused in the Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal case, for seven days.

Special Judge Arvind Kumar sent Michel to ED's custody for seven days after the probe agency arrested him in the case.

ED's counsel and special public prosecutor D.P. Singh told the court that Michel's custody is required to confront the accused with some witnesses.

ED also told the court it has to probe the money laundering aspect as the money has not come through official channels but through hawala transactions.

Michel's counsel Aljo K. Joseph and Vishnu Sankar opposed the plea.

Michel was extradited to India on December 4 from the United Arab Emirates. He is one of the three middlemen being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the ED in the VVIP chopper deal.

In January, the ED had lodged a request with the UAE authorities seeking extradition of Michel. Both the ED and the CBI had filed charge-sheets in bribery cases in Indian courts and non-bailable warrants had been issued against the accused.

Michel's lawyer Rosemary Patrizi Dos Anjos from Italy told IANS, "Michel met CBI special Director Rakesh Asthana and Indian representative on June 2 in Dubai along with the Law Ministry authorities of UAE."

She said that the meeting was held in complete frankness with Michel.

Sharing the minutes of the meeting of Michel with Indian representative, she said, "Michel was told to implicate AP and Madam (referring to Congress leader Ahmed Patel and Sonia Gandhi). Michel felt that there was a panicked sense of urgency. Even many threats were issued and a discussion was held on how unpleasant Indian jails were."

"Michel was also told that none of his friends would be able to help him if he did not sign a statement," she said.

Anjos further said that Michel was told that if he signed a statement, he would not be arrested and all cases against him would be dropped and the Red Corner Notice against him would be removed.

"To this Michel said that he would not sign a statement prepared by them (Indian representative) but would work with his lawyers over the next few days to prepare his statement and send it to them by Tuesday evening (June 5).

"But after all the threats Michel was surprised when they accepted his proposal and the meeting ended at approximately 11 o'clock on Saturday evening (June 2). And his statement was delivered on Wednesday morning (June 6) at 10 a.m. to lawyers for onward transmission "On June 7, Michel was informed that his statement was unacceptable and the Indian party would move ahead with extradition," she said.

However, the CBI had earlier claimed it hadn't questioned Michel in the UAE.

In its chargesheet, the CBI had named former Indian Air Force chief S.P. Tyagi, his cousin Sanjeev Tyagi alias Julie, then IAF Vice Chief J.S. Gujral and advocate Gautam Khaitan as the four Indians involved in the scam.

Others named in the chargesheet included Giuseppe Orsi, the former chief of Italian defence and aerospace major Finmeccanica, and Bruno Spagnolini, former CEO of AgustaWestland, apart from middlemen Michel, Haschke and Gerosa.
Seville (Spain), Dec 22 : Eibar on Saturday held Real Betis to a 1-1 draw in La Liga action to end the home side's league winning streak of three matches while failing to earn a win in the last five games in all competitions.

During its last game of 2018, Eibar sought to defy Real Betis for the ball possession, resulting in spaces between lines that enabled the home side to threaten Eibar's goal, reports Efe news.

But it was Eibar, who had the first real opportunity to draw the first blood in the ninth minute, when Chilean forward Fabian Orellana tried his luck on a right-footed shot but his attempt was saved.

Eibar aggressively sought out the equalizer, but its final touch lacked precision, which helped Betis maintain its 1-0 lead till the end of the first half.

Having squandered a couple of scoring chances during the opening minutes of the second half, Eibar eventually got onto the scoreboard in the 71st minute, when Orellana successfully converted a penalty kick.

After the draw, Real Betis holds the sixth spot in La Liga table with 26 points, while Eibar provisionally sits in the 11th spot with 21 points.
Siliguri, Dec 22 : An American citizen was arrested for arriving in India without a visa at the Indo-Nepal border in West Bengal's Darjeeling district, the Sashastra Seema Bal said on Saturday.

An Indian accompanying the US citizen was also taken into custody from the Panitanki area on Friday by the SSB jawans.

Samson Rana, 25, a resident of Sioux Falls City, South Dakota State, USA, and the local man Kiran Lama were apprehended by SSB's Border Interaction Team.

Lama hails from Sukna in Darjeeling, an SSB officer said.

"The US citizen was found to have entered India without a visa. Passport and other documents of the US national and the Indian person, who was accompanying the former, were seized," the officer said.

Both of them were later handed over to Khoribari Police Station, he added.
Kolkata, Dec 22 : UP Yoddha edged out U Mumba 34-32 in a Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) tie at the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Indoor Stadium here on Saturday.

Prashanth Kumar Rai (8 points) with a two-point raid in the last minute clinched the win for UP Yoddha.

It was a disappointing night for U Mumba as Siddharth Desai and Rohit Rana both suffered injuries.

The loss means that U Mumba won't finish at the top of the table in Zone A.

UP Yoddha still have a slim chance of making it to the playoffs. Sachin Kumar had a brilliant game in defence for Yoddha and earned six tackle points while Rishank Devadiga got seven raid points.

U Mumba made a strong start to lead 3-0 after two minutes but Shrikant Jadhav got two raid points as UP Yoddha cut the deficit to 3-4. U Mumba then forced two super tackles in the space of three minutes to lead 8-5 by the 8th minute.

UP Yoddha forced an all out in the 13th minute as they lead 14-8 after 14 minutes. U Mumba came back strongly with Abolfazl Maghsodlou producing a super raid to level the match 14-14 after 17 minutes.

UP Yoddha didn't buckle under pressure as Prashanth made consecutive two-point raids.

At the end of the first half, UP Yoddha led 18-15.

UP began the second half strongly with a super tackle in the 21st minute to lead 20-15. But U Mumba inflicted an all out in the 23rd minute to level the match at 20-20.

For the next 10 minutes it was an evenly contested fight with both teams picking raid and tackle points.

Rishank made a two-point raid in the 32nd minute to give UP Yoddha 29-25 lead. It was a close affair with less than five minutes to go but Rohit Baliyan made a two-point raid in the 38th minute to level the match at 31-31.

Darshian Kadian forced an error out of Yoddha's defence in the 40th minute to tie the match at 32-32. Prashanth made a brilliant two-point raid in the dying seconds to give Yoddha a narrow 34-32 win.
Tehran, Dec 23 : Iran's ambassador to Britain on Saturday denied that Iranian and the US diplomats have secretly met in London recently over Yemen.

Some media outlets reported that diplomats of the two countries have secretly met in London, and the recent Yemeni negotiations in Sweden have been the result of these meetings.

"This news is a mere lie and is completely denied," Iran's ambassador to London, Hamid Baeeidinejad, said on his Twitter account on Saturday, Xinhua news agency reported.

On Saturday, Kuwait's Al-Jarida daily said that the recent talks in Sweden between the conflicting sides in Yemen were the result of "secret communications and meetings" between the Iranian and American officials, mediated by some European countries and Oman.
Tehran, Dec 23 : Iranian Foreign Ministry on Saturday welcomed US President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw US forces from Syria.

The US military presence in the Middle East fuels insecurity in the region, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi said, Xinhua news agency reported.

"Basically, US forces' arrival and presence in the region were a wrong, illogical, tension-provoking and crisis-inducing move from the outset," Qasemi said.

The presence of US forces "has always been one of the key causes to instability and insecurity in the region," he added.

A White House announcement on Wednesday said that Trump's administration started to withdraw US troops from Syria after claiming a victory in the fight against the Islamic State.
Hotelier Magazine recently reported that hotels with strong brand identity see an increase in profits and return bookings. While increased marketing expenditures are also associated with strong branding, hotel key cards are among the most cost-effective ways to increase your hotels brand awareness. (Source: https://www.hoteliermagazine.com/the-power-of-hotel-branding/)

According to Director of Commercial Operations, Mark Zisek, The typical guest uses their room key card an average of 15 times a stay. A lot of times they also take the card with them when they check out. This creates a unique and very inexpensive branding opportunity for hotels.

Not only does Front Desk Supply offer many popular generic cards, but they also have a graphic designer on staff to customize clients key cards creating memorable key cards with their logo or a special design. This little touch can add to increased return bookings as guests have a tangible reminder of their stay. Guests may even choose to keep their keys in a memory box.

This month, we are offering a $75 discount and free graphic design setup on all first time key card orders, continued Zisek, this is our way of sharing our good fortune with our clients. Simply go to: Frontdesksupply.com to start you order.

For the month of December, any new or existing client who places a first time order for key cards will receive $75 off of their order and free graphic design setup.

Types of Key Cards

RFID Key Cards

RFID keys use electromagnetic fields to automatically identify and track tags attached to objects. RFID is used in the hospitality industry with keycards, wristbands and key fobs for access control and events. Front Desk Supply offers generic or custom designed RFID keys compatible with all major access control systems.

Magnetic Stripe Key Cards

Magnetic Stripe cards have the dark strip of magnetic material on the back of hotel key cards, gift cards, loyalty cards and membership cards, which are used with a POS systems. Magnetic Stripe cards are also used with access control systems as key cards and ID cards.

Why Front Desk Supply?

Whichever products customers choose, Front Desk Supply successfully competes with all other providers. Why? Because Front Desk Supply doesnt charge the large industry standard markups like many other competitors do and is keenly focused on efficiencies. Unlike other suppliers, Front Desk Supply is invested in becoming a preferred partner with hotels for many years to come.

About Front Desk Supply

Front Desk Supply has over 50 years of Sales, Marketing and Advertising, and Operations experience, along with the wealth of experience that comes from producing millions of products for thousands of hotels in the hospitality industry.

Their experience includes a wealth of customer relationship experience, including large and small companies in diverse industries. This experience gets ingrained in all employees to put the customer first and do their best to understand each unique situation. Front Desk Supply excels when being able to provide multiple products  it makes for a one stop shopping experience for customers and ensures messaging flows consistently across products. They do our best to make recommendations that make good business sense.

Front Desk Supply: Making hotels more profitable and their guests stays more memorable.
2019 Mitsubishi Mirage vs 2019 Mitsubishi Mirage G4

Chicago drivers looking to upgrade their current vehicle to one that offers city-friendly fuel economy and easy maneuverability can find what theyre looking for from the new Mitsubishi models that recently arrived at one local dealership. Located in Countryside, Illinois and catering to the greater Chicago area, Continental Mitsubishi recently welcomed the newest version of the Mirage and Mirage G4 hatchback and sedan.

Compact and practical, the 2019 Mitsubishi Mirage and the 2019 Mitsubishi Mirage G4 are both great options for drivers in the city, as well as students and small families. Drivers interested in learning more about these vehicles can find informative model reviews on the dealerships website in its model research library.

In its reviews for these models, the dealership addresses a variety of aspects important to shoppers such as its engine specs, fuel economy, interior space and available features. The model reviews also give shoppers a quick and easy way for interested readers to request a test drive online.

Shoppers interested in getting behind the wheel of the new 2019 Mitsubishi Mirage hatchback or the 2019 Mitsubishi Mirage G4 compact sedan are encouraged to reach out to dealership staff. Members of the Continental Mitsubishi staff can be reached through its website at http://www.continentalmitsubishi.com, or by calling directly at 708-669-0516.
Guests at the Techie Toy Drive enjoyed a lunch, a holiday photo booth, a digital caricature artist, and a raffle for a complete car or SUV detail from Lexus in addition to gift certificates and other prizes from Vintana.

On December 13th, 2018, Effortless Office, an industry-leading business cloud services provider devoted to empowering businesses to achieve their highest missions, sponsored its third annual Techie Toy Drive at The Centre  Home of Lexus Escondido in Escondido, California. The event was also supported by Gold Sponsors Mojo Marketing and Reel Axis. The goal of the Techie Toy Drive was to provide gifts for local foster and adoptive children who need to feel cared for during the holidays.

Guests were asked to bring brand new, unwrapped techie toys to the event  all of which were delivered to Straight From The Heart in San Marcos for families throughout San Diego, California. Tech-related toys on the event's wish list included Hexbug toys, Kindles or other similar tablets, Modern Art Connectagons, and other STEM (Science, Tech, Engineering, and Math) toys that can be enjoyed by both boys and girls.

I learned about the foster and adoptive system first hand over the last few years while my husband and I opened up our hearts to adopting our first child," said Sonya Ziegler Meline, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer at Effortless and the main organizer of the annual event. "When we learned about the mission of Straight From The Heart, we wanted to help, and giving these kids a boost with techie toys seemed like such a great idea."

Guests at the Techie Toy Drive enjoyed a lunch, a holiday photo booth, a digital caricature artist, and a raffle for a complete car or SUV detail from Lexus in addition to gift certificates and other prizes from Vintana  the fine dining restaurant in The Centre. They also had the unique opportunity to provide local kids in need with toys they may not have otherwise had access to.

Parents and others interested in a list of Effortless-recommended techie toys can read more here: http://effortlessoffice.com/effortless-techie-toy-drive-gives-back-to-local-adoptive-and-foster-children/. There, you will see toys like the ReCon Robot for about $80, or the Hydraulic Edge Arm Kit, which is just under $50.

About Effortless

Effortless is a business cloud services provider offering an all-in-one, fully supported ecosystem of complementary products and services that allow businesses of all sizes to utilize a single supplier for their overall IT environment. The EffortlessSuite covers everything your business needs to operate within the cloud: virtual desktops, disaster recovery, virtual servers, cyber security, compliance, managed WiFi, file sharing, firewalls, infrastructure, email, business intelligence, and helpdesk  all with an as-a-service model. Additionally, Effortless offers managed professional services for infrastructure design, implementation, and support to ensure a seamless transition to your businesss new cloud environment.
The formation of an Advisory Council highlights the importance of the digital development communitys role in shaping and driving forward the Digital Principles in international development as well as the call to address the digital ecosystems diverse, yet intersecting needs.

As stewards of the Principles for Digital Development (Digital Principles), the Digital Impact Alliance (DIAL) is pleased to announce the first-ever Digital Principles Advisory Council.

The nomination period for the Advisory Council closed on November 9 after a six-week open nomination period. More than 40 applications were submitted, both publicly through the Digital Principles Forum and privately through a confidential online form. The Selection Committee, comprised of two DIAL staff, and three independent digital development practitioners, welcome the newly confirmed members:



Stefan Germann is the CEO of Fondation Botnar, a foundation based in Basel, Switzerland that seeks to improve the health of children and youth in growing secondary cities around the world. He has worked in various health leadership roles in Africa for over 15 years with a focus on child health-related development, relief and advocacy work.

Jaclyn Carlsen is an ICT Policy Advisor at the US Agency for International Development where she works with governments, consultants, and tech vendors to design and implement technology initiatives. She is most interested in how to better engage users in program design and how operational costs can be more explicit.

Sandra Aluoc-Simbiri has over 20 years of ICT experience working across Sub-Saharan Africa and the United States and has worked in both the private and public sectors, developing and implementing new and innovative ICT solutions. She is Regional Instant Network School (INS) Officer at UNHCR where she is responsible for managing innovative programming within UNHCRs education services regionally.

Channe Suy Lan is the Regional Lead for the Innovation Lab of Southeast Asia where she leads the team to work across sectors and identifies opportunities for ICT solutions to improve public health, education and social justice for communities in Cambodia and beyond.

Nora Lindstrom is an international development professional with over a decade of experience on three different continents. She is currently the Global Lead for Digital Development at Plan International, where she promotes the responsible use of technology and digital tools for advancing childrens rights and equality for girls.

Dr. Henry Mwanyika serves as PATHs Digital Health Regional Director for Africa and supports government efforts to design digital health infrastructure. He has over 20 years of experience in the commercial ICT sector and the public sector and is a trusted advisor to governments across Africa.

Lillian Ndutai is an entrepreneur and technologist passionate about making technology work for social good. Lillian previously headed the United Nations Humanitarian Data Exchange Lab (HDX, Nairobi) Centre for Humanitarian Data, which brings together data from over 300 organizations.

Josh Mandell is an international development specialist and business executive on IBMs GBS Foreign Affairs team. He is leading the companys effort to partner with development institutions and advance technology adoption, while also exploring new applied technologies for social impact.

I am excited to contribute to building a robust community that champions the Principles for Digital Development so that they are relevant and respond to the needs, questions and concerns of the digital development community, said Stefan Germann. If we get this right and find a common and collaborative way to work together, then we have opportunity to truly unlock the potential of digital technology and data for good!

The formation of an Advisory Council highlights the importance of the digital development communitys role in shaping and driving forward the Digital Principles in international development as well as the call to address the digital ecosystems diverse, yet intersecting needs.

As we unlock digital markets, we must ensure that we are not exclusive in our inclusion of vulnerable groups, added Sandra Aluoc-Simbiri. We must be inclusive in our agenda to ensure no group is left behind.

Advisory Council members will each serve a two-year term with option of renewal or extension. During this period, they will work with DIAL staff and one another to help guide the Digital Principles projects and investments and support DIALs engagement with the community and the responsibilities DIAL has as stewards of the Digital Principles.

I hope that in two years we see greater collaboration and alignment around development programs that leverage digital tools and technologies, concluded Germann. I hope that the Digital Principles become a language which donors, governments, implementers and practitioners use when co-creating initiatives for impact.

For more information on the selection process and how decisions were reached, please read the blog on the Digital Principles website: http://bit.ly/2Bw3Nhv

About DIAL

The Digital Impact Alliance (DIAL) aims to realize a more inclusive digital society in emerging markets, in which all women, men and children benefit from life-enhancing, mobile-based digital services. A partnership among USAID, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Swedish Government and the United Nations Foundation, DIALs efforts help accelerate the collective efforts of government, industry and development organizations to realize this vision. In 2016, the Digital Impact Alliance (DIAL) was named steward of the Principles for Digital Development (also known as the Digital Principles). As steward, DIAL is charged with facilitating dialogue among the digital development community, curating the exchange of new ideas and resources, and promoting adoption and new endorsement of the Digital Principles. In this role, DIAL seeks to foster community engagement and interaction; provide practical, relevant how-to guidance and resources for digital development practitioners, including implementing organizations (international development and humanitarian NGOs), donors, and country governments; and increase awareness about the Digital Principles themselves. http://www.digitalimpactalliance.org.

About the Principles for Digital Development

A Principles for Digital Development Working Group launched in June 2014 to gather insights and feedback from development implementers and donor representatives on using digital technology for their programs. The Working Group was intended to enable those practitioners most likely to be impacted by, and directly influence, the implementation of digital development to interpret and define the Digital Principles. Over the course of a year, the Working Group met nine times to discuss each Principle in-depth, resulting in a shared understanding of what the Digital Principles mean in practice. More information on the Digital Principles can be found at https://digitalprinciples.org.
FirstService Residential at Toys for Tots Media Night - Collection event at Dr. Pepper Ballpark in Frisco, TX Serving our communities means uniting all local community members in a common cause." --Mira Roxanne Baker, Manager of Communications and Culture and leader of the Toys for Tots drive at FirstService Residential in Dallas

Contact: Mira Roxanne Baker, Manager of Communications & Culture

Phone: 214-974-7093 | Email: mira.baker@fsresidential.com

FirstService Residential Dallas and Fort Worth Offices Join Forces to Donate Over 100 Toys to Toys for Tots

Just in time for the holidays, FirstService Residential associates in Dallas and Fort Worth offices collected over 100 toys for the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program. Items will be distributed to families in need throughout Dallas/Fort Worth. Through this annual initiative, FirstService Residential helps further the mission of the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation: to provide a tangible sign of hope to disadvantaged children at Christmas.

Toys for Tots Drive at FirstService Residential kicked off on Giving Tuesday this year. Large donation bins wrapped like Christmas presents were set up throughout the Dallas and Fort Worth offices. Within just one week, the bins were bursting with new toys, games, arts/crafts, books and school supplies contributed by associates.

Toys were then transported to a collection event with U.S. Marines at Dr. Pepper Ballpark in Frisco, TX, and to the Disney Store, which matched each donation with $5 for Toys for Tots.

Being genuinely helpful in serving our communities is a core value here at FirstService Residential, explains Mira Roxanne Baker, Manager of Communications and Culture and leader of the Toys for Tots drive in Dallas. Serving our communities means uniting all local community members in a common cause.

Seven million children had a brighter holiday season this year because of the 18 million toys distributed by the Marine Toys for Tots Program. FirstService Residential associates plan to continue helping U.S. Marine Corps spread Christmas cheer to local families in need for years to come.

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About the Marine Toys for Tots Program:

Toys for Tots, a 70-year national charitable program run by the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, provides happiness and hope to disadvantaged children during each Christmas holiday season. The toys, books and other gifts collected and distributed by the Marines offer these children recognition, confidence and a positive memory for a lifetime. It is such experiences that help children become responsible citizens and caring members of their community. Last year the Marine Toys for Tots Program fulfilled the holiday hopes and dreams of 7 million less fortunate children in 792 communities nationwide. Since 1947 over 244 million children have been assisted. The Marine Toys for Tots Foundation is a not for profit organization authorized by the U.S. Marine Corps and the Department of Defense to provide fundraising and other necessary support for the annual Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program. For more information, visit http://www.toysfortots.org.

Families or volunteers who have worked directly with Toys for Tots are encouraged to share their stories here: stories.toysfortots.org

About FirstService Residential:

FirstService Residential is North America's largest manager of residential communities and the preferred partner of HOAs, COAs, community associations and strata corporations in the U.S. and Canada. FirstService Residential's managed communities include low-, mid- and high-rise condominiums and cooperatives, single-family homes, master-planned, lifestyle and active adult communities, and rental and commercial properties.

With an unmatched combination of deep industry experience, local market expertise and personalized attention, FirstService Residential delivers proven solutions and exceptional service that add value, enhance lifestyles and make a difference, every day, for every resident and community it manages. FirstService Residential is a subsidiary of FirstService Corporation, a North American leader in the property services sector. For more information, visit http://www.fsresidential.com/Texas
Godwin Motors is one of the sponsoring organizations lending support to the Cooperative Ministries!

Throughout the year of 2018, Godwin Motors, a local used car dealership in the Columbia, South Carolina, area, has partnered with The Cooperative Ministries on its Autos for Opportunities program. Each year, the dealership partners with different groups and organizations to give back to the community, and this year a portion of their charitable giving went to The Cooperative Ministries.

The Cooperative Ministries Autos for Opportunities program is a great way for those no longer in need of their vehicle to get rid of it without the hassle of selling it themselves. Instead of trading in their vehicle, interested parties can donate their used vehicle to someone with a much greater need for it. A donated vehicle will either end up in the possession of someone who has no suitable mode of transportation to their place of employment, or it will be auctioned off with the proceeds providing financial support for other programs and services hosted by The Cooperative Ministries.

Not only is pick up of donated vehicles free, but the donation may qualify for a tax write-off. Those interested in donating their used vehicle to the program may do so or inquire further by calling 803-799-3853. For those interested in receiving a donated vehicle, recipients must be residents of either Richland or Lexington that are currently walking or utilizing public transportation to get to work. More information can be found at The Cooperative Ministries website or at the dealerships website, http://www.godwinmotors.com.

Godwin Motors is located at 4032 West Beltline Blvd. in Columbia and its sales team can be contacted at 803-252-8774.
On Wednesday, Dec. 12, Greenberg Traurig, LLPs Boston office sponsored and hosted the Boston Healthcare Drinks event featuring Helen Chen, Greater China Managing Partner of L.E.K. Chen shared her insights on Biopharma Business Opportunities Arising from China.

The discussion was moderated by patent attorney David J. Dykeman, co-chair of Greenberg Traurigs global Life Sciences & Medical Technology Group and co-chair of the firms Intellectual Property (IP) Group in Boston, and by Dr. Fang Xie, patent attorney and Boston office shareholder.

Prior to the program, Greenberg Traurig CEO Brian L. Duffy and Scott J. Bornstein, co-chair of the firm's Global Intellectual Property & Technology Practice and co-chair of the firm's Global Patent Litigation Group, welcomed guests, highlighting their recent trip to China and the firm's strong commitment to China and Asia in general. Greenberg Traurig has offices in Shanghai, China, and in Japan and Korea.

Since 2016, Greenberg Traurig has sponsored and hosted the Healthcare Drinks Boston Chapter in the firms Boston office. Healthcare Drinks provides a platform for management in the health care industry to meet, exchange ideas and socialize in a casual yet professional, educational and supportive atmosphere.

About Greenberg Traurigs Life Sciences & Medical Technology Group: Greenberg Traurigs Life Sciences & Medical Technology Group advises clients ranging from startups to large multinational public companies to leading research institutions. The groups attorneys work closely with clients, providing innovative legal counsel to help them achieve their objectives  from discovery through commercialization and product marketing. As part of the group, the Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Industry Group focuses on advising clients in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical sectors.

About Greenberg Traurigs Boston Office: Established in 1999, Greenberg Traurigs Boston office is home to approximately 70 attorneys practicing in the areas of bankruptcy, corporate, emerging technology, energy, gaming, intellectual property, labor and employment, life sciences and medical technology, litigation, public finance, and real estate. An important contributor to the firm's international platform, the Boston office includes a team of nationally recognized attorneys with both public and private sector experience. The team offers clients the value of decades of legal experience and hands-on knowledge of the local business community, supported by the firm's vast network of global resources.

About Greenberg Traurig: 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.
Hormel Foods and Vons/Albertsons donated 5,000 jars of SKIPPY peanut butter to the San Diego Food Bank. Hormel Foods is proud to partner with Vons/Albertsons to support hunger-relief efforts in the communities served by its stores, said Aly Sill, brand manager at Hormel Foods.

Hormel Foods Corporation and Vons/Albertsons donated more than 5,000 jars of SKIPPY peanut butter to the Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank this holiday season to support its mission to provide nutritious food to individuals and families in need in communities throughout San Diego County.

The donation was part of the hunger program created by the makers of SKIPPY  peanut butter in 2018. The program involves a partnership between Hormel Foods and grocery retailers across the country and is part of the companys philanthropic efforts that focus on hunger and education.

The 5,000 jars of peanut butter  enough to make more than 80,000 peanut butter sandwiches*, was donated at the San Diego Food Bank's Holiday Food Drive at the Vons Murphy Canyon location in San Diego.

Hormel Foods is proud to partner with Vons/Albertsons to support hunger-relief efforts in the communities served by its stores, said Aly Sill, brand manager at Hormel Foods. The SKIPPY peanut butter hunger program highlights our long-standing relationship with Vons/Albertsons, and we are honored to work together to contribute to those in need.

"We are humbled and appreciative of our partnership with Hormel Foods and the SKIPPY  brand and for this donation of more than 5,000 jars of peanut butter to the San Diego Food Bank, said Shane Dorcheus, president of Albertsons Companies Southern California Division. We hope this donation will help our local families in most need during this holiday season.

*Using the National Peanut Boards calculation of 1 oz. of peanut butter = 1 peanut butter sandwich

ABOUT HORMEL FOODS  Inspired People. Inspired Food. Hormel Foods Corporation, based in Austin, Minn., is a global branded food company with over $9 billion in annual revenues across 80 countries worldwide. Its brands include SKIPPY, SPAM, Hormel Natural Choice, Applegate, Justin's, Columbus, Wholly Guacamole, Hormel Black Label and more than 30 other beloved brands. The company is a member of the S&P 500 Index and the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats, was named one of "The 100 Best Corporate Citizens" by Corporate Responsibility Magazine for the ninth year in a row and has received numerous other awards and accolades for its corporate responsibility and community service efforts. In 2016, the company celebrated its 125th anniversary and announced its new vision for the future - Inspired People. Inspired Food. - focusing on its legacy of innovation. For more information, visit http://www.hormelfoods.com and https://csr.hormelfoods.com/.

About the Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank: Established in 1977, the Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank is a critical component to the welfare of San Diego County, providing food to people in need, advocating for the hungry and educating the public about hunger-related issues. Through a combination of programs and partnerships with nearly 500 San Diego County nonprofit charities, the Food Bank acts as a central repository and distribution point for donated food. The Food Bank distributed 28 million pounds of food in the Fiscal Year 2017 - 2018 to individuals and families in need through network of nonprofit organizations that work to alleviate hunger throughout the county. Visit the Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank at: http://www.sandiegofoodbank.org
Lightning New Corporate Headquarters

Lightnings New Corporate Headquarters in San Jose

Lightning Motorcycles, manufacturer of the fully electric LS-218 Superbike - the fastest production motorcycle in the world, is announcing today its first phase of expansion into its new Corporate Headquarters and Production Facility located in San Jose, California.

The new San Jose based facility offers five times the square footage when compared to Lightnings previous San Carlos location. This larger building provides Lightning with the ability to dramatically expand production of the LS-218 Superbike, as well as an in-house design studio for designing future Lightning products, increased research and development capabilities and additional office space to accommodate the expanding Lightning team.

LS-218 and Beyond

The fully electric Lightning LS-218 represents a halo bike in every sense of the word. Developed by Lightning from the ground up, it utilizes the most technologically advanced electric motorcycle powertrain in existence to deliver a 218 mph top speed, over 200 horsepower at the rear wheel and twice the torque of a MotoGP race bike. This powertrain not only makes the LS-218 the fastest production motorcycle in the world, but is also vastly more efficient than its gasoline powered counterparts. The LS-218s technology has been validated in numerous racing victories including setting multiple land speed records on the Bonneville Salt Flats as well as taking First Place Overall in the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, beating the second place finisher by over 20 seconds.

While Lightning will continue to push the boundaries of performance, in-line with the mission to create two-wheel electric transportation with superior efficiency, performance and affordability than current gasoline alternatives, Lightning is leveraging its technology to expand its product lineup into multiple motorcycle segments targeting mainstream riders. Announcements of new Lightning products will begin in the coming months.

About Lightning Motorcycles

Lightning Motorcycles manufactures the highest performing and most advanced electric motorcycles in the world. Our halo product, LS-218, pushes the boundaries of what is possible for an electric superbike.

Lightning was founded in 2009 to offer consumers the highest performance, best quality and value in each product segment. Lightning is dedicated to developing exciting new products that will attract new motorcycle riders based on ease of operation, superior user experience, and accessible performance.

For any press related inquiries, please reach out to Matt Schulwitz, VP Communications at mschulwitz(at)lightningmotorcycles.com
The law firm of Lyons & Associates, P.C. proudly announces that it has taken on a heartwarming case that shows the wonderful gift of adoption. Attorneys Mark T. Gabriel and Sara E. Kucsan will handle the adoption proceedings for the case pro bono.

The client, who is in her 30s and a parent of her own children, was raised by her stepfather from the time she was 11 years old. Though she was never formally adopted by her stepfather, she always considered him to be her real father. In a gesture of gratitude for his decades of love and support for her, she reached out to the attorneys at Lyons & Associates for help in declaring him her legal father through the process of adoption. She plans to make this a surprise holiday gift to him.

Not knowing where to begin, the woman searched the web for an adoption attorney with whom she felt she could connect. After finding Lyons & Associates, P.C., and being drawn to its mission of personal attention for personal matters, she visited the office without an appointment. She was welcomed by Attorney Mark Gabriel, who dropped everything to talk with her. Mr. Gabriel was so moved by her story, he brought the case directly to the office manager and managing partner, Attorney Theresa A. Lyons. Also touched by the womans heartwarming gesture, Ms. Lyons suggested undertaking the case for free. Mr. Gabriel will be aided by Attorney Sara Kucsan, who has extensive experience as a Guardian ad Litem and with other adoptions.

The Gift of Adoption story demonstrates that adoption is not limited to children, but rather it forges families of all ages. It also shows that family law attorneys, who are often unfairly depicted as lacking compassion due to the prevalence of divorce cases, can and do have a heart. Attorneys at Lyons & Associates, P.C. take great pride in bringing families together through adoption, as well as helping clients through their most challenging family matters.

The law firm of Lyons & Associates, P.C. in Somerville and Morristown, New Jersey provides knowledgeable legal guidance on a variety of family law matters including divorce, child custody, domestic violence, same sex couples litigation, grandparents rights, estate planning, and real estate law. The firm serves clients throughout the state of New Jersey, including those in Somerville, Bridgewater, Somerset, Basking Ridge, Mendham and Morristown, Somerset County, Middlesex County, Morris County, and Union County. Free consultations can be arranged by calling 908-575-9777 or by visiting the firms website at https://www.lyonspc.com.
Dr. Gregory Toback, Periodontist in New London, CT, Offers Life-Changing Full Mouth Reconstructions Its not just about overcoming dental problems but really about how it impacts peoples lives.

Dr. Gregory Toback, board-certified periodontist in New London, CT and Westerly, RI, and his associate Dr. Marianne Urbanski, welcome new patients for full mouth reconstructions. Raising awareness of the life-changing benefits of receiving this transformative treatment, they welcome patients to receive a consultation and find out how the Shoreline Periodontics team can improve their health and their lives.

Those with numerous dental issues, including gum disease, missing teeth or jaw bone loss, may benefit from a single, full mouth reconstruction treatment plan. Considering the most effective and efficient way of restoring a patients oral health, Drs. Toback and Urbanski work with dental labs and the patients general dentist to ensure the healthy and aesthetic smile the patient wants and needs is the final result.

Rachel recently received a full mouth reconstruction from Dr. Toback. Before she came to see him, she had years of bad dental experiences and extreme dental anxiety. I hadnt really smiled for 20 years, says Rachel. After having her daughter Isabel, she realized she needed to set a good example, so she reached out to Dr. Toback. Rachel shares, From the second I walked in there, they make you feel right at ease. Alleviating the pain, discomfort and anxiety of her care, the Shoreline Periodontics team guided her through the process of receiving her new smile.

Although Rachels gum disease had caused bone loss and her teeth were eroded with structural breakdown, Dr. Toback knew he could provide the transformation she needed. Working with Southern Implants and her dentist he first restored her oral health and then placed two full arches of dental implants.

Now, Rachel is ear-to-ear smiles all the time. Its not just about overcoming dental problems but really about how it impacts peoples lives, says Dr. Toback. Getting an opportunity to see that transformation that she made, now that she can really express herself fully, with confidence and without hesitation, thats just so exciting to be a part of.

To learn more about full mouth reconstructions or schedule a personalized consultation from a team of experienced periodontists in New London, CT or their second location in Westerly, RI, visit http://www.shorelineperio.com.

About the Periodontists

Shoreline Periodontics is a periodontal practice offering personalized dental care for patients since 1998 and is located in New London, CT and Westerly, RI. Leading board-certified periodontist, Dr. Gregory A. Toback, received his B.A. from St. Johns University and his Doctorate of Dental Medicine from the University of Connecticut. He also received advanced training in periodontics and dental implants at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. Dr. Toback focuses on minimally invasive surgeries, offering LANAP and belongs to a small group of dental professionals currently providing the Chao Pinhole Surgical Technique for treatment of gum recession. Dr. Marianne Urbanski has been voted one of Connecticuts top dentists for more than seven years by Connecticut Magazine. Dr. Urbanski graduated cum laude from the College of Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts where she earned a Bachelors degree in Biology. She also received her Doctor of Dental Medicine degree and her Masters of Dental Science degree from the University of Connecticut Dental School. Dr. Urbanski prides herself on offering caring, professional treatment to each patient. To learn more about Shoreline Periodontics and their dental services visit their website at http://www.shorelineperio.com or call 860-443-2428 for the New London, CT location, or 401-596-0000 for the Westerly, RI office.
In Hunting Game (Soho Crime, Feb.), Swedish author Tursten introduces a new series lead, Det. Insp. Embla Nystrom.

How has the development of Scandinavian noir affected your approach to crime fiction?

Scandinavian noir was first applied to the 10 Martin Beck novels, written by Sjowall-Wahloo between 1965 and 1975. These books contain a lot of social criticism and are written from a left-wing point of view. That political awareness became a new concept driving Swedish crime novels, and that enabled me to criticize and write about the darkest sides of society, and hide all that darkness in an exciting story. I have, for example, written about Neo-Nazis, problems with psychiatric care and the mental healthcare system, and the expansion of extremely violent criminal gangs. Ive also written about the modern sex industry and its many facets: the practice of grooming victims, trafficking people, and again, the criminal gangs involved that profit off this trade.

How has Scandinavian noir evolved over the last decade?

Now the genre is much wider and more inclusive than it once was. As a writer, you are free to choose any kind of way to tell your story, and the narrative can take whatever form you choosethe boundaries of the genre are more forgiving and expansive. For example, you can even tell your story in poetry, if you like (yes, that has been done). Or the story can be told from the victims point of view, with the dead person as a narrator.

How have you gone about researching how the police in Sweden work?

Im married to an ex-cop, who has been a dentist for 34 years now. Thanks to him, I have had good contact with his former colleagues, who have been very helpful. That has been essential to me. I am still getting insights from my husbands former colleagues, but most of them are now retired. Fortunately, I have new, younger police officers that I can contact.

How does Embla Nystrom differ from your previous lead, Irene Huss?

After 10 books about Irene, I strongly felt that I had to recharge my batteries. Embla was perfect for that purpose, because she is so different from Irene as a person, in terms of both her personality and her demographic. Irene was married and had her twin daughters when she was 24 years old. Police work and her family obligations dominate her time. She is intelligent and has a good instinct for police work. Unlike Embla, she is very experienced. Embla is 28, single, and has absolutely no intention to get a husband or have children. Unlike Irene, Embla has a hot temperbut she tries to cool it down. I think that makes a big difference in the way she approaches her job.
In Grateful American (Nelson, Feb.), actor Sinise explores his life and career, focusing on his work, through the Gary Sinise Foundation, on behalf of American veterans.

What has been most rewarding about working for veterans?

I dont feel that I should just support veterans when something really bad happens, like September 11. I know that these people are out there, day in and day out, doing things that none of us know about, trying to chase bad guys down and keep these catastrophic things from happening to our country. If I can do something to show my appreciation for them, thats the way I feel I can serve and give backand that, truly, beyond being a good dad and a good husband, gives life purpose and meaning to me.

You write about how popular your Lieutenant Dan character was among veterans. Were you surprised?

Yes, but you can never predict how a role is going to affect someone. Most of the Vietnam veterans wed seen in films up until then were damaged. At the end, you werent sure if they were going to be okay. What was heartwarming, I think, about this Vietnam veteran is that he is doing well at the end. Hes successful in business. Hes married. Hes forgiven himself. Hes made peace with God.

You cofounded the Steppenwolf Theater Companyhow does that fit into your story?

When I got out of high school, I was just so passionately obsessed with acting and the theater, but as I describe, not a great student. College didnt seem like an option. I wanted to keep doing plays, though. I got some kids together, we started doing plays, and named it Steppenwolf. It evolved from productions in the basement of a Catholic school in Highland Park in 1974. We didnt know if it was going to be a summer project and everybody would leave, and here we are more than 40 years later. Its pretty crazyits a great American dream story.

Whats next for your foundation?

Were constantly expanding and changing with our veterans needs. Just recently, we had three guys get killed in Afghanistan and three more wounded. Were trying to provide resources and support for them and their families. In the book, I describe the Snowball Express programthis December, we will take more than 1,000 Gold Star kids, who have lost a mom or a dad in combat or through another tragedy while serving in the military, to Disney World for four days. Weve done this event for 13 years. Its pretty great to see these kids healing with each other, enjoying themselves, and saluting their fallen hero.
"The thing thats interesting about right now is imagining what I will ever write next, Dani Shapiro says. Were sitting at a table in the back of the Smile, a subterranean cafe on Bond Street in New York City. Its brisk outside, but the cafe is cozy and slightly out of timeall wood and candlelight, the tables largely empty except for, here and there, a stylish person sipping from a mug the size of a decorative gourd. The clientele is, I think, largely actors or stagehands, grabbing a quick bite before evening call times at either the nearby Public Theater or the off-off-Broadway theater a few doors down.

No one seems disturbed by the two of us, the recorder conspicuously on the table, my beat-up ARC stuffed with Post-it notes. Shapiro could be an actor, too, lively and radiating warmth, dressed in a long-sleeved black shirt, jeans, and heels, as well as a vest that, at first glance, appeared to be moving. It took me a moment, in the dim lighting, to identify the gently wavering material as dozens of tiny, iridescent black feathers. It truly does feel to me that everything has led up to this, Shapiro says.

This is Inheritance (Knopf, Jan. 2019), Shapiros 10th book and fifth memoir, which tells the story of her discovery at age 54, thanks to an at-home DNA testing kit taken cavalierly one evening, that her father, who died in 1986, was not her biological parent. In elegant prose written with the breathless momentum of a thrillerJennifer Egan calls Inheritance a genetic detective storyShapiro chronicles the detonation of this news and the life-altering revelations that unspooled in its wake. She soon learns she was donor conceived, the result of a procedure at the Farris Institute for Parenthood at the University of Pennsylvania, a somewhat unconventional clinic led by a maverick fertility doctor.

Everything that I knew myself to be was that Id come from my parents, from our ancestors, Shapiro says. First there was the shock and disbelief that goes along with a traumatic discovery, but this was, in fact, my storythe story that had always been behind the other stories. She started writing in some narrative form almost immediatelywithin a few weeks of finding out, she saysbreaking every rule she ever had about how close you can be to an experience while writing about it.

Though Inheritance is a read-in-one-sitting kind of memoir, its also a deeply philosophical onethe fireworky story underlaid by Shapiros searching investigation, often illuminated by her Orthodox Jewish upbringing, into the question of what makes a person a person. What combination of memory, history, imagination, experience, subjectivity, genetic substance, and that ineffable thing called the soul makes us who we are? she asks early in the book. Inheritance can be read as many thingsa case study of the ethical fallout of DNA analysis, a surprisingly comprehensive look at the book tours and correspondence that make up a professional authors life, a master class in transforming critical emails into suspenseful plot pointsbut that question is its beating heart. Im not interested in making a confection, Shapiro notes; it was clear within minutes of meeting her that she is a person who is constantly on the lookout for meaning.

Shapiro was born in New York City and raised in suburban New Jersey. Her stockbroker father was an Orthodox Jew; her mother was Jewish but not religious, though she became observant when the two married. Throughout her life, blonde-haired, blue-eyed Shapiro has been told that she doesnt look Jewish (as a toddler, she was a poster child for Christmas, featured in a Kodak billboard that hung in Grand Central Station), much to her annoyanceand sometimes anger.

In a moving chapter near the middle of Inheritance, Shapiro describes the ache of longing she felt as a child, as though she was trapped on the other side of an invisible wall: separate, alone, cut-off, andworst of allnot knowing why. This ache drove her to snoop through her mothers things every chance she got and sent her roaming the neighborhood, trying to insert herself into other families. Later, reading interviews with other donor-conceived people who were never told where they came from, she stumbled across similar descriptions of this ache. When there is this kind of withheld story, Shapiro says, the person from whom its being withheldthe childgrows up in the shadow of that story without knowing it, and is formed by it without knowing what shes being formed by.

Inheritance picks up on many of the same themes Shapiro has been mining over the course of her prolific career. My novels, and actually even my very early work, in high school and college and graduate schoolthey all centered around a secret, she says. The power of secrets, what they do to us. Her novel Family History hinges on a lie, and the others all involve the pull of family, with echoes of this theme of information betrayed or withheld. Her memoirs Slow Motion and Devotion prominently feature her parents. Only her most recent one, Hourglass, about her marriage to screenwriter Michael Maren, has little to do with them.

The image I keep having is of this vast sort of field, where all my life as a writer Ive been out there with a shovel like, Okay, that spot seems really fertile. Im going to dig there for a while.  she says. And theres just this pile of dirt and this hole, and thats a book. And then I do it again. And then suddenly its liketheres that passage in the book where I talk about how I am the black box. It feels like I actually did it. I found the black box.

We decide to split another glass of wine, but the waitress brings us two entirely full glasses. Shapiro has plans to attend a gala for her friends theater company; I worry that she will be late, but she doesnt seem to mind. I mean, we dont choose what obsesses us, Shapiro continues. Right? Its what obsesses us that then becomes our themes.

Theres something about Shapiros mannerthat warmth, her openness and curiositythat makes one want to confide in her. I had suspected this, having heard about her popular workshop retreats, held at hotels and yoga centers in places such as Connecticut and Italy, and her gurulike status among a certain set of aspiring female memoirists. But it surprises me how easily, over the course of our nearly two hours together, I share some of my own family secrets. I tell her that I imagine it will happen a lotpeople unloading their stories of missing or mistaken originswhen she hits the road to talk about Inheritance. It happens to be my story, but I recognize that its really extraordinary, she says. As a writer, I felt an incredible desire and pressure to do it justice.

We turn to the topic of nature vs. nurture, and the unique moment were living inwhen, thanks to the combination of the internet and $59 DNA kits, people can find out life-exploding biological information with unprecedented ease. There have always been people who were wrong about their paternity, since the beginning of timefathers whose children werent their biological children, who didnt know, Shapiro says. Were in a very unusual sliver of time. I think in 20 years, the idea that anyone ever kept these kinds of secrets from each otherits going to be like cigarette smoking, like, How could anyone have ever done that?

The fact that I have to lean across the table to hear Shapiro makes me realize, all of a sudden, that the Smile is nearly full. After our conversation, everyone looks a little differentwhat stories, known and unknown, might each of them contain? This has been such a journey for me, in moving from these wild swings of thinking its all nature, its all nurture, she says. I think many of us would like to just land solidly at one of those poles and be done with it. But its so much more complicated than that.

Julie Buntin is the director of writing programs at Catapult and the author of Marlena.
Debut author Damien Love didnt set out to write a childrens book. I didnt decide it was a book until I was almost done writing it, he says of what began as a free-writing exercise in his spare time. A freelance journalist since the 1990s, Love has had his plate full covering TV, film, and music for outlets such as the Herald, the Scotsman, and various nonfiction collections. But, he says, Ive always wanted to write fiction.

Loves first foray into middle grade, Monstrous Devices (Viking), could be pitched as Raiders of the Lost Ark meets Toy Story. The initial spark came to him in the form of an establishing shot. Back in 2009, I had an idea for the opening scene, which takes place in a creepy toy shop, he says. I saw, and then wrote, the scene without knowing who the characters were or what was going on. In terms of the novels setting, the Scottish author says, I hadnt had a holiday in a long time, and I knew I wanted the story to be in PragueI had good memories from a visit years ago, and I was writing it as a way to escape back there.

The opening sequence evolved into the adventure of a boy named Alex who, along with his dapper yet daring grandfather, becomes caught up in a battle over an antique toy robot with magical powers. The storys MacGuffin was inspired by an actual object in Loves collection. Above the desk where I work sits a toy robot I was given as a gift, he says. Its been there for 20 years. So the idea of the robot and of Prague started merging. Just as the plot zigzags across Europe, he says, the book was written on trains in between places, on the backs of tickets.

The book also draws on Loves passion for pop culture, with homages to North by Northwest, The Maltese Falcon, and more. The book is kind of like an inventory of my influences, he says. Its also my way of thanking all the creators whove inspired me. When youre growing up, your first encounter with cinema is very special. I wanted to nod to the films that moved me and opened up my mind when I was Alexs age.

In 2010, Love began his search for an agent. Though he found representation in London, after struggling to land a publisher, he considered self-publishing. He ended up parting ways with his agent, and by 2013, he says, It became clear that it wasnt going to work, so I kind of gave up and put the book in a drawer. For the next few years, Love returned to focusing on his day job as an arts journalist.

Cut to the end of 2016, when Love revisited the manuscript. A part of me always believed other people would like my story, too, he says. I realized the only thing I hadnt tried, the only other market, was the U.S. By the time he began querying American agents, hed received 99 rejections. You build up so much scar tissue, it doesnt hurt anymore, he says.

Loves persistence paid off: 24 hours after querying Catherine Drayton at InkWell Management, she called with an offer to sign him. Within three months of their first conversation, Drayton sold North American rights to Alex Ulyett, then an associate editor at Viking Books for Young Readers.

With Love in the U.K., Drayton based in Australia, and Ulyett in New York, the trio collaborated through a very strange ping-pong of time differences. Love says the edits were fairly light. In terms of revision, it was more a process of clarifying and amplifying, he says. One of the main things was translating my British vernacular into something Americans could understand. The grandfather character usually has a pocket full of candyover here we say sweets. There was quite a lot of talk of getting rid of the sweets. 

The debut author says his life hasnt changed much as of yet. The book isnt published in the U.K. [LAW Agency in London represents U.K. rights on behalf of InkWell], so there isnt really excitement over here, Love says. I kind of feel like Jimmy Stewart in Harvey; I mention I have this book out, and I imagine people here sort of roll their eyes and nod their head. Its a strange thing; Im just going on with it. However surreal the experience, reviews have been positive. The book received a star from PW and landed on Barnes & Nobles Best Books of 2018.

On the possibility of a film adaptation, Love says, Mary Pender-Coplan at UTA is handling film rights. Fingers crossed. On the chances of a sequel, he is more certain: Definitely! Im working on one now. All the questions that were left open-ended were left so intentionally.
Darius the Great Is Not Okay (Dial) is Adib Khorrams first published noveland a finalist for the William C. Morris Award, given to debut novelists. But, like many other writers, Khorram did not find success with the very first novel he wrote.

Depending on how you count, I have four or five in the drawer, says Khorram, a Kansas City, Mo., native and resident. Some were really bad. Some were decent but the time wasnt right. But Im proud of all of them because they got me to Darius.

Despite the false starts, Khorrams writing career has had a long gestation. He began writing seriously in sixth grade, after he showed his English teacher 10 pages of fan fictiona sequel to The Lord of the Ringswhich she damned with faint praise. She didnt discourage me, but she urged me to write something original next, he recalls.

Khorram took the advice to heart. His school was upgrading its technology and had stored its old word processors in an empty classroom. He and some friends got permission to use them. We had an after-school club where we would go to that classroom and write, he says. Fantasy, sci-fi, some sort of adventurethats where it started.

Writing was a refuge for Khorram, who felt other both in his Kansas City neighborhoodhe and his sister were the only Iranian-Americansand at family reunions, because everyone else could converse in Farsi.

At Southern Illinois University, Khorram studied technical theater. (He still works as a projectionist and lighting designer at a production company but was able to reduce his hours after selling Darius and keep his health insurance.) The urge to create remained, however. Seeing Peter Jacksons Lord of the Rings trilogy led him to enroll at the Vancouver Film School.

I was convinced I wanted to be a filmmaker until I studied film, Khorram says. Then I tried to write screenplays, but it is impossible to sell one, so the very first novel I wrote was an adaptation of the first screenplay I wrote. It didnt sell either, but I will never forget how fulfilling it was to finish a novel.

That was 2010. Over the next half a dozen years, Khorram educated himselfstudying the novel-writing process, finding critique partners online, learning the ins and outs of getting an agent.

And Khorram wrote. He participated in NaNoWriMo, including in 2014, when he started a novel he felt was the one that would finally sell. It felt different and fresh, unique, he recalls. I remember I finished the first draft on a Monday. The next day, I read the deals report in PW, and one of the deals sounded exactly like the novel I had just finished.

Nevertheless, Khorram persisted. Visiting his fathers extended family for Nowruz, the Persian New Year, he began to consider a novel based on his own experience as an Iranian-American adolescent in the Midwest. He gave his main character, Darius, an Iranian mother (his own is American) and an American father (Khorrams father was born in Yadz, the village in Iran where most of Darius is set). Khorram also gave Darius chronic depressionsomething the author has lived with most of his life.

Khorram showed an early draft to an agent at a writers conference who asked a few insightful questions that blew the story wide open, he recalls. He also discussed it with his relatives when they met for a reunion in Cypress. Everyone had suggestions as to what I should add.

After revising, Khorram was just about to participate in #DVPit, a Twitter event created to showcase pitches from marginalized voices, when an agent he had queried asked to see his book. While withdrawing it from the other agents he had queried, he got two more requests for the manuscript. He wound up signing with Molly ONeill, who grew up in Texas.

Molly and I clicked, Khorram says. We shared a Midwestern cultural experience. He revised again. I am terrible at pacing. Molly had excellent advice on how to better shape the story.

The book sold to Dana Chidiac at Dial just a few weeks after going out on submission. Khorram says that after all the years and hard work, the best part of becoming published was getting to work with someone who could help him make his writing shine. Its kind of selfish, but working with Dana has been my favorite part of all this, he says. Shes gotten work out of me that I didnt know I was capable of. Darius would not be the book it is without her.

Readers have responded, telling Khorram they appreciated the inclusion of a character living with depression. Hes also received positive feedback from those who, like him, are diaspora children, a generation trapped between two cultures, he says, and identify with his main character, who is not getting the social cues entirely right in either one.

But mostly, Khorram says, people comment about his mouthwatering descriptions of the food Darius is offered when he goes to Iran for the first time to visit an ailing grandfather he has never met before. I have had so many people tell me that the book made them really, really hungry, he says.
In May 2012, a struggle began at Archipelago Books, the Brooklyn-based not-for-profit press specializing in literature in translation. This September, it ended with the publication of the sixth and final English-language volume of Karl Ove Knausgaards My Struggle, a behemoth of a novel that became a literary phenomenon in the authors native Norway and abroad and that blurs the lines between series and single work and fiction and memoir.

The press first published Knausgaard in 2009; that novel, A Time for Everything, was received quietly. But My Struggle, which shares a title with Adolf Hitlers Mein Kampf, had a lot of buzz around it from the start. Jill Schoolman, Archipelagos publisher, attributed some of the books instant success to critic James Woods piece on the first installment in the New Yorker. Because of who he is, because of what he said about it, his taking it seriously and really loving it, I think a lot of writers paid attention, Schoolman said. A lot of things started happening after that.

To date, Archipelago has sold around 50,000 copies of the six volumes of the novel, the bulk of which were in hardcover. After the second volume, the press sold paperback rights to Farrar, Straus and Giroux, and Schoolman called the presss relationship with FSG a great partnership. Archipelago initially published the first volume in paperback, but after those sold out, Schoolman said, we did a Kickstarter to raise money to do a hardcover first volume, so we could have the whole set.

Archipelago was founded 15 years ago by Schoolman, fresh out of Seven Stories Press, and is one of a number of literary outfits that has its offices in the Old American Can Factory in Brooklyns Gowanus neighborhood. In the presss first year, Schoolman and one employee, the translator Chi-Young Kim, released four books (then distributed by Consortium), with the ambition of doing six to eight books per year thereafter. At that point, Schoolman said, around 70% of the Archipelagos books were translated classics and the rest were contemporary. Today, Archipelagos full-time staff of threeSchoolman, associate editor and publicist Cian Dinan, and editorial and development associate Emma Raddatzpublishes 15 to 16 books per year (distributed by Penguin Random House), with the help of interns and designers; contemporary translations account for 70% of its output. The press also has a childrens imprint, Elsewhere Editions, which publishes two to three books per year.

When considering a new book, Schoolman puts great emphasis on both author and translator. Once she publishes them, theyre added to a stable that is, well, remarkably stable. At this point, theres a small group of translators that weve probably done five to eight books with each, she said. Although were always working with new translators too.

Among the latter category are Maureen Shaughnessy, the translator of Argentine writer Hebe Uharts The Scent of Buenos Aires, and Andrea Rosenberg, who translated Colombian author Tomas Gonzalezs The Storm. Each volume is its translators first book with Archipelago, and The Scent of Buenos Aires was the first translation into English of any work by Uhart, a prominent Argentine author who died this October. Then, Schoolman added, in certain cases, like with Bill Johnston, who translates from the Polish, weve done around eight bookshes brilliant, transcendent.

Johnston, for his part, likes working with Archipelago. A renowned translator, hes worked with a number of other presses, including Dalkey Archive, Grove Atlantic, Harcourt, and New Directions. Translators are typically a rather modest breed, he said. Most translators I know tend to be rather self-effacing, and they want their translations, in a sense, to be invisible.

That isnt the case, Johnston added, at Archipelago: Jill personally goes through every single text and makes really good editorial suggestions, but its not a case that she goes through and corrects it and moves onit becomes a conversation. In a sense, its an unusual, collaborative, dialogical approach, and I find it very conducive to doing good work.

Though Knausgaards Struggle may be over for Archipelago, his time with the press is not: it will publish a book of essays, America of the Soul, and his first novel, Out of the World, in translations by Martin Aitken, in 2019 and 2020, respectively. Aitken also worked on the sixth volume of My Struggle and published another translation with Archipelago this year, the National Book Awardlonglisted Love, by Norwegian author Hanne rstavik. And his translation, from the Danish, of A Change of Time by Ida Jessen is due in spring 2019 from Archipelago, too.
CROATIA: The European Unions Cohesion Fund is to cover the majority of the cost of planning and designing a new double-track alignment which would replace the 50 km Karlovac  Ostarije section of the Zagreb  Rijeka route.
Days after it delivered a VOD option for the Luxembourg IPTV service, Alteox Media Consulting has announced that it is bringing English language learning channel English Club TV to PostTV.





Alteox believes that learning languages is an audio-visual adventure. The channels scope spans from beginner to advanced and every English learner can find the best-suitable material for his or her level with a variety of programmes developed by teachers and methodologists.Alteox adds that the channel will benefit many people in Luxembourg, as the country is becoming increasingly international, with English as the main connecting language. PostTV already offers over 400 channels and English Club TV will be available to customers via TV or through a companion app. Alteox is the exclusive content aggregator for POST Luxembourg . The consulting company is said to have played a crucial role in establishing relations between the channel and the distributor. Its a pleasure to welcome English Club TV in Luxembourg, and its an honour that we were able to connect the channel with the biggest distributor in Luxembourg, said Alteox CEO Sven Breckler. From now on, every individual eager to learn or improve their skills in English, can easily achieve that goal."Andrew Semchenko, CEO of the English Club TV channel, added: The recent studies show that 40% of people living in Luxembourg consider English as one of the two most useful languages in the country, 71% think their children should learn it. As far as I know English is not taught at primary schools in Luxembourg. So, watching English Club TV channel will help children take their first steps in learning English and encourage them to develop their creativity.
The de-militarized zone (DMZ) agreement reached by Russia and Turkey in Sochi on September 17intentended to stabilize the Greater Idlib region of northwest Syria (which includes all of Idlib governorate and parts of northern Hama, eastern Latakia, and western Aleppo governorates)has been tested recently by the activities of the most prominent militant Salafist organization in Syria. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS-Organization to Liberate the Levant)which includes a large part of the former Syrian affiliate of al-Qaeda Jabhat al-Nusra (JN-Victory Front)continues to conduct attacks against the Assad government, despite the Sochi agreement (Horrya [Idlib], December 15; Okaz[Riyadh], November 2). The continued military activities of HTS in the Idlib DMZ has created tensions between Russia and Turkey; led to a large mobilization of Assad government forces on the periphery of the zone; and resulted in significant kinetic activity by the Syrian military inside the DMZ since September (ETANA, December 10; al-Monitor, December 5; Enab Baladi [Idlib], December 2).

Developments on the ground inside Greater Idlib, which are empowering HTS, are further challenging the spirit of the DMZ deal reached at Sochi. According to Syrian opposition sources, HTS is utilizing the pause in the conflict provided by the Sochi agreement to expand its social, political, economic and military power inside Greater Idlib. The militant Salafist organization is expanding its ability to shape events in Greater Idlib because it fields a more disciplined and coherent army than any of its competitorsparticularly the Turkish-backed, Jabhat al-Wataniyya al-Tahrir (NLF-National Liberation Front), which is a coalition of mainly militant Sunni Islamist armed opposition groups. [1] HTS and the NLF periodically clash, although these battles are short-lived and highly localized due to the comparative advantage in fighting capabilities that HTS has over the NLF forces (al-Dorar al-Shamiya [Beirut], December 4; Arabi 21 [Idlib], October 5).

Although the NLF has an estimated 80,000 fighters among its constituent groups, it suffers from a lack of coherent command, coordination, and rivalries among the different groups to attract Turkeys support. [2] HTS has a standing force of approximately 15,000 fighters of whom an estimated 90-95% are Syrian. Despite having approximately one-fifth the active forces as the NLF, HTS still enjoys superior institutional organization, chain of command and esprit de corps compared to other rebel groups in Greater Idlib. [3] This reality buttresses HTS ability to win most battles against its NLF competitors, and supports its ability to exert strong social, political, and economic influence within Greater Idlib.

HTS social and economic power in Greater Idlib is a product of the military capabilities that it can field. Turkey and the international community have sought to enact a strategy to isolate HTS from access to international humanitarian assistance and other types of support from foreign actors to erode HTS power and influence vis-a-vis other armed opposition groups. This strategy, however, has thus far been frustrated by the power dynamics within the armed opposition in Greater Idlib (Middle East Eye [Idlib], December 8; IRIN, October 2). HTS controls most of the Syrian-Turkish border in Idlib governorate. Through its proxy opposition governance authority, the Salvation Government, HTS can shape governance and administration in Greater Idlib, including the ability to extract taxes from trade moving into and out of Idlib governorate through the Bab al-Hawa border point (al-Araby al-Jadid [Idlib], December 11; al-Modon [Idlib], November 2). [4]

The Bab al-Hawa border point is the main and most direct way for trade to move into and out of Idlib governorate, and although Turkey does not allow HTS an armed presence at Bab al-Hawa, the Salvation Government acts as HTS agent at the border point. [5] Once beyond the border zone, HTS controls large parts of the vital M4 (Aleppo-Latakia) and M5 (Aleppo-Damascus) inter-governorate highways that cross through Greater Idlib, which allows the organization, rather than its proxy Salvation Government, to directly tax commerce, control the flow of humanitarian assistance, and when needed, freely move its forces around Greater Idlib to counter threats against it. [6] Despite international efforts to limit its power, HTS control over the M4 and M5 in Greater Idlib allows it to control the lines of commerce and movement of people within, into, and out of Idlib governorate. HTS also dominates the throughways that the Turkish military must use to reinforce and resupply its 12 military outposts that monitor the DMZ. [7]

HTS influence has developed further as the Salvation Government has sought to aggressively preclude competing authorities. These include local councils for individual communities, and the Turkish-backed, Syrian Interim Government (SIG) from running institutionsespecially civil administration and the provision of services, that are not run by the Salvation Government. [8]

HTS governance strategy, however, is not dependent on the Salvation Government. The militant Salafist organization has been steadily increasing the energy it has put into another line of effort, which is to build relationships and influence over local majlis al-ayaan (council of notables)the traditional, high-status and often wealthier landowning and merchant families in Greater Idlib. [9] Idlib governoratea socially conservative region built on a primarily agricultural economyhas seen a large influx of people. More than 1.5 million of Idlib governorates current population of more than 3 million people are internally displaced people (IDPs) from other regions of Syria. The governorate has also seen a boom in both trade from Turkey and the amount of inflow of humanitarian assistance (al-Jazeera [Doha], September 9).

While it is estimated that more than 2 million people in Idlib governorate need humanitarian assistance, the boom in the local economy is believed to have disproportionately benefited notable families throughout the governorate (United Nations, September 18). [10] It is also believed that a significant number of the local councils in Idlib are run as de facto social clubs for local elites, allowing them to control how humanitarian and other foreign assistance is distributed. [11] With international efforts to prevent HTS from benefiting from assistance aid, HTS has focused on marrying its Syrian commanders into local notable families and otherwise building close relationships with them. This allows the group the opportunity to try to circumvent efforts to frustrate it by gaining access to local councils and communities run by these notables. This strategy also allows it to draw from their community resources and humanitarian aid. [12]

HTS is developing a safe haven in Idlib that allows the organization to perform dawa (proselytizing) among the local population and become tightly woven into the local politics, society, and economy of northwest Syria. [13] Although it is under pressure from its opponentsboth Syrian and foreignthere are likely to be no credible competitors to HTS, except in the event of a major Turkish or Assad government military operation against it, for the foreseeable future. Further, HTS is digging roots deep enough into Greater Idlib, particularly Idlib governorate, that it would likely be able to regenerate itself from local recruits. Even if confronted by its opponents or if the Assad government invaded Greater Idlib, it would likely be the main force to lead a future, resurgent militant Sunni Islamist insurgency against Damascus.

Notes

[1] Information comes from authors ongoing collaboration with PDC, Inc., which is an organization that has a large network of Syrian informants in Greater Idlib.

[2]-[13] Ibid

Reprinted with permission from The Jamestown Foundation.
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Christian Michel, an alleged middleman extradited from Dubai recently, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate and sent to seven days custody of the agency over money laundering charges in the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper scam after he was produced in a court New Delhi which denied bail in the related Central Bureau of Investigation case.

IMAGE: Christian Michel, the alleged middleman in the multi-crore AgustaWestland chopper deal. Photograph: ANI

Michel, lodged in Tihar jail in the CBI case, was produced before Special Judge Arvind Kumar following a production warrant issued on the plea of ED which took him into custody inside the courtroom.

The court, which had earlier reserved order on his bail plea in the CBI case, said, "Considering the overall facts and circumstances, serious nature of allegations, gravity of offence and the fact that investigation is at a crucial stage, I do not consider it to be a fit case for grant of bail."

The court had on December 19 reserved the order on Michel's bail plea in the Rs 36,000-crore scam and sent him to judicial custody till December 28.

After arresting Michel in the alleged money laundering case, the ED sought his 15 day-custody from the court on Saturday.

Opposing defence counsel's submission that the accused had already been quizzed by the CBI, the ED said there was a gap in the money trail being investigated by it and the CBI.

"We are two different agencies. It's impossible to have a joint investigation in the ambit of the law. We need to stand on our own feet," the ED said.

The agency said that it needs to probe money laundering aspect of the chain of proceeds of crime and the properties brought with that money, all of which have to be identified and recovered.

"We are aware of an investigation of Euro 30 million. The CBI's investigation is of more than Euro 37 million. We have to cover that gap," the ED said.

It alleged that two of the properties have been bought out of the 'proceeds of crime' and hence it is purely in the scope of money laundering.

"The money came and has been used through a hawala channel. It has not come through official channel. That has to be probed and he needs to be confronted in that regard. The co-accused persons have to be confronted with.

"Both channels -- one channel through which money came and the other through which it was used -- have to be unearthed. Money trail has to be identified. The nexus of Guido Haschke, Carlo Gerosa and Gautam Khaitan (the other accused) also have to be unearthed," the agency said.

It said that the agency was forced to seek "open-ended non-bailable warrant".

Open-ended NBW does not carry a time limit for execution unlike non-bailable warrant.

The ED alleged that Michel has not joined the investigation in Italy and it cannot be said that the points the agency wants to probe here have already been investigated.

Michel was arrested in the UAE and extradited to India on December 4. The next day, he was produced before the court, which allowed his five-day custodial interrogation by the CBI. It was extended by five more days, and later for another four days.

Michel's counsel Aljo K Joseph opposed the 15-day custody application by ED saying there was already prolonged detention by the CBI and his further custody by the ED will be "hampering his fundamental right".

"The ED did not try to question him while he was in the probe agency's (CBI) custody. His custody by one agency could have been used by the ED as well," Joseph said.

He further alleged that both the agencies have not done independent probe and are seeking Michel's confession.

"We are filing all the documents related to his financial transaction. Indian authorities are again asking for custody for his confession. All the documents have been collected by the Italian government. They have not done any investigation by themselves," the counsel said.

Michel had on Friday urged the court that he be lodged in a separate cell as other inmates were putting "uncomfortable questions" to him.

An Assistant Superintendent of Tihar Jail informed the court on Saturday that the accused is lodged in a ward meant for first time offenders "under safe and secure custody", considering that he was a foreigner.

The court also noted the submission of the jail official that jail authorities are providing adequate facilities to all the prisoners including foreigners as per rules.

However, the court directed the jail superintendent to ensure safety and security of the accused. The court also noted the submission made by the accused that he has not been "pressured by anyone and he has not been threatened by any prisoners and everything is OK."

The CBI opposed the bail plea saying he was paid huge bribe amount by AugustaWestland which was given to the officers of Indian Air Force, MOD, bureaucrats, politicians and a family in India for showing favour in VVIP Helicopter deal.

It alleged that an amount of euro 42.27 million was paid by Westland Group companies to the firms of accused as kickbacks.

Michel is among the three alleged middlemen being probed in the case by the ED and the CBI. The others are Haschke and Gerosa.

The CBI has alleged there was an estimated loss of Euro 398.21 million -- about Rs 2,666 crore -- to the exchequer in the deal that was signed on February 8, 2010 for the supply of VVIP choppers worth Euro 556.262 million.

The ED, in its chargesheet filed against Michel in June 2016, had alleged that he received Euro 30 million -- about Rs 225 crore -- from AgustaWestland.
'With the top court's judgment declaring the Right to Privacy a Fundamental Right, the powers under the provision need to be looked afresh.'

'To utilise such sweeping powers in the right manner will also be a challenge.'

Archis Mohan and Aashish Aryan report.

The Narendra Damodardas Modi government's late night order authorising 10 central agencies to intercept, monitor and decrypt information contained in 'any' computer system rocked Parliament on Friday, December 21, with the Opposition terming it an assault on fundamental rights.

The Congress and other Opposition parties also accused the government of trying to turn India into a "surveillance State' by resorting to 'snooping'.

The government, however, dismissed the charges and said the new order 'does not confer any new powers' to any security or law enforcement agency, and that the authorisation was given under 2009 rules.

It said the Opposition was playing with national security and 'making a mountain where even a molehill doesn't exist'.

It looks imminent, though, the battle on the issue will be fought in the Supreme Court in the coming weeks, particularly in the context of the apex court's judgment on the Right to Privacy.

In the Rajya Sabha, Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad alleged that an 'undeclared Emergency has taken final shape' and 'all federal agencies have been let loose'.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who is also Leader of the House, countered the allegation, saying the Congress was crying foul over powers created by it when it was in government.

Congress President Rahul Gandhi slammed the PM over the issue. 'Converting India into a police State isn't going to solve your problems, Modi Ji. It's only going to prove to over 1 billion Indians, what an insecure dictator you really are,' he tweeted.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said 'blanket surveillance' was bad in law.

Cyber law expert Pavan Duggal said the government was well within its rights to issue such a notification as the Supreme Court had upheld in 2015 the legal validity of Section 69 of the Information Technology Act.

"However, with the top court's judgment later declaring the Right to Privacy a Fundamental Right, the powers under the provision need to be looked afresh. To utilise such sweeping powers in the right manner will also be a challenge," said Duggal, president of Cyberlaws.net.

Thursday night's order was brought out by the home ministry's 'cyber and information security' division under the authority of Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba.

According to the order, 10 central security and intelligence agencies are now authorised to intercept and analyse any information on any computer system under Section 69 of the IT Act, 2000.

The agencies notified are the Intelligence Bureau, Narcotics Control Bureau, Enforcement Directorate, Central Board of Direct Taxes, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, Central Bureau of Investigation, National Investigation Agency, Research and Analysis Wing, Directorate of Signal Intelligence (in service areas of Jammu and Kashmir, the north east and Assam), and the Delhi police commissioner.

In a clarificatory statement, the home ministry said adequate safeguards were provided in the IT Act, and similar provisions and procedures already existed in the Telegraph Act along with 'identical safeguards'.

The ministry said 'each case' of such computer interception, monitoring and decryption was 'to be approved by the competent authority, which is the Union home secretary'.

'The present notification is analogous to the authorisation issued under the Telegraph Act. The entire process is also subject to a robust review mechanism as in the case of the Telegraph Act. Every individual case will continue to require prior approval of the home ministry or state government. The MHA has not delegated its powers to any law enforcement or security agency,' it said.

The ministry used Rule 4 of the IT (Procedure and Safeguards for Interception, Monitoring and Decryption of Information) Rules 2009 to elaborate its point.

It provides that 'the competent authority may authorise an agency of the Government to intercept, monitor or decrypt information generated, transmitted, received or stored in any computer resource for the purpose specified in sub-section (1) of Section 69 of the Act', according to the ministry.

Therefore, it said, the latest order had been issued 'in accordance with rules framed in year 2009 and in vogue since then and no new powers have been conferred to any of the security or law enforcement agencies'.

The notification, it said, has been issued to notify the ISPs (Internet Service Providers), TSPs (telecommunications service providers), and intermediaries, among others, to codify the existing orders.

According to the 2009 rules, all cases of interception or monitoring or decryption are to be placed before a review committee, headed by the Cabinet secretary, which shall meet at least once in two months to review such cases, the statement said.

In the case of state governments, it added, such cases were reviewed by a committee headed by the chief secretary concerned.

Section 69 of the IT Act deals with the 'power to issue directions for interception or monitoring or decryption of any information through any computer resource'.

According to an earlier order, the Union home secretary is also empowered to authorise or sanction intelligence and security agencies the tapping and analysis of phone calls under provisions of the Indian Telegraph Act.

In the Rajya Sabha, Congress leader Anand Sharma said the issue was serious as it was related to fundamental rights and 'India will become a police State' with such 'sweeping powers' to agencies to intercept information.

Responding to the charge, Jaitley said it would have been better if the Opposition had obtained all information before raising this issue.

He said the rules under which agencies would be authorised to intercept information were framed in 2009 when the Congress-led UPA was in power. 'So what you are doing Mr Anand Sharma is making a mountain where even a molehill does not exist,' he said.

However, Azad replied that there is no mention of national security in the order. 'The BJP seems to think it has ownership rights over national security and it means nothing to us,' he said, taking a swipe at the government.

To this, Jaitley said, 'These are elementary things. It is an authorisation order. The provisions of national security are written in Article 69.... You are playing with the security of the country. That is what you have done just now.'

Outside Parliament, the CPI-M's Sitaram Yehcury said the order was unconstitutional.
General Mattis has been the most steadfast champion in Trump's cabinet of the US-India defence relationship.

If Trump chooses a more pliable successor, the Pentagon's attention could go off India.

Ajai Shukla reports.

IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi with outgoing US Secretary of Defence General James Mattis in New Delhi after the 2+2 dialogue, September 6, 2018. Photograph: Press Information Bureau

The announcement on Friday, December 21, that General James 'Mad Dog' Mattis would soon step down as United States defence secretary un-tethers the US-India relationship from its sturdiest peg, and exposes New Delhi, worryingly, to the unpredictable policymaking of President Donald J Trump's administration.

Since January 2017, General Mattis has been the most steadfast votary in Trump's cabinet of the US-India defence relationship.

In September 2017, he became Trump's first cabinet-level official to visit India.

Since then, he has taken pro-India stands consistently on issues from Afghanistan to the Indo-Pacific.

In June, General Mattis re-designated the US Pacific Command or USPACOM -- Pentagon's largest geographical command with about 375,000 personnel and 60 per cent of the US naval fleet -- the US Indo-Pacific Command or USINDOPACOM in a nod to India's growing influence, as Washington's most valuable regional partner.

In September, General Mattis ignored Pakistan's long-standing demands to keep India out of Afghanistan and, instead, sought India's assistance and involvement in helping to stabilise that country.

When the US Congress -- furious at Russia's meddling in America's 2016 presidential election, and at Trump's reluctance to retaliate against Moscow -- passed a law titled Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act or CAATSA, it was General Mattis who strongly pushed for a waiver to save India from US sanctions, which would kick in from buying weaponry from Moscow.

With Mattis lobbying vigorously for India, the US Congress legislated a waiver from CAATSA.

General Mattis strongly supported New Delhi's argument that India's large arsenal of Russian weaponry did not allow it to make a clean break.

Eventually, the National Defense Authorization Act, 2019, which the US Congress passed in July, created a waiver for close US partners such as India.

Although Trump has not yet provided India a waiver from sanctions for buying the $5 billion S-400 air defence system from Russia, he is expected to do so.

General Mattis also supported another Section in NDAA 2019 that reinforced and fleshed out India's bespoke designation as a 'major defence partner' of the US.

While the Obama administration had accorded India that designation in its closing months, NDAA 2019 required the administration to submit a detailed annual report to the US Congress on what it was doing to enhance bilateral defence ties.

Pentagon insiders recount that, in all of this, General Mattis lobbied Congress relentlessly on India's behalf.

On July 30, India's status as a 'major defence partner' led to its categorisation as a Strategic Trade Authorization Tier 1 country in the US commerce department's export regulations.

General Mattis played a role in this upgrade as well, anticipating that it would facilitate the flow of defence equipment to India.

'This regulatory change will enhance the bilateral defence trade relationship and result in a greater volume of US exports to India,' stated the US department of commerce after announcing the STA upgrade.

IMAGE: Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and US Secretary of Defense James N Mattis exchange the Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement during the '2+2 Bilateral Dialogue' between India and the US, September 6, 2018. Photograph: Press Information Bureau

Genera; Mattis also pushed through the Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement or COMCASA -- a milestone pact that was signed at the inaugural US-India 'two-plus-two' strategic dialogue in September -- in which General Mattis and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo together met Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj.

COMCASA had languished in the pipeline for over 15 years, but General Mattis persuaded New Delhi to sign the agreement.

It will allow the US and Indian militaries to operate together, communicating on secure channels and equipment.

Since the start of Trump's presidency, General Mattis has taken forward the legacy of his predecessor Dr Ashton Carter, who was similarly India's ablest votary in Washington.

However, Dr Carter functioned in the relatively stable Obama administration, where the White House itself strongly believed in the India relationship.

With the Trump White House otherwise preoccupied and an unstable state department, General Mattis's support has been invaluable.

His resignation letter underlines serious disagreements with Trump.

It rebukes the president for failing to service US alliances while being confused about America's enemies.

If that causes Trump to choose a more pliable successor, the Pentagon's attention could go off India.

Over the preceding decade, the US has become India's biggest defence supplier, logging $15 billion in sales of C-17 Globemaster III and C-130J Super Hercules transporters, P-8I Poseidon maritime surveillance aircraft, CH-47F Chinook heavy lift choppers and AH-64E Apache attack helicopters.

Now, Washington is pushing for another $10 billion worth of sales of 114 F-16 Block 70 fighters, 57 F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fighters and 22 Sea Guardian drones.
Photograph: @pid_gov/Twitter

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan telephoned United Nations chief Antonio Guterres and raised the issue of Kashmir, a UN spokesman has said.

Stephane Dujarric, the spokesman for the UN Secretary General, did not give further details about the conversation between Khan and Guterres.

When asked to comment on India's strong retort to Khan that Pakistan should mind its own business and that Kashmir is an integral part of India, Dujarric said, "Our position on Kashmir has been reiterated. There is an observer group as mandated by the Security Council."

He was referring to the UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan.

Dujarric added that the Pakistani prime minister wanted to speak to the Secretary-General.

"It's only normal that the Secretary-General speak to Heads of Governments and Heads of State and, as I said, I can confirm that the call took place and that the prime minister raised the issue of Kashmir," Dujarric said.

In a set of recent tweets, Khan said that "Kashmiris must be allowed to decide their future".

He also tweeted that Pakistan would raise the issue of India's alleged human rights violations at the United Nations.

External affairs ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar in response said that "the statements coming out from their side demonstrates the insincerity and duplicity".

The UNMOGIP was established in January 1949 and currently has a total of 118 UN and civilian staff.

Following the India-Pakistan war in 1971 and a subsequent ceasefire agreement of December 17 of that year, the tasks of UNMOGIP have been to observe, to the extent possible, developments pertaining to the strict observance of the ceasefire and to report there on to the Secretary-General.

India has maintained that UNMOGIP has outlived its utility and is irrelevant after the Simla Agreement and the consequent establishment of the Line of Control.
IMAGE: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan addresses an event to highlight the 100-day achievements of the Punjab government in Lahore. Photograph: @PTIofficial/Twitter

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday said he will "show" the Narendra Modi government "how to treat minorities", amidst a controversy over Bollywood actor Naseeruddin Shah's remarks on mob violence in India.

Shah finds himself at the centre of a major controversy over his remarks on the spate of mob lynching cases in India following the killing of a policeman in Uttar Pradesh's Bulandshahr district earlier this month.

Addressing an event to highlight the 100-day achievements of the Punjab government in Lahore, Khan asserted that his government is taking steps to ensure that religious minorities in Pakistan get their due rights, which was also a vision of the country's founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

Khan said his government will make it sure that the minorities feel safe, protected and have equal rights in 'New Pakistan'.

"We will show the Modi government how to treat minorities...Even in India, people are saying that minorities are not being treated as equal citizens," he said referring to Shah's statement.

In a video interview with Karwan-e-Mohabbat India, the veteran actor said the death of a cow was being given importance over killing of a policeman in India.

He 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...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," Shah added.

The Pakistani premier said if justice is not given to the weak then it will only lead to uprising.

Giving an example, he said, "The people of East Pakistan were not given their rights which was the main reason behind the creation of Bangladesh."

On December 3, Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh and a student, Sumit Kumar, were killed in mob violence in Bulandshahr after cow carcasses were found strewn around.

The main accused in the case is a local Bajrang Dal leader, Yogesh Raj.
Kamal Nath will need to watch his back because given the slender majority, there is no doubt that the BJP will try to topple his government.

Aditi Phadnis reports.

IMAGE: Kamal Nath, the longest serving Lok Sabha MP, is Madhya Pradesh's 18th chief minister. Photograph: PTI Photo

He probably feels more at ease in London and New York. But Kamal Nath will now find himself sequestered in Bhopal and Indore.

He has become chief minister of Madhya Pradesh, a state-level job that he has never held before. It will be interesting to see how he addresses the challenge.

In a sense, Nath is a complete aberration. He has no family in politics, but is the longest serving MP in the Lok Sabha and has been elected from his constituency, Chhindwara, nine times.

He is a businessman in a party the top leaders of which still consider themselves socialist. At least three Congress Cabinet ministers had objected to the opening up of FDI in retail. These included A K Antony, Vayalar Ravi and Kamal Nath.

The first two represented the Left-leaning state of Kerala. Nath was the third. Nath's objection was not to the opening up of retail but that the government was not 'doing enough to open up the sector'.

His view in the Cabinet was that the government should not impose too many conditions and instead allow the states to frame their own guidelines.

Eventually that is what the government decided and the Narendra Damodardas Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party dispensation has continued with Nath's position.

Nath has an extensive corporate and industrial empire but no scams or enquiries have been reported. He has crossed swords with most top Congress leaders -- with P Chidambaram on the issue of SEZs; with Montek Singh Ahluwalia and his (erstwhile) Planning Commission colleagues on the issue of 'no exit' roads and highways building contracts; and with the bureaucracy generally, including the PMO, on his handling of WTO negotiations when he was trade minister.

Despite chatter, he stood staunchly by his bureaucracy and refused to give in to pressure and sanction investigation when the CBI knocked at the doors of some bureaucrats in the roads and highways ministry during his tenure.

He is one minister who won praise from his ministers of state because he actually delegated work to them. His network spreads far and wide.

And no one raises allegation of his involvement in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots any more.

IMAGE: Kamal Nath with Rahul Gandhi who appointed him Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee president and the leader who supervised the party's election campaign. Photograph: Photograph: @INCIndia/Twitter

Nath's new appointment is interesting for another reason. He was not born in Madhya Pradesh, he did not grow up there, he has just represented the state in the legislature.

When he was made president of the Congress in the state, it was probably because he was not considered a threat by the two other top leaders of the state, Jyotiraditya Scindia and Digvijaya Singh, who see each other as challengers.

Nath must be given much of the credit for devising strategies that led to the Congress victory: He committed personal funds, brought a fractured and fractious party together and listened to the advice of Digvijaya Singh who has been his friend for several decades.

He oversaw the campaign and counting with a hawk's eye: Booth level Congress workers were told that the BJP would go to any extent to steal a victory so if they noticed anything even slightly amiss during the counting process, they needed to halt the counting and lodge a complaint.

The campaign by the BJP lost its sting somewhat because all Shivraj Singh Chouhan could talk about was the pitiful state of Madhya Pradesh when Digvijay Singh was chief minister: But a whole new generation of voters who took part in the election have only seen BJP rule so have no comprehension of the 'damage' the Congress is alleged to be capable of.

But now, Nath will be under pressure to perform. It is one thing to win repeatedly from Chhindwara, quite another to devise strategies for all of Madhya Pradesh. He has to fix agriculture, ensure there is investment in industry, but most of all, at all times, watch his back -- because given the slender majority, there is no doubt that the BJP will try to topple his government.

There are other challenges. Human development indices in Madhya Pradesh are among the lowest. The state has reported the highest rank in crimes against women. And while otherwise law abiding, farmer uprisings have begun.

But with his experience in infrastructure development and business, he may be the best man for the state.
A spokesman for Afghanistan's president has downplayed the impact that a potential U.S. troop withdrawal would have on security, while top Afghan military officials warned about the danger to the country's undertrained and poorly equipped forces.

Haroon Chakhansuri, a spokesman for President Ashraf Ghani, on December 21 pointed out that active combat operations had been turned over by a NATO-led coalition to Afghan forces since 2014, with Western troops playing a mainly training and advising role.

"If [U.S. forces] withdraw from Afghanistan, it will not have a security impact because, in the last four and a half years, the Afghans have been in full control," Chakhansuri said.

The spokesman's comments were the first official Afghan reaction to reports in the U.S. media that President Donald Trump is considering a "significant" withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan.

Western media reports have quoted U.S. administration officials as saying a decision had already been made to withdraw about half of the U.S. troops in the country, although no time frame has been given.

The Pentagon has declined to comment on the reports, but they come shortly after Trump announced that the United States would be pulling all of its forces out of Syria, a move that ignited a storm of criticism from Repubilican and Democratic lawmakers and former government officials.

Some 2,000 U.S. troops are in northern Syria assisting an alliance of Syrian Arab and Kurdish fighters battling against Islamic State (IS) militants. Many critics have said a U.S. departure would be a betrayal to those fighters, who would face the dangers of a Turkish assault. Others say the move would hand a victory to Russia and Iran, which are also active in the country in support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

The United States has some 14,000 troops in Afghanistan, some of them serving in the NATO-led Resolute Support training and advisory mission, while others take part in separate counterterrorism operations against militant groups.



NATO has so far declined to comment specifically on the reports.

In response to an RFE/RL question, NATO spokeswoman Oana Lungescu said: "The Afghan army and police have been fully in charge of the security of Afghanistan for over four years. They are a brave, committed, and increasingly capable force, who have ensured the security of the parliamentary elections earlier this year."

"Earlier this month, NATO foreign ministers expressed steadfast commitment to ensuring long-term security and stability in Afghanistan," Lungescu said.

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius, whose NATO-member country is a contributor to Resolute Support, voiced skepticism that even a partial U.S. withdrawal could be supplanted by the remaining members.

"Frankly, I do not believe that we can split forces and rely that something can be done in the absence of an important player. It's difficult really to say," Linkevicius told RFE/RL.

Several high-ranking Afghan military officials, who spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity, said the morale of Afghanistan's struggling security forces was already at a dangerously low level.

The officials said a U.S. withdrawal would represent a defeat and some compared it to the U.S. evacuation from Vietnam, and Russia's 1979 forced withdrawal from Afghanistan after a failed 10-year war.



The Western-backed government in Kabul has been struggling to counter attacks from the Taliban and other militant groups since the withdrawal of most NATO combat troops in 2014.

U.S. officials have been attempting to push the Taliban to the negotiating table with the government in Kabul. Many Taliban leaders insist that U.S. forces depart before substantial peace talks can take place.



"I believe the Taliban will see [a U.S. withdrawal] as a reason to stall, and therefore it disincentivizes the Taliban to actually talk to the Afghan government, which it has refused to do," Bill Roggio, an Afghanistan analyst with the Washington-based Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told AP.

Although U.S. troops have pulled back from active combat operations, Afghanistan's security forces rely heavily on U.S. air power against the Taliban and other insurgent groups, such as IS and Al-Qaeda affiliates.

With reporting by RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal, AP, The Wall Street Journal, and Reuters, and Rikard Jozwiak in Brussels
Bulgaria's Defense Ministry has asked the government to begin direct talks with the United States about purchasing F-16 fighter jets to replace its aging Soviet-designed MiG-29 warplanes.

The NATO member's ministry on December 21 said the "acquisition...will raise the combat capabilities of Bulgaria's air force to a new level."

Bulgaria's parliament on June 8 approved a plan to spend about $2 billion to purchase 150 combat vehicles and 16 new or used fighter jets.

About $1 billion was earmarked to cover the cost of the first eight aircraft, as well as team training and initial logistics support.

However, an initial offer by Lockheed Martin of the United States exceeded the figure.

"A lowering of the price, which according to them is doable, can only be achieved in direct government-to-government talks," Defense Minister Krasimir Karakachanov told a news conference.

Bulgaria joined NATO in 2004, but the question of which warplanes to buy to replace the MiGs has vexed successive governments for more than a decade.

NATO has encouraged its eastern members to develop or buy new equipment from Western alliance members to replace their older Soviet-era systems.

Several Bulgarian Air Force pilots in 2017 refused to fly their Soviet-built MiG-29 jets in planned training exercises, citing safety concerns with the outdated aircraft.

Conservative Prime Minister Boyko Borisov has said he favors the F-16 fighters over other offers, which include Boeing F-18s, Gripen fighters from Sweden, and used Eurofighters from Italy.

The Defense Ministry also asked the government to seek approval in parliament for a larger budget should it not be able to attain a discount from Lockheed Martin.

Based on reporting by AFP and Reuters
Iran's Foreign Ministry says the presence of U.S. troops in Syria has been "illogical and a source of tension" from the very start, in its first official reaction to U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw troops from Syria.

Trump announced last week that the United States was withdrawing all 2,000 U.S. troops from Syria, saying they have succeeded in their mission to defeat the extremist group Islamic State (IS).

France, Britain, and Germany, key members of the anti-IS coalition, reacted to the announcement with skepticism, saying that much remained to be done in Syria.

"From the very start, the entry and presence of American forces in the region has been a mistake, illogical and a source of tension, and a main cause of instability and insecurity," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi was quoted as saying on December 22.

Iran has been a key supporter of the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, providing him with military and financial support.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps has reportedly deployed military advisers and thousands of militia fighters in Syria.

Based on reporting by IRNA, Reuters, and AP
The Kabardian horse's strength and endurance were legendary as it carried Circassian warriors battling Imperial Russian forces in the high mountains of the Caucasus in the 1800s. But the animal was in a dire situation as the U.S.S.R. collapsed in 1991, nearly vanishing into obscurity. Now, breeders and animal registries suggest the Kabardian has been resurrected in its home region and is even flourishing in stables farther West. "At the fall of the Soviet Union, the breed was close to extinction," Pawel Krawczyk, who has bred, trained, and raced Kabardian horses, tells RFE/RL. Hundreds of animals from a dwindling population were being transported at the time to countries like Italy for meat, he says, "essentially to make sausage" -- as the Soviet and then Russian breeding programs broke down amid the chaos. Russian stud farms were soon left with "thousands of horses, no money to feed them, and expenses such as the salaries of the workers," he says. "It was a very difficult situation."

The Kabardian -- a sturdy, medium-sized horse usually entirely black, bay, or gray -- has been bred by Circassian tribesmen in the mountainous northern Caucasus since at least the 1500s. The animal is renowned for its intelligence and obedience as well as its ability to endure harsh conditions and nearly unmatched stamina. Its agility over narrow mountain passes and in frigid temperatures made the breed invaluable to Circassian resistance to Imperial Russia's bids for control of the Caucasus in the 18th and 19th centuries. An account from a Habsburg officer during the Russo-Circassian War describes how the foe's princes rode "160 versts," or about 170 kilometers, in 14 hours ahead of a raid in the Kuban region. "Only the [Kabardian] horse was capable of this," the officer, F.F. Turnau, wrote enviously. Kabardians were used by tsarist armies in many military campaigns, and the breed was often favored by Cossacks along Russia's extensive frontiers as the empire expanded to the east and south.

The animals were even depicted playing a role in the partitioning of Poland in the 18th century, such as in the famous 1898 painting Circassian Cavalry Charge In Warsaw, by Wojciech Kossak. 'Something Special About Them' The Kabardian's almost mythical stature made the breed's near demise in the aftermath of the U.S.S.R. especially alarming for equine enthusiasts. Tobias Knoll, a German expert on the breed who, like Krawczyk, helped lead a revival of Kabardians in Europe, puts their peak number in the Caucasus at around 100,000 animals. But several hundred registered mares were all that existed in the entire republic of Kabardino-Bakaria, where the breed originated, by the early 1990s. Knoll says he happened across a lone Kabardian horse in Bavaria in 1996 and fell in love with the breed. He was later told they were rare and decided to breed them and establish a herd at his farm northeast of Munich. "Why save another breed," he asks, with hundreds of other breeds around the world? "There is something special about these horses which other horses lack -- this needs to be preserved." The efforts of Knoll and other breeders are now at the heart of a cottage industry that has fed interest in the Kabardian in Germany, where there are now around 400 of the animals. They are mainly used for riding, tourism, and endurance racing.

A robust network of horsemen breeds and trains Kabardians for competitions that test the animals' and their riders' endurance, where they compete admirably with Arabian horses. Krawczyk says he helped a group of broke Kabardian horse trainers from Russia's North Caucasus region set up stables near Krakow, Poland, in the early 2000s. They trained and competed across Europe and in the Middle East in grueling races -- some as long as 160 kilometers -- with their transplanted animals. There are now said to be around 70-100 Kabardians in Poland. Their racing success also helped promote the breed elsewhere in Europe, and small herds have arisen in Austria, the Czech Republic, France, Hungary, Slovakia, Spain, and Switzerland, Knoll says. 'Symbol Of Our Freedom' But crucially, breeders say, the Kabardian-horse population should be revived in their homeland of Kabardino-Balkaria, a tiny slice of rocky, verdant land that borders Georgia and is home to dozens of lakes and rivers as well as around half a million people. The Caucasus region has been racked by eruptions of conflict and instability in the decades since the Soviet Union's demise, some of it reflecting historic tensions between its southern Russian republics and central authorities in Moscow. The animals are a "strong symbol of our freedom," says Islam Tekushev, a Caucasian political analyst. "The Kabardian horse is an integral part of our identity and played a major role in Circassian history through the centuries."
Nine miners have been trapped by smoke inside a mine of Russian potash producer Uralkali, the company says.

Uralkali said a rescue operation was under way on December 22 after an incident at a mine in Solikamsk, northeast of the capital, Moscow.

The Russian company said the trapped miners were employees of a subcontractor doing maintenance work.

The subcontractor's chief, Andrei Maksimov, told the Interfax news agency that the chances of finding the trapped miners alive were slim.

Earlier, an unnamed source in the emergencies services told the Russian news agency TASS that rescuers had so far not been able to reach the miners.

"Mine rescuers cannot reach nine people so far due to high temperature and smoke. There are about 10 meters left," he said, adding that rescuers had no connection with the miners.

The source said 17 people had been in the mine when the fire broke out.

According to the source, eight of them have been evacuated and are safe.

Based on reporting by Reuters, Interfax, and TASS
More than a dozen advanced Russian fighter jets have arrived at a base in the Ukrainian region of Crimea, which Moscow occupied and annexed in 2014.

The Reuters news agency cited witnesses who saw the Su-27 and Su-30 fighters arriving at the Belbek air base on December 22.

The move comes amid high tensions between Ukraine and Russia across the region, which were raised on November 25 when Russia seized three Ukrainian Navy vessels and their crews near the Kerch Strait, which connects the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said Ukraine was preparing a "provocation" in the area before the end of the year.

Kyiv, for its part, has charged that Russia was building up military forces along the two countries' mutual border. President Petro Poroshenko has said Russia has moved "more than 80,000 troops, 1,400 artillery and multiple rocket launch systems, 900 tanks, 2,300 armored combat vehicles" and hundreds of aircraft to the area.

Based on reporting by Reuters and AP
Several thousand people have taken to the streets in the Serbian capital, Belgrade, for the third straight week to protest against President Aleksandar Vucic.

The protesters on December 22 blew whistles and waved banners accusing Vucic of stifling democratic liberties, cracking down on political opponents, and controlling the media.

Some media estimated the crowd at about 5,000 people.

The demonstrations were triggered last month when a gang of thugs beat up opposition politician Borko Stefanovic.

Officially, the president in Serbia plays a largely ceremonial role, but Vucic's Progressive Party has dominated the legislature since 2012.

A former nationalist, Vucic is now guiding Serbia toward membership in the European Union.

With reporting by dpa and AP
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has signed a law requiring the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) to change its name to one that reveals its affiliation with the Moscow-based Russian Orthodox Church.

The law signed on December 22 requires the UOC-MP to make its link to the Moscow patriarch explicit.

The new law was the latest development in Ukraine's quest to create its own, independent Orthodox Church.

In October, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople revoked a centuries-old ruling placing Ukraine's Orthodox Church under the Moscow patriarch.

In response, the Russian Orthodox Church broke off relations with the ecumenical patriarch.

Religious leaders in Ukraine held a synod last week and agreed to establish a new Orthodox national church that is independent of Russia.

Poroshenko said the new law would make it easier for Orthodox believers to make a choice between the new church and the Russian-affiliated one.

"It is easier to make a choice when all things are called by their names," he said.

The UOC-MP actively opposed the measure, saying it was a violation of freedom of religion and an example of unconstitutional state interference in religious affairs.

More than 1,000 priests and believers of the UOC-MP protested outside the legislature on December 20.

The Moscow Patriarchate has opposed the creation of a new Orthodox Church in Ukraine, saying it would lead to sectarian violence.

Relations between Russia and Ukraine have been frayed since Moscow occupied and annexed the Ukrainian region of Crimea in 2014 and began providing military, economic, and political support to separatist formations in eastern Ukraine.

More than 10,300 people have been killed in the conflict in eastern Ukraine since early 2014.

Although Moscow denies interfering in Ukraine's domestic affairs, the International Criminal Court in November 2016 ruled that the fighting in eastern Ukraine was "an international armed conflict between Ukraine and the Russian Federation."

With reporting by AP, dpa, and Reuters
The United States says it will provide an additional $10 million in military financing to Ukraine to help bolster its navy after Russia captured three of Kyiv's ships at sea in late November.

The U.S. action announced by the State Department on December 21 came as Britain also set plans to provide assistance to Ukraine's naval forces following the November 25 attack by Russia in the Kerch Strait that links the Black Sea with the Sea of Azov.

Russia also arrested 24 Ukrainian sailors in the incident after its coast guard opened fire on the Ukrainian ships.

Moscow alleged that the vessels had illegally entered Russian territorial waters near the Crimea region, which Russia occupied and annexed from Ukraine in 2014. Ukraine and most UN member states do not recognize the annexation.

Under a 2003 treaty, Russia and Ukraine agreed to share access to the Sea of Azov. However, since the 2014 annexation, and the completion of the Kerch bridge earlier this year, Russia has slowly restricted access for Ukrainian ships.

The State Department said Washington "calls on Russia to immediately return to Ukraine the seized vessels and detained Ukrainian crews, to keep the Kerch Strait and the Sea of Azov open to ships transiting to and from Ukrainian ports, and to respect Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity."

It said the aid was subject to approval in Congress, where Ukraine has wide support in its dispute with Russia. It added that it was taking the action in "solidarity with Lithuania and the United Kingdom."

Earlier on December 21, Britain and Ukraine announced that London would send instructors to assist in the training of Ukrainian marines.

In January, a group of British Navy officers will come to Ukraine to organize interaction, to plan joint drills, and to determine what kind of logistic assistance the Ukrainian armed forces and the navy in particular may need, Ukrainian Defense Minister Stepan Poltorak said following a meeting in Odesa with U.K. Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson.

Lithuania in early December said it was sending additional ammunition and more military and cybersecurity instructors to Ukraine as it condemned Russia's actions. The Baltic country has more than 20 instructors currently in Ukraine.

On December 13, NATO also pledged support for Ukraine's navy and said it would deliver secure communications equipment to Kyiv's military by the end of this year.

"Russia must immediately release the sailors and ships they seized and allow freedom of navigation including free access to Ukrainian port in the Sea of Azov," NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg told Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko in Brussels.

With reporting by AFP, Interfax-Ukraine, and The Baltic Times
The top U.S. intelligence official says that Russia, China, Iran, and other foreign powers sought to influence voters in the 2018 midterm elections, but there were no signs that the results were comprised by the attempts.

Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats said on December 21 that "Russia, and other foreign countries, including China and Iran, conducted influence activities and messaging campaigns targeted at the United States to promote their strategic interests.

He added, though, that the U.S. intelligence community's investigations did not turn up any evidence that foreign actors managed to infiltrate election infrastructure.

"At this time, the intelligence community does not have intelligence reporting that indicates any compromise of our nation's election infrastructure that would have prevented voting, changed vote counts, or disrupted the ability to tally votes."

"Preserving the integrity of our election systems and, more broadly, our democracy, is a top priority for the intelligence community," Coats added, saying preparations were being made to protect the 2020 elections.



The findings presented by Coats were included in a report submitted to President Donald Trump and U.S. agencies involved in election security as required by an executive order the president signed in September.

That action came after U.S. intelligence agencies concluded that Russia interfered in the 2016 president election to favor Trump over Democratic rival Hillary Clinton. Russia has denied it meddled in the election.

In the report on the 2018 midterms, Coats said the intelligence community did not assess what the potential impact the foreign influence efforts had on the actual election results.

Commenting on the report, Senator Mark Warner, the senior Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said that "the Russians did not go away after the 2016 election."

"Now that the Russian playbook is out in the open, we're going to see more and more adversaries trying to take advantage of the openness of our society to sow division and attempt to manipulate Americans," he added.

Under the September executive order, sanctions could be imposed on anyone found to have tried to manipulate the vote.

With reporting by Reuters, The New York Times, and CNN
The U.S. envoy to the international coalition fighting the Islamic State (IS) extremist group has resigned to protest President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw U.S. forces from Syria, AP reports.

Envoy Brett McGurk, who was appointed by President Barack Obama and retained by Trump, submitted his resignation letter on December 21. The Associated Press on December 22 quoted an unnamed "official familiar with its contents" as saying McGurk would leave his post at the end of the month.

In his resignation letter, McGurk said that IS militants were not yet defeated and that the premature withdrawal of U.S. forces from Syria could allow them to regroup.

Earlier this month, before Trump announced his decision to withdraw the 2,000 U.S. troops in Syria, McGurk told journalists it would be "reckless" to consider IS defeated in Syria.

Earlier, U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis resigned in the wake of Trump's decision, saying the president deserved a defense secretary whose views "are better aligned" with his.

Based on reporting by AP
Puerto Morelos begins rehabilitation project for Ruta de los Cenotes

Puerto Morelos, Q.R.  The first stone for the 10-million-peso rehabilitation project for access to the Ruta de los Cenotes was laid in Puerto Morelos.

In a press release, the mayor of Puerto Morelos Laura Fernandez Pina reported that joint efforts between the municipal administration and Governor Carlos Joaquin Gonzalez, have resulted in steady growth for the municipality as a successful tourist destination.

Fernandez Pina announced that during a recent work tour by Joaquin Gonzalez, they inaugurated the Ecological Park Punta Corcho, placing the first stone of the rehabilitation work for the access to the Route of the Cenotes.

After placing the first stone, Narcisa Herrera Montoya, president of the National Conference of Municipalities of Mexico noted that the rehabilitation to the Ruta de los Cenotes will be an investment about 10 million peso with federal participation and support of the state government.

Puerto Morelos has grown a lot. This is a very important development, always taking care of the sustainable vocation of our municipality, and its good that we started it with the governor, he said.

During the ceremony, secretary general of City Council, Miguel Angel Zetina Cuevas, and the secretary of Public Works and Services, Ignacio Sanchez Cordero, explained that the work involves the improvement of ridges and construction of arches that will become the gateway to the road that goes to Central Vallarta and Leona Vicario where 18 ecotourism parks known as the Ruta de los Cenotes are located.

This will be a work that reflects the sustainable development of the Ruta de los Cenotes, which is where urban growth and tourism development in our municipality is oriented, said Sanchez Cordero.

Carlos Joaquin acknowledged the efforts of the administration of Laura Fernandez and announced a rescue program and construction of new public spaces, mainly parks, to increase leisure areas for families.
Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh

Spokesman News Service: Chandigarh, December 22: Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has ridiculed Sukhbir Singh Badal for his atrocious statement on the 1984 riots, saying the Akali president had packed his bags and gone to the US for studies when the violence erupted. While he himself had personally witnessed the developments, and had first-hand knowledge of the sequence of events, the Badals had conveniently disappeared from the scene during the turbulent times, said the Chief Minister.

Sukhbirs statements blaming the Gandhis for the riots, with which they were not even remotely connected, were completely baseless and senseless, and a clear case of desperation to get back into the electoral game ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, said Captain Amarinder Singh. He was not even around at the time of the incidents and was dragging the Gandhi family into the case to get his virtually defunct Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) back into public limelight, said the Chief Minister, brushing off with utter disdain Sukhbirs statement that he (Capt Amarinder) was defending the Gandhis to save his chair.

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Sukhbir Singh Badal

As a duly elected leader of the Congress in Punjab and its unanimously elected chief minister, he had the mandate not only of the people of the state but his party, pointed out the Chief Minister. Unlike the SAD, the Congress functions in a democratic system and not on the whims and fancies of its leadership, said Captain Amarinder Singh, adding that he did not need to indulge in sycophancy to save his chair.

Asserting that he would remain the chief minister for as long as the people of Punjab wanted, and he shared the full confidence of the Congress leadership, Captain Amarinder Singh said his defence of the Gandhi family was out of his personal knowledge, which he had gathered from visiting the various refugee camps in the wake of the riots. While Rajeev Gandhi was out electioneering in West Bengal, Rahul was just a school-going child at the crucial time, and neither had any role to play in the riots, in which a few individual Congress leaders were named by the victims, said the Chief Minister.

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Congress president Rahul Gandhi

There were in fact several RSS/BJP workers named in the FIR, to whom Sukhbir had never eluded, clearly suggesting that his concern for the pain suffered by the Sikh community during the riots was mere hogwash, aimed only at garnering votes in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections, said Captain Amarinder Singh.

Trashing Sukhbirs allegation that he had been fielded by Rahul to defend the Gandhis and the Congress party, Captain Amarinder said he had been talking on the issue since the time Rahul was just a child. The Gandhis do not need to nominate anyone to defend themselves as there was never any evidence of their complicity in the riots, said the Chief Minister, pointing out that none of the victims had ever blamed the family in the matter.
In a review of registry data for more than 5,300 liver transplants performed in children nationwide, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers identify the type of patient who is most likely to survive a split liver transplant -- receiving only part of a donor's liver -- with no additional long-term health risks, which could allow for an increase in the availability of organs. A report on the new study is published in the December issue of the journal Liver Transplantation.

"Kids dying while on the waitlist is the worst possible outcome," says Douglas Mogul, M.D., Ph.D., medical director of the Pediatric Liver Transplant Program at Johns Hopkins Children Center and assistant professor of pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Split liver transplants have been performed for nearly 30 years, according to Mogul, and using the liver's natural structure, a split liver transplant can use a 35 to 40 percent section, making split liver transplant ideal for children whose smaller weights accommodate smaller livers. "An SLT essentially could allow two transplants from a single liver," says Mogul.

Using data from the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients, Mogul, colleague Dorry Segev, M.D., professor of surgery at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and their teams examined the medical records of 5,345 pediatric patients who had received their first -- either split or whole -- liver transplant in the United States between March 2002 and December 2015.

"We already knew from previous studies that variables including the donor's age and cause of death along with the health of the recipient can influence outcomes," says Mogul. "But understanding which of these variables could impact the outcomes from transplanting a split liver versus a whole liver could help guide the increased use of split livers and identify which patients will do best after split or whole liver transplants, thereby being more strategic about matching donor organs with recipients."

Using a statistical analysis that relates variables with an event or outcome, the team looked at the relationship between the type of liver -- split or whole -- and transplant success after adjusting a number of variables, including many that had previously been reported as influencing organ transplant success. Those variables included organ donor age, cause of death, recipient weight at transplant, underlying disease and how sick the recipient is.

Of the 5,345 pediatric liver recipient records examined, 1,694 or roughly 31 percent received a split liver while 3,651 or roughly 68 percent received a whole liver. Split liver recipients were less likely than whole liver recipients to receive an organ from another pediatric patient, 59 percent versus 83 percent, respectively, and more likely to have received their liver from a donor between ages 18 and 50, 38 percent versus 13 percent, respectively. Split liver recipients were less likely than whole liver recipients to have a donor who suffered from lack of oxygen, but more likely to have a donor with head trauma.

On the surface, it appears that split liver transplants fared worse. However, after adjusting the data for donor age, recipient weight, other recipient health problems as well as surgical approach, there was no difference in outcomes for split versus whole liver recipients. More importantly, what the team found was that groups defined by certain characteristics that had the highest overall transplant failure were actually not further negatively impacted by having a split versus whole liver, implying that these sickest children would be good candidates for split livers. "One might anticipate that patients with the highest likelihood of graft failure would do worse if they got a split compared to a whole. But we saw the opposite: These people were not further impacted by getting a split," says Mogul.

Recipients who weighed less than 10 kilograms had higher rates of transplant failures in general, regardless of whether they received split or whole livers; suggesting that body weight less than 10 kilograms may be a factor for considering split liver transplantation. In contrast, recipients who weighed between 10 and 35 kilograms had an overall lower risk of transplant failure, but the failure rate after receiving a split liver was 1.46 times that of receiving a whole liver, suggesting recipients in this weight range should be considered for whole livers.

Overall, Mogul says, waiting children with lower body weights, who were in relatively worse health and whose donor livers spent more time on ice or in transit, had the same potential for a successful transplant with a split liver as they would have with a whole liver. The researchers estimate that 22 children on the liver transplant list could have benefited from split liver transplant but instead died while waiting.

"We hope these findings can help guide surgical decision-making and support policy changes that promote the increased use of SLT for selected children," says Mogul. From their study, optimal recipients could include children weighing under 10 kilograms, with a rare disease of the bile ducts known as biliary atresia, acute hepatic necrosis or sudden liver death, autoimmune disease and tumor.

"The better understanding of SLT learned from this study and our most recent research is a critical step toward the goal of significantly increasing access to transplantation," says Segev. "If they wanted to, UNOS -- the United Network for Organ Sharing, the entity responsible for U.S. organ allocation policies -- could institute policies within one to two years that would have huge impacts on children waiting for liver transplants."
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.

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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.

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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.
Biologists studying Parkinson's disease have long hoped to solve the mystery of the telltale "clumps." Scientists want to know how clumps of misfolded proteins damage brain cells and contribute to the disease.

Corinne Lasmezas, PhD, and her Scripps Research colleagues have now cracked the case of p-syn*, a protein clump that is particularly toxic to the cells. Their recent study in the journal Neurobiology of Disease shows that p-syn* causes damage by recruiting certain enzymes and an accomplice to damage cells. The accomplice is a protein called tau.

"We really felt like detectives in this study," says Lasmezas, a professor on the Florida campus of Scripps Research. "We hope that this research into the root cause of Parkinson's will bring us closer to finding a disease-modifying treatment."

Parkinson's disease is the most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer's. The disease strikes when the brain starts losing the cells that produce dopamine, a critical neurotransmitter.

Parkinson's can have many causes, from genetics to environmental factors, but a protein called -synuclein (-syn in short) is found to turn bad and form clumps in every case. The Lasmezas lab has discovered that a particular type of -syn clumps, or "aggregates," that they called p-syn*, starts to show up around cellular structures called mitochondria. This is a big problem for cells, which need mitochondria to produce their energy.

"We can see the mitochondria break into fragments in these cells," says Lasmezas. "We wanted to understand the mechanism behind this."

The investigation relied on a combination of cultured neurons and a mouse model of Parkinson's, as well as analysis of donated brain tissues from deceased Parkinson's disease patients.

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The new research shows that p-syn* hurts mitochondria by starting a cascade of events. First, p-syn* activates a pathway in cells called the MAPK pathway. Enzymes of the MAPK pathway then modify the protein tau. This was a fascinating finding, since tau has long puzzled neuroscientists. Tau is known to form tangles inside neurons in the brains of Parkinson's disease patients. But scientists did not know how they got there or what they were doing.

Lasmezas and her team found that enzymes of the MAPK pathway modify tau through a process called phosphorylation. This version of tau then clumps together with p-syn* on the mitochondrial membrane. The two protein aggregates grow bigger and bigger, destroying the mitochondria in the process.

At last, the researchers knew what p-syn* was doing and how it hurt cells. "We've shown how p-syn* works as the main trigger in mitotoxicity," says Lasmezas.

Study first author Diego Grassi, PhD, a research associate at Scripps Research at the time of the study, stresses the importance of discovering tau's role in destroying mitochondria. Scientists know tau is involved in Alzheimer's disease, so this study suggests a mechanism behind how Alzheimer's and Parkinson's overlap at the molecular level. The presence of -syn and tau aggregates is also a telltale sign of other forms of dementia, and now scientists know how this might occur.

"This is also important for its possible implications in other neurodegenerative disorders," says Grassi.

Lasmezas and Grassi say the next step in this research is to study how to stop p-syn*, with the ultimate goal of treating Parkinson's disease.

"I know we are doing something that could make a meaningful difference in the quality of life of people affected by this condition," says Grassi. "I can hardly imagine a place better than Scripps Research to perform this kind of translational activity."
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.
Bees can solve seemingly clever counting tasks with very small numbers of nerve cells in their brains, according to researchers at Queen Mary University of London.

In order to understand how bees count, the researchers simulated a very simple miniature 'brain' on a computer with just four nerve cells -- far fewer than a real bee has.

The 'brain' could easily count small quantities of items when inspecting one item closely and then inspecting the next item closely and so on, which is the same way bees count. This differs from humans who glance at all the items and count them together.

In this study, published in the journal iScience, the researchers propose that this clever behaviour makes the complex task of counting much easier, allowing bees to display impressive cognitive abilities with minimal brainpower.

Previous studies have shown bees can count up to four or five items, can choose the smaller or the larger number from a group and even choose 'zero' against other numbers when trained to choose 'less'.

They might have achieved this not by understanding numerical concepts, but by using specific flight movements to closely inspect items which then shape their visual input and simplifies the task to the point where it requires minimal brainpower.

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This finding demonstrates that the intelligence of bees, and potentially other animals, can be mediated by very small nerve cells numbers, as long as these are wired together in the right way.

The study could also have implications for artificial intelligence because efficient autonomous robots will need to rely on robust, computationally inexpensive algorithms, and could benefit from employing insect-inspired scanning behaviours.

Lead author Dr Vera Vasas, from Queen Mary University of London, said: "Our model shows that even though counting is generally thought to require high intelligence and large brains, it can be easily done with the smallest of nerve cell circuits connected in the right manner. We suggest that using specific flight movements to scan targets, rather than numerical concepts, explains the bees' ability to count. This scanning streamlines the visual input and means a task like counting requires little brainpower.

"Careful examination of the actual inspection strategies used by animals might reveal that they often employ active scanning behaviours as shortcuts to simplify complex visual pattern discrimination tasks. Hopefully, our work will inspire others to look more closely not just at what cognitive tasks animals can solve, but also at how they are solving them."

Brain size matters a lot when it comes to bees. They have only one million nerve cells in total, so they have precious little brainpower, and must implement very efficient computational algorithms to solve tasks. In comparison, humans have 86 billion nerve cells which are responsible for receiving information and sending commands.

To model the input to the brain, the authors analysed the point of view of a bee as it flies close to the countable objects and inspects them one-by-one.

The results showed the simulated brain was able to make reliable estimates on the number of items on display when provided with the actual visual input that the bee is receiving while carrying out the task.

Professor Lars Chittka, also from Queen Mary University of London and leader of the team in which the study was performed, added: "These findings add to the growing body of work showing that seemingly intelligent behaviour does not require large brains, but can be underpinned with small neural circuits that can easily be accommodated into the microcomputer that is the insect brain."
Scientists from the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and the stem cell institute HI-STEM* in Heidelberg have succeeded for the first time in directly reprogramming human blood cells into a previously unknown type of neural stem cell. These induced stem cells are similar to those that occur during the early embryonic development of the central nervous system. They can be modified and multiplied indefinitely in the culture dish and can represent an important basis for the development of regenerative therapies.

Stem cells are considered to be the all-rounders of our tissues: they can multiply indefinitely and then -- if they are pluripotent embryonic stem cells -- generate all conceivable cell types. In 2006, the Japanese scientist Shinya Yamanaka recognized that such cells could also be produced in the laboratory -- from mature body cells. Four genetic factors alone are sufficient to reverse the course of development and produce so-called induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS) that have identical properties to embryonic stem cells. Yamanaka was awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 2012 for this discovery.

"This was a major breakthrough for stem cell research," said Andreas Trumpp, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and Director of HI-STEM in Heidelberg. "This applies in particular to for research in Germany, where the generation of human embryonic stem cells is not permitted. Stem cells have enormous potential both for basic research and for the development of regenerative therapies that aim to restore diseased tissue in patients. However, reprogramming is also associated with problems: For example, pluripotent cells can form germ line tumors, so-called teratomas.

Another possibility is not to completely turn back the course of development. For the first time, Trumpp's team has succeeded in reprogramming mature human cells in such a way that a defined type of induced neural stem cells is produced that can multiply almost indefinitely. "We used four genetic factors like Yamanaka, but different ones for our reprogramming," explains Marc Christian Thier, first author of the study. "We assumed that our factors would allow reprogramming to an early stage of development of the nervous system."

In the past, other research groups also reprogrammed connective tissue cells into mature nerve cells or neural precursor cells. However, these artificially produced nerve cells often could not be expanded and could therefore hardly be used for therapeutic purposes. "Often, it was a heterogeneous mixture of different cell types that might not exist in the body under physiological conditions," said Andreas Trumpp explaining the problems.

Together with stem cell researcher Frank Edenhofer from the University of Innsbruck and neuroscientist Hannah Monyer from DKFZ and the Heidelberg University Hospital, Trumpp and his team have succeeded in reprogramming different human cells: connective tissue cells of the skin or pancreas as well as peripheral blood cells. "The origin of the cells had no influence on the properties of the stem cells," said Thier. In particular, the possibility of extracting neural stem cells from the blood of patients without invasive intervention is a decisive advantage for future therapeutic approaches.

What is special about the reprogrammed cells of the Heidelberg researchers is that they are a homogeneous cell type that resembles a stage of neural stem cells that occurs during the embryonic development of the nervous system. "Corresponding cells exist in mice and probably also in humans during early embryonic brain development," said Thier. "We have described here a new neural stem cell type in the mammalian embryo.

These so called "induced Neural Plate Border Stem Cells" (iNBSCs) have a broad development potential. The iNBSCs of the Heidelberg scientists are expandable and multipotent and can develop in two different directions. On the one hand, they can take the path of development to mature nerve cells and their supplier cells, the glial cells, i.e. become cells of the central nervous system. On the other hand, they can also develop into cells of the neural crest, from which different cell types emerge, for example peripheral sensitive nerve cells or cartilage and bones of the skull.

The iNBSCs thus form an ideal basis for generating a broad range of different cell types for an individual patient. "These cells have the same genetic material as the donor and are therefore presumably recognized as "self" by the immune system and are not rejected," explains Thier.

The CRISPR/Cas9 gene scissors can be used to modify the iNBSC or repair genetic defects, as the scientists have shown in their experiments. "They are therefore of interesting both for basic research and the search for new active substances and for the development of regenerative therapies, for example in patients with diseases of the nervous system. However until we can use them in patients, a lot of research work will still be necessary," emphasizes Trumpp.
Responsible innovation that considers the wider impacts on society is key to smart farming, according to academics at the University of East Anglia (UEA).

Agriculture is undergoing a technology revolution supported by policy-makers around the world. While smart technologies will play an important role in achieving improved productivity and greater eco-efficiency, critics have suggested that consideration of the social impacts is being side-lined.

In a new journal article Dr David Rose and Dr Jason Chilvers, from UEA's School of Environmental Sciences, argue that the concept of responsible innovation should underpin the so-called fourth agricultural revolution, ensuring that innovations also provide social benefits and address potentially negative side-effects.

Each of the previous revolutions was radical at the time -- the first representing a transition from hunting and gathering to settled agriculture, the second relating to the British Agricultural Revolution in the 18th century, and the third to post-war productivity increases associated with mechanisation and the Green Revolution in the developing world.

The current 'agri-tech' developments come at a time when the UK government has provided 90 million of public money to transform food production in order to be at the forefront of global advanced sustainable agriculture. Many other countries are also prioritising smart agri-tech.

This, combined with private investment from organisations including IBM, Barclays, and Microsoft, means that 'Agriculture 4.0' is underway, with technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and robotics increasingly being used in farming.

Dr Rose, a lecturer in human geography, said: "All of these emergent technologies have uses in farming and may provide many benefits. For example, robotics could plug potential lost labour post-Brexit in industries such as fruit picking, while robotics and AI could enable better chemical application, saving farmers money and protecting the environment. They could also attract new, younger farmers to an ageing industry."

Writing in Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, Dr Rose and Dr Chilvers warn though that agri-tech could also have side-effects, bringing potential environmental, ethical, and social costs.

"In light of controversial agri-tech precedents, it is beyond doubt that smart farming is going to cause similar controversy. Robotics and AI could cause job losses or change the nature of farming in ways that are undesirable to some farmers. Others might be left behind by technological advancement, while wider society might not like how food is being produced," said Dr Rose.

"We therefore encourage policy-makers, funders, technology companies and researchers to consider the views of both farming communities and wider society. We advocate that this new agricultural tech revolution, particularly the areas funded by public money, should be responsible, considering the winners, but particularly the potential losers of change.

Dr Rose added: "This means better ways, both formal and informal, to include farmers and the public in decision-making, as well as advisors and other key stakeholders sharing their views. Wider society should be able to change the direction of travel, and ask whether we want to go there. They should be able to question and contest whether benefits to productivity should supersede social, ethical, or environmental concerns, and be able to convince innovators to change design processes.

"Responsible innovation frameworks should be tested in practice to see if they can make tech more responsible. More responsible tech saves controversy, such as that surrounding genetic modification, ensures farmers and the public are behind it, and can help to deliver on the policy objectives."
The mass death of flying foxes in extreme heat in North Queensland last month underscores the importance of University of Queensland wildlife research released today.

The UQ research sheds light on how various species have responded to major climate events.

A study led by UQ School of Earth and Environmental Science researcher Dr Sean Maxwell has synthesised more than 70 years of research to quantify the responses of various species.

"The growing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events such as cyclones, droughts and floods is causing unpredictable and immediate changes to ecosystems and obstructing existing management efforts," Dr Maxwell said.

"The deaths of up to one third of Australia's spectacled flying foxes in an extreme heatwave north of Cairns in November comes in the wake of our research, and is a stark illustration of the importance of the study.

"Some of the negative responses we found were quite concerning, including more than 100 cases of dramatic population declines and 31 cases of local population extinction following an extreme event.

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"Populations of critically endangered bird species in Hawaii, such as the palia, have been annihilated due to drought, and populations of lizard species have been wiped out due to cyclones in the Bahamas."

Cyclones were the most prevalent extreme event for birds, fish, plants and reptiles, while mammals and amphibians were most responsive to drought events, with drought leading to 12 cases of major population decline in mammals.

Drought also led to 13 cases of breeding declines in bird populations and 12 cases of changes in the composition of invertebrate communities.

UQ Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science director Professor James Watson said the detailed information would help inform ecosystem management.

"The research clearly shows species will respond, often negatively, to extreme events," Professor Watson said.

"As climate change continues to ensure extreme climate and weather events are more and more common, we now need to act to ensure species have the best chance to survive.

"Wherever possible, high quality and intact habitat areas should be retained, as these are the places where species are most resilient to increasing exposure to extreme events."
For the first time, researchers have used tiny gears made of germanium to generate a vortex of twisted light that turns around its axis of travel much like a corkscrew. Because germanium is compatible with the silicon used to make computer chips, the new light source could be used to boost the amount of data that can be transmitted with chip-based optical computing and communication.

The researchers, from the University of Southampton in the U.K., and University of Tokyo, Toyohashi University of Technology and Hitachi Ltd., all in Japan, describe the new light-emitting gears in The Optical Society (OSA) journal Optics Express. With a radius of one micron or less, 250,000 of the gears could be packed into just one square millimeter of a computer chip.

There is a great deal of interest in generating light that is twisted, or has orbital angular momentum, because of its advantages for communications and computing. Today, light is used to carry information by varying the number of photons emitted or switching between light's two polarization states. With twisted light, each twist can represent a different value or letter, allowing the encoding of a great deal more information using less light.

"Our new microgears hold the potential for a laser that can be integrated on a silicon substrate -- the last component needed to create an integrated optical circuit on a computer," said the paper's first author Abdelrahman Al-Attili, from the University of Southampton. "These tiny optical-based circuits use twisted light to transmit large amounts of data."

Using strain to improve light emission

It has been impossible to make a usable miniaturized light source on silicon, the material commonly used to make computer chips and associated components, because the material's properties led to poor light-generating efficiency. Although germanium has similar limitations, applying strain by stretching it can improve its light emission efficiency.

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"Previously, the strain that could be applied to germanium was not large enough to efficiently create light without degrading the material," said Al-Attili. "Our new microgear design helps overcome this challenge."

The new design features microgears that are freestanding at the edges so that they can be stretched by an oxide film deposited over the structures. This allows tensile strain to be applied without breaking the germanium's crystal structure. The gears stand on a silicon pedestal that connects it to the top of the silicon substrate and allows heat to dissipate during operation.

To demonstrate their new design, the researchers used electron beam lithography to fabricate the very fine physical features that form the gears' teeth. They then illuminated the gears with a standard green laser that did not emit twisted light. After the microgear absorbed the green light it generates its own photons that are circulated around the edges forming twisted light that is reflected vertically out of the gear by the periodic teeth.

Precision optical simulations

The researchers tested and tweaked their design using computer simulations that model the way light propagates in the gears over nanoseconds or even shorter time periods. By comparing the prototype's light emission with computer simulation results, they were able to confirm that the gears generated twisted light.

"We can precisely design our device to control the number of rotations per propagation wavelength and the wavelength of the emitted light," said Al-Attili.

The researchers are now working to further improve the efficiency of light emission from the germanium microgears. If successful, this technology would make it possible to integrate thousands of lasers onto a silicon chip for transmitting information.

"Silicon fabrication technologies that were developed to make electronic devices can now be applied to make various optical devices," said Al-Attili. "Our microgears are just one example of how these capabilities can be used to make nano- and microscale devices."
The neurological disorder Huntington's disease causes behavioural and motor changes, which among other things are a result of dysfunctional maturation or formation of glial cells, the brain's support cells, researchers from the University of Copenhagen demonstrate in a new study based on mice trials. The researchers' long-term goal is to be able to use the research results to develop a treatment for Huntington's disease using glial cells.

The brain's support cells, the so-called glial cells, play a main role in the development of the genetic brain disorder Huntington's disease, for which there is currently no treatment. In a new study, an international group of researchers from the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences at the University of Copenhagen, among others, has now mapped important, hitherto unknown mechanisms in glial cells in a brain suffering from Huntington's disease. The new research results have been published in the journal Cell Stem Cell.

'In the study we show that glial cell maturation is severely impaired in patients with Huntington's disease, and this is a major contributor to the abnormalities we see in the brain. This leads to behavioural changes as well as to changes in motor function. The failure of glial maturation causes many of these symptoms, because diseased glial cells cannot support normal neuronal and synaptic function; this means that the communication between neurons is impaired, says the last author of the study, Professor Steve Goldman from the Center for Neuroscience at the University of Copenhagen and the Center for Translational Neuromedicine at University of Rochester.

Huntington's disease is the result of a mutation in a gene -- the Huntingtin gene -- which codes for a protein that when mutated causes the disease. Among other things, Huntington's disease leads to personality changes and a loss in motor coordination. There is currently no treatment that can cure or even slow the disease; at best, physicians can only offer medicines that can alleviate some of its symptoms. The overall goal of Steve Goldman and his research group is to find a meaningful, disease-modifying treatment for the disease.

They have been researching glial cells and degenerative diseases in the brain, including Huntington's disease, for a number of years, and in this study they set out to determine what happens to glial cells at the molecular level in the Huntington's disease brain. To do so the researchers studied mice into which they had transplanted human glial progenitor cells containing the Huntington gene. These glial progenitor cells are precursors to mature glial cells, and were derived from pluripotent stem cells, using methods that the researchers developed for producing glial cells from stem cells.

Common Feature: Dysfunctional Glial Cells These mice with human glia enabled the researchers to study the development of Huntington disease-derived glial cells. The researchers learned that the maturation of the glia was delayed and imperfect. Among other things, this led to dysfunctional astrocytes, the most common type of glia in the brain, which among other things regulate the communication between neurons. This poor glial maturation also led to a lack of myelin, the insulating fat that surround the nerve pathways in the brain, and which normally allows and speeds neural communication. The result was a failure of the brain's white matter in these humanized mouse models of Huntington disease, with its consequent effects on behaviour and motor skills. Goldman argues that glial cells are not only important in connection with Huntington's disease, but also appear to play a main role in several other neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric diseases, such as schizophrenia.

'This failure of glial cell maturation appears to be a common element of diseases that involve behavioural abnormalities and psychotic thinking. The unsuccessful glial cell maturation we saw in Huntington's disease is very similar to what we saw in one of our previous studies, where we studied the role of glial cells in schizophrenia. At the same time, our study stresses the potential of glial cell therapy as a possible treatment for Huntington's disease and other similar neurodegenerative diseases', Goldman explains.

Goldman and his colleagues have previously worked with glial cell transplantation, as described in a study from 2016. Here the researchers had transplanted healthy glial cells to mice suffering from Huntington's disease. This prolonged the life expectancy of the mice and alleviated the symptoms of the disease. And one of the next steps for Goldman and his research group is to conduct clinical trials involving transplantation of healthy glial cells to patients with Huntington's disease. They hope to be able to launch these trials within the next couple of years.
Hundreds of new genes linked to blindness and other vision disorders have been identified in a screen of mouse strains. Many of these genes are likely important in human vision and the results could help identify new causes of hereditary blindness in patients. The work is published Dec. 21 in Nature Communications Biology.

"This is extremely valuable for people with hereditary eye disease," said Ala Moshiri, associate professor of ophthalmology and vision science in the University of California, Davis, School of Medicine and Eye Center. "The whole ophthalmic community is going to start using these data."

The results are the latest to come from the International Mouse Phenotyping Consortium, of which UC Davis' Mouse Biology Program is a founding member. The goal of the consortium is to identify a function for every gene in the mouse genome, by creating lines of "knockout" mice that lack a single specific gene and screening them for their effects. Consortium researchers have previously identified a set of genes essential to life, genes linked to deafness and even those linked to hereditary bad breath.

To date, the consortium has generated more than 7,000 strains of gene-knockout mice, of which 4,364 have been characterized across 11 organ systems.

"The data being generated by the IMPC is accelerating the application of genomics in clinical medicine," said Kent Lloyd, director of the UC Davis Mouse Biology Program and principal investigator of the Knockout Mouse Production and Phenotyping (KOMP2) project at UC Davis.

261 new genes linked to blindness

The team led by Bret Moore, resident at the UC Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, Moshiri and colleagues combed the consortium database for genes linked to eye and vision defects. They identified 347 genes, of which 86 were either well-established as involved in eye disease or were associated with vision in some way. Three-quarters of the genes -- 261 -- were not previously known to cause eye disease in any species.

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"In 2018, if someone has a form of hereditary blindness, we can identify the cause 50 to 75 percent of the time," Moshiri said. "In the remaining cases, we know the mutation is there but we don't know where to look. Now eye centers that do DNA sequencing can call back patients and screen them for these new genes."

While the mouse and human genomes clearly differ, most human genes have an analogous counterpart in mice. The UC Davis team is collaborating with eye centers at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston and the University of Iowa to check the newly identified mouse genes against their human equivalents, Moshiri said.

The new genetic information could also enable new therapies for hereditary eye disease. In 2017, the FDA approved the first gene therapy for any disease -- treating hereditary blindness caused by a defect in the retinal gene RPE65.

"We expect that more and more of these genetic diseases will be treatable," Moshiri said.

The research in this paper was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health and the Medical Research Council in the U.K. Additional support came from Research for Preventing Blindness, the International Retinal Research Foundation and the government of Canada.

UC Davis authors in addition to Moore, Moshiri and Lloyd are: Brian Leonard, Lionel Sebbag, Sydney Edwards, Ann Cooper, Denise Imai, Christopher Reilly, Stephen Griffey, Lynette Bower, David Clary and Sara Thomasy. Other authors were from institutions including the MRC Harwell Institute, U.K.; European Molecular Biology Laboratory, and The Wellcome Sanger Institute in Cambridge, U.K.; Universite de Strasbourg, France; The Centre for Phenogenomics, The Hospital for Sick Children and Mt. Sinai Hospital, Toronto; Baylor College of Medicine, Houston; The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, Maine; Nanjing University, China; RIKEN BioResource Center, Tsukuba, Japan; Queen Mary University of London; Seoul National University, South Korea; CNR Institute of Cell Biology and Neurobiology, Italy; and German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany.
On November 9, 2018, the Securities and Exchange Commission obtained a judgment against the former CEO of a brokerage consulting business who was charged by the SEC in August for his role in a multimillion dollar transition management fraud.

The SEC previously charged a brokerage consulting business known as GTS along with three of its former officers, including former CEO John T. Place, for misleading current and prospective customers about the fees the business charged in connection with securities transactions. According to the SEC's complaint, Place and other GTS officers told many of their customers that GTS would receive only clearly disclosed commissions charged on customers' trades. In reality, GTS also received additional revenue from mark-ups and mark-downs charged by other brokers.

Without admitting or denying the allegations in the SEC's complaint, Place consented to the entry of a judgment permanently enjoining him from violating Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 thereunder, and Section 15(c)(1) of the Exchange Act. The amount of any financial penalty and disgorgement to be imposed against Place will be determined at a later date by the court upon motion of the SEC. Place also consented to the entry of an SEC order, issued on December 20, 2018, barring him from the securities industry. The SEC resolved its lawsuit against the two entities that comprised GTS in April 2017, obtaining a final judgment against GTS Inc. and dismissing the action against the defunct GTS LLC.

The SEC's investigation was conducted by Ellen F. Bortz and Richard E. Johnston under the supervision of Jennifer S. Leete. The SEC's litigation is being led by Daniel J. Maher and Melissa J. Armstrong.
London Breed testified that she saw her brother sleeping on their grandmothers couch the night he robbed a burger joint at gunpoint and then pushed his girlfriend out of a car on the Golden Gate Bridge, where the woman was fatally struck by a drunken driver.

But Breeds testimony at the April 2005 trial offered only a vague time frame for just when she saw her brother, Napoleon Brown, on the night of the crime, according to court transcripts obtained by The Chronicle.

I just knew it was in the evening time, Breed told the jury about seeing her brother sleeping. It was late in the evening time, so I dont know exactly what time it was.

The revelations that Breed, who would become mayor of San Francisco 13 years later, testified as an alibi witness in her brothers murder trial came to light this week after it was disclosed that she had asked outgoing Gov. Jerry Brown to commute her brothers sentence for the crime.

Napoleon Brown, 46, has spent nearly two decades in prison after being convicted of murder and other charges in the death of 25-year-old Lenties White. Brown was later granted a new trial and he pleaded no contest to manslaughter, armed robbery and other charges. He was sentenced to 42 years in state prison.

Attorneys and government ethics experts said Breed didnt violate any law in petitioning the governor to reduce her brothers sentence. She has defended her actions since her October letter to the governor became public, saying that her brother deserves the opportunity to rejoin society. The governors office does not comment on pending commutation requests.

But a judges description of Breeds testimony at her brothers trial raised a question about whether she had spoken truthfully on the stand about her brothers whereabouts on the night of the killing.

I told the court what I remembered to the best of my ability, Breed said in an interview Friday.

In a summary of the case in a 2014 court filing, U.S. District Judge Jon Tigar wrote that Breed had said she arrived at her grandmothers home and saw her brother sleeping around midnight.

Police said Brown and an accomplice robbed a Johnny Rockets restaurant on Chestnut Street in the Marina district around 12:30 a.m. before fleeing across the Golden Gate Bridge in June 2000. White, who was dating Brown at the time of the incident, according to Breeds testimony, was struck on the bridge and later died.

The full transcript of Breeds testimony, though, presents a more ambiguous account of when she said she may have seen her brother that night. Breed testified she had been registering voters at a Juneteenth festival at Raymond Kimbell Playground until around 7 p.m. After the festival, she said, she went to eat and hang out with friends before going to her grandmothers home at 1410 Eddy St.

And you got back to your grandmothers ... would you say around 8:00 or 9:00? Assistant District Attorney Robert Gordon III asked.

Breed answered that it was later, but it wasnt real late, it wasnt past 2:00, Im sure of that.

At the time, Breed was living on Treasure Island and worked at the Treasure Island Development Authority, and routinely stayed over at her grandmothers home. Her grandmother, who was in her 80s at the time, raised Breed and her siblings.

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I would often go over and spend the night there or help her out or something like that. So it was a common thing for me to be over there, Breed testified. She told the jury that she couldnt recall whether she saw her brother when she left for work the next morning.

I just dont remember the morning entirely, so I cant say, she said.

When asked by defense attorney David Wise whether she was lying to protect her brother, Breed answered, No.

I grew up in the worst projects in San Francisco and I have always been a person of integrity, which is what my grandmother taught me to be, she testified. And I work really, really really hard to develop a reputation of integrity and it is not worth sacrificing for anyone.

Breed also faced questions about whether she had told police that her brother had gone by the nickname S.B. In a dying declaration after being struck on the bridge, officers said White told them S.B. had thrown her out of his car.

Breed testified that her brother went by either Sonny Boy, Sunny Man, Sonny, and Shitty but he had never gone by S.B.

Investigators said Breed had told them she thought Brown went by S.B. She testified that was inaccurate, and she was upset police had said that.

Evan Sernoffsky and Dominic Fracassa are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: esernoffsky@sfchronicle.com dfracassa@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @EvanSernoffsky @dominicfracassa
The California Supreme Court will have its first majority of four Democratic-appointed justices in 32 years with Fridays confirmation of the man who helped Gov. Jerry Brown choose the last three justices  Joshua Groban, Browns senior legal adviser.

The state Commission on Judicial Appointments voted 3-0 to approve Browns nomination of Groban to succeed Kathryn Mickle Werdegar, who retired in August 2017. It was the longest vacancy in the courts history and will end when Groban is sworn in on Jan. 3, in time for the courts next round of hearings, and four days before Brown leaves office.

The court has had a majority of Republican appointees since 1987, after Chief Justice Rose Bird and two other appointees from Browns first stint as governor, were denied new terms by the voters after a campaign that focused on their reversals of death sentences. The new court, quite conservative at first, swung back to the center and occasionally to the left over the years, as shown by the 4-3 vote in 2008 declaring a right to same-sex marriage. The majority included Werdegar, an appointee of Republican Gov. Pete Wilson.

Grobans judicial philosophy has yet to be revealed  he has never been a judge  but in remarks Friday to the commission, he praised the moderate Werdegar as a brilliant legal mind, a beautiful writer, a consensus-builder, and the kindest person you would ever want to meet.

Groban graduated from Stanford and Harvard Law School and was a civil litigation attorney in Los Angeles before joining Browns staff in 2011. He has screened all of the 600-plus judges appointed by the governor over the past eight years, and counseled him on legal issues. He would presumably have to disqualify himself from cases involving those issues if they reached the court.

The only note of controversy at Fridays hearing was raised by commission member J. Anthony Kline, a presiding justice on the state appeals court in San Francisco. He noted that the three other Brown-appointed justices, Goodwin Liu, Mariano-Florentino Cuellar and Leondra Kruger, had also lacked judicial experience before joining the court, and asked whether a majority of the states highest court should consist of people who have never sat in the judicial trenches.

In response, Arthur Gilbert, a state appeals court justice in Ventura testifying in support of Groban, cited notable justices who had lacked previous judicial experience  William Douglas of the U.S. Supreme Court, Roger Traynor of Californias high court  and said Groban had considerable courtroom exposure as an attorney and a law clerk to a federal judge.

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Therese Stewart, who became the first openly lesbian justice on a California appellate court when Brown named her to the San Francisco court in 2014, said Groban had played a central role in diversifying the state bench, with sizable increases in women, racial and ethnic minorities, and lesbians and gays. Groban encouraged members of those groups to apply for judgeships and showed them how to do so, Stewart said, and what he lacks in that (judicial) experience, he will find a way to make it up.

Kline joined the other two commission members, Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye and Attorney General Xavier Becerra, in confirming Groban. The new justice will be on the state ballot for a 12-year term in 2022.

Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko
Every person sleeping on the streets of Alameda County could be placed into housing or shelters if the county more than triples its spending on key programs, a new report says.

There is no obvious source for the more than $200 million a year needed  on top of more than $100 million already being spent annually  to achieve that goal, officials say. That has prompted talk of a potential tax proposal on the 2020 ballot.

The report is an update to a plan crafted more than a decade ago and adopted by Alameda County and its 14 cities seeking to end homelessness by 2020. The problem has grown since then, and the new report says it can be fixed by 2023  with additional funding.

When we wrote the 2007 plan, we said homelessness is a solvable issue. We wanted it to be true, but we werent sure. We were just building databases, said Elaine de Coligny, executive director of Everyone Home, the effort to address homelessness in Alameda County.

We have a lot more information now than we did a decade ago. We are confident in the solutions and strategies. We just havent been doing them at the pace and scale required, she said.

The county spends about $106 million a year on homeless-related programs and subsidizes 3,000 permanent housing units. The report from Everyone Home, which was started by Oakland, Berkeley and county agencies, says those numbers should be $334 million and 9,000.

Sara Bedford, who is on the leadership board of Everyone Home, said reaching the goal is feasible.

I think we do a disservice if were not ambitious and realistic at the same time, and I think the plan does both of those things, said Bedford, director of the Human Services Department of Oakland. Its very doable to achieve a functional zero  that you are housing people almost as quickly as they come into homelessness.

Short of a San Francisco Proposition C-style tax increase or bond measure, that level of funding isnt expected anytime soon. East Bay officials are beginning to contemplate putting such an initiative on the 2020 ballot.

Meanwhile, the report says, for every homeless person who found housing in 2017, two more became homeless. More than 12,000 people are homeless at some point each year in Alameda County. On any given night, the figure is 5,600.

The report says that if that number can be cut down to 2,200 people, with the additional funding, then no one would have to sleep outside, because there would be enough shelter and housing to go around.

The numbers did not surprise Jose Ramirez, who has been homeless for three years. He and his dog, Judah, were sitting near Jack London Square and the Interstate 880 overpass in Oakland, right across the street from a shuttered store where he used to work.

Ramirez, 50, agreed that East Bay agencies need to be putting far more funding into homelessness but disagreed with the housing-first goal, in which local governments put getting people housed over services. He said finding a job is more important to him than getting shelter.

Its really bad out here, Ramirez said. A lot of people here need to get taken care of hand and foot. Theres nobody out here for us.

As he recounted the events that led to his homelessness  he had worked as a butcher for 27 years, then lost a relationship and his home  a young man exiting the highway stopped at an intersection, ran out of his car and handed Ramirez a plastic bag full of clothes.

People feel generous this time of year, Ramirez said. Yet many living on the street are getting desperate. The previous night, he said, a friend lit his own tent on fire. Firefighters came and put it out.

Many people living in encampments, including 55-year-old William Ewing, criticized Mayor Libby Schaafs Tuff Sheds  one of the most visible city programs seeking to address homelessness. The sheds are not close to meeting the scale of the problem, and come with too many rules, said Ewing, who has been homeless for five years.

They spend money on what they think you want but not what you actually need, he said.

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In addition to greater overall funding, the Everyone Home report says, intervention programs should address complicated, historical realities of discriminatory policies. While African Americans make up about 10 percent of Alameda County, they represent half the homeless population.

Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arreguin called the report excellent and forward-thinking.

It does require a significant investment by Alameda County, he said. Cities in Alameda County are eager to work with county leadership on this.

In turn, Board of Supervisors President Wilma Chan said Alameda County is looking for additional support from the state. She noted the county does not have much discretionary funding  lots of it is earmarked for services like law enforcement.

Chan said the goal to house or shelter everyone living on the streets in five years is aspirational and a moving target. Just as the Great Recession impeded the goals outlined in the 2007 report, Chan said, another economic downturn could be just around the corner and hurt current progress.

Bedford, of city human services, said its simply a matter of marshaling resources to get it done.

Our safety net isnt safe, Bedford said. You can work your whole life and retire on your Social Security and end up in a tent. There is something wrong there.

Kimberly Veklerov is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kveklerov@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kveklerov
Sen. Kamala Harris is making all the early moves for a 2020 presidential run.

The California Democrat is booking speeches in early primary states while stepping back from the Sunday morning talks shows, which provide forums for verbal missteps.

Just as telling was her recent fact-finding trip to Afghanistan, with two Republicans no less, to burnish her military and foreign relations credentials.

The biggest sign for me, however, was her brother-in-law Tony Wests refusal to directly answer friends when they asked whether Harris is running.

All he would say is that the family is discussing it.

Breed brother: Mayor London Breed was doing what any sister would do when she sent her letter to Gov. Jerry Brown asking him to commute her brother Napoleon Browns 42-year sentence for involuntary manslaughter and armed robbery.

Breed is taking heat for doing something while shes mayor that any citizen is entitled to do.

Not that theres much chance the governor will grant the commutation for a crime that violent and have it be part of his legacy.

Syrian surprise: I dont know what the long-term foreign policy implications of President Trumps order to pull U.S. troops out of Syria will be. But I can say this: Its a political winner at home.

Where do those 2,000 troops come from? And the 7,000 whom Trump reportedly plans to withdraw from Afghanistan? For the most part, theyre not from the Bay Area, New York City, Portland, Ore., or other true-blue areas.

The U.S. has long relied on middle America to fight its wars  and weve been in Afghanistan for 17 years.

The places that supply the U.S. militarys strength are largely the ones Trump needs to win in 2020. And for families there, his withdrawal order is the best Christmas present they could hope for.

Holiday cheer: Its the column before Christmas, and all through the town, the people are saying, Whats going on, Willie Brown?

Here are some suggestions for enjoying the holidays:

Take a stroll along Marina Boulevard, and check out the decorative lights in the boats on the bay.

Head to the ice-skating rinks at the Embarcadero, Union Square or Civic Center, and get a chuckle watching the first-timers try to make a full circle around the rink as Christmas carols play.

Stop by the elegant Christmas tree at the Bank of America building on California Street, or the citys tree at the entrance to Golden Gate Park at Stanyan and Fell streets.

Get a whiff of the gingerbread house in the lobby of the Fairmont Hotel.

Enjoy the San Francisco Ballets production of Nutcracker. Its the best in a long time, so you might not fall asleep.

Stand and deliver: About 75 nations representatives were on hand for the annual consular corps party the other night at Beach Blanket Babylon. George and Charlotte Shultz were on the stage, presiding over the party.

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And they were standing the whole time. An impressive feat for a guy who is 98 years old.

I remember getting a call about a year ago from a local news organization with a report that George had just been admitted to the emergency room at Stanford Hospital with a life-threatening ailment. I called one of his friends to get the lowdown.

Willie, the friend said, when youre Georges age, every visit to the hospital is to the emergency ward.

Bubble bash: Gordon Gettys 85th birthday bash is proof that if you really want to have a great party, throw your own.

Getty took over an entire block of upper Broadway. There were ice sculptures everywhere. Even the bar was an ice sculpture. Two dance floors, one inside the house and one on the street. Three dining areas. All the men were in black tie.

I know some of you cringe at such opulence, but bashes like this are a big boost to the local economy. Getty and Stanlee Gatti must have spent more than $2 million on the party, and there were easily 500 people working the event.

Over the top? Yes. Lavish to the point of excess? Yup.

But given the smiles from the valet car attendants as they stuffed tips into their jacket pockets, I like to think of it as trickle-down economics.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Want to sound off? Email: wbrown@sfchronicle.com
A new state law that promises free tuition for first-year, full-time students at most California community colleges gets an A for marketing but a C for economics.

While it may have the intended effect  encouraging more students to go full time  it will also have the unintended consequence of shifting some college costs from the federal government to the state. Thats because some middle- and high-income students who could have recouped first-year tuition on their federal tax returns will have it paid by the state instead.

Lawmakers might want to study this before they pass a new bill that would extend free tuition for full-time students in their second year.

AB19, the California College Promise law, took effect this fall. It waives enrollment fees for first-time college students taking at least 12 units each semester (considered full-time) during their first year at a participating community college. The community colleges charge these fees  $46 per unit  in lieu of tuition, and theyre often called tuition. The waiver does not cover books, parking or other expenses.

Students must be California residents and complete the federal student aid application or, if they are undocumented, a California Dream Act application, to qualify. There is no age or income limit, but students are disqualified if they have already taken at least one college course (excluding ones taken during high school or the summer after).

Many first-year students who will qualify for the new College Promise fee waiver would have gotten free tuition anyway under the decades-old Board of Governors fee waiver program.

Low- and middle-income students can get a Board of Governors waiver, regardless of their year in college or course load, if they meet income or need requirements and are California residents (even if they are undocumented immigrants). They also must maintain a 2.0 grade point average. (This has been renamed the College Promise Grant, but most people still call it a Board of Governors waiver to distinguish it from the new AB19 first-time-student waiver.)

About 42 percent of California community college students get a Board of Governors waiver, and it pays for about two-thirds of units taken.

Most students who dont qualify for a fee waiver can recover their fees by claiming the American Opportunity Tax Credit on their federal tax return. A student, or parents who claim the student as a dependent, can get this dollar-for-dollar credit for up to $2,500 per year spent on tuition, fees and books. Taxpayers can claim this credit for up to four years, but they cant take it if their income exceeds $90,000 (single filers) or $160,000 (married).

This credit easily covers a full year of California community college tuition  $1,104 for 12 units per semester  with plenty left over for books.

Students who get a fee waiver under AB19 cannot claim this credit for tuition. It may not be giving (the student) any direct benefit, but it will shift costs from the federal government to the state, said Mark Kantrowitz, publisher of Savingforcollege.com.

The only first-year students who really come out ahead are high-income ones who couldnt claim the federal credit.

An analysis of AB19 estimated that 19,000 first-year students who would not qualify for a Board of Governors waiver would get free tuition under the new law, at an estimated cost of $31 million. Gov. Jerry Brown ended up allocating $46 million for the new program this year.

The bill analysis did not estimate how many of these 19,000 students would have recouped their fees under the federal tax credit. That issue never came up, said the bills lead author, Assemblyman Miguel Santiago, D-Los Angeles. AB19 was purely about breaking down barriers and increasing student success. When a student commits to go full time, the success rates jump up significantly, he said.

This month, Santiago introduced AB2, which would extend the fee-waiver program to full-time students in their second year. Santiago said he would be happy to take a look at the tax credit issue in the context of that bill.

Bryan Dickason, a financial aid specialist with the community college chancellors office, said he thinks one goal of legislators was to keep up with other states offering free community college.

Oftentimes, policymakers promote free tuition programs because it sounds really good, when the reality is they are not giving you that much additional income, Kantrowitz said. Nevertheless, free tuition is a real powerful marketing message. In states that have adopted them, it increases enrollment by college-capable low-income students, in some cases by 10 to 20 percent.

Californias first-year fee waiver could transfer costs from the federal to state government, said Debbie Cochran, executive vice president of the Institute for College Access and Success. But there are certainly marketing benefits that come with the free college offer. Folks dont see a direct trade-off between a real time (fee waiver) and a credit for expenses incurred. Behaviorally, those two forms of aid have different responses.

But like most marketing messages, free college can be misunderstood.

Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes

The chancellors office has been contacted by people who are upset that the program is not covering all of their college costs, or that they cant go to college full-time because they have to work, Dickason said.

And not all of the states 115 community colleges are offering free tuition to all first-time full-time students. Nine colleges, none in the Bay Area, are not getting AB19 funding, because the law requires them to participate in the federal student loan program, which they dont want to do.

And 23 colleges plan to use AB19 funding to provide something other than first-year fee waivers. The law lets schools use this money in other ways that advance its goals, which include increasing the number of high school students prepared for college, increasing the percentage of college students who earn certificates for in-demand jobs or transfer to four-year colleges, and reducing achievement gaps for students from underrepresented groups.

In the Bay Area, these community colleges include Canada, Chabot, Las Positas, Marin, Mission, San Francisco, San Mateo, Skyline and West Valley.

The three in the San Mateo County Community College District (Canada College, College of San Mateo and Skyline College) already have Promise Scholars programs for first-year, full-time students. They provide, at a minimum, free tuition, a book stipend and academic and career counseling. The programs also address food insecurity and transportation for under-resourced students, the district said in an email. The districts three colleges are using their AB19 funds (about $650,000 total) to support their Promise programs.

On its website, Las Positas College tried to clear up misinformation and misconceptions about how AB19 money can be used. There is no mandate that a college must use these appropriated funds for the sole purpose of providing  all first time full-time students with a fee waiver for one year, it says. The Livermore college said it plans to use AB19 funds to support students with financial need in other meaningful ways, such as providing $500 per semester for books.

Chabot College in Hayward plans to use its funds to help all eligible, low-income students apply for and receive fee waivers and additional financial aid, in part by adding three financial aid positions.

City College of San Francisco already provides free tuition to all San Francisco residents who dont have their fees covered by federal or state aid. Those who do get other aid get a stipend of $250 per semester (full-time) or $100 (part-time) from the city-funded plan called Free City.

City College might use its AB19 money ($416,580) to offer a $500 tuition credit to first-time students who were planning to enroll part time but switch to full time. The money could go to city residents who failed to confirm their residency or to nonresidents. There could be a GPA requirement, said City College spokeswoman Connie Chan.

Kathleen Pender is a San Francisco Chronicle columnist. Email: kpender@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kathpender
Electric drills buzz, and the aroma of freshly released sawdust wafts through the air. Thad Vogler is sitting at a table near the entrance of Obispo, his rum bar that finally opens this weekend, three years after he purchased its $250,000 liquor license and five years after he first signed the lease.

Theres no way this cant be anticlimactic, says Vogler.

That was months ago. While Obispo became San Franciscos longest delayed cocktail bar, it also became the citys most hotly anticipated. For more than a year, drinks writers around the country have been writing about Obispo as if its opening were imminent, praising its novel approach to spirits selections and rum cocktails before Vogler, who also owns the bars Trou Normand and Bar Agricole, ever served a single drink.

No pressure.

The greatest pressure Vogler faces, though, is from himself. If weve been waiting for Obispo for five years, Vogler, 49, has been waiting for it his entire career. This bar is the bar he wanted to open all along. Austere, unadorned and with a very sparsely stocked backbar, Obispo feels spartan compared with Bar Agricoles award-winning industrial design or Trou Normands elegant white marble. It is his most personal bar, the establishment that gets closest to articulating his philosophy about spirits and bars and drinking  a philosophy sometimes referred to as regionalism, expressed at length in his 2017 book By the Smoke and the Smell.

His philosophy: We should be drinking and championing spirits that taste like the places that they come from, that are made honestly  not jacked up with additives like caramel, for example  and that resist homogeneity. Vogler puts it another way: Making drinks should be like making salads. Hes believed this for a long time, but has grown increasingly vocal over the years, and sees both Trou Normand and Bar Agricole as only partial executions of it.

But with Obispo, Vogler feels like he might actually get it right. By serving only a small selection of spirits, all of which carry his rigorous stamp of approval. By offering affordable mixed drinks, some under $10. By partnering with the Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD) and the Calle 24 Community Council, organizations that represent populations with roots in rum-producing cultures. By serving those cultures foods  jerk chicken ($18), oxtail curry ($15), macaroni salad ($7). By featuring, instead of human-size ferns or exploding volcanoes, the stark folk-art paintings of Bill Traylor, an Alabama artist born into slavery, reproduced with help from MoAD.

In other words, Obispo asks patrons to engage in the history of rum  a history marked by colonialism, slavery and poverty.

That said, Vogler also just wants to make a good drink. One of our main goals is to bring back the mojito, he says cheerfully. In the interest of historical verisimilitude, though, his mojito harks to a 1934 recipe from the Havana bar El Floridita, with bitters, lightly stirred (not muddled) mint and a small amount of raw (not refined) sugar ($9). Vogler is also serving Floriditas more obscure variations: Mojito Criollo No. 2 (with gin instead of rum; $11) and Mojito Criollo No. 3 (with brandy; $12).

Cocktails may draw the Mission District masses to Obispo, but those interested in sipping rum neat will be rewarded. The real jewel here is that tight, concise liquor selection. Vogler hopes youll swoon over Neisson and La Favorites delicate, vibrant renditions of rhum agricole  rum distilled from fresh cane sugar, rather than a sugar byproduct like molasses  from the French island of Martinique. So much does he love rhum agricole, which tastes like a living plant, that he named his first bar after it.

Vogler wishes he could serve the light, dry rums of Cuba here, but they still arent legal to import. (Obispo is the name of a street in Havana where Vogler once lived.) As an approximation, Vogler will carry Cuban-style rum from the Guyana producer El Dorado.

He wants to open your mind to the earthy, wild Jamaican rums from Hampden Estate and Worthy Park. These Jamaican spirits may be distilled from molasses (not a living plant), but they compensate with ample funk from their indigenous, open-vat fermentations. During those fermentations, Vogler says the smell at the Hampden Estate distillery is mephitic and unbearable. He likens the experience to entering the bathroom after someone and just being like, What? How?

This is intended as a compliment.

Liz Hafalia / The Chronicle

All this makes Obispo the adversary of pretty much every other rum bar in the Bay Area, which are generally the sort to feature thatch-roof huts and leviathan totems. When Vogler first conceived of Obispo, he wasnt imagining his rum bar as an anti-tiki statement. And then 400 tiki bars opened in the last three years, he says, with only slight hyperbole.

Now it becomes sort of an opposition, he says. Thats fine by him. Ive come to kind of hate tiki.

Part of Voglers beef with tiki is the same beef he has with just about every other bar, most of which are serving, in his words, factory-made garbage. Vogler finds this reliance on industrial spirits especially hard to comprehend at places here that pride themselves on farm-fresh produce and terroir-driven wine lists. Youre taking the trouble of going to the farmers market, but then behind the bar youre stocking McDonalds.

But tiki bars commit a secondary offense on top of that, in Voglers view  and it has to do with history. He hates how apocryphal tiki is, an irresponsible amalgamation of various island cultures with little regard for historical truth. Tiki is just this weird white middle-aged fantasy, Vogler says.

Meanwhile, he believes that fantasy isnt nearly as compelling as the actual, true story of rum. Rum is analog to the most brutal and fascinating chapter of human history in this part of the world, from New Orleans to Argentina, says Vogler. Rum is diasporic, he believes, born from the collision of colonizing forces with enslaved populations and the native plant materials that surround them  sugarcane.

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He knows that for a white man to open a bar centered around a diasporic spirit on 24th Street, in the heart of the fast-changing Mission, may attract some criticism. Thats part of why Calle 24 and MoAD are partners in the bar and will receive some of the proceeds. Its also why the Obispo menu will be in Spanish, and all of the staff will speak Spanish, and prices will be affordable  to help make Obispo feel welcoming to its neighbors. But Vogler admits he is still grappling with the larger question.

All Ive hoped for is to engage in selling booze the way people sell wine, he says. Vogler admires the way the wine world has established parameters to ask the right questions: Who made this? How was it made? Does it have a sense of place?

Liz Hafalia / The Chronicle

As Vogler speaks, a persistent drip can be heard from a supply closet. The drills continue to buzz in the background. Now, five years after the Obispo journey began, Vogler can see the finish line at last. As much as he comes across as a man galvanized by conviction, he also seems tired. Who wouldnt be, after waiting this long for a contractor to finish building your bar? Hes tired of all his travel, which is constant, as anyone whos read By the Smoke and the Smell knows well; he insists on visiting the producers whose spirits he stocks. Vogler has crammed in three more trips to faraway rum distilleries this fall, before he and his wife are expecting their first baby in January. These days, he hardly drinks.

Obispo is one bar. Another regionalist bar he helped create, Camino, just closed. Did Vogler think that his ideas  regionalism, terroir-driven spirits, drinks-as-salads  would have caught on with more Bay Area bars by now? He sighs. I thought it would.

Hes not particularly hopeful. There is an inexorable end to a certain type of spirit production, Vogler says. The dominance of larger liquor conglomerates in rum-producing countries  many of them impoverished countries  means that the small-scale, idiosyncratic rums that form the foundation of Obispo may not be around forever.

Are these questions too big for one little bar in the Mission? Maybe. I cannot pretend to have the answer, Vogler says, but the conversation is very interesting.

In the meantime, as of this Friday, he will be happy to make you a mojito.

Esther Mobley is The Chronicles wine critic. Email: emobley@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Esther_mobley Instagram: @esthermob

Obispo, 3270 24th St., S.F. Open daily 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. Closed Dec. 23 to 26.
Mayor London Breed picked the right time and the right governor to ask for clemency for her imprisoned brother. The San Francisco mayor said the attorney for brother Napoleon Brown suggested that Jerry Brown would probably be more open to the request because it was his last year in office.

After all, at 80, Gov. Jerry Brown has run his last campaign. His successor, fellow Democrat Gavin Newsom, could be looking down the road at how the commutation of a sentence in a crime that cost the life of a 25-year-old woman might be exploited by a future opponent.

But the case for applying now goes deeper than that.

Brown has gone where few politicians dare to venture in taking a chance  both politically and in terms of public safety  in approving pardons and sentence reductions. His record in the past eight years distinguishes him from every other California governor in modern history, including the young Jerry Brown who served from 1975 to 1983.

In his first stint as governor, Brown issued 400 pardons and just one commutation. This time around, he has pardoned 1,100 and commuted 152 sentences.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger pardoned 15 and commuted 10 sentences in his two terms. His predecessor, risk-averse Gray Davis who took pride in his resolute refusal to consider get-out-of-jail pleas, provided none of either.

So Breed would never have a better opportunity to make the case that her brother, who has served about half his 42-year sentence for a 2000 robbery and involuntary manslaughter, received an excessive sentence and deserves another chance at freedom. This governor has shown a willingness to consider the merits without regard to potential public-opinion backlash.

But the request was not without political peril to Breed, as has become apparent in the past few days. She has received legitimate criticism over the way she highlighted her title  MAYOR LONDON BREED in block letters at the top of her correspondence to the governor  as well as disclosures that she testified as an alibi witness, claiming she saw her brother sleeping on a couch on the night the robbery went down. Did she exploit her position of power? Did she testify falsely?

I thought about that, she said of the pros and cons of her involvement. I said I want to be helpful. Whatever way I could be helpful, thats what I wanted to do. We thought about it, we discussed it, we even weighed it: Should we do this because this could be problematic?

The decision was that attaching the prefix Mayor to her name did not really matter, in her view.

The fact is, people are going to know: This is your brother, she said. The question isnt whether it backfires, because it is inevitable. If he (the governor) grants it (clemency), its going to come out.

I nevertheless think it is naive at best, disingenuous at worst, to contend that the accentuation of her title as mayor of San Francisco would not call extra attention to Napoleons request for clemency. Those of us who are in positions of influence  whether a judge, elected official or even a more modest perch as a journalist  know better than to invoke our roles in the public trust to gain advantage that would not be available to everyone else.

But Breed argued that she knew that there was a chance her stature as mayor could even work against her and her brother.

I made the request probably counter to what was best for me politically, because it is there in writing and it is there for the whole world to see, she said. Once I put it in writing, there it is.

Its unfortunate that a great position like this (mayor of San Francisco) could be a hindrance to my family. The reason I got into politics and the first place, and doing the work that Ive done even before I was an elected official, had everything to do with what happened to my family growing up in the city, and the challenges we experienced.

I cant begrudge Breed for wanting to free her brother, and I respect her putting herself on the line to assure the state that she would help provide the support to allow him to succeed outside the prison walls. Who among us would not do the same for a loved one who had spent two decades behind bars, regardless of the severity of the crime?

As for the alibi that her brother was sleeping on her grandmothers couch in the Western Addition, as our Dec. 21 editorial (full disclosure: I wrote it) concluded, that while her account sounds suspicious, it is not implausible considering the amorphous timelines. Official accounts had the robbery in the Marina between midnight and 12:40 a.m.

I told the police and I told the court what I recall from that night when I was asked, she said. Thats all I did.

I would not pretend to be in a position to determine whether Napoleon Brown, now 46, is fit to return to society. Myriad considerations come into play. How did he perform in prison; should the fact he was caught in possession of heroin last year disqualify him for early release? Has he shown genuine contrition? What is the view of the victims family? What is the state of his rehabilitation? Was his 42-year sentence for involuntary manslaughter just, considering that convicted murderers often get less time?

These are among the questions a governor must consider.

To his credit, Jerry Brown is willing to take on these tough decisions. The easy way out  see: Gray Davis  is to pretend the justice system always gets it right, and that every inmate who remains in prison, however unfairly, is one less potential Willie Horton to crop up at election time.

London Breed was arguably the toughest-on-crime of the mayoral candidates last year. But she knows the justice system is neither perfect nor colorblind.

Sadly, theres clearly an issue with the justice system and how oftentimes African American men are disproportionately impacted, especially in regards to sentencing, she said. I think its important to really shine a light on this issue.

Even if it means the harsh spotlight turns to her.

John Diaz is The Chronicles editorial page editor. Email: jdiaz@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @JohnDiazChron
Heres whats open, closed in shutdown

The partial shutdown of the U.S. government wont force public services in the Bay Area to grind to a halt, but it could create some inconveniences. That nuisance is likely to intensify if the situation drags on.

More than 400,000 employees nationwide were expected to be furloughed across nine federal agencies that dont have approved spending plans, resulting in slower or nonexistent services at national parks, the Internal Revenue Service, passport offices and elsewhere. Another 420,000 employees deemed essential will have to work without pay.

Here is a look at whats affected by the shutdown:

National parks: The Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Point Reyes National Seashore, Yosemite National Park and other parks make site-by-site decisions about what to close. While many parks remain open, most visitor services are shut down. Restrooms are locked, trash cans are not emptied and campground reservation check-ins are unavailable. In snowbound parks, roads are not plowed.

During a similar partial government closure in January, the main parking lot and entrance to Muir Woods were roped off. Alcatraz Island remained open, but with reduced ferry service.

The Presidio Trust, which is not funded by taxpayers, will take over some of the jobs at the Presidio in San Francisco that are usually performed by the National Park Service. Baker Beach and the visitors center will remain open, and trash cans will be emptied and restrooms will be open at Crissy Field.

Day-tour schedules for visitors eager to explore Alcatraz Island will not be affected, but the Behind the Scenes Tours and night tours will be canceled amid the shutdown.

Home/business loans: The Federal Housing Administration may be delayed in processing home loan applications, while the Small Business Administration may be slow to approve commercial loans.

Food/farm services: Inspections of food-processing plants are scheduled to continue, but could become backed up because of reduced staffing. Local offices of the U.S. Farm Service Agency that provide information to growers may close.

Taxes: Customer service at the Internal Revenue Service could be curtailed.

Passports: The processing of visas and passports could be delayed. The State Department, which will have limited staffing, may be slow in updating foreign travel advisories.

Food assistance: Aid programs will not be affected for now, though some could be reduced in a prolonged shutdown. The programs include the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, food stamps and school lunches.

Benefits: Social Security and Medicare operations will continue.

Disaster/emergency assistance: Cleanup of the deadly Camp Fire in Butte County, which is supported by the Environmental Protection Agency, will continue. Firefighters with the U.S. Forest Service will remain on the job.

Federal courts: Northern California court offices will remain open.

Military: The military services will continue operations.

Mail: Post offices will remain open, and mail will still be delivered.

Airports: Security checkpoints will remain staffed, and air traffic controllers will stay on the job.

Washington: Members of Congress will continue to be paid. So will President Trump, though he has donated his salary to various government agencies since taking office.

 Kurtis Alexander
As a medical assistant at Planned Parenthood, TaLisa Hairston urged pregnant women to take rest breaks at work, stay hydrated and, please, eat regular meals.

Then she got pregnant and couldnt follow her own advice.

Last winter, Hairston told the human resources department for Planned Parenthoods clinic in White Plains, N.Y., that her high blood pressure was threatening her pregnancy. She sent the department multiple notes from her nurse, recommending she take frequent breaks.

Managers ignored the notes. They rarely gave her time to rest or to take a lunch break, Hairston said.

I had to hold back tears talking to pregnant women, telling them to take care of their pregnancies when I couldnt take care of mine, she said. It made me jealous.

Discrimination against pregnant women and new mothers remains widespread in the U.S. workplace. It is so pervasive that even organizations that define themselves as champions of women are struggling with the problem.

That includes Planned Parenthood, which has been accused of sidelining, ousting or otherwise handicapping pregnant employees, according to interviews with more than a dozen current and former employees.

In interviews and legal documents, women at Planned Parenthood and other organizations with a feminist bent described discrimination that violated federal or state laws  managers considering pregnancy in hiring decisions, for example, or denying rest breaks recommended by a doctor.

In other cases, the bias was more subtle. Many women said they were afraid to announce a pregnancy at work, sensing they would be seen as abandoning their colleagues.

Some of those employers saw accommodating expectant mothers as expensive and inconvenient. Others were unsympathetic to workers seeking special treatment.

At Natera, which sells genetic tests for pregnant women, former employees Melissa Blain Johnson and Judit Rigo said they were demoted while on maternity leave. Johnson, who has sued Natera, also said she was left feeling like a guinea pig when her boss suggested that she and another pregnant employee pose as patients and get genetically tested by a rival company.

Ms. Johnsons employment at Natera was not influenced inappropriately by her pregnancy or subsequent maternity leave, said Anna Czene, a spokeswoman for the San Carlos company. The same was true for Ms. Rigo.

At Avon, which calls itself the company for women, two employees in a cosmetics-testing lab have sued for being forced to handle toxic chemicals while pregnant. A marketing executive, Caroline Ruiz, also said she was fired four days after announcing her pregnancy.

Paige Cali, a spokeswoman for Avon, said the company strongly denies claims of discrimination.

At Mehri & Skalet, a law firm suing Walmart for pregnancy discrimination, three lawyers have accused a founding partner, Cyrus Mehri, of mistreatment. Heidi Burakiewicz said Mehri pressured her to return early from maternity leave. Sandi Farrell was told to participate in a performance review during her leave, and when she asked to postpone it, she was fired. Taryn Wilgus Null said Mehri questioned her child care arrangements in a performance review after she returned from leave.

Mehri said he strongly denied the accusations and that no one was mistreated after giving birth. He said Burakiewiczs allegation is a lie, plain and simple, that Farrell had performance problems and that Null, now a lawyer at the Justice Department, misinterpreted his comments.

And at Planned Parenthood, the countrys leading provider of reproductive services, managers in some locations declined to hire pregnant job candidates, refused requests by expectant mothers to take breaks and in some cases pushed them out of their jobs after they gave birth, according to current and former employees in California, Texas, North Carolina and New York.

Most Planned Parenthood offices do not provide paid maternity leave, though many let new mothers take partially paid disability leave.

I believe we must do better than we are now, Leana Wen, the president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, said in a statement. Its our obligation to do better, for our staff, for their families and for our patients.

Wen said the organization was investigating the allegations of pregnancy discrimination reported by the New York Times.

The organization also is conducting a review to determine the cost of providing paid maternity leave to nearly 12,000 employees nationwide.

Vincent Russell, the regional chief executive who oversees the office where Hairston worked, denied her accusations.

While Planned Parenthoods clinics and regional offices brought in about $1.5 billion in fiscal year 2016  half from private donations and half from the government, to reimburse treatment provided to Medicaid patients  conservative lawmakers routinely threaten to kill its taxpayer funding. With their finances precarious, the clinics pay modest salaries to the employees who provide health care  abortions, cancer screenings, prenatal care, disease testing  to 2.4 million mostly low-income patients every year.

The Planned Parenthood Federation of America has its headquarters in Manhattan. The clinics that serve women are run by 55 regional affiliates with their own chief executives and human resources policies. They receive some money and support from headquarters.

Tight budgets sometimes created punishing workplace conditions, employees said. A dozen lawsuits filed against Planned Parenthood clinics in federal and state courts since 2013 accused managers of denying workers rest periods, lunch breaks or overtime pay, or retaliating against them for taking medical leave.

Managers have discriminated against pregnant women and new mothers, according to interviews with the current and former Planned Parenthood employees and with organizers from the Office and Professional Employees International Union, which represents some Planned Parenthood workers.

In Miami, one current and two former employees said that women at a Planned Parenthood office were scared to tell managers they were pregnant. One of them said that, in conversations with supervisors, colleagues would often volunteer that they were not planning to have children or were gay or single.

It was looked down upon for you to get pregnant, said Carolina Delgado, who worked in the Miami office until 2012. I dont think that any supervisor had to literally say it for us to feel it.

Dannette Hill, Planned Parenthoods head of human resources, said that most parents who work in the Miami office have been promoted after returning from leave.

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.

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.

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, 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 4 pounds and spent weeks in neonatal intensive care. The office doesnt provide paid maternity leave.

In September, she started a fundraiser on GoFundMe. On the appeals page, Hamilton wrote that she was under financial strain because On top of medical bills I cannot work. She set the goal at $15,000. So far she has raised $1,995.

Multiple Planned Parenthood executives said in interviews that they were eager for the Times to publish an article about the lack of paid maternity leave because they hoped it would lead to changes in the organizations policies.

Hairston, the former medical assistant, took the job in 2015 because she believed in the groups mission. Planned Parenthood helped me give women a voice to do what they wanted with their bodies, she said.

Hairston, 27, counseled women who wanted abortions and checked up on those carrying to term. She said she rarely took lunch and often spent 10-hour shifts on her feet.

She figured there would be no better place to work while pregnant than a clinic that dealt with expectant mothers every day.

But Planned Parenthoods Westchester County clinics, overseen by a regional office in Hawthorne, N.Y., had a history of issues with pregnant employees.

Tracy Webber, the former director of clinical services in White Plains, sued the organization for pregnancy discrimination in 2009, saying she had been fired four weeks after giving birth. Planned Parenthood settled for undisclosed terms.

A woman who worked at Planned Parenthoods New Rochelle clinic and who declined to be named said in an interview that, when she got pregnant last year, managers ignored her doctors note recommending frequent breaks. Her manager asked her to delay her maternity leave and, after she gave birth, pressed her to return early.

A medical assistant at the same clinic was fired in May 2018, the day she returned from maternity leave, according to a former human resources manager who oversaw the clinic. Jonas Urba, the womans lawyer, said she reached a confidential resolution with Planned Parenthood.

The former human resources manager, who requested anonymity, said executives assumed that when a pregnant worker brought in a doctors note, it was an excuse to work less. People who took sick days were perceived as lacking commitment.

All the individuals identified in the article were treated fairly and equitably, free of any discrimination, said Russell, the head of Planned Parenthoods Hawthorne office.

When Hairston asked for regular breaks, including 30 minutes for lunch, her supervisors brushed her off. Hairston said she sent multiple notes from her nurse at Full Circle Womens Health to the regional offices human resources department, stating that the extra breaks were medically necessary. No one responded, and nothing changed, according to Hairston and the former human resources manager.

Hairstons hands and feet swelled; the clinics plastic gloves no longer fit. Her blood pressure got so high that her doctor put her on bed rest when she was seven months pregnant.

She returned to work on strict orders to not work more than six hours a day and to take regular breaks. One day in March, she worked a much longer shift. She soon became so sick that her doctor told her to go back on bed rest. A few days later, on March 23, she went to the hospital. Doctors performed an emergency C-section. She was 34 weeks pregnant.

When she had been on maternity leave for eight of the 12 weeks guaranteed by the Family and Medical Leave Act, Planned Parenthoods human resources department called her multiple times and urged her to return to work early, Hairston said. She emailed the department and said she felt discriminated against. She resigned in June.

I didnt get into the medical field to be treated like this, she said.

The last she heard from Planned Parenthood was a letter asking her to donate money. She threw it in the trash.

Natalie Kitroeff and Jessica Silver-Greenberg are New York Times writers.
Rafe Swan/Getty Image

A Richmond man was arrested in connection to a fatal triple-shooting this summer in Antioch, authorities said Friday.

Angel Leoncio Bautista, 19, was arrested around noon Thursday at his home. He is a suspect in a shootout that killed a man and injured two teens. The incident occurred around 1:17 a.m. July 30 in the parking lot of a business complex on the 2700 block of Hillcrest Avenue, according to the Antioch Police Department.
When was the last time you stepped into a San Francisco eatery and actually asked: What's the story behind your meal? What about the neighborhood you found it in?

San Francisco is home to a number of tasty eateries and locally produced confections that are worth learning about. One of the best ways to learn more is through one of the many walking tours the city has to offer.
A houseboat owner named Kellie Hoffmann returning from a trip out of town recently was shocked to discover her Sacramento Marina home had been ransacked by two burglars. What was more shocking, however, was that one of the alleged burglars left behind a rather incriminating piece of evidence: a wallet with an ID inside.

The burglars, who reportedly swam up to the boat from the river before breaking in, left the house in disastrous condition. According to KOVR, they had made themselves comfortable; they ate Hoffman's food (even leaving a burrito in the microwave), they took naps, they made s'mores on the deck patio, and they used (and defecated in) the hot tub.
WASHINGTON  Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg had surgery Friday to remove two malignant growths in her left lung, the third time the Supreme Courts oldest justice has been treated for cancer since 1999.

Doctors found no evidence of any remaining disease and scans taken before the surgery showed no cancerous growths elsewhere in her body, the court said in a statement. No additional treatment is currently planned, it said.

Ginsburg, 85, is the leader of the courts liberal wing. She has achieved an iconic status rare for Supreme Court justices, and is known as the Notorious RBG to some of her most ardent fans. In recent days, Ginsburg has basked in the warm applause of audiences that turned out for screenings of a new feature film about her life.

Her health is closely watched by liberals and conservatives alike. If she were to step down now, President Trump would choose her replacement, and further shift the Supreme Court in a more conservative direction.

The growths were found incidentally during tests Ginsburg had after she fractured ribs in a fall in her Supreme Court office on Nov. 7, the court said.

Doctors at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York performed a procedure called a pulmonary lobectomy on Ginsburg. The growths they removed were determined to be malignant in an initial pathology evaluation, the court said, citing Ginsburgs thoracic surgeon, Dr. Valerie Rusch.

Ginsburg is expected to remain in the hospital for a few days, the court said.

If she doesnt need anything but the surgery, it is a very good sign, said Dr. John Lazar, director of thoracic robotic surgery at MedStar Washington Hospital Center.

It was unclear whether Ginsburg would be back on bench when the court next meets on Jan. 7. She has never missed Supreme Court arguments in more than 25 years as a justice.

Ginsburg had surgery for colorectal cancer in 1999 and pancreatic cancer 10 years later. Doctors found the growth on her pancreas in the course of routine screenings as a result of her first cancer.

Mark Sherman is an Associated Press writer.
WASHINGTON (AP)  Racing toward a partial government shutdown, President Donald Trump's top envoys were dispatched to Capitol Hill as he dug in Friday in a standoff over his demand for billions of dollars in U.S.-Mexico border wall money.

Vice President Mike Pence, acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney and senior adviser Jared Kushner arrived in late afternoon for a round of office calls, but there was no clear movement toward a deal with Democrats or Republicans to end the crisis.

The shutdown, scheduled for midnight, would disrupt government operations and leave hundreds of thousands of federal workers furloughed or forced to work without pay just days before Christmas.

At a White House bill signing, Trump said the government is "totally prepared for a very long shutdown."

Trump tried to pin the blame on Democrats for the possible shutdown, even though just last week he said he would be "proud" to shut part of the government in a fight for the wall, which was a major promise of his presidential campaign.

"This is our only chance that we'll ever have, in our opinion, because of the world and the way it breaks out, to get great border security," Trump said Friday at the White House. Democrats will take control of the House in January, and they oppose major funding for wall construction.

Trump convened Republican senators for a lengthy meeting at the White House, but the lengthy back-and-forth with the president did not appear to set a strategy for moving forward. A person granted anonymity because they were unauthorized to discuss the private session said the president would not get behind lower levels of funding the senators discussed.

"I was in an hour meeting on that and there was no conclusion," said Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell returned to Capitol Hill saying lawmakers "had a good conversation about the way forward."

More for you Liberals offer to donate their lungs to Ruth Bader Ginsburg

McConnell quickly set in motion a Senate procedural vote on a House Republican package that would give Trump $5.7 billion for the wall, but it was not expected to pass. At least one Republican, retiring Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona, was opposed, saying he would resist wall money without broader immigration reforms, leaving even the procedural vote in doubt.

To underscore the difficulty, the Senate vote was stuck in a long holding pattern waiting for the return of senators who had already left town.

Senators were being recalled to Washington after having already approved a bipartisan package earlier this week that would continue existing border security funding, at $1.3 billion, but without new money for Trump's wall.

Amid the impasse, Pence and the others were dispatched to the Capitol to meet with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who told them that Trump's demands for wall money would not pass the Senate, according to the senator's spokesman.

Schumer told Pence, Mulvaney and Kushner other offers to keep the government running with existing levels of border security funds remain on the table.

Pence and the others later walked across the Capitol to meet with House Speaker Paul Ryan.

Friday's voting dragged on as senators rushed back to town. Texas Sen. John Cornyn, the Senate's No. 2 Republican, said he returned to the Lone Star state on Thursday only to get back on an early Friday morning flight to Washington.

Democratic Sen. Brian Schatz flew all the way home to Hawaii, tweeting that he spent 17 minutes with his family, before returning on the 11-hour flight.

"Wheels down IAD ready to vote no on this stupid wall," Schatz tweeted Friday, referring to Dulles International Airport outside Washington.

The Senate was expected to reject the House measure because Democratic votes are needed and McConnell showed little interest in changing the rules  as Trump proposed  to allow a simple majority for passage.

One possibility was that the Senate might strip the border wall funds out of the package, pass it and send it back to the House. House lawmakers said they were being told to stay in town for more possible votes.

"The biggest problem is, we just don't know what the president will sign," said Flake.

Only a week ago, Trump insisted during a televised meeting at the White House he would take ownership of a shutdown over his border wall. "I will take the mantle. I will be the one to shut it down," he asserted.

But with the hours dwindling before the midnight deadline, Trump sought to reframe the debate and blame Democrats for the impasse that threatens hundreds of thousands of federal workers on the eve of the end-of-the-year holidays.

"Senator Mitch McConnell should fight for the Wall and Border Security as hard as he fought for anything. Later in the morning, not even waiting for a Senate vote, Trump tweeted that "the Democrats now own the shutdown!"

The White House said Trump would not go to Florida on Friday as planned for the Christmas holiday if the government were shutting down.

At issue is funding 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 funded 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 because it's an independent agency.

Thursday night, the GOP-led House voted largely along party lines, 217-185, to attach the border wall money to the Senate's bill. House Republicans also tacked on nearly $8 billion in disaster aid for coastal hurricanes and California wildfires.

Both the House and Senate packages would extend government funding through Feb. 8, all but guaranteeing another standoff once Democrats take control of the House in the New Year.

"There are a lot of us who want to avoid a shutdown," said Kansas GOP Sen. Pat Roberts. "I've been through about five of them in my career. None of them have worked in terms of their intent."

___

Associated Press writers Alan Fram, Kevin Freking, Mary Clare Jalonick and Jill Colvin in Washington contributed to this report.
SAN FRANCISCO (BCN)



Supporters of a Richmond man who has been jailed by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for more than a year and a half rallied today outside the U.S. Federal Building ahead of a hearing to seek his release.



Attorneys for Raul Lopez, 46, have petitioned his case to the Federal District Court, in hopes of ending his detention.



Lopez, a Guatemalan immigrant who has lived in the United States for 29 years, was initially being held at the West County Detention Facility in Richmond since he was first detained by ICE in March 2017. But since the Contra Costa County Sheriff's Office terminated its contract to house ICE detainees in September, he's been moved to a facility in Aurora, Colo.



Although Lopez's habeas corpus petition hearing was heard today, U.S. Magistrate Sally Kim said she could not a make a decision on whether to require the government to release him or give him a new bond hearing.



"It's really unjust that he's being detained," said Lopez's attorney, Daniel Werner with Dolores Community Services. "The habeas release is a way to challenge detention by the executive that would otherwise be unchecked."



Werner said Lopez's case is just one of many in which he said the federal government appears to be targeting immigrants and refugees for detention.



Dianeth Lopez, Raul's wife, and their two teenage children attended today's hearing. Dianeth said she spoke to Raul Lopez Thursday.



"He's happy because of today's hearing, but he's still sad because it's the holidays and he's so far away. For us not being able to see him is so hard," she said.



Before being detained by ICE, Raul already had a pending immigration case when he was charged for the third time for driving while under the influence. He served two months in jail and was placed on house arrest for that crime.



But in March 2017, when he went to a check-in appointment at the San Francisco ICE office, he was taken into custody and has remained jailed since.



Before being transferred to the Colorado facility earlier this year, Raul Lopez's daughter held her quinceanera, or 15th birthday celebration, outside the West County Detention Facility to protest his detainment.





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Santa Cruz County sheriff's deputies are searching for a suspect in an armed robbery Thursday evening at a liquor store in Aptos.



An unknown suspect with a gun walked into Village Liquors at 8035 Soquel Drive and demanded money from a store clerk at 6:50 p.m., according to deputies.



No one was injured, and the suspect fled the area with an undisclosed amount of cash. He may also be connected to robberies that happened in Watsonville and Capitola, according to deputies.



Anyone with information is asked to contact Sgt. Jacob Ainsworth at (831) 454-7635.





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A man is dead and 15 people were displaced after a fire ignited at a San Jose apartment building early this morning, according to the San Jose Fire Department.



Capt. Brad Cloutier said someone called the fire department around 4 a.m. to report smoke coming from a second-floor apartment on the 1200 block of Blossom Hill Road.



Firefighters arrived and quickly knocked down the flames. But when they went into the apartment, they found a man unresponsive.



They tried to resuscitate him but he was pronounced dead at the scene. Cloutier said the man appeared to be in his 30s.



The fire seriously damaged the man's apartment, along with six neighboring apartments. Around 15 people were displaced, and the Red Cross is helping shelter them, Cloutier said.



"The apartments  will not be occupied for the foreseeable future," he said.



Cloutier said authorities don't yet know what caused the blaze. An arson investigator was at the scene looking into it.







Part of McLaren Park in southeastern San Francisco will be transformed into a high ropes course in the coming months, according to the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department.



The Recreation and Park Commission approved a plan Thursday to build the ropes course in an underused part of the park.



Sponsors of the plan say the ropes course will serve low-income students and help them cultivate leadership skills.



"Studies show outdoor adventure programs provide mental health benefits for teens and young adults," park department officials said in a news release.



The course will be built in the Wilde Overlook area near the intersection of Mansell Street and Visitacion Avenue.



It will include a "two-pole, four-person aerial adventure" and a solo challenge called "The Leap," according to the news release.



Mayor London Breed supports the plan.



"We are always looking for new ways for our public spaces to better serve our community, and the new ropes course will be a welcome addition," she said.



Officials say it will be completed by May 2019. It will be the only high ropes course on city property.



Outward Bound and the city raised funds for the park and are trying to raise more money for staff training, ongoing maintenance and student scholarships.



The officials didn't say in the news release how much the project is expected to cost.







A 30-year-old Mountain View man has pleaded no contest to child molestation charges for having sex with two underage girls he met at the youth group home in Redwood City where he worked as a counselor, prosecutors said today.



Francis Caceres entered the no contest pleas Thursday to three felony charges -- child molestation, witness dissuasion, and unlawful sexual intercourse with a child - in a plea deal with the court in exchange for a sentence of eight years in prison, according to the San Mateo County District Attorney's Office.



Prosecutors had sought a nine-year sentence for Caceres, who will be formally sentenced on Feb. 22.



Caceres was a counselor at Your House South, a group home run by the nonprofit StarVista, and had sex with a then-14-year-old girl there starting in December 2016, prosecutors said.



After he was arrested in January 2017, another girl who was 13 at the time and lived at the same group home also came forward and said she was a victim of Caceres, leading to additional charges being filed against him, according to the district attorney's office.







If you're driving a stolen vehicle from out of state it's probably not a good idea to double-park it in a busy shopping district, but Berkeley police say that's exactly what a suspect did on Tuesday evening.



An officer who was on holiday patrol in the Fourth Street shopping area saw a man double-park an SUV and walk into the Apple Store at 1823 Fourth St. at about 6:15 p.m. on Tuesday, according to police.



Because the SUV had paper plates, not regular license plates, the officer had to use the vehicle's identification number to issue his citation for the SUV, police said.



When the officer conducted a records check of the vehicle he learned that it had been reported as stolen from Phoenix, according to police.



The officer, along with a few other officers, then waited patiently for the man to exit the store and he subsequently was arrested on suspicion of vehicle theft and possession of a stolen vehicle, police said.



The suspect was identified by police as 40-year-old Keith Allen Wallace of Berkeley.







A 17-year-old girl was arrested Thursday on suspicion of attempting to murder a former boyfriend by running over him with her car at Analy High School in Sebastopol, police said.



Police responded around 10 a.m. to a report of a hit and run involving a pedestrian in a parking lot at the school located at 6950 Analy Ave.



Witnesses said the driver deliberately struck the victim with her vehicle, ran over him and tried to leave the scene, police said.



Video from a surveillance camera showed the girl quickly backing her vehicle out of a parking space as the 17-year-old boy walked nearby in the parking lot, police said.



The girl then accelerated her car at the boy, slowed momentarily then accelerated again and struck the boy, according to police.



The boy fell to the ground in front of the vehicle, and the girl ran over his body and sped away, police said. The boy suffered injuries that are not life threatening, police said.



The boy and the girl were previously dating, police said.



The girl was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and domestic battery with injury, police said. She was booked in the Los Guilicos Juvenile Hall.



There are no known or suspected threats to the safety of the high school because of the incident, police said.







A 57-year-old homeless man has been arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and violating his probation for allegedly stabbing a 56-year-old man in Civic Center Park in downtown Berkeley on Tuesday, police said.



Officers who were called to the park at about 2:40 p.m. on Tuesday to help a man with a stab wound found the victim sitting on a bench in the northwest corner of the park, according to police.



The man had been stabbed in the chest and was taken to a local hospital to be treated for injuries that did not appear to be life threatening, police said.



Officers located the suspect, James Earl Blakes, in the south side of the park and arrested him, according to police.



Blakes is being held at the Santa Rita Jail in Dublin.







The American Canyon Police Department has identified Adam Douglas Branks, 29, of Maryland as an alleged domestic violence suspect who was arrested after a police pursuit on state Highway 37 Wednesday.



American Canyon police responded around 2:30 p.m. to a report of a domestic violence incident happening inside a Chrysler PT Cruiser. Police spotted the vehicle driving south on state Highway 29 in Napa County and tried to pull the car over.



The driver accelerated and drove onto westbound state Highway 37 through Vallejo where the California Highway Patrol joined the pursuit. A front tire of the PT Cruiser was damaged, and the vehicle slowed down enough for a female to escape the car between Mare Island and Sears Point, police said.



The driver, identified as Branks, struck the female with the PT Cruiser causing moderate injuries, and also crashed into a CHP patrol car, police said. An American Canyon police officer then disabled the PT Cruiser with his patrol car and Branks ran north into the marsh water between Highway 37 and Skaggs Island, police said.



American Canyon police, the CHP, the Napa County and Sonoma County sheriff's offices and the state Department of Fish and Wildlife surrounded the area. Branks claimed he had a weapon and demanded the officers shoot him during an hours-long standoff, police said.



An American Canyon Police Department hostage negotiator convinced Branks to surrender, and he was removed from the water via a CHP helicopter basket.



Branks was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, domestic violence, failure to yield, kidnapping, attempted murder and for a state parole hold, police said.



Napa County Superior Court records show Branks is a Fredrick, Maryland resident who was convicted in Napa County for first-degree burglary in 2013 and sentenced to four years in state prison in 2014.

















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MILLBRAE (BCN)



A suspected package thief was arrested Friday afternoon and authorities are searching for two others who escaped after a pursuit through Millbrae backyards, according to the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office.



Just after 4 p.m., sheriff's deputies were alerted when the trio were spotted taking packages from several homes in the area of Cozzolino Court in Millbrae, sheriff's spokeswoman Detective Rosemerry Blankswade said.



When deputies arrived, the suspects ran into backyards of nearby homes, Blankswade said..



After a search, Ramon Ulloa, 20, of San Francisco was found and arrested on suspicion of possession of stolen property, residential burglary, possession of methamphetamine and taking part in a criminal conspiracy.



San Bruno police and San Mateo County transit deputies helped with the search, Blankswade said.



The two other suspects were not found, but the sheriff's office hopes to identify them and posted security camera video on Twitter at https://twitter.com/SMCSheriff/status/1076540933338873856 .



Anyone with information regarding the thefts is asked to contact Deputy James Salomaa at (650) 259-2300, via email at Jsalomaa@smcgov.org or use the San Mateo County Sheriff's Anonymous Tip Line at 1-800-547-2700.





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OAKLAND (BCN)



An 84-year-old Berkeley pediatrician with 54 years of experience is scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 2 for his conviction for a felony count of sending harmful matter to a minor with sexual intent, according to court records.



Dr. Bayard Allmond pleaded no contest to that count involving a teenage boy on Nov. 8.



In exchange, the Alameda County District Attorney's Office agreed to dismiss three other counts involving the boy: misdemeanor child molestation, felony sexual battery for false professional purposes and misdemeanor sexual exploitation of a patient.



The plea agreement calls for Allmond to be given credit for the one day he spent in jail when he was arrested on Dec. 14, 2017, at the Berkeley home where he also has his medical practice; be placed on three years' probation; surrender his medical license; and abandon his practice.



Court records indicate that the victim's family isn't happy with the way Allmond's case was resolved, as Allmond originally was scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 12. The family asked for a postponement so that they could be present at the sentencing.



The victim's family couldn't be present Dec. 12, and Alameda County Superior Court Judge James Cramer agreed to postpone Allmond's sentencing until Jan. 2 "because the family has the right to be heard," according to court minutes.



Allmond's lawyer, Paul Wolf, objected to the postponement, according to the minutes.



Wolf said today that he suspects that the boy's father is unhappy with Allmond's plea agreement and proposed sentence.



Allmond is "an 84-year-old man who has an extraordinary reputation and is generally loved and admired professionally," Wolf said.



He added that Allmond "has worked well with hundreds of patients" and said his behavior with the teenage boy was "aberrant."



Wolf said he feels "compassion for the young man" who was the victim and thinks the victim wanted the case to remain private.



The criminal complaint against Allmond contains "provocative allegations," Wolf said, and he believes "many of them cannot be proven and are not true."



Three of the charges against Allmond stem from alleged actions from January through April 2016, and one stems from allegations on Dec. 21, 2016.



Berkeley police Officer Darren Kacalek wrote in a probable cause statement that the boy told police that he made visits to Allmond to receive therapy for anxiety and panic, starting when he was 16.



Kacalek said the boy told investigators that three or four months into the therapy sessions, Allmond began showing him explicit photos of men masturbating and later used images and pornographic videos to show him how sex is performed between men.



When Allmond was arrested on Dec. 14, 2017, he "admitted to engaging in sexual acts with the victim inside his office," Kacalek said.



Allmond "admitted what he did was wrong, that he showed poor judgment, and he regretted the incident," Kacalek wrote.



The victim told police that he got two emails from Allmond in August and November of 2017 asking whether he could meet him so that he could apologize, according to Kacalek.





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OAKLAND (BCN)



A San Leandro physician's assistant who authorities said was the number one prescriber of opioids in California was sentenced this week to 10 years in federal prison for unlawfully distributing prescription drugs, prosecutors said.



David Lague, 61, who lives in San Mateo, and worked in San Leandro, was convicted by a U.S. District Court jury in Oakland of 39 counts of distributing controlled substances without a legitimate medical purpose.



The U.S. Attorney's Office said evidence at Lague's trial showed that he prescribed oxycodone pills on two occasions to a patient who had told him he intended to sell the pills to make a profit, according to prosecutors.



In addition, the jury concluded that Lague had prescribed potent and highly addictive controlled substances to four other patients in a manner that he knew was not medically legitimate, prosecutors said.



However, the jury acquitted Lague of health care fraud charges in connection with his fentanyl prescriptions to one of the four patients.



The substances that prosecutors said Lague distributed were oxycodone, oxymorphone, methadone, amphetamines, clonazepam, fentanyl, hydromorphone, morphine, hydrocodone, alprazolam and carisoprodol.



The U.S. Attorney's Office said evidence presented at Lague's trial showed that he was the number one prescriber of opioids in the state in 2015 and 2016, according to Medicare records.



Prosecutors said Lague prescribed more than 1.6 million controlled substance pills, of which more than 1.4 million were in the most dangerous and abused category, according to U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency guidelines.



Lague was sentenced Wednesday by U.S. District Court Judge Haywood Gilliam, who also fined him $5,000 and ordered him to serve a three-year period of supervised release after he completes his prison term.



"This case represents an important victory for the community in its fight against the diversion of prescription drugs," U.S. Attorney Tse said in a statement.



Tse said, "The medical profession has made great strides in reforming prescribing practices, and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has worked to decrease the total quantities of pills that pharmaceutical companies produce every year, all with the end of decreasing the numbers of powerful opioid pills getting into the hands of vulnerable members of our community."



Tse said, "We will not hesitate to charge and seek the conviction of those few medical professionals who have abandoned all pretense of providing patient care and instead use their power to prescribe for their own personal benefit. David Lague abused his power in this way."



Tse said Lague "showed no hesitation when asked to provide pills to someone who said he was going to sell them," and "his conduct put a stain on the reputations of the thousands of doctors and physician assistants who try their hardest daily to provide compassionate, quality medical care to the patients they see."



DEA Special Agent in Charge Nielsen said, "Mr. Lague placed his own personal interests above protecting public health and safety when he provided powerful narcotics outside the usual course of practice and without a medical purpose. This criminal behavior jeopardizes lives."





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PETALUMA (BCN)



Petaluma police executing a search warrant Friday morning arrested a man after finding a stolen assault rifle on his bed, police said.



Christopher Rosen, 36, was arrested on suspicion of possessing the stolen weapon, and for offering to sell it along with high-capacity magazines. He was booked into the Sonoma County Jail.



Police served the search warrant at a house on the 500 block of Albert Way around 8:30 a.m., according to a news release. They had information that Rosen had an illegal assault rifle and was trying to sell guns online.



Four people were detained while officers searched the house. They found three loaded guns, including the rifle, which was reported stolen after a residential burglary in Cloverdale. Three pounds of marijuana were also found in the home, according to police.



The guns were in Rosen's room and so he was arrested, while the other three people detained were released.



Petaluma police are still investigating a robbery and shooting that happened at the same house in August. No arrests have been made and police are asking anyone with information to call (707) 778-4372.





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SAN FRANCISCO (BCN)



The verdict is in from a contest to name a 6-month-old, 175-pound male reindeer calf visiting the San Francisco Zoo during the holidays.



After 700 suggestions were submitted by visitors from as far away as India, Sweden, Australia and Hong Kong, the top names submitted were Tinsel, Jingle and Mistletoe. A final poll on social media resulted in the winning name of Tinsel.



Other names that did not make the cut included Candy Cane, Cinnamon and Egg Nog.



Tinsel, along with adult reindeer Peppermint and Belle, can be visited at the zoo through Jan. 1. Santa Claus will make a special appearance at the reindeer exhibit from noon to 3 p.m. today and Sunday. Kids will be given paper antlers to wear, and special holiday presentations will take place at select animal areas.



The zoo will be open for its annual ZooLights event from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. today and Sunday and ZooLights continues Wednesday through Dec. 30. The zoo also is open regular hours on Christmas Day.





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A suspended San Francisco Police Department officer accused of robbing a bank last month in the city's Sunset District pleaded not guilty Friday in federal court in San Francisco.



Federal prosecutors allege that Rain Daugherty, 44, of San Francisco, approached a teller at an East West Bank branch on Nov. 29, with a note demanding $50 and $100 bills.



He allegedly ordered the bank teller to "calm down, just do it," before making off with $9,050 in cash. But with the help of surveillance images, officers arrested him Tuesday.



Daugherty's attorney, California Public Defender Elizabeth Faulk, said in court Friday that Daugherty's family was not willing to help him with bail money at this time, and U.S. Magistrate Sallie Kim remanded Daugherty back into custody until his next hearing on Jan 10.



Daugherty is also one of nine San Francisco police officers who in 2015 were accused of sending racist text messages back 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.



Daugherty was suspended without pay after a separate criminal investigation began in July in San Mateo County.



In that case, Daugherty is accused of stealing $13,095 from a 76-year-old man with Alzheimer's disease between Sept. 1 and Dec. 1, 2017.



Daugherty was charged July 24 in San Mateo County Superior Court with one felony count of elder abuse and four misdemeanor counts of drug possession.







A Sonoma County Superior Court jury on Friday afternoon convicted a Santa Rosa man of second-degree murder, gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and DUI in connection with a 2016 head-on collision that killed a Sonoma State University student and injured several other people.



The jury began deliberations around 9 a.m. and announced it reached a verdict around 3:15 p.m.



Family members of the deceased Sonoma State business studies student, Paulette Geronimo Quiba, 21, of Oakley, broke down in tears as the verdicts were read.



The defendant, Logologoa Taumaloto Tevaseu, 36, stood with his head down next to his attorney, Joseph Stogner, as the verdicts were read.



The four-count complaint alleged that Tevaseu's blood-alcohol concentration was in excess of 0.15 percent, nearly twice the 0.08 percent considered intoxicated.



Jurors did not want to discuss their verdict this afternoon other than to say the trial was difficult and emotional for everyone.



"This will affect us for a very long time," a male juror said.



A date for Tevaseu's sentencing will be set Jan. 7.







Hundreds of volunteers are joining together Saturday morning to build a new playground at an elementary school in Daly City that is inspired by drawings from children in the community.



The event organized by the Brisbane School District, Kaiser Permanente and the nonprofit KaBOOM! will take place over six hours at Panorama Elementary School at 25 Bellevue Ave. in Daly City.



In September, children in the community were invited to draw their dream playground, and the one being built is based on their drawings, according to organizers.



Kaiser Permanente is also adding adult exercise equipment at the site so families can work out and play together there.



The event starts with a kickoff ceremony at 8:30 a.m. and is expected to end around 2:30 p.m. with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.







Supporters of a Richmond man who has been jailed by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for more than a year and a half rallied Friday outside the U.S. Federal Building ahead of a hearing to seek his release.



Attorneys for Raul Lopez, 46, have petitioned his case to the Federal District Court, in hopes of ending his detention.



Lopez, a Guatemalan immigrant who has lived in the United States for 29 years, was initially being held at the West County Detention Facility in Richmond since he was first detained by ICE in March 2017. But since the Contra Costa County Sheriff's Office terminated its contract to house ICE detainees in September, he's been moved to a facility in Aurora, Colo.



Although Lopez's habeas corpus petition hearing was heard Friday, U.S. Magistrate Sally Kim said she could not a make a decision on whether to require the government to release him or give him a new bond hearing.



"It's really unjust that he's being detained," said Lopez's attorney, Daniel Werner with Dolores Community Services. "The habeas release is a way to challenge detention by the executive that would otherwise be unchecked."







A San Leandro physician's assistant who authorities said was the number one prescriber of opioids in California was sentenced this week to 10 years in federal prison for unlawfully distributing prescription drugs, prosecutors said.



David Lague, 61, who lives in San Mateo, and worked in San Leandro, was convicted by a U.S. District Court jury in Oakland of 39 counts of distributing controlled substances without a legitimate medical purpose.



The U.S. Attorney's Office said evidence at Lague's trial showed that he prescribed oxycodone pills on two occasions to a patient who had told him he intended to sell the pills to make a profit, according to prosecutors.



In addition, the jury concluded that Lague had prescribed potent and highly addictive controlled substances to four other patients in a manner that he knew was not medically legitimate, prosecutors said.



However, the jury acquitted Lague of health care fraud charges in connection with his fentanyl prescriptions to one of the four patients.



The substances that prosecutors said Lague distributed were oxycodone, oxymorphone, methadone, amphetamines, clonazepam, fentanyl, hydromorphone, morphine, hydrocodone, alprazolam and carisoprodol.



The U.S. Attorney's Office said evidence presented at Lague's trial showed that he was the number one prescriber of opioids in the state in 2015 and 2016, according to Medicare records.







An 84-year-old Berkeley pediatrician with 54 years of experience is scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 2 for his conviction for a felony count of sending harmful matter to a minor with sexual intent, according to court records.



Dr. Bayard Allmond pleaded no contest to that count involving a teenage boy on Nov. 8.



In exchange, the Alameda County District Attorney's Office agreed to dismiss three other counts involving the boy: misdemeanor child molestation, felony sexual battery for false professional purposes and misdemeanor sexual exploitation of a patient.



The plea agreement calls for Allmond to be given credit for the one day he spent in jail when he was arrested on Dec. 14, 2017, at the Berkeley home where he also has his medical practice; be placed on three years' probation; surrender his medical license; and abandon his practice.



Court records indicate that the victim's family isn't happy with the way Allmond's case was resolved, as Allmond originally was scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 12. The family asked for a postponement so that they could be present at the sentencing.



The victim's family couldn't be present Dec. 12, and Alameda County Superior Court Judge James Cramer agreed to postpone Allmond's sentencing until Jan. 2 "because the family has the right to be heard," according to court minutes.







A 19-year-old Richmond man has been arrested in connection with a July shooting in Antioch that left one person dead and two wounded, police said Friday.



Antioch detectives, with assistance from Richmond police, arrested Angel Leoncio Bautista on Thursday at his Richmond home, according to an Antioch police news release. He was booked into the Martinez Detention Facility.



Police believe three male suspects were involved in the shooting, which occurred at 1:17 a.m. July 30 at a business complex in the 2700 block of Hillcrest Avenue.



Jordan Martin, 18, was killed in the shooting, and 16- and 17-year-old boys were wounded. Police said at the time that they believed the victims were involved in a confrontation with another group in the parking lot when gunshots were fired.



Anyone with information on the case is asked to call Antioch police at (925) 778-2441 or Detective Colley at (925) 779-6922. Information also can be texted to 274637 (CRIMES) using the keyword ANTIOCH.







Today's skies promise to be cloudy across the Bay Area with highs in the upper 50s, according to the National Weather Service.



Winds are expected to increase from as low as 5 mph early this morning to up to 15 mph in the afternoon.



Lows tonight will be in the upper 40s.



Rain is possible on Sunday.









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SAN FRANCISCO (BCN)



A suspended San Francisco Police Department officer accused of robbing a bank last month in the city's Sunset District pleaded not guilty to a bank robbery charge today in federal court in San Francisco.



Federal prosecutors allege that Rain Daugherty, 44, of San Francisco, approached a teller at an East West Bank branch on Nov. 29, with a note demanding $50 and $100 bills.



After allegedly ordering the bank teller to "calm down, just do it," he made off with $9,050 in cash. But with the help of surveillance images, officers arrested him Tuesday.



Daugherty's attorney, California Public Defender Elizabeth Faulk, said in court today that Daugherty's family was not willing to help him with bail money at this time, and U.S. Magistrate Sallie Kim remanded Daugherty back into custody until his next hearing on Jan 10.



Daugherty is also one of nine San Francisco police officers who in 2015 were accused of sending racist text messages back 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 was not 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. But, since an unrelated criminal investigation began in July in San Mateo County, he's been suspended without pay.



In that case, Daugherty is accused of stealing $13,095 from a 76-year-old man with Alzheimer's disease between Sept. 1 and Dec. 1, 2017.



Daugherty was charged July 24 in San Mateo County Superior Court with one felony count of elder abuse and four misdemeanor counts of drug possession.



Daugherty had allegedly been hired to do errands such as grocery shopping and driving for the victim. But he was allegedly caught on surveillance video using the man's ATM card while alone on 30 occasions to withdraw a total of $13,095, according to prosecutors.



A search of Daugherty's residence on Dec. 1 found small amounts of cocaine and three other drugs, prosecutors said.



Daugherty will have a preliminary hearing on those charges in San Mateo County Superior Court on Feb. 1. If convicted, he could be sentenced to up to five years in state prison.



The federal bank robbery charge carries a possible maximum sentence of 20 years in prison if convicted.



On Thursday, the San Francisco Police Officers Association issued a statement in response to the alleged robbery, saying that the group "is disgusted by the alleged criminal actions of one of our former members."



"We are sworn to uphold the law and are dedicated to honorably serving all San Franciscans. This individual should be held accountable for this shameful act he is accused of, and if found guilty, through due process, he should face the appropriate consequences," the association said.



"There is a human component to this, and it's really heartbreaking to see a police officer in that position," police Chief William Scott said Thursday.



Scott added that the San Francisco Police Commission is moving forward with the disciplinary process in regard to the racist text messages. "There is still a process involved, and we can't just arbitrarily release people without a due process."





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.
ANTIOCH (BCN)



A 19-year-old Richmond man has been arrested in connection with a July shooting in Antioch that left one person dead and two wounded, police said today.



Antioch detectives, with assistance from Richmond police, arrested Angel Leoncio Bautista on Thursday at his Richmond home, according to an Antioch police news release. He was booked into the Martinez Detention Facility.



Police believe three male suspects were involved in the shooting, which occurred at 1:17 a.m. July 30 at a business complex in the 2700 block of Hillcrest Avenue.



Jordan Martin, 18, was killed in the shooting, and 16- and 17-year-old boys were wounded. Police said at the time that they believed the victims were involved in a confrontation with another group in the parking lot when gunshots were fired.



Anyone with information on the case is asked to call Antioch police at (925) 778-2441 or Detective Colley at (925) 779-6922. Information also can be texted to 274637 (CRIMES) using the keyword ANTIOCH.





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.
DALY CITY (BCN)



Hundreds of volunteers are joining together Saturday morning to build a new playground at an elementary school in Daly City that is inspired by drawings from children in the community.



The event organized by the Brisbane School District, Kaiser Permanente and the nonprofit KaBOOM! will take place over six hours at Panorama Elementary School at 25 Bellevue Ave. in Daly City.



In September, children in the community were invited to draw their dream playground, and the one being built is based on their drawings, according to organizers.



Kaiser Permanente is also adding adult exercise equipment at the site so families can work out and play together there.



The event starts with a kickoff ceremony at 8:30 a.m. and is expected to end around 2:30 p.m. with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.





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.
JVP MP Bimal Ratnayake said yesterday the verdict of the Supreme Court on the dissolution of parliament should be made available to MPs and the people in all three languages and said the SC verdict had rescued the country from an impending international trap.

He told Parliament that the SC verdict had sent a clear signal to the international community that our judicial system was independent.

"Our judicial system had been vilified at international level in the past and the government had been urged to call in international judges to hear cases of war crimes against our security forces. But this verdict has proved that we have an independent judiciary which is impartial," he said.

Speaking during the debate on the Vote on Account, MP Ratnayake said the JVP could not support the Vote on Account as it was a mini budget to carry forward the UNP's programmes rather than allocating money only to pay salaries of government servants, pensioners and Samurdhi relief.

"We have voted against the budgets of the government so far, and we will vote against this as well. If it was only to pay salaries, we have no reason to object," he said. (Ajith Siriwardana and Yohan Perera)
The classic midcentury modern home known as "Byrdview" has been the home of many a celebrity over the years.

Sitting high on a hilltop in the San Fernando Valley, it's a star in its own right. The mansion has served as a set for essential scenes in movies like "Ali" and "Dreamgirls," such award-winning TV series as "Mad Men" and "Californication," and as the site of performances and parties for musicians like Beyonce, Rihanna, Paul McCartney, and Lady Gaga.

Now's your chance to live among the starsthe home has just been put on the market for the A-list price of $12.5 million.

The home was built in 1949, and owned by Frank Sinatra during the 1950's and '60's. Judy Garland and Vincente Minnelli were married on the premises, and Marilyn Monroe stayed in the guesthouse for a while, reportedly having some very famous tete-a-tetes.

Lucile Ball stayed in the home after her breakup with Desi Arnaz. It's rumored that the home was so private and remote at the time that Ball and other guests got a kick out of sending smoke signals to nearby properties during the cocktail hour.

"Back in those days, it was the thing for all the big stars to have four homes: one in Beverly Hills, one in Palm Springs, a beach house in Malibu, and a ranch in the Valley," says co-listing agent Barrie Livingstone of The Agency.

While not exactly a ranch, this 7-acre spread was Sinatra's Valley pied-a-terre.

Sinatra moved out decades ago, but the stars continue to flow in and out.

"It's a working home," says Livingstone.

He told us the next owner could choose to live there in seclusion and only allow a select few productions and events per year to take place, or alternatively, have it booked consistently as a serious income-generator. For example, two of last year's Super Bowl commercials were shot on the premises.

So what continues to bring the bright lights of Hollywood all the way out to Chatsworth? Well, for one, this place is private. At the end of a nearly a mile-long driveway, the home sits alone, nearly 400 feet above the valley floor. It overlooks the Chatsworth Reservoir nature preserve and offers views in every direction.

Another plus is the unblemished midcentury modern architecture and design. The home is one of only four private residences designed by the celebrated architect William Pereira.

Pereira is known for his futuristic designs as displayed in landmark commercial buildings including the Transamerica Pyramid in San Francisco, Pepperdine University, and the Disneyland Hotel.

On this project, the architect designed rooms with soaring 16-foot ceilings and walls of glass that open seamlessly to outdoor spaces and spectacular views. He made a point of using clean, sharp lines. He also built the floor from a massive cement slab atop rubber caissons, to withstand earthquakes without a single crack.

"This house cost $600,000 to build, back in 1948," says Livingstone. "It was the most expensive residential project in the area at the time."

There are a total of seven bedrooms and nine baths spread over 8,161 square feet of living space. The property also includes a sweet and private guesthouse with its own round swimming pool.

And there's plenty of room to build even more on the property, should a new owner desire. There are 4 flat acres, parking for over 100 cars, and agricultural zoning for a vineyard, believe it or not. The new owner could easily add a studio, another residence, or equestrian facilities.

Livingstone reports that the current owners hope that whoever buys it will continue the prestigious Hollywood tradition. They've enjoyed it immensely over the decades they've been there, but they own a number of other homes and feel it's high time to pass their legacy on. "It might even go to a production company that uses it exclusively for shooting," he suggests.

Now that we all know what Byrdview looks like, keep your eyes peeled for it on a screen near you.

The post As Seen on TV (and Movies), Byrdview Lands on Market for $12.5M appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com.
PARIS  Frances yellow vest protesters, who have brought chaos to Paris over the past few weeks with their economic demands, demonstrated in sharply reduced numbers Saturday at the start of the Christmas and New Year holidays.

The number of protesters on the French capitals elegant Champs-Elysees Avenue was down sharply. Paris police said only 2,000 took to the streets, compared with 4,000 a week before and 10,000 the previous week. Police arrested 142 people and detained 19, compared to the several hundred arrested two weeks ago when the protests turned violent.

In stark contrast to the last few weekends, tourists strolled down the avenue near the Arc de Triomphe monument, holiday shoppers were out in force and the grandest of Parisian boulevards remained open for traffic.

Tensions arose at nightfall, though, when protesters gathered on the Champs-Elysees and police fired tear gas to disperse them.

Earlier in the day, protesters appeared disorganized, with scattered groups walking randomly across the capital. A few hundred protesters marched toward the Madeleine Church near the presidential Elysee Palace but were stopped in a small adjacent street. Tempers frayed and police with batons fired tear gas to repel a few demonstrators trying to break through a police line.

The protests, which have morphed from an outcry against a fuel tax hike to incorporate a wide array of economic concerns, are still reverberating across France.

The palace of Versailles just outside Paris was shut down for the day Saturday after yellow vest protesters said they would demonstrate at the famous chateau, home to a succession of French kings until the French Revolution in 1789. But only a few protesters showed up. Most gathered peacefully at the foot of the citys Sacre-Coeur Basilica in the picturesque neighborhood of Montmartre.

Paris other big tourist draws such as the Louvre museum and the Eiffel Tower, which had closed amid earlier weekend protests this month, both remained open.

French President Emmanuel Macron appears to have taken some of the anger out of the protests by offering concessions including a freeze on gas and electricity prices this winter. The measures are expected to cost an estimated 10 billion euros ($1.14 billion).

Much of France, but particularly Paris, has endured weeks of protests that at times descended into violence. Ten people have died since the start of the movement in November, mostly in traffic accidents. French media said a man died Friday night near the southern city of Perpignan after his car slammed into a truck that had stopped near a group of protesters.

Samuel Petrequin is an Associated Press writer.
Against the backdrop of the recent political crisis, the Constitutional Council (CC) and President Maithripala Sirisena are reported to be on a collision course over the appointments of judges to the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal.

The President has refrained from appointing Justice Gamini Amarasekara and S.Thurairajah as Supreme Court judges despite the CC recommending their appointment. The CC recommended these two names out of those submitted by the President on October 25.

Instead of appointing them, the President has referred two other names -- K.K. Wickremesinghe and Deepali Wijesundara  to the CC for approval to be appointed as the Supreme Court judges. Meanwhile, the President had refrained from appointing Judge K.P. Fernando to the Court of Appeal despite being recomended by the CC.

The CC which met yesterday decided to stick to its recommendations despite the Presidents refusal to appoint them and it refused to consider another nominee by the President to the post of the President of the Court of Appeal.

The CC is ten-member body chaired by Speaker Karu Jayasuriya. The Prime Minister and the Opposition Leader are its members by virtue of their office. Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa attended the CC meeting by virtue of his office. He, his representative and the Presidents representative at the CC, supported the names suggested by the President for judicial appointments. However, the majority opposed to it. (Kelum Bandara)
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STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A former Staten Island woman was killed by her husband and dumped in a trash bin, according to police.

Police arrested former-Staten Islander Joseph Traeger, 50, of Sunrise, Fla., on Friday and charged him in the death of his wife, Jeneen Ann Catanzaro. Both Traeger and Cantanzaro are 1986 Tottenville High School graduates.

According to the police report, Traeger was charged with murder, tampering with physical evidence, and knowingly giving law enforcement false information.

Traeger has an extensive criminal record that spans multiple states and dates back 30 years.

In 1997, he was convicted of first degree murder, documents show. According to a report, he strangled and raped his ex-wife when she tried to leave him.

Catanzaro had filed two police reports alleging domestic violence against her husband.

According to the police report, Traeger told police he came downstairs after showering to find Catanzaro lying in a pool of blood on the kitchen floor. He told police he believed she had a seizure that caused a fatal blow to the head when she fell on the floor.

Days later, he told police that Catanzaro tried to call 911 when he became enraged because she would not allow him to move back into their home and he refused to leave after his shower.

He allegedly forced her onto the floor, covered her mouth, and stabbed her in the back of the head with a knife. He then placed the knife in the dishwasher before disposing of it in a dumpster behind a restaurant, according to the report.

He told police he placed her into three black trash bags, along with paper towels he used to clean up the blood. He put it all into the trash bin at the curb, police said. He then circled the neighborhood in his Honda Civic and waited for the trash to be picked up, the police report said.

He spent the remainder of the day at the casino, according to the report.

According to the police report, Traegers stepfather told police hed warned Catanzaro about his stepsons violent past and told her to divorce him.

He also allegedly told police he was 100 percent certain his step-son had killed her, and that they should be looking for a dead body, not a missing person.

Catanzaro was reported missing by her mother, Joanne Roma, on Dec. 2. Roma told police she had not heard from her daughter since Nov. 27, according to the report.

Traeger also called 911 on Dec. 2 to report his wife missing. When asked by police why he had not called sooner, he allegedly told police, Im not the cop-calling type.

Traeger told police on Dec. 5 he last saw his wife the morning of Nov. 29 at 7 a.m. when he left for work. He said he attempted to reach her by phone over the last three days, but calls to her cell phone went to voicemail, police said.

Jeneens father, Vincent Catanzaro, said the two have been married for almost 11 years and have had marital problems due to his heroin use and financial issues, police said. He told police that Catanzaro told him to move out of their home at the end of October because of the constant fighting.

police his wife frequented two gyms in the city of Weston at least three times a day and it would be highly unusual for her to not be at one of the two locations.

Police said the gym employees said they had not seen her since Nov. 27.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  Two Staten Islanders who were reported missing in the last week have not yet been found, according to police.

Ivan Newman, 84, suffers from dementia, and was last seen leaving the adult home at 2099 Forest Ave. on Dec. 10 around 1 p.m.

Newman is described as a white male, approximately 57, 140 pounds, and was last seen wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and grey sweatpants.

He was using one crutch, according to police.

Qian Zhu, 29, was last seen on Monday, Dec. 10, at approximately 4:45 p.m. in the vicinity of 125 Street and 5th Avenue in Manahatan, according to police.

Zhu is an Asian female, approximately 58 and 115 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a red jacket.

According to police, Newman and Zhu are still missing at this time.

Alfredo Ortiz, 43, who was reported missing earlier this week has been found, police said.

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 Crime stoppers website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  Front Street in Clifton has been a problem area for a long time.

Derelict vehicles had been left there to rot. People in RVs had basically taken up residence. Truckers used the space as a makeshift rest stop. Trash littered the area.

Kayakers and anglers used the area for recreational purposes, but its been a catch-as-catch-can proposition. And who wants to share the shoreline with a rusted car when youre trying to enjoy nature?

On top of that, some of the area just isnt safe. People have been using it at their own risk.

Meanwhile, not that far away, the buildings of the former Stapleton homeport remain vacant and deteriorating.

After the Navy pulled out, a lifetime ago, it seems, the homeport facility was taken over by the state courts, giving at least some life to the area. But the courts moved out when the new state Supreme Court building was built in St. George. Nothing moved in to replace them.

So the problems along the Clifton waterfront go beyond that city-owned, 860,000-square-foot area of Front Street that had turned into an vehicle graveyard.

Not a lot of people use Front Street on a regular basis, so Staten Islanders generally didnt know of the problems there. The Advance brought them to light a couple of days ago.

And, to the citys credit, action was taken. The derelict vehicles were towed. The RVs cleared out (even if new problems arose when they parked in other, residential neighborhoods). Trash was picked up.

But, in typical fashion, the city then went too far. The powers that be decided to fence off the entire area to make sure that conditions did not deteriorate again. Access to the waterfront, its recreational possibilities and its fabulous views, was to be cut off.

So, instead of improving what could be a great resource for Staten Islanders, for the whole city, in fact, the area was going to be walled off.

Your basic howitzer-to-kill-a-mosquito solution. Its easier than trying to find a solution that might require some finesse.

The public outcry was immediate. And fierce. Staten Islanders did not want their waterfront taken from them.

The city has listened. Theyre not going to build the wall.

But what is the city going to do?

Staten Island is one of those rare places on earth with waterfront access and no real way to enjoy it. Visit cities and towns along the Mississippi River and youll find a Riverwalk or Riverfront or similarly named recreation area.

Closer to home, look whats been done at Brooklyn Bridge Park. Or at Governors Island. Or along the waterfront areas of just about every borough. There are concert venues. Recreational facilities. Food. Sports. Promenades.

Theres something about the waterfront that just draws people. Why havent we taken advantage of it on Staten Island?

There was hope that the Urby upscale apartment complex a bit farther down Front Street would spur some additional development, but that hasnt happened yet.

In fact, the entire North Shore waterfront was supposed to be buzzing with development by now. But the New York Wheel died, and other projects have not come to fruition as scheduled. That St. George boom has not reverberated down to Front Street, which is just a short train ride away.

So, out of conflict comes great opportunity.

Lets make Front Street into a recreational showpiece. Lets build piers for boaters and anglers. Lets build launches and storage facilities for kayakers. Lets have food. Sightseeing. Places to just sit and stare at the water and the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge.

If not that, then something. If the city cant come up with ideas on its own, Staten Islanders will have plenty of suggestions.

All you have to do is ask.
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ACT Emergency Services Agency director of risk and planning David Foot said ambulance staff numbers would be based around demand during peak times. "When the higher number of episodes are, that's when we would have our highest ratio of staff in the room," Mr Foot said. Firefighting call takers will be civilianised, with more firefighters set to join the front line. Credit:Dion Georgopoulos "Morbidities in the elderly and a growing and ageing population are part of a whole range of factors that continues to drive demand for ambulance call outs." The increase in staff comes as the call centre is set to undergo a major overhaul, with trained firefighters working in the centre to be replaced by civilians, freeing the firefighters to work in the field.

The agency is 18 months into a five-year plan to reform the triple zero centre, with most of the key changes likely to come into effect some time next year. "At the moment, we're doing consultations," Mr Foot said. "The clear message is that when a member of the public rings triple zero, they will get the same quality of service. There will be no downturn in the level of service they receive, and resourcing in the room is scaled to meet demand." Mr Lane said the additional firefighters will lead to significant improvement in response time. The commissioner said a transitional model will be used at the communication centre before the staff increase and civilian firefighter changes come into effect.

"We will have new call takers and dispatchers working alongside firefighters and then eventually we will increase the number of them and gradually release firefighters back to operational duties," Mr Lane said. "What we're seeing is a gradual phasing out of firefighters for the role that will be replaced by the call centre dispatcher model." The move has previously been opposed by the ACT's firefighting union, saying when it was first announced it had no confidence in the plan. United Firefighters Union ACT branch secretary Greg McConville said there were several concerns. "We're not opposed to change, but the overriding concern is firefighting and and community safety," Mr McConville said.

"We're not going to accept an open-ended change where there is no detail to guarantee that safety." Mr McConville said firefighters on hand in the communication centre have skills and knowledge in deploying equipment for emergencies that civilians wouldn't necessarily have. "It's not as simple as saying just take the firefighters out of the communication centre and the community will be better off," he said. "It's a question of efficient deployment." While the measure has been enacted in other states like Victoria and Queensland, the measure has been accompanied by a mobile communication centre that's able to be accessed by emergency crews on the ground.

The union head said no such plan has been proposed for the ACT. Negotiations between the union and the Emergency Services Agency are ongoing, although Mr Foot said he was confident of reaching an agreement soon. "Our first priority is the call-taking capacity to support fire operations and delineating into the future," he said. "The union have indicated concerns with the programs but remained committed [to working with us], and we'll remain confident." The agency has said more paid positions would be available for people looking to work in emergency management, with training provided.
Eurovision song contest and the tremendous fondant RTVE

And are the bases of the selection process for the Eurovision

Famous, the sorpasso last minute of the final in OT

" less than a minute from Roberto Leal to be dismissed and take the closure of OT 2018 when RTVE comply with what was promised and what was agreed on the basis of contest, and hung the 17 songs to choose to represent Spain in the Eurovision 2019. A minutito, nothing more than a minutito, but this is what was agreed and with this the public will have until January 2 to vote on the website of the public body.

this vote will go directly to the gala of the Eurovision song contest to the three most voted, while the remaining seven will be selected by RTVE and by Gestmusic. With which a total of 10 songs will be the ones that go to this gala selection. As they gathered up the contest for the choice of the song, the interpretation will be the responsibility of the 'triunfito', and here is where he was born the controversy. There is No honey without gall.

The number of songs pre-selected was reduced from the maximum of 20 to 17, the first controversy. As a result of them and, according to Tinet Rubira, director of Gestmusic, because there was no match with their voices, Africa, Alfonso and Dave were left with no options. To this is added that the only one who has shown interest and desire to go to Eurovision has been Famous (winner of OT 2018) and only has given him a song, while others, such as Miki, you have come to give you up to three.

Since last night, the eurofans will be able to vote daily for their three favorite songs. Go to rtve.is/eurotemazo, click on the three favorite songs (must always be three), press next, and after logarse as a user of RTVE or Twitter accounts, or Facebook. To be able to vote again you must wait 24 hours and the maximum date is until January 2.

at the moment the thermometer tweeter already has a winner, and no, it is not Famous, nor much less. This is the song that will be the always controversial Mary, Muerdeme, a style of trap, dirty dancing, which is becoming a phenomenon in networks, and that it only takes a few hours. The rest don't come out very well stops.

I've Only heard Muerdeme and I can only say MUERDEME TO EUROVISION. ? Alfredo Murillo (@kortvex) December 20, 2018

MUERDEME TO EUROVISION AGAINST WIND AND TIDE THE MAMARRACHEO THAT we COULD HAVE COMMANDED LAST YEAR AND we DID NOT do pic.twitter.com/cpaPCM8G7r ? pe (@zendkordei) December 20, 2018

I don't know if it is a failure of RTVE or directly is like this, but so will the votes on the web:

1. Mary - Muerdeme 17%

2. Famous - I can Not more than 12%

3. Natalia - key 11%

4. Dawn - What will be then 10%

5. Noelia - Today I laugh again 8%



please do not voteis to Famous just for being him ? Jack (@Jackvatore) December 20, 2018

Spain I failed last year not sending The Bad to Eurovision, and neither forget nor forgive. I don't falleis again, Muerdeme to Eurovision. ? Jenn marticona MARTA EUROVISION (@teamblumelettra) December 20, 2018

the level of The songs for Eurovision is very low. The Famous smells like bottom 5. By far, the best to first listen is "Muerdeme" of Mary. With the Mari to death to Tel Aviv and to give Europe the latineo that it deserves. #OT18GalaFinal ? Ruben Serrano (@RubenSerranoM) December 20, 2018

Well here are the 17 preset songs and their interpreters. Judge yourselves:

I can Not more - Famous

What will be then - Alba

What is it you want? - Julia

The band - Miki

The balance - Miki

No one is saved - Miki and Natalia

The key / Natalia

tell me of front - Sabela

Today sonare - Sabela

Today I laugh again - Noelia

All well - Marilia

next To you - Joan and Marilia

Muerdeme - Mary

you Will note - Carlos Right

I Never was - Carlos Right

Out - Damion

Returns - Marta

According to the criteria of

Updated Date: 22 December 2018, 20:00

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"I was tired all the time and the fatigue was very great. I went from being fit to being unable to do lots of things. My skin would become sensitive when I walked into certain buildings." Ms Wicks's condition meant most of her meetings in her electorate were conducted outside and also meant there were parts of Parliament House she couldn't access due to mould-related issues, among them the Prime Minister's office, she said. Lucy Wicks with Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Credit:Dan Himbrechts "Some environments are very challenging, there were certain rooms that I would avoid. My body would stabilise when I was clear of mouldy areas," Ms Wicks said. "When you're affected, your body goes into overdrive trying to get rid of it. It felt like I was being poisoned or on fire. At times I felt my brain was on fire."

A Department of Parliamentary Services spokeswoman said she was unaware of mould issues in Parliament House and air quality audits were conducted every six months. "From time to time, there will be isolated instances of mould detected from localised factors where infrastructure components fail. However, these are not attributed to building mould," the spokeswoman said. There have been two cases of mould detected at the National Library since 2009. Credit:Jeffrey Chan Other national institutions in Canberra have reported cases of mould, with two in the past five years at the National Library, the 50-year-old building on Parkes Place. A library spokeswoman said mould usually detected in its collection arrived on donated material and was mostly inactive.

An Old Parliament House spokesman said there had been two cases of mould in the 91-year-old building since 2009. However, the mould detected was not in any of the original parts of the building. The youngest of Canberra's national institutions, the National Portrait Gallery, reported no cases of mould detected since the building was opened 10 years ago. Ms Wicks was diagnosed after seeing her mother suffer from chronic-fatigue related symptoms for almost 20 years. Upon her mother's advice, Ms Wicks saw a doctor about the issue and was diagnosed. She said the inquiry was an important step in getting help for sufferers and making it easier for those who would be diagnosed in the future.

Do you know more? Email: andrewbrown@fairfaxmedia.com.au "The first area that I would like to see is clinical guidelines for GPs so anyone who found themselves being or had protracted an illness like this could receive help," Ms Wicks said. "I would love to see state and territory governments take the issue very seriously, particularly in relation to water-damaged environments, and better legislation for tenants." Support for sufferers in months and years to come was one of the key reasons behind the inquiry. For those living with the condition, support largely comes through online groups. Toxic Mould Support Australia is a Facebook group with almost 4000 members, many sharing tips and advice on how to manage symptoms.

Brisbane resident Caleb Rudd is an administrator of the page. He said the group had proved helpful to many. "Most of the people who join the group usually have some form of chronic illness or caring for someone who does," Mr Rudd said. "What we can do is validate their illness and symptoms and help point them in the right direction." Mr Rudd has suffered from symptoms related to chronic inflammatory response syndrome since 2014. He said the group had grown substantially this year as more people became aware of the effects of toxic mould. "More people are putting two and two together about having mouldy houses and chronic symptoms, and ideally we can be part of the prevention and not just the support," he said.

Mr Rudd said the government inquiry had been a major step forward for sufferers and many hoped it would be able to lead to lasting change in the area. The federal government is considering whether to implement all seven recommendations put forward by the inquiry. Ms Wicks said more information had been gathered about the condition every day. She hoped the inquiry would lead to others being diagnosed sooner. "This report validates the experiences of hundreds of people that have contacted me with their stories and experiences," she said. "It lets people know who are suffering with this particular condition is that their voice is being heard."

Building biologist break out Rising levels of mould-related illnesses and toxic mould cases in homes has led to a surge in call outs across the country for building biologists. A relatively recent industry, building biologists investigate health hazards in homes and other built environments, with many hazards linked to chronic illnesses and conditions such as asthma. A recent study of members of the Australian Society of Building Biologists found 65 per cent of cases were mould related. The society's president Narelle McDonald said many mould cases inspected by building biologists came from new homes.

"Because the building standards have been tightened, we haven't considered how water vapour migrates out of buildings, and we see lots of issues in new buildings with condensation that leads to mould," Ms McDonald said. "I expect mould cases to grow even more substantially. We're seeing so many cases of people with issues." There are more than 100 building biologists across the country, although none are permanently based in Canberra. The society's vice-president Nicole Bijlsma has been in the field for almost 20 years. She said half of all homes that suffer some levels of water damage would have mould-related issues.
As Sydney sleeps under an ink-black sky, theres an eerie quiet in the city's usually bustling streets.

But at 3.30am on the eve of the pre-Christmas rush, the Sydney Fish Market is a hive of activity.

In the carpark outside, forklifts zoom past. Feral cats sift through dumpster bins, foraging for the freshest feed on the market.

Fishing trawlers tied up at the dock at the early morning Sydney Fish Market auction. Credit:Wolter Peeters

GALLERY: Click here to see The Sydney Morning Herald's photo essay from the Fish Market auction.
A push by the NSW Bar Association to relax sexual consent laws in the state so that a person who had an unreasonable belief their victim was consenting to sex would no longer be guilty of a crime has been branded a "dangerous" step by the peak body representing community legal centres.

The Berejiklian government commissioned a review of sexual consent laws in May following the high-profile acquittal of Luke Lazarus, who was accused of raping an 18-year old woman, Saxon Mullins, in an alleyway behind his father's Kings Cross nightclub in 2013.

Luke Lazarus, son of prominent nightclub owner Andrew Lazarus, was acquitted of sexual assault last year. Credit:Facebook

"In the wake of the Lazarus case and the #MeToo movement, there have been calls for significant reform of both [sexual consent laws] ... and the criminal justice systems treatment of sexual assault cases more broadly," the NSW Law Reform Commission said in a consultation paper released in October.

In a submission to the commission's review, the NSW Bar Association said a person "should not be liable to conviction for sexual assault in circumstances where he or she honestly believes that there is consent", even if that belief is unreasonable.
At last we can see a politician and party tackling entrenched self-interest of the wealthiest individuals in our society. And there's a bonus in this approach: survey after survey demonstrates the most contented populations to be those where wealth is most evenly distributed. - Sue Lubbers, Killara The Labor Party should maintain its policy on winding back negative gearing. It is an unfair system whereby people who cannot afford to buy property are through their taxes subsidising those who can afford investment properties. The money saved by the government would help fund hospitals and schools and provide funds to create projects to help first-home buyers and projects to reduce the financial stress on renters who in some cases are paying the majority of their income on rent. - Leo Sorbello, Leichhardt Driven by greed

Surely our cultural icons "are highest and best use" when all factors are taken into account, rather than only considered real estate for greedy over-development ("Value of Powerhouse site soars by $220m", December 16). Is the Sydney Opera House for sale? The Art Gallery of NSW? The Australian Museum? The Museum of Contemporary Art on its prime harbourside site and currently paying the government only a peppercorn rent. Why is the Powerhouse Museum for sale and why has it determined that the existing use of the Ultimo site, as a much-loved museum, was no longer "the highest and best use"? Does this soulless, venal NSW government and its misguided advisers know the cost of everything and the value of nothing? - Lionel Glendenning, Russell Lea How much will Parramatta council's riverbank land be worth after state government buy it for $100 million and then rezone for two giant supertowers and a basement museum to go on it?

It's all money for jam for the state government while Parramatta ratepayers are the real losers, having to go without a pool for years after it was bulldozed, and now we are paying for a new one while losing hectares more of UNESCO world heritage listed Parramatta Park to build it on. The state government will bring "culture" to us westies with the promised world-class museum only if Parramatta council sell the prime riverbank land to the Premier. I don't like the shade of pink lipstick on this pig. - Suzette Meade, Toongabbie It is infuriating to see the NSW government putting the Powerhouse Museum site in Ultimo in the hands of developers. With the level of homelessness rising in Sydney and other areas of the state it would be a kinder gesture to use the area to build social housing. One must agree with MP Robert Borsak of the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party when he said the decision was driven by greed.

The decision to move to Powerhouse away from Ultimo is the first wrong decision and to sell the area to developers is disgraceful. - Robyn Lewis, Raglan 'Phone zombie' plague Encouraging to read that mobile phone use does not cause brain cancer ("Study gives mobile phones a clean bill of health", December 19). It does, however, lead to the condition of "phone zombie", often completely oblivious to surroundings - David Brender, Woollahra Prime ministers aplenty Just think if Scott Morrison called an election this year, we could have had three prime ministers in the one year ("One new PM, two red shoes and a year of turmoil", December 16). - Peter Miniutti, Ashbury
A Canadian who almost died when he fell off a cliff in the Royal National Park has contacted the surf club that organised his daring rescue to say he owes them his life.

Nick Taylor, 22, was returning from the popular Figure Eight Pools near Burning Palms in October 2017 when he and his friends took a shortcut up a steep animal track to save time.

Nick Taylor back home in Canada.

Mr Taylor fell from the cliff just as the nearby Burning Palms Surf Lifesaving Club members were starting their beach patrol.

It was Annabel Braithwaite-Young's first day as patrol captain and within minutes she was co-ordinating a huge critical emergency response.
A man has died and another man is under police guard in hospital after a stabbing in Sydneys east.

Just after 8pm on Saturday, emergency services were called to Oxford Street, near Vernon Street, Bondi Junction, following reports a man had been stabbed several times.

Police have been told two men  one aged 60 and the other 30  were involved in an altercation at a fast-food outlet before both men suffered stab wounds.

Police told the Sydney Morning Herald they believed the altercation started inside the fast-food outlet, confirmed by police to be KFC Bondi Junction, before the two men moved outside.

Officers from Eastern Suburbs Police Area Command performed CPR on the older man, assisted by NSW Ambulance paramedics, however, he died at the scene.
In good times they are probably the last thing that we purchase and when times become difficult they are the first things that we sell, he says. Selling agent of 27 years and licensee of McGrath Avoca Chris Andrews agreed: A holiday home is a want, not a need. Its a luxury item. The upper socioeconomic classes are the ones who can afford it. Ascertaining the number of holiday homes is difficult, with the Bureau of Statistics unable to provide figures on ownership. Census data indicates the largest concentration of holidays home in NSW is on the Central Coast and in the Shoalhaven area. A survey conducted for the Australian Coastal Councils Association found one in five houses for rent in Kiama and nearly half of all houses for rent in Byron Bay would be considered holiday lets. Unlike the one-off expense of an overseas trip, there are ongoing costs associated with owning a holiday home, such as maintenance, rates, utilities and taxes. Meanwhile, todays holidaymakers have higher expectations of their beach rentals. Once upon a time, a holiday home was furnished with discarded furniture, it was like going camping but with bricks and mortar around you, Andrews says. Now people pay good money and expect comfortable furniture, quality bedding and coffee machines. They dont want grandmas house any more, they want something a bit more chic, says Karen Van Der Stelt of LJ Hooker Batemans Bay.

Owners used to count on letting their holiday homes for just nine weeks a year (typically summer and Easter). They can no longer afford to leave them unoccupied for long stretches of time, particularly after land tax was imposed in 2016 on properties that arent the owners principal place of residence. Loading The traditional holiday home was a generational holiday home that used to be handed down, didnt earn that much money and family would traditionally come to use it in the summer months and it lay dormant in the winter months, Andrews says. All of a sudden people were getting a hefty bill at the end of the day on top of their rates. Now its becoming a big thing to rent [holiday houses] out. Now they realise these homes are expensive and they cant afford it. This has led to a surge in short-term letting via sites like Airbnb and Stayz. Rob Jeffress, the chairman of the Australian Short Term Rental Association, estimates there are about 200,000 family and small business owners of short-term rental accommodation properties in Australia.

From age six to 16, Ruben Mackellar, 23, from Epping, and his family spent nearly every school holiday at their two-storey, weatherboard house that sat on top of a hill at Nambucca Heads just five minutes walk from the beach. Rubens holiday memories were filled with swimming, surfing and kayaking with his parents and older brother Thomas. Historic photo of Ruben Mackellar (left) with older brother Thomas out the front of the family holiday house at Nambucca Heads. But in the later years, the downside of owning a holiday house became clear  frequent burglaries, exhaustingly long drives and ongoing maintenance costs. We also ended up doing the same stuff and while it was good and enjoyable you do start wanting to do different things, he says. When his parents sold the house, it brought some financial relief and allowed them to travel around the world.

Weve done trips to the Netherlands, Italy, France, Hawaii, Bali, Thailand and America, and the best thing is we spent more time with our extended family living overseas, he says. Loading This Christmas were going to Port Douglas, and were planning to go to Hawaii next year. Jeffress says holiday homes traditionally provided families with the opportunity of an affordable holiday: Today a growing proportion are buying with a view to relocating or retiring when they can. Allardice says her familys use of their holiday home had changed as her children - Ethan, 10 and Amelia, 8 - had grown older.

When the kids were really young, I couldnt be bothered getting on planes, she says. Wed just use the beach house all of the time. But once the kids start going to school and theyre in sport, you dont really get a chance to go away on the weekend. Allardice says the family stayed once a year at Copacabana for a week in January. Her parents-in-law visited more often, but otherwise the holiday home was listed on short-term rental sites, which provided income that covered the mortgage plus costs such as maintenance, council rates and water charges. The rise in property prices has seen the value of their property double since it was purchased. Yet the rewards of owning a holiday home are not just financial. When Allardices husband asked son Ethan about his favourite holiday, he did not nominate Thailand or Fiji.
A Waterford West man has been charged with six offences, including child cruelty, following investigations into the suspicious death of a four-month-old girl last month.

Detective Acting Inspector Grant Ralston speaks to the media about the man who has been charged following investigations into the death of the baby. Credit:Jorge Branco

The baby girl died at the Queensland Children's Hospital with life-threatening injuries on November 20 after being transferred from Logan Hospital in a critical condition the previous morning.

An investigation centre was launched with detectives from the Logan Child Protection and Investigation Unit and State Crime Commands Homicide and Child Trauma squads involved.

The 37-year-old man, who was the baby's guardian, was charged with six counts of leaving a child unattended and one count of child cruelty on Saturday morning.
A tagged tiger shark has resulted in an evacuation of swimmers out of the water at Swanbourne and North Cottesloe beaches on the first 40-degree Celsius day of December.

Perth beaches closed after tagged tiger shark is detected. Credit:Craig Golding

The shark was first detected about 1pm on Saturday by the Swanbourne receiver before it heading to North Cottelsoe.

Both beaches were closed and the hundreds of swimmers were forced to get out of the water in what is the hottest day in nearly two years.

Lifesavers triggered the sirens and people left the water, having to find shade and comfort from the boiling hot sand.
It was well known amongst Mr Bradleys colleagues that he suffered post traumatic stress disorder stemming from his experience serving in the British army. Michael was a larger-than-life character, you always knew when he was around. We knew he had his demons and he could have dark days, but that never affected his work, one former colleague said. Sources say that due to his health conditions, Mr Bradley worked part time and only during the day. However in the weeks leading to his death, they say Border Force management began pressuring Mr Bradley to work full time and on night shifts. It is understood Mr Bradley resisted the push, as he was concerned about the effect on his wellbeing and on his medication regime. One former supervisor and close friend of Mr Bradley shared a meal with him two weeks before he died.

He said senior management had pressured him and pushed him and he didnt want to go full time. He became quite vocal, [saying] f--- them, Im not going full time. I dont want to, Im not going to. That was the only time he showed any kind of anger during the conversation, the friend recalled. Mr Bradley's colleagues described him as well-liked and said he enjoyed chatting with passengers and staff at Perth airport. Credit:Ross Swanborough Trying to force a person to go full time, knowing that he had PTSD, knowing that he really didnt want to go full time  it was pressure that really shouldnt have been applied at any time. One long-serving airport employee described the bullying workplace culture before and after Mr Bradleys death as absolutely horrendous. The employee, who befriended Mr Bradley, said he was very angry at being forced back to full time work against his will, and against the advice of doctors.

[Management] wouldnt listen to him and they wouldnt take into account what he was saying, the source said. Former friends and colleagues of Mr Bradley who spoke to this publication believed that pressure exerted on him by Border Force management contributed to his death. One said officials pushed Mr Bradley to the brink and have "blood on their hands". Another said his treatment at work was the straw that broke the camels back. Several sources believed that Border Force did not properly investigate the incident or examine the extent to which it may have contributed to the suicide. In response to a freedom of information request by this publication, the department said no summary reports relating to Mr Bradleys death could be found. Following his suicide, one source said workers were told [by management] it was nothing to do with Border Force, there were other problems with Michael.

Another distressed former colleague said staff were deeply disappointed that Mr Bradleys death did not prompt an overhaul of Border Forces workplace culture. Australian Border Force workers at Perth airport have described the bullying culture as "horrendous", adding weight to claims of a toxic culture across the agency. Credit:AFR We actually thought they were going to look into it, we thought ... finally something is going to happen, even though its taken somebody to lose their life, the source said. In a statement, the Australian Border Force said neither it nor the department would comment on the personal details of individuals. On an online tribute page to Mr Bradley, Border Force wrote that it "acknowledges the passing of ... a respected long serving officer, colleague and friend. Our thoughts are with family and friends".

Loading A leaked staff survey conducted in June showed one in five Border Force staff reported being bullied or harassed at work in the past year and the same proportion had suffered discrimination. However Border force Commissioner Michael Outram this month said claims of a toxic culture in the ABF are ... not correct. Like many organisations we have gone looking for, and identified, some examples of bullying, harassment and harmful behaviours in our organisation. These issues are all too common in our society and within many organisations and we are not immune, he said. Mr Outram says Border Force has established a culture and behaviour taskforce and held meetings across Australia to articulate the vision, mission and new signature values of the ABF, which includes a zero-tolerance approach to unacceptable behaviour.
Mark Kelly, who set up the Vote Tony Out pages, says the post is typical of the sort of thing he sees popping up each day across the platforms he runs. Kelly, who lives in Manly and owns Global Surf Strategies, says he does not support either major party, but began the campaign when he noticed how many of his friends were determined to see Abbott removed from office. The idea with the T-shirts is that it tells people you are part of a tribe and the tribe wants to see Abbott gone. You see them all over Manly now. Kelly says he has a backlog of similar personal stories about why people have turned on Abbott that he will post over the coming months. Almost all of them are from people who have voted across the political spectrum. Next year we are going to have a BBQ, now we are just getting the meat out of the freezer, he says. In the 2016 election there was a swing against Abbott but he still retained the seat with 61.5 per cent of the two-party preferred vote, according to the Australian Electoral Commission. Hes in for a tougher fight this time.

Across Warringah, which stretches from Mosman over the Spit Bridge to Manly and the northern beaches, newly convened or existing community groups are agitating against Abbott. They include Think Twice Warringah, Voices of Warringah, People of Warringah, and North Shore Environmental Stewards. Voters and activists that spoke with The Sun-Herald say that Abbott views they once accepted grudgingly are now beyond the pale. Some say the world has moved on while Abbott has remained in defiant stasis. There was a protest vote against Abbott at the preselection meeting a few months ago, with almost one in three branch members refusing to endorse him despite the lack of an alternative candidate. Thats according to the Liberal Partys official count released a few days later, but some members there on the night believe it was much narrower. Next year we are going to have a BBQ, now we are just getting the meat out of the freezer. Mark Kelly, Vote Tony Out The progressive campaigning group Get Up is throwing its resources into the seat, appointing a dedicated Warringah campaigner who has already deployed volunteer door-knockers. According to GetUps campaigns director, Django Merope-Synge, about 700 people turned up to the groups first public meeting in the electorate. Organisers had been hoping for 100.

Dean Harris, Labors candidate for the seat, says he is being warmly welcomed to community events by voters who describe themselves as Liberals who are considering voting Labor for the first time. Harris joined the Labor Party five years ago in response to Abbotts prime ministership. He is not a typical Labor candidate - he runs a data and analytics firm rather than a union shop - but he says his sense of fairness and equality lines up with Labor values. Either way, many of the staunchest members of what might be called a broad anti-Abbott movement in Warringah told The Sun-Herald this week they considered a vote for Labor a step too far. Rather they are hoping for - or actively searching for - a strong centrist independent in the vein of Kerryn Phelps, who recently took Wentworth out of Liberal hands for the first time in the eastern suburbs electorates history. Dr Kerryn Phelps was able to win over traditional Liberal voters in Wentworth by espousing small-l liberal values. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer

Former advertising executive and media commentator Jane Caro is considering running against Abbott as an independent but while she has a support base, there is a general feeling in the community that voters would prefer a less left-wing candidate. One group of local business identities have reportedly convened what they call the Mosman Group and raised $750,000 to find such a candidate and fund their campaign. Members of the Mosman Group declined to speak with The Sun-Herald, but their activities have not gone unnoticed by Abbott. In a recent issue of the Mosman Daily, Abbott referred to left-wing millionaires who were preparing to back a Labor-in-disguise independent candidate. Speaking with The Sun-Herald this week, Abbott remained adamant that Labor intends to run dead in the seat and covertly back an independent. This, he argues, is how Phelps won Wentworth.

The CFMEU have said that is what they are going to do, he said, apparently referring to a Daily Telegraph report that mentioned that his seat was in the unions sights. So it is not a matter of what I think, it is what they are saying. Loading Abbott said he is taking the threat seriously but is not more concerned about the political landscape than usual. "I have never taken my seat for granted," he said. He noted that in 2001 the independent Peter Macdonald made a strong bid for the seat, eventually cutting Abbott's substantial majority by 10 per cent. Abbott rejected the suggestion he had lost touch with the concerns of his electorate, saying his views on same-sex marriage and climate change had remained unchanged for years. If they dont support my views on those issues, they did not in the last election or the one before that or the one before that, he said.

One prominent banker who lives in Warringah rejected that characterisation of the snowballing opposition to Abbott. He said he was not a member of the Mosman Group but that his views on Abbott were typical among his peer group. He said he had voted for the Liberal Party in all but one election (during the Hawke-Keating years) since he began voting 37 years ago. The people he knows are neither lefty millionaires nor Labor activists under a false flag. I am disgusted with Tony Abbott, he said. He is disruptive, disloyal, destructive and disingenuous. He has antiquated and outdated thoughts on climate change. He has a tin-ear. I think he is completely talentless when it comes to reading the room. Last election, the banker voted reluctantly for Abbott, next election, he said, he will not. The same-sex marriage vote particularly appalled Louise Hislop who co-founded the group Voices of Warringah. She notes it was Abbott who led conservative Coalition members to oppose a parliamentary conscience vote on gay marriage and forced the government to establish the postal ballot on the issue.

An overwhelming 75 per cent of Warringah voters backed marriage equality in the ballot, but still their local member refused to cast a vote in favour of it. Abbott says he personally remains opposed to same-sex marriage, but understands his electorate supports it and has no intention of changing the law. He describes those who criticise his record on the issue as sore winners. I am disgusted with Tony Abbott. He is disruptive, disloyal, destructive and disingenuous. Prominent banker and Warringah voter Similarly while Abbott advocates for abandoning the Paris climate accord, a ReachTEL vote conducted in Warringah in July found 59 per cent of respondents wanted Australia to remain and 48 per cent wanted the emissions target increased. Hislop, a small business owner who lives in North Curl Curl, says she understands that in a representative democracy a member of parliament has a right to vote how he or she sees fit, but she says it is untenable for Abbott to keep the seat while opposing the majority of his constituents on their key concerns.

Hislop says Voices for Warringah was inspired by the grassroots campaign that helped the independent Cathy McGowan win the Victorian seat of Indi from another Liberal conservative warrior, Sophie Mirabella. The group is arranging what it calls kitchen table conversations across the electorate to ascertain which issues voters are most concerned about, and will rank each candidate against a score card yet to be drafted. An Instagram image from the Think Twice Warringah page. Hislop says that Labors Harris is a great candidate and would likely do well on any such scorecard, but agrees that most of the people she has spoken with would support a strong independent over a Labor candidate. And this raises one of the strangest elements of the anti-Abbott insurgency. It is thriving despite the fact it has no leader. Across the peninsula, newly minted political activists are scrolling through their often impressive contact books in search of a candidate with traditional Liberal economic views and progressive social ones.

The author and Sun-Herald writer Peter FitzSimons is one of those who has been approached, including by a high-profile businessman who offered to bankroll his campaign. FitzSimons is not interested, nor is his wife, the Channel 10 identity Lisa Wilkinson, who, FitzSimons says, cant go to her local shops without having people lobby her to make a run. Lisa Wilkinson is frequently asked to run as an independent for Warringah but has said she is not interested. Credit:Janie Barrett The former banker Gail Kelly is understood to have been approached, though an assistant says she is not interested in a political career. Former surfer Layne Beachley has said the same. The former Wallaby Phil Kearns and the environmentalist and scientist Tim Flannery are also mentioned as possible candidates. According to one local who has been party to discussions, nobody who is seriously considering a bid for the seat is willing to show their cards yet. With up to six months to go until the next election, anonymity is an advantage.
The Country Womens Association, better known for bake sales, crochet and quiet charity than loud displays of feminism, is as fed up as the rest of us. This week its president Tanya Cameron said most of her organisations members were very disappointed with our politicians.

As president of a long-standing organisation that has maintained its credibility because of its conservative approach, and ethical and moral standards, we are quite appalled at some of the behaviour within politics, she said.

The misogynistic attitude needs to stop and it needs to stop very quickly, it needs to be changed...a lot of our members are questioning how they will go to the polls.

If there is a better explanation of why the government should be very afraid of credible centre-right independents taking rural seats, I am yet to see it.
Istanbul/Beirut: Turkey will take over the fight against Islamic State militants in Syria as the United States withdraws its troops, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday, in the latest upheaval wrought by Washington's abrupt policy shift.

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Credit:AP

The surprise announcement by US President Donald Trump this week that he would withdraw roughly 2000 troops has felled a pillar of American policy in the Middle East. Critics say Trump's decision will make it harder to find a diplomatic solution to Syria's seven-year-old conflict.

For Turkey, the step removes a source of friction with the United States. Erdogan has long castigated his NATO ally over its support for Syrian Kurdish YPG fighters against Islamic State.

Turkey considers the YPG a terrorist group and an offshoot of the armed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), fighting for Kurdish autonomy across the border on Turkish soil.
Parts of the US government began shutting down on Saturday for the third time this year after a bipartisan spending deal collapsed over President Donald Trump's demands for more money to build a wall along the US-Mexico border.

Trump scuttled an agreement that would have kept the government open until February after coming under heavy criticism from conservative talk show hosts and some allies in the House because the measure didn't include the $US5 billion he wanted for the wall. While negotiations to resolve the impasse are underway, it's not clear whether parts of the government will remain shuttered for days or weeks.

The US federal government has partially shutdown with Congress at an impasse with President Donald Trump over his demands to fund a wall on the US-Mexico border. Credit:Bloomberg

Ending the shutdown  which affects nine of 15 US federal departments and dozens of agencies  requires Democratic leaders and Trump to reach a compromise, which so far has been elusive as both sides hardened their positions. The House and Senate are scheduled to convene at noon on Saturday, but lawmakers were told they'll be given 24 hours notice of any planned votes.

The failure of elected officials to keep the government fully operating caps a chaotic week in Washington, during which Trump announced a withdrawal of all US forces from Syria, a draw-down of US forces in Afghanistan, and the resignation of Defence Secretary Jim Mattis.
Washington: The US government was headed toward a partial shutdown at midnight on Friday in the US after President Donald Trump's fellow Republicans in the Senate failed to muster the votes needed to approve $US5 billion he has demanded for a border wall fiercely opposed by Democrats.

Trump said the impending shutdown of key parts of the federal government could last "a very long time," and he sought to blame Democrats.

The US Capitol is seen under early morning gray skies in Washington. Credit:AP

They, in turn, put the blame squarely on him for his Thursday demand for wall funding after earlier backing bipartisan short-term government funding legislation passed by the Senate on Wednesday without any such money.

The impending shutdown was the latest evidence of dysfunction in Washington and might not bode well for next year, when Democrats will have a stronger hand as they take control of the House of Representatives.
Oranjestad, Sint Eustatius, December 20th, 2018

Dear Editor,

I have taken note of the media reports about State Secretary Knops admission to the

Dutch Parliament that the government which he himself unlawfully appointed, broke

the Dutch law it was supposedly sent to Sint Eustatius to uphold. In the case in question, acting Government Commissioner Stegers, in violation of the Dutch laws and the principles of integrity and avoiding conflicts of interest, awarded a construction contract to the company of the President of the Democratic Party and senior policy advisor in

the Governors Cabinet for years.

The blatant hypocrisy of the Dutch Government, which I have pointed out on numerous occasions in the past, is once again fully exposed in Mr. Knops letter to the Dutch Parliament. Just looking at the history of the Dutch Governments actions around the world, the many Dutch politicians who were prematurely forced out of office in disgrace the past few years, and the recent case of the exorbitant payments to Mr. Brons, the revelation that Mr. Stegers knowingly acted in violation of the same law he was supposedly sent to Sint Eustatius to uphold comes as no surprise.

It has once again been proven that the Dutch Government had no legal nor moral authority outside of the Netherlands itself. Contrary to the vague and unproven allegations in the report of Mr. Refunjol, which Mr. Knops used as a pretext to unlawfully depose the legitimate government of Sint Eustatius, the case of Mr. Stegers violation of his own laws is clear. It was clear enough for Mr. Knops to send a long letter to the Dutch Parliament admitting Mr. Stegers violation of the Dutch laws. Yet, no further action is being taken against Mr. Stegers, other than conveniently changing the law.

As is usually the case when Dutch government officials act illegally, Mr. Knops first goes into a lengthy explanation of the law to distract from the real issue at hand. He then

attempts to downplay Mr. Stegers violations, indicating that it will not happen again. The fact remains, however, that Mr. Stegers should have known his own Dutch laws. Mr. Knops ends his letter with another attempt to justify or downplay Mr. Stegers actions

by indicating that he will examine if the current laws are suitable for the small scale of

Sint Eustatius.

Ironically, the islands elected governments have been making this exact same point since the talks about constitutional reform began back in 2006. Dutch Government commissioned studies also indicated that exceptions should be made to certain laws based on the small scale of the islands. The Dutch Government ignored these requests and studies, stating that Dutch law is Dutch law, and therefore applicable to the islands as well. It is the height of hypocrisy that the Dutch Government is only willing to make exceptions when their own officials are caught breaking their laws.

The fact that this matter only came to light via the media, and not via the democratically elected Island Council of Sint Eustatius, clearly exposed the reason why Mr. Knops does not want elections to be held in March of 2019.

This entire affair again exposes the unlawful Dutch occupation of Sint Eustatius as a farce. It also supports and underscores the legal cases which the legitimate Government of Sint Eustatius has filed against the Dutch Government.

Mr. Stegers actions are another embarrassment to the Dutch Government, who not

only unlawfully implements laws on a foreign people and kills democracy, but then turns around and knowingly violates those same laws.

In his letter to the Dutch Parliament, Mr. Knops refers to a technical advice that was prepared for the contract in question. Assuming that acting Island Secretary Mrs. Malvern Dijkshoorn-Lopes and interim Director of Economy and Infrastructure Mr. Anthony Reid were both involved in drafting said technical advice, it would stand to reason that they should have also been aware of the violation of the Dutch law which Mr. Knops refers to.

In light of the transparency promised by the Dutch Government via the so-called cooperative Platform, I am hereby calling for the immediate and full disclosure of the awarding process and technical advice to the people of Sint Eustatius.

Clyde I. van Putten

Island Council Member and Leader of Government of St. Eustatius
PHILIPSBURG: --- Member of Parliament Christopher Emmanuel is calling on the Minister of Justice Cornelius de Weever to give clarity on the possible sale of 12% shares of UTS St. Maarten.

Emmanuel said based on information he received it is his understanding that LIBERTY an American Company that bought the 88% shares of UTS Curacao and they are busy negotiating to buy St. Maartens 12% for some $24M.

The Member of Parliament said he understands that the Minister of TEATT will use $15M of that money for a bridge loan to PJIAE. He said he knows that the Minister of Justice picked up the Managing Director of UTS Curacao recently, thus he knows that something is ongoing while the people remain in the dark.

Emmanuel said he is very much concerned about the status of UTS workers on St. Maarten, he wants to know if UTS employees jobs are secured especially since several workers on St. Maarten was laid off since the passing of hurricane Irma.

He said Cable TV workers, hotel workers, and many other workers were laid off and he feels that the Minister of Justice must explain to the people what is going on because these negotiations are taking place in secret. Emmanuel said he wants to know if UTS shares on St. Maarten will be sold for $24M. He said if this is true then the Minister of Justice Cornelius de Weever has to then level with the people of St. Maarten especially since his job is secured. Emmanuel also called on the Minister to also shed light on the contract given to Atlas Construction Company to construct the perimeter wall of the Prison.
~Did Vidanova, APS and SZV do due diligence before committing pension funds?~

PHILIPSBURG: --- Member of Parliament Christopher Emmanuel said in an interview with SMN News that the Minister of VSA Emil Lee lied to the people of St. Maarten in an effort to mislead everyone. Emmanuel said recently the Minister said in a press statement that the European Commission gave Condotte 190M Euros. Emmanuel said based on his research its is true the European Commission granted 190M Euros to Condotte as a grant. He said this was not done because the EU commission has confidence in Condotte but in fact, the commission is trying to safeguard over 1000 workers that stands to lose their jobs if Condotte goes belly up. This is a grant given to Condotte for a period of six months, the question is what will happen after the six months if Condotte cant get its financials in order.? Based on the way I see it Condotte is in bad shape, actually worse than what we know, and the Minister continues to play nonchalant thinking this is just a little slap on the wrist.

Emmanuel said 190M Euros compared to the $100M that St. Maarten intends to spend on the construction of the New General Hospital is a drop in the bucket since the money given to Condotte is twice the amount for the New General Hospital. I want the people of St. Maarten to know that Condotte is bankrupt and they filed for solvency in Italy and the government of Italy and EU commission is trying to keep them afloat until they could manage their financial situation and bring it back up to par.

Emmanuel said that he is even more peeved since Vidanova and APS did not do due diligence before committing the monies that belong to pensioners. He said GEBE, TELEM, Cable TV and other workers on St. Maarten contributed to this fund and its not normal that Vidanova would make commitments without due diligence. Dont they know if Condotte and INSO goes down the drain then the pension money will also go down the drain? The same thing goes for APS since its the civil servants that are paying in their pension to APS. Emmanuel said he wants to know if those managing APS and Vidanova are not reading or conducting research prior to making investments.

As for the National Investment Bank (NIB) and Ennia the Member of Parliament said this raised more questions because he wants to know the role of Andy Wescot the representative of NIB. I want to know more about NIB bank and its board members as well as Andy Wescots role.

Trip to Italy.

Emmanuel said the Minister also disclosed in his press statement that he and a team from St. Maarten will be traveling to Italy. I would like to know why are you going to Italy, as far as I am concern those from Italy including representatives of the Italian Government are the ones that should come to St. Maarten to assure the Government and people of St. Maarten that they could continue with the project.

Emmanuel said even Norway pulled back two major contracts from Condotte because they fear the company will not be able to meet their obligations to their creditors and workers.

The Minister is hell-bent on misleading the people of St. Maarten and its time the Minister start telling the whole truth. I want the know in whose interest the Minister is going to Italy, this tells me the Minister has a deep rooted interest in INSO rather than telling the truth regarding INSOs financial status.

Emmanuel said he is resting this situation on the shoulders of Member of Parliament Luc Mercelina since he has full knowledge of how hospitals are supposed to function. The opposition will be calling on the Chair of Parliament to step down since meetings are not being called in a timely manner. Requests for meetings are being ignored while the chair of parliament is busy protecting certain Ministers. The Chair is abusing her powers by protecting Minister Emil Lee and other Ministers, Emmanuel said.

Instruction has to come from Parliament to the Minister instructing him to halt the process with INSO. It is the duty of Parliament to secure the peoples patrimony and in this case, it is clear that St. Maarten is jeopardizing the pension and other funds by contracting INSO for the New General Hospital. Emmanuel said that the majority in Parliament should take it upon themselves to send the instruction to Minister Emil Lee and also to the Governor of St. Maarten.

I believe its time VAMED is invited back to the table and give them the contract since they are in better financial standing.

Click here to read European Commission Press Release on the 190M Euros to Condotte.
Gas prices in the city of Georgetown on Dec. 21 were 30 to 40 cents higher than nearby areas such as Murrells Inlet and Myrtle Beach.
Senator Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) said earlier this month he was still working to win passage of a bill extending authorization of the ISS through 2030, a provision of the bill the Senate passed Dec. 20.

WASHINGTON  The Senate approved legislation Dec. 20 to reform commercial space regulationsand extend the life of the International Space Station, but the passage may be too late for this bill to become law.

The Senate approved by unanimous consent the Space Frontier Act, S. 3277, a bill introduced in July by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and co-sponsored by Sens. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) and Ed Markey (D-Mass.) The Senate Commerce Committee had favorable reported the bill in August.

The bill approved by the full Senate includes several changes to the one that cleared the committee. Among its new provisions are sections calling for studies on the joint use of military facilities for commercial launches and on ways to improve the integration of launches and reentries into the national airspace system.

It also renames the Office of Space Commerce within the Commerce Department as the Bureau of Space Commerce to be led by an Assistant Secretary for Space Commerce, a change sought by the Commerce Department to elevate the importance of the office. The bill authorizes $10 million a year for the bureau for fiscal years 2020 through 2024.

While the bill is devoted primarily to reforms of commercial launch and remote sensing regulations, it also extends authorization to operate the ISS from 2024 to 2030. Cruz and Nelson included that extension after expressing opposition to the administration's plan in its fiscal year 2019 budget request to end direct funding of the ISS in 2025.

The version passed by the Senate does include a new section authorizing NASA to start a low Earth orbit commercialization program "to encourage the fullest commercial use and development of space by the private sector of the United States." NASA sought to start such a program in its 2019 budget request that could lead to installation of commercial modules on the ISS and, later, commercial space stations.

"The Space Frontier Act takes the critical step of continuing the operations and utilization of the International Space Station through 2030, ensures that the United States won't cede low Earth orbit to China, and enacts meaningful reforms to modernize our nation's launch and re-entry regulations, and streamlines nongovernmental Earth observation regulations," said Cruz in a statement about the passage of the bill.

"Reforms in this bill will help commercial space companies get to two launches a day in Florida," said Nelson in the statement. "Extending the life of the International Space Station well into the next decade, as this bill does, will also ensure America remains a leader in space exploration."

Nelson, who lost reelection for a fourth term in the Senate last month, said in a floor speech last week that he and Cruz were continuing to work on an extension of the space station. "Senator Cruz and I are still trying in this Congress to get the date for extension of the International Space Station extended to the end of the decade," he said in a Dec. 10 speech that was his last in the Senate devoted to space.

However, time is running out in the 115th Congress to enact that bill. The House would have to take up the bill and pass it before the new Congress convenes Jan. 3, and it's not clear it will have the time to do so even if members support the bill. The Senate bill is not among the legislation the House plans to consider Dec. 21.

One industry group thinks the Space Frontier Act will set the groundwork for future commercial space legislation. "This bipartisan bill is a strong statement in support of America's growing commercial space industry," Eric Fanning, president and chief executive of the Aerospace Industries Association, said in a statement after the Senate approved the bill. "We look forward to working with members of Congress next year to get commercial space legislation passed and signed into law, ensuring American space presence and dominance into the future."

Congress did approve one space-related bill Dec. 20. The House passed on a 3900 vote a bill to provide a one-year extension of NASA's existing authority to lease its facilities to companies, known as enhanced use leases. The bill, S. 7, was introduced in the Senate last month by Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and passed the Senate by unanimous consent Dec. 6.

"NASA's enhanced use lease authority is a win-win for taxpayers and the private sector by letting commercial companies leverage NASA investment," Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas), the retiring chairman of the House Science Committee, said in a statement. The bill "will allow NASA to continue to implement this key authority while Congress works out a long-term solution on NASA's use of excess property."

This story was provided by SpaceNews, dedicated to covering all aspects of the space industry.
One of Swarm Technologies' "SpaceBee" picosatellites. The company wants to operate a constellation of 100 tiny satellites for Internet of Things services.

WASHINGTON  Swarm Technologies will pay $900,000 to settle an investigation by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission into the startup's launch of four picosatellites on an Indian rocket this January without regulatory approval, the FCC announced Dec. 20.

Swarm defied the FCC by launching the satellites after the agency dismissed its application for an experimental authorization to communicate with the spacecraft. The FCC said Swarm's satellites, measuring one-fourth the size of a standard single-unit cubesat, were too small to be reliably tracked once in orbit.

The $900,000 penalty, though small compared to fines as high as $120 million the FCC imposed this year on spoofed robocall operations, is nonetheless meant to send a signal to those that might intentionally or inadvertently follow Swarm's footsteps.

"The size of the penalty imposed is probably not significant enough to deter future behavior," FCC Commissioner Michael O'Rielly said in a Dec. 20 statement. "[B]ut the negative press coverage is likely to prevent this company and others from attempting to do this again."

Swarm's renegade actions garnered condemnation across the satellite industry, which feared a regulatory clampdown in the aftermath of Swarm's decision. The FCC withdrew an authorization it previously granted for another four satellites Swarm intended to launch on a Rocket Lab Electron mission that occurred in April. Spaceflight, the company that arranged Swarm's January launch on a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle from India, said it will now check to make sure its customers have necessary licenses ahead of time instead of relying on them to do their own self-regulation.

The FCC, in its investigation into Swarm, said it found the company had performed other activities that required FCC authorization. Swarm conducted communications tests with weather balloons and ground stations, along with other unapproved tests of satellite equipment ahead of the January launch.

"All these activities require FCC authorization and the company had not received such authorization before the activities occurred," the FCC said in a Dec. 20 press release.

Swarm also communicated with its "SpaceBee" satellites illegally for more than a week using earth stations in the state of Georgia.

"We will aggressively enforce the FCC's requirements that companies seek FCC authorization prior to deploying and operating communications satellites and earth stations," Rosemary Harold, chief of the FCC's Enforcement Bureau, said in a Dec. 20 statement. "These important obligations protect other operators against radio interference and collisions, making space a safer place to operate."

Swarm currently has seven SpaceBee satellites in orbit for space-based Internet of Things connectivity. The newest three launched Dec. 3 on a Falcon 9 rocket along with 61 other small satellites as part of a dedicated rideshare mission booked through Seattle-based Spaceflight.

Swarm's authorization request for those three satellites received FCC approval in September.

Swarm CEO and cofounder Sara Spangelo, in a Dec. 11 blog post, thanked the FCC "for its smooth processing of this license."

The FCC said Swarm has followed FCC regulations since the investigation began in March.

Spangelo wrote that all seven SpaceBee satellites have been "consistently tracked" by the U.S. Air Force's Space Surveillance Network as well as by the company LeoLabs.

The FCC directed Swarm to designate a regulatory compliance director who will be responsible for implementing a compliance plan. Swarm, under the plan, must submit pre-launch notices to the FCC for 36 months that include who Swarm will launch with, on what rocket, where, and other details. The plan also requires Swarm to set up a compliance training program for employees whose work intersects with FCC communications laws.

This story was provided by SpaceNews, dedicated to covering all aspects of the space industry.
WASHINGTON  The Pentagon is finalizing a proposal for the establishment of a United States Space Forceas a sixth military branch. According to a draft of the proposal, the Space Force would be organized under the Department of the Air Force. The Space Force would be made in the same mold as the Marine Corps, which is an independent service that resides under the Department of the Navy.

The contents of the draft proposal were first reported on Thursday by Defense News. SpaceNews reviewed a draft document that confirms what Defense News reported.

The proposal is labeled "Preliminary Draft for Policy Discussion." A White House source confirmed that the National Space Council has been in coordination with DoD on the legislative proposal. [What Is the U.S. Space Force?]

Vice President Mike Pence was briefed on the proposal on Thursday at the Pentagon. Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan told reporters on Dec. 13 that the document is still being reviewed before it goes to the White House for approval. Col. Joe Buccino, a spokesman for Shanahan, said he could not comment on a draft document. "As he said last week, Deputy Secretary Shanahan is moving forward with the legislative proposal in concert with presidential guidance," Buccino told SpaceNews.

Vice President Mike Pence meets with Pentagon officials Aug. 9, 2018. (Image credit: DoD)

With regard to the mission and purpose of the Space Force, the proposal says the new branch "shall be organized, trained, and equipped to provide for freedom of operations in, from, and to the space domain for the United States and its allies; to provide independent military options for joint and national leadership; and to enable the lethality and effectiveness of the joint force."

A civilian Undersecretary of the Air Force for Space would report to the Secretary of the Air Force. Like the other branches of the military, the Space Force would have a four-star Chief of Staff who would be a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The Space Force would have active-duty, Reserve and National Guard components. Military personnel transferred to the Space Force from another service would retain the same grade and rank.

The Space Staff would include a Chief of Staff of the Space Force, a Vice Chief of Staff and a Judge Advocate of the Space Force. The Chief of Staff would be appointed by the President and require Senate confirmation. The Chief of Staff of the Space Force, like the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, would work under the authority, direction, and control of the Secretary of the Air Force.

The proposal does not specify the size or the estimated cost of a Space Force. It recommends allowing 180 days for the Secretary of Defense to submit to the congressional defense committees a report describing the number of civilian employees and military personnel that would be needed to support the headquarters of the the Space Force Staff, U.S. Space Command and the Space Development Agency.

Experts have argued that organizing the Space Force under the Department of the Air Force is a sound approach that meets the president's directive to stand up a new branch and keeps overhead costs down. A similar structure was put forth by the House Armed Services Committee in a "Space Corps" provision in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018. The proposal was opposed by the Air Force and voted down by the Senate.

A Space Force as it is being proposed now would meet the criteria to be considered a sixth service, said Thomas Taverney, a retired Air Force major general who served as vice commander of Air Force Space Command. "The most important thing is to have a command structure that goes to bed at night and wakes up in the morning thinking only about the space mission and worrying only about the space mission," Taverney said. "A Space Force equivalent to the Marine Corps would meet that criteria."

This story was provided by SpaceNews, dedicated to covering all aspects of the space industry.
BEIRUT - One of the biggest winners of President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw troops from Syria will be Iran, which can now expand its reach across the Middle East with Washington's already waning influence taking another hit.

The abrupt reversal of U.S. policy regarding its small military presence in a remote but strategically significant corner of northeastern Syria has stunned U.S. allies, many of whom were counting on the Trump administration's seemingly tough posture on Iran to reverse extensive gains made by Tehran in recent years.

Instead, the withdrawal of troops opens the door to further Iranian expansion, including the establishment of a land corridor from Tehran to the Mediterranean that will enhance Iran's ability to directly challenge Israel. It also throws in doubt Washington's ability to sustain its commitment to other allies in the region and could drive many of them closer to Russia, an Iranian ally, analysts say.

"This is a dream come true for the Iranians," said Riad Kahwaji, who heads the Institute for Near East and Gulf Military Analysis, a defense consultancy in Dubai. "No longer will Iran take the Trump administration seriously. It's an isolationist administration, it will no longer pose a threat, and Iran will become bolder in its actions because they know this administration is more bark than bite."

A top Iranian official gloated Friday that the United States has admitted failure in its attempts to "overrun" the Middle East, according to Iran's Tasnim News Agency.

"The Americans have come to the conclusion that they can exercise power neither in Iraq and Syria nor in the entire region," said Brig. Gen. Mohammad Pakpour, the commander of ground forces of the Revolutionary Guard Corps, at a news conference in Tehran.

The most immediate impact will be in Syria, where U.S. troops have been serving as a buffer against Iranian expansion throughout the country as Syrian President Bashar al-Assad - backed by Iranian-trained and funded militias - consolidates control over areas that rebelled against him in 2011.

The area in northeastern Syria where most of an estimated 2,000 U.S. troops are based is now up for grabs, with both Turkey and the Syrian government vying for control.

The Syrian Kurds, who manage the area, say they are hoping to reach a deal with Assad, which would head off a feared Turkish incursion - and bring the Iranian-allied government into areas overseen by the U.S. military.

Of more immediate concern to Israel is a much smaller toehold the U.S. military has maintained at Tanf, a tiny territory in Syria along the border of Iraq and Jordan.

The Trump administration has not said whether the withdrawal plan includes Tanf, where around 250 U.S. Special Forces are based alongside a Pentagon-trained unit of former Free Syrian Army rebels.

The rebel commander, Muhannad al-Talla, said the rebels had been told to prepare for a U.S. pullout, although they were not given a date.

The U.S. base is located at the border crossing between Iraq and Syria, along the shortest link between Tehran and the Syrian capital of Damascus, a route Iran could use to sustain the growing arsenal of missiles and rockets that its ally Hezbollah is building in Lebanon.

The unilateral decision to withdraw, without a plan for what comes next, has called into question the Israeli assumption that it can count on the United States to protect Israel against Iran, Israeli analysts said.

"The sense now in Israel is that Israel is essentially alone in the task of back-walling the Iranian military presence in Syria," said Ofer Zalzberg, a Jerusalem-based analyst with the International Crisis Group. "This decision feeds the notion that is prevalent in the region, even if it's not entirely correct, that the U.S. is withdrawing. Many people draw delight from this, specifically in Tehran and Moscow."

Iran is already close to restoring another land route across Iraq through Syria and into Lebanon via the Iraqi-Syrian border crossing linking the Syrian town of Bukamal and the Iraqi town of Qaim. This location is a crossroads of geopolitical conflict where the forces of the Islamic State, the Syrian government, Iranian-backed militias, Russia, the United States and the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces are battling for control.

With the United States withdrawing its troops from the Syrian side of the border, Israel is concerned about whether it will also pull out from Iraq, where around 5,200 U.S. troops are based and mostly provide training and advice to the Iraqi Army, said Brig. Gen. Eli Ben Meir, who formerly headed the Israeli military's research analysis division. The United States maintains a base just across the border from Bukamal, in Qaim, which will continue to act as a deterrent to Iran's unfettered access to the area after troops leave Syria, while the U.S. presence in Iraq more broadly exerts some restraint on Iran's ability to exercise full control.

"The most important thing from Israel's aspect and Israeli strategy is how the U.S. military existence in Iraq, and especially on the Iraqi-Syrian border, will reshape, if at all, because of this withdrawal," Meir said in a conference call with journalists in Israel. "Iran wants to be more involved in what's going on in Syria, but there is Iraq that is between."

The decision to withdraw from Syria on the grounds that the Islamic State has been defeated, as Trump claimed, is also likely to bolster demands from Iran's Shiite Iraqi allies for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, said Hoshyar Zebari, Iraq's former foreign minister. He predicted an intensified effort in the Iraqi parliament, where Iran-backed militia groups control at least a third of its seats and could count on support from others opposed to the U.S. presence to push for a U.S. withdrawal.

"The logic is that if the U.S. has defeated ISIS in Syria and is withdrawing, ISIS is defeated in Iraq and they should also withdraw from Iraq," he said.

- - -

Morris reported from Jerusalem. Zakaria Zakaria in Brazil contributed to this report.
W e have reached the 10th of the 12 Days of Christmas and Benedict Cumberbatch's appeal is to help cut the number of people in the UK who are unaware they have HIV from 10,000.

The Doctor Strange star is making the call in his video message today for the AIDSfree appeal, which is supporting the Elton John AIDS Foundation in its work to boost awareness and combat the virus.

One of the key aims of the campaign is to make people are vulnerable to contracting HIV to be tested so, if necessary, they can access the treatment and support they need.

Cumberbatch said: "I am so pleased to be supporting the AIDSfree campaign for the Elton John AIDS Foundation.

"It's the 10th day of Christmas and currently in the UK there are around 10,000 people with HIV who don't yet know it.

"Now that means there are 10,000 people who are incredibly vulnerable and need our help, and they are very much at risk.

"As Londoners, let's be as generous and open and tolerant as a society as we can be and help make these people get tested in the UK.

"There are fantastic HIV treatments now which means that people can live long, full and fulfilling lives. So that means we just need to take the first step and get them tested.

"Your donations to the AIDSfree campaign could literally to change their lives so please, if you can, give generously."

The 12 Days of Christmas series has featured messages from high-profile backers and HIV campaigners each day pledging support for our campaign through to Christmas Eve.

Globally, 37 million people are living with HIV; a figure that rose by 1.8 million people last year. In the UK 15 people are infected every day on average.

Donations to the AIDSfree appeal will go towards funding Elton John AIDS Foundation projects in six key cities around the world - London, Nairobi, Atlanta, Kiev, Delhi and Maputo.

TODO: define component type apester
A teenager has been rushed to hospital after being stabbed during a suspected robbery in an east London park.

Police and paramedics rushed to the scene in Mile End Park, not far from Mile End Tube station, shortly after 8pm on Friday.

The 19-year-old victim was rushed to hospital.

It is not known if his injuries are life threatening, Scotland Yard said.

A spokeswoman said: Police were called by the London Ambulance Service at 8.18pm on Friday to reports of a man stabbed in Mile End Park close to Burdett Road.

Officers attended. A 19-year-old man has been taken to an east London hospital. We await an update on his condition.

At this early stage, it is thought that the victim may have been assaulted during a robbery.

Officers remain at the scene.
A teenager has been charged after allegedly trying to take a knife into court.

The 17-year-old from Plaistow was arrested while trying to enter the Old Bailey on Tuesday while a murder trial was taking place.

Police said he has been released on bail to appear at a youth court in January.

His arrest was revealed by an Old Bailey judge on Thursday after another 17-year-old was found guilty of the murder of 15-year-old drill rapper Jordan Douherty.

Victim: Jordan Douherty was knifed / AFP/Getty Images

The victim, who performed under the name Young Valenti, was knifed to death after a 16th birthday party descended into violence in June.

Judge Anthony Bate said his attention had been drawn to the public gallery due to the presence of a large number of people.

He said: I understand their presence was not altogether benign. One of them was arrested having been found in possession of a knife.

The judge said the arrest was not related to the case and that the knife was found by security staff at the public entrance to the building.

A City of London police spokesman said: "A 17-year-old male from Plaistow, London, has been charged with possession of a bladed article.

"He has been released on bail to appear at Highbury Corner Youth Court on Monday January 7 2019.

"He was arrested on Tuesday December 18 while attempting to enter the Central Criminal Court."

Schoolboy Jordan died on June 23 after he was chased by a gang of youths in Romford and stabbed twice, including a "catastrophic injury" to the heart.

Two other boys, aged 16 and 17, were found guilty of conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm with intent over the stabbing, while William Nayya-Welly, 20, pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice before the trial.
A mber Rudd has slammed European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker as ghastly adding that his grotesque behaviour towards women should be officially investigated.

The Work and Pensions Secretary hit out over footage from last week's European Council meeting in Brussels which showed him playing with a woman's hair.

Ms Rudd told The Telegraph he would probably have been subject to an official complaint if it happened in the UK.

In a wide-ranging interview, which will fuel speculation she has leadership ambitions, she said: "It's grotesque. I mean, if that happened in our Parliament I hope there would be a formal complaint.

Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd / Getty Images

"When I used to go the EU for meetings, I often had a terrible cold to insist that I didn't get enveloped in a bear hug.

"All the EU commissioners love doing their big hugs."

Mr Juncker, a former prime minister of Luxembourg, also clashed with Prime Minister Theresa May at the EU summit centre.

Theresa May and Jean-Claude Juncker argue in Brussels / Philip Sime/Twitter

The pair were caught on camera having a robust discussion the day after Mr Juncker used a press conference to describe her negotiating strategy as "nebulous".

Ms Rudd added: "(He's) ghastly. What I minded before that were those pictures of the way he was holding the Prime Minister. I did not like that."
L abour leader Jeremy Corbyn has been blasted by Remainers in and outside of his party for stating he would back Brexit if he came into power.

Mr Corbyn, in an interview with the Guardian, said he would urge Labour to back leaving the EU bloc if it won a snap election.

As he did so, he criticised the European Unions rules on state aid and competition, while stating he would go back and renegotiate a new Brexit deal.

Following this, Labour's former shadow business minister Chuka Umunna said the interview was "deeply depressing and disappointing".

In a Facebook post, he said: "Brexit is essentially a project of the hard right of British politics who want to turn Britain into a lightly regulated, offshore tax haven for the super rich, devoid of proper protections for workers, and one which seeks to dump the blame for the UK's problems on immigrants.

"Labour should stop pretending there is 'good' Brexit deal and we should certainly not be sponsoring this project because Brexit is the problem - it solves nothing."

Chuka Umunna is a People's Vote advocate / Steve Parsons/PA

While Ilford North Labour MP Wes Streeting, a critic of Mr Corbyn, also hit out at the statements.

He said: "Why peddle this myth that Labour would be able to renegotiate a Brexit deal at this 11th hour?

"How would Labour's Brexit be any better than remaining in the EU?

"Our members and voters are overwhelmingly pro-European. This lets them, and our country, down."

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn at this year's party conference / Getty Images

Mr Corbyn told the Guardian, when asked about a second referendum, he would suggest to go forward with leaving the Union.

He said: "It would be a matter for the party to decide what the policy would be; but my proposal at this moment is that we go forward, trying to get a customs union with the EU in which we would be able to be proper trading partners."

Labour passed a motion at its party conference in Liverpool in September it would seek a general election as its first choice, but left open the option of supporting a second referendum.

Mr Corbyn and other opposition frontbenchers have previously claimed that if Labour replaced Mrs May's Government by some means, they would be able to go back to Brussels to renegotiate her deal.

Brexit was discussed at the Labour conference / PA

The SNP also attacked Mr Corbyn, as Westminster leader Ian Blackford called him "the midwife to the delivery of the Tory's Brexit plans".

Mr Blackford said: "Jeremy Corbyn has finally come off the fence he's been sat on for the past two years.

"But unfathomably he's come down on the same side as Theresa May.

"The Labour party is incapable of providing opposition to the worst UK government that most people can remember."

Lib Dem leader Vince Cable added Mr Corbyn "refuses once again to take the blinkers off".

He said: "He is ignoring the concerns of his own supporters and the economic damage experts warn Brexit will do to the UK economy.
P addy Ashdown the former Liberal Democrat leader has died aged 77, the party has announced.

A spokesman said the politician and former Royal Marine, who revealed in November that he was being treated for bladder cancer, passed away on Saturday evening.

He led the party for more than a decade, from 1988 to 1999.

Sir Vince Cable, the party's current leader, called it "a hugely sad day" for the party and everyone else across politics "who had immense affection and respect for Paddy".

Paddy Ashdown, with his wife Jane, on the day he was elected the leader of the new Social and Liberal Democratic Party / PA

Sir Vince said: "He was famous for his politics, but his talents extended well beyond that arena.

"He was an accomplished author, and had spent many years serving the country before he got near the House of Commons.

Paddy Ashdown - In pictures 1 /14 Paddy Ashdown - In pictures Queen Elizabeth II meets Lord Ashdown (right) during a visit with the Queen to Chatham House in central London to launch The Queen Elizabeth II Academy for Leadership in International Affairs with the Duke of Edinburgh PA Paddy Ashdown, former leader of the Liberal Democrats, speaks to delegates at an evening rally at the party's autumn conference in Glasgow, Scotland October 4, 2014 REUTERS Former Leader of the Liberal Democrats Party Paddy Ashdown listens to speakers in the main hall at the SECC, Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre on September 17, 2013 in Glasgow, Scotland Getty Images South African President Nelson Mandela and Liberal Democrat Leader Paddy Ashdown after a private meeting at Buckingham Palace PA Paddy Ashdown, former leader of Britain's Liberal Democrat party, leaves the party's headquarters in central London, May 8, 2015 REUTERS Paddy Ashdown, with his wife Jane, on the day he was elected the leader of the new Social and Liberal Democratic Party PA Getty Images PA Getty Images AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images PA

"Few people know how hard he fought to get into politics following his service in the marines and diplomatic service.

"He exercised every ounce of his considerable personal stamina to win the Yeovil seat.

"He was a personal example to me and to many other candidates."

Britain's leader of the Liberal Democrat party, Vince Cable / REUTERS

After stepping down as leader in 1999 Mr Ashdown, who served in the Special Boat Service during his time in the forces, was knighted.

Following this, he was then made a peer as Lord Ashdown of Norton-sub-Hamdon.

He also became High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina in May 2002.

Prime Minister Theresa May said: "It is with great sadness that I have learned of the passing of Lord Ashdown.

"He dedicated his life to public service and he will be sorely missed.

"My thoughts and condolences are with his family and friends at this difficult time."

Theresa May said Lord Ashdown will be "sorely missed" / AFP/Getty Images

Lord Ashdown made the Lib Dems a political force that could not be ignored at Westminster during the late 1990s and into the next millennium.

Sir Nick Clegg, who took the Liberal Democrats into government in 2010 while he was leader, described Mr Ashdown as "the reason I entered politics".

Nick Clegg said Paddy Ashdown was his motivation for becoming a politician / PA

He said: "He was the reason I became a liberal.

"And he became a lifelong mentor, friend and guide. Much will, rightly, be said about him in the days ahead. He was a soldier, a diplomat, a writer, a leader, a campaigner, a servant of his constituents, and an international statesman.

But the thing I admired most in him is that rarest of gifts - a politician without an ounce of cynicism.

"He was the most heartfelt person I have known - loyal and generous to a fault. Like so many others, I will miss him terribly."

Nelson Mandela and Liberal Democrat Leader Paddy Ashdown after a private meeting at Buckingham Palace / PA

Lord Ashdown's warm manner endeared him to voters on the doorstep - his preferred office, as opposed to the House of Commons.

However, he did not fully shake off the "Paddy Pantsdown" moniker planted on him by The Sun newspaper on the disclosure of a five-month-long affair with his secretary.

But, as he continued to dedicate himself to politics, his dreams of power for the Lib Dems became partially true when after the 1997 election, in which Labour secured a landslide triumph, he and some of his colleagues were invited to join a Cabinet sub-committee.

Former Liberal Democrat party leader, Paddy Ashdown visiting Nick Clegg's house on May 9, 2010 / Getty Images

Former Manchester Liberal Democrat MP John Leech, who first stood for public office under Mr Ashdown's leadership, said: "I first joined the Liberal Democrats in 1990 and have watched our party progress under many great leaders, but it was in 1998 under Paddy Ashdown's deeply principled, bold and truly liberal leadership that I was so inspired to stand for public office for the first time.

"Paddy was always a sensible, balanced and powerful voice on major issues of the day, such as Europe, long before Brexit became the topic of the day. His passion for Britain at the centre of Europe never wavered and he was as passionate during the 2016 referendum as he was for decades before.

"I was so proud and honoured to work with Paddy in and out of Parliament, but most importantly to be able to call him a friend.

"He will be sorely, sorely missed by our party and his powerful and liberal leadership will leave an irreplaceable gap in British politics but it was his uniquely charming and friendly voice that will be missed the most.

"All my thoughts are with Jane and Paddy's family during this time."

Paddy Ashdown, former leader of the Liberal Democrats, speaks to delegates at an evening rally at the party's autumn conference in Glasgow, Scotland October 4, 2014 / REUTERS

Politicians from other parties have also spoken in commemoration of the former Lib Dem leader.

Former Conservative prime minister Sir John Major hailed his former opponent.

He called him "a man of duty, passion, and devotion to the country he loved - right up to the very end" and said Lady Ashdown and the rest of his family could be proud of his achievements.

Former British Prime Minister Sir John Major commended Paddy Ashdown / PA

He said: "In Government, Paddy Ashdown was my opponent. In life, he was a much-valued friend.

"His loss will be felt deeply by many - and not least by myself.

"Throughout his life, Paddy was a true patriot, whose overriding wish was to serve his country: first, in the Marines, and then in both Houses of Parliament.

"I can attest to the fact that - even when he knew he was gravely ill - Paddy's concern for the future of our country continued to dominate his thinking.

"I was not surprised. For Paddy, his country always came before personal or political advantage."

Lord Ashdown was born in India, the son of an army colonel, and attended a public school.

Former Liberal Democrat leader Paddy Ashdown poses with his badge after being made a member of the Order of the Companions of Honour (CH) for public and political service after an investiture ceremony at Buckingham Palace on London / AFP/Getty Images

When he was five his father returned home to Ulster in Northern Ireland to run a pig farm and at 16, Lord Ashdown signed himself up for an army scholarship to save his father the fees for his schooling.

He joined the Royal Marines and served in the Special Boat Service in the Far East and his service also led him to patrols on the streets of Belfast during the height of the troubles.

In 1961 he married his wife Jane, the cousin of a fellow officer.

However, in 1971 he left military life and joined the Foreign Office.

By the age of 31, he was a diplomat with two children, attached to the United Nations and living in Geneva.

Following this, they decided to return to England, to Yeovil, his wife's home town.

He eventually became the constituents Liberal representative and won the seat in 1983.
It was announced on Saturday evening that he had died after a short illness.

Since then, politicians from a range of parties have commended Lord Ashdown, who was Liberal Democrat leader from 1988 to 1999.

Prime Minister Theresa May said he will be "sorely missed".

Theresa May spoke of her "sadness" following Lord Ashdown's passing / EPA

She said: "It is with great sadness that I have learned of the passing of Lord Ashdown.

"Paddy Ashdown served his country with distinction from his career in the Royal Marines and intelligence services, as Member of Parliament for Yeovil, leader of the Liberal Democrats and later as High Representative of the International Community and EU Special Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

"He dedicated his life to public service and he will be sorely missed.

"My thoughts and condolences are with his family and friends at this difficult time."

Former Labour prime minister Tony Blair said he admired the former Lib Dem leader "as a man and as a political visionary and leader".

Tony Blair called Lord Ashdown a "visionary" / PA

Describing him as "excellent company, always fun to be around", Mr Blair said: "He was one of the most talented politicians never to hold high office, but as leader of the Liberal Democrats he nonetheless had a major impact on British political life.

"He was motivated by values of compassion, decency and a profound commitment to make the world a better place.

"He had courage, personal and political, unafraid to speak his mind yet always open to the views of others. He was one of the least tribal politicians I have ever known.

"He came into politics to do good and by and large did it, whether in leading his party, in his work in the Balkans or his wide range of British and international roles."

Paddy Ashdown making a point during his speech to the Liberal Democrat Conference in Brighton in 1996 / PA

Lord Ashdown, who was also a commended veteran, said in November he was being treated for bladder cancer.

Lord Newby, leader of the Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords, said: "Paddy was a natural leader: energetic, charismatic and strategic.

"He kept the Liberal Democrats alive in our early years and never lost his verve for promoting liberal values.

"Having worked with him for 30 years, I will miss him greatly."

Former Leader of the Liberal Democrats Party Paddy Ashdown speaks during a rally at the end of the first day of conference in 2013 / Getty Images

Lib Dem MP Layla Moran said he was "one of the few originals in British politics".

She continued: "A unique character, a force of nature and an incredible intellect.

"As a candidate and MP he encouraged me to be more than I thought I could be."

Tim Farron called him a hero / PA Wire/PA Images

Joining other former Liberal Democrat leaders to pay tribute, Tim Farron said: "Paddy Ashdown was a hero to me, he saved and revived the Liberal Democrats at our lowest ebb, and then led us to our best result for 70 years.

"As a movement, we owe him our very existence.

"Much love to Jane and the family. Thank you boss."

Nick Clegg had previously said that Lord Ashdown was his inspiration for becoming a politician.

Former Liberal Democrats leader Nick Clegg (right) talking with Lord Ashdown / PA

Anna Soubry, Conservative MP for Broxtowe, said: "So very sorry to learn that Paddy Ashdown has died. I came to know him in the last few years and liked him

and his values enormously. Thoughts with his family and his many dear friends."

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said: "My thoughts are with the family and friends of Paddy Ashdown.

"He represented Yeovil very well and I got to know him in the 1980s when we often found ourselves voting in Parliament together against damaging government policies.

"He will be greatly missed."

Jeremy Corbyn said Lord Ashdown will be missed / EPA

While Labour deputy leader Tom Watson said: "I am very sorry to hear that Paddy Ashdown has died.

"He was a decent, measured and dedicated public servant.

"My thoughts are with his family and the very many Lib Dem members who will mourn his loss.

"He made a difference."

Lord Ashdown speaking at the Liberal Democrat's Spring Conference at the Hilton Brighton Metropole in 2013 / PA

Andrew Mitchell, who worked with Lord Ashdown while he served as the Conservative international development secretary in the former coalition government, said: "He was a wonderful man and a hugely effective politician.

"I worked with him closely on a range of international development issues and I had enormous respect for him.

"He was an extraordinary character. Mrs Thatcher had immense respect for him and although he was a political opponent, held his views in the highest regard."

Former prime minister Gordon Brown said: "I'm saddened by the loss of one of the towering political figures of our generation who spoke always as a strong European, a committed internationalist and a dedicated constitutional reformer.

"Paddy Ashdown had boundless energy, was prepared to cross party lines and served not just his own country but the international community, with great distinction, as a representative of the United Nations.

"My thoughts are with his family."

Other public figures to commemorate Lord Ashdown include the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Justin Welby, said: "Paddy Ashdown was an advocate for those others forgot, full of courage, integrity and immensely gifted.
B anksy fans descended upon a Welsh town to see a new piece by the artist, while a covering has been set up to protect the painting.

As crowds visited the Seasons Greetings mural on Saturday workmen placed a Perspex covering over the art.

Reports previously stated that thousands had already made the trip to view the black and white painting.

One person who shared an image of the image behind its cover and fencing wrote on Twitter: They are taking no chances with the Banksy up in Port Talbot. Unbelievable detail when you see it up close, loads there having a look. Very clever, impressive.

Another person criticised the covering and wrote: Disappointed that a very poor protective screen has been erected, you can't appreciate it! Understand the need to protect but it totally obscures the artwork!

The painting depicts a child covered in what looks like snow but is in fact ash from a burning bin.

Local councillor Rob Jones said the "globally viewed, newly arrived piece of guerrilla art" made Port Talbot the perfect place for a recently mooted Welsh modern art gallery.

"At least one world class contemporary artist appears to view the interesting mix of peaceful hillsides alongside striking urban and industrial landscapes as a piece of art in itself," Mr Jones said.

Many people spoke online of taking "road trips" to see the piece / Getty Images

He added that access to the town might also have been a reason the elusive artist picked the spot for the new display.

"Ease of access could perhaps have been one of the many reasons Banksy may have chosen Port Talbot," he said.

Banksy - In pictures 1 /64 Banksy - In pictures PA AFP via Getty Images A new artwork painted by Banksy during lockdown, which has gone on display in a hospital corridor PA Banksys Girl With A Pearl Earring modified during Coronavirus @Anth0ny_Ward Stormzy performs on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury Festival 2019 wearing a vest designed by Banksy EPA Sotheby's employees pose with 'Love is in the Bin' by British artist Banksy during a media preview at Sotheby's auction house Jack Taylor/Getty Images Two men are sitting in front of a famous graffiti of British street artist Banksy, painted on a wall of a gas station in the West Bank city of Bethlehem Getty Images Banksy's homage to Pulp Fiction in East London Rex Features A new Banksy artwork in Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter appears to have been vandalised days after it first appeared. The mural depicts two reindeer painted onto a brick wall appearing to pull along a bench PA Sotheby's host the first unauthorized retrospective exhibition of works by Banksy Curated by Steve Lazarides-Banksy's agent in the early years Alex Lentati Graffitti art by the 'guerilla' artist Banksy is seen on May 16, 2006 in Chalk Farm, London. The striking large scale spray-painted image entitled 'Sweeping It Under The Carpet' depicts a maid who cleaned the artist's room in a motel in Los Angeles. The piece commissioned by 'The Independent' newspaper edited on Tuesday by U2's frontman Bono, is intended to represent a metaphor for the west's reluctance to tackle issues such as Aids in Africa Getty Images Mural: the artwork before it was covered (Photo: PA) PA Banky's Les Mis artwork in Knightsbridge Jeremy Selwyn A piece of urban art by Banksy discovered on the wall of the Poundland store in Wood Green Nigel Howard A woman attacked by seagulls piece by Banksy, during the press view for the artistis biggest show to date, entitled 'Dismaland', at Tropicana in Western-super-Mare, Somerset PA Builders remove a sheet of wood covering a Banksy artwork moments after being told to take it down from the building opposite the French embassy Getty Images Banksy's Barcode Leopard Rex Features A migrant looks at the work by Banksy in the Calais migrant 'jungle' Banksy A blanket covers a mural by elusive street artist Banksy of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, in a migrant camp on the outskirts of Calais. The piece has gained such popularity that people are being charged for the blanket to be lifted to that they can view it PA An employee holds Banksy's 'Girl and Balloon' which was painted on an Ikea frame at Bonhams auctioneers on March 23, 2012 in London Getty Images Dismal, and not how he meant it: Banksy's Dismaland PA Banksy, Brick Lane Rex Features Banksy - Love is in the Air street art, Soho, London Rex Features A graffiti titled "Art Attack" made by the British, guerrilla, graffiti artist Banksy is seen on Israel's highly controversial West Bank barrier in Ramallah Getty Images Sold: This Banksy on the Gaza Strip was bought for just 118 Banksy Banksy's provocative take on an iconic image from the Vietnam war Alex Lentati A stencil image of a Banksy rat in Haringey, London Jeremy Selwyn Children pose for their photo with an installation of British graffiti artist Banksy's art in New York in 2013 Reuters Art installation by British artist Banksy, a robot and a barcode, is seen on a wall in the Coney Island area of New York City Reuters Mobile Lovers by Banksy on Clement Street, Bristol PA Art Buff created by street artist Banksy in Folkestone, KenT PA Banksy's Walled Off Hotel in the Israeli occupied West Bank town of Bethlehem Getty Images Self-portrait by Banksy PA Grafitti by the illusive artist Banksy adorns a building August 28, 2008 in New Orleans, Louisian Getty Images Vulture Petrol Head Mural by Banksy at Dungeness Susan Pilcher British graffiti artist Banksy's artwork 'No Ball Games' EPA Banksy's Bronx Zoo at Yankee Stadium Reuters Banksy's Eton Posse PA Cardinal Sin by artist Banksy at the Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool PA A worker holding Banksy's portrait of Kate Moss (2005) at a press preview for the exhibition Banksy: The Unauthorised Retrospective, curated by Steve Lazarides, at S|2 Gallery in London PA A Banksy mural which was painted on the side of one of the classrooms at Bridge Farm Primary in Bristol during half-term PA A stencil image of a rat in Haringey, London Jeremy Selwym A dancer poses with a new installation of art by British graffiti artist Banksy painted on the front door of the Hustler Club in New York Reuters "Flower Girl," a delicate stencil on a massive brick wall by popular street artist Banksy, is displayed in a warehouse in the greater Los Angeles, California AP Brexit mural: The artwork on the side of an abandoned arcade in Dover Reuters Detail from an installation by artist Banksy, entitled Civilian Drone Strike, on display at the Art the Arms Fair art exhibition 2017 PA A man takes a photo of one of two new murals painted by the artist Banksy near the Barbican Centre in London PA Banksy's lost 'Snorting Copper' at it's original home on Curtain Road in Shoreditch Gareth Richman A woman passes one of two new murals painted by the artist Banksy near the Barbican Centre in London PA The painting 'Devolved Parliament' by the graffiti artist Banksy, which is on show at Bristol Museum PA A Banksy artwork on a bridge in Hull Banksy A man walks past an artwork by street artist Banksy in Paris AFP/Getty Images People gather around fences that have been erected to protect the latest piece of artwork by the underground guerrilla artist Banksy Getty Images A street stall with oil paintings creating an image of a yacht in the Venice canal with a sign reading "Venice in oil", set up by a person purporting to be British artist Banksy, in Venice Reuters A motorboat passes in front of an alleged work of British street artist Banksy 'The shipwrecked child', that appeared on the outer wall of a house overlooking the canal Rio de Ca Foscari in Venice, Italy EPA Banksy created Stormzy's Union Jack stab proof vest worn at Glastonbury in July 2019 @banksy Banksy hits Notting Hill Bronwen Weatherby A shopfront displays a mini exhibition by secretive British artist, Banksy with the sign 'Gross Domestic Product', in Croydon AFP/Getty Images Displays in a homeware store, Gross Domestic Product, that is being launched in South London by the graffiti artist Banksy PA Banksy turned a rough sleeper's bench into Santa's sleigh in a social commentary on homelessness at Christmas Banksy A new work of art on the side of a house on Marsh Lane, Barton Hill, Bristol PA A section of the new work he has created during lockdown, in his bathroom. The artist captioned the post "My wife hates it when I work from home Banksy via PA Banksys Girl With A Pearl Earring modified during Coronavirus @Anth0ny_Ward

Banksy claimed responsibility for the new mural, which is on two walls of a garage, in a video on Instagram.

They've not dropped a Banksy on us have they?" asks a man, who is believed to be a local resident, at the end of the video.

The video was then captioned with the simple message: "Season's greetings".

Banksy claims artwork referencing steelworks in Port Talbot

The owner of the garage is Ian Lewis, 55, a steelworker for the town's Tata Steel steelworks.

He said he first saw the artwork when images began to spread on Facebook on Tuesday evening: "At first I didn't really think much of it. I didn't even know if it was my garage. But then I had a look and saw it was.

"I thought it was good, but I didn't think it was a Banksy. It's now gone viral, and there's just been an explosion (in interest).

Mr Lewis said he thought his hometown was chosen for the artwork because of headlines over air pollution due to the steelworks.

In May, the World Heath Organisation (WHO) apologised after admitting figures identifying Port Talbot as the most polluted town in the UK were wrong.

On Wednesday afternoon workers for Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council had erected metal fencing around the garage wall.

The artwork appeared in the same week the Government scrapped tolls for the Severn Bridges crossings between England and Wales.

In a statement given to ITV News, a spokeswoman for Banksy said: "Just how tight is Bxxxx?
F our men have been detained under the Immigration Act after a gang of stowaways found on a cargo ship allegedly threatened the crew.

The men had reportedly escaped from a cabin in which they were being held and stormed the bridge of the ship brandishing iron tubes and other makeshift weapons.

The ship's operator, Grimaldi Lines, told Sky News that the stowaways were calling on the crew to navigate closer to the coast in the Thames Estuary so they could jump and swim to Britain.

But Essex Police confirmed they had secured the ship, the Grande Tema, around 11pm on Friday.

The 71,000-tonne ship which set off from Lagos, Nigeria, on December 10.

Paul Kyprianou, a spokesman for Grimaldi Lines, told Sky News on Friday morning: "We found four stowaways on the vessel.

"The vessel was coming from Nigeria and was bound to Tilbury, and those four stowaways were in the cabin, and today they managed to escape from the cabin and they started threatening the crew, requesting the master of the vessel navigating very close to the coast.

"That request was probably because they wanted to jump and reach the British coast.

"The crew reacted and they locked themselves in the bridge of the vessel and so they are safe, we haven't had any injuries.

"They managed to get whatever they could find on the vessel... pieces of iron, tubes and things like that and this is what they used in order to threaten.

"The vessel is under the command of the crew there is no question about that... the only problem is that we have four people who are free on the deck and they are threatening crew members and requesting they get close to the coast."

Essex Police said the vessel, in the Thames Estuary, was boarded at around 11pm on Friday and was taken to the Port of Tilbury in Essex.

An Essex Police spokesman said: We have now secured a vessel in the Thames Estuary.

The vessel was boarded and secured shortly after 11pm on Friday, December 21 and will now be brought safely into dock at the Port of Tilbury.

Four men have been detained under the Immigration Act.

It followed reports at around 9.15am today of concerns for the safety of crew after a number of people were found on board.
A beautiful white horse was ridden in a walk for peace marking the 30th anniversary of the Lockerbie bombing.

A 50-strong group of residents of the Dumfries and Galloway town and those who helped in the aftermath of the tragedy took part in the poignant event on Saturday.

They carried 21 flags, to represent the 21 nationalities of the 270 victims of the air disaster, with them.

The walkers scaled Burnswark, a flat-topped hill to the south of Lockerbie in Scotland, which overlooks the area affected by the 1988 tragedy.

Residents of Lockerbie and others affected by the bombing climb Burnswark Hill above the town of Lockerbie i / PA

Krystal Anderson met the group at the summit after riding her white horse, Rebel, from Tundergarth, while carrying the Lockerbie Standard.

Ms Anderson is part of one of the many families that helped in the aftermath of the bombing.

She said: "So many people were affected by the bombing, but the community really showed how strong it is, and everybody rallied round. Ever since then people from this area have been working for peace.

"I see the ride as being a way to help spread that message of peace."

Residents of Lockerbie and others affected by the bombing climb Burnswark Hill / PA

Religious leaders and representatives from Allanton World Peace Sanctuary also joined the gathering, with the hill walk was one of three linked Journey Towards Peace events.

The gatherings focus on hope, kindness and the need to end conflict.

Jan Hogarth, an environmental artist working on the events, said: "In the decades since the bombing the people of this area have shown people kindness and compassion.

"These events build on that positive process, bringing together people of all generations and of many backgrounds and beliefs with the common goal of spreading a message of peace and hope on earth."

Another of the event's organisers, Susan Neal, said locals were "done with" their grieving.

They held flags from 21 nations aloft / PA

She said: "The walk had a sense of achievement, looking over the landscape, a beautiful landscape.

"It was very poignant, very interesting to talk to people on the walk and about why they chose to come.

"It was moving, but we're moving on. We wanted to send a positive message about how we feel about the future."

The 63-year-old of Lockerbie was in the town on the night of the atrocity.

Kaoruko Ferguson, originally from Japan but now living in Dumfries climbs Burnswark Hill / PA

Jessica Wheeler, of May Peace Prevail on Earth International, also helped with the organisation and said: "The land is very healing, being outside in that environment.

"I spoke to the farmer who was there, who found the first evidence of what happened.

"Occasionally, he can still smell it in the air, he still has some sense of it."
P resident Donald Trump warned the United States government shutdown could be a long stay as he continued his battle to fund a Mexico border wall.

Saturday marked the first day of the shutdown and President Trump said he was continuing to negotiate with Democrats to end the impasse over the federal budget.

He has long been demanding $5billion dollars to fund the wall between the US and Mexico  an amount which has been resisted by Congress.

"We are negotiating with the Democrats on desperately needed Border Security (Gangs, Drugs, Human Trafficking & more) but it could be a long stay," President Trump said on Twitter on Saturday.

He also said on Twitter he was "working hard" and would be inviting lawmakers to the White House on Saturday to discuss the situation and these talks would be on border security.

However, he did not provide details on who would attend, while also taking an opportunity to once again criticise so-called "fake news".

The shutdown went into effect after President Trump refused to agree to a short-term funding deal cut by Democratic and Republican senators due it not including funds for his border wall.

The US Capitol on the first morning of a partial government shutdown in Washington, DC / EPA

The US House of Representatives, where President Trumps Republicans have a majority until Democrats take over on January 3, passed a bill that included the $5 billion.

However, this did not pass in the Senate and the shutdown began at midnight on Friday.

As the clock ticked toward Friday's midnight deadline, President Trump blamed the Democrats.

A crowdfunding campaign had been launched to help raise money for President Trump's border wall / AP

"We're going to have a shutdown. There's nothing we can do about that because we need the Democrats to give us their votes," he said in a video posted to his Twitter account two hours before the deadline.

Democrats repeatedly reminded the President he said last week he would be "proud" to shut the government down in order to get wall funding, in a televised spat.

"President Trump has thrown a temper tantrum and now has us careening towards a 'Trump shutdown' over Christmas," Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said on the Senate floor on Friday.

Trump clashes with Pelosi and Schumer on border security in Oval Office

About three-quarters of federal government programs are funded through to September 30 next year but financing for all others including the departments of Homeland Security, Justice and Agriculture expired at midnight.

Federal parks are closed while more than 400,000 federal "essential" employees in those agencies will work without pay until the dispute is resolved.

Some 380,000 more will be "furloughed," meaning they are put on temporary leave.

The US National Parks will generally remain open with a reduced staff through the shutdown.

US Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and House Speaker designate Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) speak to reporters after meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House in Washington, US / REUTERS

However, an alert posted on the website of the National Park Service said some parks are closed completely during the government shutdown.

Republican governors in at least two states were working to make sure public restrooms are cleaned and visitor centres remain operational.

Law enforcement efforts, border patrols, mail delivery and airport operations will continue to run.

The shutdown came at the end of a controversial week for the president, with Defence Secretary James Mattis resigning in protest after Trump's sudden decision to pull US troops out of Syria.

It was later announced that Brett McGurk, a leading US envoy in the fight against ISIS, was also resigning over the same issue.

The Syria move was widely criticised, even by senior Republicans in Congress, after President Trump announced it on Twitter.
T he alleged killer in the Strasbourg Christmas market shooting had pledged allegiance ISIS, according to a judicial official.

Cherif Chekatt, 29, is the chief suspect in the massacre which left five people dead in the French city earlier this month.

A judicial official said investigators found a video stored on a USB stick which Chekatts home in which he claimed allegiance to the extremist Islamic State group.

Chekatt died in a shootout with police two days after the December 11 attack and shortly after his death, the Islamic State group's Amaq news agency claimed he was a "soldier" of the group.

Suspected attacker Cherif Chekatt / EPA

French Interior Minister Christophe Castaner previously rejected the claim as "totally opportunistic".

During the attack, which also left 13 others injured, witnesses said the gunman shouted "God is great!" in Arabic then sprayed gunfire from a security zone near the Christmas market.

Prior to this latest detail being made public, it was revealed Chekatt had also been on a watch list of potential extremists.

Strasbourg police operation - In pictures 1 /14 Strasbourg police operation - In pictures French special police forces secure an area during a police operation in the Meinau district after the deadly shooting in Strasbourg Reuters French special police forces secure an area during a police operation in the Meinau district after the deadly shooting in Strasbourg Reuters French special police forces secure a street during a police operation in the Neudorf district after the deadly shooting in Strasbourg, France, Reuters French special police forces secure a street during a police operation in the Neudorf district after the deadly shooting in Strasbourg, France, AFP/Getty Images French police forces block a street during an operation in the Neudorf district of Strasbourg, eastern France AP French police forces take position in the Neudorf district of Strasbourg, eastern France AP French police forces take position in the Neudorf district of Strasbourg, eastern France AP French police forces take position in the Neudorf district of Strasbourg, eastern France AP French special police forces secure a street during a police operation in the Neudorf district after the deadly shooting in Strasbourg Reuters French special police forces secure a street during a police operation in the Neudorf district after the deadly shooting in Strasbourg Reuters French special police forces secure a street during a police operation in the Neudorf district after the deadly shooting in Strasbourg Reuters French special police forces secure a street during a police operation in the Neudorf district after the deadly shooting in Strasbourg Reuters French special police forces secure a street during a police operation in the Neudorf district after the deadly shooting in Strasbourg Reuters Members of the French police special forces RAID take part in an operation, on December 13, 2018 at the Neudorf neighborhood in Strasbourg AFP/Getty Images

The attack sent shockwaves through the French city, prompting a massive shutdown of areas, as authorities hunted the suspect.

In the wake of the attack, the French government increased its terror alert level nationwide and deployed 1,800 additional soldiers across the country to help patrol streets and secure crowded events

Paris prosecutor Remy Heitz previously detailed Chekatts capture after a two-day manhunt and said three officers patrolling in Neudorf spotted a man matching the suspect's description.

Chekatt spotted their vehicle then tried unsuccessfully to enter a building and as police officers identified themselves he turned around and opened fire.

"A projectile hit the vehicle above the left rear door, two police officers responded, shooting several times, and killed him," Mr Heitz said.

Investigators found a gun, a knife and ammunition on Chekatt's body.

Among those who died in the attack were Thai tourist Anupong Suebsamarn, 45, and father-of-three Kamal Naghchband, originally from Afghanistan.
T he United States' envoy to the global coalition battling the Islamic State group has quit.

It is believed this is over President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw US troops from Syria, with a CBS source citing a "strong disagreement" over the matter.

A US State Department official confirmed on Saturday that Brett McGurk, special envoy for the global coalition to defeat ISIS, has handed in his resignation.

The 45-year-old joins Defence Secretary Jim Mattis in an exodus of experienced national security officials.

President Trump's decision on Syria has prompted controversy / AP

Just 11 days ago Mr McGurk said it would be "reckless" to consider ISIS defeated and unwise to bring American forces home.

It is believed his resignation letter was submitted on Friday to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

Mr McGurk was appointed to his post by President Barack Obama in 2015 and retained by President Trump.

US Defense Secretary James Mattis is set to leave his role / EPA

His resignation is effective from December 31.

He was previously planning to leave the job in mid-February after a US-hosted meeting of foreign ministers from the coalition countries.

However, he felt he could continue no longer after Trump's decision to withdraw from Syria and Mr Mattis' resignation.

President Trump is acting to pull all 2,000 US troops from Syria and has now declared victory over the Islamic State, contradicting his own experts' assessments.

Mr Mattis, perhaps the most respected foreign policy official in the administration, announced on Thursday he will leave by the end of February.

He told President Trump in a letter that he was departing because "you have a right to have a Secretary of Defence whose views are better aligned with yours".

Earlier this week, Mr Trump released a video message on Twitter to announce the surprise decision.

We have won against ISIS [Islamic State], said the President.
T he US government has partially shut down after lawmakers failed to reach an agreement in the border wall standoff.

After failing to reach an agreement, funding for a quarter of all US federal agencies lapsed at midnight (5am GMT on Saturday).

The gridlock blocks money for nine of 15 Cabinet-level departments and dozens of agencies, including the departments of Homeland Security, Transportation, Interior, Agriculture, State and Justice.

Nine out of 15 Cabinet-level Government departments have shutdown / Getty Images

The lack of funds will disrupt many government operations and the routines of 800,000 federal employees.

Vice President Mike Pence, senior adviser Jared Kushner and White House budget chief Mick Mulvaney left the Capitol late on Friday after hours of bargaining produced no apparent compromise.

Late on Friday, Mr Mulvaney told agency heads to "execute plans for an orderly shutdown, but that officials were "hopeful that this lapse in appropriations will be of short duration.

Donald Trump has demanded $5bn to start building his border wall / AP

Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby said: "We don't have a deal. We're still talking."

With negotiations expected to continue, the House and Senate both scheduled rare Saturday sessions.

Roughly 420,000 workers were deemed essential and will work unpaid just days before Christmas, while 380,000 will be given a leave of absence, meaning they will stay home without pay.

Some agencies, including the Pentagon and the departments of Veterans Affairs and Health and Human Services, were already funded for the year, and will operate as usual.

Mr Trump has openly savoured a shutdown over the wall for months, saying last week he would be "proud" to have one and saying on Friday he was "totally prepared for a very long" closure.

A joint statement by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said: "Instead of honouring his responsibility to the American people, President Trump threw a temper tantrum and convinced House Republicans to push our nation into a destructive Trump Shutdown in the middle of the holiday season."

Looking for a way to claim victory, Mr Trump said he would accept money for a "Steel Slat Barrier" with spikes on the top, which he said would be just as effective as a "wall" and "at the same time beautiful."
A partial shutdown of the US government shutdown looks likely to run through the Christmas holiday.

On Saturday, the Senate adjourned on Saturday with no deal to end an impasse over President Donald Trump's demand for funding for a Mexico border wall.

Throughout the day talks between Senate Democrats and the White House appeared to make little progress  which led Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to send senators home.

Earlier in the day, President Trump Tweeted that the shutdown could be a long stay.

The US Capitol on the first morning of a partial government shutdown in Washington, DC, USA, 22 December 2018 / EPA

He also wrote: "I won an election, said to be one of the greatest of all time, based on getting out of endless & costly foreign wars & also based on Strong Borders which will keep our Country safe.

"We fight for the borders of other countries, but we wont fight for the borders of our own!"

Sen McConnell left open the possibility of a Senate vote should a deal to re-open the government be reached in the coming days.

However, the logistics of staging votes in the Senate and then the House of Representatives over the holiday would make a quick resolution difficult.

The Senate is scheduled to reconvene on Thursday, December 27.

EPA

Lawmakers will depart for their break with President Trump and Senate Democrats seemingly as entrenched in their positions as ever.

Around three-quarters of federal government programmes are funded through to September 30 next year.

Financing for all others - including the departments of Homeland Security, Justice and Agriculture - expired at midnight.

Federal parks closed and more than 400,000 federal "essential" employees in those agencies will work without pay until the dispute is resolved.

The White House is seen on the first day of a partial federal government shutdown in Washington, U.S., December 22 / REUTERS

While another 380,000 will be "furloughed", meaning they are put on temporary leave.

The White House on Saturday reiterated that President Trump was still pressing for $5 billion for a wall or barrier along the border with Mexico and other security enhancements.

Following a meeting at the White House with several lawmakers, who were all Republicans, was when President Trump again tweeted about the need for border security to ward off "the crisis of illegal activity.

This time he called for "a great Steel Barrier or Wall."

In turn, the Senate's top Democrat, Chuck Schumer, said any proposal that included money for a wall would be rejected by his group.

US President Donald J. Trump (L) and US Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (R) exchange words during a meeting / EPA/MICHAEL REYNOLDS

An afternoon meeting between Sen Schumer, Vice President Mike Pence and White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney provided no resolution and the Senate was adjourned afterward.

Republican Senator Richard Shelby, who attended the White House meeting with Trump, said it was unlikely a stopgap funding measure was imminent.

However, he said that President Trump "wants to end the shutdown.
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Hundreds of people gathered on Saturday afternoon in the Victoriei Square for an event announced on the social networks as "22 December - Our Revolution", then kicked off in a rally to the University Square.

Part of the people bear Romania's and European Union's flags. In the Victoriei Square a banner imprinted with "Honour the martyrs for freedom!" and anoPM Dancila: My thought goes to Revolution martyrs and their familiesther one with a lit candle on it with archive photos from the Revolution of 1989, were unfolded on the ground.

"Never once in the 29 years on this very day of 22 December have I been so happy!" said the president of the 21 Decembrie 1989 Association, Doru Maries.

At the beginning of the action, a group of persons chanted "We resist, we never give up!"

According to the organisers' message, who asked the participants to bring candles, the event aims mainly to commemorate the victims of the December 1989 events.

Read also: PM Dancila: My thought goes to Revolution martyrs and their families

"December '89. 1116 dead for freedom and justice. They didn't die for the pardon of the criminals!" says a message on the cover image of the online announced event. "They believed in freedom in the darkest times of Romania," the organisers say about the victims of the 1989 Revolution.

According to the social page, the rally will take place from Victoriei Sq via University Sq to Dalles Hall and to the Royal Palace.

At the University Sq. and the Dalles Hall moments of silence will be held, and in front of the Royal Palace is to be read the list of the "1,200 heroes fallen for freedom".

AGERPRES .
Prime Minister Viorica Dancila said in a Saturday's release, on the occasion of the Victory Day of the Romanian Revolution and Freedom, that her thought goes to the Revolution martyrs and their families, and to all those who made possible the change of Romania's path.

"29 years ago, the Romanian people wrote one of the most impressive pages in the history of Romania in the 20th century, by their own will and full unity of 'mind and sentiment' - the Revolution of December 1989. Today, my thought goes to the martyrs of the Revolution and to their families and to all those made possible the change of Romania's path. On behalf of the Government, I express my respect for the sacrifice and appreciation for the courage of those who faced the repressive regime. This day invites to reflection both the mature generations, who witnessed the Revolution, as well as the young ones, who did not live those days and to whom I wish to never have such an experience but to live in full peace," Viorica Dancila said in a press release sent to AGERPRES.

She also pointed out that "mature and young, we have a duty to defend the values for which the heroes of the Revolution fought and to understand that together we can build a better future for the generations to come."At the same time, the prime minister said she is convinced that we would know to be respectful of the past and wise with the present and the future, so that Romania will become forever a "country of good, beauty and truth"."My homage to the martyrs of the Romanian Revolution of December 1989!", the prime minister also said, according to the press release.
This has been an extraordinary week. After two years of getting rolled by the Washington establishment, it seems that President Donald Trump woke up and suddenly realized, Hey  Im the president! I have the legal authority to do stuff!

He has announced his order to withdraw US troops from Syria.

His Defense Secretary James Mattis has resigned. There are rumors National Security Adviser John Bolton may go too. (Please take Secretary of State Mike Pompeo with you!)

He announced a start to withdrawing from Afghanistan.

He now says he will veto a government funding bill unless he gets $5 billion for his Wall, and as of 12:01 AM Washington time December 22 the federal government is officially under partial shutdown.

All of this should be taken with a big grain of salt. While this weeks assertiveness perhaps provides further proof that Trumps impulses are right, it doesnt mean he can implement them.

The Syria withdrawal will be difficult. The entire establishment, including the otherwise pro-Trump talking heads on Fox News, are dead set against him  except for Tucker Carlson and Laura Ingraham.

Senator Lindsey Graham is demanding hearings on how to block the Syria pullout. Congress hardly ever quibbles with a presidents putting troops into a country, where the Legislative Branch has legitimate Constitutional power. But if a president under his absolute command authority wants to pull them out  even someplace where theyre deployed illegally, as in Syria  well hold on just a minute!

We are being told our getting out of Syria and Afghanistan will be a huge gift to Russia and Iran. Worse, it is being compared to Barack Obamas premature withdrawal from Iraq (falsely pointed to as the cause of the rise of ISIS) and will set the stage for chaos. By that standard, we can never leave anywhere.

This will be a critical time for the Trump presidency. (And if God is really on his side, he soon might get another Supreme Court pick.) If he can get the machinery of the Executive Branch to implement his decision to withdraw from Syria, and if he can pick a replacement to General Mattis who actually agrees with Trumps views, we might start getting the America First policy Trump ran on in 2016.

Mattis himself said in his resignation letter, Because you have the right to have a Secretary of Defense whose views are better aligned with yours on these [i.e., support for so-called allies] and other subjects, I believe it is right for me to step down from my position."

Right on, Mad Dog! In fact Trump should have had someone better aligned with him in that capacity from the get-go. It is now imperative that he picks someone who agrees with his core positions, starting with withdrawal from Syria and Afghanistan, and reducing confrontation with Russia.

Former Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel complains that our government is not a one-man show. Well, the government isnt, but the Executive Branch is. Article II, Section 1: The executive Power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America. Him. The President. Nobody else. Period.

Already the drumbeat to saddle Trump with another Swamp critter at the Pentagon is starting: Several possible replacements for Mattis this week trashed the presidents decision to pull out of Syria. Retired Gen. Jack Keane called the move a strategic mistake on Twitter. Republican Sens. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) and Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) signed a letter demanding Trump reconsider the decision and warning that the withdrawal bolsters Iran and Russia. If Trump even considers any of the above as Mattiss replacement, hell be in worse shape than he has been for the past two years.

On the other hand, if Trump does pick someone who agrees with him about Syria and Afghanistan, never mind getting along with Russia, can he get that person confirmed by the Senate? One possibility would be to nominate someone like Acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney specifically to run the Pentagon bureaucracy and get control of costs, while explicitly deferring operational decisions to the Commander in Chief in consultation with the Service Chiefs.

Right now on Syria Trump is facing pushback from virtually the whole Deep State establishment, Republicans and Democrats alike, as well as the media from Fox News, to NPR, to MSNBC. Terror has again gripped the establishment that the Trump who was elected president in 2016 might actually start implementing what he promised. It is imperative that he pick someone for the Pentagon (and frankly, clear out the rest of his national security team) and appoint people he can trust and whose views comport with his own. Just lopping off a few heads wont suffice  he needs a full housecleaning.

In the meantime in Syria, watch for another Assad poison gas attack against his own people. The last time Trump said wed be leaving Syria very soon was on March 29 of this year. Barely a week later, on April 7, came a supposed chemical incident in Douma, immediately hyped as a government attack on civilians but soon apparent as likely staged. Trump, though, dutifully took the bait, tweeting that Assad was an animal. Putin, Russia, and Iran were responsible for many dead, including women and children, in mindless CHEMICAL attack  Big price to pay. He then for the second time launched cruise missiles against Syrian targets. A confrontation loomed in the eastern Med that could to have led to war with Russia. Now, in light of Trumps restated determination to get out, is MI6 already ginning up their White Helmet assets for a repeat?

Trumps claim that the US has completed its only mission, to defeat ISIS, is being compared to George W. Bushs Mission Accomplished banner following defeat of Iraqs army and the beginning of the occupation (and, as it turned out, the beginning of the real war). But if it helps get us out, who cares if Trump wants to take credit? Whatever his terrible, horrible, no good, very bad national security team told him, the US presence in Syria was never about ISIS. We are there as Uncle Sam's Rent-an-Army for the Israelis and Saudis to block Iranian influence and especially an overland route between Syria and Iran (the so-called Shiite land bridge to the Mediterranean).

For US forces the war against ISIS was always a sideshow, mainly carried on by the Syrians and Russians and proportioned about like the war against the Wehrmacht: about 20% us, about 80% them. The remaining pocket ISIS has on the Syria-Iraq border has been deliberately left alone, to keep handy as a lever to force Assad out in a settlement (which is not going to happen). Thus the claim an American pullout will lead to an ISIS resurgence is absurd. With US forces ceasing to play dog in the manger, the Syrians, Russians, Iranians, and Iraqis will kill them. All of them.

If Trump is able to follow through with the pullout, will the Syrian war wind down? It needs to be kept in mind that the whole conflict has been because we (the US, plus Israel, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey, UAE, the United Kingdom, etc) are the aggressors. We sought to use al-Qaeda and other jihadis to effect regime change via the tried and true method. It failed.

Regarding Trumps critics claim that he is turning over Syria to the Russians and Iranians, Assad is nobody's puppet. He can be allied with a Shiite theocracy but not controlled by it; Iran, likewise, can also have mutually beneficial ties with an ideologically dissimilar country, like it does with Christian Armenia. The Russians will stay and expand their presence but unlike our presence in many countries  which seemingly never ends, for example in Germany, Japan, and Korea, not to mention Kosovo  they'll be there only as long and to the extent the Syrians want them. (Compare our eternal occupations with the Soviets politely leaving Egypt when Anwar Sadat asked them, or leaving Somalia when Siad Barre wanted them out. Instead of leaving, why didnt Moscow just do a Diem on them?) It seems that American policymakers have gotten so far down the wormhole of their paranoid fantasies about the rest of the world  and it can't be overemphasized, concerning areas where the US has no actual national interests  that we no longer recognize classic statecraft when practiced by other powers defending genuine national interests (which of course are legitimate only to the extent we say so).

What happens over the next few days on funding for the Border Wall  which is fully within the power of Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to deliver  and over the next few weeks over Syria and Afghanistan may be decisive for the balance of the Trump presidency. If he can prevail, and if he finally starts assembling an America First national security team beginning with a good Pentagon chief, he still has a chance to deliver on his 2016 promises.

Anyway, if this weeks developments are the result of someone putting something into Donalds morning Egg McMuffin, America and the world owe him (or her) a vote of thanks. Lets see more of the wrecking ball we Deplorables voted for!
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A police dog stabbed this morning is recovering well at a Northland veterinary clinic.



20-month-old Caesar was stabbed twice in the head this morning by a man who was resisting arrest.



"Both wounds have been stitched up and an X-ray shows no major damage," says Northland District Commander Superintendent Tony Hill.

"Caesar will undergo a CT scan in the next few days, to confirm there is no permanent damage around his eye.



"I would like to extend my sincere thanks to the veterinarian who assisted Caesar and his handler Constable Josh Van Der Kwaak this morning  their service was simply outstanding.



"I would also like to acknowledge the victim of the original burglary complaint, who assisted Constable Van Der Kwaak after Caesar was stabbed."



Caesar and Constable Van Der Kwaak graduated from the Dog Training Centre in Trentham on 6 December and have only been operational together for the last two weeks, says Tony.



"We are hopeful that Caesar will make a full recovery from his injuries and be back on the job shortly."



A 30-year-old man will face charges of burglary and injuring a police dog in relation to this incident.
Syracuse, NY -- An appellate court ripped daughter-killer Glenn Collins in a detailed, five-page indictment of the fathers recklessness in his daughters 2014 death from carbon monoxide poisoning.

The Rochester court clearly dug deep into the case -- one of Central New Yorks most infamous in recent years -- which saw a ventilation expert hook up a power generator in his familys Salina residence without properly ventilating it for carbon monoxide.

Then Collins went on a date with a woman to Turning Stone Casino and Resort while leaving his children, Gabriella, 6, and Jaidon, 14, at home in the poisoned house. Gabriella died and Jaidon suffered life-threatening injuries.

The appellate court -- as is custom -- announced immediately that it was rejecting Collins' appeal of a jury verdict convicting him of manslaughter and leading to his 7 1/2-to-15 year prison sentence.

But then it delved into the details, rejecting numerous arguments Collins made, from ineffective legal assistance to an unduly harsh sentence.

The court ruled that Collins' complaint that there wasnt enough evidence is without merit in all respects..." It then listed the overwhelming evidence:

Collins was an experienced ventilation professional who ignored warnings on the generator that it shouldnt be used indoors. He hooked up the generator after the power company shut off service due to non-payment.

Collins initially placed the generator outside -- proving he knew the danger -- before moving it inside due to a noise complaint from a neighbor.

Collins made a shoddy attempt to ventilate the indoors generator -- putting it near a window with a fan blowing -- proving once again he knew the risk and disregarded it.

Collins ignored his sons' prior complaints of smell and not feeling well with the generator going.

The court then noted Collins' recklessness on the night of his daughters death:

He disregarded that risk by leaving the children home alone while the generator was running, and in a house with no functional carbon monoxide detectors, to go on a date with a woman. Moreover, defendant received a call from the son on the night in question reporting that he and the daughter were not feeling well, and the woman reiterated that same complaint to defendant after making a follow-up call to the son. The evidence established that defendant dismissed the childrens reported condition, played it off as though the son was merely bored and wanted defendant home in order to use defendants cell phone data, declined to return home, and insisted that he and the woman continue to their destination.

The courts rejection of Collins' appeal likely means his conviction will stand. He could ask the states highest court, the Court of Appeals, to consider the case, but that court would have to agree. The high court only takes a fraction of cases requested of it each year.
DeWitt -- A former Cicero family doctor, who spent more than 3 years in prison for molesting a nanny, is back in jail again after disappearing for seven months this year, according to court paperwork.

Its unclear where Harvey Black went after absconding from his Stanton Drive residence in DeWitt in April.

Authorities caught up to him in November. No details on his whereabouts were contained in court papers. Black was sent to jail on a parole violation, as well as failing to register a new address as a sex offender.

Black, 65, will remain in jail until at least Feb. 5, 2019, when hes due back in DeWitt town court.

Black became a registered sex offender at the time of his release from prison in November 2017. It appears he was rated a Level 1 offender -- considered the least likely to re-offend -- based on the fact hes not listed in the states public sex offender database.

The former doctor, whose license remains surrendered, was found guilty by a jury of sexually abusing a woman who responded to an Internet ad to be a nanny.

At Blacks sentencing in August 2014, the 18-year-old nanny said she felt safe working for a doctor. She said Black sentenced her to a lifetime of humiliation and diminished self-respect. She relives the night over and over again.

County Court Judge Thomas J. Miller sentenced Black to prison for four years on a sex abuse conviction.

What you did was wrong, it was nothing I desired or hoped for, the victim told Black during the Aug. 5, 2014 sentencing. You violated yourself as a man, you violated your oath as a doctor.

Special prosecutor Stacey Paolozzi called Black one of the most dangerous types of sexual offenders because he used his authority over his victim.

He claimed the victim "asked for it, that she wanted him," Paolozzi said. "He has no remorse, no self-awareness."

Black's lawyer, Robert Durr, said the doctor maintained that the sexual contact was consensual.

In my clients mental state, he thought it was consensual, Durr said.

In his current case, a different special prosecutor -- Gregory Oakes -- is handling Blacks case.

Failing to register a change of address as a sex offender is a felony. But Black is also facing a violation of his parole, which is keeping him in jail with no bail.
WASHINGTON  A partial federal shutdown took hold early Saturday EST after Democrats refused to meet President Donald Trumps demands for $5 billion to start erecting his cherished Mexican border wall, a chaotic postscript for Republicans in the waning days of their two-year reign controlling government.

Vice President Mike Pence, Trump son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner and White House budget chief Mick Mulvaney left the Capitol late Friday after hours of bargaining with congressional leaders produced no apparent compromise.

We dont have a deal. Were still talking, Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby, R-Ala., told reporters.

Late Friday, Mulvaney sent agency heads a memorandum telling them to execute plans for an orderly shutdown. He wrote that administration officials were hopeful that this lapse in appropriations will be of short duration  an expectation that was widely shared.

With negotiations expected to continue, the House and Senate both scheduled rare Saturday sessions. House members were told they'd get 24 hours' notice before a vote.

The gridlock blocks money for nine of 15 Cabinet-level departments and dozens of agencies, including the departments of Homeland Security, Transportation, Interior, Agriculture, State and Justice.

The lack of funds will disrupt many government operations and the routines of 800,000 federal employees. Roughly 420,000 workers were deemed essential and will work unpaid just days before Christmas, while 380,000 will be furloughed, meaning they'll stay home without pay.

Those being furloughed include nearly everyone at NASA and 52,000 workers at the Internal Revenue Service. About 8 in 10 employees of the National Park Service will stay home and many parks were expected to close.

The Senate passed legislation ensuring workers will receive back pay, which the House seemed sure to approve.

Some agencies, including the Pentagon and the departments of Veterans Affairs and Health and Human Services, were already funded for the year in agreements reached earlier, and they will operate as usual.

The U.S. Postal Service, busy delivering packages for the holiday season, will not be affected because it's an independent agency. Social Security checks will still be mailed, troops will remain on duty and food inspections will continue.

Also still functioning will be the FBI, the Border Patrol and the Coast Guard. Transportation Security Administration officers will continue to staff airport checkpoints and air traffic controllers will also remain at work.

Trump has openly savored a shutdown over the wall for months, saying last week he'd be "proud" to have one and saying Friday he was "totally prepared for a very long" closure. While many of Congress' most conservative Republicans were welcoming such a confrontation, most GOP lawmakers have wanted to avoid one, since polling shows the public broadly opposes the wall and a shutdown over it.

"None of them have succeeded," veteran Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., said of past shutdowns. He said the political fallout has always damaged "Republicans who said, 'By God, we'll show them.' It doesn't work that way, it just doesn't."

Despite saying last week he'd not blame Democrats for the closure, Trump and his GOP allies spent the last two days blaming Democrats anyway. Trump said now was the time for Congress to provide taxpayers' money for the wall, even though he's said repeatedly that Mexico will pay for it  something that country has repeatedly rebuffed.

This is our only chance that well ever have, in our opinion, because of the world and the way it breaks out, to get great border security, Trump said Friday. Democrats will take control of the House January 3, and they oppose major funding for wall construction.

Looking for a way to claim victory, Trump said he would accept money for a Steel Slat Barrier with spikes on the top, which he said would be just as effective as a wall and at the same time beautiful.

Trump called GOP senators to the White House Friday morning, but Republicans said afterward that the session did not produce a strategy.

Early this week, the Senate approved a bipartisan deal keeping government open into February and providing $1.3 billion for border security projects but not the wall. In a GOP victory Thursday, the House rebelled and approved a package temporarily financing the government but also providing $5.7 billion for the border wall.

Friday afternoon, a Senate procedural vote showed that Republicans lacked the 60 votes they'd need to force that measure through their chamber. That jump-started negotiations between Congress and the White House.

Republicans conceded that one of their biggest hurdles was Trump's legendary unpredictability and proclivity for abruptly changing his mind.

"The biggest problem is, we just don't know what the president will sign," said Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz.

So restive were senators returning to Washington that McConnell and others sported lapel buttons declaring them members of the "Cranky Senate Coalition."

The White House said Trump did not go to Florida on Friday as planned for the Christmas holiday.

-- By Lisa Mascaro, Matthew Daly and Zeke Miller
As the deadline to approve the budget needed to keep the government running looms, the president and Senate Democrats show no signs of compromising. President Donald Trump has insisted he will veto any bill that does not include several billion dollars to fund the construction of his border wall. Senate Democrats said they would agree to include money to strengthen border patrol, but at a figure far less than the president wants. With a shutdown imminent, the two sides are fiercely debating who is at fault. What do you think?

PERSPECTIVES

The morning of the pivotal vote, the president threw all blame on Democrats. Republicans pushed a budget bill through the House with the money Trump requested. The bill has little to no chance of garnering the majority of votes it needs to pass the Senate.

The Democrats now own the shutdown!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 21, 2018

The president recently loudly and proudly took responsibility for any possible shutdown, as incoming majority leader Nancy Pelosi reminded him on Twitter.

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Veterinarians are more likely to take their own lives than other Americans, an alarming data gathered for over three decades reveal.

Animal doctors have higher risk of suicide, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said, citing devastation from debts and accessibility to lethal medicines as the reasons for this. The study, conducted by the health agency and was published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, analyzed over 11,600 records of veterinarians who died from 1979 to 2015.

Suicide Deaths

Nearly 400 of the death cases were attributed to suicide. Of this number, there were more male veterinarians who took their own life, totaling 326, as opposed to females, 72. The men's figures therefore account for about 82 percent of the cases, which translates to 4.6:1 ratio.

However, the group found that female vets were 3.5 times more likely to die of suicide than the general population, while for males, 2.1. According to the study, veterinarians suffer depression from the chunk of student loans as that of physicians, but unlike the latter, animal doctors tend to earn less per year.

"[L]ong work hours, work overload, practice management responsibilities, client expectations and complaints, euthanasia procedures, and poor work-life balance," are some of the factors affecting the high rate of suicide among vets, the study further pointed out.

Guns, Euthanizing Drugs Used For Suicide

Of the number of vets that died of suicide, 37 percent used lethal drugs that are used to euthanized animals such as dogs and cats, two-thirds of this number was female. However, majority of the cases, mostly men, used a gun to take their own lives.

Doctors have long been facing high suicide risks because of their work. Although there is no specified cause experts have agreed on, the study sheds light on the alarming issue in this profession.

"Using this knowledge, we can work together to reduce the number of suicides among veterinarians," Robert Redfield, CDC director, said.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Economists probed into the business of cartels and found that, even among members, transparency is not entirely necessary to collude.

In a new paper, researchers suggest that sharing extensive information between firms can help undercut cartels and gain market shares among themselves.

The findings were published in the Journal of Political Economy.

The Importance Of Transparency

It has long been assumed that transparency between businesses involved in a cartel is essential for collusion. If suppliers share information, they can keep the prices of their products high and monitor each other in order to make sure that no one deviates from the agreement.

However, that is not the case. economists Alexander Wolitzky of MIT and Takuo Sugaya of Stanford University found that transparency between businesses is not necessary to collude.

The economists do not deny the fact (proven by several other studies) that some degree of transparency leads to collusion, but there are circumstances that allow less sharing of information to help cartels succeed.

In the study, the economists explained that increased transparency among cartels has three effects: it enables firms involved to monitor each other's activities, it allows them to coordinate prices, but it also lets firms "tailor deviations to current market conditions."

There have been studies claiming that availability of information between involved businesses help cartels maintain their control for prices, but the aforementioned third effect of transparency has not previously been explored.

The findings are supported by empirical evidence. The authors cited the European Commission's crackdown of several cartels, which made a point of limiting transparency among members. Instead, the firms involved only shared industry-wide sales data to collude.

Reconsidering An Important Policy

The researchers hope that their findings could encourage organizations who want to abolish cartels and ensure that the consumers are getting benefits from market competition to rethink the idea that collusion only happens when businesses share information among each other.

"It would be nice to have a very thorough characterization of when more information among cartel members makes colluding easier, and when it makes it harder," Wolitzky stated.

The authors suggest a new model that does not offer a uniform relationship between transparency and collusion. They hope that the behaviors of firms involved in cartels in different circumstances be explored in the future.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Two drugs that doctors commonly prescribe for patients with type 2 diabetes carry an increased risk of cardiovascular events such as stroke, heart attack, heart failure, and even amputation.

Sulfonylureas And Basal Insulin

Matthew O'Brien, from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, warned diabetes patients to be aware of medications they take in case these could lead to serious cardiovascular issues.

Doctors commonly prescribe the two drugs sulfonylureas and basal insulin to patients who have taken the widely used type 2 diabetes metformin but need second-line drugs because metformin alone did not work by itself or it was not tolerated.

O'Brien and colleagues found that 60 percent of type 2 diabetes patients in the United States who need a second-line medication are prescribed one of these two drugs.

By looking at the data of 132,737 patients with type 2 diabetes, they also found that these patients face higher cardiovascular risk.

Those who take sulfonylureas are 60 percent more likely to experience cardiovascular harm compared with those taking a newer class of diabetes drugs called DPP-4 inhibitors. Those who take basal insulin, on the other hand, are twice as likely to experience cardiovascular events than those prescribed the new drugs.

"According to our findings, we only have to prescribe basal insulin to 37 people over two years to observe one cardiovascular event, such as a heart attack, stroke, heart failure or amputation," O'Brien said.

"For sulfonylureas, that number was a bit higher  103 people. But when you apply these numbers to 30 million Americans with diabetes, this has staggering implications for how we may be harming many patients."

New Class Of Diabetes Drugs

The researchers said that doctors should prescribe newer class of diabetes medications more routinely after metformin instead of prescribing sulfonylureas or basal insulin.

These drugs include GLP-1 agonists such as liraglutide, DPP-4 inhibitors (e.g. sitagliptin), and SGLT-2 inhibitors (e.g. empagliflozin).

"Among insured adult patients with type 2 diabetes initiating second-line ADM therapy, the short-term cardiovascular outcomes of GLP-1 receptor agonists, SGLT-2 inhibitors, and DPP-4 inhibitors were similar. Higher cardiovascular risk was associated with use of sulfonylureas or basal insulin compared with newer ADM classes," the researchers wrote in their study.

The findings were published in JAMA Network Open on Dec. 21.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Apple isn't done with new iPads just yet. Fresh off unveiling this year's latest iPad Pro model with significantly reduced bezels and Face ID, the Cupertino brand is apparently gearing up for two more models in 2019: an iPad Mini and a regular 10.5-inch model.

The fifth-generation iPad mini would come sometime in the first half of 2019, according to supply chain sources cited by China Times, then it would be followed by the new entry-level iPad, which comes in two versions, apparently.

The report was first spotted by Japanese blog Mac Otakara, and it claims the release of the iPad mini 5 is an attempt to halt a general decline in iPad sales. Mass production is expected to begin by the end of December.

Fifth-Generation iPad Mini

The iPad mini is Apple's smallest iPad option, perfect for folks who find tablets too unwieldy and phones too small. The company hasn't updated the mini line since 2015, however, although it did slash its price in 2017, with the 128 GB model costing $399. In any case, the current model is sorely lacking in terms of specs and aesthetics, and it's unarguably the perfect time for Apple to update this wee device and bring it up to speed.

Every rumor, of course, must be taken with a grain of salt. Do take note, however, that famed Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claimed back in October that Apple was developing a new iPad mini model with an upgraded processor and a lower-cost display panel. He claimed the device would be launching in 2018 or early next year.

New Entry-Level iPad

As for the 10-inch iPad, the report claims the device would be replacing the sixth-generation 9.7-inch iPad Apple currently sells and that it will be priced similarly but have an updated design with a narrower frame. There would be two versions of this device, apparently, and the report mentioned "second half" of 2019 as the release date.

It's not certain whether these rumored devices would come with thinner bezels and Face ID like the iPad Pro, although considering they're essentially mid-tier devices, the notion is probably unlikely. The rumored refreshed iPad is more surprising of the two here, as Apple already revamped its entry-level tablet this past April. However, that model didn't really come with a ton of new features aside from a new chip and Apple Pencil support, so it wouldn't be impossible for Apple to do a more significant update that brings that standard iPad more in line with the latest iPad Pro.

Thoughts on the rumored iPads coming next year? Feel free to sound off in the comments section below!

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Investigators have further extended the probe into financial misconduct in Clinton, now searching for further evidence that the town mayor and clerk illegally moved almost $100,000 of town funds without the necessary approval of the board of alderman.

In a search warrant filed Thursday, state and parish investigators allege that Clinton Mayor Lori Ann Bell and Clerk Anjanetha Shropshire "illegally redeemed town certificates of deposit," moving about $97,000 into the town's general fund.

"This action was taken by the two town officials without approval of the Town of Clinton Board of Alderman," the warrant says.

Clinton mayor arrested for second time, accused of misusing police funds Clinton Mayor Lori Ann Bell was arrested again on Thursday, this time on allegations of spending the town's police funds on a tent and banner 

The document, which alleges malfeasance in office, is the latest in a string of warrants, subpoenas and arrests from a growing investigation of financial misconduct in the money-strapped town in East Feliciana Parish, northeast of Baton Rouge. Bell already has been arrested twice on malfeasance in office in the probe, which has been a collaboration between the East Feliciana Sheriff's Office and State Police.

Bell pleaded not guilty to the first charge in November, along with former Clinton Police Chief Fred Dunn, after they both were accused of illegally entering into a contract to lease four police vehicles  a deal that has since left the town in significant debt. The second arrest alleges that Bell spent the town's police funds on a tent and banner that she had illegally embossed with her name.

Dunn resigned after the duo's first arrest in October over the leased police vehicles, but Bell remains in her post. Dunn also was arrested a second time, accused of writing and signing multiple checks from the Clinton Police Department's narcotics fund, but using the money for personal purposes.

+2 Former Clinton police chief accused of stealing $8K, using it for church, kid's school tuition Former Clinton Police Chief Fred Dunn faces another allegation of public corruption, this time accused of stealing more than $8,000 from the P

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Bell's attorney, Niles Haymer, called the search warrant filed this week another "politically-motivated" attack.

"They're going to keep digging until they find something," Haymer said. Haymer said his client has not done anything criminal.

Certificates of deposit allow an initial investment to grow over time. While the certificates of deposit in question were owned by the Town of Clinton and were moved into the town's general operating fund, according to the warrant, the investigators are questioning whether the mayor and her clerk had the authority to do so. The town's bookkeeper told investigators that the redemption was in violation of state law, the warrant says.

Clinton council unable to adopt budgets because documents not made public; city behind $150K in bills CLINTON  The mayor and Board of Aldermen were unable Tuesday to adopt a revised budget for this year and a new budget for 2019 because the do

The warrant requests all records of all accounts of the Town of Clinton from 2015 to present, including withdrawals and redemptions of certificates of deposit.

A subpoena filed in the Clinton investigation shows that officials also have looked into the town's Mayor's Court, alleging the court has been overcharging residents. The investigation also has extended to the East Feliciana Parish School Board, which does not involve Bell, Dunn or Clinton directly. A subpoena filed last month alleges the school board illegally diverted materials for private use and allowed a conflict of interest to influence financial agreements.
Following reports that President Donald Trumps administration is once again revisiting protections for Vietnamese immigrants, New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell says the city stands in solidarity with its large Vietnamese population, including immigrants who have lived in the U.S. for decades.

In the face of this ugly effort to target our Vietnamese neighbors  I would like to make it clear that the entire City of New Orleans stands in solidarity with our Vietnamese community, which has contributed so much to our social and cultural fabric, Cantrell said. I would also strongly encourage all naturalized residents who are eligible to apply for citizenship, to do so now.

According to The Atlantic, the Trump administration is reneging on agreements that have allowed long-term U.S. residents from Vietnam, Cambodia and other counties who arrived in the country before diplomatic ties between the U.S. and Vietnam were established in 1995, decades after the Vietnam War and the immigration of thousands of Vietnamese refugees to cities across the U.S.

Last year, Trumps administration threatened to reverse course on that agreement, threatening to deport people with criminal convictions who arrived in the U.S. before 1995.

According to The Atlantic, a spokesperson from the administration said that the bilateral agreement establishes procedures for deporting Vietnamese citizens who arrived in the United States after July 12, 1995, and are subject to final orders of removal.

Sen. Kennedy calls on Mayor Cantrell to 'undo' NOPD immigration policy After meeting with staff at the New Orleans field office of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Sen. John Neely Kennedy called crit

While the procedures associated with this specific agreement do not apply to Vietnamese citizens who arrived in the United States before July 12, 1995, it does not explicitly preclude the removal of pre-1995 cases, the statement said.

More than 1.2 million people, many left stateless after the dissolve of South Vietnam, fled to the U.S. in the mid- and late-1970s; with the many Vietnamese immigrants settled in New Orleans, concentrating in New Orleans East and on the West Bank. Those residents include current District E Councilmember Cyndi Nguyen, the City Councils first-ever Vietnamese member, who was elected in 2017.

I am very disappointed with the direction of the Trump Administration on immigration laws, Nguyen said in a statement. Our country is made of immigrants of every ethnicity. I want to encourage the administration to carefully evaluate the immigration policy and focus on the people. It should be a fair policy that the United States can sustain.

In September, Cantrell partnered with VAYLA (or Vietnamese American Young Leaders Association of New Orleans), a multi-racial progressive New Orleans East-based community group, for a Citizenship Day campaign encouraging residents to begin the naturalization process.

Cities for Citizenship includes a network of more than 70 U.S. cities and counties encouraging and facilitating the naturalization process for immigrant and refugee populations.

Trumps reversed mandate does not target naturalized Vietnamese immigrants. Naturalized citizens also are able to vote, obtain a U.S. passport, and, crucially, sponsor family members through their naturalization process.

'What we want is real freedom': deportation threat lifted for New Orleans immigrants' rights leader U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement delivered Jose Torres an ultimatum in November 2017  leave the country within a month or face deport

But there are significant barriers to naturalization, including costs  the the fee rose from $60 in 1989 ($120 in 2017 dollars) to $725 in 2017, according to a report from Stanford University's Immigration Policy Lab.

Meanwhile, according to Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the agency identified 8,600 Vietnamese nationals in the U.S. who are subject to deportation and 7,821 have criminal convictions, as reported by Reuters in 2017.

This is not new, VAYLA founder and director Minh Nguyen told Gambit in September in advance of Citizenship Day. Trump got into office, he ran on that campaign, and hes unfortunately doing it.
Councilwoman At-Large Helena Moreno is warning that the partial shutdown of the federal government, which began at midnight, is putting funding for domestic violence and sexual assault services at risk.

The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), a 1994 act of the U.S. Congress, is the primary funding mechanism for many federally subsidized programs combating violent crimes against women. Unlike other federal services with guaranteed funding, VAWA  which has had two short-term extensions this year  is not among those essential programs. Yesterday, when the shutdown was imminent, Democratic House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi called the chokeoff of VAWA funds nothing short of an abdication of our responsibilities to women in our country.

+4 Louisiana: the state of women, part 1 Hillary Rodham Clinton officially became the first woman to lead the ticket of a major party in a presidential election on July 27. As she sha

"If this issue isn't resolved soon, I predict there will be a devastating impact to victims in New Orleans and all around our state. These programs provide life-saving services. ...," Moreno said in a statement. "I've been in frequent contact with Congressman Cedric Richmond, and I appreciate his tenacious leadership to find a solution."

Richmond  the only Democratic member of Louisiana's Congressional delegation  referred to the situation in Washington D.C. as "an unnecessary and immature shutdown. This is all over a wall that the President said Mexico was going to pay for. VAWA needs a long-term reauthorization and the Republican-controlled House, Senate, and White House need to re-open government immediately."

Mary Claire Landry, executive director of the New Orleans Family Justice Center, said, "With this government shutdown, the President is putting all services to domestic violence and sexual assault victims at risk of closing across the country. Once again he is showing his lack of support for women and vulnerable victims by letting the Violence Against Women Act expire without reauthorization."

Issues disproportionately affecting women, including domestic violence, rape and sexual harassment, have been a focus of Moreno's tenure in the state legislature and now on the City Council.

The partial shutdown stems from President Donald Trump's desire for $5 billion in taxpayer funds to pay for part of his proposed border wall with Mexico. On the 2016 presidential campaign trail, Trump said repeatedly that Mexico would pay for the wall, but later shifted that burden to Americans. Senate Democrats have refused to approve the expenditure.

This afternoon, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell adjourned the Senate until Dec. 27.

Currently, 420,000 federal employees are working without pay and 380,000 are on unpaid furlough, according to a Senate fact sheet. The latter includes 96 percent of NASA employees, 80 percent of the National Park Service and National Forest Service and 95 percent of the employees of the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
FIRST REFORMED



MA, 113 minutes. Cinema Nova, opens Tuesday, January 1

So many of Paul Schrader's screenplays are debates about belief, but never have they been as starkly free of extraneous concerns as this unexpected late career masterpiece is. Set in upstate New York, it documents the spiritual anguish of a former military chaplain, Reverend Toller (Ethan Hawke), whose tiny Protestant congregation reflects his own flagging doubts about the purpose of his faith. Asked by a pregnant parishioner, Mary (Amanda Seyfried), to counsel her partner, Michael (Philip Ettinger), an increasingly despairing environmental activist, Toller is initially exhilarated by the challenge, but Michael's doubts surpass the advice, exposing a daunting divide engulfing Toller's Christian expectations, pastoral duties, and ultimately his fate. "This journal brings me no peace," Toller writes, a line that could sum up Schrader's repeated reference to images of men at work in their room stretching back to Taxi Driver, and the film's austerity is not just compelling, it builds to a moment of staggering cinematic transcendence that made me gasp out loud. With Hawke giving a stringently contained performance, First Reformed is a 21st century bellwether: how do you confront a world defined by oblivion?

Ethan Hawke gives a stringently contained performance in First Reformed.

RYUICHI SAKAMOTO: CODA



PG, 100 minutes. Australian Centre for the Moving Image, Thursday, December 27, to Wednesday, January 16

The freedom of discovery has long been integral to the works of Japanese composer Ryuichi Sakamoto, who made his professional breakthrough 40 years ago with the electronic trio Yellow Magic Orchestra and has been pushing forward creatively ever since, but the partial impetus for this documentary was the musician, actor, and activist's 2014 diagnosis with throat cancer. At the start of Stephen Schible's calmly engaging documentary, Sakamoto plays a piano that survived the 2011 tsunami and subsequent Fukushima nuclear power plant accident  the ability to make music persists, and that is also Sakamoto's desire. Archival footage is alternated with scenes of Sakamoto at work on what would be the score for Alejandro Inarritu's 2015 survival epic The Revenant, and with Sakamoto's own words providing the narration the narrative is less an investigation than an effort to catch the appropriate tenor of Sakamoto's pursuits. There may not be enough conventional reference to the subject's life  marriages, children, and career  but that's because the film is unafraid to suggest that Sakamoto's music is his life.
Not a fan of horror movies? There are thousands of them happening in your garden, with wasps being the dark overlords of such unspeakable depravity, they make Dracula look like a gentleman.

This year saw the discovery of two especially creepy new species.

The Xenomorph wasp, named after the killer creature in the Alien franchise.

A University of Adelaide PhD student has discovered a species of wasp that she has named Xenomorph  because its gruesome parasitic lifecycle echoes that of the gut-busting monster in the Alien movie franchise.

The species, Dolichogenidea xenomorph, injects its eggs into live caterpillars and the baby wasp larvae slowly eat the caterpillar from the inside out, bursting out once they have eaten their fill.

When the wasp larvae change into adult wasps, they immediately hunt for more caterpillars in which to lay their eggs. Just like in the movie  if you swap humans for the caterpillars.
The Catholic Archbishop of Sydney, Anthony Fisher, has denounced "discrimination against people of faith" that he believes has sadly left Christmas as one of the few times when religious expression is tolerated.

In his Christmas message, Archbishop Fisher said there had been promises of new measures to protect religious freedom a year ago.

"A year later and governments have done nothing about this," he said. "Indeed, we've gone backwards and discrimination against people of faith has become more acceptable in some quarters."
The Clean Energy Regulator's inspection scheme has not found any rooftop solar panel systems in the ACT to be unsafe for nearly five years, but it has inspected just 1 per cent of the systems installed in the territory.

Data from the regulator shows that 223 rooftop solar panel systems were inspected in the ACT between the start of the inspection scheme in 2011 and July 31 this year.

Nine of the 223 solar panel systems inspected by the Clean Energy Regulator in the ACT have been assessed as unsafe. Credit:Fairfax Media

Nine systems were classified as unsafe, with each of those inspected before January 31, 2014.

Despite this, the ACT's percentage of unsafe systems remains above the national average, with 4 per cent of the Canberra systems inspected assessed as unsafe, compared to the national average of 3.4 per cent.
Burglars are targeting Canberra's new apartment buildings with such regularity that the issue is "nearing epidemic proportions", according to the leader of the ACT's $22 billion strata sector.

Strata Community Association ACT president Chris Miller said it was difficult to put an exact figure on the value of goods stolen from new apartment buildings in the ACT because residents didn't necessarily report incidents to strata management.

Paul St Ledger, who had about $3500 worth of tools stolen from his storage cage shortly after moving into the new Halston Residences building in Braddon. Credit:Elesa Kurtz

He said in some cases, the cost to owners targeted in the capital was "in the tens of thousands".

Mr Miller said criminals were treating new apartment buildings as a one-stop shop, often with limited security, where they could target multiple homes and storage cages at once.
Federal Energy Minister Angus Taylor may have won the day by thwarting discussion of a climate and energy roadmap at COAG last week, but he may well have also lost the federal Coalitions last ally in that forum.

The NSW Liberal government has waited patiently and loyally for its Canberra colleagues to come up with a workable solution that meets Australias international obligations, keeps the lights on, and pushes down prices.

A renewable-energy future facing too many hurdles. Credit:The Sydney Morning Herald

However, NSW Energy Minister Don Harwin made an overdue but sensible intervention to break the stalemate that has marred climate and energy discussion at COAG for years. The states and the business community share a high level of frustration with the federal governments climate policy failure and it is time the very basic agreement of an emissions pathway is agreed.

Instead of welcoming this sensible intervention, Taylor showed how little he valued the loyalty and patience NSW has historically shown.
Any change is just so hard it really takes that time and practice of the skills to really embed it. The length of time hasnt dissuaded men from engaging with the program, she said. But Ms Birkl said Room4Change isnt a miracle cure, and it shouldnt be seen as one. Relationship dysfunction is normalised, alcohol related violence is normalised in Australia. Nina Birkl It might not be a complete cessation of abuse and violence, it could be that just small aspects of that relationship change for the positive, Ms Birkl said. Acknowledging that youre causing harm in your family, just that alone is so big, Ms Birkl said.

To get these men to go, It's my behaviour, this is what Im choosing to do and I acknowledge that I'm doing that and causing harm is just such a big piece of the work and I think it gets a little underestimated. As a part of the program, the men engage in group work as a core component. They also have a one-on-one practitioner who specialises in targeted support. Then of course we have partner support which is offered as well and the accommodation as an add on tool that we can utilise for safety and to support the men to not return to the family home, Ms Birkl said. The response from men has been positive, but Ms Birkl is concerned that theyre going back into a community, or a family, that is telling them they're not the ones in the wrong. Weve certainly had men where their family, their parents, their siblings are strongly saying to them, you dont have an issue with violence, its all about her. That messaging becomes really difficult for the guys to balance.

Were working in an incredibly complex environment and trying to engage individuals to change in a social context that isnt changing. Relationship dysfunction is normalised, alcohol related violence is normalised in Australia. Its trying to engage an individual level of change in a social context in Australia that isnt changing as quickly and it poses significant challenges. Domestic Violence Crisis Service chief executive Mirjana Wilson said more work is needed to change the communitys attitude to domestic violence. We cant do this [mens behaviour change] work in a vacuum, Ms Wilson said. You cant just sit here and work in isolation with men that are using violence and then expect that society around them is going to change if we dont actively work to changing some of those attitudes.

DVCS chief executive Mirjana Wilson. Credit:Elesa Kurtz Ms Wilson is hoping the government will fund the program for a significant period of time to allow the work to continue. The current funding will end mid-2019. Our challenge is convincing governments that it is resource intensive and it needs funding for a significant number of years to see those outcomes. Its about a $900,000 a year program but when you look at how expensive the other touch points are [like the justice system and child protection], its actually really good value for money. The Room4Change program is being externally evaluated over two years to determine whether the program is having a beneficial outcome for the client and their partner or former partner.

Australian National University associate professor in criminology Dr Jason Payne said the evaluation isnt looking specifically at reoffending, but what it would take to help the men involved live a non-violent life in the future. In almost all cases, the program has required them to understand and think more about their behaviour than they ever have, Dr Payne said. We know that relationships can be dysfunctional, we know there can be challenging circumstances. We also know that men in family violence situations tend not to take personal responsibility for their behaviour. They also tend not to recognise the changes they could make. The program is engaging men to take responsibility for their past actions and responsibility for what could happen in the future. Dr Payne said in the first six months the evaluation has found the men are able to articulate personal responsibility.

In almost all cases, the program has required them to understand and think more about their behaviour than they ever have. Jason Payne One of the important things about family and domestic violence, they will blame their partners for causing the incident or agitating the incident. What were finding after being through this program, they seem to be [taking responsibility and trying to change that behaviour], almost without fail. Dr Payne said one thing struck him about the men who have completed the program. They still talk about difficult relationship issues - Its not like that relationship suddenly becomes 100 per cent fixed as a result of the program - but theyre able to talk about why those situations arise and what they can do to avoid violence when they do. Ms Birkl said its too early to say whether there would be long-term change for the men taking part. Anecdotally one of the things the men talk about is this idea of safety and actually feeling safe in themselves. Quite a few of the men articulate early on that they actually feel really unsafe in themselves because theyre unsure how theyre going to respond, or they know theyre going to respond with abuse or violence," she said.

Through the program they learn how to put blockers in place, learn different strategies and ways of coping so when things do escalate or they do feel stressed, they can actually plan for that and its not just reacting in the moment. Managing the risk Mens behaviour change programs can be challenging times for partners or ex-partners and children of that person. During group work, the men often share some of their worst offending. Ms Birkl said it can be cathartic, but it can also be triggering. There are risks in doing it, but I think thats something thats relatively well documented through research, that it can increase the risk to partners as men go through behaviour change, she said.

For some of the men that we work with, the level of insight they now have into their behaviour can be overwhelming. Domestic Violence Crisis Service stays in constant contact with the partner or former partners throughout the program, informing them of what content is being raised next and whether that is likely to trigger a strong response. The residential component of the program allows men to cool off out of their home settings. Partner support is offered to any current partners or any partners the man has a child with. Its a unique part of Room4Change sitting within DVCS, that wrap-around support. Ms Birkl said the work is incredibly skilled and specialist work.
Really, the story from Genesis to Revelation [the first book of the Old Testament to the last of the New] is reconciliation. There is a breach, and the breach needs to be healed, and God has done all that is required to achieve reconciliation. Though there are considerable differences between Australia and South Africa, there is a sense that Australians are increasingly divided along lines of tribal identity, whether political, religious, ethnic or gender-based. Attitudes to politics range from frustration to despair, so much so that the Australian National Universitys 2018 Australian Values Study found that a third of Australians  more among those under 35  would prefer an authoritarian leader to elections and Parliament. Government MPs scatter as Julia Banks announces she has quit the Liberal Party and will move to the crossbench. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen Relations between political parties and within them seem more brutal and uncivil than for generations, and 2018 is replete with examples, from the removal of a prime minister by his own party to MPs quitting their parties to avoid unpleasant behaviour. Julia Banks, who left the Liberal Party citing bullying, did not respond to requests for an interview, and in fact no politician, current or former, approached by The Sunday Age for this article would talk. Many commentators, such as sociologist Hugh Mackay, believe reconciliation is profoundly needed in Australia. Its enormously important, and in the non-religious context it means finding ways of resolving our differences by respecting each other and engaging in a spirt of community.

The challenge facing Australia and most Western societies is that we are becoming more individualist, competitive and socially fragmented, he says. This is driven by many factors, ranging from shrinking households, the rate of relationship breakdown, busyness and mobility to engagement with IT devices at the expense of personal connections. To be human is to be part of a social species and when members of that species become disconnected from each other, disengaged, fragmented, we pay a very high price, which is an epidemic of mental illness, especially anxiety and depression. These are the symptoms of an unreconciled society, Mackay says. Port Fairy residents ring the bells and remember the words of Dr Martin Luther King as they campaign for those detained on Nauru and Manus Island. Credit:Michael Chambers/The Warrnambool Standard Louise Newman, professor of psychiatry at Melbourne University and director of the Centre for Womens Health at the Royal Womens Hospital, has worked extensively with victims of torture. She says reconciliation is not as simple as forgetting and forgiving, because thats often not possible. A moral and existential perspective is a hugely important capacity, especially in dealing with negative experiences  not just to understand in an intellectual sense, but to turn it into something creative, she says.

Theres a process or moral struggle to come to terms with the human capacity for evil. The various holocausts are examples  your friend can become the person trying to kill you the next day. Freud discusses the veneer of civilisation, and the churches have a long history of trying to minimise humanitys baser instincts, but these issues are always there, Newman says. People have to live with the unknowable and incomprehensible, and that can be very much a religious enterprise. The trendy word at the moment is acceptance, but the worst thing that can happen is that people come to a vague acceptance but dont deal with it properly and are tormented their whole lives. October 2018: Father Rod Bower addresses a crowd in Sydney's Hyde Park calling for an end to detention of children on Nauru. Credit:Katherine Griffiths Primo Levi [the Jewish-Italian survivor of Auschwitz and author of If This Is a Man, who killed himself decades later] came to an understanding of terrible things, but could not live with it. Sometimes reconciliation with perpetrators is possible, but not just because people say its good to reconcile and forgive. Its about saving the self.

Newman fears that Australian politics has lost its moral compass in favour of a total preoccupation with political power for its own sake. Ive never seen it as starkly as this and its very, very troubling to young people. Monash University political scientist Paul Strangio is not so sure. A long-term view shows more bitterly polarised times, such as the conscription debates a century ago in which elements of ethnicity, class and religion combined for highly volatile and damaging results, or the Cold War or Vietnam War debates. What is different today, he says, is the lack of civility and the significant trust deficit not only in government but in religious and corporate institutions. We are also dividing along less predictable lines of social identity, which makes the divisions more complex and less predictable. There are a lot of side winds. Polarisation is not new: protesters demonstrate against the Vietnam War as conscripts in Sydney wait for the train to take them to camps in Wagga Wagga and Puckapunyal. Credit:Fairfax Archive Nevertheless, he says, Australia is much better off than the United States or Europe. Political parties, around which our system is based, are struggling to cope with the more fragmented system, but nevertheless the centre is holding.

Will we come out the other side? Im an optimist. We may need to think about our representative democratic system, whether its a horse-and-cart model for the 21st century. But this phase is not necessarily the future, Strangio says. The world often seems like it is going to hell in a handbasket, but when you are in the middle of it, it can be very difficult to see beyond that, he says. A decisive result at the next federal election might usher in a new period of stability. La Trobe University emeritus professor of politics Judith Brett, author of an acclaimed biography of Alfred Deakin, Australias second prime minister, notes that Australias adversarial political system leads to a reluctance to compromise for fear of seeming weak. Alfred Deakin: governed with a minority in Parliament. Credit:Fairfax Archive The solution: minority government. Deakin, in that position, compromised and put the national interest above party considerations. Brett says Deakin believed his reliance on the opposition or independents was a good thing, strengthening his achievements, for it made his governments legislation not just the achievement of one party but organic Australian policy.

Right now theres a profound public irritation at modern Australian politics. But there is despair at the failure to take climate change seriously, she says, and the feeling that everyone burns. Theres an undertone of existential despair, we cant escape the fate of our species, and the species is flawed. And that brings us back to the Christian understanding of reconciliation, as a gift of God to those unable to help themselves. Protesters in Parliament's Marble Foyer calling for action on climate change earlier this month. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen The Christian model of reconciliation is the most far-reaching because it starts in our deepest psyche with alienation from God and each other. Once Christians spoke of sin, but that word has been lost to purveyors of slinky negligees and luxurious chocolates, so English author Francis Spufford has coined another phrase that religious and non-religious alike can recognise of themselves: The human propensity to f--- things up. John Dickson points out that the word sin simply means to fall short, and we all acknowledge that we have failed to attain our own virtues (let alone the Almightys). All of us, if we are honest, know we have fallen short.

World Vision chief advocate Tim Costello turns to the same concept, made explicit by St Paul in his letter to the Romans, that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Costello says: Right at the heart of human frailty is that someone feels superior to someone else who feels humiliated. A lot of conflict comes out of humiliation. The recognition that all have sinned is fundamental at the psychological level as well as the spiritual and political  there is no basis for superiority or inferiority. That Jesus humbled himself and absorbed the worst humiliation imaginable shows that even God lays down his superiority and invites you to lay down yours, and that is the starting point for reconciliation. Costello says the desire to feel superior seems hard-wired. But Jesus admonishes the rich young ruler who calls him good teacher, replying no one is good except God alone. A common problem in World Visions work in tribal cultures, Costello says, is when a tribes sense of superiority and entitlement is too strong, and that sense of entitlement is spreading across the world.

So are we trapped in a cycle of division and bitterness, or is there a way forward? Hugh Mackay is confident there is, but it must start at the local level. The pathway to reconciliation is the path of compassion, he says. Mackay defines compassion not as an emotional state but a mental discipline, a commitment to treating one another kindly and with respect, especially when we dont agree with each other or dont like each other, because compassion is the only rational response to an understanding of what it really means to be human. Christmas is a time to take on the person-by-person, street-by-street challenge of caring. Credit:Karleen Minney Christmas is a good time to discuss this, Mackay says, because its a person-by-person, street-by-street challenge. I dont think its a challenge for national leadership or for some grand strategy; I think its a matter of each of us saying well we know this is whats happening in our society, we are not mere bystanders in this. The mental health epidemic we face is our responsibility. "Go next door and make sure the neighbours are OK, invite people to have a Christmas street party, keep a close eye out for that frail elderly person living alone who's at risk of social exclusion. Its a highly personal case-by-case solution."
This from a wealthy nation whose contribution to the carbon dioxide already affecting our climate and ocean acidity had been disproportionately high. Twenty years of procrastination leaves our children facing rapidly escalating dangers and costs. The only cheering factor has been the rapid development of wind and solar technology to the point at which they have become the only economically rational choices. John Poppins, Mount Waverley Who said vaudeville was dead? Federal Environment Minister Melissa Price and Energy Minister Angus Taylor would have to be the George Burns and Gracie Allen of the international stage regarding the environment. Who else in Australia feels they are being treated like a mushroom by these two pretenders?

John Cain, McCrae All so old hat, really. No, really So, Ms Price, if Australia doesn't have to worry about emissions reduction now because we did it years ago, does that mean I can be really naughty this year and Santa will still bring me a present, "cos I was really, truly, cross-my-heart good 10 years ago"? Rosemary Davison, Moonee Ponds Feathered factor in wind chill

Bloody brolgas ... how are we supposed to meet our energy targets and save the planet if these birds keep getting in our way. We must stop the birds before Australia's integrity is ruined ("Wind farm clipped for native brolga", 22/12). Jane Currie, Jan Juc THE FORUM Labor plan falls short What may come across as a magnanimous gesture by Bill Shorten, in a pre-election pledge, falls short by a long way (Shorten pledges $6.6b for housing, The Sunday Age, 16/12).

Housing, in general, requires a massive shake-up, public housing in particular. Stamp duty in each state on an $800,000 house varies between about $45,000 (Victoria) and $22,000 (Queensland). Dr Joseph Toscano has come up with an ingenious plan. Why don't we use this money to alleviate the shortage of public housing, freeing up property for those who are, at present, locked out of the property market? Housing is one of those quintessential requirements for a safe and secure life. It provides not just shelter but stability as well. As long as we view housing as a form of investment we will never address the issue of the homeless or those caught in the never-ending cycle of having to move, uproot, destabilise children, etc due to the whims of a landlord. The benefits to society are beyond our imaginations. Let's face it, stamp duty is money for jam. Use it for the greater good. It's time the state and federal governments stopped grandstanding and worked together. David Legat, South Morang

Take away the cups It was disconcerting to see the picture of the Labor hierarchy (The Sunday Age, 16/12) Bill Shorten, Tanya Plibersek, Chris Bowen and Penny Wong all carrying takeaway coffee cups, all destined for landfill. Lift your game, Labor, get yourselves permanent cups and lead by example. Ian Oshlack, Guildford Not a pretty picture Congratulations to Alex Ellinghausen on his fine selection of 2018's "The Year in Pictures" photos, although my favourite one was on page 4 (16/12) showing the Labor Party heavyweights clutching their takeaway coffees in matching cups.

With all the attention given The Chaser's infamous War on Waste tram filled with takeaway cups, I hope these particular items were not of the disposable variety? John Paine, Kew East Prioritise democracy The cure for widespread mistrust of "representative democracy" (It's time to put the House in order, Editorial, 16/12) is to put less emphasis on "representative" and more emphasis on "democracy". This need not mean citizens' initiatives. It could, for example, mean allowing either house of parliament to refer contentious issues to the people for their final approval ("popular veto"). It could mean allowing either major party, or significant minor parties, to initiate a public vote on matters the government of the day refuses to address ("legislative initiative"). It could mean allowing states or local governments to put matters before the people if the federal government refuses.

Ultimately it is the people who are sovereign. It is, after all, their country. Stephen Morris, Coorparoo, Qld A beleaguered leader Matt Golding's cartoon in The Sunday Age (16/12) beautifully sums up the predicament confronting the beleaguered British Prime Minister. Theresa May is trying extremely hard and deserves a lot of credit. She is not between a rock and a hard place; she is between many rocks and many hard places. In her own party there's the likes of Boris Johnson (all rhetoric and no substance) and the snooty Jacob Rees-Mogg (who tells the PM to hand in a letter of resignation to the Queen without offering solutions himself).

Then there is Jeremy Corbyn, who on every occasion I have seen him launches attacks on Mrs May without offering a credible alternative. And there's the members of the Democratic Unionist Party, who are quite rightly concerned about any changes to the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic. If that's not enough, she has to extract more concessions from the EU. Where will this ever end and what will become of Mrs May's domestic agenda, which has been put on the backburner thanks to her government's understandable obsession with this one issue? Ivan Glynn, Vermont An easy 50-50 chance The state Liberal Party has managed a 40-fold over-representation of Mormons elected to party positions without resorting to quotas. They should be able to manage 50 per cent female representation in a canter.

Ken Machin, East Geelong Role model for Shorten Critics of Bill Shorten's "wooden" style should remember Britain's least charismatic Labour leader, Clement Attlee, of whom Winston Churchill said, "he is a modest man with much to be modest about". But he defeated Churchill in a landslide to create Britain's welfare state. Nicholas Low, Port Melbourne A point well made

Gideon Haigh's superb review of Andrew Roberts' new biography of Winston Churchill, ("Long march through an epic life", 22/12), makes a telling point that, beyond the broad military and political sweep of the great statesman's life, the more intimate familial connections should not be overlooked. His citing of Clementine Churchill's advice in 1940, in Britain's "darkest hour", that her husband should shed his "rough, sarcastic and overbearing ways" reminded me of a poignant 1945 letter from his daughter, Mary, displayed in London's preserved Cabinet War Rooms. In it, she explains delicately to him how his comprehensive postwar election loss had more to do with the British people's war-weariness than animus directed at him. Haigh is correct: an academic emphasis upon primary historical sources, however impressive, often misses the "interior emotion" vital to a rounded biography. Jon McMillan, Mount Eliza What border problem?

So the public trusts the Prime Minister over the leader of the opposition on border security. (The Age, 22/12). Do we really have a security problem with our border or is this just a beat up over the past 20years by the government of the day trying to act tough? Ukraine has a border security problem, Northern Ireland could have a border security problem, but not Australia. Wake up, Australia, to fear-mongering. Bruce Cormack, Kilsyth Nod and a Winx As someone who has been following horse racing since the age of six (my father was obsessed) I have some gratuitous advice for the owners of Winx  retire her now!

There's an old principle  quit while you're in front. Another one, two or three wins will not alter her extraordinary reputation  and there is a significant chance she will lose a race if she were to continue. I'm sure my dear, departed father would agree! John Brennan, Surrey Hills The bridge is the issue I was standing on the footpath next to the Montague Street bridge with a sales client in the mid-1980s when a furniture truck smashed into the bridge. The impact was so severe it tore the complete rear from the truck  luckily no one was injured.

I was dismayed to read of the Gold Bus accident and the heavy sentence given to the driver, a person with a good driving record. It is obvious that merely installing signage has not been successful in stopping more drivers hitting the bridge. The government and road authorities must take responsibility and either close the road or alter it to allow enough clearance. Geoffrey Wadge, Halls Gap All the gory details

The recent public exposure of the sordid underbelly of our politicians has more to do with a changed perception of what constitutes "in the public interest" than indicators of a deteriorating moral code? This sort of thing has been happening for eons with our political leaders. I don't excuse the behaviour, but it seems that we are entering a period where "gore dominates grit" when it comes to newsworthy content. Jaroslaw Kotiw, Strathfieldsaye Heed history's lesson As a person born in the late 1930s and growing up in the '40s I am only too aware of the circumstances surrounding our descent into the carnage of the Second World War. The rhetoric that I hear coming from the leaders of some nations today and the rise of right-wing jingoistic nationalism is very reminiscent of the rhetoric that was spouted by the leaders in the '30s and is remarkably similar.
Ummm, really? Why has the federal government picked NSW Crown prosecutor Margaret Cunneen SC to join its panel of three experts advising on the formation a federal version of the Independent Commission Against Corruption? The answer, it seems, is because her views accord with setting up only the most toothless of toothless tigers.

Two months ago, Cunneen spoke passionately at a forum of Australians for Constitutional Monarchy against any stupid and foolhardy plan to create such a federal body on the NSW model, which she dubbed a political assassination machine. The left want a national ICAC and the reason for that is theyll be able to pick off their political enemies, she said.

The Morrison government has put Margaret Cunneen on a panel of experts asked to advise on a Commonwealth integrity commission. Credit:Wolter Peeters

I get that Cunneen was herself heavily investigated by the ICAC in 2014  only for the High Court to find that ICAC had exceeded its powers to investigate when it came to her  and so her insights are shaped from the point of view of one who has gone through the process. And yet . . . lets not forget the long-standing criticism of Cunneen as being way too close to corrupt figures herself.

An indicator of that closeness was she was snapped warmly shaking the hand of Eddie Obeid as he was heading into court on corruption charges generated by the ICAC. Cunneen defended that handshake this week on Andrew Bolts show on Sky, maintaining Obeid was "innocent until proven guilty" etc, and it was simple politeness to shake the hand of the minister of a government she had served for 40 years. But what about her presence at the book launch of the most corrupt detective in the land, Roger Rogerson, who had already been jailed twice and who has since been sentenced to life imprisonment for murder?
Like many people with back pain, Matt Statham tried to stand up straight, holding his back tense to protect his injured spine.

He avoided lifting anything too heavy, just like specialists told him, to prevent any more damage being done.

So when Professor Peter OSullivan, a back-pain specialist at Curtin University, told him that was all nonsense  well, Mr Statham did not believe him.

Professor Peter O'Sullivan.

So the Professor dropped a pen on the floor. You can pick that up, he said. No, Mr Statham said, no chance. My spine will break.
On November 11, 1895, Worrall went with his family to the Age office where Wilkinson worked and argued with him. Worrall was arrested by police and charged with "assault with intent to carnally know a girl under 10 years of age". The case came before the Essendon Court of Petty Sessions on November 18, and was heard by four justices of the peace. In her deposition, Ethel, who was required to swear on the Bible, described instance after instance of Worrall isolating her from the other children in the household - his own children and Ethel's brothers. Ethel described assaults occurring in the washhouse with the door locked while the other children were sent to take the dog for a walk, in the kitchen when the others were out and in her bedroom after Worrall had sent his daughters into another room. She described one evening when Worrall had come home drunk and, after his wife had sent him out of their marital bedroom, he had gone into Ethels room and bed - but not before removing his own daughters to another room. In her childish vocabulary, Ethel told how he: Put the place where he makes water to the place where I make water. He had sent the others out of the kitchen before this. He told them to go and take the dog for a walk. He said to me not to tell Mrs W.

Ethels father and Stone also made detailed depositions and took the witness stand. Wilkinson was cross-examined by counsel for the defence, James Purves QC, who accused him of making the story up to avoid paying a debt to Worrall. This he denied. He was also cross-examined on his suitability as a parent. Stones evidence comprised details of a thorough physical examination of the child and her opinion that the evidence was consistent with Ethels claims. Represented by Purves and George Dethridge QC, the accused was not required to address the court and the case was dismissed. Unhappy with this result, the police prosecutor, Robert Walsh, took his concerns to Victoria's attorney-general, Isaac Isaacs. Isaac Isaacs, then Victoria's attorney-general, became involved in the case. Credit:Victorian Parliamentary Library Isaacs shared Walsh's concerns and they met with the JPs of the Essendon court to discuss their decision. The notes of this meeting, made by Isaacs, document the reasons given by the four men for dismissing the case. They pointed to Ethel's failure to complain to Worrall's wife, and argued that it was "a crime that is not likely to have been committed in daylight". The JPs also had issues with Ethel's presentation in court. "The girls statement was apparently straightforward but too good to be real - more like a child repeating a lesson it had learnt," Isaacs records them saying. Yet at another stage in the conversation he is told that "when [Ethel] was cross-examined she began to cry ... and that led me to doubt whether she was telling the truth".

"There was a lack of corroborative evidence which they thought was necessary in the case of rape," Isaacs noted. "This had been impressed upon them by [counsel for the defence] Mr Purves. One of the justices was at first in favour of committing [the case to trial] but he afterwards fell into [the other JPs'] view on the grounds that corroboration was necessary." After further discussion with the police prosecutor, Walsh, and John Davies, chairman of the Essendon Bench, Isaacs dismissed this last objection out of hand. "The magistrates were evidently under some degree of misapprehension as to the law respecting the necessity of 'sufficient corroboration'," he said. "As the girl was sworn, her evidence did not require by law any corroboration. 'The evidence of the girl was, according to the depositions, clear and distinct': Isaac Isaacs in 1930. Credit:National Library of Australia "In the next place, the evidence of the girl was, according to the depositions, clear and distinct, and unshaken in cross-examination." Crucially, Isaacs added, "certain [physical] appearances, as partial rupture deposed to by Dr Stone, are so far unaccounted for".

Isaacs stated that "after weighing all the circumstances I think there is no course open to me other than directing the case to be tried". Ethels allegations would proceed to the Supreme Court, to be heard before a judge and jury. 'I was abused and reviled' Before the Supreme Court trial began, Wilkinson wrote to the Crown prosecutor asking for permission to submit further evidence. He explained that "when this case was heard at the Essendon Court I was abused and reviled by the accuseds counsel because I owed some money. I was not allowed to make any explanation." Coverage of the case from The Ovens and Murray Advertiser in December 1895. Credit:National Library of Australia Wilkinson had been accused of making the story up because he owed money to Worrall. Therefore, he provided detailed information to the court on his earnings, expenditure, borrowings and loans. He also supplied a number of character references from a sub-editor of The Age and former employers.

A further witness statement was presented to the court from Jane Falconer, a maid at the Victoria Coffee Palace where Wilkinson boarded. She said she had witnessed a heated exchange between Mr and Mrs Worrall in relation to the night when Worrall came home drunk, was told to leave the marital bedroom and went to the room where Ethel was sleeping. This supported the account given by Ethel in her deposition to the Essendon Court. The trial began on December 16, 1895, before chief justice Sir John Madden and a jury of 12 men. Ethel again gave her evidence, as did her father and Stone. Supporting information was provided by Falconer and Worralls wife. Once again, the accused was not required to speak. He had three legal counsel to speak for him, who interrogated a nine-year-old in front of a jury of 12 men, a judge, the accused and a courtroom with the general public and media in attendance. The verdict in the case is reported on page 6 of The Age - where Harry Wilkinson worked - on Christmas Eve, 1895. Credit:National Library of Australia The trial went for over a week. At its conclusion, Madden told the jury: "If you believe the evidence of the little girl, it proves either of the charges made against him."

On Christmas Eve, 1895, the jury found the accused not guilty and the case was dismissed. The verdict was reported in the metropolitan newspapers that afternoon and both Ethel Wilkinson and Edwin Worrall were named. A long-held secret Ethel Wilkinson was my grandmother. Until I found the newspaper reports and court records of this case, Ethels grandchildren had known nothing about this harrowing episode in her life; she never breathed a word to anyone. Both her daughters are long dead and it is unlikely that they knew anything about it. To us, Ethel was our adored little Gran; she taught us our table manners, how to use a butter knife and the correct way to take the top off a boiled egg (with a spoon!). Gran told us many stories of her life, but never this one.

I only came to learn of the court case last year, 50 years after Gran died. I was trawling through some old newspapers on the National Library of Australia's Trove database one day and saw an article. This led me to seek out the trial transcripts from the Public Record Office Victoria (PROV). Was this "our" Ethel Wilkinson? Yes, indeed it was. It was all there - over 100 pages of transcripts. I wept as I stood at the PROV copying facility, scanning each page of this traumatic episode. Has anything changed in 120 years? We regularly hear of young women who have decided not to pursue criminal cases of rape, who have been too fearful to face their rapists in court or to endure the cross-examination of counsel for the accused. Has the law developed any more sensitivity than it had in 1895? Will the social and legal system ever be shaken up so that justice can be done? The Queen Victoria Hospital, which stood on Lonsdale Street until 1977. Today the only part of the building that remains is the Queen Victoria Women's Centre. Credit:Queen Victoria Women's Centre In 1896, Dr Emma Constance Stone, her sister, her cousin and other women set up a clinic for women and girls in inner Melbourne and later organised the women of Victoria into a "shilling drive" that resulted in the building of the Victoria Hospital for Women and Children, later the Queen Victoria Hospital.

They were pioneers of the women's rights movement in Australia. When Stone gave evidence at Ethels trial, it was the first time a woman doctor had given evidence in a Supreme Court trial. One wonders what the all-male jury, legal counsel and judges made of that. The newspapers certainly noted it. Harry Wilkinson also tried to improve the lot of women in Victoria. In 1895, he became a founding editor of the short-lived feminist-socialist journal The Champion. However by 1898 he was destitute. A front page of The Champion, October 1895. Credit:National Library of Australia The relationship between him and Ethel, now 13, had apparently broken down completely. The Presbyterian and Scots Church Neglected Childrens Aid Society was concerned for her welfare and took her in, against her fathers wishes. Eventually, they convinced him to transfer guardianship to them. They placed Ethel as a servant with a family on a large property on the Goulburn River. She thrived, staying for seven years. She left to marry the love of her life, my grandfather William McKay, Boer War veteran and son of the stationmaster at Trawool, on the other side of the river.

Harry Wilkinson took his younger son Roy to Queensland, where they too thrived and Harry became a respected and commissioned artist using the name Harry Strongitharm Wilkinson, or HSW. His paintings feature in the public collections of the Royal Historical Society of Queensland and the Brisbane Turf Club. In October 1917, Roy Wilkinson fell at Passchendaele on the Western Front. His father died just over a year later. Responsibility for Roy's remembrance then fell to his sister. His headstone at Ypres in Belgium bears the inscription "Ever remembered by his sister Ethel". "Ettie's Dad by Himself", dated July 1892. As far as we know, Harry Wilkinson and his daughter never met again after she was taken from him in 1898. But after her death in 1967, her family found a drawing in her wallet, captioned "Ettie's Dad, by Himself". It is dated July 1892, and we believe it was given to the seven-year-old Ethel when her father left her and her two brothers in a Sydney benevolent home while he went to Melbourne in search of work.
A man who was high on ice and out on bail when he ran into and killed an elderly pedestrian has been described by a judge as "self-centred", "self-indulgent" and lacking any remorse or insight into his offending.

Seventy-nine-year-old Gordana Vlatkovic flew through the air and landed more than 14 metres away after she was hit by James Longley on a pedestrian crossing in Murphy Street, Richmond in July last year, the County Court was told.

Gordana Vlatkovic moved to Melbourne from Serbia more than 50 years ago.

Longley, 55, was sentenced to seven years' jail with a non-parole period of five years on Friday, after a jury found him guilty of fatally running over Ms Vlatkovic while he had a high level of the drug ice in his system.

County County Judge Scott Johns said despite a long criminal history and a difficult childhood where he suffered from abuse, Longley had always been a "hard-working, reliable individual" with steady employment.
Federal government MP George Christensen has accused a former "senior government MP" of being behind a "vile and hateful smear campaign" over his frequent trips to South East Asia, pushing the Morrison government back into another political controversy days before Christmas.

Damaging any hope the government had of finishing the year on a positive note, Mr Christensen outed himself on Saturday as the subject of days of allegations involving trips and money transfers to areas associated with red light districts in the Philippines.

Nationals MP George Christensen. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Mr Christensen said he had confirmation from the Australian Federal Police (AFP) that found there was "no evidence, or other information to support the allegation, or establish criminal conduct, and, as such, they did not launch any investigation nor did they, at any stage, interview him about any matter, criminal or otherwise.

The Queensland MP has not released the AFP advice publicly.
One business cycled through 17 interns without providing one with employment, another rostered interns to work for double the amount of time legally allowed, and a third forced an intern to work for 60 hours a fortnight.

Responses to questions on notice at Senate estimates show a few employers are taking advantage of the Morrison governments trademark youth unemployment initiative, Youth Jobs PaTH.

Cafes have been among the biggest employers under the program. Credit:Jessica Shapiro

Taxpayers forked out more than $2.5 million on advertising for the program in 2017-18, despite the "PaTH" platform signing up just 20 per cent of the businesses needed to hit its target.

The $840 million program is struggling to keep up with its aim of getting 120,000 vulnerable Australians into job placements over four years.
This is not Morrisons fraught suburban dad-ism, nor Turnbulls exciting time to be an Australian. It is not Abbotts exhausting sloganeering nor Rudds grand 2020 visions. It is the political strategy of a former union leader who once celebrated signing up netballers to the cause. Shorten is selling stability rather than fervour. Illustration: Jim Pavlidis Credit: Between late November and early December Shorten made significant but little-noticed speeches on science, energy and housing policy, each of them emphasising differences not only between Labor's and the Coalitions policy stances, but their world views. In his address to the Australian Academy of Science, Shorten dismissed the Orwellian national interest test recently foisted upon Australian researchers already alienated by a government stacked with climate-science deniers. Should he government, Shorten's Labor would return science to the centre of cabinet decision-making via a scientific expert advisory panel.

In an age of climate deniers, anti-vaxxers, birthers, truthers, trolls  we need to put a premium on the scientific mindset, on the value of evidence, he said. On energy he signalled Labors virtuous pragmatism, advocating for policy that he said would not only seek to improve reliability and cut prices, but also address sustainability. Articulating this triumvirate of policy intent is controversial only among Coalition ranks. It has long been demanded not only by a majority of Australian voters, but by industry and energy providers  traditional Liberal allies. Wooden to leaden, but sure and steady ... Bill Shorten on 7.30. Credit:ABC 7.30 In a speech to the Housing Industry Association, Shorten reiterated Labors plan to restrict negative gearing to new housing and to halve the capital gains discount for investors. I simply dont believe its fair that young Australians trying to buy their first home and build a future and to bring up their family have to bid against affluent property investors subsidised by the taxes that we all play, he said, defending a flagship policy that has less appeal in todays sinking housing market than it did when first announced.

This was an issue that Shorten returned to in his speech at Labors national conference, when he announced the ALP would introduce subsidies to investors building new affordable housing. Even this policy was pitched at middle Australia rather than those driven to the extremes. Loading A hidden struggle in this country is being fought by the hundreds of thousands of our fellow Australians who cant afford to live anywhere near where they work, said Shorten. Theyre spending over a third of their paypacket on rent  and plenty more on petrol each day they travel. Rental affordability is a national challenge and it demands national leadership. Building more affordable housing is infrastructure policy. It is cities policy. It is jobs and productivity policy." Shorten was not only standing by Labor's negative gearing policy; in adding to it he was binding the social housing sector to investment.

In interviews, too, Shorten has maintained this determined equanimity. Morrison ended the parliamentary year asserting that Shorten was a clear and present threat to the nations safety for his support for a bill that would allow medical evacuation of critically ill children from Nauru. Such a move would give a green light to people smugglers, the PM said. I will fight them on this. I will seek to stop them doing this ... Stopping terrorists is more important than getting a cheap win for the nightly news out of Canberra. Loading When this was put to Shorten on ABCs 7.30 that night, the Labor leader not only maintained his composure, he looked as though he might drift off to an untroubled slumber in the midst of the interview. I am disappointed in what he said but I am not distracted by it, he said in a tone of almost ecclesiastical disappointment. That name-calling is not going to solve a single problem.

Shortens strategy of intransigent reasonableness might have helped entrench Labors lead in the polls, but it has not yet turned around Australias view of the man himself. As Labors fortunes rise, Shorterns own polling for preferred PM remains stubbornly low. A glance at Essentials research from October sheds some light on this. Morrison sits at 42 per cent and Shorten at 27 per cent. Morrison is the preferred PM of 79 per cent of Coalition voters, but Shorten is the preferred PM of just 57 per cent of Labor voters. Shorten lags, it turns out, because so many Labor voters dont like him. The reasons for this are not that hard to fathom. Shorten was, after all, complicit in the assassination of both Kevin Rudd and then Julia Gillard and has fostered enemies in the camps of both former leaders. Though he has finally stopped with the terrible zingers, his presentation still explores the terrain between wooden and leaden. His relentless pragmatism has broken the hearts of many supporters, especially those who would like to see a Labor government kill off Adani and end offshore detention with its first breaths.
This week The Age revealed a series of derogatory text messages and social media posts between young powerbrokers Marcus Bastiaan and Paul Mitchell that included references to some Indian party members as curries and others as fag Catholics. The reports prompted condemnation from party elders Jeff Kennett and Ted Baillieu, who called on the pair to leave the party. Paul Mitchell (left) and Marcus Bastiaan. Credit:Chris Hopkins, Jesse Marlow And they forced new Opposition Leader Michael OBrien to disavow the bigoted sentiments the messages conveyed, at a time when the party is trying desperately to shrug off perceptions it is populated by homophobic, anti-women, climate-change deniers, as federal Victorian Liberal MP Kelly ODwyer put it internally. Neither Bastiaan nor Mitchell are household names but the public airing of their private exchanges exposed the factional underbelly of the Liberals, and pointed to how the party ended up so ill-equipped to fight a general election last month.

Illustration: Matt Golding Credit: Bastiaan's star in the party rose as he recruited new members from religious and ethnic community groups and sought to engineer a push to the ideological right, under the wing of conservative federal MP Michael Sukkar. But his influence had waned by the time the state election campaign hit overdrive, after he quit his position as metropolitan vice-president for family reasons in early September. Mitchell is an administrative committee member who moved in Bastiaans orbit. Responding through their lawyers this week both Bastiaan and Mitchell denied their part in the exchanges.

Mitchell faced a grilling from some of the most senior Liberal officials in Victoria at the administrative committee. He reportedly suggested the derogatory text messages and social media exchanges may have been doctored. Yet his grouping failed in its attempt to vote down a motion calling for an independent investigation into the origin of the messages. At the same time, Mitchells state electorate conference at Nepean voted to suspend him from his position as membership and branch development officer. He has also paid a heavy personal price, resigning from his job at the Printing Industries Association of Australia. Mitchell told The Age he had resigned from his job on Thursday night, saying it would allow a fresh start for the new year and minimise the distraction for his now former employer.

The sheer scale of Labors landslide state election win provides a glimpse of the mountainous challenge the federal government faces to defend its seats in Victoria. Labor MPs did not even try to contain their glee as they were sworn into parliament this week. We hold Portsea!, one returning MP brayed to a group of supporters as he entered the grounds of parliament on Wednesday. Inside the lower house, Premier Daniel Andrews swept his arm grandly across two-thirds of the chamber during Question Time, crowing about the fact his party now holds so many seats that seven of their members are positioned on the same side of the room as the opposition. Premier Daniel Andrews has been dining out on the Coalition's election drubbing. Credit:Justin McManus

Unprovoked, the Labor leader shredded the opposition for its narrow, nasty, spiteful, divisive, insipid agenda and taunted Liberal MP for Warrandyte Ryan Smith, who took on a senior strategic role in the election campaign. When they said to you, you can be in charge of the marginal seats group, I dont think they meant you should finish up in one, Andrews said. The 59th parliament of Victoria is the bleakest from a Coalition perspective since the Bracks-slide of 2002. The Liberals lost nine seats to Labor and their junior Coalition partners the Nationals lost two to independent candidates. Labor now holds 55 seats out of 88 in the lower house, the Liberals hold 21 and the Nationals hold six.

Among the 21 Liberals are three new MPs: Bridget Vallence, Brad Rowswell and James Newbury, the partys new blood. Newbury was part of Bastiaans factional alliance and was preselected as candidate for the blue-ribbon seat of Brighton ahead of sitting female Liberal Margaret Fitzherbert with the help of Bastiaans numbers. His most vocal contribution to the election was a promise to remove a handful of crisis houses for people at risk of homelessness that Labor had built on a vacant block in Brighton East. Liberal James Newbury very nearly lost the blue-ribbon seat of Brighton. Credit:Penny Stephens On election day the Liberals margin in Brighton collapsed from 9.8 per cent to 1.1 per cent.

Newbury sounded like a chastened man as he gave his maiden speech to parliament this week. As a Liberal member in this place I am part of a party that now only holds one quarter of the seats in this chamber, a party that has only been in government for one quarter of the last 20 years, he said. The Liberal Party should be under no illusion: on election day the electorate delivered the strongest possible message. I say to the electorate directly tonight: I have heard you. While Prime Minister Scott Morrison leads a minority government with an imploding Liberal branch in Victoria, Labor is quietly targeting more than six federal seats across the state. Labor strategists believe they are a chance of unseating federal Health Minister Greg Hunt. Credit:Lukas Coch

Labor strategists believe they can win the urban electorates of Dunkley, Deakin, Chisholm and possibly Aston. Further out, the federal opposition is also targeting Corangamite and Casey. They even believe they are chance of pinching Flinders, the semi-regional coastal electorate held by Health Minister Greg Hunt. One Labor strategist pointed to previous polling that showed the Liberals could even lose their prized seat of Higgins, held by senior minister Kelly ODwyer. Theyve got all sorts of problems and dont see them getting themselves out of it, the strategist said. They are heading for a brick wall very fast. Some Liberal administrative committee members' pessimism matches Labor's optimism, with one member telling The Age Labors assessment of which seats could fall was an almost identical match to their own.

But other Liberals, including new president Robert Clark, still believe they can avoid the crash. He insists the Coalitions November election catastrophe will not necessarily be mirrored at the federal level, and the Victorian Liberals could be competitive. To that end, the Liberals beleaguered admin committee passed a motion this week to defer the next meeting of state council from March until June. The state council is a meeting where factional schisms and ideological fault lines are exposed and it was argued that the party could not afford to be seen to be arguing and jostling among its own so close to the federal election. But even this clear-eyed argument  that the party is too far behind Labor to be able to afford any more own goals  almost failed to sway the majority of senior figures in the room.
Budapest, Hungary: Thousands of people marched in anti-government protests in Budapest, upset over labour law changes, increasing corruption and limits on academic freedom under Prime Minister Viktor Orban's nationalist government.

Supporters of the oppositional satirical Hungarian Two-tailed Dog Party march in the streets in Budapest, Hungary during their demonstration called "National All-Christmas Peace March" on Friday, Dec. 21, 2018. Tho Credit:AP

The protests, which started last week, have given the country's fragmented opposition a chance to work together as they challenge Orban, who has led the country with increasing powers since 2010.

The satiric Hungarian Two-Tailed Dog Party hosted a downtown march on Friday night in the Hungarian capital with speeches, chants and signs critical of Orban.

One sign said "I want to give birth to a stadium," poking fun at two of Orban's preoccupations: Increasing the nation's birthrate and filling the country with white-elephant sports facilities.
Nairobi: An explosives-packed vehicle detonated at a military checkpoint near Somalia's presidential palace, killing at least 16 people and wounding more than 20 others, police said. The al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab extremist group, which often targets Mogadishu, claimed responsibility for the attack.

Those killed include three staffers from the London-based Universal TV station, including prominent journalist Awil Dahir Salad, said police Captain Mohamed Hussein, who gave the toll of dead and wounded.

Police say a suicide bomb exploded near the presidential palace. Credit:AP

The bomber targeted the checkpoint near the rear entrance of the heavily fortified palace, Hussein said. A lawmaker and a deputy mayor of Mogadishu were among those wounded, he said.

Soldiers also were among the dead, Col. Ahmed Mohamud said.
Washington: This week, conservative lawmakers and commentators convinced President Donald Trump to pull a last-minute about-face in the government shutdown debate.

US President Donald Trump. Credit:AP

The White House had sent signals that it wouldn't insist on border wall funding, but these conservatives rightly noted this might be Trump's last chance to get his wall before Democrats take over the House.

Could it happen again?

Fox and Friends host Brian Kilmeade on Friday morning tore into Trump's other controversial decision this week - to pull US troops out of Syria - and he did it right to the face of Trump's own press secretary, Sarah Sanders.
For decades treatment sessions occurred three times a week on stage in the presence of hundreds of hopefuls, staff and volunteers, all dressed in white to facilitate energy absorption. Operations were "spiritual" (no intervention) or "physical" (surgery without anaesthetics and seemingly without any pain as dozens of graphic YouTube videos attest). Some patients, however, were chosen by Faria for further private treatments in a separate room where accusers say the sexual abuse happened. On Friday morning, Australian time, Goias police indicted Faria on one count of sexual violation through fraud. The complainant, a 39-year-old woman is believed to be his most recent victim, having suffered alleged abuse on October 24 while being treated in private. In court documents obtained by a Globo TV affiliate, she alleges he became aroused and exposed himself while massaging her lower belly from the back. When she confronted him, the medium buttoned up and asked her to chose a wall frame as a gift (they are believed to be blessed), and to tell no one what had happened. Brazilian prosecutors said this was the first of more charges to come. On Saturday police said they were processing 16 complaints with nine active investigations. They also announced they had searched his three houses and found suitcases of cash, precious stones and an empty safe hidden in the false wall of a wardrobe.

Defence lawyers for Faria on Friday asked Brazil's Supreme Court to release him while investigations were under way, arguing he is a first-time accused, elderly, suffering from a serious illness and of a fixed address. When contacted by The Age and the Sydney Morning Herald, guide Ann Joel reacted with disbelief at the charges. She said it was "old news" and accused this reporter of lying. On her blog in 2015 Joel described the joy and peace gained by meeting Faria. "You are probably sick of me talking to you about John of God," she wrote in 2015  but I have to tell you just a little bit more. I have been coming here as one of his mediums and original guides for his healing sanctuary for nearly 15 years, and I feel the same today about his amazing healing work as I did 15 years ago. "I am still in awe of what this humble man is able to do for the millions who are in despair, have a serious illnesses, suffer from lack of love or hope  which is most of humanity! He goes through a great deal personally to be able to bring us his spirit guides or Entities ... This amazing human John of God has devoted his life to this work and has treated over 18 million in the past 60 years."

Her current website describes her group tours as three weeks in length, with three meals a day and individual serviced rooms. When asked if she would continue with the tours now the sex abuse scandal had erupted, Joel replied "of course" anddeclined to comment further. One of Australian Nicole Rigato's tour groups in Abadiania in 2012. Credit:YouTube Police moved to arrest Faria last weekend after he allegedly moved $35 million reais ($12 million) out of his bank accounts a week after Globo aired a three-month long investigation into multiple allegations against him. Among them was one from a Dutch choreographer, Zahira Mous. He handed himself in after being considered a fugitive. Faria amassed a global following after his oldest and most active international guide, Pellegrino-Estrich, republished his 1997 book in 2001.

John of God guide and author Robert Pellegrino-Estrich in Abadiania, Brazil. Credit:Tim Elliott The author's then wife was an alternative health enthusiast who moved to Abadiania to come face-to-face with the psychic rumoured to channel the spirits of various "entities" of doctors and late people of note. On a website, now offline, Pellegrino-Estrich advertised "full ground support, translation and accommodation" service for $US1790, excluding airfares. He owns a number of properties in the town, operating as B&Bs for group travellers. His book is dedicated to "Faria and his Entities who cured my physical heart and awakened my soul, and in so doing, showed me the way 'home'."

Other John of God interviews followed, including one Oprah Winfrey recorded in 2012 and aired in 2014, the same year his story was featured on the cover of the Good Weekend. Oprah's interview has been deleted from her website following the allegations. "I empathise with the women now coming forward and hope justice is served," she said last week. Faria visited Sydney in 2014 when hundreds of people paid up to $795 for a three-day ticket to be healed by him at the Sydney Showgrounds. That same year, Nine's 60 Minutes confronted Faria with questions regarding a sexual assault complaint lodged in the United States after he visited Arizona. Faria terminated the interview, then abused the reporter Michael Usher's translator answering "yes, your mother", when she asked him if he had abused other women. Professor Cristina Rocha, anthropologist, director of the Religion and Society Research Cluster at the University of Western Sydney, studied Faria's followers for 10 years for the book John of God: The Globalisation of Brazilian Faith Healing. She told The Age and the Sydney Morning Herald that rumours about Faria's alleged abuses had circulated for years, but never amounted to successful prosecution.

In 2006, she recalls organisers of an event Faria was to hold in Germany scrambled to cancel bookings and return fees, after a German follower accused him of sexual assault. The woman later dropped the claims. While Rocha stresses she has never met a follower who has personally complained of abuse to her - she spent more than three months living in Abadiania - she admits that was not the focus of her research. "I believe justice now has to run its course. There is an imbalance of power between followers and a person whom others believe to have powers. Between followers and residents and someone who propelled the small city's economy tremendously. "It's a power relationship. Now #metoo has shown women they can talk. We need to wait for the investigation, but we must hear the women. More than 300 women who don't know each other have told similar stories. We must hear them." She says she feels really sorry for the alleged victims but also for the people of the now 19,000-people town whose income depends on the tourist mecca Faria has created.

"I feel very sad because everyone will suffer a lot - first the women who suffered the betrayal and all the people in the city who work hard. They are going to lose their livelihoods," Rocha says. The activist believed to have given voice to the abused is Sabrina Bittecourt, a Brazilian currently in hiding somewhere between Europe and the Middle East. Bittencourt says complaints about another Brazilian healer, Prem Baba, hit the air waves at the end of August, prompting her to ask in a Facebook post who was helping the victims emotionally. "To my surprise, women began writing to me. In one month I received 103 complaints from victims of 13 spiritual leaders, including Joao de Deus," she says. She understood the magnitude of the problem, she says, and began working to help mobilise volunteer therapists and lawyers, contacting the media, lawmakers and human rights organisations.

"I did it in the most organised way possible because I knew I was staring at the biggest allegations in Brazil's history and there could not be slip ups or people would die." In total, she says she has helped 82 victims of Faria alone. Bittencourt says the women's suffering has brought back memories of her own sexual abuse experiences as a child at the hands of Mormon church member and that she is again, in fear for her life. She says some Faria's aides or supporters have threatened women who raised complaints. She had been told of several Australian victims, including a woman who has taken her own life, but declined to give more details. The claims could not be independently verified. "Everyone who knew of these rumours or knew of some of the victims and worked to transform this man into a myth are complicit. Many people collaborated to ensure the women stayed silent and in fear.

"It is time to stop turning people into gods. Today we send probes into Mars, but socially it seems like we still live in the Middle Ages some times." She promised to help more women find their voices in 2019, revealing abuse by other spiritual healers. "If something happens to me, other wonderful people will continue this work. It's a strong group." One of the people being helped by Bittencourt is Fatima (not her real name). She worked as John of God volunteer for 20 years, but left in 2013. She has lodged a police complaint and cannot detail the allegations. She tells me Faria's sexual abuse of women was something of an open secret in the healing centre. Many women had complained to her of such instances.
The Canada Revenue Agency announced this week that the former proprietor of Lee's Village Restaurant in Steinbach, Tom Sung, was sentenced on Monday to a court-imposed fine of $73,568.58 for evading the payment of $53,265.21 in personal income tax, representing 138 percent of the federal income tax evaded.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 22/12/2018 (1076 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Canada Revenue Agency announced this week that the former proprietor of Lee's Village Restaurant in Steinbach, Tom Sung, was sentenced on Monday to a court-imposed fine of $73,568.58 for evading the payment of $53,265.21 in personal income tax, representing 138 percent of the federal income tax evaded.

The agency said between 2010 and 2013, Sung used two point of sale terminals at the business but only provided sales information and related bank statements for the transactions on one of the machines to his accountant.

An investigation found those unreported sales from the second terminal were used to make deposits, classified as wages, to Sung totalling $271,000. The deposits were not consistent with the income Sung reported on his personal tax filings, the agency said.

In addition to the fine, Sung will still have to pay the full amount of the tax owing, plus related interest and any penalties assessed by the CRA.
U.S. actor Steven Seagal speaks to the media at a news conference in Moscow June 2, 2013. (Reuters/Maxim Shemetov)

Prosecutors Close Steven Seagal Sex Assault Inquiry Without Charges

LOS ANGELESLos Angeles prosecutors said on Friday they were declining to bring a criminal case against actor Steven Seagal stemming from an allegation that he sexually assaulted a minor in 2002, citing Californias statute of limitations.

The decision marked the second time this year the Los Angeles County District Attorneys Office decided against charging Seagal with a crime in connection with an accusation of sexual assault from more than a decade in the past.

In the most recent case, a woman whose name has not been released by prosecutors reported to Los Angeles police that Seagal sexually assaulted her in 2002 when she was a minor, the District Attorneys Office said in a document released on Friday.

Prosecutors said the investigation found insufficient corroborating evidence for a sexual assault allegation dating back that far in time.

Therefore, the case is declined due to the expiration of the statute of limitations, it said.

Prosecutors did not give details about the circumstances surrounding the alleged assault.

Seagal, 66, the star of 1990s action movies such as Hard to Kill and Under Siege, was made a Russian citizen by President Vladimir Putin in 2016 and this year was named by Moscow as a special representative for Russian-U.S. humanitarian ties.

A representative for Seagal could not be reached for comment.

Lisa Bloom, an attorney for the accuser, said in a statement on Friday that her client was 17 at the time of the alleged encounter.

Bloom faulted a statute of limitations requirement that she said seems to presume that victims are lying, creating an unfairly high evidentiary standard not required in other criminal cases.

In an earlier unrelated case, Los Angeles prosecutors declined in September to charge Seagal in connection with an accusation of sexual assault dating to 1993, citing the statute of limitations in that investigation as well.

With the closing of the latest investigation Los Angeles prosecutors are no longer reviewing any case involving Seagal, District Attorneys Office spokesman Greg Risling said in an email.
9 Globe-Altering Historical Events That Happened During Christmas

Christmas-day discoveries, decisions, and disasters that had an impact on how the world played out

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Lottery tickets for the EuroMillions jackpot are displayed in central London, on Feb. 8, 2008. (Shaun Curry/AFP/Getty Images)

Builder Finds Unclaimed $96 Million Lottery Ticket Stashed in Van

The man who nearly lost 76 million. Thats how British builder Andrew Clark described himself after unearthing a winning lottery ticket from an ill-tended stack of tickets stashed in his van.

Obligatory champagne spray! pic.twitter.com/bfQYrSa49v  The National Lottery (@TNLUK) December 21, 2018

Clark, a builder from the town of Boston in Lincolnshire, dug up the ticket six weeks after the winning numbers had been announced, claiming his prize on Dec. 14.

The Euromillions lottery announced the numbers of the 76 million ($96 million) jackpot on Nov. 2. But as weeks went by, no one stepped forward to claim the ticket, and speculation grew that it had been lost or destroyed.

When you finally realise youre the 76M #EuroMillions jackpot winner!  Huge congratulations again to builder Andrew Clark and his partner Trisha Fairhurst. #AmazingStartsHere pic.twitter.com/M3Wsr0pCha  The National Lottery (@TNLUK) December 21, 2018

The lottery company only knew that the ticket had been sold somewhere in the town of Boston. But Clarks partner and niece thought they knew where it might bein a neglected stack of tickets in his van.

Clark, a self-employed builder, had a habit of buying tickets only to cast them in a pile in his van, unchecked for the winning number.

Clark, 51, said his partner kept telling me to check the tickets, and her niece Louise, who I was building an extension for, was also in on it once shed heard about the unclaimed prize in the news.

Andrew's partner told him to check a pile of old lottery tickets. He found one worth 76m. (Bet she gets something nice for Christmas! )  BBC News  20181221

It was something of a standing joke that I had all these tickets while there was a local prize outstanding, so for weeks they were on at me to check, he said, according to the lottery company.

A Magical Christmas Story

He finally gave in one evening, and looked through his stash to find the winning ticket, to the 12th highest ever lottery prize in the UK, tucked inside the sun visor.

It almost feels like some magical Christmas story, he said. The man who nearly lost 76 million!

Clark, who was revealed as the winner on Dec. 21, said his stash of tickets had once been blown out the window of his Peugeot van in the summer.

Clark now plans to retire, and said he has already used the money for a new home and two new cars. But he said the best thing about the win was that it meant it could help all his family.

All winners have 180 days from the date of the draw to claim, said Euromillions. But it is unusual for jackpots to go more than a couple of weeks without being claimed.

Earlier this year, a Louisiana couple got a Thanksgiving to remember when they found an unclaimed lottery ticket on their bedside table worth $1.8 million.

The ticket had been bought in the summer, and was due to expire in two weeks.

We have family coming into town for Thanksgiving, so I was cleaning up the house and found a few Lottery tickets on my nightstand that we hadnt checked, said Tina Ehrenberg.

When they realised they hadnt checked the ticket number, she and her husband put the numbers into the lottery website. We kept checking the numbers again and again! Harold Ehrenberg told the Louisiana Lottery Corporation.

Plus, I called the winning numbers hotline over and over, Tina Ehrenberg added.
Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Chrystia Freeland speaks with the media in Ottawa, on Dec. 12, 2018. Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press)

Canada Calls on China to Release Detained Canadians as Allies Voice Support

TORONTOCanada has formally demanded that China release Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, who have been in custody for more than a week. Canadas allies, including the United States, UK, and European Union, added their voices in support of Canadas position.

We are deeply concerned by the arbitrary detention by Chinese authorities of two Canadians earlier this month and call for their immediate release, Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland said in a written statement.

The detention of the two Canadians, along with a third earlier this week, have taken place since Canada arrested Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou in Vancouver on Dec. 1, on an extradition request from the United States. China says theres no connection between the detentions and Mengs arrest.

China had earlier warned Canada of grave consequences if Meng wasnt released immediately.

Canada is a country governed by the rule of law, Freeland said. Canada is conducting a fair, unbiased and transparent legal proceeding with respect to Meng Wanzhou, Huaweis chief financial officer.  The rule of law is fundamental to all free societies; we will defend and uphold this principle.

In an interview on Dec. 19, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told Global News that he hadnt yet talked to his Chinese counterpart about the detention of the three Canadians, saying he didnt want to politicize or amplify the issue because it wouldnt contribute to the outcome we all want, which is for Canadians to be safe and secure.

During a press conference with Freeland in Washington on Dec. 14, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo directly asked China to release the Canadians, calling their detention unlawful and unacceptable. Shortly after Freelands statement on Dec. 21, the U.S. State Department reiterated its call for the release of the detained Canadians.

We share Canadas commitment to the rule of law as fundamental to all free societies, and we will defend and uphold this principle. We also express our deep concern for the Chinese governments detention of two Canadians earlier this month and call for their immediate release, Robert Palladino, a spokesperson for the State Department, said in a statement.

Beijing says Kovrig and Spavor were detained over national-security concerns. The authorities said the third Canadian, Sarah McIver, is undergoing administrative punishment for working illegally in China.

Canadian authorities have said the nature of McIvers case is different than the other two.

Kovrig, a former diplomat on a leave of absence from Canadas foreign-affairs department, is currently employed as an adviser with an international think tank. He is reportedly being denied legal representation and isnt allowed to turn off the lights at night. Spavor is a businessman known for running cultural exchanges with North Korea.

The U.K. and EU also issued statements in support of Canada.

I am deeply concerned by suggestions of a political motivation for the detention of two Canadian citizens by the Chinese government. I call for them to be treated in a fair, unbiased and transparent manner, British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said.

The declared motive for the arrest and detention of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, both Canadian nationals, raises concerns about legitimate research and business practices in China, an EU spokesperson said.

In her statement, Freeland said she appreciates the help of those speaking out in support of Canada.

We share with our partners the conviction that the rule of law is not a choice: it is the bedrock of democracy. Canada will not compromise nor politicize the rule of law and due process.

With reporting from Reuters.
Oxycodone pain pills prescribed for a patient with chronic pain lie on display in Norwich, Conn., on March 23, 2016. (John Moore/Getty Images)

Congressional Report Finds Millions of Opioids Sent to Small-Town Pharmacies in West Virginia

Nearly nine million opioids were shipped to a single pharmacy in the small town of Kermit, West Virginia, population 406, in just two years, according to a Congressional report released on Dec. 19.

In 10 years, 20.8 million opioids were distributed to pharmacies in Williamson, with a population of 3,000 people. From 2007 and 2012, drug distributors sent a total of more than 780 million hydrocodone and oxycodone pills to West Virginia.

More of these kinds of shocking examples can be found in the result of a bi-partisan investigation by the U.S. Energy and Commerce Committee into claims of opioid-dumping, or shipping large quantities of opioids from wholesale drug distributors to pharmacies in rural communities.

The Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, led by Rep. Gregg Harper (R-Miss.), spent more than 18 months investigating opioid-dumping in rural areas of West Virginia.

The state is the epicenter of the nations opioid epidemic and the state with the highest drug overdose death rate in the country, according to a statement by committee chairman Greg Walden and ranking member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-N.J.) in a press release.

BREAKING: Committee oversight report details findings of 18-month long, bipartisan investigation into alleged opioid-dumping in West Virginia by major opioid distributors >> https://t.co/rvPVGa8mLE pic.twitter.com/fILetIbWEj  Energy and Commerce (@HouseCommerce) December 19, 2018

The investigation, which began in May 2017, found that the sixth-largest company in the United States played a significant role in shipping massive amounts of opioids to small towns in West Virginia.

McKesson Corp. ranks 6th on the Fortune 500 list, and the company was found to have shipped an average of 9,650 hydrocodone pills a day to the Sav-Rite No. 1 pharmacy in the town of Kermit in 2007.

At a May 8, 2018 hearing, McKesson president and CEO John Hammergren said the company initially set a reasonable monthly threshold of 8,000 pills a month for these drugs under its Lifestyle Drug Monitoring Program. (p. 226)

The shipments of 9,650 pills per day were 36 times the threshold amount set by the Lifestyle Drug Monitoring Program, stated the report. (page 16) McKesson did not submit suspicious order reports to the DEA regarding orders placed by West Virginia pharmacies until August 1, 2013.

From April 2006 to 2016, McKesson supplied almost 300 million doses of hydrocodone and oxycodone to West Virginia pharmacies.

In addition, the report called out companies AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health, and others for their actions.

Our bipartisan investigation revealed systemic failures by both distributors and the DEA that contributed toand failed to abatethe opioid crisis in West Virginia, stated Walden and Pallone.

In a statement obtained by the Charleston Gazette-Mail, Cardinal Health said it was only an intermediary in the prescription drug supply chain, but the company would continue to implement rigorous anti-diversion controls.

AmerisourceBergen also released a statement saying, The comparatively few examinations of AmerisourceBergens 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.

The Gazette-Mail reported that McKesson did not respond to requests for comment.

The committee issued a number of recommendations: including that Congress should consider enacting additional suspicious order requirements; the DEA should establish a data platform with third-party experts to provide more real-time data; and distributors should perform, document, and maintain robust due diligence files for both prospective and existing customers.
Dancing FBI Agent Who Shot Man at Denver Bar Pleads Guilty

A dancing FBI agent who accidentally shot a man in the leg after doing a backflip at a Denver bar will avoid jail time after pleading guilty on Dec. 21 to third-degree assault.

Chase Bishop, 30, struck a plea deal with prosecutors and was sentenced to two years of probation, The Denver Post reported. He also must pay more than $1,600 in fines and court costs.

Footage of the June 2 shooting at Mile High Spirits and Distillery shows Bishop dancing in the middle of a circle of people before doing the backflip. The gun falls to the ground mid-flip and discharges as Bishop picks it up. The agent then puts the gun into a waistband holster and walks away with his hands up.

My whole goal in life is to care, protect and serve people, Bishop said in court on Dec. 21. I never expected the result of my actions to lead to something like this.

He pleaded not guilty in November to second-degree assault, which carries a penalty of up to 16 years in prison.

Bishop, who will serve his probation in Georgia, was in Denver on FBI business and was off-duty at the time of the shooting. FBI spokeswoman Kelsey Pietranton declined to say if he would continue to work at the agency.

The man who was shot, Tom Reddington, 24, spoke emotionally in court about how he lost his job at an Amazon warehouse after the shooting, his chronic pain and his concern that he may never be able to run again.

I have done months of physical therapy, he said. I have sought counseling. However, being in public, especially seeing law enforcement with guns, makes me very uncomfortable.

Reddington added that he does not hold a personal grudge against Bishop. Ive done stupid things at bars to impress girls, too, he said.
Destroying Our House by Our Own Hands: Review of Sabotage the Movie and Book Marxianity

America is being undermined and destroyed from within and has been for years. As a consequence, our nation stands at the precipice. This is the message of two extensive works recently produced by Christian author, TV and radio personality Brannon Howse of WVW broadcast network.

The most ambitious of these two productions is the six-part documentary Sabotage. Howse kicks off this documentary by quoting the Muslim Brotherhoods Explanatory Memorandum:

The process of settlement is a Civilization-Jihadist Process with all the word means. The Ikhwan [Muslim Brotherhood] must understand that their work in America is a kind of grand jihad in eliminating and destroying the Western civilization from within and sabotaging its miserable house by their hands and the hands of the believers so that it is eliminated and Gods religion is made victorious over all other religions.

Part I, which you can view for free at YouTube, features interviews with numerous experts, including DHS whistleblower and author Phil Haney; Betrayed author Billy Vaughn, whose son, Aaron, was one of 17 U.S. Navy SEALs among 30 Americans and 8 others killed in the worst special forces loss in Special Operations Command history; New Zealand researcher and filmmaker Trevor Loudon; former CIA officer Clare Lopez; former Iranian Muslim, now turned Christian pastor, Shahram Hadian; and many others, each of whom has a story to tell.

It exposes the alliance of Islamists and Marxists, something that has aptly been named the Red-Green Axis. Sabotage describes how the Muslim Brotherhood has been infiltrating our elections, our legal and educational systems, and advancing concepts of Islamic law (known as Shariah) in our courts and communities. Among the many objectionable and sometimes illegal practices under Shariah is female genital mutilation (FGM). As an example of how successful theyve been, a U.S. court recently declared the federal law against FGM to be unconstitutional.

They are also making headway in shutting down free speech as they have already done in Europe. Howse tells how four of five events he planned for 2018 were shutdown by Antifa and other left-wing and Islamic radicals with the help of the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Author and national security expert Jeff Nyquist describes in an interview how Putin is behind much of the Islamic terrorists efforts to destroy the West, including the explosive charge that Moscow is very likely behind al-Qaeda.

Vaughn describes how the military rules of engagement under former President Barack Obama undermined our missions and how it led to the crash of a Chinook helicopter codenamed Extortion 17 that killed his son, Aaron, and 37 others. Vaughn believes the Obama administration State Department and Department of Defense set it up for failure.

Fifteen of those killed were from SEAL Team 6, the same group that had killed Osama bin Laden a few months earlier. If you recall, former vice president Joe Biden recklessly disclosed the classified fact that SEAL Team 6 conducted that raid. There were two other SEALs from another unit, plus five Navy Special Ops support personnel and three Air Force special operators on Extortion 17in total 25 of our militarys best. Five U.S. Army National Guard and Reserve helicopter crewmembers and an Afghan interpreter also died. Seven unidentified Afghans joined the flight at the last minute. They were also killed, but speculation abounds that they were actually part of the pre-planned attack.

Vaughn exposes many outrageous facts about this cover-up that have never made the news. He reveals, for example, that our special forces were operating under the command of an Afghan group, not U.S. leaders. He said that operations were leaked beforehand so the enemy knew whenever we were coming, and that we hired Taliban advisers to instruct our forces. He equated it to our military hiring Nazis to fight the Nazis in World War II. The same military leaders are still in charge now.

Sabotage thoroughly explains the culture war our nation has been engaged in, and how, when, and by whom it was brought to our shores. This is a very interesting bit of history that goes a long way toward understanding todays culture, including the increasingly intolerant, left-dominated college campuses, the media, the deep state, and the radical left insanity that has surfaced since the election of President Donald Trump.

This six-part DVD documentary is over six hours long. There is more than can be adequately covered in this short review, but here are a few of the many issues covered in detail:

How the Muslim Brotherhood has infiltrated our financial markets with Shariah finance;

The long history of socialists and communists working with Islamists throughout the world;

The brainwashing of the American people through fake news and educational institutions;

The history of Antifa, Black Lives Matter, CAIR, and their goal to provoke revolution in America;

The frightening story about an organization run by the brother of Saddam Husseins nuclear scientist, which now owns two eastern seaboard ports, and its Russian connections;

The easily concealed atomic beach ball;

Russian-made fake cargo containers, used to surreptitiously launch cruise missiles;

Proof U.S. Islamists are moving from the lower to the upper house and what that means.

Diluting Christianity

Marxianity describes in a word the confluence of Christian and Marxist theology, and how Marxist Liberation Theology and the so-called Social Gospel have increasingly diluted mainline Christian thinking, to the point that true Christianity is rapidly disappearing, even among evangelical churches.

The rise of Interfaith Dialogue has added a new threat: that of Islamic theology and Shariah. The book describes how the Marxists created the lie of white privilege and built a coalition of people they label as victims, for example with minorities, homosexuals, illegal aliens, women, etc., and use them to blame conservatives, Christians, and capitalists for all the evils of the world.

The most dangerous new development in this trend is the successful targeting of Christian evangelicals, through flattery, deception, and in some cases with billions of dollars available through refugee resettlement and other similar programs. In the latter case, churches participate in our nations decline by helping to import thousands upon thousands of third world populations that place overwhelming burdens on communities nationwide, while openly refusing to assimilate.

The increasingly dumbed-down Christian community is taken in by the deliberately misinterpreted Biblical notion of welcoming the stranger. And of course if you arent welcoming, well, you must be a bigot, racist, Islamophobe, etc. Certainly not a Christian.

Sabotage and Marxianity paint a comprehensive picture of where we are as a nation today. It is an ugly reality that portends an even uglier future if the Red-Green Axis of communism and radical Islam gets its way.

Full disclosure: I was among the many interviewed for this documentary, so its purchase will give you an opportunity to catch a glimpse of my rare wisdom, charm, and good looksokay maybe I exaggerate.

Seriously, my contribution or not, as someone who has studied these issues for over 30 years, I can tell you, they get it right. What you need to understand is that the term culture war is not simply a trite slogan to describe the misdirected efforts of pointy-headed lefty college professors and mindless Hollywood liberals. It is a deliberate, carefully planned military strategy devised by our enemiesboth foreign and domesticto subvert and destroy our culture and society in preparation for its overthrow.

Let me repeat that. What brought us to where we are as a nation today, with its corrupt, ineffectual government, legislature, and military; insecure borders; a degenerate, increasingly divided, multicultural society provoked by radicals in media, Hollywood, and educationand a corporate structure devolving into crony socialismwas a premeditated, thoroughly planned military strategy devised by our foreign and domestic enemies to conquer our nation by our own hands without firing a shot.

People who watch and read these new materials will be well armed to understand and combat the goals, tactics, and strategies of the Red-Green Axis. The hour is late and the world grows darker by the moment, but with Gods intercession we may yet prevail.

James Simpson is an economist, former White House budget analyst, businessman, and investigative journalist. His latest book is The Red-Green Axis: Refugees, Immigration and the Agenda to Erase America. Follow Jim on Twitter and Facebook.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Family of American Woman Murdered in Costa Rica Sues Airbnb

The family of American Carla Stefaniak, who was murdered in or near an Airbnb rental in Costa Rica, filed a lawsuit against the company following her death.

Stefaniak, 36, a Florida resident, traveled to the Central American country in November to celebrate her birthday.

She was allegedly murdered by an illegal immigrant from Nicaragua who was working as a security guard at the hotel La Mares, also known as Villa le Mas, which rents out rooms through Airbnb, police officials said.

Her body was found near the rental on Dec. 3.

Stefaniaks family filed the suit on Dec. 20, alleging that the company didnt do a proper background check on Bismark Martinez, the illegal immigrant working as a security guard.

The security guard was not even legally authorized to be in Costa Rica, he was in the county illegally. He certainly wasnt properly licensed as a security guard. He wasnt even authorized to be employed, Jack Gordon, the familys lawyer, told Fox 13.

Yet he was provided with his own apartment directly next to where Carla was staying.

Gordon said Martinez was given free rein at the listing, handling the master keys to all the rentals and roaming the property.

They also said dangers and hazards at the vacation rental were ignored by the company despite being highlighted by customers who left negative reviews after staying there.

A simple Google search was able to demonstrate there were a number of negative reviews, complaints that were made about this particular resort, about these particular owners and about this particular staff at the resort, Gordon said. Yet interestingly enough, there didnt appear to be the same negative reviews on Airbnb.

Stefaniak arrived at the rental around 5 p.m. on Nov. 27, and texted a friend that it was pretty sketchy here, including a picture of the Airbnb, friend Bugra Demirel of Tallahassee told the Associated Press.

Forensic analysis of the body indicated that multiple persons were involved in removing and disposing of her body, according to the lawsuit, reported the Tampa Bay Times. A report recently citing a source indicated that police officials believe three or four people were involved in the murder.

Airbnb removed Villa le Masa compound with seven vacation apartmentsfrom its site after the murder. The company said representatives reached out to the family and expressed condolences.

Frederico Jenkins, the villas attorney, said previously that the owners are cooperating with the authorities.

The owners nor Jenkins have not responded to the lawsuit.

Airbnb said in a statement to the Times that it was standing by to support (the) investigation, as justice must be served quickly.

Our hearts are broken for Carlas family, friends, and loved ones, the statement said. We reached out to provide support to them during this unimaginably difficult time.

The company did not directly address the allegations in the lawsuit.

From NTD News
Government Partially Shuts Down, Some Agencies Set to Close

A partial government shutdown was triggered on the morning of Dec. 22, after President Donald Trump and Democratic lawmakers failed to reach an agreement on budget legislation.

More than 800,000 government employees were affected by the shutdown, according to a projection released on Dec. 12 by Senate Appropriations Committee staff. About half would be requested to work without pay, while others would be furloughed, or sent home without pay.

The workers who do report for work typically receive back pay after the new appropriations legislation is approved.

Nine Cabinet-level departments and dozens of agencies were awaiting funding, including the departments of justice, commerce, interior, agriculture, and homeland security.

Other agencies and departments, including the Pentagon and U.S. Postal Service, were already funded; the partial shutdown affects about 25 percent of the government.

The Food and Drug Administration and NASA are among the departments and agencies that are closing due to the partial shutdown. The National Park Sevice said that parks would remain open but wouldnt be staffed and most bathrooms would be closed.

Effective immediately upon a lapse in appropriations, the National Park Service will take all necessary steps to suspend all activities and secure national park facilities that operate using appropriations that are now lapsed, except for those that are essential to respond to emergencies involving the safety of human life or the protection of property, according to the services contingency plan (pdf).

National parks remained open in January during a temporary shutdown.

Workers were concerned about the shutdown, according to Anthony Reardon, head of the National Treasury Employees Union.

A shutdown is personally concerning this time of year for employees as they begin to travel to celebrate holidays with family and friends, he wrote in a letter (pdf) to Congressional leaders this week.

He also noted that a partial shutdown complicates the work for agencies that are affected, including the IRS and Customs and Border Control.

Most Shutdowns Last for Short Time

Marc Goldwein, senior policy director of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, told Fox News that government shutdowns usually last for a short time.

Were talking days or weeksnot months, Goldwein said. Half of the 20 shutdowns that have occurred since 1976 have lasted only a weekend.

Before 1980, the government didnt really shut down, Goldwein explained. A lot of others were over the course of weekends. I call them fake shutdowns.

The three most significant shutdowns took place under Democratic presidents; in the winter of 1995, the government shut down for 26 days as former president Bill Clinton and a Republican-controlled Congress negotiated. Another long shutdown took place under Clinton, and a stalemate in 2013 under former president Barack Obama between the House and the Senate led to a 16-day dispute.

Still, its not clear how long this shutdown will last as Trump, Republicans, and Democrats try to work toward a budget agreement. Trump himself wrote on Twitter early Thursday that if Democrats wouldnt vote for legislation he approved of, there will be a shutdown that will last for a very long time.

One budget proposal was passed by the House before being approved for a vote by the Senate on Dec. 21. But Democrats vowed not to vote for the bill, which includes approximately $5 billion in funding for Trumps border wall.

The Senate is currently made up of 51 Republicans and 49 Democrats; even if the four Democrats who said theyd vote for wall funding sided with the GOP, and every Republican voted for the proposal, five more votes would be needed to reach the 60-vote threshold.

From NTD News
Greek TV Host Shares Her Secret to Youth

The content is not available due to expiration.
U.S. President Donald Trump takes part in a welcoming ceremony with Chinese leader Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Nov. 9, 2017. (Damir Sagolj/Reuters)

In 90-Minute Speech, Xi Mutes References to Reform, Puts Emphasis on Marxism

Despite recent trade truce with Trump, Chinese leaders remarks laden with Communist Party rhetoric

News analysis

Marking the 40th anniversary of economic reforms that began Chinas rise as a modern power, Chinese leader Xi Jinping delivered a speech emphasizing the role of Marxism and socialist core values  apparently backtracking on earlier indications that he would move the country towards greater reform.

On Dec. 18, speaking for nearly an hour and a half in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Xi Xi Jinping made vague but strong references to Marxism and socialism with Chinese characteristics.

The speech was given to mark 40 years since the beginning of the Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) reform and opening up in 1978. In the decades since then, Chinas economy ballooned to become the second-largest in the world after the United States. The Party, however, has not given up its policies of political repression and human rights abuse.

Xis remarks that we must resolutely not reform what shouldnt and cant be changed have led to widespread speculation that structural reforms  the type that would bring Chinas economic practices into line with most other developed countries  are not in the cards under his leadership.

The Chinese regime, Xi said, must adhere to the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party, uphold the Marxism, and insist on socialism with Chinese characteristics.

There is no grand master who can lecture the Chinese people, Xi said, apparently referring to the United States.

Backtracking on Promises, or Communist Boilerplate?

Xis speech comes off as misplaced in light of his recent behavior in the Sino-U.S. relationship. At the same time, his dogged emphasis of Marxism and socialism are in keeping with the statements of previous Party leaders, each of whom have had to reconcile the capitalist aspects of contemporary Chinese economy and society with the CCPs communist ideology.

A little over a fortnight prior, Xi had met with U.S. President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Argentina. There, the two leaders had a reportedly amiable round of negotiations that prompted Trump to issue a 90-day cease-fire to the ongoing Sino-U.S. trade war.

Starting this spring, Washington has imposed high punitive tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars worth of Chinese exports in response to the CCPs widespread and longstanding breaches of business standards. Examples include heavy state interventionism, dumping, and rampant theft of intellectual property.

The tariffs, in conjunction with other U.S. measures to curb Chinas undesirable economic practices as well as Chinas own internal woes, have taken their toll on Chinese citizens and businesses. The regime is struggling to meet demand for food staples and control unemployment, while thousands of businesses have gone bankrupt.

In Argentina, Xi Jinping seemed ready to make accommodations. According to American officials present at the meeting, Xi offered detailed responses to U.S. government demands in talks that Trump praised as a potential prelude to a real deal with China.

The atmosphere of the Trump-Xi meeting contrasted with the Chinese regimes attitude throughout the trade war: Beijing has uniformly rebuffed the Trump administrations charges, accusing the United States of unfairly trying to contain Chinas economic rise.

As seen in the Xi-Trump summit, the Chinese leaders stated aims sometimes veer from conventional CCP norms. He has presented himself as an ardent reformer, and even a supporter of constitutional governance, the latter usually being something of a third rail in a system where the Communist Party is effectively above the law. Shortly after taking up office, Xi designated Dec. 4 as Chinas Constitution Day; for the occasion this year, 100,000 lawyers around the country were mobilized to make mass oaths of loyalty to the document.

At the same time, since coming to power as general secretary of the CCP in 2013, Xi Jinping has regularly hearkened to the Partys Marxist ideology, as well as socialist core values. Such rhetoric accompanies his crackdowns against factional rivals within the regime, as well as his moves to consolidate more authority and prestige in the hands of himself and the central government.

CCP governance in the decades prior to Xis leadership was characterized by collective leadership. In this framework, powerful Party officials aligned with retired leaders, prominently former Party boss Jiang Zemin, carved out spheres of influence for themselves and their supporters in the regime.

The CCP establishment has amplified the content of Xis recent speech.

At a press conference held just hours after the speech, a reporter asked Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying about statements made by Trumps economic adviser Peter Navarro.

Navarro had recently said that the aim of American trade negotiations was not simply to increase U.S. imports to China, but more importantly to encourage structural reform by Beijing.

Hua answered: I would like to suggest Mr. Navarro and other officials who share his opinions to read carefully General Secretary Xi Jinpings important speech at the 40th anniversary of the reform and opening up ceremony this morning.

Nicole Hao contributed to this report.
Kentucky Escapees Hitchhiking Attempt Goes Wrong, Gets Sent Back to Jail

A jail inmate who escaped from authorities and tried hitchhiking along a highway didnt enjoy freedom for long because the motorist he flagged down was a law enforcement officer.

Greenup County Jailer Mike Worthington told The Independent that 31-year-old Allen Lewis was being transported on Tuesday, Dec. 18, to face charges in another county when he told the officer his handcuffs were too tight. The officer pulled over and Worthington said after one handcuff was released, the two struggled and Lewis got free.

The jailer says Lewis made it to a nearby highway and tried to flag down passing cars for a ride. Worthington says the person who stopped was a campus officer at Morehead State University who saw handcuffs hanging off one wrist. Worthington says Lewis was taken back to jail and now faces an escape charge.

Another escaped inmate found herself in hot water on the same day.

In Waverly, Ohio, an escaped inmate is back in custody after being found soaking in a hot tub at an Ohio senior living community, still wearing her yellow jail outfit.

The Pike County Sheriffs Office says the 34-year-old woman fled while being booked on drug-possession charges Tuesday. She was captured by the sheriff and the local police chief several hours later when a 911 caller reported the woman sitting in the hot tub at a senior communitys activity center in Waverly, roughly 60 miles (97 kilometers) south of Columbus.

Authorities havent explained how or why the woman ended up there. A message seeking further comment was left Wednesday for the sheriff.

His office says the woman is being charged with felony escape in addition to the initial charges for alleged heroin possession.

Allen Zhong from the NTD.com contributed to the report.
Morocco Arrests 13 Over Murder of 2 Female Scandinavian Tourists

Nine more people have been arrested over the killing of two Scandinavian university students in a remote corner of Moroccos Atlas Mountains, bringing the total arrests to 13. Authorities in Morocco see the killings as a terrorist act.

Moroccos Central Bureau of Judicial Investigations says the latest arrests were made Dec. 20 and Dec. 21 across the country.

Moroccan investigators say the nine arrested were carrying arms and suspicious materials used in the making of explosives.

A plane carrying the remains of 24-year-old Danish student Louisa Vesterager Jespersen and 28-year-old Norwegian Maren Ueland flew out of Casablanca and headed to Copenhagen on Dec. 21.

The two friends were on a camping trip when they were brutally murdered. Their bodies were found by French hikers on Dec. 17 with stab wounds in their necks, 6.2 miles (10 kilometers) from the village of Imlil, on the way to Toubkal, north Africas highest peak and a popular hiking destination.

Revenge Slaying Captured on Camera

A video of the slaying of one of the women is said to be circulating on Moroccan social media, sparking outrage. In Norway, police said it is likely authentic.

There is no concrete evidence indicating the video is not real, Norways National Criminal Investigation Service (NCIS) said.

According to Morocco World News, in the video one of the suspects speaks in Moroccan Arabic (Darija): This is a revenge for our brothers in Hajin. Hajin is a small Syrian town that is being freed from ISIS control by Syrian Democratic Forces.

There was another video in which the four initial suspects appeared to be pledging their allegiance to ISIS.

Regarding the video, Norways NCIS said that neither Norway nor Denmark was mentioned in the video, nor was there anything specific about what action they should perform.

Slain in Their Tents

Both Jespersen and Ueland had lived in southern Norway where they attended university.

Helle Jespersen, one of the womens mother, 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 was quoted by the Telegraph as saying.

Unnamed local sources told The Sun that three homeless men were seen 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.

ISIS supporters have sent hundreds of horrific images and a beheading video directly to one of the victims grieving mothers, according to The Sun.

Disturbing images of the severed and partially severed heads of one of the murdered backpackers were reportedly also placed on the Facebook page of the heartbroken mother, according to the report.

The Associated Press and Tom Ozimek of The Epoch Times contributed to this report

From NTD
Standard Chartered Follows HSBC in Cutting Service to Huawei

After its CFO Meng Wanzhou was arrested in Canada, Huawei has been confronted with more challenges, including reduced access to the global financial system.

After the British bank HSBC Holdings stopped offering financial services to the Chinese tech giant, a second UK bank, Standard Chartered, followed suit citing unacceptable risks. Citigroup, Huaweis last major supplier of banking services, said it will review all new business with Huawei.

Huaweis CFO and vice chairman Meng Wanzhou is under surveillance in Vancouver following her release on bail; she is being charged with fraud and violating U.S. sanctions on Iran. She faces extradition to the United States, to the great protest of the Chinese regime.

On top of this scandal, Huawei faces big challenge for its overseas business, which contributes half of its revenue.

Due to its close connections with the Chinese regime, Huawei has been banned by at least four government so far, including the United States, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan. More countries are considering whether to follow suit.

Wall Street Journal reported on Dec. 20 that the three key banks that Huawei uses have changed their attitude towards it.

Great Britains HSBC Holdings PLC, which had been investigated in the early 2010s on charges that Huawei used its services to do business with Iran, decided in 2017 to stop provide new banking services or funding to Huawei. The report quoted an insider as saying that HSBC considered the risks of associating with Huawei to be too high.

Recently, Standard Chartered PLC, another British multinational banking and financial services company, came to the same conclusion as HSBC and cut off their services to Huawei.

The American Citigroup Inc. continues its day-to-day banking services to Huawei. According to reports, Citigroup too will review its business with other companies in order to analyze risks. This includes risks associated with Huawei.

Apart from these three banks, the report quoted insiders as saying that Huawei also has received funding from JPMorgan Chase & Co., Australia & New Zealand Banking Group Ltd., and the Dutch ING Groep NV.

Currently, these banks didnt provide comments on their ties with Huawei, but its possible that they may change their policy given the possibility of future sanctions against Huawei.

Bloomberg reported on Dec. 21 that theres a chance that Huawei will face similar temporary sanctions as its smaller Chinese competitor, ZTE.

ZTE had violated U.S. sanctions on North Korea and Iran. This violation was settled in March 2017, with the company agreeing to pay an $892 million fine and place $300 million in escrow.

Later on, American authorities learned that ZTE had lied before and during the 2017 deal. In response, American export watchdogs blocked ZTE from buying crucial components and software needed for manufacturing cell phones and telecommunications equipment from American tech companies like Qualcomm, Google, and Corning.

In order to regain access to U.S. technology crucial to its business, ZTE agreed on June 7, 2018 to pay a $1 billion fine and submitted to the strictest compliance measures ever issued by the Commerce Department.

Huaweis cash flows in 2017 totaled 96 billion yuan ($13.95 billion), with revenue of 603.6 billion yuan ($87.4 billion) according to its annual report.

Huawei has businesses in 170 countries and drew 49.5 percent of its 2017 revenue from overseas markets. As such, it is heavily reliant on U.S. currency.

Bloomberg analyzed that Huawei will be in trouble if Citigroup and other banks decline to service Huawei because of the knock-on effects it would have on other banks, including those in China. If no foreign banks service to Huawei, it wont be able to continue operating its overseas offices and branches, or execute business contracts.
Former National Security Adviser Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn arrives for his sentencing hearing at U.S. District Court in Washington on Dec. 18, 2018. (Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images)

Stunning Developments In The Flynn Case

Commentary

Many observers couldve been knocked over with a feather at a crucial moment early in Lt. Gen. Michael Flynns sentencing hearing on the morning of Dec. 18.

After several weeks of revelations in his case, including a pre-sentencing memorandum just a week earlier from Flynns defense team that appeared to relate serious malfeasance by the Mueller Special Counsel, U.S. District Court Judge Emmet Sullivan asked Flynn if he would like to withdraw his plea of guilty.

To the amazement of many of the onlookers, Flynn told the judge he was not withdrawing his guilty plea and wanted to move on to the sentencing. Judge Sullivan took pains to give Flynn several opportunities to withdraw the plea, but Flynn stood firm.

That surprised many people following the events in the courtroom, since manyincluding myselfhad speculated that the reason the Flynn team submitted its own pre-sentencing memorandum was in order to prepare for the withdrawal of Flynns guilty plea and a request to the judge to toss the case. It now became clear that was not going to happen.

After making absolutely sure this was what the defendant wished to do, Sullivan moved on to discussing the nature of the offense. Noting that the offense to which Flynn pleaded guilty was lying to the FBI while inside the White House itself, Sullivan then brought up news that had broken the previous day regarding the Mueller Special Counsels pursuit of Flynns former lobbying clients.

It was stunning to Judge Sullivan that it appeared an incoming presidential national security adviser (NSA) had recently been working for a foreign government as a lobbyist, something that led the judge to make some pointed comments to Flynn about selling out your country and treason, which he later walked back after a short recess.

As The Hill noted in its report Judge To Flynn: Arguably You Sold Your Country Out: Sullivan later said he misspoke when suggesting Flynn acted as a foreign agent in the White House, noting Flynns lobbying work ended before he started working for the Trump administration. I felt terrible about that, Sullivan said after a brief recess.

However the judge may have felt about misspeaking, it gave the mainstream media one heck of a soundbite, which it ran with, many media outlets not clarifying that within the hour Sullivan stated he misspoke and didnt mean to imply that Flynn was working as a Turkish lobbyist while inside the White House.

Flynns lobbying group had dissolved and his supposed lobbying on behalf of Turkish clients had ended before he accepted the job of being President Trumps NSA and moved into a White House office during the transition period following the November 2016 election.

Following the judge walking back his earlier comments, the Mueller Special Counsel team representative in court, Brandon Van Grack, stressed the full cooperation the Mueller team has received from the defendant and requested a lower punishment, probation, and no jail time.

Under the judges questioning, Van Grack admitted that Flynns assistance to the government in its various investigations is on going and has not been completed. This fact gave the judge pause, leading him to state hes not willing to sentence Flynn until he can see the full scope of the defendants help, and for that reason, he wont pass sentence until Flynns cooperation is fully completed.

Judge Sullivan then delayed proceeding further for 90 days, setting a status hearing for March 13, where both sides are to appear to give him an update as to whether Flynns cooperation is still on going or if it has finished.

So what exactly is going on here?

There are several competing narratives:

Flynn is pleading guilty because he is guilty and just wants this over with. Flynn is pleading guilty only to protect his family, especially his son, whom Mueller will target if Flynn does not roll over. Flynn has to plead guilty to protect national security due to being involved in a counterintelligence operation.

People may be far more familiar with the first two narratives, so Ill spend some time explaining the third.

The Flynn Intel Group (FIG) was created by Flynn in the fall of 2014. The FIG existed just long enough to make a few contracts, never seemed to do any actual lobbying, and then ended up refunding a lot of the money it was paid before disbanding in late 2016.

You know what also seems curious? Right around the time the FIG was established, Flynn publicly did a complete 180 on Turkey and Russia, suddenly talking about how awesome and wonderful Putin and Erdogan are. He even did an op-ed praising Erdogan and castigating prominent Turkish exile Fethullah Gulen as a shady Islamic mullah.

Now, theres two possibilities here:

Flynn decided to sell out and put his 30+ years of spook expertise (and the expertise of others in FIG) at the disposal of people hed called Americas enemies for decades, or Everything is not what it appears to be on the surface.

In August of 2017, Sen. Chuck Grassley sent a letter to Secretary of Defense James Mattis and the director of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) Lt. Gen. Vincent R. Stewart, in which he revealed that his Senate Judiciary Committee had been shown some highly classified documents by current DIA personnel back on May 25.

In his letter, Grassley specifically requested that Mattis and Stewart declassify at least one particular piece of information in these documents out of fairness to Flynn. He wrote:

Based on representations made by the DIA personnel, it appears the public release of this information would not pose any ongoing risk to national security. Moreover, the declassification would be in the public interest, and is in the interest of fairness to Lt. General Flynn.

From what is currently known, it appears Grassleys request was refused, likely because divulging it would compromise on-going investigations. Whatever the reason, it appears that at least key members of Congress are aware there are things going on underneath the surface in the Flynn case, and the most popular and prevalent narratives could be wrong.

Brian Cates is a writer based in South Texas and author of Nobody Asked For My Opinion  But Here It Is Anyway! He can be reached on Twitter at @drawandstrike.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
The Murky Waters of the Flynn Case

Commentary

The saga of special counsel Robert Muellers investigation into alleged collusion between the campaign of President Donald Trump and the Russian government was supposed to take a turn this week, after the sentencing of Trumps former national security adviser Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn.

Flynn struck a deal with Muellers team to plead guilty to lying to FBI agents about what was discussed during a lawful call he had with his Russian counterpart while serving on the Trump transition team.

Despite the expectations of Democrats that Flynn would be sentenced to jail and the hopes of Republicans that he would be exonerated, the sentencing was delayed until March 13, 2019. And much of the American public is still somewhat perplexed with not only this situation, but the entire Mueller investigation.

The confusion so many Americans have about the Russia collusion investigation is not due to anyones lack of intelligence, its done purposefully, investigative reporter Sara Carter wrote. Its the muddy water that, every once in a while, releases a shiny glimmer of truth, only to have it sink back again into the swamp with more trash and debris to cover it all up.

Its still unclear why Flynn was under surveillance in the first place. No one has been forthcoming with evidence of any crime that was committed by him, vis-a-vis the Trump campaign. The FBI had no warrant to spy on Flynn, yet did exactly that.

House Select Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) told The Washington Post, The big problem I see here is that you have an American citizen who had his phone calls recorded.

Not only was Flynn under surveillance that was likely illegal, someone within the Obama administration unmasked his name and then leaked it to The Washington Post, which are actions that could bring criminal charges.

The government had the surveillance transcripts, and it knew what Flynn had told the Russian ambassador, journalist Joel Pollak wrote. But the Posts intervention was crucial in setting the trap in which to ensnare Flynn and turn him into a government witness.

Whats even stranger is that the Post also seems to exonerate Flynn of criminal wrongdoing, reporting, The FBI in late December reviewed intercepts of communications between the Russian ambassador to the United States and retired General Mike Flynn, national security adviser to then-President-elect Trump, but has not found any evidence of wrongdoing or illicit ties to the Russian government, U.S. officials said.

Its commonplace for incoming cabinet-level officials on a transition team to speak with their foreign counterparts. Its not commonplace to record such calls, then question the U.S. official about that callwithout an attorney presenton the content of those recordings, without even mentioning that those recordings exist. So, the only plausible reason former FBI Director James Comey would have sent FBI agents to visit the White House was to set a perjury trap for Flynn.

Testimony given by Comey to the House Judiciary Committee a day before Flynns hearing further suggests this.

During questioning by Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.), Comey admitted that normal practice was to coordinate an interview through the White House Counsels Office. He subsequently reiterated a point he made during the previous weeks congressional testimonythe FBI took advantage of the fact that the transition team wasnt completely in order. Comey even spoke of this highly irregular questioning, characterizing it as something they wouldnt have done or gotten away with in a more organized administration.

The fix was in.

And many things are still murky with this investigation. Who in the Obama administration ordered the surveillance, the unmasking, and the leaking? Are those people also under criminal investigation? Why has the other agent who was present at Flynns questioning been prevented by the Department of Justice from giving any public statements? Why was Flynn not more forthcoming with FBI agents about a legal conversation he had with a foreign counterpart?

And, why was Flynn charged at all, considering, as The Washington Examiner reported, Comey told lawmakers that the FBI agents who interviewed Flynn did not believe that Flynn had lied to them, or that any inaccuracies in his answers were intentional?

After the hearing ended, Flynn exited the front door of the courtroom, ushered by his entourage through a gauntlet of frenetic chaos, with protesters shouting lock him up and supporters screaming, USA, USA! As he hopped into a black SUV and was whisked away, all that America was left with was the distressing realization that we still have no evidence of Russian collusion, and yet another man has had his life ruined because of a political hit job.

Adrian Norman is a writer and political commentator.

He can be reached on Twitter @madriannorman Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Sgt. Christian Pastrana, right, prepares toys for a donation to the organization Women in Distress, at the Marine Corps Toys for Tots depot in Hialeah, Fla., on Dec. 19, 2018. (Lynne Sladky/AP Photo)

Toys R Us Closure Hits Toys for Tots Hard

HIALEAH, Fla.When Toys R Us closed, Toys for Tots felt the loss.

The toy giants decision to close its stores this year left some huge holes for the annual charity drive to fill.

Toys R Us shoppers donated more than 250,000 toys last year and the company gave $5 million in corporate contributions40 percent of all corporate giving to the Marine Corps community effort.

The companys 800 stores usually had boxes near the doors where customers could toss a toy on their way out. They also took monetary donations.

From Florida to Spokane, Washington, several Toys for Tots campaigns say the closures hurt. In Orlando, for example, donations were down 25 percent. In Bakersfield, California, the local group reported being 10,000 toys down earlier this month.

Kelly Wilson, the north Atlanta coordinator for Toys For Tots, said her city needed 268,000 more toys earlier this week. She said donations collected at local Toys R Us stores would fill a large tractor-trailer or more each year.

We are hopeful that all of our contributors just went somewhere else, got a toy from Kroger or Publix  Target or Walmart since Toys R Us is not available, she said.

Toys for Tots national spokesman Ted Silvester said losing Toys R Us was a tough pill. But he said other corporate sponsors such as Hasbro, Disney and Build-A-Bear helped fill the void while Marine units asked the public for more individual donations. In some cities its too late to donate toys this year, but monetary donations are accepted to buy last-minute gifts.

Silvester said while it wont be known until next month whether the Toys R Us closure resulted in an overall drop nationally in presents donated, numerous cities like New York and Detroit required additional toys. So did regions hit by disasters this year, such as Northern California and the Carolinas.

He said the national Toys for Tots Foundation assists any of the 809 local drives that need additional gifts. Toys for Tots distributed 18 million toys to 7 million children across the U.S. last year.

The loss of Toys R Us hurt but we hope we will be able to meet the needs of all the families this holiday season, Silvester said. Toys R Us closed in June after filing for bankruptcy last year, unable to compete with online retailers and discount stores like Target and Walmart. More than 30,000 workers lost jobs.

At the Marine Corps warehouse in suburban Miami this week, vans and trucks from community groups, womens shelters, churches, and schools lined up daily to pick up toys for families they assist. Outreach to local givers and a shipment of Hasbro toys from the national foundation filled any hole left by Toys R Us, said Gunnery Sgt. Dennis Polo, who led the local effort.

On one particular morning, several Marines and civilian volunteers loaded boxes as the months-long effort reached its final days. Polo said his 19 years in the Marines helped him meet the challenge by organizing the mission like a battlefield deployment.

The warehouse is orderly, with toys separated by age group and gender. Charities submit orders giving details of their recipients and the Marines prepare customized boxes in advance to await pickup. Chaos is kept to a minimumbut Polos weary voice gives away the effort that makes it happen.

It is very tedious work but very, very needed, said Polo, whose family immigrated to Miami from Cuba when he was 15 and still lives here. It is not just collecting toys and giving toys, it is matching the gift to each child.

Dabf Montesir and Quante Watkins were picking up toys for McDonalds Playworld, a Miami charity that works with low-income families  boxes of goods filled their van. (The charity is not associated with the fast-food chain.) Montesir said hes glad Miamis Toys for Tots overcame the loss of Toys R Us because the presents his group receives help alleviate strain for needy parents who cant afford gifts for their children.

Keiondra Ross three children are receiving gifts through McDonalds Playworld. The single mother, who works at a Veterans Administration hospital cafeteria, said its difficult to pay for her familys needs, so extras like Christmas presents are tough. On this day just before Christmas, the familys apartment sat dark to cut the electric bill.

What Toys for Tots provides is hope, Ross said. It allows children to feel, to be a child, to be happy, to receive something, to be able to be a kid.
Syrian displaced people walk in a flooded camp near Kah, in the Idlib province, northeastern Syria, on Dec. 19, 2018. (Aaref Watad/AFP/Getty Images)

Turkey Says Nearly 300,000 Syrians Return Home After Military Operations

ISTANBULNearly 300,000 Syrians have returned to their country after Turkeys two cross-border operations in northern Syria, Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu was quoted as saying on Dec.22.

Turkey has carried out two operations, dubbed Euphrates Shield and Olive Branch, against Kurdish YPG militia and ISIS terrorist group in northern Syria. Ankara regards the U.S.-backed YPG as a terrorist organization.

Turkey hosts more than 3.5 million Syrian refugees who have fled the conflict in their homeland. Some Turks view them as an economic burden and a threat to jobs.

The number of Syrians that returned to their country after the Euphrates Shield and Olive Branch operations is 291,790, Soylu was quoted by state-owned Anadolu news agency as saying.

The Turkish military pushed into Syria northwest in two offensives, carving out a de facto buffer zone.

The first, Euphrates Shield in 2016, drove ISIS from territory along the border. The second, Olive Branch, wrestled the nearby Afrin region from the hands of Syrian Kurdish forces this spring.

Soylu also said that more than 250,000 illegal migrants had been caught in Turkey in 2018, without specifying their nationalities, adding that this showed a jump of more than 50 percent from the previous year.

He said stepped up efforts by Turkish police and security forces and the coastguard to clamp down on illegal migration had curbed the flow of migrants to countries in Western Europe.

Turkey became one of the main launch points for more than a million illegal migrants from the Middle East and Africa taking the sea route to European Union territory in 2015.

The influx of illegal migrants was drastically curtailed by a 2016 accord between Ankara and the EU to close the route after hundreds died crossing to Greek islands.

President Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday that Turkey would postpone a planned military operation against Syrian Kurdish fighters in northeast Syria as he cautiously welcomed Washingtons decision to withdraw its troops in the area.

By Ali Kucukgocmen
A GoFundMe page titled, We The People Will Fund The Wall, has raised $13 million out of the $1 billion required for construction as of Dec. 20, 2018 (GoFundMe)

Veteran Behind Viral GoFundMe for Wall Says Many Democrats Thanked Him

The man behind the viral GoFundMe to fund the wall is challenging people, who think his plan to raise $1 billion will not pan out, to reconsider.

Theyre full of crap, Brian Kolfage, a triple-amputee Air Force veteran, told Fox News Laura Ingraham during her TV show aired on Dec. 20.

As of Dec. 21, more than 218,000 people donated and the fund has raised more than $13 million. One anonymous donor contributed $50,000, several contributed around $10,000, and more gave $5,000.

Were not getting just people who voted for Trump now, Kolfage told Fox Business on Dec. 21. Im getting messages from many Democrats who say they support this wall  Its showing the support of all Americans who are coming together on this.

Kolfage explained the average GoFundMe donation is about $60 per contributor, but his page recommends an $80 donation

This is the United States, and we can do anything we want, he said on Ingrahams show. If people want to donate to that wall  whats $80 for 60 million people. The 60 million figure likely refers to the number of people who voted for Trump.

Kolfage maintains his GoFundMe is legitimate.

Im a retired United States Air Force member who was wounded in Iraq, and lost three 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. Do your research before donating, and contact me if you have any questions, the page read.

Kolfage added that he has contacted the Trump Administration to secure a point of contact where all the funds will go upon completion. When we get this information secured we will update, adding that he is working with a law firm on an agreement to bind the government to [use] the funds for the border wall itself, nothing else.
Svetlana Laurel, 52, killed her 14-year-old daughter during a domestic dispute that included Laurel restraining her ex-husband and 12-year-old son and wielding a Taser and gun, police officers said. (Svetlana Laurel/Facebook)

Washington Mother Arrested for Allegedly Killing Daughter After Girl Called 911

A Washington mother is in custody after police officials said she shot her 14-year-old daughter after the girl called 911 for a domestic dispute the mother and girls father were having.

Svetlana Laurel, 52, was holding a Taser, and used it on her ex-husband inside his house on Smithers Avenue in Renton, according to a police report.

Svetlana drew a pistol and told her ex-husband she was going to shoot him because he had ruined her life, according to the document, which was obtained by KIRO 7.

The couples 12-year-old son and 14-year-old daughter were both at the house during the incident.

The girl, later identified as Natalie Gulizia, rushed to her bedroom upstairs and called the police.

The mother found out she was calling 911 and shot her, Renton Police Department Cmdr. David Leibman told the broadcaster. According to the report, the 911 operator could hear a woman saying You called 911 and then heard her say something like blow your head off.

Then she heard a loud sound followed by screaming.

After killing the girl, Laurel tried shooting her ex-husband but the gun jammed, reported Q 13. He was able to escape and he tackled her shortly before police officers arrived, and the couples boy also made it outside.

A Renton police detective told the broadcaster that Laurels tirade also involved restraining her ex-husband and 12-year-old son in zip ties. She initially gained entry to the home when the teen was home alone, presenting the boy with Christmas presents that turned out to be old clothes before restraining him.

She put duct tape over his mouth and later removed it, but warned him she would use the Taser on him if he screamed.

Svetlana Laurel booked into jail, suspected of shooting and killing her 14-yo daughter Natalie Gulizia in Renton last night. @KIRO7Seattle pic.twitter.com/v3lKKnzHxF  AMY CLANCY (@ClancyKIRO7) December 19, 2018

Deep Animus

The stunning sequence of events may have stemmed from a custody dispute as the father had full custody of the children at the time of the shooting.

It is clear that the defendant holds a deep animus towards her ex-husband and she has proven to be capable of committing the most horrific acts against her own children, wrote John Castleton, the senior deputy prosecuting attorney who filed the charges in King County, reported the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

Laurel is facing an aggravated murder charge in the shooting death. If convicted, shed face life in prison without the possibility of parole, per state law.

Shes expected to be arraigned on the charges, which also include attempted first-degree murder, kidnapping, and unlawful imprisonment, in January. Shes being held without bail.

The Hope Lutheran Church and School said in a blog post that Gulizia was a graduate from the school and was attending Kennedy Catholic High School.

She was a bright, talented, and extremely well-loved young lady. Her brother Nicky attended Hope through sixth grade and many of our current Hope 8th graders remain friends with him, senior pastor Peter Mueller and principal Kristen Okaybayashi wrote.

The circumstances around this are tragic, and there are no adequate words to express the diversity of feelings and thoughts that arise within our souls at a time like this, they added, encouraging people to turn to their faith.

A prayer vigil was planned for Gulizia at the Hope Lutheran Church sanctuary in Seattle at 12 p.m. on Dec. 23.

It will be an opportunity for us to gather together to express our sorrow, process our emotions, and pray, the church said on Facebook. All are welcome.

From NTD News
West Virginia Police Seek Man Whose Tip Preceded Mine Rescue of Three

Police in West Virginia issued an arrest warrant for a man whose three friends were rescued earlier this week after he told authorities that they had gotten lost in an abandoned mine.

The Raleigh County, West Virginia, sheriffs office said late on Dec. 20 that it had brought charges including giving police false information against Eddie Williams, who had been with the other three in the Rock House Powellton mine near the town of Clear Creek, about 50 miles southeast of Charleston.

Williams, 43, found his way out of the mine on Monday and alerted authorities about his missing friends, who were rescued on Wednesday after having been stranded for four days.

Rescue crews, including the West Virginia National Guard and state and local agencies, had already started their search for the four early on Sunday, pumping water out of the mine and sending back fresh air with large fans.

Williams is being sought for entering without breaking and conspiracy, as well as giving authorities false information, the sheriffs office said in a statement. It said it is still investigating the other three, Erica Treadway, 31, Kayla Williams, 25, and Cody Beverly, 21.

The father of Kayla Williams told an ABC News affiliate that he believed the group entered the abandoned mine to look for scrap copper to sell.

Its worth money, Randy Williams told the network after his daughter was rescued. A couple of years ago it was almost $4 a pound. You could make $1,000 a day.

The incident prompted West Virginia Governor Jim Justice to urge people to stay out of abandoned mines, calling entry extremely irresponsible behavior that puts our first responders and mine safety crews in unsafe situations.

By Peter Szekely
At least eight people have been killed across Sudan, officials said, as demonstrations against soaring prices and shortages rock the capital and other cities, with protesters burning tires and demanding President Omar Bashir step down.

A state of emergency was declared in Gadaref state, which borders Ethiopia, after about six people died and many others were injured, local commissioner Altybe Alamin said late Thursday in a statement.

In Nile River state in central Sudan, two protesters were killed and others wounded, according to regional spokesman Ibrahim Mukhtar. Neither gave details on the circumstances. Sudania 24, a television station, said Khartoum state schools will be suspended from Sunday, when the working week starts.

In Khartoum, residents have blocked some streets and are burning tires, chanting against the government and calling for Bashir's exit, said Husameldin, a local resident who asked that his surname not be used because of concerns about government reprisals. The demonstrations come after increases in bread prices, with people already queuing for hours for bread and motor fuel.

Sudan has been roiled by sporadic protests in 2018 as currency devaluations and cuts in subsidies have sent living costs rocketing. The U.S. last year lifted most sanctions it imposed on the country in the late 1990s.

Dissent has been "brewing for a while, but it was possible for President al-Bashir to blame it on external forces, especially the U.S. sanctions for the difficult domestic economic situation," said Abdullahi Boru Halakhe, a U.S.-based specialist on the Horn of Africa. "Now that the sanctions have been lifted, there is no place to hide."

Authorities this week also declared a state of emergency in the central city of Atbara after protesters set fire to the ruling party's main office and the city government's headquarters. Bashir has led the country since ousting former Prime Minister Sadiq al-Mahdi in a coup in 1989.

The government said in a statement Friday that it allows the freedom to demonstrate, but alleged "the protests have deviated from their track and some saboteurs have targeted public property including government buildings and police stations." It didn't comment on any casualties. An internet outage since Thursday has curbed social-media use in the country.

"These killings must stop," Amnesty International said in a statement. The government "must address the root cause of the rapidly deteriorating economic conditions in the country instead of trying to prevent people from fully exercising their right to protest."

Protests by tens of thousands of people have taken place in at least 13 towns with nine people shot dead over the past two days by security forces, Amnesty said.

The Umma Party, Sudan's largest official opposition group, in a statement urged its members to take to the streets to help bring down the government. Al-Mahdi, its leader, returned to the country this week after months abroad.

"How the administration handles this will be critical," said Halakhe. "If instead of listening and changing, they begin clamping down, that could exacerbate the already precarious situation."
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Linkedin Charles Beraf (The Jakarta Post) Ende  Sat, December 22, 2018

Generally, we know that religion is held up as a vessel of peace, both inner and social peace. However, many outrageous cases of violence in Indonesia are also sparked by problems related to religion.



A week before Christmas, Muslim residents in Yogyakarta cut off the top of a cross, a symbol of Christianity, on their deceased Catholic neighbors grave following his burial near a public cemetery. The case might stretch relations among religions, sullying the proclaimed unitary state of the republic.



In historys tapestry, religion and violence are woven together. Any number of religions have justified violence under certain circumstances, and others have become caught up in the process. In the ancient world, Zoroastrianism transformed earlier combat myths into a theology of eternal apocalyptic struggle between good and evil, and ancient Judaism forged a confederacy under conditions of war.



Early Christianity had its martyrs, and the medieval Roman church, its crusades and inquisitions. As for Islam, the close association between rulership and religion  together with the principle of jihad or holy war as a vessel of reformation  infuse politics enduring potential for violence.



However, there is no intrinsic relationship between religion and violence. In the modern world, all religions promote peace as their central tenet, leaving violence in either theology or practice.



Moreover, most modern social institutions diminish the power of religion, positioning religion only as a moral force that insists on peaceful (nonviolent) ways.



Specifically, in Indonesia, as the moral forces of all religions are tied to Pancasila as the nations basic moral value of upholding unity in diversity, in terms of promoting religious pluralism, ecumenism and dialogue in relation to the nations integrity.



That means nonviolent ways should be the core ethic, or way of life for all religions. Consequently, religious leaders should call for an end to violence, and all believers should be tolerant of and live in harmony with others.



In reality, meanwhile, violence still exists. As The Jakarta Post reported, Yogyakarta Interfaith Brotherhood Forum secretary-general Timotius Aprianto deplored the incident, saying religious pluralism is only recognized formally but not substantially embraced by society.



Then, how should one be really religious in both principle and practice?



How to be a tolerant believer in either orthodoxy or orthopraxis? How are we to understand Pancasila in a context of pluralism and promote nonviolent ways among citizens?



Sociologist Robert N. Bellah writes that a religion can never be a way of life if its believers do not profoundly involve themselves in social relationships that entail community, caring and even insight into communal obligations and experience.



Involvement in social relationships enables them to define themselves as religious citizens on the one side and to strengthen their ethical bonds with one another on the other side.



What this means is that being a religious person without connecting with others is nonsense.



Religion is not only about showing respect and love for God but grasping the interconnection of personal and public welfare as well.



Thus, pluralism in Indonesia is not a hindrance to religiosity but the context that presents a real opportunity for actualizing and sharing our identity as believers to others.



In Indonesia, we have already inherited Pancasila from our founding fathers; that Pancasila should become our national public norm and the leading principle for all religions, cultures, races, etc.



By contrast, disallowing pluralism as ours is a crime related to any aspect of life (religion, social life, culture, etc.). Violence in any form (verbal or nonverbal) can never be a solution for any religious problem in Indonesia. So, let us bridge our differences with peaceful ways.

***

The writer, a Catholic priest, works for Detukeli research center in Flores, East Nusa Tenggara. He obtained his masters degree in rural sociology from the University of the Philippines, Los Banos.

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Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post.
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Linkedin Sun Xiaomeng (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, December 22, 2018 16:21 1076 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e39afd7 3 Opinion Indonesia,China,bilateral-relations,cultural-diplomacy,exchange Free

Sino-Indonesian cultural exchange has a long history. According to Indonesian historian Mohammad Yamin, the influence of Chinese culture on Indonesian culture dates back to the Stone Age. Religion and language were the main forms of communication in early Sino-Indonesian cultural exchange.



After diplomatic ties were established in 1950, Sino-Indonesian exchange flourished in sports, culture, religion, language, tourism, art and other fields. As soon as the Cold War ended, cultural exchange between China and Indonesia expanded, marked by a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation in tourism, health and sports, and a cultural cooperation agreement.



Since 2011, the two nations have made breakthroughs in their cultural exchange. More prominent events were held, such as the 2011 signing ceremony for a new MoU on bilateral scientific and technological cooperation, Science and Technology Week, the joint working group meeting on education in 2012, and an exchange involving 100 youths and the media exchange forum in 2013.



Sino-Indonesian academic cooperation reached new heights in 2014, with 13,689 Indonesian students coming to China. Students from Indonesia ranked sixth in their number among the 203 countries of origin, and were second only to Thailand among Southeast Asian countries.



A mechanism for people-to-people exchange was initiated at the deputy premier level in 2015, and three meetings have been held since then, pointing to the two countries direction in people-to-people exchange and cooperation.



In June 2016, Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU) established the Sino-Indonesian University Think Tank Alliance, another important landmark achievement in Sino-Indonesian cultural exchange. The alliance has seven members: BFSU, Central China Normal University, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, Hebei Normal University, Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta State University (UNY) and the University of North Sumatra (USU).



The alliance serves as a platform for strengthening two-way talent training and promoting scientific research and policy dialogue, and facilitates educational information and academic resources sharing as well as exchange and cooperation among university think tanks.



It also explores new mechanisms for transnational talent training to promote a two-way flow of students between its member universities and strengthens cooperation between scientific research institutions and personnel as part of the alliances efforts to create a collaborative innovation community.



The alliance also focuses on specific policies of the China-Indonesia comprehensive strategic partnership to carry out targeted research and interpretation in order to consolidate public opinion of Sino-Indonesian relations from a strategic long-term perspective, and to create an environment for establishing good public opinion in promoting the development of bilateral relations.



This cultural exchange between the two countries possesses at least four characteristics. First, the strategic partnership guarantees cultural exchange. Sino-Indonesian cultural exchange is deeply influenced by bilateral political relations.



Second, the predominant bilateral exchange is complemented by multilateral exchange. Apart from their well known bilateral cooperation, China and Indonesia have also cooperated under the China-ASEAN multilateral framework in recent years.



When attending the China-ASEAN leaders meeting in the Philippines last year, Premier Li Keqiang promoted the formulation of the Vision of China-ASEAN Strategic Partnership 2030, upgraded the 2+7 Cooperation Framework to the 3+X Cooperation Framework, and built a new multidisciplinary cooperation framework on the three pillars of political security, economic and trade relations, and cultural exchange.



This is another important change in Chinas policy toward ASEAN, and it provides new opportunities for cultural exchange between China and Indonesia and other Southeast Asian countries.



Since 2010, Sino-Indonesian relations have been warming up. The leaders of the two countries have held frequent visits and meetings. Mutual trust in the political sphere has been constantly enhanced.



Strategic policy communication has been timely and accurate, which in turn laid the foundation for cultural exchange and cooperation, particularly since Chinese President Xi Jinpings 2013 visit to Indonesia. The leaders of the two countries have since met at third-party venues and exchanged more than 10 official visits and calls, while bilateral relations reached a new high. This is a rare achievement in the history of Sino-Indonesian relations.



However, challenges face the two nations in sustaining their close relationship. First is the language barrier to attaining mutual understanding. At present, Indonesia constructs its understanding of China mainly through the English media and the so-called mainstream reports from Western countries. The two countries lack a more comprehensive and objective understanding of each other.



Second, the exchange of religious figures and think tanks is lagging. This kind of deficit will seriously restrict mutual public recognition and hinder further development of cultural exchange.



Some recommendations can be made for China and Indonesia to strengthen their cultural exchange and cooperation. First, we should strengthen media cooperation, especially in the exchange and cooperation of new media.



Second, educational cooperation should cover two aspects. One is learning each others national language and culture. The two countries should also set up cultural research centers as soon as possible to direct cultural exchange.



Two, we should deepen cooperation between our universities and colleges, and together cultivate high-level talents such as Masters and PhD graduates, as well as young leaders, so as to continuously inject the sustained and stable development of bilateral relations with new vitality.



Third, the exchange of think tanks should be strengthened in discussing and communicating important issues in bilateral relations, mutual interests and concerns, cooperation modes and paths in people-to-people exchange, international and regional hot issues and ASEAN issues. The think tanks should also initiate joint studies and submit them to their respective governments as decision-making references to guide bilateral relations as well as cultural exchange and cooperation.

***

The writer is the dean of the School of Asian and African Studies at Beijing Foreign Studies University and executive director of the Sino-Indonesian Cultural Exchange Research Center. This article is based on her

presentation at the Belt and Road Initiative seminar on Nov. 27, which was co-hosted by The Jakarta Post.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post.
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Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Mumbai, India  Sat, December 22, 2018 09:36 1077 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e38ebbc 2 People Facebook,India,Pakistan,love Free

An Indian man released this week after being jailed for six years in Pakistan issued advice on Friday not to follow his example and fall in love on Facebook.

Hamid Nehal Ansari illegally entered Pakistan from Afghanistan in 2012 to meet a woman he had fallen for on the social media network.

But Pakistani police were waiting for him at the woman's house and arrested him on the spot. The engineer was later jailed for spying and forging documents.

Read also: You probably have it on your phone: WhatsApp is 2018 most downloaded app

"Do not be emotional about strangers and don't fall in love on social media including Facebook," Ansari told AFP three days after being released and returning to India.

Local media showed Ansari hugging his mother and bowing to touch his head to the ground after crossing over to India at an overland border on Tuesday.

"Getting deported was the happiest moment of my life," the 33-year-old later said by phone from his home in Mumbai.

"(Now I will) start a business, get married and work on building back my life. No more social for me," Ansari said.

Arch-rivals Pakistan and India have fought three major wars since independence from Britain in 1947. They routinely arrest each other's citizens on spying charges
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Linkedin Liza Yosephine (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, December 22, 2018 20:19 1076 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e39fa55 1 Entertainment Mary-Poppins-Returns,Emily-Blunt,musical-film,childrens-film,film-review Free

Mary Poppins Returns starring Emily Blunt continues the nannys whimsical adventures with a new generation from the Banks family, set decades from the original 1964 film, as magical Mary flies back into the house on Cherry Tree Lane in London.

Now all grown up, siblings Michael (Ben Wishaw) and Jane Banks (Emily Mortimer) welcome back their magical nanny, who has arrived to take care of Michaels three children, John, Anabel and Georgie.

Michael, an artist who has taken up a job as a bank teller to make ends meet, struggles to take care of his family since the passing of his wife.

Financial matters finally catch up with the family, who is suddenly threatened with the loss of their home. It is amid such intensifying pressures that Mary Poppins arrives to bring some cheer and warmth to the crumbling home.

Blunt, with pitch-perfect pipes and an ever-present knowing smile, delivers a perkier version of the singing nanny, who enters the story by mysteriously gliding down from the sky, not unlike Julie Andrew's own take of the character based on P. L. Travers' namesake books.

"Mary Poppins Returns" stars Emily Blunt. (Courtesy of Disney/File)

Unlike Jane and Michael, who excitedly welcomed nanny Mary when they were little, the three children were at first hesitant, with John and Anabel particularly insisting they were mature enough to take care of themselves as well as their younger brother Georgie.

As the chaos unfolds, Mary Poppins entertains the children while teaching valuable lessons through playful adventures and sing-a-longs accompanied by Jack, a singing-and-dancing lamp lighter wonderfully played by Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Pixie Davies, Nathanael Saleh and Joel Dawson as Anabel, John and Georgie, respectively, carry the movie with vigor and charm, following in the tunes of Blunt's melodic voice.

The fantasy musical is decorated with delightful songs, with standouts including Blunts comforting ballad "The Place Where Lost Things Go", as well as the lively Miranda-led Trip A Little Light Fantastic sequence and the joyful Nowhere to Go but Up led by Whishaw.

Adding spice to the story include veteran Meryl Streep as Mary Poppins' quirky cousin Topsy, as well as the charming Colin Firth who appears as the devilish and greedy villain Mr. Wilkins.

Dick Van Dyke, who starred in the original film, also makes a cameo in the updated sequel, although as an entirely different character to his Bert.

The film is a joyful continuation of the magical nanny story that will be enjoyed by children, featuring other-worldly tales that intrigue the imagination. Although the musical numbers are catchy and entertaining at best, especially for the young audience, the adults, however, may find some parts slightly dragging at times.

Keep in mind, there's always a challenge when filmmakers take on a story that's already widely popular, especially in the caliber of Mary Poppins, which was nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards and nabbed Best Actress for Andrews in the titular role.

Overall, however, Disney has delivered an enjoyable holiday flick for some lighthearted family fun that pays homage to a beloved classic.
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Linkedin Rito P. Asilo (Philippine Daily Inquirer/Asia News Network) Manila, The Philippines  Sat, December 22, 2018 21:14 1076 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e3a0690 2 Entertainment Sandra-Bullock,Bird-Box,Netflix,Netflix-original-film Free

It comes as no surprise to hear suspense-thriller aficionados calling Bird Box, Sandra Bullocks postapocalyptic thriller on Netflix, a rip-off of John Krasinskis A Quiet Place.

To be fair, however, the rough draft of rock vocalist Josh Malermans best-selling 2014 novel that inspired the film was written way before M. Night Shyamalans similarly themed The Happening was released in 2008.

So, while director Susan Biers adaptation certainly has loose ends that need tying up, as well as schmaltzy scenes that dont quite tug at viewers heartstrings, it boasts edge-of-your-seat moments that proficiently put thrill-seeking viewers through the wringer. And, for some suspense-thriller and horror fans, thats good enough reason to sit through the two-hour production.

In A Quiet Place, you put your life at risk when you make any kind of noise. In Bird Box, which premieres on the streaming network today, exposing your eyes to an unseen adversary immediately becomes an urgent matter of life and death.

In both cases, survivors must keep their wits about them as they sharpen their uncompromised senses to evade the sinister danger lurking in their midst.

The film revolves around Malorie (Sandra Bullock), whos coming to terms with unwanted pregnancy as the mysterious vision-sensitive outbreak that originated from Romania begins to make its presence felt in the United States. It doesnt take long before the infection spreads like wildfire!

Every person who gets infected hears voices that convince them to commit suicide, each as wince-inducing as the next.

Read also: Sandra Bullock plays against type in dystopian thriller 'Bird Box'

What about mind over matter, you ask? Forget itthe urge to hurt yourself and others is too strong to resist.

Following the ensuing mayhem, and with her sister (Sarah Paulson) left in the lurch, Malorie ends up hiding with a ragtag group of survivors in a house where all the windows are covered. If they attempt to look at whats outside, they get infected by something that they see and start manifesting psychotic behavior.

For Malorie, surviving the outbreak is made even more challenging by the presence of other survivors who are just as petrified as she isincluding perpetually suspicious lawyer Douglas (John Malkovich), pregnant widow Olympia (Danielle Macdonald), hipsters Lucy (Rosa Salazar) and Felix (Colson Baker aka rapper Machine Gun Kelly), sexagenarian Sheryl (Jacki Weaver) and kind-hearted Tom (Trevante Rhodes).

But their difficult situation takes a more maniacal twist when another survivor, Gary (Tom Hollander), shows up and tells them that escapees from a hospital for the criminally insane have inexplicably proven to be immune from the infection!

The film shuttles between this period and what happens five years later, when Malorie and her two kids, simply nicknamed Girl (Vivien Lyra Blair) and Boy (Julian Edwards)who have been trained to move around without seeingmust survive a perilous 48-hour journey on a river to find a secret community of survivors.

But, how can Malorie protect her kids and navigate the raging rapids with a blindfold on?

Bird Box alternately sinks and swims, but Sandras engaged portrayal, aided further by a creepy atmosphere that keeps the tension palpable, helps the film keep its head above water.

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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
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Linkedin Ronen Zvulun and Ward Awad (Reuters) Miilya, Israel  Sat, December 22, 2018 23:38 1076 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e3a183c 2 People santa-claus,Israel,religious-tolerance,Christmas Free

Christmas festivities swelled the population of an Israeli village on Friday, as crowds of revelers donned Santa costumes to run through its narrow streets while spectators jingled bells to cheer them on.

Organizers of the annual event in Miilya, a Christian village in the country's north, said 1,200 runners of all ages were taking part, with Jews and Muslims joining in too.

Read also: Thousands dressed as Santa Claus race through Madrid for charity

"Sport is one universal language for all sects and groups," said Jeries Abu Hanna, one of the organizers.

"It makes a very beautiful atmosphere... People (also) come from outside the town (to) enrol," said Tarek Tuma, 37, who owns a local coffee house.

Miilya's population is some 3,200, and around two in every 100 Israeli residents are Christians.
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Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Los Angeles, United States  Sat, December 22, 2018 13:23 1076 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e395a92 2 Entertainment Steven-Seagal,sexual-abuse,Sexual-assault,Hollywood,Celebrities Free

Hollywood action star Steven Seagal will not face prosecution after a woman accused him of sexually assaulting her when she was 17, prosecutors said Friday.

The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office said time had run out to pursue the case brought by a Dutch model who alleges she was groped in a hotel room in 2002.

Prosecutors did not name the alleged victim, but lawyer Lisa Bloom identified her as Dutch model Faviola Dadis.

Dadis, who didn't come forward until several years after the alleged assault, accuses Seagal of attacking her during what she thought was an audition in the W Hotel in Beverly Hills.

She claims Seagal slipped his hand underneath her clothing, fondled her breasts and groped her crotch.

Read also: LA prosecutors won't file charges against Spacey, Seagal

She is one of several women who have come forward with allegations of sexual assault or harassment against the 66-year-old "Under Siege" star. He has denied all claims of misconduct.

In paperwork released Friday, a prosecutor said the case was referred for further investigation which did not yield evidence "sufficient to meet the requirements of state law involving the statute of limitations."

"Therefore, the case is declined due to the expiration of the statute of limitations," it said.

The time limit for prosecution of sexual offenses ranges from six years to three in California, depending on the seriousness of the allegations.

Bloom released a statement thanking the district attorney for a "careful review" but saying prosecutors' hands had been tied by "this unfair law which bars the courthouse door even to young women like my client, Faviola Dadis, who is highly credible."

She said her client was a minor at the time of the incident but that California law still requires she have independent evidence that clearly corroborates her claims.

"The law fails to recognize that few minors are emotionally ready to seek justice against their rapists until many years later," she added.

"Instead, it offers rapists a 'get out of jail free' card if they simply pass an arbitrary time deadline. And the law seems to presume that victims are lying, creating an unfairly high evidentiary standard not required in other criminal cases. Few rapists commit their crimes in the presence of witnesses."

Prosecutors had declined earlier this year to file a case against Seagal involving an alleged sexual assault in 1993, citing the statute of limitations.
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, June 5, 2018 10:20 1277 a7124a1e87885b91d244660f9e79ddd4 1 Business Suriname-delegation,sharia,banking-industry,subsidy,agriculture Free

A delegation from Suriname visited Indonesia on Monday to learn about the latter's sharia banking system and invite Indonesian businesses to invest in its own sharia banking industry, an official has said.

The National Development Planning Ministrys population and manpower affairs undersecretary, Pungky Sumadi, said after meeting with the delegation that the government of Suriname believed Indonesia, which has more than 12 sharia banks, had a great opportunity to develop sharia banks in the country.

He said Suriname only had one Islamic bank, Trustbank Amanah, which had been converted from a conventional bank in 2015.

They want to learn how [] we developed legislation on sharia banking, Pungky said, adding that the delegation consisted of representatives from the Suriname National Development Bank, the countrys foreign ministry and businesses.

Pungky said the delegation was interested in the way Indonesia had reduced fuel subsidies and allocated the funds for infrastructure development and social assistance.

Meanwhile, in the agriculture sector, the delegation had shown interest in developing an artificial insemination program and agricultural insurance, he said.

The delegation also met with officials from the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) to discuss domestic and foreign investment promotion.

Indonesia and Suriname have 43-year relationship, with the latter being home to a number of people of Javanese descent. (ris/bbn)
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Linkedin Bambang Muryanto (The Jakarta Post) Yogyakarta  Sat, December 22, 2018 08:03 1077 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e384e7f 2 National #Yogyakarta,Yogyakarta,intolerance,#intolerance,graveyard Free

An alliance of civil society groups has recorded that there were at least 10 unresolved cases of intolerance in the province, six of which occurred this year.

The Bhinneka Tunggal Ika National Alliance said the six cases this year included the recent wooden cross incident in Purbayan village in Yogyakarta City.

In February, a man attacked churchgoers with a sword on a Sunday morning at St. Lidwina, a Catholic church in Sleman regency, injuring the priest and several congregation members.

[Acts of] intolerance are being repeated in Yogyakarta because there is no serious effort to resolve the root of the problems, said alliance coordinator Agnes Dwi Rusjiati.

The group also recorded this year that there was a rejection of a social program held by St. Paulus church in Pringgolayan, resistance to the construction of a Seventh-day Adventist church in Bantul, intimidation toward a traditional Javanese ritual and sedekah laut (oceans offering) in Bantul, as well as vandalism at the Bantul District Court building after the court punished a Pemuda Pancasila leader that had disrupted a painting exhibition at the Islamic University of Indonesia.

Setara Institute director Halili said intolerance was prevalent in the province, which was once dubbed Little Indonesia for its pluralism and tolerance, because values of diversity are absent in the education system.

Other factors were inequality before the law as authorities have applied impunity to certain groups.

The Yogyakarta administration is very weak in creating inclusive policies, he said.

Yogyakarta City ranked 41st out of 94 cities observed in the institutes 2018 Tolerant Cities Index.

In a report titled the 2018 Elections Vulnerability Index, the Elections Supervisory Agency named the province the second most conflict-prone electorate, only slightly better than West Papua, which is struggling with a separatist movement.

Yogyakarta Legal Aid Institute director Yogi Zul Fadhli said the state remains absent in the province.

In the wooden cross incident, he said the grave of Albertus Slamet Sugihardi should have been allowed to have a cross on it because it is protected under the countrys law.

Government Regulation No. 9/1987 on land use for public cemeteries stipulates that anyone, including those without identity, can be buried in a public cemetery, he said. (wit)
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Linkedin Mario Parker (Bloomberg) Beijing  Sat, December 22, 2018 15:55 1076 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e399ff3 2 Business China,ethanol,farmer,US,Washington,Beijing Free

A little love from China in the US ethanol market during the trade-war detente between Washington and Beijing could go a long way in soothing the ailing American farm economy.

Thats according to Mark Marquis, chief executive officer and co-founder of closely held Marquis Energy LLC, a Hennepin, Illinois-based producer that operates the worlds largest dry mill ethanol plant. His company shipped one of the last cargoes of US-made ethanol to China in April, just as the spat between President Donald Trump and his counterpart President Xi Jinping deepened.

Since then, Chinas retaliatory tariffs choked off demand and contributed to a slump in the ethanol industry thats squeezed margins and forced output cuts.

While duties on U.S.-grown soybeans and pork have received the lions share of attention, the Asian country has 70 percent tariffs on American-made ethanol, mostly made from corn in the Midwest. There are also fees on a byproduct known as dried distillers grains, which is fed to livestock. The biofuel is a key component of the farm-belt economy, with about 38 percent of US corn production destined for ethanol mills.

Quick fix

If China were to resume purchases of American ethanol, like the nations done for soybeans amid the trade truce, it would not only mean improvements for the biofuel industry, but could also aid US agriculture overall, Marquis said.

If the US can ship 200 million or 300 million gallons into China, it would improve the margin environment in ethanol, he said in a telephone interview. You wouldnt be having these layoffs and low corn prices and whatnot. Its a quick fix for the ag economy to just get ethanol and DDGs going back into China, and I think wed have an immediate snapback of profitability in biofuels and in corn production.

In recent years, ethanol companies expanded capacity with an eye toward meeting robust demand from China. The Asian country outlined a plan to widen consumption by 2020. With the trade war, the American ethanol industry is reeling. Pacific Ethanol Inc., one of the largest US producers, said Dec. 19 that it idled a mill in Aurora, Nebraska, and laid off a third of its workforce there.

Our industry was encouraged by the recent announcement that China will resume buying U.S. soybeans, and we remain hopeful that U.S. ethanol and distillers grains will be next, Geoff Cooper, president and CEO of the Renewable Fuels Association, a Washington-based trade group, said Thursday in an emailed statement.

Chinas absence has been painful for our industry and significantly contributed to our current economic challenges, with low prices and thin or below break-even returns, Cooper said, noting that the Asian country was once the third-biggest importer of American ethanol.

Plant closures

Without the return of Chinese demand, things for the US ethanol industry go from bad to dire, according to Marquis, who runs a 300 million-gallon-a-year plant near the Illinois River. Hes heard of as many as eight plants that have shut down amid the poor margins, with maybe two or three more coming.

Its going to end up being that theres some of the maybe more marginal producers -- whether its based on poor logistics, poor efficiency, poor scale size, poor cash-management situations -- where some of them are going to shut down and probably never restart, Marquis said.

He added that the US also faces trade barriers in Europe, Brazil and Peru. In the meantime, the industry has been pushing the Trump administration to prod China to resume ethanol purchases. Trump has repeatedly professed his affection for ethanol and farmers, a key constituency that helped him reach the White House.

Growth Energy, a Washington-based ethanol trade group, has been in touch with the US Trade Representative and its chief agricultural negotiator, Gregg Doud, often and directly, Craig Willis, senior vice president of global markets at the group, said in an emailed statement.

If we continue down this path, Chinas tariffs have the potential to have a very material effect on ethanol demand and is a critical item we need resolved to move the bottom line for our producers, Willis said.
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, December 22, 2018 16:30 1076 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e39c3ec 4 City Cikampek-toll-road,cikampek,traffic-congestion,Christmas,year-end-holidays Free

The toll road authorities have applied a contraflow traffic system to help ease heavy congestion on the Cikampek toll road as the peak of the Christmas holiday exodus starts on Saturday.

The contraflow system has been in place on a 10-kilometer long section of the toll road since 11:30 a.m. on Saturday.

The system is in place starting from km 50 to km 61 from Jakarta heading to Cikampek, spokesman of state-owned toll operator Jasa Marga Jakarta-Cikampek branch Hendra Damanik said.

The designated area is the most congested as there are two rest areas at km 50 and 57.

Contraflow is a traffic measures taken by the Traffic Police, Hendra said on Saturday as reported by tempo.co.

Hendra expected the exodus for the Christmas holiday will peak on Saturday as the company has recorded a growing number of vehicles using the toll road.

Jasa Marga recorded 93,600 vehicles leaving the capital using the Cikampek toll road as of Friday evening.

The company's corporate communications officer Dwimawan Heru said the number was a 58 percent increase compared to regular days.

This shows the peoples enthusiasm for a road trip, he said.

This weekend marks the first long holiday before the New Year, while most offices have announced a day off for employees on Monday, the day before Christmas.
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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, December 22 2018

Tangerang Mayor Arief R. Wismansyah has urged people to bring their own tumblers to school or work instead of buying plastic water bottles in an attempt to reduce plastic waste.

Arief said he wanted all classrooms to have water dispensers so that students could fill up their own tumblers with drinking water.

The environment agency is designing [the regulation]. They [schools] have waste banks. So [the garbage in the waste bank] is bartered for water gallons. Therefore, children can bring their own tumblers to school, Arief said as quoted by kompas.com on Thursday.

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Linkedin Rachmadea Aisyah (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, December 22 2018

Although several industries have questioned a mandatory halal certification policy that will go into effect next year, the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) has thrown its support behind it, believing it will enhance market access of Indonesian consumer goods and services, especially for the Middle East and member countries of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

The Middle East and the OIC, which comprises 57 countries and over 1.9 billion of the global population, are major non-traditional trade destinations. As such, President Joko Jokowi Widodo urged Cabinet members to pay more attention to the alternative trade partners.

However, Middle Eastern countries made up only 4.8 percent of Indonesias annual export shares, said Fachry Thaib, Kadins deputy of the permanent committee on the Middle East and the OIC, in Jakarta on Friday.

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, December 22, 2018 17:40 1076 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e39d26f 4 City Jakarta-accidents,Jakarta-administration,jakarta,tree Free

The Home Ministry has not given its stamp of approval on the budget allocated by the Jakarta administration to compensate victims of fallen trees.

The rejection was among the results of an evaluation conducted by the ministry on Jakartas 2019 regional budget (APBD). In the budget, which was approved at the Jakarta Legislative Council plenary meeting at Rp 89 trillion (US$6.1 billion), the city administration allocated Rp 1.03 billion for the fallen tree compensation.

It was because the budget allocation was deemed as not having a legal basis, Jakarta Financial Management Body (BPKD) head Edy Sumantri said on Friday as reported by kompas.com.

City Council deputy speaker M. Taufik who led the meeting urged the city administration to keep allocating funds for compensation.

The city administration must dare to intervene to help residents who suffer injuries, he said adding that fallen tree incidents are under the responsibility of the administration.

The Gerindra Party politician urged the administration to have a discussion with the ministry to make way for the funds.

Previously, the Jakarta Forestry Agency announced that Jakartans who were injured or suffered material losses from fallen trees could request compensation from the agency.

The agency's acting head Susi Marsitawati said the size of the compensation would depend on the severity of the injury or damage to vehicles or property.
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Linkedin Apriadi Gunawan (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta/Medan  Sat, December 22, 2018 16:28 1076 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e39b62d 1 National protest,Uighur Free

Hundreds of people from several Islamic organizations held a #SaveMuslimUighur rally in front of the Chinese Consulate in Medan, North Sumatra, on Friday, condemning the alleged mistreatment of Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang.

"Our brothers [Uighur Muslims] are a minority, Acong, a protester who is of Chinese descent, said in his speech during the rally.

The protesters carried several critical banners calling on the Chinese government to immediately stop violence against Uighur Muslims.

"We urge the [Chinese] government take action against the violence on Uighur Muslims, the leader of the National Movement to Safeguard the Indonesian Ulema Councils Fatwa in North Sumatra, Heriansyah, said.

The protestors also tried to blockade the consulate because there was no Chinese Consulate representative willing to meet them. However, the police stopped them from blockading the office.

We also demand the Chinese consulate general be expelled from Indonesia, he said.

In South Jakarta, a group calling themselves the 212 Rally Alumni also held a rally in front of the Chinese Embassy in Mega Kuningan.

"We need to stop the Chinese government from abusing our brothers, the Uighur Muslims, a protestor, Dedi Suwardadi, said as quoted by tribunnews.com.

Protests have emerged in Indonesia following reports on the detention of Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang and allegations that they had been put to forced labor.

Read also: China responds to Indonesias question about alleged abuse of Xinjiangs Muslims

Previously, the Indonesian Ulema Council had condemned China over reports of the crackdown, saying it was not in line with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights that guarantees religious freedom for every human around the world. China signed the covenant in 1998 but has yet to ratify it.

Vice President Jusuf Kalla reiterated that Indonesia would not interfere in Chinas handling of Uighur Muslims amid pressure for the government to step in.

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 said.

However, the Foreign Ministry had summoned Chinese Ambassador to Indonesia Xiao Qian on Monday to convey the concerns of Indonesian Muslims about Uighur Muslims.

A Chinese Embassy spokesman said in a statement on Thursday 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 deradicalization education for citizens influenced by extremist ideas. (ggq)
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Linkedin Made Anthony Iswara (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, December 22 2018

Little observers: Kids watch as heavy machinery forms a dike for Kampung Aquarium in Penjaringan, North Jakarta.(JP/Made Anthony Iswara)

The people of Kampung Aquarium in Penjaringan, North Jakarta, who have lived through longstanding fear of evictions and the 2017 tension-filled gubernatorial election, have regained hope.



Dharma Diani, 42, said that under the new Jakarta administration, she could say with confidence that: We have been here, we are here and we will always be here.



In March, the city administration under Governor Anies Baswedan finished the initial steps of area restoration by building 90 shelters, with water from PT Pam Lyonnaise Jaya (Palyja) and electricity from PLN, in Kampung Aquarium  named after the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) aquarium.



In the following month, the administration also reinstated the ID card numbers for residents who had their cards deactivated during the post-eviction period under the previous Jakarta administration. They can now once again get state health care, drivers licenses and access to other public services.



Locals themselves have erected a musholla (prayer room) and an early education facility. The former was funded by the Muslim Charity Donations Board.



Life is better now and hope abides two years after the evictions were carried out on April 11, 2016, under the previous administration of Basuki Tjahaja Ahok Purnama.



The first eviction letter had come on March 30, 2016. Furious at the sudden warning, Kampung Aquarium resident Diani and her neighbors immediately discussed the matter with district authorities, who clarified that the eviction would only affect the people living in the shacks alongside the lake area.



We were so happy that we even held a saweran [celebration with a dangdut concert] and made urap [salad with grated coconut dressing] when we got home, Diani added.



To her surprise, Diani received a second eviction letter five days later. This time, the district authorities instructed the residents to empty their houses because the eviction would impact the entire area known as Kampung Aquarium.



At this point, the inhabitants, especially the people who rented houses, moved to low-cost apartments or back to their hometowns over fear of being evicted. The 100 others who refused to move continued to live there amid ever-present reminders from armed police officers on big motorcycles who circled their area on a daily basis.



On April 11, 2016, as heavy equipment moved into flatten the houses, around 80 men from Kampung Aquarium stood shoulder-to-shoulder near the entrance of the village, attempting to stop the inevitable evictions, while some 20 women recited Islamic prayers on tarpaulin.



On the opposing side, 4,288 personnel, made up of members of the Jakarta Public Order Agency (Satpol PP), National Police and Indonesian Military (TNI), stood tall with shields and weapons.



Eventually, a brawl ensued; the residents pushed and kicked back at incoming officers, but quickly withdrew as tear gas, accompanied by blows from batons, pushed back the Kampung Aquarium defenders.



At the same time, behind them, 10 excavators were approaching, including a pair of two-story sized amphibious excavators that moved across the nearby river and eight smaller excavators that began wreaking havoc among the houses at the edge of the area.



And just in a matter of an hour, around 241 houses were completely demolished.



We had to rebuild with what weve got. Plywood, cardboard or anything [that we could use] to keep us from the rain and heat [...] Oh, and were used to having rats passing by as we sleep now, Rohman Muslim, 28, an evictee, said.



While many salvaged themselves  physically and emotionally  by moving into either the neighboring villages or low-cost housing apartments, some longtime inhabitants refused to let go of their village and the trauma of the eviction.



I used to come to my demolished house every day and just sit all day; from early morning. I think people thought I was crazy, said Diani, who has lived in the area since birth.



Tedi Kusnendi, 61, another neighbor who has lived in the area since 1989, explained, My brother used to be chubby before the eviction, yet he is now thin and suffers from many diseases. Bu Yani [Diani] and I, who genuinely express our anger, can keep ourselves sane. For the rest of us who dont, [...] just look at my brother, he said.

Food for thought: A teacher explains the importance of nutrition to a group of preschoolers at an early education facility in Kampung Aquarium, Penjaringan, North Jakarta. Locals have regained hope with newly erected communal facilities.(JP/Made Anthony Iswara)



Diani further said that stress-induced illness  such as hypertension and acute stomach ulcers  and respiratory problems peaked during the aftermath of the evictions, killing around 15 people in the following months.



The remnants of asbestos ceilings are the worst. You inhale them and you risk getting TBC [Tuberculosis], Diani said.



Although NGOs and volunteers came with tents over the next few months to aid with emergency items, Diani felt that the eviction needed clear justification. With the help of the Legal Aid Institute (LBH), she eventually lodged a lawsuit in October 2016 against five public agencies, including the three forces that evicted them, the North Jakarta mayor and former governor Ahok.



After countless court appearances and meetings with the officials, Diani finally withdrew the case on June 26. The news had come that Anies had finalized his plan to rehabilitate the area and build temporary shelters.



We always had felt that the government was against us ever since the evictions. But now, we finally feel that the government is finally on our side. Thats why the lawsuit was dropped, Diani said.



Although there have been improvements, economic activities remain stagnant. Neighborhood unit (RT) head Taupaz Juanda, 32, said the lack of awareness of outsiders about the livelihoods of people in Kampung Aquarium was the prominent factor.



He believes that a more positive image of the village would mean more people would come and buy our fish, snacks and other commodities.



It will motivate warung and other small businesses to develop their economy, which would finally make Kampung Aquarium independent, he said.



To do this, Taupaz has been attending community meetings to provide updates on the situation in his neighborhood, while Diani regularly posts updates on her Facebook page with the hashtags #SetiapPuingSebuahCerita (EveryPieceOfRubbleHasAStory) and #WeAreStillHere.



It was 9:15 a.m. when the ceaseless buzzing of seven children, clad in bright-colored T-shirts and dresses, ceased suddenly as Esty Agustin, 51, the class teacher for the day and also the wife of the community unit head (RW), who wore a sky-blue headscarf, signaled that it was time to sing their after-class song.



Those who sit calmly can go home!



Those who put on a sweet smile can go home too!



Soon after, three boys dashed out the room singing, the sound of which echoed across the 1.82 hectares of Kampung Aquarium.



Alhamdulillah [Praise the Lord]. They still have the motivation to learn, murmured Esty as the remaining students giggled on their way out of the classroom.



She gazed at the room one last time before she shut the classrooms door.

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Linkedin Apriadi Gunawan (The Jakarta Post) Karo  Sat, December 22 2018

The tourist industry in Karo regency, North Sumatra, is recovering following a decrease in volcanic activity on Mount Sinabung. Tourism, along with agriculture, is a top economic driver in the highland regency, located only a two-hour drive from the provincial capital Medan.

The Karo Tourism Agency recorded that 700,000 tourists had visited the regency this year as of November.

It increased by some 30 percent compared to last years figure, Karo Tourism Agency head Mulia Barus said recently, adding that the increase was by far the highest within the last 10 years.

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Linkedin Agnes Anya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, December 22 2018

Peter Schoff (JP/Agnes Anya)

The new German ambassador, Peter Schoff, is seeking to level up interactions between Germans and Indonesians to enable more discussions and experience exchanges on interfaith tolerance and democracy among the two countries.

Schoff, who presented his letter of credentials on Nov. 8, explained that there were not enough discussions yet on, among other matters, political, social, and cultural issues between Germans and Indonesians despite their great curiosity.

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Linkedin Ruslan Sangadji (The Jakarta Post) Palu  Sat, December 22 2018

The government has introduced a map of disaster-prone areas in Central Sulawesi to allow authorities to begin comprehensive infrastructure development following a major earthquake that struck the province in September.

The Agrarian and Spatial Planning Ministry, the Public Works and Housing Ministry and the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas) agreed to introduce the map, which was signed by local administrations of the affected areas.

The Agrarian and Spatial Planning Ministrys director general of spatial planning, Abdul Kamarzuki, said the map would help to minimize casualties and losses from disasters by categorizing the province into four zones, ranging from a red zone where no construction is allowed to a zone that indicates low disaster

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Linkedin Nurul Fitri Ramadhani (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, December 22 2018

Friends in need: Former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (center) and presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto (right) speak to the press after their meeting in Kuningan, South Jakarta, on Friday. The meeting was held to solidify their coalition ahead of the 2019 presidential election.(JP/Seto Wardhana)

Democratic Party chairman and former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has countered claims that his party is doing nothing for Prabowo Subianto, the presidential candidate the party has officially endorsed.

Yudhoyono has pledged to start campaigning on behalf of the Gerindra Party chairman, who is running with former Jakarta deputy governor Sandiaga Uno, in January.

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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post)  Sat, December 22 2018

White tropical Christmas: Children skate at Pondok Indah Mall in Jakarta on Friday. Malls in the city are offering activities for visitors to welcome Christmas and New Year.(JP/IqbalYuwansyah)

The rainy season is proving no deterrent to people setting off to spend the Christmas and New Year break with loved ones in their hometowns.



The newly opened toll roads that have enabled travelers to travel from the western provinces of Java to the east have become a major allure for families making road trips during the holidays.



Bagus Marsudi, 45, was delighted to find he and his family had already arrived in Batu, East Java, on Friday evening.



Starting his annual Christmas journey at 3:30 a.m. from South Tangerang, Banten, he hit the exit from the Wilangan-Kertosono toll road in Nganjuk, East Java, at 4:30 p.m.



The transJava road is awesome. I even stopped for a nap three times, he told The Jakarta Post.



Bagus said that in previous years the journey was more exhausting. Last year it took 24 hours for him to get home as a result of the traffic congestion and stops. He is the only one who drives in the family.



President Joko Jokowi Widodo inaugurated new highway sections on Thursday that now enable people to travel from Jakarta to Surabaya, East Java, via toll roads.



With the inauguration, Merak Port in Cilegon, Banten, is now officially connected to Pasuruan, East Java, thus extending the road to 993 kilometers, connecting major cities from Jakarta to Surabaya with a total 10 to 12 hours traveling time.



Normally its 10 hours, but it might be two hours longer during the holiday season and because of some obstacles in Jakarta-Cikampek, the Transportation Ministrys land transportation director general, Budi Setyadi, told the Post.



The government has also opened rest areas along the roads to enable people to stop for fuel or to rest. A culinary map showing the location of the rest areas as well as restaurants near the toll roads, along with the traditional dishes provided, has also been produced by the Transportation Ministry.



Bagus said most of his trip was congestion-free but he pointed out that there was no water in the toilets in rest areas located between Pemalang and Semarang in Central Java and the gas stations only sold Pertamax and Pertamax Dex, two relatively expensive fuel brands.



I suggest people optimize their stops along the Cikampek-Kanci section for fuel, food and toilets, he said.



Daniel Prabowo, 41, said he would begin his journey on Saturday morning to Surakarta, Central Java. He always chose to take his own car home with his family because it gave them the flexibility to visit places without worrying about the availability of public transportation.



With the new toll roads, Daniel expected to reach his destination in nine hours, compared with the previous 11 to 12 hours.



[The holiday trip] will only be until Dec. 30. New Years Eve will be spent in Jakarta, he said.



People who return to their hometowns for Christmas or Idul Fitri usually also take the opportunity to enjoy local tourist amenities.



Malang in East Java, for example, has been busy ahead of the holidays as this city is close to some of the countrys favorite natural-tourism sites, such as Mount Bromo, Mt. Semeru and Sempu Island.



The head of the Malang chapter of the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association, Dwi Cahyono, said that during the holidays occupancy rates in hotels in the city increased by 10 percent.



Those who want to visit Malang should immediately book hotels in the next four days, because all of them will be occupied a week ahead of New Years Eve. The prices could rise up to 50 percent, he said.



In Bali, I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport has laid on 765 additional flights to accommodate the high demand for domestic travelers, with around 270 extra flights to and from Jakarta, 254 for Surabaya and 98 for Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara.



We will have 1,273 personnel in the airport during the holiday season. Security, safety and smooth passenger flow are our main goals, the general manager of the airport, Yanus Suprayogi, said.(ggq)





 Ni Komang Erviani in Denpasar and Aman Rochman in Malang contributed to the report.

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, December 22, 2018 14:56 1076 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e398000 4 City Thousand-Islands-regency,New-Year,New-Year-Celebration Free

The Thousand Islands administration is preparing attractions for travelers celebrating New Years Eve in the regency located off of Jakarta Bay.

Among the planned events is the sukun (breadfruit) festival.

There is a lot breadfruit [on the islands] that can be made into many dishes. So, we will hold a bazaar that sells breadfruit-based cakes or meals, the regency tourism office head, Cucu Kurnia, said on Friday as reported by kompas.com.

The festival will be held on the main Pramuka Island, he said. For other islands such as Tidung, Pari and Untung Jawa, the administration will set up stages that will host performances from various bands.

The regency is expecting a growing number of travelers visiting Thousand Islands for the year-end holiday. Kali Adem port in Muara Angke, North Jakarta, is expected to accommodate up to 8,000 tourists every day during the holiday. Port chief Andi Irham said it was double the figure recorded during weekends.

To anticipate the surge of travelers, the port will add more traditional boats used to travel to the regency. From the regular five boats, the port, with the help from Jakarta Transportation Agency, will provide up to 38, Andi added.
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Linkedin (Reuters) Kuala Lumpur  Sat, December 22, 2018 15:00 1076 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e398b67 2 SE Asia Malaysia,1MDB,Goldman-Sachs,corruption-case Free

Malaysia is seeking $7.5 billion in reparations from Goldman Sachs Group Inc over its dealings with scandal-linked state fund 1MDB, the Financial Times (FT) reported on Friday, citing the finance minister.

Separately, Bloomberg reported that Singapore had expanded its criminal investigation of 1MDB to include Goldman Sachs, in a sign of increasing scrutiny of the bank's role in the suspected multi-billion-dollar money laundering scheme.

Malaysian prosecutors this week filed charges against Goldman Sachs in connection with its role as underwriter and arranger of three bond sales that raised $6.5 billion for 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), the first criminal action against the US bank over the scandal.

Goldman Sachs has consistently denied wrongdoing and said certain members of the former Malaysian government and 1MDB lied to the bank about the proceeds of the bond sales.

In addition to the bonds' total value, Goldman Sachs should also return $1 billion to cover $600 million in fees paid to the bank and bond coupons that were "higher than the market rate", the FT quoted Malaysian Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng as saying.

Lim also told the FT that reparations should at least be more than $1.8 billion, the sum Goldman Sachs has told investors it had set aside to cover potential losses related to 1MDB legal proceedings.

"Their figure is $1.8 billion. Ours is $7.5 billion," Lim said.

Malaysia is not currently negotiating with Goldman, but charges filed on Monday could bring the bank to the table, Lim said.

In an emailed response to Reuters, a Goldman Sachs spokesman said the bank intended to "vigorously contest these charges".

"The 1MDB bond offerings were meant to raise money to benefit Malaysia; instead, a huge portion of those funds were stolen for the benefit of members of the Malaysian government and their associates," the spokesman said.

"Certain members of that government and 1MDB lied to Goldman about the use of proceeds from these transactions."

Critics have said the fees earned by Goldman Sachs were far in excess of the normal 1-2 percent a bank could expect for helping sell bonds.

Goldman has said the outsized fees related to additional risks: it bought the unrated bonds while it sought investors and, in the case of a 2013 bond deal which raised $2.7 billion, 1MDB wanted the funds quickly.

Malaysia has sought jail terms and billions in fines from Goldman Sachs and four individuals who allegedly misappropriated about $2.7 billion from the 1MDB bond proceeds.

The U.S. Department of Justice alleges that a total of about $4.5 billion was misappropriated from 1MDB and used to buy, among others, real estate in London and New York, expensive jewellery and artwork, and a private jet.

Expanded investigation

Bloomberg, citing unidentified sources, reported that Singapore has expanded a criminal investigation into fund flows linked to 1MDB to include Goldman Sachs.

Authorities in Singapore were trying to determine whether some of the $600 million in fees that Goldman earned from the three bond deals flowed to the Singapore subsidiary, the news agency said.

In response to the report, the Singapore police said their criminal investigation into entities involved in 1MDB-related offense in Singapore had been going on since 2015. They did not comment further.

A spokesman for Goldman Sachs said in a statement: "The firm continues to cooperate with all authorities investigating this matter."

Goldman Sachs (Singapore) PTE was one of the three units charged by Malaysia this week.

Shares of the U.S. investment bank fell to a two-year low this week after Malaysia filed the charges.

Two former Goldman Sachs bankers, Tim Leissner and Roger Ng, have been charged by Malaysia and the U.S. Department of Justice.

Singapore has banned Leissner, the bank's former Southeast Asia chairman, from its securities industry for life after he pleaded guilty in the United States for conspiring to launder 1MDB money and violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

The United States is also seeking extradition of Ng, who has been detained in Malaysia.
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Linkedin Zhang Xingjian (China Daily)  Sat, December 22, 2018 07:02 1077 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e38491f 2 Destinations Lille,France,travel,travel-destinations Free

The biggest city in northern France, Lille is the perfect city for a romantic French holiday.

The city is nestled close to the Belgium border and is the primary city of France's Nord-Pas-de-Calais region. With access to three European hubs, Lille is 35 minutes from Brussels, one hour from Paris, and 80 minutes from London.

Lille is characterized by Flemish-style buildings and red-brick structures, which are uncommon in France. Renowned as the Capital des Flandres, Lille is famed for its culture and Flemish roots.

Lille is home to many museums and art galleries that reveal its rich culture and history, while most of its churches are Roman Catholic, many of them historical monuments with incredible architecture and magnificent interiors that will catch your eye.

When wandering around the streets of the old city, Le Vieux Lille, a showcase of the citys French and Flemish architecture, you will be dazzled by stunning and unique buildings.

Read also: Need vacation ideas? Here are 2018's most googled travel destinations

The old city is lined with cobbled alleyways, tall red-brick buildings and golden sandstone houses, and you will also encounter some traditional boutiques and up-market shops.

In 2004 Lille was elected European Capital of Culture and since then the scheme Lille 3000 has pushed to promote the citys cultural heritage and contemporary artists through regular events and festivals.

"Many people think Paris is all when paying a visit to France, but that's not true. Lille is an open, colorful and dynamic city, and many of my friends really enjoy the great city atmosphere, passionate and humorous locals here, the tourist guide told China Daily.

"Lille is an ideal place to settle in France," the guide added.
10 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.

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Woodland Park Police Department(MOSES LAKE, Wash.) -- Churchgoers in Washington state gathered Friday night to remember Colorado mother Kelsey Berreth, hours after her fiance was arrested and accused of killing her.



Berreth grew up in Moses Lake, Washington, where she worshiped at Moses Lake Seventh-Day Adventist Church, ABC Spokane affiliate KXLY-TV reported.



Her hometown gathered there Friday night to remember her.



"Everybody is devastated," parishioner Sandy Larsen told KXLY-TV. "We don't know what to do, so we came together to pray for her family tonight so that God would just be with them, comfort them."



"They were just a loving family, and they were an integral part of our church," Larsen added. "Everybody loved them, and everybody loved Kelsey. We just watched her -- she matured through the years, turned into a beautiful young lady."



Berreth, a 29-year-old mother of a 1-year-old girl, was last seen on Thanksgiving in the area of her Woodland Park home. Her body has not been recovered.



Berreth's fiance, Patrick Frazee, was arrested for first-degree murder and solicitation to commit first-degree murder Friday morning, nearly one month after Berreth vanished, police said.



Berreth and Frazee's baby is in protective custody and will be reunited with Berreth's family, police said.



Frazee made his first court appearance Friday afternoon via video, according to ABC Denver affiliate KMGH-TV. Berreth's family did not attend.



Frazee is being held without bond pending his next court appearance, set for Dec. 31, KMGH-TV reported.



Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Haze hits Bangkok

BANGKOK: The hazardous ultra-fine dust that has been sweeping through 20 districts of Bangkok will last for a few days, City Halls Environment Department warned yesterday (Dec 21).

environmenthealth

By Bangkok Post

Saturday 22 December 2018, 10:03AM

Pedestrians wear masks to filter pollution after the Pollution Control Department warned that levels of PM2.5 dust particles exceed the safety limits in many areas of Bangkok and neighbouring provinces. Photo: Pattarapong Chatpattarasill / Bangkok Post

The warning corresponded with dust levels measured by the Pollution Control Department (PCD) which started issuing alerts on Thursday.

With a size of up to 2.5 micrometres in diameter, the airborne particulate matter (PM) can easily lodge in the lungs.

Normal face masks do not work effectively, as PM is smaller than the width of a single human hair. Instead, a KN95 mask is required.

People should not panic, PCD director-general Pralong Damrongthai said, even though the PCD yesterday measured levels of PM2.5 at between 65 and 103 microgrammes per cubic metre (cg) in its 24 dust measurement stations across the capital. The acceptable standard is 50cg.

People at severe risk include children, the elderly, pregnant women and persons with congenital diseases, he said.

The situation is expected to return to normal within two or three days, Mr Pralong said, urging Bangkok residents to follow the departments air quality update via the Air4Thai mobile application.

However, Bangkok Governor Pol Gen Aswin Kwanmuang warned people in risk areas against outdoor activities. If going outside is necessary, face masks are essential, he said.

Pol Gen Aswin twice posted warnings on his Facebook page yesterday to provide updates on the situation, telling his followers the cause of the problem and what the city has done to solve it.

Ive ordered the Environment Department and 50 districts to look into and solve the problem immediately, he wrote in his second post.

City workers will spray water to clean roads more frequently, the governor said. Other measures include a ban on parking cars on main streets and impounding vehicles which emit black fumes.

Many roads in the 20 dust-hit areas sparked fresh concerns among city officials yesterday after PM2.5 levels exceeded the safe limit.

The areas include the Royal Jubilee Gate near Bangkoks China Town, Chamchuri Square near congested Rama IV Road and a bus top near the Mahai Sawan Intersection where the Somdet Phrachao Taksin and Ratchadaphisek roads cross on the western side of the Chao Phraya River.

Other areas prone to pollutants are mainly the compounds of district offices, including Phra Nakhon, Klong Toey and Bang Sue.

Governor Aswin blamed vehicle emissions, construction of mass transit systems, condominiums and weather conditions for bringing the pollutants.

We have to admit the truth, Gen Aswin said.

The PCD described the current weather situation in Bangkok as closed and stagnant, which has caused PM2.5 to accumulate in the air.

According to Mr Pralong, the dust was not only detected along streets, but his department also measured harmful amounts in what he called general areas, with a maximum level of 96cg.

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Hilltop at the Hyatt: Romantic dining with views at the Sunset Grill

Arriving at the Hyatt Regency in Kamala, I make my way into the spacious lobby and on requesting directions to the Sunset Grill, am advised that buggy transport will arrive shortly.

Dining

By Chris Watson

Saturday 22 December 2018, 10:48AM

With a few surplus moments. I wander towards a spectacular Olympic-plus size, azure blue pool, which I am informed by attentive staff is one of the longest in Phuket. I have no doubt this is indeed true! I make a mental note, my first but not my last, to return to this oasis where I may recharge my batteries by swimming in this tranquil setting, whilst enjoying the unobstructed views out to the Andaman Sea; truly a relaxing oasis.

My buggy has arrived and as I settle in for the short journey to the restaurant, I look up and can see that the hotel rooms are in fact all situated along neatly layered terraces on the face of the hill, cleverly ensuring all offer 180-degree sea views.

On route to the summit, we pass both the spa and also a cosy club lounge with plunge pool, a first for me and my second mental note, a must-visit on a future stay.

We round the last corner and as I disembark and climb a flight of short stone steps, I turn around and take a moment to enjoy what must be one of the most stunning views in Phuket. If I were enamoured and seeking a venue to pop the question, this would certainly be high up my list. The Sunset Grill is perched atop the cliff and as I am welcomed, following the combination of the adventure of the short trip and the heart-stopping views, my anticipation, is as high as this hilltop dining room itself.

The contemporary furnished room has floor to ceiling windows which on a clear night afford some of the most breathtaking views available in Phuket. Jazz playing in the background, a slightly nautical cruise theme pervades; quite enchanting.

I am greeted by charming staff who offer me both the a la carte menu and a gastro degustation. They are also on trend with a creative vegetarian tasting menu, offering several dishes which even interest me, a dyed-in-the-wool carnivore. There is also a carefully curated selection of grape libations, from around the world, available by both bottle and glass.

My starter arrives; one of my personal favourites, a wonderfully innovative foie gras dish with a delicate balance of balsamic and unusually so, liquorice dust. The complex flavours and textures in this dish are almost perfect, the juxta-positioning of the decadent, creamy and rich foie gras lobe countered with the ever so slightly acidic balsamic layered with an aftertaste of aniseed is superlative.

This is followed by Chefs signature recommendation of cold cantaloupe melon soup, scented with Thai basil, the non-veg option featuring crunchy parma ham. Following on from the luxuriant liver, this is a wonderfully light and refreshing continuance.

Main course follows; a tender wagyu beef tenderloin with anchovy mash which with an ever so slightly salty and rich fishiness, surprisingly for me, works well. Steak and anchovy has always been a classic marriage but I was a non-believer till tonight. The dish is accompanied by fresh asparagus, forest mushrooms and a sauce of green peppercorns.

Chef Mario Caramella, originally from Milan joined the Hyatt Regency Phuket Resort in late 2017 as Executive Chef and is certainly pushing the culinary boundaries on the evidence so far this evening.

He now recommends another signature dish of Quail; roasted French quail wrapped in pancetta and stuffed with foie gras truffle potato cream; can I manage another rich in cholesterol dish? I am heartened, no pun intended, by an article I recently read which stated that whilst foie gras does contain a high level of cholesterol, in fact not all the fat contained within is harmful, equally it has a much-reduced impact on blood cholesterol and eating it in moderation is not damaging to ones health. So, I continue with this small bird, a contradiction in itself, tiny yet unexpectedly a real taste bomb, the meat absolutely jam-packed with flavour.

I round off our evening with a flambeed Baked Alaska and a Sabayon with berries and passion fruit; but honestly, despite their evident yumminess, slightly struggling to finish both.

As I head back down the hill, I regret not having booked an overnight stay, perhaps even in a Club room, so I may have relished my continental breakfast whilst languishing in the luxury plunge pool followed perhaps by a few lengths of that wonderfully grand pool (especially needed after the double dose of foie gras!) and then feeling satisfied with my albeit one off exercise regime, even partake of brunch, before making the journey home. Ah to err is humanthere is always a next time

Chris is a former Michelin Guide Inspector who, following an international career in hospitality spanning 30 years in both the Middle East and Asia, has now settled in Thailand and will contribute a monthly restaurant column.
Khiri Travel at 25: Founder Willem Niemeijer shares 5 x 5 Truths and Predictions on tourism

Khiri Travel celebrated 25 years in business in 2018. Looking back on a quarter century in travel in Asia, Khiri Travel founder, Willem Niemeijer, shares 5 x 5 insights that inform his travel industry decision making in 2018 and plans for 2019 and beyond:

tourismeconomics

By The Phuket News

Saturday 22 December 2018, 10:14AM

Khiri Travel Founder Willem Niemeijer.

5 Truths

1. When you choose a career in travel, dont make money your motivation. There are other industries out there where you can make more, and easier money. Work in the travel industry to serve guests and local communities alike, while preserving the environment. It is the only sustainable way forward for our industry.

2. Environmental certification (such as Travelife) for a DMC is not only  morally  the right thing to do, it pays dividends for companies, such as Khiri, who are committed to the triple bottom line of people, planet and profit.

3. People are king. Finding, hiring and retaining the right personnel can make or break a company. Its the biggest challenge out there.

4. Email and instant messaging are great business tools, but do not replace face-to-face contact. Do take time and effort to see your friends, business relations, suppliers and clients as often as you can.

5. Good travel is defined by human connection more than place. You may discover respect for a community. Or a one to one connection. Or both. Either way, people make a destination.

5 Trends

1. China will continue to transform not just the travel industry in Asia and the world, but the global economy and culture. India will continue where China leaves off. The West better get used to it.

2. The rise in independent travel booking with people creating their own holidays using the internet will become more pronounced. In an era when LCCs establish new destinations, and more businesses put their product offers online, the challenge will be in navigating the increasing density of online offers.

3. As the supply of new tourists from major markets continues to flow to destinations where overtourism already is a problem  or rapidly is becoming one  travellers from mature markets will increasingly seek new destinations away from crowds.

4. Single-use plastics will disappear from the travel industry. For guests from markets such as the USA and Western Europe this is already the norm. They expect this to be followed by the places they visit on their holidays. Private companies and discerning consumers will take the lead. Government policies will catch up later.

5. In a time of mergers of the travel giants, smart investments in the travel industry will give rise to a slew of new niche specialists. This will continue to be more pronounced in the hospitality and the tour operating segments. There is power in agility and specialisation.

5 Wishes

1. For governments to listen to residents more. And use money to improve tourism dispersal to areas where tourism income would make a difference. Tourism shouldnt be measured in arrival statistics.

2. For fewer or no visas  or at least make applications easy online affairs.

3. In mainland Southeast Asia, make overland travel by car easier for locals. Use Europe as an example. Create Asean-wide car insurance and unlock potential.

4. For the tourism industry to do more than pay lip service to sustainability; to actively contribute to environmental conservation while helping local communities that host tourism.

5. For political stability in Asia. Its a region where many countries have a fractious relationship with democracy. Tourism is quickly derailed when political crises occur.

5 New Destinations

1. Nan  Northern Thailand. This province is home to many amazing national parks and is a cultural hub. Access to Luang Prabang in Laos will help it secure a firm place on the map of discerning travellers.

2. Flores  the gateway to Komodo will develop further as a wonderful new destination in Indonesia.

3. Cambodian Islands  like Koh Rong Samloem and Koh Rong will feature more in programs, making Cambodia a stand-alone destination. Super luxury resort brand Song Saa will be joined by Six Senses soon. Other big brands will follow.

4. Mergui Archipelago  exciting new exclusive resorts in the remote Southern part of Myanmar are already in the final stages of development. Accessibility from Southern Thailand offers exciting possibilities.

5. Kumana National Park in Sri Lanka. Its close to Yala National Park but receives much fewer visitors and is better for wildlife safaris.

5 Predictions

1. Augmented Reality will be a breakthrough technology in travel. The potential to add meaningful value to museums, national parks, restaurants, and travel trade shows will be mind boggling.

2. In an increasing age of overtourism and commodification of travel, the industry will have to redouble its efforts through responsible initiatives to protect its reputation.

3. Financial crashes, currency volatility, oil price swings, natural disasters, terrorism, and outbreaks of disease will all continue to wreak occasional short-term havoc on tourism. However, recovery times will be faster.

4. More realism in travel advertising will be mandatory  i.e. no more empty paradise beaches when the reality is otherwise. Institutions like the EU will increasingly define advertising parameters  and punish transgressors who mislead or fall short on promises.

5. Space Tourism will finally become reality and will rapidly become more accessible, while remaining the ultimate bucket list item for many.
Habitat for Humanity completes houses 30, 31 in Watertown

Two of Watertowns locally owned businesses honored for their support and partnership to Habitat for Humanity Greater Watertown Region.
Canada is calling on China to immediately release two citizens it claims were arbitrarily detained there, just days after the arrest of a high-profile Chinese businesswoman.

Ottawa is working to secure the pairs release and is concerned about the worrying precedent the detentions set, Canadas Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland said Saturday on a conference call with reporters.

Michael Kovrig, a diplomat on leave from his post in Hong Kong, and Michael Spavor, an entrepreneur who helped organize tourist trips to North Korea, were seized nine days after Huaweis Meng was taken into custody. Mengs now out on bail pending an extradition hearing.

Canada expects the immediate release of these two Canadians, Freeland said, noting Chinese officials have not publicly connected the Huawei arrest and the detention of the two citizens. My key objective here, and the Prime Ministers key objective, is to have Mr. Kovrig and Mr. Spavor released.

The two men were detained in China, Canadas second-largest trading partner, shortly after the arrest of Huawei Technologies Co. Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou in Vancouver at the request of U.S. authorities earlier this month.

A third Canadian is being held in China, though Canadian officials have said they see no reason to believe theres a connection to the earlier arrests.

Read more:

Hundreds of Canadians held by China raises the stakes for Trudeaus government

China is blowing a golden opportunity from the Huawei arrest

Why China and Canada need to get along despite the Huawei dispute

Kovrigs being held at a secret detention facility where hes questioned three times a day and unable to turn off the light, according to a person familiar with his confinement who asked not to be identified. Hes been allowed one 30-minute visit by Canadian Ambassador John McCallum in Beijing, in which he appeared stressed but unharmed, the person said.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is deeply engaged in the issue, as is the rest of the government, Freeland said. Ottawas working hard on a number of fronts, including consulting with allies to underscore the depth of its concern, she said.

Detention of foreign nationals should be guided by rule of law, not politics, she said. Canada is abiding by its extradition treaty commitments, with full due process, in its arrest of Meng, she added.

This has not been a political decision by Canada, Freeland said. This is about the rule of law.

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MONTREALQuebecs attempt to establish a firearms registry is facing resistance, and with a January deadline looming, less than 20 per cent of the long guns believed to be in the province have been declared.

Pro-gun activist Guy Morin is calling on the public to wait until the last minute to comply with the law. The spokesperson for Tous contre un registre quebecois des armes a feu (All Against a Quebec Gun Registry) said in an interview Friday his hope is either the registry will be abolished or so few people will register that it cannot be enforced.

The government has put the number of long guns  mostly shotguns and rifles  in Quebec at roughly 1.6 million. But since the registry opened last January, only 284,125 guns had been declared, Public Security Department spokesperson Louise Quintin said.

Morin, whose group cancelled a plan in November 2017 to hold a rally at a memorial site for the 14 women killed at Ecole Polytechnique, said Quebecs law is an affront. We are Canadian gun owners, and this is insulting to us, he said. Why do we have to register here when everywhere else in the country, you dont have to?

The federal Liberals introduced the Canada-wide long gun registry in 1995, saying it would cost roughly $110 million. The figure multiplied and ended up costing taxpayers many times that before the Conservatives abolished it in 2012.

Following pressure from gun-control groups, Quebec passed a law creating its own registry in 2016. The government has given gun owners until Jan. 29, 2019 to register their firearms or face penalties of up to $5,000.

Read more:

Quebec weighs price of new gun registry against cost of inaction

Quebec gun-control groups question federal commitment to proposed handgun ban

Quebec terror suspect kept gun licence and kept buying guns

Quebec initially said its registry would cost $17 million and another $5 million annually to maintain. Quintin said in an email that the budget for setting up the registry is now set at $20 million.

Public Security Minister Genevieve Guilbault told reporters this week the government is hoping it does not have to resort to fines. Yes, there are fines that can be applied for people who dont fulfil their obligations, she said. But you know, before the repression part, I prefer to focus on the prevention part, she added, encouraging people to register their guns over the Christmas holidays.

Canadian law classifies guns in three categories. Prohibited guns such as automatics and restricted guns such as handguns must be registered with the RCMP. Long guns  rifles and shotguns that are mainly used for hunting and sport shooting  no longer need to be registered in Canada, except in Quebec.

Canadians have been debating the value of the long gun registry for years. The Ontario Superior Court ruled in 2014 against a constitutional challenge to the Conservative law abolishing the registry, saying there is no reliable evidence the decision actually has, or will, increase the incidence of violence or death by firearms.

Morin said there was never a proper debate in Quebec about the registry because gun control has been a highly sensitive issue in the province since the 1989 Ecole Polytechnique shootings. The anti-gun lobby is hiding behind those victims, Morin said. There is no one at the political level who wants to displease these people.

Heidi Rathjen, co-ordinator of PolySeSouvient, a gun-control group formed after the 1989 Polytechnique massacre, lobbied for the creation of the Quebec registry. She rejects arguments it is a waste of money, pointing to provincial police statistics showing 80 per cent of firearms seized during crimes over the past 20 years were long guns.

Rathjen said a registry is essential because guns cannot be controlled if the government doesnt know how many there are and where they are.

Weve had the democratic debate, she said. The bill was passed. This is now a question of whether or not the current government will yield to the pressure of a minority or will uphold the law.

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Its a top priority for Canada to get Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor released from custody in China as quickly as possible, Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland said on Saturday as she praised allies for their support.

Were going to keep working with a broad group of allies to raise this issue, Freeland said in a conference call with reporters, noting that Canadian ambassadors will be reaching out to governments across the world.

Freeland thanked allies for speaking out after the U.S., the U.K. and the EU recently issued statements in support of Canada.

Freeland said on the arrests of Kovrig and Spavor constitute a worrying precedent that has resonated with partners. The pair were detained by China in apparent retaliation for the arrest of a top Chinese tech executive.

We absolutely believe this is not only a Canadian issue, Freeland said. This is an issue that concerns our allies.

China arrested Kovrig, an ex-diplomat, and Spavor, an entrepreneur just days after Canadian authorities in Vancouver arrested Meng Wanzhou, a senior executive with Chinese firm Huawei Technologies, so she can be extradited to the U.S. to face fraud charges.

Read more:

Canadian Kovrig detained in China has no access to lawyer, his employer says

Third Canadian citizen detained in China, government says

Details of ex-Canada diplomats detention in China revealed

The Chinese arrested Kovrig and Spavor on allegations of engaging in activities that endanger the national security of China.

An official with Kovrigs employer, Washington-based International Crisis Group, said on Saturday that Kovrig has been denied access to legal counsel while in custody.

Michael has not been allowed access to his lawyers, Karim Lebhour said in an email. The arrest is unjustified. We call for him to be released immediately, and at a minimum for him to be allowed regular consular access and to see his legal counsel.

The United States alleges Meng lied to American banks about a corporate manoeuvre supposedly designed to get around U.S. sanctions against Iran; law-enforcement officials asked Canada to arrest her when she passed through Vancouver on her way to Mexico.

Meng has since been released on $10-million bail.

Freeland said Canada is simply honouring its extradition treaty with the United States and emphasized that Canada is a country based on the rule of law.

She has been given absolute access to due process and the independent Canadian judicial system, Freeland said. That is how Canada operates.

Shortly after the arrests, U.S. President Donald Trump suggested Meng might be released if he could secure a better security or trade deal with China.

Freeland said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau held a meeting of senior cabinet ministers and officials on Friday morning to stress that the release of Kovrig and Spavor is a top priority, Freeland said.

The prime minister is deeply engaged in the issue, Freeland said. Its very personal, she said.

Trudeau has been criticized by the Opposition for his response and for not phoning his Chinese counterpart.

British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said this week that hes deeply concerned by suggestions of a political motivation for the Canadians arrests. I call for them to be treated in a fair, unbiased and transparent manner, he said.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has called for Kovrig and Spavor to be freed but the State Department repeated the sentiment Friday.

We share Canadas commitment to the rule of law as fundamental to all free societies, and we will defend and uphold this principle, spokesman Robert Palladino said in a statement titled Canadas Legitimate Arrest of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou, which called for the pairs immediate release.

In yet another statement this week, the directors of several European policy institutions in Berlin expressed deep concern about the detained Canadians.

Developments such as these increase uncertainty and distrust among foreign scholars who regularly conduct research within China, as they fear for their safety, the statement said. This will clearly undermine efforts to better understand developments in China and to further constructive relations between China and other countries.

The bodies include the European Council on Foreign Relations, the Mercator Institute for China Studies and the Global Public Policy Institute.

The show of support from allies is significant for Canada, which has felt relatively isolated in recent months. In August, Saudi Arabia expelled Canadas ambassador to the kingdom and withdrew its own ambassador after Canadas foreign ministry tweeted support for an arrested Saudi activist.

The Saudis also sold Canadian investments and ordered their citizens studying in Canada to leave. No country, including the U.S., spoke out publicly in support of Canada.

With files from The Canadian Press

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Sarah Bankuti was eight months pregnant and had been hospitalized for a health scare when she got news that should have changed her growing familys life for the better: they had been randomly selected out of thousands of people to apply to move into a new affordable rental building in Regent Park.

Toronto Community Housing, they were told by email, had pulled their names in a housing lottery of sorts and if they cleared the next round of paperwork they would move out of their cramped one bedroom in the east end and into a three-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment in March and pay just $1,358 a month.

It was welcome news during a frightening time. They were in Michael Garron Hospital and she had been hooked to multiple monitors because their baby girl hadnt moved for two days. Then they read the Oct. 26 email.

The baby started kicking right away, says Bankuti, 33. We were so happy, because we couldnt believe we got picked.

This wasnt their only reason to celebrate. Her husband, John Bankuti, 36, started a new job with Canada Post in August. His last job was as a dog-walker. He is now a full-time relief letter carrier. Training started in mid-August and in the fall he received a minor bump in overtime pay as well as hundreds in bonus pay for delivering flyers and Christmas catalogues.

For me it was great, I couldnt be happier. It is a great job, great people, he says.

Read more:

2,773 applicants, 75 units: Inside Torontos affordable housing lottery

Opinion | Rosie DiManno: Idle lots, vacant house at 214-230 Sherbourne embody the problem of building affordable housing

Head of Toronto Community Housing placed on paid leave

Theyd entered the lottery on a whim in September, filling out a simple one page form that outlined the maximum gross income to be considered. After winning, they filled out detailed paperwork, attached pay stubs from September and October and planned for the future.

But that elation didnt last. Bankuti got another email from TCH early in December informing them the pay stubs they submitted showed their combined gross income was roughly $15,000 above the $65,184 threshold for a 3-bedroom unit and they were being pulled from the list. There is no option to appeal.

The couple insists that even with his new job their combined annual gross income, particularly because she was going on maternity leave, is not guaranteed to exceed the threshold. They believe their gross income will actually be less, they told the Star.

We would be fine with it if they denied us for a valid reason. We are not unreasonable people, says Bankuti, who works as a nanny and spoke with the Star on Wednesday, two days before a scheduled C-section. I find it impossible that there is no appeal process, for people whose income is not guaranteed, or who could have a sudden surge in income at different times of the year, she says.

If I knew that I would have told my husband to not get this job.

A full-time relief carrier, Canada Post confirmed, at that early salary level makes at least roughly $42,500 gross each year. The slips Bankuti submitted also included an inflated gross of several hundred dollars from the extra hours and flyer delivery. Her pay slips showed she made a gross income of about $27,060 by the end of November. Together, even without his extra pay, that still puts them over the threshold, but her salary is never guaranteed, she says, and on maternity leave shell take in about 55 per cent of whatever her weekly income is.

They reached out to Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tams office and a representative from that office contacted TCH to find out if appeals were an option. They were told it was not but that housing staff considered everything they were sent.

Toronto Community Housing, who had reviewed their pay stubs multiple times including additional ones they were sent in November, says people are judged on what they are making at the time of the application and those slips clearly show they do not qualify.

The couple have offered to provide TCH with past and future tax returns, additional payslips and letters of employment to defend their case  but those offers have been rejected.

A spokesperson for the housing corporation told the Star that there is no formal appeal process and overtime and bonuses are factored into the equation.

All applicants are assessed for eligibility and must meet the income criteria for the program at the time of application; past and future earning potential is not considered, says Daniele Gauvin, a senior communications adviser with the housing corporation in an email. The documents submitted by the Bankuti household showed that their household income exceeded the eligibility limit for a three-bedroom unit at 110 River Street.

Bankuti met with the Star in her narrow one-bedroom apartment near Gerrard St. E. and Greewood Ave. She and her husband pay $1,350 a month and share the space with his 4-year-old daughter Gwendolyn, who lives with them part time, and a mini-dachshund cross named Tiberius.

When the little girl stays with them she sleeps on a pullout couch in the living room. Tiberius and his bed are small but the narrow layout means he, the bed and the stuffed shark he sleeps with are underfoot. The baby will sleep in the bedroom, currently packed with a bassinet, a double bed and a chest of drawers from Ikea that serves as a changing table.

Bankuti bought it after Googling how to have a baby in a small area.

What would have been their new home was 110 River St., a brand new 29-storey building in the heart of the largely redeveloped neighbourhood of Regent Park.

With close to 2,780 people eligible to apply for 75 units they never thought they had a chance at winning and, they say, honestly believed that even with his new job they were not guaranteed to exceed $65,184.

In a city facing a severe lack of affordable housing the lottery the couple entered was framed as one way that people trying to survive on lower incomes could get ahead, which in Toronto means skipping the centralized wait list.

The current wait list for subsidized housing in Toronto  which includes Toronto Community Housing, co-operatives and private non-profit housing  is close to 99,000 households and about one-third of those waiting are seniors.

The River St. building is close to a new recreation centre and the TTC, and the rent is fixed. Three-bedroom units are $1,358, two-bedrooms are $1,141 and one-bedroom units cost $962. Utilities are included.

Average market rents for a three-bedroom purpose-built rentals in the Census Metropolitan Area is $1,633, according to data from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. Those figures use occupied units  landlords can charge what they want for newly empty units  and dont factor in pricier options like condominiums. Research firm Urbanation recently published a report showing that the average cost of renting a studio condominium averaged $1,800 and a two-bedroom condominium went for about $2,700.

The Bankuti family has been on a wait list for a two-bedroom in co-operative housing for about a year but has been told they could be waiting anywhere from two to five years.

He says they havent given up entirely on pleading their case to get into an affordable home. We are trying to explain in an open way that we dont make this kind of money.

For now he is looking forward to meeting their new daughter and working for a company he respects. She is deeply concerned about whether she will be able to take on work after the baby is born. Two children she regularly cared for are moving, upsetting her plans to bring her new baby along when shes caring for them, she says.

Both know they cant afford to move.

Two bedrooms are so expensive now and especially because I am going to be on maternity leave we literally cant afford anything else, she says.
Police have arrested a man in connection with a string of sexual assaults near York University over the past two months.

For investigative reasons, Toronto police said they are not releasing details about arrested man, or the charges he faces. He was arrested Friday.

Police on Friday issued a safety alert after five women were sexually assaulted near the university, all since October.

Each time, the women were able to escape.

We have a predator on the loose who is attacking women from behind, Insp. Domenic Sinopoli told reporters at a news conference Friday.

Police also released security video showing the suspect walking in the area.
In January 2000, a paper was published in a respected academic journal that trumpeted the successes of a Canadian lab in a burgeoning area of drug testing.

The researchers who wrote the paper claimed they had analyzed strands of hair to trace long-term exposure to illicit drugs, such as cocaine, and used gold-standard testing to verify its results.

What everyone failed to notice  from the medical institution where the lab was housed to the federal agency that funded the study to the journal that published the article  was that the gold-standard claim was a lie.

In fact, Dr. Gideon Korens Motherisk lab at The Hospital for Sick Children rarely confirmed its results with gold-standard testing before 2010.

That lie was exposed in 2015, amid a scandal that tore apart vulnerable families and prompted two government-commissioned inquiries, which found Motherisk made millions selling its hair tests for use in criminal and child-protection cases despite the fact that it often failed to verify its preliminary results. This was contrary to international forensic standards for evidence presented in court.

Three years later, the article that was published in Forensic Science International still stands, uncorrected, polluting the scientific literature.

Read more:

Sick Kids orders systematic review of Dr. Gideon Korens published works

Parents lose second bid to launch class-action suit against Motherisk over flawed hair tests

Battle continues over proposed Motherisk class-action suit

The paper has been cited 54 times, as recently as May 2017. The journal told the Star this week that it will be looking into these issues.

Citations  when other researchers cite the study as a reference in their published work  are an indication of its influence.

A researchers publication record is the currency of modern-day science. It is the pre-requisite to securing competitive tenure-track positions at prestigious universities, the key to unlocking funding and the measure by which research institutions are assessed.

But it is a moment of reckoning for medical publishing. Last week, Sick Kids, which housed the Motherisk lab, announced it will undertake a wholesale review of Korens vast body of published work, after the Star presented the hospital with findings from this investigation that identified what appear to be problems in more than 400 of Korens papers, including the Jan. 2000 hair-testing article, collectively cited more than 6,000 times.

These papers appeared problematic because they have been inadequately peer-reviewed, failed to declare, and perhaps even obscure, conflicts of interest, and, in a handful of cases, contain lies about the methodology used to test hair for drugs.

We identified just 18 instances in the 400 studies flagged by the Star where it appears journals have taken action, in the form of a correction or clarification.

Sick Kids announcement follows similar cases in the U.S. There, a research misconduct scandal recently prompted the resignation of Dr. Jose Baselga, the former chief medical officer of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre in New York City, after a New York Times-ProPublica investigation found he failed to disclose payments from healthcare companies. Elsewhere, Ohio State University cancer scientist Ching-Shih Chen resigned after he was found to have falsified data.

The Stars review of more than 1,400 papers co-written over 30 years by Koren, one of Canadas most prolific scientific authors, reveals the inability  and unwillingness  of journals and research institutions to preserve the integrity of the scientific record.

Several concerns about Korens research were identified in 2015 by a Sick Kids internal review. The hospital posted a summary of its findings on its website, and told the Star it sent a copy to the provinces medical watchdog, which is investigating Koren.

The Stars investigation has found the system of medical publishing is one with little accountability, where the onus is on authors to voluntarily disclose conflicts of interest. Journals dont vet these claims (or the authors who make them). Institutions have discretion to investigate allegations of misconduct as they see fit.

Corrections, if they happen at all, routinely take years to be published.

The Stars findings are consistent with the systemic problems that have been identified by Retraction Watch, a pioneering organization with an online database of retractions and corrections.

Founded in 2010, the organization began collecting retractions, by searching journals online and in print, and, by the time the database went live in October 2018, it had amassed more than 18,000 retractions. This made it the most extensive catalogue of such notices available, says the sites co-founder, Ivan Oransky, a doctor, journalist and professor at New York University.

Despite the commonly held belief in the power of peer-review and the ability of academic publishing to root out cases of misconduct and fraud, Oransky describes the vaunted self-correction mechanism of science as one that is held together by spit and bubble gum.

From the institutions who rely on researchers to bring in grant money to the journals and authors whose reputations and careers are at stake, at every stage the incentives are against doing the right thing, he said.

I dont know if the barrel is totally rotten, but there are a lot more rotten apples in the barrel than people would like us to admit.

Koren, who retired from Sick Kids in June 2015, has continued to publish since his departure. Neither he nor his lawyers responded to emails and phone calls seeking comment for this story.

Koren, who now lives in Israel, had been working as a senior researcher for Maccabi Health, a healthcare provider. In late October, Physicians for Human Rights Israel, a medical ethics watchdog, wrote to Maccabi Health with concerns that Maccabi may not know about Korens role in two Sick Kids controversies, including the Motherisk scandal. On Dec. 5, Maccabi, in a letter obtained by the Star, wrote back saying it had appointed a committee to examine the role of Professor Koren in these incidents.

Israel Hayom, a national newspaper, reported on Dec. 18, that Maccabi Health said Koren will be on leave until the end of the investigation. Haaretz, another Israeli newspaper reported that day that Koren defended the Motherisk lab by saying it was clinical, not forensic, and won praise. He said, according to the newspaper, that claims of biased or misleading research were outright libel.

Sick Kids said last week that it is regrettable that an audit of Korens work had not been conducted sooner and that there should have been closer oversight of his disclosure and publication practices.

In the 30 years he spent at the helm of Motherisk, Korens staggering publication record helped make the program the foremost source of advice for generations of pregnant women and their doctors. He held editorial positions at more than 15 academic journals, attracted more than $29 million in grants from public and private sources, won prestigious awards and supervised up to a dozen graduate students per year, the Star found.

The institutions and journals that benefited now face possible problems in hundreds of papers in a case that reveals problems ailing the system of academic publishing, and provides a prescription for much-needed improvement.

***

The Stars findings were in many ways foretold 15 years ago, when the University of Torontos dean of medicine tried  and failed  to get a journal to retract one of Korens papers.

In April 2002, at a faculty council meeting, Dr. David Naylor, who is now interim CEO at Sick Kids, recorded a finding of research misconduct against Koren related to a 1999 study published in the journal Therapeutic Drug Monitoring.

The public chastisement was intended as a coda to Korens dispute with Dr. Nancy Olivieri, a blood diseases specialist at Sick Kids who, like Koren, held cross-appointments at U of T. Tensions boiled over while the pair was running a clinical trial with partial funding from the Canadian generic drug-maker Apotex. Olivieri voiced concerns about the efficacy of the drug, which Koren did not share.

In 2000, the heads of Sick Kids and U of T suspended and fined Koren, who was also stripped of an endowed chair for repeatedly lying and sending anonymous poison pen letters to doctors and the media disparaging Olivieri and her supporters. He denied writing the letters until DNA evidence provided irrefutable proof.

A committee formed by the U of T Faculty of Medicine found that Koren had published the 1999 paper without consulting the other researchers, failed to disclose Apotexs support for the trial, and had not discussed the safety concerns about the drug.

I sincerely hope that resolution of this  brings the entire episode to an end, Naylor told the faculty council in 2002, according to the meeting minutes.

Naylor said that he insisted Koren write to the journal to acknowledge his error and request the article be deleted from the scientific record. He has done so, and also sent appropriate personal letters of apology, Naylor said, according to the minutes of the faculty council meeting. I consider the matter closed.

The article was never withdrawn.

An erratum was published in April 2004, stating that the specific industry sponsor, Apotex Inc., of Weston, Ontario, was not mentioned.

Korens failure to consult with his co-researchers and discuss the safety concerns, were not addressed in this correction.

In response to questions from the Star for this story, Naylor said Koren contacted the editor, Dr. Steven Soldin, within weeks of being notified of Naylors decision.

Naylor said Soldin was made aware of the inappropriate use of shared data and the non-disclosure issue, but that Soldin declined to retract the article.

Soldin, who is now a senior scientist at the National Institutes of Health Research in Maryland, told the Star he doesnt recall a conversation with Koren about the paper after it was published and said he was never contacted by any official from U of T.

If the Toronto academic faculty felt strongly about something, they should definitely have spoken with me, he said. Its got to be a serious conversation, or its not going to be taken seriously.

The matter was still outstanding when, in early 2004, Koren became North American editor of Therapeutic Drug Monitoring, based in part on the recommendation of his predecessor, Soldin.

In February 2004, Naylor wrote to Olivieri with an update. In that correspondence, obtained by the Star, Naylor said he wrote a letter urging retraction of the 1999 article, and, as agreed, Koren passed it to the publisher. In a recent email to the Star, Naylor said that he reached out to the publisher who rejected his request.

The current journal editor, Dr. Uwe Christians, said he cannot comment further on the matter, but, in general, the journal editor and editorial board have full editorial independence; the publisher is not involved in editorial decisions.

Arthur Schafer, founding director of the University of Manitobas Centre for Professional and Applied Ethics, said Koren should have been fired for his conduct in the Olivieri affair. That U of T and Sick Kids allowed him to continue publishing after his proven research misconduct, apparently without adequate oversight and supervision, is astonishing, he said.

Naylor, speaking in his capacity as U of Ts former dean of medicine, said he rejects the suggestion that the universitys handling of this case somehow accounted for Korens ongoing failures to disclose industry funding sources and personal payments.

(Third) parties gave critical and wide public airing of Dr. Korens disclosure misconduct during and after these proceedings, he said, referring to U of Ts investigation into the research misconduct allegations. (His) aberrant conduct apparently continued regardless . He was evidently impervious to discipline or criticism.

A spokesperson for Sick Kids said that the issue surrounding the 1999 paper, was addressed many years ago by the University of Toronto and the Hospital has no further comment.

***

In his recent book, Doctors in Denial: Why Big Pharma and the Canadian Medical Profession are Too Close for Comfort, Dr. Joel Lexchin, a health policy expert at York University, writes that since the 90s, pharma money has increasingly flowed to scientists who are regarded as having a favourable view of a companys products and could be a willing, positive ambassador at conferences and dinners with colleagues.

Doctors who receive money from pharmaceutical companies are almost uniformly resolute that they are promoting the product because they believe in its effectiveness and that they are independent and able to say what they believe, Lexchin writes. He adds that they sometimes indulge in self-censorship to avoid the risk of losing funding for research and attendance at conferences.

In the U.S., federal law requires drug companies to disclose payments to doctors.

No such law exists in Canada.

Legislation, passed by Ontarios former Liberal government last year to make these disclosures mandatory, has yet to be proclaimed by the new Tory government.

Dr. Andrew Boozary, an assistant professor at U of T and the co-founder of Open Pharma, a leading advocate for pharmaceutical payment transparency, said that there is no universal standard for disclosing conflicts of interest, ties to industry or anything else that could be seen to bias academic publishing.

When submitting a manuscript, authors are often asked to complete an online form that asks a simple yes or no question: Are there any relevant conflicts of interest?

Journal editors told the Star they rely on authors to be honest.

Koren has acknowledged in published papers and on one version of his C.V. that about 10 drug companies, including Pfizer, Duchesnay and Apotex, have provided him with money.

The Star found nearly 300 papers that contain concerns related to undisclosed, or possibly obscured, conflicts of interest. That includes roughly 30 papers that discuss morning sickness or Diclectin, the only medication approved by Health Canada to treat this condition, and do not acknowledge Korens long-term support from Duchesnay, the Quebec-based maker of the drug. Duchesnay provided funding to Koren beginning in 1994, according to his C.V.

Of the nearly 300 papers, about 270 cite The Research Leadership for Better Pharmacotherapy During Pregnancy and Lactation. Sick Kids, following its internal probe of Motherisk in 2015, said Koren created this name to refer to funds donated by a variety of individuals and organizations. In the years leading up to the Motherisk scandal, the primary donor was Duchesnay, the hospital said, and, in some cases where Koren used the Research Leadership name, he did not acknowledge funding from that drug company.

The Star requested a complete list of donors and the amount of money provided, but Sick Kids said this is not possible, because this was not an actual fund set up at the hospital.

In a statement, a spokesperson for Duchesnay confirmed the company terminated its partnership with/and funding of Sick Kids and Motherisk in 2015, but said it is not our policy to announce the specific amounts it pays or has paid to Canadian health professionals for various consultations, speaker and research services.

None of the other drug companies provided to the Star the amount or details of the funding to Koren or Motherisk.

Thomas Knudsen is editor-in-chief of the journal Reproductive Toxicology, which has published 13 papers co-written by Koren that the Star deemed problematic, because they relate to hair-testing, cite the Research Leadership name or discuss morning sickness or Diclectin without acknowledging support from Duchesnay.

Knudsen said that his editorial staff does not generally investigate conflict-of-interest disclosures. Peer reviewers are not going to do a Google search of the author, Knudsen said; their job is to review the science. Without a whistleblower or a note from a researchers institution, he asked, how was he supposed to know who or what to look into?

We are not police officers, he said.

Thats up to the university.

The journal published two more of Korens articles this year. A third was stopped by reviewers with concerns about the study design and conclusions. Knudsen recently rejected this study. He said that information provided by the Star about the findings of the news organizations investigation into Korens papers, and the problems at Motherisk made it easier to render the unfavourable decision.

***

Sick Kids vowed to communicate the results of its recently announced review to all involved journals. This could prove a monumental task. The more than 400 papers identified by the Star as containing possible problems were published in roughly 75 journals and co-authored by more than 450 doctors, nurses and academics.

In these cases, publications can be slow to act, if they do at all, said Oransky of Retraction Watch.

Retractions, the most severe form of punishment a journal takes, are rare.

Corrections, known as errata or corrigenda, are more common.

But they can take years to materialize, are difficult to find and tend to be opaque.

In a search of three online scientific article databases, the Star found corrections related to 18 of the more than 400 articles we flagged.

Most are not appended to the online versions of the original articles.

The problems in the system were evident in our search for corrections related to five hair-testing papers that retired judge Susan Lang identified in her 2015 report on Motherisk as containing lies about using the gold-standard testing to confirm results.

In her report, Lang said that Koren told her that he had sent erratum letters to the affected journals explaining the inaccuracies in these articles.

Sick Kids reiterated Korens claim in the press release last week.

Three years later, the Stars online search found corrections related to two of those articles: an erratum related to a 2007 article published in Therapeutic Drug Monitoring, and a corrigendum related to a 2009 article published in Forensic Science International.

When asked why Forensic Science International did not publish a correction related to the 2000 paper discussed at the beginning of this story, the editor, Dr. Christian Jackowski said no further corrigendum/erratum was published or provided by the author.

The editor of a third journal, on request, sent the Star the corrigendum that was published in relation to a 2007 article.

None of these notices mentioned that the Motherisk lab has been discredited.

They claim that, despite the fact that results were not confirmed with gold-standard testing, this did not affect results.

Dr. Ronald Cohn, Sick Kids pediatrician-in-chief, took issue with Korens assertion that the gold-standard lie had no impact on the results of the study.

That prompted Therapeutic Drug Monitoring, one of the journals, to also issue an expression of concern, a stronger statement, about one of the articles.

Jackowski, the editor of Forensic Science International, said he told a Sick Kids official that he would additionally publish a letter to the editor stating the hospitals position. But it was never submitted, he told the Star. Sick Kids told the Star it did send the letter, but would reach out to the journal again to clear up any misunderstanding.

Meanwhile, Dr. Togas Tulandi, the editor of Elseviers Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Canada, which published an opinion piece by Koren in 2017, said that he was unaware of Korens research misconduct until he was contacted by the Star. He said his associate is looking into it and the journal may withdraw (Korens) article.

Therapeutic Drug Monitoring, which Koren edited until 2015, has recently taken the most aggressive approach of any journal towards Korens articles; Christians said the current president of the society that runs the journal asked Koren to step down as editor after he learned of the Motherisk scandal. Koren accepted the termination without question, he said.

In 2017, the journal reviewed all of the roughly 90 articles Koren co-authored, and sent 19 to independent reviewers for additional scrutiny. In seven, the reviewers recommended action, such as requesting proof of confirmation testing and ethics-board approval from the authors.

Christians said that the follow-up on these actions was delayed by the transition to a new editor, but that it is now being prioritized.

Following the Stars inquiries, Christians said he is now considering retracting the 1999 paper that resulted in the research misconduct finding against Koren.

***

Naylor said Korens case is an ugly and outsized example of the systemic problems with conflicts of interest and protecting the scientific record.

The only way to move forward, he said, is for institutions to keep better tabs on researchers financial relationships, ensure the penalties for not disclosing are clear and collaborate with journal editors to work out a more explicit system to share information and oversight of the processes for correcting the scientific record.

Naylor said it would be a huge help if all industry payments made directly to physicians were simply disclosed publicly by the payers.

Koren continues to submit manuscripts to journals to be considered for publication.

He published a study in August about a severe form of morning sickness. The paper acknowledges he is a consultant for Duchesnay.

In September, Koren was singled out among the worlds hyperprofilic authors in an article in Nature. These were researchers who wrote more than 72 papers in any year from 2000 to 2016  roughly one paper every five days  which, the study authors noted, many would consider implausibly prolific.

Lead author, Stanford University professor John Ioannidis, said the study is an attempt to understand hyper-prolific authorship, for better or worse.

Koren responded to a request from the study authors to comment on his output. He credited teamwork, 16-hour work days, and two very supportive work environments.

I perceive myself as an individual who is highly committed to scientific discovery, he said. I do not feel I have to apologize for my high productivity.

With files from Tania Pereira, May Warren, Stefanie Marotta, Jason Miller and Brendan Kennedy.

Ryerson note: The Stars investigation into Korens publications was conducted in partnership with Ryerson University School of Journalism students Stefanie Phillips, Emerald Bensadoun, Kate Skelly and Alanna Rizza.

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This is where we live. In space. On a marble fortified against bottomless blackness by a shell of air and colour, fragile and miraculous as a soap bubble.

In 1968, we Earthlings knew that already, sort of. But that abstract notion became visceral on Christmas Eve that year.

While scouting landing spots on the moon, the astronauts of Apollo 8  Frank Borman, William Anders and James Lovell, Jr.  spied the shiny blue Earth rising over the ash-coloured lunar mountains like a cosmic smiley face.

That image, transmitted from space, went on to capture the imagination of the world: Earthrise.

Anders had the job of photographing the lunar landscape. When Earth rose, a robot would have kept on clicking off pictures of the craters.

Indeed the astronauts briefly joked about whether they should break off and aim their cameras up. Hey dont take that, its not scheduled, Borman said. Then, like good humans, they grabbed cameras and clicked away.

Earthrise did not start environmentalism, but it became the movements icon, a gift of perspective at the end of a long, dark year.

If you were young, 1968 was the best of times and the worst of times.

The Beatles were still together. Star Trek was on TV. You could get high and watch 2001: A Space Odyssey at the movies.

These cultural facets were products of a decade when technological optimism had reigned: You could wage war against communists in Southeast Asia and against poverty and discrimination at home, and conquer space on the side.

But by the end of the decade, pessimism was ascendant. There was no peace or end in sight in Vietnam, nor on the streets at home, roiling with protests, assassinations and riots.

In space, the United States trailed the Soviet Union in a peaceful but symbolic technological competition.

The launch of Sputnik, the first Earth-orbiting satellite, startled the world in 1957, and America had been struggling to catch up ever since.

President John F. Kennedy committed the United States to landing on the moon before the end of the 1960s, but in January of 1967 a fire in an Apollo capsule killed three astronauts, delaying the project and threatening the deadline.

Meanwhile, the Soviets had begun sending uncrewed spaceships around the moon. In April 1968, intelligence agencies warned that the enemy was gearing up to try to send a man around the moon as early as that autumn.

But by the end of 1968, the United States had pulled even and taken the lead in the race to land humans on the moon.

That goal was achieved by Apollo 11 on July 20 of the following year  an event that will be widely celebrated on its 50th anniversary in 2019. But a proper observance begins with Apollo 8s Christmas Eve loop around the moon: The first indication the Americans might get there first.

Apollo 8s original mission was to carry a crew of three around Earth, in a command module that had been redesigned and rebuilt since one of its predecessors burned up on the launch pad in 1967.

The mission, slotted for December, would mark the first crewed flight of the mighty Saturn 5 rocket.

In those days, NASAs leaders were still willing to gamble  and so, in August, the plan changed.

Borman was called into a closed-door meeting: Would he like to go around the moon in December?

It was an offer no astronaut could refuse, never mind that no one had flown on a Saturn 5 yet.

Within weeks the prospective mission had morphed from simply looping around the moon to braking and completing an orbit around it. This was a far riskier venture: If the command module rocket failed to fire and break them out of orbit, the astronauts would never come home.

In September, while NASA pondered the mission, the Soviets kept busy, launching a rocket, Zond 5, around the moon and safely returning its crew of worms and tortoises. The Apollo 8 flight was not approved until October, after a crewed flight of Apollo 7 had tested the newly rebuilt command module. On Nov. 11, NASA publicly announced it would be shooting for the moon the following month.

By then, Zond 6 was on its way  uncrewed, but who knew what might be next.

The September Zond flight scared NASA that the Russians might one-up them one more time by doing it again just before Apollo 8, this time with a cosmonaut aboard, Roger Launius, NASAs former chief historian, said recently in an email. (Zond 6 crashed on returning to Earth.)

Apollo 8 blasted off on Dec. 21. Things did not go smoothly at first.

On the way to the moon, Borman became terribly sick, forcing his crewmates to dodge specks of vomit and other bodily excretions, according to Robert Kursons book Rocket Men: The Daring Odyssey of Apollo 8 and the Astronauts Who Made Mans First Journey to the Moon.

They chose not to tell Mission Control about it until he had improved, fearing the mission would be aborted.

All of Earth held its breath when the spacecraft went out of view around the moon, entering radio silence, for the engine burn that would put it into lunar orbit.

Seventeen hours later, on Christmas Eve, what NASA has described as the biggest broadcast audience in history was listening when the opening lines of Genesis came crackling down from the heavens.

In the beginning, God created the heaven and the Earth, Anders began.And God saw that it was good, Borman said.

I had tears in my eyes when I heard that. At Mission Control, the rocket engineers all began to cry, according to Kursons book. Like I said, it had been a long year.

It would take a little while longer for the world to realize that Apollo 8s greatest legacy would be a single photograph of home. Sent to examine the Moon, Anders later said, humans instead discovered Earth.

A holiday present for the ages. Alas, it didnt come with an instruction manual. Were still working on that.
WASHINGTONWith the angry departure of Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, the United States and its shaken allies are about to discover the true meaning of America First.

Mattis, a retired four-star general, prided himself on spending four decades preparing for war while nurturing the alliances needed to prevent conflict. He was more than the competent grown-up in the Situation Room, quelling talk of unilateral strikes against North Korea. In fact, he was the last senior official in the administration deeply invested in the world order that the United States has led for the 73 years since World War II, and the global footprint needed to keep that order together.

The breaking point was Syria, where Trump decided over his defence secretarys objections to pull all U.S. troops, and Afghanistan, where the president seems determined to reduce the American presence by half in the next few months. By the time Trump made clear he would delay those actions no longer, Mattis was isolated.

He was not alone: Most of the advisers Trump once called my generals also believed in the system Trump has long rejected. And now, headed into his third year in office and more convinced than ever that his initial gut instincts about retreating from a complex world of civil wars and abstract threats was right, Trump has rid himself of the aides who feared the president was undercutting Americas long-term national interests.

Now the president appears determined to assemble a new team of advisers who will not tell him what he cannot do, but rather embrace his vision of a powerful America that will amass a military that will enforce national sovereignty and bolster deal-making  but not spend time nurturing the alliance relationships that Mattis, in a remarkable resignation letter, makes clear are at the core of U.S. power.

To Mattis, alliances were a force-multiplier. To Trump, they are mostly a burden.

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I think the question for any future secretary of defence  or any of those going onto the Trump team now  is whether they want to be like Jim Mattis and try to defend the principles he defended, starting with alliances, or get on board with the presidents approach, Leon Panetta, who served as defence secretary, CIA director and White House Chief of staff during a long career, said by telephone Thursday night. While the president tweeted, Mattis went around the world reassuring people that they could wink at the statements and know that America was going to be there to steady the ship.

Panetta paused. Until he couldnt keep that going anymore, he said.

The national security adviser, John Bolton, made no secret of his deep suspicion of international institutions like the United Nations, NATO, and the European Union. After an initial, awkward meeting at the Pentagon with Mattis, the two men often steered clear of each other.

The secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, is more artful at straddling the line, talking up Trumps view of Americas role in the world while quietly working to channel the presidents most extreme instincts. But while he objected to the Syria decision, he defended it, if weakly, in a series of friendly radio and TV interviews Thursday.

In retrospect, the clash of world views between Trump and Mattis was inevitable. Trump made his views clear from the early days of the campaign, when he railed about the Iran nuclear deal as a terrible giveaway for the United States, criticized NATO as an alliance of freeloaders and described the presence of U.S. troops in Asia as nonsensical, because the United States ran trade deficits with Japan and South Korea.

Mattis, in contrast, was an institutionalist  as were H.R. McMaster, the retired lieutenant-general who served as national security adviser, and Rex Tillerson, the Exxon Mobil chief who never figured out how to run the State Department, but recently said he spent most of his time trying to talk Trump down from illegal acts on the world stage.

The three men never got along. But they all believed Americas strength lay in its role leading NATO, or the anti-Daesh alliance, or keeping the peace in the Pacific by making it clear to North Korea and China that the Navy was just over the horizon.

Mattis and McMaster were authors of a national security strategy that Trump issued but never embraced, one that said dealing with the revisionist powers of Russia and China, not combating terrorism, was once again the primary objective of U.S. national security policy.

But when Trump accepted Mattis resignation Thursday afternoon, the most he could say about his defence secretary was that his greatest accomplishment was the purchase of new fighting equipment and getting allies to pay more of their share of the burden of the alliances. He never mentioned the strategic reorientation, contained in a document his former aides say he never read.

We are moving back to an earlier conception of Americas role in the world, looking out for ourselves, hoping the two oceans protect us, and when necessary saying the rest of the world is full of freeloaders who can go to hell if they dont get on board, said Robert Kagan, a conservative foreign policy expert whose books, The World America Made and The Jungle Grows Back, chronicle the ebbs and flows of American influence.

It may be an era more destructive of the world order than in the 1930s, he said. Back then, at least Britain and France were responsible for keeping part of the order. Now we are the responsible world power  and we are undermining it.

Mattis hardly ever repeated the America First line that his boss found so attractive. But he also rarely openly contradicted the president. He was more subtle. When he received orders he believed destructive  for example, the presidential tweet that seemed to ban transgender soldiers from serving  he would slow-walk the process, forming a committee to study the issue, then issuing watered-down directives.

That technique infuriated Trump. And the relationship was finally breached over the order to pull out of Syria, a step so large that there was no way, Mattis concluded, to dilute it by quietly sending in Special Forces.

When he distributed his letter, which he had written and rewritten in his head many times, it made clear the gulf between them. By dwelling on the value of the NATO alliance, the coalition to fight the Daesh, and the need to be clear-eyed about Russia and China, he was aiming at the heart of his differences with Trump.

But the letter was notable for what it was missing: Any praise of the presidents work around the globe. In saying that the president deserved a secretary of defence whose views were aligned with his own, he was making clear he was no longer going to provide cover.

Whenever I said, Trump is destroying the Atlantic alliance, Kagan said, people would tell me, At least there is Mattis. In fact, Mattis was the man who worked up the plans to circulate troops through Eastern Europe, as a signal to President Vladimir Putin of Russia. It was Mattis who helped establish what was supposed to be a long-term presence in Afghanistan, to convince the Taliban they would have to negotiate a peace.

But Mattis was also a cautious player. He clashed with McMaster over the defence secretarys refusal to order the military to hail and board North Korean ships suspected of carrying goods that violated the embargoes on the country. And whenever people talked about unilateral strikes against North Korea, it was Mattis who would warn, darkly, of the potential cost to millions of lives in Seoul.

Now the question is whether Trump will conclude that his experiment with the generals  he told an interviewer during the 2016 campaign that he liked them because they represent power  is truly over.

It turns out that long military careers usually create a different view of the way the world works than long careers in commercial real estate. And it is a view that Trump still rejects, even more vociferously than he did when he was running for office.

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NAIROBI, KENYAAn explosives-packed vehicle detonated at a military checkpoint near Somalias presidential palace, killing at least 16 people and wounding more than 20 others, police said. The al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab extremist group, which often targets Mogadishu, claimed responsibility for the attack.

Those killed include three staffers from the London-based Universal TV station, including prominent journalist Awil Dahir Salad, said police Capt. Mohamed Hussein, who gave the toll of dead and wounded.

The bomber targeted the checkpoint near the rear entrance of the heavily fortified palace, Hussein said. A lawmaker and a deputy mayor of Mogadishu were among those wounded, he said.

Soldiers also were among the dead, Col. Ahmed Mohamud said.

The blast and a second, smaller one nearby appeared to target those heading to work on what was a business day in the Horn of Africa nation.

A plume of smoke rose over the capital as ambulances rushed to the scene.

At first I saw a vehicle driving to and fro, then we tried to stop people walking here and there, and then in the blink of an eye the vehicle exploded, causing havoc, traffic police officer Mohamed Harun told The Associated Press.

Al-Shabab, the most active Islamic extremist group in sub-Saharan Africa, was pushed out of Mogadishu years ago but continues to control large parts of rural southern and central Somalia.

The U.S. military, which partners with Somali forces and a 20,000-strong African Union peacekeeping mission, has greatly increased airstrikes against al-Shabab under the Trump administration. At least 47 U.S. strikes have been carried out this year.
The spot of red was what first caught Randy Heiss attention last Sunday as he hiked the remote expanse of land behind his ranch in Patagonia, Arizona, a town near the U.S.-Mexico border.

Draped against the sacaton grass was a balloon  or at least the tattered remnants of one. Heiss walked toward it with his dog, Feliz, thinking he should pick up the latex pieces and throw them away.

Thats when he noticed the balloons string was attached to a piece of paper.

Dayami, it read on one side, in a childs handwriting. A hand-drawn bow accompanied the word.

Heiss flipped it over. It was a numbered list, all in Spanish.

My Spanish isnt very good, but I could see it was a Christmas list, he told The Washington Post in a phone interview Friday.

Read more:

His family once struggled to make ends meet. Now hes hooked on paying it forward for Christmas

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From a seven-foot Santa to a mini-village with 140 decorative houses, this is a Christmas display of epic proportions

Heiss was charmed. He suspected that a child had tried to send Santa Claus a Christmas wish list by balloon, something he used to do himself when he was a kid. Nobody had ever returned the letters Heiss had sent aloft  but he wondered whether he couldnt find the girl who had sent this one.

It would be difficult, but Heiss had a few clues. About 20 miles to the southwest, just across the border, was the city of Nogales, Mexico, with a population of about a quarter-million people.

Based on the prevailing wind, I was pretty doggone sure thats where it came from, he said.

Heiss brought the note home to his wife, who is fluent in Spanish and helped him translate the list. They determined that Dayami, probably a girl, had asked for Enchantimals, clothes, art supplies and slime, among other things.

Heiss then posted about his quest on Facebook, attaching photos, hoping some of his friends in Nogales might know the girls family.

A few days passed, with no leads; Heiss worried that time was running out before Christmas. On Wednesday, he decided to send a private Facebook message to Radio XENY, an AM radio station based in Nogales.

To his surprise, someone from the station called him back right away. Heiss wife helped explain the situation to Radio XENY host Cesar Barron, who talked about the quest to find Dayami on air and posted about it on the stations Facebook page.

On Thursday morning, Heiss awoke to another message from Radio XENY: They had located Dayami, an 8-year-old girl, and her family, who indeed lived in Nogales. Would they be willing to arrange a get-together at the radio station?

It just changed my entire day, Heiss said. Instead of going back to my office in Bisbee, I went with my wife to Walmart.

They bought just about everything on Dayamis list, except for an Enchantimals doll and an Enchantimals dollhouse (both were sold out). They also bought a few other toys for good measure, since they had learned that Dayami had a younger sister, 4-year-old Ximena.

Then the Heisses drove for 45 minutes, crossing the border into Nogales. They arrived at the Radio XENY offices with presents by the armload  and finally met two very excited little girls.

Their parents explained to the Heisses that Dayami had been writing a letter to Santa and sending it by balloon for years, but this was the first year anyone had found their note.

Their eyes were wide open with wonder, Heiss said of the two sisters reactions. Like Oh my gosh, this really did work! 

Heiss and his wife told them they were ayundantes de Santa, or Santas helpers.

It was a beautiful, beautiful experience, Heiss said.

He paused.

Quite healing for us, he added.

Heiss, 60, has lived in southeastern Arizona for more than three decades and now splits his time between Patagonia and the city of Bisbee. Nine years ago, he and his wife lost their only child, a son. They have no grandchildren.

Being around children at Christmastime has been absent in our lives, Heiss said. Its been kind of a gaping hole in our Christmas experience.

He has since reflected on what a miracle it was that he spotted the balloon at all, let alone was able to locate Dayami and her family.

We now have friends for life, Heiss said. And, for a day, that border fence with its concertina wire melted away.

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What does it take for front-line combat photographers to focus upon the chaos of conflict, year after year, decade after decade? And what does it take out of them? University of Toronto neuropsychiatrist Anthony Feinstein, after more than 20 groundbreaking years studying the effects of war on journalists, is back in book form with Shooting War  18 intimate essays that unpack the trauma-laced travels of some of the worlds most dedicated war photographers. The interview has been edited and condensed. Caution: this story contains baggage.

Q. You open the book with brief reference to your own compulsory military service in the (apartheid-era) South African army  and describe how cameras, though banned by the military, were nevertheless commonplace in soldiers hands. Tell us more of that experience, and is that what first sparked your interest in war reporting?

A. I didnt say a lot about it because I didnt want to make the focus on me. This is a book about the men and women who take the photographs. But I do think my early experiences undoubtedly got me interested in war. I got conscripted  very much against my will; I was not a supporter of the regime in any way  I was living in Paris, but the army tracks you down. And then you had this very uncomfortable choice of Do I go back or do I stay? It was an era where if you never went back you basically become a refugee. I didnt have the resources to live abroad so I went back and I got sent to this war in Namibia and Angola as a medical officer.

The first thought is I would manage cases of psychiatric triage  so to triage people close to the front line, assess individuals and put in place treatment with the expectation they go back to the front lines. I did that for a while but I wasnt that busy and so the army, in their wisdom, sent me to a very small group of men doing counterinsurgency. And thats where it became very, very dangerous because we were ambushed, there were firefights, etc. And I shifted from being a psychiatric medical officer to basically a combat medic, treating people who needed immediate first aid.

I didnt know at the time but what I was witnessing would essentially guide one whole area of my future research.

Interestingly enough, during my time in the war zone I kept a diary but also did some research  I documented the responses of the men I was with to combat. Because I saw some very prominent post-traumatic stress disorder amongst them. I published it in the American Journal of Psychiatry, this rather unique report of psychiatry on the front lines because thats not where psychiatry normally is. That got me interested in mental health and PTSD research. The memories of that time in Namibia and so 20 years back, here at Sunnybrook, when I had as a patient someone who was a front-line journalist, it kind of rekindled my interest in conflict and started me on a whole avenue of research, which I still do.

Q. One of the things you make clear in the book is that when we use the phrase combat photographer it doesnt necessarily mean for life. One of the 18 photographers you have chosen to profile more or less stumbled into it from such unlikely beginnings as working at the World Bank. Others find themselves drifting away, basically self-exiling from the craft in midstream to do something entirely different, perhaps because of the sheer weight of what theyve witnessed. How do you see these particular men and women fitting together under the title?

A. I think whats remarkable about this group is that they have done this work for a very long time. I think it takes a certain individual who can go back to war year after year after year. If you look at some of these photographers  in fact, the majority of them  they have had more exposure to combat than soldiers. These are individuals who willingly go back to conflict year after year.

Someone who walked away from it at the height of her career  at the height of her success  was Corinne Dufka. She did it I think because of something called moral injury. She was a most remarkable photographer but prior to that shed trained as a social worker, so she got into combat photography through doing social work in Central America. From the beginning, she had a very strong humanistic drive to her work. She won a great many awards. And then came the bombing of the American Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya, where she arrived late to the story.

She missed the scoop. And she was very angry, Why did I miss this? And then she started wondering, Why am I angry? Why am I doing this work? She had a kind of epiphany, sitting in her hotel room, asking herself Am I doing this to win awards or am I doing it to tell the story of people whove been traumatized by conflict? She felt shed lost her way, that somehow her moral compass had slipped. Thats moral injury. She felt she somehow wasnt doing justice to what from the very beginning for her was more than the great photography  it was finding the humanistic element. And then she had the remarkable fortitude to walk away from it and say, Ive lost my way, Im going to do something different. And so she went and did human rights work.

Q. That touches one of the least savoury dimensions of the craft of journalism  the craven temptation to think first about what you might take from the story, rather than what you can bring to it. That it would arise  and in fact actually change the entire career path of someone this accomplished  is a powerful element in the book.

A. Yeah, I think the photographers in this book, while obviously they all have their ambitions, thats not the primarily motivation for their work. What makes them great photographers in part is this ability to tell the story with their camera. Id like to think this is a group thats cut from a different cloth.

Q. One of the most powerful stories in the book is that of Ashley Gilbertson, who, upon learning that the taboo of never firing upon a mosque had been broken by U.S. forces in Falluja, Iraq, sought permission during a military embed to circle back on his own and photograph the body of the dead insurgent at the top of a minaret  and instead was forced, for his own safety, to go back with an armed escort. The American soldier who led the way up the stairs of the tower was killed, leaving Ashley with massive survivors guilt. In this chapter, you mention this idea of moral luck  that tendency to labour under the illusion that we have any sort of control under inherently chaotic circumstances that defy rational control. Can you talk about how that played out in Ashleys case?

A. In many ways Ashley recognizes from an intellectual level that his guilt was misplaced. He had gone to war to photograph war. As an embedded photographer, the military would not let him go off on his own without an escort, he had no say in that. I think he would probably have gone to the minaret by himself had they let him  but they didnt. The commanding officer said, No, these are the rules. He would have been the first up those steps, had they let him  and he wished he had been, showing the level of his guilt. These were variables he could not control.

For me, one of the most powerful photographs in this book is not a photograph of war, its Ashleys photograph from his series on the Bedrooms of the Fallen, which he captured after his experience in Falluja. Heres the bedroom kept unchanged by parents in mourning, years later. Instead of mementoes of a warrior on the walls of the room you see how the parents have kept all the mementos of childhood  Its very poignant. It is remarkable and part of his healing process as well. An atonement. To his credit, he speaks quite openly about it now and rather than keep it to himself he has become a powerful advocate for looking after your mental health in difficult situations like that.

Q. I was struck by your description of how much more difficult Ashley found it to go into those bedrooms, compared to the difficulty of going into a mosque in Falluja in the middle of chaos.

A. Thats spot on. Because going into those bedrooms, hes confronting his own emotions. Which in many ways are far more difficult than confronting danger.

Q. From a viewpoint of therapy, can that only be healthy? Or is there a penitent aspect to it, where the guilt takes over.

A. As part of therapy, you have to be very careful of misplaced guilt. The guilt is generating a whole gamut of emotions. But the guilt is misplaced. One has to get a clear idea of where the guilt is coming from. Its one of the cornerstones of a particular therapy called cognitive behaviour therapy, where you identify what we called cognitive distortions  a distorted way of thinking  and if you can correct that then one of the benefits is that your mood starts improving and your anxiety gets less. But once again theres an element of moral injury  the guilt and the shame and the feeling that somehow Ive lost my way and Ive made a mistake. But in Ashleys case he didnt! He followed the rules, he did exactly what an embedded photographer needed to do. The variable that he couldnt control is war. And the uncertainty of war. And the fact that it can just take the smallest little fraction  a millimetre here, a millimetre there  that changes a life.

Q. Youve included one photographer in this collection  Sebastiao Salgado  who showed no demonstrable signs of PTSD, yet was consumed with a deep sadness, sadness for humanity, almost. Until he abandoned photography altogether and found another outlet for his creativity. What drew you to his story?

A. Well, the photographs are so remarkable. But also the fact that he had put himself in a very difficult situation. In the aftermath of the genocide in Rwanda hes by himself, hes not embedded, hes in many ways in the worlds worst place, extremely dangerous and hes working solo not for a few weeks but for a very long period. And he is a witness, repeatedly, to the most unbelievable suffering.

Q. The photograph in the book is Salgados image of mother and child in the first wave of displacement of Rwandan refugees at a makeshift came in Tanzania. But as the story continues, he goes back and follows the tide of human movement to Goma and then beyond. And so he witnesses, I think it was a quarter-million refugees started out on that march and 

A. And a fraction came out the forest on the other side. And hes witnessing this  this starvation, desperation. But hes also witnessing this remarkable human resilience, which he speaks about, how people set up a barbershop or a money exchange in the middle of this entire trauma.

But yes, I think the effect on him  and he speaks about it quite openly  is that he found it absolutely exhausting. Physically and emotionally exhausting. And after doing this for a prolonged period of time and witnessing enormous human suffering, he just ran out of resources. His body started to shut down, physiologically he become unwell. He had to put his camera down and literally step away from a career that he loves.

Q. You talk about the physiological roots of PTSD. How is what he experienced not in some way that, if his body was breaking down as you describe?

A. Post-traumatic stress disorder is very clearly defined. The American Psychiatric Association has an approach to mental illness which is, Were going to define criteria very tightly  you have to have four of that group of indicators and three of this group etc. So when you use that, he doesnt  its just not there. I think what Salgado had was overwhelming exhaustion. He found regeneration through the land  going back and restoring the abandoned family home and farming the soil and replanting forests. He undertook to do the most wonderfully creative antithesis of war, getting the earth to bloom again.

The other thing  he doesnt call himself a war photographer. He told me that he had to get out of the Congo very, very quickly because news came to him that he was going to be killed for his possessions. This wasnt classical war photography but it was very, very dangerous work  no minders, no security, working alone in the aftermath of genocide under threat of death.

Q. Youve spent a large part of your career trying to figure how what makes these people tick. How would you characterize individuals who will go to that sort of extreme for the work?

A. I think all of this group, when you look at their ability to manage risk, is extraordinary. Because what they do the majority of people run away from. I come back to the point I made earlier  theyre not just doing it for one war. Ive studied front-line journalists for 20 years. Ive seen a number of journalists think, Oh I think Ill go do war reporting, itll be good for my career and they get one sniff of the battlefield and they just cant take it and never want to go back. And youve got this group, almost like an outlier, because they go back not just year after year but decade after decade.

I believe its hard-wired. It takes a rare physiology that allows you to do this because it is such hard work. And one of the messages that I really wanted to put across in the book  really, in many ways, the central message  is that we look at these remarkable images and we marvel at them, but we dont think about the men and women who take them and the cost that comes with this image. Every single photographer in this book  at a physical level or at a psychological level or both  has paid a very heavy price for doing this work.
Six months ago, Doug Ford and his Progressive Conservatives were elected largely on the basis that he wasnt Kathleen Wynne and they werent the Liberals, and somehow that would add up to them doing the right thing for Ontarians.

Fords campaign was light on details but peppered with his folksy promises. And as premier, hes fond of saying: promises made, promises kept. But much of his record shows something quite different.

I entered politics to help the little guy.

Well, they dont come any littler than children. Nor more vulnerable. And what has Ford done?

He axed the provinces child advocate, dedicated to protecting and improving the lives of children. He cut $25 million in education funding for programs targeted at the students who struggle the most, and provided jobs for other students. And he introduced legislation to reduce safety standards for babies in unlicensed home daycares. Under the Ford government, sensible restrictions to protect the youngest children are seen as nothing but red tape standing in the way of profits for unlicensed daycare providers.

Ontario: open for business.

His taxpayer-funded highway signs may claim Ontario is open but business people who saw their contracts ripped up under the Ford administration, including German investors 10 years and $100 million into a green energy project, have cause to disagree. As did Tesla, which successfully sued the province for the ham-handed way it cancelled electric-car rebates.

And Ford said open for business, not open for environmental destruction. But thats what could come with Bill 66, his ridiculously wide-ranging omnibus bill restoring Ontarios competitiveness act. It allows the municipal affairs minister, at the request of municipalities, to exempt commercial developments from a myriad of environmental laws. That includes the Clean Water Act  put in place after the Walkerton tainted-water disaster killed seven people and left thousands sick  the Great Lakes Protection Act and the Greenbelt Act ...

Which brings up another promise:

We wont touch the Greenbelt.

Ford made that vow after getting caught on video promising a group of developers that hed open the protected Greenbelt around the GTA and Hamilton for new single-family homes.

Yet Bill 66 makes it possible for the municipal affairs minister to approve a municipal proposal under an open-for-business bylaw to put an office or factory on land within the Greenbelt. The government says it doesnt intend to support proposals that infringe on its commitment to protect the Greenbelt, but then why was it included in the legislation?

Clean up the hydro mess.

Ford got rid of Mayo Schmidt, the so-called six-million-dollar man who was Hydro Ones CEO, and the entire board  and then Washington state regulators got rid of Hydro One.

The regulators scuttled its multi-billion-dollar takeover of a U.S. energy company, deciding political interference by the Ford government made the deal too risky. That leaves Hydro One, and taxpayers who own half the company, on the hook for well over $100 million in penalties. None of that does a thing to lower electricity bills, which is what Ford claims hes doing with all his meddling.

Create good jobs.

What Ford has actually done is make a good entry-level job even harder to find. He revoked important labour reforms designed to protect the most vulnerable workers and cancelled a planned rise in the minimum wage to $15. That was worth $2,000 in full-time wages and now its gone.

Ford promised to cut billions through efficiencies without losing jobs or services, but thats not whats happening. Among other things, he axed planned university campuses and retroactively cut funding for the College of Midwives. And the government has put out a call for voluntary departures to cut the size of the public sector. The government says this will help address its fiscal challenges... while avoiding involuntary job losses.

Restore accountability, respect and trust to Queens Park.

Its hard to know where to begin. The premier who promised open and transparent government and an end to political interference in decision-making has axed independent legislative watchdogs, and used his power to settle personal vendettas and elevate his friends. That includes slashing Toronto council in half and yanking the Peel regional chair rug out from under former PC leader Patrick Brown. Thats by no means an exhaustive list.

The premier and his chief of staff, Dean French, have seemingly gone to unprecedented and troubling lengths to manipulate the hiring system and install an old Ford family friend, Ron Taverner, as head of the Ontario Provincial Police.

Then theres the allegation that French demanded that Fords OPP security detail include a modified camper type vehicle, the costs of which were to be kept off the books. Theres nothing transparent or accountable about that.

The provincial integrity commissioner is investigating. The acting OPP commissioner turned whistleblower is trying to get the ombudsman to launch his own investigation. And the NDP is pushing for a full public inquiry.

None of this matters to Ford, who seems determined to run the province as his personal fiefdom to do with as he wishes and, as such, has already determined the outcome. This is going to move forward, he told reporters on Tuesday. Let the review take place, and I can tell you one thing, once it gets done, (Ron Taverner) will be the best commissioner the OPP has ever seen.

Perhaps Ford made Taverner a promise he truly intends to keep. Hes certainly a long way off that mark when it comes to those who elected him last June.

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The province has axed funding for programs that were making a positive difference for at-risk youth, the Toronto District School Board said Friday in a memo that details the impact that losing $744,500 in grants will have.

The board says 127 part-time jobs for students  75 from priority neighbourhoods, as well as 52 for post-secondary students  will disappear following the cancellation of the Focus on Youth after-school jobs program and a tutoring program for struggling elementary students as part of a surprise $25-million funding cut.

The board also warned the original Focus on Youth program, which has provided thousands of inner-city youth with summer jobs since it began in 2007  following the shooting death of Jordan Manners in his Toronto high school  is also under threat.

Many of the program/funding cancellations were aimed at helping youth most in need, the board says. The boards experience is that the programs were making a positive difference for at-risk youth.

Chair Robin Pilkey said she is concerned by the potential loss of the summer jobs, because hundreds of teens are hired for those positions.

These are highly underserviced areas where teens need work, she said. Focus on Youth is definitely benefiting those communities and she hopes the ministry has an alternative plan in place.

Read more:

Ontario education cuts to hit vulnerable youth the most, students say

Students to lose jobs after Ford government axes school programs

Axed school board programs redundant, says Education Minister Lisa Thompson

It would be terrible if it was just cut, and gone.

Last week, the government sent out a series of emails to school boards outlining changes to the funding for other education programs  known as EPO  which includes the after-school jobs, classroom tutors and Indigenous-focused projects, as well as support for teachers in providing daily physical activity to students.

Opposition parties have been heavily critical of the move. NDP Education Critic Marit Stiles has slammed the government for leaving boards on the hook for funding, saying they are out of pocket covering for this governments mismanagement and losing programs vital to student success.

But Education Minister Lisa Thompson has said the grants had become somewhat of a slush fund and that some of the spending was redundant, and wasteful.

Thompson said school boards are free to continue offering the jobs programs, but must find the money from within their existing budgets.

Liberal MPP Michael Coteau told the legislature Thursday that Mannerss death brought attention to an issue that for too long had gone unaddressed, namely, the lack of school supports and programs in our schools that were targeting low-income, marginalized and racialized youth.

Toronto Catholic Board Chair Maria Rizzo said her board alone is losing $655,000 in grants and laying off 95 students.

The funding was promised last spring by the previous Liberal government. The Toronto public board says it believes any changes the ministry makes to funding of programs in the middle of the school year should not penalize the board financially.

Pilkey said shes very worried about the loss of $137,615 for a re-engagement program, where a guidance counsellor sought out youth who have left school with just a couple of credits to go, to make contact with them again and see if theres a way to get them back into class to graduate.

Our graduation rates have only increased, she said, wondering why that program would be targeted. I think, given what the job market looks like, there arent jobs for people who dont have a high school diploma.

On Friday, the Toronto Catholic board was notified that it would be receiving $141,491 for parent reaching out grants to run programs or support initiatives in its schools, starting in January.

The ministry had put the funding on pause despite an outcry from parents, who volunteered their time to apply for the grants last spring to run math nights or host speakers on issues like cyberbullying.

The move prompted Stiles to tweet this is good news ... but unfortunate that some schools had to cancel planned events ... while the government sorted out a mess of their own creation. Honestly, it is mind-boggling.
EAST ALTON  A judge Friday sentenced a Godfrey man to five years in prison on aggravated domestic battery and driving under the influence charges after a prosecutor argued that probation for him is not effective.

Christopher Rulo, 41, pleaded guilty earlier to the charges, but Circuit Judge Richard Tognarelli said that, in a statement Friday in his own behalf, he declined to apologize to his victim.

Assistant States Attorney Phil Voss argued that, in his criminal history, Rulo has been placed on probation 23 times over a 13-year period, ending with his last conviction in 2014. It is obvious probation will not work. Given all the opportunities hes had, I believe prison is the only option, the prosecutor said.

Tognarelli said he was inclined to give a lighter sentence, but when given a chance to speak on his own behalf, Rulo used the opportunity to deny or excuse many of the claims his victim made in her victim impact statement.

Rulos attorney Steve Griffin of East Alton, argued that his client has a job and is contributing to his childrens expenses. He said Rulo has been sober and regularly attends treatment for alcoholism. Rulo said he takes responsibility for his actions. The judge ordered him to continue alcohol treatment in prison.

After the judge handed down the sentence, he asked Rulo if he understood the ruling. Rulo responded by claiming he has apologized to his victim several times. The judge responded by repeating his ruling on the sentence.

Rulo was charged with aggravated battery and driving under the influence. He was sentenced to four years for domestic battery and one year for driving under the influence.

He has a record dating to 1999 when he was convicted of aggravated assault on a police officer. He also has convictions for battery driving under the influence, property damage, resisting a police officer and 15 misdemeanor convictions. In addition to Godfrey, court records also list addresses in East Alton and Cottage Hills.
ALTON  A deceased former Alton priest named in a continued wave of sex abuse allegations within the Catholic Church unfortunately shares very nearly the same name as a current priest in Jacksonville. The two are in no way related.

During a press event held Friday in Springfield, David Clohessy, a spokesman and former national director of the St. Louis-based Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) invoked Fr. Thomas G. Meyer, who served as a pastor of Sts. Peter and Paul Paul Parish in Alton from 1990 to 1998.

Last year, Meyer was included in a list of substantiated accusations of sexual abuse toward minors issued by the Minneapolis-St. Paul archdiocese.

SNAP resurfaced Meyers name, along with several others, as it was revealed the former Catholic cleric had also served in the Springfield diocese and had attracted no discernible public attention before.

Earlier Friday, Pope Francis ordered priests whod committed sexual misconduct toward children to confess, and asked victims to come forward.

Clohessy said Springfield Bishop Thomas Paprocki had done the bare minimum in the wake of Attorney General Lisa Madigans investigation of Illinois dioceses handling of abuse allegations.

Later Friday, SNAP issued the following statement importantly clarifying that the accused, now deceased, Fr. Thomas G. Meyer is not the current Fr. Thomas C. Meyer serving in Jacksonville:

This is a clarification regarding the SNAP press event held in Springfield, Illinois on Dec. 21. It is important to note that there have been two priests in the Springfield Diocese with the same name.

Fr. Thomas G. Meyer is a now deceased publicly accused abusive cleric and was a religious order cleric who worked in Alton.

Fr. Thomas C. Meyer is alive, is NOT accused of abuse, is a diocesan cleric who now works in Jacksonville Illinois.

We urge the public and the news media to make this distinction clear and apologize for any potential confusion.
Actor-comedian Ali Asgar's popularity as a flamboyant grandmother from "Comedy Nights with Kapil" is his most famous performance but the actor says he is ready to ditch the costume if given a challenging role.

The actor said the success of 'Dadi' has been a blessing but also limiting to a certain extent. "An image is being built about me that I like doing only female characters and that it is my comfort zone. The day I get an exciting role, I will leave this (female) costume. I am hungry for good roles. I want to be challenged as an actor, I want to work hard on a character," said Ali.

The actor said he has no complaints that female characters have become his identity but breaking out of a set image is important for him. "..I am not complaining, I don't want to blame anybody. I keep acting in films, I did one called Amaavas, it will release in January, I did Judwaa 2, hosted award shows, where I am Ali Asgar playing different male parts.

"Only because people are saying I am playing female parts doesn't mean I take up daily soaps, where I would get to play a male character. I don't want to do that," he said. Citing example of a show called Woh Teri Bhabhi Hai Pagle, a sitcom, where he played the role of a gangster, Ali said the idea sounded good on paper but failed in its execution.

"It was a bad experience in terms of content. I used to force myself to go on shoot. I don't want to repeat that. I don't want people to say that my work was not good." The actor is back to playing a female character yet again in a stand up-comedy and talk show "Kanpur Wale Khuranas", headlined by Sunil Grover.

"In a reality show the format more or less remains the same. In this new show, the family tree is different. The relationship between the characters is different and that makes the show interesting and creates laughter. Also, this time I am playing a male character as well on the show," Ali added.

The Star Plus show is scheduled for eight episodes and began airing from December 15.

-PTI
Touched by the compassion of the nurses who tended to her...
A bus carrying college students and their teachers back from an educational trip veered off a mountainous road and lunged into a ravine in Nepal, killing 23 people and injuring 14 others.

The fatal crash occurred on Friday when the bus was returning from Kapurkot in Salyan district.

According to the District Police Office, Dang, there were 37 persons 34 students, two teachers and a diver, on the ill-fated bus, which drove off the road and fell some 700 metres down near Ramri village, about 400 kilometres west of the capital Kathmandu.

Fourteen persons, including five women, were injured in the incident.

The students and instructors from Krishna Sen Ichhuk Polytechnic Institute had been visiting a farm for their botany project, The Kathmandu Post reported.

Poor road infrastructure and reckless driving are the leading causes of accidents in Nepal.
I hope nation states start paying greater attention to the rise of cryptocurrency. what looks like a very interesting and somewhat exotic effort to literally mine new coins in order to trade with them has the potential for undermining currencies. for destabilising nations.... Hillary Clinton former Democratic presidential candidate

The heartbreak isnt because a particular government or political party had to withdraw laws. The heartbreak is because the laws were good for Indian agriculture. Chetan Bhagat author, after the Union government repelled the farm laws

Pakistan denied O. Bin Laden in Pak until Abbottabad raid, denied Quetta Shura until opening of Qatar office, denied presence of Siraj Haqqani in Pak until Aug 15 and now denies safe havens of IS-K. Until when? Amrullah Saleh former first vice president of Afghanistan, on Twitter

State-sponsored actors like the NSO Group spend millions of dollars on sophisticated surveillance technologies without effective accountability. That needs to change. Craig Federighi Apples senior vice president of software engineering, after the company sued the makers of Pegasus spyware
In March 1971, Pakistan launched Operation Searchlight to curb the Bengali nationalist movement in East Pakistan, which resulted in the massacre of one million Bengalis. Ten million refugees fled to India, creating a huge financial and security headache. Prime minister Indira Gandhi wanted Sam Manekshaw, chief of the Army, to launch an attack, capture territory and send back the refugees. Manekshaw, however, famously told her it was not the right time. The monsoon was approaching, and tanks would be useless in that weather. The tanks were not yet battle ready. He wanted to choose the time and place of the offensive, and for the first and only time in post-independence history, the prime minister listened to the military, recalls retired Major General Ian Cardozo, veteran of the war and author of several books on the Indian military.

Taking responsibility of Pakistans defeat in 1971, president Yahya Khan resigned immediately after the war. Pakistan was under martial law since 1969, and Pakistan Peoples Party leader Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, who succeeded Khan, became the first civilian chief martial law administrator in Pakistan.

Manekshaw needed time to prepare his forces. He also wanted the winter snows to set in, ensuring no Chinese help could come for the enemy. In every other war before, we were caught by surprise; this was the only time we were not, says Cardozo. The Indian troops began preparing for the moment of truth. In New Delhi, chiefs of the three services sat together, planning how to deploy men and machine. Major General J.F.R. Jacob, chief of staff under eastern army commander Lieutenant General J.S. Aurora, set up a wireless interceptor between Karachi and Dhaka, and began listening to the enemys plans. When Pakistan attacked Indias airfields in the north on December 3, India was ready for war.

It was a war of innovative thinking, which, when combined with the valour of the Indian soldiers, was a win-win formula. The Navy deployed its missile boats, newly acquired from the USSR and meant for harbour patrolling, to launch attacks on Karachi harbour and Keamari oil farms. The blasts are still recalled in naval lore as the biggest Diwali they have seen. The western fleet left Bombay harbour, after receiving the intelligence of a likely attack there. Pakistans Daphne-class submarine, PNS Hangor, was lurking in the Arabian sea, and it torpedoed the frigate INS Khukri. The remaining fleet, however, remained unscathed. The Navy hid its prized carrier INS Vikrant and used a decoy, INS Rajput, to lure the Tench-class submarine PNS Ghazi into Visakhapatnam. The subterfuge was honed to perfection. Rajput sent regular messages (for Pakistan to intercept) demanding amounts of fuel and food befitting a carrier. Ghazi made one fatal mistake; it did not realise that Visakhapatnam was too shallow for a vessel of Vikrants draught. Ghazi blew up as Rajput made a stealthy exit.

The Indian Air Force drew its first blood 12 days ahead of the war, when, on the eastern theatre, four Gnats shot down three Pakistani Sabres. The first prisoner of war, Captain P.Q. Mehdi, later went on to become Pakistans air chief. Stories of the war are still tumbling out. A recent book, In the Ring and on its Feet, by retired Air Commodore M. Kaiser Tufail, a Pakistani war historian, details the carnage unleashed on Murid air base by four Hunters of the No 20 squadron of the Indian Air Force; the Hunters brought down five Sabres in a single air raid on December 8. Pakistans air power was rendered immobile in the first week of the war. The surviving aircraft took refuge in Iran.

A two-pronged strategyoffensive defence on the western theatre and pure offensive on the eastern theatreprogressed even better than expected. The Battle of Longewala (December 4 to 7), where one company of the 23rd battalion of Punjab Regiment battled with a column of 45 armoured tanks, is often compared to the Battle of Thermopylae, except that India lost just two soldiers. Commanding officer Kuldip Singh Chandpuri had been told that reinforcements would take six hours and that he could retreat. He decided to fight, instead. With just a few medium machine guns, one mortar and a jeep-mounted recoilless rifle, they not just held out the night, but claimed 12 Pakistani tanks. With dawn came air support. The IAF team, not equipped for night flying, was itching for action, and claimed another 22 tanks. Then, when Indian armoured vehicles and infantry launched their attack, Pakistan was forced to withdraw.

The capture of Dhaka was not in the initial plan, but when we realised we were succeeding beyond expectation, the race for Dhaka began, recalls Cardozo. Here again, India used innovation. The commander-in-chief of East Pakistan, Lieutenant General A.A.K. Niazi, had planned the defence of Dhaka on a fortress concept, with major towns and rivers as obstacles. Had we gone through these defences, we would have been stuck. Instead, we bypassed them, and took Dhaka.

So, on December 11, India airdropped 540 paratroopers around Tangail, less than 100km from Dhaka. Their mission: Stop retreating Pakistani troops from marching into Dhaka by capturing the Poongli bridge, and then join the infantry and head for Dhaka through the undefended Manikganj route.

It was the first time such an operation was being conducted in South Asia; no one even thought India had the wherewithal for it. The paratroopers were the first to enter Dhaka. The Army did some dummy drops, too, making the exercise seem bigger than it actually was.

News reports of the airdropping did not have an accompanying picture, so the officer in charge of publicity pulled out one of an exercise in Agra some time before, deliberately omitting to mention that it was a file picture. Everyone from the reader of The Times in London to Niazi in Dhaka felt an entire brigade was paradropped.

Niazi could have defended Dhaka for a few more weeks. But, he buckled when Manekshaw sent messages saying he was surrounded. This resulted in the famous Instrument of Surrender, and Indias first outright victory in 3,000 years, says Cardozo.

The outcome of this victory was phenomenal. India had carved out a new nation, and emerged as the dominant force in the region. The victory was the triumph that the people badly needed, after millennia of having fought well, yet losing.

Ask war historians what would have happened if the outcome had been different, and they smile and say, there was only one outcome for this war. It could have dragged on for a few more weeks; perhaps the US would have tried entering the scene. But, the USSR was patrolling the open seas for this eventuality. India would still have won.

Most of the gains of the war, however, were squandered in the Shimla Conference next year, where India returned captured territory. Could India have bargained, using this territory, for a permanent solution to Kashmir? Unfortunately, even as victors, India could not make Pakistan return 54 POWs.
It was a cartridge that triggered Indias First War of Independence. The cartridge had symbolically united Hindu and Muslim soldiers against their English masters. Had that war succeeded, perhaps the nation would not have been divided at birth 90 years later.

Charles Canning was the Governor General of India during the 1857 revolt. On July 31, 1857, he passed a resolution that distinguished between sepoys who had mutinied and those who had not. The resolution made Canning unpopular in Britain, and he was derisively called Clemency, since the popular demand was for collective reprisals.

While Mangal Pandeys defiance of his commanders on March 29, 1857, is considered the first act of rebellion in this war, the uprising actually began a month and a half later in Meerut cantonment, where soldiers had refused to accept their ammunition (cartridges for the Lee Enfield guns, supposedly greased with tallow from cow and pig fat). The soldiers were court-martialled and locked up, triggering the unrest. Their fellow soldiers broke open the prison, and the mutinous soldiers first attacked their English officers and their families, then marched towards Delhi, the ancient and symbolic seat of power in India. On May 11, they crowned the aged and reluctant Mughal, Bahadur Shah Zafar, as the emperor of India. They had also taken over the Red Fort from the British East India Company.

The English were caught by surprise, and retreated. But, they blew up their own arsenal, leaving very little for the rebels to claim. Initially, the rebels succeeded in taking over the surrounding areas. The British forces, however, started the Siege of Delhi on July 1. They commanded a position north of the Delhi ridge and circled the city, although not entirely.

The unrest against the Company rule had spread through the land, with peasants, soldiers and nobility turning against its policies. Mutinous troops from neighbouring cantonments trickled into the city, determined to drive out the foreign rulers. However, the rebels suffered from a lack of command. Bakht Khan, their commander-in-chief, was a natural leader, but there was infighting between various factions of rebels, as was seen in the Battle of Najafgarh. While there was no lack of fighting spirit, no soldier can fight on an empty stomach; even the most hardened rebel needs to be paid. As these soldiers plundered their own compatriots, it was not long before the citizens of Delhi got tired of the rebels themselves.

Meanwhile, the British were able to establish a supply line from Punjab. The rebels tried sabotaging this line, but failed for lack of a strategic vision. With the arrival of the Punjab Moveable Column, the replenished British forces were finally able to breach the rebel lines at Kashmiri Gate on September 14. They put up their guns at Juma Masjid, killed two of the emperors sons and a grandson, and had Zafar tried for treason.

The siege of Awadh lasted longer. The British troops were held up in the Residency almost soon after the mutiny in Meerut. The rebels were not able to breach the walls, but they kept up a steady attack. It was only in November, after the second relief column arrived in Lucknow with Colin Campbell, that the garrison was relieved and the civilians evacuated. It would, however, take Campbell up to the next summer to declare a win over Lucknow. The resistance here was fierce. Lucknow, however, did fall.

The loss of Delhi was a symbolic blow; the loss of Awadh was a direct assault on the evolved Ganga-Jamuna tehzeeb. After this, all resistance fell one by one. There were many reasons why the uprising failed, but we are not going into that here.

What we know is that as 1857 ushered in a new era of British rule, it brought a sad end to the culture that was a marvellous confluence of Hinduism and Islam. Lucknow was so evolved culturally, it could have become like Paris had it not been hit,

says military historian and retired Squadron Leader Rana T.S. Chhina.

In Delhi, there were so many translations happening from and to various languages. Had Delhi won that year, who knows, we would have been thinking in our own languages today, not in English.

But, this new dawn for the crown also ushered in the sunset of the empire. The concept of the nation state emerged from the ashes of this war, says Chhina. We had learnt that, as a people, we were capable of putting aside differences and working towards an independent India.

Ironically, at the same time, it sowed the seeds of partition. The Punjabis did not want a separate nation, neither did the Pashtuns of the North-West Frontier Province, says Chhina. It was the taluqdars [aristocrats] of Awadh, dispossessed of their lands after the annexation of Awadh [before the uprising], who were the most vociferous in demanding partition. So yes, while it is not easy to predict how India would have shaped up if the rebellion had succeeded in throwing out the British, at least the land would not have been torn into two on the basis of religion.
1025 Chola maritime conquests

Rajendra Chola stands out as that rare king who conquered lands beyond India, and that too, by sea. Rajendras conquests brought a large chunk of southeast Asia under an Indian empire. He brought north Sri Lanka, Thailand, Indonesia and the Maldives, and some even say the Andaman archipelago, under his rule. His conquest of Srivijaya (now in Indonesia) in 1025 brought an end to the Sailendra dynasty.

1303 Siege of Chittor

Legend and fact have got terribly enmeshed in this story. In its most fantastical version, Alauddin Khilji was enamoured by the queen of Chittor, Padmavati, and attacked the fort to claim her. Practical sense suggests that Chittor was strategically important. Khilji put Chittor under siege for seven months. In some accounts, when the Rajputs realised they could not hold out much longer, the women, led by their radiant queen, committed jauhar (suicide), while the men dashed for the saka (fight unto death). In other versions, Khilji ransacked Chittor, killing 30,000 Hindus. From any telling, Khilji remains that dark villain, and the Rajputs seem knights in shining armour.

1576 Battle of Haldighati

Maharana Pratap of Mewar clashed with Akbars armyled by his vassal Man Singhin a narrow mountain pass in the Aravallis.

The Mughal army was double the size of Prataps; the Mughals also had gunpowder. The battle saw one of the best recorded clashes of war elephants. Pratap was injured, but before he fell, a loyal soldier took away his umbrella and charged at the enemy, pretending to be the king. He and his loyal 350 fought to death, while Pratap escaped on his stallion, Chetak.

Akbar won that day, but Pratap reclaimed his territory later. Pratap, not Man Singh, is remembered as the hero of Haldighati.

1671 Battle of Saraighat

The penultimate clash with the Ahoms ended Aurangzebs ambition of grabbing Assam. The Ahoms made land access to their kingdom impossible, forcing the Mughals to use their navy in the Brahmaputra. The Mughal navy was mightier than the Ahom flotilla. Worse, Lachit Borphukan, the Ahom commander, fell seriously ill. Seeing the morale of his men dip, he, however, got onto a ship himself and led the forces to victory.

1761 Third Battle of Panipat

Ahmed Shah Abdali clashed with the Marathas in a battle that saw one of the largest numbers of casualties in a single day. Abdali was an Afghan invader, but he had the support of the Mughals and Awadh. He won the battle, but left fearing Maratha retaliation and Alexanders problemrestless troops. While the casualties in battle were almost equal on both sides, Abdalis men massacred around 40,000 Maratha men and civilians the day after. The battle put the brakes on the Maratha ambition to resurrect Hindu rule in the subcontinent.

1799 Battle of Srirangapatna

Tipu Sultan was the last major resistance to the British East India Company in the south. Tipu and the British had clashed thrice before in the Anglo-Mysore wars. This time, the British besieged the fort of Srirangapatna and stormed it.

Tipu fought royally, but the Tiger was felled in the field. His attendants tried to whisk him away, but a stray enemy soldier killed him for the expensive jewels he was wearing. The trooper, apparently, did not know that it was Tipu. The Sultans body was later recovered from a heap of corpses.

1839 First Anglo-Afghan War

The British invaded Kabul, from India, and put Shah Shuja Durrani on the throne in 1839, defeating Dost Mohammad of the Barakzai dynasty. The Afghan tribes retaliated in 1841, massacring a British contingent returning to India. Then, in 1842, when the British troops were retreating in entirety, Afghani guerrilla attacks and the harsh journey decimated the party. Only one man, army surgeon William Bryden, returned to tell the tale. The British returned in 1878. Though they won, they dared not station a resident in Kabul; Afghanistan never really became their territory. British India halted this side of the Hindukush.

1845 Anglo-Sikh wars

The two wars between the Sikhs of Punjab and the British East India Company resulted in the annexation of Punjab in 1849 by the British. After the Sikhs, there were no major powers left to challenge British dominance in India. The company annexed land right up to the North-West Frontier, which would remain the outer boundary of its Indian empire and of undivided India.

1962 India-China War

Modern Indias most humiliating rout came in this conflict. Unprepared for war, India could still have managed some success against the Chinese, had it used its air power. But [prime minister] Jawaharlal Nehru took the advice of the Intelligence Bureau and John Galbraith, the US ambassador to India, against it, says retired Major General Ian Cardozo. There was fear that China would bomb Kolkata if India went on the offensive with its air force. In retrospect, that was a serious miscalculation. China had not advanced its air fleet towards India, while India had several airfields which could have been used to launch offensives.

1965 India-Pakistan War

Fought largely on air and land, the Indo-Pak war of 1965 saw some of the largest tank battles since World War II. Indias smart ploy of luring Pakistani tanks into a water-logged field in the Battle of Asal Uttar resulted in Pakistan losing 97 tanks in a single battle. India advanced to Sialkot and Lahore, but was not able to hold them. Pakistan could not march into Delhi, as it had planned. The western world was of little help for both the countries. In the aftermath, India moved closer to the Soviet Union, and Pakistan to China.
The border between North Korea and South Korea is one of the most heavily militarised places in the world. According to former US president Bill Clinton, it is the scariest place on earth. It has that kind of impact on most people. Both sides of the border brim with hundreds of thousands of soldiers armed to the teeth. There are barbed-wire fences and walls, mines and heavy artillery. Yet, ironically, it is called the demilitarised zone (DMZ).

The DMZ lies 160km southeast of Pyongyang, a three-hour drive on the Pyongyang-Kaesong motorway. One of the few good things about the DMZ is that the buffer zone has turned into a wildlife haven in the absence of human interference.

As the Korean War ended without a peace accord, the two Koreas remain at war, technically. Both countries, however, agreed to a ceasefire, and one of the provisions of the ceasefire agreement was the creation of a strip of no-mans land on the border. The DMZ is a 4km-wide buffer zone between the two Koreas, stretching nearly 250km from the mouth of the Han River on the west coast of the Korean peninsula to a little south of the North Korean town of Kosong on the east coast. It divides the peninsula across the 38th parallel. Through the middle of the DMZ runs the military demarcation line, which is the actual border between the two countries. Panmunjom, the truce village that houses the joint security area (JSA), is here.

The DMZ lies 160km southeast of Pyongyang, a three-hour drive on the Pyongyang-Kaesong motorway. It is a two-lane highway, extending as far as the eye could see. It is in reasonably good shape, although not as good as the ones in the capital city. Traffic is sparse, mostly tourist buses and rundown military vehicles.

In the villages along the motorway, time seems to stand still. It is extremely basic living, with mechanisation virtually absent. Manual labour is the norm. There are old women working the paddy fields and men transporting goods on bullock carts. In the fields and on the mountains that dot the landscape, there are messages from Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il in red and white, exhorting everyone to work harder for the fatherland.

When the Koreas were united, one could travel from Pyongyang to Seoul via Kaesong, crossing the Sacheon River, a tributary of the Imjin. There was a bridge called Panmun across the Sacheon, but, during floods, it used to get washed away. For the travellers who were stranded, an inn called Panmunjom was built. A namesake village gradually developed around it. During the Korean War, Panmunjom was literally wiped off the map. But, it was reborn after the war ended, and became the venue of the Korean armistice talks. According to official North Korean historiography, it was in Panmunjom that the US imperialists and its puppets in Seoul bent their knees down before the brave Korean People.

The DMZ is 8km south of Kaesong. Just before the entrance is a narrow gate, with buses queuing behind it. All visitors have to disembark and move to a building on the right, where there is a lecture room and a souvenir shop. The shop sells hand-painted propaganda posters, believed to be the best in North Korea.

In search of peace: Located in the centre of the JSA are the blue buildings that house the UN Commission, which supervises the Korean armistice agreement.

The DMZ tour begins in the adjacent room, which is dominated by a huge, impressive wall map of the area. After everybody assembles in the room, a North Korean army officer makes a ceremonial entry and briefs the audience about the DMZ and its history. He will stay with the visitors till the tour ends.

After the lecture, everyone is lined up outside the building, and led through the narrow gate in single file. It is then back to the bus for a short drive to the joint security area, along a road lined with large square boulders on both sides. The boulders are to be used to block the road, in case of a security breach. Other security measures include tank-traps, block-obstacles, drop-down barriers, ditches and moats.

As we walked into the armistice talks hall, I felt tense. A light-coloured building with a dove on the roof, it was here the Korean armistice agreement was signed on July 27, 1953. The table, chairs and flags from the signing ceremony are all very well preserved as in a museum. The visitors can view historical artefacts, documents and innumerable photographs, which, according to North Korea, is proof of US aggression and brutalities.

North Korea does not hold back when it comes to depicting war brutalities involving American imperialists. Among the assorted weapons and pictures of the DMZ and the Korean War, this macabre museum also has the axe used in the infamous axe attack. On August 18, 1976, North Korean soldiers hacked to death two American soldiers who were cutting down a poplar tree that was blocking the view of UN observers. The attack almost sparked another war. The axe is displayed as a gruesome trophy of North Korean aggression.

One kilometre east of Panmunjom is the JSA. Located within the JSA is the Bridge of no Return which crosses the military demarcation line between the two Koreas. It was used for prisoner exchanges at the end of the Korean War. The bridge was used by the North Koreans up until the axe attack, after which the UN denied them access. Within 72 hours, the North Koreans built a new bridge in the northern half of the JSA, which is now known as the 72-hour bridge.

The JSA is a near circular patch of land, around 800m in diameter. It is jointly policed by the two Koreas. Located in its centre are the blue buildings, which house the UN command neutral zones. The UN Command Military Armistice Commission (UNCMAC), which supervises the Korean armistice agreement, has its offices here. Meetings between the two Koreas are held here.

These offices are among the main attractions in Panmunjom. The tent-like buildings have a conference table covered with green velvet, which is placed directly over the border demarcation line, and the microphone cable that runs under the middle of the table is recognised as the international border.

You can pose for photos with North Korean or South Korean soldiers at the back of the UNCMAC room. You are, however, prohibited from crossing through the door behind you, as you will land up unauthorised in the other Korea.

Panmungak, which is the palace facing the demarcation line on the North Korean side, is a typical Soviet style concrete monster. As we reached the viewing platform of this imposing, beige building, we could see the building on the South Korean side, a hi-tech one built in traditional Korean style.

North Korean soldiers were on guard on our side, but their South Korean counterparts were nowhere to be seen. We were told that when tour groups arrive on a particular side at the designated time, soldiers on the other side usually kept out of sight. So, there was no grand faceoff of which we had heard a lot.

Another major attraction here is the monument to Kim Il-sungs autograph. A day before his death on July 8, 1994, Kim Il-sung reviewed and signed a document related to Korean reunification. An enlarged copy of his signature is maintained at the JSA.

Panmunjom is the most-visited part of the DMZ. Yet, from South Korea, a trip to the DMZ is a completely different experience. Although you need to join a private or group tour with an official operator, many such operators are available in South Korea, unlike the exclusively official trip from Pyongyang. From Seoul, several packages are available with the option of visiting multiple sites. You could take the Panmunjom tour, which is the most sought-after one, or opt for any one of the numerous tour packages to the DMZ. Major attractions include the barricaded Freedom Bridge near Paju, which was used to exchange prisoners at the end of the Korean War, the Nuri Peace Park, the Dora Observatory and the Mount Odu Observatory. From the observatories, it is possible to have 360-degree views across the two Koreas, using binoculars. If you are lucky, you may even get to spot a few animals inside the buffer zone. Many of the areas leading up to the border are heavily mined and there are numerous warning signs for visitors.

On the South Korean side, the passport is compulsory for any DMZ tour. There is also a strict dress code, which encourages formal dressing and prohibits sandals, shorts and ripped clothing.

From various points along the road to the JSA on the North Korean side, two huge flag towers could be seen at a distance, one in North and one in South Korea. The 160m-tall North Korean flagpole located in Kijong-dong village is the third tallest in the world. North Korea built it after the South erected a 98m flagpole in Daeseong-dong village in the 1980s, which was then the tallest in the Korean peninsula.

Notwithstanding all the tension on the border, one of the few good things about the DMZ is that the buffer zone has turned into a wildlife haven in the absence of human interference. The DMZ is one of the best preserved wildlife refuges in the world, with a vast array of flora and fauna. Several birds and animals which have been on the verge of extinction like the Amur leopard, Manchurian crane and freshwater turtle can be found here.

The dominant feeling of being at DMZ is sangfroid. And, of course, a wish for peace between the two Koreas. From the terrace of Panmungak I looked up, hoping to see the Seoul skyline, which is just 56km away. One day, I am sure, I will be able to cross the barrier between communism and capitalism and drive from Pyongyang to Seoul freely.
Peshawar, Dec 22 (PTI) The provincial government in Pakistan's Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa plans to buy 25 pre-partition era buildings, including the ancestral houses of legendry Bollywood actors Raj Kapoor and Dilip Kumar, which have been declared as the national heritage, sources said.

Raj Kapoor's ancestral home, known as Kapoor Haveli, is situated in the fabled Qissa Khwani Bazar. It was built before the Partition of British India, between 1918 and 1922, by the legendry actor's grandfather Dewan Basheswarnath Kapoor.

Raj Kapoor and his uncle Trilok Kapoor were born in the building. It has been declared national heritage by the provincial government.

Veteran actor Dilip Kumar's over 100-year-old ancestral house is also located in Peshawar's Qissa Khawani Bazaar. The house is in shambles and was declared as national heritage under the Federal Antiquities Act in 2014 by the Nawaz Sharif government.

The provincial government has allocated Rs 61 crore for buying 25 pre-partition era buildings, having archaeological importance, including the ancestral houses of actors Raj Kapoor and Dilip Kumar, they said.

The Department of Archaeology will be given a grant of Rs 70 lakh to prepare a feasibility report of the buildings during the current fiscal, they said.

After the approval of feasibility report, the process to buy these buildings will begin, they added.

There are as many as 77 buildings which have been declared as national heritage by the government of which 52 are government property while 25 are owned by locals. PTI AYZ SMJ

SMJ
New Delhi, Dec 22 (PTI) Following are the top foreign stories at 2000 hours:



FGN14 CHINA-INDIA-MILITARY

Indian, Chinese armies conclude first military exercises post-Doklam

Beijing: Indian and Chinese troops on Saturday concluded the seventh round of counter terrorism military exercises in China's Chengdu city during which over 100-strong contingents from both nations conducted the drills while living and dining together to build up a sense of camaraderie. By K J M Varma



FGN10 PAK-HERITAGE

KP govt plans to buy 25 pre-partition era buildings, ancestral houses of Raj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar

Peshawar: The provincial government in Pakistan's Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa plans to buy 25 pre-partition era buildings, including the ancestral houses of legendry Bollywood actors Raj Kapoor and Dilip Kumar, which have been declared as the national heritage, sources said.



FGN13 UK-AIRPORT-2NDLD DRONE

UK police arrest man and woman over airport drone disruption

London: Two people have been arrested over the "criminal use" of drones that brought London's Gatwick Airport, the UK's second busiest, to a standstill, leaving tens of thousands of passengers stranded ahead of the busy holiday season. By Aditi Khanna



FGN9 LANKA-WICKREMESINGHE

Wickremesinghe acknowledges differences with Sirisena on ministerial appointments

Colombo: Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has acknowledged that there are some differences of opinion with President Maithripala Sirisena on the ministerial appointments, but he is confident that the issues will be resolved.



FGN4 UN-PAK-KASHMIR

Pak PM raised Kashmir issue with UN chief: UN spokesman

United Nations: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan telephoned UN chief Antonio Guterres and raised the issue of Kashmir, a UN spokesman has said. By Yoshita Singh. PTI

PMS

PMS
Washington, Dec 22 (AFP) An air of chaos enveloped Washington Saturday as the US government kicked off the holidays by partially shutting down, following the failure of leaders to pass a federal spending bill as negotiations stalled over Donald Trump's demand for money to build a US-Mexico border wall.

Operations for several key agencies ceased at 12:01 am Saturday (0501 GMT), despite last-ditch talks that continued on Capitol Hill between White House officials and congressional leaders in both parties.

Most critical security functions remain operational but 800,000 federal workers are impacted, with many furloughed just days before Christmas while others deemed essential are working unpaid.

And as many other Americans and tourists began vacations head of end-of-the year holidays some national parks have shuttered completely, while others remain open but without any visitor services including restrooms and maintenance.

New York's governor provided funding to the Statue of Liberty monument and Ellis Island so those key attractions could remain open.

The budget wrangling and subsequent shutdown -- the third in a year -- cast a dark cloud over the US capital already reeling from Defence Secretary Jim Mattis's resignation announcement Thursday.

The uncertainty pushed Wall Street into a third straight rout on Friday, to end its worst week since late 2008 at the start of the global financial crisis.

"President Trump threw a temper tantrum and convinced House Republicans to push our nation into a destructive Trump Shutdown," Chuck Schumer, the top opposition Democrat in the Senate, and his House counterpart, fellow Democrat Nancy Pelosi, said in a joint statement.

Trump has dug in on his demand for USD 5 billion for construction of a wall to curb illegal immigration on the US border with Mexico.

Democrats are staunchly opposed, and the absence of an elusive deal means federal funds for dozens of agencies lapsed at midnight Friday.

The House of Representatives and the Senate are due back in session at noon on Saturday.

But it remains unclear how long the shutdown will last, with Washington unable to accomplish one of its most basic tasks -- keeping the government up and running.

"This is a dereliction of duty by Congress and the president," said David Cox, national president of the American Federation of Government Employees.

Trump voiced hope late Friday that it "will not last long" -- after earlier saying he was ready for just that.

His own Republican party still controls both the House and Senate, but in January the House comes under Democratic control.

Governor Ralph Northam of Virginia -- a state bordering the US Capitol that is home to many federal workers -- urged Trump in a letter Saturday to push immediate action to end the shutdown, saying it "inflicts real harm" on workers.

"I share your desire for strong economic growth throughout the United States, but the current partial government shutdown makes it harder to achieve this goal," the Democratic governor said.

About three-quarters of the government, including the military and the Department of Health and Human Services, is fully funded until the end of September 2019, leaving 25 percent unfunded as of Saturday.

Most NASA employees will be sent home, as will Commerce Department workers and many at the Departments of Homeland Security, Justice, Agriculture and State.

"It's up to the Democrats whether or not we have a shutdown tonight," Trump said earlier Friday, blaming his political opponents for the crisis.

"I hope we don't," the president added, but "we're totally prepared for a very long shutdown." Should they eventually strike a deal, it could swiftly clear Congress and reach the president's desk, said Senate Republican Bob Corker.

One focus of discussion was the $1.6 billion in border security funding that was a part of pending Senate legislation, number two Senate Republican John Cornyn told AFP.

But conservatives in the House would likely balk at that figure.

"There's no agreement," congressman Mark Meadows, chairman of the House Freedom Caucus of ultra-conservatives, told reporters as he left a closed-door meeting on the Capitol's Senate side.

"There's a whole lot of numbers being thrown around," but a maximum USD 1.6 billion for border security "is not acceptable."

Trump reversed course Thursday and rejected a measure that had unanimously passed the Senate and was under House consideration.

It would have extended government funding until February 8, but contained no money for a border wall, a pet project Trump has fought for since his presidential campaign.

Democrats painted Trump as the Grinch who stole the year-end deal.

With lawmakers like Meadows and prominent conservative commentators demanding that the president stick to his campaign promises, Trump would not budge on his wall.

The House swiftly passed a bill that fulfilled the president's demands. It included USD 5.7 billion in wall funding, and USD 7.8 billion in disaster relief.

But it stalled at the first hurdle in the Senate.

Trump was scheduled to fly to Florida Friday for his Christmas break, but he postponed the trip. (AFP) SCY

SCY
Washington, Dec 22 (AFP) The US government began a Christmastime shutdown early Saturday, after Congress adjourned without passing a federal spending bill or addressing President Donald Trump's demand for money to build a border wall.

Operations for several key agencies ceased at 12:01 am Saturday (5:01 GMT), despite last-ditch talks that continued on Capitol Hill between White House officials and congressional leaders in both parties. (AFP)

RUP

RUP
Colombo, Dec 22 (PTI) Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has acknowledged that there are some differences of opinion with President Maithripala Sirisena on the ministerial appointments, but he is confident that the issues will be resolved.

President Sirisena on Thursday named a 30-member Cabinet while reportedly rejecting some of Prime Minister Wickremesinghe's nominees and retained control over the security forces and police, indicating that the power tussle between them is far from over.

Wickremesinghe on Friday slammed media, saying some had reported a "fake list" claiming they were nominated for ministry portfolios but had not been approved by the President, Colombo Gazette reported.

He said that some media had claimed that Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) member Wijith Wijayamuni Zoysa was in the list of MPs nominated for ministerial posts.

The Prime Minister, however, insisted that Zoysa was not on the list.

Wickremesinghe said that some media were attempting to mislead the public and action must be taken against them.

He called for a debate next month on media which were reporting false information.

The Prime Minister said that while there were some differences of opinion with the President on the Ministerial appointments, he was confident the issues will be resolved.

He said he will make a statement in the House on how the Cabinet was appointed.

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 was delayed as Sirisena reportedly did not agree with some nominees from the list submitted by Wickremsinghe.

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. PTI PMS

PMS
Kolkata, Dec 22 (PTI) Following are PTI's top stories

from the eastern region at 9 pm.

STORIES ON THE WIRE:

CAL 2 JH-SHATRUGHAN-LALU

Shatrughan meets Lalu, calls his son Tejashwi 'Bihar's

face'

Ranchi: BJP leader Shatrughan Sinha Saturday met RJD

chief Lalu Prasad Yadav here, and praised his son Tejeshwi

Yadav, calling him "Bihar's face" and "its future".

CAL 3 MG-MINE-LD PUMP

Meghalaya govt announces interim relief for trapped

miners' kins

Lumthari: The Meghalaya government Saturday announced

an interim relief of Rs 1 lakh each to the families of the 15

miners trapped in an illegal rat-hole coal mine and sought

high power submersible pumps from the Coal India Ltd to rescue

them.

CAL 4 WB-CONG-RAHUL

Cong should prepare to fight on its own strength in

Bengal: Rahul

Kolkata: Congress president Rahul Gandhi Saturday

asked the party unit in West Bengal to strengthen its

organisation and prepare to fight "on its own" in the coming

Lok Sabha polls.

CAL 5 OD-CONGRESS-RAFALE

Singhvi accuses Centre of 'grossly misleading' SC on

Rafale deal, demands JPC probe

Bhubaneswar: Senior Congress leader Abhishek Manu

Singhvi Saturday accused the BJP-led government at the Centre

of "grossly misleading" the Supreme Court in the Rafale deal

and said only a JPC probe could unravel the truth.

CES 8 OD-FARMERS-LD KALIA

Congress, BJP, NNKS reject Odisha government's KALIA

scheme

Bhubaneswar: Odisha's leading farmers' organisation

Navnirman Krushak Sangathan (NNKS) and the opposition on

Saturday rejected the state government's KALIA scheme, dubbing

it as "old dress in a new package".

CES 10 OD-COLD

Cold wave in interior Odisha

Bhubaneswar: With a cold wave sweeping interior parts

of Odisha and the mercury dipping to below 10 degree celsius

at eight places, the state government Saturday asked district

collectors to take steps to provide night accommodation to the

homeless. PTI

RG RG
Youth Cong activists march towards Bihar CM's residence, face

lathi charge

Patna, Dec 22 (PTI) Scores of Youth Congress activists

were rounded up here on Saturday by police, which also

resorted to lathi charge and used water canons to prevent them

from proceeding towards the chief minister's residence.

State Youth Congress vice-president Manjeet Sahoo said

a march was taken out from the BPCC headquarters, Sadaqat

Ashram, in presence of AICC in-charge of the state Shaktisinh

Gohil and state party president Madan Mohan Jha.

"The march was taken out to draw the Nitish Kumar

government's attention towards the deteriorating law and order

situation in the state, which has been evident from the recent

spurt in murders and crimes against women, besides issues like

soaring unemployment," Sahoo told PTI.

The agitators were stopped before they could reach the

high-security zone, police said.

"We had to take recourse to mild use of force which

included lathi charge and water canons. The agitators,

numbering around 100, were detained and taken to the Kotwali

police station from where they were let off after a couple of

hours," a police official said.

Sahoo added that they marched towards the CM's

residence but police had put up barricades at Hartali Chowk,

about a kilometre ahead of Kumar's house. PTI NAC

RBT RBT
New Delhi, Dec 22 (PTI) Delhi Assembly Speaker Ramniwas Goel on Saturday asserted that the demand for revocation of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi's Bharat Ratna was not part of the resolution passed by the House on 1984 anti-Sikh riots, a day after a controversy

erupted over the issue.

Goel said that MLA Jarnail Singh's "proposed amendment," seeking withdrawal of Gandhi's Bharat Ratna over the 1984 ant-Sikh riots, in the "original resolution" was not adopted as he did not inform the House before doing so.

The Speaker said that there is a procedure to make amendments in the resolution.

"There was a discussion on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in the House on Friday. In the original resolution, which was distributed among legislators and me, Rajiv Gandhi's name was not mentioned.

"It was an emotional issue and Jarnail Singh mentioned the name of Rajiv Gandhi during his speech on the resolution," Goel told PTI.

The Delhi Assembly had on Friday adopted by voice vote the resolution which called for speedy trial of cases and termed anti-Sikh riots as genocide. AAP MLA Jarnail Singh, while moving the resolution, had mentioned Rajiv Gandhi's name and demanded the Bharat Ratna to the Congress leader be withdrawn for "justifying anti-Sikh riots". He had later said that the resolution was adopted.

But the ruling Aam Aadmi Party had swiftly distanced itself from the reference to Rajiv Gandhi, after it evoked a sharp response from the Congress.

The issue had snowballed with AAP MLA Alka Lamba Friday saying she will tender her resignation over demand for revoking the late PM's award. She also staged a walkout.

AAP spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj, who narrated the entire sequence of events in the Assembly, noted that any amendment to a resolution can become a part of the original only after it has been separately voted on by the House, which did not happen in this case.

"There was no mention of Rajiv Gandhi in the original resolution. It was an individual handwritten proposal by MLA Somnath Bharti," he said.

The developments come amid talks between the AAP and the Congress for a possible tie-up in Lok Sabha elections. PTI BUN PLB RT
(Eds: Additional quotes on Shaktikant Das)

Hyderabad, Dec 22 (PTI) BJP leader Subramanian Swamy on Saturday alleged that Reserve Bank of India Governor Shaktikanta Das was involved in corruption and termed his recent appointment to the top post a "surprise".

Swamy, however, did not give any specific details about the "corruption", an allegation he had made in the past as well.

"The new governor of (RBI) is highly corrupt. I got him removed from the (Finance Ministry). I am calling Shaktikanta Das as a corrupt person. I am surprised that the man I got removed from the Finance Ministry for corruption was brought in as governor," Swamy said at an interactive session at the Indian School of Business here.

Later, when reporters asked Swamy who he thinks should head the RBI, the Rajya Sabha member named Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore, professor R Vaidyanathan.

"Professor R Vaidyanathan, former professor of finance (IIM-B), would have been much better. He is also (an) old Sangh man. He is our man," he said, adding that bringing S Gurumurthy on the RBI board was a mistake.

"He (Das) was removed from the Finance Ministry because he tried to interfere in my corruption case against (senior Congress leader) Chidambaram. He is Chidambaram's 'chela' (disciple). When he was in Chennai, he was involved in a lot of corruption," Swamy said.

Das, who spearheaded the post-demonetisation normalisation of the economy, was named the new RBI governor on December 11, a day after incumbent Urjit Patel quit the post.

On being asked about the 2019 general elections, Swamy asserted that the saffron party would come back to power as "there is no anti-incumbency" against the Narendra Modi government.

To a question on Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Swamy alleged he held a British citizenship and cannot become a prime minister, a charge already rejected by the former.

"by the way Rahul Gandhi cannot be a prime minister because he is a citizen of Britain and his Indian citizenship will be cancelled, he won't even be an MP," he claimed.

Swamy had in 2016 made the allegation and, after it was raised in the Parliament Ethics Committee, Gandhi, in his response in March that year, had rejected the charge, saying it was a move to malign him.

The BJP leader had alleged that Gandhi declared himself a British citizen to occupy the post of the director of a company there.

On the Ram temple issue, Swamy said, "There is a widespread desire, even in Tamil Nadu, that a Ram temple must be built (in Ayodhya). And we will build it..."

Swamy said he had given a proposal to the Hindu Dharma Acharya Sabha on the Ram temple. He added that he would the fight Ayodhya issue "as he has fundamental right to pray there". PTI GDK

HMB
Srinagar, Dec 22 (PTI) Army Saturday paid floral tributes to two junior commissioned officers (JCO) who were killed during a ceasefire violation by Pakistan along the Line of Control (LoC) in Keran sector of Jammu and Kashmir on Friday.

"Army today paid befitting tributes to two of its comrades who made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty on 21st December 2018 in Keran sector in Kupwara district, an Army spokesman said here.

He said on behalf of the Chinar Corps Commander, Chief of Staff, Chinar Corps, Maj Gen G S Kahlon, and all ranks paid homage to the slain soldiers in a solemn ceremony at Badamibagh Cantonment here.

"In a show of solidarity, representatives from other security agencies also paid their last respects to the martyrs, the spokesman said.

He said Subedar Gamar Bahadur Thapa and Subedar Raman Thapa sustained bullet injuries during unprovoked firing by Pakistan in Keran sector.

"They were provided immediate first aid and were evacuated to 92 Base Hospital, but unfortunately succumbed to their injuries, the spokesman said.

Subedar Gamar (42) had joined the Army in 1993 and hailed from Karhiya Village in Rependehi district of Nepal. He is survived by his wife and two sons.

Subedar Raman (39) had joined the Army in 1996 and hailed from Tulsipur Village in Rependehi district of Nepal. He is survived by his wife and a son.

"The mortal remains of the martyrs were flown for last rites to Gorakhpur, where they would be laid to rest with full military honours. In this hour of grief, the Army stands in solidarity with the bereaved families of the martyrs and remains committed to their dignity and well being, the spokesman said. PTI SSB RCJ
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.

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Workers on zero hour contracts, agency staff and those in the so called gig economy are to be given extra protection and improved rights under new workplace laws.

Legislation announced by the Government this week plugs a loophole known as the Swedish derogation, which allows agency workers to be employed on cheaper wages than permanent counterparts.

Workers will also be told of their rights on the first day of their job, including eligibility for sick leave and pay as well as details of other types of paid leave, such as maternity and paternity leave.

The new reforms, dubbed the Good Work Plan, offers greater protection and improved rights to gig economy workers like Deliveroo cyclists

The package of workplace reforms, which the Government describes as the biggest in over 20 years, are based on the findings of a review of modern working practices by Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the Royal Society of Arts.

They are designed to address the challenges stemming from the rise of the gig economy where businesses and organisations rely more on short-term contracts or freelance staff than they do on permanent employees.

Uber, and Deliveroo are the among the best known companies that use this model, but smaller business also adopt this approach to save on employment costs such as offering a workplace pension.

Business Secretary Greg Clark said: '[The] largest upgrade in workers rights in over a generation is a key part of building a labour market that continues to reward people for hard work, that celebrates good employers and is boosting productivity and earning potential across the UK.'

New rights for gig economy workers

Ministers say they accepted 51 out of the 53 recommendations outlined in the Taylor report.

This includes following Taylor's recommendation not to ban zero hour contracts and the call for the employment status of gig economy workers to have a clearer definition that better reflects the reality of modern working arrangements - one that captures the more casual employment relationships which are on the rise.

This is designed to minimise costs and time-wasting for those seeking clarity on issues such as their entitlement to the minimum wage.

The Government vowed to legislate to improve the clarity of the employment status tests and the guidance and online tools available to help people understand their status.

Other measures introduced under the reforms include an increase in the holiday pay reference - the period of time used when calculating holiday pay - from 12 to 52 weeks. The idea here is to ensure that those in seasonal employment get the paid time off they're entitled too.

In addition, the maximum employment tribunal fine for business bosses who have shown malice, spite or gross oversight will quadruple from 5,000 to 20,000.

Taxi app Uber has been embroiled in a legal dispute over the classification of their drivers' employment status in the past

The new laws will also make it easier for all employees to request a meeting for their views to be taken into account on major workforce reforms such as restructuring.

Only 2 per cent of employees will be needed to initiate an information and consultation proceeding, down from 10 per cent, under the new rules, but the 15 employee minimum threshold for initiation of proceedings will remain in place.

Matthew Fell, CBI Chief UK Policy Director, said: 'Businesses support a strong floor of workplace rights, and its right that these laws keep pace with changes in the economy and society.

'They welcome a new law giving all workers the right to request more predictable working hours which will help to facilitate the conversations that are essential to ensuring flexibility benefits both parties.

'However, legislation to amend employment status rules risks making the law less able to adapt to new forms of work in the future.'

Mike Cherry, Federation of Small Businesses national chairman, added: 'Its good to see the Government recognising the vital role that small businesses play in creating healthy work environments, which is not only the right thing to do, but also essential to boosting productivity.

'Any future consideration of employment and tax status alignment must not hinder the flexibility of our labour market or stifle the genuinely self-employed entrepreneurs that push our economy forward.

'The risks taken by sole traders, and the dynamism they provide, must be properly recognised and rewarded. Clarifications of employment status, in law, need to be undertaken with great care to avoid unintended consequences for the genuinely self-employed.'

Pension provisions for the self-employed

The review also called on the Government to think creatively on ways to improve pension provision among the self-employed after a collapse in the number saving into pensions.

Just 14 per cent of the UK's near five million self-employed workers were saving into a pension in 2016/17 - a dramatic fall from the 30 per cent doing so in 2007/08.

The Government accepted Taylor's recommendations and revealed that it will trial ways to encourage more self-employed people to save for retirement.
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Taubman Centers, Inc. (NYSE:TCO) posted its earnings results on Monday, November, 9th. The real estate investment trust reported ($0.49) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.58 by $1.07. The real estate investment trust earned $130.99 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $125.10 million. Taubman Centers had a net margin of 30.09% and a negative trailing twelve-month return on equity of 94.88%. The business's revenue for the quarter was down 19.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.86 earnings per share.

View Taubman Centers' earnings history.
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Albany

Seven area hospitals have implemented temporary guidelines for visitors that are meant to limit patient exposure to the flu, and more facilities plan to start the measures soon. The temporary policy change comes in response to Thursday's announcement by the state health commissioner that the viral illness is prevalent in some communities in the state.

Hospital starting the restrictions immediately include St. Peter's Health Partners' acute-care hospitals Albany Memorial and St. Peter's Hospital in Albany, Samaritan and St. Mary's in Troy and Sunnyview Rehabilitation Hospital in Schenectady, as well as Ellis Medicine's acute-care hospitals including Ellis and Bellevue Woman's Center in Schenectady. Others regionally that plan to implement the measures in the coming days or weeks include Albany Medical Center in Albany, St. Mary's Healthcare in Amsterdam, Columbia Memorial in Hudson and Saratoga Hospital in Saraoga Springs.

The restrictions include the following:

A maximum of two visitors are permitted in a patient's room at any one time.

Children 12 and younger are prohibited from visiting patients' rooms, as they are more likely to have and transmit respiratory infections.

Visitors with rash, diarrhea or respiratory symptoms are prohibited from visiting patients. These symptoms include fever, sore throat, cough and shortness of breath.

The hospitals urge all visitors to use hand-washing stations before entering and upon leaving a patient's room. Hand sanitizers are available at many hospital entrances and at many other locations throughout these hospitals, including the doorways of many patient rooms.

Some hospitals have special care units or physical layouts which may have additional visitation restrictions or modifications.

The announcement of the measures was made Friday by St. Peter's Health Partners.

Hospital officials advised that it is still important to get the flu vaccine, as it offers protection against other circulating strains and will reduce the likelihood of severe illness.

The same guidelines announced Friday were developed and temporarily implemented in previous years to address influenza outbreaks. The temporary restrictions are intended to help limit the transmission of the virus and protect the health and safety of patients and the professionals who provide their care during the outbreak, officials said.

State Health Commissioner Howard Zucker announced Thursday that 1,230 cases of the flu had been confirmed statewide as of last weekend. Influenza and its complications have led to 923 hospitalizations across the state so far and one child's death, Zucker said.

Flu season occurs primarily from October through May, often peaking in February.

The number of cases confirmed at labs in New York so far this season outpaces cases from the same time last year, when there were 891 cases confirmed as of Dec. 15. Last year's season, which was unusually vicious, peaked at 18,258 cases statewide as of Feb. 17. For comparison, previous seasons in New York peaked at 6,076 cases as of Feb. 11, 2017, and 6,422 cases as of March 12, 2016.

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It was one of the deadliest in four decades. More than 80,000 Americans died of flu in the 2017-18 season, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

Saratoga County appears the hardest hit of all upstate counties this season with 28 cases confirmed. The Capital Region as a whole has had 77 cases confirmed.

New Yorkers can see how prevalent the flu is near them using a new flu tracking platform published on the NYS Health Connector website. It includes a breakdown of confirmed cases by county, week and year dating back to 2015-16, making year-over-year comparisons possible.

It also shows which type of flu is prevalent (A, B or unspecified). So far this year, 1,140 of the 1,230 confirmed cases around New York are Type A.

Times Union reporter Bethany Bump contributed to this story.
WASHINGTON  With the clock ticking down to a midnight deadline Friday, Senate leaders including Sen. Charles E. Schumer of New York were scrambling to reach a deal that would avert a partial government shutdown.

The Republican-controlled Senate late Friday sidestepped consideration of a House measure that would give President Donald Trump his long-sought $5 billion border wall, which Schumer and other Democrats have derided as expensive, ineffective and unnecessary.

I hope Senate Democrats will work with the White House on an agreement that can pass both houses and receive the presidents signature, said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., acknowledging that with the Republicans holding a slim 51-49 majority votes of Democratic senators will be necessary to reach the 60-vote threshold necessary to avoid a shutdown.

The negotiations continued into the night after a day of finger pointing between Trump and Democrats led in the Senate by Schumer.

It's up to the Democrats, Trump said at a White House bill signing for the criminal justice reform legislation. So it's really the Democrat shutdown, because we've done our thing.

Trump reversed his pledge not to blame the Democrats for a shutdown.

Schumer leaped on what he viewed as Trumps back-pedaling.

The president will do his best to blame Democrats, but its flatly absurd, Schumer said, quoting Trumps statement in the White House meeting last week with Schumer and soon-to-be House Speaker Nancy Pelosi: I am proud to shut it down  Im not going to blame you (Democrats)  I will take the mantle of shutting it down.

No Democrat has called for shutting the government down, Schumer said. We are all working to avoid it. The president seems to relish it. He seems to feel it will throw a bone to his base - the problem being his base is less than one-quarter of America.

The Trump administration also has not spent all of the $1.3 billion in border-security funding that Congress appropriated last year, Schumer added.

It is clearly a political gambit by President Trump to appease his never-happy base, he said. On the other hand, a Trump shutdown would result in zero dollars for the Department of Homeland Security over the Christmas holiday.

Schumer reportedly spent part of the afternoon in a closed-door meeting with Vice President Mike Pence, White House budget Director Mick Mulvaney and Jared Kushner, a top adviser married to Trumps daughter Ivanka.

Trump and conservative Freedom Caucus members in the House believe time is running out, and that funding a wall will be impossible next month after Democrats take control of the House.

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Trump appeared to capitulate this week after the Senate voted to extend funding government agencies including the Department of Homeland Security  charged with border enforcement  without inclusion of the border wall. He and his spokeswoman, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, said the administration would look for other sources of funding, with the president himself tweeting that the military could build it.

Trumps shrug evoked a firestorm on the right, with commentators such as Ann Coulter and Rush Limbaugh accusing him of surrendering without a fight. Trump then met with House Speaker Paul Ryan and Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., who subsequently shepherded a measure through the House that included $5 billion for the wall spanning the length of the 1,933-mile U.S.-Mexico border.

Caught between their hard-right base and the prospect of a shutdown, Republicans worked throughout Friday to come up with a way forward.

McConnell, who along with Schumer had directed the original no-wall funding extension through the Senate, met with Trump and urged senators to vote for the House version.

The facts are clear on this, McConnell said on the Senate floor. The need for greater security on our southern border is not some partisan invention. Its an empirical fact.

The Senate delayed a vote on the House wall measure Friday as senators scurried to return to Washington.

Without a common bill that Congress can send to the president, the government will shut down. A halt would not necessarily cripple government functions, but an estimated 700,000 federal employees would face furloughs and no paychecks until Congress passes a funding bill.

That may only take place after Jan. 3, when Democrats take control of the House. But even then, Republicans retain control of the Senate  so nothing is guaranteed.
Hialeah, Fla.

When Toys R Us closed, Toys for Tots felt the loss.

The toy giant's decision to close its stores this year left some huge holes for the annual charity drive to fill.

Toys R Us shoppers donated more than 250,000 toys last year and the company gave $5 million in corporate contributions  40 percent of all corporate giving to the Marine Corps community effort.

The company's 800 stores usually had boxes near the doors where customers could toss a toy on their way out. They also took monetary donations.

From Florida to Spokane, Wash., several Toys for Tots campaigns say the closures hurt. In Orlando, for example, donations were down 25 percent. In Bakersfield, Calif., the local group reported being 10,000 toys down earlier this month.

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Kelly Wilson, the north Atlanta coordinator for Toys For Tots, said her city needed 268,000 more toys earlier this week. She said donations collected at local Toys R Us stores would fill a large tractor-trailer or more each year.

Toys for Tots national spokesman Ted Silvester said losing Toys R Us was a "tough pill." But he said other corporate sponsors such as Hasbro, Disney and Build-A-Bear helped fill the void while Marine units asked the public for more individual donations. In some cities it's too late to donate toys this year, but monetary donations are accepted to buy last-minute gifts.
COHOES  The toll of allegations that Mayor Shawn M. Morse had physically abused women had been dragging out for months in this divided riverfront community when the turmoil suddenly grew worse.

In late September, Morse  a former firefighter and imposing figure who has been described as an intimidating politician  answered the door of his Grandview Avenue residence to FBI agents. They had come to ask questions about his spending habits and use of campaign funds.

In the days that followed, after Morse's longtime campaign treasurer had been served with a federal grand jury subpoena, people familiar with the inner workings of City Hall said the stress on the mayor became palpable. He began arriving to work late, sometimes staying only a few hours. His normally professional appearance had been replaced by sweatpants and T-shirts. They said his temper was short and his eyes have looked hollow.

Morse, 51, who is entering the final year of his first term as mayor, has weathered a tumultuous year in which he became the target of multiple investigations, including a languishing State Police probe of allegations that he had physically abused his wife and youngest daughter.

Just 10 days before the FBI knocked on his door, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, a fellow Democrat, called on Morse to step down in the wake of a Times Union story  citing Child Protective Services reports  that revealed Morse's youngest daughter had accused him of physical abuse, including choking and punching her last year.

Cuomo called the allegations "frightening and egregious evidence of domestic violence." Numerous other Democrats, including Morse's former political ally, Albany County Executive Daniel McCoy, also called for his resignation.

But Morse, a self-described street fighter, has refused to leave office, and vehemently denied physically abusing women.

He and some of his supporters have also cast blame at the Times Union, which has culled its stories on the domestic abuse accusations against Morse from police reports, a 911 call, court records and on-the-record interviews with three of his alleged victims. They include a former girlfriend who said Morse grabbed her by the throat in the 1990s and lifted her off the ground, and further alleged that Cohoes police did nothing when she called for help.

The public disclosure of the mayor's troubles began in November 2017, when his wife, Brenda, called 911 and told a dispatcher that her husband had grabbed her by the throat and thrown her to the ground during an argument. In an affidavit later obtained by the Times Union, Brenda Morse claimed she had endured serious physical abuse at the hands of her husband throughout their marriage.

The 911 call took place the same month that the city endured a massive fire which leveled multiple buildings and left a gaping hole in the downtown cityscape that Morse has worked to revitalize.

For a small city known for its close-knit, lifelong residents and its resiliency, the saga of Morse's domestic problems and the federal probe has split the community. Some residents and business owners remain steadfast in their support, while others have joined the calls for him to step down and admit to the alleged physical abuse.

"All the TU tries to do is make the mayor look bad," one of Morse's supporters wrote this week in a Facebook post. "They don't care about the real story. It's always fake news. People who know the mayor know the REAL story."

Last month, the city's Industrial Development Agency terminated the mayor from his $15,000-a-year job as its executive director, a role that Morse had arranged for himself shortly after he was sworn in.

On the FBI investigation, which is ongoing, Morse has remained silent.

On Friday afternoon, Morse issued a statement through his attorney, Joseph Ahearn, attributing the unrest in his family to a "serious drug/opioid crisis." He also said that he has a "strong relationship with my daughter and she is progressing with her treatment."

More for you More stories about Mayor Shawn Morse's troubles

"There have been allegations lodged against me in the past," the mayor said. "As a result of the allegations made by my estranged wife, I have been thoroughly investigated by the New York State Police and the Colonie Police Department. After 13 months, these investigations have not resulted in any accusation of wrongdoing on my part. I ask for all to please give my family some space to heal at this time, especially during the holidays."

Morse said he has also "continued to effectively perform my duties as mayor."

Still, the stigma of the allegations leveled at Morse, and the ongoing federal probe, have left the city reeling.

Councilman Stephen Napier called 2018 a "challenging year" for the community.

"I hope that 2019 will be the dawn of a new day for Cohoes, and bring some clarity and finality to the many investigations into the mayor," Napier said. "I'd like to tell the Capital Region that Cohoes is a great city of hardworking people with much to offer, from our vibrant music hall to great restaurants and even a wonderful bakery."

Last week, another incident involving allegations the mayor had choked someone unfolded on the afternoon of Dec. 15 at his residence.

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Morse was accused of grabbing an 18-year-old man by the neck during a dispute at Morse's house. The mayor and Justin Rodriguez, who had dated Morse's youngest daughter, accused one another of being the aggressor in an incident that left Rodriguez with scratches and bruises on his neck.

Top stories of 2018 This is the first of 10 stories that will appear before Dec. 31. See More Collapse

They both filed complaints, and the State Police took over the investigation from the Cohoes force.

The incident began when Rodriguez went to the mayor's residence with his mother and sister. According to accounts in police reports, Rodriguez's mother waited in a vehicle and watched as her son and his sister went to the front door, where he asked Morse for access to clothing items that he believed were in the residence and had been trying to retrieve for months.

Morse's attorney, Joseph Ahearn, said the mayor grabbed Rodriguez by the neck after he allegedly told the mayor, "I'll kill you right now." That is similar to the account Morse gave to police.

In an interview with the Times Union, Rodriguez disputed Morse's account that he had thrown punches at the mayor after Morse grabbed his neck. He also disputed Morse's public accusations that he abused the mayor's daughter or had provided prescription drugs to Morse's wife.

Rodriguez said he and his sister were arguing with the mayor about his clothing when Morse suddenly "snapped" and grabbed his throat, squeezing so hard that Rodriguez said he couldn't breathe.

Nearly all of the physical abuse allegations leveled against Morse have involved accusations that he grabbed someone by the neck.

"He just grabbed me out of nowhere," Rodriguez said. " ... My sister said, 'Well, my brother needs his clothes back,' and something just triggered him. He just grabbed me and just started choking me. I did not threaten him  not once; I did not threaten his family."

People close to Morse said that, in an effort to discredit Rodriguez, he has provided police with information that his daughter suffered a broken collarbone during a fight with the former boyfriend, who had lived at Morse's residence for a few months.

Morse has rebuffed the calls from other elected officials for him to step down. In his statement Friday, he said his first term has been a success.

"During my tenure ... the city has seen an incredible resurgence," he said. "For the third year in a row, and for the first time in the history of the city, there has been a zero percent increase in property taxes, as well as water and sewer fees. Cohoes has also benefitted from more than $75 million dollars in economic development investments. In addition, the city has seen the revival of the Cohoes Music Hall, as well as construction of two new parks and the transformation of Interstate 787."

Cohoes Councilman Randy Koniowka, a frequent Morse critic, has said he'll challenge the mayor if he seeks re-election next year.

"When you have an embattled mayor, sometimes you have an embattled city," Koniowka said. "Shawn is hanging off the political cliff and the problem is, for Shawn, the rope keeps getting smaller."

Koniowka called Morse "one of the strongest-willed individuals I have ever met. The problem ... is that same trait  that force of will  could potentially be the cause of his demise."
ALBANY - A suspect in a 2015 racket to steal personal information from people using ATMs in the Capital Region was arraigned by federal prosecutors on Friday.

Gheorghe Cirstea, 31, a Romania citizen, is accused of conspiring to steal bank customers' account and PIN information with skimming devices installed on ATMs. Ilie Sitariu pleaded guilty to his role in the scheme two years ago and was sentenced to two years in prison.
GLOVERSVILLE  An elementary school nurse is accused of sexual abusing a student, according to police and school officials.

Teddy A. Germain, 46, of Amsterdam worked as a licensed practical nurse in the Gloversville Enlarged School District's elementary schools.

He was arrested Friday after Gloversville City Court Judge Traci DiMezza issued a warrant and he turned himself in to police, officers said Saturday. He was previously placed on administrative leave and is no longer employed by the district.

Germain is accused of having sexual contact with a child under the age of 11. He is charged with felony sexual abuse.

"The district is extremely disturbed about the nature of these allegations," District Superintendent David Halloran said in a statement and post on the school website. "We will continue to assist police in any way we can. Anyone with concerns should contact Gloversville Police."

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Gloversville police are continuing to investigate and asked any parent who believes their child may have been victimized to call detectives at 518-773-4505.

The district declined to comment further on the allegations.
Denver

The fiance of a Colorado woman who has been missing since Thanksgiving Day was arrested Friday on allegations of killing the mother of his child, and police said she likely died at her house in a mountain town.

But authorities declined to say whether they had found the body of Kelsey Berreth, 29, what led to the arrest of Patrick Michael Frazee and what motive there might be for Berreth's disappearance and slaying.

Frazee, 32, was arrested at his home in Florissant on suspicion of murder and solicitation of murder, said Miles de Young, chief of police in Woodland Park, where Berreth lived.

"As you can tell from the arrest, sadly, we do not believe that Kelsey is still alive," De Young said.

Authorities also declined to elaborate on the solicitation of murder charge, how they believe Berreth was killed or other aspects of the investigation.

Police have said Frazee was the last person to see Berreth alive. The couple shared a baby daughter but didn't live together. Her mother previously said financial struggles delayed them from moving in together but her daughter was excited to get married.

The disappearance of the young pilot mystified family and friends and led to a social media push for information on her whereabouts.

She was last seen at a grocery store near her home. Surveillance video showed her walking in on Thanksgiving Day with what appears to be the couple's daughter in a baby carrier. Frazee had told police that the couple met that afternoon so he could pick up the child.

De Young said the girl is in protective custody and will be turned over to Berreth's family.

Frazee's attorney, Jeremy Loew, has said his client was cooperating with investigators and provided DNA samples.

Authorities searched Frazee's cattle ranch and Berreth's townhome but declined to say what they found. De Young did say evidence suggests "the crime" occurred at Berreth's home and that her cellphone was found in Idaho. Investigators were working to recover the phone, which is key.

Police said the only signs of Berreth after Thanksgiving were some text messages and that location data suggested the phone by Nov. 25 was near Gooding, Idaho, 800 miles (1,290 kilometers) from her house.

Her mother, Cheryl, lives in Laclede, Idaho, 580 miles (930 kilometers) north of Gooding, but police have not explained whether that has any significance in where the cellphone was discovered.

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Police started looking for Kelsey Berreth on Dec. 2 at her mother's request.

Investigators who went to Berreth's house found cinnamon rolls in the kitchen and both of her cars outside. De Young said the company where Berreth worked as a flight instructor, Doss Aviation, had accounted for all their planes and that police had no reason to believe she used someone else's plane.

Cheryl Berreth told NBC News that her daughter's relationship with Frazee had been good and loving. She said the couple had weathered some financial struggles. Frazee runs a cattle ranch, and prices for the industry have been poor, delaying their plans to find a house and move in together, Cheryl Berreth said.

"They had plans that haven't worked out as they would have liked. But they've dealt with that and they've made things work regardless," she said.

The mother also told CBS that her daughter was looking forward to being married but said the couple had not set a wedding date.

District Attorney Dan May says formal charges are pending and could take as long as 10 days to file. Frazee's arraignment has yet to be set. He said the search and arrest affidavits will stay sealed for now.
Rome

Pope Francis on Friday called on clerics who sexually abuse minors to hand themselves over to civil authorities and prepare their souls for eternal judgment, saying that the Vatican would remove the priests who prey like wolves on their flock and endanger the credibility of the whole church.

The pope's remarks came in his traditional Christmas address to the bureaucracy that runs the Holy See, a speech that has become an annual excoriation of the careerism, sins and corruption that he says have infected the Catholic hierarchy.

"To those who abuse minors, I would say this: Convert and hand yourself over to human justice, and prepare for divine justice," Francis told the Roman curia, with cardinals in black cassocks and red skullcaps gathered around him in the frescoed Clementine Hall of the Vatican's Apostolic Palace.

He denounced clerics "who abuse the vulnerable, taking advantage of their position and their power of persuasion," adding: "They perform abominable acts yet continue to exercise their ministry as if nothing had happened. They have no fear of God or his judgment, but only of being found out and unmasked."

In doing so, he said, these priests rip apart the priesthood, besmirch their innocent brothers and discredit the Roman Catholic Church, which has been "buffeted by strong winds and tempests" this year.

"Often behind their boundless amiability, impeccable activity and angelic faces, they shamelessly conceal a vicious wolf ready to devour innocent souls," he said.

The sexual abuse crisis has continued to expand throughout the church. New reports and grand jury investigations from multiple continents have detailed how abuse has ruined the lives of young victims and their families for decades.

The crisis has also badly damaged the church's standing and imperiled the papacy of Francis, who turned 82 this week. For all his efforts to reform the church, the pontiff long failed to understand the gravity of the scandal that most threatened the church and his other priorities.

Francis seemed to have woken up to the issue this year amid the furious backlash to his stated faith in Chilean bishops over the "slander" of abuse survivors. He ultimately dispatched investigators and accepted the resignations of some Chilean bishops. In the United States, where the crisis has exploded in the past few months, he has also accepted the resignations of prelates, though sometimes reluctantly.

But even as the pope has spoken out in increasingly forceful tones against abuse, victims and their supporters contend that he has taken little concrete action to solve the problem. They took Friday's speech as more evidence that the pope needed a reality check.

"At a moment that cries out for visionary leadership and radical change, the pope is indulging in make-believe and misdirection," said Anne Barrett Doyle, a co-director of BishopAccountability.org, which tracks clergy sex abuse cases.

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"In commanding child molesters to turn themselves in, Francis is pretending," she said. "He's pretending that sick men can suddenly see the light. He's pretending we don't remember it was the Vatican that has blocked the few efforts by bishops' conferences to mandate reporting to law enforcement. He's pretending the problem lies with perpetrator priests and some ignorant bishops of the past rather than with ongoing secrecy modeled by the Vatican itself."

Critics also argue that the pope's collegial emphasis on a response originating from local bishops is misplaced, citing longstanding patterns of abuse and cover-ups by many of those same bishops. Only a centralized, explicit zero-tolerance order from the Vatican will carry weight around the globe, they say.

The Vatican has raised expectations that an extraordinary meeting in February would result in tangible changes and not just more tough talk. The pope has summoned the presidents of bishops' conferences around the world to address the abuse issue.

Some defenders of the church argue that the priesthood has been unfairly targeted and that the problem of sexual abuse is just as common in other institutions.

The pope also asked how "deeply rooted" the problem may be in society at large. And he seemed to share the view, harshly criticized by advocates for victim, that the church's crisis offered it an opportunity to be a global leader in "eliminating this scourge, not only from the body of the church but also from that of society."

He alluded to the view in some corners of the church that journalists who report on sexual abuse are guilty of anti-Catholic prejudice, "and of intentionally wanting to give the false impression that this evil affects the Catholic Church alone."

But the pope then added, "I myself would like to give heartfelt thanks to those media professionals who were honest and objective and sought to unmask these predators and to make their victims' voices heard."
SCHOHARIE  Schoharie County District Attorney Susan Mallery on Friday refused to answer questions raised by the National Transportation Safety Board's contention that she has delayed federal investigators' access to the stretch limousine that crashed on Oct. 6, killing 20 people.

When a Times Union reporter stopped by the district attorney's office on Friday, her secretary said over the phone that Mallery was in a meeting and unavailable. The secretary would not even buzz the visitor into the Depot Lane office building.

"As you can understand, we're very busy at this particular time because of that case," the secretary told the Times Union later Friday in a phone conversation. "Time is short these days."

Mallery is investigating the crash at Routes 30 and 30A in which the 2001 Ford Excursion limo sped through a stop sign, struck two bystanders outside the Apple Barrel Country Store and crashed into a ditch, killing the driver and all 17 passengers.

Nauman Hussein, the operator of Prestige Limo, has been charged with criminally negligent homicide.

The limo has been kept in a white tent on State Police property in Latham.

NTSB general counsel Kathleen Silbaugh has sent two letters to Mallery, the most recent on Dec. 14, complaining that federal investigators have not had access to the limo.

NTSB officials are "gravely concerned that your lack of responsiveness to our requests has seriously impeded our abilities to carry out our congressionally-mandated duties to properly complete this safety investigation and potentially prevent similar accidents in the future," Silbaugh wrote to Mallery.

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Silbaugh said the delays have denied the NTSB access to critical evidence, and that the investigative team might have already lost the chance to evaluate corrosion on the vehicle and its parts, which would be important in examining the condition of the brakes and electrical system at the time of the crash.

Mallery  who is winding up her first year in office  told CBS6 on Wednesday that the limousine was still part of a criminal investigation and could not be released until the work was complete. She said she was following the advice of experts, whom she did not name.

On Friday, Mallery's secretary appeared unsure when asked if the taxpayer-funded office was open to the public.

"Not that I'm aware of  no, I would think not," she said. " ... We don't have people coming in here, in our office."
[December 21, 2018] VisualCamp wins third place in Dongsheng Cup International Entrepreneurship Competition

BEIJING, Dec. 22, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- VisualCamp, a member company of the K-ICT Born2Global Centre, won third place in the 6th Dongsheng Cup International Entrepreneurship Competition, which was held on December 13 in Beijing. It was the only Korean company to win an award in the competition, which it managed to do based on its outstanding technology and commercial potential. VisualCamp, a company that specializes in eye-tracking technology, won prizes include: a cash prize (CNY 20,000), one year of free office space at Zhongguancun Dongsheng Science & Technology Park (located inside hongguancun Innoway, a major street for startups in China), access to investment opportunities, diverse forms of incubation support, and opportunities to establish business connections.



This year, the preliminary round was held in September in various countries, with the semi-finals and finals being held from December 11 to 14. Of the approximately 3,500 companies that participated in this intense competition, 3,000 were Chinese companies, and 500 were foreign companies. VisualCamp was also selected as one of the top 10 global companies in the final competition of 2018 IPIEC Global, which was held on December 13. IPIEC Global is an event hosted by the China National Intellectual Property Administration in which companies from all over the world that have developed innovative technologies compete in front of distinguished technology investors and judges. VisualCamp passed the national preliminaries to become the only Korean company to reach fourth place.



At the final screening, one investment judge said that VisualCamp's eye-tracking technology is unparalleled in the world. The judge also stated his expectation that the technology could be immediately applied to Chinese education business models as a means of improving the educational effect of smart pad-based learning and increasing the concentration of students who use the smart pads.

VisualCamp CEO Suk Yun-chan said, "I'm deeply moved to see VisualCamp win multiple awards at major Chinese competitions, knowing that it is the result of the tireless efforts of the entire VisualCamp team to achieve technological innovation." Founded in 2014, VisualCamp began with a technology that enables the user to input text solely via eye movements. This was later developed into eye-tracking software for VR/smart phone devices. So far, VisualCamp has unveiled new technologies every year. For more detailed information on VisualCmap, visit www.visual.camp. Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20181221/2334074-1 SOURCE K-ICT Born2Global Centre

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[December 21, 2018] Yellow Pages Sales Representatives in British Colombia Ratify New Collective Bargaining Agreement

MONTREAL, Dec. 21, 2018 /CNW Telbec/ - Yellow Pages Limited (TSX: Y) ("Yellow Pages" or the "Company") announced today that its sales representatives in the province of British Colombia have ratified a new, three-year collective bargaining agreement. "We are pleased by the support that our colleagues in British Colombia have demonstrated in ratifying a new, three-year collective agreement," commented David A. Eckert, President and Chief Executive Officer of Yellow Pages. "Our new agreement in British Colombia is aligned with our recent agreements in Quebec and Alberta and gives the Company important new flexibility to operate in our highly competitive marketplac. It allows us to appropriately reward our outstanding sales team for great performance in generating profitable revenue. It is another important step forward in producing maximum positive results for our company across Canada."



About Yellow Pages Limited

Yellow Pages Limited (TSX: Y) is a Canadian digital media and marketing company that creates opportunities for buyers and sellers to interact and transact in the local economy. Yellow Pages holds some of Canada's leading local online properties including YP.ca, Canada411.ca, 411.ca and Bookenda.com. The Company also holds the YP, YP Shopwise, YP Dine, Canada411, 411 and Bookenda mobile applications and Yellow Pages print directories. For more information visit www.corporate.yp.ca.

SOURCE Yellow Pages Limited

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[December 21, 2018] AVMA combating suicide amongst veterinary professionals

SCHAUMBURG, Ill., Dec. 21, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) participated with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in researching Suicide among veterinarians in the United States from 1979 through 2015. The study, published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, reported female veterinarians were 3.5 times as likely, and male veterinarians were 2.1 times as likely, to die from suicide as the general population. According to a 2016 CDC report, 45,000 Americans, ages 10 or older, died by suicide. Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States and is on the rise. Every profession has unique challenges and stressors that must be addressed. Just as veterinarians are passionate about their profession and dedicated to improving the health and welfare of people and animals, the AVMA is committed to the health and wellbeing of their members. Prior to the release of this and other studies, the AVMA, and a broad coalition of partners from industry, state and allied veterinary medical associations (VMAE), academia (American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges), representatives of private and corporate practices, the North American Veterinary Technicians Association (NAVTA), practice managers, the Veterinary Information Network (VIN), independent veterinary communities and others, joined together to tackle this issue. "Too many of our colleagues have either contemplated, attempted or died by suicide," said Dr. John de Jong, AVMA President. "And one suicide, is clearly too many. Working with our colleagues throughout the veterinary community will help us find solutions more quickly. This issue is affecting not only our profession, but society as a whole, in numbers greater than ever before." In addition to their partners within veterinary medicine, the AVMA is working closely with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and other suicidology experts. "As medical professionals we need to understand and learn about the clinical signs associated with suicide and work with other medical professionals to confront and combat this serious problem," Dr. de Jong said. The AVMA and partners are creating and developing resources, not only for those in distress, but for those who love and want to help those who are suffering. A key program available to help veterinarians identify and refer at risk colleagues, is QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) training. The AVMA offers this one-hour, online 'gatekeeper training' free of charge to every mmber and veterinary student. It teaches people without professional mental health backgrounds to recognize the signs that someone may be considering suicide and helps them to establish a dialogue.



"Often times, people may suspect someone is suffering but they don't know what to say, or they worry that what they say may make the situation worse," said Dr. Brandt. "It is my goal to have every veterinarian complete the QPR training. It provides guidance on what to say and ways in which you can enhance a sense of belonging and help alleviate the sense of fear that some may have about being a burden to their friends, family or colleagues." Programs and tools available to tackle specific stressors include:

Moral/ethical distressthe result of a medical caregiver's unique relationship with a patient, through which empathy allows the caregiver to "take on the burden" of an ill or dying patient. The AVMA has collected and developed a number of resources to help veterinarians combat moral/ethical distress.

Financial burdens can also play a part in harming veterinarians' mental health. With average student debt loads on the rise, veterinarians may be struggling to make ends meet and find it difficult to plan for the future. The AVMA has resources on financial planning--including a personal financial planning tool, salary calculator and tips on student loan repayment--to help veterinarians address these concerns.

Availability of controlled substances - The potential for drug abuse and addiction is higher in medical professions than in other workplaces because of the increased access to controlled drugs. To address these issues, the AVMA has developed an online wellbeing and peer-assistance toolkit.

Student debt and other early career stressors ? MyVeterinaryLife.com, a website aimed at students and early career veterinarians geared to helping them navigate wellbeing, finances, and career concerns.

AVMA's 100 Healthy Tips to Support a Culture of Wellbeing  this guide offers strategies and practical steps one can take at work and at home to support healthful living and create a positive work environment.

Peer assistance programs around the country can be found at veterinary peer assistance programs .

Veterinary Wellbeing Summits  These summits provide veterinary practitioners, as well as those in industry, academia, researchers and others, an opportunity to discuss what steps should be taken to support enhanced wellbeing throughout the profession.

Numerous educational efforts through public speaking and webinars aimed at creating cultures of wellbeing are ongoing.

AVMA is working with the United Kingdom's (UK) Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) and the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) to improve the health and wellbeing of all those who work on veterinary teams across the globe. "This truly is a profession-wide concern," Dr. de Jong said. "We know that we don't have all of the answers but there is strength and hope in such a strong industry-wide collaboration." For more information visit avma.org. The AVMA, founded in 1863, is one of the oldest and largest veterinary medical organizations in the world. More than 93,000 member veterinarians worldwide are engaged in a wide variety of professional activities. Visit www.avma.org for more information. Sharon Curtis Granskog

Cell: 847-280-1273

[email protected] View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/avma-combating-suicide-amongst-veterinary-professionals-300770528.html SOURCE American Veterinary Medical Association

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GEICO Promotes Amy Furman to Assistant VP of Marketing

The GEICO Board of Directors has elected Amy Furman to assistant vice president of marketing, with responsibility for digital advertising and brand and production. Furman had previously served as a marketing director since 2002.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181222005002/en/

GEICO assistant VP of marketing Amy Furman (Photo: Business Wire)

She started at GEICO in 1989 as a research assistant. Furman later moved to media advertising, print buying and planning, and outdoor, radio and television advertising.

She was then promoted to manager of database marketing, where she oversaw the company's transition to a database-driven direct mail environment. With her promotion to marketing director in 2002, her responsibilities grew to also include sponsored marketing and creative services.

Furman holds degrees in marketing and business from Virginia Tech.

"Having such capable and experienced associates ready to take on important roles means our marketing operations are in good hands. I look forward to more great work from Amy as she takes on these new duties," said CEO Bill Roberts.

About GEICO

GEICO (Government Employees Insurance Company), the second-largest auto insurer in the U.S., was founded in 193 and insures more than 27 million vehicles.







To make changes, report claims, print insurance cards and purchase additional products, policyholders can access their insurance policy here, connect via GEICO Mobile, phone or by visiting a GEICO local agent.

Homeowners, renters, condo, flood, identity theft and term life coverages are written through non-affiliated insurance companies and are secured through the GEICO Insurance Agency, Inc. Commercial auto and personal umbrella coverages are also available.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181222005002/en/
[December 22, 2018] Qognify to Acquire On-Net Surveillance Systems (OnSSI) Group and Expand Global Presence

PEARL RIVER, N.Y., Dec. 22, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Qognify - the trusted advisor and technology solution provider for Physical Security and Enterprise Incident Management - today announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire On-Net Surveillance Systems, Inc. (OnSSI) and the OnSSI company - SeeTec GmbH. In bringing these award-winning technology solution portfolios together under one roof - including Qognify VisionHub, OnSSI Ocularis and SeeTec Cayuga - Qognify becomes one of the largest VMS, Video Analytics, PSIM and critical incident management companies in the world. Qognify is backed by global investment firm Battery Ventures. Also located in Pearl River, New York, OnSSI was founded in 2002 with the goal of developing comprehensive and intelligent IP video management software (VMS). Today, the company has an established presence in more than 100 countries, where its Ocularis and Cayuga VMS solutions are relied upon by education, gaming, government, healthcare, manufacturing, retail, public safety, transportation and utilities organizations. With Qognify's proven pedigree in delivering successful projects for financial services companies, mass-transit infrastructure, large international airports and seaports, as well as smart and safe city projects around the world, the acquisition sees the company establish a dominant global position in both the mid-market and enterprise sectors. SeeTec GmbH is a pioneer of IP video technology and today a leading provider of VMS software in Europe. The Germany-based company was acquired by OnSSI in 2015 and boasts 100 employees, working out of offices across mainland Europe, Dubai, Scandinavia and the UK. Steve Shine, CEO and President of Qognify states: "OnSSI and SeeTec solutions have a deservedly excellent reputation throughout the security sector. This is the perfect time to bring together our collective pool of physical security talent and technologies, to increase the range of target markets we are able to serve. The partnership also greatly increases the number of customrs and partners for the combined business. This is a very exciting agreement for all of us."



Gadi Piran, Co-Founder, President and CTO of OnSSI comments: "This coming together of two of the security sector's most innovative companies, unleashes unrivalled opportunities for collaboration and brings to market a proposition that meets all security and operational management requirements, from powerful VMS to full scale intelligent situational awareness." Piran adds: "Our collective market reach is truly global, with a strong presence in Europe, the US and Asia that will continue to grow." Jesse Feldman, General Partner at Battery Ventures, which acquired Qognify from NICE Systems in 2015 states: "Qognify has rapidly established itself as a trusted and progressive brand in the physical security sector. The acquisition of the OnSSI Group - a high-profile brand in the security market in its own right - is a major achievement in its history, but most importantly lays down a marker regarding its intent to grow faster and bigger."

The transaction is expected to be completed by the end of 2018, subject to certain conditions and satisfaction of terms. About Qognify

Qognify helps safeguarding your world. With a portfolio of Physical Security and Enterprise Incident Management solutions, we work as trusted partners to hundreds of customers around the globe ensuring security, safety and business operations continuity. Qognify solutions includes video management, video and data analytics, and PSIM/ Situation Management solutions that are deployed in financial institutions, transportation agencies, airports, seaports, utility companies, city centers, and to secure many of the world's highest-profile public events. www.Qognify.com About OnSSI

On-Net Surveillance Systems, Inc. (OnSSI) was founded in 2002 with the goal of developing comprehensive and intelligent IP video surveillance management software. OnSSI's Ocularis IP security and surveillance VMS platform increases security, reduces operational costs, and helps organizations move closer to prevention. Ocularis delivers open architecture, flexibility, and scalability along with robust cybersecurity protections for a range of applications including education, gaming, government, healthcare, manufacturing, public safety, transportation, and utilities. OnSSI is headquartered in Pearl River, New York and has representation in over 100 countries. With its acquisition of Germany-based VMS company, SeeTec GmbH and the launch of Ocularis 5, OnSSI continues to drive global expansion and technological innovations.

www.OnSSI.com About SeeTec

Founded in 1996 as a pioneer in IP-based video security, SeeTec GmbH is one of the leading vendors of video management software in Europe  together with OnSSI, Inc. even worldwide. In addition to security applications, SeeTec offers customizable video solutions to support business processes in various sectors such as logistics, transportation, manufacturing, critical infrastructure and cities, banking and retail. SeeTec is headquartered in Bruchsal, Germany, with sales and support offices in France, United Kingdom, Austria, Switzerland, Sweden, Spain, Italy, Turkey and the Netherlands.

www.SeeTec-video.com About Battery Ventures

Battery Ventures strives to invest in cutting-edge, category-defining businesses in markets including software and services, Web infrastructure, consumer Internet, mobile and industrial technologies. Founded in 1983, the firm backs companies at stages ranging from seed to private equity and invests globally from offices in Boston, the San Francisco Bay Area, London, Israel and New York. Follow the firm on Twitter @BatteryVentures, visit our website at www.battery.com and find a full list of Battery's portfolio companies here. View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/qognify-to-acquire-on-net-surveillance-systems-onssi-group-and-expand-global-presence-300770542.html SOURCE Qognify

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[December 22, 2018] ADDING MULTIMEDIA Teva Announces FDA Approval of First and Only Digital Inhaler with Built-In Sensors - ProAir Digihaler (albuterol sulfate 117 mcg) Inhalation Powder

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (NYSE and TASE: TEVA) announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved ProAir Digihaler (albuterol sulfate 117 mcg) inhalation powder, the first and only digital inhaler with built-in sensors which connects to a companion mobile application and provides inhaler use information to people with asthma and COPD. ProAir Digihaler is indicated for the treatment or prevention of bronchospasm in patients aged four years and older with reversible obstructive airway disease, and for prevention of exercise-induced bronchospasm (EIB) in patients aged four years and older. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181221005554/en/ (Photo: Business Wire) "This approval marks a significant milestone not only for Teva, but for the respiratory community as it allows patients and their caregivers to better understand inhaler usage through digital technology," said Sven Dethlefs, Executive Vice President, Global Marketing & Portfolio. "Teva recognizes the importance of integrating technology into patient care, and we are very proud to lead the way with the approval of ProAir Digihaler. The digital technology built into ProAir Digihaler provides patients with data on their inhaler use, which may help them to have a more informed dialogue with their healthcare provider regarding their asthma or COPD management." ProAir Digihaler contains built-in sensors that detect when the inhaler is used and measure inspiratory flow. This inhaler-use data is then sent to the companion mobile app using Bluetooth Wireless Technology so patients can review their data over time, and if desired, share it with their healthcare professionals. "There are 25 million Americans living with asthma1, many of whom use inhalers as part of their treatment regimen. Despite advancements in care over the years, we know that many are using their rescue medications incorrectly2 or too often3," said Tonya Winders, President & CEO of the Allergy & Asthma Network. "The FDA approval of ProAir Digihaler is significant because it may help patients track their inhaler usage and provide data that can be used to work more closely with their HCPs on their asthma management. This approval is a major step forward and is indicative of how medications are evolving through technological innovations." The approval of ProAir Digihaler is based on the review of a supplemental new drug application (sNDA) submitted by Teva to the FDA. ProAir Digihaler combines a breath-activated, multi-dose dry powder inhaler with albuterol, the most widely used asthma rescue medication, with a built-in electronic module and a companion mobile app. "One of the challenges physicians are faced with in caring for their asthma and COPD patients is knowing if their patients are using their inhaled medication as they should. That's what makes a product like this so important to doctor-patient discussions," said Tushar Shah, M.D., Senior Vice President, Global Specialty Clinical Development at Teva Pharmaceuticals. "Offering a tool that enables doctors to see data on their patients' inhaler usage will allow them to have more productive conversations about identifying issues and how to manage their illness." ProAir Digihaler will be available in 2019 through a small number of "Early Experience" Programs, which will be conducted in partnership with healthcare systems and in limited geographies, in order to gather real-world experience. A national launch is planned for 2020. For more information, visit www.ProAirDigihaler.com. APPROVED USES ProAir Digihaler (albuterol sulfate) Inhalation Powder is a prescription medicine used in people 4 years of age and older to: treat or prevent bronchospasm in people who have reversible obstructive airway disease

prevent exercise-induced bronchospasm ProAir Digihaler contains a built-in electronic module that detects, records and stores inhaler event information. ProAir Digihaler may be used with, and transmits information to, a mobile app. ProAir Digihaler does not need to be connected to the mobile app in order for you to take your medicine. IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION Do not use ProAir Digihaler (albuterol sulfate) Inhalation Powder if you are allergic to albuterol sulfate, lactose, milk proteins, or any of the ingredients in ProAir Digihaler. Ask your healthcare provider if you have any questions or are not sure

are allergic to albuterol sulfate, lactose, milk proteins, or any of the ingredients in ProAir Digihaler. Ask your healthcare provider if you have any questions or are not sure Before using ProAir Digihaler, tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you: have heart problems have high blood pressure (hypertension) have convulsions (seizures) have thyroid problems have diabetes have low potassium levels in your blood are pregnant or planning to become pregnant are breastfeeding or planning to breastfeed

about all of your medical conditions, including if you: Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, especially: other inhaled medicines or asthma medicines beta blocker medicines diuretics digoxin monoamine oxidase inhibitors tricyclic antidepressants

especially: Do not increase your dose or take extra doses of ProAir Digihaler without first talking to your healthcare provider

increase your dose or take extra doses of ProAir Digihaler without first talking to your healthcare provider Get medical help right away if ProAir Digihaler no longer helps your symptoms, your symptoms get worse or you need to use your inhaler more often

While you are using ProAir Digihaler, do not use other inhaled rescue medicines and asthma medicines unless your healthcare provider tells you to do so

use other inhaled rescue medicines and asthma medicines unless your healthcare provider tells you to do so ProAir Digihaler may cause serious side effects, including: worsening trouble breathing, coughing and wheezing (paradoxical bronchospasm). If this happens, stop using ProAir Digihaler and call your healthcare provider or get emergency help right away. This is more likely to happen with your first use of a new asthma inhalation medicine heart problems, including faster heart rate and higher blood pressure possible death in people with asthma who use too much ProAir Digihaler allergic reactions. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have the following symptoms of an allergic reaction: itchy skin swelling beneath your skin or in your throat rash worsening trouble breathing changes in laboratory blood values (sugar, potassium)

The most common side effects of ProAir Digihaler include: back pain body aches and pain upset stomach sinus headache urinary tract infection your heart feels like it is pounding or racing (palpitations) chest pain fast heart rate shakiness nervousness headache dizziness sore throat runny nose

These are not all of the possible side effects of ProAir Digihaler. For more information, ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088 Please read the full Prescribing Information. About Teva Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. is a global leader in generic medicines, with innovative treatments in select areas, including CNS, pain and respiratory. We deliver high-quality generic products and medicines in nearly every therapeutic area to address unmet patient needs. We have an established presence in generics, specialty, OTC and API, building on more than a century-old legacy, with a fully integrated R&D function, strong operational base and global infrastructure and scale. We strive to act in a socially and environmentally responsible way. Headquartered in Israel, with production and research facilities around the globe, we employ 45,000 professionals, committed to improving the lives of millions of patients. Learn more at www.tevapharm.com. Teva Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 regarding ProAir Digihaler, which are based on management's current beliefs and expectations and are subject to substantial risks and uncertainties, both known and unknown, that could cause our future results, performance or achievements to differ significantly from that expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include risks relating to: the uncertainty of commercial success of ProAir  Digihaler.

our ability to successfully compete in the marketplace, including: that we are substantially dependent on our generic products; competition for our specialty products, especially COPAXONE  , our leading medicine, which faces competition from existing and potential additional generic versions and orally-administered alternatives; competition from companies with greater resources and capabilities; efforts of pharmaceutical companies to limit the use of generics including through legislation and regulations; consolidation of our customer base and commercial alliances among our customers; the increase in the number of competitors targeting generic opportunities and seeking U.S. market exclusivity for generic versions of significant products; price erosion relating to our products, both from competing products and increased regulation; delays in launches of new products and our ability to achieve expected results from investments in our product pipeline; our ability to take advantage of high-value opportunities; the difficulty and expense of obtaining licenses to proprietary technologies; and the effectiveness of our patents and other measures to protect our intellectual property rights;

our substantially increased indebtedness and significantly decreased cash on hand, which may limit our ability to incur additional indebtedness, engage in additional transactions or make new investments, may result in a further downgrade of our credit ratings; and our inability to raise debt or borrow funds in amounts or on terms that are favorable to us;

our business and operations in general, including: failure to effectively execute our restructuring plan announced in December 2017; uncertainties related to, and failure to achieve, the potential benefits and success of our new senior management team and organizational structure; harm to our pipeline of future products due to the ongoing review of our R&D programs; our ability to develop and commercialize additional pharmaceutical products; potential additional adverse consequences following our resolution with the U.S. government of our FCPA investigation; compliance with sanctions and other trade control laws; manufacturing or quality control problems, which may damage our reputation for quality production and require costly remediation; interruptions in our supply chain; disruptions of our or third party information technology systems or breaches of our data security; the failure to recruit or retain key personnel; variations in intellectual property laws that may adversely affect our ability to manufacture our products; challenges associated with conducting business globally, including adverse effects of political or economic instability, major hostilities or terrorism; significant sales to a limited number of customers in our U.S. market; our ability to successfully bid for suitable acquisition targets or licensing opportunities, or to consummate and integrate acquisitions; and our prospects and opportunities for growth if we sell assets;

compliance, regulatory and litigation matters, including: costs and delays resulting from the extensive governmental regulation to which we are subject; the effects of reforms in healthcare regulation and reductions in pharmaceutical pricing, reimbursement and coverage; governmental investigations into sales and marketing practices; potential liability for patent infringement; product liability claims; increased government scrutiny of our patent settlement agreements; failure to comply with complex Medicare and Medicaid reporting and payment obligations; and environmental risks;

other financial and economic risks, including: our exposure to currency fluctuations and restrictions as well as credit risks; potential impairments of our intangible assets; potential significant increases in tax liabilities; and the effect on our overall effective tax rate of the termination or expiration of governmental programs or tax benefits, or of a change in our business; and other factors discussed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017, including in the section captioned "Risk Factors," and in our other filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which are available at www.sec.gov and www.tevapharm.com. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and we assume no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements or other information contained herein, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. You are cautioned not to put undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. The Bluetooth word mark and logos are registered trademarks owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and any use of such marks by Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. is under license. Other trademarks and trade names are those of their respective owners.







1. National Center for Health Statistics. Centers for Disease Control. Asthma. 2014. http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/asthma.htm. 2. Fink JB, Rubin BK. Problems with inhaler use: a call for improved clinician and patient education. Respir Care. 2005;50(10):1360-1374. 3. The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice. Quantifying beta-agonist utilization: Occasions or puffs?, September 13, 2018. Accessed on October 10, 2018. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213219818305774?via%3Dihub

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181221005554/en/

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ROBINSINGH@TRIBUNE.COM

Sumedha Sharma

Tribune News Service

Gurugram, December 21

Much to the angst of local residents and environmentalists, the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) is planning to fell around 2,000 trees, including 400 in the green belts of Sectors 14 and 17, allegedly to facilitate the movement of canters of an auto major.

Residents, led by environmentalist Anil Sood, president of Chetna, a Society for Protection of Culture, Heritage, Environment, Tradition and Promotion of National Awareness, have moved the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, seeking revoking of all permissions for the development of Atul Kataria Chowk and subsequent widening of Sector 14/17 road, highlighting failure of the agency concerned to justify the need for the same.

Environmentalists have also sent a letter to Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar to stay the felling of trees in the green belt. They have alleged that GMDA is bent on destroying the green cover to facilitate movement of containers on roads passing through domestic sectors. The authority has been accused of violating Article 21 of Constitution and Supreme Court rulings against the felling of trees.

As per information submitted by the office of Executive Engineer, Construction Division, Public Works Department (PWD), for seeking approval of felling trees under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, the project will not generate any employment. For those who have cut 15,000 trees in the last two years, 2,000 is a small number. They dont realise that it is a big ecological loss. They have clearly mentioned in documents that they want the road to be widened to allow easy movement of auto canters. These roads connect internal residential areas, so heavy vehicles should not ply on them. Moreover, it is already a wide road and if encroachments are removed, it will be sufficient for the next decade, Sood said.

We have still not touched the Sector 17 belt and if any trees are to be felled, it will be done as per set procedure and with essential re-plantation. The road is being widened to ease traffic congestion in the area and for that we need to make some sacrifice. Moreover, the zone being talked about is the buffer green area that was left for future infrastructural needs, said Vivek Joshi, CEO, GMDA.

The residents, however, refused to buy the argument, saying they were never taken into confidence before taking any such decision.

The question is whether there is any need for it. Bar heavy vehicles from plying on internal roads, get the traffic lights rectified and there will be no traffic congestion. We planted these trees in the 1990s and now when they are fully grown, they want to chop them off. They should not just conduct a vehicular density survey, but also speak to residents about the plan as we are key stakeholders, said Santokh Yadav, a local resident.
editorial@tribune.com

Tribune News Service

Jhajjar, December 22

The police have arrested four youths, including two students of Government Polytechnic Institute, in connection with the loot at two petrol pumps at gunpoint in the district on the night of November 23.

The accused were identified as Sachin of Friends Colony in Bahadurgarh town, Nishant, alias Nishu, of Delhi Gate in Jhajjar city, Nitu, alias Varun, and Sunny of Narela (Delhi), while another accused, identified as Dimple, alias Rinku, of Hari Pura Colony had been arrested earlier.

Sachin, Nishan and Dimple are the students who, along with Sunny, hatched a plot to loot petrol pumps at a room in the Delhi Gate locality.

They looted cash from Solanki Filling Station on the Gurugram road here and Akhil Service Center at Nuna Majra village by attacking salesmen there with hammers and iron rods, said the police, adding that they fled to Delhi after committing the crime. Further investigations were on in the case, said the police
ROBINSINGH@TRIBUNE.COM

Bijendra Ahlawat

Tribune News Service

Faridabad, December 21

With pending dues running into a whopping Rs 583.51 crore, the Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (DHBVN) has hired a private detective agency to trace thousands of power bill defaulters.

Countrywide Detective Services will be handed over the defaulters list. It will be paid Rs 350 for every consumer traced (excluding taxes). The agency will start work with the operation sub-division of Tilpat where defaulters, residing in about 30 colonies, number 5,700.

Tracing defaulters in cases where power supply has been disconnected and those who have changed address over the years poses a major challenge, explained Pradeep Chauhan, SE, Faridabad.

While several new colonies have come up or have been merged, information on consumers continues to be woefully inadequate, resulting in erratic recovery of dues. Chauhan says hiring an agency is the right move as it will enable authorities to initiate legal action against non-payers.

FIGURES SAY IT ALL
editorial@tribune.com

Deepender Deswal

Tribune News Service

Hisar, December 22

In a turnaround, the Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) which has been notoriously provoking farmers against depositing the power bills, on Friday bluntly told the defaulters to either pay up the arrears or be ready to face the consequences.

The BKU leaders have even started a campaign to appeal to the defaulters to clear their dues under the bill settlement scheme of the Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (DHBVN) in the district.

Holding public meetings in villages in the Narnaund subdivision, which is among the top power defaulters in the district, BKU leaders said the Nigam authorities would be cracking the whip on the defaulters in case the defaulters didnt clear the dues.

Billu Pradhan, vice-president, BKU, said the union had negotiated with the DHBVN for the settlement scheme which was effective till December 31. There have been villagers who have not been paying the bills since 1992-93 in several villages. As per the accounts, the defaulting amounts have gone up to Rs 20-22 lakh. The villagers are unable to pay this much amount. But we are thankful to the DHNVN officials who agreed to waive much of the amount and come up with an easy settlement scheme.

We urge the authorities to get cases registered and put conditions for getting no-dues-certificate from the Nigam for applying for jobs, for driving licences, arms licences after the scheme. Those who are resorting to kundi connection should get their connections regularised or they should be booked for power theft, he stated.

Asked why this turnaround as the BKU had been provoking farmers to boycott the power bills, he said for how long the people would continue to get power for free illegally. He said there was no political intention of the BKU leaders behind reaching at this compromise.

Superintending Engineer, DHBVN, Hisar, Rajneesh Garg, said there were around 1.45 lakh defaulter power consumers in Hisar district having approximately Rs 850 crore defaulting amount. The Narnaund sub-division has around has defaulting amount of Rs 400 crore, while the Mundhal region owes about Rs 200 crore.

Garg said they had made about 40 per cent progress under the bill settlement scheme and hoped that they would get a better response after the initiative by the BKU.

The scheme

The defaulter consumer, having 1 kilowatt (KW), needed to pay Rs 112 per month, while the consumer having 2 KW Rs 278 per month. The deadline had been set by January 2005 and the arrears before this (January 2005) were waived off completely.

Sabha mobilises support for farm loan waiver

Hisar: Members of the Kisan Sabha have started mobilising support to demand waiver of farm loans. The members said that they would organise a panchayat in Hisar Jat on January 5 to press the state government for the loan waiver. Presided over by Jaagir Singh Kamboj, the sabha in a meeting at Budak village in the district on Saturday condemned the statement of Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar that there would be no loan waiver for the farmers. "The farmers are agitated on the issue. We not only want waiver of the institutional loans, but also the loans taken from private lenders like arhtiyas," said Shamsher Nambardar. tns
editorial@tribune.com

Our Correspondent

Hamirpur, December 22

Providing the best facilities to people at the doorstep is the only priority of our government, said Jai Ram Thakur, Chief Minister, addressing a public meeting at Kanjayan in Bhoranj near here today.

Announcing to open two divisions of Irrigation and Public Health Department and PWD at Bhoranj, he said the uniform development was his dream.

Thakur said a proposal of the Rs 90-crore water supply scheme for Bhoranj had been prepared for BRICS funding which would benefit over 45,000 population. He said a Rs-157 crore project for channelisation of the Seer Khud had been sent to the Centre which would be approved soon. He urged people to reach Dharamsala on December 27 when the government would celebrate its one year of governance.

Earlier, the Chief Minister laid foundation stones and dedicated developmental projects worth Rs 34 crore in the constituency. The constituency had been represented by the BJP since 1990 by the late Ishwar Dass Dhiman.

He said it was unfortunate that Opposition leaders were pointing finger at him for using a helicopter and it seemed that they had no issue. He was using the helicopter for the welfare of the common man.

The Chief Minister announced upgrade of Government High School, Badhiar, to senior secondary school and opening of a veterinary dispensary at Jahu.

Earlier, the CM laid the stone of the lift water supply scheme Jakhyol Phase-II to be constructed at Rs 2.80 crore, Mundkhar-Chab-Lagmanwin link road to be constructed at Rs 3.38 crore and Kot-Jakhu road to be constructed at Rs 3.10 crore, Chainth Khud Channelisation to be completed at Rs 4.44 crore, 50-bed hospital at Bhoranj to be completed at Rs 10.65 crore.

He inaugurated a veterinary hospital building, lift water supply scheme for partially covered habitations in Amman, Kachoti, Mehal.
amansharma@tribunemail.com

Jammu, December 22

At least 11 people, including six police personnel, were injured on Saturday when a joint team of the Jammu Development Authority (JDA) and police were attacked by the stone-pelting mobs during anti-encroachment drive in Jammu city, officials said.

A Station House Officer (SHO) and top officials of JDA were also injured during the drive in Beli-charana Nikki Tawi area in the city, they said.

As the team initiated the action, mobs, mostly comprising Gujjars and Kashmiris who had built their houses on the encroached lands, assembled in the area and clashed with JDA officials and police, they said.

They said the mobs pelted stones and hurled bricks on the team and their vehicles resulting in injuries to over 11 persons and damage to four vehicles.

The injured included Bakshinagar SHO Naresh Kumar, a photojournalist and top official of JDA. All injured were rushed to hospital, they said.

As per officials there were over one hundred people at the time of the start of encroachment drive but the locals called other people from various places leading to a massive gathering.

After the violence, the JDA called off the drive to retrieve the state government land.

The crackdown was carried out in compliance to Jammu and Kashmir High Court directions, which is monitoring the case of massive encroachments of state, forest and JDA lands in Jammu city.

The court had pulled up the Jammu Development Authority and the revenue department for repeated massive encroachment of state land.

Those protesting the anti-encroachment drive questioned the authorities as to how they allowed construction of colonies in the area during NC, PDP and Congress rules in Jammu and Kashmir but "suddenly woke up now".

They alleged that power connections, water connections and other facilities have been provided by successive governments but there were efforts to remove them now. - PTI
editorial@tribune.com

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, December 22

The Army on Saturday paid befitting tributes to two of its soldiers who were killed in the line of duty in the Keran sector in Kupwara district on Friday.

On the behalf of Chinar Corps commander Maj Gen GS Kahlon and all ranks, homage was paid to the slain soldiers in a solemn ceremony at Badami Bagh Cantonment.

In a show of solidarity, representatives from other security agencies also paid their last respects to the martyrs, an Army statement said.

Subedar Gamar Bahadur Thapa and Subedar Raman Thapa sustained bullet injuries during unprovoked ceasefire violation by Pakistan in the Keran sector. Both of them later succumbed to their injuries.

Subedar Gamar Bahadur Thapa, 42, had joined the Army in 1993 and hailed from Rependehi district of Nepal. He is survived by his wife and two sons.

Subedar Raman Thapa, 39, had joined the Army in 1996 and also hailed from Rependehi district of Nepal. He is survived by his wife and a son.

The mortal remains of the martyrs were flown for the last rites to Gorakhpur, where they would be laid to rest with full military honours, the Army statement said.
         ,        .   .              . ...
editorial@tribune.com

Tribune News Service

Jammu, December 22

The death of seven labourers of Uri, Baramulla, in Uttarakhand was condoled by leaders of J&K, including Governor Satya Pal Malik, on Saturday.

Malik expressed grief andanguish over the death of Kashmiri labourers in a landslide in the Char Dham area of Uttarakhand.

Extending his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families, the Governor has announced ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh each for the next of kin of the deceased.

The Governor has asked the administration to provide every possible support to the families and be in touch with the Uttarakhand Government to ensure immediate shifting of the bodies to their native places.

Meanwhile, former minister Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari has also expressed grief over the deaths.

I appeal for personal intervention of the Governor to take up the matter with Uttarakhand Government for ordering a high-level inquiry into the incident that has been reportedly caused due to gross negligence by the executive agency carrying out construction work on an all-weather road in the area, Bukhari said.

Congress leader Taj Mohiuddin also expressed shock over the loss of lives in the accident. He spoke to the Governor and thanked him for taking up the matter with the Uttarakhand Government.
shriaya.dutta@tribuneindia.com

Tribune Web Desk

Chandigarh, December 22

Supporter of mental health initiative, Deepika Padukone, wrote a sincere letter to her fans via Elle magazine addressing her struggle with anxiety and clinical depression.

Days before her wedding in Italy, the actress wrote a letter about her battle with depression.

The handwritten letter will be published in the magazine on 22nd anniversary of Elle India.

Elle shared Deepikas letter on Instagram on Thursday.

The caption said, "A few days before her wedding @deepikapadukone wrote a letter addressing her struggle with anxiety and depression, for our 22nd Anniversary Issue. By publicly talking about her own battles, she empowered many to reach out and seek help. Her letter is full of empathy and kindness, a reminder that (in the words of Stephen Fry) 'it will be sunny one day'."

In her letter, Deepika mentions that they launched a unique campaign called #NotAshamed, with real life survivors of mental illness.

She says that they aim at ensuring that those who are suffering from depression or any other mental illness should feel comfortable in asking for help.

The 32-year-old actress has always encouraged people to come forward with their struggles.

Back in 2015, Deepika came forward with her struggle with depression

Meanwhile, Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone, recently got married at a 800-year-old villa facing Lake Como in Italy with two ceremoniesa Konkani-style wedding on November 14 and a traditional Anand Karaj on November 15.
ROBINSINGH@TRIBUNE.COM

Manpriya Singh

IT seems while flicking through the pages of a wedding planners blueprint, our Bollywood brides picked up quite a few similar letters from the alphabet. D for destination, S for Sabysachi, I for Italy. Some new hashtags were given name to and as for the ever-busy paparazzi, Nickyanka, Viruska, Deepveer saved the botheration of having to name both the bride and the groom at multiple of the wedding receptions.

Speaking of which (multiple receptions what else) together everybody raised a toast on finally not just receiving Deepveers wedding pictures but when their half a dozen wedding events came to an end. And how? With the bride sporting sneakers with the Zuhair Murad red gown?

The year 2018 has clearly been a year of the brides, if only getting to name the bride of the year was as clear-cut. Six major brides; namely Sonam Kapoor, Anushka Sharma, Neha Dhupia, Deepika Padukone, Priyanka Chopra and Isha Ambani (in order of their weddings) and at least five looks to decode for each of the six of them, its a lot of math.

The trendsetter

Starting with Sonam Kapoors breezy summer wedding in May. When the bride has a fashion icon image to keep, heres what she does. She orders her sangeet night outfit two years in advance to countrys ace couturiers. Accordingly, the Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla lehenga took a team of multiple artisans eighteen months to create and boy, wasnt she the cynosure of all eyes? Alongside, also making way for ivory colour trending the wedding board.

The colour that we got to see Priyanka Chopra sport during her Delhi reception and Deepika Padukone, during the two of them.

Its got to be Sabyasachi

Sabyasachi was the next connecting thread, with the designer taking a neat bow for dressing Deepika head to toe for most of her events, including her Frida Kahlo look during a party hosted by sister-in-law Ritika Bhavnani.

Neha kept it cool

Perhaps, the award for the most progressive bride goes to Neha Dhupia, who after her wedding in May was blessed with a baby girl Mehr in November, further fuelling the speculations whether pregnancy was the reason for the hush-hush intimate wedding. Whatever the reason, that didnt stop the bride from slaying it in an elegant Anita Dongre pink lehenga during an affair that was intimate, elegant, quiet and how? This bride for sure could teach a lesson or two at effortlessly keeping the shutterbugs clueless. So much so it was Karan Johar who broke the news of her wedding to the entire nation.

The big fat Italian wedding

Speaking of pink lehenga, did we forget Anushka Sharma? Thats what happens when too many couples decide to tie the knot a few weeks apart from each other! Sabysachi again was responsible for Virat and Anushkas wedding wardrobe. Anushkas pale pink lehenga with embroidery in vintage English colours and embellished with silver-gold metal thread work left the replication machinery working overtime and bridal blogs wowing over the outfit.

As for the wedding, well, that happened at the second most expensive holiday property of the world, the 800-year-old Borgo Finocchieto with a forty something guest list.

A multi-crore affair no less!

Theres Isha Ambani sealing the deal. But more than her supremely conservative and traditional wedding looks, it was the fact that Aamir Khan and Amitabh Bachchan were serving food to the guests.

When the budget of the weddings crosses the budget of the films, its time someone instituted an award show . The award for the best bridal outfit goes to, the experimental reception look, the best make-up artist of the yearAs per the rumours the bridal bouquet has already fallen in the hands of Alia Bhatt and Malaika Arora for next year. Till then...
rchopra@tribunemail.com

New Delhi, December 22

Former Congress leader Sajjan Kumar on Saturday moved the Supreme Court challenging the life imprisonment awarded to him by the Delhi High Court in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case.

Senior advocate HS Phoolka, who is representing the victims of the riots cases, said he had been conveyed by the apex court registry that Kumar had filed an appeal against the high courts judgment.

He said the victims had already filed a caveat to pre-empt any ex parte hearing in favour of Kumar.

Kumar was convicted and sentenced to life for the remainder of his life by the high court on December 17 in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in Raj Nagar area.

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 a gurdwara in Raj Nagar part II during that period.

The high court had on Friday rejected Kumars plea seeking extension of time till January 30 to surrender for serving his punishment. PTI
vinaymishra188@gmail.com

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 22

The government is all set to study if conditional cash transfer is a better option than taking home rations under its supplementary nutrition scheme.

At present, the scheme entitles children under three years of age to take home rations worth Rs 8 a day while pregnant and lactating mothers are allowed to carry rations worth Rs 9.50 a day.

The plan is to determine whether putting money in the accounts of mothers to feed their children and of pregnant women to buy their own food is a better idea.

The Ministry of Women and Child Development said it has decided that a pilot study on Conditional Cash Transfer will be undertaken in a few blocks of two districts each in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.

The decision has been taken based on the directions of the National Council on Indias Nutrition Challenges. The National Council during its third meeting on November 14 under the chairmanship of Rajiv Kumar, Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog, decided to do the pilot for Conditional Cash Transfer in lieu of Take Home Ration THR), a statement said.

The ministry had earlier too toyed with the idea of CCS instead of THR, proposing to put Rs 200 a month in the bank accounts of mothers to feed their under-three children and put Rs 237.50 in the account of pregnant and lactating women.

The take-home rations are currently given at anganwari centres under the Integrated Child Development Services scheme.

India has a huge burden of child nutrition.
rchopra@tribunemail.com

Kolkata, December 22

The West Bengal CID on Saturday arrested close aide of former IPS officer Bharati Ghosh from his New Delhi hideout for alleged connections in an extortion case, an official of the probe agency said.

Sujit Mondal, Ghoshs former security guard, was arrested from a hotel in New Delhis Panchsheel Park area in connection with an alleged extortion case in West Bengal, the CID official said.

According to the CIDs chargesheet filed in June this year, Ghosh, along with eight others, including her husband, had allegedly extorted gold from a Daspur-based businessman in West Bengal after demonetisation.

The accused Sujit Mondal, a resident of Sonarpur in South 24 Parganas district, was arrested from a hotel in New Delhi by our officers in connection with the Daspur case. He will be brought to Kolkata after getting transit remand, the official added.

Mondal was one of the nine people, including Ghosh, who have been accused of extortion, putting a person in fear of injury to commit extortion, forgery and criminal conspiracy under Sections 384, 385, 389, 119, 467, 468, 471 and 120B of the IPC and Prevention of Corruption Act, sections.

A person had complained that some police personnel had forcibly taken money from him last year following which the CID was issued directives by a court to conduct raids at the residences of Ghosh and her associates named accused in the case.

Ghosh, who was the West Midnapore SP, had resigned from service after she was transferred to a less-significant post--the commandant of the third battalion of the state armed police--in December 2017. PTI
monicakchauhan@gmail.com

Panaji, December 22

A day after activists of the BJP and the Congress clashed in Panaji, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the attack on non-violent workers of the opposition party.

In a post on his official Facebook page, Gandhi stated that democracy frustrates the BJP.

The incident had occurred outside the Goa Congress headquarters here on Friday evening during a protest march organised by the Congress on the Rafale issue.

The Congress has been alleging cronyism and irregularities in the purchase of 36 Rafale fighter jets by Modi government from France.

Both the parties have filed police complaints against each other.

(PM) Narendra Modi would be best advised to read about the fate of those rulers who chose to attack non-violent Congress workers in this country, the Congress chief stated.

He said, Democracy frustrates the BJP. This designed, deliberated and organised attack on Congress workers in Goa is an exemplification of that feeling. The attempt is to instill fear.

The cowards who came to attack us in Goa, and their bosses sitting here in Delhi, should know, fear is alien to the workers of the Congress party, he wrote.

The Congress chief has hailed "Gandhigiri" (restraint) observed by the workers of the Mahila Congress workers during the incident.

I am very proud of the spirit of Gandhigiri displayed by Mahila Congress workers led by our Pradesh Mahila Congress chief Pratima Coutinho, he wrote.

Coutinho had sustained injuries in the melee.

Its in times like these that we define who we are, Gandhi said. PTI
amansharma@tribunemail.com

Shiv Kumar

Tribune News Service

Mumbai, December 22

Dalit organisations from across the country are planning a show of strength on New Year's Day at Bhima-Koregaon, a year after attacks on members of the community sparked off riots in different parts of Maharashtra.

Prominent Dalit organisations have come together under the banner of the 'Bhima Koregaon Vijay Stambh Shaurya Din Samanway Samiti' to mobilise people from different parts of Maharashtra and other parts of the country for the event.

Every year, a large number of Dalits gather at Bhima-Koregaon on New Year's Eve to mark the anniversary of the defeat of the Marathas in the hands of the British. Members of the Mahar community were part of the British troops that fought the Marathas and the names of several of them are mentioned in the obelisk erected at Bhima-Koregaon near Pune.

"We have asked the government provide enough facilities for the lakhs of people who are expected to arrive for the 201st anniversary of Bhima-Koregaon," said Rahul Dambale, president, Bhartiya Republican Yuva Morcha who is co-ordinating the event. According to him more than 10 lakh people are expected to arrive for the event.

Dambale said the district administration has so far been tardy in making arrangements for the throngs who are expected to arrive. "Work on accommodation and sanitation facilities are not yet ready," Dambale added.

Like last year's Elgar Parishad event where fiery speeches were made, prominent Dalit leaders and activists are expected to hit out the BJP governments in Maharashtra and the Centre this time as well. "No one can stop us from speaking at the anniversary of Bhima-Koregaon," Bahujan Bharipa Mahasangh leader Prakash Ambedkar told reporters here.

Ambedkar was associated with the Elgar Parishad last year and spearheaded a state-wide bandh in January to protest the attacks on Dalits.

Already Dalit organisations have protested, what they say, is kid glove treatment to right-wing activists like Sambhaji Bhide who are accused of provoking last year's violence.

Meanwhile, the state government has increased security after Chandrashekar Azad alias Ravan, the chief of the Bhim Army, has announced that he would be attending the event with his followers. With the state government not yet giving permission for a rally by the Bhim Army, the body has threatened to move the courts.
vinaymishra188@gmail.com

Shiv Kumar

Tribune News Service

Mumbai, December 22

Dalit organisations from across the country plan a show of strength on New Year at Bhima-Koregaon, a year after attacks on members of the community sparked riots in Maharashtra.

Prominent Dalit organisations have come together under the banner of Bhima Koregaon Vijay Stambh Shaurya Din Samanway Samiti. Every year, a large number of Dalits gather at Bhima-Koregaon on New Years Eve to mark the anniversary of the defeat of the Marathas at the hands of the British. Members of the Mahar community were part of the British troops that defeated the Marathas.

We have asked the government to provide adequate facilities for the lakhs of people expected at the 201st anniversary of Bhima-Koregaon, said Rahul Dambale, president, Bhartiya Republican Yuva Morcha, who is co-ordinating the event. We expect more than 10 lakh people at the event.

Like last years Elgar Parishad event, where fiery speeches were made, prominent Dalit leaders and activists are expected to hit out at the BJP government in Maharashtra and at the Centre.

No one can stop us from speaking out at the anniversary, Bahujan Bharipa Mahasangh leader Prakash Ambedkar told the media here. Ambedkar had spearheaded a statewide bandh in January to protest the attacks on Dalits. Dalit organisations accuse the police of going soft on right-wing activists like Sambhaji Bhide, accused of provoking violence last year.

With Chandrashekar Azad alias Ravan, the chief of the Bhim Army, announcing he would be attending the event with his followers, the state has increased security. Wary, the Fadnavis government is yet to give permission to the Bhim Army for holding a rally. The latter has threatened to move the courts on the issue.
vinaymishra188@gmail.com

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 22

With a view to providing relief to the common man, the Goods and Service Tax (GST) Council today announced slashing of rates on 23 items of use in either category, including television, digital and video cameras, power banks, movie tickets, chartered pilgrimage flights, basic bank accounts, carriages for physically challenged, and walking sticks, among others.

The announcement made by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley came after the 31st meeting of the council here. The reduction will result in annual revenue implication of Rs 5,500 crore. The new rates could come into force by the New Year, the minister said at a briefing.

Days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared that a majority of items would be in the slab of 18 per cent and below, the Finance Minister said after rationalising tax, 28 per cent slab existed only for 28 items. The (highest) bracket is gradually moving to sunset..., he said.

Taking a jibe at Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and

P Chidambaram for seeking to take credit for the move, he said: They should take credit for the 31 per cent they imposed on the country.

Jaitley said the highest tax slab now remained on luxury and sin goods, including air-conditioner and dishwasher. On 13 items/sub-items of auto parts and cement, the only item of use by common man, taxes could not be reduced due to high revenue implication. The council also set up a seven-member Group of Ministers to study the revenue trend, including analysing the reasons for structural patterns affecting the revenue collection in some states.

Jaitley said while some states, especially in the North-East, had done well in achieving or reaching stiff revenue targets, states like Himachal Pradesh and Punjab were lagging behind. However, this was largely on account of the purchase tax component.

He also said among the reasons for targets not being achieved was excessive competition in telecom and airlines sectors.

The council also decided to grant one-time exemption from levy for delay in filing the annual assessment return and extended the last date from March 31, 2019, to June 30, 2019. The move is to encourage more people to join the system.

The council said the ledger process was being simplified and refund process streamlined. A new returns process will be set into motion on April 1, 2019, on a trial basis for three months and become mandatory by June next year.
amansharma@tribunemail.com

Kolkata, December 22

Eminent intellectuals on Saturday said it was a matter of grave concern the way the organisers of the Ajmer Literature Festival called off an event, set to be addressed by Naseeruddin Shah, after protests by right-wing groups over the actor's recent remarks on mob violence.

The veteran actor found himself at the centre of a major controversy over his remarks in reference to the killing of a policeman in Bulandshahr earlier this month.

In a statement issued here legendary actor Soumitra Chatterjee, Bengali actors Sabyasachi Chakraborty, Paran Bandyopadhyay, theatre personality Kaushik Sen, director Kamaleswar Mukherjee, director Anik Dutta, and others said, "The way an actor of Naseeruddin Shah's stature was being humiliated and institute was deplorable."

The statement further said "Those who want to divide the nation and trigger riots to suit their own narrow political gains are behind this ugly personal attack against Shah."

It urged all those who want to strengthen the unity and integrity of the country to be united at this hour.

Popular stage and film actor Debshankar Haldar told PTI, "Naseeruddin Shah had aired some views about an incident in UP. There can be people who don't share his views. They could have been a dialogue on the issue between two sides. But what took place instead is very unfortunate."

The veteran actor has found himself at the centre of a major controversy over his remarks in reference to the killing of a policeman in Bulandshahr earlier this month.

He said the death of a cow was being given importance over the killing of a policeman in the violence.- PTI
vinaymishra188@gmail.com

Bengaluru, December 22

Karnataka CM HD Kumaraswamy on Saturday expanded his six-month-old Cabinet, inducting eight members from the Congress in the much-awaited exercise marked by rumblings of dissidence.

Two ministers  Ramesh Jarkiholi (Municipal Administration), accused of hobnobbing with the BJP, and R Shankar (Forest and Environment), an Independent lawmaker who showed reluctance to be an associate member of the Congress  were dropped in the rejig, the Chief Ministers Office said.

The new ministers were administered the oath of office and secrecy at the Glass House at Raj Bhavan by Governor Vajubhai Vala amid open expression of dissent by several Congress legislators who were left out of the exercise.

The new inductees are: Satish Jarkiholi, MB Patil, CS Shivalli, MTB Nagaraj, E Tukaram, PT Parameshwar Naik, Rahim Khan and RB Thimmapur, with seven of them picked from north Karnataka to address concerns of the region and counter the BJP in its area of influence.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi had given the go-ahead for the rejig on Friday night after the state party leaders and AICC incharge of Karnataka KC Venugopal met him and discussed the issue that had been hanging fire for long.

Ramesh Jarkiholi, who has allegedly been cosy with BJP leaders and not attending Cabinet and party meetings, has been replaced by his brother Satish Jarkiholi. Ramesh Jarkiholi has been claiming support of a sizeable chunk of party MLAs and had come under the party scanner over reports that the BJP was trying to tap him to remove the Kumaraswamy government.

Congress coalition partner JD(S) was not part of this round of Cabinet expansion and it is likely to induct new ministers from its side post Sankranti (mid-January), party sources said.  PTI
pardeepdhull@gmail.com

Chennai, December 22

Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) chief Kamal Haasan on Saturday said his party has authorised him to a take a decision on forging alliance with like-minded parties for next years Lok Sabha polls.

After discussions, the party executive and administrative panels authorised me to take a decision on forging alliance with like-minded parties and a good alliance will fructify, Haasan told reporters here.

The move is seen as a clear signal that Haasans fledgling party  founded in February this year  does not want to test the waters all alone and would rather prefer to join forces with established parties.

Haasan had said recently that he was not averse to forging poll ties with the Congress if it eased itself out of the DMK-led alliance, which the national party has rejected.

Asked to name the parties with which MNM would strike an electoral alliance, the actor-turned politician said there was no need to spell out details now.

We will let you know after taking a decision. Now there is no urgency to disclose it, he said.

The ideology of the party with which they may forge ties may be different, but the thought process should be in favour of Tamil Nadu, he said.

His partys propaganda for the Lok Sabha election would be based on the growth of Tamil Nadu, he said.

The time has come to correct the injustices meted out to the state and aspects like these will be the focal points of our poll propaganda, he said.

Asked if his party would forge an alliance with Congress or the BJP, he said his party would not strike a poll deal with a party that tries to change the DNA of Tamil Nadu, which is perceived as against the BJP.

Haasan said a panel has been set up to pick party nominees for the 40 Parliamentary constituencies; 39 in Tamil Nadu and one in neighbouring Puducherry.

A party functionary told PTI that while nominees will be ready for all the LS seats, it may be tailored as per the coalition needs.

To a question on facing the local body polls expected in 2019, he said we are preparing for it and there is no need to determine now if we will go it alone or will have poll deal with other parties.

Haasan said his party would field candidates if by elections are held to 20 Assembly constituencies.Eighteen AIADMK MLAs were disqualified and constituencies represented by them fell vacant. Two more seats became vacant following the deaths of incumbents.

However, Haasan said only after the declaration of by election to the 20 constituencies would he be able to disclose if the party would face it alone or in alliance with other parties.

On the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, expected next month to Tamil Nadu to address a party event, he said it was preparatory to the Lok Sabha election. PTI
pardeepdhull@gmail.com

New Delhi, December 22

Expressing concern over rising number of sexual harassment allegations and hostile work environments, over 265 prominent artists, curators, gallerists, collectors and writers on Saturday demanded ensuring safe spaces within the South Asian Arts Community.

In a joint statement released on Saturday, artists Orijit Sen, Sudarshan Shetty, Jiten Thukral and Sumir Tagra; gallerists Shireen Gandhy, Priyanka and Prateek Raja; and writers Urvashi Butalia and Nilanjana S Roy, among others, stressed the need to address issues concerning the amorphous art world, where the professional and personal spaces cannot be easily separated.

As active stakeholders in the South Asian arts community, we are concerned by the growing number of allegations of sexual harassment and reports of hostile work environments, the statement, shared with the PTI, said.

The art world is amorphous in nature: social mobility is dependent on informal networking and personal and professional spaces cannot be easily separated, it said.

The artistes collectively condemned the shaming of survivors, including those who have called out their perpetrators anonymously, and called for safeguarding and supporting them.

Survivors who publicly tell their stories face serious forms of retaliation. They are reluctant to disclose their identities because they fear losing work.

As a community, we commit to ensuring that people who are speaking out are protected, and that professional opportunities are not denied to them, they said.

They strongly objected the use of defamation as a method to intimidate and silence survivors and those who represent their interests.

The statement further advocated open and supportive spaces that allow women, trans people, queer people, and those who have been disenfranchised by caste and class structures to voice their concerns and find support.

We pledge to collectively reflect, ideate and act on developing the necessary legal and informal support mechanisms to address these challenges. We will do our best to protect spaces for open conversations, and uphold basic codes of professionalism, the statement reads.

The statement comes nearly a week after leading Indian contemporary artist Subodh Gupta was anonymously accused on social media of repeated sexual misconduct. Gupta had denied the charges.

Other people who have been called out for inappropriate behaviour in the Indian art world include artists Jatin das and Riyas Komu, and Sothebys India MD Gaurav Bhatia. PTI
vinaymishra188@gmail.com

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 22

Cars in Delhi may become costlier as the Transport Department of the Delhi Government has approved a recommendation for a hike in the one-time parking charges by three municipal corporations of the city.

It will be implemented from January 1, 2019.

According to the order, the charges will now range between Rs 6,000 and Rs 75,000.

An order issued by outgoing Transport Commissioner Varsha Joshi on Friday said the new parking charges will be applicable from January 1, 2019.

The Transport Department collects parking charges on behalf of the MCDs, which claim that it is meant for creating parking infrastructure in Delhi.

The proposal by the three MCDs to hike the charges was pending for quite some time and was cleared by the Transport Commissioner on her last day in office, sources said.

The order angered bus and taxi operators as the annual parking fee for different categories of commercial vehicles would rise from the existing Rs 2,500-Rs 4,000 to Rs 10,000-Rs 25,000.

According to the order, based on the cost of a vehicle, the one-time parking charge for private cars and SUVs will range between Rs 6,000 and Rs 75,000 - almost 18 times the existing rate of Rs 4,000.

The process of charging the money during vehicle registration is prescribed through a notification of the Union Urban Affairs Ministry, not by the Transport Department, said Joshi, who has taken charge as North Delhi Municipal Corporations Commissioner.

The Transport Department only acts like the post office in the process, she said.

The parking charges mechanism would be replaced by spot parking fee after new parking regulations are notified by the Delhi Government, she said.

Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot, however, denied having any information about the hike, saying, I am not aware of any such decision.
rchopra@tribunemail.com

Gaya, December 22

A Punjab National Bank (PNB) officer was kidnapped and later killed by criminals in Gaya district of Bihar.

The banks Customer Service Point (CSP) in-charge Pintu Singh was kidnapped late on Friday from near Amas, officer in-charge of Amas police station Shyam Lal Sarah said.

After his kidnapping around 11 pm, Singh is believed to have been shot dead around 2 am on Saturday, according to police. Deep injury marks were found on his head.

Singhs killing came barely 48 hours after a businessman was shot dead in Vaishali district. The back-to-back killings have triggered violent protest by villagers, who have blocked the GT Road disrupting traffic for hours, Sarah added.

Gunjan Khemka, the industrialist, was shot dead on Thursday in Hajipur in Vaishali. His son, Gopal Khemka, is a well-known businessman in Patna.

Khemka was targeted on his way to his factory in Hajipur, about 30 km from Patna, Vaishali Superintendent of Police Manavjit Singh Dhillon said.

Police are still in the dark and yet to make a breakthrough in the case.

Opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal and Congress leaders have targeted Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for the rise in crime and total collapse of law and order.

There is no law and order in Bihar. It is free for criminals and they do as per their will, RJD spokesperson Bhai Virendar said. IANS
pardeepdhull@gmail.com

Ananya Panda

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 22

The Aam Aadmi Party, in a calculated move, on Saturday said it does not want former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's Bharat Ratna honour be withdrawn as it went on to downplay the differences on the issue within the party that arose over a resolution made in the Delhi Assembly.

Dismissing the divide among AAP lawmakers on the issue, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said, "The AAP has no such intention to withdraw former PM Rajiv Gandhi's Bharat Ratna award."

The clarification on the AAP's stand is significant-- seen as posturing--- coming close on the heels of the party aligning itself with the grand coalition led by Congress to dislodge the Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

The demand for rescinding the top award to Rajiv Gandhi over his infamous speech to justify 1984 anti-Sikh riots made by AAP Tilak Nagar MLA Jarnail Singh in the Delhi Assembly on Friday was "dropped" from the resolution proposed by him following objections from party colleague Alka Lamba in the House.

Chandni Chowk constituency MLA Alka, who was participating in a discussion on '84 Sikh carnage in the wake of former Congressman Sajjan Kumar's conviction, dissented on inclusion of the Rajiv Gandhi's Bharat Ratna withdrawal in the resolution and walked out from the House.

In Delhi Assembly a resolution was brought regarding taking back the Bharat Ratna posthumously awarded to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. I was told to support the resolution in my speech that was unacceptable to me. So I walked out from the House. For this, I'm ready for any punishment," Alka expressing her disapproval tweeted late in the night sharing a copy of the resolution mentioning the award withdrawal.

Rushing into a face-saver job, the AAP first claimed that the award withdrawal part was proposed as an addition by one MLA and was hand-written, to the tabled resolution while today it maintained there were two set of resolutions distributed in the House.

Sisodia said the party would ask her (Alka Lamba) from where did she get the resolution copy while dismissing speculation that any resignation has been sought from the former Congress leader. However, sources say the AAP would meet to discuss the issue.

On the issue, Delhi Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel noted the "resolution tabled in the House had no mention" of Rajiv Gandhi's award.

"It was a demand made by some MLAs based on sentiments but not once did Jarnail Singh say that the lines be added to the resolution. Amendments are proposed and they become part of the resolution only when an MLA wants them to be included in the original resolution and voting is done on them," Goel told The Tribune.

On behalf of Opposition BJP, Shiromani Akali Dal leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa had proposed an addition to the resolution that all Delhi MLAs and parties boycott the Congress in a bid to counter the Kejriwal-led AAP.
monicakchauhan@gmail.com

Lahore, December 22

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday said he will "show" the Narendra Modi government "how to treat minorities", amidst a controversy over Bollywood actor Naseeruddin Shah's remarks on mob violence in India.

Shah finds himself at the centre of a major controversy over his remarks on the spate of mob lynching cases in India following the killing of a policeman in Uttar Pradesh's Bulandshahr district earlier this month.

Addressing an event to highlight the 100-day achievements of the Punjab government in Lahore, Khan asserted that his government is taking steps to ensure that religious minorities in Pakistan get their due rights, which was also a vision of the country's founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

Khan said his government will make it sure that the minorities feel safe, protected and have equal rights in 'New Pakistan'.

"We will show the Modi government how to treat minorities...Even in India, people are saying that minorities are not being treated as equal citizens," he said referring to Shah's statement.

In a video interview with Karwan-e-Mohabbat India, the veteran actor said the death of a cow was being given importance over killing of a policeman in India.

He 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...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," Shah added.

The Pakistani premier said if justice is not given to the weak then it will only lead to uprising.

Giving an example, he said, "The people of East Pakistan were not given their rights, which was the main reason behind the creation of Bangladesh."

On December 3, Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh and a student, Sumit Kumar, were killed in mob violence in Bulandshahr after cow carcasses were found strewn around.

The main accused in the case is a local Bajrang Dal leader, Yogesh Raj. PTI
vinaymishra188@gmail.com

Mumbai, December 22

Amid a row over Naseeruddin Shahs remarks on mob violence, Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi today said the veteran actors children need not fear as tolerance was in the countrys DNA.

Naqvi, while referring to Shahs remarks, said a mountain was being made out of a molehill. Tolerance and harmony are in Indias DNA and despite any circumstances, nobody succeeded in destroying the strong legacy.

Shah has found himself in a major controversy over his reference to killing of a policeman in Bulandshahr earlier this month. He said the death of a cow was being given importance over the killing of a policeman in the violence.

In the interview, the actor had expressed concern over well-being of his children, who he said had not been brought up as followers of any particular religion.  PTI
vinaymishra188@gmail.com

Tribune News Service

Faridkot, December 22

The Vice-Chancellor of Baba Farid University of Health Sciences (BFUHS), Dr Raj Bahadur, has approached the police against doctors at the universitys Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital (GGSMCH), accusing them of coercing patients to buy medicines from certain pharmacies and get tests done at particular private labs.

The police have registered a case under Sections 420 and 120-B of the IPC against unknown doctors, chemist shops and lab owners. The

V-C has demanded a probe into the nexus.

GGSMCH is a constituent hospital of BFUHS. The university has received several complaints from patients. We want a thorough investigation and the accused identified, the V-C said,

Investigating officer Gurdit Singh said they were looking into the matter.
editorial@tribune.com

Kulwinder Sandhu

Tribune News Service

Moga, December 22

A large number of Congress workers staged a protest against the local police accusing them of illegally detaining three youths of Daala village. The protesters held a dharna on a link road and blocked the traffic for many hours on Saturday.

The protest was led by Baljinder Singh Balli, vice-president of the Moga district unit of the Congress. He alleged that the police were harassing innocent people over political rivalries in the panchayat elections to benefit particular influential groups of the Congress.

The protest, which indicated fissures within the ruling party, emerged out of local political rivalry. The rejection of some nomination papers had triggered the protest.

Yesterday, another group of Congress workers, all residents of Daala village, had protested outside the returning officers office in Moga, against the rejection of nomination papers of three women candidates. While their protest was on, the other group came on the spot and they clashed with each other.

A section of the village people alleged that the youths detained by the police actively took part in the yesterdays protest, following which they were picked up by the cops at the behest of rival group.

DSP Ajay Raj Singh and SHO Dilbagh Singh reached the spot and promised to release the detained youths, following which the dharna was lifted.
editorial@tribune.com

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, December 22

Online shopping company Amazon on Saturday tendered an apology to the Sikh community for inappropriate and offensive display of images of the Golden Temple on some toiletry, doormats and rugs listed for sale on its website.

The company was reacting to the legal notice served by the SGPC on December 19.

Amazon India Director (Public Relations) Avinash stated to the SGPC that they deeply resented hurting religious feelings of the Sikh community by the action of the third party. He said his company had immediately removed the controversial products from its website.

Members of a Sikh organisation had held a protest here on Friday against the online retail company.

Members of the Jatha Sirlath Khalsa forced closure of Amazon Transportation Services Private Limited at the New Amritsar area and raised slogans against it.

Dilbagh Singh, a leader of the jatha, said they would not allow the office to open until the company tendered an apology. Meanwhile, the SGPC shot off a mail to the company over the matter of desecration after finding no response to its legal notice.
editorial@tribune.com

Ravi Dhaliwal

Tribune News Service

Gurdaspur, December 22

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will kick-start the NDAs election campaign from a rally at PUDA ground in Gurdaspur on January 3. The Prime Ministers Office (PMO) is in the process of finalising the details of the programme, including the exact time when the PM will reach Gurdaspur and the dignitaries who will accompany him.

State BJP president Shwait Malik said the PM would be touching various issues related to Punjab during his speech. A senior BJP leader said, The PM will link the Kartarpur corridor, a vote-spinning issue as far as the Sikhs are concerned, with his visit. He has chosen Gurdaspur because Dera Baba Nanak, from where the construction of the corridor is to start, falls in the district. Modi will also talk about the abolition of GST on langar by his government, sentencing of Sajjan Kumar in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case, the construction of the Shapur Kandi Dam, which will prevent flow of excess water to Pakistan, and the 550th birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Nanak Dev, he said.

Malik said the PM had decided to make Dera Baba Nanak and Sultanpur Lodhi railway stations world class before the corridor was opened.

Meanwhile, Gurdaspur MP Sunil Jakhar, in a press conference, welcomed the PMs move to address a rally in the district, but said the townships of Dhariwal and Batala could have been better options for him to hold the event.

Batalas industrial units, particularly foundries, are slowly getting wiped off the map due to various reasons. The PM should have addressed the gathering in Batala and announced some package for the ailing industry. Dhariwal, where the 150-year-old Dhariwal Woollen Mills is on the verge of closure, could have been another option. He could have announced a revival package for the mill, which could have generated thousands of jobs. Nevertheless, I request him to revive the Freight Equalisation Policy (FEP), which was abolished in 1992.
vinaymishra188@gmail.com

Shillong, December 21

Former mining engineer and award-winning rescuer Jaswant Singh Gill, who visited illegal coal pit in Meghalaya where 15 men are stuck since December 13, has advised the state government to seek help from Coal India.

Hailing from Amritsar, Gill shot to fame after successfully rescuing 64 miners from a flooded quarry in West Bengal in 1989. He arrived at Lumthari village in East Jaintia Hills district late on Thursday 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 official said.

As it is established that water that got in the mine was from the nearby river, we have to find out the location and plug it to prevent further flow into the mine, he said. I have also advised the government to request Coal India to bring four to five high-power submersible pumps, which can be returned after use, he said.

Meghalaya CM Conrad K Sangma said the state government had written to Coal India seeking their special pumps. We are running out of time and I hope they respond to the request. We are waiting, he said.

Operations to rescue the trapped miners entered its 10th day on Saturday. Over 100 personnel from the National Disaster Response Force and the State Disaster Response Force are at the site alongside the state police.

As of now, two pumps have been working in tandem, but there was little impact on water level since the water from nearby Lytein river has got into the mine, SP S Nongtynger said. He said rescue workers were now hoping for a miracle to see the trapped miners alive.

One person has been arrested in the case so far and the police are on the lookout for the mine owner, the SP said.  PTI

Rescue operation enters 10th day
editorial@tribune.com

Sanjeev Singh Bariana

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 22

The State Election Commission today rejected the nomination papers of 27,819 candidates for the forthcoming panchayat elections scheduled to be held on December 30.

As per official figures, 20,791 candidates for the posts of panch are now out of fray. As many as 1,44,662 out of the total 1,65,453 nominations are found correct for the posts of panch. Similarly, the papers of 7,028 candidates for the post of sarpanch were cancelled till late in the evening, out of 49,261 nominations filed. The elections will be held for 13,276 panchayats.

Meanwhile, the election office has failed to compile the data after withdrawals yesterday. A senior officer said: We still are compiling the figures and should be able to provide details by tomorrow evening, including information about those elected unopposed. There could be a slight amendment in the final figure as the compilation process is not yet complete.

Reacting to the rejections, SAD spokesperson Daljit Singh Cheema alleged: The absolute submission of the State Election Commission to the Congress government is openly visible. The districts of Gurdaspur and Ferozepur, in particular, have seen absolute violation of the peoples rights to contest polls and sadly, the SEC, this time, remained nothing more than a mute spectator. The state unit of AAP levelled similar allegations.

A senior election office functionary said: There is no truth in claims of our office showing bias against any party. The Opposition parties always level such allegations. It is part of the political blame game. Those having any complaint can approach the Election Commission of India.

Akalis block traffic, ADC promises probe

Faridkot: The rejection of nomination papers of 102 sarpanch and 249 panch candidates in the district led to a protest by SAD leaders and workers on Saturday. Accusing the district administration of playing in the hands of the Congress and rejecting the papers of strong and eligible candidates on flimsy grounds, the Akalis staged a dharna in front of the DCs residence here. The protesters blocked the only available entry and exit route to the town as the two other roads were closed due to some construction work. Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) Paramjit Kaur rushed to the venue and offered to probe the matter, following which the dharna was lifted. tns

SAD candidates threaten to move court

Sangrur: SAD workers, who had filed nomination papers for the posts of sarpanch and panch from various villages, on Saturday protested in front of the DC office. They alleged that officers had rejected their papers without any valid reasons. "The nominations of SAD workers were rejected by without any valid reasons. We will move the court and approach higher authorities as well," said Parkash Chand Garg, former Sangrur SAD MLA. The protesters also burnt the effigy of Congress government. They met Sangrur SDM and submitted a memorandum. tns

Protest in Muktsar village too

Muktsar: The residents of Lakhewali village on Saturday lodged a protest for nearly four hours, alleging that the nominations of six persons (one for sarpanch and five for panches) owing allegiance to the Congress were first rejected, but later on accepted. They later lifted the protest in the evening saying that they would intensify the stir on Sunday. On the other hand, some election officials said an employee had committed a mistake in the matter. Meanwhile, the District Electoral Officer said he would seek report and take appropriate action. tns
editorial@tribune.com

Tribune News Service

Chamkaur Sahib, December 22

While thousands of devotees visited gurdwaras on the second day of the three-day Shaheedi Jor Mela, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the Akali Dal (1920) held conferences here on Saturday.

The fair is being held in the memory of two elder Sahibzadas (sons) of Guru Gobind Singh and other Sikhs who had attained martyrdom while fighting the Mughal forces.

Though no mudslinging was witnessed from the conference stages, MP Prem Singh Chandumajra, SGPC president Gobind Singh Longowal and Akali Dal (1920) supremo Ravi Inder Singh did not leave any stone unturned in criticising their political opponents while interacting with media.

Chandumajra said following observations made by the Delhi High Court while sentencing Congress leader Sajjan Kumar, it had been confirmed that the then Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi, was responsible for the anti-Sikh riots of 1984.

He said the Shiormani Akali Dal would approach the Centre to seek the withdrawal of Bharat Ratna awarded to him. Criticising AAP over dropping their proposal to seek the same, he said AAP was an expert in taking U-turns.

He also lashed out at Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh over his apprehensions on the opening of the Kartarpur corridor by Pakistan. He said the Chief Minister was still in the mode of an Army man.

At the Shiromani Akali Dal (1920) conference, Ravi Inder Singh accused former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal of harming Sikhism and prominent Sikh institutions.

He claimed that his first priority was to root out the Badals from the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC)in the forthcoming elections. He also flayed the Congress for its alleged failure to fulfil peoples expectations.
editorial@tribune.com

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, December 22

The district police were on the lookout for Rauf Ahmed and Umar Ramzan alias Gazi, two of the four accused in the September 14 Maqsudan blasts, who were killed in an encounter in J&K today, said Gurpreet Singh Bhullar, Commissioner of Police, Jalandhar.

The state police along with the J&K police had been carrying out raids in Kashmir in search of the blast accused. The other two accused were Jalandhar-based engineering students Shahid Qayoom and Fazil Bashir, who had already been arrested.

Bhullar said: We have just received communication from the J&K police that the two operatives of the Maqsudan blasts have been neutralised at Avantipora. With this, our concern regarding Kashmir-linked terror operatives in the district has been settled for the moment.

He said: "Umar Ramzan Mir and Rouf Ahmad were trained AGH terrorist operatives who flew from Srinagar to Chandigarh on September 13, with the sole purpose of carrying out these attacks. Umar was involved in several crimes, whereas Rouf was involved in planning and executing many terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir."
Monica Sharma

Monica Sharma

Australia is a nation of immigrants and 85 per cent of its population believes that multiculturalism has been good for the country. This is one of the findings of a report by Monash University which studied the Australians attitude on immigration, multiculturalism, discrimination and political trust among others. The 11th Mapping Social Cohesion Report (2018) by the Scanlon Foundation highlights the acceptance of cultural diversity and key indicators of social cohesion.

The report finds that few want reduction in immigration with a majority (52 per cent) indicating that the current intake is either about right or too low.

As per the report, 64 per cent agree that immigrants should change their behaviour to be more like them. Nearly 65 per cent believe that Australians should learn more about customs and cultures of immigrants. Eight out of 10 Aussies agree that immigrants improve their society by bringing in new ideas and cultures, and that immigrants are good for the economy. Australia has a proud history of immigration. What is important is the contribution you make, not where you come from, says minister for immigration, citizenship and multicultural affairs, David Coleman.

Another reason for our success is the commitment of new citizens to our shared values  democracy, freedom, the rule of law and equal opportunity  regardless of ones cultural background, gender, race or religion. The government is continuing to build on the multicultural success with a focus on skill-based immigration system to meet the needs of Australian economy, Coleman adds.

In line with the 2017 findings, 74 per cent Australians this year, too, have agreed that in their local area people of different nationalities or ethnic groups get along well together. Only a minority (33 per cent) is worried about becoming a victim of crime, though the concern is higher in Victoria (41 per cent), where home invasions and carjackings have received prominent media coverage throughout 2018.

Report author Prof Andrew Markus says: Beyond a narrow focus on the immigration intake, Australians continue to endorse the view that their country is an immigrant nation, and that immigration benefits the country.

There remains a consistently high level of endorsement of multiculturalism, with 85 per cent agreeing with the proposition that multiculturalism has been good for Australia.

Restricting immigration on the basis of race, ethnicity or religion has got the support of only 15 per cent of respondents, who agree on restriction on the basis of race or ethnicity, and 18 per cent on the basis of religion.

The findings of the report have been appreciated by the immigrants. Monika Kumar, multicultural liaison officer for Labour Party, says, People from different parts of the world have been immigrating here for generations. All these communities coming together is what makes Australia a beautiful place that it is. People from different backgrounds proudly display their culture and celebrate traditional festivals, which anyone can be part of. These events allow Australians to know about varied cultures, recognising the wider history, along with a broader range of skills and abilities, making Australia the land of opportunities.

Asian Australian Lawyers Association vice-president, Molina Asthana, says there has been a gradual increase in the number of people from various ethnicities trickling into the country. I feel the understanding of immigrants is limited to culture, traditions, dressing style and food. When it comes to representation of immigrants in jobs at top level, there is less diversity. Unconscious bias against immigrants is still prevalent in certain top-level jobs.

Favourable study
Jug Suraiya

Jug Suraiya

Two guests at a cocktail party at a five-star hotel in the national capital discussing farmers distress.

1st guest: I dont know why the media is giving so much coverage to all this business about distressed farmers. I just cant understand it.

2nd guest: Neither can I. I mean, whats so stressful about having a farm. I have a 10-acre farm just outside Delhi, and you dont see me going around moaning and groaning about how distressed I am, and marching into the city and causing a massive traffic jam, do you?

1st guest: No, I dont. You dont look stressed at all to me. So what do you grow on your farm? Vegetables, wheat, what?

2nd guest: Grow? I dont grow things on my farm. I rent it out for shaadis, you know, big dhoom-dhaam weddings. At the rate of a lakh a day. All paid for in cash, of course, so none of that stupid income tax business.

1st guest: A lakh a day, eh? Thats pretty cool.

2nd guest: Yeah, its nice pocket money to supplement my day-to-day dhandha. Which is export-import.

1st guest: Export-import? That sounds good. What do you export, and what do you import?

2nd guest: I export Indian rupees and import US dollars.

1st guest: Isnt that called hawala, or something?

2nd guest: I prefer to call it export-import. So whats your line of business?

1st guest: Me? Im a stripper.

2nd guest: A stripper? You mean like those naach-gaana women who dance in night clubs and bars without any clothes on? Pardon me, but looking at the size of your waistline, I dont think Id pay good money to see you doing a nanga-punga item number.

1st guest: Oho! Im not that kind of stripper. Im an asset stripper. I take loans from banks, buy up businesses of all kinds, strip them of all the assets they have, then declare them bankrupt and walk away with the loot.

2nd guest: Asset stripping seems like a good business to be in.

1st guest: It is, just like your export-import deal is. Instead of going around being stressed all the time, these dumb farmers should take a couple of tips from people like us.

2nd guest: You mean they should start renting out their farms for shaadi-waadis at a lakh a day like I do?

1st guest: To start with. Then they should diversify into the dhobi business.

2nd guest: The dhobi business? Like washing other peoples dirty baniyans and kachhas and pyjamas, and things like that?

1st guest: No, no! Not washing other peoples dirty kachhas and baniyans. Washing other peoples dirty money and making it clean. That sort of dhobi business.

2nd guest: Dont they call that money laundering, which is against the law?

1st guest: I like to call it the dhobi business. And who says its against the law. Isnt agricultural income exempt from tax? So taking peoples black money and turning it white is just like growing a cash crop, the crop you grow being cash itself.

2nd guest: Thats a pretty smart business to be in, growing cash as a cash crop. Much better than having to go to the sarkar-run Agriculture Produce Market Committee and being forced to sell the tomatoes youve grown for Rs 2/kg, and for which the consumer ends up paying Rs 22/kg, if not more.

1st guest: Exactly, if these distressed farmers follow our business model they will soon be de-stressed, and will have no need to ask for bank-loan waivers because theyll have made so much money that theyll own the banks from whom they previously had to take loans.

2nd guest: You know what? We should be put in charge of the Ministry of Agriculture, which right now is more the Ministry of Aggroculture in that it gets everyone aggro with everyone else.

1st guest: Yeah, wed transform the rural economy overnight. The Green Revolution is dead; long live the Greed Revolution.
Lt-Gen Raj Kadyan

Lt-Gen Raj Kadyan

In a battalion, the Subedar Major occupies a pivotal position. Having risen to the highest rank in his line, he commands respect from all and is the main adviser to the commanding officer (CO). His role is all encompassing and he keeps a feel of the battalions pulse. A CO depends heavily on the Subedar Major for advice, particularly in matters concerning discipline, welfare and morale.

On commissioning, I joined a battalion that was being raised in the Delhi Cantonment. Men were pooled from other existing battalions. As no one sends his good soldiers, we had a motley crowd, many with record of indiscipline. Absence without leave was a common problem. Harphool Ram was our Subedar Major. He was a tall, towering man with typical disfigured ears of a wrestler. Reportedly, some JCOs who over drank and became unruly in the JCOs Mess, were physically boxed by him, though not a word of it ever came out till after he had retired. I found Harphool a compassionate, fatherly figure, and an excellent guide.

Being young, I would take my company for a long run in the morning PT period. It didnt find favour with the JCOs, who were all in their forties. On their complaint, the Subedar Major spoke to me one day. Not being polished in his language, he made his point with his trademark bluntness. The Sardar Sahibs (JCOs), he said, have difficulty in passing urine because of the physical strain your morning run causes them. It was his sincere and crude simplicity that persuaded me to ease up.

Our ammunition was stored in a makeshift underground magazine. One night, as duty officer I went to check the guard and found the sentry missing from his post. I turned out the whole guard and placed the missing sentry, Rifleman Chinta Singh, under arrest. Early morning the Subedar Major came to me. He said Chinta had gone to the loo and then got scared of me and had hidden under a cot. He assured me that he would sort him out through extra duties and pitthoo parades, and requested that I reconsider his arrest. I knew he was making it up to save the soldier from losing financially, which his imprisonment in the quarter guard would entail. I recalled the advice my father, who had been the Subedar Major of his battalion in the mid-1930s, often gave about dealing with errant soldiers. Kick them on the butt, he would say, dont hit them in the stomach. I understood, and agreed to release Chinta Singh. No, the Subedar Major said, since the arrest is already official, only the CO can release him. Further, if it was okay with me he would himself speak to the CO about it. I knew he enjoyed complete confidence of the CO and could have gone directly to him complaining of a wrong arrest by an inexperienced young officer. But he didnt, as it would have caused me embarrassment. In that action, Harphool, who had more service than my age, taught me a great lesson in humility and maturity.

The battalion went out for a few weeks on an outdoor training camp, leaving the Subedar Major in charge of the rear location. One day, a soldier absented himself from the unit lines. Harphool did not immediately report the matter to the CO. He called Havildar Clerk Ratan Singh, a coarse and quarrelsome individual, but a man of unparalleled resourcefulness and initiative, gave him a vehicle and tasked him to fetch the man come what may.

Ratan Singh drove to his village near Sonepat. This was December 1962 and the country was still in the grip of patriotic fervour resulting out of the war with China. Ratan assembled the people and told them how the deserter had displayed cowardice by running away from his duty and how he had brought a bad name to their village. Thus motivated, they organised a collective search and caught the deserter hiding in a sugarcane field. It was only after he had been put in the quarter guard that the Subedar Major informed the CO. In doing what he did, the Subedar Major displayed a high level of initiative and risk-taking ability.

After a few days, the deserters mother came to the battalion, wanting to meet her locked-up son. The CO was hesitant as rules did not allow it. However, he allowed her on the advice of the Subedar Major. As the mother entered the cell, she took off her jooti and thrashed her son black and blue, cursing loudly that he had shamed her milk. It had a salutary effect and there were no more absentees in our unit. It was learnt later that the Subedar Major had conceived and stage-managed the whole episode. Harphool might not have read or heard of the term, out-of-the-box thinking, but he certainly lived it.
The folks Discord snuck in here today at the end of 2018 to announce they've raised $150 million in another round of funding led by Greenoaks Capital.

The company - which the new investment values at $2.05 billion - seems to be riding high after the recent full-fledged launch of its own in-client games store, replete with Early Access system and an attractive 90/10 rev-share split in devs' favor. It now claims a global userbase of over 200 million.

Prior investor Tencent also put some money into this funding round, alongside Firstmark, IVP, Technology Opportunity Partners and Index Ventures.
Minna Zutshi in Ludhiana

Minna Zutshi in Ludhiana

Thirtyfour years have not healed their scars. For these women who lost the male members of their families in the anti-Sikh riots in 1984, it is hard to forget those searing memories. The trauma of wanton destruction that left them widowed, homeless and impoverished is now part of their psyche. Picking up the threads to rebuild their lives has been an onerous task. Each small step was fraught with difficulties, disquieting apprehensions and horrifying memories that would never leave them. Women, once secure in the warmth of their families, were suddenly left alone to fend for themselves. Earning their livelihood, raising their children, toiling hard to make ends meet  each day for them has been a tough struggle. These women braved all odds and chose to lead a life of dignity. They toiled hard, fought with their pain and anguish and refused to let the sorrow crush their spirits. They share with us stories of their arduous journey.

Trying hard to cope up

The frail 80-year-old Gurdev Kaur finds it hard to control her tears when she talks of her husband. He was a taxi driver in Kolkata. The year was 1984, she recalls. She had gone to her village, Chaunkimann, near Jagraon in Ludhiana, to attend a wedding. Her world came crashing down when she learnt that her husband had been murdered in the anti-Sikh riots. We were not able to perform even his last rites. Some members from a gurdwara committee there cremated him, she says, as tears flow copiously. She never went back to Kolkata. Some kind-hearted people managed to send to her the photograph of her husbands body.

She is suffering from age-related ailments. Her two sons have died since then. It is a lonely life. The brave woman is trying hard to cope up.

No closure in sight

Gurdial Kaurs wrinkled face is testimony to the scars of time she has borne for over three decades. This mothers two young sons left home on that fateful day in 1984 but never returned. Her elder son was 22 and the younger just 16 when they left their house located near Sabzi Mandi in Delhi. That was the last time she ever saw her sons.

In 1985, the family shifted to Ludhiana in Punjab. People were fleeing from Delhi to Punjab. It was the beginning of our struggle for survival, she says.

She did not have any formal education, so getting a regular job was not possible. Her two daughters and her youngest son were too young to earn a livelihood. The need for financial sustenance was immediate. She started making wheat flour sacks and sewing quilt covers in bulk. Her eyes ached as she worked long hours. Her husband died soon after, grieving the loss of his young sons killed in the riots.

Jadon vadha birkh girdaa hai, taan dharti hildi hai. Jadon ehne chotey birkh gerey, ki dharti nai hillee? she wails, alluding to the reported statement of a Congress leader at that time.

Failing health, crushing weight of memories of young sons who never returned and the trauma of forced displacement have been imprinted permanently on her face. In times of adversity, even your own shadow forsakes you. Ameer de saaray rishtedaargarib daa koi rishtedaar nai.

Revisiting the trauma

Bhupinder Kaur and her sister-in-law Surjit Kaur saw the brutal killings of seven members of their family. They (the killers) came in large numbers. A mob of around 2,000 came, armed with iron rods and inflammable substances. They went about torching the houses. They killed my brother-in-law and my husband, who was burnt alive. My youngest brother-in-law, who tried to put up a brave fight, was also killed. I saw them kill my uncle and the son of my husbands sister. Even two-day-old twins were not spared. They were flung into fire, recalls 70-year-old Bhupinder Kaur.

The three widows  Bhupinder Kaur and her two sisters-in-law  fled from Delhi and reached Ludhiana in 1985. They did odd jobs to survive. They stitched clothes and worked as domestic help.

Their problems, however, were far from over. Relatives stayed away as they thought that these helpless women may seek financial help from them. "Asee aapda time paas aap hi kitaa hai (We have been fending for ourselves)," says Surjit Kaur. Sajjan Kumar's conviction, after 34 long years, has provided some consolation to these grieving widows/mothers who lost all male members of their family on that horrifying night. Sajjan Kumar should be hanged for his crimes, says Bhupinder Kaur.

Shared sorrow

Life has not been the same for many Sikh women after the riots, say Harbans Kaur and Narinder Kaur. The families of these two women, like many others, had to flee from Delhi after the riots. Harbans Kaurs husband was murdered in the carnage. It is not easy to rebuild your life when you are displaced from your home, says Gurdeep Kaur. In 1985, Gurdeep Kaur, along with her husband, shifted from Delhi to Mohali and later moved to Ludhiana. Since then, she has been spearheading the cause of the massacre-affected families, particularly widows. As state president of the womens wing of the 1984 Sikh Katleaam Peerat Welfare Society, she has had many brushes with law. I saw the carnage. My husband survived, but the attack left him with a permanent disability, she says.

Targets of terror
shalender@tribune.com

Arun Joshi in Srinagar

The December 15 violent clashes are seen as a template of the worsening situation in Kashmir. The encounter, in which three militants and a soldier were killed in a village in south Kashmirs Pulwama district, also claimed lives of seven protesters.

The Valley will step into 2019 after a long spell of violence. Civilian killings have always been attributed to the impunity that the security forces enjoy. It helps cement the impression that they are the culprits. It is an easy recipe to stir the local sentiment against the country. Not a word is said about the violent behaviour of the crowd that leads to such fatal situations. The narrative is staple to all conflict zones, and Kashmir is no exception.

Each such incident in which stone-pelting protesters  mostly teenagers and youngsters in their early twenties  get killed reminds the residents of all such past episodes. It has a cumulative toxic effect on the psyche of the people who see the blood of civilians as a calculated act by the Army that is equipped with legal impunity under the J&K Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA). The Pulwama episode caused the highest number of civilian killings in 2018. Efforts have already started to embed it in the anti-India narrative. This is done to spawn the troubles which will project Kashmir as a perfect case that demands international intervention. Pakistan is the cheerleader for this campaign.

Here is what preceded the Pulwama killings. Sections of the mob climbed the Army vehicles with stones in their hands after which the casualties took place. The unfortunate incident too was preceded by three major developments that did not find favour with the separatists, Pakistan and the mainstream.

First, ever since the Governors Rule was imposed in J&K on June 20, anger of people against the anti-Kashmir alliance between the PDP and the BJP had begun to dissipate. The major steps introduced by the then Governor NN Vohra to introduce accountability in governance became a beacon of hope for people. His successor Satya Pal Malik carried on with the plan of holding the municipal and panchayat elections.

Second, the municipal and panchayat elections concluded with high-voter turnout across the state, except for parts of south Kashmir and a few other pockets of the Valley. The turnout put a full stop to all speculations that the elections would not be held, especially with those boycotting the polls gaining size and strength after the PDP and National Conference announced to stay away from the polls. The grassroots democracy is back with a promise to forge a new connect. Some political groups are having their grapes-are-sour moment and are claiming that the elections were a sham.

Third, there was a steep decline in the incidents of stone pelting. It was a direct result of peoples grievances being addressed at their doorstep. It had its ripple effect as well  the local youth started distancing itself from the militancy. The positive developments frustrated Pakistan and its agents.

There wasnt any local recruitment even after seven civilians were killed in an explosion in the Kulgam area on October 23. The crowd had entered the encounter site, making it difficult for the security forces to do the mandatory sanitisation of the area. Mourning and shut down ensued in the next three-four days, but the protests were negligible.

Now that the Parliamentary and Assembly elections are scheduled to be held in 2019, the political parties dont have an agenda to propose to people. They have picked the issue of civilian killings to carry out their political campaign. The fact is that the number of civilians killed in 2010 and 2016 during the NC and the PDP rule, respectively, were higher.

Pakistan has started using this terrible incident as its recurring theme to tell the world that India is oppressing the Kashmiris. Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has used the Goebbelsian way of telling the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres that the Indian Army killed 15 and injured 300 on December 15. While the truth is that seven persons lost lives and 50 got injured, a high number of casualties nevertheless.

Apart from creating a paralytic situation in the Valley, Pakistan has used the tragedy to strengthen its narrative that it stands with Kashmiris. The bigger problem is that Delhi has not come out with actual facts and that has sent it on the back foot because stone throwers are deemed to be different from the militants. Civilian killings have triggered anger that surpasses all definitions of alienation. The idea is to use all means, mostly violent, to liberate the motherland.

At this year-end, stones have been further sanctified as peaceful tools of protest. It was first done during the Amarnath land-row agitation in 2008. The talk has also shifted to greater use of guns. The images of the funeral processions are being used to stir emotions. The decline in the use of guns had given sanctity to stones, but now stone throwers have re-legtimised the use of guns. It is an alarming situation and there is no end in sight at the moment to the violence and the loss of lives and pain that follows. The hope has receded, for now, to an obscure corner.
pardeepdhull@gmail.com

Geneva, December 21

UN rights experts called on British authorities on Friday to allow WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to leave the Ecuador embassy in London without fear of arrest or extradition.

The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention reiterated its finding published in February 2016 that Assange had been de facto unlawfully held without charge in the embassy, where he has now been holed up for more than six years.

He initially took asylum to avoid being extradited to Sweden, where authorities wanted to question him as part of a sexual assault investigation. That investigation was dropped.

Assange, whose website published thousands of classified US government documents, denied the Sweden allegations, saying the charge was a ploy that would eventually take him to the United States where prosecutors are preparing to pursue a criminal case against him.

Britain says Assange will be arrested for skipping bail if he leaves the embassy, but that any sentence would not exceed six months, if convicted. It had no immediate comment on the experts call, but in June, foreign office minister Alan Duncan said Assange would be treated humanely and properly.

The only ground remaining for Mr Assanges continued deprivation of liberty is a bail violation in the UK, which is, objectively, a minor offence that cannot post facto justify the more than six years confinement that he has been subjected to since he sought asylum in the Embassy of Ecuador, the UN experts said in a statement.

It is time that Mr Assange, who has already paid a high price for peacefully exercising his rights to freedom of opinion, expression and information, and to promote the right to truth in the public interest, recovers his freedom, they said.

Lawyers for Assange and others have said his work with WikiLeaks was critical to a free press and was protected speech.

The experts voiced concern that his deprivation of liberty was undermining his health and could endanger his life given the disproportionate amount of anxiety that has entailed.

Ecuador in October imposed new rules requiring him to receive routine medical exams, following concern he was not getting the medical attention he needed. The rules also ordered him to pay medical and phone bills and clean up after his cat.

Assange has sued Ecuador, arguing the rules violate his rights. An Ecuadorean court on Friday upheld a prior ruling dismissing Assanges suit.

We have lost again, said Carlos Povedo, Assanges attorney in Ecuador, adding that the legal team would consider bringing a case to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. Reuters
harinder@tribunemail.com

Londons Gatwick Airport reopened on Friday after a rogue drone saboteur wrought travel chaos for hundreds of thousands of Christmas travellers. Here are some details of the incident.

What happened?

Flights were halted on Wednesday after two drones were spotted near the airfield. The airstrip was reopened briefly on Thursday but had to be closed again after another sighting.

By midday on Thursday, Gatwick was describing the ongoing drone activity around the airfield as what appears to be a deliberate attempt to disrupt flights.

In the afternoon, the army was drafted in to Gatwick to deploy specialist equipment, the Ministry of Defence said.

On Friday morning, Gatwick reopened for a limited number of flights, though warned there would be continued disruption. Gatwicks chief operating officer said measures had been put in place to give him confidence to re-open the airport, even though the perpetrator had not been caught.

Transport Minister Chris Grayling said military technology had been deployed as the sort of anti-drone capability needed was not yet commercially available.

The incident in numbers

Flights resumed more than 30 hours after the initial closure. On Thursday, 665 flights were cancelled, a Gatwick spokesman said, adding of the 837 flights scheduled for Friday.

About 120,000 people have been affected by the disruption, with thousands more affected on Friday.

EasyJet is the biggest operator at the airport, accounting for 40 per cent of all traffic, with IAGs British Airways having 15.1 per cent and Norwegian Air Shuttle on 12.5 per cent, according to broker Goodbody. Gatwick is the second biggest airport in Britain and the eighth biggest in Europe.

Has this happened before?

Aviation experts and Grayling said the length of disruption at an airport the size of Gatwick was unprecedented. Aerospace trade organisation ADS said Dubai airport was shut a number of times in 2016, but the longest period was for under two hours. Gatwick had brief runway closures in July 2017.

Richard Parker, head of air traffic management technology firm Altitude Angel, said this was the first time a major airport had been hit by such a sustained and deliberate incursion into its airspace.

Its sophisticated - not from a technology side, but its organised. People have charged lots of batteries and are deliberately trying to avoid being caught, probably by driving around to different locations, he said.

Compensation for travellers?

The Civil Aviation Authority said it considered the event an extraordinary circumstance meaning airlines are not obliged to pay compensation to affected passengers.

Airlines will have to refund customers who no longer wish to travel and try to reschedule flights to get passengers to their destinations. Grayling said he hoped the insurance industry would take an enlightened view of the incident. It goes beyond what the airline is responsible for. This is something that should be covered under travel insurance policies, he said.  Reuters
harinder@tribunemail.com

Washington, December 22

The US government was partially shutdown on Saturday in a fierce dispute over President Donald Trumps demands that Congress assign $5 billion for a wall along the border with Mexico.

After failing to strike a budget deal on Friday, congressional leaders and the White House pledged to keep talking through the weekend in search of a deal to end the shutdown ahead of the Christmas holiday.

The impasse came after Trump threw a wrench into the works earlier in the week by refusing to agree to a short-term funding deal cut by Democratic and Republican senators because it did not include the $5 billion for his border wall.

The US House of Representatives, where Republicans have a majority until Democrats take over on January 3, then passed a Bill that included the $5 billion, but it ran aground in the Senate and the shutdown began at midnight on Friday.

After it became clear the House Bill lacked the votes to pass, Senate leaders huddled with Vice President Mike Pence and other White House officials to try to figure out a path forward. They failed and lawmakers in both houses of Congress were sent home.

Trump tried to blame Democrats. Were going to have a shutdown. Theres nothing we can do about that because we need the Democrats to give us their votes, he said in a video posted to his Twitter account two hours before the midnight deadline.

Democrats repeatedly reminded Trump, and voters, that he said last week he would be proud to shut the government down in order to get wall funding. President Trump has thrown a temper tantrum and now has us careening towards a Trump shutdown over Christmas, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said on the Senate floor on Friday.

For the shutdown to end, both the House and the Senate will have to approve any deal negotiated between Trumps team and Republican and Democratic leaders.

The shutdown could persist at least until a new Congress convenes on January 3, and Democrats take control of the House from Republicans. That does not necessarily mean, however, that Trump would agree to a compromise.

In a joint statement on Saturday, Schumer and House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi said that if the shutdown continues, the new House Democratic majority will quickly pass legislation to re-open government when it takes office in January.

According to a Reuters/Ipsos poll in late November, only 31 per cent of those surveyed said improved border security should be one of the top three priorities for Congress.

That suggests Trump is taking a political risk by gambling on a shutdown to press his point at a time when Democrats are gearing up for their 2020 presidential primary and looking for issues with which to seize an advantage.  Reuters
pardeepdhull@gmail.com

Washington, December 22

Foreign powers, including Russia, China and Iran, sought to influence voters in the US 2018 mid-term elections, but there is no evidence of any penetration into US voting systems, the top US intelligence official said on Friday.

US Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats added that the intelligence community did not assess the impact of the foreign influence efforts on the election results.

The findings were included in a report that Coats submitted to US President Donald Trump and US agencies involved in election security as required by an executive order signed by Trump in September.

The order declared election interference a national emergency in the wake of an intelligence assessment that Russia conducted an influence operation to sway the 2016 presidential vote to Trump over his Democratic challenger Hillary Clinton.

Russia denies that it interfered in the 2016 contest.

At this time, the intelligence community does not have intelligence reporting that indicates any compromise of our nations election infrastructure that would have prevented voting, changed vote counts or disrupted the ability to tally votes, Coats said in a statement on the 2018 election report.

The activity we did see was consistent with what we shared in the weeks leading up to the election, he continued. Russia, and other foreign countries, including China and Iran, conducted influence activities and messaging campaigns targeted at the United States to promote their strategic interests. Coats did not elaborate on details of the foreign influence operations, and he said that the intelligence community did not assess their impact on voters who last month elected a new US Congress, state legislatures, governors and other officials.

The Russians did not go away after the 2016 election, Mark Warner, the senior Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said in a statement on the new report.

Now that the Russian playbook is out in the open, were going to see more and more adversaries trying to take advantage of the openness of our society to sow division and attempt to manipulate Americans, Warner added.

Special Counsel Robert Mueller is investigating possible collusion during the 2016 presidential race between Russia and the Trump campaign. Trump denies any cooperation and has repeatedly denounced Muellers probe as a witch hunt. Reuters
The Prime Minister has sought to assuage the concerns of prison officers, assuring them the Government will do everything possible to secure them and their families.

In a statement on the Office of the Prime Ministers Facebook page yesterday, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley said: We are very aware of the perils surrounding the duties of honest, hard-working prison officers and have taken note of the onslaught aimed at these officers of State. We will do everything possible to secure them and their families.
Hey Long Beach! Its that time of year again when the world famous floating Christmas tree on the bay returns to Long Beach! Check out our video below all about the history of these classic Long Beach icons below. You...
- More than 300 al Shabaab militants have been killed through airstrikes by US military in 2018

- US President Donald Trump assured President Uhuru Kenyatta his leadership was committed to enhance security in the region

- Kenya Defence Forces have been in Somalia since 2011

- US also provided combat aircraft worth over KSh 25 billion and offered training and information to support KDF

Somalia has seen a sharp rise in the number of air strikes targeting al Shabaab militants since President Donald Trump took over power in 2017.

It is a point Trump himself sought to emphasize when he hosted Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta at the White House in August.

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READ ALSO: Migori county officially dismisses existence of deadly STI christened Jakadala

US President Donald Trump reiterated his commitment to enhance security in East Africa during an August meeting with President Uhuru Kenyatta. Photo: Citizen

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: Mo Ibrahim Foundation ranks Kenya position 11 in Africa on good governance

"We are working very hard to enhance security now," said Trump during the Monday, August 27, meeting.

This was no empty talk as the number of strikes and al Shabaab casualties under his administration speak for themselves.

On Saturday, December 15, US military carried out six airstrikes against the extremists in a coastal region south Mogadishu, killing 62 fighters with no collateral civilian casualties.

This took the total number of airstrikes in 2018 to 46, and the number of al Shabaab fighters killed to more than 300.

A tally by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism revealed at least 400 people have been killed in air strikes from the beginning of 2017, far more than initial 10 years put together.

This deadly onslaught is vastly significant as far as Kenya is concerned.

US Military have been aiding Kenya Defence officers working under AMISOM to neutralise the militants through airstrikes. Photo: Nation.

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: Kenyan man praised for developing ingenious device to assist children with fractured limbs walk

Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) crossed into Somalia in 2011 to pursue the Islamist militants and eight years later, they remain on the battlefront under the aegis of AMISOM.

The mission has been greatly successful, particularly in stopping terror attacks beyond Somalia borders and importantly on the Kenyan soil.

But al Shabaab attacks within Somalia, including a devastating suicide bombing which claimed over 500 lives in Mogadishu in October 2017 have been stern pointers of massive danger posed by the terrorists.

The group, many of whose original members were trained by al-Qaeda, still controls rural areas across southern Somalia.

US State Department, in its most recent report on terrorism, described Somalia as a terrorist safe haven but said al Shabaab remained a threat, despite suffering setbacks.

According to the report, the group retained presence in large parts of the country, and liability to carry out high-profile attacks using suicide bombers, explosive devices, mortars and small arms, the report stated.

Kenya Defence Forces soldiers have been in Somalia since 2011. Photo:UGC

Source: Facebook

READ ALSO: US military kills 60 al-Shabaab militants in largest airstrike against the terror group

This explains why the bold US decision to take the war right into the al Shabaab dens warrants unconditional support.

While recent US presidents have been wary of intervening in Somalia after 18 Special Forces soldiers died fighting militias in Mogadishu in 1993, a battle dramatised in the film Black Hawk Down, Trump has been different.

In March 2017, he gave US military greater authority to attack militants in Somalia.

The US even reestablished a permanent diplomatic mission in Mogadishu, almost three decades after it closed its embassy amid Somalias civil war.

In doing so, Trump has taken the most direct route to weaken al Shabaab, a move that will go a long way in promoting security and stability in the Horn of Africa, East Africa and the continent by extension.

Al Shabaab militants have lost grip of many regions they had controls since KDF and US military enhanced onslaught. Photo:UGC

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: Nominated Senator Millicent Omanga narrates how William Ruto picked her while selling bedsheets

Outside Somalia, he has renewed counter-terrorism collaboration with Kenya which had apparently waned in recent years, underlining his appreciation of the vast national security interests shared by the two countries.

Only recently, US provided boats, helicopters and airplanes worth over KSh 25 billion worth of alongside training and information to support the KDF.

It further gave out 12 Bastion Armored Personnel Carriers to KDF to help counter attacls through Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) by al Shabaab along the border.

Many deadly al Shabaab attacks on Kenyan soil and on Kenyan troops in Somalia in the past decade have proved beyond doubt the country was dealing with heartless killers with no regard for human life.

While Kenya has taken a leading role in the fight against the terrorists, a helping hand from Uncle Sam will for sure do us no harm.

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.

How Nyanza Welcomed Uhuru Kenyatta | Tuko TV

Source: Tuko News
- Chief Justice Maraga and wife Yucabeth Nyaboke got involved in a road accident in Ngata on the Nakuru- Nairobi highway

- They were travelling to attend a church service

- Preliminary reports indicated the two were in a stable condition

President Uhuru Kenyatta has ordered Kenya Defence Forces to airlift Chief Justice David Maraga and wife Yucabeth Nyaboke to Nairobi for specialised treatment.

The two got involved in a road accident in Ngata area along the Nairobi -Nakuru highway on Saturday, December 22, on their way to attend church service.

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READ ALSO: Embu matatu driver speeds off with traffic police officers, dumps them in forest

The Mercedes Benz CJ David Maraga and wife Yucabeth Nayaboke were cruising in after the accident. Photo: Asmali/Twitter

Source: Facebook

READ ALSO: Top two 2018 KCSE girls are childhood friends from Migori county

Rift Valley Regional Coordinator Mongo Chimwanga confirmed the president had ordered the military to transfer the two to the capital city.

"The president has directed they be airlifted to Nairobi for more comprehensive assessment and treatment," Chimwanga said.

Chief Registrar Judiciary Anne Amadi confirmed Maraga would be flown from Lanet KDF barracks to Nairobi.

"We have organised with all relevant authorities and hospitals. Ambulances will be waiting for him," said Amadi.

They had been taken to War Memorial Hospital immediately after the accident which saw the Mercedes Benz they were cruising in extensively damage its bonnet.

The airbags also deployed following the impact which left the CJ with head injuries and his wife in shock.

Unconfirmed reports indicated the car Maraga was traveling in hit an oncoming one before swerving off the road.

Chief Justice David Maraga and wife Yiucabeth Nyaboke during a past Church service. Photo: The Standard.

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: Rarely seen photos of CS Eugene Wamalwa's, MP Otiende Amollo's wives

During his vetting, Maraga made it clear to the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) panel that he was a staunch Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) faithful and could not attend to cases on Saturday (Sabbath Day) irrespective of the urgency of the court.

He is a renown Adventist and SDA elder who has appeared severally in national and other events walking hand in hand with his wife to the admiration of many Kenyans.

Preliminary reports indicated the CJ and his wife were in stable condition after the unfortunate Saturday morning incident.

Maraga later confirmed he was okay alongside his wife, driver and aide and thanked Kenyans for goodwill messages.

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

Teachers strike set for 2019 | Tuko TV

Source: Tuko
- Maraga and his wife Nyaboke were heading to a church in Nakuru

- A car they were traveling in was reportedly hit by an oncoming private vehicle

- Doctors attended to them at a Nakuru War Memorial hospital before being airlifted to Nairobi for further check ups

Chief Justice David Maraga and his wife Yucabeth Nyaboke are receiving treatment at a Nairobi hospital after being discharged from War Memorial Hospital in Nakuru.

While appreciating goodwill messages, Maraga assured Kenyans he was in good condition and further called for calm regarding the Saturday, December 22, minor accident which left him with injuries on the forehead.

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READ ALSO: Uhuru orders KDF to airlift CJ David Maraga and wife to Nairobi after road accident

Chief Justice David Maraga being discharged from War Memorial Hospital in Nakuru. Photo: Lordvick Mayabi/Facebook.

Source: Facebook

READ ALSO: CJ David Maraga reprimands lawyer who represented Uhuru at Supreme court

The two were heading to church when the car they were traveling in was hit by an oncoming private vehicle at Ng'ata Bridge along the Nairobi-Nakuru Highway.

The CJ's black Mercedes Benz car was badly damaged on its bonnet.

"My wife and I were involved in an accident in Nakuru this morning on our way to church. We are undergoing medical observation. My driver and aide who were with us are also okay. We thank God for His mercies. Thank you Kenyans for your prayers and concern," he later tweeted

Doctors attended to the Maragas, their driver and a personal aide even though they were airlifted to Nairobi for further check ups.

Maraga's wife Yukabeth Nyaboke leaves hospital. Nation.

Source: UGC

Following the incident, President Uhuru Kenyatta ordered the Kenya Defence Forces to airlift the victims to Nairobi Hospital for specialised treatment.

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Teachers strike set for 2019 | Tuko TV

Source: Breaking News
Over 400 students affected : University of Bonn vacates third floor of main building

Bonn Fire protection deficiencies force the University of Bonn to clear the third floor of the main building. Research and teaching will cease there on January 2.

This news should shake up the university's humanities department right at the beginning of the new year and for the rest of the current winter semester: For fire protection reasons, the third floor of the main building has to be cleared. For this reason, research and teaching will cease there on 2 January.

As the university announced on Friday, this measure was planned anyway - but only for the summer semester. Now, however, everything must obviously happen very quickly. This also means that many alternative quarters will not be available until the summer. A number of measures are planned to cover the space requirements.

One detail illustrates how much improvisation talent is currently in demand in the old Electoral Palace: Rector Michael Hoch also has to move in with the students and make his office in the main building available for teaching events.

The relocation was ordered by the Bau- und Liegenschaftsbetrieb (BLB) NRW as the building supervisory authority, which had come to a reassessment in regard to fire protection. Almost 100 rooms, 150 employees and more than 400 students of the arts faculties of the University of Bonn, who now have to be accommodated in alternative quarters, are affected by the closure.

Chancellor Holger Gottschalk informed the deans of the affected Catholic and Protestant Theological Faculties and the Faculty of Philosophy of the decision and discussed possible solutions for the resulting bottlenecks with them. Among other things, rooms in Romerstrae 164, which have been vacant since the recent move out of computer science, are to be renovated. In addition, the university administration is looking for further alternative quarters.
The following is a release issued by the US State Department on November 30, 2021.
The United States will provide additional $10 million in military assistance to further build Ukraines naval capabilities.

In response to Russias dangerous escalation and unjustified November 25 attack on three Ukrainian naval vessels near the Kerch Strait, the Department of State, subject to Congressional approval, will provide an additional $10 million in Foreign Military Financing to further build Ukraines naval capabilities, reads the statement released on website of the U.S. Department of State, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

It is underscored that the American side makes such a step in solidarity with Lithuania and the United Kingdom, also planning to increase their security assistance to Ukraine.

The United States calls on Russia to immediately return to Ukraine the seized vessels and detained Ukrainian crews, to keep the Kerch Strait and the Sea of Azov open to ships transiting to and from Ukrainian ports, and to respect Ukraines sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders, extending to its territorial waters, reads the statement.
Defense Minister of Ukraine Stepan Poltorak and UK Secretary of State for Defence Mr Gavin Williamson met in Odesa with the families of Ukrainian sailors illegally detained by the Russian Federation in the Kerch Strait.

"I would like to express my gratitude to the families of the sailors for courage and endurance of your relatives. There is no doubt that we bring the sailors back home, but the process is very difficult," Poltorak stressed, the Government portal reported.

According to Mr Gavin Williamson, every country understands and does not remain indifferent to what is happening.

"In Great Britain, even in my family, we are constantly discussing the current situation. It is important to ensure that justice prevails. I am here to discuss what we can do together," Williamson said, stressing the need to ensure access of international organizations to sailors, because their seizure is violation of all international norms.

During the meeting, the parties discussed pressing issues with the families of sailors.
Russia has deployed more than a dozen Su-27 and Su-30 fighter jets to occupied Crimea to boost its air force on the peninsula, Reuters has reported, referring to its witness.

"More than a dozen SU-27 and SU-30 fighter jets which Russia is deploying to boost its air force, amid heightened tensions with Ukraine, arrived in Crimea on Saturday," the report said.

According to Reuters, the witness saw the jets land at Belbek air base in Crimea.

Earlier, on November 30, Ukraine's Ministry for Temporarily Occupied Territories and Internally Displaced Persons reported that Russia had transferred 16 Su-27s of various modifications and eight MiG-29 aircraft to Crimea.
Japan will keep supporting anti-Russian sanctions as long as Russias illegal annexation of Crimea continues.

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Ukraine Shigeki Sumi said this in an interview with Ukrinform.

"Japans position is that it does not recognize and will not recognize in the future the "annexation" of Crimea proclaimed by Russia. Therefore, Japan will continue anti-Russian sanctions as long as Russias illegal annexation of Crimea continues. This is compliant with our foreign policy principles  Japan will never recognize changes of the status quo by force, the ambassador said.

He added that this issue related to Japan itself. There are attempts of the status quo changes by force in the East China Sea and other places. Japan, of course, opposes such attempts, Sumi stressed.

According to the ambassador, the annexation of Crimea and the events in the seas of Asia look different at first glance, but in fact they are connected with each other.
3 million 200 thousand Ukrainian citizens work abroad on a permanent basis, while 7-9 million Ukrainians work abroad temporarily.

"According to the official data of the State Migration Service of Ukraine and the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, 3 million 200 thousand Ukrainian citizens work abroad on a permanent basis, while from 7 to 9 million our compatriots work abroad temporarily," Ukrainian Social Policy Minister Andriy Reva said at the final press conference, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

Most Ukrainians - two million - work in Poland, the minister noted. In particular, one million Ukrainians work there legally, but only 400,000 of them pay contributions to the Polish pension system.

At the same time, he stressed that the bilateral inter-ministerial talks between Ukraine and Poland were ongoing to elaborate an agreement on cooperation in the field of labor migration, similar to the one already signed with Lithuania.

On December 7, Ukraine and Lithuania signed the intergovernmental agreement on employment and cooperation in the field of labor migration.
Nodjitel, 73, fled to Chad with his wife, three children and 10 grandchildren in January to escape fighting between armed groups in northwest Central African Republic.  UNHCR/Aristophane Nagargoune

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is increasingly alarmed at the plight of thousands of Central African refugees who have fled to southern Chad since late last year, many of whom lack food, shelter and access to medical care.

This influx is the biggest since 2014, and overwhelming the ability of humanitarian agencies to respond. UNHCRs office in Chad needs some USD$149 million this year to meet urgent needs, yet as of now has received just 2 per cent of this amount.

In December 2017, fighting between armed groups in northwest Central African Republic (CAR) led to the internal displacement of some 65,000 people in the city of Paoua and 5,000 in Markounda. Continued insecurity forced an additional 22,180 to flee persecution and violence to nearby Chad.

These refugees have settled in more than 40 villages and four camps around the town of Gore, in an area already hosting some 43,000 Central African refugees and 45,000 Chadian returnees from CAR. Their protection and wellbeing is a serious cause for concern to us. Southern Chad, including Gore, is one of poorest and most underdeveloped parts of the country, which currently faces a deep socio-economic crisis.

Food shortages and rising prices are posing a direct threat to the lives of the refugees and the host population, who are sharing with the new arrivals their meagre food and other resources. Since last December, more than 15 Central Africans refugees have been killed on both sides of the border and at least 67 have been subjected to sexual and gender based violence while trying to go back to CAR to gather food and complement their scarce resources in exile.

As severe floods have affected this seasons harvest, food reserves at family and community levels are almost exhausted. Many are eating leaves and wild fruit, which are often toxic. The next harvest is far off in November, and sufficient and quality seeds are not available to plant.

Without increased food aid, the refugees could be facing many more months of food shortages. Since the start of the crisis, UNHCR and partners have been providing protection, healthcare, water and sanitation, shelter, basic relief items, food and nutrition assistance to newly arrived refugees.

As the rainy season is fast approaching, an additional urgent need is accommodation. While some 5,659 refugees have found refuge in existing camps, 16,520 refugees are in host villages near the border. UNHCR is building emergency shelter in the camps and villages that host them, while also working with the authorities, partners and donors on a relocation plan, for refugees to move away from the border area to villages or camps, considered by the authorities to be more secure.

The situation with refugees health is also critical. Malnutrition levels are already high, especially with children. The worry and real risk is that food shortages for the entire population over the next months may have devastating consequences.

More mobile clinics are urgently needed and the capacities of local health centres need to be strengthened to alleviate the heavy toll taken by respiratory infections, malaria and other ailments.

While the situation in northwest CAR is currently calm, it remains highly volatile, and more refugees could seek safety in Chad if further waves of violence break out.

Thanks to the government of Chad the refugees have been able to access Chadian territory and find refuge, even though the border is officially closed. In total, there are some 632,000 people under UNHCRs care in Chad, in great need for international support.

For more information on this topic, please contact:
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg sees an increase in the number of challenges and threats for the coming months.

Relations with Russia, the conflict in Ukraine, terrorism or cyber attacks are among the priorities of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, says NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg.

In an interview with Belgium's RTBF, commenting on U.S. President Donald Trump's demand for Belgium to increase military spending to 2% of GDP against today's less than 1%, Stoltenberg said: "The combination of a more muscular Russia that illegally annexed Crimea and destabilizes eastern Ukraine, as well as the terrorist threat, all of this requires more investment." That's according to the RTBF report delivered in French.

"I hope that Belgium and all NATO allies will keep their promises, which means stopping the defense budget cuts, gradually increasing military spending and achieving the 2% target in a decade," said the NATO chief.

Read alsoHalf of Europe in crosshairs of Russian missile attack  Ukraine intel

The Alliance currently has 29 member countries. In a changing world, this political and military organization must adapt.

"Within NATO, our strength is our ability to change in an ever-changing world. The reason for having a strong Atlantic Alliance is to maintain peace. In the days of ancient Rome, it was said that, to have peace, one must be prepared for war  that is exactly what NATO does; our first commitment and our main responsibility is to maintain peace, we have been doing it for 70 years, and we will continue to do so. balancing the principle of defense with political dialogue."
Lithuania and the United Kingdom are also planning to increase their security assistance to Ukraine.

The United States will provide Ukraine with an additional US$10 million in aid to strengthen the capabilities of Ukraine's Navy after the Kerch Strait incident.

"In response to Russia's dangerous escalation and unjustified November 25 attack on three Ukrainian naval vessels near the Kerch Strait, the Department of State, subject to Congressional approval, will provide an additional $10 million in Foreign Military Financing to further build Ukraine's naval capabilities," the U.S. Department of State said in a statement on December 21.

Read alsoVolker, Yovanovitch urge Russia to release Ukrainian sailors

As reported, Lithuania and the United Kingdom are also planning to increase their security assistance to Ukraine.

"The United States calls on Russia to immediately return to Ukraine the seized vessels and detained Ukrainian crews, to keep the Kerch Strait and the Sea of Azov open to ships transiting to and from Ukrainian ports, and to respect Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders, extending to its territorial waters," it said.

UNIAN memo. 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.
According to Russian media, Commander of the Russian Southern Military District's Air Force and Air Defense Army Viktor Sevostyanov has arrived there by one of the planes.

More than a dozen SU-27 and SU-30 fighter jets, which Russia is deploying to boost its air force, amid heightened tensions with Ukraine, landed at Belbek air base near Sevastopol in Russian-occupied Crimea on Saturday, December 22.

Read alsoRussia completes rearming air defense forces in Crimea with S-400 missile systems  Russian media

"A Reuters witness saw the jets land at Belbek air base in Crimea, which was annexed by Russia in 2014 after Moscow-leaning Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich fled Kyiv following street clashes and violent protests," Reuters said.

While there is no information about the deployment of fighter jets in Sevastopol on the Russian Defense Ministry's website. Crimea's news sites currently do not report the arrival of the specified number of jets on the peninsula, a Krym-Realii media project said.

According to Russian media, Commander of the Russian Southern Military District's Air Force and Air Defense Army Viktor Sevostyanov has arrived there by one of the planes.

As UNIAN reported earlier, Ukraine's Ministry for Temporarily Occupied Territories and Internally Displaced Persons on November 30 said Russia continued the militarization of the temporarily occupied Crimea. In particular, 24 fighter jets and 150 units of special automotive and military equipment were deployed at Belbek air base alone.
Archbishop Klyment says the UOC-MP is a self-governing church.

Head of the Information and Education Department of the former Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP), Archbishop Klyment says the legal department of the Kyiv Metropolis of the former UOC-MP is analyzing the bill passed by Ukraine's parliament on renaming the church; he claims they do not have a governing center in the aggressor state.

Read alsoUkraine's parliament passes bill on renaming UOC-MP

"We still don't see any reasons that would force us to rush and change something in our statutory documents today. The statute, which is registered, and operates in Ukraine, says that the UOC is a self-governing church. We don't have a center not only in the aggressor state, but also in no other foreign country," he told RFE/RL's Ukrainian bureau on December 22.

According to the Archbishop, the former UOC-MP has a clear position on the issues of Donbas and Crimea.

"Have you not heard the statements by the UOC that it doesn't recognize the annexation of Crimea, condemns everything that happens in Donbas, and even called on the head of the Russian state to stop this aggression? The UOC has repeatedly stated that it fully supports all the initiatives of the Ukrainian state including definitions related to what is happening in the east of Ukraine," he said.

As UNIAN reported earlier, the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, on Thursday passed a bill to rename the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate. If a religious organization subject to this legislation fails to change its official name and does not apply for re-registration within four months after the law takes effect, its statute becomes void.
Twenty-three persons were declared suspects and 15 convictions were handed down by the court, the SBU said.

The Department of Counterintelligence Protection of State's interests in the sphere of Information Security of the State Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) in 2018 blocked access to more than 300 Internet resources used by Russia in its hybrid war against Ukraine, as well as by international criminal groups to spread destructive information content.

Read alsoSBU: Russia makes massive attempts to meddle in future elections in Ukraine through social media

In addition, the SBU investigative units are conducting pre-trial investigations as part of 83 criminal proceedings against owners and administrators of anti-Ukrainian communities that deliberately spread calls for the overthrow of the constitutional system and state power, mass riots and other illegal actions, the SBU's press center reported on December 22.

This year, as part of these criminal cases, 23 persons were declared suspects and 15 convictions were handed down by the court, the SBU said.

In 2018, special attention was paid to the prevention of offenses in the information sphere. In particular, the relevant measures were taken with regard to 220 administrators of Internet communities, who distributed the materials of destructive content to the audience of more than 10 million users.
There were no Ukrainian army casualties in the past day.

Russian-led forces mounted seven attacks on Ukrainian troops in Donbas, eastern Ukraine, in the past 24 hours, using weapons banned under the Minsk agreements thrice.

Read alsoCommander of Russian-led terrorist forces eliminated in Donbas (Photo)

"No casualties among Ukrainian troops have been reported in the past day. According to intelligence reports, four occupiers were killed and another three were wounded," the press center of Ukraine's Joint Forces Operation (JFO) said in an update on Facebook as of 07:00 Kyiv time on December 22, 2018.

Russian occupation forces opened aimed fire from 120mm and 82mm mortars as they attacked the defenders of the village of Krymske, while 82mm mortars were used near the village of Novotoshkivske in the Luhansk direction.

Strongholds of the Armed Forces of Ukraine came under enemy fire from grenade launchers of various systems, heavy machine guns, and small arms near the village of Novomykhailivka in the Donetsk sector, as well as near the villages of Chermalyk, Lebedynske and Hnutove in the Mariupol sector.

Since Saturday midnight, Russian-led forces have attacked the Ukrainian positions near Hnutove, using grenade launchers of various systems and large-caliber machine guns.

No casualties among Ukrainian troops have been reported since the start of the day.
There have been no casualties among Ukrainian troops from the start of the day.

Russian-led forces mounted one attack on Ukrainian troops in Donbas, eastern Ukraine, on December 22.

Read alsoJFO: Ukraine reports seven enemy attacks in Donbas in past day

"In particular, the enemy opened aimed fire from a grenade launcher and a large-caliber machine gun on Joint Forces' positions near the village of Hnutove in the Mariupol sector," the press center of Ukraine's Joint Forces Operation (JFO) said in an update on Facebook as of 18:00 Kyiv time on Saturday.

No casualties have been reported on the Ukrainian side.

The situation in the zone of the Joint Forces Operation remains under control of Ukrainian troops.
TALLINN (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 23rd December, 2018) Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid said that she would be ready to visit Moscow in case of the ratification of the Russia-Estonia border treaty.

"I have already said that if our border treaty is ratified, I am ready to come to Moscow and express gratitude," Kaljulaid told ERR broadcaster.

According to the president, it is important to maintain dialogue with all sides in foreign policy and not just with those, who share common goals and values.

In 2014, Moscow and Tallinn signed a set of border treaties, regulating the land borders, as well as maritime areas between Russia and Estonia. The treaties replaced the previous agreements that had not been ratified by Russia, because of unilateral changes made in the text by Estonia.

The draft bill on ratification of the border treaty with Russia passed the first reading in the Estonian parliament in April 2014. But after the elections in Estonia, the composition of the parliament changed and a new government came to power. The ratification process started from the beginning. In the fall of 2015, the government re-submitted to the parliament the draft bill on ratification of the treaty, which passed the first reading there for the second time.

In January, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that the normal and non-confrontational atmosphere in bilateral relations is the main condition for ratification of the treaty.
(@rukhshanmir)

HELSINKI (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 21st December, 2018) Finland will accept Syrian refugees from Turkey and Congolese refugees from Zambia under the European Union's quota system in 2019, senior specialist at the Finnish Interior Ministry, Mirka Eirola, told Sputnik Friday.

"The ministry confirmed the decision of the ministerial working group on migration to allocate a refugee quota of 750 people in 2019. Finland is committed to accepting Syrian refugees from Turkey and Congolese refugees from Zambia in accordance with the quota for the year 2019," Eirola said.

For each refugee Finland resettles, the country will receive a lump sum of 10,000 Euros (almost $150).

Eirola explained that Finland also could accept persons who were recognized as refugees and submitted for resettlement by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

According to the Interior Ministry, the resettlement of refugees by quota is the most effective way of helping refugees in difficult situations, as their need for protection is evaluated before their arrival.

Finland together with the European Commission also encouraged other EU member states to participate in this process.

The European Commission allocates funding from the EU Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) to support the resettlement. Member states participating in the resettlement program receive financial assistance from the fund depending on the number of resettled persons.

In Finland, that money was used to support the integration of refugees and their settlement in municipalities, as well as for improving the processes in the authorities involved in the resettlement, Eirola added.

More than 800,000 Congolese refugees have fled to African countries because of the ongoing violence in heir country. According to UNHCR estimates, nearly 76,000 Congolese refugees are expected to arrive in Zambia by the end of the year, which is 38,000 people more than a year ago. Most of these refugees are women and children, according to the Finnish Interior Ministry.
(@FahadShabbir)

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 22nd December, 2018) Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov and Cote d'Ivoire's Ambassador to Russia Roger Gnango discussed on Friday economic and defense industry cooperation between the two countries, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

"At the same time, Moscow and Abidjan reaffirmed their mutual intention to intensify political dialogue, including coordination of approaches on international and African issues, in particular within the framework of the Ivorian presidency of the UN Security Council in December this year, as well as strengthening of mutually beneficial cooperation in trade, economy and defense industry," the statement reads.

In March, Bogdanov and Gnango also met in Moscow to discuss bilateral cooperation, stressing the commitment to deepen political dialogue and expand ties in the fields of trade, economy, military, defense and humanitarian issues.
(@FahadShabbir)

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 21st December, 2018) Russia's Sukhoi Civil Aircraft company plans to sign a contract with Slovenian Adria Airways on deliveries of Sukhoi Superjet 100 (SSJ100) passenger aircraft in the first quarter of 2019, the company's president, Alexander Rubtsov, said on Friday.

Russian Industry and Trade Minister Denis Manturov said in November that European banks will finance the delivery of 15 Sukhoi Superjet 100 aircraft to the Slovenian airliner. Sukhoi Civil Aircraft and Adria Airways signed a letter of intent to purchase 15 SSJ100 aircraft in November. The aircraft will be supplied under a long-term lease.

An agreement was also signed on the establishment of a joint venture for the maintenance and repair of aircraft at Ljubljana Airport (Slovenia).

"We are working on that. I think that in the first quarter of next year we will sign the contract or maybe even earlier, in February, because according to our plan, the first deliveries are scheduled for April," Rubtsov told reporters.

According to Rubtsov, the company will deliver both new aircraft and the already produced ones. He noted that as of now, the company has accumulated more than a dozen manufactured aircraft that are not handed over to the operators.
UAE Indians have produced their own video version of the theme song of World Youth Day in Panama.

The Catholic Churchs World Youth Day is taking place in Panama City, January 22-27, 2019, which Pope Francis is joining.

By Robin Gomes

Young expatriates of Indian origin in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have come out with their own version of a video in English on the official theme song of the World Youth Day that takes place in Panama in a month's time.

Young people from around the world are converging on Panama City for the Catholic Churchs World Youth Day (WYD) January 22-27, 2019, on the theme: I am the servant of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word. (Lk 1:38).

Pope Francis is scheduled to join the event from January 23.

The official WYD theme song in Spanish, Hagase en mi Segun tu Palabra' (May it be done to me according to your word is written and composed by Abdiel Jimenez was written and composed by Abdiel Jimenez, a catechist and psalmist from the Cristo Resucitado parish in San Miguelito, Panama.

There is also an English version of the WYD, with lyrics translated from Spanish by Maltese-born priest Father Rob Galea.

The UAE-based MasterPlan Band has brought out its own version of the video with choreography by local youth, George Benny, a member of the band told Vatican News. The Catholic band that is part of the Holy See-approved Jesus Youth (JY) worldwide movement that began in India, had made a similar video on the theme of the last WYD in Krakow, Poland, 2016.

Benny said that most of the instrumental arrangements were home recorded, with a few acoustic guitars, the ukulele and vocals done in the studio. The various sequences of the video were shot in the premises of St Mary's Catholic Church Dubai and the mountains of Fujairah.



MasterPlan sought the cooperation of the dance troupe of St. Marys Dubai Young Adults Ministry to choreograph the song, engaging the local teens of JY Teens and Youth ministries.

The final video, posted on FaceBook and Youtube by WYD Communications, is making its round on the social media.

Benny said that what impressed him more than the success of the video was the way the various sectors and groups came together to make it happen.

We have seen the song and the dance moves recreated elsewhere across the world on Instagram videos, and we hope it inspires many to use their talents for the mission of the Church and the glory of God, Benny added.

UAE Indian youth's English dance version of WYD Panama theme song

A week after the WYD in Panama, Pope Francis will fly to UAE itself on a 3-day visit. It is most likely that MasterPlan is already at work trying to churn out another video on the February 3-4 papal visit whose theme is, Make Me a Channel of Your Peace.
Britain has warned Moscow that a British Royal Navy warship sent to Ukraine will send a strong message to Moscow that the Black Sea should remain free for shipping. The move comes following the seizing of three Ukrainian navy ships and their crews by Russia in late November.

By Stefan J. Bos

Britain's HMS Echo crew have been preparing for a particular task in Ukraine's port of Odessa: Showing Russia that they continue to navigate the Black Sea after Russia seized three ships belonging to Ukraine's navy and their crews.

The standoff comes amid broader tensions between the two neighbors following Russia's annexation of the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine in 2014.

Russia has also been accused of supporting pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine with weapons and troops, charges Moscow denies.

Britain's Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson, told reporters while visiting the warship, that Britain wants to support Ukraine in what he views as increased Russian aggression. "The reason as I touched upon the HMS Echo carrier here is that we first want to demonstrate that solidarity that we have with Ukraine and the fact that Ukraine doesn't stand alone," he explained.

We also want to demonstrate our rights to be able to come to ports such as Odessa, for freedom of navigation, for freedom for navies to be able to operate in the Black Sea," Williamson added. "This isnt Russias sea, this is an international sea."

More warships

The British vessel will be followed by other warships as part of a more constant British presence. It comes amid efforts by the Western NATO military alliance to step up operations in the Black Sea with increased warship patrols.

HMS Echo is not expected to sail through the Kerch Strait near Crimea - close to where the Russian Navy rammed, shot at and seized the three Ukrainian Navy vessels in November.

As part of his pre-Christmas visit, Defense Secretary Williamson families of the 24 Ukrainian crew members who are still being held by Russia after the and are now awaiting trial in Moscow.

Moscow has denied wrongdoing. And it says the British Royal Navy vessel - which is used to collect data about the ocean - is a spy ship.


On Wednesday, Dec. 19, more than 500 students from William K. Moore Elementary School received bags of cheer from representatives of the Las Vegas Hospitality Association (LVHA). Students from Kindergarten through 5th grade received bags filled with shoes, socks, coats, blankets, gloves, hates, clothes as well as toys, games and books.

season. Each member compiled a personalized holiday bag for each child based on a list of items with that childs needs. In addition, Santa Claus made a special visit to the students.

With the help of sponsors including but not limited to: Pepsi Co., Tropicana Resort & Casino, Zappos, Brady Linen Services and Shepard Exposition Services, the LVHA was able to set a record number of bags filled with cheer. In addition, Zappos made an additional donation towards the 2019 Fill A Bag with Cheer program to provide every child with new shoes.
22 Chinese nationals are detained for organising gambling and producing fake bank cards in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province on December 20

The group including 20 males and two females were detained on December 20 when 100 police officers carried out raids at three villas and a hotel in Vung Tau City.

Local police have been watching the group for some time and found that they used many kinds of electronic devices to organise online gambling and making fake bank cards. The group were helped by several Vietnamese people.

Police also seized 41 computers, 13 laptops, 300 mobile phones, one card reader machine, one machine for producing fake bank cards, 33 ATM cards issued by a Chinese bank and 200 card prototypes.

The computers and laptops contained data showing that they were logging in online gambling websites for Chinese people.

The group also admitted that they came to Vietnam to produce fake bank cards and organise online gambling activities.
The central bank has directed ATM service providers to take proactive steps to ensure machines do not run out of cash ahead of the Tet holday.-VNA/VNS Photo

SBV has told service providers to check their ATM systems to ensure card payments are secure. Attention must be paid to upgrading software, the operation of cameras and maintenance to ensure ATMs are working efficiently.

The amount of cash available for withdrawal must be monitored to prevent ATMs from overloading ahead of Tet, which will fall on February 5, 2019.

They must also supervise the operation of their ATM networks, especially in industrial parks, export processing zones and densely populated areas with high demand for cash, to proactively detect and promptly solve any technical problems.

User claims must also be handled in a timely manner.

The central bank has also asked the National Payment Corporation of Viet Nam to check its technical system to prevent errors and ensure the smooth operation of ATMs.
Google and Facebook accepted the fine for their violations

On December 18, Facebook and Google accepted to pay $455,000 in fines for not obeying regulations on election transparency in the State of Washington, US.

According to Washingtons attorney general Bob Ferguson, the state sued Facebook and Alphabet  Googles parent company for violating the law requiring companies to maintain detailed records about who pays for online political ads on their platforms. Specifically, the fines of Google and Facebook are $217,000 and $238,000, respectively.

Ferguson also added that this is one of the 10 lawsuits included in the states biggest-ever financial returns campaign.

Despite having a large number of representative offices over the world, administrating the two corporations activities is a growing headache for countries. Over the past few years, the European Commission (EC) has been playing a cat-and-mouse game with Facebook and Google, trying to corner them into paying tax. The ECs is currently planning to issue a new tax worth $5.0 billion per year on Facebook, Google, and Amazon.

According to the UKs The Guardian, the growing dominance of digital companies is a long-term threat to Europes tax base, while also sparking questions of fairness. The EC estimates that digital businesses pay an effective average tax rate of only 9.5 per cent, compared with the 23.2 per cent for brick-and-mortar companies.
Former Director General of the Dong A Bank Tran Phuong Binh (front, third, left) and other defendants listen to the verdict on December 20

The judging council concluded that as General Director, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors, and Chairman of the credit council of the Dong A Bank (DAB), Binh initiated the idea and directly instructed his subordinates to arrange for staff members and their relatives to conduct illegal activities, causing losses of nearly 3.6 trillion VND to the DAB.

Binh himself pocketed more than 2 trillion VND and instructed his subordinates to disburse more than 1.56 trillion VND in violations of rules.

The judges gave him 20 years in prison for deliberately violating the States regulations on economic management, causing serious consequences and life in prison for abusing position and power to appropriate assets, resulting in a combined punishment of life imprisonment.

An active accomplice of Tran Phuong Binh, former Deputy General Director of DAB Tran Thi Kim Xuyen caused losses of nearly 1.1 trillion VND and appropriated 40 billion VND for personal use.

She was given 30 years in prison on two charges of deliberately violating the States regulations on economic management, causing serious consequences and abusing position and power to appropriate assets.

Phan Van Anh Vu (alias Vu nhom), who was Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Bac Nam 79 Construction JSC), was also an accomplice of Binh in appropriating 203 billion VND of the DAB. He was sentenced to 17 years in prison for abusing position and power to appropriate assets.

In combination with an 8-year sentence for him for deliberately disclosing state secrets in another case, Vu will have to serve 25 years in prison.

Other defendants were given imprisonment terms ranging from 2-years suspended sentence to 16 years.

The defendants were also order to pay compensations to the DAB.

The judging council requested that the Investigation Police Agency under the Ministry of Public Security and the Supreme Peoples Procuracy continue to investigate information in Tran Phuong Binhs statement at court, signs of law violations by some officials of the DAB, the role and responsibilities of some individuals of the State Bank of Vietnam in failing to detect the wrongdoings at the bank.

The trial of the DAB case began in Ho Chi Minh City on November 27.
Representatives of Indian and Vietnamese firms exchange information at a business interaction event in HCM City on December 19.-Photo Courtesy of the organiser

K Srikar Reddy, the Indian consul general in HCM City, said Vietnam and India are among the top five exporters of textiles and clothing and their interests converge.

Vietnamese textile exports topped US$31 billion last year but it also imported $19 billion worth of inputs, especially yarn and fabric, he said.

In the year until March 2018, Indias exports were worth $36.73 billion.

Under the India-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement, most types of yarns and woven and knit fabric could be imported duty-free from India starting next month.

Dilbagh Singh, chairman of the Indian Business Chamber in Vietnam, said India has a strong fibre and yarn industry that produces almost all kinds of fabric and supporting materials, making it one of the three largest textile products providers in the world.

Promotion of co-operation in the garment and textile sector between Vietnam and India will pave the way for enterprises of both sides to optimise their strengths and advantages. Viet Nam will benefit from more materials, technology and equipment for production, while India can expand its market.

Pham Xuan Hong, chairman of the HCM City Association of Garment Textile Embroidery-Knitting, said Viet Nam is an ideal destination for investors in view of its competitive labour costs and incentives to the textile and garment sector.

Vietnam offers opportunities to Indian companies to set up textile and garment production units to benefit from the competitive advantages of the countrys FTAs and labour force.

In return, the Vietnamese industry can access to a supply source of yarn, textiles and machinery and upskill its labour force, he said.

Organised by the India consulate, the event attracted the participation of a 15-member delegation from the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Tiruppur, visiting Viet Nam to explore investment opportunities.

The CII delegates also visited Vietnamese textile companies in Can Tho and Dong Nai and discussed investment opportunities.
J&J may have known that its products contain asbestos since 1957

Previously, in 2016, when the media published information about J&J powder products containing carcinogenic asbestos, Vietnamese consumers began to massively boycott these products.

Recently, J&J was caught up in another scandal, leading to a US court awarding compensation to be paid to a cancer patient because its products contain carcinogens.

Accordingly, Reuters quoted internal documents, memorandums, internal reports, and other confidential documents related to the ongoing lawsuits claiming that the products of J&J cause ovarian cancer.

The news agency also exposed that J&J commissioned and paid for the study on its Baby Powder franchise, told the researchers the results it wanted, and hired a ghostwriter to redraft the article that presented the findings in a journal.

In addition, the documents showed that the J&Js consulting laboratory in early1957-1958 identified asbestos, a carcinogen in J&Js baby powder. However, J&J concealed this information.

In 1976, J&J confirmed with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that no asbestos was detected in any sample of talc produced between December 1972 and October 1973.

The firm also failed to tell the agency that at least three tests by three different labs from 1972 to 1975 had found asbestos in its talc.

Even in the year 2000, announcements from J&J and other external laboratories also showed similar findings.

J&J reacted vehemently to Reuters accusations and supposed it as one-side, false and inflammatory. The company also affirmed that its baby powder does not cause cancer or asbestos-related disease.

In a J&J statement on December 14, the firm reaffirmed that thousands of independent tests by regulators and the worlds leading labs prove our baby powder has never contained asbestos.

The allegations are partly based on cases from cancer patients who have been using J&J's products for a long time.

According to the Associated Press (AP), a jury in Los Angeles on August 21 asked J&J to pay $417 million for plaintiff Eva Echeverria, a California resident who was undergoing treatment for ovarian cancer.

The jury in St. Louis, Missouri in May passed a judgment ordering J&J to pay $110.5 million in compensation to a woman in Virginia.

Previously, in 2016, there were three more trials in St. Louis related to J&J, all deciding in favour of the plaintiffs. Accordingly, J&J must compensate Gloria Ristesund for $55 million, Jackie Foxs family for $72 million because Fox died of ovarian cancer in 2015, and another victim for $70.1 million.

Although J&J keeps issuing statements that these accusations are false, its stock plunged by 10 per cent, the highest decline since 2002, causing a $40 billion loss in J&J's market capitalisation.
ZYFRA will arrive to Vietnam in 2019

In the next three years, it is estimated that Vietnam will overtake China in terms of GDP growth. It is planned that this number will be 6.8 per cent in 2019. According to the governments development programme, by 2035 most of the fabrication will be turned into digital manufacturing. Particularly significant growth is expected in the areas of industry, construction, and services.

The company, founded in November 2017, currently operates in Finland, China, Russia, Bulgaria, and India, and its platform connects over 7,000 CNC machines across the countries. By the end of 2018 more than 200 production facilities will be equipped with its products.

Smart manufacturing (the term refers to IoT and AI) is projected to grow noticeably in the next three to five years. Recent surveys showed 92 per cent of senior manufacturing executives believe that "smart factory" digital technologies such as artificial intelligence will allow them to improve their productivity and empower their staff to work more intelligently. Some even account for the smart manufacturing market to increase to over $320 billion by 2020, said Igor Bogachev, CEO of ZYFRA Group.

By now the company offers the global market its real-time machine data collection system MDCplus that can be used to track jobs, operations, work centres, scrap, costs, downtime, and people. It also provides its clients with Industrial AI-solutions that can either predict quality and product properties or recommend process settings and material usage. The company is applying cutting edge data science combined with industrial expertise to provide end-to-end solutions to optimise production speed, quality, and costs for industries such as machinery, metallurgy, oil and gas, and mining.

Back at home, ZYFRAs clients are giants like Gazprom, Chelpipe, NLMK Group, and United Engine Corporation.

Recently, the company started its acquisition of VIST Group, one of the industry leaders in the development and implementation of information technology for digital mining. Through the acquisition (expected to be finished by 2020) of these assets, the company is planning to occupy a significant share of the global market and to compete with Catarpillar, Komatsu, and other major competitors in certain aspects.

Our view is that there is a tremendous opportunity for disruption in Industrial IoT and applied AI space, although it is still a nascent market to a larger extent, said Ilia Kreisel, Investment and IR director at ZYFRA Group.

If you look at Gartners latest Magic Quadrant for IIoT Platforms, you can quickly arrive at the conclusion that the market still lacks a clear leader, which leaves the doors wide open for the up and coming challengers like ourselves, said Igor Bogachev.
More Vietnamese will travel South Korea thanks to new visa policy

Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) has clarified two new provisions related to conditions for granting visas to Vietnamese citizens in a new policy from the ROKs Ministry of Justice.

Permanent residents in HCM City, Hanoi and Da Nang will be granted 5-year visas. The visa holders can stay in South Korea for up to 30 days, with no restrictions on number of entries during five years. Those who apply for this visa do not have to prove their financial capability, income and occupation.

South Korea will grant long-term 10-year visas, with no restriction on number of entries to lawyers, physicians, university professors, directors of enterprises with investment capital of over VND100 billion, people finishing university in South Korea or those with a masters degree or higher from overseas schools.

The visa holders can stay in South Korea for up to 90 days.

Currently, the biggest problem applying for visas to South Korea is the requirement to prove financial capability (savings books, properties). Sai Gon Tiep Thi newspaper interviewed many residents in HCM City and found that many of them are planning to apply for visas to South Korea because of the new policy. Travel firms have also said the same thing.

The outbound division head of a Hanoi-based travel firm said that many Hanoians have called to ask about the new policy. Some travelers, who began following procedures for visas to South Korea last month, now want to apply for long-term visas in accordance with the new law.

The travelers booking tours to South Korea account for 30 percent of our total outbound travelers. The South Korean market has been growing very rapidly, but the growth rate will be even higher thanks to the new regulation on visas, said Tu Quy Thanh, CEO of Lien Bang Travelink.

Korean officials also believe that more Vietnamese travelers will come to South Korea as complicated procedures have been removed.

Jung Chang Wook, chief representative of KTO, estimates that about 450,000 Vietnamese will come to South Korea this year, an increase of 40 percent over last year. Vietnam is South Koreas seventh largest market.

Jung said at a culture and tourism event held in HCM City on December 11 that long-term visas will double the number of Vietnamese travelers.
The Conference on Solutions for Promoting the Development of Supporting Industries where Thaco announced its plans

This was announced by Tran Ba Duong, chairman of Thaco, at the Conference On Solutions For Promoting the Development of Supporting Industries in Vietnam organised in Hanoi on December 19.

According to Duong, Thaco agrees to the governments idea to develop a supporting industry centre in the three regions. In Chu Lai, Thaco is operating a mechanical complex to outsource simple steel materials as well as modern machines requiring strict quality standards.

Thacos existing mechanical complex is serving partners like Doosan Vina and General Electric. In the coming time, the company wants to develop a mechanical complex in Central Vietnam to lure in further investment from both local and foreign enterprises, Duong added.

To date, the localisation percentage of Thacos automobile products is quite high, with 35-40 per cent for trucks, 55-60 per cent for commercial vehicles, and 25 per cent for under-nine seat cars.

Thaco issued strategy for the development of the mechanical industry, including automobile mechanics, agricultural mechanics, construction mechanics, and other industrial mechanical equipment, as well as the application of Industry 4.0 in production, production management, and innovations in improving productivity and product quality.

At the conference, Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung emphasised that the countrys supporting industries are able to meet the current demand, but the scale and capacity of supporting industry businesses remains limited.

The country has over 3,000 businesses operating in the supporting industries, accounting for 4.5 per cent of businesses in the processing and manufacturing sectors, generating more than 550,000 jobs.

Speaking at the conference, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc cited Japan as a good example of an economy housing strong supporting industries. Even though the majority of Japanese supporting businesses are medium, small, and micro-sized, they are integrated deeply into the global manufacturing chain with high added-value production.

"Vietnam should strive to compete in regional and global markets, manufacturing parts for cars, motorbikes and even airplanes. The government has always been giving priority access to land for the supporting industry, and has never said no to any such request," Phuc said.
A conference titled Future outlook of FDI attraction and implementation was held in the northern province of Vinh Phuc on Friday.-Photo chinhphu.vn

Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Vu Dai Thang made the statement at a conference titled Future outlook of FDI attraction and implementation held in the northern province of Vinh Phuc on Friday.

According to Thang, after three decades, FDI has become an important part of Vietnams economy. As of November 2018, the country was home to some 27,000 FDI projects worth nearly US$340 billion of registered capital and $188.8 billion of disbursed capital of investors from 128 countries and territories. Up to 57 per cent of the total was invested in industry.

FDI was an important source of the countrys total social development investment capital as its proportion increased from 15 per cent in 2005 to 23.7 per cent in 2017, Thang said, adding the resource had been also the driving force of the countrys economic growth in recent years.

The growth rate of FDI firms reached 12.6 per cent in 2017, the highest in all economic sectors. The force contributed 27.7 per cent to the countrys economic growth in the 2010-17 period, compared with 15 per cent in the 1986-1996 period, Thang said.

In addition, FDI has also contributed to promoting the countrys economic restructuring and forming some key industries of the economy such as telecommunications, petroleum, electronics and information technology.

Besides, he said, FDI has also made an important contribution to the countrys export growth in recent years.

Since 2010, the export growth rate and export turnover of FDI firms have been two to three times and 1.5-2 times higher than that of Vietnamese firms, respectively. The export value of FDI accounted for 72.5 per cent of the countrys total export revenue in 2017, surging sharply against 17 per cent in 1995.

However, according to Thang, there remain shortcomings in FDI attraction in the country, such as a poor spillover effects and low tech transfer rate between FDI firms to local peers.

Comprehensive reforms

To better lure and use FDI resource in the time to come, Thang suggested it was necessary to have unified awareness and actions to implement orientations and policies on foreign investment.

Besides, streamlining legal institutions and policies as well as improving the business investment environment in line with the market standards and international rules are important prerequisites for attracting and using foreign investment effectively, according to Thang.

Besides encouraging and supporting the joint venture, cooperation and technology transfer between domestic and FDI firms, it is also necessary to develop skilled human resources to reposition Viet Nams competitive edge in attracting foreign investment.

Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung asked localities to better prepare the construction planning and focus on infrastructure development to lure foreign investment.

Dung also urged local authorities to accelerate the reform of administrative procedures, invest in developing human resources for industrial development and strengthen supporting industries.

The Deputy PM also hoped foreign investors would implement their projects in accordance with their commitments and Viet Nams laws while paying attention to the research and development as well as investment of new technologies and cooperate with Vietnamese enterprises to develop supporting industries.

Foreign participants also mentioned the development of skilled human resources and promote the supporting industries.

Tetsu Funayama, head of the Business Forum Committee of the Japan Business Association in Vietnam, said 65 per cent of Japanese enterprises now chose Vietnam as their investment destination in Southeast Asia and their interest when investing here was the countrys policy to develop supporting industries.

Vietnam and Japan needed to expand cooperation to train Vietnamese experts, engineers and technical staffs to improve the countrys human resources, Funayama suggested, adding there should be also policies to promote supporting industries, enabling Japanese enterprises to invest in Viet Nam.

A representative from the Korea Chamber of Business in Vietnam also said one of the barriers hindering the technology transfer between FDI and Vietnamese enterprises was the lack of human resources and science and technology.

The representative expected Vietnam to standardise its technical training programmes to grant certificates for Vietnamese engineers and workers so that FDI firms can use the employees when they invest in the country, avoiding waste of time and money for the training.

In addition, he said foreign firms expected to get preferential tax policies as well as simplified, transparent and clear administrative procedures when investing in the country.
Tran Huu Minh, deputy head of the National Traffic Safety Committee

Buses are still the only main public transportation in Vietnam. Hanoi launched new bus rapid transit and HCM City had new waterway buses but the routes were limited. Both cities are still building urban railway systems.

Tran Huu Minh, deputy head of the National Traffic Safety Committee, said buses or minibuses would all have to compete with personal vehicles as well as ride-hailing services. "The vehicle ownership in Vietnam is very high, with 600 vehicles in operation per 1,000 people," he said.

Both Hanoi and HCM City have narrow roads compared to the amount of daily traffic. HCM City has over 4,000 roads but only 30 percent are wider than seven metres. Meanwhile, Hanoi still lacks bus stops at many new residential areas. Despite state subsidies, only 10 percent of the public use public buses.

Many experts agreed that it was necessary to have more minibuses to gather and connect more people with bus stops and the metro stations. However, they need a detailed field survey and careful plan instead of grand ideas.

Nguyen Hoang Hai, director of Hanoi Traffic Management Centre, said, "We are still carrying research but we reached a consensus that minibuses are necessary."

According to the World Bank, the travelling time of Hanoians to their nearest bus stops is still too long. With better and more realistic organisation, more people would use public buses even after the metro line is completed.

"Hanoi has 118 bus routes, 26 of them are for buses with 80 seats and the rest are for 30-seat buses. Most of them are designed to serve central areas and we lack a comprehensive system for the whole city including the expanded areas," Hai said.

He went on to say that the city's centre had the most buses but also the most narrow roads which were less than 11 metres wide. 113 communes and wards still need public buses. The authorities need preferential policies, suitable ticket prices, and promotion programmes to encourage people to use public transportation more often.

Tran Huy Anh from Hanoi Architects Association blamed traffic management and planning in the past years.

"Minibuses may be our solution for the next decade," he said. "We need to boost the image of minibuses to attract passengers. However, service quality is the make or break factor for which we need solutions for the current infrastructure and management method.
Vinaconex paid the tax arrears in full in only three days

On the basis of the State Audit Office of Vietnams conclusions, the Hanoi Tax Department issued Decision No.81243/QD-CT-KTT6 on December 11, 2018 on sanctioning tax administrative violations of Vinaconex (VCG on HNX).

Specifically, due to the wrongful declaration, Vinaconex is subject to a fine of 20 per cent of the total missing tax amount, equalling to VND775 million ($33,700).

In addition, according to the conclusions of the SAV, VCG has to pay additional corporate income tax of VND3.9 billion ($169,565) and VND300 million ($13,043) for late payment. Therefore, the total fines and tax arrears VCG has to pay is nearly VND5 billion ($217,391).

On December 14, Vinaconex paid the fines in full.

According to Decision No.405/2018/QD-HDQT on December 13, Vinaconex's board of directors has recently approved the resignation of general director Do Trong Quynh. At the same time, Nguyen Xuan Dong was appointed as general director of the corporation instead.

Vinaconex also announced on its website replacing Do Trong Quynh with Nguyen Xuan Dong as legal representative.

Nguyen Xuan Dong is the chairman cum general director of An Quy Hung Co., Ltd., who spent VND7.367 trillion ($320.3 million) from the company's funds to buy 255 million shares, equivalent to 57.71 per cent of Vinaconex's shares, on November 22.

In 2018, Vinaconex set the goal of increasing total revenue by 9.3 per cent on-year. Accordingly, Vinaconex expects its revenue to reach VND19.44 trillion ($845.22 million) and after-tax profit to hit VND1.3 trillion ($56.5 million).

On the stock market, VCG closed the December 17 trading session at VND21,400 ($0.93) per share, bringing its market capitalisation to about VND9.452 trillion ($410.96 million).
Australia says its companies are among the global victims of an extensive campaign of cyber espionage attacks believed to have been backed by the Chinese government.

The confirmation came after the U.S. Justice Department charged two Chinese nationals for allegedly carrying out hacking on behalf of Beijing's Ministry of State Security.

In a strongly worded statement, Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Marise Payne outlined the government's "serious concern" about the hacking allegations.

She said cybercrime had "the potential to undermine global economic growth, national security and international stability."

The minster called for China "to refrain from cyber-enabled theft of intellectual property, trade secrets and confidential business information with the intent of obtaining a competitive advantage."

By directly accusing the Chinese state of approving a global campaign of online theft and interference, Canberra is taking a far sterner diplomatic line with Beijing than usual.



Tobias Feakin, Australia's ambassador for cyber affairs, said, "The fact that this is the first time we have ever actually named China as responsible for one of these kinds of activities is enough of a serious indication of how acute an issue we feel this is. ... This is the theft of intellectual property. There has been an impact on Australia."

'Audacious' theft

Security authorities in Australia say the hackers, known as Advanced Persistent Threat 10, had been targeting IT companies around the world that provide services to medium-sized and large businesses. One official said the theft of intellectual property and commercial secrets was "audacious and huge."

The suspects are accused of stealing from the computer networks of companies and government agencies in a dozen countries, including Britain, Canada, Germany and Japan.

The FBI has said the group also infiltrated U.S. Navy computer systems and had taken the personal information of more than 100,000 people.
Some three tons of African ivory sat in an unmarked crate in a Cambodian port for more than a year, until a tip from the U.S. embassy led authorities to break it open this week and discover the country's largest-ever haul of trafficked ivory.

Port laborers who recently gathered outside the facility told a reporter that no one had ever showed up to claim the valuable cargo.

"There are 12 containers and one container consists of elephants tusks packed in sacks and some sacks loading rocks which look like marble," said a laborer who witnessed the seizure at the Phnom Penh Autonomous Port Container Terminal on Thursday last week.

He asked not to be named since he is afraid of being identified by port authorities.

"I think they [authorities] wanted to know [who] the owner is, but perhaps the owner knew and didn't appear," added the laborer.

A smartphone photograph provided by the worker shows hundreds of elephant tusks, some cut in two, sitting on a cement floor near the containers.

U.S. tips lead to seizure

Emily Zeeberg, the U.S. Embassy spokesperson, said American officials provided information to the Cambodian Customs and Excise Department that ultimately led to the search of a sealed container and to the seizure of 1,026 cut and whole pieces of ivory weighing approximately 3,370 kilograms.

"The ivory originated from Mozambique. Cambodia is a transit hub; there is no information indicating that the ivory was intended to be sold here in Cambodia," she said in an email. "The investigation is ongoing."

Ros Vanna, chairman and CEO of Kampuchea Shipping Agency and Brokers, also known as Kamsab, which grants customs clearance to foreign ships, said the port does not have rights to open the sealed containers immediately if the owner does not come. He said if goods are abandoned, a court must intervene.

"The owner didn't appear to take [them] and then we sued to the court and open the containers," he said.

Sun Chhay, a director of the Customs and Excise Office at the port, told VOA Khmer that the owner of the containers apparently did not show up to claim the cargo because they feared the smuggling operation had been exposed.

"So far we don't know whether the owner is Cambodian or foreigner," he said.

Chhay confirmed that the ivory was imported from Mozambique and shipped through Vietnam, where he said it was not checked because that country's customs authority does not have the rights to check transiting cargo.

He added that the next actions should be decided by his superior official.

Kun Nhim, general director of the General Department of Customs and Excise could not be reached for comment.

Ivory trade in Cambodia is 'booming'

In December 2017, Cambodian authorities seized around 270 tusks at Cambodia's southwestern port of Sihanoukville. In 2016, the country's authorities also seized around 1.5 tons of ivory kept in containers in Phnom Penh and in 2014 Cambodian customs officials seized some 3 tons of African ivory in Sihanoukville as well.

Paul Chambers, a political analyst at the College of Asean Community Studies at Naresuan University in Thailand, said Cambodia could be both a source and a transit country for the tusks.

"Cambodia has been an easy place to practice the international ivory trade because government enforcement is relatively lax," he said. "Where there is money to be made, there will be buyers. That is what accounts for the continuing booming ivory trade in Cambodia or elsewhere in the world. The destination could be anywhere in the world, but it is so tragic that this trade continues," he added.

Meas Nee, a political analyst, said complex operations like ivory smuggling typically involve powerful people in Cambodia, even if the tusks are headed elsewhere.

"I think Cambodia is just a transit only since we don't really have law enforcement and there is also corruption as well," he added.

Save the Elephants, a UK-registered charity headquartered in Nairobi, issued new research in October this year, saying that Myanmar's illegal ivory trade has been growing, with more exports headed to China.

The whole sale price for African raw ivory in late 2017 in the Golden Triangle region has remained stable at about $770 to $800 per kg since late 2015, according to Save the Elephants. Approximately 100,000 elephants in Africa were killed for their ivory in just three years between the years 2010 and 2012.

Between 20,000 and 30,000 African elephants are killed each year, according to the World Wildlife Fund
Canada moved away from diplomatic caution on Friday and made is first formal demand for China to immediately release two Canadians who have been detained in apparent retaliation for Canada's arrest of a top Chinese tech executive.

The U.S., the U.K. and the EU also issued statements in support of Canada.

"We are deeply concerned by the arbitrary detention by Chinese authorities of two Canadians earlier this month and call for their immediate release,'' Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said.

A senior government official said China's ambassador to Canada was called on Friday and told of Canada's demand. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of lack of authorization to discuss the call publicly.

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 detained Canadian ex-diplomat Michael Kovrig and Canadian entrepreneur Michael Spavor on vague allegations of "engaging in activities that endanger the national security'' of China.

Freeland's declaration marked a harder tone from Canadian officials. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had been criticized by the opposition for what they called unacceptable reticence over his suggestion Wednesday that raising demands for their release would be akin to ``to stomping on the table'' without achieving their release.

Freeland said that that Canada is honoring its extradition treaty with the United States and said it's conducting a fair and transparent legal proceeding with respect to Meng.

U.S. State Department spokesman Robert Palladino also reiterated that Canada is honoring its extradition treaty commitments.

"We also express our deep concern for the Chinese Government's detention of two Canadians earlier this month and call for their immediate release,'' Palladino said. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also called for their release last week.

U.K. Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said in a statement the U.K. is confident that Canada is respecting its extradition treaty with the U.S. and said he is ``deeply concerned'' that China may have detained the two Canadians for political reasons.

The EU, meanwhile, issued a statement saying, ``The declared motive for the arrest and detention of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, both Canadian nationals, raises concerns about legitimate research and business practices in China.''

The show of support from allies is significant for Canada, which has felt relatively isolated in recent months, particularly following U.S. President Donald Trump's criticism of Trudeau and his lack of public support.

In August, Saudi Arabia expelled Canada's ambassador to the kingdom and withdrew its own ambassador after Canada's foreign ministry tweeted support for an arrested Saudi activist. The Saudis also sold Canadian investments and ordered their citizens studying in Canada to leave.

No country, including the U.S., spoke out publicly in support of Canada, and the Trump administration has been steadfast in its support for Saudi Arabia.
This time of year, all across the United States, empty lots are turned into miniature forests as live Christmas trees are displayed for sale. But The Christmas Tree Promotion Board worries that more Americans are opting for artificial trees as they become more realistic-looking. So Christmas tree farmers in the U.S. have launched a social media campaign to get Americans to buy real trees this season. Faith Lapidus reports.
Saoirse Ronan says she was more than ready to make the transition on film, and in real life, from young girl to commanding woman. Her new role in Mary Queen of Scots, gave her the opportunity to do both.

Ronan, who is Irish, says she was not only excited to play Mary Stuart, a Celtic woman who ruled Scotland in the 16th century, but also to take on such a meaty part.

Nominated for Oscars for roles in Atonement, Brooklyn and last years awards season favorite, Lady Bird, Ronan, 24, has often played girls who are still finding their way in the world. But Mary Queen of Scots provided the transition to full womanhood as her character falls in love, becomes a mother, and rides a horse into battle.

Playing Mary offered me so much as an actor. Its the first time that Ive played someone who really comes into their womanhood and is very sort of settled and comfortable in that stage of their life, Ronan said. Doing the labor scene especially, it was just a really, really empowering scene ... and I think just getting to play someone who can, you know scream and be sweaty, and you know enjoy sex and go onto the battlefield and do all of these things was really liberating for me.

Rhetoric resonates today

Her character also faces betrayal from both family and political factions who didnt always respect a woman in power. In the film, Scots who wanted Queen Mary to lose her position fabricated rumors to sway the public against her. The negative rhetoric may resonate with modern audiences.

It totally mirrors exactly whats happening now and what has kind of always happened to, especially I think, women in politics  the way theyre shamed and the way theyre ridiculed for basically anything that isnt their policy. Ronan went on to say its been really interesting to see how people have been able to pick up on so many things in the film that were taking place 500 years ago that are still very much a common occurrence now.

Ronan says she always wanted to collaborate with Margot Robbie, who plays Queen Elizabeth I in Mary. The two actresses decided it would be best for on-screen tension if they didnt see each other until their one scene together.

By the time we actually saw each other, which was in a take, and the camera shot us both at the same time, it was just the best buzz ever, Ronan said.

Well-written roles

Playing a formidable queen was like gold dust, but Ronan says shes also attracted to characters who are vulnerable and damaged.

Its great to play really strong women, but also I just really want to play very well-written roles. So even if they are a bit of a mess or a bit ditzy or whatever, I dont mind that.

Mary Queen of Scots is in theaters now.
More than 300 migrants were rescued Friday off the coast of Libya by the Spanish NGO Proactiva Open Arms. But now they are facing Christmas at sea after Interior Minister Matteo Salvini said Italian ports are closed and they will not be allowed to disembark.

The rescue was carried out by the Spanish NGO Proactiva Open Arms, which said it had saved the migrants aboard three vessels that were in distress from certain death at sea off the Libyan coastline. This included men, women, children and babies suffering from the cold winter temperature.

The NGO said Malta refused to accept the migrants and would not provide any needed food supplies. Open Arms founder Oscar Camps said among those rescued were pregnant women and a mother with her two-day old baby born on a Libyan beach. Camps asked that the case of the newborn who had spent 24 hours at sea be dealt with urgently by Malta.



A Maltese coastguard helicopter agreed early Saturday morning to airlift the mother and her baby. They were then taken to the Mater Dei hospital on the island, though the Maltese government said it would do no more than that.



Proactiva Open Arms asked Italy to allow them to disembark, but Interior Minister Matteo Salvini said Italian ports are closed. And on twitter Salvini added: "For the traffickers of human beings and those who help them, the fun is over."

Camps angrily responded with his own tweet saying that one day Salvini's rhetoric would be over and his descendants would be ashamed of his behavior in the decades to come. With just days to Christmas, the fate of these 300-plus migrants remains unclear.



The situation in this area of the Mediterranean has become increasingly complicated this year after a populist government came to power in Italy last March and stated clearly that it would behave quite differently than the preceding government in regards to immigration policies. The new government announced it was closing its ports to vessels carrying migrants and called on the EU to share the burden of the endless flow of migrants from Africa.



According to the International Organization for Migration, more than 1,300 migrants have drowned this year alone in their efforts to make the crossing from Africa to Malta or Italy.
When textile artist Porfirio Gutierrez works at his loom, or wanders through the picturesque mountains of Oaxaca, Mexico, he often thinks about his ancestors. And the ancient skills they have passed down through the generations.

Zapotec  the place of gods

Gutierrez is a descendant of the Zapotecs, an ancient civilization originating in southern Mexico. For centuries, the Zapotec people have created intricate, hand-woven textiles. It is a tradition that Gutierrez and his family are continuing, with what he calls functional works of art, inspired by the natural world.

One of my memories as a child is walking up into the mountains above the hill to collect the plants that my parents needed for making their dyes, almost like a pilgrimage, he recalled. They would tell us about the respect that we need to have towards our Mother Earth, as well as where the plants are growing, what colors they give us and the best time to collect them."

These were basic principles in understanding how to work in harmony with Mother Nature, Gutierrez explained.

Journey with the threads

Using the bounty of Mother Nature gives the familys handicrafts a warm, soft look and feel. The vibrant earth tones and symbolic designs are representations of their ancient culture.

In the past, such textiles would be used primarily as blankets, Gutierrez said, but starting in the 1970s, they began to be used mostly for rugs and tapestries. These are pieces that could be used as a centerpiece, or wall art, or as a rug, he said, while holding up a colorful, woven rug.

Native Art market

Gutierrez was speaking from his booth at the Smithsonians National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, which recently hosted a two-day Native Art market. It offered visitors a rare opportunity to purchase traditional and contemporary artwork by some of the finest Native American artists from across the hemisphere.

Other crafts on display at the market included silver and semi-precious jewelry, ceramics, fine apparel, handwoven baskets, traditional beadwork, dolls, paintings and sculptures.

Like Gutierrez, many of the artists shared how they, too, were inspired by nature for their work.

Comanche/Blackfeet

Traditional artist Jhane Myers, for example, uses elk teeth and buffalo bone for some of her jewelry.

Each elk has two ivory teeth, so I do these necklaces, and they have buffalo bone beads, she said, pointing to a long necklace she was wearing made of the ivory-colored materials. I try to use all the same items that we used as a traditional Native people 200 years ago, she added.

And just like her Comanche/Blackfeet ancestors, Myers and members of her community try to use every part of the animal. Like the Buffalo and the elk, we use everything, not just the teeth, she said. We also eat the meat and tan the hide. She creates dresses made from elk hides, and pointed out that there are a multitude of other uses for the animals they harvest.

Jemez Pueblo

Visual artist Kathleen Wall breaks clay out of the earth around Jemez Pueblo in New Mexico, where shes from, to make her signature dolls.

As she spoke from behind her booth at the art market, she was surrounded by dolls of varying sizes, each with their own serene face and individual paint job.

"This piece here, she is hand built from the bottom up and I use a coil technique, she explained while cradling one of her dolls. After the coiling, which means arranging or winding something in a joined sequence of concentric circles or rings, she lets the clay dry, then scrapes and sands it and then uses a kiln for firing, she explained.

Like so many Pueblo potters working today, I feel that Im fulfilling my grandmothers legacy, passing on the knowledge of Pueblo potter.

Wall says she sculpts expressions of joy onto the faces of her Native clay figures, which is a reflection of the beauty of Native culture in and around her life.

Cherokee

Vivian Cottrell has been making baskets for 46 years, a skill inherited from her Cherokee ancestors.

This is part of our culture, our heritage, our history. It makes us who we are, she said.

She uses river cane to create her baskets, and natural plant materials to dye them. It takes her two days on average to boil the materials together in a large kettle, which gives her pieces a natural, earthy tone.

Spiritual connection

For the artists, being able to display their crafts at the Smithsonians National Museum of the American Indian  a place dedicated to Native American history and culture  was especially meaningful.

This is really important for me to be in such a hallowed space, Myers said. Its not only hallowed but it's happy. And for me it's so important to see my other fellow artists here because you have people from all different types of nations offering different types of art, so it's like a family place; it's almost like coming home.

I would say this is one of the most important institutions that aims to honor the traditional ways of arts, knowledge, wisdom, and promote it, said Gutierrez. Like many artists, he fears that the time-honored traditions of their ancestors are in danger of disappearing.

So I feel like I need to contribute to their preservation, he said. And the only way to preserve it is to actually employ these old ways of making the arts, and teaching younger members of the community about our ancient traditions."

Gutierrez said he is also grateful for institutions like the Smithsonian for celebrating and honoring Native people, and for creating opportunities for them to promote their work.

The museum, a short distance from the U.S. Capitol, has been holding the annual market since 2006. Hayes Lavis, the museum's cultural program specialist, says his hope is that visitors will take away from the experience of the art market "a realization of the contributions of native people to the Americas."

They were here first, theyve always been here, theyve gone through a lot of adversity and they are still thriving, strong, creative cultures, he said.

The art represented in the market doesn't just reflect the beauty and rich history of Native cultures, but the strength and resilience of the people themselves.
Police said Friday that they had arrested the suspected mastermind of bombings by the Islamist militant group Boko Haram that killed 15 people in Abuja in 2015.

Police named the man as Umar Abdulmalik and said he and other people they arrested had confessed to the bombings, the jailbreak of more than 100 prisoners in June, the killing of seven police officers in July and various bank robberies.

There was no comment from any lawyer representing Abdulmalik, who police said was arrested Thursday in Lagos.

Police issued a photograph of Abdulmalik in handcuffs in front of a van, and another of seven other men in front of weapons, walkie-talkies, credit card point-of-sale machines and ammunition.

More than 30,000 people have been killed and millions forced to flee in Boko Haram's decade-long campaign to carve out an Islamist state in northeast Nigeria.

A military campaign by Nigeria and its neighbors has pushed the group out most of its territory since the beginning of 2015, but fighting has rumbled on.

Over the past year, a splinter group allied with Islamic State has become the dominant branch, killing hundreds of soldiers and frequently overrunning military bases.
Chinese billionaire Richard Liu will not face charges over a rape accusation by a Chinese woman studying in Minnesota because prosecutors said Friday they could not prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Liu, founder of the Beijing-based e-commerce site JD.com, was arrested Aug. 31 in Minneapolis on suspicion of felony rape and released within hours. He returned to China.

Prosecutors said that profound evidentiary problems would have made it highly unlikely that any charge could have been proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

In a statement, Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman said that as prosecutors reviewed surveillance video, text messages, police body camera video and witness statements, it became clear that we could not meet our burden of proof and, therefore, we could not bring charges.

Liu: I broke no law

After the prosecutors decision was announced, Liu issued a statement on his Chinese social media account saying, This proves I broke no law.

My interactions with this woman, however, have hurt my family greatly, especially my wife. I feel deep regret and remorse and I hope she can accept my sincere apology. I will continue to try in every possible way to repair the impact on my family and to fulfill my responsibility as a husband, Liu said in his statement, which JD.com shared in a translation he provided.

He said he did not respond to comments on the internet while the investigation was ongoing to avoid interfering with police and prosecutors.

Liu was in Minneapolis in August for a weeklong residency as part of the University of Minnesotas doctor of business administration China program. The four-year program in the universitys management school is geared toward high-level executives in China and is a partnership with Tsinghua University School of Economics and Management.

Jill Brisbois, an attorney for Liu, welcomed the prosecutors decision.

This confirms our strong belief from the very beginning that my client is innocent, Brisbois said in a statement. She said Liu was arrested based on a false claim, and that the investigation, with which he fully cooperated, vindicates him.

Even though the prosecutor determined no criminal charges were warranted, Mr. Lius reputation has been damaged like anyone falsely accused of a crime, Brisbois said.

Attorney: Woman intends to sue

Wil Florin, an attorney for the woman, said prosecutors never spoke to her before deciding not to charge Liu.

Florin said prosecutors never asked to meet with the woman, a Chinese citizen studying at the University of Minnesota on a student visa, and never asked her a question.

Instead, they waited four months until late Friday before the Christmas holiday and issued a press release without even giving her the common courtesy of a meeting to advise her of their intentions, Florin said.

Minneapolis Police Department spokesman John Elder said, however, that police had spoken with the woman a number of times.

Florin later said the woman is planning to sue. In a statement, Florin said a civil jury should determine whether Liu, JD.com and their representatives should be held accountable for the events of that night. We look forward to that jury hearing the full and complete story. He would not give details of the planned lawsuit, but told The Associated Press it would be in the U.S.

The woman has not been publicly identified. She is still enrolled at the university, Florin said.

Woman describes assault

On the night of the alleged attack, Liu and other executives went to Origami, a Japanese restaurant in Minneapolis. The woman went to the dinner as a volunteer, Florin said. She felt coerced to drink as the powerful men toasted her, he said.

Text messages reviewed by The Associated Press and portions of the womans interviews with police show the woman claims Liu dragged her into a vehicle and made advances, despite her protests. The woman texted a friend: I begged him dont. But he didnt listen. She said he raped her at her apartment.

Liu, known in Chinese as Liu Qiangdong, is a prominent member of the Chinese tech elite, with a fortune of $7.5 billion. He is part of a generation of entrepreneurs who have created Chinas internet, e-commerce, mobile phone and other technology industries since the late 1990s. The son of peasants, Liu built a Beijing electronics shop into JD.com, Chinas biggest online direct retailer, selling everything from clothes to toys to fresh vegetables.

He has continued to lead the company since his arrest.

The announcement on Liu comes at a time of heightened tensions between the U.S. and China over trade and the arrest of another prominent Chinese tech executive.

China reacted angrily after Canadian authorities, at the behest of the U.S., arrested Huawei Technologies Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou in Vancouver on Dec. 1.

The U.S. reportedly wants her extradited to face allegations the company evaded U.S. sanctions on Iran. Huawei is Chinas first global tech competitor, making it politically important to a ruling Communist Party. But the U.S. government believes that doing business with Huawei is a national security risk.
As U.S. Senate leaders continued negotiating funding for border security measures, a partial government shutdown seemed all but assured as the U.S. House of Representatives adjourned late Friday.

Lawmakers have until midnight in Washington to enact a spending bill or portions of the federal government will close.

But with the House voting to adjourn until noon Saturday, it appeared that operations for about a quarter of the government would cease early Saturday, meaning more than 800,000 federal employees' jobs would be disrupted, and more than half of those employees would be required to work without pay.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell indicated that while talks were continuing among lawmakers and with the White House, no deal on a spending bill had yet been reached to avert the problem.

Earlier Friday, the Senate had voted to advance a House-passed bill that included $5 billion for President Donald Trump's U.S.-Mexico border wall. The procedural vote gave the Senate "flexibility" to continue negotiating, McConnell said.

Senate leaders gave no time for a vote on a spending bill, with leaders saying a vote would occur only when a deal had been reached.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer told The Washington Post that Democrats were open to discussions but would not agree to any new funding for a border wall.

On Thursday, the Republican-led House of Representatives passed a temporary spending bill that included billions for Trump's proposed wall along the southern U.S. border.

After previously saying he would "proudly" accept responsibility for a partial U.S. government shutdown if Congress did not pass legislation that included funding for his proposed border wall, Trump early Friday tweeted, "The Democrats now own the shutdown!"

Friday afternoon he tweeted, "If the Dems vote no, there will be a shutdown that will last a very long time."

Later Friday at the White House, Trump doubled down on his 11th-hour effort to blame the impending shutdown on Democratic lawmakers.

In an attempt to bolster the slim chances of the measure's passage in the Senate, Trump summoned Senate Republicans to the White House Friday morning to discuss the bill and border security.

Trump repeatedly has demanded funds to build the wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, and he told House Republican leaders before Thursday's vote he would not sign a bill approved by the Senate that did not include funding for the wall.

Schumer told colleagues Friday on the Senate floor that Trump was making unilateral decisions that were creating chaos throughout the world.

"All of this turmoil is causing chaos in the markets, chaos abroad, and it's making the United States less prosperous and less secure," Schumer said. "There are not the votes in the Senate for an expensive taxpayer-funded border wall. So President Trump, you will not get your wall. Abandon your shutdown strategy. You're not getting your wall today, next week or on January 3rd, when Democrats take control of the House."

McConnell argued for the wall's funding, saying, "The need for greater security on our southern border is not some partisan invention. It's an empirical fact and the need is only growing."
The International Organization for Migration has launched a project to exterminate insects that are attacking and damaging the bamboo structures sheltering hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh.

Aid workers are racing against time to get the job done before the next monsoon season starts in four months-time. U.N. migration experts warn that almost every shelter in the Rohingya refugee camps in Cox's Bazar is at risk of collapsing because of an infestation of tiny insects.



These insects, called "boring beetles," eat the bamboo used to construct the shelters. International Organization for Migration spokesman Joel Millman says the homes of some 240,000 Rohingya families are at risk and need to be replaced with more durable bamboo.



"To help meet the challenge, IOM has launched a new treatment facility in the south of Cox's Bazar, which will be scaled up over coming weeks until it has the capacity to treat around 40,000 pieces of bamboo per monthsufficient to upgrade between 6,000 and 7,000 shelters," Millman said.

Millman says this project will help ensure the refugees do not have to live with the constant threat of their shelters collapsing due to damaged bamboo.



Nearly 1 million Rohingya refugees are living in Cox's Bazar. Most of them fled there at the end of August 2017 to escape violence and persecution in Myanmar. To deal with this sudden mass exodus, a city constructed of bamboo and tarpaulins was rapidly built on the hills of a forested nature reserve.



The untreated bamboo used in the construction of the huts were attacked by insects, causing major damage. IOM says Rohingya refugees working in a cash-for-work project are of invaluable help.



It says many of the Rohingya were skilled in bamboo craftsmanship in Myanmar and are using these techniques to advance the operation.
Reactions are mixed to reports in the U.S. media that U.S. President Donald Trump is mulling over withdrawing within weeks roughly half of the more than 14,000 U.S. troops from Afghanistan.

The news of the potential withdrawal from Afghanistan comes a day after Trump announced that the U.S. had defeated the Islamic State in Syria and that U.S. military personnel would withdraw from the war-torn country.

If the U.S. proceeds with its plans, roughly 9,000 U.S. troops would withdraw from the region in 2019.

The Afghan government, however, has downplayed the significance of the withdrawal.

The alarm about the future of Afghanistan raised in media [today] was more intense in December 2014, presidential spokesperson Haroon Chakhansuri said in a tweet Friday.

Back then, most of the analysts predicted with the withdrawal of more than 100,000 foreign troops, Afghanistan will collapse. But our brave defense and security forces defended this country and its people with courage and proved these analyses wrong, he added.

Major consequences

Michael Kugelman, senior associate for South Asia at the Washington-based Woodrow Wilson Center, however, said the U.S. decision would have major consequences.

It will embolden the Taliban, which has gotten what its long wanted without having to give up anything in return, Kugelman said.

It will demoralize the Afghan government and security forces, and it could well damage Washingtons relationship with Kabul. In the absence of any type of cease-fire or peace deal, it will also give the Taliban a tremendous battlefield advantage that could result in stepped-up offensives and even more violence, he added.

Some analysts like Matt Dearing, an assistant professor at the Washington-based National Defense University, are cautiously optimistic that the drawdown would be carefully executed.

Im confident policymakers will heed the advice of military and civilian practitioners on the best way forward in Afghanistan, Dearing said.

NATO and Afghan forces tell me a continued U.S. presence supporting the mutually dependent missions of counterterrorism and train, advise, assist is critical toward a stable Afghanistan in the near term, Dearing added.

US missions

The U.S. has about 14,000 troops in Afghanistan engaged in both train-and-advise missions, as part of the U.S.-led NATO Resolute Support Mission, and in counterterrorism missions against the Islamic State and al-Qaida terror groups.

WATCH: US, Afghan Forces Capture De Facto Capital of IS-Khorasan

About 8,000 troops from NATO allies and partners are also stationed in the country, training and supporting the Afghan security forces.

Jason H. Campbell, a policy researcher at the Rand Corp., maintains that the U.S. decision could undermine the NATO alliance.

If a U.S. decision to drawdown was made without coordinating with or even informing these allies and partners, it will upset and offend them and perhaps cause them to reconsider their own commitments, Campbell said.

WATCH: US-Led NATO Resolute Support Mission

Campbell cautioned, however, against early judgments ahead of a formal U.S. announcement. He said that if such an announcement did come, it would contradict the South Asia Strategy.

The very optics alone will serve as a hit to U.S. credibility and call into question the mantra of the 2017 South Asia Strategy review that it is based on conditions and not timelines, Campbell said.

In announcing the new U.S. strategy in South Asia in 2017, President Trump criticized the previous U.S. administration for announcing timelines and instead emphasized that his approach would be based on conditions on the ground.

WATCH: US-Trained Afghan Pilots Conduct First Nighttime Airstrikes

Civil war

Some Afghans are fearful that the drawdown might be the beginning of a complete withdrawal and that would push the country toward another civil war, similar to that of 1990s when the former Soviet Union pulled out of the country.

The withdrawal of American forces amid Russia and other neighboring countries control over the Taliban, the pressure from Islamic State, the Taliban violence and the Afghan government weakness, would lead the country into another civil war, Abdul Basir Wasiq, an activist in northern Balkh province, told VOA.

Najib Alokozai, a journalist in eastern Nangarhar, downplays the drawdown.

The withdrawal of American forces would not have a great affect because some 5,000 new U.S. forces were deployed to Afghanistan based on new U.S. South Asia strategy and now 7,000 is leaving the country.

Alokozai added, however, People are concerned that if all the foreign forces leave Afghanistan, the country would fall into conflict.

Peace talks

The news of a possible drawdown comes at a time when the Trump administration has recently stepped up efforts to find a negotiated settlement to the 17-year war in Afghanistan.

U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad this week concluded another round of direct talks with Taliban negotiators in the United Arab Emirates.

Publicly, the Afghan government has welcomed the U.S.-Taliban talks, but privately Afghan leaders have expressed dissatisfaction over not being at the drivers seat of the negotiations.

Ishaq Atmar, a Kabul-based political analyst, believes that by entertaining the idea of a drawdown, the U.S. is exerting pressure over the Afghan government.

The decision made by the U.S. is more of a psychological war to pressurize not only the government but Afghanistan in general to show more flexibility in terms of negotiation with the Taliban, Atmar said.

Taliban victory?

The Taliban have reportedly celebrated the news of a U.S. troop drawdown as a victory for the insurgent group.

A senior member of the group told NBC News Friday that the insurgents were close to victory.

The 17-year-long struggle and sacrifices of thousands of our people finally yielded fruit, the Taliban commander told NBC.

However, Waheed Muzhda, a former member of the Taliban and a Kabul-based analyst who is in regular contact with the insurgents, told VOA that Taliban are not in favor of a hasty U.S. withdrawal.

Nobody in Afghanistan, including the Taliban, want to see the foreign forces leave Afghanistan without proper planning. During the past discussions with different parties, the Taliban have always asked for an organized program of foreign forces withdrawal from Afghanistan, Muzhda said.

VOAs Ayaz Gul contributed to this report from Islamabad.
Voters who went to the polls last month in the United States' midterm elections can rest assured that their votes were registered and counted properly.

However, a new report by the U.S. intelligence community concluded Americans were subjected to ongoing influence operations and disinformation campaigns by several countries, a finding that could trigger automatic sanctions.

"The activity we did see was consistent with what we shared in the weeks leading up to the election," Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats said in a statement late Friday.

"Russia, and other foreign countries, including China and Iran, conducted influence activities and messaging campaigns targeted at the United States to promote their strategic interests," he added.

Early signs were there

In the months leading up to the November vote, intelligence and security officials, and analysts had expressed concerns that countries like Russia and even non-state actors might seek to physically compromise U.S. voting systems.

But the fears, based on evidence Russian hackers had accessed some U.S. state and local systems, such as voter databases, in the run-up to the 2016 presidential election did not play out according to the new assessment.

"At this time, the intelligence community does not have intelligence reporting that indicates any compromise of our nation's election infrastructure that would have prevented voting, changed vote counts, or disrupted the ability to tally votes," Coats said.

The report, required under an executive order signed by President Donald Trump in September, supports the initial assessment by Homeland Security officials the day of the election and in the weeks that followed.

"There were no indications at the time of any foreign compromises of election equipment that would disrupt the ability to cast or count a vote," Christopher Krebs, director of the DHS' Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, said a week after voters went to the polls.

Report could spur new sanctions

The new report now goes to the U.S. attorney general and to the Department of Homeland Security, which have 45 days to review the findings. Should they concur with the intelligence community's assessment, Russia, China and Iran could be slapped with new sanctions.

Those measures could include blocking access to property and interests, restricting access to the U.S. financial system, prohibiting investment in companies found to be involved, and even prohibiting individuals from entering the United States.

Additionally, the president's executive order authorizes the State Department and the Treasury Department to add additional sanctions, if deemed necessary.

But as in the aftermath of the 2016 election, when the CIA and FBI concluded with "high confidence" that Russia sought to undermine confidence in the U.S. electoral process and help then-candidate Donald Trump win election, gauging the success of the 2018 meddling efforts is difficult.

"We did not make an assessment of the impact that these activities had on the outcome of the 2018 election," Coats cautioned in his statement. "The U.S. intelligence community is charged with monitoring and assessing the intentions, capabilities and actions of foreign actors; it does not analyze U.S. political processes or U.S. public opinion."

'Witch hunt'

That impact will likely be debated in U.S. political circles, fueled in part by the president's own attacks against the ongoing special counsel investigation into Russia's activities and into possible collusion with Trump's own campaign staff.

Trump has repeatedly dismissed the investigation as a "witch hunt."

Still, some lawmakers see the new intelligence community assessment as reason to act.

"The Russians did not go away after the 2016 election," Sen. Mark Warner, vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said in a statement.

Warner, who previously criticized the president's executive order for failing to lay out strong, clear consequences for election meddling, said it was no surprise China and Iran tried to manipulate American voters, and that the problem will only get worse.

"We're going to see more and more adversaries trying to take advantage of the openness of our society to sow division and attempt to manipulate Americans," he added. "Congress has to step up and enact some much-needed guardrails on social media, and companies need to work with us so that we can update our laws to better protect against attacks on our democracy."

Executive order praised

Former officials have urged patience, praising the executive order as a good start and cautioning it will take time to see how well it works.

"I don't know that it will be a complete solution," said Sean Kanuck, a former intelligence officer for cyber issues, said when the order was first introduced. "I doubt it will completely change the incentive-cost-benefit analysis of the other side."

Even after the executive order was unveiled, U.S. officials, as well as social media companies, continued to turn up evidence that Russia and others tried to meddle in the 2018 U.S. midterm election.

In October, the U.S. Justice Department unsealed an indictment against 44-year-old Elena Alekseevna Khusyaynova, 44, of St. Petersburg, charging her with helping to finance disinformation campaigns on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter, targeting both Republican and Democratic voters.

As with previous efforts, the accounts were designed to make it appear as though they belonged to American political activists and some managed to generate tens of thousands of followers.

Later that month, Facebook said it had removed 82 accounts, pages or groups from its site and from Instagram that originated in Iran and targeted liberal U.S. voters.

But U.S. officials and experts have also warned that the heavy focus on social media and influence campaigns, and the lack of evidence of tampering with U.S. voting systems and databases, should not be seen as a victory.

Saving 'best tricks for 2020'

They say that just as the U.S. has hardened its systems against attacks and intrusions, cyber adversaries like Russia have been watching and learning, with their eyes perhaps on a much more significant target.

"The Russians were going to save their best tricks for 2020," said William Carter, deputy director, Technology Policy Program, Center for Strategic and International Studies, predicted in the days before the U.S. midterm elections in November.

"They're going to let us chase our tails in 2018 and look for them where they're not," he added.
As talks dragged on between Congress and President Donald Trump over funding for his border wall, the U.S. Senate adjourned Saturday afternoon, with no plans to meet until Thursday.

A partial government shutdown, which began at 12:01 a.m. Saturday, was triggered by Congress' inability to agree on a funding measure to keep the government open. The shutdown affected more than 800,000 federal employees, more than half of whom will continue to work without pay.

Shortly before Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky announced the Senate would adjourn until Dec. 27, reporters said Vice President Mike Pence had arrived at the Capitol to speak with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York.

McConnell said the Senate would meet in a "pro forma" session Monday, but those sessions are brief, sometimes lasting just minutes.

Earlier Saturday, Trump discussed border security with Republican lawmakers and senior aides at the White House. During a conference call Saturday with reporters, a senior administration official was asked why Democrats were not present at the meeting when Trump had repeatedly said they were responsible for the shutdown.

It's important that Senate Democrats come to the table and begin to negotiate with us, the official said. Conversations last night did occur. We hope those continue this day, tomorrow and into the future. But it is important for them to acknowledge that border security, physical barriers, need to be part of this package."

McConnell said any agreement on a funding measure would need to be approved by the president and congressional leaders before it could come to a vote.

Democrats' leaders

Schumer and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California issued a joint statement Saturday saying, "Democrats have offered Republicans multiple proposals to keep the government open, including one that already passed the Senate unanimously, and all of which include funding for strong, sensible and effective border security  not the president's ineffective and expensive wall."

After the Senate had adjourned, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters at the White House, "Due to the shutdown, President Trump will remain in Washington, D.C., and the first lady will return from Florida so they can spend Christmas together."

The Senate late Wednesday approved by voice vote a stopgap measure that would have prevented the shutdown, but it did not include $5 billion Trump wanted for the border wall, and he balked on Thursday at signing it.

The Republican-led House of Representatives then passed a temporary spending bill Thursday that included $5.7 billion for the wall and funding to keep the government running until Feb. 8. On Friday, the Senate advanced that bill with a procedural vote that provided "flexibility" to continue negotiating, McConnell said. But, facing a midnight deadline, Republican leaders could not produce the 60 votes needed for passage.

Senators adjourned, and about a quarter of the government ran out of funds at 12:01 a.m. Saturday.

Trump and Democrats blamed each other for the shutdown. After previously saying he would "proudly" accept responsibility for it if Congress did not pass legislation that included funding for the wall, Trump tweeted Friday, "The Democrats now own the shutdown!"

Schumer told colleagues on the Senate floor Friday that Trump was making unilateral decisions that were creating chaos throughout the world.

'Abandon' plan, Trump told

"All of this turmoil is causing chaos in the markets, chaos abroad and it's making the United States less prosperous and less secure," Schumer said. "There are not the votes in the Senate for an expensive taxpayer-funded border wall. So President Trump, you will not get your wall. Abandon your shutdown strategy."

McConnell argued for the wall's funding, saying, "The need for greater security on our southern border is not some partisan invention. It's an empirical fact and the need is only growing."

Trump has said his proposed wall, whose total estimated cost is $20 million, will thwart illegal immigration. Construction of the wall was a popular rallying cry at Trump campaign events during his successful 2016 run for the White House. Trump also told his supporters that Mexico would pay for the wall.

The senior official stressed to reporters on Saturday's conference call that the administration continues to believe Mexico will pay for the wall, but the White House is not going to "wait on negotiations" with Mexico to be able to start its construction. He added that president was not insisting the wall has to be "some kind of concrete barrier" and that he was open to a "steel slat" structure.

The dispute was occurring in the last days of Republican control of both houses of Congress. Democrats picked up 40 seats in the 435-member House in the November elections and are set assume control in early January, although Republicans will maintain their edge in the Senate.

The Schumer-Pelosi statement on Saturday said that "if President Trump and Republicans choose to continue this Trump shutdown, the new House Democratic majority will swiftly pass legislation to reopen government in January."

Patsy Widakuswara at the White House contributed to this report.
Protests against price rises and the autocratic three-decade regime of President Omar Hassan al-Bashir spread Saturday in Sudan, amid reports of fresh casualties.

The government closed schools and universities in the capital, Khartoum, to prevent students from joining the widening protests, and the country's spy chief has shut down internet service and social media sites.

Protesters took to the streets of Khartoum and at least a half-dozen other cities, and there were reports of clashes with security forces firing tear gas in a number of them. Reports of arrests circulated on Twitter, but because of the internet outages it was not immediately clear how many people had been detained.

The Reuters news agency said 14 leaders of opposition groups were arrested, including octogenarian politician Farouq Abu Issa, who leads one of two main opposition groups, following a gathering of opponents of al-Bashir in the capital.

Former Prime Minister Sadiq al-Mahdi, who was ousted by Bashir in 1989, told a press conference after the meeting that a "national unity government" should be formed. Al-Mahdi, who recently returned from exile to resume political activity, said the popular rejection of the regime had spread to 28 cities, meaning the Sudanese people were expressing their opposition to a dictatorial regime.

Legal, justified

This peaceful movement, he said, is allowed by the Sudanese constitution and international agreements to which Sudan is a signatory, and it is justified by the collapse of public services and the economic crisis.

Hundreds of protesters in Khartoum chanted slogans Friday against the al- Bashir government, and they included the popular Arab Spring slogan, "The people want to topple the regime." It was the fourth day of protests over rising prices and political oppression.

Sudan's spy chief, Salah Gosh, reportedly met with journalists and other well-known figures Friday to demand they conform to a national loyalty pact. A number of newspapers reportedly decided not to publish Saturday because of the restrictions. Gosh also was reported on social media to have claimed that the Israeli Mossad was involved in sabotage and violence during the four days of protests.

Various social media outlets showed amateur video of security forces firing tear gas at protesters near Khartoum and in its twin city of Omdurman. Other videos showed what appeared to be a government security vehicle ramming into protesters overnight. It was not clear whether anyone was killed or injured.

Reuters reported that demonstrating students set fire to the headquarters of the country's ruling party Saturday in al-Rahad, 370 kilometers northeast of the capital. Amateur video on Twitter also showed a large crowd of mostly young men protesting against the regime in Barbar, in the north of the country.

Coordination suspected

Faisal Hassan Ibrahim, deputy head of the ruling party, asserted that the protests appeared to be "coordinated and organized," and he insisted the security forces were "guarding strategic locations" across the country.

Adam, a 30-year-old computer programmer from Khartoum, told VOA he didn't think people were protesting because of calls by any political party or opposition group. Rather, he said, the protests were spurred by the country's economy.

"The government stopped all the banks," he said. "If people want to buy something, there is no money, there is no fuel, and there is no transportation, [so] the people feel that life has stopped. So they decided to get out and drive out the government."

Al-Mahdi said Saturday that 22 people had been killed in the four days of protests against the government. The BBC Arabic services reported that the toll could be as high as 25. VOA could not independently confirm the casualty figures.

Al-Bashir, who is wanted on an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court for gross human rights violations in Darfur, has ruled Sudan with an iron fist for nearly 30 years. Lawmakers recently amended the constitution to allow him to run for another term in 2020.
Sudanese authorities arrested 14 leaders of an opposition coalition on Saturday, a spokesman for the grouping said, as anti-government protests driven by an

economic crisis continued for a fourth day in several cities.

Farouk Abu Issa, the 85-year-old head of the National Consensus Forces, one of the country's two main opposition groupings, was among those detained after an opposition meeting

in the capital Khartoum, said spokesman Sadiq Youssef.

"We demand their immediate release, and their arrest is an attempt by the regime to stop the street movements," Youssef said, adding that Abu Issa was in poor health and had been

transferred to hospital after his detention.

Officials could not immediately be reached for comment. The arrests came on the fourth day of demonstrations, fuelled by deteriorating economic conditions in cities across Sudan, in which protesters have voiced anger over corruption and some have called for an end to President Omar al-Bashir's rule.

On Saturday, students protesting in the city of al-Rahad set fire to the ruling party's office and other official buildings and briefly closed the main road to the capital Khartoum, about 370km (230 miles) to the north east, witnesses said.

Police used teargas to disperse protesters, witnesses said. Protesters also gathered in several eastern neighbourhoods of Khartoum and in the southern city of Madani, witnesses said. Faisal Hassan Ibrahim, an assistant to Bashir and deputy head of the ruling party, said the protests were "coordinated and organised" and that two of those killed in demonstrations in the city of al-Qadarif were from the armed forces.

"Now the Sudanese armed forces are guarding strategic locations in all Sudanese regions," he added. At least nine people have been killed in protests this week, according to officials and witnesses, though casualty numbers are hard to confirm.

Internet service has slowed and activists have accused the government of blocking social media to stop protesters communicating. Authorities have blamed the protests on "infiltrators."

Bashir, one of Africa's longest-serving leaders, took power in an Islamist and military-backed coup in 1989. Lawmakers this month proposed a constitutional amendment to extend term limits

that would have required him to step down in 2020.

Sadiq al-Mahdi, leader of the opposition Umma party who returned to Sudan this week from nearly a year in self-imposed exile, backed the protests, saying they would "continue because the people are driven by collapsing services."
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Friday that his country would hold off on a military operation against the U.S.-backed Kurdish forces in northeastern Syria, citing a telephone conversation this past week with U.S. President Donald Trump.

"Our phone call with Mr. Trump, as well as the contacts of our diplomatic and security units, and the statements from the American side have led us to wait a little longer," Erdogan said during an awards ceremony in Istanbul.

"Of course, this is not an open waiting period," he said, underlining his country's intention to carry out an assault in "the coming months" on the Kurdish fighters, known as the People's Protection Units (YPG), who played a key role in the U.S.-led fight against the Islamic State (IS) in Syria.

Civilians flee

The Turkish military launched an operation against the YPG in January and took over the Kurdish town of Afrin in northwestern Syria. The military last week threatened another incursion against YPG, this time vowing to eliminate the fighters from all of northeastern Syria, where about 2,000 U.S. special forces have operated, helping in the fight against IS and serving as a buffer in Turkish-Kurdish clashes.

The recent Turkish threats have forced many civilians to evacuate their homes on both sides of the border to avoid being targeted.

WATCH: Turkey's Gaziantep Residents Concerned Amid Border Tensions With Syria

The United States and Turkey have for years been at odds over Syria, where Washington depended on YPG as the main element of local Syrian Democratic Forces to retake large swaths of territory from IS, including the jihadi group's self-proclaimed capital, Raqqa.

Turkey claims the YPG is the Syrian wing of the Turkey-based separatist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which is considered a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and European Union.

Western allies, however, distinguish between YPG and PKK.

WATCH: Why Turkey Is Attacking YPG

Erdogan, during a speech Friday at the Turkish Exporters Assembly, said U.S.-Turkish differences over Syria were nearing a solution, particularly after Trump on Wednesday announced plans to withdraw all U.S. troops from Syria.

"These problems, especially during the [former President Barack] Obama era, were left to Trump as a bad legacy, which would have wasted time in a new arrangement. I have personally seen Mr. Trump and think the same in many points on the Syrian issue, and we have shared the same convictions in our last phone call," he said, adding Ankara welcomed Washington's "promising" remarks with caution "because of our bad experiences in the past."

"Mr. Trump asked us, 'Would you clean IS from there?' " Erdogan said, referring to his conversation with Trump on the IS threat in Syria.

" 'We have cleaned it up before and we can clean it now, as long as you give us the necessary logistical support,' and then they [U.S. troops] started to withdraw," Erdogan added.



IS defeat



Trump said he had decided to pull U.S. troops from Syria because IS had been defeated there.

"We have won against ISIS. We have beaten them and we have beaten them badly," Trump said Wednesday in a video post on Twitter. "We have taken back the land and now it's time for our troops to come back home."

The next day, Trump said Russia, Iran and Syria were unhappy about the U.S. move "because now they will have to fight ISIS and others." If IS hits the U.S., Trump tweeted, "they are doomed!"

But Kurdish officials have argued otherwise, warning IS remnants still pose a significant threat in eastern Syria near the Iraqi border, where they still control some pockets.

A report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) estimated IS might still have 20,000 to 30,000 militants in Iraq and Syria, mostly operating underground.

WATCH: Syrian Kurdish Leader Says US Troop Withdrawal Will Boost IS

Mustafa Bali, the spokesperson for the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), in a tweet Friday said heavy clashes erupted after IS fighters conducted a "huge" counterattack in Abu Khater village in eastern Syria's Hajin region.

He said the U.S.-led coalition provided airstrikes in support of the Kurdish fighters, who control only 35 percent of the region.

The Syrian Kurds, who are disappointed by the withdrawal, consider the U.S. decision a stab in the back.

Kurdish officials say they are seeking alternatives, including gaining European assurance and even an agreement with the Syrian government, to prevent a potential attack from Turkey in their northern region and on IS remnants in the south of the country.

WATCH: Thousands Protest American Withdrawal in Northern Syria

Some experts warn that while IS has lost over 95 percent of the territory it once held, a sudden withdrawal could embolden the militants to regroup and re-establish themselves.

"This withdrawal will mean the SDF are forced to fall back into a defensive posture, both against IS and against Turkey," said Max Hoffman, a national security expert at the Center for American Progress, a liberal-leaning public policy research group in Washington.

"IS will have time and space to reconstitute itself, and will almost surely make a comeback over the next few years," he added.

Hoffman warned the decision would most likely also affect other U.S strategic objectives in the Middle East, such as containing Iran and its allied Shiite militias.

William Wechsler, a Middle East expert at the Atlantic Council, a global affairs think tank in Washington, said that besides Iran, the Syrian regime and their allies, the U.S. decision was also a major win for Turkey and its influence in the region.

'Betrayed'

"The Syrian Kurds, who bore a disproportionate burden in the battle against the Islamic State, will feel abandoned and indeed betrayed by the U.S. This is therefore undeniably a big win for Turkey. It is likely not a coincidence that just yesterday the Trump administration announced it would reverse another policy and now sell the Patriot missile defense system to Turkey," Wechsler told VOA.



The U.S. State Department on Tuesday announced approval of the sale of a $3.5 billion Patriot missile system to Turkey.

Naim Baburoglu, a former Turkish military officer, said the U.S. withdrawal would make it more practical for the Turkish army to launch future military actions in northern Syria.

"If Turkey goes into Syria for an operation, there won't be risk of clashing with U.S. soldiers," Baburoglu told VOA. "This is a positive solution for Turkey, because it would be more free to do an operation and neutralize PKK/PYD much more easily."



VOA's Kurdish and Turkish services contributed to this report.
A United Nations monitoring team has arrived in Yemen to monitor the fragile cease-fire in the port city of Hodeida.

The group, led by Patrick Cammaert, a retired Dutch general, meets with government officials Saturday in Aden.



The team's next stop is Sana, before traveling to the Red Sea port city of Hodeida.
U.N. rights experts called on British authorities Friday to allow WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to leave the Ecuador embassy in London without fear of arrest or extradition.

The U.N. Working Group on Arbitrary Detention reiterated its finding published in February 2016 that Assange had been de facto unlawfully held without charge in the embassy, where he has now been holed up for more than six years.

He initially took asylum to avoid being extradited to Sweden, where authorities wanted to question him as part of a sexual assault investigation. That investigation was dropped.

Bail violation

Assange, whose website published thousands of classified U.S. government documents, denied the Sweden allegations, saying the charge was a ploy that would eventually take him to the United States where prosecutors are preparing to pursue a criminal case against him.

Britain says Assange will be arrested for skipping bail if he leaves the embassy, but that any sentence would not exceed six months, if convicted. It had no immediate comment on the experts call, but in June, foreign office minister Alan Duncan said Assange would be treated humanely and properly.

The only ground remaining for Mr. Assanges continued deprivation of liberty is a bail violation in the UK, which is, objectively, a minor offense that cannot post facto justify the more than six years confinement that he has been subjected to since he sought asylum in the Embassy of Ecuador, the U.N. experts said in a statement.

It is time that Mr. Assange, who has already paid a high price for peacefully exercising his rights to freedom of opinion, expression and information, and to promote the right to truth in the public interest, recovers his freedom, they said.

Ecuador rules

Lawyers for Assange and others have said his work with WikiLeaks was critical to a free press and was protected speech.

The experts voiced concern that his deprivation of liberty was undermining his health and could endanger his life given the disproportionate amount of anxiety that has entailed.

Ecuador in October imposed new rules requiring him to receive routine medical exams, following concern he was not getting the medical attention he needed. The rules also ordered him to pay medical and phone bills and clean up after his cat.

Assange has sued Ecuador, arguing the rules violate his rights. An Ecuadorean court on Friday upheld a prior ruling dismissing Assanges suit.

We have lost again, said Carlos Povedo, Assanges attorney in Ecuador, adding that the legal team would consider bringing a case to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights.
The U.S. federal government has begun a partial shutdown of its operations.

About a quarter of the government ran out of funds at 12:01 a.m. Saturday, Washington time. More than 800,000 federal employees jobs have been disrupted and more than half of those employees are required to work without pay.

The U.S. Senate and House of Representatives adjourned late Friday without passing a federal spending bill that provides President Donald Trump with the $5 billion that he insists is needed to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border in addition to appropriations for government agencies.

Lawmakers had until midnight to enact a measure to keep the government fully funded.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Speaker-designate Nancy Pelosi issued a joint statement Saturday saying, Democrats have offered Republicans multiple proposals to keep the government open, including one that already passed the Senate unanimously, and all of which include funding for strong, sensible, and effective border security  not the presidents ineffective and expensive wall. If President Trump and Republicans choose to continue this Trump shutdown, the new House Democratic majority will swiftly pass legislation to re-open government in January.

Trump tweeted a video late Friday, saying were going to have a shutdown. Theres nothing we can do about that.

Senate advances House bill

Earlier Friday, the Senate voted to advance a House-passed bill that included funding for the wall. The procedural vote gave the Senate flexibility to continue negotiating, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer told The Washington Post that Democrats were open to discussions but would not agree to any new money for a border wall.

After previously saying he would proudly accept responsibility for a partial U.S. government shutdown if Congress does not pass legislation that includes funding for his proposed border wall, Trump early Friday tweeted, The Democrats now own the shutdown!

Friday afternoon he tweeted:

Congress will be back in session Saturday, but no votes are scheduled at the present time.

House bill has wall funds

On Thursday, the Republican-led House of Representatives passed a temporary spending bill that included billions for Trumps proposed wall along the southern U.S. border.

Trump repeatedly has demanded funds to build the wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, and he told House Republican leaders he would not sign a bill that did not include funding for the wall.

Schumer told colleagues Friday on the Senate floor that Trump is making unilateral decisions that are creating chaos throughout the world.

All of this turmoil is causing chaos in the markets, chaos abroad and its making the United States less prosperous and less secure, Schumer said. There are not the votes in the Senate for an expensive taxpayer-funded border wall. So President Trump you will not get your wall. Abandon your shutdown strategy. Youre not getting your wall today, next week or on January 3rd when Democrats take control of the House.

McConnell argued for the walls funding, saying, The need for greater security on our southern border is not some partisan invention. Its an empirical fact and the need is only growing.

Frustration with Congress

Trump has voiced increasing frustration that Congress has refused his request for a $5 billion down payment on the $20 billion wall he says will thwart illegal immigration. Construction of the wall was a popular rallying cry at Trump campaign events during his successful 2016 run for the White House. Trump also told his supporters that Mexico would pay for the wall.

The dispute is occurring in the last days of Republican control of both houses of Congress.

Democrats, adamantly opposed to Trumps wall proposal, picked up 40 seats in the 435-member House of Representatives in the November elections and are set assume control in early January, although Republicans will maintain their edge in the Senate.
Photo: Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Lin-Manuel Mirandas Hamilton remix series, Hamildrop, has come to an end, but its going out with a bang. For a gospel reworking of One Last Time, the extremely booked and busy Miranda casually flipped through his Rolodex and rung up none other than Barack Obama to feature on the song, along with BeBe Winans and Christopher Jackson. Obama pops in midway to recite a passage from George Washingtons farewell address: Though, in reviewing the incidents of my administration, I am unconscious of intentional error, I am nevertheless too sensible of my defects not to think it probable that I may have committed many errors.

The significance here, beyond it being another reminder of Obamas absence [tear] is that Miranda was partly motivated to write Hamilton after performing Alexander Hamilton at the White House for Obama in 2009. Miranda and Christopher Jackson returned to perform One Last Time  which was also inspired by Obamas Yes We Can slogan  as part of Obamas farewell celebrations. Ah history, always coming full circle.
Of all the things that couldve linked former president Richard Nixon to current president Donald Trump in our political climate, their drawl and penchant for scandalous activities are taking a temporary back-seat in favor of some Florida hospitality. Because as Stephen Colbert realized on The Late Show last night, Trump is heading off to his balmy Mar-a-Lago compound for the remainder of the year, a move that, gasp, held major significance for Nixons administration decades ago. Coincidentally, Richard Nixon went to Mar-a-Lago a month before he resigned from the presidency, Colbert explained, crossing all of his fingers. Oh history, please repeat yourself! We did our part by not learning from you! Lets regroup on January 22.

Related
A Limestone County woman battling cancer has an entire community behind her.

28-year-old Brittney Haney was diagnosed with brain cancer back in July, and she says shes not letting it impact her Christmas.

WAAY 31 spoke with Brittney about her journey and the support shes gotten from friends, family, and even strangers.

Really dizzy, really just no energy," said Brittney Haney.

Thats how Brittney describes the way she was feeling back in July.

She says her coworkers noticed and convinced her to go to the hospital to get an MRI.

They saw spots on my brain which they initially thought were parasites," she said.

But when the results came back, Brittney learned she had brain tumors.

She quickly reacted and drove to Phoenix, Arizona where she underwent chemotherapy.

And when she got back home, she was greeted with a surprise.

It felt good whenever I was driving home after being gone for eight weeks to see all these signs that say Battling for Brittney.

Brittney says the support shes received from her community keeps her hopeful.

It means more than anybody knows. Its just all so uplifting.

But theres one special someone who makes the fight even more important.

Shes only 17 months old, so that kind of drives me more to fight more, because I do want to be here for her and see her grow up," Brittney said about her daughter.

And Brittney just received the good news that the tumors on her brain have shrunk.

That was like the best Christmas present ever," she said.

And, now, she has a message for anyone else who might be facing a similar battle.

God doesnt give you anything that you cant handle. Theres a reason for everything. Even the strongest battles, theres a reason that its happening," she said, "Just keep fighting and dont give up.

If you'd like to donate money to Brittney's family, you can go to Redstone Federal Credit Union and ask about the Brittney Haney Fund.
It's been a banner year for job creation in Alabama. Right now 46,000 more people have jobs than this time a year ago and Huntsville is leading the charge.

A study by 24/7 Wall Street ranks Huntsville as the 6th city in the country to add the most jobs in 2018 something that doesn't surprise Alabama Career Center System manager Mike Fowler.

"With using a radius of 25 miles around huntsville I came up with just under 5,000 job opportunities."

In the first six months of 2018 the state brought in more jobs than all of the two previous years combined. Facebook and Mazda Toyota were the big job-creators, but that number doesn't include some 12,000 jobs that could come from suppliers, when the auto plant is online.

While the jobs are here and waiting to be filled some people are still struggling to find work. One woman said she's been looking for a year.

"If you're not technically centered or you do not have a technical degree that is a problem. Another problem is a lot of the jobs are contract," said Tonya Johnson.

Johnson said another problem she faces is not having a security clearance which is needed for a lot of government jobs in the area. The Huntsville-Madison Chamber of Commerce said, there is a solution.

"Everybody's situation is a little different but we encourage people to seek out those resources that are available and that will help them," said Claire Aiello the director of marketing and communications for the chamber.

Aiello credits Huntsville leadership with creating an environment ripe for business. Affordable living and available land are main reasons industries want to move here. The chamber is working closely with the career center to fill all the jobs which are listed on the chamber's website.

The news gets better in the years ahead more than a dozen major projects will bring 6,000 plus jobs to North Alabama in the coming years. The investments total more than $4,000,000,000.
A Himalayan region claimed by both India and Pakistan, Kashmir is divided by a heavily militarized frontier. The insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir began in 1989 and has ebbed and flowed in the intervening years. Pakistan has lent active support to the militancy, much to Indias fury. The number of militants is thought to be only a few hundred today, far less than at the insurgencys peak in the 1990s and early 2000s.
The move announced earlier this week by Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue helped give conservatives an out. Bypassing Congress, the proposal that would weaken the waivers it gives states to temporarily suspend some food-stamp work requirements. While not as dramatic as the changes sought by House Republicans, it could affect up to 755,000 families, USDA officials said.
(TNS)  Two hackers associated with Chinas chief security service have been charged with stealing troves of confidential digital information from dozens of U.S. companies, NASA and the Navy, the Justice Department announced Thursday in its latest indictment aimed at alleged Chinese economic and military espionage.Among other targets, the hackers allegedly infiltrated Pentagon networks and stole personal data, including dates of birth and Social Security numbers of more than 100,000 sailors and other Navy personnel.They also infiltrated computers linked to NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory in La Canada Flintridge, the indictment said.The charges come amid growing tension between Washington and Beijing over trade policy, military friction in the South China Sea and Chinese ventures in Africa and Latin America. Trump administration officials have increasingly complained of what they describe as an alarming surge in Chinese digital attacks on U.S. companies and government agencies.Industries as varied as agriculture, banking and finance, telecommunications, biotechnology, automotive, mining and healthcare have been targeted for cyber thefts, the Justice Department said. The hackers also allegedly infiltrated companies in more than a dozen other countries.The alleged cyber thieves worked for Huaying Haitai Science and Technology Development Co. in Tianjin, China, and they acted in association with the Chinese Ministry of State Security, the countrys top intelligence agency, the Justice Department said.Two Chinese nationals, Zhu Hu and Zhang Shilong, were accused of orchestrating an extensive campaign of economic espionage that hacked more than 45 American companies in at least a dozen states beginning in 2006 and continuing through this year, according to the indictment.Within the cyber security community, Zhu and Zhang were members of an infamous hacking group known as Advanced Persistent Threat 10, according to prosecutors. Their group was also known as Red Apollo, CVNX and Stone Panda, according to the indictment.It is unacceptable that we continue to uncover cyber crime committed by China against other nations, Deputy Atty. Gen. Rod Rosenstein said at a news conference unveiling the unsealing of the indictment in the case.Zhu and Zhang were indicted by a federal grand jury in New York City on charges of conspiring to commit computer intrusions, conspiring to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.Prosecutors said that the hackers steadily improved their ability to breach network defenses in a "continuous and unrelenting effort" to steal technology and other information.Starting in 2014, prosecutors said, the group infiltrated computers and networks of service providers, which 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 and oil and gas exploration, prosecutors said. The service provider was not identified.
Two other people familiar with the panelists interview confirmed Daviss account. The Bowser aide acknowledged that the panel was allowed to ask each candidate just six questions. She said three were selected by the mayor from a list of options written by the panelists. The aide said the group was allowed to ask three other questions that they came up with on the spot.
Even more worrisome than all of this, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine noted earlier this month, Apollo 8 would be in orbit around the moon on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. In other words, if there was a failure here, it would wreck Christmas not only for everybody in the United States, but for everybody in the world.
Voila! I put the coats in those zip bags that you vacuum all the air out of, and they fit in a tote bag that we checked. We were able to pull out our coats at the baggage claim. Hope others find this helpful.
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A month after receiving the stock, Evans asked Mendelson to place emergency legislation on the council agenda that would have allowed Digi to install digital signs that were at the center of a brewing legal dispute between Digi and the D.C. government. However, Evans did not move forward with the bill after it became clear it did not have the votes to pass.
In the State House, however, just over half of the 60 newly elected lawmakers  31  are women. Because of them, the 188-member General Assembly will include 72 women (63 Democrats and 9 Republicans) when it convenes next month, topping the previous record of 67. They are aware that Marylands State House  like others across the country  is known as an old-boys network, where sexual harassment can be pervasive. But they believe their time has come.
In the 2011 Post interview, Mr. Rogers said that the only approach to address the carbon issue [is one] that allows us to successfully reduce emissions in a way that is fair and allows us to transition to a [less carbon-intensive] world. Unfortunately, the people who invented it have demonized it  the Republicans. When they created it, they called it the greatest use of market forces to solve the problems of the world.
The U.S. attorneys office in the District says the guard emigrated to the United States in 1946 and at some point moved to Ridgefield. He sold his house in 1962, leaving the painting behind, just as the couple who bought it from him did when they sold it in 1987 to David Tracy and moved to Arizona to retire. The Swiss guard died in 1986 with no heirs, federal prosecutors said
Angela Pellerano, the spokeswoman for the Arlington Diocese, did not respond to several requests for comment for this article. A diocesan official who was scheduled to attend one of the opening meetings at Our Lady canceled the night before, and Bishop Michael Burbidge has held no open forums on the abuse issue this year  only ones that have been invitation-only, parish members said. The diocese has not posted a list of priests accused of abuse in the diocese but said earlier this fall that it will.
Until then, she was trying to keep the effort a secret from him. She could tell the loss bothered him. The family believes the ornaments were donated by an organizer who helped him clear out his Maryland house a few months ago when he moved to Richmond to live closer to Cotting and her son, his first grandchild.
Adding more passenger service over the Potomac in the next decade, she said, will be necessary to meet the demand driven by population growth, economic growth and congestion. Highway projects such as the addition of high-occupancy toll lanes on interstates 95 and 66 in Northern Virginia are not going to be enough to handle the growth, and building more lanes is not feasible, officials say.
The job of sorting and preserving records has grown bigger and more time-consuming with each administration, as more and more of each administrations papers take digital form. Thats partly a matter of volume because conversations that used to happen in person or on the phone now take place in email chains that must be preserved. And partly, its the difference between how paper and electronic files get stored.
A short shutdown really has about no effect, if its a day or two, said Mark Mazur, who served as assistant secretary for tax policy at Treasury and now works at the Tax Policy Center, a nonpartisan think tank. A weeks-long shutdown means that for things that need to get done for the filing season, there may not be the people there to do them.
Musics role in healing has been promoted for quite some time: In 1948, a study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) recommended that physicians incorporate music therapy as a part of routine patient care. By the 1950s, music was being used as a complementary therapy to treat mental-health concerns. More recently, music therapy has been used to help veterans recover from PTSD. New studies suggest that singing and listening to music triggers the brain to release oxytocin and dopamine, neurotransmitters and hormones tied to such emotions as joy and love.
Footage of the June 2 shooting at Mile High Spirits and Distillery shows Bishop dancing in the middle of a circle of people before doing the backflip. The gun falls to the ground mid-flip and discharges as Bishop picks it up. The agent then puts the gun into a waistband holster and walks away with his hands up.
Something of that mood is in the air once again. Once again we live in an era of peace, prosperity and technological innovation. Once again, we take them all for granted. Once again, some are enthusiastic for a new adventure  and in Britain, Theresa Mays Brexit gridlock might make it possible. The prime minister has not managed to secure a parliamentary majority for the withdrawal plan that she negotiated with the European Union. Instead, she has postponed the vote, and this week the government started planning for a no deal exit. If this comes to pass, hundreds of trade and other agreements between Britain and the continent will simply become invalid on March 29, the day the negotiating clock runs out. Unless the E.U. decides to offer extensions, customs checks and tariff barriers will automatically snap into place  and nobody really knows what that means.
Real civics education also consists of convening regular class meetings so students can discuss what kind of classroom they want to have and how to make that happen  rather than being handed a list of rules (with penalties for disobedience)  as well as what theyre curious about. Students should participate in deciding what to read next, how to decorate the bulletin boards and arrange the furniture, how to solve conflicts and act as a community to ensure that no one feels excluded or unsafe. And if they disagree about something, they ought to learn how to forge a compromise or reach consensus rather than just taking a vote and letting the majority win. Voting, as the late political theorist Benjamin R. Barber remarked, is perhaps the least important act in a real democracy.
Mattis, in his memorable resignation letter (a bookend to George Kennans long telegram of 1946) 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. 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.
Trump has said repeatedly that the United States has for too long been serving as a global policeman without getting anything for it. This is the United States opportunity to get something in return for the investment of lives and resources expended to push the Islamic State out of northeast Syria  an opportunity to bring economic vitality to a people who have both the will and the natural resources to accomplish that goal, but who, without our support, will once again be pillaged by Damascus, or Tehran, or Istanbul, or even Moscow. Such an outcome would be a significant blow to U.S. national security interests and will give our adversaries in the Middle East yet one more example of a United States that has chosen to abandon not only its allies but also those principles that have attracted hopeful people around the world for more than 200 years.
Never married, Mattis has a monkish devotion to his calling. He reads voraciously, especially in the areas of military history and the art of leadership. His strategy for unseating the Taliban in Afghanistan, perhaps the most audacious amphibious operation in Marine Corps history, was informed by his knowledge of British operations in World War II Burma and the fine details of Ulysses S. Grants Vicksburg campaign. For the invasion of Iraq, he reviewed the career of Alexander the Great. He applied the dialetical method of philosopher G.W.F. Hegel to better see through the fog of war. By reading, you learn through others experiences  generally a better way to do business, Mattis has observed, especially in our line of work where the consequences of incompetence are so final for young men.
That was news to Democrats. You own the shutdown, Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) responded in a tweet, adding a video clip of his meeting with Trump and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) in the Oval Office in which the president declared: I will be the one to shut it down. Im not going to blame you for it.
Theres no longer any escaping from the reality of what the past two years have produced: a president who is facing multiple investigations, by special counsel Robert S. Mueller III and by others; a president who has further divided an already divided country; a president who has not sought in any serious way to reach beyond his base; a president whose policies have left allies overseas worried about the absence of U.S. leadership. The country is heading into a year in which many of these could come to a head and at a time when the House will be in Democratic hands.
Graham is one of the few GOP senators who have suggested proactive steps in the meantime to challenge Trumps new disengagement strategy. He stood shoulder to shoulder with Democrats this week to stump for a sense of the Senate resolution calling on Trump to consult with his national security team before he makes any future decisions regarding troop deployments. On Friday, he called for hearings in the Armed Services Committee like right now, about Syria and said he wants to hear from Mattis about everything that has transpired.
I think he had thought that he would be able to accept this, but I think once he saw the reaction from the base, I think it strengthened his resolve to try to move forward, said Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), speaking of the stopgap bill that passed the Senate by a voice vote. And unfortunately, that puts us in this position weve got right now.
Its called Re-reading On Protracted War, referring to the collection of speeches that communist leader Mao Zedong gave in 1938. That was 11 years before the founding of the Peoples Republic of China and amid a Japanese invasion that would take eight years for China to repel. Known as the Pacific theater of World War II to the outside world, it is still known here today as the War of Resistance Against Japan.
Marcel Aviv, head of the Israel National Mine Action Authority, which is under the authority of the Defense Ministry, manages the project from Israels side. He said that although some of the mine placements appear on old military maps, the desert-like terrain, inclement weather and the shifting plates of the Syria-African rift have meant much of the ordnance has moved over the years or sunk deeper into the ground.
Caal died of dehydration, septic shock and liver failure, according to CBP, but the results of a full autopsy are not expected for several weeks. Her father, who remains in El Paso, has said through his attorneys that the child was not provided water and had been in good health until she began vomiting eight hours after they were taken into U.S. custody. When she reached the Lordsburg station 90 minutes later, her temperature was 105.9 and she was not breathing.
After attending a weekend conference in London, Khashoggi returned to Istanbul early in the morning on Oct. 2 and called the consulate to say he would be there by 1 p.m. He met his fiancee, Hatice Cengiz, for breakfast and told her of his plan. Concerned about him going alone, she skipped obligations at a university in Istanbul to accompany him. As he left his phones with her and went inside, it was the last time she ever saw him.
Some of the businesses that received cash may not have been aware that the investors were terrorists, while others appear to have happily looked the other way, the official said. One of the targeted businesses, the Iraq-based al-Rawi Network, moved up to $500,000 a day to operatives in Turkey, the official said. In addition to investments and money laundering, some of the funds appear to have been intended for more operational uses, he said.
In the interview, the soldier said U.S. troops detained Rasoul. He also said he crossed paths with an Afghan informant on their base. The informant expressed fear for his life if they let Rasoul go. Golsteyn said he believed that if he let the suspected insurgent go, it could lead to the deaths of more U.S. troops. He said he couldnt live with that.
Aside from Mattiss resignation, the most significant factor in McGurks decision was an inability to reconcile the presidents decision with his experience as the U.S. diplomat who spent time with the guys on the ground who have been fighting and dying, including Kurdish fighters in Syria, said an official familiar with his views. To just suddenly, in one split second have to tell them the United States was leaving is hard to face.
With the United States withdrawing its troops from the Syrian side of the border, Israel is concerned about whether it will also pull out from Iraq, where around 5,200 U.S. troops are based and mostly provide training and advice to the Iraqi Army, said Brig. Gen. Eli Ben Meir, who formerly headed the Israeli militarys research analysis division. The United States maintains a base just across the border from Bukamal, in Qaim, which will continue to act as a deterrent to Irans unfettered access to the area after troops leave Syria, while the U.S. presence in Iraq more broadly exerts some restraint on Irans ability to exercise full control.
Throughout yuletide several of my e-acquaintances have adopted the scrupulously religion-free sign-off have a lovely festive season or similar. It seems unexceptionable; anodyne to the point of nothingness. But, like all euphemisms, our murky reluctance to call Christmas by its name enables a dangerous hypocrisy. So the season to be jolly is also the season to be clear; even as we unpack the baubles we must also unpack the truly sinister implications of the Ruddock review and the Christian nationalism that lurks behind it.

Illustration: Simon Letch Credit:

I mean, I get where festive season is coming from. Theres a kind of embarrassment here. Christmas was pagan before it was Christian, and not everyone buys into its theology. Our coyness around the C-word derives from a rejection of the colonial mindset and a desire to be open, pluralist and tolerant.

To my mind, the fact that Christmas is far from universal enriches both it and us. Beauty is always particular. Mostly, we know this. At Diwali, or at Hanukkah, do we say enjoy the lights? At Chinese New Year do we say, have a great dragon dance? No. Other festivals we delight in calling by their names - but not Christian ones.

The danger is not simply that we misunderstand Christmas. The danger - as hardline Christian nationalism flexes its global muscles - is that, unless lovers of tolerance actively reclaim the Christian tradition that is its source, fundamentalism will threaten us all.
Is it possible to make sense of a tumultuous year in Australia politics (as if there is any other kind these days)?

Its fair to say that those on the centre left probably look back and see a mostly positive year with a couple of key risks. And pretty much everyone else sees it as a bad year with a couple of rays of hope.

There is little doubt the biggest winner of 2018 is Labor. Not only did they win a thumping victory in Victoria, and a slew of federal by-elections, but its clear that if Bill Shorten has another six months like the last 12, he will be prime minister next Christmas.

Bill Shorten has been one of the biggest winners in 2018, but Labor has still has its share of problems. Credit:AAP

That doesnt mean Labor hasnt had its share of problems, including the dramas surrounding Emma Husar. And Labors policies to bring down house prices probably looked a lot less threatening when prices were growing by double digits than they do now they are falling.
Its been described as one of the worst planning errors in Melbournes history: the decision by government engineers to convert Moonee Ponds Creek into a concrete channel.

Some of Melbourne's first farms were built along its banks in the 1800s.

But between 1940 and 1980 much of the creek was progressively concreted and realigned to control flooding and erosion, a move decried by the Victorian division of Australias Planning Institute.

Kaye Oddie (left) and other members of Friends of Moonee Ponds Creek at Brosnan Crescent in Strathmore. Credit:Luis Ascui

Today the creek is a lifeless drain for much of its course through Melbourne's north-west.
Toronto: Canada moved away from diplomatic caution on Friday and made is first formal demand for China to immediately release two Canadians who have been detained in apparent retaliation for Canada's arrest of a top Chinese tech executive.

The US, the UK and the EU also issued statements in support of Canada.

Detained in China: Canadian nationals Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor. Credit:AP

"We are deeply concerned by the arbitrary detention by Chinese authorities of two Canadians earlier this month and call for their immediate release," Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said.

A senior government official said China's ambassador to Canada was called on Friday and told of Canada's demand. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of lack of authorisation to discuss the call publicly.
The Association of Private Enterprise Education (APEE) is an association of teachers and scholars from colleges and universities, public policy institutes, and industry with a common interest in studying and supporting the system of private enterprise. APEE hosts an annual conference for members to share their scholarly findings and offers a number of awards to recognize individuals who have contributed to the cause of private enterprise. Support for young scholars is often available to attend the annual conference. The association sponsors the Journal of Private Enterprise so scholars may share their research with the wider academic community.

2019 Meetings

44th Annual Meetings ~ April 5-8, 2019 Atlantis Paradise Island Nassau, Bahamas

Find out more here
STAMFORD  A public defender says charges against his client  accused of shooting a woman during a brazen robbery in a Norwalk grocery store parking lot  should be dismissed because the statute of limitations ran out.

Barry Butler, the Stamford courthouses lead public defender, said police arrested his client on a John Doe DNA warrant months after the five-year statute of limitations ran out on the October 2012 incident at the Norwalk Stop & Shop on Connecticut Avenue.

His client, Terrence Police, 34, of Waterbury, was charged in May with first-degree robbery and first-degree assault. Police is being held at the Bridgeport Correctional Center with bond set at $150,000.

Stamford States Attorney Richard Colangelo said his office plans to fight Butlers motion and will file a response next month.

At the time the warrant was signed, I believe the state had the ability to sign a John Doe warrant and that will be our position, Colangelo said.

According to the 16-page motion to dismiss, a man approached a woman outside the grocery store and shot her in the abdomen after she gave him four diamond and platinum rings as well as her Apple iPhone around 1:30 p.m. on Oct. 10, 2012.

The man ran across Connecticut Avenue and disappeared, but security cameras helped police track the suspect and find several items of clothing, a gun and pink phone cover that belonged to the woman. The profile was entered into the states Combined Index DNA Identification System, but a match was not found.

In late 2012, police received an anonymous tip from a man who claimed his cousin looked like the suspect in the video that was released to the public. The man said his cousin, Police, also told family members about shooting the woman in the parking lot, according to the defense motion.

Investigators discovered Police was a felon and his DNA had been in the state database since 2008.

With the statute of limitations approaching, Norwalk police wrote an arrest affidavit in April 2017 for a John Doe, an unknown suspect with the DNA profile of the robber. A judge signed the warrant, which remained unserved while the statute of limitations ran out five months later.

Investigators arrested Police this spring and took a DNA swab, which matched the sample taken from the Norwalk robbery evidence, the motion said. The report said the DNA could have come from three other contributors, but it was between 1.2 billion and 100 billion times more likely that it came from Police, the motion said.

But Butler said the Connecticut Constitution and the U.S. Constitutions 8th and 14th amendments require the charges be dismissed because there is no justification for continuing prosecution of the case after the statute of limitations ran out.

Butler says investigators could have arrested Police after his cousin came forward and since they already had his DNA on file.

Butler also points out precedents in U.S. Supreme Court cases, including one involving Robert Toussie, who had his 1967 conviction tossed for failing to register for the draft in 1959.

Such a limitation is designed to protect individuals from having to defend themselves against charges when the basic facts may have become obscured by the passage of time and to minimize the danger of official punishment because of acts in the far-distant past, Justice Hugo Black wrote in that Supreme Court decision.

Butler also pointed out the state Legislature, not the courts, establish the statute of limitations. Most serious felonies, including murder and kidnapping, do not have prosecution limits. Butler also said most John Doe warrants are filed in sexual assault cases.

While Connecticut can weigh in on either side of the issue of whether the statute of limitations could be tolled by the use of a John Doe warrant, the particular facts of this single isolated non-sexual assault case calls for the dismissal of charges in this matter, Butler wrote.

jnickerson@stamfordadvocate.com
On Wednesday Ro Khanna was one of the congressional progressives-- Ted Lieu was another-- happy to see Trump announce he was withdrawing American troops from Syria. Ted: "I strongly agree with the Presidents decision to withdraw US troops from Syria. Congress never authorized the US to go to war in Syria. While going after terrorists is authorized, both the Obama and Trump Administrations went far beyond the congressionally authorized use of force against terrorists. Moreover, neither Administration had a strategy for Syria. Neither Administration could articulate why American troops were fighting in Syria, what the desired end state should be, nor how we would achieve it. I repeatedly criticized both Administrations for not having a strategy and for taking war actions not authorized by Congress. I am pleased that this unauthorized and failed executive branch war in Syria will finally come to an end."





Ro Khanna called the withdrawal "a good first step toward ending our foreign policy of interventionism and went on to let Trump know we also need to "End U.S. support for Saudi Arabia in Yemen, Withdraw our troops from Afghanistan, Repeal the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force."





Howard Dean was not impressed and he used the classic bullshit argument that liberals-who-like-war have been using as an excuse to stay in Afghanistan for way over a decade:





His dishonest bullshit is not being solved by American military forces deployed in Afghanistan. I've been having this argument with members of Congress-- often well-intentioned friends of mine-- for... I don't know how many years. When I first got to Afghanistan in 1969, having driven in my VW van from London, my strongest immediate thought-- other than how unbelievably strong the hash is-- was that no matter how far I had traveled in space I had traveled much further in time-- straight backward. I was thousands of miles from my parents' home in Brooklyn... and what felt like as many thousands of years back in time. I remember writing to a friend that I was feeling like I was living in the Bible (Old Testament).





Things have changed a little since then. I lived in a "village" (two family compounds off a barely demarcated dirt track) for a winter up in the Hindu Kush where no one had ever heard of the United States (and no one had ever experienced electricity). I'm not sure if they've experienced electricity some 4 decades later but I'd bet you they've heard of the United States.





When you travel to, let's say "exotic" places like Afghanistan, you're better off leaving your cultural judgments in check. There's no way to reasonably compare our cultural standards to the ones that govern their lives. I got used to the concept, for example, of two good cleanings a year-- one in the spring and one in the fall, something very different from the swim, jacuzzi, steam bath and shower I do in some combination everyday here in L.A. Better to just roll with the punches.





You don't ever see the womenfolk in Afghanistan. My closest friend in the Hindu Kush sojourn got married while I was there and I lived in his house and spent virtually all of my time with him for several months. Everyone used to joke that we were brothers. I never saw the girl he married, not once. In the same house! Nor was she-- or his mother or sisters-- at the wedding. Well, that isn't exactly accurate. They had their own party in the women's part of the house. But it wasn't exactly separate-but-equal; just separate.





Big steaming platters of rice with meat and vegetables were brought out by male servants-- actually slaves but no one called them that-- and everyone dug in with their fingers, food rolling down everyone's beards back onto the platters. Yum, yum. When the men were done eating, the leftovers were fed to the servants and dogs, although I don't remember in what order, and then what was left from that was sent to the women. Meanwhile we had song and dance-- the young boys. There was a troupe of them from somewhere who are hired to entertain at parties. They looked like they were between 12 and 16 and they were wearing women's dancing clothes, more or less; they all had big heavy farmer boots on. And they all had their eyes smeared with kohl and some kind of rouge substitute. Everyone was hootin' and hollerin' when they were dancing, kind of alluringly, truth be told. No one was drunk but everyone-- every single person-- was high on hash. At one point the groom's grandfather suddenly jumped up-- apparently unable to restrain himself for another second-- grabbed the youngest, smallest bacha and dragged him behind a building and raped him.





It was gruesome to hear... but it didn't seem to put any kind of a damper on the party at all. The rest of the troupe kept dancing and everyone else just ignored the commotion and just enjoyed the festivities. It's part of their culture. Ten minutes later grandpa and the 12 year old came back from around the building, straightening their clothes. The bacha seemed to have felt his dignity was affronted but he jumped right back into the line and danced away the rest of the evening as though nothing had happened. I'm not sure what happened afterwards but from what I heard, all the boys were raped (more or less).





And although these people definitely have heard of America now, they still enjoy a little bacha bazi as part of their cultural heritage, especially the wealthy men, although wealth is a relative thing and whomever is exercising power gets himself a young bacha or two (or a half dozen) to keep as sex slaves. Frontline did a special on the phenomena by journalist Najibullah Qurasishi. You may find it difficult to watch but it will certainly give you an idea about a not uncommon aspect of Afghanistan, a country the U.S. military is occupying for no apparent purpose and with no apparent positive effect.

The radical fundamentalists in Afghanistan-- we generally refer to them as The Taliban these days-- have no intention of changing their society to meet despised Western mores. I've argued with many women allies about what the U.S. can and cannot accomplish in Afghanistan. Each of them is adamant that a legitimate goal of U.S. policy towards that country should be the emancipation of women. Maybe it should, but it's not going to happen. I remember waking up one morning after one of those arguments and the first thing I saw on my TV screen was a story about how some Talibs had burned down a girls' school . They don't want their girls educated. They want them barefoot and pregnant (but not really barefoot because seeing their naked skin would be a satanic temptation and they might have to stone the woman to death for such an infraction). That was a decade ago, with U.S. troops occupying the country--as they still are.





Stars And Stripes in a report from Afghanistan, claimed the country is The same kind of attack on a girl's school happened the week before in tribal Northwest Pakistan, the part the fundamentalists control. Girls in school is subversive to what they see as their way of life. Well-meaning Americans want to change that. In 2010 an issue ofin a report from Afghanistan, claimed the country is working toward some semblance of gender equality

In this remote Afghan village, the distance between the school and the compound of its most powerful resident is 100 yards, and thousands of years.



At the school, about 15 girls attend classes alongside dozens of boys thanks to the relative security of the area, which means the Taliban cannot act on its opposition to the education of females, a conviction that has led to the burning or bombing of hundreds of schools in recent years.



Down the road, at the home of the affable Sahib Jan-- the local Afghan Highway Police commander and most respected village elder-- the local women are kept out of sight of visiting U.S. soldiers, preparing a meal for men with whom they are not allowed to eat. Female soldiers are not even welcome to sit in on a meeting of the military contingent, Jan and his subordinates.



To me, the girls and the boys are the same, Jan said through an interpreter during the meeting. We would like to provide an education for both of them, although Jan would prefer that happen in separate schools, or separate classrooms. They can become whatever they want to when they grow up.



That said, when boys are born, there is celebration, he said. When a daughter is born, we are not that happy.



While Jan says the genders are equal, his views on what equal means are quite different from the Western way: In our culture, men and women are not supposed to be together.



That is just one example of the religious, moral and cultural differences that U.S. and coalition officials must accept as they continue their mission in Afghanistan-- that no matter how much Western-style government, political and military influence they wield here, anything approaching equality for women is still generations away-- if it happens at all.



It saddens me to go to a culture and know, at this point in time, theyre not afforded the same rights, said Army Spc. Tiffany Hall-- a member of the Female Engagement Team for the 4th Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiments Headquarters Troop.



Maybe one day well get there, but I know that day is not today. Were doing multiple things to help the community ... better its living situation and get out from under the Taliban foothold. Until we can help that aspect first, we cant concentrate on getting the equal rights that we would want.



We have to do one step at a time. Its a process.

Does the process end? In a thousand years will the Afghan women have lives like we want them to? And the bachas too?
WESTPORT  For the first time in 25 years, Westports annual New Years Eve celebration has been canceled.

Im sorry were disappointing everyone, said Barbara Pearson-Rac, president of the First Night board, citing lack of funds and last years bitterly cold weather as reasons behind the cancellation. The townwide tradition is one of only two remaining First Nights in the entire state, the other being in Hartford.

The fundraising just wasnt there. ... The weather last year was just so horrible and we never experienced such a severe weather situation on First Night, so our attendance was down.

When it came to organizing the 2019 celebration, Pearson-Rac said everything had already been planned, until the volunteer group realized the previous years low attendance resulted in less revenue going forward for this year, in addition to fewer sponsorships. The group typically relies on sponsorships and button sales to fund First Night.

However, there may be hope for the events return in time to ring in 2020.

We may return next year. We are on a hiatus, Pearson-Rac said. Lots of people have expressed that they will miss the event. We have to decide what we want to do.

Despite the cancellation, residents wont go without New Years Eve festivities in town. The Westport Historical Society has stepped up to offer several family-oriented activities on Dec. 31.

While not nearly as grand as First Night, the event, dubbed First Light, will include face painting, crafts, movies, a digital caricaturist, musicians and food trucks, according to historical society Executive Director Ramin Ganeshram.

TD Bank is parnering with the society to offer a ballet troupe performance of parts of The Nutcracker.

We put this together in about three days, she said, noting some activities are still pending town approval. It just shows the will and drive of the town to come together when they really need to.

Similarly to First Night, the historical society is selling buttons as tickets for $10 online or $15 in person. Children ages 2 and under are free. The event will take place from 4 to 9 or 10 p.m. at the societys building at 25 Avery Place, Ganeshram said.

First Selectman Jim Marpe said First Night has always been special to Westport because it gives families an opportunity to have fun as part of the larger community.

I continue to be supportive of the First Night concept and admire and appreciate the efforts Barbara Pearson-Rac and her committees have put in over the years. I will be working with them to hopefully bring back First Night in 2020, he said.

The idea of First Night originated from Boston in the 1970s as a drug and alcohol free New Years Eve alternative open to all ages. Throughout the years, the arts-centered party featured dozens of events throughout Westport for children, teens and adults, including music, dancing, comedy, ventriloquists, balloons and inflatable rides, star-gazing, horse-drawn carriage rides and fireworks.

As of Friday, the organizations website and voicemail contained messages informing the public of the decision to cancel the event.

Includes previous reporting by Justin Papp; lteixeira@ctpost.com, 203-842-2582
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For once I was willing to get out of bed early...for Garth Brooks
We begin somewhere near the end. Simon Russell Beale as Richard II steps forward. "I have been studying how I may compare/This prison where I live unto the world." It's a spine-tingling moment, as he embarks on the great soliloquy, ending with the unbearable sadness of "with being nothing."

This is the moment when the fallen king admits the limitations of his power, finds his humanity. And it is a bold stroke from director Joe Hill-Gibbins to plunge in and to present everything that follows as Richard's feverish remembrance of how he reached this point. But the promise of that gesture is not sustained by what follows.

The other characters stand, dressed in casual clothes, pressed against the steel-panelled, riveted walls of Ultz's confining box of a set, just a hint of light falling from the frosted glass ceiling above. They race through their actions, in stylised, impressionistic scenes. They race through the text too, bringing the play down to just an hour and forty minutes, like speed Shakespeare.

Some scenes (beautifully choreographed, with characters pinging from the walls) have a visceral energy. The challenges where hurled gloves pile up like stones; the moments when King Richard confronts his usurper Bolingbroke like two boxers squaring up for a fight. But Hill-Gibbins strips so much out of the play there is not much left to cling onto. The programme notes suggest that he wants it to read like a study of contemporary power, where people's poor decisions about the limits of their authority breed chaos.

But it doesn't quite feel like that while it is unfolding. I am not sure if you would follow what is going on if you didn't already understand the play quite well. And the decision to make Bolingbroke (Leo Bill) behave like a spoilt and frightened child, a brawling boy who is just as unable to exert control as the vain and changeable Richard makes nonsense of the play's careful appositions.

If you are going to take a radical approach to a classic text (which I much favour) then you should illuminate it. This feels as if it is shrouding Richard II in darkness, making it grim and pointless. There's a modishness about Hill-Gibbins' approach that feels tiresome: it is one thing to have buckets full of water, soil and blood around at the back of the stage, ready to be chucked at characters at symbolic moments; it is another to have them neatly, irritatingly labelled.

What saves the night, however, is the power of Russell Beale's performance. He can convey as much with the flicker of a wary eye, the slight movement of his chin, as any directorial intervention. He speaks the language as rapidly as the rest of the cast, but never loses his grip on its shape and heft. He finds in the words the anger, pride, narcissism and finally the overwhelming sense of failure that define his character and the themes of the play. Just the way he says "Fair cousin", confronting his nemesis in the deposition scene, is an object lesson in understanding and conveying the sense of every word.

He is magnificent. Elsewhere, the players cope well with switching between multiple parts, Saskia Reeves in particular making an impact as various cringing courtiers. Joseph Mydell is a wonderfully expressive Gaunt and Robin Weaver a fierce Northumberland.

But it's a chilly evening, one that restores the play's original title, but then subverts its purpose by making Shakespeare a post-dramatic playwright. Radical isn't always revelatory. This felt like heavy-sledding.
While her son has grappled with drug addiction for the past 11 years, Kim Longstreet has taken on a second job: trying to save his life.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 20/12/2018 (1078 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

While her son has grappled with drug addiction for the past 11 years, Kim Longstreet has taken on a second job: trying to save his life.

Begging politicians of all stripes to help is a big part of it.

The Brandon mom organized a town hall before October's municipal election. She created the non-profit RJ Streetz Foundation last January to support substance abusers in the western Manitoba region.

And she spends evenings patrolling with Brandon's Bear Clan.

All the while, she and her son have been struggling to stay afloat in their own storm.

"My son and I talk about our journey a lot together. Were still close. Hes done things hes not proud of and I dont hold that against him because I understand thats not my son," she says. "My son is somebody that I knew up until this drug overtook him."

TIM SMITH/THE BRANDON SUN Kim Longstreet has become an advocate for more resources to help with addiction recovery.

In the sixth instalment of a seven-part series on the resurgence of methamphetamine in Manitoba, the Free Press looks at how governments have responded.

While Longstreet was grateful to hear about a tri-level government task force struck this week to tackle illicit drugs, shell have to wait another six months for the group's recommendations.

Longstreet's son overdosed on ecstasy in 2012, then two years later, things "went really sideways" when he got hooked on meth.

"People who use heroin and cocaine, they can have some semblance of life and order," she says. "But not with meth."

The single mom says her son has been in and out of detox and treatment facilities. They often have to drive 2 1/2 hours to Winnipeg, since there arent enough spots available in Brandon.

Each time he relapses, she takes a day off work to mourn. Bottling up her emotions is counter-productive.

"I have to be able to internalize it and come to terms with it and just not rage like I want to.... So I cry, and I cry hard. Those really ugly, ugly cries where youre sitting in the living room on the floor, a box of Kleenex beside you and just letting it out."

The devastating cycle began again Nov. 20, the day after her 31-year-old son returned from a month in a Winnipeg rehab facility.

Fed up, Longstreet logged onto her computer two days later and emailed every relevant member of government she could think of: mayor, premier, MP, health minister, area MLAs, opposition politicians.

She urged them to try harder: "Im a mom trying to save her only child. And I have to be honest with you, the hope for that happening is literally running on fumes right now."

The MLAs (NDP Leader Wab Kinew and Liberal Leader Dougald Lamont), Brandon Mayor Rick Chrest and Brandon-Souris MP Larry Maguire all responded within a couple of days.

She didn't hear from anyone in the provincial government until Dec. 6. An assistant deputy minister emailed, saying she can "very much empathize" with Longstreets frustrations and outlines steps the province is taking to improve care.

'I wish it was over one way or the other': Listen to Kim Longstreet address Parliament's health committee studying meth

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Longstreet says she doesnt see Manitoba's meth crisis as a partisan issue. She and countless others just want help for their loved ones and dont care where it comes from.

What she really wants to hear is officials talking about more long-term treatment options  not just for her son, but also the nearly 300 others who have contacted the Addictions Foundation of Manitoba about their struggles since the beginning of the fiscal year in April.

Her son has been through many short-term programs, adding up, she said, to more than 200 days in ultimately unsuccessful treatment. She wonders if her son wouldn't be much further ahead if he'd been in a single, long-term program, perhaps one that was those 200-plus days in duration.

"Its just a cycle that is vicious and its unfair. Its unfair to people who are wanting to rehabilitate," she says. "You dont release them after 21 days and say, Well youve run out of days. You put your foot on the gas and you get them over the finish line."

Earlier this month, Ottawa and Manitoba signed a bi-lateral agreement to spend $8.4 million on funding for an as-yet-to-be-determined number of flexible-length withdrawal management and recovery beds, along with mobile clinical services for Winnipeg and Brandon.

The province installed five Rapid Access to Addictions Medicine clinics, two in Winnipeg and one each in Brandon, Thompson and Selkirk. It also added 18 treatment beds at Health Sciences Centre and the AFMs Portage Avenue location and became the first jurisdiction in Canada to equip paramedics with olanzapine, a drug that can help curb the effects of meth-related psychosis.

The government also issued a request for proposals (due Jan. 15) seeking one or more providers to boost the number of residential treatment beds in the province by 15. The number of beds has stayed relatively stable since 2016, when the Tories took power.

There are currently 80 publicly funded detox beds, 317 primary residential-treatment beds, and 198 second-stage treatment or supportive-housing beds; 10 detox and 14 residential treatment spots are reserved for youths.

Health Minister Cameron Friesen says the governments strategy is to "cascade out" announcements about addictions services when theyre ready rather than wait weeks or months to reveal a long-term plan.

JOHN WOODS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Cameron Friesen: 'I dont believe that this is insurmountable'

"Were clearly acting," he says in an interview. "Were not waiting for a magic day and then say, All right, weve now put together 35 things that will all work."

Friesen makes clear he wont be able to "solve the meth challenge" in the Health Department alone; other government departments will have to be involved as well, he says.

Meth seems to have affected every community in Manitoba, including inside Friesen's Morden-Winkler constituency. Although it shows no signs of slowing down, the health minister hasnt lost hope.

"I dont believe that this is insurmountable, but I share the alarm of all Manitobans," he says. "This is not good for our communities, for our neighbours and friends... it cuts a swath of destruction that is horrific across our province."

Manitoba First Nations have been among the hardest hit, including St. Theresa Point where Liberal MLA Judy Klassen (Keewatinook) is from.

When wildfires ravaged the Island Lake area in the summer of 2017, an estimated 3,700 evacuees were forced to flee, mostly to Winnipeg, where they found dealers eager to find new clients, Klassen says.

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES MLA Judy Klassen

"Im sure (meth) was (up north) on a small scale previous to the wildfires, but because of the wildfires, it just exploded," the MLA says.

The waiting list for public treatment options "is forever," she says, "and by the time they finally get in, theyre really far gone. So when they do come out, its just shampoo, rinse and repeat to try and get them back in there."

An AFM spokeswoman provided data Tuesday that outlines the longest possible waits for residential treatment: 46 days for men, 255 for women and four for youths.

Many users don't need live-in treatment however, she said, and do well with community-based programming.

Meth in 2018 Jan. 12  The provincial NDP calls for a safe-injection site in Winnipeg to prevent overdoses and the spread of blood-borne diseases among intravenous drug users. Feb. 8  Winnipeg Police Service Chief Danny Smyth warns the city has a meth problem. Cops seized more than 5.8 kilograms of meth in January (an estimated street value of $580,000), about half the amount seized in all of 2017. click to read more Jan. 12  The provincial NDP calls for a safe-injection site in Winnipeg to prevent overdoses and the spread of blood-borne diseases among intravenous drug users. Feb. 8  Winnipeg Police Service Chief Danny Smyth warns the city has a meth problem. Cops seized more than 5.8 kilograms of meth in January (an estimated street value of $580,000), about half the amount seized in all of 2017. April 4  Liberal MLA Judy Klassen says young people who fled wildfires in the Island Lake region in summer 2017 became addicted to meth after being evacuated to Winnipeg. May 14  The Manitoba government mistakenly releases a draft version of a consultants report outlining plans for a mental health and addictions strategy. The Virgo report makes 130 recommendations, including installing a safe-injection site in Winnipeg  a suggestion later removed from the final report. Opposition critics cry foul, saying the Tories interfered with the report's contents. May 22  About 40 people from the Island Lake region in northern Manitoba travel to Ottawa to ask for federal help beating back the meth crisis on reserves. July 2  Sixty-nine per cent of Winnipeggers support a safe injection site for intravenous drug users, according to a poll conducted on behalf of the Free Press by Probe Research. July 18  Police Chief Smyth says the citys meth problem is driving up crime rates and this is a community crisis that requires a community response. Aug. 9  The Winnipeg Regional Health Authority warns about an increasing number of syphilis cases, but cant confirm the root cause. Twenty per cent of new cases are found in people who are homeless or inadequately housed and 20 per cent are crystal meth users. Sept. 5  The province opens in Winnipeg the first of five planned Rapid Access to Addictions Medicine clinics for Manitoba, while city councillors call for a crystal meth task force. Sept. 9  Liberal MP Doug Eyolfson calls for federal hearings on the meth situation in the Prairies, which later start in November. Sept. 21  Manitoba Children and Youth Advocate Daphne Penrose releases a statement of concern alleging the province is dragging its heels, not helping youth with meth addictions, while stuck in an ideological debate about harm-reduction approaches. Oct. 9  A Probe Research poll conducted on behalf of the Free Press and CTV Winnipeg finds roughly eight out of 10 residents feel the meth problem in Winnipeg makes them feel less safe. Oct. 30  Manitoba announces its applying for millions in federal money through Ottawas one-time Emergency Treatment Fund to help people with meth addictions. Nov. 1  Police forces from Vancouver to Winnipeg announce the results of Project Riverbank. After a 10-month investigation, they seized an estimated $2.7 million in high-end vehicles, weapons and drugs, including crystal meth, and made 10 arrests. Nov. 13  Re-zoning and conditional use applications are approved for the Bruce Oake Recovery Centre by the Assiniboia Community Committee. The $14-million, 50-bed, long-term recovery centre is being spearheaded by the Oake family. Nov. 26  Manitoba becomes the first province to allow paramedics to administer Olanzapine, an anti-psychotic drug that can help curb the effects of meth-related psychosis. Dec. 7  Ottawa and Manitoba sign a bi-lateral agreement to spend $8.4 million on flexible-length withdrawal management and recovery beds, plus mobile clinical services to be located in Winnipeg and Brandon. Dec. 11  The federal governments standing committee on health hosts a third hearing on meth, where Mayor Brian Bowman, police Chief Smyth and Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service Chief John Lane testify. WRHA documents show a link between intravenous drug use and recent outbreaks of syphilis, hepatitis B and C. Dec. 18  Bowman, Manitoba Health Minister Cameron Friesen and Liberal MP Robert-Falcon Ouellette announce a joint task force where all three levels of government will tackle the spread of illicit drugs. They plan to produce a report by June 2019. Close

Members of the four Island Lake-area communities travelled 3,000 kilometres to Ottawa in May asking for federal help getting rid of meth. Children began making their own warning signs, pasting them up around St. Theresa Point.

"Meth Kills" and "Plz do not bring meth in community!" were among the slogans.

Its unclear how much the province has spent on any meth-related public-education campaigns of its own. After multiple requests from the Free Press for a dollar figure, a government spokesperson says Thursday the amount is "difficult to quantify."

It did, however, announce in October it spent $350,000 on a public-health messaging campaign about the possible risks of using cannabis, which was legalized on Oct. 17.

Kinew says the delayed response from the province is "telling."

MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS NDP Leader Wab Kinew

"So far we've seen a bunch of ineffective ads warning people about cannabis, but we haven't seen much in terms of public outreach to help people understand what meth can do," he says.

To determine whether 2018s unfolding crisis had reached the premiers office, the Free Press sought any internal records about methamphetamine presented to the premier and health minister through freedom of information requests.

Only three advisory notes about meth turned up between Jan. 1 and Aug. 30, all addressed to the health minister. None appeared for the premier. A spokesperson for Pallister said records presented to the premier may not have necessarily come back in a FIPPA search, but he was briefed on the subject on multiple occasions.

The NDP leader has personal connections to the epidemic, friends and family members who are addicted. He's pushed for culturally competent care from his seat on the Opposition bench.

"A lot of the people that are struggling with addictions in Manitoba are Indigenous and what is the nature of the trauma theyre dealing with? Well, if youre from a family like mine, and speaking as someone whos battled addiction in their own life, its because of failed government policies of the past," he says.

"Going back through the Indian Act and residential schools, many families dealing with the '60s Scoop and the (Child and Family Services) system."

In addition to delivering mental-health services and providing jobs, among other interventions, Kinew is also calling for a safe-injection site in Winnipeg.

Premier Brian Pallister says he, personally, doesn't like the idea, but the province will weigh all available options to deal with the meth problem, listening to voices from city hall and the federal government.

"My opinion was theyre a magnet for drug dealers and theyre dangerous in many respects, and there are many other initiatives weve taken and will be taking to address this issue because it is a serious concern," Pallister says.

Doug Eyolfson, the Liberal MP for Charleswood-St. James-Assiniboia-Headingley, says supervised consumption sites aren't the only solution, but Winnipeg should have one as part of a harm-reduction strategy. The evidence is clear, he says, that such facilities can help save lives and stop the spread of blood-borne illnesses such as syphilis, hepatitis B and C.

MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Charleswood-St. James-Assiniboia MP Doug Eyolfson: '...in three years, a drug that was not that big an issue is a tremendous issue right now'

In documents revealed by the provincial NDP last week, the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority warned the region is experiencing outbreaks of those diseases from rising levels of intravenous drug use.

"I think its a matter of education of not just the public, but of those in the political sphere as to what these centres accomplish," says Eyolfson, a former emergency room doctor.

"People dont realize when they describe these things as a waste of money, they dont appreciate how expensive these blood-borne illnesses are. If one person contracts HIV, its going to cost the health-care system about $1 million of treatment over the course of that persons lifetime."

One case of hepatitis C can also cost taxpayers more than $40,000, the WRHA documents show. And the cost of a clean needle? Nine cents.

In the fall, Eyolfson says he spoke to the federal health minister and the prime minister about the urgent need to address meth's spread in the Prairies. Ottawa's standing committee on health called for five hearings on the issue, starting in November. Many from Manitoba have testified, including Winnipeg Mayor Brian Bowman.

Eyolfson compares the meth situation to what happened with crack cocaine in the 1980s and '90s, stressing the drug could wreak havoc all over North America.

"If we dont get a handle on this, it very well could," he says. "Im worried about this, because as I said, in three years, a drug that was not that big an issue is a tremendous issue right now."

Bowman sat down with the Free Press a day after he appeared  via video  before the Commons committee to discuss the impact meth has had on Winnipeg. He used the word "heartbreaking" four times and called on the federal government to do more.

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Mayor Brian Bowman

The mayor wants to see a national strategy to combat illicit drugs. He wants Ottawa to strengthen border security, which could prevent meth from being shipped in by Mexican cartels, as police allege is happening. He wants more funding to address some of the root causes and results of meth use: mental-health issues, homelessness and poverty.

Asked if getting rid of the drug will be his No. 1 priority for 2019, he takes an emotional turn. Bowman, knows there are other items on his agenda infrastructure and transit, for example. His eyes become moist.

"The community and the people that need help, they need us to do our jobs and be effective. And I think about the people that Ive been face to face with that are using and have used, and I also think about the parents out there that have children like mine that they want to protect," he said.

No family, no demographic, no neighbourhood is protected, Bowman said, adding "its just not one of those issues that if you make more money or you live in a certain area of the city, youre immune from mental health (issues) and addictions."

Bowman called it a "crisis," as have Eyolfson, Kinew and Klassen. Friesen did not, saying he doesn't "get hung up on terminology."

"Crisis? Not crisis? Its a very significant issue. It requires urgency, it requires the full attention of government and I would want Manitobans to know that this is what theyre getting from this government," he said.

Kim Longstreet testified at the same Ottawa hearing as Bowman on Dec. 11, also via a video connection, and made a startling admission.

"After 11 years of coping with my son's substance use disorder, I can honestly say that I wish it was over, one way or another. Every time I hear a siren or the phone rings at odd hours, I wonder if this is the call," she told the committee.

"To some, this will make me sound like a terrible parent. But sometimes I do imagine that that call is 'the' call, that my son will finally have peace from the war that our society appears to be losing."

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In an interview, Longstreet says she hasn't met Pallister yet. But she knows what she'll say if she does.

"'If you havent had this affect you in a really direct way, you can remain callous about it. You can have a thick skin and not be vulnerable.' And I think that would be my message to all the politicians, not just our premier: 'You need to get vulnerable,'" she says.

"'You all need to put aside your partisan ways and you need to stop looking at my son and other people who are struggling... as political pawns," she continues.

"Stop looking at this situation that we have as dollars and cents and actually use what you have, the resources, to do something right.'"

jessica.botelho@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @_jessbu
The computer models have proven eerily accurate at predicting how climate change will affect weather patterns across different geographies around the world as well as closer to home.

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This article was published 22/12/2018 (1076 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Opinion

The computer models have proven eerily accurate at predicting how climate change will affect weather patterns across different geographies around the world as well as closer to home.

The rising incidence and costs associated with extreme weather events, the seesaws between drought and excess moisture, and environmental disasters such as forest fires are reinforced graphically with scientific precision on the nightly news.

But our understanding of how those changes will affect how we live and how we operate is still very much an evolving art. The cause may be known, but the effects  both good and bad  are proving far harder to understand and develop strategy around.

Nowhere is this more apparent than in agriculture and forestry. These sectors are on the front lines of both the mitigation and adaptation challenges associated with climate change, a reality underscored by the recently released Senate committee on agriculture and forestrys Feast or Famine report.

The summary of the testimony during hearings held last year and the committees recommendations for how governments can help these sectors participate in mitigation while adapting to the effects captures the difficult balancing act facing policy-makers.

Tools such as carbon pricing that are designed to change behaviour and spawn new approaches can also cripple competitiveness, which in turn reduces an industrys ability to invest in innovation. Yet new ideas will be desperately needed as temperatures continue to rise amid feeble global efforts to address the issue.

Many producer groups have argued farmers need better "business risk management" supports to buffer the blow. But subsidies tend to support status-quo thinking.

"OECD analysts warned against excessive support for insurance that could encourage farmers to disregard risks," the report said.

Over the past seven decades, winter temperatures across Canada increased by an average of 3.4 C. Average summer temperatures have risen 1.5 per cent over the same period, according to data from Environment and Climate Change Canada.

"While the impacts differ in different parts of the country, witnesses all reported more temperature extremes; more frequent and severe weather events, flooding and drought; and more unpredictability in general," the report says.

Warmer overall temperatures are heating up the soil and expanding growing seasons, which could increase the range of crops grown. But they may also have to contend with different types of pests and disease that cut their yields.

Adaptation can occur in ways that contribute to higher emissions, such as investments in grain dryers fuelled by non-renewable energy to offset harvest weather volatility.

Other approaches can have the effect of mitigating farmers exposure while reducing emissions through production practices that build resilience through healthier soil, better use of water and more biodiversity. In the long run, these approaches arent a cost; they could actually make farmers more money.

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In a practical sense, it wont likely be one or the other. Farmers will need access to a multitude of tools and practices to manage their climate-change symptoms while work continues towards finding more resilient farming systems. Its also clear there wont be a one-size-fits-all answer.

The Senate report makes a host of recommendations that can essentially be boiled down to one: a greater investment in research and extension.

Research and extension can help farmers better understand the implications of climate change on our food systems, develop strategies to help the industry reduce emissions and adapt to the changes while retaining competitiveness.

This is where we, as taxpayers, need to step up to support a better balance between private and public sector research priorities. Private sector research is about solutions to problems such as weeds or disease  not prevention.

Anja Geitmann, dean of the faculty of agricultural and environmental sciences at McGill University, summed it up well in her testimony to the Senate hearings. She stressed the importance of having some non-industry-linked funding for pure academic research that might change the way an industry works: "True disruptive innovation is not made with industry matching funds."

Laura Rance is editorial director at Glacier FarmMedia. She can be reached at 204-792-4382 or lrance@farmmedia.com.
London's Gatwick Airport was plagued by long lines and flight delays Saturday but no new drone sightings, allowing British officials to hope the worse was over after two people were arrested in connection with the drone invasion that had shut down the country's second-busiest airport.

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A plane comes in to land at Gatwick Airport in England, Friday, Dec. 21, 2018. Flights resumed at London's Gatwick Airport on Friday morning after drones sparked the shutdown of the airfield for more than 24 hours, leaving tens of thousands of passengers stranded or delayed during the busy holiday season.(AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

London's Gatwick Airport was plagued by long lines and flight delays Saturday but no new drone sightings, allowing British officials to hope the worse was over after two people were arrested in connection with the drone invasion that had shut down the country's second-busiest airport.

Check-in lines at Gatwick stretched the length of the departures hall as harried travellers tried to make good on Christmas plans upended by three days of extended shutdowns caused by drones being spotted over the airfield.

The persistent drone crisis at Gatwick, 30 miles (45 kilometres) south of London, has had a ripple effect throughout the international air travel system since Wednesday night, when the first drone was spotted.

A Gatwick spokesman said Saturday that "things are going in the right direction" and should be back to normal by the end of the weekend after a horrendous few days that saw tens of thousands of travellers stranded or delayed.

Sussex police released few details about the two suspects arrested late Friday in the worst drone-inflicted travel chaos to hit Britain. Police say the investigation is ongoing and the military was still deployed to prevent further drone incursions from shutting Gatwick's airspace.

A plane comes in to land at Gatwick Airport in England, Friday, Dec. 21, 2018. Flights resumed at London's Gatwick Airport on Friday morning after drones sparked the shutdown of the airfield for more than 24 hours, leaving tens of thousands of passengers stranded or delayed during the busy holiday season.(AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Police said Saturday the drone suspects are a 47-year-old man and a 54-year-old woman from Crawley, a town 5 miles (8 kilometres) from the airport. They were arrested on suspicion of disrupting civil aviation.

The suspects, who have not been named or charged, were being questioned in custody. Sky television showed footage of police searching a house, reportedly where one suspect was living.

British police have not said if they think the two suspects acted alone or as part of a larger group. The motive for their aggressive drone flights has not been established, but officials say there are no indications it is "terror related." There have been no new drone sightings since the arrests.

Counter drone equipment deployed on a rooftop at Gatwick airport as the airport and airlines work to clear the backlog of flights delayed by a drone incident earlier in the week, in Crawley, England, Saturday, Dec. 22, 2018. London's Gatwick Airport took strides toward running a full schedule Saturday as police questioned a man and a woman in connection with the drone intrusions that caused mayhem for tens of thousands of holiday travelers. (Gareth Fuller/PA via AP)

Gatwick's arrival and departure boards showed that most flights operated Saturday but there were still a significant number of delayed takeoffs and landings. In all, the airport hoped to run 757 flights, serving just under 125,000 passengers.

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Still, Gatwick authorities urged passengers to check the status of their flights Saturday with their airlines before heading to the airport, which handles 43 million passengers a year.

"Passengers should expect some delays and cancellations as we continue to recover our operations following three days of disruption," a Gatwick spokesman said.

New drone sightings Friday evening caused fresh problems for holiday travellers at Gatwick, which had just reopened in the morning after a 36-hour shutdown. Authorities then had to hastily suspend flights for more than an hour Friday afternoon on one of the busiest travel days of the year.

Officials said extra military capabilities allowed flights to resume Friday night after the 70-minute halt but did not say what equipment had been put in place to counteract the drones.

"Our investigations are still ongoing, and our activities at the airport continue to build resilience to detect and mitigate further incursions from drones," said Superintendent James Collis, who urged the public to contact authorities immediately if they had any relevant information about the drones.

Hundreds of people had to sleep at Gatwick on Thursday night, and many noted how freezing and uncomfortable it was. In response, officials said Saturday they are keeping the airport's two main terminals heated.
SYDNEY, N.S. - An Iowa-based businessman has confirmed he's purchased a Cape Breton call centre that laid off hundreds of workers just weeks before Christmas.

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SYDNEY, N.S. - An Iowa-based businessman has confirmed he's purchased a Cape Breton call centre that laid off hundreds of workers just weeks before Christmas.

Anthony Marlowe of Marlowe Companies Inc. says in a text message to The Canadian Press that the lawyer for the debtors of ServiCom Canada has confirmed the deal is complete.

He says to tell the hundreds of Cape Breton call centre workers who were laid off that the "place is theirs again."

On Dec. 6, ServiCom Canada told its 600 employees in Sydney, N.S., it was closing, leaving employees without their last paycheques.

Marlowe offered $1.5-million for the idled call centre this week, outbidding two other interested buyers in an auction that was part of bankruptcy proceedings in the United States.

He travelled to the region and met with workers on Thursday.

"Congratulations to all of the renewed and refreshed workers at The Sydney Call Centre, Inc.," the new owner wrote in a text, confirming the new name of the revived business.

"We're proud to be part of your family and thank you very much for the classiest of warm welcomes."

Marlowe also suggested in his text that one of the managers buy every employee a beer and send Marlowe the bill.

The sale comes as a relief to many in the community, as the island has suffered from chronic levels of high unemployment, and the laid-off workers had few options after losing their positions at the call centre.

Since the layoffs, the community has banded together to raise money for the workers, with donations flooding in and the Salvation Army providing food and payments for home heating oil and electricity bills.

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Most of the workers were owed about four weeks in back pay when the call centre abruptly shuttered, a liability that Marlowe's company said rests with ServiCom.

Workers have told The Canadian Press that while the sale is welcome news for the community and the regional economy, the failure to pay workers their last weeks of salary has meant many are owed thousands of dollars.

Some laid-off workers who have qualified for employment insurance have said they may go back to school or pursue training rather than return to the call centre.

Others have said they're struggling to pay their regular bills.

MCI Canada has already said the call centre expects to reopen as early as Jan. 2, 2019 under its new name. The company had said earlier 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.
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This article was published 21/12/2018 (1077 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 from Portage to 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 Manitoba shoppers "youll find us." But whereas three years ago he could be found in seven locations, Keam has since closed all of his rural stores, leaving only four brick-and-mortars 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, such as 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 Endy expects to make $50 million through its bed-in-a-box products this year. At least 100 online mattress start-ups exist, 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 showrooms? "Because mattresses are very much a tactile thing," Patterson says. "And brands cluster where consumers are."

GRAEME BRUCE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Map includes locations along St. James Street where you can buy a new mattress.

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 such as Leons, Ashley HomeStore, the Brick, Dufresne, Jysk and Sleep Country  the industry leader  are a stones throw from Keams front door. But several, such as 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 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.

Mattresses, Mattresses: Sleepwell Bedding, 1570 St. James St. Mattress Plaza, 1391 St. James St. Ashley Homestore, 1000 St. James St. Best Sleep Centre, 853 St. James St. Surplus Furniture and Mattress, 1200 St. James St. click to read more Sleepwell Bedding, 1570 St. James St. Mattress Plaza, 1391 St. James St. Ashley Homestore, 1000 St. James St. Best Sleep Centre, 853 St. James St. Surplus Furniture and Mattress, 1200 St. James St. Furniture Villa BrandSource, 1070 St. James St. Heart Mattress Stores, 895 Century St. Dufresne Furniture, 1750 Ellice Ave. Foam Solutions, 1440 Wellington Ave. Sleep Country, 1038 St. James Leons Furniture, 1755 Ellice Ave. The Brick Outlet, 1250 St. James St. The Brick, 1065 St. James St. Aviva Natural Health Solutions. 1224 St. James Furniture & More, 1725 Ellice Ave EQ3 Winnipeg, 1545 Portage Ave. Bed Bath & Beyond 140-600 Empress St. Hudsons Bay Home 710 St. James St. Hudson Bay, Polo Park Walmart, 1001 Empress St. Jysk, 1320 Ellice Ave. Canadian Tire, 750 St. James St. Primary Direct Liquidation Centre, 250-1395 Ellice Ave. Costco, 1315 St. James St. Close

"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.

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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 warranties, 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
PARIS - France's yellow vest protesters, who have brought chaos to Paris for weeks with their economic demands, turned out in sharply reduced numbers Saturday at the start of the Christmas and New Year holidays.

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This article was published 22/12/2018 (1076 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Demonstrators block the highway near the French border with Spain, during a protest in Biriatou, southwestern France, Saturday, Dec. 22, 2018. The yellow vest protests, which have brought chaos to Paris over the past few weeks, clearly abated Saturday as the Christmas holiday season began in earnest. Outside Paris, around 200 roundabouts remained occupied across the country. In southern France near the Spanish border, dozens of demonstrators blocked trucks and chanted "Macron, Demission," which translates as "Macron, resign."(AP Photo/Bob Edme)

PARIS - France's yellow vest protesters, who have brought chaos to Paris for weeks with their economic demands, turned out in sharply reduced numbers Saturday at the start of the Christmas and New Year holidays.

Still, some violent incidents in the French capital marred the end of a largely peaceful day.

The number of protesters on the French capital's elegant Champs-Elysees Avenue was down sharply. Paris police said only 2,000 protesters took to the streets, compared to 4,000 a week before and 10,000 the prior week. Police arrested 142 people and detained 19, compared to the several hundred arrested two weeks ago when the protests turned violent.

Tensions arose at nightfall when protesters gathered on the Champs-Elysees and police fired tear gas and used water cannon to disperse some demonstrators. A video circulating on social media showed three police on motorcycles surrounded and attacked by protesters. At some point, one of the policemen appeared to pull his weapon out on charging protesters. Paris police told The Associated Press the officer pulled out it to deter the assailants but did not use his weapon.

Earlier in the day, in stark contrast to the last few weekends, tourists strolled down the avenue near the Arc de Triomphe monument, holiday shoppers were out in force and the grandest of Parisian boulevards remained open for traffic.

Demonstrators block the highway near the French border with Spain, during a protest in Biriatou, southwestern France, Saturday, Dec. 22, 2018. The yellow vest protests, which have brought chaos to Paris over the past few weeks, clearly abated Saturday as the Christmas holiday season began in earnest. Outside Paris, around 200 roundabouts remained occupied across the country. In southern France near the Spanish border, dozens of demonstrators blocked trucks and chanted "Macron, Demission," which translates as "Macron, resign."(AP Photo/Bob Edme)

Protesters appeared disorganized, with scattered groups walking randomly across the capital. A few hundred protesters cordoned by police marched toward the Madeleine Church near the presidential Elysee Palace but were stopped in a small adjacent street. Tempers frayed and police with batons fired tear gas to repel a few demonstrators trying to break through a police line.

The protests, which have morphed from an outcry against a fuel tax hike to incorporate a wide array of economic concerns, are still having a knock-on effect across France.

The palace of Versailles just outside Paris was shut down for the day Saturday after yellow vest protesters said they will demonstrate there. The famous chateau was home to a succession of French kings until the French Revolution in 1789.

Demonstrators block the highway near the French border with Spain, during a protest in Biriatou, southwestern France, Saturday, Dec. 22, 2018. The yellow vest protests, which have brought chaos to Paris over the past few weeks, clearly abated Saturday as the Christmas holiday season began in earnest. Outside Paris, around 200 roundabouts remained occupied across the country. In southern France near the Spanish border, dozens of demonstrators blocked trucks and chanted "Macron, Demission," which translates as "Macron, resign."(AP Photo/Bob Edme)

But only a few protesters showed up in Versailles. Most gathered peacefully at the foot of the Sacre-Coeur basilica in the picturesque Paris neighbourhood of Montmartre.

The French capital's other big tourist hotspots such as the Louvre museum and the Eiffel Tower, which had closed for an earlier protest this month, both remained open.

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French President Emmanuel Macron appears to have taken some of the anger out of the protests by offering concessions like tax-free overtime for workers and a freeze on gas and electricity prices this winter. The measures are expected to cost an estimated 10 billion euros ($1.14 billion).

A French flag is waved by demonstrators wearing yellow vests walking in the Tuileries Garden in Paris Saturday, Dec. 22, 2018. A few hundred protesters cordoned by police forces did walk across Paris toward the Madeleine Church near the Elysee Palace but were stopped by police in a small adjacent street as some shop owners closed down early. Tempers frayed and police fired tear gas to repel protesters trying to break through the officers' line. (AP Photo/Kamil Zihnioglu)

Much of France, but particularly Paris, has endured weeks of protests that at times descended into violence. Ten people have died since the start of the yellow vest movement in November, mostly in traffic accidents. French media said a man died Friday night near the southern city of Perpignan after his car slammed into a truck that had stopped near a group of protesters.

Protesters take their name from the fluorescent yellow vests that French motorists must keep in their vehicles.

Outside Paris, around 200 traffic roundabouts remained occupied by protesters across the country. In southern France near the Spanish border, dozens of demonstrators blocked trucks and chanted "Macron, resign!"

In central France near the city of Saint-Etienne, protesters blocked a major road and set fires but shops remained open.

In the Belgian capital of Brussels, police scuffled with some protesters during a march inspired by France's yellow vest movement.
Still waiting to do your holiday shopping? Youre not alone: today may be the biggest spending day of the year.

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Still waiting to do your holiday shopping? Youre not alone: today may be the biggest spending day of the year.

Although Black Friday used to be North Americas biggest single shopping day, the final Saturday before Christmas took the title four or five years ago, as more retailers began their Black Friday sales on U.S. Thanksgiving Day  or weeks before, said Craig Johnson, president of Customer Growth Partners. U.S. shoppers will spend an estimated US$26 billion on Dec. 22, beating the US$24 billion they shelled out on the day after Thanksgiving, the industry researcher said. Canadians are expected to spend around $1.5 billion today.

"Black Friday is not quite the epic event it used to be," Johnson said in an interview. As holiday sales inch earlier, demand gets "pulled forward from Black Friday proper."

Black Friday, now almost four weeks past, was still a wildly successful day for most retailers. With North America sporting a growing economy, low fuel prices and rising wages, consumers spent big on the unofficial holiday. More than 165 million U.S. consumers shopped during the five-day Thanksgiving weekend, according to the National Retail Federation. They spent US$7.9 billion online on Cyber Monday alone, Adobe Analytics said. The buying surge helped boost retail-sales figures from the United States Department of Commerce by 0.2 per cent in November, topping forecasts.

On a single-day basis, however, today  dubbed "Super Saturday" in some retail circles  will be even bigger.

According to the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), 44 per cent of U.S. adults plan to shop for holiday presents or related items today, spending an average of US$173 in-store and online. Thats up from the 38 per cent who shopped on Super Saturday last year.

Part of that is because confident customers are spending more in total this season, but its also due to where Christmas falls on the calendar. With Dec. 25 landing on a Tuesday, there are two full travel days between Saturday and the official holiday, rather than the one travel day last years Monday Christmas offered. That gives procrastinating shoppers all day Saturday to spend before packing their bags for Sunday or Monday departures.

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"If Super Saturday occurs and Christmas is Sunday, then it slows it down. Its hard to buy gifts when youre on an airplane," Johnson said. "The classic weekend is perfectly situated for all these procrastinators."

Luxury brands will get an outsized share of that spending, Johnson said. Thats partially because a big charge made on Dec. 22 wont appear until a January credit card statement, meaning it could be paid for with year-end bonuses arriving in early 2019. Late shoppers also tend to skew more male than traditional shoppers, though with 75 per cent of overall shopping done by women, plenty of female customers will also be making Super Saturday runs, Johnson said.

More that 40 per cent of people shopping this weekend still plan to go into physical stores, ICSC said, even though some online orders placed on Saturday could still arrive by Christmas Eve.

But for those 24 per cent of adult shoppers who ICSC says will do some shopping on Dec. 24, rest assured: companies are ready to sell every last stocking stuffer.

And what if Dec. 25 rolls around and youve still forgotten to shop? Starbucks Corp. says it has you covered: many of its locations will be open on Christmas Day to sell mugs, coffee beans and gift cards to those last-minute shoppers truly cutting it close.

 Bloomberg News
TORONTO - Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland said Saturday that Canada will embark on a campaign to win the release of two citizens detained by China in apparent retaliation for the arrest of a top Chinese tech executive.

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In this Sept. 25, 2018 file photo, Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland participates in a discussion at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York. Freeland said Saturday that Canada will embark on a campaign to win the release of two citizens detained by China in apparent retaliation for the arrest of a top Chinese tech executive. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

TORONTO - Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland said Saturday that Canada will embark on a campaign to win the release of two citizens detained by China in apparent retaliation for the arrest of a top Chinese tech executive.

Freeland said on a conference call with reporters that the arrests constitute a worrying precedent that has resonated with partners.

"We're going to keep working with a broad group of allies to raise this issue," she said, noting that Canadian ambassadors will be reaching out to governments across the world.

Freeland said she spoke with China's ambassador to Ottawa on Friday and made Canada's first demand for the immediate release of Canadian ex-diplomat Michael Kovrig and Canadian entrepreneur Michael Spavor. The U.S., the U.K. and the EU also issued statements in support of Canada.

Meng Wanzhou, chief financial officer of Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei, was arrested while changing planes in Vancouver 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 detained Kovrig and Spavor on vague allegations of "engaging in activities that endanger the national security" of China.

Freeland's declarations mark a harsher tone from officials. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been criticized by the Opposition for his largely muted response and for not phoning his Chinese counterpart.

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Freeland said that that Canada is honouring its extradition treaty with the United States and emphasized that Canada is a country based on the rule of law that has freed Meng on bail. "She has been given absolute access to due process and the independent Canadian judicial system," Freeland said. "That is how Canada operates."

On Friday, the U.S. State Department reiterated a call for the Canadians' release made by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

U.K. Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said in a statement the U.K. is confident that Canada is respecting its extradition treaty with the U.S. and said he is "deeply concerned" that China may have detained the two Canadians for political reasons. The EU, meanwhile, issued a statement saying that the "declared motive" for their detention "raises concerns about legitimate research and business practices in China."

Freeland thanked allies for speaking out.

The show of support from allies is significant for Canada, which has felt relatively isolated in recent months. In August, Saudi Arabia expelled Canada's ambassador to the kingdom and withdrew its own ambassador after Canada's foreign ministry tweeted support for an arrested Saudi activist.

The Saudis also sold Canadian investments and ordered their citizens studying in Canada to leave. No country, including the U.S., spoke out publicly in support of Canada.
OTTAWA - The federal budget won't be balanced until at least 2040, the Finance Department said Friday, providing fresh figures for parties looking to position themselves with voters as the best stewards of the public purse.

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Ottawa ran a small surplus of $92 million through the first seven months of its fiscal year, compared with a deficit of nearly $6.6 billion in the same period last year as revenue has increased faster than spending. The Canadian Flag is illuminated by morning light atop the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

OTTAWA - The federal budget won't be balanced until at least 2040, the Finance Department said Friday, providing fresh figures for parties looking to position themselves with voters as the best stewards of the public purse.

Federal officials estimate it will take another 22 years to get a balanced budget  five years earlier than the Liberal government predicted last year  if there are no major economic shocks or new government spending.

Long-term budgetary projections suggest that by the end of fiscal year 2040-2041, federal books will be in surplus by $1.7 billion, based on current assumptions for how the economy will grow and expectations that Liberal programs to help boost business investment will yield a financial windfall for the country  and for federal coffers.

All the assumptions make the figures "subject to a fair degree of uncertainty," the report warned.

The figures are sure to play a key role in October's federal election where the country's finances will seep into spending and tax promises the parties will make to voters. Finance Minister Bill Morneau said the Liberals' long-term spending plans balance "smart investments in Canadians with sound fiscal management" but opposition parties argued the government can't be trusted with its spending promises.

The Trudeau Liberals promised during the 2015 election to balance the books by the end of their mandate  2019  after running annual deficits of about $10 billion. Instead, the deficit figures rose sharply and federal books are expected to finish this fiscal year, which ends in March, with a shortfall of $18.1 billion.

The annual update on the long-term outlook for federal finances says that if things go better than expected, the budget could be balanced  or almost so  by 2024.

If the economy doesn't grow as fast as predicted  and there are already signs an economic slowdown is on the horizon  then the deficit could get worse until 2034.

"We're at the peak of the global economic cycle. This is as good as it gets," Conservative finance critic Pierre Poilievre said.

"If the federal government is running a $20 billion shortfall in its best year, then imagine how dreadful the situation will be in its worst year. It would be like if you had your best year at work and you also max out your credit card."

NDP finance critic Peter Julian said his party doesn't have an aversion to deficits, as long as the spending makes a difference in people's lives instead of deficit-financed tax incentives for corporate CEOs and businesses.

"There's this real disconnect between Mr. Morneau and Mr. Trudeau's willingness to throw money at the corporate CEOs, and to take us into deficit as a result, and the crying needs of Canadians that aren't being addressed," he said.

Federal officials say the government's finances appear sustainable over the long term because the Liberals' favoured fiscal number  the federal debt as a percentage of gross domestic product  is expected to decline over time. That's a way of measuring how heavy the debt burden is compared with the size of the national economy rather than just tallying the total the federal government owes.

Former parliamentary budget officer Kevin Page said cash-strapped provinces and territories could use the projection on the debt-to-GDP ratio to pressure Ottawa to cover a larger share of the costs for any new national programs. Estimates from Page's team at the Institute of Fiscal Studies and Democracy at the University of Ottawa and the current parliamentary budget officer suggest provincial and territorial budgets aren't sustainable over the long run.

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"This is a sensitive intergovernmental relations public policy issue and will continue to be so through the 2019 federal election, particularly as the federal government raises the prospect of a national pharmacare program," Page said.

He also questioned the timing of the report's release, suggesting the two decades of deficits was likely a major reason for releasing the document days before Christmas.

"It is a well-written report. Too bad it is released in a way that limits debate," Page said.

Separately Friday, the Finance Department said Ottawa ran a small surplus of $92 million between April and October, compared with a deficit of nearly $6.6 billion in the same period last year, as revenue increased faster than spending.

For the month of October, which is as far as the latest report goes, the federal government posted a deficit of $1.1 billion, compared with a deficit of about $400 million in the same month last year.

The government's debt stood at $669.5 billion as of October. According to Friday's federal projections, that figure will peak at almost $960 billion in the same year the budget reaches balance.
Health Canada confirmed Friday key details of its probe into Winnipeg-based licensed cannabis producer Bonify -- a day after the Free Press first reported allegations the firm obtained illegal cannabis, then sold it in Saskatchewan on the new, government-regulated market.

This article was published 21/12/2018 (1077 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Health Canada confirmed Friday key details of its probe into Winnipeg-based licensed cannabis producer Bonify -- a day after the Free Press first reported allegations the firm obtained illegal cannabis, then sold it in Saskatchewan on the new, government-regulated market.

The federal department, which regulates all legal cannabis production in Canada, confirmed Bonify released "unapproved cannabis products" for sale in Saskatchewan  but not, apparently, in Manitoba or anywhere else.

The regulator received an emailed complaint "alleging wrongdoing by Bonify" on Nov. 23, spokeswoman Tammy Jarbeau wrote in a statement. An inspection of Bonify was already scheduled for Dec. 6, and Health Canada planned to address the issue at that time.

However, on Nov. 30, Bonify told Health Canada it needed to recall two lots of cannabis, sold at three stores in Saskatchewan, "for which they were unable to verify that the required laboratory testing had occurred."

Health Canada informed the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority, which oversees cannabis sales in that province. Health Canada issued Bonify's recall Dec. 7, and postponed its planned inspection, according to Jarbeau.

Health Canada inspectors showed up at Bonify for "an unannounced and far more extensive inspection" from Dec. 11 to 14, it said. Inspectors investigated the internal procedures "that resulted in Bonify's releasing of unapproved product for sale."

After finding issues with Bonify's records, Health Canada said it seized eight different lots of cannabis, including the two that had been recalled in Saskatchewan.

"None of the affected products were sold to customers in any other jurisdiction" besides Saskatchewan, wrote Jarbeau.

MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS The nondescript facility in Winnipeg's North End used by licensed cannabis producer Bonify.

Regardless, all sales and distribution of Bonify cannabis in Manitoba were suspended Thursday by Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries Corp., the province's legal cannabis wholesaler, and the Liquor, Gaming and Cannabis Authority of Manitoba, which regulates licensed stores.

At the time, Premier Brian Pallister said the Manitoba government was treating all Bonify products as potentially unsafe.

By then, little Bonify marijuana was left on Manitoba store shelves: LGCA inspectors removed less than 20 grams of Bonify product from Manitoba cannabis retailers Thursday, according to spokeswoman Kristianne Dechant. The seizures "will be an ongoing process, as our inspectors will return to stores to collect additional product as its returned by customers," she wrote.

"I don't think there's any question that (Manitoba) was within its rights... as the wholesaler, to de-list and make the decision they're not going to sell that company's products anymore," said Matt Maurer, vice-chairman of the cannabis law group at Toronto firm Torkin Manes LLP.

Health Canada emphasized Friday it hasn't determined whether Bonify or anyone else broke the law.

Jarbeau said Health Canada learned during its December inspection Bonify's board of directors had "removed company executives," which Bonify had not yet announced as of Friday evening.

Bonify has hired a third-party consultant, RavenQuest BioMed, to provide "operational direction and oversight," according to a news release.

Pallister expressed concern Thursday that Health Canada didn't communicate with Manitoba about its investigation.

In the legislature rotunda Friday, the premier told reporters the province hadn't learned anything new about the situation yet, but said he had made inquiries with unnamed federal ministers.

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Premier Brian Pallister speaks to the media about allegedly-illegal cannabis sold in Saskatchewan by Manitoba company Bonify on Thursday.

"Look, I'm not about finger-pointing, but I am about protecting the health and well-being of people who want to buy pot," said Pallister.

"And if it's not healthy, and it's not safe, we should know that and we should know it right away, not in a delayed manner. I am not in possession of all the facts. That tells me that we can make the system work better, and we must."

No federal ministers have yet commented publicly on the situation at Bonify.

At the federal level, Minister of Border Security and Organized Crime Reduction Bill Blair is the minister responsible for legal cannabis. The Free Press requested an interview with Blair both Thursday and Friday, and received a generic statement in response.

The allegations that Bonify sold illicit cannabis came as a surprise to the leader of an industry group that represents almost 50 licensed marijuana producers.

"Bonify has invested significantly in Winnipeg, they've built a good facility," said Allan Rewak, executive director of the Cannabis Council of Canada.

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"If illicit product not grown in that facility entered the supply stream, that has to be dealt with That being said, it's dangerous to rush to judgment."

Rewak said he's still waiting for the full picture of what happened at Bonify to emerge.

"If this did indeed occur, there will be severe consequences for those involved, perhaps criminal consequences, and that's appropriate," he said.

 with files from Dylan Robertson

solomon.israel@theleafnews.com

Twitter: @sol_israel
Hes already been honoured with a parkway and now former premier Sterling Lyon has a bridge named after him.

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Hes already been honoured with a parkway and now former premier Sterling Lyon has a bridge named after him.

Premier Brian Pallister announced on Friday the naming of the Sterling Lyon Bridge, in honour of the late premier who was a political force in Manitoba for many years.

Pallister made the announcement in the rotunda of the Manitoba legislature along with provincial Infrastructure Minister Ron Schuler and members of the Lyon family.

The bridge crosses the Assiniboine River along the Trans-Canada Highway just outside of Portage la Prairie, which is the hometown of both Lyon and Pallister.

The new bridge isnt entirely new. It comprises of two structures  one each for traffic eastbound and westbound. Only one side was re-done, though both have received the new name.

The new structure is both wider and longer than the previous structure, according to a release from the province.

MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Premier Brian Pallister, Minister Ron Schuler and Nancy (Lyon) Matthews along with extended family were on hand Friday at the Manitoba Legislature to announce the naming of the Trans-Canada Highway bridge over the Assiniboine River in the Rural Municipality of St. Francois Xavier will be named Sterling Lyon Bridge.

The project cost $11.5 million and opened to traffic in the fall.

"I cant think of a more appropriate bridge," said Nancy Matthews, one Lyons three daughters. "Growing up, we were back and forth along that stretch of highway regularly."

"(The bridge) joins the two parts of his life," Pallister said.

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The bridge is not the only piece of infrastructure in the province bearing Lyons name; the other is Sterling Lyon Parkway, in Winnipegs south end.

Elected as an MLA in 1958, Lyon was a provincial cabinet minister, and premier of Manitoba from 1977 to 1981. The Progressive Conservative was one of the key players in the repatriation of the Canadian Constitution, supporting the inclusion of the controversial notwithstanding clause in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms during negotiations in the early 1980s.

The notwithstanding clause has received some attention in recent months after a threat from Ontario Premier Doug Ford to invoke it to override a court decision striking down his bill to reduce the size of Torontos city council from 47 to 25 seats.

After his premiership, Lyon served 16 years on the Manitoba Court of Appeal and was inducted into both the Order of Manitoba and as an Officer of the Order of Canada.

He died in 2010 at age 83.

ryan.job@freepress.mb.ca
Dakota Collegiates Skills for Learning students dropped by the Winnipeg Free Press the other day to donate $1,800 to Miracle on Mountain  $400 more than the group gave last year.

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Dakota Collegiates Skills for Learning students dropped by the Winnipeg Free Press the other day to donate $1,800 to Miracle on Mountain  $400 more than the group gave last year.

All 18 students in individualized programming felt good about working hard to collect money from every classroom each morning for the month of December, said classmates Chris Espinosa, 19, and Amanda Finlayson, 16.

Students were glad to help the Miracle on Mountain campaign, said Espinosa, who visited the Free Press last year, as well. Many of the students said they look forward to participating again next year.

The students and staff gathered Thursday morning around the tall Christmas tree in the foyer of the Free Press building on Mountain Avenue as editor Paul Samyn thanked them for the visit and for the donation.

"Whats really important is that the money that you raised, the money that you donated today, is going to make Christmas a lot better for lots of kids all across our city," Samyn said.

Raising the money is also a learning opportunity  the Skills for Living students have varying levels of ability, with their own needs and talents.

"It really is a two-way opportunity for them to give back and in return be able to work on those daily living skills that are so important in our program," said Richel Lehmann, occupational therapist with individualized programming at Dakota Collegiate.

'They don't have that much and they have to stretch it a long way, much further than most of us. I marvel at that'  Cheer Board's Kai Madsen

The students work on social skills by engaging with their peers and school staff while collecting the donations. They are also responsible for counting the money, which Lehmann said helps with functional math and the all-important skill of handling currency.

"It is also a great opportunity to teach them about giving back to their community and why it is so important."

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Miracle on Mountain donations help fund the Christmas Cheer Board to deliver hampers of groceries and toys to more than 17,000 individuals and families in Winnipeg.

The families are often young parents with young kids, said Christmas Cheer Board executive director Kai Madsen.

"They dont have that much and they have to stretch it a long way, much further than most of us. I marvel at that."

The charity still needs to raise around $75,000 to pay the bills, Madsen said. The earlier the money comes in, the better, but people can donate any time after Christmas, he said.

Last weekend, the Free Press podcast Bury the Lede hosted a live show that raised $700 for Miracle on Mountain.

liane.carter@freepress.mb.ca
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 22/12/2018 (1076 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Opinion

FAKE, (feyk) n: a spurious report or story.

Keep it up, America, and youll be going the way of the Roman Empire. Keep on gleefully dismissing valid, pointed stories written by skilled journalists as "fake news." That irresponsible action is going bite your backside in a way you cannot even imagine now.

Reporters know it. Elected officials know it. Writers of the U.S. Constitution knew it  thats how "freedom of the press" landed in the First Amendment.

And now, Time magazine has recognized this delicate relationship in naming courageous journalists, including five who worked for a paper called the Capital Gazette, as among "The Guardians and the War on Truth." They were fatally shot June 28, when a gunman opened fire in their Maryland newsroom. They were among a group of assassinated or jailed reporters named by Time as 2018 Person of the Year.

Time put into words the anger that journalists worldwide have ignored or suppressed the past few years because they strive to be impartial  and because journalists arent used to defending themselves. Were the ones in the back of the room taking notes at the council meeting. The magazine went further  it disputed U.S. President Donald Trumps definition of "fake news," which simply is his view of reports that arent favourable to him. And him calling the press "the enemy of the people?" Thats just kook talk.

Time warned that Trumps continued use of the phrase already has found despots worldwide embracing his bold strategy of dismissing demonstrably true reports as the machinations of the opposition. Truth does matter when it comes to news reporting.

"That world is led, in some ways, by a U.S. president whose... attacks on the press have set a troubling tone," Time wrote.

Troubling doesnt cover it. Potentially destructive is closer.

Writers of the U.S. Constitution recognized even in 1787 that the press, often called the Fourth Estate, is an integral part of how democracy works. Can you name a country run by a despot where the press is free? Given the choice between having free newspapers or a government, American statesman Thomas Jefferson said hed do without government.

Its the job of the journalist to get people thinking and talking about issues of the day, engaged in the community, stepping forward to take action. Its the job to write the truth. Without independent journalism, this country eventually can kiss democracy goodbye. Consider countries around the world where the press is suppressed by government. How about China? Care to move there? Reporters without Borders ranks China in the top 10 most repressive states. Or Venezuela? Independent journalists there are mostly dead journalists.

Its great fun to join in the cry of "fake news" and get your daily dose from some left- or right-wing internet site, but folks who do that are participating in the destruction of this countrys democracy. People should get their information from a press that strives to write with impartiality, not one that starts with a stated point of view or the goal of getting the most clicks. Mainstream newspapers are among the few current producers of news who meet that goal. Social media, which produces no news, is at the other end of the scale.

In this columnists 38 years with the Orlando Sentinel, only a couple of instances of actual fabrication come to mind  where a reporter made something up and wrote it as "fact." That, folks, is fake news. It is not fake news when a story is critical of the politician you happen to like best at that moment.

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Try a week in Saudi Arabia if you want to watch real fake news in action. Travel tip No. 1: Best not link the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi embassy in Turkey to the Saudi crown prince while youre there. Saudi Arabia is a little short on that concept of freedom of speech, and the kingdom made it known to Khashoggi, according to Turkish authorities.

Time wisely linked these two injustices: the fight for respect for journalists and the fight for respect for the truth. It serves to remind reporters and editors of the two critical parts of their job: first, build trust with the reader by accurate reporting. Second, cover whats going on where youre planted, sometimes called "community journalism."

That message resonates with reporters and editors who strive every day to provide truth to their community.

"This recognition reminds us of just how important community journalism is to our profession," Trif Alatzas, publisher and editor-in-chief of the Baltimore Sun Media Group, wrote in a staff memo. "Our community news organizations hold local government leaders accountable and provide the news and information that matters to those who live and work in the community."

And for those ceaselessly screaming "fake news," the Time award is a siren to say that a community with a free press and reliable news sources is one of the critical threads that binds people together and makes this tricky thing called democracy a success.

 Orlando Sentinel
Its heartbreaking to see the United States use tear gas and military troops to confront a migrant caravan at its border with Mexico.

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This article was published 22/12/2018 (1076 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Opinion

Its heartbreaking to see the United States use tear gas and military troops to confront a migrant caravan at its border with Mexico.

In Winnipeg, we dont use tear gas on such people. We welcome them.

Wayne Glowacki / Winnipeg Free Press files Lloyd Axworthy wants Winnipeg to show leadership on acceptance of border-caravan refugees, but such an effort would require various levels of organization and support.

Lloyd Axworthy knows Winnipeg treats refugees humanely, which is why he recently said he wants his hometown to take in some caravan migrants who are victims of gang and domestic violence.

He said Winnipeg could be an example to the world, helping reverse a global tide of anti-refugee sentiment.

Example to the world? No pressure, eh?

Asked for their reaction, Mayor Brian Bowman and federal Trade Minister Jim Carr (Winnipeg South Centre) both said they were interested in Axworthys challenge and await a formal proposal. The mayor said, "Weve grown our community by opening our doors to the world and I want to see that continue."

It was unsurprising that Bowman and Carr gave a positive reaction to Axworthys idea because, well, hes Lloyd Axworthy. When a hometown boy goes from being a student at Sisler High School to being a respected world figure who was once nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, Winnipeggers tend to listen when he has an idea.

Now 78 years old and apparently not ready to retire to a rocking chair and slippers, Axworthy is preparing to address the United Nations as head of the World Refugee Council.

His idea of Winnipeg becoming a model to the world is a timely challenge. An increasing number of countries seem to offer migrants a cold shoulder, turning back desperate people who only want to escape violence and find jobs to support their families.

Winnipeg has a soft spot for refugees because, historically, this is a city of immigrants. Generation after generation of newcomers has enhanced Winnipeg economically and given us a colourful social fabric in which, almost always, cultural and racial differences are greeted with respect, or at least indifference.

But this citys extensive experience with newcomers has taught us the importance of ensuring the local settlement sector has resources that are up to the job.

Axworthy knows all this. As Canadas former minister for immigration and foreign affairs in the 1980s and 90s, he knows the behind-the-scenes network of settlement professionals that must be in place to properly deal with a surge of refugee claimants.

He didnt offer details on his big-picture suggestion that Winnipeg accept members of the migrant caravan. Should Winnipeg accept just a few caravan families as a media photo-op to encourage the other countries to do the same? Or should Winnipeg take a sizable portion of the nearly 7,000 caravan migrants from Central and South America?

To accept a large number, we would need to get our house in order before opening the door. Unfortunately, the Manitoba settlement sector is already underfunded as it deals with huge backlogs for refugee claimant hearings.

Funding would be needed to transport the caravan migrants to Winnipeg, and to provide temporary housing here.

Manitoba Legal Aid would need more funding to expand the current 13-hour limit on each refugee claim to help claimants complete the necessary forms and documentation to access settlement services and challenge denied claims.

More help would also be needed from the local medical profession, where there is currently a shortage of Manitoba doctors designated to see refugee claimants for the health checkups needed to apply for work permits.

Funding would also be needed to increase the number of English language classes.

All this required funding should be new, not borrowed from existing programs that are stretched thin. It wouldnt be fair to let the caravan migrants cut in line ahead of other refugee claimants already awaiting their chance.

While Axworthy has friends in high places, his hands are no longer on government purse strings. Paying for his big idea would fall largely to the provincial and federal governments, and in a smaller way to Winnipegs municipal government.

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Government underfunding aside, Winnipegs big advantage is that many ordinary citizens are willing to help.

This is the province that, per capita, has the highest support for refugees in the category of private sponsorship. This is when five or more citizens, typically connected to a church, band together and commit to supporting a refugee family for a year. Without government funding, they set up "our family" in a paid apartment with donated furniture and maintain a circle of support that often helps with job hunting, education and advice on adapting to this city.

Thats the Winnipeg way. Reach out with compassion, and build relationships.

Many of us come from families in which our relatives moved here for safety and economic opportunity. When its our turn to give instead of get, we can extend a hand.

If we are to welcome caravan migrants, lets do it properly. First, fund the local settlement industry adequately. Then, let Winnipeggers show the caravan migrants that U.S. President Donald Trump doesnt speak for all North Americans.

Carl DeGurse is a member of the Free Press editorial board.
Whistling past the graveyard is an overused term, but it can be used accurately to describe the posture of the provincial and federal governments in the face of a growing crisis over methamphetamine.

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This article was published 21/12/2018 (1077 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

"Whistling past the graveyard" is an overused term, but it can be used accurately to describe the posture of the provincial and federal governments in the face of a growing crisis over methamphetamine.

That meth represents a public health and security crisis should not be up for debate. For evidence, the premier need look no further than Ice Storm, the investigative series on the meth crisis published this past week in the Free Press.

The increasing strain on the health care, social service and justice systems is evidence enough that we are a city and a province under siege from cheap, easily smuggled and transported and devastatingly addictive meth. From the number of addicts showing up at hospital emergency departments, to the numbers of arrests, prosecutions and demands for treatment, meth is a crisis that is measured in increases of hundreds, even thousands of per cent.

The increasing strain on the health care, social service and justice systems is evidence we are under siege from the addictive drug. (Mikaela MacKenzie / Winnipeg Free Press)

Remarkably, however, Premier Brian Pallister and Health Minister Cameron Friesen are hesitant to call it a crisis.

In a year-end interview with the Free Press, Mr. Pallister cautioned those who demand more government resources to help meth addicts by noting that "there are a lot of other people in the province that have other priorities... that may not involve meth."

Mr. Pallister also suggested that the term "crisis" is being overused, noting that prior to concerns about meth, the term was attached to opioids: "Now they dont call fentanyl a crisis, they call something else a crisis."

The premiers measured concern, and his seeming aversion to uttering the term "crisis," should concern all Manitobans, whether they are directly touched by this virulent drug or not.

Health Minister Cameron Friesen has been hesitant to call the meth problem in Manitoba a crisis. (Ruth Bonneville / Winnipeg Free Press)

The costs of providing front-line services to combat the consequences of meth addiction are beyond the capacity of any government to control. Every time a meth addict wanders into an emergency room, requires in-patient admission to control violent psychosis, is arrested breaking into a home to feed their habits, is convicted and incarcerated or  in the final chapter of many meth addicts experience  dies a horrible death, all Manitobans pay.

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The premier and his ministers give the impression that they do not fully grasp  or perhaps, for ideological reasons, refuse to acknowledge  the gravity of whats going on. Mr. Pallister and Mr. Friesen have both suggested the legalization of cannabis has triggered the rise in meth use.

"The black market is not without creativity, not without innovation," Mr. Friesen offered earlier this month. "They will look for new markets if we blockade conventional markets. Cannabis was a conventional market for the black market."

Organized crime began shifting its focus away from the cannabis industry years ago because it is difficult to grow, transport and sell. Meth, on the other hand, is easy and cheap to make, very easy to smuggle and affordable for addicts. It is also so addictive that it is much more likely to create a dependency among its users, which drives repeat business.

The Pallister government has certainly taken some action to address meth. It has opened clinics to help addicts of all kinds manage their affliction. It has, along with Ottawa, found some additional money to bolster treatment. And it has formed a task force along with the city and federal government to discuss additional solutions.

But it is not enough. Not nearly enough.

Meth is a crisis. Suggesting such terminology is more about hyperbole than human suffering borders on irresponsible. Its time for the Pallister government to show Manitobans it can mount a serious response for one of the most critical problems this province has faced.
WASHINGTON - Brett McGurk, the U.S. envoy to the global coalition fighting the Islamic State group, has resigned in protest over President Donald Trump's abrupt decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria, joining Defence Secretary Jim Mattis in an administration exodus of experienced national security figures. McGurk described Trump's decision as a "shock."

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This article was published 22/12/2018 (1076 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

FILE - In this June 7, 2017 file photo, Brett McGurk, the U.S. envoy for the global coalition against IS, speaks during a news conference at the U.S. Embassy Baghdad, Iraq. McGurk has resigned in protest to President Donald TrumpAos abrupt decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria, joining Defense Secretary Jim Mattis in an administration exodus of experienced national security officials. AP Photo/Hadi Mizban)

WASHINGTON - Brett McGurk, the U.S. envoy to the global coalition fighting the Islamic State group, has resigned in protest over President Donald Trump's abrupt decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria, joining Defence Secretary Jim Mattis in an administration exodus of experienced national security figures. McGurk described Trump's decision as a "shock."

Only 11 days ago, McGurk had said it would be "reckless" to consider IS defeated and therefore would be unwise to bring American forces home. McGurk decided to speed up his original plan to leave his post in mid-February.

"The recent decision by the president came as a shock and was a complete reversal of policy," he said in an email to his staff viewed by The Associated Press. "It left our coalition partners confused and our fighting partners bewildered with no plan in place or even considered thought as to consequences."

McGurk, who was appointed by President Barack Obama in 2015 and retained by Trump, said in his resignation letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo that the militants were on the run, but not yet defeated, and that the premature pullout of U.S. forces from Syria would create the conditions that gave rise to IS.

The letter was submitted Friday and described to the AP on Saturday by an official familiar with its contents. The official was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly before the letter was released and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Trump played down the development, tweeting Saturday night that "I do not know" the envoy and it's a "nothing event." He noted McGurk planned to leave soon anyway and added: "Grandstander?"

"I have no idea who that person is. Never heard of him ... until yesterday," Trump's acting chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney, told ABC's "This Week" on Sunday.

Shortly after news of McGurk's resignation broke, Trump again defended his decision to pull all of the roughly 2,000 U.S. forces from Syria in the coming weeks.

"We were originally going to be there for three months, and that was seven years ago - we never left," Trump tweeted. "When I became President, ISIS was going wild. Now ISIS is largely defeated and other local countries, including Turkey, should be able to easily take care of whatever remains. We're coming home!"

Although the civil war in Syria has gone on since 2011, the U.S. did not begin launching airstrikes against IS until September 2014, and American troops did not go into Syria until 2015.

McGurk, whose resignation is effective Dec. 31, was planning to leave the job in mid-February after a U.S.-hosted meeting of foreign ministers from the coalition countries, but he felt he could continue no longer after Trump's decision to withdraw from Syria and Mattis' resignation.

In his email to his staff, McGurk said: "I worked this week to help manage some of the fallout, but  as many of you heard in my many meetings and phone calls  I ultimately concluded that I could not carry out these new instructions and maintain my integrity at the same time."

Trump's declaration of a victory over IS has been roundly contradicted by his own experts' assessments, and his decision to pull troops out was widely denounced by members of Congress, who called his action rash.

Mattis, perhaps the most respected foreign policy official in the administration, announced on Thursday that he will leave by the end of February. He told Trump in a letter that he was departing because "you have a right to have a Secretary of Defence whose views are better aligned with yours."

The withdrawal decision will fulfil Trump's 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.

Among officials' key concerns is that a U.S. pullout will leave U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces vulnerable to attacks by Turkey, the Syrian government and remaining IS fighters. The SDF, a Kurdish-led force, is America's only military partner in Syria

McGurk said at a State Department briefing on Dec. 11 that "it would be reckless if we were just to say, 'Well, the physical caliphate is defeated, so we can just leave now.'"

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McGurk, 45, previously served as a deputy assistant secretary of state for Iraq and Iran. During the negotiations for the Iran nuclear deal by the Obama administration, he led secret side talks with Tehran on the release of Americans imprisoned there.

McGurk was briefly considered for the post of ambassador to Iraq after having served as a senior official covering Iraq and Afghanistan during President George W. Bush's administration.

A former Supreme Court law clerk to the late Chief Justice William Rehnquist, McGurk worked as a lawyer for the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion and joined Bush's National Security Council staff, where in 2007 and 2008, he was the lead U.S. negotiator on security agreements with Iraq.

Taking over for now for McGurk will be his deputy, retired Lt. Gen. Terry Wolff, who served three tours of active duty in Iraq.

IS 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.

But that figure could be as high as 8,000 militants, if fighters hiding out in the deserts south of the Euphrates River are also counted, according to according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the conflict through networks of local informants.
An Uruguayan navy training schooner arrived in Montevideo on Friday after being restored in October and completing two months of port calls in Brazil and Argentina.

Government authorities and family members were on hand to welcome the 73-person crew of the Capitan Miranda, which had been out of service since 2010.

Defense Minister Jorge Menendez told reporters he was thankful that the vessel was back in Uruguay after representing the South American country internationally.

Its a very satisfying day for us. A little over two months ago, the Capitan Miranda took to sea on a tour of different ports, around 10 Brazilian and Argentine ports, after having been in our shipyards for a long time, he said.

Menendez recalled that the Defense Ministry had been tasked with reconstructing the vessel, built in 1930 as a survey ship and converted to a training schooner in the late 1970s, and said the work carried out by the navy and Uruguayan state companies had left the ship in optimal condition.

Uruguays government invested $6 million to return the Capitan Miranda to international waters.

The repair work began in April 2013 and involved replacing the ships propellers, shaft lines, main engine, engine room pumps, air conditioning equipment, generators, black water systems and pipes and valves, as well as inspecting its hull and superstructure.
The following companies are subsidiares of Exxon Mobil: AKG Marketing Company Limited, Aera Energy LLC, Al-Jubail Petrochemical Company, Ampolex (Cepu) Pte Ltd, Ancon Insurance Company Inc., Barnett Gathering LLC, Barzan Gas Company Limited, Caspian Pipeline Consortium, Celtic Exploration Ltd., Coral FLNG S.A., Cross Timbers Energy LLC, Ellora Energy Inc., Esmeroon Oil Transporta Imperial Oil Limited, Esso (Thailand) Public Company Limited, Esso Australia Resources Pty Ltd, Esso Deutschland GmbH, Esso Erdgas Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH, Esso Exploration Angola (Block 15) Limited, Esso Exploration Angola (Block 17) Limited, Esso Exploration and Production Angola (Overseas) Limited, Esso Exploration and Production Chad Inc., Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited, Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria (Deepwater) Limited, Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria (Offshore East) Limited, Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited, Esso Exploration and Production UK Limited, Esso Global Investments Ltd., Esso Italiana S.r.l., Esso Nederland B.V., Esso Norge AS, Esso Petroleum Company Limited, Esso Raffinage, Esso Societe Anonyme Francaise, Exxo Holdings Inc., Exxon Azerbaijan Limited, Exxon Chemical Arabia Inc., Exxon International Finance Company, Exxon Luxembourg Holdings LLC, Exxon Mobile Bay Limited Partnership, Exxon Neftegas Limited, Exxon Overseas Corporation, Exxon Overseas Investment Corporation, ExxonMobil (China) Investment Co. Ltd., ExxonMobil (Taicang) Petroleum Co. Ltd., ExxonMobil Abu Dhabi Offshore Petroleum Company Limited, ExxonMobil Alaska Production Inc., ExxonMobil Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., ExxonMobil Australia Pty Ltd, ExxonMobil B Resources Company, ExxonMobil Capital Finance Company, ExxonMobil Capital Netherlands B.V., ExxonMobil Central Europe Holding GmbH, ExxonMobil Cepu Limited, ExxonMobil Chemical France, ExxonMobil Chemical Gulf Coast Investments LLC, ExxonMobil Chemical Holland B.V., ExxonMobil Chemical Services (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., ExxonMobil China Petroleum & Petrochemical Company Limited, ExxonMobil Development Africa B.V., ExxonMobil Development Company, ExxonMobil Egypt (S.A.E.), ExxonMobil Exploracao Brasil Ltda., ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Malaysia Inc., ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Norway AS, ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Romania Limited, ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Tanzania Limited, ExxonMobil Finance Company Limited, ExxonMobil Financial Investment Company Limited, ExxonMobil France Holding SAS, ExxonMobil Gas Marketing Europe Limited, ExxonMobil General Finance Company, ExxonMobil Global Services Company, ExxonMobil Golden Pass Surety LLC, ExxonMobil Holding Company Holland LLC, ExxonMobil Holding Norway AS, ExxonMobil Hong Kong Limited, ExxonMobil International Services SARL, ExxonMobil Iraq Limited, ExxonMobil Italiana Gas S.r.l., ExxonMobil Kazakhstan Inc., ExxonMobil Kazakhstan Ventures Inc., ExxonMobil LNG Services B.V., ExxonMobil Lubricants Trading Company, ExxonMobil Oil Corporation, ExxonMobil PNG Limited, ExxonMobil Petroleum & Chemical BVBA, ExxonMobil Petroleum & Chemical Holdings Inc., ExxonMobil Pipeline Company, ExxonMobil Production Deutschland GmbH, ExxonMobil Production Norway Inc., ExxonMobil Qatargas (II) Limited, ExxonMobil Qatargas Inc., ExxonMobil Ras Laffan (III) Limited, ExxonMobil Rasgas Inc., ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company, ExxonMobil Russia Kara Sea Holdings B.V., ExxonMobil Sales and Supply LLC, ExxonMobil Technology Finance Company, ExxonMobil Ventures Finance Company, ExxonMobil Ventures Funding Ltd., Fujian Refining & Petrochemical Co. Ltd., Golden Pass LNG Terminal Investments LLC, Golden Pass LNG Terminal LLC, Gulf Coast Growth Ventures LLC, Imperial Oil Limited, Imperial Oil Resources Limited, Imperial Oil Resources N.W.T. Limited, Imperial Oil/Petroliere Imperiale, Infineum Italia s.r.I., Infineum Singapore Pte. Ltd., InterOil Corporation, Jurong Aromatics Corporation Pte Ltd, MPM Lubricants, Marine Well Containment Company LLC, Mobil Australia Resources Company Pty Limited, Mobil California Exploration & Producing Asset Company, Mobil Caspian Pipeline Company, Mobil Chemical Products International Inc., Mobil Corporation, Mobil Equatorial Guinea Inc., Mobil Erdgas Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH, Mobil Exploration & Producing Australia Pty Ltd, Mobil International Petroleum Corporation, Mobil Oil Australia Pty Ltd, Mobil Oil Exploration & Producing Southeast Inc., Mobil Oil New Zealand Limited, Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited, Mobil Producing Texas & New Mexico Inc., Mobil SerLimited, Mobil Venezolana De Petroleos Inc., Mobil Yanbu Petrochemical Company Inc., Mobil Yanbu Refining Company Inc., Mountain Gathering LLC, Mozambique Rovuma Venture S.p.A., Palmetto Transoceanic LLC, Papua New Guinea Liquefied Natural Gas Global Company LDC, Permian Express Partners LLC, Phillips Exploration LLC, Qatar Liquefied Gas Company Limited, Ras Laffan Liquefied Natural Gas Company Limited, Ras Laffan Liquefied Natural Gas Company Limited (II), SPI Limited, Saudi Aramco Mobil Refinery Company Ltd., Saudi Yanbu Petrochemical Co., SeaRiver Maritime Inc., South Hook LNG Terminal Company Limited, Tengizchevroil LLP, Terminale GNL Adriatico S.r.l, Trend Gathering & Treating LLC, Wolverine Pipe Line Company, XH LLC, XTO Delaware Basin LLC, XTO ENERGY, XTO Energy Canada, and XTO Holdings LLC.
The Williams Cos., Inc. operates as an energy infrastructure company, which explores, produces, transports, sells and processes natural gas and petroleum products. It operates through the following segments: Transmission and Gulf of Mexico; Northeast G&P; and West. The Transmission and Gulf of Mexico segment comprises of interstate natural gas pipelines, Transco and Northwest Pipeline, as well as natural gas gathering and processing and crude oil production handling and transportation assets in the Gulf Coast region. The Northeast G&P segment includes midstream gathering, processing, and fractionation businesses in the Marcellus Shale region primarily in Pennsylvania and New York, and the Utica Shale region of eastern Ohio. The West segment consists of gas gathering, processing, and treating operations in the Rocky Mountain region of Colorado and Wyoming, the Barnett Shale region of north-central Texas, the Eagle Ford Shale region of south Texas, the Haynesville Shale region of northwest Louisiana, and the Mid-Continent region which includes the Anadarko, Arkoma, and Permian basins. The company was founded by David Williams and Miller Williams in 1908 and is headquartered in Tulsa,

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President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said Friday that Mexico will safeguard the human rights of Central American migrants who are trying to obtain asylum in the United States.

We want to maintain a relationship of understanding and friendship with the United States government, but at the same time defend the principles of Mexicos foreign policy, he said during his daily morning press conference.

Amid pressure from Washington, the Mexican government agreed Thursday to provide temporary sanctuary for third-country nationals while they await adjudication of their US asylum applications.

Mexico will approach the migrant situation within the framework of respect for human rights, Lopez Obrador said.

The president was joined in front of reporters by Foreign Secretary Marcelo Ebrard, who stressed that Mexicos willingness to harbor the asylum-seekers did not constitute a de-facto safe third country agreement with the US.

Such an accord - Washington already has one with Canada - would designate Mexico as a safe country for asylum seekers and would make it difficult if not impossible for any asylum seeker on Mexican territory to apply for asylum in the US.

Signing a safe third country pact with the US is not under consideration, Ebrard said.

Given the unilateral decision by the US to expel the asylum applicants, Mexicos only options are to deport the migrants or allow them to remain on a temporary basis, he said.

It is not the intention of Mexico to deport these people. If that were the case, it would have been done already, the foreign secretary said.

Next Monday, he said, Mexico will set forth a definitive position on the issue that will not involve deportations.

Mexican officials say that the northwestern border city of Tijuana is currently harboring 4,000 Central Americans who were part of the caravans that set out in October from Honduras and Guatemala with the aim of reaching the US.
The following companies are subsidiares of Kellogg: 545 LLC, AQFTM Inc., Afical - Industria e Comercio de Alimentos Ltda, Afical Holding LLC, Alimentos Gollek S.A., Alimentos Kellogg S.A., Alimentos Kellogg de Panama SRL, Argkel Inc., Austin Quality Foods Inc., BDH Inc., Bear Naked Inc., Bisco Misr, CC Real Estate Holdings LLC, Canada Holding LLC, Cary Land Corporation, Eighteen94 Capital LLC, Favorite Food Products Limited, Gardenburger LLC, Gollek Argentina S.R.L., Gollek B.V., Gollek Inc., Gollek Interamericas S. de R.L. de C.V., Gollek Servicios S.C., Gollek UK Limited, Illinois Baking Corporation, Instituto De Nutricion y Salud Kellogg A.C., Insurgent Brands LLC, K (China) Limited, K Europe Holding Company Limited, K India Private Limited, K-One Inc., K-Two Inc., KBAR SRL, KECL LLC, KELF Limited, KJAL Limited, KPAR Limited, KT International Finance SRL, KTRY Limited, Kashi Company, Kashi Company Pty Ltd, Kashi Sales L.L.C., Keebler Company, Keebler Foods Company, Keebler Holding Corp., Keebler USA Inc., Kelarg Inc., Kelcone Limited, Kelcorn Limited, Kellman S. de R.L. de C.V., Kellogg (Aust.) Pty. Ltd., Kellogg (Deutschland) GmbH, Kellogg (Japan) G.K., Kellogg (Osterreich) Gesellschaft GmbH, Kellogg (Schweiz) GmbH, Kellogg (Thailand) Limited, Kellogg Activation Services Company, Kellogg Argentina S.R.L., Kellogg Asia Inc., Kellogg Asia Marketing Inc., Kellogg Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., Kellogg Asia Products Sdn.. Bhd., Kellogg Asia Sdn. Bhd., Kellogg Australia Holdings Pty. Ltd., Kellogg Belgium Services Company BVBA, Kellogg Brasil Inc., Kellogg Brasil Ltda., Kellogg Business Services Company, Kellogg Canada Inc., Kellogg Caribbean Inc., Kellogg Caribbean Services Company Inc., Kellogg Chile Inc., Kellogg Company East Africa Limited, Kellogg Company Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Kellogg Company Subsidiaries, Kellogg Company of Great Britain Limited, Kellogg Company of Ireland Limited, Kellogg Company of South Africa (Pty.) Ltd., Kellogg Costa Rica S. de R.L., Kellogg Ecuador C. LTDA., Kellogg El Salvador Ltda. de C.V., Kellogg Espana S.L., Kellogg Europe Company Limited, Kellogg Europe Finance Limited, Kellogg Europe Services Limited, Kellogg Europe Trading Limited, Kellogg Europe Treasury Services Limited, Kellogg European Logistics Services Company Limited, Kellogg European Support Services SRL, Kellogg Fearn Inc., Kellogg Funding Company LLC, Kellogg Group LLC, Kellogg Group Limited, Kellogg Group S.a.r.l., Kellogg Hellas Single Member Limited Liability Company, Kellogg Holding Company Limited, Kellogg Holding LLC, Kellogg Hong Kong Holding Company Limited, Kellogg Hong Kong Private Limited, Kellogg India Private Limited, Kellogg International Holding Company, Kellogg Irish Holding Limited, Kellogg Italia S.p.A., Kellogg Kayco, Kellogg Latin America Holding Company (One) Limited, Kellogg Latin America Holding Company (Two) Limited, Kellogg Latvia Inc., Kellogg Lux I S.ar.l., Kellogg Lux III S. ar L., Kellogg Lux V S.a.r.l., Kellogg Lux VI S.ar.l., Kellogg Management Services (Europe) Limited, Kellogg Manchester Limited, Kellogg Manufacturing Espana S.L., Kellogg Marketing and Sales Company (UK) Limited, Kellogg Med Gida Ticaret Limited SirketiI, Kellogg Netherlands Holding B.V., Kellogg North America Company, Kellogg Northern Europe GmbH, Kellogg Pakistan (Private) Limted, Kellogg Rus LLC, Kellogg Sales Company, Kellogg Services GmbH, Kellogg Servicios S.C., Kellogg Snacks Financing Limited, Kellogg Snacks Holding Company Europe Limited, Kellogg Superannuation Pty. Ltd., Kellogg Supply Services (Europe) Limited, Kellogg Talbot LLC, Kellogg Transition MA&P L.L.C., Kellogg Treasury Services Company, Kellogg U.K. Holding Company Limited, Kellogg UK Minor Limited, Kellogg USA LLC, Kellogg de Centro America S.A., Kellogg de Colombia S.A., Kellogg de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Kellogg de Peru S.R.L., Kellogg's Produits Alimentaires S.A.S., Kelmill Limited, Kelpac Limited, Klux A Sarl, Klux B Sarl, Mass Food, Mass Food International SAE, Mass Food SAE, Mass Trade for Trade and Distribution SAE, McCamly Plaza Hotel Inc., Multipro Consumer Products Limited*, Multipro Private Limited*, Multipro Singapore Pte. Ltd*, Nhong Shim Kellogg Co. Ltd.*, Nikko Industries*, Nordisk Kellogg's ApS, PRUX S.a r.l., Padua Ltda, Parati Group, Parati Industria e Comercio de Alimentos Ltda, Portable Foods Manufacturing Company Limited, Prime Bond Cyprus Holding Company Limited, Prime Bond Holdings Limited, Pringles, Pringles (Shanghai) Food Co. Ltd., Pringles Australia Pty Ltd, Pringles Hong Kong Limited, Pringles International Operations Sarl, Pringles Japan G.K., Pringles LLC, Pringles Manufacturing Company, Pringles Overseas Holdings Sarl, Pringles S.a r.l., Pronumex S de R.L. de C.V., RX Bar UK Limited, RXBRANDS Canada ULC, Ritmo Investimentos, Rondo Food Manufacturing S.A.E., RxBar, Saragusa Frozen Foods Limited, Servicios Argkel S.C., Shaffer Clarke & Co. Inc., Specialty Cereals Pty Limited, Specialty Foods L.L.C., Stretch Fibres*, Stretch Island Fruit Sales L.L.C., Sunshine Biscuits L.L.C., The Eggo Company, The Healthy Snack People Pty Limited, Trafford Park Insurance Limited, Uma Investments sp. z o.o., Vita+ Naturprodukte GmbH*, Wimble Manufacturing Belgium BVBA, Wimble Services Belgium BVBA, and Worthington Foods Inc..
The following companies are subsidiares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.: 2235158 Alberta Limited, A.J. Amer Agency, AHC Digital LLC, AIX Limited, AJG Coal LLC, AJG Financial Services LLC, AJG Meadows LLC, AJG North America ULC, AJG RCF LLC, AJGRMS of Louisiana LLC, ARM RE Ltda., AVIATION INSURANCE SERVICES, AVRECO, Ace IRM Insurance Broking Group, Acumus Holdings Limited, Acumus Interco Limited, Acumus Ltd, Adams & Associates International, Adaptive Marketing LLC, Adco General Corporation, Advanced Benefit Advisors, Aequus Trade Credit, Affinity Marketing Group, Ahrold Fay Rosenberg, Aires Consulting Group, Alesco Risk Management Services Limited, Alize Limited, Allied Claims Administration Inc., Alternative Market Specialists, Altman & Cronin Benefit Consultants, American Freedom Carriers Inc., American Security Services Corp., American Wholesalers Underwriting Ltd, Andrew-Anthony Insurance Agency, Anthony Hodges Consulting Limited, Antrobus Investments Limited, AquaSurance, Argentis, Argentis Financial Group Limited, Argentis Financial Management Limited, Argus Benefits, Armstrong/Robitaille/Riegle, Artex (SAC) Limited, Artex Cedar Hill, Artex Corporate Services (Malta) Limited, Artex Corporate Services Limited, Artex Holdings (Gibraltar) Limited, Artex Holdings (Malta) Limited, Artex Insurance (Guernsey) PCC Limited, Artex Insurance (Tennessee) PCCIC Inc., Artex Insurance Brokers (Malta) PCC Limited, Artex Insurance ICC Limited, Artex Intermediaries Ltd, Artex Risk Solutions (Bermuda) Ltd, Artex Risk Solutions (Cayman) Limited, Artex Risk Solutions (Gibraltar) Limited, Artex Risk Solutions (Guernsey) Limited, Artex Risk Solutions (International) Ltd, Artex Risk Solutions (Malta) Limited, Artex Risk Solutions (Singapore) Pte Ltd, Artex Risk Solutions (UK) Limited, Artex Risk Solutions Inc., Arthur J Gallagher (Norway) Holdings AS, Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (AUS) Ltd, Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (Bermuda) Limited, Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (Illinois), Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Insurance Brokers of California Inc., Arthur J. Gallagher (Aus) Pty Ltd, Arthur J. Gallagher (Bermuda) Holding Partnership, Arthur J. Gallagher (Life Solutions) Ltd, Arthur J. Gallagher (Singapore) Pte Ltd, Arthur J. Gallagher (U.S.) LLC, Arthur J. Gallagher (UK) Limited, Arthur J. Gallagher Asesoria S.A.C., Arthur J. Gallagher Australasia Holdings Pty Ltd., Arthur J. Gallagher Brokerage & Risk Management Services LLC, Arthur J. Gallagher Broking (NZ) Limited, Arthur J. Gallagher Financial Services Professionals Risk Purchasing Group LLC, Arthur J. Gallagher Group Quebec ULC, Arthur J. Gallagher Holdings (UK) Limited, Arthur J. Gallagher Insurance Brokers Limited, Arthur J. Gallagher Latin America LLC, Arthur J. Gallagher Management (Bermuda) Limited, Arthur J. Gallagher Real Estate Risk Purchasing Group LLC, Arthur J. Gallagher Risk Management Services (Hawaii) Inc., Arthur J. Gallagher Risk Management Services Inc., Arthur J. Gallagher Risk Management Services of Utah Inc., Arthur J. Gallagher School Risk Purchasing Group LLC, Arthur J. Gallagher Service Company LLC, Arthur J. Gallagher Services (UK) Ltd, Ashmore & Associates Insurance Agency, Atlantic Risk Management Corp., Atrex Insurance (Cayman) SPC Limited, Avantek Pty Ltd, Axe Insurance PCC Limited, BIS Insurance Services, Baker - Tillys employment benefits solutions, Ballard Benefit Works, Bankers Financial Benefits, Barmore Insurance Agency, Behnke & Co. Inc., Bellisle Pty Ltd, Belmont Associates Consultants, Belmont Insurance Holdings Limited, Belmont International, Belmont International Limited, Benefit Development Group, Benefit Management Group, BenefitLink Resource Group, Benefits Planning & Insurance Agency, Benefits Unlimited, Bennett & Shade Co., Bergvall Marine, Bergvall Marine A.S., Besselman & Little Agency, Big Savings Insurance Agency Inc., Blenheim Park Ltd, Blenheim Park Services Limited, Blue Holdings Pty Ltd, Blue Horizon Insurance Services, Blue Water Benefits, BluePeak Advisors, Blueleaf Consulting Pty Ltd., Bluewater Incorporated Cell Insurance Company, Bollinger Inc., Bollinger Insurance Services Inc., Bowen Miclette Britt & Merry of Arkansas Inc., Brendis & Brendis, Brim AB, Broker Benefit Services, Brokerage Professionals, Brown Hobbs & McMurray Insurance, Bultman/Bell Associates Inc., Burkwald & Associates, Burns-Fazzi Brock & Associates, Bushong Insurance Associates, C&B Consulting Group, CGM Gallagher Insruance Brokers (Trinidad & Tobago) Limited, CJM Solutions Inc., CMA Solutions LLC, Cairnstone Financial, California Insurance Center, Capital Bauer Insurance Agency, Capitol Benefits Group, Capsicum CRLA LLP, Capsicum Re Brasil Participacoes Ltda, Capsicum Re Latin America Corretora De Resseguros Ltda, Capsicum Reinsurance Brokers Bermuda Limited, Capsicum Reinsurance Brokers Miami Inc., Carefree Marketing Inc., Carpenter Cammack & Associates, Cashan & Co., Castle Insurance Associates, Centennial Insurance Agency, Charity First Insurance Services Inc., Charles Allen Agency, Charter Lakes Insurance Agency, Chris Schroeder Insurance, Christie-Phoenix, Cintran Claims Canada Limited, Classic Insurance Services, Cleaveland Insurance Group, Cohen & Lord Insurance Brokers, Cohn Financial Group, Coleman Group Holdings Limited, Coleman Holdings Limited, College and University Scholastic Excess Risk Purchasing Group LLC, Commercial Insurance Brokers, Complete Benefit Alliance, Complete Financial Balance, Complete Financial Balance Pty Ltd, Consolidated Casualty Specialties LLC, Construction Risk Solutions, Contego Underwriting Limited, Contego Underwriting Ltd, Continental Excess & Surplus, Convergence Risk Services Ltd, Copper Mountain Assurance Inc., Cornwall & Stevens Co., Corporate Benefit Advisors, Corporate Life Consultants, Countrywide Accident Assistance Limited, Coverdell & Company Inc., Coverdell Canada Corporation, Cowles and Connell, Craig M. Ferguson & Co., Crist Elliott Machette Insurance Services, Crombie Lockwood (NZ) Limited, Davis-Poston & Associates, Denman Consulting Services, Detlefs Johnson & Partners, DiBrina Group, Dickinson & Associates, Discount Development Services L.L.C., Discovery Benefit Solutions, Dodson-Bateman & Co., Donald P. Pipino Co. Ltd., E. S. Susanin Inc., EHE Holdings LLC, EHS Holdings Limited, Elantis Premium Funding (NZ) Limited, Elantis Premium Funding Limited, Elite Benefits Insurance Marketing Services, Employee Benefits Analysis Corp., Employee Benefits of The Carolinas, Encore Insurance & Bonding, Everett James, Evolution Risk Services Limited, Evolution Technology Services Limited, Evolution Underwriting Group, Evolution Underwriting Group Limited, Evolution Underwriting Limited, Excel Insurance Services, FYI Direct Canada Corporation, FYI Direct LLC, Farallone Pacific Insurance Services, Fenchurch Faris Limited, Fidelity Benefits & Insurance Services, Financial Profiles Inc., Finergy Solutions Pty Ltd, First Agency, First Iowa Insurance Agency, First Premium Inc., First Premium Insurance Group, Fish & Schulkamp, Fishermans Insurance Services, Foley Healthcare Limited, Fortress Financial Solutions Pty Ltd, Fortress Insurance LLC, Foundation Strategies, Fox Lawson & Associates, Franklin-Case Agency LLC, Fraser MacAndrew Ryan Limited, Friary Intermediate Limited, Fuller & O'Brien, G.S. Chapman & Associates Insurance Brokers, G.S. Levine Insurance Services, GBS (Australia) Holdings Pty Ltd, GBS Administrators Inc., GBS Insurance and Financial Services Inc., GBS Retirement Services Inc., GBS Specialty Markets LLC, GGB Finance 1 Limited, GGB Finance 2 Limited, GGB Finance 3 Limited, GGB Finance 4 Limited, GPL Assurance, GPL Assurance Inc., Gabor Insurance Services, Gale Smith & Co. Inc., Gallagher (Bermuda) Insurance Solutions Ltd., Gallagher - Grace/Mayer Insurance Agency, Gallagher Bassett Aires Inc., Gallagher Bassett Canada Inc., Gallagher Bassett Insurance Services Ltd., Gallagher Bassett International Ltd., Gallagher Bassett NZ Pty Ltd., Gallagher Bassett Services Inc. , Gallagher Bassett Services Pty Ltd., Gallagher Bassett Services Workers Compensation Victoria Pty Ltd., Gallagher Benefit Services (Canada) Group Inc., Gallagher Benefit Services (Holdings) Limited, Gallagher Benefit Services Inc., Gallagher Benefit Services Management Company Limited, Gallagher Benefit Services Pty Ltd, Gallagher Benefits Consulting Limited, Gallagher Bomford Couch Wilson, Gallagher Burgess, Gallagher Canada Acquisition Corporation, Gallagher Caribbean Group Limited, Gallagher Clean Energy LLC, Gallagher Communications Limited, Gallagher Community Clinic RPG LLC, Gallagher Consulting Ltda, Gallagher Corporate Services LLC, Gallagher Coyle, Gallagher CyberRisk, Gallagher Energy Risk Services Inc., Gallagher Fiduciary Advisors LLC, Gallagher Holdings (UK) Limited, Gallagher Holdings Bermuda Company Limited, Gallagher Holdings Four (UK) Limited, Gallagher Holdings Three (UK) Limited, Gallagher Insurance Brokers (Barbados) Limited, Gallagher Insurance Brokers (St. Kitts & Nevis) Limited, Gallagher Insurance Brokers (St. Lucia) Limited, Gallagher Insurance Brokers (St. Vincent) Limited, Gallagher Insurance Brokers Jamaica Limited, Gallagher International Cash Management s.r.l., Gallagher International Holdings (US) Inc., Gallagher Investment Advisors LLC, Gallagher Inwest Group, Gallagher Koster, Gallagher Lambert Group, Gallagher Madison Risk & Insurance Services, Gallagher Mauritius Holdings, Gallagher Mississippi Brokerage LLC, Gallagher RE Colombia Ltda Corredores de Reaseguros SA, Gallagher Risk & Reward Limited, Gallagher Risk Group LLC, Gallagher Risk Placements Pty Ltd, Gallagher SKS, Gallagher Service Center LLP, Gallagher-Tarantino, Galtney Group, Game Day Insurance Inc., Gardner & White Corp., Gardner Marine Agency, Garza Long Group, Gatehouse Consulting Limited, Gault Armstrong Kemble Pty Ltd, Gault Armstrong SARL, Giles Group, Giles Holdings Limited, Giles Insurance Brokers, Gillis Ellis & Baker Inc., Goodman Insurance Agency, Grandy Pratt Co., Greenseed Alternative Mangaers Platform Ltd, Grossman & Associates, Group Benefits of Arkansas, Group Insurance Associates, Gruppo Marcucci, HLG Holdings Limited, HMG-PCMS Limited, HPF Investments LLC, HR Owen Insurance Services Limited, Hagan Newkirk Financial Services, Hagedorn & Company, Hardman & Howell Benefits, Harlequin Insurance PCC Limited, Hartstein Associates Inc., Healthcare Professionals Purchasing Group LLC, Healthcare Risk Solutions, Heath Lambert Group Ltd., Heath Lambert Limited, Heath Lambert Overseas Limited, Heiser Insurance Agency, Henderson Phillips Fine Arts Insurance, Herbruck Alder & Co., Heritage Insurance Brokers (CI) Limited, Hesse & Partner AG, Hesse Consulting, Hexagon ICC Limited, Hexagon Insurance PCC Limited, Hill Chesson & Woody, Hogan Insurance Services, Home & Travel Limited, Honour Point Limited, Horseshoe Corporate Services Ltd, Horseshoe Fund Services (Cayman) Ltd, Horseshoe Fund Services Ltd, Horseshoe Fund Services USA Inc., Horseshoe ILS Services UK Ltd, Horseshoe Insurance Advisors US LLC, Horseshoe Insurance Advisory Ltd., Horseshoe Insurance Services Holdings Ltd, Horseshoe Insurance Services Holdings US Inc., Horseshoe Management (Gibraltar) Limited, Horseshoe Management (Ireland) Ltd, Horseshoe Management Ltd., Horseshoe PCC Limited, Horseshoe Re Limited, Horseshoe Services (Cayman) Ltd, Horseshoe Services (Pty) Ltd, Horton Insurance Agency, Housing Authorities Services Risk Purchasing Group LLC, Human Resource Management Systems, I-Protect Underwriting Pty Ltd, IBIS Advisors, IBS Reinsurance Singapore Pte Ltd, ILS Fund Services Ltd., ISG International, ITI Solutions, Igloo Insurance PCC Limited, Independent Benefit Services, Independent Fiduciary Services, Ink Underwriting Agencies Limited, InsSync Group Pty Ltd, Inspire Underwriting Limited, Instrat Insurance Brokers, Instrat Insurance Brokers Pty Ltd, Instrat Integration Holdco Pty Ltd, Insurance Acquisitions Holdings Limited, Insurance Associates Inc., Insurance Dialogue Limited, Insurance Dialogue Ltd., Insurance Plans Agency, Insurance Plus Risk Purchasing Group LLC, Insurance Point, Insurance Risk Managers of Missouri Inc., Insure My Villa Limited, Insure Pty Ltd, Integrated Healthcare Strategies, InterNational Insurance Group, InterPacific Underwriting Agencies, Intermountain Financial Benefits, Interstate Insurance Underwriters, JPGAC LLC, James F. Reda & Associates, James R. Weir Insurance Agency, Jenkins and Associates, Joe E. Martin Inc., John P. Woods Co. Inc., Jones Brown, Jones Brown Group Inc., Jones Brown Insurance Solutions Inc., Joseph Distel, Joseph James & Associates Insurance Agency, Just Landlords Insurance Services Ltd, KDC Associates, KRW Insurance Agency, Kahl Insurance Services, Kaler Carney Liffler & Co. Inc., Kane Group - Insurance Management Operations, Kelly Financial, Kent Kent & Tingle and RBS, Keyser Benefits Corp., Kingspark Enterprises Pty Ltd, L&R Benefits, LSG Insurance Partners, Learn About Money Limited, Lewis & Associates Insurance Brokers, Leystone Insurance & Financial, Life Plans Unlimited, Lincoln Financial Management, Longfellow Financial, Lucas Fettes Limited, Lucas Fettes and Partners Limited, Lutgert Insurance, MA Underwriting Pty Ltd, MDM Insurance Associates, MG Advanced Coal Technologies-1 LLC, MGA Insurance Services, MRS Holdings Ltd., Madison Scott & Associates, Managed Healthcare Solutions, Mannequin Insurance PCC Limited, Marchetti Robertson & Brickell Insurance, Marine Insurance Service, Martin Gordon & Jones Inc., McDowall Associates Human Resource Consultants, McIntyre Risk Management, McLean Insurance Agency, McNeary, McPherson Benefits Group, McRory & Co., Mecacem Insurance SPC Ltd, MedInsights Inc., Melton Insurance Associates, Memberworks Canada LLC, Merit Insurance, Metcom Excess, Metzler Bros. Insurance, Meyers-Reynolds & Associates, Mid America Group, Midwest Surety Services, Mike Henry Insurance Brokers, Mike Henry Insurance Brokers Limited, Mike Henry Insurance Funding Limited, Miller Buettner & Parrott, Miller-Harrison Insurance Services, Milne Alexander Pty Ltd, Minvielle & Chastanet Insurance Brokers, Monument Insurance (NZ) Limited, Monument Llc, Monument Premium Funding Limited, Mortgage Insurance Agency, Murphy Consultants, Mutual Insurance Services, NationAir Aviation Insurance, National Administration Co., National Ethics Association, National Transportation Adjusters, Nelson/Monarch Insurance Services, Nicoud Insurance Services, NiiS/Apex Group Holdings, Nonprofit Insurance Risk Purchasing Group LLC, Noraxis Capital Corp, Nordic Forsakring & Riskhantering AB, North Alabama Insurance, Nourse Insurance Brokers, O'Gorman & Young, OAMPS (UK) Limited, OAMPS Gault Armstrong Pty Ltd, OAMPS Limited, OAMPS Special Risks Ltd, Offshore Market Placements Limited, Optimum Talent, Orb Financial Services, Orb Financial Services Limited, Osprey Insurance Brokers Limited, Oval Group, Oval Healthcare Limited, Oval Insurance Broking Limited, Oval Limited, Oval Management Services Limited, Oxygen Insurance Managers, P2 Group, PEN Insurance Management Advisors Ltd, PT IBS Insurance Broking Service, Pacific Insurance Agency, Palmer Atlantic Insurance, Palmer Atlantic Insurance Ltd, Palmer Atlantic Risk Services Ltd., Park Row Associates, Parkstar Enterprises Pty Ltd, Parmia Pty Ltd, PartnerSource, Pastel Holding (NZ) Company, Pastel Holdings Pty Limited, Pastel Purchaser (NZ) Limited, Pastel Purchaser Pty Limited, Pavey Group Holdings (UK) Limited, Pavey Group Holdings Limited, Pavey Group Limited, Pearson Dunn Insurance Inc., Pen Underwriting Canada Limited, Pen Underwriting Group Pty. Ltd., Pen Underwriting Limited, Pen Underwriting Pty Ltd, Persing Dyckman & Toynbee Inc., Personal Advice Services Pty Ltd, Petty Burton Associates, Pointer Insurance Agency, Portmore Insurance Brokers (Wilshire) Limited, Portmore Insurance Brokers Limited, Potter-Holden & Co., Powell Insurance Agency, Premier Insurance Services Inc., Premier Risk Services, Premium Finance Corporation, Preston-Patterson, ProSource Financial, Professional Agents Risk Purchasing Group LLC, Professional Claims Managers, Proinova AB, Proinova Agency AB, Pronto California Agency LLC, Pronto California General Agency LLC, Pronto Florida Claims LLC, Pronto Florida General Agency LLC, Pronto Franchise LLC, Pronto General Agency Ltd, Pronto General Agency Management LLC, Pronto Holdco Inc., Pronto Holding California LLC, Pronto Holding Florida LLC, Pronto Insurance Agency of Laredo Inc., Pronto Premium Finance LLC, Property & Commercial Ltd., Property Insurance Initatives Limited, Property and Commercial Limited, Protected Insurance Company, Protection Plan Association Inc., Protek Group Limited, Providium Consulting Group, Ptarmigan Underwriting Agency Limited, Ptarmigan Underwriting UK Limited, Purple Bridge Claims Management Limited, Purple Bridge Finance Limited, Purple Bridge Group Limited, Purple Bridge Investments Limited, Purple Bridge Online Services Limited, Purple Bridge Publishing Limited, Quantum Underwriting Solutions Limited, Quillco 226 Limited, Quillco 227 Limited, R. L. Youngdahl & Associates, R.G. Speno Inc., R.W. Scobie, RA Rossborough (Guernsey) Ltd., RA Rossborough (Insurance Brokers) Ltd, REGENCY Group inc., RGA Referencing Limited, RGA Underwriting Limited, RIL Administrators (Guernsey) Ltd., RJ Dutton Inc., RSM Insurance Services Limited, Reassurance Holdings Inc., Rebholz Insurance Agency, Reid Manson Ltd., Reimbursement Services, Rentguard Limited, Reward Management Limited, Reynolds & Rodar Insurance Group, Riley & Associates, Rio 587 Limited, Rio 588 Limited, Risk & Reward Group, Risk Management Partners Limited, Risk Placement Services Inc., Risk Planners, Risk Services (NW) Limited, Risk Services (NW) Ltd., Risk Solutions Group Limited, Robert A. Schneider Agency, Robert Keith & Associates, Roberts & Roberts Insurance Service, Robinson-Adams Insurance, Rossborough Healthcare International Ltd, Rossborough Insurance (IOM) Ltd., Rossborough Insurance Services Ltd. (Jersey), S. A. Freerks & Associates, SEG Insurance Ltd, SGB-NIA Insurance Brokers, SHILLING Ltd, SKANCO International, SMERI AB, SRS Underwriting Pty Ltd, Secure Enterprises Pty Ltd, Securitas Re, Sellers Group, Sentinel Indemnity LLC, Septagon Insurance PCC Limited, Shuford Insurance Agency, Sigma II Insurance Agency, Sinclair Billard and Weld Limited, Sobieski & Bradley, Solid Benefit Guidance, Spanjers Insurance Agency, Spataro Insurance Agency, Specialised Broking Associates, Specialty Risk, Stackhouse Poland, Stackhouse Poland Bidco Limited, Stackhouse Poland Group Limited, Stackhouse Poland Holdings Limited, Stackhouse Poland Midco Limited, Stackouse Poland Limited, Stanton Group, Stark Johnson & Stinson Inc., Steel Agency, Strata Solicitors Ltd, Strategic Health Plans Corp., Strathearn Insurance Brokers, Strathearn Insurance Brokers (Qld) Trading Trust, Strathern Insurance Group Pty Ltd, Strathern Integration Holdco Pty Ltd, Strathern Unit Trust, Strong Financial Resources, Summit Insurance Group, Sunday and Associates, Sunderland Insurance Services, Super Advice Corporate Services Pty Ltd, Taylor Benefits, Texas Insurance Agency, Texas Insurance Managers, The BeneTex Group, The Buchholz Planning, The Chapman Group, The Commonwealth Consulting Group, The Daniels Group Inc., The EHE Group LLC, The EHE Insurance Agency LLC, The Eagle Insurance Agency LLC, The Eriksen Group, The Forker Company, The Gleason Agency, The Great Lakes Agency, The HR Group, The Hawk Agency, The Human Capital Group, The Lance Group, The Levitt/Kristan Co., The MW Bagnall Company, The Old Greenwich Consulting Group, The Parks Johnson Agency, The Plus Companies Inc., The Presidio Group, The Producers Choice, The Rains Group, The Splinter Group, The Titan Group, The Treiber Group, The Woodsmall Companies Inc., Title & Covenant Brokers Ltd., Title Investments Limited, Tom Sherwin Insurance Agency, Total Reward Group, Total Rewards Group (Holdings) Limited, Towle Agency, Transwestern, Tri-State General Insurance Agency, Triad Insurance Agency, Triad USA, Tribeca Strategic Advisors, Trinder & Norwood, Trip Mate, Trissel Graham & Toole, Tropp & Co., Tudor Risk Services, Tyloma Holdings Limited, Uni-Care Inc., Unison Inc., Universico Group, Unoccupied Direct Limited, V2V Holdings LLC, VEBA Service Group, Vasek Insurance Services Limited, Velo ACU LLC, Velo Holdings Inc., Verbag AG., Vertrue LLC, Victory Insurance Agency, Vincent L. Braband Insurance, Vital Benefits, Voluntary Benefits Solutions, W. E. Kingsley Co. Inc., WM. W. George & Associates, Walker Taylor Agency, Welling Associates, Wesfarmers Insurance - Insurance Brokerage Operations, Western Benefit Solutions, White & Company Insurance, Whitehaven Insurance Group, William Gallagher Associates Insurance Brokers, William H. Connolly & Co., Williams Insurance Agency Inc., Williams-Manny Insurance Group, Winn & Company Insurance Brokers, Wischmeyer Benefit Partners, Woodbrook Underwriting Agencies, Woods & Grooms, WorkCare Northwest, Worksite Communications, Y. S. Liedman & Associates, YOA Capsicum Reinsurance Broker Limited, Zenor Limited, Zuber Insurance Agency, and e3 Financial.
Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria SA engages in the traditional banking businesses of retail banking, asset management, private banking, and wholesale banking. It operates through the following segments: Spain, the United States, Mexico, Turkey, South America, and Rest of Eurasia. The Spain segment includes mainly the banking and insurance business that the group carries out in Spain. The United States segment consists of the financial business activity of BBVA USA in the country and the activity of the branch of BBVA SA in New York. The Mexico segment refers to banking and insurance businesses in this country as well as the activity of its branch in Houston. The Turkey segment reports the activity of Garanti BBVA group that is mainly carried out in this country and, to a lesser extent, in Romania and the Netherlands. The South America segment comprises of operations in n Argentina, Colombia, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela. The Rest of Eurasia segment includes the banking business activity carried out by the group in Europe and Asia, excluding Spain. The company was founded in 1857 and is headquartered in Madrid, Spain.

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The Bank of Nova Scotia provides various banking products and services in Canada, the United States, Mexico, Peru, Chile, Colombia, the Caribbean and Central America, and internationally. It operates through Canadian Banking, International Banking, Global Banking and Markets, and Global Wealth Management segments. The company offers financial advice and solutions, and day-to-day banking products, including debit and credit cards, chequing and saving accounts, investments, mortgages, loans, and insurance to individuals; and business banking solutions comprising lending, deposit, cash management, and trade finance solutions to small businesses and commercial customers, including automotive financing solutions to dealers and their customers. It also provides wealth management advice and solutions, including online brokerage, mobile investment, full-service brokerage, trust, private banking, and private investment counsel services; and retail mutual funds, exchange traded funds, liquid alternative funds, and institutional funds. In addition, the company offers international banking services for retail, corporate, and commercial customers; and lending and transaction, investment banking advisory, and capital markets access services to corporate customers. Further, it provides Internet, mobile, and telephone banking services. The company operates a network of 952 branches and approximately 3,540 automated banking machines in Canada; and approximately 1,400 branches, 5,200 ATMs, and 22 contact centers internationally. The Bank of Nova Scotia was founded in 1832 and is headquartered in Halifax, Canada.

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The reference to communism that had been left out of the first draft of a new Cuban constitution has been made a part of the document in response to a request from more than 1,800 citizens, Communist Party daily Granma said Friday.

Yusuam Palacios, a lawmaker representing Holguin, said ahead of parliaments vote on the draft that the preamble of the new charter includes this phrase: the human being reaches his full dignity only in socialism and communism, Granma reported.

Cubas current constitution, adopted in 1976, proclaims the Communist Party to be the superior leading force of the society and the State, organizing and guiding the common efforts aimed at the highest goals of the construction of socialism and advancement toward the communist society.

Re-inserting the mention of communism presents a reading that is revolutionary and coherent with what we have defended and must continue defending, Palacios said.

A constitutional commission led by former President Raul Castro - who remains Communist Party chief - put forward 760 proposed amendments after a consultative process that involved nearly 9 million Cubans.

While the draft does not envision political changes such as ending the monopoly of the Communist Party, it recognizes private property and the importance of foreign investment and establishes a new post of prime minister.

The National Assembly is expected to approve the new charter later Friday and a referendum is tentatively scheduled for Feb. 24.
The following companies are subsidiares of Lennar: 360 Developers LLC, Alliance Financial Services Inc., Ann Arundel Farms Ltd., Aquaterra Utilities Inc., Arbor Mill Veteran Project 2018 LLC, Asbury Woods L.L.C., Astoria Options LLC, Autumn Creek Development Ltd., Aylon LLC, Azusa Associates LLC, B2 Milpitas LLC, BB Investment Holdings LLC, BCI Properties LLC, BMR Communities LLC, BMR Construction Inc., BMTD LLC, BPH I LLC, Bainebridge 249 LLC, Bay Colony Expansion 369 Ltd., Bellagio Lennar LLC, Belle Meade LEN Holdings LLC, Belle Meade Partners LLC, Black Mountain Ranch LLC, Blue Horizons Estates LLC, Bonterra Lennar LLC, Bramalea California Inc., Bressi Gardenlane LLC, Breton Park Lennar LLC, CAP IL 1 LLC, CL Ventures LLC, CML INACTIVE LLC, CML-MO HAF LLC, CML-MO HAF PARKING LLC, CP Block 6aS LLC, CP Block 8aS LLC, CP Block 9aS LLC, CP Center Apartments LLC, CP Center Garage LLC, CP Red Oak Partners Ltd., CP Vertical Development Co. 1 LLC, CP/HPS Development Co. GP LLC, CP/HPS Development Co.-C LLC, CPFE LLC, CPHP Development LLC, CalAtlantic Financial Services Inc., CalAtlantic Group, CalAtlantic Group Inc., CalAtlantic Homes of Arizona Inc., CalAtlantic Homes of Georgia Inc., CalAtlantic Homes of Texas Inc., CalAtlantic Homes of Washington Inc., CalAtlantic Mortgage Inc., CalAtlantic National Title Solutions LLC, CalAtlantic Title Agency LLC, CalAtlantic Title Group LLC, CalAtlantic Title Inc., CalAtlantic Title LLC, CalAtlantic Title of Maryland Inc., Camarillo Village Park LLC, Cambria L.L.C., Candlestick Retail Member LLC, Cardiovascular Medical Specialists LLC, Carolina Blue LLC, Carson 175 LLC, Cary Woods LLC, Casa Marina Development LLC, Central Park West Holdings LLC, Cherrytree II LLC, Club Bonterra Lennar LLC, Coco Palm 82 LLC, Colonial Heritage LLC, Columbia National Risk Retention Group Inc., Commonwealth Incentive Fee LLC, Concord Station LLP, Coventry L.L.C., Creekside Crossing L.L.C., Crest at Fondren Investor LLC, DBJ Holdings LLC, DCA Financial LLC, DTC Holdings of Florida LLC, Darcy-Joliet L.L.C., Durrell 33 LLC, EL Ventures LLC, EV LLC, Eagle Bend Commercial LLC, Eagle Home Mortgage LLC, Estates Seven LLC, Evergreen Village LLC, F&R QVI Home Investments USA LLC, FLORDADE LLC, Faria Preserve LLC, Fidelity Guaranty and Acceptance Corp., Fidelity Land LLC, Fox-Maple Associates LLC, Friendswood Development Company LLC, GDI MANAGER LLC, Garco Investments LLC, Greystone Construction Inc., Greystone Homes of Nevada Inc., Greystone Nevada Holdings LLC, Greystone Nevada LLC, Greywall Club L.L.C., HCC Investors LLC, HPS Development Co. LP, HPS Vertical Development Co. LLC, HPS Vertical Development Co.-B LP, HPS Vertical Development Co.-D/E LLC, HPS1 Block 1 LLC, HPS1 Block 48-1A LLC, HPS1 Block 48-1B LLC, HPS1 Block 48-2A LLC, HPS1 Block 48-2B LLC, HPS1 Block 48-3A LLC, HPS1 Block 48-3B LLC, HPS1 Block 50 LLC, HPS1 Block 51 LLC, HPS1 Block 52 LLC, HPS1 Block 53 LLC, HPS1 Block 54 LLC, HPS1 Block 55 LLC, HPS1 Block 56/57 LLC, HSP Arizona Inc., HTC Golf Club LLC, Hammocks Lennar LLC, Harbor Highlands Group LLC, Harveston LLC, Haverton L.L.C., Heathcote Commons LLC, Heritage Pkwy East Holdings LLC, Heritage of Auburn Hills L.L.C., Hewitts Landing Trustee LLC, Hingham Properties LLC, Huntley Venture L.L.C., Inactive Companies LLC, Independence L.L.C., Independence Orlando LLC, Isles at Bayshore Club LLC, KMC Real Estate Investors LLC, Kendall Hammocks Commercial LLC, Kentuckiana Medical Center LLC, Kingman Lennar LLC, LB/L  Duc III Antioch 330 LLC, LCD Asante LLC, LCI Downtown Doral Investor LLC, LCI North DeKalb Investor GP LLC, LCI North DeKalb Investor LP LLC, LEN - Belle Meade LLC, LEN - OBS Windemere LLC, LEN - Palm Vista LLC, LEN BPT Investor LLC, LEN Mirada Investor LLC, LEN Notarize Investor LLC, LEN OT Holdings LLC, LEN Paradise Cable LLC, LEN Paradise Operating LLC, LEN-CG South LLC, LEN-Cypress Mill LLC, LEN-Ryan 1 LLC, LEN-Touchstone LLC, LENH I LLC, LENNAR HOMES OF TENNESSEE LLC, LFS Holding Company LLC, LH Eastwind LLC, LHI Renaissance LLC, LMC 10th & Acoma Holdings LP, LMC 144th and Grant Investor LLC, LMC 2401 Blake Street Holdings LLC, LMC 2401 Blake Street Investor LLC, LMC 360 Acoma Holdings LP, LMC 410 S Wabash Holdings LLC, LMC 808 Gateway Holdings LLC, LMC 808 Gateway Investor LLC, LMC 8th Avenue Apartment Investor LLC, LMC 990 Bannock Holdings LLC, LMC Axis Westminster Holdings LLC, LMC Axis Westminster Investor LLC, LMC Berry Hill Lofts Holdings LLC, LMC Berry Hill Lofts Investor LLC, LMC Block 42 Holdings LLC, LMC Build to Core III Investor LLC, LMC Build to Core III LLC, LMC Burnside Holdings LLC, LMC Burnside Investor LLC, LMC Chandler and McClintock Holdings LLC, LMC Charlestowne Holdings LLC, LMC Charlotte Ballpark Developer LLC, LMC Cityville Oak Park Holdings LLC, LMC Cityville Oak Park Investor LLC, LMC Cobalt Holdings LLC, LMC Costa Mesa Holdings LP, LMC Crest at Park West Holdings LP, LMC Denver Gateway I Investor LLC, LMC Denver Gateway II Holdings LLC, LMC Development LLC, LMC Downtown Doral South Holdings LLC, LMC Durham Gateway Holdings LP, LMC Evans School Holdings LLC, LMC Gateway Investor LLC, LMC Gateway Venture LLC, LMC Gilman Square Investor LLC, LMC Horton Street Holdings LLC, LMC Huntington Crossing Holdings LLC, LMC Inactive Companies LLC, LMC Lakeside Holdings LP, LMC Leya Holdings LLC, LMC Living Illinois LLC, LMC Living Inc., LMC Living LLC, LMC Living TRS LP, LMC Millenia Investor II LLC, LMC NE Minneapolis Lot 2 Holdings LLC, LMC New Bern Investor LLC, LMC North Park Holdings LP, LMC Parkfield Holdings LLC, LMC Parkfield Investor LLC, LMC Righters Ferry Holdings LLC, LMC River North Holdings LLC, LMC Spring Street Investor LLC, LMC Stonewall Station Investor LLC, LMC Triangle Square Investor LLC, LMC Venture Developer LLC, LMC Verbena Holdings LLC, LMC West Loop Investor LLC, LMCFX Investor LLC, LMCPNW Marymoor Holdings LLC, LMI - Jacksonville Investor LLC, LMI - South Kings Development Investor LLC, LMI - West Seattle Holdings LLC, LMI - West Seattle Investor LLC, LMI - West Seattle LLC, LMI Cell Tower Investors LLC, LMI City Walk Investor LLC, LMI Collegedale Investor LLC, LMI Collegedale LLC, LMI Contractors LLC, LMI Glencoe Dallas Investor LLC, LMI Lakes West Covina Investor LLC, LMI Largo Park Investor LLC, LMI Las Colinas Station LLC, LMI Naperville Investor LLC, LMI Pacific Tower LLC, LMI Park Central Two LLC, LMI Peachtree Corners Investor LLC, LMI Peachtree Corners LLC, LMI-JC Developer LLC, LMI-JC LLC, LMV 1640 Broadway REIT-DC LP, LMV 1701 Ballard REIT-DC LP, LMV 19H REIT-DC LP, LMV 2026 Madison REIT-DC LP, LMV 85 South Union REIT-DC LP, LMV ATown REIT-DC LP, LMV Annapolis REIT-DC LP, LMV Apache Terrace REIT-DC LP, LMV Block 42 REIT-DC LP, LMV Bloomington REIT-DC LP, LMV Bolingbrook REIT-DC LP (DE), LMV Central at McDowell REIT-DC LP, LMV East Village I REIT-DC LP, LMV Edina REIT-DC LP, LMV Fremont WS I REIT-DC LP, LMV Glisan REIT-DC LP, LMV Grand Bay REIT-DC LP, LMV II Grand Bay Pod V Holdings LP, LMV II Kierland Holdings LP, LMV II NoMo Holdings LP, LMV II Venture Developer LLC, LMV II Wynwood Holdings LP, LMV Kirkland REIT-DC LP, LMV Little Italy REIT-DC LP, LMV M Tower REIT-DC LP, LMV Millenia II REIT-DC LP, LMV Milpitas REIT-DC LP, LMV NE Minneapolis REIT-DC LP, LMV Oak Park REIT-DC LP, LMV One20Fourth REIT-DC LP, LMV QR Build to Core Manager LLC, LMV Rio Bravo REIT-DC LP, LMV Scottsdale Quarter REIT-DC LP, LMV Tysons REIT-DC LP, LMV Vallagio III REIT-DC LP, LMV Victory Block G REIT-DC LP, LMV Warren Street REIT-DC LP, LNC Communities II LLC, LNC Communities IV LLC, LNC Communities V LLC, LNC 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PIERCE LLC, RL REGI-FL GDL LLC, RL REGI-FL ITALIA LLC, RL REGI-FL MRED LLC, RL REGI-FL RDI LLC, RL REGI-FL SARASOTA LLC, RL REGI-FL TPL LLC, RL REGI-FL VARC LLC, RL REGI-GA DRAD LLC, RL REGI-GA HAY DB LLC, RL REGI-GA MHU LLC, RL REGI-GA MPD LLC, RL REGI-GA RLR LLC, RL REGI-MO GMB LLC, RL REGI-MO MOSCOW MILLS LLC, RL REGI-MS Double H LLC, RL REGI-MS OCEAN SPRINGS LLC, RL REGI-NC CIL LLC, RL REGI-NC LITTLE WING LLC, RL REGI-NC MLD LLC, RL REGI-NC Mland LLC, RL REGI-NC RALEIGH LLC, RL REGI-NC SUGARM LLC, RL REGI-NM LLC, RL REGI-SC CTL LLC, RL REGI-SC LAKE E LLC, RL REGI-SC TDG LLC, RL REGI-SC TIG LLC, RL REGI-TN OAK LLC, RL REGI-TN SEVIERVILLE LLC, RL RES 2009-1 Investments LLC, RMF Alliance LLC, RMF Commercial LLC, RMF PR New York LLC, RMF Partner LLC, RMF SUB 1 LLC, RMF SUB 2 LLC, RMF SUB 3 LLC, RMF SUB 4 LLC, RMF SUB 5 LLC, RMV LLC, Raintree Village II L.L.C., Raintree Village L.L.C., Ral-Len BM LLC, Ral-Len LLC, Rannel Capital WeWork Series D LLC, Rannel Holdings LLC, Rannel Interests LLC, Rannel Investments LLC, Rannel Mortgage Investments LLC, Rannel Proprietary Investments LLC, Renaissance Joint Venture, Reserve @ Pleasant Grove II LLC, Reserve @ Pleasant Grove LLC, Reserve at River Park LLC, Reserve at South Harrison LLC, Rialto Commercial Mortgage Securities LLC, Rialto Credit Partnership GP LLC, Rialto Mezz Partners GP LLC, Rialto Mortgage Finance LLC, Rialto Partners GP II LLC, Rialto Partners GP III - Debt LLC, Rialto Partners GP III - Property LLC, Rialto Partners GP LLC, Rialto RSSF GP LLC, Riverwalk at Lago Mar LLC, Rocking Horse Minerals LLC, Rutenberg Homes Inc. 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LLC, Talega Associates LLC, Temecula Valley LLC, Terra Division LLC, Terra/Winding Creek LLC, The Baywinds Land Trust, The Bridges Club at Rancho Santa Fe Inc., The Bridges at Rancho Santa Fe Sales Company Inc., The LNC Northeast Group Inc., The Oasis Club at LEN-CG South LLC, The Preserve at Coconut Creek LLC, The Vistas Club at LEN-CG South LLC, Titlezoom Company, Treasure Island Holdings LLC, Treasure Island Member LLC, Treviso Holding LLC, Two Lakes Lennar LLC, U.S. Home Corporation, U.S. Home Realty Inc., U.S. Home of Arizona Construction Co., U.S. Insurors Inc., U.S.H. 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Manulife Financial Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, provides financial products and services in Asia, Canada, the United States, and internationally. The company operates through Wealth and Asset Management Businesses; Insurance and Annuity Products; And Corporate and Other segments. The Wealth and Asset Management Businesses segment provides mutual funds and exchange-traded funds, group retirement and savings products, and institutional asset management services through agents and brokers affiliated with the company, securities brokerage firms, and financial advisors pension plan consultants and banks. The Insurance and Annuity Products segment offers deposit and credit products; individual life, and individual and group long-term care insurance; and guaranteed and partially guaranteed annuity products through insurance agents, brokers, banks, financial planners, and direct marketing. The Corporate and Other segment is involved in property and casualty insurance and reinsurance businesses; and run-off reinsurance operations, including variable annuities, and accident and health. It also manages timberland and agricultural portfolios; and engages in insurance agency, portfolio and mutual fund management, mutual fund dealer, life and financial reinsurance, and fund management businesses. Additionally, the company holds and manages oil and gas properties; holds oil and gas royalties, and foreign bonds and equities; and provides investment management, counseling, advisory, and dealer services. Manulife Financial Corporation was incorporated in 1887 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.

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BT Group plc provides communications services worldwide. Its Consumer segment sells telephones, baby monitors, and Wi-Fi extenders through high street retailers, online BT Shop, and Website BT.com; and offers home phone, copper and fiber broadband, TV, and mobile services in various packages. The company's EE segment offers 2G, 3G, and 4G mobile network services; broadband, fixed-voice, and TV services; and postpaid and prepaid plans, and emergency services network. This segment also sells 4G mobile phones, tablets, connected devices, and mobile broadband devices from various manufacturers. Its Business and Public Sector segment provides fixed voice, mobility, fiber and connectivity, and networked IT services to retailers, utilities, public sector, healthcare, sports, construction, finance, and educational sectors. The company's Global Services segment offers business communications and ICT services comprising BT Connect, BT Security, BT One, BT Contact, BT Compute, BT Advise, and BT for financial markets. This segment serves approximately 5,500 customers in 180 countries. Its Wholesale and Ventures segment enables communications providers and other organizations to provide fixed or mobile phone services. Its ventures provide mass-market services, such as directory enquiries and payphones; and enterprise services comprising BT Fleet and BT Redcare. This segment also provides broadband and Ethernet, voice, hosted communication, mobile virtual network operator, managed solutions, machine-to-machine, roaming, and media services. The company's Openreach segment engages in the provision of services over the local access network; and installation and maintenance of fiber and copper communications networks that connect homes and businesses. The company was formerly known as Newgate Telecommunications Limited and changed its name to BT Group plc in September 2001. BT Group plc was incorporated in 2001 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.

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Bank of America Corp. is a bank and financial holding company, which engages in the provision of banking and nonbank financial services. It operates through the following segments: Consumer Banking, Global Wealth and Investment Management, Global Banking, Global Markets, and All Other. The Consumer Banking segment offers credit, banking, and investment products and services to consumers and small businesses. The Global Wealth and Investment Management provides client experience through a network of financial advisors focused on to meet their needs through a full set of investment management, brokerage, banking, and retirement products. The Global Banking segment deals with lending-related products and services, integrated working capital management and treasury solutions to clients, and underwriting and advisory services. The Global Markets segment includes sales and trading services, as well as research, to institutional clients across fixed-income, credit, currency, commodity, and equity businesses. The All Other segment consists of asset and liability management activities, equity investments, non-core mortgage loans and servicing activities, the net impact of periodic revisions

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The following companies are subsidiares of PPG Industries: AIPCF V Texstars Blocker Inc., AkzoNobel, Alermac Inversiones S.A. de C.V., Alpha Coating Technologies LLC, Alpha Coatings Inc., Broad Range Development Limited, Brown Brothers Distribution Limited, CG Holdings Manufacturing Co., Centro de Investigacion en Polimeros S.A. de C.V., Chemfil Canada Limited, Chorlton Trade Paints Limited, Comercial Mexicana de Pinturas S.A. de C.V., Comex, Comex Industrial Coatings S.A. de C.V., Consorcio Comex S.A. de C.V., Cristacol S.A., Cuming Microwave Corporation, Deutek SA, Dexmet Corporation, Dexmet Holding Corporation, Distribuidora Kroma S.A. de C.V., EPIC Insurance Co. Ltd., Eberle Design Inc., Empresa Aga S.A. de C.V., Ennis Canadian Holding Company, Ennis Flint Soluciones Seguras Para Trafico, Ennis Highway Traffic Technology (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Ennis Manufacturing Sdn Bhd, Ennis Paint Australia Holding Pty Ltd, Ennis Paint Boya Sanayi ve Ticaret A.S., Ennis Paint Canada ULC, Ennis Paint Germany GmbH, Ennis Paint Netherlands Holdings LLC, Ennis Paint U.K. Holding Company Limited, Ennis Traffic Safety Solutions Pty Ltd, Ennis  Flint Mexico, Ennis  Flint New Zealand, Ennis  Flint New Zealand Holding Pty Ltd, Ennis-Flint, Ennis-Flint Africa (Pty) Ltd, Ennis-Flint Inc., Foshan Bairun Chemicals Co. Ltd., Fpu Industrial S.A. de C.V., Grupo Comex S.A. de C.V., Hemmelrath Automotive Coatings (Jilin) Co. Ltd., Hodij Coatings B.V., Homax Products, Industria Chimica Reggiana I.C.R. SPA, Johnstones Paints Limited, Kalon Investment Company Limited, Kalon South Africa Proprietary Limited, Manchester Thermoplastics LLC, Masterwork Paint, MetoKote Canada Limited, MetoKote Corporation, MetoKote Mexico Holding Inc., MetoKote UK Limited, MetoKote de Mexico S. de RL de CV, PPG AC - France SA, PPG ALESCO Automotive Finishes Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., PPG AP Resinas S.A. de C.V., PPG Aerospace Materials (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., PPG Architectural Coatings (Puerto Rico) Inc., PPG Architectural Coatings Canada Inc., PPG Architectural Coatings Ireland Limited, PPG Architectural Coatings Italy S.r.l., PPG Architectural Coatings UK Limited, PPG Architectural Finishes Inc., PPG Asian Paints Private Ltd., PPG COATINGS SINGAPORE PTE. LTD., PPG Canada Inc., PPG Cieszyn S.A., PPG Coatings (Hong Kong) Co. Limited, PPG Coatings (Kunshan) Co. Ltd., PPG Coatings (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., PPG Coatings (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., PPG Coatings (Thailand) Co. Ltd., PPG Coatings (Tianjin) Co. Ltd., PPG Coatings (Wuhu) Company Ltd., PPG Coatings (Zhangjiagang) Co. Ltd., PPG Coatings B.V., PPG Coatings Belgium BV, PPG Coatings Danmark A/S, PPG Coatings Deutschland GmbH, PPG Coatings Europe B.V., PPG Coatings Manufacturing SARL, PPG Coatings Nederland BV, PPG Coatings S.A., PPG Coatings South Africa (Pty) Ltd., PPG DYRUP S.A., PPG Deco Czech a.s., PPG Deco Polska sp. z.o.o., PPG Deco Slovakia s.r.o., PPG Deutschland Business Support GmbH, PPG Deutschland Sales & Services GmbH, PPG Distribution S.A.S., PPG Europe B.V., PPG Finance B.V., PPG France Business Support S.A.S., PPG France Manufacturing S.A.S., PPG Guadeloupe SAS, PPG Hellas S.A., PPG Hemmelrath Coatings Inc., PPG Hemmelrath Lackfabrik GmbH, PPG Holdco SAS, PPG Holdings (U.K.) Limited, PPG Holdings Argentina USA LLC, PPG Holdings Latin America USA LLC, PPG Iberica S.A., PPG Iberica Sales & Services S.L., PPG Industrial Coatings B.V., PPG Industrial do Brasil - Tintas E. Vernizes - Ltda., PPG Industries (Korea) Ltd., PPG Industries (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., PPG Industries (UK) Ltd, PPG Industries Argentina S.R.L., PPG Industries Australia PTY Limited A.C.N. 055 500 939, PPG Industries Colombia Ltda., PPG Industries Czech Republic s.r.o., PPG Industries Delfzijl B.V., PPG Industries Europe Sarl, PPG Industries France S.A.S., PPG Industries International Inc., PPG Industries Italia S.r.l., PPG Industries Kimya a Sanayi VE Ticaret AS, PPG Industries LLC, PPG Industries Lipetsk LLC, PPG Industries Middle East FZE, PPG Industries Netherlands B.V., PPG Industries New Zealand Limited, PPG Industries Ohio Inc., PPG Industries Poland Sp. Z.o.o., PPG Industries Securities LLC, PPG Industries de Mexico S.A. de C.V., PPG Italia Business Support S.r.l., PPG Italia Sales & Services S.r.l., PPG Japan Ltd., PPG Kansai Automotive Finishes Canada LP, PPG Kansai Automotive Finishes U.K. LLP, PPG Kansai Automotive Finishes U.S. LLC, PPG Luxembourg Finance S.aR.L., PPG Luxembourg Holdings S.aR.L., PPG Management (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., PPG Mexico S.A. de C.V., PPG Packaging Coatings (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., PPG Paints Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., PPG Performance Coatings (Hong Kong) Limited, PPG Powder Coatings (Shanghai) Limited, PPG Romania S.A., PPG SSC Co. Ltd., PPG Switzerland GmbH, PPG Trilak Kft., PPG Vietnam Co. Ltd., PRC-DeSoto Australia Pty Ltd., PRC-DeSoto International Inc., PT. PPG Coatings Indonesia, Painter's Supply, Paintzen, Peintures de Paris SAS, Plasticos Envolventes S.A. de C.V., Polymeric Systems Inc., Prismo Road Markings Limited, ProCoatings B.V., ProCoatings BV, Protec Pty Ltd. A.C.N. 007 857 392, Reno A&E LLC, Revocoat France SAS, Revocoat Holding SAS, Revocoat Iberica SLU, Revocoat S.A.S, Road Infrastructure Investment Holdings Inc., SEM Products Inc., Sealants Europe SAS, Sierracin Corporation, Sierracin/Sylmar Corporation, Sigma Marine & Protective Coatings Holding B.V., SigmaKalon (BC) UK Limited, SigmaKalon Group, SigmaKalon Middle East B.V., Sikar (Shanghai) Trading Co. Ltd., Spraylat International Ltd, Texstars LLC, The Crown Group Co., The Crown Group Inc, The Homax Group, Tikkurila Group, Traffic Safety Intermediate LLC, Traffic Safety Parent LLC, United International Business NV, Vanex Inc., Vernisol S.p.A., Versaflex, Viasa S.A. de C.V., Whitford, Whitford B.V., Whitford Corporation, Whitford Jiangmen Ltd., Whitford Ltd. (HK), Whitford Ltd. (UK), Whitford Pte. Ltd., Whitford S.r.l., Whitford Worldwide Company LLC, Worwag Coatings, and Zaganite Industries Pty Ltd.
The FDI sector has contributed to boosting technological reform, increasing labour productivity and product quality, creating more jobs, and fostering economic growth, Dung affirmed.

To better attract foreign investment, he stressed the need for localities nationwide to prepare the foundations for construction planning, combine the planning of industrial zones with urban planning, upgrade infrastructure, and step up connectivity.

An overview of the conference (Source: VGP)



Localities should ensure the interests of locals when conducting ground clearance to serve construction of industrial zones, while continuing to speed up administrative procedure reform, investing in human resources development, and ensuring security and order at foreign-invested areas, he suggested.

The Deputy PM also expressed his hope that foreign investors will strictly follow their commitments and Vietnamese law, pay attention to developing technology, and coordinate with Vietnamese enterprises to develop the support industry.

Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Vu Dai Thang said that after 30 years, the FDI sector has become an important part of the Vietnamese economy as a dynamically developing sector which has made significant contributions to the countrys socio-economic development.

As of November 2018, the country has around 27,000 foreign-invested projects from 128 nations and territories, with a total registered capital of nearly USD340 billion, of which USD188.8 billion was disbursed.

These projects focus on the industrial field, accounting for 57 percent of the total registered capital. Foreign investors were also present in all provinces and cities, mainly in the Red River and southeastern regions. Last year, the FDI sector contributed over 8 billion USD to the State budget, making up 17.1 percent of the total collection, and created jobs for 3.6 million direct labourers and 5-6 million indirect ones.

According to Tetsu Funayama, head of the Business Forum Committee under the Japanese Business Association in Vietnam, 65 percent of Japanese enterprises chose Vietnam as a top destination in Southeast Asia, with most paying close attention to the countrys policies to developing the support industry.

Therefore, he suggested Vietnam carry out more policies to boost the support industry and facilitate Japanese investment in the country.

Japan and Vietnam should expand cooperation in training Vietnamese experts, engineers, and technicians to improve the quality of human resources, he added.

At the conference, investment registration certificates were granted to several FDI projects in Vinh Phuc province./.
The streets of Caracas are full of children and teenagers who run, laugh, bathe in dirty rivers, hunt for food in garbage cans and also take drugs - these abandoned youngsters are yet another aspect of the severe social and economic crisis gripping the oil-producing nation that is Venezuela.

For two months EFE walked the streets of the Venezuelan capital observing day after day the children who, in their majority, live in public areas of eastern Caracas, where besides begging they have created an elaborate survival system.

In one of those outdoor areas was Liliana, 17, almost ready to give birth. Two months later she was still there, but with her little Angel, recently born at Concepcion Palacios Maternity Hospital, the countrys oldest, another institution damaged by the crisis.

Soon after giving birth she found she had syphilis and her baby had been slightly affected by the sexually transmitted disease.

No institution, public or private, has figures or even an estimate of how many children and teens now live on the streets of Venezuela, but the situation is evident at first sight.

Miguel Rebolledo, coordinator of the Domingo Savio Orphanage that takes in homeless teenagers, told EFE there has been a dramatic increase in the abandonment of children in the country, above all by mothers, though many report a total absence of the father.

We have a case of a divided family: a woman decided to abandon her eight children - I have the two eldest here, ages 11 and 12, and in accepting them I realized the eldest was doing badly in school because he has to look after his littlest brothers and sisters. Their father sometimes comes to visit them, Rebolledo said.

Also living on the streets is Paola, who left home at age 13 and is now 15. She says she is happier there than at home, where her mothers boyfriend would always tell her to get lost, while outside the home she can do whatever she wants.

She said, however, that the worst that has happened to me on the streets is someone wanting to kill me and almost succeeding. See this scar on my neck? This big guy thought I reported him to the cops about whatever weird things he was up to - so one day he followed me with some friends, grabbed a bottle, broke it and jabbed the sharp end in my neck.

Then they tied her up and threw her in the Guaire River that divides Caracas in two and into which pour all the citys sewers and waste water. It is a miracle that Paola is still alive.

The youngsters on the streets are happy when they are given food but, as EFE could see, their greatest joy is when they receive money, because then they run off to buy the drugs that give them a reprieve from this world.

Barefoot and unprotected, many have injured hands and feet from nails and glass, while others have been hit by cars and lived to tell the tale.

Children and teens are often seen sleeping so soundly on park benches or just on sidewalks that horns honking, dogs barking and passers-by talking dont wake them up.

In 1998, in his first press conference after winning the presidential election, the late president and leader of the so-called Bolivarian Revolution, Hugo Chavez , said, I forbid myself, Hugo Chavez forbids himself, to let children live on the streets of Venezuela, I forbid it, there can never be children living on the streets of Venezuela.
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iShares MSCI Belgium ETF's stock was trading at $15.65 on March 11th, 2020 when Coronavirus reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Since then, EWK shares have increased by 34.2% and is now trading at $21.01.

View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19.
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.

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Bertrandt Aktiengesellschaft develops solutions for the automotive and aviation industries in Germany and internationally. The company operates through Digital Engineering, Physical Engineering, and Electrical Systems/Electronics segments. It offers design services, including designing and surfacing, and design modelling and rapid technologies; interior development services, such as seat, cockpit, trim, and dimensional management services; and vehicle body development services comprising body-in-white, doors and closures, exterior, and light and visibility services. The company also provides powertrain services, including thermodynamics/emission control, drivetrain control, thermal management, and engine mechanics; and chassis development services, such as concept, component, and module development, module integration, calculation/simulation, testing, and mechatronic chassis systems. It offers simulation services consisting of body-in-white crashworthiness, occupant safety, occupant safety/interior modules, crash management system, structural add-on parts, stiffness/noise, vibration and harshness, and computational fluid dynamics; electronics, including body/comfort/displays, infotainment systems, driver assistance systems, test systems, chassis electronics, diagnosis, on-board power network, and processes; testing services; and engineering services. The company also provides modelling and rapid technology services comprising CAD/CAM, model making, gauge building and cubing, and plastic injection moulding toolmaking services, as well as milling and measuring technologies. It serves automotive, aerospace, commercial vehicle, agricultural machinery, motorcycle, electrical, medical technology, and energy industries, as well as machines and production plants. The company was founded in 1974 and is headquartered in Ehningen, Germany.

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American Midstream Partners, LP provides midstream infrastructure that links the producers of natural gas, crude oil, natural gas liquids (NGLs), condensate, and specialty chemicals to various intermediate and end-use markets in the United States and Mexico. Its Gas Gathering and Processing Services segment offers services to producers of natural gas and crude oil, including transporting raw natural gas and crude oil from various receipt points through gathering systems, treating the raw natural gas, processing raw natural gas to separate the NGLs from the natural gas, fractionating NGLs, and selling or delivering pipeline-quality natural gas and NGLs. The company's Liquid Pipelines and Services segment transports, purchases, and sells crude oil. Its Natural Gas Transportation Services segment transports and delivers natural gas from producing wells, receipt points, or pipeline interconnects for shippers, local distribution companies, and utilities, as well as industrial, commercial, and power generation customers. The company's Offshore Pipelines and Services segment gathers and transports natural gas from receipt points to other pipeline interconnects, onshore facilities, and other delivery points. Its Terminalling Services segment provides petroleum products, distillates, chemicals, and agricultural products storage services at its marine terminals for commodity brokers, refiners, and chemical manufacturers. As of May 10, 2018, the company owned approximately 5,100 miles of interstate and intrastate pipelines; gas processing plants and fractionation facilities; an offshore semisubmersible floating production system with nameplate processing capacity of 90 thousand barrels per day of crude oil and 220 million cubic feet per day of natural gas; and terminal sites with approximately 6.7 million barrels of storage capacity. American Midstream GP, LLC serves as the general partner of the company. The company was founded in 2009 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

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Macquarie Media Limited engages in the radio and associated media activities in Australia. The company owns and operates 2GB and talking lifestyle Sydney radio stations in Sydney; 3AW and talking lifestyle Melbourne radio stations in Melbourne; 4BC and talking lifestyle Brisbane radio stations in Brisbane; and 6PR radio station in Perth. The company also owns and operates radio 1278 and 3AW in Melbourne, radio 4BC and Magic 882 in Brisbane, and radio 2UE in Sydney, as well as Buyradio and Harbour radio stations. In addition, the company engages in syndicating programming content and music distribution operations, as well as the production of digital and online media through its Websites. The company is headquartered in Pyrmont, Australia. Macquarie Media Limited is a subsidiary of Fairfax Media Limited.

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iShares North American Tech-Software ETF's stock was trading at $211.67 on March 11th, 2020 when COVID-19 (Coronavirus) reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization. Since then, IGV shares have increased by 90.9% and is now trading at $404.05.

View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19.
Lloyds Banking Group plc, together with its subsidiaries, provides a range of banking and financial services in the United Kingdom and internationally. It operates through three segments: Retail; Commercial Banking; and Insurance and Wealth. The Retail segment offers a range of financial service products, including current accounts, savings accounts, mortgages, motor finance, unsecured loans, leasing solutions, credit cards, and other financial services to personal and small business customers. The Commercial Banking segment provides lending, transactional banking, working capital management, risk management, and debt capital market services to small and medium-sized entities, corporates, and financial institutions. The Insurance and Wealth segment offers life, home, and car insurance products; and pension, investment, and wealth management products and services. It also provides digital and mobile banking, and telephone services, as well as advisory services for savings, investments, and planning for retirement. The company offers its products and services under the Lloyds Bank, Halifax, Bank of Scotland, Scottish Widows, MBNA, Schroders Personal Wealth, Black Horse, Lex Autolease, Birmingham Midshires, LDC, IWeb, and Agricultural Mortgage Corporation brands. Lloyds Banking Group plc was founded in 1695 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.

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KBR, Inc. engages in the provision of differentiated professional services and technologies across the asset and program life-cycle within the government services and hydrocarbons industries. It operates through the following segments: Government Solutions, Technology Solutions, Energy Solutions, Non-strategic Business, and Other. The Government Solutions segment provides full life-cycle support solutions to defense, space, aviation, and other programs and missions for military and other government agencies. The Technology Solutions segment combines KBR's proprietary technologies, equipment, and catalyst supply and associated knowledge-based services into a global business for refining, petrochemicals, inorganic, and specialty chemicals as well as gasification, syngas, ammonia, nitric acid, and fertilizers. The Energy Solutions segment provides full life-cycle support solutions across the upstream, midstream and downstream hydrocarbons markets. The Non-strategic Business segment represents the operations or activities which the company intends to exit upon completion of existing contracts. The Other segment includes corporate expenses and general and administrative expenses not all

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Mettler-Toledo International, Inc. is a supplier of precision instruments and services. The firm manufactures weighing instruments for use in laboratory, industrial, packaging, logistics, and food retailing applications. It also manufactures several related analytical instruments and provides automated chemistry solutions used in drug and chemical compound discovery and development; and also, metal detection and other end-of-line inspection systems used in production and packaging and provides solutions for use in certain process analytics applications. Its operations are conducted by the following segments: U. S. Operations, Swiss Operations, Western European Operations, Chinese Operations and Other. The U.S. Operations segment represents certain of the company's marketing and producing organizations located in the United States. The Swiss Operations segment includes marketing and producing organizations located in Switzerland, as well as extensive R&D operations that are responsible for the development, production, and marketing of precision instruments, including weighing, analytical, and measurement technologies for use in a variety of industrial and laboratory applications. Th

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Eaton Vance Tax-Managed Global Buy-Write Opportunities Fund is a closed-end management investment company with objective of providing current income and gains, with a secondary objective of capital appreciation. It invests in a diversified portfolio of common stocks and writes call options on one or more United States and foreign indices on a substantial portion of the value of its common stock portfolio to generate current earnings from the option premium. The company was founded on March 30, 2005 and is headquartered in Boston, MA.

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The following companies are subsidiares of Hyatt Hotels: CHANCELLOR STREET CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION INC., GLENDALE HOTEL PROPERTIES L.L.C., HT-SEATTLE HOLDINGS LLC, 1379919 ALBERTA INC., 319168 ONTARIO LIMITED, 3385434 CANADA INC., ADMINISTRACION DE PERSONAL ANDARES S. DE R.L. DE C.V., AIC HOLDING CO., AIRPORT PLAZA ASSOCIATES LIMITED PARTNERSHIP, AIRPORT PLAZA HOTEL LLC, AIRPORT PLAZA OFFICE BUILDING LIMITED PARTNERSHIP, AMERISUITES FRANCHISING L.L.C., ARANCIA LIMITED, ARUBA BEACHFRONT RESORTS LIMITED PARTNERSHIP, ARUBA BEACHFRONT RESORTS N.V., ASIA HOSPITALITY INC., ASIA HOSPITALITY INVESTORS B.V., ASIAN HOTEL N.V., ATRIUM HOTEL L.L.C., AUSTIN RESORT BEVERAGE LLC, AmeriSuites Hotel, BAKU HOTEL COMPANY - AZERI, BAKU HOTEL COMPANY - CAYMAN, BASTROP MARKETING L.L.C., BAY II INVESTOR INC., BELLEVUE ASSOCIATES, BH PLAZA LLC, BRE/AMERISUITES PROPERTIES L.L.C., BRE/AMERISUITES TXNC GP L.L.C., BRE/AMERISUITES TXNC PROPERTIES L.P., BURVAN HOTEL ASSOCIATES, CAL-HARBOR SO. PIER URBAN RENEWAL ASSOCIATES L.P., CELAYA RESORTS S. DE R.L. DE C.V., CHESAPEAKE COMMUNITIES LLC, CHESAPEAKE RESORT LLC, CIUDAD DEL CARMEN DIAMANTE RESORT S. DE R.L. DE C.V, COAST BEACH L.L.C., COMPAGNIE HOTELIERE DE LAGON BLEU, CPM SEATTLE HOTELS L.L.C., CRW INVESTMENT LLC, CTR INTEREST HOLDCO INC., DALLAS REGENCY LLC, DENVER DOWNTOWN HOTEL PARTNERS LLC, DESARROLLADORA HOTELERA ACUEDUCTO S. DE R.L. DE C.V., DH BEVERAGE LLC, DIAMANTE RESORT LA PAZ S. DE R.L. DE C.V., DISTRICT HOTEL PARTNERS LLC, EXHALE ENTERPRISES GIFT SERVICES COMPANY, EXHALE ENTERPRISES II L.L.C., EXHALE ENTERPRISES III INC., EXHALE ENTERPRISES IV L.L.C., EXHALE ENTERPRISES L.L.C., EXHALE ENTERPRISES V L.L.C., EXHALE ENTERPRISES VIII INC., EXHALE ENTERPRISES X INC., EXHALE ENTERPRISES XII L.L.C., EXHALE ENTERPRISES XIV L.L.C., EXHALE ENTERPRISES XIX L.L.C., EXHALE ENTERPRISES XV L.L.C., EXHALE ENTERPRISES XV TCI LTD., EXHALE ENTERPRISES XVI L.L.C., EXHALE ENTERPRISES XVII L.L.C., EXHALE ENTERPRISES XVIII L.L.C., EXHALE ENTERPRISES XX L.L.C., EXHALE ENTERPRISES XXI INC., EXHALE ENTERPRISES XXIV L.L.C., EXHALE ENTERPRISES XXV L.L.C., EXHALE ENTERPRISES XXVI L.L.C., EXHALE ENTERPRISES XXVII L.L.C., EXHALE ENTERPRISES XXVIII L.L.C., EXHALE ENTERPRISES XXXI L.L.C., EXHALE ENTERPRISES XXXII L.L.C., EXHALE ENTERPRISES XXXIII INC., FAN PIER L.L.C., FAR EAST HOTELS INC., G.E.H. PROPERTIES LIMITED, GAINEY DRIVE ASSOCIATES, GALAXY AEROSPACE COMPANY LLC, GHE HOLDINGS LIMITED, GRAND HYATT BERLIN GMBH, GRAND HYATT DFW BEVERAGE LLC, GRAND HYATT SAN ANTONIO L.L.C., GRAND HYATT SF L.L.C., GRAND RIVERWALK BEVERAGE LLC, GRAND TORONTO CORP., GRAND TORONTO VENTURE L.P., GREENWICH HOTEL LIMITED PARTNERSHIP, H.E. ATLANTA CENTENNIAL PARK HOLDINGS L.L.C., H.E. AUSTIN L.L.C., H.E. BERMUDA L.L.C., H.E. CAP CANA L.L.C., H.E. DRISKILL LLC, H.E. GRAND CYPRESS L.L.C., H.E. IRVINE L.L.C., H.E. KANSAS CITY L.L.C., H.E. LENOX L.L.C., H.E. NASHVILLE L.L.C., H.E. NEWPORT L.L.C., H.E. ORLANDO L.L.C., H.E. PHILADELPHIA HC HOLDINGS L.L.C., H.E. PHILADELPHIA HC HOTEL L.L.C., H.E. PHILADELPHIA HC PARKING L.L.C., H.E. PHILADELPHIA HC RETAIL L.L.C., H.E. PHILADELPHIA SANSOM L.L.C., H.E. PORTLAND HC L.L.C., H.E. PORTLAND L.L.C., H.E. PROPERTIES HOLDING L.L.C., H.E. PROPERTIES L.L.C., H.E. SAN ANTONIO I L.L.C., H.E. SAN ANTONIO L.L.C., H.E. TUCSON HOLDINGS L.L.C., H.E. TUCSON JV HOLDINGS L.L.C., H.E. TUCSON JV L.L.C., H.E. TUCSON OWNER L.L.C., HAPP INVESTOR LTD., HARBORSIDE HOTEL LLC, HARBORSIDE LAND LLC, HC PORTLAND JV HOLDINGS L.L.C., HC ROYAL PALMS L.L.C., HCV CINCINNATI HOTEL L.L.C., HE ORLANDO HOTEL LLC, HGP (TRAVEL) LIMITED, HH NASHVILLE HOLDINGS L.L.C., HH NASHVILLE JV HOLDINGS L.L.C., HH PORTLAND L.L.C., HHMA BURLINGTON BEVERAGE L.L.C., HI HOLDINGS (SWITZERLAND) GMBH, HI HOLDINGS BAJA B.V., HI HOLDINGS BRAZIL S.A.R.L., HI HOLDINGS CELAYA B.V., HI HOLDINGS CIUDAD DEL CARMEN B.V., HI HOLDINGS CYPRUS LIMITED, HI HOLDINGS CYPRUS-INDIA LIMITED, HI HOLDINGS GUADALAJARA B.V., HI HOLDINGS HP CABO B.V., HI HOLDINGS HP TIJUANA HOTEL B.V., HI HOLDINGS KYOTO CO., HI HOLDINGS LA PAZ B.V., HI HOLDINGS LATIN AMERICA B.V., HI HOLDINGS NETHERLANDS B.V., HI HOLDINGS PLAYA B.V., HI HOLDINGS RIO S.A.R.L., HI HOLDINGS RIVIERA MAYA B.V., HI HOLDINGS VIENNA S.A.R.L., HI HOLDINGS ZURICH S.A.R.L., HI HOTEL ADVISORY SERVICES GMBH, HI HOTEL INVESTORS CYPRUS LIMITED, HIHCL AMSTERDAM B.V., HIHCL HP AMSTERDAM AIRPORT B.V., HIHCL HR AMSTERDAM B.V., HILP HOTEL SERVICE PROVIDER LLC, HOTEL AM BELVEDERE HOLDING GMBH, HOTEL AM BELVEDERE HOLDING GMBH & CO KG, HOTEL INVESTMENTS HOLDING CO LLC, HOTEL INVESTMENTS L.L.C., HOTEL INVESTORS I INC., HOTEL INVESTORS II INC., HOTEL PROJECT SYSTEMS PTE LTD, HOTEL SERVICES CIUDAD DEL CARMEN S. DE R.L. DE C.V., HOTELS CS CELAYA S. DE R.L. DE C.V., HP ATLANTA CENTENNIAL PARK JV LLC, HP AUSTIN L.L.C., HP BEVERAGE DALLAS DFW AIRPORT LLC, HP BEVERAGE SUGAR LAND LLC, HP BOSTON HOLDINGS L.L.C., HP GLENDALE JV HOLDINGS L.L.C., HP GLENDALE L.L.C., HP INDIA HOLDINGS LIMITED, HP LAS VEGAS BEVERAGE L.L.C., HP M STREET L.L.C., HP ROUTE 46 TEXAS LLC, HP SAN FRANCISCO L.L.C., HP SAN JUAN L.L.C., HP TEN TEXAS LLC, HPHH ATLANTA L.L.C., HPHH DENVER L.L.C., HPHH SAN JOSE JV HOLDINGS L.L.C., HPHH SAN JOSE L.L.C., HQ CHESAPEAKE LLC, HR LOST PINES RESORT LLC, HR MC HOTEL COMPANY S. DE R.L. DE C.V., HR MC SERVICES II S. DE R.L. DE C.V., HR MC SERVICES S. DE R.L. DE C.V., HRHC LLC, HT- WAILEA LLC, HT-AVENDRA GROUP HOLDINGS L.L.C., HT-AVENDRA L.L.C., HT-CHESAPEAKE COMMUNITIES INC., HT-CHESAPEAKE RESORT INC., HT-HOTEL EQUITIES INC., HT-HUNTINGTON BEACH INC., HT-JERSEY PIER INC., HT-JERSEY PIER L.P., HT-JERSEY PIER LLC, HT-LONG BEACH L.L.C., HT-MIAMI BEACH L.L.C., HT-PARK 57 INC., HT-SEATTLE LLC, HT-SIERRA L.L.C., HT-VANCOUVER INC., HTLB L.L.C., HTS - NS L.L.C., HTS - NY L.L.C., HTS-ASPEN L.L.C., HTS-BC INC., HTS-INVESTMENT L L.C., HTSF L.L.C., HTW BEVERAGE LLC, HY LONG BEACH HOTEL LLC, HYATT (BARBADOS) CORPORATION, HYATT (JAPAN) CO. LTD., HYATT (THAILAND) LIMITED, HYATT ARUBA N.V., HYATT ASIA PACIFIC HOLDINGS LIMITED, HYATT AUSTRALIA HOTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LIMITED, HYATT AUSTRIA GMBH, HYATT BEACH FRONT N.V., HYATT BORNEO MANAGEMENT SERVICES LIMITED, HYATT BRITANNIA CORPORATION LTD., HYATT CC OFFICE CORP., HYATT CHAIN SERVICES LIMITED, HYATT CRYSTAL CITY LLC., HYATT CURACAO N.V., HYATT DISASTER RELIEF FUND, HYATT DO BRASIL PARTICIPACOES LTDA, HYATT EQUITIES L.L.C., HYATT FOREIGN EMPLOYMENT SERVICES INC., HYATT FRANCHISING CANADA CORP., HYATT FRANCHISING L.L.C., HYATT FRANCHISING LATIN AMERICA L.L.C., HYATT FULFILLMENT OF MARYLAND INC., HYATT GLOBAL SERVICES INC., HYATT GTLD L.L.C., HYATT HOC INC., HYATT HOLDINGS (UK) LIMITED, HYATT HOSPITALITY SERVICES L.L.C., HYATT HOTEL MANAGEMENT LIMITED, HYATT HOTELS CONSULTANCY SERVICES ASIA PACIFIC LIMITED, HYATT HOTELS CORPORATION OF KANSAS, HYATT HOTELS CORPORATION OF MARYLAND, HYATT HOTELS FOUNDATION, HYATT HOTELS MANAGEMENT CORPORATION, HYATT HOTELS OF CANADA INC., HYATT HOTELS OF FLORIDA INC., HYATT HOTELS OF PUERTO RICO INC., HYATT HOUSE CANADA INC., HYATT HOUSE FRANCHISING L.L.C., HYATT HOUSE HOTEL HOLDING COMPANY L.L.C., HYATT INDIA CONSULTANCY PRIVATE LIMITED, HYATT INTERNATIONAL (ASIA) LIMITED, HYATT INTERNATIONAL (EUROPE AFRICA MIDDLE EAST) LLC, HYATT INTERNATIONAL - JAPAN LIMITED, HYATT INTERNATIONAL - SOUTHWEST ASIA LIMITED, HYATT INTERNATIONAL -ASIA PACIFIC LIMITED, HYATT INTERNATIONAL -SEA (PTE) LIMITED, HYATT INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION, HYATT INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS CO., HYATT INTERNATIONAL HOTEL MANAGEMENT (BEIJING) CO. LTD., HYATT INTERNATIONAL MILAN L.L.C., HYATT INTERNATIONAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT (BEIJING) CO. LTD., HYATT INTERNATIONAL TECHNICAL SERVICES INC., HYATT JV HOLDINGS L.L.C., HYATT LACSA SERVICES INC., HYATT LOUISIANA L.L.C., HYATT MAINZ GMBH, HYATT MARKETING SERVICES INC., HYATT MARKETING SERVICES NIGERIA COMPANY LIMITED, HYATT MINNEAPOLIS LLC, HYATT MINORITY INVESTMENTS INC., HYATT MSS L.L.C., HYATT NORTH AMERICA MANAGEMENT SERVICES INC., HYATT OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED, HYATT OF BAJA S. DE R.L. DE C.V., HYATT OF CHINA LIMITED, HYATT OF FRANCE S.A.R.L., HYATT OF GUAM LIMITED, HYATT OF ITALY S.R.L., HYATT OF LATIN AMERICA AND CARIBBEAN L.L.C., HYATT OF LATIN AMERICA S.A. DE C.V., HYATT OF MACAU LIMITED, HYATT OF MEXICO S.A. DE C.V., HYATT OF PHILIPPINES LIMITED, HYATT PARTNERSHIP INTERESTS L.L.C., HYATT PLACE ANNE ARUNDEL BEVERAGE INC., HYATT PLACE CANADA CORPORATION, HYATT PLACE FRANCHISING L.L.C., HYATT PLACE OF MARYLAND INC., HYATT REGENCY COLOGNE GMBH, HYATT REGENCY CORPORATION PTY. LIMITED, HYATT SERVICES AUSTRALIA PTY LIMITED, HYATT SERVICES CANADA INC., HYATT SERVICES CARIBBEAN L.L.C., HYATT SERVICES GMBH, HYATT SERVICES INDIA PRIVATE LIMITED, HYATT SHARED SERVICE CENTER L.L.C., HYATT TRINIDAD LIMITED, HYCANADA INC., HYCARD INC., HYSTAR L.L.C., Hyatt Corporation, INFORMATION SERVICES LIMITED, INTERNATIONAL RESERVATIONS LIMITED, JOINT VENTURE ITALKYR CLOSED JOINT STOCK COMPANY, JUNIPER HOTELS PRIVATE LIMITED, KSA MANAGEMENT INC., KYOTO HOLDING CO., LHR-PARTNERS LTD., LORING PARK ASSOCIATES LIMITED PARTNERSHIP, LOST PINES BEVERAGE LLC, MACAE PARTNERS S.A.R.L., MAHIMA HOLDINGS PRIVATE LIMITED, MARION RESERVATION CENTER L.L.C., MEXICO CITY HOTEL INVESTMENTS B.V., MILAN HOTEL INVESTMENTS B.V., MIRAVAL ARIZONA GUARANTOR LLC, MIRAVAL GROUP LLC, MIRAVAL RESORT ARIZONA HOLDINGS LLC, MIRAVAL RESORT ARIZONA LLC, MIRAVAL RESORT ARIZONA OPERATING CO. INC., MIRAVAL RESORT TUCSON LLC, MONROE MR HOLDINGS I LLC, MONROE MR HOLDINGS II LLC, MONROE MR HOLDINGS III LLC, MONROE MR HOLDINGS LLC, MONROE MR HOLDINGS TRUST, MRG ATX BEVERAGE HOLDINGS LLC, MRG ATX HOLDINGS II LLC, MRG ATX HOLDINGS LLC, MRG ATX INVESTMENT LLC, MRG ATX MANAGEMENT I LLC, MRG ATX MANAGEMENT II LLC, MRG ATX OPERATIONS LLC, MRG CRW HOLDINGS LLC, MRG CRW MANAGEMENT I LLC, MRG CRW MANAGEMENT II LLC, MRG CRW OPERATIONS LLC, MUNICH OPCO GMBH, Miraval Resort, OASIS LUXURY RENTALS INCORPORATED, PARIS HOTEL COMPANY B.V., PARK HYATT HAMBURG GMBH, PARK HYATT HOTEL GMBH, PARK HYATT WATER TOWER ASSOCIATES L.L.C., PH NEW YORK L.L.C., PHMC RESIDENCIAS S. DE R.L. DE C.V., POLK SMITH REGENCY LLC, PT HYATT INDONESIA, PVD INVESTMENT COMPANY S.A.R.L., Peabody Hotels & Resort, RCG PROPERTIES LLC, REGENCY BEVERAGE COMPANY LLC, REGENCY RIVERWALK BEVERAGE LLC, RESERVATIONS CENTER L.L.C., RIO JV PARTNERS PARTICIPACOES LTDA., RIO PRETO PARTNERS HOTEIS LTDA., RIO PRETO PARTNERS S.A.R.L., ROSEMONT PROJECT MANAGEMENT L.L.C., ROUTE 46 MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATES CORP., RUNWAY HOLDING L.L.C., RUNWAY L.L.C., SAO PAULO INVESTMENT COMPANY INC., SAO PAULO INVESTORS LIMITED, SASIH, SDI EQUITIES INVESTOR L.L.C., SDI INC., SDI SECURITIES 11 LLC, SDI SECURITIES 6 LLC, SELECT HOTELS GROUP L.L.C., SELECT JV HOLDINGS L.L.C., SEOUL MIRAMAR CORPORATION, SERVICIOS DE HOTELERIA SAN JOSE S. DE R.L. DE C.V., SERVICIOS HOTELEROS LA PAZ S. DE R.L. DE C.V., SETTLEMENT INVESTORS INC., SHG PUERTO RICO INC., SIERRA HEALTHSTYLES LLC, SJC DESARROLLOS S. DE R.L. DE C.V., SKS CORP. N.V., SMC HOTELS B.V., SOROCABA PARTNERS HOTEIS LTDA, SOROCABA PARTNERS S.A.R.L., STANHOPE L.L.C., STARHILL LORING PARK L.L.C., SUGAR LAND/HP LLC, THE GREAT EASTERN HOTEL COMPANY LIMITED, THE GREAT EASTERN HOTEL HOLDING COMPANY LIMITED, TIJUANA PARTNERS S. DE R.L. DE C.V., TR MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT LLC, TUCSON VILLAS HOLDINGS LLC, TUCSON VILLAS LLC, TWO SEAS HOLDINGS LIMITED, Two Roads Hospitality, WAILEA HOTEL & BEACH RESORT L.L.C., WAILEA HOTEL HOLDINGS L.L.C., WAILEA MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION L.L.C., WAILEA RESORT VILLAS HOLDINGS L.L.C., WAILEA RESORT VILLAS L.L.C., WEST END RESIDENCES L.L.C., XENIA ASSURANCE COMPANY INC., XENIA ASSURANCE COMPANY OF ILLINOIS, ZURICH ESCHERWIESE HOTEL GMBH, and ZURICH HOTEL INVESTMENTS B.V..
Nabors Industries Ltd. engages in the provision of platform work over and drilling rigs. It operates through the following segments: U.S. Drilling, Canada Drilling, International Drilling, Drilling Solutions, and Rig Technologies. The U.S. Drilling segment includes land drilling activities in the lower 48 states and Alaska, as well as offshore operations in the Gulf of Mexico. The Canada segment consists of land-based drilling rigs in Canada. The International segment focuses in maintaining a footprint in the oil and gas market, most notably in Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Argentina, Colombia, Kazakhstan, and Venezuela. The Drilling Solutions segment offers drilling technologies, such as patented steering systems and rig instrumentation software systems that enhance drilling performance and wellbore placement. The Rig Technologies segment comprises Canrig, which manufactures and sells top drives, catwalks, wrenches, drawworks, and drilling related equipment, such as robotic systems and downhole tools. The company was founded by Clair Nabors in 1952 and is headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda.

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The following companies are subsidiares of Global Payments: ACTIVE Network - Communities and Sports, Active Network (HK) Limited, Active Network IPICO (CA) Inc., Active Network IPICO (US) Inc., Active Network IPICO Holdings (US) LLC, Active Network IPICO Holdings (US) LLC, Active Network IPICO Innovation Inc., Active Networks LLC, AdvancedMD, Athlaction Intermediate LLC, Athlaction Topco LLC, AuctionPay, Comercia Global Payments Entidad de Pago S.L., DEBITEK INC, Digital Dining LLC, Dinerware LLC, DolEx Europe S.L., Educational Computer Systems Inc., Ematters Australia Pty Ltd., Equifax Credit Services LLC, Ezi Holdings Pty. Ltd., Ezi Management Pty Ltd., Ezidebit, Ezidebit (NZ) Limited, Ezidebit HK Ltd., Ezidebit Pty Ltd., GP Finance LLC, GPC Financial Corporation, GPS Holding Limited Partnership, GPUK LLP, Global Payment Holding Company, Global Payment Systems Asia-Pacific (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd., Global Payment Systems LLC, Global Payment Systems of Canada Ltd., Global Payments - Caixa Acquisition Corporation S.a.r.l., Global Payments - Realex Payments Holding Limited, Global Payments - Servicos de Pagamentos S.A., Global Payments Acquisition Corp. 1 B.V., Global Payments Acquisition Corp. 2 B.V., Global Payments Acquisition Corp. 3 B.V., Global Payments Acquisition Corporation 2 LLC, Global Payments Acquisition Corporation 2 S.a.r.l., Global Payments Acquisition Corporation 3 LLC, Global Payments Acquisition Corporation 3 S.a.r.l., Global Payments Acquisition Corporation 4 S.a.r.l., Global Payments Acquisition Corporation 6 S.a.r.l., Global Payments Acquisition Corporation 7 LLC, Global Payments Acquisition Corporation 7 S.a.r.l., Global Payments Acquisition Corporation HK Holding Limited, Global Payments Acquisition PS 1 C.V., Global Payments Acquisition PS 2 C.V., Global Payments Acquisition PS 3 C. V., Global Payments Acquisition PS1-Global Payments Direct S.e.n.c., Global Payments Asia-Pacific (Hong Kong Holding) Limited, Global Payments Asia-Pacific (Hong Kong) Limited, Global Payments Asia-Pacific (India) Private Limited, Global Payments Asia-Pacific (Shanghai) Limited, Global Payments Asia-Pacific (Singapore Holding) Ltd., Global Payments Asia-Pacific Lanka (Private) Limited, Global Payments Asia-Pacific Limited, Global Payments Asia-Pacific Macau Limited, Global Payments Asia-Pacific Maldives Private Limited, Global Payments Asia-Pacific Philippines Incorporated, Global Payments Asia-Pacific Processing Company Limited, Global Payments Australia Pty 1 Ltd., Global Payments Australia Pty 2 Ltd., Global Payments Canada GP, Global Payments Canada Inc., Global Payments Card Processing Malaysia Sdn. Bhd, Global Payments Check Recovery Services Inc., Global Payments Check Services Inc., Global Payments Direct Inc., Global Payments Europe d.o.o. Sarajevo, Global Payments Europe s.r.o., Global Payments Gaming Canada Inc., Global Payments Gaming International Inc., Global Payments Gaming Services Inc., Global Payments Integrated, Global Payments Limited, Global Payments Process Centre Inc., Global Payments South America Brasil-Servicos de Pagamentos S.A., Global Payments UK 2 Ltd., Global Payments UK Ltd., Global Payments s.r.o., Greater Giving Inc., Heartland Acquisition LLC, Heartland Payment Solutions Inc., Heartland Payment Systems, Heartland Payment Systems LLC, Heartland Payroll Solutions Inc., IPICO South Africa (Pty) Ltd., JumpForward LLC, Maximum Solutions LLC, Merchant Services U.S.A. Inc., Modular Data Inc., NDC Holdings (UK) Ltd., NDPS Holdings Inc., PCAmerica LLC, Pay and Shop Limited, PayPros LLC, Payment Processing, Payroll 1 Inc., Realex Payments, SICOM Systems, Sabrir Invest S.L., Sentral Education, Spolecnost pro informacni database a.s., Storman Holdings Pty Ltd., Storman Software Inc., Storman Software Limited, Storman Software Ltd., Storman Software Pty Ltd., TeamPages Inc., The Active Network (Asia) Pte. Ltd, The Active Network (Aus-NZ) Pty. Ltd., The Active Network (EU) Ltd., The Active Network Ltd., The Active Network Ltd. (Chengdu), The Active Network Ltd. (Xian), Total System Services, TouchNet Information Systems Inc., UCS Terminal Joint Stock Company, United Card Service Joint Stock Company, VEPF III AIV VI-C Corp., VEPF IV AIV VII-C Corp., VFF I AIV IV-C Corp., Web Active Corporation Pty Ltd., Xenial, Xpient LLC, eWAY, eWay Europe Limited, eWay Payments Asia Pte Ltd., eWay Payments Inc., eWay Payments New Zealand Limited, eWay Payments North America Inc., and eWay Payments Pty Ltd..
Papillon Resources Limited (Papillon) is engaged in the exploration and development of resource projects located in Mali. The Company has joint venture interests in a portfolio of gold tenements (granted licences and applications) in western and southern Mali. The Company's primary focus continued to be the advancement of the Fekola Project (Fekola or Project) located in south western Mali adjacent to the border with Senegal. Papillon completed its pre-feasibility study (PFS) for the project. The Company's subsidiaries include Mali Goldfields SARL, Songhoi Resources SARL, Bamagold SARL, Waraba Resources SARL, PIR Mali SARL, Papillon Exploration (AUS), Papillon Mining (AUS), Papillon Exploration (UK) and Papillon Mining (UK).

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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.

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The following companies are subsidiares of SAP: Abakus, Abakus Europe Limited, Abakus Ukraine Limited Liability Company, Adatfeldolgozasban Informatikai Kft., Altiscale, Ambin Properties Proprietary Limited, AppGyver, Ariba, Ariba Czech s.r.o., Ariba Inc. Palo Alto, Ariba India Private Limited, Ariba International, Ariba International Holdings, Ariba International Singapore Pte Ltd, Ariba Slovak Republic s.r.o., Ariba Software Technology Services (Shanghai) Co., Ariba Technologies India Private Limited, Ariba Technologies Netherlands B.V., Beijing Zhang Zhong Hu Dong Information Technology, Business Objects, Business Objects Holding B.V., Business Objects Option LLC, Business Objects Software Limited, CNQR Operations Mexico S. de. R.L. de. C.V., Callidus Software, CallidusCloud, Christie Partners Holding C.V., Clear Standards, ClearTrip Inc., ClearTrip Inc. (Mauritius), Cleartrip MEA FZ LLC, Cleartrip Private Limited, Coghead, ConTgo Consulting Limited, ConTgo Pty. Ltd., Concur (Austria) GmbH, Concur (Canada), Concur (France) SAS, Concur (Germany) GmbH, Concur (Japan) Ltd., Concur (New Zealand) Limited, Concur (Philippines) Inc., Concur (Switzerland) GmbH, Concur Czech (s.r.o.), Concur Holdings (France) SAS, Concur Holdings (Netherlands) B.V., Concur Technologies (Australia) Pty. Limited, Concur Technologies (Hong Kong) Limited, Concur Technologies (India) Private Limited, Concur Technologies (Singapore) Pte Ltd, Concur Technologies (UK) Limited, Concur Technologies Inc. Bellevue, Contextor, Coresystems, Crystal Decisions (Ireland) Limited, Crystal Decisions Holdings Limited, Crystal Decisions UK Limited, Emarsys, EssCubed Procurement Pty. Ltd., Extended Systems, Factory Logic, Fedem Technology AS, Fieldglass Europe Limited, Financial Fusion, FreeMarkets Ltda., Frictionless Commerce, Gigya, Gigya Australia Pty Ltd, Gigya Ltd., Gigya UK Ltd, GlobalExpense Limited, Highdeal, Hipmunk, Hybris (US) Corp., Hybris GmbH, Inxight Federal Systems Group, KXEN, Khimetrics, LLC "SAP Labs", LLC "SAP Ukraine", LLC SAP CIS, MaXware, Merlin Systems Oy, Multiposting Sp.z o.o., Nihon Ariba K.K., OpTier, OutlookSoft, OutlookSoft Deutschland GmbH, PLAT.ONE, PT SAP Indonesia, PT Sybase 365 Indonesia, Pilot Software Inc., Plat.One Inc., Plat.One Lab Srl, Plateau Systems LLC, Quadrem Africa Pty. Ltd., Quadrem Brazil Ltda., Quadrem Chile Ltda., Quadrem Colombia SAS, Quadrem International Ltd., Quadrem Netherlands B.V., Quadrem Overseas Cooperatief U.A., Quadrem Peru S.A.C., Qualtrics, Recast.AI, Right Hemisphere, Roambi, Ruan Lian Technologies (Beijing) Co., SAF, SAP (Beijing) Software System Co., SAP (Schweiz) AG, SAP (Schweiz) AG Biel, SAP (UK) Limited, SAP (UK) Limited Feltham, SAP AZ LLC, SAP America, SAP America Inc. Newtown Square, SAP Andina y del Caribe, SAP Argentina S.A., SAP Asia (Vietnam) Co., SAP Asia Pte Ltd, SAP Australia Pty Ltd, SAP Australia Pty Ltd. Sydney, SAP Belgium NV/SA, SAP Beteiligungs GmbH, SAP Brasil Ltda, SAP Brasil Ltda Sao Paulo, SAP Bulgaria EOOD, SAP Business Compliance Services GmbH, SAP Business Services Center Nederland B.V., SAP CR, SAP Canada, SAP Chile Limitada, SAP China Co., SAP China Co. Ltd. Shanghai, SAP China Holding Co., SAP Colombia S.A.S., SAP Commercial Services Ltd., SAP Concur, SAP Costa Rica, SAP Customer Experience, SAP Cyprus Limited, SAP Danmark A/S, SAP Deutschland SE & Co. KG, SAP Deutschland SE & Co. KG Walldorf, SAP Dritte Beteiligungs- und Vermogensverwaltungs GmbH, SAP EMEA Inside Sales S.L., SAP East Africa Limited, SAP Egypt LLC, SAP Erste Beteiligungs- und Vermogensverwaltungs GmbH, SAP Espana - Sistemas Informatica, SAP Estonia OU, SAP Fieldglass, SAP Financial, SAP Finland Oy, SAP Foreign Holdings GmbH, SAP France, SAP France Holding, SAP France Levallois Perret, SAP Global Marketing, SAP Hellas S.A., SAP Holdings (UK) Limited, SAP Hong Kong Co., SAP Hosting Beteiligungs GmbH, SAP Hungary Rendszerek, SAP India (Holding) Pte Ltd, SAP India Private Limited, SAP India Private Limited Bangalore, SAP Industries, SAP Industries Inc. Newtown Square, SAP International, SAP International Panama, SAP Investments, SAP Ireland Limited, SAP Ireland US - Financial Services Designated Activity Company, SAP Israel Ltd., SAP Italia Sistemi Applicazioni Prodotti in Data Processing S.p.A., SAP Italia Sistemi Applicazioni Prodotti in Data Processing S.p.A. Vimercate, SAP Japan Co., SAP Japan Co. Ltd. Tokyo, SAP Kazakhstan LLP, SAP Korea Ltd., SAP Labs, SAP Labs Bulgaria EOOD, SAP Labs Finland Oy, SAP Labs France SAS, SAP Labs India Private Limited, SAP Labs Israel Ltd., SAP Labs Korea, SAP Latvia SIA, SAP MENA FZ L.L.C., SAP Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., SAP Malta Investments Ltd., SAP Mxico S.A. de C.V., SAP National Security Services PA, SAP Nederland B.V., SAP Nederland B.V. s-Hertogenbosch, SAP Service and Support Centre (Ireland) Limited, SAP SuccessFactors, SAP d.o.o., SeeWhy, Signavio, SuccessFactors, SuccessFactors Inc. South San Francisco, Sybase, Syclo, TopTier Software, Triversity, Vimercate, Virsa Systems, Visiprise, Wicom Communications, and conTgo limited.
Stantec Inc. provides professional consulting services in the area of infrastructure and facilities in Canada, the United States, and internationally. The company provides consulting services in engineering, architecture, interior design, landscape architecture, surveying, environmental sciences, project management, and project economics. It also offers water, transportation, and public works; transportation planning and traffic engineering; and resource assessment, mine development, reclamation, hydrology, and geotechnical and infrastructure engineering services, as well as urban planning, traffic assessments and optimization, environmental impact assessments, and public consultation services. In addition, the company provides structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and hydraulics engineering services. It serves urban regeneration, infrastructure, education, public and private sector, tourism and leisure, and waste and water sectors, as well as office and commercial, residential, and retail and town centers. The company was formerly known as Stanley Technology Group Inc. and changed its name to Stantec Inc. in October 1998. Stantec Inc. was founded in 1954 and is headquartered in Edmonton, Canada.

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Street Capital Group Inc., through its subsidiary, Street Capital Bank of Canada, provides a range of deposit and residential mortgage solutions in Canada. The company originates and sells high ratio and conventional prime insurable single-family residential mortgages; and accepts cashable guaranteed investment certificates (GICs) or term deposits and non-redeemable GICs. It offers residential mortgage loans primarily through its network of independent mortgage brokers. The company was formerly known as Counsel Corporation and changed its name to Street Capital Group Inc. in June 2015. Street Capital Group Inc. was founded in 1979 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.

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Tahoe Resources Inc., together with its subsidiaries, acquires, explores for, develops, and operates mineral properties in the Americas. It explores for silver, gold, lead, zinc, and copper deposits, as well as precious metals assets. The company holds interest in the La Arena gold mine located in the Huamachuco district of northern Peru; Shahuindo mine located in the province of Cajabamba in northern Peru; and La Arena II, a copper-gold porphyry deposit located in Peru. It also holds interest in the Timmins mines, including the Bell Creek and Timmins West mines, the Fenn-Gib project, the Juby project, the Vogel project, and the Gold River project located in Timmins, Ontario. The company was formerly known as CKM Resources Inc. and changed its name to Tahoe Resources Inc. in January 2010. Tahoe Resources Inc. was incorporated in 2009 and is headquartered in Reno, Nevada.

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President Buhari has urged members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to work for genuine reconciliation for the benefit of our people and our nation. He said this when he received a group of APC members in Abuja on Wednesday.

While welcoming the party leaders back, Buhari said the house was large enough for everyone and promised to speak with the leadership of the party to accommodate and work with the returnees. Senator Issa Zarewa, who left in the protest against the last primaries and Abullahi Gandujes former deputy, Sen. Rabiu Kwankwaso Kwankwaso, were some of the returnees present in the welcoming party.
Village Farms International, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, produces, markets, and distributes greenhouse-grown tomatoes, bell peppers, and cucumbers in North America. It operates through three segments: Produce Business, Energy Business, and Cannabis and Hemp Business. The company also owns and operates a 7.0 megawatt power plant that generates and sells electricity to British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority; and produces and supplies cannabis products. It markets and distributes its products under the Village Farms brand name to retail supermarkets and fresh food distribution companies, as well as products produced under exclusive arrangements with other greenhouse producers. The company was formerly known as Village Farms Canada Inc. and changed its name to Village Farms International, Inc. in December 2009. Village Farms International, Inc. was founded in 1989 and is headquartered in Delta, Canada.

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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.

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William Lyon Homes (NYSE:WLH) issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November, 6th. The construction company reported $0.37 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the Zacks' consensus estimate of $0.30 by $0.07. The construction company earned $466.90 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $487.15 million. William Lyon Homes had a trailing twelve-month return on equity of 6.98% and a net margin of 3.04%. The business's revenue was down 12.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.68 earnings per share.

View William Lyon Homes' earnings history.
Rogers Communications Inc. operates as a communications and media company in Canada. It operates through three segments: Wireless, Cable, and Media. The company offers mobile Internet access, wireless voice and enhanced voice, device and accessory financing, wireless home phone, device protection, text messaging, e-mail, global voice and data roaming, bridging landline, machine-to-machine and Internet of Things solutions, and advanced wireless solutions for businesses, as well as device delivery services; and postpaid and prepaid services under the Rogers, Fido, and chatr brands to approximately 10.9 million subscribers. It also provides Internet and WiFi services; smart home monitoring services, such as monitoring, security, automation, energy efficiency, and smart control through a smartphone app. In addition, the company offers local and network TV; on-demand television; cloud-based digital video recorders; voice-activated remote controls, and integrated apps; personal video recorders; linear and time-shifted programming; digital specialty channels; 4K television programming; and televised content on smartphones, tablets, and personal computers, as well as operates Ignite TV and Ignite TV app. Further, it provides residential and small business local telephony services; calling features, such as voicemail, call waiting, and long distance; voice, data networking, Internet protocol, and Ethernet services; private networking, Internet, IP voice, and cloud solutions; optical wave and multi-protocol label switching services; IT and network technologies; and cable access network services. The company also owns Toronto Blue Jays and the Rogers Centre event venue; and operates Sportsnet ONE, Sportsnet 360, Sportsnet World, Citytv, OMNI, FX (Canada), FXX (Canada), and OLN television networks, as well as 55 AM and FM radio stations. Rogers Communications Inc. was founded in 1960 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.

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The Senate is voting to see if there's enough support to advance a stop-gap spending bill with an additional $5 billion for President Donald Trump's signature campaign promise of a border wall, as Washington inches closer to a partial government shutdown when funding expires for key federal agencies at midnight Friday night.

The bill is expected to fail in the Senate, where Democrats have long made clear they would not support new money for the border wall. The question now is what happens next and whether the President and lawmakers can come to an agreement to stave off a partial shutdown.

Vice President Mike Pence, budget director Mick Mulvaney and Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, were on Capitol Hill on Friday afternoon meeting with senators -- including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat -- about finding a solution.

Trump has ratcheted up his rhetoric over the past 24 hours to suggest that he is unwilling to accept anything less than $5 billion for his long-promised border wall. But the $5 billion border wall bill's failure in the Senate shows the votes aren't there on the Hill to meet the President's demand.

Funding for roughly a quarter of the federal government expires at midnight, including appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice, the Department of Housing and Urban Development and other parts of the government.

For now, the prospects for a deal look bleak as the math is not in Republicans' favor; the party holds a 51-49 majority in the chamber. Arizona Republican Sen. Jeff Flake, who is retiring in a few weeks and has been a constant critic of the President, voted against a procedural maneuver Friday. Complicating matters, Georgia Republican Sen. Johnny Isakson is out of Washington for a medical procedure, meaning the GOP has fewer than 50 votes.

As of 4 p.m. ET on Friday, the vote remained open as many lawmakers who had left Washington were flying back to the capital.

Often in brink-of-disaster moments on Capitol Hill, there are cooler heads behind the scenes who are working on a way out. Drafting a way to thread the needle. Figuring out a pathway to pull everyone back from the edge. Quietly pulling together a deal to calm everyone and serve as the legislative silver bullet.

That is not happening now. At all.

The only way a partial shutdown doesn't happen is for one side to cave a massive way. And there's not a lot of hope that's in the cards, according to aides in both parties on Capitol Hill.

Trump predicts shutdown after meeting with Republican senators

Trump predicted there likely will be a government shutdown Friday night and put the onus on Democrats -- a reversal from his position just a week ago, when he said he would "take the mantle" and not blame the opposing party.

"The chances are probably very good" that there is a shutdown, Trump said to reporters Friday afternoon while at a White House bill signing on bipartisan legislation overhauling the nation's sentencing laws.

"It's really the Democrat shutdown, because we've done our thing," Trump continued. "Now it's up to the Democrats as to whether we have a shutdown tonight. I hope we don't, but we're totally prepared for a very long shutdown."

Just a week ago, the President -- sitting in the Oval Office with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer -- said he would be "proud" to shut down the government over border security.

"I will take the mantle," Trump said last week. "I will be the one to shut it down. I'm not going to blame you for it."

Earlier Friday, Trump hosted Senate Republicans to the White House on Friday morning for discussions about the looming shutdown threat, though it was not apparent if any progress had been made during that meeting. Senate Majority Leader McConnell, upon returning to Capitol Hill from his meeting in the White House, said GOP Senators had a "good conversation" with Trump and that "we are going to continue to be talking about a way forward".

To add insult to injury: As Senate Republicans headed to the White House, a source who asked not to be identified told CNN that "things are so chaotic at the White House that some Republican senators can't get in because Secret Service didn't even have time to clear them (or the staff who is driving them there!)"

Here are the dynamics -- and the reality

House Democratic leaders have no political incentive to move and agree to a single cent more in border security money. They're even stronger in their position because the Senate has passed, unanimously, a bill to fund the government through February 8.

Trump has decided, with a major, major push from House Republican allies and conservative media commentators, that he's willing to push this fight over the edge and straight into shutdown. And he's not exactly being subtle about it.

McConnell has attempted to give the President room to find his way out of this in every way possible. He's put his solution on the table -- and passed it through the Senate. He's more or less on the sidelines now.

House Republican leaders, as they demonstrated Thursday, are completely at the mercy of the President's position here. To think, in a closed-door conference meeting Thursday morning, they were advocating their conference get behind the Senate-passed bill. By the afternoon, after meeting with the President, it was a complete non-starter.

Anything can happen on Capitol Hill, and much more complicated deals have been crafted in less than a day before, but given the above dynamics, as one senior GOP official put it to me Friday morning: "Get ready for a long shutdown."

The President's Twitter account

It may sound odd to someone outside of Capitol Hill, but you can't overstate the importance of the President's tweets to a sizable chunk of the House Republican conference. There are members who quite literally spend portions of their time trying to figure out how to garner a tweet. There are others who live in terror of a tweet. Leadership knows a single tweet can change the trajectory of a strategy or closed-door conference meeting. Even House Republicans who lost in November -- and have spoken in opposition to the President -- acknowledge the power.

"It's everything to our guys," one GOP House member told CNN on Thursday night. "It's kind of embarrassing when you think about it, but it's not a vanity thing -- it really matters that much back home in the districts."

So with that in mind, tweets like this from the President make the House GOP move Thursday completely worth it to the members, even if it leads to a shutdown:

"No matter what happens today in the Senate, Republican House Members should be very proud of themselves. They flew back to Washington from all parts of the World in order to vote for Border Security and the Wall. Not one Democrat voted yes, and we won big. I am very proud of you!"

What happened in the House

Credit where it is due: House GOP leaders for more than a week claimed they could rally the votes for the President's wall funding plan, even as many were quite skeptical of that fact -- most notably Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi in the Oval Office last week.

The House, 217-185, passed a bill to keep the government open until February 8 that included $5 billion in border wall funding and just shy of $8 billion in disaster relief funding. GOP leaders only lost eight Republicans. That's a big show of unity for a fractured, frustrated and soon-to-be-relegated-to-the-minority group.

The biggest question here, given the fact everyone involved knows the bill has no future in the US Senate: why not do this last week when there was cushion for a back-and-forth of competing plans with the Senate?

In the words of one Senate GOP aide: "Malpractice."

How it traditionally works

Once the House bill fails in the Senate, both parties in both chambers sit down, acknowledge what has failed and try to track a path forward. Those talks -- even in the preliminary stage -- haven't started at all yet, and given how entrenched both sides are at the moment, it's unclear when or if they will.

Staff will try to figure something out -- that's their job, and they always have options. Reality here is you can have a thousand different options, and none of them matter if the leaders aren't willing to move.

House lawmakers have been told to be prepared for further votes on Friday, but up to this point, no caucus or conference meetings have been scheduled, so everyone is basically in wait-and-see mode at this point.

Expect more legislative action in both chambers, but whether it will just be for show or for an actual solution remains an open question.

Not a great sign.

Should the government shut down, most lawmakers I've spoken to say they plan to go home for the holidays anyway and just be prepared to come back if any kind of compromise is reached. That's a problem for two reasons:

They don't see a quick resolution to this fight. It's often lawmakers being bored and tired of staying in town that helps lead to a resolution of these things.

Department of things that won't happen

Trump, following comments from a few Republican senators, tweeted Friday morning that McConnell should move to change the Senate rules to require just a simple majority to move forward on legislation (the so-called "nuclear option" to end the 60-vote threshold).

To make this as clear as humanly possible: This will never happen as long as McConnell is leader. Period. He's explicitly said as much more than a dozen times on the record that I can remember on my own. Probably more than that. It's just not a real thing. Don't treat it as such.

This story has been updated with additional developments on Friday.
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - Gov. Andrew Cuomo has signed legislation that requires New York state agencies to establish a sexual assault survivors' bill of rights.

The Democrat signed the bill into law Friday, saying it's New York's response to a federal government that "shamefully ignores the voices of sexual assault survivors."

The new law directs the Department of Health to formulate a bill of rights to notify victims of their legal rights as they navigate the medical and criminal justice systems. The Division of Criminal Justice Services, the Office of Victim Services and other stakeholders are to be consultants for the plan.

The bill of rights will include a victim's right to consult with a rape crisis organization and receive updates on the status of their case.

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
UTICA- A third of the entire country will be traveling through the holiday season. Whether its by train, car or plane. Experts are predicting that 2018 will be the heaviest travel season to date.

Some travelers locally are venturing farther than most this season. Donna Felt is travelling back home to New Zealand

"I'm waiting for the train, the Amtrak down to New York city. I'm starting my journey home for Christmas. I'm going all the way to South Island New Zealand. "

Traffic is also bound to be an issue. Experts recommend that you pack extra tools, snacks, and water. Also, the weather can have a significant impact on traveling as well.

"Make sure you are prepared for the weather when you leave, and make sure that you if you fly especially, that you wanna get there at least two hours early. "Normally this time of year you wanna get there at least an hour before, this time of year you wanna make it two hours."

There are many different ways people are traveling this holiday season. Pam Davis who is taking the Amtrak to the Boston area says in her opinion driving may not the best idea.

"Um don't drive, and maybe don't fly. In Spite of the train being late, its better."

The number one item that you should pack with you on your journey is a cell phone charger. Experts tell us that having a reliable piece of communication is important. Having a dead cellphone will only add to the stress of traveling.

"You know this time of year; a lot of people are doing extra phone calls with their friends and family. Send a lot of pictures, a lot of fun stuff going on. So, you wanna make sure that you're not driving along and have your phone go dead and have no way to plug it in."

Bringing wrapped gifts is also a bad idea. The last thing you want is to have TSA opening your presents to figure out what's inside. Experts believe that you should pack your presents unwrapped if possible, then wrap when you arrive at your destination.

But one thing that will get you through this holiday travel season is patience.

"Stay in good Christmas cheer, obviously traffic is no fun. But put on the radio and some Christmas music and relax, you'll get there. Do it safely and take your time."
LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI)  Congressman Todd Rokita has been serving Indiana's fourth district since 2011. Republican Jim Baird will take his seat next month.

Rokita said he's working up to the last minute of his term.

We asked if he has any campaign plans for the future.

"You never say never, you know?" said Rokita. "What my wife says is the position that I'm going to be serving in immediately is going to be the one of parent, I'm going to get to parent more and I'm looking forward to that."

Rokita said his proudest accomplishment in congress was co-authoring and passing the Every Student Succeeds Act.

It replaced "No Child Left Behind" and is described as one of the largest evolution's of power from the federal government to the states.

"It was a bill signed by a President who I usually couldn't agree what color the sky was with but he signed my bill and that is important," said Rokita.

Rep. Rokita said he would like to thank the people of Greater Lafayette.

"This area kept me accountable, lot of good ideas, lot of good support, but like other areas, they weren't bashful about letting me know when they thought I was wrong on a vote," said Rokita. "So, I'm really grateful for that, that's how it should work."
LEBANON, Ind. (WLFI) -- With just days before Christmas, Lebanon police are asking for information about a teenager who hasn't been seen by her family for months.

Joslyn Chircharo, 17, is considered a runaway. Police say she left home some time between 11 p.m. and 4 a.m. on September 28th.

She's 5 feet 5 inches tall and was last seen with long brown hair. However, investigators want people to remember she could have altered her appearance since then.

If you see Joslyn, you can call your local police department, or Lebanon police at 765-482-8836.
There are numerous places on earth that are even scarier and stranger than the fictional horror movies and haunted house tales that we were told while young. Here are some of the scariest places in the world.

Catacombs of Paris

The Catacombs of Paris are underground ossuaries that are filled with the skeletal remains of over 6 million individuals. These ossuaries are found in small tunnels that merge with the old stone mines in Paris. They were built as a solution for the overflowing cemeteries in the city. They remained forgotten from the late eighteenth century until the nineteenth century when the space was converted into a novelty-site for private events and concerts. Today, tours of the Catacombs are one of the most popular, and without a doubt spookiest, tourist attractions in Paris.

Winchester Mansion

The Winchester mansion was once the home of Sarah Winchester, the widow of a man who worked for a gun manufacturing company called the Winchester Repeating Arms Company. Tabloids from her time claim that after Sarah Winchesters husband and daughter died, a Boston Medium told her to relocate from New Haven and travel west. There, she was to find a place to continuously construct a house for herself and the spirit of the people who were killed by the Winchester rifles. Following these orders, Sarah Winchester bought an unfinished farmhouse in San Jose, California and started building her mansion with no architect. The mansion has numerous oddities like stairs and doors leading nowhere and windows overlooking adjacent rooms. These oddities have been attributed to her belief in ghosts and spirits.

Edinburgh Vaults

The Edinburgh vaults are a sequence of chambers that were created by the 19 arches of the South Bridge whose construction ended in 1788. The tradesmen and cobblers used the vaults as workshops and taverns for 30 years. They later became a hotspot for criminal activities like an illegal whiskey distillery, illegal gambling, and places where corpses were stored overnight by bodysnatchers. The vaults were closed during the nineteenth century until the 1980s when a tunnel leading to the vaults was discovered. The vaults form a sequence of chambers and tunnels which are currently used for Ghost tours.

Door to Hell

The Darvaza gas crater is a gas field that collapsed into an underground cave. The gas crater, sometimes referred to as the "door to hell", is situated in Turkmenistan and occupies an area of about 57, 566.9 sq feet. It has a depth of about 98 feet and a diameter of approximately 226 feet. The gas crater was set on fire by geologists to stop it from spreading methane gas. They expected the gas to burn for some few months, but instead it continues to burn to date. It is a famous tourist attraction and has received over 50,000 visitors since 2009. The region surrounding the crater is quite renowned for wild desert camping.

Bouvet Island

Bouvet Island is a deserted volcanic island and a territory of Norway that is found in the southern parts of the Atlantic Ocean. It is the worlds most remote island and lies on the southernmost parts of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Over 93% of the island, which occupies an area of about 19 square miles, is covered by a glacier. There is an ice-filled crater in the middle of the island. As if the fact that this island is in the middle of nowhere isn't creepy enough, the fact that random boats and oars have been known to wash up on the island's shores is extra creepy.

Nagoro

Nagoro is a village situated in Shikoku Island, Japan. Nagoro has been turned into a tourist destination for a a very strange reason: scarecrows. These numerous scarecrows were constructed by Tsukimi Ayano, who built these scarecrows after her family left the village while she was young. Most scarecrows resemble previous inhabitants of the village. The village school, which was closed in 2012, has numerous scarecrows, including one fishing in the river and three seated near a telephone pole on the outskirt of the village. The village gained notoriety after being featured on Google Maps' streetview. The sight of all the scarecrows is unsettling to say the least.

Ilha da Queimada Grande

Snake Island, also known as the Ilha da Queimada Grande, is a Brazilian Island that occupies an area of about 4,600,000 square feet. The island is part of Peruibe municipality, and has various terrains ranging from the rainforest to bare rocks. It is also home to one of the most poisonous snake on earth known as the golden-lancehead pit viper. The golden-lancehead pit viper, also known as Bothrops insularis, is a critically endangered snake that feeds on birds. The only people who can visit the island are selected researchers and the Brazilian Navy.

Rose Hall

Editorial credit: Debbie Ann Powell / Shutterstock.com.

Rose Hall is a mansion that was built in the 1770s in Montenegro Bay, Jamaica. Local legend has it that Rose Hall is haunted by Annie Palmer, a woman who killed not one, not two, but three husbands. The mansion was refurbished and turned into a museum that showcases the mansions original fittings, antique splendor, and spooky history. Rose Hall offers night tours that focus on the legend of the "White Witch of Rose Hall" complete with underground tunnels, murders, haunting, and bloodstains.

Hill of Crosses

The hill of crosses is a pilgrimage destination situated in the northern parts of Lithuania. It has over 100,000 crosses. The intention behind the crosses is unknown, but the first cross was placed on Domantai hill fort after the Russian-Polish war of 1830-31. Over the years more crucifixes, crosses, Virgin Mary statues, rosaries, effigies and the Lithuanian patriots carvings have been brought to this place by the Catholic pilgrims. Today, the numerous crosses give an eerie appearance.

Pripyat

Pripyat is a Ukrainian Ghost town that is near the Belarus-Ukraine boundary. It was established on February 4, 1970, as the Soviet Unions ninth nuclear city and served the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. It became a city in 1979 and had over 49,360 residents when it was evacuated after the Chernobyl disaster of April 27, 1986. The city occupied an area of about 7,090,000 square feet and had 160 apartment blocks with about 13,414 apartments. Even though the radiation level has reduced over the years, the city is not safe for human inhabitance. Today, it is one of the world's most notorious ghost towns.
According to the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI), foreign investment is not only a major resource in Vietnams economic development but is also a driver for economic reform, which has helped to improve the countrys business climate.

As of November 2018, there were 27,000 active FDI projects in Vietnam with pledges totalling US$337.8 billion, more than half of which has been disbursed.

Last year, the foreign sector contributed over US$8 billion to the state budget, while creating 3.6 million direct jobs and 5-6 million indirect jobs.

However, the connection between foreign and domestic enterprises is relatively weak with technology transfer failing to meet expectations.

Furthermore investment in infrastructure and agriculture is meagre though prioritised by the government.

A number of FDI projects have yet to fully comply with environmental regulations, while others are engaged in transfer pricing, causing losses to the state budget.

The legal system concerning foreign investment has been constantly updated but still lacks consistency and stability, thus undermining the confidence of foreign investors.

Amid new global, regional and domestic changes with plenty of both opportunities and challenges, it is necessary for Vietnam to further fine-tune its policies and adjust its FDI attraction and implementation strategy.

At the request of the Politburo, the government has directed the MPI to formulate a scheme on enhancing the quality and effectiveness of FDI attraction and use until 2030.

The opinions discussed at this conference will be collected in order to refine this highly important scheme.
When Michelle Quinones, a 27-year-old living in North Texas, developed carpal tunnel from working at Amazon, she had no idea the nightmare that was in store.

When Amazon denied her repeated requests for surgery to her wrists, the corporations workers compensation administrator hired private investigators to spy on and harass Michelle, leaving her terrified and unable to sleep. Agents staked out her apartment, took photos of her without her knowledge, made detailed reports about her whereabouts, and on one occasion physically grabbed her injured wrist.

Since getting injured in late 2017 from her work as a picker, Michelle has been unable to return to work at Amazon or find other employment which can accommodate her injuries. She eventually dropped out of college, lost her apartment and was forced to sell her belongings and go into debt in order to pay for daily expenses. Without the help of close family, she says she would be homeless.

Despite this, Amazon and its workers compensation administrator Sedgwick is accusing her of malingering and exaggerating the extent of her injuries, hiring private investigators to help build a case against her.

Michelle is originally from New Jersey, but moved to the Dallas-Fort Worth area in June 2017. I just wanted to experience something like a calmer, more relaxed and slow-paced life while going to school, she says. My sister moved [to Dallas] the year before me and never wants to move back to the East Coast, so I wanted to see for myself and have less stress and distraction while in school.

Michelle transferred from a tech school in New Jersey to a local Fort Worth college for one semester, and then to a major public university, where she majored in Electrical Engineering.

Michelle decided to apply for a job at Amazon when she heard from friends who had worked at an Amazon facility in Elizabeth, New Jersey, that the hiring process was quick and simple. They told me I could expect to get hired within a month, which is what happened. After attending an Amazon hiring event, Michelle began work at Amazons FTW 3-4 fulfillment center in Fort Worth in July 2017.

Michelles starting base pay was $12.50 per hour, then the standard for fulfillment center workers throughout the area. To increase her income, she volunteered to work overnight and weekend shifts, which brought her pay up to $13.50 per hour.

Michelle was hired as a picker, whose responsibility is to pull items from movable shelves, called pods, and send them down the line in baskets called totes to be boxed and readied for shipping. The pods are pulled and sent to pickers by hi-tech robotic vehicles, which resemble large Roomba vacuums.

As with all new hires, Michelle started out picking singles, which tend to be larger and heavier items. At their stations, pickers have to use a stepladder to access items from higher shelves. Michelle describes having to walk down the ladder with one hand holding a large and heavy item, with her other hand on the ladders railing for balance.

Michelle recalls that, as a singles picker, she was required to make a rate of between 220 and 240 items per hour. The clock doesnt stop for anything, except for two 15 minute breaks and one 30 minute break in a 10-hour shift. If Michelle had to walk a tote down to its next destination because nobody was available to take it from her station, that counted against her rate, she says.

If workers want to use the bathroom during a break, they must walk roughly 5 minutes across the massive facility to the restroom, time which counts against their break. You can go to the bathroom or go through security to get to your locker, but you have to be back within 15 minutes. Really, after all that walking, you only have a 5 minute break left. You dont have enough time to sit down until you take your 30 minute break.

Michelle eventually was moved to picking flats, the term for flat or smaller items. Because the items are smaller, the rate is much higher: 360 items per hour. A lot of the items get stuck in the bin, and you have to pull a band out at the front of a bin to access it. You have to work really fast. You are going up and down faster. Its the same situation as before if you want to take a break. I was moved there after the first two weeks because my rate was so high. They will point out to you if someone else is doing your job faster than you. I was in the top 10 percent for the entire building.

After flats, they moved me to what they call the wall. The wall is the same rate as flats, but they try to get you to hit 380 to 400 items per hour, Michelle says.

The wall is where items are put together to be shipped out as one order. They can be any size or shape. They can be above or below you. And these items can be heavy. I am 53, and you are moving up and down the ladder picking 380 items per hour for 10 hours. You cant take time to sit down at your station; you can get fired or sent home for sitting on the ladder.

I was a good employee, Michelle says, because I didnt want points against me. You can get fired with enough points. I didnt go to the bathroom except during my breaks and I didnt get as much water. It was extremely hot, and I could hardly feel the fan.

Although she was one of the fastest workers in the facility, Michelle says she was rarely given to the opportunity to take VTO, or voluntary time off, when business was slower. They wanted to keep the fastest people on site. Often I was there by myself doing one entire section.

Eventually, Michelle began experiencing pain in both of her wrists. Not wanting to take time off from work, Michelle went to Amcare, Amazons onsite triage center, several times to get her wrists iced down for the pain. They would give it for 20 minutes and send me back to my station. They would also give me Tylenol or ibuprofen for the pain. To avoid having the time spent at Amcare counted against her rate, Michelle had to go during one of her breaks.

Amcares write-up of Michelles visit to Amcare on October 14 shows how the company attempted to blame her for her injuries. According to the report, Michelle said she may have struck the ladder at her station with her right hand, but did not recall the exact incident when this action may have occurred. Michelle says today that this conversation consisted of Amcare repeatedly suggesting to her in a leading fashion that she might have hit something.

The Amcare staff seized upon this supposed confession to declare that Michelle was injured because of failure to keep eyes on task/path. The corrective action reads, [Manager] will announce at standup [meeting] the importance of keeping eyes on task/path while working to prevent unsafe behaviors/injuries.

On November 19, 2017, at 2 a.m., Michelle went in to Amcare to get her left wrist iced down. While she was there, she mentioned that she wanted a pack for her right wrist too. They said, this is a whole new case, you are going to have to go to a doctor to get treatment for your right wrist and you cant come back until you get the ok from them.

Amcare gave Michelle a packet of documents to sign. She says she did not understand at first what she was signing, and was midway through it before she realized that she was filing a workers compensation claim.

I went to the doctor that afternoon. I was given work restrictions and splints for my left and right wrists, Michelle says.

I was told that Amazon couldnt accommodate those restrictions. I received a referral for physical therapy and steroids.

Michelle underwent 6 sessions of physical therapy over 2 weeks beginning on December 7 of that year. When the therapy ended on December 21, Michelles pain symptoms had not improved. Her therapist did not recommend further physical therapy and suggested that she receive a further diagnosis.

At some point the accommodations team [at Amazon] called me and told me they had an accommodation for me. But they told me that I would be going back to my regular job. They claimed that my doctor said I didnt have a weight limit on my restrictions. In fact, after her initial doctors visit she was restricted to lifting no more than 20 pounds for no more than 4 hours per day.

Then I had an MRI, she says. It showed I had tears in my wrist and carpal tunnel. I got a referral for a hand surgeon, who said that I needed surgery.

However, Amazons workers compensation administrator Sedgwick has repeatedly denied her requests to receive a CT scan, which is needed before she can receive the surgery. More than a year after her initial workers compensation claim, Michelle has yet to receive surgery.

Sedgwick is claiming that Michelle only strained her wrists, and that the injury was due to a pre-existing condition. She currently has a contested hearing scheduled for January 2019.

Sedgwick employs a so-called peer review process where doctors retained by the company second-guess the diagnoses received by workers, usually in favor of Amazon. In many cases, they issue their opinions from remote locations without even seeing the patients, relying exclusively on written reports and phone interviews.

However, Michelle was able to have an in-person RME, or required medical examination. The doctor administering the RME refused to allow Michelles boyfriend into the examination room, claiming that there was no space in the room. The exam was strange, Michelle says. When he asked me if theres anything I wanted to add I began to talk about the pain and numbness, but he cut me off saying, Well thats it for today mid-sentence.

Instead of providing Michelle with needed surgery, Sedgwick engaged at least one private investigator to spy on Michelle to bolster the case against her. At the beginning of 2018, Michelle was returning to her apartment one day and saw a man setting up a camera in a tree facing her front door. Michelle says she thought at first that the building owners were installing a new security system. But they didnt leave a note, she says.

A month later I got a packet in the mail [of workers compensation documents] which included a report by a private investigator. They had photos of me sitting on my balcony.

While shocking, spying by employers and insurance companies in workers compensation cases, known as sub rosa investigation, is not uncommon. The object of such surveillance is to catch claimants performing physical activities which the employer can then use in court proceedings to claim that the worker is malingering, or faking or exaggerating their injuries.

When I told my treating doctor about it, he said that it was common, but that if I had any red flags I would not have received a copy of the surveillance. Instead, he would have received one and Amazon would have kept one for court. In other words, Amazon/Sedgwicks surveillance of Michelle failed to turn up anything incriminating.

But an unnerving encounter a short time later suggests that the company decided to double down with even more intrusive spying. One day, when Michelle brought her dog to the dog park, a stranger came by and sat down next to her on the park bench. A few minutes pass and he starts talking to me, asking me about my dog, random little things. Then he asks if I build things for my job. I realized after I got home that all of his questions were centered around my hands. He asked things like, what I do for a living, what Im studying. Whatever my answer was, he said that he did the same thing, to make it seem like we had things in common.

Then he asked me if I am working, Michelle says, and I say, I work at Amazon. He wanted to know more about that, why I wasnt at work. I said I was out on an injury. He started asking me about hobbies, extracurriculars. I said I did go zip lining once, which you dont use your hands for because your weight is supported by the harness.

Towards the end of the conversation, he cuts me off and asks, Youre not Dominican, are you? Youre not dark enough to be Dominican, and he grabs me by the arm. I pull my arm back in shock and pain, and I realized, this guy is a private investigator. He was asking these strange questions you dont ask someone you just met. At that point I realized I was probably being followed for a while.

The realization that Amazon/Sedgwick was spying on her has caused Michelle intense emotional distress. With the camera, that affected me the worst. The night that I got the packet, I couldnt sleep with my light off. The maintenance guy for the building came around later and he asks why my lights were on, and I say someone put a camera on the tree and is spying on me. I asked him, is that even legal?

I wasnt able to leave my apartment without being paranoid. I thought I was being followed all day and I had so many mental breakdowns. I was having panic attacks, where I couldnt breathe. She was prescribed medication, but was initially unable to pay the $57 prescription cost. She was eventually able to get the prescription for $13 out of pocket.

To add insult to injury, the packet of documents which contained the surveillance report did not contain a copy of the Amcare report she filed the night of November 1819, a document which Michelle has still not received. Instead, the packet contained the report from her October 14 visit to Amcare, when Michelle sought treatment for her right wrist. Michelle believes this is because Amazon is trying to minimize the extent of her injuries by withholding information. The October 14 report also states that she had sustained the injury to her right wrist on October 7 but did not report it for a week afterward, a claim which Michelle denies. Its just causing a lot of confusion and gave them reason to try to minimize my injury as a strain/sprain. A year and 1 month late and still no surgery.

Unable to work due to her injuries, Michelle has had to survive off of her workers compensation benefits, which have been reduced twice since her initial injury. Because she pays 25 percent of her benefits to her lawyer, whom she hired to help her navigate the process, her total income amounts to only $232 per week. At times she has had to choose between buying food for herself and buying food for her dog. She has set up a Gofundme page to help her pay her bills.

I almost got evicted because I couldnt pay the rent, Michelle says. I actually got an eviction notice, but I was able to pay just in time by selling practically everything I owned, with nothing left but my clothes, and by maxing out my credit card. In the end, however, Michelle ended up moving in with her sister to save money. However, Michelle is still $2,000 in debt.

Because she experiences pain when using a keyboard or writing for long periods, Michelle had to drop out of her college courses this February, and has not been back to school since.

Suddenly, around May, her workers compensation benefits stopped for a period of five weeks without warning. Three weeks in, I got a notice that the payments stopped because my case was in peer review. Even though she was still injured, the loss of income pushed her to try and find a job. I found a sandwich shop by my house that needed an assistant manager for 6 hour shifts, four days a week. Even though the work was less strenuous than Amazon, my arm was killing me, she says. The pain was at a full 10 out of 10. One day, while I was working, I couldnt bear it, and I went to the emergency room. Since then I have not worked.

Michelles experience is not an isolated incident. Current and former Amazon workers from as far away as Spain, interviewed by the International Amazon Workers Voice, have reported essentially similar stories, where injuries sustained due to Amazons breakneck speedup regime quickly lead to economic destitution and the prospect of homelessness, while Amazon works systematically to deny them medical treatment and compensation.

Other Amazon workers attempt to work through their injuries, like Michelle did initially, to avoid falling into the brutal workers compensation system, where the outcomes favor the insurance companies and the employers. The day I was leaving, I spoke to an older woman in her 50s who said she was dealing with the same thing for so long, but that she couldnt afford to miss work because she has a family to support. She said knew that they would get rid of her if she reported it.

It is noteworthy that Michelles injury occurred only four miles to the north of Amazons DFW7 fulfillment center, where Amazon worker and whistleblower Shannon Allen is employed. Shannon, who was also injured in the fall of 2017, lost her home and began living in her car in her facilitys parking lot. Her story was first reported by the International Amazon Workers Voice in May.

Reading about the stories of other Amazon workers from all over the world on the internet made Michelle realize that her experiences were part of a broader problem. After finding Shannon Allens popular YouTube channel, Michelle was inspired to make her own videos documenting her experiences with Amazon. After watching one of Shannon Allens videos, in which she implored other Amazon workers with similar stories to contact her, she reached out to Shannon on Facebook, and was surprised when Shannon responded almost immediately.

The rich are only helping the rich, Michelle says. They want to keep us, the working class, always down. And if anyone says anything they either lose everything they own or the insurance company goes against them. People are getting paid to keep quiet. Shannon Allen was offered $3,500 from Amazon in return for her silence, but she said no. Jeff Bezos wants us to be like robots, replaceable.

Im hoping that more people come out after my videos. There are people that arent getting the help they need. There are surely people even worse off than we are.
Maria Austria, 19151975An Amsterdam Photographer of Neorealism, October 18, 2018March 10, 2019 at Das Verborgene Museum in Berlin

Henk Jonker, Maria Austria with camera, 1946. Courtesy of the Jewish Historical Museum, Amsterdam

The work of Marie Oestreicher, known as Maria Austria (1915-1975), is a revelation. A Jewish photographer from Amsterdam with Austrian roots, she has been unjustly neglected and even forgotten in Germany. [The photographer was born Marie Oestreicher. Her surname means the Austrian in German, and she eventually adopted the professional name Maria Austria.]

Given the current political situation, it is significant that an exhibition at the Verborgene [Hidden] Museum in Berlin rescues this important artist from oblivion. Not only was she a witness to and victim of war and fascism, she also captured the social contradictions after World War II with a critical and at the same time profoundly humane outlook.

Maria Austria, German soldiers marching in Amsterdam, 1944-45. Maria Austria Instituut, Amsterdam

Her work deserves to be presented in one of Germanys and Austrias major museums, not least because she is the source of the only photographic record of the hiding place of Holocaust victim Anne Frank and her family in the famous Achterhuis (Dutch for back house) or Secret Annex, located at Prinsengracht 263 in Amsterdam. Anne took refuge in this house with her family and another Jewish family until she was denounced in 1944 and deported to Auschwitz, where she died.

Today, the house is the site of the Anne Frank Museum. Maria Austrias photos were invaluable during the restoration of the dilapidated rooms, which only took place after a lengthy campaign by Annes father, Otto Frank, the sole survivor of the family. The Dutch authorities had wanted to demolish the house.

For the first time, a selection of the approximately 200 Frank-Achterhuis photos can now be seen in Germany. Maria Austria took the photos in 1954, together with her husband Henk Jonker, in preparation for the first play and film about Anne Frank (The Diary of Anne Frank, by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett, 1955, and the 1959 film of the same title directed by George Stevens).

She meticulously captured every detail, revealing in intimate fashion the traces of life in the cramped, gloomy Frank family dwelling: the concealed door behind the file cabinet, the steep wooden spiral staircase behind that and, above all, the wall which the adolescent Anne covered with postcards and newspaper clippings. Another photo shows the ever-present danger, taken from the attic of Maria Austrias own hideout just a few houses away: German soldiers marching along the street in front of the houses.

Maria Austria, The Franks' 'Achterhuis,' the attic. Maria Austria Instituut, Amsterdam

These photographs are unequivocal and document forever the circumstances of Jewish families forced to go underground and hide from the persecution of the Nazis, writes Marion Beckers, the curator of the Verborgene Museum, in its newsletter.

Maria Austria, After the 'Hunger winter,' May 1945. Maria Austria Instituut, Amsterdam

In addition to the Frank-Achterhuis photos, the exhibition surprises with previously unknown photo documentation of key social episodes, including the Hunger winter [the Dutch famine of 1944-45, caused by a German blockade, in which tens of thousands died], the return of Jewish detainees from the Westerbork internment camp and a childrens village for Jewish Romanian orphans.

Other works feature equally unknown portraits of leading artists such as Bertolt Brecht, Thomas Mann, Benjamin Britten, Igor Stravinsky, Mstislav Rostropovich, James Baldwin and Josephine Baker. The exhibition also includes studies of postwar reconstruction, a report on the great flood disaster in 1953 and a series of vibrant theatre, dance and circus photographs, which were among Maria Austrias special passions, altogether yielding the image of an all-sided photographer and artist.

Maria Austria, The American writer James Baldwin Amsterdam, 1965. Maria Austria Instituut, Amsterdam

A German-language brochure by Martien Frijns has been published to accompany the Berlin exhibition. It is based on his Dutch-language biography of Austria, which remains to be translated. Five years ago, Frijns examined the estate left behind by the photographer in the Maria Austria Institut (MAI) in Amsterdam, and discovered numerous hitherto unknown photos, including the documentation of the Achterhuis.

In the Netherlands, where Maria Austria is well known and popular, and where some of her work has been shown at five small exhibitions, these pictures were on display for the first time this year. A major retrospective at Amsterdams Jewish Historical Museum from January to September 2018 attracted a record number of visitors.

Marie Karoline Oestreicher was born the youngest daughter of a Jewish doctors family in Bohemias Carlsbad (now Karlovy Vary), which was still part of the Austro-Hungarian empire. She graduated as a photographer from the renowned Graphische Lehr und Versuchsanstalt [Graphics Teaching and Research Institute] in Vienna with honors, gained her first practical experience at the well-known Willinger photo studio and moved in the circles of left-wing artists and theatre people around Viennas Naschmarkt district.

As official anti-Semitism spread in Austria, the photographer fled in 1937 to Amsterdam, where her older sister Lisbethwho had trained at the Bauhaus art school in Dessauwas already living and working as a textile designer. The rest of the family, her brother Felix Oestreicher, his wife Gerda Laqueur, their three daughters and Gerdas mother, fled the Nazis in 1938 and also moved to the Netherlands. In 1943 they were deported to the Westerbork concentration camp in the northeastern part of the Netherlands and from there to Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen. Only her brothers daughters survived, together with Lisbeth, who remained incarcerated in Westerbork throughout the war. After the war, the two sisters cared for their three nieces.

Following the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands in 1940, Maria Austria refused to register as a Jew, went underground and joined the resistance. Together with her future husband Henk Jonker and other Jewish photographers such as Eva Besnyo from Hungary, she helped to make false passports and carried out secret courier work. Along with Jonker, she founded the agency Particam (Partizanen Camera), which went on to include other well-known photographers of the resistance such as Aart Klein.

Interview with Martien Frijns

Why were the Frank-Achterhuis photos and the postwar reportage not shown in the Netherlands before this year, although the Austria estate was open to the public at the MAI? Previous exhibitions featured only optimistic photos of reconstruction and cultural life after the war. What does this say about the postwar recounting of history? The WSWS asked Martien Frijns to respond.

Thats a good question, Frijns replied. Immediately after her death in 1975 nobody was well acquainted with Austrias estate, but later, in 2001, with the beginning of the digitisation of the photos, one only researched what you call optimistically composed photos, and these were the ones shown. You can interpret that as typical for the times, or as a concession to the popular mood.

The MAI, which was set up as an archive for Maria Austrias photos and now also contains the estates of other Amsterdam photographers, receives little financial support, Frijns said. As her biographer, he has devoted many hours of his free time to research, uncovering the unknown photo stories that have now been shown.

Then I realized that the photographers complete works were very extensive and historically very important, Frijns stresses. I knew that the Austria photos shed light not only on Dutch, but also European postwar history.

Maria Austria did not publicly acknowledge her Jewish roots and did not even tell her three nieces about them. Like her circle of friends, she was a non-religious, assimilated Jew who worked in the resistance with left-wingers and communists.

As was the case in Germany, the crimes of the Nazis were covered up in the Netherlands during the immediate postwar years. The occupying German army had met with fierce resistance from workers and students, but the Dutch business elite, broad sections of the military and the government administration readily cooperated with the Gestapo, SS and Wehrmacht [German military]. Some 75 percent of Dutch Jews were deported to the camps, a higher percentage than in any other Western European country.

It is crystal clear that little was said about the war in the postwar years, Frijns explained. One did not talk about the horrors in Bergen-Belsen, where Austrias mother and her brother died along with his wife, or about the Westerbork camp, where Austrias sister Lisbeth survived the war.

Her aunt was not religious and never spoke about Judaism, according to Helly Oestreicher, Maria Austrias only surviving niece, writing on the online art magazine artsy.net. But with her passionate interest in culture and books, and everything that happens in the world, she remained true to her Jewish roots, said the niece. At the opening of the exhibition in Berlin, Helly Oestreicher related to WSWS her concern at the increasing influence of far-right tendencies in Germany and the Netherlands.

Maria Austrias approach to photography is defined as neorealist. Unlike the Hungarian-Jewish photographer Eva Besnyo, who was influenced by avant-garde currents in Berlin in the 1930s, Maria Austria avoided any form of artistic alienation or distortion. Her photos are vivid snapshots of the social contradictions prevailing in the postwar era. The focus is repeatedly on faces that look directly into the eyes of the contemporary viewer as if they had much to tell.

As with other neorealist artists after the war, Maria Austrias photos clearly reflect a left-wing orientation. Her work takes sides: with the workers and ordinary people who are starving and bombed out, but proudly populate the streets with bicycles a few years after the end of the war (Amsterdam, 1950)the Nazis had confiscated all bicycles in 1944and with the children in the slums, e.g. in Nijmwegen, with sores on their feet and legs due to malnutrition, but who yearn for a happy life and avidly surround some circus clowns in the streets.

Maria Austria, Nijmegen, 1954. Maria Austria Instituut, Amsterdam

In the photo series of Jewish returnees from Westerbork (1945), Maria Austria depicts the general indifference of the people of Amsterdam for those returning from the camps with all that they possess packed in suitcases. One senses her great empathy for the Jewish orphans from Romania (1948), photographed at the Ilaniah childrens village in Apeldoorn in the centre of the Netherlands. Disabled children and adolescents were incarcerated in the camp up to 1943 before deportation to Auschwitz. The approximately 500 Romanian children who lost their parents in the Holocaust were later sent to Israel.

A photo shows a group of collaborators being led away, their expensive clothing and cold faces betraying their roots in the upper stratum of society. The next set of photos depicts the asocial camp Drenthe, in which the Dutch government housed socially vulnerable families until 1950. These families were forced to carry out hard labour for the purposes of resocialisation. Despite the objectivity of the photos, Austrias indignation is evident.

Her other studiesportraits and theatre, music and dance photos taken by Maria Austria at the annual Holland Festival and as photographer for Amsterdams experimental Mickery Theatercaptivate with their combination of precision and expressiveness.

One photo shows the Russian cellist Mstislav Rostropovich during a rehearsal. Austria shows him from the perspective of his instrument, which protrudes from the bottom of the photo and merges seamlessly into the upper body and face of the musician. The vibrations of the strings and dark musical tones determine his facial features. Equally impressive is the almost black photo of the American writer and symbol of the American civil rights movement James Baldwin.

Unlike in Vienna, I no longer try to put as much as possible into a head shot, but, on the contrary, get as much out of the face as possible, Maria Austria wrote in a letter from Amsterdam in late 1937.

In 2003, Berlins small Verborgenes Museum displayed a selection of Maria Austrias work, concentrating on her postwar reconstruction photographs of the late 1950s and 60s. The museum should be praised for its latest exhibition. Many of the photos are of burning relevance under conditions where the return of war, racism and fascist violence is once again on the agenda.

Maria Austria, 19151975An Amsterdam Photographer of Neorealism , October 18, 2018March 10, 2019

Das Verbogene Museum | Schluterstr. 70, Berlin-Charlottenburg
Demands are intensifying for WikiLeaks founder and Australian citizen Julian Assange to be immediately allowed to leave the Ecuadorian embassy in London, where he sought political asylum on June 19, 2012.

Julian Assange

Assange effectively has been imprisoned inside the small building for six-and-a-half years, with the British government threatening to arrest him if he leaves, followed by the prospect of being extradited to the United States to face a show trial on concocted charges of espionage or conspiracy.

Yesterday, legal experts who comprise the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) made a scathing condemnation of the British government. Its press release, issued by the UN Human Rights Commissioner, noted that the UN Working Group had ruled three years ago that Assange was being arbitrarily deprived of his freedom and demanded that he be released.

The only charge against Assange in Britain is that he breached bail conditions when he sought asylum. He applied for asylum because the British courts upheld a warrant for his extradition to Sweden, purportedly to answer questions over suspicion that he had committed sexual misconduct.

The allegations made against Assange in late 2010 were a manufactured frame-up. They had two transparent aims. Firstly, they were intended to slander and discredit Assange, under conditions in which WikiLeaks was publishing explosive information exposing US war crimes in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the imperialist intrigues conducted by American embassies and consulates around the world. Secondly, the allegations were designed to have the courageous publisher imprisoned on false accusations, and then extradited to the US.

In December 2016, Swedish prosecutors and police finally agreed to Assanges offer to put their questions to him in the United Kingdom. In May 2017, Sweden abandoned both the arrest warrant and the suspicions without any charges ever being laid. The May government in Britain, however, refused to drop the police bail warrant and made clear that it intended to prosecute Assange if he left the embassy.

Michael Forst, the UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, endorsed WGADs press release which stated:

The Swedish investigations have been closed for over 18 months now, and the only ground remaining for Mr. Assanges continued deprivation of liberty is a bail violation in the UK, which is, objectively, a minor offense that cannot post facto justify the more than six years confinement that he has been subjected to since he sought asylum in the Embassy of Ecuador. Mr. Assange should be able to exercise his right to freedom of movement in an unhindered manner, in accordance with the human rights conventions the UK has ratified.

The statement concluded: It is time that Mr. Assange, who has already paid a high price for peacefully exercising his rights to freedom of opinion, expression and information, and to promote the right to truth in the public interest, recovers his freedom.

The day before the UN Working Group issued this demand, Assanges father John Shipton visited the persecuted publisher for over an hour. Two members of the German parliament, Sevim Dagdelen and Heike Hansel, were also permitted to meet with Assange.

The visits were among the only contact Assange has had with anyone, apart from his lawyers and embassy staff, for over eight months. The Ecuadorian government, under its current president Lenin Moreno, shifted from defending Assange to joining with the US in persecuting the publisher. In March, in collaboration with the Trump administration, the embassy cut off all Assanges communication with the outside world and denied him access to visitors in order to pressure him to leave the embassy, to be detained by Britain.

After visiting his son, Shipton told the media it was time for this torment to end. He noted: His health is declining after years of ongoing stress, no sunlight and restricted access to visitors, no telecommunication, no telephone, no friends.

Dagdelen, a member of the German Left Party, stated: No journalist should be detained for publishing the truth. Publicising war crimes isnt a crime. Nowhere in the Western world is there a journalist who has been detained like this. This is against international law. No other publisher or editor has been arbitrarily detained like this. It must be stopped. Europe must act.

Assange did not violate any bail conditions because its not illegal to go into an embassy and apply for asylum. We urgently need a solution that guarantees his health and safety.

Others recently able to visit Assange include award-winning journalist and filmmaker John Pilger, who has been at the forefront of Assanges defence since late 2010. Pilger subsequently told a Unity4J online vigil, broadcast by the Consortium News website:

Julian is a touchstone for opposition to so much of what is happening in our world right nowthe rise of fascism, the threat of nuclear war. Of all the cases that demonstrate resistance, there is none like the case of Julian Assange. He needs popular support right now.

The demands made by the UN Working Group and WikiLeaks supporters highlight the utter perfidy of the Australian government and political and media establishment, which refuses to defend an Australian citizen against US and British persecution.

Over the coming weeks, the Socialist Equality Party in Australia will campaign at workplaces, universities and in working class areas for the broadest possible support and involvement in political demonstrations in Sydney and Melbourne in March. The rallies will demand that the Australian government end its complicity in the attack on Assange and immediately intervene to demand that Britain allow him to leave the embassy and return to Australia, if he chooses to do so.

Both the current Liberal-National Coalition government and the Labor Party opposition must give Assange an unconditional guarantee that Australia will reject any application for his extradition to the US.

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[18 December 2018]
Asia

Muster roll workers in North India protest against low wages

Jaintia Hills Public Work Department (PWD) muster roll workers from the North Indian city of Shillong staged a protest hunger strike on December 17 to demand a pay rise and other basic benefits.

Around 300 members of the Jaintia Hills PWD Muster Roll Workers and Labour Union chanted slogans and held placards demanding 300-rupee ($US4.2) daily wage for untrained casual workers. Muster roll workers maintained labour attendance records at work sites.

The workers also called for establishment of a workers welfare board, retirement at 60 years, a family pension and the introduction of proper casual and maternity leave schemes. The protest ended later that evening after discussions with the union, which decided to suspend the strike after speaking with the Meghalaya state deputy chief minister. No details have been about the outcome of the meeting.

India Western Railway Mazdoor Sangh members in Ahmedabad hold sit-down protest

Members of the Western Railway Mazdoor Sangh (WRMS) union held a sit-down protest at a railway divisional office on December 14 over various outstanding demands, including a higher minimum wagefrom 18,000 rupees ($254) to 21,000 rupeesand 100-kilometre payment allowance to be increased. It is currently 648 rupees per 100 kilometres and has not been raised since January 1, 2017.

The WRMS want the 130,000 vacancies in the safety category filled as soon as possible, running staff to be paid a 10,000-rupee dress allowance in line with other job categories, and guards to be re-designated as train managers. Other demands include pay rises for loco inspectors, as well as mail and express guards and loco pilots.

Land record officers walkout in the Indian state of Punjab

A two-day strike by land record officers or patwaries stopped revenue work at local government offices in Jalandhar, Bathinda and other cities in Punjab on December 13 and 14.

Local president of the Punjab Patwar Union told the media that the government had been ignoring workers calls for improved promotions and other demands. The workers said they need basic amenities in local work places and for government authorities to stop harassing and victimising employees.

Bangladesh garment workers protests continue

Hundreds of garment workers from factories in Savar, Ashulia and Gazipur are continuing industrial action and protests against a discriminatory new wage structure. The strike began on December 9 and also includes workers from Narayanganj.

Fearing that the industrial action would spread, employers have stopped production at about 50 factories. Police have also brutally attacked demonstrating workers, leaving at least 25 people injured.

The garment workers claim that basic wages have been reduced in some grades under a new wage revision approved in September and introduced this month. They had previously called for the basic monthly wage to be increased to 16,000 taka. Under the new pay deal it is just 8,000 taka ($96).

The Bangladesh minister for labour claims has cynically declared that any contradictions in the pay agreement would be removed after the national elections on December 30. The media is reporting that the countrys so-called Crisis Management Core Committee, a tri-partite body consisting of government, factory owners and union officials, is discussing workers demands.

Pakistan: Lahore engineers demand allowances and better salaries

Large number of engineers working for government departments across Punjab province demonstrated in Lahore on Wednesday to demand a technical allowance and a pay grade upgrade. The day-long protest blocked The Mall, Lahores main thoroughfare. Organised by the Pakistan Association of Government Engineers, the protest included workers from the Water and Sanitation Agency, Water and Power Development Authority, the Irrigation, Public Health and other key departments.

Demonstrating engineers denounced the government for negligence and the told the media that the government had ignored their demands. The association warned that the protests will continue until engineers demands are granted.

Australian and the Pacific

Australia: Brisbane ferry drivers strike again

Around 130 workers who operate ferry services in Brisbane, the capital of Queensland, walked off the job for 12 hours on Thursday morning. The action followed a 48-hour strike earlier this month demanding higher pay and greater job security in a proposed enterprise agreement.

The Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) has been in negotiations for nearly a year with Transdev, a private transport company contracted by the city council to operate commuter ferry services on the Brisbane River.

Many workers are reportedly paid below the award rate and have no job security because they are employed on casual contracts. Transdev made a pay offer but demanded workers accept a change in start times from 6.30am to 6.31am so they didnt receive the early morning allowance. The union has not indicated what its demands are. The dispute was scheduled to be mediated in the Fair Work Commission on Thursday, December 20.

New Zealand: Pay deal ends Ministry of Justice strikes

The Public Service Association (PSA) reported on Thursday that around 2,000 Ministry of Justice workers had ratified a new collective agreement, bringing an end to three months of sporadic partial strikes and work-to-rule actions at court houses across New Zealand.

During negotiations, the PSA had initially demanded a 13 percent pay rise across two years. It then revised this down to 11 percent in November. The final agreement offers workers only 4 percent in the first year and six percent over the following years. This is little more than the offer of 5 percent across two years that workers had already rejected.

The union promoted a limited and drawn-out campaign of short, low impact strikes before pushing through the sell-out. A union representative stated that they only took actions that disrupted the courts as a last resort.
Malaysian authorities on Monday filed criminal charges against the giant US investment bank, Goldman Sachs, over its involvement in the scandal surrounding the 1Malaysia Development Berhad, or 1MDB investment fund. Goldman Sachs received a massive $US600 million in feesfar higher than usualfor raising $6.5 billion in bonds and allegedly turning a blind eye to the corrupt use of the money.

Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng said that Malaysia would be seeking $7.5 billion in reparations as the proceeds from the sale of three bonds in 2012 and 2013 were not used for national development but was siphoned out. Another $1 billion in damages would be sought to cover the fees and bond coupons that were issued higher than the market rate.

The 1MDB scandal was a significant factor in the defeat at the national election in May of the government led by the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO). UMNO dominated coalitions have held power continuously since the end of British colonial rule in 1957 through its control of the countrys media and police-state apparatus.

Former Prime Minister Najib Razak has pleaded not guilty after being arrested in July on corruption charges of siphoning off money from the 1MDB fund. He claims that the more than $700 million that passed through his personal account was a donation from the Saudi royal family. US prosecutors claim the money came from 1MDB which Najib headed.

Malaysian Attorney-General Tommy Thomas said on Monday that he was filing charges against subsidiaries of Goldman Sachs and two of its former bankers, Tim Leissner and Roger Ng Chong Hwa. Leissner and Ng are accused of bribing Malaysian officials to secure Goldmans involvement in the lucrative 1MDB bond auction. Two othersMalaysian businessman Low Taek Jho, also known as Jho Low, and the funds former counsel, Jasmine Loo Ai Swan, were also charged.

US authorities have also brought charges against Leissner, Ng, Low and others involved in the 1MDB scandal. Leissner, who headed Goldmans operations in South East Asia, has pleaded guilty to money laundering and bribery. Ng was arrested in Malaysia in early November. Low is on the run. US prosecutors claim that up to $4.5 billion was siphoned out of the fund by the various people involved.

Responding to the Malaysian charges, Goldman Sachs denied any wrongdoing and insisted that it would vigorously defend itself. However, the scandal has provided a glimpse into the operations of the investment back, which, as US prosecutors commented, was highly focused on consummating deals, at times prioritizing this goal ahead of the proper operation of its compliance functions.

At his hearing in the US, Leissner confirmed that he attempted to hide his activities from the banks legal department, which, he said, was very much in the culture of Goldman Sachs. In other words, the company, which was intimately involved in the shady operations that fueled the global financial crisis in 200809, put profit ahead of all else.

A statement issued by a Sydney law firm on Tuesday on behalf of Jho Low declared that their client would not hand himself over to any jurisdiction where guilt has been predetermined by politics and there is no independent legal process. It added that Low could not get a fair trial in Malaysia, where the regime has proven numerous times that they have no interest in the rule of law.

While prompted by self-interest, the comments also point to the political nature of the 1MDB scandal, which was exploited to oust Najib and the UMNO regime. The real concern in Washingtons eyes was not so much the illicit use of funds, but the close ties between the Najib government and China. Malaysia had signed up to more than $22 billion in contracts as part of Beijings huge Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) infrastructure plans to consolidate Chinas strategic position by linking up Eurasia.

The new government headed by Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has promptly axed the projects, which he lambasted during the election campaign as being unequal treaties. While he has kept his distance from Washington, Mahathir has taken a markedly anti-Chinese stance. During a trip to Beijing in August, the prime minister declared that Malaysia did not want a new version of colonialism happening because poor countries are unable to compete with rich countries.

Mahathir is no stranger to the crony capitalism that has dominated Malaysia for decades. He served as prime minister for more than 20 years between 1981 and 2003. During the 199798 Asian Financial Crisis, he ousted his finance minister and deputy, Anwar Ibrahim, after the latter embraced the IMFs demands to open up the Malaysian economy to global finance. The measures threatened to bankrupt ethnic Malay businesses closely aligned to UMNO and Mahathir.

When Anwar launched a campaign against government corruption, Mahathir had him arrested and convicted on trump-up charges of corruption and sodomy. In a bizarre political twist, Mahathir, who quit UMNO to wage a campaign against Najib over the 1MDB scandal, formed an alliance with the opposition coalition headed by Anwar to contest this years election. This unstable alliance is now in power.

The 1MDB revelations could prove to be a disaster for Goldman Sachs and exposes the unscrupulous practices of American investment banks and finance houses. However, from the broader interests of US imperialism, the scandal, which the Wall Street Journal had a major hand in divulging and sensationalising, has served to undermine Chinas position in a key South East Asia country.

The removal of Najib is part and parcel of a far broader US strategy, begun under President Obama and intensified by President Trump, to weaken Chinas influence throughout the Indo-Pacific and internationally. This diplomatic offensive is linked to trade war measures and a US military build-up aimed at preventing China from challenging US global dominance.
Despite raise the rates protests in the foyer, the Labor Partys national conference in Adelaide this week rejected calls for a Labor government to immediately increase the sub-poverty levels of the unemployment payments, Newstart and Youth Allowance.

More than anything else, this unanimous stand against the poorest members of the working class exposed the utter fraud of the fair go for Australia logo that dominated the conference stage, foreshadowing the partys campaign pitch for the looming federal election.

Despite the endless claims at the conference about fighting inequality and low-wage exploitation of workers, the decision means that the allowances will remain at levels deliberately kept low in order to coerce unemployed workers into taking jobs on substandard wages and conditions.

In the lead-up to the conference, the Australian Council of Social Services (ACOSS) and a coalition of non-government organisations campaigned for an immediate rise in the rates, which have effectively remained frozen in real terms for a quarter century since the Keating Labor government of the 1990s.

Media reports forecast a passionate debate on the floor of the conference, with Left faction members committed to moving a resolution to back the demand. In his opening address to the conference, however, Labor leader Bill Shorten made plain that no such resolution would be accepted. He said the partys policy would remain to merely promise an unspecified review of the issue, indicating that the partys factional heavyweights would ensure that outcome.

Shadow treasurer Chris Bowen soon reinforced Shortens words at a press conference where he responded to the Liberal-National Coalition governments just-released Mid-Year Economic Outlook (MYEFO).

The World Socialist Web Site asked Bowen whether his frequent references to Labor taking difficult decisions to deliver bigger budget surpluses than the government meant keeping Newstart and other welfare payments at sub-poverty levels, deliberately imposing suffering on the unemployed. Bowen twice refused to answer the question, except to confirm that the partys decision to review the rate had been announced already.

As with all the issues presented during the conference, the decision had been made behind closed doors in order to present a unified and disciplined party to the Australian and international ruling elite, ready for government and capable of presiding over economic and political turmoil.

Newstart is among the lowest unemployment allowances in the OECD. The cost of living has drastically increased since the 1990s, making it impossible to live on the allowances and cover the costs of rent, electricity, food, transport, a phone, clothing and other essentials.

According to the limited, semi-official Henderson Poverty Index, the poverty line as of June 2018 was $517 per week for a single adult. The Newstart base rate is little over half that$275.10 per week, or less than $40 a day.

Youth Allowance ratesfor unemployed youth under 18 living away from their parents home for study, training or job searchingare even lower, on $222.90 per week.

About 900,000 people are trying to survive on Newstart, Youth Allowance and other related benefits. Compounding the social crisis is the lack of job opportunities. For every job vacancy there are eight people looking for work.

Further exposing the fraud of Labors fairness slogan was the Left factions shameless endorsement of the consensus decision to reject the raise the rates demands during the debate on the conference floor.

The Left factions Darcy Byrne had declared before the conference that simply reviewing the Newstart rate was not good enough. He said he would be moving a resolution to commit a Labor government to substantially raise it during its first term in office.

When he spoke at the conference, he lamely announced that the increase was not supported by the party leadership due to its expense but his faction had won a commitment for a Labor government to urgently review the rate within 18 months of taking office. He provided no details of this review.

The amended resolution was seconded by another left, Rose Jackson, the partys assistant general secretary in the state of New South Wales. For all her confected fiery rhetoric about inequality and appeals for the party to be bold, she sought to justify the agreed resolution by claiming that a review would be useful because it would demonstrate that the current rates are inadequate.

These comments fly in the face of the obvious inadequacy of the payments, and the strong public support for raising the rates. A poll commissioned by ACOSS in June found that over two-thirds (68 percent) of Australians supported an increase in Newstart payments. Furthermore, 92 percent agreed that no one in Australia should go without basic essentials like food, healthcare, transport and power.

The real issue is not the cost of raising the rates. A Deloitte Access Economics study released in September estimated the annual cost of raising the Newstart levels by $75 a fortnight would be $3.3 billion. This is dwarfed by the estimated $11.6 billion cut from social security spending over the past four years, let alone the massive increases in military spending. With bipartisan Labor-Coalition support, the federal government is currently spending more than $17 billion on buying 72 F35 war planes from the US.

The reality is that the allowance rates are kept low in order to drive desperate workers and young people into super-exploitative, insecure work. Shorten himself spelt out that fact in 2013, when he championed the Gillard Labor governments refusal to raise the rates.

In a letter to a Greens senator, Shortenthen the Labor governments employment ministerdeclared that lifting Newstart payments would have unintended and undesirable consequences, because the unemployed might no longer have an incentive to work.

Notably, the primary reasons cited by the Labor Lefts for addressing the issue had nothing whatever to do with the fundamental social right of all workers to a decent, liveable, income or social safety net.

Instead, they cited the concerns voiced by sections of big business that the low rates were restricting economic growth. The Business Council of Australia, representing the largest corporations operating in Australia, noted as far back in 2012 that Newstart levels may now be so low as to represent a barrier to employment.

On the first day of the Labor Party conference, raise the rate protesters handed delegates leaflets pamphlets asking: Can you give us some decent policies to vote fornot just the lesser of 2 evils?

This campaign sought to channel widespread working-class disgust back into illusions that a Labor government could be pressured into a less cruel policy. But these pleas fell on deaf ears.

As with its sister social democratic parties around the world, the Labor Party has long been in the forefront of the assault on basic rights and social conditions, dedicated to serving the profit requirements of the financial markets.

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Thursdays resignation of US Defense Secretary James Mattis has provoked a reaction of panic and near hysteria from leading members of both major political parties, the media and former top military and intelligence officials.

Mattis, a former four-star Marine Corps general, made his resignation announcement in a letter that represented an open rebuke of President Donald Trumps policies, essentially accusing him of failing to support the US alliances established by Washington in the post-World War II era or sufficiently counter malign actors and strategic competitors, i.e., China and Russia.

Before making the letter public, Mattis reportedly had 50 copies printed and distributed to top brass within the Pentagon.

The immediate trigger for the resignation was Trumps order, made public Wednesday, to withdraw all 2,000-plus US troops from Syria and his reported decision to draw down at least halfapproximately 7,000 soldiersof the US forces still waging a more than 17-year-long war in Afghanistan.

Trump had campaigned in 2016 on his America First program, calling for an end to the protracted US wars in the Middle East and Central Asia. This rhetoric played a substantial role in winning the billionaire real estate speculator popular support against his presidential rival, Democrat Hillary Clinton, the favored candidate of Wall Street and the CIA, whose career was bound up with past US wars and advanced preparations for an escalation of the Syria intervention as well as a direct confrontation with Russia.

Trumps decision to act on these campaign pledges now are bound up with the deepening crisis of his presidency, which is besieged by multiple scandals and investigations that are themselves driven by the bitter conflicts within the American ruling class, particularly over foreign policy.

If Trump has played this card, it is because he knows that bringing troops home from the Middle East and Central Asia will enjoy broad support, well beyond the far-right base he has attempted to cultivate with anti-immigrant chauvinism and his incessant demands for a wall along the US-Mexico border.

Within the US working population there is deep hostility to the never-ending wars waged by US imperialism for more than a quarter-century. Justified in the name of defending against weapons of mass destruction, waging a global war on terror and upholding human rights these wars have killed well over one million people, demolished entire societies and cost trillions of dollars.

What does Washington have to show for it? After 17 years of fighting in Afghanistan, the Taliban controls more territory than at any time since 2001, and the US has been forced to pursue talks with Taliban representatives in the UAE, including on the withdrawal of US and other foreign troops from the country.

Iraq remains crisis-ridden and deeply divided along sectarian lines as a result of the US war launched in 2003 to topple Saddam Hussein. Libya, where the US-NATO war for regime-change ended in the murder of Muammar Gaddafi, is in shambles, racked by continuous fighting between rival militias. And in Syria, the attempt of the US and its allies to overthrow Bashar al-Assad by arming and funding Al Qaeda-linked militias has failed, while claiming the lives of hundreds of thousands and creating millions of refugees.

Gen. Mattis, who earned the nickname Mad Dog for leading the bloody US campaign to retake the Iraqi city of Fallujah in 2004 and boasted to his troops during his command of US forces in Afghanistan that it's a hell of a lot of fun to shoot Afghans, is now being hailed as an American hero, a rock of stability and sanity whose departure has set the ship of state adrift.

The Washington Post published an editorial Friday titled With Mattis leaving, be afraid. It noted that the defense secretarys departure followed a pair of precipitous and reckless decisions by President Trump: the removal of all US forces from Syria and a 50 percent force reduction in Afghanistan, and added that Mr. Trump appears unhinged and heedless of the damage he might do to vital interests.

Similarly, the New York Times editorial carried the scare headline: Jim Mattis was right: Who will protect America now? It condemned Trump for having overruled Mattis and other national security advisors by ordering the rapid withdrawal of all 2,000 American ground troops from Syria.

Democratic Party leaders virtually wept over Mattis resignation and voiced virulent opposition to any end to the US wars in the Middle East and Central Asia.

Members of past Democratic administrations were even more vociferous in their support for Mattis and opposition to Trumps troop withdrawals. Former CIA director, defense secretary and White House chief of staff Leon Panetta was quoted in the Washington Post as saying, We're in a constant state of chaos right now in this country. While it may satisfy Trump's need for attention, it's raising hell with the country.

Victoria Nuland, an assistant secretary of state during the Obama administration, infamous for her intervention in Ukraine to promote a fascist-led anti-Russian coup, declared: With his decision to withdraw all US forces from Syria, President Donald Trump hands a huge New Years gift to President Bashar Assad, the Islamic State, the Kremlin and Tehran.

For whom do these Democrats and ex-state officials speak? Certainly not for the American people, who are overwhelmingly opposed to the ongoing US wars.

None of them make any reference to the criminal character of these military interventions. In Syria, where they claim US troops are a stabilizing force, the illegal interventionlaunched without congressional approval, UN sanction or the permission of the Syrian governmenthas destroyed entire cities and exacerbated sectarian tensions.

Its purpose is not to defeat ISIS, but rather to carve out a US protectorate consisting of one third of Syrias territory and, most importantly, the countrys oil and natural gas fields. Unable to overthrow the Assad government, the US has continued bleeding Syria white while confronting Russian and Iranian-backed forces that have supported the Damascus government.

The Democrats and the media are openly appealing to the military and the intelligence agencies to act against Trump. NBC news Friday stated that US military commanders were outraged by Trumps decisions, while the Washington Post quoted an unnamed former senior administration official who stated, Theres going to be an intervention. Jim Mattis just sent a shot across the bow. This is the language of military coups.

Anyone who believes that Trumps decisions regarding Syria and Afghanistan signal a new era of peace in the Middle East or anywhere else on the planet is in for rude shocks.

First of all, the depth of US imperialisms commitment to its control of the Middle East and Eurasia  a policy which it has pursued relentlessly for decades  is far too great to be reversed by presidential fiat.

Senator Mark Warner, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, tweeted, as we've seen with the President's haphazard approach to Syria, our national defense is too important to be subjected to the President's erratic whims.

Moreover, Trump  reacting to the multiple pressures acting upon him  shifts policies and tactics from day to day. What he declares today can be repudiated tomorrow.

But to the extent that there is a discernable and persistent theme in Trumps foreign policy, it is the reassertion of the traditional America First orientation of segments of the American ruling class who believe that the main priority of US foreign policy must be the domination of the Asia Pacific region, which is considered essential to the preservation of its hegemonic position. Second, it views the network of alliances  especially those which bind the United States to Europe  as imposing unacceptable restraints on American policies and, it must be added, its financial and commercial interests.

Trump approaches US foreign policy on an entirely transactional basis. He sees the military interventions in Syria and Afghanistan as ineffective from a cost-benefit standpoint. But he is fully prepared to employ the US war machine in prosecuting his trade war policies against China, with the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait the most likely arenas for the eruption of a major new war.

That Trump and his fascistic anti-immigrant advisor Stephen Millerwho appeared on CNN cynically denouncing US wars involving generation after generation, spilling American bloodare able to posture as antiwar to win support for their reactionary, anti-working class agenda is thanks to the absence of a mass antiwar movement.

That such a movement does not exist is due in no small measure to the role played by the various pseudo-left organizations, from the Democratic Socialists of America to the International Socialist Organization, Socialist Alternative and others, which have supported US militarism, particularly in Syria. These groups have promoted CIA-backed Islamist militias as spearheading a democratic revolution, while invoking human rights and opposing Russian imperialism.

The resignation of Mattis leaves these elements high and dry. Reflecting the social interests of a privileged layer of the upper-middle class, whose rising incomes have been tied to the stock market and the fortunes of US imperialism, they will inevitably step up their defense of US wars, invoking the fate of the Kurds and other pretexts.

In a sign of what is to come, Mia Farrow, the godmother of the rightwing #MeToo movement, tweeted out: As Trump pulls troops out of Syria, we must acknowledge the enormity of the worlds failure to halt a humanitarian catastrophe. US exit benefits Russia, ISISstill activeIran & Assad. She added, General Mattis was our last source of comfort that there was one ethical person in the Trump administration.

The pseudo-left has no political independence whatsoever from the ruling class. Seeking to influence the Democratic Party, it inevitably lines up behind imperialist war.

The Socialist Equality Party totally opposes all the factions of the American ruling class in this bitter factional struggle over foreign and domestic policy. The Democratic and Republican parties are fighting over which path to take toward the same destination: dictatorship and war. The working class must chart its own course in the face of the deep divisions and crisis gripping the capitalist ruling class.

As the Socialist Equality Party has repeatedly insisted, the response to the conflicts within the ruling class must be the development and expansion of the class struggle, based on an uncompromising, anti-war, anti-capitalist, and international socialist perspective.
In an attack on the US working population, most directly targeting the federal workforce, the Trump White House and Congress triggered a partial shutdown of the government at 12:01 AM Saturday. On the eve of the Christmas and New Year holidays, some 800,000 of the nations 2.1 million federal employees have been hit by the failure to fund a quarter of federal departments and agencies past a midnight Friday deadline.

Of these, an estimated 380,000 are indefinitely furloughed, i.e., put on unpaid leave, and another 420,000 workers deemed essential personnel are required to work without being paid. It is unknown at this time how long the shutdownthe third just in 2018will last, but President Trump in an early morning tweet and a bill signing event later on Friday said it would continue for a very long time.

There was a three-day shutdown in January of this year, followed by a one-day shutdown in February. There have been 20 federal shutdowns over the past four decades, the longest extending for three weeks in the winter of 199596.

The main author of the current closure of federal services is Trump. Last week he insisted that he would shut down the government unless Congress allocated $5 billion for his wall along the US-Mexico border as part of any bill to keep the affected government departments and agencies funded.

Earlier this week, he appeared to reverse himself and signal his willingness to accept a potential deal being worked out between congressional Republicans and Democrats to temporarily extend funding without the wall money. In line with this, the Senate, by a voice vote Wednesday night, approved a bipartisan continuing resolution that would have kept the agencies open until February 8, following next months installment of the new Congress, with a Democratic majority in the House of Representatives.

Trump then came under concentrated attack from far-right personalities on Fox News and outlets such as Breitbart News, as well as the extreme-right Freedom Caucus in the House. On Thursday morning, he told congressional Republicans that he would refuse to sign a bill based on the Senate measure and would veto any bill that did not allocate $5 billion for the wall. He accompanied this with a new round of fascistic denunciations of immigrants as murderers, drug pushers and rapists.

This was part of a calculated move to counter mounting political and legal threats associated with the anti-Russia special counsel investigation by appealing for popular support outside of the normal two-party channels, including among racist anti-immigrant elements of his base. To this end, the White House sent its fascist adviser Stephen Miller to defend Trumps ultimatum on the wall on CNN and other news channels.

At the same time, Trump sought to tap into broad anti-war sentiment by ordering the withdrawal of US troops from Syria and cutting in half the troop level in Afghanistan.

The House Republican leadership dropped its plans to push through a continuing resolution along the lines of the Senate bill and instead passed a funding extension that added $5.7 billion for the wall and $8 billion in disaster relief spending. This was adopted Thursday night on a near-party line vote of 217 to 185, with all Democrats voting against and eight Republicans joining them. This set the course for a shutdown.

On Friday, the Republican Senate leadership suspended voting on the House bill with the wall funding in order to continue negotiations with the Democrats on a possible resolution. However, the House adjourned at 7 PM, agreeing to reassemble at noon Saturday, thereby foreclosing any possibility of legislation being approved before midnight to avert a shutdown. The Senate adjourned soon thereafter.

The Democrats are complicit in the shutdown. They have aided Trumps anti-immigrant witch hunt with their silence on his mass incarceration of children, his deployment of troops to the border and his illegal evisceration of the right to asylum. Last January, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer agreed to give Trump $25 billion to build the wall in return for protections against deportation for hundreds of thousands of immigrants who were brought into the country without documents when they were childrenthe so-called dreamers covered by the Obama administrations DACA program. However, Trump eventually rejected the deal.

Since winning control of the House in last months midterm elections, the Democrats have repeatedly declared their readiness to work with Trump, even as they escalated the reactionary anti-Russia campaign, including their attack on Trump for his alleged softness toward Moscow. They agreed to give the White House an additional $1.6 billion to further militarize the border in the Senate bill that was rejected by Trump.

Neither the Democrats nor the federal employee unions, such as the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), have made any attempt to mobilize opposition in the working class either to the attacks on immigrants or to the government shutdown. The home page of the AFGE website does not even feature the lockout of hundreds of thousands of federal workers and requirement that hundreds of thousands more work without pay.

Nine of the 15 cabinet-level departments and dozens of agencies are impacted by the shutdown. The affected departments include Homeland Security, Transportation, Commerce, State, Agriculture, Justice, Interior, Treasury and Housing and Urban Development. Impacted agencies include the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Peace Corps, the Small Business Administration, the General Services Administration, the National Archives and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

Other departments, including Defense, Veterans Affairs, and Health and Human Services have already been funded for the next year and will be spared.

The shutdown will not affect the repressive operations of Immigration and Customs Enforcement or the Border Patrol, the vast majority of whose personnel will work without pay for the duration. The same applies to federal law enforcement personnel in the Justice Department.

However, the National Park Service will be decimated, with more than 80 percent of its employees on furlough, resulting in the partial or total closure of national parks and federal monuments. The Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC will be hit, potentially forcing the shutdown of its museums.

Ninety-five percent of Housing and Urban Development workers are being furloughed, as well as 95 percent at the EPA, 96 percent at NASA, 80 percent at the Forest Service, 87 percent at Commerce, 83 percent at Treasury and 76 percent at Interior.

After previous shutdowns, new funding bills included provisions for back pay for federal employees who were furloughed, but there is no guarantee of that happening in the current instance.
The Trump Administration announced Thursday that it will impose tougher work requirements on adults seeking food assistance. The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) unveiled the proposed rule, which will strip food stamp benefits from hundreds of thousands of poor workers. The proposal came on the same day that a five-year farm bill, from which a similar work requirement rule had been removed, headed to the presidents desk for his signature.

The administrations overhaul is a response to compromises made by House Republicans in the final version of the farm bill. Trump, along with Republicans in Congress, had pushed for the bill to mandate stricter work requirements or tightened eligibility criteria for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), more commonly known as food stamps. Failing to obtain this through legislation, Trump is seeking to achieve the same ends by means of administrative action.

The proposed rule will make it harder for states to issue waivers for people who say they cannot feed themselves under current SNAP work requirements. The program already requires able-bodied adults without dependents to have jobs. Assistance is granted only for three months every three years unless a recipient is working or attends a training program 20 hours a week. However, states can waive the work requirement in areas with at least 10 percent unemployment or if there is an insufficient number of available jobs.

The new rule inhibits the ability of states to receive these waivers by narrowing the definition of an area with insufficient jobs, limiting states capacity to bank waivers for future years, and limiting waivers to only one year instead of up to two.

In 2016, 3.8 million people fell into the category that could receive waivers. About 2.8 million in this category were not working.

According to the Center on Budget & Policy Priorities, an estimated 755,000 individuals aged 18 to 49 will lose SNAP benefits over the next three years if the USDA rule is implemented. The liberal think tank says the proposal will cut the number of areas with waivers by three-quarters. One-third of Americans live in areas where work requirements are waived.

The USDA rule will limit carry-over exemptions. Currently, states can exempt up to 15 percent of their caseload from SNAP time limits. This is often used to extend the eligibility of recipients who cannot find work. States do not have to use all of their exemptions in one year, but are instead allowed to accumulate them indefinitely. The proposal would limit the carry-over allowance to one year.

The proposal also raises the minimum unemployment rate required for waivers to a strict 7 percent. Current rules allow states to distribute waivers in areas with unemployment as low as 4 percent, as long as they can demonstrate an insufficient number of jobs. Conservatives and the Trump administration argued that SNAP was never meant to supply long-term assistance and Americans should be able to find a job in the booming economy.

According to the most recent government statistics, approximately 43 million Americans currently receive SNAP benefits. To qualify for food stamps, a household must have a net income below 130 percent of the poverty line, or about $26,000 a year for a family of three. On average, individuals with SNAP benefits receive an average benefit of $123 a month, compared with $245 for families. The minimal assistance that is granted often does not cover a full months worth of food.

Nutrition advocacy groups say work requirements increase food insecurity. They argue that food, health insurance and housing are all keys to helping people get a job and stay employed. One Ohio survey found that many SNAP recipients have unidentified injuries, such as chronic pain, that prevent them from working. Factors such as language barriers, education and lack of transportation also prevent people from working.

Furthermore, a significant proportion of available jobs are volatile part-time minimum-wage jobs. Approximately 95 percent of jobs created since the 2008 financial crisis fall into this category. The notion that the 3.7 unemployment rate is indicative of a recovery for working people is false. But this idea is being used to strip workers of necessary assistance.

In a statement, Robert Greenstein, the president of the Center on Budget & Policy Priorities, called the USDA proposal draconian and said it would cut off basic food assistance for hundreds of thousands of the nations poorest and most destitute people.

He added: Those hit the hardest would be those with the greatest difficulties in the labor market, including adults with no more than a high school educationwhose unemployment rate is much higher than the overall unemployment rateand people living in rural areas where jobs are often harder to find.

A decent Feeding America report found that 40 million people, including 12 million children, face poverty and hunger in the US. Furthermore, 58 percent of food-insecure households participated in at least one of the major federal food assistance programs (SNAP, National School Lunch Program, WIC). The proposed USDA rule will only make it harder for poor people to purchase food, leading to increased food insecurity in the United States.
Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena finally appointed a new 28-member cabinet on Thursday, three days after Mondays previously scheduled deadline.

The ministers were selected from the ruling United National Front (UNF) headed by Ranil Wickremesinghe, whom Sirisena reluctantly swore in as prime minister on Sunday. Sirisena had previously sacked Wickremesinghe on October 26, declaring that his government was mired in corruption and had destroyed the good governance concept.

Sirisenas delay in appointing a new cabinet indicates that bitter factional infighting continues within Colombos political elite and points to the ongoing instability of capitalist rule within the island nation.

After sacking Wickremesinghe in October, Sirisena appointed former President Mahinda Rajapakse as prime minister and swore in a new cabinet. Sirisenas political coup failed, however. Rajapakse was unable to win majority support in the parliament and the Supreme Court ruled that the presidents dissolution of the parliament was unconstitutional.

The US and its allies also made clear they would not allow Rajapakse to form a government because of his political orientation toward China. Washington will not tolerate any disruption to its anti-China agenda in the region. It placed intense pressure on Sirisena to reappoint Wickremesinghe as prime minister.

Sirisena swore in 28 ministers on Thursday, rejecting two of the 30 names submitted by Wickremesinghe. Under the constitution, the president is the commander-in-chief of the three armed forces as well as defence minister. Sirisena, however, has also appointed himself law and order minister, a position he assumed after sacking Wickremesinghe as prime minister. This decision is another indication that he wants to concentrate the most important state powers in his own hands.

According to media reports, Sirisena reluctantly handed over the media ministry to the UNF, but only after it agreed to allow his political supporters to be placed in control of key media institutions. Wickremesinghe told the media he planned future discussions with Sirisena over the ministerial appointments.

Wickremesinghe, who is acutely aware of the political and economic crisis confronting Sri Lankan capitalism, is attempting to consolidate his power. His government has the largest number of MPs in the parliament, but is 10 short of a simple majority, and depends on the support of 14 Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MPs.

The United National Party (UNP)-led UNF includes the Sinhala chauvinist Jathika Hela Urumaya, the All Ceylon Muslim Congress and the plantation-based Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA). The National Union of Workers, Democratic Peoples Front and Up-country Peoples Front are members of the TPA. Many of its leaders were given cabinet, state or deputy ministerial positions to try to keep the unstable coalition glued together.

Yesterday a UNP working committee endorsed calls by Wickremesinghe for the UNF alliance to include other formations and be renamed the National Democratic Front (NDF). Wickremesinghe told a rally on Monday that the NDF is needed to promote and protect democracy. I ask everyone here, and the public at large, to give us a two-thirds majority at the next general election.

As the historical record demonstrates, the only thing that Wickremesinghe and his UNP defendjust like Rajapakse, Sirisena and their political partiesis the capitalist profit system, at the expense of the working class and the poor.

When parliament resumed on Monday, Speaker Karu Jayasuriya declared he had decided to appoint Rajapakse as parliamentary opposition leader. No explanation was provided as to why he removed the incumbent, TNA chief R. Sampanthan, as opposition leader.

Leading MPs from the UNP and TNA opposed Rajapakses appointment and pointed out that the former Sri Lankan president and his supporters were members of Sri Lanka Podujana Peramunam but had originally been elected to parliament as members of the United Peoples Freedom Alliance. According to the 19th amendment to the constitution, any MP who changes party allegiance loses his or her seat. Factional acrimony will continue on this issue until Speaker Jayasuriya issues a ruling.

Irrespective of the immediate outcome of the factional manoeuvres in parliament, the key factors that produced the bitter infighting over the past two months remain. The government is highly unstable, the economic crisis is deepening and opposition is mounting from workers and youth over wages, jobs and austerity measures.

Plantation unions this month shut down indefinite strike action by hundreds of thousands of estate workers demanding a 100 percent wage increase. Fearful that the industrial action would escalate out of its control, Ceylon Workers Congress officials falsely claimed that Sirisena had promised to settle workers demands and ended the strike. The pledge was completely bogus.

Government railway workers are also calling for strike action over their long outstanding pay demands. Like the plantation union bosses, railway union officials sent their members back to work, claiming Sirisena would resolve their claims.

Yesterday, Wickremesinghes government passed a Vote of Account resolution, giving itself four months to present a full budget. Reappointed finance minister, Mangala Samaraweera, declared that the budget would provide economic concessions for the people.

These promises will come to nothing because the government will have to implement the International Monetary Funds austerity demands. Amid Colombos factional war, the IMF withheld the final $US500 million instalment of its latest $1.5 billion loan until political uncertainty ended.

A Sunday Times economic columnist warned last week that postponement or even cancellation of this IMF loan would not only have an adverse impact on the external reserves and debt repayment capacity. It would undermine Sri Lankas credibility in international financial markets and among investors. The author pointed out that the government has to pay $1 billion in loan repayments next month and another $500 million by April.

While welcoming the new cabinet, Ruwan Edirisinghe, president of the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Sri Lanka, bluntly declared that the big business lobby group was not bothered about which government was in power. What we want from the government of the day is to ensure that they take responsibility for the economic development of the countrythat is, that corporate profits continue to climb.

Rajapakse told parliament yesterday that the government had to take a look at the peoples side [and] reduce the price of goods. We need to make this change. People are facing a lot of hardship. If we had not come back then, the country would have had to face a similar situation experienced in France and Greece.

Rajapakses speech amounted to empty posturing. While in power until 2015 he used the communal war against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam to justify imposing the dictates of national and international finance capital.

His advice to the government is another indication of the sensitivity of the entire capitalist class to the mounting anger among workers and the poor over the ongoing attacks on social and living conditions. Far from defending democracy, the ruling class as a whole is turning toward dictatorial forms of rule to suppress the inevitable eruption of mass struggles.
Unifor President Jerry Dias and local union officials from General Motors Oshawa, Ontario assembly plant met in Detroit with representatives of GMs top brass Thursday to discuss the impending closure of the Canadian facility. A GM restructuring plan, announced last month, calls for the elimination of all 2,500 jobs at the Oshawa plant and another 12,200 production and white-collar jobs in the United States.

At a press conference Thursday afternoon, Dias said the union presented the automaker with options for the Oshawa complex, which for decades was GMs flagship manufacturing facility in Canada and as recently as the late 1980s employed more than 20,000 workers.

The meeting with senior GM executives came on the heels of Unifor placing four full-page ads in the Detroit Free Press and Detroit News, and purchasing prime-time television and radio commercials in Canada so as to foment anti-Mexican chauvinism. The ads, which included imprints of the US and Canadian flags, demanded auto jobs be slashed in Mexico in order to maintain jobs and production in Canada and the United States.

U.S. and Canadian workers made GM. Why should our jobs go to Mexico? Keep our plants open, stated Unifors front-page Detroit Free Press advertisement. More ads inside the newspaper said, GM has made excuses for closing five plants in Canada and the U.S. But really its about moving our jobs and our products to Mexico. And GM, if you sell here, you have to build here.

This is nationalist poison. The fight to save jobs in Canada or anywhere else cannot be waged on the basis of anti-Mexican chauvinism. Unifor and the US-based United Auto Workers (UAW) have long spewed such nationalist filth to divide workers and justify their corporatist partnership with the auto corporations.

For decades, Unifor (the former Canadian Auto Workers, or CAW) and the UAW have pitted workers against each other, helping the automakers to whip-saw jobs, wages, pensions and benefits back and forth across borders in a never-ending race to the bottom.

The enemies of US and Canadian autoworkers are not the workers in Mexico, Asia or Europe, but the global auto corporations and the giant banks and financial institutions, which are attacking workers all over the world.

Shortly after GMs November 26 announcement of the closure of its Oshawa, Detroit-Hamtramck, and Lordstown, Ohio assembly plants, Dias blustered, If I had my way wed shut down every General Motors manufacturing plant in Canada and the United States until they got the message. Thats how Id deal with it.

What poppycock. Unifor sprang into action to shut down the spontaneous walkout that workers at Oshawa GM mounted on the morning of the 26th upon learning of the automakers plans to close the facility. At a hastily organized meeting at the Oshawa Local 222 headquarters and a press conference later on the 26th, Dias and other Unifor officials insisted workers return to work at their next shift the following day. On the 27th, just hours after Canadas Liberal government had illegalized a postal workers strike, Dias conferred with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. At the conclusion of their meeting, Dias told workers to have confidence Trudeau and his government will fight for their jobs.

The son of a UAW/CAW bureaucrat, Dias has made a career out of preventing and sabotaging strikes and plant occupations whilst imposing one concessions contract after another in the name of saving jobs.

Dias occasional threats of big and significant actions against GM in the new year are a charade, put on to derail any genuine struggle.

When auto-parts workers in several Ontario cities occupied their plants in the wake of the 2008-2009 global economic meltdown, Dias was dispatched as union point-man to end the workers militant actions. In addition, along with his then boss, CAW President Buzz Hargrove, Dias opposed shop-floor job action at the Oshawa truck plant in favour of a short-lived and toothless blockade of GM management offices when that plant was issued its closure announcement in 2008.

Soon after, the CAW, working hand in hand with the federal Conservative and Ontario Liberal governments, imposed wage and benefit cuts of more than $20 an hour on GM, Chrysler and Ford workersas part of a so-called auto industry bailout under which jobs and plants have continued to be destroyed, while investors have made tens of billions in profits.

Unifors virulent nationalism is equally shared by the UAW in the United States. Ever since the CAW broke away from the UAW, the two union apparatuses have competed as to which can offer the automakers the most profitable terms through wage and benefit cuts and the expansion of multi-tier and temporary workforces.

A key tenet of Unifors campaign to save the Oshawa plant is that it is among the most productive in the GM chain and that GM investors would, therefore, be better-served, if the axe fell elsewhere. The UAW, meanwhile, has remained conspicuously silent on the Oshawa closure, signalling that it would be more than happy to strike a deal at the expense of GM workers on the other side of the border.

What Unifor and the UAW do have in common is their mutual support for the trade war positions of US President Donald Trump. Dias stated after a recent conversation with UAW President Gary Jones that they agreed the way forward was the imposition of serious, serious tariffs on vehicles produced in Mexico. This is entirely in line with Dias repeated praise of Trump, who has made anti-Mexican chauvinism a key pretext of his ultra right-wing policies, including the militarization of the southern border and mass deportations and vilification of undocumented workers.

In his press conference in Windsor, Ontario Thursday after his meeting with GM executives across the Detroit River, Dias ditched his phony GM is in for a hell of a fight rhetoric. He conceded, despite his earlier bluster, that GM had the legal right to close the plant. There was not even a whisper of any impending strike action.

But, he suggested, GM might see some angry consumers reconsider buying one of their vehicles. After pleading with GM to re-consider options to extend sedan production at least for another year and to either extend current truck production or bring a truck product from Mexico to Oshawa, he said the union will be respectfully waiting for GMs response on January 7.

Dias said he was optimistic that GM will do the right thing.

Even as the Detroit meeting was underway, GM released its own self-serving statement, promoting a feeble job re-training program for the Oshawa workers whom it is throwing onto the scrapheap. The statement said that there are no plans for operating changes at (GM CAMI Ingersoll and St. Catharines, Ontario) at this time. (emphasis added)

With increasing signs of an economic slowdown and facing major capital outlays to develop autonomous and green vehicles, not just GM, but all the automakers are determined to increase profitability at the expense of the jobs, living standards, and health and well-being of workers around the world.

GMs claim that it will take the time to study Unifors options has a twofold purpose. The automaker recognizes the need to shore up what it aptly calls its union partners. Secondly, as the WSWS has explained and was confirmed by a report in the Automotive News, GM intends to use its restructuring plans to extort still more concessions from US workers in the 2019 contract negotiations and from workers in Canada when their contract expires in 2020 if not before.

The predatory attacks by GM against autoworkers and the communities in which they live can and must be fought. This fight, however, will not be pursued by the official union apparatus, but only in struggle against them.

The escalating threats of plant closures and layoffs underscores the critical importance of the emergency meeting called by the WSWS Autoworker Newsletter earlier this month to oppose GM plant closings. The meeting, which included GM, Ford and Fiat Chrysler workers from throughout the American Midwest, unanimously endorsed a resolution to fight for the establishment of rank-and-file committees, independent of the UAW, Unifor and other unions, in all the affected workplaces, factories and neighbourhoods, to oppose the plant closures.

The resolution said these committees should advance the interests of workers against corporate management and mobilize workers, based on their own demands, including abolishing the two-tier wage system and fighting for industrial democracy. Rejecting the toxic nationalism of the UAW and Unifor, the resolution called for a fight for the unity of American workers with our class brothers and sisters in Canada, Mexico and the rest of the world. We urge Canadian autoworkers interested in participating in this fight to contact the WSWS Autoworker Newsletter: auto@socialistequality.com
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On Friday, the trade union of dockworkers at the Southern Pacific Terminal (TPS), located in the Chilean city of Valparaiso, called off a 36-day strike which had been characterized by enormous courage and militancy in the face of brutal repression. Many disgruntled workers and supporters had set up barricades and marched across the city throughout the day.

The right-wing administration of billionaire Sebastian Pinera and the pseudo-left Frente Amplio, which governs the city, worked alongside the trade union to isolate the striking workers at a time when the Chilean and global economies are slowing down and social unrest is intensifying domestically and across the world.

Earlier this year, the state-owned company Codelco announced 1,700 layoffs at the Chuquicamata mine and possibly thousands more next year across several copper minesthe countrys main exportrenewing calls for strikes. This month, LATAM airline workers, Integra kindergarten teachers and other sectors also struck.

At Valparaiso, virtually all 600 dockworkers are hired under casual agreements. They rely on eight-hour shifts distributed to on-call lists and do not make the minimum salary or receive any benefits at all. In recent months, largely because of a major drop in world trade, workers had been spending weeks, and even months, without getting called to work.

The strike began on November 16, when workers in two stations decided to carry out a wildcat strike. Shortly after, they had paralyzed a port that manages 55 percent of Chilean fruit exports and many other products. The action came immediately into conflict with the existing leadership of the trade union, which was seen as a tool of management. This led workers to sideline the president, Roberto Rojas, and back Pablo Klimpel, the leader of a dissident faction, the United Dockworkers of Valparaiso (PUV).

Within the first week of the strike, however, Klimpel was already discarding workers demands, claiming its all negotiable and suggesting that he was willing to call an end to the strike if the company would only sit down and make an offer, which TPS rejected until the fourth week.

As recently as Wednesday, workers voted unanimously against a second offer by the TPS and the trade union. The deal included a $100 bonus, a $360 gift card, a basket of food, the option of a $722 loan from the company, and a paid training on workplace safety.

Workers immediately left the assembly angry and proclaimed that the agreement was virtually the same as the one they rejected the previous weekend, seeing the marginal increases in bonuses and loans as a pittance and a mockery.

Surely, many workers saw through the treacherousness of the new trade-union leadership, which had expressed optimism as they peddled one insulting agreement after the other, while Richard Von Appen, the president of the company that manages TPS, Ultramar, called these proposals gifts and continued to call the strike illegal.

Popular support for the strike on the streets at the second largest city of the country and on social media was widespread and growing across the country. Demonstrations of solidarity by other workers, including marches and road-cuts, were organized by Valparaiso residents independently of the trade unions.

After several workers and union officials received violent threats, and the police illegally raided the offices of the union on Tuesday, making several arrests, social anger was brimming.

Students from several faculties of the University of Valparaiso (UV) had been protesting in support of dockworkers for several days. On Tuesday, anti-riot police violently dispersed a sit-in protest at the UV. That day, students at the Playa Ancha University (UPLA) voted to suspend classes in support of the dockworkers and UV students.

On Wednesday and Thursday, the Valparaiso dockworkers kept protesting, chanting that the New Year will be celebrated with barricades, making calls for a national strike of dockworkers and other sectors and carrying signs calling for the expropriation of the ports.

Moreover, after 11 other ports had already carried out a two-hour strike in solidarity with Valparaiso, dockworkers across the country began carrying out wildcat strikes and setting up barricades since the beginning of the week.

In fear, the Pinera government intervened and agreed on Thursday to pay an emergency $1,000 bonus from taxpayer money to end the strike.

The trade union quickly called for a makeshift vote at midnight on Thursday and another one in the early hours of Friday, with several reports indicating workers were angry and most could not vote. Among those present, 200 voted in favor and 40 against the new offer.

The trade union officially sold out the strike while discarding the demands made by workers, namely against the precariousness of their jobs.

At the center of this operation was the Frente Amplio party (FA; Broad Front). Pablo Klimpel, the union leader, has close ties with the FA and is an open supporter of Valparaiso mayor, Jorge Sharp, also from FA.

Sharp condoned the repression by the carabineros and, beyond symbolic calls to improve conditions for workers, appealed several times to the Pinera administration to end the strike as soon as possible.

On December 14, as the streets in the city were barricaded and manned by dockworkers, students and supporters, Sharp called on La Moneda [presidential palace] in its totality to act on this matter with a lot of force and end this conflict.

The role of Sharp, Frente Amplio and its cronies in the trade unions in derailing social opposition on behalf of big business demonstrates that this relatively new left flank for the bourgeois establishment is no different from the one provided throughout the last century by Social Democracy and Stalinism of disarming workers politically. Most recently, they have ensured that the widespread privatizationsincluding port concessionsand deregulation schemes carried out under the fascist and US-backed dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet, remain virtually unscathed.

Last week, Sharp hypocritically acknowledged that three months of profits from the Valparaiso port could cover the 9,000-home deficit in the municipality, but declared that workers have a duty not to harm the city with their protests.

Frente Amplio and the trade union bureaucracies, including the Trade Union Central (CUT), controlled by the Stalinist Communist Party, also rely on several orbiting pseudo-left organizations that feed illusions in the FA among radicalized workers and youth.

The coverage and analysis provided by the Morenoite Workers Revolutionary Party (PTR) was widely followed during the strike and even shared on social media by the trade union.

The PTRs online newspaper La Izquierda Diario promoted the new trade union leadership and romanticized the political influence of Frente Amplio in the city, which it said is representing a universe of 50,000 to 40,000 voters. It even claimed that FA could play an important role in mobilizing the social force needed to defeat Von Appen and the repression.

Such statements suggesting that local mobilizations led by Frente Amplio, a party thoroughly embedded in the bourgeois state at the local and national level, could defeat a financial group that manages billions in assets across Latin America and the repressive Chilean state, defy all logic.

On Thursday, the PTR denounced efforts by Sharp to mediate the conflict and warned that Von Appen will seek to get rid of militant workers as soon as the strike ends, referring to hundreds of layoffs by the same company after a strike in 2014, but still added: Only an infant would reject the negotiation and the compromise that workers must accept under certain relations of forces and that Frente Amplio still represents a support that workers cant reject.

Such conceptions are based in a rejection of the revolutionary role of the working class and of socialism. What the Frente Amplio and the Morenoite organizations have in common is that they represent privileged layers of the middle class, hungry for the financial elite to hand them over a greater share of profits from the exploitation of workers. In return, they offer their services suppressing the class struggle with a left veneer.

The essential lesson from the strike is that workers must build authentic, democratic workers rank-and-file committees, organized independently of the nationalist and pro-capitalist trade unions and the entire political establishment to appeal, not to the CUT and bourgeois politicians, but to their best and only alliesthe millions of workers across the country and internationally entering the class struggle.

A new political leadership needs to be built in the working class under a socialist and internationalist program, to fight for state power and the expropriation of all major corporations and wealth of the Chilean and international financial oligarchy, to place them under the democratic control of the international working class.
TUPELO, Miss. (WTVA) - Two local charities were awarded several thousands of dollars from the BancorpSouth Tupelo Downtown branch Friday evening.

Habitat For Humanity of Northeast Mississippi and the Tupelo Salvation Army were awarded a total of $15,000.

The donation will help support Habitat For Humanity in building homes for families in need in Lee County, and it will help the Salvation Army provide meals, shelters and clothes.

"Part of our moto here at BancorpSouth, if you read it, will say that we are committed to the growth in our communities," Senior Vice President Retail Manager Ketra Ruff said. "It is very important that we give back to our communities."
Kashmiri villagers watch the joint funeral procession of four rebels in Tral, south of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Saturday, Dec. 22, 2018. A gunbattle between Indian troops and Kashmiri rebels early Saturday left six militants dead and triggered a new round of anti-India protests in the disputed Himalayan region. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin)
Dick McKamey stands in front of his fireplace holding the glass plaque he received Tuesday during his retirement party at Wyoming Sugar Company in Worland. The plaque states, "With our greatest appreciation we hereby present Richard Mc Kamey in grateful appreciation for dedicated service to the sugar industry, its growers and employees."

WORLAND  Richard (Dick) McKamey, instrumental in the purchase of the Wyoming Sugar factory for the growers from Imperial in 2002, retired from Wyoming Sugar Tuesday.

"It was an honor to serve. I did a good job, I am confident in that, found good replacements for myself and other things, and I am confident that those people and the employees and the growers will do well," McKamey said. He added that as a leader he feels that he replaced himself with people that were as good if not better than himself.

"The goal has always been for this facility to always be available for the grower owners, the employees and the community, that's just the goal, that it does well and that it maintains itself. That's going back to what I say to them all the time, 'I got you through the first 100 years, you better keep it going the same,'" McKamey said.

The original Wyoming Sugar Company, an Ogden, Utah, firm, sold the Worland factory to Holly Sugar Corporation in 1925. Holly Sugar was acquired by Imperial Sugar in 1988 and the company was called Imperial Holly Sugar. In June 2002, a group of local growers and other investors purchased the factory from Imperial Sugar and the name returned to Wyoming Sugar.

When Imperial declared bankruptcy in 2000 the community was given a choice, let the facility fade into history or stand up and protect the livelihood of the growers. The community stood with the growers. "Our growers had lost a lot of money in that process [bankruptcy], they didn't receive some of their expected payment and the only way we could recover some of that or the most amount of that money was we leased the factory in 2001 and we used the managers there and I was in charge of that. By 2002 we had found a way to purchase it [factory] out of bankruptcy but in that process you had farmers that were not doing very well, bankruptcy, lack of payments and they just couldn't get it put together to buy it. That's when the community stepped up and put up a substantial amount of money, different businesses and people so that we could make that purchase," McKamey said.

McKamey, who had a successful career in management, had the know-how to make the sale of the facility to the growers happen. "I'd left a fairly successful career in management, I had worked for the presidents of two companies on the West Coast and we made the decision to come back here, Lisa [wife] was pregnant with our first child and we moved back here and took over a farming operation with my brother and not long after that Dick Cheney voted against us in the farm bill and I went to the local board and other people and asked, 'Why did Dick Cheney vote against us?' The answer was, 'I don't know.' I asked, 'Did anybody talk to him?' and they said 'no' and I said 'Well we have to do something different.' We talked to him [Cheney] and developed how valuable the sugar industry was to this community and the whole state and renewed the support of our congressional people for the sugar program and the farm bill in specific. We had really strong support from them afterward, it's one of those cases, we just assumed they knew and that's probably not a very good thing," McKamey said.

"That was the start of it and the motivation. When the bankruptcy started to be imminent and all, I had to back out of all of that and come home and my business experience was mergers and acquisition so I had some skills in being able to put this together," he added.

McKamey held a lot of positions with the company over the 20 years he was there and worked diligently to get people into the company who could help the company grow back to what it should have been when Imperial declared bankruptcy. "I was president and CEO and probably many other things at that, besides the buyer/ organizer, had a lot of help from people, had a lot of help from the community. We were finally able to put this together in 2002 and get it running. We began the process of running the company at that point, so I guess almost 20 years of running the company in one fashion or the other and we are proud of the fact that all those people that helped us and realized how important the sugar facility was to this community were all paid back with a good return," McKamey said.

"Later on I brought some other people in, in management that stayed with the company trying to diminish that role but it really came back to running the company whether it was a CEO or chairman, executive chairman until two years ago when I was able to hire Mike Greear to replace me. I am just now finishing up all of my roles with the company, management roles in that I am the retiring chairman of the board too at the end of this month," McKamey said. "We've had a couple of really tough years the last few years but during that period of involvement we have made substantial investments in the factory; the growers put a lot of money back into the factory which it needed desperately. We did that but 2016 and 2017 turned out to be really poor years for us in processing. Mostly, lots of problems with it but we lost so much experience that we weren't able to replace to solve the problems and it was very much that," he added.

McKamey went on to explain that he feels that the management team in place now is wonderful and that he feels that the company has a really bright future. "Mr. Greear has done a great job in that area, I guess I sometimes look at it that I got us through our first 100 years and it's their job to get us through our second 100 years," he said. He added that the company has done very well in building back the amount of beets processed and the amount of sugar produced. "It's taken a lot of reinvestment to get the factory up to a first-class facility which I believe we have today. It took a lot of reinvestment by growers to do that too. It also took some reinvestment in employees and their help in accomplishing that," McKamey said.

Tom Clark will be the new chairman of the board for Wyoming Sugar but will not have the same amount of responsibility that McKamey had due to changes in the structure of the company. "I think a lot of things change because I had a lot of roles in the company and it is always hard. It's one of the reasons I am completely moving out of the way because these roles have changed. He is a true chairman of the board but I was so many other things and that's not what we need going forward. Mr. Greear has brought in a lot of new people to fill a lot of positions which was really necessary with the retirement and loss of so many people," McKamey said.

While retired from Wyoming Sugar, McKamey stated that he still has several business interests. He also stated that he plans on doing some traveling, enjoying life and his first grandbaby that is on the way.
LARAMIE  State law does not prevent local governments from regulating guns manufactured outside of Wyoming, Albany County District Court Judge Tori Kricken ruled this week.

To the extent that the Wyoming Firearms Freedom Act preempts regulation of firearms by cities, towns, counties, political subdivisons and or/any other entities, it does so only with respect to firearms, firearm accesso...
Add one more item to the #MAGA Christmas gift guide. Roger Stone, the dirty trickster of Republican politics and former adviser to Donald Trump, has autographed an untold number of rocks and is selling them on his website. Heres your chance to own your very own Roger Stone paperweight- signed by the New York Times Bestselling author, legendary political operative and Trump intimate himself, the listing reads. LIMITED EDITION. The perfect Christmas Gift for the Trump supporter, InfoWarrior or Stonetrooper. David made good use of a similar artifact against Goliath. Order yours today!

Instagram Photo

As Stone notes on Instagram, the paperweights are being sold to help shore up his legal bills, which are mounting as he contends with a number of legal issues, including a potential indictment from Special Counsel Robert Muellers office. Mueller has been scrutinizing Stones potential pre-election relationship with WikiLeaks, and whether he may have informed Trump that the organization planned to release Democratic emails hacked by Russia. Last month, Jerome Corsi, a conspiracy theorist and friend of Stones, reportedly rejected a plea deal offered to him by Mueller. Corsi reportedly lied to investigators about whether he had prior knowledge of WikiLeaks plan to release the emails. He later said that he learned of the plan, which he then relayed to Stone, through divine intervention. Stone said earlier this year that he is prepared to be indicted by the special counsels office.

Related Video: Roger Stone Invokes Fifth Amendment In Russia Probe

For more news videos visit Yahoo View.

On Monday, Stone settled a defamation suit brought by Chinese businessman Guo Wengui, who alleged that Stone made false statements about him on the conspiracy website InfoWars. Stone erroneously said that Guo was found guilty of financial crimes in the United States, that he illegally donated to Hillary Clinton and that he financed a presidential run by former Trump campaign CEO and White House adviser Steve Bannon. As part of the settlement, Stone was forced to publicly apologize for making the claims. All of these statements are not true, he wrote as part of a statement that will be published in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post. He added that he failed to do proper research before making those statements.

Stone is selling the signed rocks for $8, marked down from $10. Stone told Rolling Stone Wednesday that he buys the rocks from Home Depot, and that his people tell him they should be able to ship by Christmas.
4 charged after breaking into West Virginia mine: Police originally appeared on abcnews.go.com

Four people who allegedly broke into a West Virginia mine earlier this month and got trapped inside for several days are now facing charges related to the incident.

The foursome allegedly broke into a West Virginia mine to steal copper, according to court documents. Three of those who entered the mine got lost and were rescued after almost a week underground.

Eddie Williams Jr., 43, turned himself in Dec. 21 and is charged with breaking and entering, felony conspiracy and giving false information to law enforcement officers, according to a criminal complaint.

Cody Beverly, 21, was also arrested Dec. 21, according to Raleigh County law enforcement officials.

The two women, Kayla Williams, 25, and Erica Treadway, 31, turned themselves into police Wednesday. They face charges that include conspiracy, destruction of public property and entering without breaking. Arrest warrants were issued for the two women last week.

Williams Jr. initially told police that he entered the abandoned Rock House Powellton mine in Clear Creek, about 30 miles southeast of Charleston, West Virginia, to search for three friends who were trapped, the complaint said.

PHOTO: Eddie Williams Jr, 43, is charged with breaking and entering, felony conspiracy and giving false information to police, Dec. 26, 2018. (Southern Regional Jail)

He later recanted, though, allegedly telling police that he went inside with Beverly, Williams and Erica Treadway, 31, on Dec. 8, "to see if they left anything behind, copper, or anything."

Eddie Williams said the pairs separated "to have sex," with he and Treadway going in one direction and Beverly and Kayla Williams going in another.

"Eddie said that the pairs had split up to have sex with each other," according to the criminal complaint. "Interviews with Kayla, Cody and Erica at a later date did say that they had separated to have sex."

PHOTO: Cody Beverly, 21, was arrested Dec. 21 for allegedly breaking into a West Virginia mine to steal copper, police said. (Southern Regional Jail)

(MORE: 'We drank mine water': Survivors detail 'life-changing experience' trapped in abandoned coal mine)

Eddie Williams managed to escape on Dec. 10, and reported the others missing. They were pulled out of the mine three days later after a large-scale rescue operation.

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While the rescue efforts were underway, Kayla Williams' father, Randy Williams, told ABC News, "The reason they're in there is to get copper."

"It's worth money," he said. "A couple years ago it was up to almost $4 a pound. You could go into a mine and make $1,000 a day."

PHOTO: Kayla Williams, 25, is charged with conspiracy, destruction of public property and entering without breaking, Dec. 26, 2018. (Southern Regional Jail)

(MORE: 4 adults who entered West Virginia mine could face felony charges if their intention was to steal copper)

Eddie Williams said the group "had entered the mine before to try and make money, according to the complaint.

Beverly and Kayla Williams spoke with reporters outside of Charleston General Hospital, where they were taken for an evaluation after being rescued. Although they didn't offer details on why they entered the underground mine, they said the experience had taught them the biggest lesson of their lives.

PHOTO: Erica Treadway, 31, turned herself into police, Dec. 26, 2018, officials said. (Southern Regional Jail)

"This is a life-changing experience for me," Beverly told ABC News. "This is the biggest lesson I've ever learned in my life."

ABC News' Emily Shapiro contributed to this report.
Homeland Security Secretary Nielsen says asylum seekers will be forced to wait in Mexico originally appeared on abcnews.go.com

The U.S. has reached a deal with the Mexican government to force asylum seekers at its southern border to remain in Mexico while they wait to bring their case before an American immigration judge, a process that could take several months or even years, Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen announced at a congressional hearing on Thursday.

The new policy, effective immediately, is the latest attempt by the Trump administration to curb what it insists are loopholes in the immigration system. Like many of its immigration policies, the plan was likely to face pushback in court.

Nielsen's announcement before a House Judiciary Committee came as President Donald Trump remained locked in a bitter dispute with lawmakers over whether to shut down the government if he doesn't get the money he wants to buy a border wall.

(MORE: More than 260 migrants died trying to cross the US southern border: Report)

PHOTO: A mother migrating from Honduras holds her 1-year-old child after surrendering to U.S. Border Patrol agents for illegally crossing the border near McAllen, Texas, June 25, 2018. (David J. Phillip/AP)

"We have a huge problem with asylum fraud," Nielsen told the House panel. "We need to work together to combat that."

Nielsen's testimony encountered immediate pushback from congressional Democrats who called the plan a misguided attempt to demonize immigrants.

"Is it as (though) you can't see the realities of modern immigration or the contributions of anyone who came from countries other than Norway or other parts of Europe," said Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Illinois. "It's as though you and others in the administration are blind."

At issue is how the United States decides who should be granted asylum, a right granted to migrants by U.S. and international law. According to the Homeland Security Department, border officials have seen a surge in migrants from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras and that the vast majority are granted entrance into the United States after passing a "credible fear" interview.

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DHS said in a statement Thursday that in nearly half of these cases in 2018, the person later failed to appear at a hearing or file an asylum claim, indicating that the person likely opted to remain illegally inside the U.S. As a result, DHS says, only 9 percent of people from those three countries are ultimately granted asylum.

John Cohen, a former acting under secretary at the Homeland Security Department and an ABC News contributor, noted that the law does allow for the federal government, through the attorney general, to deport someone to a "safe third country" pending an asylum claim, if there is bilateral agreement.

But, the law requires that the person's "life or freedom" not be threatened, and that the person claiming asylum still have "full and fair" access to the U.S. immigration system. That means it's likely the U.S. will have to devote resources to either bring people into the United States to see an immigration judge, or set up U.S. courts in Mexico -- a highly unusual situation that presents legal complications, Cohen said.

"It's highly probable this will be challenged in court," Cohen said. "It'll be up to the courts to determine whether processing someone in Mexico is consistent with the law or not."

PHOTO: Central American migrants taking part in a caravan heading to the US, line up to borrow a sleeping pad, after arriving at a temporary shelter, set up in a stadium in Mexico City, Nov. 5, 2018. (Alfredo Estrella/AFP/Getty Images)

Administration officials said they expect a dramatic drop in asylum claims if people are not allowed to enter the U.S. and are instead forced to wait in Mexico. Several Republicans on the House committee said they supported the move.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called the plan "historic" and said that the Mexican government has promised to give the migrants humanitarian visas to stay on Mexican soil, as well as the ability to apply for work.

"We think that they (migrants seeking asylum) will now see that they cant disappear inside the United States, and so they will remain in their home countries," Pompeo told Fox News host Laura Ingraham.

Mexico has previously refused to accept the return of migrants who aren't Mexican citizens. But earlier this week, the U.S. signed a joint declaration with Mexico promising to invest $5.8 billion in southern Mexico and the three countries where most of the migrants were coming from -- El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. The administration also promised a U.S.-Mexico business summit next year and a cabinet-level meeting in January.

The Associated Press reported Thursday that Mexico's Foreign Relations Department called the latest agreement to allow U.S. asylum seekers to remain in Mexico was a temporary, humanitarian measure.

(MORE: Trump signs order denying asylum-seeking, illegal border crossers)

Trump has been under political pressure from his supporters to take a hard line with immigration. While illegal crossings fell during his first year in office, they have returned to previous levels.

The president's other executive actions aimed at curbing those crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border have faced setbacks in court. On Wednesday, a federal judge blocked a separate policy that restricts asylum claims of migrants fleeing domestic and gang-related violence. Another federal judge in California issued a nationwide preliminary injunction against a Trump administration rule that made anyone who crosses the southern border outside a port of entry ineligible for asylum.

(MORE: Judge blocks Trump administration efforts to restrict asylum for migrants fleeing domestic and gang violence)

Trump has expressed frustration in recent days that he hasn't been able to fulfill his promise to build a border wall.

"When I begrudgingly signed the Omnibus Bill, 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!"

ABC News reporters Conor Finnegan and Luke Barr contributed to this report.
Family of Carla Stefaniak sues Airbnb, Costa Rican resort where she was killed originally appeared on abcnews.go.com

The family of a woman who was killed while on vacation in Costa Rica last month are suing Airbnb and the resort where she stayed.

Carla Stefaniak, 36, who lived in Miami, was found dead Dec. 3 after she was last seen on Nov. 27 -- the night before her birthday. She had traveled to San Jose, the capital of the Central American country, to celebrate her 36th birthday with her sister-in-law.

Bismarck Espinoza Martinez, 32, a security guard at Villa Buena Vista, was arrested for Stefaniak's murder.

PHOTO: Costa Rican authorities have arrested Nicaraguan Bismarck Espinoza Martinez, 32, a security guard at the Villa Buena Vista hostel in San Jose, in connection with American Carla Stefaniak's disappearance. (OIJ)

"He wasn't legally authorized to work. Yet, nevertheless, he was given his own apartment there on the grounds, an apartment that was coincidentally directly next to Carla's rented villa," the family's attorney, Jeffrey Gordon, told Tampa ABC affiliate WFTS.

The lawsuit was filed Thursday in Hillsborough County, which includes Tampa, Florida, where her parents live.

The suit accuses the resort of negligence over the suspect's hiring and retention. The lawsuit makes the same claims against Airbnb, and specifically names a number of executives of the company, including Airbnb Global Head of Trust and Risk Nick Shapiro.

(MORE: 'She was my baby,' says distraught father of American woman slain in Costa Rica)

Villa Buena Vista, the resort where Stefaniak stayed, uses Airbnb to promote its properties and rent out villas.

"Defendants, AIRBNB and VILLA BUENA VISTA, negligently failed to perform any kind of background check or otherwise take any measures to determine whether Martinez was fit for the officiality and authority and power and control provided to him," the lawsuit states.

PHOTO: Miami resident Carla Stefaniak, seen here in this undated photo. (Courtesy April Burton)

Stefaniak's body was found partially nude and decomposing, wrapped in plastic bags, in the woods near the villa she rented. According to an autopsy, she died of blunt force trauma to the head and was stabbed in her neck.

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Officials said earlier this month that a preliminary assessment indicated the killer's motivation was sexual, but additional tests were being conducted.

The lawsuit also states multiple people were likely involved in "removing and disposing Carla Stefaniak's body from the Airbnb villa." No one else has been arrested in the case besides Espinosa.

(MORE: American woman's murder in Costa Rica may have been sexually motivated: Officials)

"The harm to Stefaniak caused by MARTINEZ was a foreseeable and well-known hazard of the industry," the lawsuit states.

Airbnb said in a statement to WFTS: "Our hearts are broken for Carlas family, friends, and loved ones. We reached out to provide support to them during this unimaginably difficult time. We have also been in contact with Costa Rican and American law enforcement authorities, and we are standing by to support their investigation, as justice must be served quickly. The Villa Le Mas has been removed from the platform."

The lawsuit says the plaintiffs, Stefaniak's brothers Mario and Carlos Caicedo Jr., who manage the family's estate, are seeking "in excess of $15,000."

"As a direct result of conduct described herein, the estate has suffered loss of net accumulations and the statutory survivors have suffered the loss of support and services and mental pain and suffering as a result of the injury and death of their child," according to the filing.

PHOTO: Miami resident Carla Stefaniak, seen here in this undated photo. (Courtesy April Burton)

Carlos Caicedo Sr., Carla's father, told WFTS he can't shake the image of his daughter's brutalized body in a Costa Rica morgue.

"I have to tell you that I'm going to lose the two loves that are part of me. My mom is so sick," he said. "She is so sick. I'm going to lose the two loves, big loves of my life, my mom and Carla."

ABC News' Bill Hutchinson and Devin Villacis contributed to this report.
Thousands of travelers were stranded Wednesday and Thursday when Londons Gatwick Airport shut down after a drone flew illegally near the airport.

Departing flights from Gatwick were grounded from 9 p.m. Wednesday until about 3 a.m. Thursday after an industrial drone flew over the airspace, according to the New York Times. The airport shut down again around 3:45 a.m. after another drone sighting.

This is a highly targeted activity which has been designed to close the airport and bring maximum disruption in the run up to Christmas, Stewart Wingate, the CEO of Gatwick Airport, said in a statement. We are working very closely with the police and the security services to try to resolve this for passengers.

Local police believe that the drone attacks were a "deliberate act" of disruption, however they are not considering the act terrorism, according to the BBC. At about 9 p.m. Wednesday, drones were spotted flying over the perimeter fence and into where the runway operates from."

Police are looking for the operator of the drones and will then attempt to disable them. Police are not shooting the unmanned aircraft because of the dangers from stray bullets. The search to bring down the drones has proven difficult. Each time we believe we get close to the operator, the drone disappears, Justin Burtenshaw, head of armed policing for the area told the Associated Press, when we look to reopen the airfield, the drone reappears.

Gatwick is the second-busiest airport in Britain, according to the New York Times. An estimated 11,000 people are stranded at the airport because of the closure. Flights arriving to Gatwick have been diverted  some as far away as Paris or Amsterdam. As soon as the airport reopens, officials said their first order of businesses is bringing back the passengers who have been diverted.

Airport officials expected that service to and from Gatwick will be disrupted into the weekend. The runway will not reopen until the airport deems that it is safe to do so. All easyJet flights out of Gatwick on Thursday have been canceled.

Those who are scheduled to travel through Gatwick are encouraged to check the status of their flights well before leaving for the airport.
A study published in The Lancet medical journal in November 2018 reported that global fertility rates decreased dramatically between 1950 and 2017. If that sounds worrying  especially if youre used to hearing tired comments about your ticking biological clock  fear not: Its less about biology, and more about statistics. Using data from 195 countries, the researchers found that in 1950, the average woman or person assigned female at birth (AFAB) delivered 4.7 live births. But by 2017, that number had dropped by nearly half (49.4 percent, to be exact) to 2.4. In 102 of those countries, the rate had decreased by more than half. But why, and what does it mean? Here are a few fascinating nuggets this study found out and how they could change the world.

Baby and mom smiling at camera

1. What is the fertility rate? Dr. Beth McAvey, a reproductive endocrinologist and fertility specialist for the Glow Fertility Program, explains that for the purposes of this study, The total fertility rate measures the average number of children a woman/person AFAB could have if they survived through the end of their reproductive span [defined in the study as age 10 to 54]. To work this out, the researchers estimated the annual number of live births in a specific age group per thousand people AFAB. For example, in Cuba, on average, 84.1 people AFAB aged 25 to 29 delivered a live birth. The researchers compiled all of this information to work out the total fertility rate (TFR) on average for each country and for the world.

2. The fertility rate can be drastically different depending on where you live. Overall, people are having fewer children, but that fact alone masks a wide variation in family size around the world. The study reports the fertility rates in each of the 195 countries and in different regions, giving a picture of the trends on a national level. Dr. Joshua U. Klein, a reproductive endocrinologist and chief medical officer at Extend Fertility and Expect Fertility, says, This study shows that while overall fertility rates are declining on average, there is a wide region-specific variation in this trend that correlates with factors like education and access to reproductive health services  for example, contraception and abortion. As an example of the disparities, in 2017 Cyprus had the lowest TFR, with people giving birth to an average of one child, while in Niger, home to that years highest TFR, the average number of live births per woman/person AFAB was 7.1.

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3. The global population is still rising. Even though people are having fewer babies on average, the study found that the global population has been increasing by an average of 83.8 million people a year since 1985 and is now the highest its ever been. Between 1950 and 2017, the global population rose from 2.6 billion to 7.6 billion. According to Dr. Daniel Kort, an OB/GYN and reproductive endocrinologist with Neway Fertility, This study confirms much of what the scientific community has suspected about population growth in the past century: While the number of births per person is overall decreasing, the overall population is increasing as people are living longer. That said, as with the TFR, population growth varies around the world. Between 2010 to 2017, 33 countries, mostly in Europe and in the Caribbean, saw a negative population growth rate, meaning more people died and/or emigrated than were born. Meanwhile in sub-Saharan Africa in 2017, the population grew at 2.7 percent, nearly the all-time high for the region and significantly higher than the global average of 1.1 percent.

4. On average, people are having babies later. People are waiting longer to have babies, and there are fewer teen births. The global average number of live births reported for 10- to 19-year-olds decreased from 37 per 1000 women/people AFAB in 1950 to 22 per 1000 women/people AFAB in 2017. On the other side, since 1975 the total fertility rate for women over 30 in western, central and eastern Europe; North America; Australasia; and high-income areas of Asia Pacific has increased by 60.2 percent. In 145 countries in 2017, fertility rates were higher for women over 30 than for women 25 and under. IVF and fertility nurse Suzie Welsh, who is the founder and CEO of personalized supplement service BINTO, commented, Women in more advanced economies are waiting longer for their first pregnancy and are bearing fewer children. More women use methods of birth control, stay in school, and stay in their careers longer.

5. These results could be a positive sign of empowerment for people assigned female at birth. There are many reasons for the decline in the average number of births, most of which I suspect involve social change throughout the world, says Kort. Women now have more control of their own reproduction owing to education, contraception, and changing social norms around the world. The authors of the study specifically point to three major factors that frequently correlate with lower total fertility rates: Lower mortality rates for children under five, and more people AFAB having access to education, and to effective contraception and reproductive health services. Dr. John S. Rinehart, founding partner of Reproductive Medicine Institute, explains, The educational level of women and people AFAB is a very strong correlate to the number of children they will have: The higher the education level, the fewer children. This could be, he says, because the use of contraception is higher in higher educated women.

The study also notes a number of other social, political, and economic factors that affect the number of children being born. The researchers specifically point to a population decline in Syria as symptomatic of the way conflict can impact fertility rates and migration: But they also added that sometimes a large war can prompt more people to marry younger, which often leads to them having more children sooner. Rinehart adds, Rising housing prices and increased women/people AFAB in the workforce may also affect the TFR, as can political decisions like Chinas one-child policy, which saw the countrys TFR drop, only for it to rise once the policy was lifted.

6. What does this mean for the world? It depends where you live, but fewer people being born combined with a population thats living longer means that there will likely be a shift toward an older worlds population. The study found that the global average age in 2017 was 32.1, compared to 26.6 in 1950. The researchers point to previous studies that found that countries see an economic boost when 65 percent of the population is of working age: While many high-income countries reached that in the 1960s, the ratio started to slide starting in 2005. By 2017, in 12 of 34 high-income countries, less than 65 percent of the population was of working age, and in Japan, it was less than 60 percent.

This trend could potentially impact the economies of those countries, warns Dr. Norbert Gleicher, medical director and chief scientist at the Center for Human Reproduction in New York City. Fewer people in a country usually means declines in economic output, less consumption, less wealth, et cetera. It also usually means worker shortages and a need to import workers, which can have great societal impact. For example, Japan, which was very restrictive for foreign workers, just announced half a million open jobs for foreigners for the first time. Adjusting for population changes could lead to further opportunities for greater equality: The researchers suggested that that 65 percent target is a good incentive for developing countries, in particular, to focus on educating young girls and children assigned female at birth so they can join the workforce.

Overall, this well-researched study provides useful information for governments looking to adapt to shifting population dynamics. As population and fertility data become more and more accessible, models to predict the future will become more and more reliable, Kort says. Policymakers will ultimately be able to use these models to allocate resources and make effective decisions for the future. See you for the update in 67 years!

Do you have fewer kids than the generations before you? Share your take on this fascinating study @BritandCo.

(Photo via Getty)
WASHINGTON (AP)  Shaken and facing a prison term, President Donald Trump's longtime personal lawyer said Friday that Trump directed him to buy the silence of two women during the 2016 campaign because he was concerned their stories of alleged affairs with him "would affect the election." He says Trump knew the payments were wrong.

Michael Cohen  who for more than a decade was a key power player in the Trump Organization and a fixture in Trump's political life  said he "gave loyalty to someone who, truthfully, does not deserve loyalty." Cohen spoke in an interview with ABC that aired Friday on "Good Morning America."

Cohen said that "of course" Trump knew it was wrong to make the hush-money payments, but he did not provide any specific evidence or detail in the interview. Federal law requires that any payments made "for the purposes of influencing" an election must be reported in campaign finance disclosures.

Speaking to ABC's George Stephanopoulos, Cohen appeared shaken over the series of events that swiftly took him from Trump's "fixer" to a man facing three years in prison.

"I am done with the lying," Cohen said. "I am done being loyal to President Trump."

He added: "I will not be the villain of this story."

Cohen was sentenced on Wednesday to three years in federal prison after pleading guilty to several charges, including campaign finance violations and lying to Congress. Prosecutors have said Trump directed Cohen to arrange the payments to buy the silence of porn actress Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal in the run-up to the 2016 campaign.

The decisions to pay off Daniels, who alleged she had sex with a married Trump in 2006, during the run-up to the 2016 election was made soon after an old "Access Hollywood" tape surfaced, in which Trump was heard talking about groping and trying to have sex with women, Cohen said.

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"He was very concerned about how this would affect the election," Cohen said.

The hush money wasn't initially reported on campaign finance documents and, in any case, far exceeded the legally acceptable amount for in-kind contributions. The federal limit on individual contributions is $2,700.

As to whether Trump knew it was wrong to make the payments, Cohen said, "First of all, nothing at the Trump organization was ever done unless it was run through Mr. Trump. He directed me to make the payments, he directed me to become involved in these matters."

Trump has denied directing Cohen to break the law and has asserted in a barrage of tweets over the last several weeks that Cohen is a "liar" who cut a deal in order to get a reduced prison sentence and to help himself and his family.

Loyalty has long been a core value for Trump, who has been stung by the behavior of Cohen and other former associates who have dissociated themselves from the president, intent on saving themselves. That list also includes former White House staffer Omarosa Manigault Newman and former National Security adviser Michael Flynn.

"He knows the truth. I know the truth. Others know the truth," Cohen said. "And here is the truth: People of the United States of America, people of the world, don't believe what he is saying. The man doesn't tell the truth. And it is sad that I should take responsibility for his dirty deeds."

"Instead of him taking responsibility for his actions, what does he do? He attacks my family," Cohen said.

White House spokesman Hogan Gidley said Friday that reporters were "giving credence to a convicted criminal."

When asked specifically about Cohen's claims that Trump had directed Cohen to make the payments, Gidley said: "I understand that. He's a self-admitted liar. You guys all know that and for him to say, 'I'm going to start  I'm going to stop lying starting now,' is somewhat silly."

Cohen insists that Trump is a different person now than when he was running his real estate empire in New York and said he believes the pressure of being the president of the United States is "much more than he thought it was going to be."

Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, was paid $130,000 as part of a nondisclosure agreement that was signed days before the 2016 election and she's currently suing to dissolve that contract.

In August 2016, the parent company of the tabloid National Enquirer reached a $150,000 deal to pay McDougal for her story of a 2006 affair, which it never published, a tabloid practice known as catch and kill.

Cohen insisted he just reviewed the McDougal deal and said the payment was negotiated directly between Trump and David Pecker, the chief executive officer of the tabloid's parent company.

Both Cohen and American Media Inc. now say they made hush-money payments were to help Trump's 2016 White House bid. The U.S. attorney's office in Manhattan reached a non-prosecution agreement with the company.

In a separate case, Cohen pleaded guilty to lying to Congress about his work on a possible Trump real estate project in Moscow and said he did so to be consistent with Trump's "political messaging."

The charges in that case were brought by special counsel Robert Mueller's office and Mueller's prosecutors have said Cohen has provided key information in their investigation. Cohen has said he is continuing to cooperate with investigators in the Russia probe, which the president has repeatedly called a "witch hunt."

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Associated Press writer Catherine Lucey contributed to this report.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP)  France and Florida have signed a "declaration of intent" to preserve, protect and research a 16th century shipwreck off the state's coast.

Florida Secretary of State Ken Detzner and Consul General of France in Miami Clement Leclerc announced the agreement Friday to protect what remains of La Trinite, which sank off the coast of Cape Canaveral during a 1565 hurricane.

The Trinite was the flagship of a fleet captained by Jean Ribault that was part of a conflict with Spain as the nations fought to colonize Florida.

Items from the ship were discovered in 2016 by a marine salvage company and led to a court battle over the rights to them. A judge ruled the artifacts were the property of France.

The agreement calls for artifacts removed from the site to be put on public display in Florida
Over the years, I have cooked a turkey pretty much every which way a turkey can be cooked. I've roasted one straight out of the shrink wrap, I've wet-brined, I've dry-brined, I've spatchcocked. I cut away the breasts from the thighs and roasted them together on a bed of stuffing, I've covered a turkey with a butter-drenched cheesecloth, and once I even took an entire de-boned turkey, stuffed it with herbs and peppers, and rolled it up like a Swisher Sweet.

You may think all this history would make me something of an expert when it comes to cooking this giant beast, but we cook turkey so infrequently that it almost feels like starting over every time. Turkeys are misshapen protein masses, an exercise in project management, and even the smallest turkeys weight three to four times as much as a regular weeknight chicken.

Furthermore, cooking a turkey is generally connected to big holidays, and being in charge of the food during any holiday is stressful, man. It's not like whoever is running the kitchen doesn't have enough to do on Thanksgiving aside from cooking this giant bird. Besides the infernal turkey, there are a million sides you are basically required to make, and all of that takes prep work. Every year my knees ache at the end of Thanksgiving, as if I just played a full season for Tom Thibodeau.

All of this experience combined to lead me to a recent conclusion: Shouldn't the best way to cook a turkey also be the easiest way?

About a year ago, I moved from New York City back home to the South, and once here I became a smokeboy. Here in Memphis, pretty much everything (and everyone) comes infused with smoke, from ribs to chicken to cheese. A few months after my arrival, I went out and bought myself an electric smoker, which is unbelievably easy to use and imparts tons of flavor.

When it came time to cook my large adult bird, I called my friend Rob Mondavi. As a member of THAT Mondavi family, Rob grew up in Napa, where life was "all about hospitality and food and wine." The Mondavis were family friends with culinary giants like Paul Bocuse, Jacques Pepin and Martin Yan, so Rob grew up around food; one of his first food memories is stumbling into the kitchen at an event his family hosted and being immediately assigned prep work by Julia Child. These days, Rob and his wife Lydia have an eponymous home collection with Williams Sonoma, as well as their own "Winemaker's Pellet" wood blend for smoking with Traeger Grills.

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According to Mondavi, the secret to the perfect smoked turkey has nothing to do with the actual smoking: "The trick really is brining. I do a regular brine, and then a rub on top of it. You can even put butter under the skin before you go in the smoker. You don't really need to do that, but if you're going all that distance, it's even better."

Smoking inherently dries out whatever it is that you're cooking, so the more moisture you can get into your meat, the better. In the interest of ease, I did brine my turkey, but passed on the butter massage. And I made a great turkey, with not that much work.

1. Cop a turkey. A 10-12 pound turkey should feed a dozen people. Don't buy one that's too big, because it'll take an entire day to cook. And if you get one that's frozen, make sure you give that sucker a few days in the fridge to thaw out before you crack it open the morning you're ready to cook and find it covered with a thin sheen of ice. That's no bueno.

2. The night before you smoke, brine your turkey. As I delved into research on turkey smoking, I found a bunch of articles that suggested not using a wet brine. I used a wet brine and it was great. I went with what I use as a standard brine ratio -- one cup salt, one cup sugar, 10 cups water -- and then scale it from there until you have enough liquid to cover your turkey.

3. Oh, and a tip from the pro: "Honestly, who has space in their refrigerator for a 10-12 pound bird?" Rob asks. "By the time you get your turkey and everything figured out, I always forget, where am I going to put it? So while I brine it, I stick it in an ice chest outside, which is easy and out of my kitchen. That's kinda clutch."

4. (As I have a gang of roving raccoons who live on the shores of the river in my backyard, which is not a sentence I ever anticipated typing, I stuck my turkey in a five-gallon bucket, submerged it in the brine, then left it in my unheated garage overnight.)

5."Lydia's grandfather would smoke his turkey overnight and wake up and tend to it," Mondavi says. "I'd rather get up really early and have everything prepped and ready to go." Same. But to give ourselves the luxury of not staying up all night, we need to do some backward math. My crew planned to eat lunch at 1:00 P.M. That meant I wanted the turkey finished by noon, so it could rest for a hour before I carved into it (and also to give myself some wiggle room in case cooking took longer than expected). Guessing it would take around five hours in the smoker, I wanted to get my bird cooking by 7:00 A.M.

5. BRRRRRRRIIIINNG!!! That sound was my alarm clock going off at 6:00 A.M. I rolled outta bed, grabbed some coffee, and pulled the turkey from the brine so it could dry off a little. You could use an exotic rub on your bird, but I just went with kosher salt, black pepper and a little garlic powder, and gave it a good showering of spices, including a pinch inside the turkey.

6. Now we need to talk turkey temp. I jabbed a thermometer probe into my turkey, put my bird in the oven, and then set the smoker to run at 250 degrees. I set the thermometer alarm for 165 degrees, filled the water tray inside the smoker with apple juice (to give the turkey a little extra something), then shut the door and loaded the smoker with a handful of hickory chips. For the next four hours or so, I kept a casual eye on things, adding in more wood chips (alternating with pecan and hickory because I like the flavors) whenever the smoke slowed down. Functionally, I was free for those four hours to focus on my side dishes, and I even had time to sit on my couch for a while and work on the Times crossword puzzle.

7. For me, the biggest issue with smoking meats is that because you're cooking low and slow, the skin will not get crispy. The fat will render out, sure, and the turkey will look like a food stylist airbrushed it a gorgeous mahogany color, but the skin will end up being a bit, well, gummy. Which doesn't mean it's inediblepour enough gravy on anything and I'll at least take a bite. So if you're dead-set on getting crispy skin, Rob suggests cranking your smoker as high as it will go at the end, or even, gasp, deep-frying it for a few minutes. My smoker doesn't go higher than 275, so I set my oven inside to 425, then when my smoker turkey reached 160, I pulled it out and put it in the oven for 10 minutes.

8. I ended up with this:

It was fantasticsalty and smoky, and the meat had a good texture. All things considered, it was probably the easiest time I've ever had cooking a turkey. And it was one of the best I've ever eaten, too. Roast all you want, but I'm team smokeboy from now on.
Boats are battered by waves at the end of the White Rock Pier that was severely damaged during a windstorm, in White Rock, B.C., on Thursday December 20, 2018. One person who was trapped on the pier had to be rescued by helicopter. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
Ramallah (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) - The Israeli army said Friday it had opened a probe after troops shot dead the passenger of a car that tried to break through two checkpoints in the occupied West Bank.

The Palestinian health ministry said 17-year-old Qassem al-Abbasi, from east Jerusalem, was shot dead by Israeli troops on Thursday near the city of Ramallah.

"The military police have opened an investigation into the death of the passenger," an army spokeswoman told AFP, without giving any more details on the deceased.

Soldiers fired warning shots into the air after the vehicle failed to stop a roadblock, she said.

When the vehicle tried to break though a second roadblock nearby, soldiers again fired into the air "before aiming at the car, killing one of the occupants and injuring another passenger", the spokeswoman said.

The Israeli news site Ynet reported an initial investigation had revealed "the vehicle did not try to hit the soldiers at the roadblocks and no weapon was found in the car".

The incident took place north of Ramallah, where two Palestinian 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.
GAZA (Reuters) - Israeli forces shot and killed three Palestinians, including a teenager, in the Gaza Strip during the latest of weekly protests along the border with Israel on Friday, Palestinian health officials said. About 8,000 Palestinians gathered near the border fence, the Israeli military said. Most kept their distance, while some burned tires and tried to throw an explosive device into Israel, though it did not land across the border, the military said. A military spokeswoman said the troops responded with "riot dispersal means" and fired in accordance with Israeli procedure. Gaza's health ministry said 16-year-old Mohammad Jahjouh was fatally shot in the neck, while 25 others, including a local journalist, were wounded by Israeli gunfire. It later said two men, aged 28 and 40, died of injuries they sustained at protests in two separate locations along the fence with Israel earlier in the day. Health officials in Gaza, which is run by the Islamist Hamas movement, say more than 220 Palestinians have been killed since they began weekly border protests on March 30 to demand the easing of Israel's blockade on the territory and the right to return to land lost in the 1948 war of Israel's founding. Israel has ruled out any such right, concerned that the country would lose its Jewish majority. Alarmed at the bloodshed, Egypt, the United Nations and Qatar have sought ways to improve conditions in the enclave. Israel withdrew settlers and soldiers from Gaza in 2005 but maintains tight control of its land, air and sea borders. The wider Israeli-Palestinian peace process has been stalled for several years. (Writing by Nidal Almughrabi; Editing by Mark Heinrich)
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysia is seeking $7.5 billion in reparations from Goldman Sachs Group Inc over its dealings with scandal-linked state fund 1MDB, the Financial Times reported on Friday, citing the country's finance minister.

Separately, Bloomberg reported that Singapore has expanded its criminal investigation of 1MDB to include Goldman Sachs, in a sign of increasing scrutiny of the bank's role in the suspected multi-billion-dollar money laundering scheme.

Malaysian prosecutors this week filed charges against Goldman Sachs in connection with its role as underwriter and arranger of three bond sales that raised $6.5 billion for 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), the first criminal action against the U.S. bank over the scandal.

Goldman Sachs has consistently denied wrongdoing and said certain members of the former Malaysian government and 1MDB lied to the bank about the proceeds of the bond sales.

In addition to the bonds' total value, Goldman Sachs should also return $1 billion to cover $600 million in fees paid to the bank and bond coupons that were "higher than the market rate", the FT quoted Malaysian Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng as saying.

Lim also told the FT that reparations should at least be more than $1.8 billion, the sum Goldman Sachs has told investors it had set aside to cover potential losses related to 1MDB legal proceedings.

"Their figure is $1.8 billion. Ours is $7.5 billion," Lim said.

Malaysia is not currently negotiating with Goldman, but charges filed on Monday could bring the bank to the table, Lim said.

In an emailed response to Reuters, a Goldman Sachs spokesman said the bank intended to "vigorously contest these charges."

"The 1MDB bond offerings were meant to raise money to benefit Malaysia; instead, a huge portion of those funds were stolen for the benefit of members of the Malaysian government and their associates."

"Certain members of that government and 1MDB lied to Goldman about the use of proceeds from these transactions," the spokesman said.

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Critics have said the fees earned by Goldman Sachs were far in excess of the normal 1-2 percent a bank could expect for helping sell bonds.

Goldman has said the outsized fees related to additional risks: it bought the unrated bonds while it sought investors and, in the case of a 2013 bond deal which raised $2.7 billion, 1MDB wanted the funds quickly.

Malaysia has sought jail terms and billions in fines from Goldman Sachs and four individuals who allegedly misappropriated about $2.7 billion from the 1MDB bond proceeds.

The U.S. Department of Justice alleges that a total of about $4.5 billion was misappropriated from 1MDB and used to buy, among others, real estate in London and New York, expensive jewellery and artwork, and a private jet.

EXPANDED PROBE

Citing unnamed sources, Bloomberg reported that Singapore has expanded a criminal probe into fund flows linked to 1MDB to include Goldman Sachs.

Authorities in Singapore are trying to determine whether some of the $600 million in fees that Goldman earned from the three bond deals flowed to the Singapore subsidiary, the report said.

Singapore police did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the Bloomberg report.

A spokesman for Goldman Sachs said in a statement: "The firm continues to cooperate with all authorities investigating this matter."

Goldman Sachs (Singapore) PTE was one of the three units charged by Malaysia this week.

Shares of the U.S. investment bank fell to a two-year low this week after Malaysia filed the charges.

Two former Goldman Sachs bankers, Tim Leissner and Roger Ng, have been charged by Malaysia and the Department of Justice.

Singapore has banned Leissner, the bank's former Southeast Asia chairman, from its securities industry for life after he plead guilty in the United States for conspiring to launder 1MDB money and violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

The United States is also seeking extradition of Ng, who has been detained in Malaysia.

(Reporting by Rozanna Latiff; Additional reporting by A. Ananthalakshmi in Kuala Lumpur and Aradhana Aravindan in Singapore; Editing by Stephen Coates and Christopher Cushing)
Malaysia's finance minister wants Goldman Sachs to pay $7.5 billion in reparations over its dealings with scandal-hit state fund 1MDB, a report said Friday, adding to the Wall Street giant's woes.

Billions of dollars were purportedly stolen from the fund and used to buy everything from yachts to artwork, in an audacious fraud that allegedly involved former Malaysian leader Najib Razak and contributed to his government's shock defeat in May elections.

Goldman is facing growing scrutiny over its links to 1MDB as the bank helped arranged three bond issues worth $6.5 billion for the investment vehicle.

Malaysia this week filed criminal charges against the bank and two of its former employees, alleging they took part in a scheme to steal huge sums while raising cash for the fund.

Finance minister Lim Guan Eng told the Financial Times that Goldman should return the $6.5 billion raised in the bond issues plus $1 billion, to cover fees they earned plus interest payments on the bonds.

"We are not only looking at just the (bond) fees and issuance (volumes). We are looking for a much larger sum," Lim said.

Goldman has previously said it will fight the charges brought against it by Malaysian authorities and that members of the former government in Kuala Lumpur and 1MDB employees lied to the bank.

In a response to Lim's comments, Goldman noted that a huge portion of money raised in the bond issues was "stolen for the benefit of members of the Malaysian government and their associates", the Financial Times reported.

The ex-Goldman bankers named in the Malaysian charges are Tim Leissner, who worked as Southeast Asia chairman, and former managing director Ng Chong Hwa.

Ng appeared before a Kuala Lumpur court on Wednesday and pleaded not guilty.

He has also been indicted in the US, and American officials are seeking his extradition.

Leissner has been indicted in the US and has pleaded guilty.

Malaysia also hit fugitive financier Low Taek Jho, a suspected mastermind of the 1MDB fraud, with new charges ths week. He maintains his innocence.
RABAT (Reuters) - Vigils were held on Saturday evening in Rabat to mark the deaths of two women from Norway and Denmark who were killed in the Atlas Mountains earlier this week. Tens of participants from different political parties and civil society organizations laid flowers and lit candles in front of the Norwegian embassy and later at the Danish embassy. They also raised placards denouncing the killing of the two Scandinavian tourists and expressing condolences and solidarity with their families. Louisa Vesterager Jespersen, 24, from Denmark, and Maren Ueland, 28, from Norway were found dead on Monday with cuts to their necks near the village of Imlil, on the way to Toubkal, North Africas highest peak and a popular hiking destination. Four suspects, aged between 25 and 33 years from areas near Marrakech, have been arrested in connection with their deaths. The four suspects pledged allegiance to IS and its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in a video made last week, Moroccan authorities said. Nine other individuals were arrested by the Central Bureau for Judicial Investigations on Friday in various Moroccan cities over suspected connections to the killers. (Reporting by Ahmed Eljechtimi; Editing by Richard Balmforth)
MINNEAPOLIS (AP)  Chinese billionaire Richard Liu will not face charges over a rape accusation by a Chinese woman studying in Minnesota because prosecutors said Friday they could not prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Liu, founder of the Beijing-based e-commerce site JD.com, was arrested Aug. 31 in Minneapolis on suspicion of felony rape and released within hours. He returned to China.

Prosecutors said that "profound evidentiary problems" would have made it "highly unlikely" that any charge could have been proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

In a statement, Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman said that as prosecutors reviewed surveillance video, text messages, police body camera video and witness statements, "it became clear that we could not meet our burden of proof and, therefore, we could not bring charges."

After the prosecutor's decision was announced, Liu issued a statement on his Chinese social media account saying, "This proves I broke no law."

"My interactions with this woman, however, have hurt my family greatly, especially my wife. I feel deep regret and remorse and I hope she can accept my sincere apology. I will continue to try in every possible way to repair the impact on my family and to fulfill my responsibility as a husband," Liu said in his statement, which JD.com shared in a translation he provided.

He said he did not respond to comments on the internet while the investigation was ongoing to avoid interfering with police and prosecutors.

Liu was in Minneapolis in August for a weeklong residency as part of the University of Minnesota's doctor of business administration China program. The four-year program in the university's management school is geared toward high-level executives in China and is a partnership with Tsinghua University School of Economics and Management.

Jill Brisbois, an attorney for Liu, welcomed the prosecutor's decision.

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"This confirms our strong belief from the very beginning that my client is innocent," Brisbois said in a statement. He said Liu was arrested "based on a false claim," and that the investigation, "with which he fully cooperated," vindicates him.

"Even though the prosecutor determined no criminal charges were warranted, Mr. Liu's reputation has been damaged like anyone falsely accused of a crime," Brisbois said.

Wil Florin, an attorney for the woman, said prosecutors never spoke to her before deciding not to charge Liu.

Florin said prosecutors never asked to meet with the woman, a Chinese citizen studying at the University of Minnesota on a student visa, and never asked her a question.

"Instead, they waited 4 months until late Friday before the Christmas holiday and issued a press release without even giving her the common courtesy of a meeting to advise her of their intentions," Florin said.

Minneapolis Police Department spokesman John Elder said, however, that police had spoken with the woman "a number of times."

Florin later said the woman is planning to sue. In a statement, Florin said a civil jury should determine whether Liu, JD.com and their representatives "should be held accountable for the events of that night. We look forward to that jury hearing the full and complete story." He would not give details of the planned lawsuit, but told The Associated Press it would be in the U.S.

The woman has not been publicly identified. She is still enrolled at the university, Florin said.

On the night of the alleged attack, Liu and other executives went to Origami, a Japanese restaurant in Minneapolis. The woman went to the dinner as a volunteer, Florin said. She felt coerced to drink as the powerful men toasted her, he said.

Text messages reviewed by The Associated Press and portions of the woman's interviews with police show the woman claims Liu dragged her into a vehicle and made advances, despite her protests. The woman texted a friend: "I begged him don't. But he didn't listen." She said he raped her at her apartment.

Liu, known in Chinese as Liu Qiangdong, is a prominent member of the Chinese tech elite , with a fortune of $7.5 billion. He is part of a generation of entrepreneurs who have created China's internet, e-commerce, mobile phone and other technology industries since the late 1990s. The son of peasants, Liu built a Beijing electronics shop into JD.com, China's biggest online direct retailer, selling everything from clothes to toys to fresh vegetables.

He has continued to lead the company since his arrest.

The announcement on Liu comes at a time of heightened tensions between the U.S. and China over trade and the arrest of another prominent Chinese tech executive.

China reacted angrily after Canadian authorities, at the behest of the U.S., arrested Huawei Technologies' Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou in Vancouver on Dec. 1.

The U.S. reportedly wants her extradited to face allegations the company evaded U.S. sanctions on Iran. Huawei is China's first global tech competitor, making it politically important to a ruling Communist Party. But the U.S. government believes that doing business with Huawei is a national security risk.

On the same day the Huawei executive was arrested, President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to a 90-day truce in their trade war while officials try to negotiate an agreement. China retaliated against U.S. imports such as soybeans after Trump imposed tariffs on billions of dollars in Chinese goods. The dispute has roiled stock markets and raised concern that it could hurt the global economy.

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Follow Amy Forliti on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/amyforliti .
Islamabad (AFP) - Pakistan on Saturday welcomed President Donald Trump's decision to slash US troop numbers in Afghanistan, calling it a step towards peace in the war-torn nation.

The decision to pull around half of the 14,000 American troops in Afghanistan has stunned and dismayed diplomats and officials in Kabul, and comes amid a renewed push for talks with the Taliban to end the 17-year war.

Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said the move was "a step forward" in the peace effort.

"The US reviewed its (Afghanistan) policy and then talks were held in Abu Dhabi, then there was progress in the talks and things are moving ahead," Qureshi told reporters in the central city of Multan.

"We expect that things will move further."

Qureshi added that Pakistan had released some Taliban detainees to help facilitate the peace talks and to "create an enabling environment".

There has been no official comment from the Taliban, but one of the militant group's senior commanders on Friday welcomed the decision.

The Taliban already control vast amounts of territory and are causing significant Afghan troop casualties.

The talks in Abu Dhabi earlier this week, with peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad leading the US side, were also attended by Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates.

The UAE's state-run WAM news agency has said a new round would be held in Abu Dhabi "to complete the Afghanistan reconciliation process", without providing further details.
An Alabama police department is courting controversy after demonizing nonbelievers.

A small-town Alabama police department this week alleged Beelzebub is responsible for a recent spike in homicides and its all thanks to nonbelievers in the rural community.

The Opp Police Department shared the bold opinion on its Facebook page Tuesday. Written in all capital letters, it read, in part:

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.

According to the Facebook post, which has since been deleted, there have been five homicides in Opp this past year. Its a huge jump for a small town which, according to the FBIs Uniform Crime Reporting Program, reported only two homicides between 2007 and 2017.

The Opp Police Department, in its Facebook post, did not elaborate on the homicides or the alleged motivations behind them.

The Facebook post as it appeared before it was deleted, according to the Freedom From Religion Foundation.

The agency provided no numbers on how many residents of the 6,500-person town it suspects of being nonbelievers or whether it plans to do anything about it beyond publicly chastising them.

The post quickly brought the ire of an organization that promotes the separation of church and state. The group pointed out its illegal for government entities to endorse or criticize any religious beliefs.

The department has very directly endorsed one religious ideology to the exclusion of minority religions and atheism, and decried Satanism, said Sam Grover, an attorney who represents the Madison, Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation.

Neither message is permissible, Grover added.

... Sigue leyendo en HuffPost
KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani called Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir on Saturday to express his support for Sudan after days of anti-government protests, Bashir's office said in a statement. Qatar and its regional rivals have increasingly vied for influence in Sudan and other countries on the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. Gulf states have also been an important source of funding for Sudan after it lost three-quarters of its oil output when the south seceded in 2011. Since Wednesday, cities across Sudan have been shaken by protests triggered by an economic deterioration. Protesters have also called for an end to Bashir's 29-year rule. "During the call Sheikh Tamim declared that his country stood with Sudan and was ready to offer all that was necessary to help Sudan overcome this ordeal, stressing his keenness for the stability and security of Sudan," the statement said. Qatar's state news agency QNA confirmed the call. (Reporting by Khalid Abdelaziz and Hesham Hajali; Writing by Aidan Lewis; editing by John Stonestreet)
Rome (AFP) - Italy's far-right Interior Minister Matteo Salvini said on Saturday Italian ports were closed to hundreds of migrants rescued off Libya after a mother and newborn baby were evacuated to Malta.

The anti-immigration minister said that the Spanish NGO Proactiva Open Arms had asked to allow the men, women, children and babies rescued on Friday to disembark in Italy after Malta turned them away.

"My answer is clear: Italian ports are closed!" Salvini tweeted. "For the traffickers of human beings and for those who help them, the fun is over."

The NGO said a Maltese coastguard helicopter had taken a woman and her baby born on a Libyan beach three days ago who were among those rescued at sea.

"We continue with 311 people on board, without port and in need of supplies," the NGO tweeted.

Proactiva Open Arms said on Friday that it had rescued more than 300 migrants from three vessels in difficulty, including men, women -- some of them pregnant -- children and babies.

The NGO posted a video of some of those rescued "from a certain death at sea. If you could feel the cold in the images, it would be easier to understand the emergency. No port to disembark and Malta's refusal to give us food. This isn't Christmas."

Open Arms' founder Oscar Camps tweeted at Salvini that "your rhetoric and your message will, like everything in this life, end. But you should know that in a few decades your descendants will be ashamed of what you do and say."

The vessel started patrolling the Mediterranean with two other boats run by migrant aid groups off the Libyan coast in late November.

This area of the Mediterranean has been the most deadly for migrants attempting the crossing to Europe.

German NGO Sea Watch meanwhile tweeted that it had rescued another 33 migrants in difficulty, and that it was appealing for a port to be allowed to dock.

More than 1,300 migrants have perished trying to reach Italy or Malta since the beginning of the year, according to the International Organization for Migration.

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Aid groups have been sending rescue vessels into these waters despite vocal opposition from Salvini.

Accusing the groups of acting as a "taxi service" for migrants, he has denied them access to Italy's ports. Malta too has been increasingly unwilling to host rescue vessels.

Another aid group meanwhile, Sea-Eye from Germany, announced Friday that one of its vessels was setting off from the southern Spanish port of Algeciras.

The 18-strong crew includes former volunteers who were on board the Aquarius, a rescue boat run by Doctors Without Borders (MSF) and SOS Mediterranee.

The two groups said they had to halt activities earlier this month because of obstruction by some European countries.
Rome (AFP) - Spain on Saturday authorised a ship carrying hundreds of migrants rescued off Libya to sail to its waters after Italy and Malta refused to receive them.

The Spanish coastguard "due to the refusal or lack of response from the nearest ports, has authorised (the ship's) movement to Spanish territorial waters," a government statement said, with the migrants expected to spend Christmas at sea.

Libya, France and Tunisia did not respond to a request from Spanish NGO Proactiva Open Arms to disembark the 311 men, women, children and babies, Spain said, after Italy's hard-right Interior Minister Matteo Salvini said the migrants were not welcome.

"My answer is clear: Italian ports are closed!" Salvini tweeted. "For the traffickers of human beings and for those who help them, the fun is over."

The NGO said a Maltese coastguard helicopter had taken a woman and her baby born on a Libyan beach three days ago who were among those rescued at sea by the Open Arms.

The Maltese government confirmed rescuing a newborn baby boy and his mother, 23.

Proactiva Open Arms said on Friday that it had rescued more than 300 migrants from three vessels in difficulty, including men, women -- some of them pregnant -- children and babies.

NGO spokeswoman Laura Lanuza told AFP that the boat was heading for Algeciras, near Gibraltar. Journey time will depend on the weather but take "five to six days", she said.

The NGO's sailboat Astral is headed from Badalona near Barcelona to the Open Arms with food supplies, Lanuza said.

The NGO posted a video of some of those rescued "from a certain death at sea. If you could feel the cold in the images, it would be easier to understand the emergency. No port to disembark and Malta's refusal to give us food. This isn't Christmas."

After announcing the closure of Italian ports, Salvini tweeted a photo of the tortellini and sausage he had for lunch.

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- Shame and calamity -

Open Arms' founder Oscar Camps tweeted back at Salvini that "your rhetoric and your message will, like everything in this life, end. But you should know that in a few decades your descendants will be ashamed of what you do and say."

The vessel started patrolling the Mediterranean with two other boats run by migrant aid groups off the Libyan coast in late November.

This area of the Mediterranean has been the most deadly for migrants attempting the crossing to Europe.

German NGO Sea Watch meanwhile tweeted that it had rescued another 33 migrants in difficulty, and that it was appealing for a port to be allowed to dock.

More than 1,300 migrants have perished trying to reach Italy or Malta since the beginning of the year, according to the International Organization for Migration.

Aid groups have been sending rescue vessels into these waters despite vocal opposition from Salvini.

Accusing the groups of acting as a "taxi service" for migrants, he has denied them access to Italy's ports. Malta too has been increasingly unwilling to host rescue vessels.

A United Nations report on Thursday said that migrants and refugees are subjected to "unimaginable horrors" from the moment they enter Libya, headed for the Mediterranean and Europe.

"There is a local and international failure to handle this hidden human calamity that continues to take place in Libya," said Ghassan Salame, the head of the UN mission in Libya UNSMIL.

The climate of lawlessness in Libya provides fertile ground for illicit activities, leaving migrants and refugees "at the mercy of countless predators who view them as commodities to be exploited and extorted," the report said.

The overwhelming majority of women and older teenage girls report having been gang raped by smugglers or traffickers, the report said.

"Across Libya, unidentified bodies of migrants and refugees bearing gunshot wounds, torture marks and burns are frequently uncovered in rubbish bins, dry river beds, farms and the desert," it said.
By Gergely Szakacs BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Thousands of Hungarians marched to the presidential palace late on Friday to protest against reforms to the labor code as a rally led by spoof political party MKKP merged with a subsequent demonstration staged by opposition groups. Passage of two laws last week backed by Prime Minister Viktor Orban's Fidesz party angered a variety of groups. One, dubbed by critics the "slave law", allows employers to ask staff to work up to 400 hours per year of overtime. Another would set up new courts which critics say could be politically manipulated. MKKP's gathering started outside Parliament, where one protester brandished a placard saying "Happy boss, gloomy Sunday". The Two-Tailed Dog Party (MKKP), launched over a decade ago as a joke, has become a semi-serious force, using ironic humor to tackle practical issues. "I wanted to come because I consider the Dog Party to be the most serious of all in the current lineup, which is rather sad," said student Almos Edes, 26, a university student holding a sign saying 'We promise everything' beneath a logo of Fidesz. Edes was skeptical of any change being triggered by the rallies, but said he had joined to make his voice heard. Friday's rally also took aim at grievances including regulations that have led to the departure of the Central European University, founded by Hungarian-born billionaire George Soros, from Budapest. "We can finally work eight days a week. We no longer need to hassle with independent courts. Homelessness has been eliminated. Irritating foreign schools will vanish. And Soros, Soros, Soros, Soros, Soros," said an invitation to the rally posted on Facebook. Orban has said the protests have been partly stoked by activists paid by Soros, an accusation Soros' Open Society Foundation has denied. Demonstrators, subsequently joined by another rally called by opposition groups, then marched up to the presidential palace in Buda Castle, briefly blocking a bridge crossing the Danube River. (Reporting by Gergely Szakacs; editing by Andrew Roche and James Dalgleish)
WASHINGTON (AP)  President Donald Trump's band of "my generals" is disbanding.

A political novice, Trump took office nearly two years ago gushing about the retired military leaders who had agreed to serve in his administration: retired four-star Marine Corps Gen. Jim Mattis as defense secretary, and John Kelly, another retired four-star Marine general, heading the Department of Homeland Security.

In the White House, Trump installed retired Army Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn as national security adviser.

"I see my generals, generals who are going to keep us so safe," Trump said hours after he'd been sworn into office in January 2017. "They're going to have a lot of problems, the other side."

He went on to describe the generals as "central casting. If I'm doing a movie, I pick you, Gen. Mattis, who's doing really well."

Here's a look at Trump's generals:

MICHAEL FLYNN

Flynn was first among the generals to leave the administration.

Just weeks into his new job, he was fired by Trump for lying to Vice President Mike Pence about conversations with Russian government officials.

Flynn has been cooperating with special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into possible collusion between members of Trump's presidential campaign, on which Flynn served, and Russia.

Flynn pleaded guilty to the federal crime of lying to the FBI and had been scheduled to be sentenced this week. Prosecutors even cited his extensive cooperation in recommending that he receive between zero and six months in prison as punishment. But the presiding judge abruptly postponed Tuesday's sentencing after telling the court he was disgusted by Flynn's crime of lying to the FBI and raised the unexpected prospect of sending the retired Army lieutenant general to prison after all.

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JOHN KELLY

As homeland security secretary, Kelly's efforts to combat illegal crossings at the Mexico border eventually caught the eye of Trump, who had campaigned on keeping people from entering the U.S. illegally. Trump often praised Kelly during public appearances and ultimately looked Kelly's way after tiring of Reince Priebus as chief of staff.

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But things between Trump and Kelly quickly soured, with reports of Trump bristling at the orderly processes the general imposed on the freewheeling president and White House operations at large.

Not politically savvy, Kelly didn't help himself, either. He publicly questioned Trump's understanding of immigration, clashed with a Democratic congresswoman and mishandled the case of a White House official whose ex-wives accused him of domestic violence during their marriages, among other missteps.

Speculation abounded that Kelly would be fired or resign. Over the summer, Kelly told senior aides he had agreed to Trump's request to stick around through 2020. But Trump announced this month that Kelly, in fact, would leave at the end of December.

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JIM MATTIS

As the administration began, Trump openly gushed about his respect for Mattis, repeatedly calling him "Mad Dog," even though Mattis dislikes the nickname.

But the two quickly clashed on major policy decisions. Mattis disagreed with Trump's assertion during the campaign that torture worked, and the secretary voiced support for NATO and similar alliances that Trump repeatedly criticized.

The two also were initially divided on the future of the Afghanistan war, with Trump complaining about its cost and arguing for withdrawal. Mattis and others ultimately persuaded Trump to pour additional resources and troops into the conflict to press toward a resolution.

Further, Trump chafed at the Pentagon's slow response to his order to ban transgender people from military service, an effort now stalled by multiple legal challenges.

More recently, Trump disregarded Mattis' choice of Gen. David Goldfein, the Air Force chief, to be the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The current chairman, Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford, is set to retire in October. Trump instead tapped Gen. Mark Milley, the chief of the Army.

Mattis has deliberately kept a low public profile, striving not to make headlines that would incur Trump's ire. But he told Trump in a letter Thursday that he was leaving because "you have a right to have a Secretary of Defense whose views are better aligned with yours."

Trump tweeted that Mattis is retiring at the end of February "with distinction."

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H.R. McMASTER

McMaster succeeded Flynn as national security adviser in February 2017.

Trump announced the pick from a sofa in the ornate living room of his Palm Beach, Florida, estate, praising the then-active-duty Army lieutenant general as a man of "tremendous talent and tremendous experience." McMaster had commanded troops in both U.S. wars in Iraq and was a prominent military strategist.

But he failed to develop a personal rapport with Trump, who was said to be bored by McMaster's long-winded briefing style.

McMaster's influence in high-level decision-making began to wane after Trump increasingly began to rely on advice from Kelly and Mattis, who had pushed for McMaster's ouster. His fate appeared sealed after Trump dumped his first secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, a McMaster ally, in March.

Soon after, Trump announced he was replacing McMaster with John Bolton, a former U.N. ambassador and Fox News commentator.

The White House said McMaster's exit had been under discussion for some time and said no single incident was to blame, but the public friction between Trump and McMaster had been growing.

One instance involved a telephone call between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. McMaster had briefed Trump before the call and his team had drafted instructions telling Trump not to congratulate Putin on his recent re-election victory.

Trump congratulated Putin anyway.

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By Ece Toksabay and Dahlia Nehme ISTANBUL/BEIRUT (Reuters) - Turkey will take over the fight against Islamic State militants in Syria as the United States withdraws its troops, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday, in the latest upheaval wrought by Washington's abrupt policy shift. The surprise announcement by U.S. President Donald Trump this week that he would withdraw roughly 2,000 troops has felled a pillar of American policy in the Middle East. Critics say Trump's decision will make it harder to find a diplomatic solution to Syria's seven-year-old conflict. For Turkey, the step removes a source of friction with the United States. Erdogan has long castigated his NATO ally over its support for Syrian Kurdish YPG fighters against Islamic State. Turkey considers the YPG a terrorist group and an offshoot of the armed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), fighting for Kurdish autonomy across the border on Turkish soil. In a speech in Istanbul, Erdogan said Turkey would mobilize to fight remaining Islamic State forces in Syria and temporarily delay plans to attack Kurdish fighters in the northeast of Syria - shifts both precipitated by the American decision to withdraw. The news was less welcome for other U.S. allies. Both France and Germany warned that the U.S. change of course risked damaging the campaign against Islamic State, the jihadists who seized big swathes of Iraq and Syria in 2014-15 but have now been beaten back to a sliver of Syrian territory. Likewise, the U.S.-backed militia spearheaded by the YPG said a Turkish attack would force it to divert fighters from the battle against Islamic State to protect its territory. Islamic State launched an attack in Syria's southeast against the U.S.-backed SDF militia, employing car bombs and dozens of militants. "We will be working on our operational plans to eliminate ISIS (Islamic State) elements, which are said to remain intact in Syria, in line with our conversation with President Trump," Erdogan said. The Turkish president had announced plans last week to start an operation east of the Euphrates River in northern Syria to oust the YPG from the area that it largely controls. This week, he said the campaign could come at any moment. But on Friday, he cited the talk with Trump as a reason to wait. "Our phone call with President Trump, along with contacts between our diplomats and security officials and statements by the United States, have led us to wait a little longer," he said. "We have postponed our military operation against the east of the Euphrates river until we see on the ground the result of America's decision to withdraw from Syria." Erdogan said, however, that this was not an "open-ended waiting period" and that, due to past "negative experiences", Ankara welcomed the United States' statements with an equal amount of pleasure and caution. Turkey has repeatedly voiced frustration over what it says is the slow implementation of a deal with Washington to pull YPG fighters out of Manbij, a town in mainly Arab territory west of the Euphrates in northern Syria. The United States will probably end its air campaign against IS in Syria when it pulls out troops, U.S. officials have said. Erdogan's foreign minister said the withdrawal plan would be discussed by the two countries in Washington in January. 'TIME FOR OTHERS TO FIGHT' Trump maintained that IS had been wiped out, a view not shared by key allies, that Washington had been doing the work of other countries and it was "time for others to finally fight". His defense secretary, Jim Mattis, opposed the decision and abruptly announced on Thursday he was resigning after meeting with the president. In a candid letter to Trump, the retired Marine general emphasized the importance of "showing respect" to allies that have voiced surprise and concern about the president's decision. Russia said on Friday it did not understand what the United States' next steps in Syria would be, adding that chaotic and unpredictable decision-making in Washington was creating discomfort in international affairs. 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 has given no sign of changing his mind. He promised to remove forces from Syria during his 2016 election campaign. 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 multi-sided civil war, with military help from Iran and Russia. IS declared a caliphate in 2014 after seizing parts of Syria and Iraq. The ultra-hardline Sunni militants established their de facto capital in the Syrian city of Raqqa, using it as a base to plot attacks in Europe. A senior U.S. official last week said Islamic State was down to the last 1 percent of the territory it once held. The group has no remaining territory in Iraq, though militants have resumed attacks since their defeat there last year. Islamic State launched an attack on Friday on positions held by the SDF in Syria's southeast and the U.S.-led coalition mounted air strikes in the area, an SDF official said. Kurdish-led forces in northern Syria may not be able to continue to hold Islamic State prisoners if the situation in the region gets out of control after a U.S. pullout, top Syrian Kurdish official Ilham Ahmed said on Friday. (Additional reporting by Sarah Dadouch, Ali Kucukgocmen and Ezgi Erkoyun in Istanbul and Tuvan Gumrukcu in Ankara and John Irish in Paris; Writing by David Dolan; Editing by Mark Heinrich and Andrew Roche)
Aden (AFP) - A United Nations team tasked with monitoring Yemen's fragile ceasefire in the port city of Hodeida arrived in Aden on Saturday, an AFP journalist said.

The team led by Patrick Cammaert, a retired Dutch general, made their first stop in Aden where the internationally-recognised government is based.

While in the city Cammaert is due to meet with leaders, according to a Yemeni official, before travelling to the rebel-held capital Sanaa and onwards to Hodeida.

The team's arrival comes a day after the UN Security Council unanimously approved a resolution authorising the deployment of observers to Hodeida, a lifeline port city which serves as the entry point for the majority of imports to war-torn Yemen.

The UN team is due to secure the functioning of the port as well as supervise the withdrawal of fighters from the city.

The resolution submitted by Britain also endorses the outcome of UN-brokered peace negotiations in Sweden last week, where the warring parties agreed to the Hodeida truce which came into force on Tuesday.

The text approved by the Security Council "insists on the full respect by all parties of the ceasefire agreed" for Hodeida.

It authorises the United Nations to "establish and deploy, for an initial period of 30 days from the adoption of this resolution, an advance team to begin monitoring" the ceasefire, under Cammaert's leadership.
Aden (AFP) - UN monitors arrived in Yemen on Saturday to oversee a fragile ceasefire in the rebel-held city of Hodeida, the latest push to secure peace in the devastated country.

It comes a day after the UN Security Council unanimously approved a resolution authorising the deployment of observers to Hodeida, a lifeline port city which serves as the entry point for the majority of imports to war-torn Yemen.

A team led by Patrick Cammaert, a retired Dutch general, landed in Aden where the internationally recognised government is based.

Cammaert was welcomed on arrival by Saghir bin Aziz, a general who heads the government team in a joint committee -- with Huthi rebels -- which is tasked with organising the withdrawal of troops from Hodeida.

Another group of observers arrived in the rebel-held capital Sanaa on a UN plane from Jordan, according to an AFP photographer.

After meeting with leaders in Aden, Cammaert was also due to travel to Sanaa Sunday and then onwards to Hodeida.

The UN said in a statement that in his meeting with government appointees in Aden, "Cammaert stressed that the success or failure of the Stockholm Agreement rested solely with the parties".

"He urged the Government of Yemen and Coalition forces to uphold the ceasefire... and sought their commitment and cooperation to secure the unhindered flow of humanitarian aid into and across the country as a matter of urgency," the UN said.

Hodeida is held by Yemen's Huthi rebels and has been subjected to an offensive by pro-government forces, backed by a military coalition led by Saudi Arabia.

A halt to fighting in the strategic port city follows intense diplomatic efforts which culminated in peace talks last week in Sweden, where the warring parties agreed to the truce which came into force on Tuesday.

The ceasefire remained shaky, however, with both sides accusing each other of violations in Hodeida province.

The UN monitoring team could consist of 30 to 40 people, according to diplomats, and aims to secure the functioning of Hodeida port and supervise the withdrawal of fighters from the city.

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- 'Full respect' for truce -

The text approved by the Security Council "insists on the full respect by all parties of the ceasefire agreed" for Hodeida.

It authorises the United Nations to "establish and deploy, for an initial period of 30 days from the adoption of this resolution, an advance team to begin monitoring" the ceasefire, under Cammaert's leadership.

The resolution was backed by rebel negotiator Mohammed Abdelsalam, who said late Friday it marked "an important step towards stopping the aggression and lifting the blockade".

He was referring to the Saudi-led military coalition which intervened in 2015 and imposed a blockade on Yemeni waters and airports.

Quoted by the rebel-run Al-Masirah TV, he criticised, however, the resolution for not condemning the "crimes of the aggressors".

The government of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi reaffirmed its "commitment (to respect) the agreement" reached in Sweden and endorsed by the UN resolution.

In a statement also released late Friday, the Yemeni government pledged to work "in a positive spirit" with UN envoy Martin Griffiths towards a lasting political agreement to end the war.

Saudi Arabia also welcomed the resolution.

Khalid Manzalawi, the kingdom's deputy permanent representative to the UN, said the resolution means that the Huthis "will lose their margin of manoeuvre", the official Saudi Press Agency reported.

Around 10,000 people have been killed since the Saudi-led intervention, according to the World Health Organization, although rights groups say the death toll could be five times higher.

The conflict has unleashed a major humanitarian crisis and pushed 14 million Yemenis to the brink of famine.

The aid group Save the Children welcomed the UN resolution but said that more needed to be done in a country where around 85,000 children are estimated to have died from extreme hunger and disease.

"The final text fell short in recognising the sheer scale of the humanitarian crisis and to call for investigations into alleged violations of international humanitarian law in Yemen," it said in a statement.

"Council members need to put politics aside in the new year and be ready to take further action to support the political process and address the humanitarian situation on the ground. The lives of thousands of Yemeni children remain at stake," it added.
In a small cafe in Qirmizi, Azerbaijan, a few elderly mountain Jews chat over a strong tea with sugar cubes. They speak Juhuro, the forsaken tongue of Caucasus Jews. Its a kind of Persian mixed with Hebrew.

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One of them, an elderly man with a big white mustache and a black cap, proudly shows off his arm, decorated with a flower tattoo. I had it done when I was 20 years old. So that when Im old, Ill remember my youthful days, he said.

The Cafe in Qirmizi (Photo: Yoav Keren)

The cafe has a small shaded yard with two tables covered in oilcloth, and a pile of firewood next to them. It gets cold here in winters, on the foothills of the Greater Caucasus. An old Lada, essentially a tin can on wheels, is parked under a weeping willow tree. There are many Ladas on Azerbaijans roads, plodding alongside some extremely luxurious cars.

Qirmizi Qsb, also known as Krasnaya Sloboda ("Red Village" in Russian), is one of only two communties outside Israel with an entirely Jewish population (the second being Kiryas Joel in New York State.) Some 3,000-4,000 people live here, but at noon the streets appear empty.

Some residents have businesses in Moscow and only come here for the holidays. The grand manse of Zerach Ilayev, a man whose fortune is estimated at $3 billion, stands empty in the center of town.

A tattoo to remember my youthful days (Photo: Yoav Keren)

The air is full of longinga longing for the children who have left, for the grandchildren who live in Israel or the US. A longing for the days when this place was called the Jerusalem of the Caucasus.

But Qirmizi still has a lively side to it, which we experienced in the cemetery, of all places. We visited with our wonderful guide Elchin Mammadov (Eli), who wished to visit his mothers grave.

The first thing you notice in the cemetery is the facesdozens of faces looking at you from all the black tombstones. The faces of the dead men, women and children.

Some tombstones are covered in white plastic. The custom here is to only unveil the tombstone a year after the parting, and until then its kept covered.

One tombstone has a stone bird figurine on it. This means the deceased left no children behind him, our guide explains.

We spot a small area with four tombstones together: mother Golda, father Ephraim and children Eliya and Hava. Eliya was seven and Hava was five when the whole family died in a plane crash in Russia 10 years ago. A marble plaque shows a family picture under the image of a Boeing 737.

(Photo: Yoav Keren)

Down the road are the older graves, from a century ago, some broken and others almost illegible. Hezi, the graveyard keeper asked us to translate some inscriptions from Hebrew. Here lies the woman who was killed by brutal gentiles in Quba. Shunamit daughter of Nisan, in the year 5678 (1918).

The Quba in question is Azerbaijans capital of carpet weaving and apple plantations, located across the River Kudyal from the capital Baku.The river is dry in early winter, but when the snows thaw up in the summits, it overflows.

(Photo: Yoav Keren)

Matchmaking in Azerbaijan

Three bridges separate Qirmizi and Quba. One of them, a bridge thats closed to vehicles, is referred to as "the love bridge"  and functions as the citys JDate. This is where the single Jewish men and women come to meet a match.

Girls walk the bridge with their mothers, Eli explains, while the guys look on from the banks. If a guy sees a girl he likes, his parents will approach her parents and ask for her hand.

Not exactly what you would find on the curriculum of a gender studies program, but in Azerbaijan, it works. Around the corner from the bridge is the citys wedding venue  a pillared hall that houses weddings, bar mitzvahs and circumcisions. Theres a huge photo of the Western Wall inside.

The town wedding venue (Photo: Yoav Keren)

So what kind of presents do you bring? we asked our guide. Checks, of course, he said. A minimum of 100 Azeri manatthe equivalent of NIS 220 or approximately $60.

Caucasus weddings are a good deal

A local kosher restaurant supplies everything you need for the big day. The feast menu includes juicy kebabs that can also be found everywhere from roadside stalls en route to Baku to the fancy restaurants once you get there; Dushpere, a soup with meat-stuffed dumplings; and Dolmavine or cabbage leaves stuffed with meat.

(Photo: Yoav Keren)

Then theres the pickles, of coursenot only cucumbers, but also olives, peppers stuffed with cabbage, tomatoes and cherries. And add alcohol, and a band that plays Azar music with Persian instruments like kamancha and Tar. All this for $22 per personnot a bad deal.

Azerbaijan pays its respect for the Jews

Azerbaijan is a Muslim Shiite country, with most Azaris living in nearby Iran and making up 25% of the population there. But people here love Israel, and not only because we buy their oil and sell them weapons (including Iron Dome systems, which are lined across the Azari border with Armenia.)

The local Jews are respected and treated with tolerance. In central Baku, Jews wearing kippas walk around undisturbednot something you would see in Paris or other European cities nowadays.

A Synagogue with magnificant carpets (Photo: Yoav Keren)

A small sign informs us of the contribution of Azari Jews to their homeland: a plaque commemorating a young Jew, Albert Agrovich, who fought and died in the infamous war against Armenia in the 1990s over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.

By the tea house theres a statue of a Soviet soldier, commemorating the Great Patriotic War, during which the Red Army stopped Hitler from conquering the oil-rich Caucasus and murdering its Jewish population.

A prayer book in Juhuri

During Soviet times, there were 11 synagogues in Qirmizi, but they werent in use  Communism was the only religion. And yet the mountain Jews continued to preserve their faith and customs in their homesobserving the Sabbath, fasting on Yom Kippur. Most of them didnt even know why.

If you asked a Jew why he observes Shabbat, the answer was because my grandfather told me to, says Eli.

Qirmizi's grand Synagogue (Photo: Yoav Keren)

Today there are only two synagogues left in in the town, but they are both active. The larger one was closed so we visit the smaller one. The beadle asks us to remove our shoes, and when we enter we understood why: the floor is adorned with colorful and magnificent Azari carpets (such a carpet can reach a cost of NIS 10,000 or $2,500).

Every day 25-30 people come to pray here, and during holidays its packed. Theres even a Siddur (Jewish prayer book) in Juhuru, the local dialect. Neither my wife nor I are religious, but here, standing in the last Jewish town in Azerbaijan, we pray.
Chabad emissary and Hungarian Rabbi Shlomo Koves finds himself at the center of a controversy surrounding the "House of Destinies"a museum of the Holocaust and history of Hungarian Jewry with which he has been entrusted with by the government.

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Last week, the president of Hungary's Jewish community and vice president of the World Jewish Congress Andras Heisler harshly criticized Rabbi Koves for his association with the Hungarian government, which he says is trying to "whitewash" its role in the murder of Jews during the Holocaust and "to rewrite history."





Chabad Rabbi Shlomo Koves (Photo: Merez Marton)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu even sent his political advisor Reuven Ezer in an attempt to bridge the gap between Koves and Heisler, but with no success.

But Heisler is not willing to cooperate with Koves or historian Maria Schmidt. As far as he's concerned, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Schmidt and Koves are working together to "rewrite history."

Last week, Figyelo (warning), a Hungarian magazine associated with Orban, published a picture of Heisler on its cover surrounded by bank notes. The article raised serious allegations of financial irregularities under the management of Heisler, referring to the 10 million euros that the Jewish community received from the Hungarian government to renovate the Rumbach Street Synagogue and turn it into a museum of coexistence. In Israel and in the Jewish world, the magazine cover was strongly condemned and is considered to be an anti-Semitic attack. Heisler vehemently denies any financial irregularities.

The infamous cover featuring Heisler

"I found it unpleasant to see Andras Heisler on the cover of the magazine, surrounded by banknotes," Koves told Ynet. "I too have experienced similar coverage (when I appeared on the cover) with a shofar and the title: 'Judaism and business, the billions of Rabbi Koves,' I condemn this cover, but not as an anti-Semitic act, but rather for misleading the public."

Rabbi Koves featured on magazine cover

Koves said that the missing money earmarked for the synagogue could be a true trigger for anti-Jewish attacks.

"We can shout anti-Semitism, but when you do not answer where the funds intended to renovate the synagogue went, it could really cause anti-Semitism," said Koves. "I do not believe that the cover of him was anti-Semitic, just as I did not think that my cover was anti-Semitic. Hungarian Jews are part of society and we must take into account that we are subject to criticism and questions will be asked of us."

'Political Leadership'

Rabbi Shlomo Koves is the rabbi of the Orthodox Union of Jewish Federations congregation, numbering several thousand members, as well as the rabbi of the oldest synagogue in Hungary. But in an interview with Ynet, Heisler attacked Koves, claiming that Chabad itself has only been in Hungary for 15 years and has no expertise in establishing a Holocaust museum.

"In 2010, the left in Hungary suffered a severe blow and fell apart. Many of the representatives on the left who lost their livelihood found refuge within the leadership of the Jewish community as advisers and members of the leadership," says Koves. "It is extremely unfortunate to say this, but they have commercialized anti-Semitism and Judaism. Threfore, the candidacy of Heisler has recently become political, as in against Orban's government."

Andras Heisler

"It's not only the involvement of the Jewish community in politics in Hungary, but also in politics in Israel. Unfortunately, they portray anti-Israel traits. One of their (the left's) rabbis, Geber Finaly, said that Israel is like North Korea, and Heisler did not condemn his words. Now they are trying to blend it together with politics in Israel and turn the whole thing into a kind of struggle between the left and the right, between the Foreign Ministry and the Prime Minister's Office. It is a mistake and a travesty."

'I am the historian, he sells clothing'

The claims of anti-Semitism upset Koves: "If there is something that causes anti-Semitism, it is the fact that they have become so political," he says. The magazine that put Heisler on the cover asked him a number of questions and instead of responding, he boycotted and accused them of anti-Semitism.

"The reporter asked them how exactly they used the government funds, whether there was a concept for the museum and who is working on the museum? These are questions that the public deserves answered," said Koves.

Is Orban good for Hungarian Jews?

"Orban is trying to uproot anti-Semitism from the right-wing identity in Hungary. Anyone who knows Hungarian history knows that part of the right-wing identity is anti-Semitism, and he is trying to cleanse it by openly standing by Israel, worrying about Jewish life, and making statements that support Israel and the Jewish community. So I believe that he is a positive leader."

Prime Minister Viktor Orban (Photo: EPA)

A CNN survey found that about 20% of Hungarians identified themselves as anti-Semites, which is quite high.

"The survey is indeed shocking, but the rate of anti-Semitism in all western countries, including the United States, is at 40 percent, and Hungary is among them, to my great regret. What is different here is the number of people who openly identify as such, as well as the lack of knowledge about Jews in Hungary.

"This is precisely the reason why we should work to establish a Holocaust museum that will tell the Jewish story and convey knowledge to people who have no connection to Judaism and Israel. It can change the mindset of an entire generation toward the Holocaust, the Jews and Israel. The government already agreed that control of the museum should be in Jewish hands, Chabad, and we have the authorization to implement a new concept.

"We are in the midst of discussions with a number of historians who are working on it, and instead of strengthening it and cooperating, they are again turning it into a political matter. This is a serious mistake that reinforces anti-Semitism."

Rabbi Koves, L, at re-dedication of ancient synagogue

Heisler claims that Chabad lacks historical knowledge, local roots as well as archives like that of the general community.

"Between the two of us, I am the historian, he sells clothes. No one has said that I am going to be creating the contents of the museum. There is already a series of Israeli and American historians and professionals working on it Heisler is turning it into a political matter and portrays me as a traitor and other accusations that I did not respond to because I am not interested in turning it into something personal."

What do you say about the involvement of the Israeli government?

"The Israeli government is acting very wisely because by not getting involved in the content itself. They themselves declare that only established international historians should be responsible for the content Reports that Israel is involved in planning the museum's content are simply false."

They claim that you are helping 'whitewash' the problematic past of Hungary.

"I am a grandson of Holocaust survivors and I live here in Hungary, how can I be blamed for this? I would not lend my name to even the slightest bit of revisionism. History cannot be rewritten, including the issue of the Hungarian government during the Holocaust.

"There is no doubt that the murder of Hungarian Jews after 1944with the German invasionwas in full cooperation with the administration at the time, headed by (Miklos) Horthy."
BERLIN - Germany is to ban flights in and out of the country by Iran's Mahan Air, which is under US sanctions over allegations it ferries troops and supplies into Syria in support of President Bashar al-Assad, a newspaper reported on Friday.

Bild said the German government had taken the decision to stop Mahan Air from operating its flights to Dusseldorf and Munich after intensive deliberations on US demands.

A German government spokesman said he could not comment on the report in Bild, which said Mahan Air would be banned in January.

The US government has sanctioned several companies for their links to Mahan Air, including a Thai aviation company and a Malaysia-based sales agent.

The US embassy in Berlin has criticised Germany for allowing the airline to fly to the two major cities. Mahan Air says on its website that it also operates flights to Paris, Barcelona, Milan and Athens.
Israeli forces shot and killed three Palestinians, including a teenager, in the Gaza Strip during the latest of weekly protests along the border with Israel on Friday, Palestinian health officials said.

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About 8,000 Palestinians gathered near the border fence, the Israeli military said. Most kept their distance, while some burned tires and tried to throw an explosive device into Israel, though it did not land across the border, the military said.

A military spokeswoman said the troops responded with riot dispersal means and fired in accordance with Israeli procedure.

Palestinian protesters during border clashes with IDF (Photo: AP)

Gazas health ministry said 16-year-old Mohammad Jahjouh was fatally shot in the neck, while 25 others, including a local journalist, were wounded by Israeli gunfire.

It later said two men, aged 28 and 40, died of injuries they sustained at protests in two separate locations along the fence with Israel earlier in the day.

Health officials in Gaza, which is run by the Hamas terror organization, say more than 220 Palestinians have been killed since they began weekly March of Return border protests on March 30 to demand the easing of Israels blockade on the territory.

Alarmed at the bloodshed, Egypt, the United Nations and Qatar have sought ways to improve conditions in the enclave.

Israel withdrew settlers and soldiers from Gaza in 2005 but maintains tight control of its land, air and sea borders. The wider Israeli-Palestinian peace process has been stalled for several years.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo assured Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi that the US is still committed to fighting Islamic State in Iraq and other areas despite its planned troop withdrawal from Syria, Abdul Mahdi's office said on Saturday.

President Donald Trump has begun what will be a total withdrawal of US troops from Syria, declaring on Wednesday they had succeeded in their mission to defeat Islamic State and were no longer needed. The plan has drawn criticism from allies such as Britain and France who say the militants are not fully beaten.
One of the strangest claims currently heard about the demolition of terrorists' homes is that it actually has no deterrence. The family whose home is destroyed goes on with their lives, happy and healthy, their neighbors pay no heed to the sudden open space, and the local residents don't give a second though to any consequences that they themselves may incur. This is a strange claim, not only because it is based on the assumption that Palestinians do not relate to their private property like the rest of the world, but also because of the assumptions behind this claim.

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The most serious academic research on this subject (by Efraim Benmelech of Northwestern University, and Claude Errebie and Esteban F. Klor of the Hebrew University from 2015) found that house demolitions during the Second Intifada led to an immediate decrease in suicide attacks. According to the study, this reduction in terrorist activity lies between 11.7%-14.9%. It's recommended reading . This data is also consistent with the approach of the Shin Bet domestic security service during and after the intifada.

IDF demolishes home of attacker who killed Staff Sgt. Ronen Lubarsky (Photo: AFP)

On the other hand, various more sane arguments against demolitions have been made, from human rights organizations that protest collective punishment or from an IDF investigative team that concluded that the cost is higher than the benefit, and demolitions even encourage revenge attacks.

The ongoing discussion about the demolition of terrorists' homes is part of the strength of Israeli democracy; its checks and balances, if you will. But house demolitions are a legal act, and not only according to the defense regulations that have been in place since the Mandate. They are legal because they save lives at the expense of property. Furthermore, the element of collective punishment is limited only to those who create a supportive environment for terrorists who murder Jews. The long legal process surrounding demolitions - sometimes too long  also allows us to avoid mistakes. Besides, the Israel of recent years does not really destroy entire homes anyway. Sealing off a room, or destroying a room or floor simply does not produce the same deterrent as demolishing a family home. This is a moral and security choice. In order for it to work, it must be implemented to its fullest extent. Otherwise it does not work.

Politics of fear, fear of politics

There is no other option but to conclude that Israel's government ministers, half of them at least, are convinced that their voters are stupid. Their basic assumption is that the electorate does not understand, or at least does not make the connection between ministers who sit in the government, making decisions alongside the person who heads it and bearing joint responsibility for those decisions, and the ministers who rail and rail against them.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (Photo: EPA)

Benjamin Netanyahu has every reason to be paranoid. He is leading a bunch of cowards and overseeing politics of fear run rampant within government. The ministers range from fear of the public, who do not like moderate talk in response to a wave of terror, and the fear of Netanyahu, the political strongman. Ministers speak out against him behind closed doors, lament about his mental state and legal situation to journalists, and then go on the radio and sing his praises. I think Netanyahu should leave office - I've written enough about it - and indictments will indeed end his term. But unfortunately, even once he does go, this political culture will remain. How can ministers who sit in the government be taken seriously when they act as if they have nothing to do with any decisions?

The protest organizers from the Yesha Council of Settlers should also show a little more accountability about who put them in post. Holding a demonstration, alongside government ministers, in which they yell that they do not trust the government, is farcical.

If I forget thee, O Jerusalem

Donald Trump abandoned Israeli interests to the north, just as Barack Obama abandoned our interests on the Iranian nuclear issue. It has to be said, despite the positive things Trump has also done. Nevertheless, the Israeli government has two national-strategic missions for Trump's tenure in the White House. The first is strengthening Jerusalem; at the moment East Jerusalem in political chaos, but I'll get back to that. The second is strengthening the eastern border in the Jordan Valley.

There is no construction going on in Jerusalem, and the Jordan Valley is desolate. The 2,610 units approved seven years ago at Givat Hamatos (just over the Green Line in southern Jerusalem) have not yet been built on the orders of the political echelons. The 3,000 units approved for Har Homa and Pisgat Ze'ev have also been frozen. The process of relocating IDF colleges to Mount Scopus (after planning and investing tens of millions of shekels) has evaporated, and Jerusalem, which is desperate for housing and young people, is shuttered and closed.

None of this happened last week or even last month, but has been going on from day one of this government. None of those protesting ministers ever thought of abandoning the government. Not Naftali Bennett nor Ze'ev Elkin nor Yoav Galant nor any of the very chatty MKs such as Bezalel Smotrich, who recycles his threat to abandon ship every other week. The Jordan Valley, however, has been abandoned politically. Far from the center of the country, hot in the summer, cold in the winter, the settlers there are the product of the Labor Party of the 1970s, not any settlement movement. The same is true of the settlers north of the Dead Sea. When UN Envoy to the Middle East Nikolay Mladenov explains that Israeli construction in Judea and Samaria is at a low, but the protests from the Knesset peanut gallery are at a height, it is worth taking note.

Issam Akel detained by the PA on suspicion of selling lands to Jews

In order to understand the reality of East Jerusalem, one must acknowledge the scandal that is the kidnapping of Issam Akel. For two months, Akel, a resident of East Jerusalem and an American citizen, has been detained by the Palestinian Authority. The pretext for this detention is the "suspicion" that he sold property to Jews, which in Ramallah can result in the death penalty. Obviously, the Palestinian Authority has no power in East Jerusalem, for residents like Issam Akel or for real estate transactions, and just imagine how any other sovereign state would react when one of its resident was kidnapped from its capital. What does this Beit Hanina resident have to do with national security? Nothing. Human rights organizations and Arab MKs who are close to the PA (see Ahmad Tibi and Ayman Odeh) ignore Akel's case because he is on the wrong side. Respect for human rights is only demanded of Israel.

Akel might be just one person, but ignoring what happened to him speaks volumes.
POSING THURSDAY with a paper wigwam made by students of the Watersmeet K-12 School are, from left, Lynn Richie, Wendy Powalisz, artist Norma Dycus Pennycuff (hunched inside) and art teacher Nina Fiorucci. The project was part of a program made possible by a grant initiated through Wisconsin's Land O'Lakes Arts, with which Richie and Pawalisz are affiliated. The wigwam is in the school lobby.

By P.J. GLISSON

[email protected]

WATERSMEET - People walking into the lobby of the Watersmeet K-12 School are greeted by a life-sized wigwam made of paper.

The project made by middle and high school students is just one result of an art education grant made possible by the state, via Land O'Lakes Arts in Land O'Lakes, Wis.

According to Nina Fiorucci, the school's art teacher, the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs provided the grant, for which LOLA applied on behalf of the school.

Fiorucci said the grant allowed artist Debra Jircik, of Eagle River, Wis., to be an artist-...
Expert Advice with Brett Warren 12/12/2018



With another year coming to an end and the prospects of an interesting year ahead for property investors Id like to share two property investment tips and two success tips I would have liked to learn earlier in life.



TWO PROPERTY TIPS

1. Location does 80% of the heavy lifting of your property portfolio.

Speculators tend to look for the next hotspot for an initial quick hit.

Other investors look for cash flow positive properties to improve their circumstances.

Both of these are short term factors and will not get you to where you want to be financially over the longer term.

On the other hand, successful investors look for locations that have a proven track record of strong capital growth which will outperform over the longer term because of their demographics.

These tends to be areas that are gentrifying or where the locals have higher wages and therefore higher disposable incomes.

This type of suburb can deliver double the capital growth of the general market.





2. Smart property investors choose capital growth over cash flow.

The aim of all investors should be to build a substantial asset base that will one day give them more choices in life and hopefully financial freedom

While cash flow is important to help serviceability, especially in this stage of the credit cycle, you cant save your way to wealth.

Its just too difficult to build a substantial asset base from after tax cash flow.

On the other hand tax free capital growth will provide you with the deposit for your next property and the increasing rents from your high growth property will help pay for your mortgage.

Most of your assets when you retire will be your tax free capital growth  the increase in value of your home and your investment properties  not money you have saved or rent that youve collected or superannuation youve put away.

TWO SUCCESS TIPS

1. Success does not come from one big event or occurrence, it comes from a series of smaller things.

I always used to think I would be successful as a result of one big break or event.

I would get a promotion or win the lotto or flip a property and make a substantial amount of money.

But Ive learned that success comes from a series of smaller events.

So take every opportunity you can to better yourself or your circumstances, change your habits to be more productive and work hard towards a long term goal that you are committed too.

2. Successful people have multiple streams of income.

In most cases your salary has a ceiling so whether you earn $50,000 per annum or $500,000 per annum your level of savings is capped.

You cannot save your way to wealth and success.

But by investing the income you save in high growth assets, diversifying your portfolio and adding multiple streams of income from property, shares and business you can fast track your wealth and are not solely reliant of your salary.

.....................................................

Brett Warren is a director of Metropole Properties in Brisbane and uses his 12 plus years property investment experience and economics education to advice clients how to build their portfolios.

He is a regular commentator for Michael Yardney's Property Update.







Disclaimer: while due care is taken, the viewpoints expressed by contributors do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Your Investment Property.
News

Washington, DC - Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein Announces Charges Against Chinese Hackers:

I am honored to be joined by FBI Director Chris Wray, National Security Division Assistant Attorney General John Demers, and Southern District of New York U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman.

Today, the Department of Justice is announcing a criminal indictment of two computer hackers associated with the Chinese government. The charges include conspiracy to commit computer intrusions against dozens of companies in the United States and around the world. As with all American criminal charges, individual defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

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. When hackers gain access to MSPs, they can steal sensitive business information that gives competitors an unfair advantage.

The indictment alleges that defendants worked for a group known to cyber security experts as APT-10. These groups are designated as APTs, or Advanced Persistent Threats, because they use malware to gain access to computer networks and exfiltrate data over an extended period of time.

These defendants allegedly compromised MSP clients in at least a dozen countries. 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.

The defendants allegedly committed these crimes in association with a Chinese intelligence service known as the Ministry of State Security.

This is not the first time the Department of Justice has accused Chinese state actors and associates of stealing commercial information. Since the indictment of five uniformed members of the Peoples Liberation Army in 2014, our Department has repeatedly cast a spotlight on Chinese state-sponsored criminal activity targeting U.S. companies.

More than 90 percent of the Departments cases alleging economic espionage over the past seven years involve China. More than two-thirds of the Departments cases involving thefts of trade secrets are connected to China. In the last few months of this year, our Department has announced charges in three cases alleging crimes committed at the behest of a branch of the Chinese Ministry of State Security.

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.

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.

For example, the Chinese industrial policy, known as Made in China 2025, lists ten strategic advanced manufacturing industries that the nation has targeted for promotion and development. Many of the companies allegedly targeted recently by Chinese defendants operate in sectors identified by that official policy. Whether through computer hackers operating from China, or Chinese nationals recruited to steal trade secrets from companies in other countries, the goal is the same: to dominate production in strategically important industries by stealing ideas from other nations.

Todays charges mark an important step in revealing to the world Chinas continued practice of stealing commercial data. Responding to that conduct requires a strategic approach to the threats that China poses. That is why the Department of Justice recently announced an initiative to address the full range of threats. One tactic is to increase our enforcement efforts. Another is to conduct foreign investment reviews to protect against China improperly acquiring sensitive information. A third is to find ways to better protect our telecommunications networks.

China stands accused of engaging in criminal activity that victimizes individuals and companies in the United States, violates our 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.

America and many allies know what China is doing. We know why they are doing it. And in some cases, we even know which individual people are doing it in association with the Chinese government.

The alleged criminals in this case are named Zhu Hua and Zhang Shilong. We hope the day will come when the defendants face justice under the rule of law in a federal courtroom.

Until then, they and other hackers who steal from our companies for the apparent benefit of Chinese industries should remember: there is no free pass to violate American laws merely because they do so under the protection of a foreign state. The Department of Justice and the FBI will continue to use all available tools to respond to Chinas economic aggression and the threat that these actions pose to the prosperity and security of the United States and other nations that respect the rule of law.
News

Chicago, Illinois - The Justice Department filed a denaturalization lawsuit against Nedjo Milosevic, a native of the former Yugoslavia, who, according to the Departments complaint, was a member of one of the military units responsible for the Srebrenica massacrethe largest mass atrocity in Europe since the Holocaust.

The complaint alleges that Milosevic concealed his military service in order to enter the United States as a refugee, and continued to conceal it throughout his naturalization proceedings. The civil complaint was filed in federal court in the Northern District of Illinois.

The naturalization process is a shining example of the United States generosity to the rest of the world, but it is not available to war criminals, said Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Jesse Panuccio. The United States will use every available law enforcement tool to combat human rights abuses like these, including the civil denaturalization process.

Nedjo Milosevic tried to cheat our nations immigration system by lying about his military role during the Bosnian War, said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcements Homeland Security Investigations Executive Associate Director Derek Benner. This denaturalization filing demonstrates the U.S. governments enduring commitment to identify and bring to justice those who are suspected to have taken part in human rights violations in any part of the world. The United States will not serve as a safe haven for those who would commit such atrocities.

According to the complaint, Milosevic, 53, a resident of Harwood Heights, Illinois, was a member of the Military Police Company of the Zvornik Brigade of the Army of the Serb Republicthe military arm of an entity within Bosnia controlled by ethnic Serbs. The Zvornik Brigade, including the Military Police Company, were active during the Srebrenica massacre during which, over the course of several days in July 1995, approximately 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys were systematically killed and more than 30,000 women, children, and elderly were forcibly separated and expelled from the region. The complaint alleges that Milosevic was deployed in the field during the Srebrenica massacre.

Before his military service had come to light, Milosevic requested and received refugee status in the United States. The complaint alleges that Milosevic concealed and affirmatively misrepresented his military service in order to obtain immigration benefits, including naturalization. The complaint also alleges that Milosevic falsely stated that he was living in Serbia, rather than Bosnia, in order to qualify for refugee status.

The United States is committed to combating human rights abuses, said U.S. Attorney John R. Lausch, Jr. of the Northern District of Illinois. We will not allow our country to be a safe haven for anyone who has participated in or helped perpetrate such atrocities in any capacity. Regardless of how long ago, or how far away, it will never be tolerated.

This civil denaturalization case follows the criminal conviction of a member of the Army of the Serb Republic for making materially false statements on his application for refugee status, which also involved concealment of service in a military unit connected to the Srebrenica massacre, as well as civil denaturalization actions against alleged members of the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina, convicted in Bosnia of murdering civilians and prisoners of war during the 1990s Balkans conflict, and an alleged member of the Croatian Defense Council, who participated in extrajudicial killings during the same conflict.

The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcements (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Chicago and supported by the ICE Human Rights Violator and War Crimes Center and the Civil Divisions Office of Immigration Litigation, District Court Section (OIL-DCS), with consultation and support from ICEs Office of the Principal Legal Advisor (OPLA) Human Rights Law Section and Chicago Office of Chief Counsel, and the Justice Departments Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section. The case is being prosecuted by Counsel for National Security Aaron Petty of OIL-DCSs National Security and Affirmative Litigation Unit with assistance from the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Northern District of Illinois.

The claims made in the complaint are allegations only, and there have been no determinations of liability.
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- 27-year-old electrician has been sentenced to death by an Accra circuit court.

- He was charged with two count of murder on former Stanbic bank female staff

An Accra High Court has sentenced 27-year-old auto-electrician to death for killing a former staff of Stanbic Bank, Rosemond Nyampong.

Abraham Oyoko Baah, who hails from Odumase Krobo in the Lower Manya Krobo of the Eastern Region, was arrested for strangling the 32-year-old woman at her apartment at Baatsona, off the Spintex Road in Accra.

He was sentenced to death after a seven-member jury unanimously found him guilty on two counts of murder.

Rose Nyampong Source: Graphic.com.gh

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: 80-year-old man reportedly reported for speaking against creation of Oti region

Rosemond, until her death, worked at the Credit Department at the head office of Stanbic Bank in Accra.

On November 21, 2013, the decomposed body of Rosemond was found in the kitchen of her rented apartment after her family and colleagues had not seen her in public for several days.

The Sakumono District Police tracked and arrested Abraham at Odumase Krobo where he had transported the deceaseds Toyota Yaris saloon car.

The laptop, two mobile phones, television set and sound system of Rosemond were found in the room of Abraham, a few metres from the house of the deceased.

READ ALSO: 10 wild adult 'atopa' videos that leaked in 2018

Investigations revealed that she was gagged with a piece of black cloth and hit in the eye by Abraham.

An autopsy report further revealed that the deceased was strangled outside the apartment and the body conveyed to the kitchen.

Abraham told the Tema Magistrate Court during the pre-trial that he pushed the deceased on the ground, gagged her and strangled her.

READ ALSO: 12000 customers call for the arrest of Nduom and six others over locked-up funds

Ghana News Today: Sad Story of How Woman Lost Baby at Gov't Hospital In Kumasi | #Yencomgh

Click here to get the latest exciting English Premier League news. Get match highlights, reports, photos & videos all in one place.

Source: Yen
While visiting the board of editors, journalists, editors, and staff of the newspaper on December 21, PM Phuc hailed that the newspaper has promoted a vivid image of Uncle Hos soldiers to readers and honoured the glorious and heroic traditions of the Vietnamese Peoples Army.

As the organ of the Central Military Commission and Ministry of Defence, the voice of armed forces and people, the newspaper has established itself as one of the leading units in the fight against corruption and negative phenomena, with many frequent and informative articles, while contributing to popularising the messages of the Party, State and Central Military Commission to the entire army and people, he stressed.

The newspaper was also applauded for timely applying advanced technology in its publications and raising the qualifications of its staff.

As a bridge connecting the people and armed forces, the newspaper was requested to play the vanguard role in safeguarding the sound guidelines and viewpoint of the Party, Marxism-Leninism, President Ho Chi Minhs ideology, and the goal of the national independence and socialism.

The Quan Doi Nhan Dan newspaper published its first issue in 1968. The newspaper currently has five different publications including Quan Doi Nhan Dan Daily, Quan Doi Nhan Dan Weekend, Su Kien Va Nhan Chung (Events and Witnesses) Monthly, and Quarterly Bulletin, plus Quan Doi Nhan Dan Online, which is available in the five languages of Vietnamese, English, Chinese, Laos, and Khmer.




South Korean actor So Ji-sub will hold events to meet Asian fans for two months starting February, his agency said Friday.







The agency 51k said the actor from "I'm Sorry, I Love You" (2004) and "Oh My Venus" (2017) will go on a fan meet-and-greet tour, titled "Hello," in seven Asian cities.







His first stop is Taipei on Feb. 10. Then he will visit Japan's Chiba for events on Feb. 20 and 21. In March, there will be events in Bangkok on the 2nd, Jakarta on the 9th, Hong Kong on the 10th and Manila on the 16th.







The events will consist of a quiz show about himself, as well as music and a session where he consults his fans on various issues.







He recently finished MBC TV's "My Secret Terrius" and is considering his next project. (Yonhap)


Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. AP-Yonhap (Korea Times file)



U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says he is "counting on" a second summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un despite an apparent stalemate in talks between the sides.



Pompeo told National Public Radio on Thursday that there had been "some progress" in efforts to rid the North of its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs.



He said that while there was still a long way to go, the he had never expected the issue to be easy or resolved "like instant pudding."



"It's been a great process," he said. "They're not firing rockets. They're not conducting nuclear tests. We have a ways to go, and we will continue to work to achieve the president's agenda."



On a possible second summit, he said, "I'm counting on it."



Trump said early this month that he expected to meet Kim in January or February.



Pompeo has repeatedly voiced hope that a second summit will materialize even as the North Koreans have appeared reluctant.








North Korea's state media on Saturday criticized Japan for conducting a test of a new missile interceptor system, which is being co-funded by the United States and Japan, arguing that the move could chill the "peace atmosphere" on the Korean Peninsula.







The U.S. and Japan have jointly developed the SM-3 Block IIA interceptor, and they successfully conducted a test of the new interceptor in Hawaii earlier this month.







In an English-language commentary, the North's Korean Central News Agency said, "Japan's incitement of the bellicose atmosphere is a serious act of harassing peace to chill the peace atmosphere on the Korean peninsula and the region and strain the situation."







"It is the revelation of the crafty trick of the Japanese reactionaries to further ratchet up the tension on the Korean peninsula and meet their own interests," the commentary said.







The commentary also criticized Japan for moving to refit its helicopter carriers into aircraft carriers, but there was no mention of the U.S. in the commentary.







North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump pledged to work to end the North's nuclear weapons program at a landmark summit in June, but there has been little progress on the details of how to meet that goal. Kim and Trump are seeking to hold another meeting early next year. (Yonhap)


The deputy PM spoke highly of the contributions of Samsung Vietnam and Shim in particular to the socio-economic development of Vietnam.

He expressed his hopes that the firms new head, Choi Joo Ho, will have a successful office tenure in the country and keep in close coordination with the Vietnamese government during the firms operation.

The Vietnamese Government will provide optimal conditions for Samsung to turn Vietnam into the firms global production hub, Deputy PM Hue said.

According to Shim, Samsung Vietnams export revenue this year is estimated to grow 12% to reach US$60 billion, accounting for about 25% of Vietnams total exports.

He affirmed that Samsung will carry on implementing its strategy of long-term investment in Vietnam as it considers the nation its largest global production hub, with Samsung Thai Nguyen being the firms biggest factory worldwide.

So far, Samsung has disbursed over 90% of the US$17.3 billion that it had registered to invest in Vietnam, Shim noted, adding that a network connecting Samsung and its subsidies with Vietnamese enterprises has been formed.

He expressed his hopes that the Vietnamese Government will continue backing the firms operations in the future.

Deputy PM Hue said that in 2018, Vietnam fulfilled all socio-economic targets for the whole year with a GDP growth of 6.9-7% and import-export revenue of US$480 billion, up 13% year-on-year.

The contributions that Samsung has made to the growth of Bac Ninh, Thai Nguyen, and Ho Chi Minh City where its factories are located are substantial, helping to greatly improve the nations economic results, he noted.

After 30 years of attracting foreign direct investment, Vietnam is moving to prioritise projects with a high connectivity capacity that can support Vietnamese firms to join the global value chain, the deputy PM said.

He suggested that Samsung pay more attention to development research with a base in Hanoi, developing semiconducting technology in Vietnam, and enhancing the localisation ratio of its products.

The Vietnamese Government will soon issue a policy to promote the growth of its value chain, determined to reinforce the macro-economic foundations for the growth of local businesses, he stressed.
Japanese Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya. AP-Yonhap (Korea Times file)



Tokyo has lodged a strong protest with Seoul



Japan rebuked South Korea on Friday after claiming one of the country's warships had locked its weapons targeting system onto a Japanese military aircraft.



South Korea's KDX-1 class destroyer locked its fire control radar on a Japanese P-1 patrol plane on Thursday off Noto peninsula in the Sea of Japan that divides the two countries, Tokyo's defence ministry said.



"It was an extremely dangerous act," Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya told reporters. "Considering the significance of this case, our country today conveyed a strong protest to South Korea."



Ties between Japan and South Korea  both allies of the United States  have remained icy for decades due to the legacy of Japan's brutal 1910-45 colonial rule of the Korean peninsula.






Mason Richey



By Mason Richey



This year has been wild  from Donald Trump's scorched-earth politics and high-stakes Korean summits to Middle East volatility and BTS's meteoric rise. But 2018 is so passe, and just as generals should avoid fighting the last war, we shouldn't focus on the past.



The important thing now is what lies ahead in 2019. Indeed, the new year promises questions and event outcomes portending long-lasting repercussions. In that spirit, I am providing a list of key political and economic developments to monitor in the impending year of the pig.



The West's political crackup: The U.S. and Europe have, since World War II, rarely been as dysfunctional as they are now. A primary driver of this disarray has been pathological politics. Next year offers crucial political inflection points at which Western democracies will either retreat from growing populist nationalism and tribal polarization, or succumb and embark on an inchoate path of illiberalism.



In the U.S., the most critical development will be the ongoing investigation by special prosecutor Robert Mueller, as well as investigations by the new Democratic majority in the House of Representatives. Indeed, Mueller has already implicated President Trump in campaign finance violations, along with his former attorney. Trump may not care about his underlings indicted via the investigation, but evidence of further criminal wrongdoing by himself or his family members (Don Jr., Ivanka, Jared Kushner) would likely lead Trump to lash out, possibly including firing Mueller illegally and/or committing obstruction of justice. This would precipitate a constitutional crisis and perhaps lead to impeachment proceedings. The process and effects of such a crisis would tear at the sinews of the U.S. body politic.



Europe is now a rudderless ship heading for the rocks. The most obvious crisis is Brexit. The Brexit plan British PM Theresa May negotiated with the European Union has little chance of passing the House of Commons; the EU says it won't renegotiate the deal. That leaves a no-deal Brexit, with potentially awful economic consequences for the U.K. (and major downsides for the EU also,) and/or new elections likely to bring to power either Labour's Jeremy Corbyn or a Tory Brexit-huckster such as Boris Johnson. Both would be very divisive. There is only one remotely good option at this point  an improbable Brexit exit following a second referendum massively supporting Britain remaining in the EU. Of course there would be many bitter pro-Brexit supporters deeply alienated from British and European politics, so even a Brexit exit has major downsides.



France and Germany are confronting major pushback against their political establishments. Emmanuel Macron, who came to power outside traditional party structures, is facing an intense, widespread and decentralized revolt against his arrogant presidency, indeed against the entire French political system. Meanwhile, the nominally major political parties on the center-right and center-left have fallen into irrelevance, so there is no mainstream political current to co-opt the revolutionary furor and channel it into constructive reforms.



In Germany, Angela Merkel, the steward of moderate policy in Berlin and throughout the EU, has seen her domestic power erode such that she resigned as leader of her ruling party. She will likely follow suit as Chancellor in 2019. The German far-right is gaining support quickly and there is a high possibility that Merkel's successor will not have her steady hand or tactical and strategic acumen in domestic and European politics.



The global economy: 2019 marks 10 years since the start of the recovery from the 2008 economic crisis and there are many warning lights flashing. The U.S.-China trade war represents serious downside risk to the global economy, if Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping do not find solutions to their differences over trade by next March. March is also the moment of truth for Brexit, with consequences of a chaotic no-deal Brexit causing financial market and economic ripples throughout Europe and into the global economy. Finally, 2018 was a year of market volatility and there is reason to believe that will continue. Per se, this is not a problem, but markets are forward-looking and they may be telling us that unpleasant real-economy shocks are lurking in 2019.



Geostrategic risks: Numerous flashpoints threaten peace in 2019. Korean Peninsula diplomacy in 2018 has been a relief, but inter-Korean reconciliation has progressed much faster than North Korean denuclearization. If Washington and Pyongyang can't move forward on disarmament during 2019, the peninsula is liable to fall back into crisis as in 2017. Although less acutely dangerous, the U.S. and China are still locked in geostrategic competition, which could tip over into confrontation in numerous areas, notably the South China Sea. The Middle East is still a disaster, particularly Syria and Yemen. But things can always get worse, so watch for escalating U.S.-Iran tensions and regional destabilization if Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu is felled by ongoing corruption indictments.



May you live in interesting times!





Mason Richey is professor of international politics at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies.


South Korean President Moon Jae-in, left, and Chinese President Xi Jinping greet each other at the Apec summit in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, on November 17. Yonhap (Korea Times file)



While the move reflects South Korea's efforts to enhance relations with its giant neighbor, Japan seen as unhappy, with shift suggesting a downgrade in Seoul-Tokyo relations



By Lee Jeong-ho




Fox News host Tucker Carlson will go on a previously planned Christmas vacation next week while his bosses contend with an exodus of advertisers that threatens to financially damage his top-rated program.

More than two dozen advertisers have publicly announced that they wont run commercials on Tucker Carlson Tonight following pressure from Media Matters for America, Sleeping Giants and other liberal activist groups upset over the hosts recent on-air comments that described mass immigration as making the country poorer and dirtier and more divided.

Negative reactions to Carlson comments  largely delivered through organized tweets  have had a devastating effect on the programs lineup of advertisers. Lexus, Pfizer, Takeda, Voya, IHOP, Jaguar, Pacific Life, Ancestry and SodaStream are among the brands that have publicly said they have removed their commercials.

Since the advertiser flight, Fox News has cut the number of commercials carried in the 8 p.m. Eastern hour when Carlson airs. Only a handful of major brand-name companies have been running ads in the program, with other spots taken by direct marketing advertisers known to look for opportunistic prices that are lower than the typical rate. Five companies  Bayer, John Deere, AstraZeneca, My Pillow and Sanofi  have said they will remain in the program.

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Fox News has said that the advertiser fallout will have no negative financial effect on the cable network as the commercials bought for Carlsons time period have been moved to other programs. That may be the case for a while. But running fewer or cheaper spots on Tucker Carlson Tonight over a long period will eventually cut into the programs profitability.

Carlson has been a major ratings success for conservative-leaning Fox News since he took over the 8 p.m. hour in April 2017, delivering close to 3 million viewers on many nights. Before the recent controversy hit, commercials on his program are among the highest priced in all of cable news, around $12,300 for a 30-second spot, according to Standard Media Index.

While Carlson has never been afraid to be controversial, he had previously managed to escape the targeting of media watchdogs and activists who have driven advertisers away from the programs of Fox News hosts Sean Hannity and Laura Ingraham.

Fox News has defended Carlson, who has not backed away from his comments.

We cannot and will not allow voices like Tucker Carlson to be censored by agenda-driven intimidation efforts from the likes of Moveon.org, Media Matters and Sleeping Giants, the network said in a statement. While we do not advocate boycotts, these same groups never target other broadcasters and operate under a grossly hypocritical double standard given their intolerance to all opposing points of view.

Carlson will appear on tape on two programs next week. Fill-in hosts will appear the rest of the week. Carlsons time off is unrelated to the advertiser situation, as news hosts typically take time off during the Christmas holiday.

stephen.battaglio@latimes.com

Twitter: @SteveBattaglio
A persons home is an inherently emotional asset, so the process of creating a historic district  which can protect distinctive architecture, or handcuff a homeowners desires, depending on your viewpoint  can be a fear-driven process, rife with accusations and entrenched positions.

Neighbors were basically sitting in a room screaming at each other  it was very contentious, said Bettina OMara, who, with other neighbors, battled a proposed Holmby-Westwood Historic Preservation Overlay Zone, defeated in 2016.

Protecting a neighborhoods historic details has a principled and even honorable ring to it. But participants say arriving at consensus over a proposed HPOZ  L.A.s designation for its historic districts  can be like a battle between todays polarized political camps. And similar to crafting legislation, the creation process can be likened to sausage-making  perhaps its better that you just dont know.

(Los Angeles Times)

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Los Angeles adopted its HPOZ ordinance in 1979; the historic districts now number 35, harboring 21,000 properties. Generally, groups of homes within a neighborhood need to be built during a period of significance, such as from 1905-1941, to become HPOZ-worthy. Residents in neighborhoods kick-start the process by rallying neighbors in support of the districts. Once one is approved, the citys Planning Department and HPOZ boards review proposed alterations to exteriors of homes within their zones.

What freaked out the Westwood folks is that they were going to have other neighbors tell them what they can or cant do to their homes, said Ben Reznik, a Century City-based land-use attorney. Reznik was among attorneys and a lobbying company that neighbors brought in to advance the opposition.

Under contention in the neighborhood: 1,044 properties, 62% of which were deemed Period Revival architecture built from 1925 to 1959.

In July 2016, neighbors sent a petition with more than 500 signatures to Councilman Paul Koretz. Those dissidents contended a historic zone would severely suppress property values and cited very stringent approval standards and a lengthy process for proposed home changes, among other points.

There was some inaccurate information spread, Principal City Planner Ken Bernstein said.

About 90% of what our HPOZ team reviews falls under conforming work, Bernstein said  benign changes including roof repair, exterior paint color swaps and small rear additions, which can be approved in three to 21 days.

The fears about HPOZs are way out of proportion to the reality, said Adrian Scott Fine, director of advocacy at the L.A. Conservancy. He called the HPOZ boards judicious, with proposed home changes approved in the high 90% range.

Falsehoods were rebutted in a mailer sent by HPOZ supporters. The corrections: Modern-style homes can be built, homes on corner lots can be expanded and second-story additions are allowed.

In fact, significant additions are common within historic zones, although they require a higher-level review of up to 75 days, and a fee that tops out at $2,600. If denied, an application can be appealed, which can take up to 75 additional days.

Opposing camps met, but talks were curt and ineffective, said Susan Reuben, vice president of the Holmby Westwood Property Owners Assn.

There wasnt any attempt to work it out, to talk it out, said Reuben, an HPOZ backer.

Negotiations between the city and neighbors did loosen some points in the districts preservation plan, a guideline for home changes. That included adding greater flexibility to side and rear elevation changes on homes.

We took care to include voices who were skeptical or even in opposition, Bernstein said.

Fears about property values are more common for historic zones proposed in wealthier areas, which can be correspondingly more contentious. Affluent Hancock Park, for example, also endured a caustic debate before the district was approved in 2008.

Fine and others cited numerous studies showing that property values are either maintained or, more often, increase at a higher rate because the neighborhoods character is kept intact, he said.

Despite the studies, Reznik said, I dont think its proven, adding that he believes the marketplace cant play out, in terms of rebuilding and home expansion within such historic zones.

The L.A. Conservancy is conducting a study that includes HPOZ property values, with findings scheduled for release in early 2019.

The definition of a Historic Preservation Overlay Zone can remain vague to many residents, even with neighborhood outreach and meetings, until the proposal is presented by the city in a public workshop. By that time, a consulting firm has completed a survey of historical resources, and the city Planning Department, a draft preservation plan.

In the end, a City Council vote determines a proposed zones fate; council members are kingpins to the process as they follow their constituents lead. Koretz pulled his support in September 2016. His office did not respond to requests for comment.

Holmby-Westwood groups did a lot of outreach to educate residents about Historic Preservation Overlay Zones, Fine said. It doesnt mean they couldnt have done more.

From my perspective: Do as many meetings as you think you should do and then do many more, he said. A lot of misconceptions take root and take on a life of their own. Its hard to take people back to reality.

hotproperty@latimes.com
Getting into the United Nations building in Manhattan is like getting into three airports, but once youre inside, the place is abuzz. The 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is being recognized all month. The Dutch are partying on floor 2. And inside the Trusteeship Council Chambers, the film Capernaum is being praised as a wake-up call to the international community.

It could have been shot in many cities around the world, says the French ambassador, Francois Delattre. The performers arent even acting, says the Lebanese ambassador, Amal Mudallali.

They arent acting, Lebanese director Nadine Labaki says a little while later outside the makeshift screening room, with its horseshoe configuration, guests and delegates. An actor comes to the set being prepared, knowing his lines, prepared to be a different person, to be in someone elses shoes. These people werent acting: The situations are so similar to what theyve lived in their real lives, they didnt feel they were becoming someone else.

At the center of Capernaum is Zain (Zain al Rafeea), a 12-year-old Beirut street kid who looks like hes 6 and becomes responsible for a baby when the childs undocumented mother is arrested. The film won the jury prize at the Cannes Film Festival this year before claiming awards at dozens of other international festivals. It recently scored a Golden Globe nomination for foreign language film and made the shortlist of nine contenders for a 2019 Academy Award nomination in that category.

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Boluwatife Treasure Bankole, left, and Zain Al Rafeea in a scene from Capernaum. (Fares Sokhon / Sony Pictures Classics)

It has also been associated with the U.N. from the start, Labaki said; the mid-December screening was a natural extension of that and perhaps another way of furthering its agenda  about child neglect, child labor, child marriage, the child refugee crisis and child poverty in general.

Ive been collaborating with the UNHCR [the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees] from the start, and they helped Zain get to Norway, she said. Hes there now, with his parents, overlooking the sea. Its like a fairy tale. Both UNHCR and UNICEF have been helping other kids in the film too, she said. Maybe it can change something. Maybe Im too naive.

Her husband and the films producer, Khaled Mouzanar, concurred.

The symbolism of this film being shown in the U.N. is big: It is as if each of these voiceless people in this film where given the chance to make a speech at the U.N., he said. This was our main aim. But we feel sometimes as if people are expecting solutions or proposals from us towards all these matters. We shouldnt expect solutions from artists; we should only expect inspiration.

Capernaum is Labakis third feature, following 2007s Caramel and 2011s Where Do We Go Now? With its non-actors, naturalism and spontaneity, her latest has been compared to the work of post-war neo-realists such as De Sica and Rossellini. It also bears comparison to the early docu-fiction of Abbas Kiarostami, the lines ever blurred between the real and the not.

The references werent conscious, Labaki said, but Im also fascinated by this Iranian school of filmmaking, which is very close to reality; theyre actors, but you wonder if its documentary. These are the films I like, which draw me the most.

Director Nadine Labaki on the set of Capernaum. (Fares Sokhon / Sony Pictures Classics)

A key narrative device in Capernaum  one might almost call it a MacGuffin  is Zains announcement in a Beirut courtroom that he wants to sue his abusive, neglectful parents. Their crime: having allowed him to be born.

Its the one angle to the story, Labaki said, that is wholly manufactured. Much of the rest, she said, was life imitating art, or art imitating life, I dont know which.

Two days after we shot the scene in which Rahil, the babys mother, gets arrested, the actress got arrested in real life, Labaki said of Yordanos Shiferaw, who, like her character, is Ethiopian. She got arrested in exactly the same situation and same reasons  she didnt have any papers. When we were shooting, she was illegal.

The baby girl in the film, Boluwatife Treasure Bankole, who is playing a boy, was in a similar situation to her characters. Her parents were arrested, said Labaki, who also plays Zains lawyer in the courtroom scenes. So just like Yonas in the film, Treasure was without her mother.

Labaki said that while the film had a script, she also wanted to tap into her casts reality.

The scene where Zains mother, Souad, is confronting me [as the lawyer] in court, I looked at her [actress Kawthar Al Haddad] and said: Now you forget everything. This is your chance.  the judge was a real judge  And you have to say everything you feel towards [my character], the society judging, the society that despises you. She has a child whos 18 and one thats 9; none of them are registered. Her voice is never heard. Shes had to give her children water and sugar [to eat] because she had nothing else.

Labaki agreed with the French ambassador, that the film might have been shot in many cities around the world. But the problem is magnified in Lebanon, she said, mostly because Lebanon has a million and a half refugees and is a very small country. At this point, almost half the population is Syrian  almost  so you really feel it everywhere around you. These children are not something you hear about on the news; you have direct contact every day. You see these children when youre driving home.

Yordanos Shiferaw portrays Rahil in Capernaum. (Fares Sokhon / Sony Pictures Classics)

Labaki was, indeed, driving home one night when she saw, on the median, a child and a mother; the mother was begging, the child was trying to sleep but couldnt because there was nowhere to lie down. It was the spark for what she called a homemade film.

Its organic, homemade. We worked without anyone knowing anything, edited for two years. Had 500 hours of rushes; the first version was 12 hours. No producer would allow this to happen.

Luckily, her husband was the producer.

Did he give her notes?

Yes.

Labaki is right now one of the more prominent female directors in the world. She doesnt say so, but it may be that only a woman could have made Capernaum, tapping into the realities of a refugee mother and deflecting the resentments that might have followed.

It was a blessed experience, she says. Youd think some people would react like this, maybe say, Why are you filming us? But it was the contrary. We were in a bubble, where everyone was collaborating and no one was an actor.

Except for one.

Except me, she says. I was the only lie in the film. Which is why my part is so small. It was supposed to be much bigger  in the script, you learned who Nadine is, you go to her house, you understand why she decides to represent this kid and all that. And we shot all of it. But when we started editing, I felt I was the only one who was lying. Im not a lawyer. Everyone else is playing themselves.

Director Nadine Labaki and actor Zain Al Rafeea in a discussion at the L.A. Times Envelope Live screening of Capernaum. (Ana Venegas / For The Times)

calendar@latimes.com
On the Basis of Sex begins in 1954, when a young Ruth Bader Ginsburg (Felicity Jones) arrives for her first day at Harvard Law. She is one of nine women in an incoming class of 500, a disparity signaled by the sight of a blue dress in a sea of dark-toned suits. Its the kind of image that more or less sums up the picture that follows  polished, effective, a bit obvious  but it also tells its own concise story. Ginsburg doesnt fit in with this mostly male enclave, and she shouldnt; one day shell surpass them all.

Directed by Mimi Leder (Pay It Forward, Deep Impact) from a script by Daniel Stiepleman (who happens to be Ginsburgs nephew), On the Basis of Sex is the second cinematic crowd-pleaser about its subject to emerge this year, following Betsy West and Julie Cohens RBG. The emergence of first a hit documentary and now this slick, prosaic Hollywood biopic is a testament to Ginsburgs legacy as a progressive icon and a tireless champion of womens rights, but also to her startling ascendancy in the public imagination, her claim to the kind of cultural prominence rarely bestowed on octogenarian Supreme Court justices.

In recent years she has been seized upon as a totem of Trump-era resistance and an irreplaceable voice of liberal reason within a judicial branch that, just a few months ago, found itself at the center of a galvanizing political firestorm. Every fresh report of a health scare  most recently Fridays news that Ginsburg had undergone a successful lung-cancer operation  sends a shudder through the body politic.

On the Basis of Sex returns us to a moment that seems simpler and less nerve-racking in some respects, but also far more depressing and discouraging in others. The supremacy of the male sex is the implicit law of the land, and it has an infinite variety of arched eyebrows and condescending snickers with which to express itself. The movie, which builds to a 1972 case that launched Ginsburgs legal career and helped reverse decades of discriminatory laws against women, seeks to take the measure of our social progress, the differences between now and then.

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It also seeks to remind us of the intellectual command and emotional fortitude it took for a woman to distinguish herself in a profession long assumed to be the dominion of men. As Ruth and her female classmates are condescendingly reminded by their dean, Erwin Griswold (Sam Waterston, a nice nod to Law & Order), they are at Harvard not because they belong there, but because of a lofty institutional notion of equality that does not, in any meaningful or practical sense, exist.

Jones, a British actress given the tricky assignment of playing an American icon at a still-unformed stage, meets the challenge by emphasizing her characters quick wit, resourceful imagination and peerless work ethic. Its an engaging performance if not a fully realized one, which has less to do with a wobbly Brooklyn accent than with the pictures reductive conception of the character. On the Basis of Sex duly pays lip service to its subjects formidable mind  There is no aspect of law at which Ruth Ginsburg can be bested! someone helpfully interjects at one point  but it has little sense of how to dramatize this beyond shots of desks piled with books or a montage of clacking typewriter keys.

The movie fares better (as most movies do) as a portrait of the heart. For all the inferior men in her midst, Ruth has a crucial exception in her loving, gregarious husband, Marty (Armie Hammer), himself a Harvard second-year bound for a career in tax law. And like RBG, On the Basis of Sex flirts with the too rarely proposed theory that behind every successful woman there is a supportive, blissfully unthreatened man.

If Jones and Hammer never fully jettison their movie-star charisma, that more or less suits Leders broad-strokes approach, which builds its argument more through symbolic gestures than fine-grained portraiture. The 6-foot-5-inch Hammer may not be an exact physical match for his character, but it hardly dispels the pleasure of seeing the man happily chopping vegetables as his wife returns home from work. (Weve already been clued in to the horrors of Ruths cooking  a detail that, like her Jewish heritage, is briefly referenced and then forgotten).

The Ginsburgs have a model marriage, one that serves as an implicit corrective to the prescribed gender roles of the era. They are ideally matched not just because their skills complement each other so nicely, but because they choose to assert themselves as equals even when the world tells them otherwise.

That Ruth assumes the brunt of the sacrifices is a sign not of her subservience, but her strength. When Marty is diagnosed with testicular cancer, Ruth takes on his coursework without breaking a sweat. When he recovers and joins a law practice in New York, she transfers from Harvard to Columbia. Unlike her husband, Ruth will have no luck getting hired as an attorney and instead takes a job as a professor, seemingly left to inspire the next generation of legal and social change rather than participating in the present one.

But she gets her day in court years later, in the early 70s, when Marty alerts her to the cause of Charles Moritz (Chris Mulkey), an unmarried man who has been denied a tax deduction to hire a caregiver for his ailing mother, the assumption being that all caregivers must be women. The irony isnt lost on anyone  a gender rights case in which the aggrieved party is a man  but neither is the delicious possibility of using it to bring down an entire history of American laws that discriminate on the basis of sex.

Justin Theroux is Melvin Wulf and Felicity Jones portrays Ruth Bader Ginsburg in Mimi Leders On the Basis of Sex. (Jonathan Wenk / Focus Features)

Once Ruth takes on the case, with Marty as her partner, the movie proceeds along its smooth, involving if thoroughly unsurprising course. I say unsurprising not because the outcome is a foregone conclusion, but because the filmmakers treat it as though it were. Like many historical dramas that seek to illuminate the prejudices of yesteryear, On the Basis of Sex has trouble bringing the past into a believable present tense. It plots out its narrative strategies with the complacency of hindsight.

This applies not only to the inevitable 10th Circuit Court of Appeals showdown, which is written and played for superficial suspense, but also the various conflicts that arise along the way. Each serves a carefully engineered purpose: to introduce an element of adversity that will quickly be resolved, and to make Ruth seem like more than a two-dimensional heroine without challenging her position too severely.

Her old friend Mel Wulf (an amusingly obnoxious Justin Theroux), now legal director of the ACLU, shows up to help sharpen their case and also to show that even presumed allies embodied the instinctive chauvinism of the era. Ruth argues frequently with her spirited teenage daughter, Jane (Cailee Spaeny), who sees her mother as both arrogant and ineffectual: Next to the advances of second-wave feminism and the Vietnam protest movement, trying to effect change or raise awareness through the law seems hopelessly passe.

On the Basis of Sex does its best to prove otherwise, but it is hindered by its own lack of imagination, its contentment with an easy-listening summary of its subjects accomplishments. It would be silly to expect this movie to achieve the cinematic equivalent of Ruth Bader Ginsburgs brilliance, but you cant help wishing it had more to offer than righteous speeches and stirring glances, that it put a few more ideas in your head to go with that lump in your throat.

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On the Basis of Sex

Rated: PG-13, for some language and suggestive content

Running time: 2 hours

Playing: Opens Dec. 25 at Arclight Cinemas, Hollywood, and the Landmark, West Los Angeles

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Kenneth Turans best movies of 2018: Black Panther and Leave No Trace top a banner year

justin.chang@latimes.com | Twitter: @JustinCChang
Brainy, audacious, opinionated and fun, Vice is a tonic for troubled times. As smart as it is partisan, and it is plenty partisan, this savage satire is scared of only one thing, and that is being dull.

Written and directed by Adam McKay, who won a screenwriting Oscar for the dazzling The Big Short, Vice tackles a subject as unlikely to result in gleeful cinema as the 2008 financial meltdown.

That would be a deep dive into the life and times of uncompromisingly uncharismatic former Vice President Dick Cheney, played by Christian Bale.

But, as McKay well knows, the word vice is not only a governmental title, its the opposite of virtue, and his film doesnt hesitate to depict the two-time veep as a conniving eminence grise whose eight years in office resulted in some of the most troubling aspects of American political life.

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Political scientists can argue about the truth of that. The fun of watching Vice is not in having your preconceptions appealed to or assaulted, but in enjoying the rousingly cinematic way the story has been told.

Unusual for a writer-director whose language possesses such snap and pizazz, McKay delights in throwing anything and everything up on screen, including type, unexpected news photos (Nancy Reagan sitting on Mr. Ts lap) and stock footage like a clip featuring Marvels Galactus, Devourer of Worlds.

More than that, in Vice McKay is keenly intent on playing games with structure. He drops a Shakespearean soliloquy into the dialogue, has Alfred Molina playing a waiter offering Cheney and company a variety of torture options as plats du jour, even makes believe hes ending his film in the middle, complete with a fake credits roll.

Making it all work as well as it does is committed acting from stars Bale and Amy Adams, as Dicks spouse Lynne Cheney, as well as an expert supporting cast of some 150 speaking roles highlighted by Steve Carell as Donald Rumsfeld, Sam Rockwell as President George W. Bush and a surprising Tyler Perry as Colin Powell.

Bale, first among equals, is known for his ferocious commitment to the roles he takes on, and Vice pushes that determination one step beyond.

As Cheney, the actor gained 45 pounds and worked especially hard on strengthening his neck because, he told the Hollywood Reporter, when you get that no-neck, you feel like nobody can change your mind.

Bale managed to endure almost five hours of daily makeup sessions by Oscar winner Greg Cannom as well as create a believably human true believer inside that shell, someone who unblinkingly says, I will not apologize for doing what needed to be done.

Adams, who played opposite Bale in both The Fighter and American Hustle, is clearly energized by his presence and rarely to better effect than here as half of a potent Washington power couple and the driving force behind her husbands career.

RELATED: Adam McKay and Christian Bale on launching their Dick Cheney biopic Vice into todays polarized climate

(L-R) - Christian Bale stars as Dick Cheney and Amy Adams stars as Lynne Cheney in Adam McKays Vice. (Matt Kennedy / Annapurna Pictures)

Vice begins with two sequences nearly four decades apart, cutting between two extremes in Cheneys life, asking in effect how a man could go from being an alcoholic roustabout to being hurried into the Presidential Emergency Operations Center for protection after 9/11.

More than that, Cheney is shown shocking Condoleezza Rice (LisaGay Hamilton) and others by unhesitatingly assuming presidential authority.

There was confusion, fear and uncertainty in that room, the films mysterious narrator (Jesse Plemons) tells us, but Dick Cheney saw something no one else did. Dick Cheney saw an opportunity.

As intricately constructed by McKay, Vice concerns itself not only with Cheneys rise to power (one of the most powerful leaders in this countrys history, and he did it like a ghost) but the nature of political power in general.

For though he is a latecomer to it, Cheney, goaded by Lynne into abandoning his neer-do-well status, soon discovers a passion for, to quote Lin-Manuel Mirandas Hamilton, being in the room where it happens.

In fact, when he gets into the congressional intern program in 1968, Cheney makes a beeline for Rep. Rumsfeld, said to use his position like a butterfly knife.

As that unidentified narrator (eventually shockingly unmasked) says, Cheney had finally found his lifes calling: being a humble servant to power.

RELATED: Golden Globes celebration of Vice collides with the Bush funerals celebration of virtue

Parallel to his rise in Washington, D.C.s corridors of influence (and his surviving of multiple heart attacks), Cheney becomes fascinated with something called the unitary executive theory, which posits that presidents have absolute authority.

That might make being vice president to a genial George W. Bush (Rockwells feet-on-desk portrayal almost steals the picture) seem counterintuitive, but Vice posits that Cheney cannily found a way to effectively become co-president if not something more.

McKay is clearly not averse to taking swings at Cheney for a variety of matters, including the bitter family fight between sisters Mary (Alison Pill) and Liz (Lily Rabe) about gay marriage, but what seems to upset him most is something distinctly nonpartisan.

That would be the notion, broached early and returned to at the end, that as the world becomes more and more confusing, we ignore facts that change and shape our lives. When we do have free time, the last thing we want is complicated analysis.

Unless Americans of all political stripes pay attention to whats going on, Vice insists, the results will be dire. A very dark warning from a very funny film.

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Vice

Rated: R, for language and some violent images

Running time: 1 hour, 52 minutes

Playing: Opens Tuesday in general release

kenneth.turan@latimes.com

@KennethTuran
Christmas television has been going roughly since the day after Halloween (earlier in fact: Hallmark Channel premiered its Jane Austen update Christmas at Pemberly Manor four days before), and we approach the day itself with many of its most cherished films and specials having come and gone.

That does not mean you will be left wholly on your own to weather the holidays. TV will continue to perform its traditional duties as a balm to the lonely, a bond for the family, or an excuse not to have to talk to anyone. Its Styrofoam peanuts for the psyche.

Let us begin at the beginning, as it were, with broadcast television, the good-old-fashioned kind. You take what you get there, but you dont have to think hard.

ABC, corporate child of Disney, has repeats of its computer-animated Prep & Landing (2009) and Prep & Landing 2: Naughty vs. Nice (2011), already dragged out once this year, 8 and 8:30 p.m. Sunday; the subject is elves who ready homes for the arrival of St. Nick. Beauty and the Beast, the Disney feature, which has nothing to do with Christmas but may distract your children while you wrap and stuff, is on for Monday at 8 p.m.

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Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade arrives Christmas morning at 9 to delay the unwrapping and de-stuffing. It features musical performances by Gwen Stefani, Andrea Bocelli (and son Matteo) and acts I had to look up to know who they were because I am nearly as old as Santa, including Brett Eldredge, Aloe Blacc, Maddie Poppe and Why Dont We.

NBC has Frank Capras Its a Wonderful Life on for Christmas Eve, 8 p.m. Monday; its a movie that lasts two hours and 10 minutes spread across three hours of prime time, so count the commercials and think of Mr. Potter. Christmas night sees the Chuck Jones-directed, Boris Karloff-narrated Dr. Seuss How the Grinch Stole Christmas, which is an animated classic (8 p.m. Tuesday), followed by the live-action How the Grinch Stole Christmas, a Jim Carrey movie.

Gwen Stefani goes Cinderella in Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade, airing Christmas morning on ABC. (Richard Harbaugh / Disney Parks)

CBS, taking the holiday easy, has repeats of God Friended Me on for Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, which I guess vaguely nods toward Christmas. Fox repeats the 2011 Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas (7 p.m. Sunday), of which I wrote at the time, Christmas has been strapped on to Ice Age like antlers on a dog), followed by a repeat of its repeat of the first full episode of The Simpsons, the Christmas-themed Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire (8 p.m.)

Local public television will carry the 59th annual L.A. County Holiday Celebration, featuring local musicians and dancers, on Christmas Eve, live from the Music Center on KOCE, otherwise known as PBS SoCal, from 3 to 6 p.m., with a replay on at 9 p.m., and a Christmas Day encore at noon.

KCET will broadcast the 55th annual student-and-faculty Wassail Concert at Chapman University (9 p.m. Monday), which is also where the Huell Howser archives are located, the power of Huell compels me to say. And on Christmas night at 9 p.m., PBS stations here, there and everywhere will air the Call the Midwife Holiday Special, in which four Chinese orphans join the nuns at Nonnatus House.

Basic cables Hallmark, which makes Christmas movies like there will never be another Christmas, has four more premieres left in the calendar year. Jingle Around the Clock (8 p.m. Saturday), Christmas Made to Order (8 pm. Sunday) and The Greatest Christmas Blessing (8 p.m. Tuesday), a holiday movie spun from the channels Canadian Western When Calls the Heart (looking forward to its sixth season, in case you were occupied elsewhere). A Midnight Kiss (Dec. 29) rounds out the year in a New Years mood. Romantic love, familial love and the spirit of giving are the usual subjects, as if Its a Wonderful Life were continually being stripped for parts. If youve ever bought or received a Hallmark card, you know what this is about.

One movie that has earned its place among the perennials, as opposed to those that will keep turning up year after year merely because they have Christmas or Santa in the title, is Bob Clarks 1983 A Christmas Story. Its now-traditional 24-hour airing over at TBS (from 8 p.m.) and TNT (from 9 p.m.) begins Monday, Christmas Eve, notwithstanding some internet-upsetting fake news that it had been canceled due to the bullying scenes. Have some sense, people.

Mavis Hollier (Bronwyn James) and Nurse Lucille Anderson (Leonie Elliott) in Call the Midwife Holiday Special, airing Christmas night over PBS. (Laura Radford / Neal Street Productions/BBC)

There are only a handful of actual holiday classic films. Whether Die Hard is among them, or is a Christmas movie at all, has been the subject of some Christmasological debate. But IFC has evidently settled that question in its favor, and has stretched its Christmas night stocking to bursting with Die Hard, Die Hard With a Vengeance and Live Free or Die Hard, for those for whom the unwrapping of presents does not constitute sufficient mayhem. Yippee ki-yay, ye merry gentlemen (and ladies).

Streaming services like Hulu, Amazon and whats that other one  oh yes, Netflix, each are chockablock with Christmas content, original and acquired; unlike broadcast and cable television, with their real-time schedules (excluding the SVOD services many such networks networks now run), they are as bottomless as Santas bag. If much of what they offer is of middling quality and interest, they do offer much. Did you miss A Legendary Christmas With John and Chrissy when it aired on NBC back around Thanksgiving? Its still living on Hulu.

Netflix has a much-advertised new original picture, The Christmas Chronicles, a save-Christmas movie starring Kurt Russell as an off-course Santa; its main points of interest are its production design and Lamorne Morris in a small role as a Chicago cop. Better is Angelas Christmas, an animated short based on a childrens book by Frank McCourt (Angelas Ashes), in which Angela, age 6, confiscates baby Jesus from the local church nativity because its freezing in there and hes practically naked. And because it wants to be all things to all people, it is also producing Hallmark-style holiday movies, on a slightly bigger budget, to equally slight effect. Look them up and sort them out for yourself.

Beyond the streamers, there are YouTube, Vimeo and DailyMotion, which are technically streamers as well, but made of user-uploaded content and free to use. (YouTube also produces original content through the subscription YouTube Premium.) They operate as platforms for the distribution of content both legitimate and illegitimate, and though theft of intellectual property is of course nothing I wish to condone I am also happy that things otherwise lost to time and economy are available to see, until the lawyers take them down.

They are infinite attics crammed with old Christmas odds and ends  specials from Judy Garland, Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, the Carpenters (1977, with Kukla and Ollie; 1978, with Gene Kelly, singing and dancing), Bob Hope and Julie Andrews in an offbeat British hour from 1973 heretofore unknown to me. Vimeo, which has an artistic bent, is full of interesting handmade Christmas cartoons and short films of more recent vintage.

The greatest gift the web has brought me this year is the 1965 revisionist fairy-tale musical The Dangerous Christmas of Little Red Riding Hood, currently posted on Daily Motion, with music by Jule Styne and lyrics by Bob Merrill, who had written Funny Girl a couple of years before, featuring a 19-year-old Liza Minnelli as Red and Cyril Ritchard as the Wolf. (Ritchard played Captain Hook to Mary Martins Peter in the 1950s Peter Pan, a classic of classic television.) The wolf, telling his side of the story, is socially aspirational and longs for the society of others not his kind (Im through with being an outsider.  Just because Im a miserable wolf dont mean I aint refined). The unruly wolf pack from which he wishes to distance himself is played, unpredictably, by the Animals  yes, the House of the Rising Sun rock-band Animals.

And then there is a little game I call Random Christmas Video Roulette in which you enter Christmas and any other word into a search engine, then refine by video. (Or search from within YouTube or Vimeo or Daily Motion and skip the refining.)

So, for example, Christmas plus platypus brings up the song The Twelve Days of Aussie Christmas (On the first day of Christmas, my best mate gave to me a platypus up a gum tree), some Phineas and Ferb content and two different ventriloquists with platypus dummies. (Figures, to use the preferred term.) Christmas plus bowling produces a video on how to make a bowling pin into a snowman (from Maymay Made It Crafts) and an old Mad TV sketch, Michael Moores Bowling for Christmas, in which Paul Vogt as Moore accosts a family as they pick out a Christmas tree: Thats a pretty big tree  You know whats also big? The profits made by logging corporations given cushy tax breaks by George Bush.

And you can take that anywhere you like  Christmas plus pizza, Christmas plus Bigfoot, Christmas plus Hanukkah, clouds, pigs, sealing wax, whatever. The possibilities are as good as endless, and Christmas is almost here.

ALSO:

Be thankful for the Internet and Christmas specials on YouTube

A Christmas Story Live! gets merry with Maya Rudolph and a winning Ralphie

Robert Lloyds best TV of 2018: Lodge 49, Random Acts of Flyness and Beyonces Coachella stream

Lorraine Alis 10 best new TV shows of 2018: Why Escape at Dannemora was the years strongest debut

Try to define holiday special

A yule tube holiday

robert.lloyd@latimes.com

Follow Robert Lloyd on Twitter @LATimesTVLloyd
Designer Raf Simons and Calvin Klein Inc. announced Friday that Simons will leave his position as the fashion brands chief creative officer.

As a result, Calvin Klein wont show during New York Fashion Week in February.

Speculation about Simons likely departure had been in the news in recent weeks. In the Friday announcement, the Belgian-born fashion designer and Calvin Klein said the decision was friendly.

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The fashion brand, which was started by its namesake designer in 1968, is said to be going in a new direction that differs from Simons plans.

Simons, who previously had a three-year stint as creative director at Christian Dior, was hired at Calvin Klein in hopes that he would give the magic touch to the storied brand. He reportedly had eight months left on his Calvin Klein contract.

During his brief time at Calvin Klein, Simons fashion shows and looks were considered artistically intriguing and lauded by fashion journalists. However, those collections, which regularly pulled from art, Americana, pop culture and cinema, didnt catch on commercially. The labels spring/summer 2019 collection, shown in New York in September and conceived by Simons, touched on two film classics: Steven Spielbergs Jaws (1977) and Mike Nichols The Graduate (1967).

Prior to Simons arrival, Calvin Klein, which is owned by New York-based PVH Corp., had largely focused on sales of items such as jeans, underwear and fragrances. According to PVHs website, the Calvin Klein brands, including the high-end Calvin Klein 205 W39 NYC label, made about $9.1 billion in 2017.

A new chief creative director for Calvin Klein wasnt named Friday in the announcement.

Heres a look back at The Times recent reviews of Simons collections for Calvin Klein:

New York Fashion Week: Raf Simons sinks his teeth into Jaws for Calvin Kleins spring/summer 2019 collection

Opioid crisis meets Flemish still-life paintings in Raf Simons fall/winter 2018 mens collection

Raf Simons horror-film-inspired sophomore collection for Calvin Klein is scary good

N.Y. Fashion Week: Popcorn snowdrifts, prairie barns and hazmat chic litter the landscape of Calvin Kleins America

Raf Simons debut collection for Calvin Klein offers up an outsiders view of America

marques.harper@latimes.com

@marquesharper
Co-organised by the Green Innovation and Development Centre (GreenID) and the Live & Learn Environmental Education Centre (Live&Learn), the event, with the message "Clean air - Green gift - Healthy family", is expected to contribute to increasing public awareness on the current situation, causes and impacts of air pollution to public health, and promote changes in attitudes and actions in improving air quality.

Participants had the chance to receive information, visit exhibitions and join painting activities on the topic of air pollution.

The event opened activities under the "Vietnam Clean Air" campaign organised annually by GreenID and Live & Learn. The campaign aims to contribute to the voice of the community in the process of building, improving and enforcing clean air policies in Vietnam.

According to Nguyen Thi Hang, manager of GreenIDs Air and Water Programme, in recent years, GreenID has actively implemented many initiatives to contribute to the effort to solve air pollution through offering up-to-date information on the status and solutions at the individual, community and policy levels. Continuing the results, in the next phase, GreenID will create a deeper, stronger interaction with the public in order to promote individual action to improve and preserve clean air for everyone's health.
Good morning. Im Paul Thornton, and it is Saturday, Dec. 22, 2018. Lets take a look back at the week in Opinion.

Most of the news recently regarding President Trumps legal woes generally steers clear of the election meddling that sparked the investigation in the first place. Sure, there was former Trump lawyer Michael Cohens revelation that the Trump Organization was proceeding well into the 2016 campaign with negotiations to build a Moscow skyscraper (a blatant betrayal of the publics trust in its own right), but what seems to present the most clear legal threat to the president now is federal prosecutors belief that he ordered Cohen to violate campaign finance laws.

This gets at what the presidents fiercest critics have long believed: that Trump doesnt need a Russian collusion scandal to render him hopelessly unqualified for the job he holds. His temperament, his reflexive dishonesty, his general indecency and his disdain for any restraint on his authority would all be evident without the Russia investigation dogging the White House.

And yet, theres still something there worth investigating vigorously. How do we know this? Seth Hettena, an investigative journalist who has written extensively about Trumpworld and Russia, says its about the lies:

Its hard to see all these Russia lies as coincidences, given the extraordinary help Russia provided to elect Trump  the hacking of the Democratic National Committee, the WikiLeaks email dumps, the divisive social media messaging that, according to reports released by the Senate on Monday, reached millions of unsuspecting Americans. [Former national security advisor Michael Flynns] case may suggest what Russia got, or hoped to get, in return. Easing the pressure of U.S. sanctions was a key priority for the Kremlin, and Flynns conversation with the Russian ambassador left the impression that the incoming administration would be willing to do just that after the inauguration. Indeed, the Trump administration continues to soften the United States approach to Russia, as it did Wednesday when the Treasury Department announced plans to lift sanctions imposed on companies owned by Oleg Deripaska, a Russian oligarch close to Putin who also happens to be one of Manaforts former business partners. The agents interviewing Flynn in his White House office pulled on a thread that may lead to extraordinary and perhaps criminal political offenses: an American presidential campaign and a hostile foreign power doing favors for each other. Flynn may have lied, almost reflexively, to keep the plot from unraveling. One way or another, it will be the Trump administrations lies about Russia that lead us to the truth. >> Click here to read more

About that Mueller investigation, from Day One it appeared to be proceeding on borrowed time. Now, writes Michael McGough, two new developments suggest the probe led by special counsel Robert S. Mueller III may finally be on deathwatch: the acting attorney generals refusal to recuse himself from overseeing Mueller, and his designated permanent successors harsh criticism of the investigation in a previously unreleased memo to the president. L.A. Times

Trump had a terrible week on immigration, although the outcome was entirely predictable. The administrations policy of processing asylum seekers only at official ports of entry was obviously illegal, so the president got sued, lost the case, and this week he was shot down by the Supreme Court without comment. At some point Republicans are going to have to take a stand against the presidents unhealthy fixation on illegal immigration, writes Scott Martelle. L.A. Times

Trump made the right call on Syria. Criticize the president for impulsiveness all you want, writes Defense Priorities fellow Akhilesh Pillalamarri, but pulling U.S. forces out of Syria is something Trumps voters  and most Americans, in fact  have wanted for some time. The skies wont fall, and we wont be fighting ISIS in Kansas if we leave Syria, he writes. L.A. Times

Just when Obamacare was hitting peak popularity, Republicans might have found a way to kill it after all: by getting a federal judge in Texas known for his quirky, polemic rulings to declare the entire law unconstitutional, says the Los Angeles Times Editorial Board. But wait, says former Republican Congressman Tom Campbell: Parts of the law might be popular, but that does not make it constitutional. As for our readers, most who wrote letters tended to favor the Affordable Care Act.
In its 69 pages of demands to the school district, the union representing Los Angeles teachers barely touches on charter schools. But as they prepare for an announced strike on Jan. 10, union leaders are making the growth of these schools a focus to rally members and raise public awareness of what they see as an existential threat.

On Friday union President Alex Caputo-Pearl called for a halt to new charter schools in the district. Its the latest escalation in the unions anti-charter rhetoric.

Its time to invest in our existing schools, said Caputo-Pearl, who heads United Teachers Los Angeles. This unregulated growth is something that affects the long-term sustainability of the district.  This is about protecting the civic institution of public education.

Charter supporters take issue with the unions targeting. They say charters have provided valuable educational choices and have proved popular with parents.

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L.A. schools Supt. Austin Beutner on Friday said it was wrong to characterize the dispute as a referendum on charter schools.

In an interview on Spectrum News, a cable channel, Beutner said all schools should be looked at with the same tough set of standards. For the teachers union, he said, the difference is charter schools dont have UTLA members, traditional public schools do.

About 1 in 5 Los Angeles public school students now attends a charter. L.A. has more charters and more charter students than any other school system in the country. This growth has been substantially fueled by federal grants and donors, who include conservative and anti-union forces as well as some independents and Democrats.

Charters are privately managed and while most are nonunion, Caputo-Pearl said that his union represents about 1,000 charter-school teachers and that existing charters that are struggling with enrollment also are being hurt by the grow at any cost strategy of some charter advocates.

UTLA President Alex Caputo-Pearl calls for a cap on charter schools. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

He also noted that because funding follows the student, charter expansion has drained funds from L.A. Unified, which also is losing enrollment based on unrelated demographic trends.

Fewer students means fewer teachers. And while a drop in enrollment should lower district expenses, the district has had a hard time shrinking and also is burdened with fixed costs for such things as school maintenance and retiree health benefits.

Union leaders reason that the dramatic expansion of charter schools in Los Angeles over the last decade  an expansion fueled by funding from [Eli] Broad, the Walton Family Foundation and the Gates Foundation  has heightened instability and undermined the capacity of the system as a whole, said UCLA education professor John Rogers. UTLA leadership envisions creating a new reality on the ground that will change the dynamics of education in Los Angeles.

The district also has a new reality in mind  a still mostly confidential plan to divide the nations second-largest school system into about 32 networks. The limited disclosure has exacerbated union fears about the goals of Beutner, a successful businessman without a background in working for or managing a school district.

While Beutner has called for a coming together with teachers, hes also made comments that increase their anxiety.

So [if] its the flexibility of charter schools thats allowing them to excel, lets bring that flexibility into the traditional school classroom, he said in the TV interview on Friday.

But charter school growth and reorganization plans are not part of contract talks.

In its proposal to the district, the union devotes one page to charters  specifically to what happens when a charter shares a campus with a district-operated school.

These sharing arrangements, called colocations, are required by state law. But they frequently led to disputes over space as well as to protests against a charters presence.

The union proposal calls for notice by Nov. 15 of the preceding school year when a charter applies for space. UTLA also wants to establish a colocation coordinator who would get a $2,000 stipend and be involved in all discussions regarding logistics. In addition, the union wants an advisory panel at each affected campus that includes teachers, parents, the plant manager and the principal of the traditional school.

They are the unions response to complaints from staff at traditional schools, which have had to surrender space set aside for computer rooms, tutoring and extracurricular programs.

Print assistant Chris Dockens is in the process of making 10,000 strike posters as the LAUSD teachers strike looms. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

L.A. Unified has opposed the unions colocation proposals without much explanation. But there could be concerns about creating a new, potentially cumbersome bureaucratic layer or about letting the union interfere in district administrative decisions. Thats an issue the district has raised about many of the union demands.

Some district officials, notably school board member Nick Melvoin, have sought to ease tensions over campus sharing by sponsoring something very close to group therapy. Using donated funds, Melvoin organized a summer retreat at a local resort hotel that brought leaders of charters and district-operated schools together to get to know each other and talk.

To be sure, many union activists dont particularly want to get along with charters. They see the charter incursion as too much of a threat.

A strike, if it happens, wont be over a charter moratorium. But by bringing up the issue now, the union is taking advantage of the sudden spotlight turned on by the strike threat.

The strike wont directly settle any of the underlying issues, said Charles Kerchner, a scholar on labor relations and a professor emeritus and the Claremont Graduate University. Hence, the charter school wars will continue.

howard.blume@latimes.com

Twitter: @howardblume
The personal information of San Diego Unified students, former students and employees may have been compromised in a data breach that officials believe happened in January, the school district said Friday.

The breach could affect as many as 500,000 students who attended San Diego Unified schools as far back as the 2008-09 school year, officials said.

The breach may have included information about students and staff such as addresses and dates of birth, discipline, health, scheduling and grade information, according to an email sent to school families on Friday. Social Security numbers were also affected.

About 50 staff members accounts are known to have been compromised and have been reset, according to the district.

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The San Diego Unified School District has taken the steps necessary to eliminate the threat to your personal data and implement improvements to prevent such unauthorized access from happening again, the district said in the email.

In October, information technology staffers were investigating phishing emails that collected log-in information from district staff.

When we determined it was unauthorized access, we began working with school police, which was right away, said Toren Allen of the districts integrated technology department.

The district did not publicly announce the breach until now to avoid compromising the investigation, Allen said.

We couldnt communicate until some of the details were able to be picked up during the investigation, Allen said.

A suspect has been identified, Allen said, but he would not give any details.

The districts police department is leading the investigation.

Taketa writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune.

kristen.taketa@sduniontribune.com
Actor Steven Seagal will not face criminal charges in a sexual assault case, the Los Angeles County district attorneys office said Friday.

The case stems from allegations former model Faviola Dadis made to police this year. Dadis claimed that when she was 17 years old in 2002, Seagal groped her during an audition at the Beverly Hills Hotel.

Prosecutors said they were declining to file charges because there wasnt sufficient evidence and the statute of limitations had expired.

Dadis is the second woman to publicly accuse Seagal of sexual assault. Actress Regina Simons has claimed that he raped her when she was 18 and an extra on his 1994 film On Deadly Ground.

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Simons claimed Seagal invited her to a party at his home to celebrate the filming of the movie, but when she showed up no one was there. She alleges that Seagal took her to a bedroom, kissed her and then raped her.

Prosecutors also declined to file charges against Seagal in that case because the woman was 18 and the statute of limitations for rape charges was six years at the time.

Seagal  a Russian citizen who was named in August as the Kremlins newest special envoy to the United States  has faced more than half a dozen allegations of sexual assault, including rape, over several decades.

The allegations, which he has denied, have been leveled by actresses, film workers and reporters.

Anthony J. Falangetti, the attorney representing Seagal, said they are very pleased with the outcome.

He said he was grateful that prosecutors evaluated the case carefully and rejected it. He said Seagal wants to put the accusations behind him.

From a career standpoint, he wants to move on, Falangetti said.

Lisa Bloom, the attorney representing Dadis and Simons, said she appreciated that prosecutors looked at the case but was frustrated that state laws were unfairly preventing women from obtaining justice.

The law fails to recognize that few minors are emotionally ready to seek justice against their rapists until many years later, Bloom said in a statement.

Instead, it offers rapists a get out of jail free card if they simply pass an arbitrary time deadline. And the law seems to presume that victims are lying, creating an unfairly high evidentiary standard not required in other criminal cases. Few rapists commit their crimes in the presence of witnesses.

Here is my statement regarding the Los Angeles DA's announcement today that they will not prosecute Steven Seagal for my client's sexual assault claim against him, due to the statute of limitations. pic.twitter.com/Fg3vvhwesg  Lisa Bloom (@LisaBloom) December 21, 2018

ruben.vives@latimes.com

For more Southern California news, follow @latvives on Twitter.
U.S. government attorneys have filed notice that they are appealing a court ruling that blocked the first public hunts of grizzly bears in the Northern Rockies in decades.

The appeal, filed Friday, challenges a judges ruling that restored threatened species protections for more than 700 bears in and around Yellowstone National Park.

Protections for the animals had been removed in 2017. When the ruling from U.S. District Judge Dana Christensen came down in October, Wyoming and Idaho were on the cusp of hosting their first public hunts for grizzly bears in the Lower 48 U.S. states since 1991.

Federal biologists contend Yellowstone-area grizzlies have made a full recovery after a decades-long restoration effort. They want to turn over management of the animals to state wildlife agencies that say hunting is one way to better address rising numbers of bear attacks on livestock.

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But wildlife advocates and the Crow Indian Tribe successfully sued to stop the hunts. Their attorneys persuaded Christensen that despite the recovery of bears in Yellowstone, the species remains in peril elsewhere because of continued threats from climate change and habitat loss.

The Yellowstone population has rebounded from just 136 animals when they were granted federal protections in 1975.

Grizzlies in recent years have returned to many areas where they were absent for decades. That has meant more dangerous run-ins with people, such as a Wyoming hunting guide who was killed this fall in a grizzly attack.

Christensens ruling marked the second time the government has sought to lift protections for Yellowstone bears only to be reversed in court.

The agency initially declared a successful recovery for the Yellowstone population in 2007. But a federal judge ordered protections to remain while wildlife officials studied whether the decline of a major food source  whitebark pine seeds  could threaten the bears survival.

The Fish and Wildlife Service concluded last year it had addressed that and all other threats.

There was speculation the agency would not appeal the latest ruling and instead draft a new proposal to get the animal off the threatened list.

That possibility was raised by the agencys grizzly bear recovery coordinator during a meeting last month with Wyoming state lawmakers, according to the Powell Tribune.

Fridays appeal signals that at least for now the court battle over grizzlies will grind on.

But Andrea Santarsiere with the Center for Biological Diversity, one of the plaintiffs in the case before Christensen, said the government still has the option in coming months to dismiss the case.

I think Fish and Wildlife should go back to the drawing board and come up with a new plan to actually recover grizzly bears across the West, rather than a piecemeal approach, she said.

Also pending before the 9th Circuit are appeals from parties that intervened on behalf of the Fish and Wildlife Service. They include the states of Idaho and Wyoming and groups representing hunting interests, gun rights and agriculture.

Cody Wisniewski with the Mountain States Legal Foundation said that if allowed to stand, Christensens ruling could make it harder for other species to be taken off the threatened and endangered species list.

Opinions like this move the goalposts, he said.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife spokeswoman Jennifer Strickland referred questions about the case to the Department of Justice, which did not provide an on-the-record comment.
North Carolinas top elections official issued an urgent plea nearly two years ago for the Trump administration to file criminal charges against the man now at the center of ballot fraud allegations that have thrown a 2018 congressional race into turmoil.

North Carolina Board of Elections Executive Director Kim Strach warned in a January 2017 letter obtained by the Associated Press that those involved in illegally harvesting absentee ballots in rural Bladen County would likely do it again if they werent prosecuted.

Josh Lawson, the top lawyer for the elections board, said Strachs memo was followed less than a month later with the first of several in-person meetings during which state investigators provided FBI agents and federal prosecutors with evidence accusing Leslie McCrae Dowless Jr. and others of criminal activity.

Our findings to date suggest that individuals and potentially groups of individuals engaged in efforts to manipulate election results through the absentee ballot process, Strach wrote in the letter, dated 10 days after President Trumps inauguration. The evidence we have obtained suggest that these efforts may have taken place in the past and if not addressed will likely continue for future elections.

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At the time, there was only an acting U.S. attorney in office. Later in 2017, Trumps appointee arrived, but took no action to prosecute the matter. Instead, he assigned his staff to focus on a different priority  prosecuting a handful of non-citizens who had allegedly voted.

A spokesman for Robert J. Higdon Jr., who took over as the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina in September 2017, has declined to comment on why no charges were filed following the states criminal referrals against Dowless and other Bladen County political operatives. Justice Department spokeswoman Kelly Laco in Washington also declined to comment.

Higdons office issued a media release last August touting charges against 19 foreign nationals it said voted in North Carolina in the 2016 presidential election, during which more than 6.9 million ballots were cast in the state. The cases were filed in the wake of Trumps false claim that he lost the 2016 popular vote to his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton because millions of illegal immigrants had cast ballots across the country.

But court filings reviewed by AP show several of the cases built by Higdons office were against longtime legal permanent residents or those who had been granted citizenship only to have authorities later determine they had been untruthful on their applications. At least four have pleaded guilty, with the only sentence meted out so far going against an Italian man who has lived legally in the United States since 1985. The judge in the case gave him a $200 fine and no jail time.

State elections board Chairman Joshua Malcolm declined to evaluate how U.S. prosecutors handled the boards referral of its 2016 Bladen County elections investigation, saying the board has a very particular role. The agencys staff has legal authority to investigate elections crimes, but cannot make arrests or file criminal charges.

After federal prosecutors took no action, documents show the elections board referred the case to state prosecutors in January 2018. No charges were filed before the November general election, which was marred by voting irregularities involving absentee ballots cast in Bladen and two neighboring counties. Authorities say Dowless is the subject of an investigation into those irregularities.

Our role is to investigate matters ... and to refer matters to prosecutors and law enforcement officials to carry out their responsibility, said Malcolm, a Democrat. We dont control what happens once we make a referral.

Democratic congressional candidate Dan McCready leans against drywall as he pauses during a Habitat For Humanity building event in Charlotte, N.C. (Chuck Burton / Associated Press)

The board has refused to certify the results of the November general election for the states 9th Congressional District. Republican Mark Harris leads Democrat Dan McCready by just 905 votes in 2018s only still unresolved House election, according to unofficial results. State leaders from both parties now concede a do-over election might eventually be needed, though GOP officials have sought to put the blame for the mess squarely onto the elections board.

The board plans to weigh the evidence against Dowless and others at a Jan. 11 public hearing.

Investigators are looking into whether Dowless, 62, ran an illegal operation to collect large numbers of absentee ballots from voters in at least three counties with the intent of aiding the GOP candidates.

A convicted felon, Dowless didnt respond this week to messages seeking comment. His lawyer, Cynthia Adams Singletary, said that any speculation regarding her client and the 9th District election is premature and unwarranted. Through his attorney, Dowless has declined to be interviewed by state investigators.

Harris, the GOP congressional candidate, said in an interview last week that it was his decision to hire Dowless, though he denied knowledge of any potential wrongdoing.
President Trumps sudden decision this week to withdraw all U.S. troops from Syria and up to half the 14,000 U.S. forces from the war in Afghanistan shocked Washington  but it probably shouldnt have.

Trump, in his own chaotic way, was doing what he had long vowed to do: end or at least sharply limit Americas endless wars in the post-9/11 age and bring American troops home.

Lawmakers and foreign leaders called the plans rash and misguided, warning that a broad U.S. retreat could create new instability in an unstable world and raise doubts about Americas military commitments.

Defense Secretary James N. Mattis was so furious that Trump would abandon allies in Syria and Afghanistan that he resigned in protest, telling the president that he needed a Pentagon chief whose views are better aligned with yours.

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After two years of deferring to Mattis and other advisors who urged him to stay the course in far-flung wars, Trump acted on his own instincts to curtail the U.S. military reach and let local forces  or at least non-American forces  battle it out on their own.

Indeed, in addition to pulling all 2,000 troops out of Syria, Trump has told advisors that he wants to terminate the U.S. air war against Islamic State targets, a campaign of airstrikes that has raged since 2014.

If he proceeds, it could mark a major shift in the U.S. security posture and a major  but risky  achievement for Trump, one that eluded President Obama, who won the presidency twice in part by vowing to curb U.S. involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Trumps decision to pull troops out fits a pattern, and it shouldnt be surprising, said Ivo Daalder, president of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and a former Obama administration official. Trump has said he would since the day he ran for president.

Now that Trump has broken free of his advisors once, he might be tempted to go even further, cutting support for NATO, already a target of criticism, or withdrawing the 28,000 U.S. troops from South Korea. Congress almost certainly would seek to stop those moves, however.

In a video released by the White House, Trump said he could pull all U.S. forces from Syria because the U.S. and its allies had defeated Islamic State, the goal set after the militants first emerged and swept into neighboring Iraq in 2014, capturing vast swaths of territory.

But Trumps declaration of victory could end up as fleeting as President George W. Bushs televised rally aboard an aircraft carrier with a Mission Accomplished banner behind him shortly before the insurgency in Iraq broke out, plunging the country into violence that has not ended.

While Islamic State has lost its territory, thousands of fighters and supporters remain in eastern Syria, according to U.S. experts. Military commanders warn that the group could rebuild itself after U.S. troops pull out, again threatening Iraq and launching terrorist attacks in Europe and beyond.

Beyond that danger, the departure of U.S. troops will leave a power vacuum in northern Syria that other countries will inevitably fill. Syrian President Bashar Assads forces, backed by Russia and Iran, are most likely to surge forward, giving Moscow and Tehran greater sway over the region.

But the U.S. departure also leaves Syrian Kurdish fighters, who long operated as the Pentagons proxy ground forces against Islamic State, open to attacks from Turkish troops who view the Kurdish militias as allied with an insurgent group back home.

Trump has shown no indication that he is concerned about those or other dangers. But even he might not be able to quickly shrink Americas military role in wars that have defied easy exits.

Trump makes bold statements and then retreats under pressure, said Andrew Bacevich, a retired Army officer and a professor at Boston University who has long criticized U.S. military involvement.

Establishment opposition to withdrawing troops from Syria and Afghanistan is already intense, he said. It remains to be seen whether in this instance Trump will stand firm and follow through.

Trumps announcement caught members of Congress from both parties off guard. Neither Kurdish leaders in Syria nor senior government officials in Afghanistan had advance notice.

Major U.S. allies in Europe also were not warned about the planned withdrawal, even though many of them have forces on the ground assisting U.S. forces in Syria and Afghanistan.

The abrupt decision by the USA to pull its troops out of Syria is surprising not only to us, Germanys foreign minister, Heiko Maas, wrote on Twitter. Islamic State has been pushed back but the threat is still there. There is a danger that this decision will damage the fight  and jeopardize the success achieved so far.

In Israel, headlines Friday focused on Mattis cancellation of a planned visit next week that was supposed to focus on Syria and Iran. Analysts argued that the withdrawal from Syria left Israel more exposed to attacks from Iranian-backed groups.

Government officials have tried to downplay the damage to Israels national security  but the defense establishment is up in arms, analyst Chemi Shalev wrote in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz.

Against his own instincts, Trump deepened U.S. military involvement in the Middle East shortly after he took office in 2017, sending more U.S. troops into Syria to fight Islamic State, whose fighters had retreated there from Iraq.

U.S. forces also stepped up airstrikes and military assistance in Somalia, Libya, Yemen and several other countries in Africa against offshoots of Al Qaeda, Islamic State and an ever-widening stew of affiliated militant groups.

At Mattis urging, Trump accepted a Pentagon recommendation to send more than 9,000 military personnel back to Afghanistan as the government struggled to beat back a resurgent Taliban in a war that began 17 years ago.

A major U.S. drawdown now might suggest that Trump is on the verge of pulling out completely, encouraging the Taliban to fight on and dooming hopes of drawing it into peace talks aimed at a political solution, analysts said.

Its a good thing to come out of Afghanistan, said retired Gen. Wesley K. Clark, a former top U.S. commander at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. But its perilous to come out this way and it reflects a lack of appreciation by the president for allies.

But Trump never appeared comfortable with the direction Mattis and other members of his national security team took him. At times, he seemed at war with his own advisors.

In September, John Bolton, Trumps national security advisor, told a Washington think tank that U.S. troops would stay in Syria until Iran removed its troops from the country. Trump has never given any indication he favored such an expanded mission.

Even lawmakers who give Trump credit for trying to end Americas endless wars are not optimistic he can carry it off without damaging U.S. credibility and harming or abandoning allies that U.S. troops have spent years defending.

Trumps instincts on non-intervention and not getting bogged down in the Middle East are actually better than many of his advisors, said Rep. Ro Khanna, (D-Fremont.) My fear is that he will do it in a way that will jeopardize lives in those places and our alliances.

Many Trump supporters share his isolationist views against military involvement overseas. But a recent poll suggested that such views are in a clear minority.

In a survey last month, the nonpartisan Pew Research Center found that just 30% of U.S. adults said reducing military commitments overseas should be a top foreign policy priority, including just 26% of self-described Republicans and 34% of Democrats. In contrast, 66% of adults said improving relationships with allies should be a priority.

Times correspondents Erik Kirschbaum in Berlin and Noga Tarnopolsky in Jerusalem contributed to this story.

david.cloud@latimes.com

Twitter: @davidcloudLAT
In Alison Goldwater Ross earliest memories of her grandfather Barry Goldwater, theres always a 35mm camera hanging from his neck.

The senator photographed more than 15,000 images of Arizonas landscapes and Native Americans over his lifetime. Twenty years after Goldwaters death, Ross wants to preserve the Republican icons photographs, with some newly digitized images showcased this month in Arizona Highways magazine and next month at Western Spirit: Scottsdales Museum of the West.

The project was launched after Ross discussed her grandfathers work with her uncle Michael Goldwater, the family historian since the senator died in 1998 at the age of 89. Now 55 and living in Atlanta, Ross said she adored accompanying her bigger than life grandfather on the Arizona campaign trail and meeting celebrities such as Elizabeth Taylor. Like his other grandchildren, she called him by the nickname Paka.

I practically had an anxiety attack just thinking about what was happening to the images. They had been sitting around for so long, said Ross, the daughter of Joanne, the oldest of the four Goldwater children.

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Alison Goldwater Ross, the granddaughter of former Arizona Sen. Barry Goldwater, poses as she unpacks some of her grandfathers framed photographic work at Scottsdales Museum of the West, on Dec. 13, in Scottsdale, Ariz. (Ross D. Franklin / Associated Press)

After consulting with family members, Ross in January formed the Barry & Peggy Goldwater Foundation, which holds the rights to the photographs. The project came together with funding from the Salt River Project, a water and power provider that supports local arts and culture.

All photographic film deteriorates as its exposed to moisture and heat, and Michael Goldwater said preserving the images had long been a concern.

Shes really doing a great job getting interest in the project, he said of his niece. We totally support her. My father wanted his work saved for future historians and researchers.

His father, Barry, was born in 1909 in Arizona Territory three years before statehood and took his first pictures as a boy with his mothers Brownie, a popular box camera that introduced photography to the masses.

After his wife, Peggy, gave him a camera on their first Christmas together, Goldwater documented the diversity of Arizonas tribes and landscapes, mostly in black and white with view cameras including the Graflex and Rolleiflex. Those images included the dramatic cliffs and sculpted mesas of places such as the Grand Canyon and Monument Valley, the deeply lined face of an elderly Navajo man, and two young Navajo girls tending their sheep in the snow.

Goldwater made color photos of his family with the 35mm and had a movie camera as well.

You can go anyplace in that state, Goldwater said in a 1985 interview about the best location in Arizona to take pictures. Anyplace. From the Mexican border clear up to the Utah border, its all photogenic. In the south, you have the desert. You have the biggest stand of pine trees in the world in the central part. ... You can literally spend your life out there and never quite get it all.

Goldwaters work earned him a lifetime membership in the Royal Photographic Society and the praise of noted landscape photographer Ansel Adams, who described the senator as a fine and eager amateur photographer who was as accomplished as any professional.

In this photograph taken by Barry Goldwater in 1967 in Arizonas Monument Valley, two Navajo sisters ride a horse home in the softening afternoon light. (Barry Goldwater / Associated Press)

Another granddaughter, Anna Goldwater Alexander, the daughter of Michael and director of photography at Wired magazine, called the senator a statesman who recorded Arizona history through the lens of a camera in Arizona Highways December issue.

When I go back through his archive today, I cant help wondering whether he realized his beautiful photographs not only documented history, but also revealed the sensitive side of his dynamic personality, Alexander wrote.

As a politician, Goldwater wrote the best-selling Conscience of a Conservative and in 1964 famously declared that extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice when accepting the Republican nomination. The man known as Mr. Conservative lost the presidential race in a landslide to Democratic incumbent Lyndon B. Johnson.

Goldwater served five terms as a senator, from 1953 to 1965 and 1969 to 1987, and was succeeded by John McCain. The former Air Force pilot who served in WWII was also known as the elder party statesman who persuaded Richard Nixon to resign in 1974 when it became clear the president would not survive the Watergate investigation.

Arizona Highways regularly showcased Goldwaters photographs over the decades, and this months special collectors issue with 46 of his photographs quickly sold out.

I never had the privilege of meeting the gentleman, but I feel like I know him, said Arizona Highways Editor in Chief Robert Stieve. He has been a big part of our history since 1938.

Most of the photos showcased in the special edition also go on display Jan. 6 through June 23 at Scottsdales Museum of the West as Photographs by Barry M. Goldwater: The Arizona Highways Collection.

Although many images remain with the family, big parts of the collection are also housed in three institutions: the Center for Creative Photography at the University of Arizona in Tucson, the Hayden Library at Arizona State University in Tempe and the Heard Museum in Phoenix. Ross said the family commissioned the first bit of digitization, but the photography center next year will also start digitizing the hundreds of large format images there, with repair of each negative taking from two to eight hours.

Goldwater also was an avid collector of kachina dolls, wood carvings of Hopi spirits. He donated 400 of them to the Heard Museum in 1969.

Tricia Loscher, the western museums assistant director and chief curator of the Goldwater exhibit, said that as a Heard intern in the 1990s she was tasked with cataloging his kachina dolls. With the photo show, I feel like Im coming full circle, she said.

Like Goldwater, Loscher is a lifelong Arizona resident, and she said she appreciated his photographs of the Southwest, images she said could never be replicated in the Midwest, Northwest or any other place in the world.

The photographs, she said, reflect his own brand of sensitivity and clarity, which came from being a native of Arizona, the time in which he lived and the love and respect he had for life.

Snow writes for the Associated Press.
Bahia Amawi worked for nine years as a speech pathologist for a Texas school district. But in September, when it came time to renew her contract for the coming year, she was asked  under the provisions of a recent state law  to affirm that she does not and would not boycott Israel.

That put her in a tough position. As an American of Palestinian descent, she does try to avoid buying products from Israel. So she declined to sign the contract. And she lost her job.

That is as ludicrous as it is un-American. Regardless of ones position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict or on the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, it should be clear that a U.S. citizen like Amawi has a right to make choices for herself about what kind of hummus or olive oil she does or does not want to buy, and about what kind of political statements she wants to make through her purchases.

The effort to legislate the boycott out of existence is wrongheaded and misguided.

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This is a personal choice, she told reporters  and shes absolutely right.

Over the years, some people have boycotted grapes and lettuce to protest the treatment of farmworkers; others refused to travel to South Africa at the height of apartheid. Today, some people wont invest in cigarette companies or arms manufacturers; others wont buy from Nike because of its support for Colin Kaepernick.

As the Supreme Court has recognized, boycotts are a form of speech protected under the Constitution. That protection exists so that government cannot penalize people like Amawi because their opinions are out of step with those of the state.

The Texas law was passed in 2017 by the Republican-controlled state Legislature. It bars governmental entities from contracting with companies that boycott Israel, apparently to prevent state dollars from somehow being used to support a sanctions movement they disparage. Thats problematic on its own. But to make matters worse, company is defined broadly to include individual sole proprietorship contractors such as Amawi.

Had she signed the contract, she would have been promising not to engage in any action intended to penalize, inflict economic harm on, or limit commercial relations with Israel, or with a person or entity doing business in Israel or in an Israel-controlled territory. Lawmakers may have been trying to deter the states suppliers from taking a corporate stance against Israel, but theres nothing in the language of the law suggesting that it does not cover a contractors personal behavior as well.

Instead of signing, she is now suing the school district and the Texas attorney general, arguing that the law violates the 1st Amendments protections on political speech and political advocacy. We hope her challenge is successful.

The Texas law is part of a bigger worldwide effort to combat the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement. The highly controversial BDS campaign calls on people and companies to boycott Israel until that country ends its occupation of all Arab lands, ensures equal legal rights for its Arab citizens and accepts the right of Palestinian refugees to return to the former homes of their families in Israel. Some supporters of BDS accept the idea of a two-state solution. Others dont, preferring a single-state solution in which Israelis and Palestinians live together in one land.

Although BDS has not so far inflicted substantial damage on the Israeli economy, the movements increasingly high profile  especially on some college campuses  has alarmed Israelis and their supporters in the United States.

Enter the Fray: First takes on the news of the minute from L.A. Times Opinion 

Laws like the one in Texas are one response. According to Palestine Legal, a group that advocates for Palestinian causes, 26 states in the U.S. have passed some type of anti-Israel boycott legislation. (Another response is the effort to conflate anti-Zionist speech  that is, speech arguing against the state of Israel  with anti-Semitism; among others, the U.S. State Department has taken positions that move down this troubling path.)

It is understandable that many people would object to the BDS movement, worrying that it demonizes Israel and that it will weaken the country, which enjoys strong support in the United States. But the effort to legislate the boycott out of existence is wrongheaded and misguided.

Politicians are entitled to denounce BDS, if they choose to. But they must not take actions that infringe the free speech rights of their constituents. The 1st Amendment exists to protect all points of view  including yours, but also those of the people you disagree with. At the end of the day, that benefits us all.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook
Resignation letters can be rants. Meltdowns. But mostly theyre boilerplate. One job site advises quitters to be brief, not to burn bridges, and  this above all  Dont tell the whole truth in your exit interview.

For once, Defense Secretary James N. Mattis broke a rule. When the former Marine Corps lieutenant general and head of Central Command tendered his resignation to President Trump on Thursday, he told the whole truth.

In his elegant, elegiac and deceptively simple letter, Mattis outlined his core beliefs about global security.

Mattis resignation letter is a vitally necessary document.

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The letter merits a close look, but not because its brilliantly original. Instead, the brief essay takes a steely tone to reiterate with absolute clarity Americas bedrock commitments in the post-World War II international order.

Protect the free world against expansionist authoritarianism.

Was that so hard? Reasonable people can differ on tactics and some preach isolationism. But Mattis line covers even those who prefer to pull in the drawbridges; it is an entirely credible and complete statement of postwar American resolution.

And thats why Mattis letter is a vitally necessary document. It evokes the common sense, wisdom and competence that the American people have been starved for over the last two years. Our upside-down nation has almost forgotten what a disciplined and principled approach to national security sounds like.

(If you want more discipline and principles, you might read a paper Mattis cites in his letter: 2018 National Defense Strategy of the United States: Sharpening the Military Edge. Its thoughtful and thorough, and theres nothing in it about mafia rats or smocking guns.)

Daily, Americans who deserve better are subject to the presidents onslaught of vile, tweeted gibberish. But in two long years, we havent ever heard the White House authoritatively state the nations once-firm position on global security.

In plain view, and flamboyantly, Trump has spited our allies and bowed and scraped before authoritarians, including his favorite, Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Ever-mindful of Trumps mounting sycophancy to Putin and other autocrats, Mattis discovered this week that he must distance himself from our compromised president.

Unlike Trump, Mattis makes clear, he is not a lost patsy or puppet. In no uncertain terms, he writes in his defense strategy statement that China and Russia are seeking to control Europe and the Middle East with authoritarian measures and new forms of warfare, including election hacking. These two nations, Mattis writes, pose the central challenge to U.S. prosperity and security.

Thats right. The central challenge to peace and prosperity. Not Canada, Europe, CNN or Amazon. Whats more, undernourished asylum-seekers from Mexico and Central America dont endanger the peace either.

Trump pleased the Kremlin this week by withdrawing troops from Syria and lifting economic sanctions on Vladimir Putins billionaire pal Oleg V. Deripaska. But what makes the Russian president happy terrifies whats left of the free world. And, unmistakably, it also terrifies Mattis.

Americans can be forgiven if they no longer remember what dignity and rationality sound like in public life; the Mattis letter jogs our collective memory. But it has arrived right at the edge of too late.

Mattis is a famously cerebral Marine, literate and urbane. He carried a copy of Marcus Aurelius Meditations to his deployments in the Persian Gulf and Iraq, including both battles of Fallujah. Theres considerable irony in his nom de guerre, Mad Dog, which may have endeared him to the tacky president but doesnt remotely capture a man of Mattis even temperament and wide learning.

Given all that, his letter is tinged with sadness, a palpable grief for the old American moral and philosophical values, and for his inability, finally, to successfully defend them on his own, the last serious and decent public servant in the White House. Its heartbreaking  but human  that theres a note of real resignation in Mattis resignation letter.

On Friday, news broke that Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who is 85, had had surgery to remove malignant nodules on her lungs. Her doctors said there was no evidence of any remaining disease after the surgery, and others hastened to add that that doesnt mean it wont show up again.

Ginsburgs sudden frailty and Mattis departure are reminders that, although we may be a nation of laws and not individuals, there are certain individuals in government who serve as bulwarks against both autocracy and anarchy.

Mattis is certainly one, and Ginsburg is another. And, as Mattis has shown this week, they cant be expected to sacrifice themselves in Trumps one-man civil war.

Enter the Fray: First takes on the news of the minute 

We need more like Mattis and Ginsburg, a general and a jurist who have each sworn an oath to the nations laws and ideals. Whatever your politics, you believe they meant it. There are some pacts between the people and the government that even this reckless president cant break.

Mattis mentor Marcus Aurelius wrote instructions that suit our nation and its leadership this dark December: Do not act as if you were going to live 10,000 years. Death hangs over you. While you live, while it is in your power, be good.

To endure the presidents next perfidy, and the next and the next, is going to demand all the idealism, honesty, goodness and patriotism left in the exhausted American people.

Twitter:@page88
The measures, a mix of wage rises and tax breaks, were approved with support from Macron's La Republique en Marche (LREM) party.

Presented at a cabinet meeting earlier this week, the bill is meant to allow employees who are paid up to 3,600 (US$4,085) per month to enjoy an "exceptional bonus" worth 1,000 (US$1,135), to be paid by March 31, 2019 without being subjected to taxation.

Among the measures is also a tax-free status for overtime hours, in addition to the removal of a planned 1.7 percent hike in the CGS social charge for pensioners earning less than 2,000 (US$2,269) per month.

"These measures provide quick, strong and concrete responses" and "condition of an appeasement, even it will not be enough," Labor Minister Muriel Penicaud told lawmakers early Friday morning.

The "Yellow Vest" movement that has been held on weekends starting from mid-November in France took its name from the driver's highly-visible jacket. It was created as part of a social media campaign, in which several groups called for blockades and go-slows across the country to protest a hike in fuel tax and in the price of diesel, the most commonly used car fuel in France.

The movement has gradually evolved into a nationwide rally.
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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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
President Trumps national security team continued to disintegrate over the weekend, as the administrations senior envoy to the global coalition fighting Islamic State quit over the presidents abrupt decision to withdraw U.S. forces from Syria.

The resignation of Brett McGurk, one of the most important U.S. diplomats in the Middle East, follows that of Defense Secretary James N. Mattis, who announced his resignation Thursday, citing concerns about Trumps increasingly isolationist foreign policy.

McGurks departure leaves the U.S. with another leadership hole, as he was a seasoned and well-regarded veteran with experience on the ground in the Middle East and in Washington.

McGurk was the principal envoy to the Syrian insurgency that the U.S. has backed for most of the decade, and a leading strategist in the international fight against Islamic State.

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In leaving, McGurk warned against Islamic States sustained ability to mount attacks, offering a direct challenge to the presidents assertions that the group has been defeated.

McGurk submitted a letter of resignation to Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo on Friday night, a State Department official said, speaking anonymously due to the government shutdown. The resignation is effective Dec. 31, the official said.

McGurks resignation comes at a time when Trump is increasingly isolated, with some of the most talented remaining members of his administration leaving even as it becomes increasingly difficult for the president to hire qualified replacements.

Trump still has not found a permanent replacement for White House Chief of Staff John F. Kelly, whose resignation was announced earlier this month. And the presidents pick to replace Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions appears likely to face a contentious path to confirmation in the Senate amid revelations that he has sharply criticized the investigation of special counsel Robert S. Mueller III.

McGurk, 45, previously clerked for the late Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist and was a senior State Department official dealing with Iraq and Iran in President George W. Bushs administration.

He worked on nuclear negotiations with Tehran, and was appointed a special envoy in 2015 by President Obama. Trump kept him on after taking office in 2017.

Like most of Trumps national security advisors, Pentagon officials and U.S. diplomats, McGurk disagreed openly with the presidents recent claim that Islamic State was defeated. Despite huge losses of territory in Syria and Iraq, the militant group remains a threat that can potentially regroup and reemerge, McGurk and others assert.

It would be reckless if we were just to say, Well, the physical caliphate is defeated, so we can just leave now, McGurk said at a State Department briefing on Dec. 11. Anyone whos looked at a conflict like this would agree with that.

Even as the groups self-described caliphate disappears, McGurk added, the end of [Islamic State] will be a much more long-term initiative.

Nobody is declaring a mission accomplished, he said.

Eight days later, Trump made the surprise announcement that he was withdrawing an estimated 2,000 U.S. troops and other personnel from Syria, declaring Islamic State, also known as ISIS, was no longer a threat.

We have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency, Trump tweeted Wednesday.

On Saturday, despite Mattis resignation and broad bipartisan condemnation of his Syria move, Trump continued to defend his decision.

On Syria, we were originally going to be there for three months, and that was seven years ago  we never left, he tweeted. Now ISIS is largely defeated and other local countries, including Turkey, should be able to easily take care of whatever remains. Were coming home!

The announcement fulfilled a campaign promise Trump repeatedly made while running for president.

However, many Middle East experts say Trumps decision, in addition to potentially clearing the way for Islamic State to return, handed victories to U.S. adversaries, including Iran, Russia and Syrian President Bashar Assad. All three have made steady military gains in the waning years of the Syrian civil war.

The U.S. withdrawal also rewards NATO ally Turkey, whose authoritarian government bitterly opposes U.S. support for Kurdish fighters in Syria. These fighters have been Washingtons strongest partners in fighting Islamic State and Assads forces, but are viewed by Turkey as a threat.

Turkey had long viewed McGurk as the lead U.S. champion of those Kurdish fighters, known as the Syrian Democratic Forces, and his departure is likely to be seen by Turkey as another victory.

McGurk was instrumental in corralling a fractious coalition against Islamic State, bringing together groups with often competing agendas, including those supported by Iran, to oust the jihadist militants from their de facto capitals of Mosul, Iraq, and Raqqah, Syria.

Though some of McGurks legacy in the region will undoubtedly be challenged, foreign policy experts and former officials agreed on his important role in events in the region in recent years.

Brett McGurk has served Presidents Bush 43, Obama and Trump with extraordinary dedication and persistence, Nicholas Burns, a former assistant secretary of State, said on Twitter. A real loss for the [U.S. government]. But who can blame him.

John Brennan, a former CIA director and frequent critic of Trump, said McGurk ensured the U.S. was fulfilling its leadership role in a troubled part of the world. Like Sec. Mattis, Brett believes in the principles, values, & partnerships that define America, Brennan said on Twitter. Donald Trump does not.

McGurks warnings earlier this month against abandoning the fight against Islamic State were echoed by senior Pentagon officials.

Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said early this month that the U.S. had not yet adequately trained Syrian forces to prevent a resurgence of Islamic State. He said it would take 35,000 to 40,000 local troops in northeastern Syria to maintain security over the long term, but only about 20% of that number had been trained.

Times staff writer Nabih Bulos contributed to this report from Amman.

tracy.wilkinson@latimes.com

Twitter: @TracyKWilkinson
A border wall perhaps isnt the one President Trump should worry about. With his abrupt move to yank U.S. troops from Syria and provoke his Defense secretarys resignation  both actions coming amid the weeks government shutdown drama  Trump has opened cracks in his wall of support among Senate Republicans.

And that wall is the one the president will need as his bulwark in the remainder of his term, should he come to be impeached by a House newly controlled by Democrats as of January, and then face trial in the Republican-majority Senate.

Public criticism from Trump allies including Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Marco Rubio of Florida and especially Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Senate majority leader, telegraphed how shaken they were by Thursdays news that James N. Mattis is resigning in protest as Pentagon chief. From the administrations start, Republicans in the Senate and beyond have looked to Mattis to guard against Trumps impulsive behavior.

Trump, however isolated and unrestrained he seems now, is still a long way from losing the 20 Republican senators it would take to remove him from office by a two-thirds vote after an impeachment trial. Also, he has seemed on the verge of losing backing in the past  before and after his election. The Senate has opposed him on occasion, most recently to penalize Saudi Arabia after its murder of a dissident U.S.-based journalist, even as Trump defended the countrys rulers.

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But if Trumps Senate fortress breaks, perhaps after incriminating findings of ongoing investigations, historians might look to this week as a turning point.

Col. James Carafano, who was a top advisor on Trumps post-election transition team and has rarely criticized him, called the Syria decision, which precipitated Mattis resignation, a self-inflicted wound and said the White House has done a poor job in explaining how drawing down troops from Syria and Afghanistan will make this country safer.

Rubio, who had forged a tenuous peace with Trump after trading personal insults in their competition for Republicans presidential nomination, tweeted that Mattis 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 rare public rebukes of Trump come after two years in which congressional Republicans have mostly vented privately about the impetuous president. They come amid growing consensus in Washington that the president will need all his survival skills in the next year to weather whatever special counsel Robert S. Mueller III reveals in his looming report, as well as the outcome of separate legal proceedings, investigations by newly empowered House Democrats and perhaps an economic downturn.

Republicans privately are as worried as theyve ever been.

Think of Trump as sitting on an island, said a top aide to a pro-Trump senator who requested anonymity to reflect Republican senators conversations. Every story like Mattis, Syria, shutdown is like a wave that erodes a little more of the beach. How much land is going to be left when the Mueller tidal wave hits?

The week began with a president who has branded himself as a master deal-maker reversing his position daily on the essential government-funding bill, to congressional Republicans open consternation, even as he remained on the sidelines of negotiations.

He veered from threatening a partial government shutdown unless he got $5 billion more for a wall to retreating from that demand and then, on Thursday, renewing the threat after the Senate  acting with what it thought was the White Houses blessing  unanimously approved a temporary government-funding bill without wall money. Trump then allied with House Republicans to pass a bill to his liking, though it was doomed in the Senate.

Trumps changing stance on the wall fight reflected his fear of losing his base of support on the hard right, which in turn sustains his backing from Republicans in Congress. He also was reacting to conservative media figures including Rush Limbaugh and Ann Coulter, who warned that he would forever lose his supporters if he capitulated on the wall; his advisor Stephen Miller, who has spent his career on the hard-line fringe of the immigration debate; and House Freedom Caucus members led by Rep. Mark Meadows of North Carolina, who spoiled for a showdown with Democrats.

Juxtaposed with his sudden decisions on Syria and Afghanistan, made over the objections of Mattis and the rest of the presidents national security team, Trumps budget brinkmanship underscored just who he listens to and who he does not. And that reality was particularly unnerving to Republicans in the Senate.

Many of them, and others in the Republican Partys establishment, support Trump reluctantly as a matter of practical politics  he remains overwhelmingly popular with the partys voters  and because he is the vehicle to achieve their goals including tax cuts, deregulation and confirmation of conservative judges.

However, they do not support significant parts of Trumps policy agenda, notably his trade protectionism, his nationalism, his coziness with autocrats over allies  and his commitment to a border wall. Though other Trump advisors with Senate support have left, Republicans especially looked to Mattis as a check on Trump in the most consequential decisions of war and peace.

Mattis, with his stunningly candid resignation letter, publicly confirmed that he had failed with Trump. He implicitly criticized the presidents mistreatment of allies and his indulgence of adversaries Russia and China, and concluded that hed leave by the end of February.

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 wrote.

John A. Farrell, the author of Richard Nixon: The Life, said after the Mattis news, The national intelligence establishment has been warning us and criticizing Trump for two years. He could always say they were Obama appointees. Now this is his premier appointee, the one person that everybody felt was keeping us safe from our worst nightmares.

McConnell, normally careful in his words, endorsed Mattis resignation letter in a statement, calling himself particularly distressed that he is resigning due to sharp differences with the president on these and other key aspects of Americas global leadership.

Graham, who has become one of Trumps closest Senate allies, lashed out repeatedly at the decision to withdraw from Syria, comparing Trump with President Obama, the man Graham and Trump spent eight years castigating as weak and feckless.

I thought President Obama was a nice man and was a bad general, Graham said, repeating his criticism that Obama overruled his military advisors. I dont think Gen. Trump is going to be any better than Gen. Obama.

Once Congress gets past the current impasse and adjourns, Senate Republicans will return for a new session in January to confront a calendar packed with confirmation hearings for Cabinet nominees. That is the cumulative toll of the chaos and dysfunction within the White House that now has some Republican lawmakers more seriously contemplating an eventual break with Trump, and wondering whether they might be better off with Vice President Mike Pence taking over.

Some Republicans are also discussing the potential for a contested presidential primary in 2020 should Trumps support erode.

Inside the White House, the staff exodus many insiders have long feared is now coming to pass, leaving Trump  a president without prior governing experience  with even fewer seasoned advisors and more room to do as he pleases absent confidantes with the stature to deliver hard truths to him.

I dont know who is still going to be here next month, said one senior administration official, who requested anonymity. The more attrition we have, the more chaos there will be.

Miller, one of the few on Trumps staff who have been with him since before the election, began showing a higher profile in recent days. Twice in the last week he emerged to speak for the administration on national television, growing so animated during a CNN interview Thursday night that host Wolf Blitzer told him that he did not need to yell. In that interview, Miller at one point mocked Graham, a Senate ally the president will need as much as any.

Though Democratic leaders deny that Trumps impeachment is under consideration, barring some findings that force the issue, Michael Steel, a former advisor to Republican leaders in Congress, called Trumps impeachment by a Democratic-led House next year a foregone conclusion.

Steel said Trump would probably escape removal from office, given Republicans narrow Senate majority. At the same time, he added, rising frustration  combined with continued investigation and perhaps a slowing economy  could eventually change that calculus.

noah.bierman@latimes.com

Twitter: @noahbierman
Dozens of nurses and healthcare employees picketed outside two area hospitals this week, making various workplace demands as the end of their contracts looms.

No contract, no peace, chanted several dozen healthcare employees and their union representatives outside USC Verdugo Hills Hospital in Glendale Wednesday, their voices slicing through an otherwise quiet morning.

Picketers claimed hospital management officials have been dragging their feet during negotiations for a proposed contract that includes employees requests for increases in pay and staffing, as well as free healthcare, for workers represented by Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West, known as SEIU-UHW.

Everything has just been pushed back. We presented our proposal, but they havent responded to anything, said Carlos Martinez, a nursing assistant who has worked at the hospital for seven years.

A bargaining meeting held the day before the picket did not result in meaningful progress, and no firm follow-up date has been set, Martinez said.

The existing contract is set to expire Jan. 31.

If the agreement continues to stall, Martinez said there would likely be additional picketing and even a potential strike.

Hospital management, including Chief Executive Keith Hobbs, declined to comment through a spokesperson.

Meanwhile, as workers marched and bullhorns blared outside the hospital, surgical buyer Andrew Brown held a simultaneous anti-union gathering in one of the hospitals conference rooms.

Since October, Brown has been fighting to dissolve the union formed three years ago, when he filed a petition that was rejected by the National Labor Relations Board, or NLRB, because it arrived two days too late.

According to Brown, he has the support of a majority of the 230 workers in the bargaining unit, which includes patient services representatives, obstetrics technicians and phlebotomists.

He plans to resubmit a petition on Jan. 2  the earliest date he can.

What the union was telling us was lies ... and the majority of the people in the unit have realized that, said Brown, referring to what he said was an unfulfilled promise by union leaders to secure 5% pay raises.

Grisell Rodriguez, who is leading SEIUs field campaign for the contract, said hospital management promised employees the same raise if they voted to dissolve the union.

If an employer wanted to give a 5% raise, they wouldnt be stalling on the proposal that we gave, Rodriguez said.

Pointing out that a decertification petition requires only 30% of a bargaining units support to file, Rodriguez also dismissed Browns claim to have a majority of workers behind him.

Over the course of the contentious battle that has been playing out between pro- and anti-union forces at the hospital since Brown filed his petition, Hobbs has said several times that he supports all employees, whether they want representation or not.

Having inherited a financially failing hospital in January 2016, Hobbs in October said the morale was low all around the medical facility.

He previously said hes helped instill a cultural and financial shift by cultivating personal relationships and introducing meritocratic raises.

Now they feel they have enough trust in leadership that they dont need a third party to represent them anymore, Hobbs said after Brown filed the decertification petition.

On Wednesday, Martinez denied having that type of relationship with the relatively new management.

When it comes to my living, and theyre not willing to help me improve that, when I come here and work hard for them, it makes it hard to really trust them, Martinez said.

The biggest sticking point is low staffing levels, which some of the workers think jeopardizes their safety and the safety of patients, Martinez said, adding that, in particular, there is a need for more personnel in psychiatric units.

When someone is taking care of three patients, as opposed to one, thats a safety-hazard concern, Rodriguez said.

No employees showed up at Browns lunchtime meeting, which he attributed to a combination of the unions bullying tactics and the fact that it was difficult for employees to take time off from work.

About 100 employees signed up to take turns marching during the two-hour picket, according to Martinez. Roughly 40 people were marching at any given time.

David Acosta, a consultant not employed by the hospital and the only attendee at Browns meeting, questioned whether the majority of the marchers were hospital employees, suggesting they could be union employees or paid protesters.

In Burbank, numerous vehicles driving past Providence St. Joseph on Thursday honked in support of the nurses and members from SEIU Local 121RN, the unions St. Joes chapter, as picketers chanted Safe staffing saves lives.

Labor negotiations were being conducted that day, with both sides trying to come to an agreement before the end of the year, when the current contract expires.

In addition to the protest held outside the hospital, the union held a strike vote, which garnered about 98% support from the nearly 900 members that voted on Thursday. That vote authorizes the bargaining team to call a strike, said Terry Carter, a spokeswoman for SEIU Local 121RN.

Providence St. Joseph respects employees rights to participate in union activities but much prefers meeting at the bargaining table to reach agreements that meet the needs of employees, the hospital and the community, officials from St. Joes said in a statement. Our goal is to settle this contract as soon as possible and in a way that allows the hospital to continue providing safe, excellent and compassionate care to our patients and their families.

Mario Isaac Cardenas Soriano, a third-year orthopedic vascular nurse, was one of the many that walked along Alameda Avenue with a sign in his hand.

Soriano had worked his way up from being a certified nursing assistant, or CNA, to a registered nurse, saying he loves working at Providence St. Joseph.

He said that this years flu season has not been as bad as previous years, but the workload he and his colleagues are given has reached a point where it could negatively affect patients.

We have three [certified nursing assistants] on our floor, but wed love to have more, Soriano said. I cant tell you how often I get a patient that says theyre too embarrassed to wet the bed and tries to get out of bed on their own. Ive seen too many falls happen for that exact reason.

He added patients sometimes refuse to drink liquids because they assume the nurses and CNAs cannot help them in time.

For Soriano, he wants the management to understand the nurses at St. Joes need an appropriately sized support staff to assist them with patients.

Im not above anything. Ill do whatever I need to do to help the patients, he said. I was an aide at one point in time, so I know exactly how difficult that job is when you have nine to 15 patients that you single-handedly have to look after, but this is crazy. We definitely need a lot more staff.

Staffing levels for certified nursing assistants at St. Joes has been an issue since July, when the hospital opted to change the model to allow three CNAs for every 30 patients.

After pushback from the nurses and the union, management reverted back to the previous staffing model of three CNAs for every 24 patients, said Gity Khazan, a nurse from the neuro-cardiac unit of Providence St. Joseph.

However, she said the hospital has been moving toward changing the CNA-to-patient ratio again, and she and her colleagues dont want that to happen again.

Khazan, who has been a nurse at St. Joes for 11 years, said her breaking point with management occurred when she had to take care of four patients who were in critical condition and only had the help of two CNAs.

She said those patients needed to be turned to prevent bedsores from occurring, but because she was shorthanded, one of those patients ended up developing those sores.

Were hoping we can negotiate terms that will really benefit the patients, Khazan said. That means that we need adequate staffing and resources to take care of our patients.

anthonyclark.carpio@latimes.com

Twitter: @acocarpio
Jeanna Bassett, 72, an art teacher at Concordia Elementary School in San Clemente for more than 40 years, had spent 30 of those years building Lego creations.

Bassett donated many of the plastic brick structures to Concordia after her home had become inundated with Lego art. The collection had been on display in the school library where vandals, in late November, broke in and destroyed them.



For the record: An earlier version of the story misspelled Scott Ganos name.

Bassett is partial to the Star Wars sets, and among the destroyed pieces was a Millennium Falcon, which sells for about $800.

In the days that followed, Bassett received numerous offers to help rebuild the collection, one of the most generous coming from Goodwill of Orange County, whose e-commerce site, shopgoodwill.com, has a department dedicated to building and reconstructing Lego sets.

With an anonymous donor supplying the 7,500-piece Millennium Falcon set, shopgoodwill.coms expert builders, Taylor Harkins, 37, and Scott Gano, 32, offered to rebuild the starship and present it to Bassett.

Art teacher Jeanna Bassett looks at her rebuilt Star Wars Millennium Falcon spaceship, which is made of Legos, after it was damaged by vandals at Concordia Elementary in San Clemente. (Photo by Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

With video recorders and still cameras capturing the moment, and her students looking on, Harkins and Gano surprised Bassett in her classroom Thursday morning, when the pair carried in the finished Falcon and carefully lifted it out of its cardboard box, prompting applause from her class.

You guys are my heroes, she said to the builders. All the students have been giving me hugs and telling me how sorry they are about the Legos. I just appreciate it so much. Thats the real story here.

The pair spent 48 hours assembling Han Solos spaceship.

Its really good to do something for a good cause, Harkins said. I love doing what I do. Im never going to stop doing what I do.

Goodwills main function is finding employment for people who have difficulty finding jobs, usually because of a disability. Money raised from Goodwills e-commerce helps the nonprofit further its mission.

Its the Christmas season so Goodwill wanted to spread a little goodwill, said Ted Mollenkramer, the charitys e-commerce business manager.

Multiple individuals are suspected of participating in the destruction of the Star Wars creations, which left the floor of the library covered by tens of thousands of broken Lego pieces.

The Orange County Sheriffs Department continues to investigate the incident, according to Concordia Principal Rob McKane.

There have been suspects identified and consequences given, McKane said.

Meanwhile, Bassett and the Concordia community continue to receive support and offers to help rebuild. Another group of master builders who specialize in Lego construction is scheduled to spend the next few days piecing together even more Lego sets.

This is another example of the community coming together, whether it is the Star Wars community, the Lego community, the Goodwill Community, or the community of San Clemente, McKane said. If there is anybody Ive ever met who is deserving of this, of the community coming together to help make her collection whole again, it is certainly Mrs. Bassett.

Lou Ponsi is a contributor to Times Community News.
Nothing about the way Natalie Cervantes twirls her gauzy pink skirt and downs Christmas candy suggests that only six and a half years ago she was a premature newborn with apnea and a feeding tube.

Natalie spent the first two weeks of her life in the neonatal intensive care unit at Fountain Valley Regional Hospital and Medical Center after arriving six weeks early. Now she and her parents return to the hospital every Christmas season to distribute gifts to NICU families going through similar challenges.

Natalie gets it.

I help the people in the hospital, she said Wednesday after dropping off 25 red stockings filled with practical and thoughtful gifts, including tissues, snacks, notepads, hand sanitizer and board books to read to the babies in the hushed, dim nursery.

She helps the early babies.

Like herself.

Her mother, Kristen, was in labor for a day and a half before Natalies birth on May 21, 2012. Doctors tried to slow her labor through medication, but Natalie, named before she was born, came anyway. She was 4 pounds, 12 ounces and 16.5 inches long.

Nurses whisked her to the NICU. Kristens earliest glimpses were through cell phone photos; she didnt get to hold her only child until a day later.

Natalies dad, Anthony, had a hard time seeing her in an incubator, connected to tubes and lines. She didnt seem to like them either; though tiny and delicate, she yanked the feeding tube from her nose, her parents said.

It was a long 13 days, Anthony said.

Natalies early arrival changed her parents. They appreciate the care Natalie received to get a healthy start and want her to know the good fortune of being home rather than at the hospital at Christmas.

And there are the rewards of helping others who have helped you as well, Kristen said.

They purchase the care packages with their own money and with the help of the hospital-based nonprofit Jonis Angels deliver them to the NICU. They havent missed a Christmas since Natalie was born.

Natalie is now a first-grader at Perry Elementary School in Huntington Beach. She has her moms wide eyes, her dads thick, dark hair and a charming gap-toothed smile made possible by lost baby teeth.

She likes unicorns, sparkly things and L.O.L. Surprise dolls. She has no lasting health effects from her premature birth and is even a couple of inches taller than the typical 6-year-old.

Most 6-year-olds also probably dont have a Fountain Valley Regional employee badge  printed at the hospital human resources office  that identifies them as a future NICU nurse.

Her time in the hospital was far before her memory. Its not far from her moms.

Kristen still vividly recalls the emotions.

I know how it feels to be in that position, she said.

She wants other NICU parents to know they have support.

hillary.davis@latimes.com

Twitter: @Daily_PilotHD
Costa Mesa Mayor Katrina Foley visited the Boys & Girls Club of Costa Mesa Thursday to hand out coats donated during her annual charity drive.

Joining Foley at the drop-off event were city public safety personnel, Costa Mesa High School cheerleaders, members of the Charger Girls and recently elected state Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris (D-Laguna Beach).

Foley collected 192 coats during this years drive. (Kevin Chang / Daily Pilot)

After delivering the 192 coats collected during this years drive, the group fielded questions from children at the club, 2131 Tustin Ave.

For more information about the club, visit boysandgirlsclub.com/our-clubs/bgc-costa-mesa.html.
A part-time birthday party clown received a 38-year state prison sentence Wednesday for sexually assaulting a 9-year-old girl in Huntington Beach, Orange County Superior Court records show.

Gualberto Torres-Vargas, 40, pleaded guilty to one count each of continuous sexual abuse, sodomy by force of a child under 14 years old, performing a lewd act on a child under 14 and forcible rape.

Torres-Vargas was arrested on Nov. 19, 2015 by Huntington Beach police officers responding to a child molestation call at a local residence.

Prosecutors charged Torres-Vargas with sexually assaulting a 9-year-old girl between Nov. 1, 2014 and Nov. 9, 2015. The victim allegedly told her mother, who notified Huntington Beach police.

Though jail records identify Torres-Vargas as a cook, he also worked as a childrens party clown on the weekends.

He did not meet his victim while at a childrens party, authorities said at the time of his arrest.

Torres-Vargas will be eligible for parole following his 38-year sentence. He is being detained at Theo Lacy Facility in Orange, records show.

julia.sclafani@latimes.com
The Laguna Beach City Council has approved purchasing a new odor control system aimed at reducing the sewage smell emanating from the Glenneyre Dip sewer lift station.

It should reduce foul odors by summertime. Meanwhile, residents on the other side of town are still holding their noses against another long-time stink.

Construction on the roughly $250,000 biological odor control system  called an IBOx  is expected to begin at the Bluebird South Orange County Wastewater Authority lift station in February, said Lagunas director of water quality, David Shissler.

The system cleanses the gaseous air that  much to the dismay of nearby residents  regularly emanates from the sewage pump station and surrounding piping.

Its amazing how well it works. You really dont smell anything, Shissler said.

Early last year, the city installed the same system at the Laguna SOCWA lift station near the farmers market  across from the Laguna Playhouse on Broadway Street.

Councilwoman Toni Iseman said in last weeks council meeting that before the system was installed, she would often call the city manager to complain about the smell.

You used to go to the farmers market and youd avoid a certain area, she said. That technology was amazing  I didnt know it could be fixed. And so Im confident if the same technology is going [in the Glenneyre Dip], we wont have a problem.

The odor control system uses a vacuum suction to draw the smelly gases from the lift stations wastewater holding tank and from underground piping around the area, Shissler said.

The IBOx then carries the gas through a series of shelves, where bugs feed on the gas.

By the time it gets to the end of that maze  all of that sulfite gas has been eaten by those bugs, he said.

The last step of the system is polishing, where the air cleaned from the bugs then goes through a carbon filter, to catch any remaining gas.

The project for the Bluebird SOCWA station was approved in November 2017. Last weeks unanimous vote allowed the water department to purchase the equipment directly so that construction and installation can begin quickly, Shissler said.

With the Laguna SOCWA station odor control system as a guide, Shissler said the stink around the Glenneyre Dip should be gone about three months after the system is installed.

In fairness to the people living around the lift station, we really are trying to take advantage of what we were able to do at the Laguna SOCWA station and have it work at this station and really try and reduce those odors, City Manager John Pietig said at the council meeting.

But some residents living down South Coast Highway near Victoria Beach wish the city would do more to address sewage smell problems in other neighborhoods.

Dan Sugg, who lives near the corner of McAulay Place and Coast Highway, said he often catches a whiff of rotten eggs when he steps outside in the morning to pick up his newspaper. Like several of his neighbors, he said the smell is worse early in the morning, around 6, and dissipates within a couple hours.

Marsha Bianchi lives across McAulay from the Suggs. She has contacted the city several times over the years about the stench that she said smells like sewage with a chemical overtone.

One time this summer it was so bad it actually woke me up, Bianchi said. I was dreaming about something disgusting, and I woke up, and it was the sewer smell. Its unacceptable. These are really expensive homes, so we shouldnt have to deal with this.

Resident Gary Zoromski said that in the last year, the smell has drifted down to his house at the other end of McAulay Place, on the corner of Victoria Drive. He sometimes smells it in the alley behind his house or on a walk down to the beach.

Thats why I was shocked they wanted to do the stupid underground lines on 133, Zoromski said, referring to ballot Measure P that voters struck down in the November election. It would have raised sales taxes 1% to bury utility lines in Laguna Beach. Like, the whole sewage system in Laguna is falling apart, and you want to spend $100 and some million on poles?

Shissler said the problem is not related to either of Victoria Beachs two small lift stations, but with the transmission main that runs nearly six miles down the center of Coast Highway, connecting wastewater from the Bluebird SOCWA lift station to the coastal treatment plant in Aliso Canyon.

Two million gallons of wastewater run through the pipelines 27-inch diameter every day, he said. At night, the flow slows to nearly a still, and the water becomes stagnant.

The odors start to build. In the morning, when everyone starts taking their showers and using dishwashers, you get a huge rush of water that has been sitting all night, he said. And you get this big slug of stinky water thats coming through the system.

The gaseous smells around Victoria Beach rise from a pipe vault near the McAulay Place and South Coast Highway intersection that lets air out from the underground system, Shissler said.

The water quality team has installed two systems there that are intended to prevent the smells  a super oxygenation system to help regulate the flow during the day and a magnesium hydroxide system to settle the gas at night. As with the IBOx, there are also carbon filters placed near manhole covers to stop the gas from releasing above ground.

Roger Butow, a resident of Victoria Drive and founder of the local environmental activist organization Clean Water Now!, said the city is not living up to its promises to overhaul the sewage system.

He cited a federal court case that another nonprofit, California River Watch, filed against the city in the U.S. Central District Court in 2014 and he joined as a plaintiff in 2015. The lawsuit alleged that Laguna Beach had a history of sewage system overflows that damaged the ocean. The two parties settled in 2015, with the city agreeing to continue with the sewage rehabilitation plans outlined in its capital improvement plan and pay CRWs attorney fees.

The city vowed. They made a compact with their residents: Were going to fix this, its going to be OK, Butow said. It took nearly three years after the litigation was settled for them to even commit to fixing Bluebird. Why did it take you three years to fix what you already knew was broken?

Several neighbors around Victoria Beach complained that the citywide sewage system is too old.

The treatment plants  arent up to snuff, said Marcus Lewis, who grew up in the Victoria Beach neighborhood and now lives on McAulay Place. Theyve been having a lot of backups and smells.

Shissler said some of the oldest clay pipes were built in 1929, but a majority of them have been fitted with new plastic pipes, so theyre basically a brand-new pipe within an old pipe.

He said the city has been overhauling the system, and so far 18 of 95 miles of water pipes that the city maintains have been lined with plastic piping. In March 2020, he said, the city plans to gut out and rehabilitate one of the Victoria Beach lift stations, which he said might help with the smell.

Weve worked with them extensively, weve visited them at their homes, were in communication with them routinely, Shissler said of the Victoria Beach residents. Were doing as much as can be done with current technologies.

faith.pinho@latimes.com

Twitter: @faithepinho
A Glendale attorney admitted in federal court last week to using bank accounts meant for his clients to help launder money as part of a $14-million tax-fraud and identity-theft scam.

Arthur Charchian, 44, pleaded guilty on Dec. 14 to one count of money laundering and one count of making a false statement to the Social Security Administration.

He faces a maximum of 15 years in prison followed by three years on parole, according to a copy of Charchians plea agreement with the U.S. Attorneys Office.

Prosecutors will argue for a reduced sentence in return for his guilty plea when he is scheduled to reappear in court on Sept. 9 for sentencing, according to federal officials.

His participation in the scam lasted from 2012 to 2015 and involved using trust bank accounts meant to hold funds for his clients to launder around $549,000. At least 16 other people were involved.

Federal officials said the scam included opening hundreds of bank accounts using stolen identities and fake passports for the Republic of Armenia. The accounts were then used to launder money from IRS refunds that were issued based on falsified tax returns.

About 7,000 of the fake returns were sent to the IRS and requested a combined $38 million. The agency ultimately issued roughly $14 million in refunds.

Fake accounts were frozen by the banks, and Charchian was hired to seek the release of the frozen funds, which [he] did in exchange for a fee of 10% of the frozen funds, according to court documents.

Specifically, [the] defendant was aware of a high probability that the financial transactions that he was conducting involved criminally-derived property, but he deliberately avoided learning the truth, according to the plea agreement.

Charchian received the checks derived from the scam, deposited them into his clients accounts and then wrote outgoing checks for the money minus his 10% cut. Authorities said this was done over 15 times by the attorney.

Charchians lawyer, Mark Werksman, said his client did not know about and never intended to be a part of the money laundering operation when he first became involved.

He was used by unscrupulous clients, Werksman said. But  hes liable and accepts full responsibility for what he did, and hes going to do all he can to resolve this case and move on with his life.

In addition to money laundering, federal officials said Charchian admitted to sending a letter to the Social Security Administration on his law firms letterhead saying a client of his received a settlement check for $51,468 after it was flagged by the federal agency. The check was, in fact, part of the proceeds from the laundering scam and not a settlement.

It was written by Charchian on behalf of a person involved in the scam so they could continue to get Social Security benefits, according to the plea agreement.

Werksman said Charchians serious act of poor judgement should not define him as a person and that he has done a lot of great things for the community and has been very active in civic affairs over the years.

Outside of his law practice Charchian also served on Glendales design review board, having first been appointed to the position in 2014 by Mayor Zareh Sinanyan. His resignation from the board was announced during its Dec. 13 meeting, a day before his guilty plea became public.

He was not present at the meeting and no reference to his federal case was made when Vilia Zemaitaitis, the citys principal planner, made the announcement.

We wanted to thank him for his over four years of service, his dedication and his thoughtful comments, she said. He was definitely an asset to this board, and we will miss him.

City officials did not respond to a request for comment at the time of publication.

Charchians attorneys license remains active, according to the State Bar of Californias website. A spokesman for the agency said bar officials cannot comment on whether any disciplinary actions will be taken as they are kept confidential and are only made public when charges are filed.

andy.nguyen@latimes.com

Twitter: @Andy_Truc
China's machinery industry is now 85 percent self-sufficient thanks to the country's forty years of reform and opening up.

In 1978, Chinas industrial added value stood at 9.72 billion yuan. Between 1978 and 2017, the figure rose by 600 times, reaching 6 trillion yuan, according to the China Machinery Industry Federation (CMIF).

Annual profits totaled 1.71 trillion yuan in 2017, which stood at nearly 250 times the figure forty years ago.

In the 1980s, China relied heavily on foreign technologies in producing mechanical products. However, now, about 70 percent of technologies are self-developed, indicating that high-end equipment in China no longer heavily depends on imports.

Furthermore, green manufacturing, smart manufacturing, and service-oriented manufacturing sectors saw fast development in China, and private enterprises in the industry developed rapidly.

Wang Ruixiang, president of CMIF, said that the number of private enterprises in the machinery industry increased from 18,000 in 2000 to 67,800 in 2015. Over the same 15 years, business income and total profits at these companies also experienced double-digit growth.
Ten Years Ago

After 50 years of service, Dave Silversparre announced he had no choice but to quit operating Silversparres Union 76 station at Foothill Boulevard and Angeles Crest Highway. He cited a poor economy, ongoing construction work at the intersection, a traffic reconfiguration there and a new corporate owner as reasons he would retire as of Dec. 31, 2008. We tried to make things work, but with the recession and now no left-hand turns out of the station, we just couldnt keep it going, he said.

Twenty Years Ago

La Canada residents took part in a relief effort to aid a Starlight Crest Drive family whose home had been ravaged by fire on Dec. 15, 1998. The victims were provided with clothing, household items and financial assistance by their neighbors. About $450,000 in damages were estimated following the blaze, which was believed to have started after a propane stove was left on in the garage.

Thirty Years Ago

To cope with traffic congestion and hazardous conditions for student pedestrians, the La Canada Flintridge City Council imposed several parking restrictions at and around Palm Crest Elementary School.

Forty Years Ago

Final touches were being made to the La Canada Flintridge float entry in the 1979 Rose Parade, the first float to represent the then-new city. Carrying the theme Horse Play, the 50-foot float created by the all-volunteer La Canada Flintridge Tournament of Roses Assn., cost $35,000 all raised through donations.

Fifty Years Ago

Having apparently used a roof ventilating window to gain access, burglars dropped in on the Sport Chalet store in La Canada one night during the 1968 Christmas shopping season and got away with $500 worth of ski clothing and equipment.

Sixty Years Ago

In December 1958, nearly 4,000 candle luminarias lined the curbs and retaining walls along Fernside Drive, from La Canada Boulevard to Encinas Drive. The tradition carried on for four holiday seasons in a row. But after seeing this photo in the Valley Sun, Los Angeles County Fire Department officials extinguished the practice, declaring the burning of all those candles was simply too hazardous.

Compiled from the Valley Sun archives by Carol Cormaci.
In a letter sent to La Canada High School parents last month, school officials announced a case of whooping cough was discovered and warned to take precautions: educate yourself and cover your mouth.

Now, the district nurse says, theyre aware of 11 cases.

That nurse, Chris Henry, said via an email the first case was discovered in early November, leading officials to send the letter to staff and parents just before the Thanksgiving break. Also in an email, Interim Principal Jim Cartnal clarified that the letter Henry sent out, from the L.A. County Public Health Department, addresses how families can get treatment.

Janesri De Silva, the medical director at Kids and Teens Medical Group in La Canada, said she hasnt seen in her office any recent cases of whooping cough, also known as pertussis, which may be owed to the fact that her colleagues always try to immunize and protect our kids.

While adolescents typically recover from whooping cough, De Silva said, infants are at a greater risk due to undeveloped immune systems. An infant in San Bernardino County died this summer after contracting the disease.

Around the time of that death, officials warned that California could see an outbreak this year, according to the Los Angeles Times. Outbreaks are predicted to occur every three to five years and the most recent were in 2010 and 2014.

In the latest outbreak four years ago, 1,231 confirmed cases of whooping cough were reported in L.A. County, said Michelle Parra, the director of the vaccine preventable disease control program at the L.A. County Department of Public Health.

In comparison, there have been 237 confirmed cases in the county this year as of the end of October, Parra said.

The student newspaper at Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles reported this week that eight students were diagnosed with pertussis. There, the school notified only the parents of students who share classes or activities with those affected, according to the Chronicle.

A recent outbreak also surfaced in Marin County in Northern California. The Mercury News reported an outbreak this year hit hardest in local high schools  one school had 56 cases in the spring  while a school district reported this month all three of its schools had students affected by the illness.

Pertussis is spread easily through the air when a person who has whooping cough breathes, coughs or sneezes, according to a county Public Health Department fact sheet.

The most effective way to prevent whooping cough is to get the vaccine, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In La Canada, Henry said, officials are advising that families take precautions such as education and support.

An online resource that tracks immunizations required for school entry shows the vaccination rate at LCHS 7/8 is within the safest range for herd immunity, at or above 95%.
Santa Anita completed the very public reorganization of its racing department on Saturday by naming Steve Lym as the new vice president and racing secretary just days before the tracks signature meeting opens on Wednesday.

Lym, 50, replaces longtime racing secretary Rick Hammerle, who held the job since 2003 until he was fired three weeks ago. No specific reasons were given for Hammerles departure. Lym will start his new job the first week in January.

Lym comes to Santa Anita from Woodbine Racecourse in Toronto, where he was racing secretary since 2003 before being named director or racing in 2013. Stronach Group, which owns Santa Anita, Golden Gate and several East Coast tracks, is a Canadian-based company.

Tim Ritvo, the chief operating officer of Stronach Group, fired both Hammerle and track announcer Michael Wrona within days of each other in late November. Wrona, who technically did not have his contract renewed, was replaced by Frank Mirahmadi, whom Wrona beat out for the full-time Santa Anita job in 2016.

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The biggest problem for a Southern California racing secretary is creating big field sizes because the tracks are almost on an island with no nearby tracks that can send in shippers to bolster the horse population and create more betting opportunities. Toronto, much like Santa Anita and Del Mar, is also isolated.

I see similarities in the business model that Santa Anita is faced with, and I think I bring a skill set that will transfer nicely to Santa Anita, Lym said.

Lym has served on the Breeders Cup selection panel, made up of racing secretaries and officials who determine which non-automatic qualifiers get to run in the two-day event. Santa Anita will host the 2019 Breeders Cup.

Dan Eidson, Santa Anitas racing director, is expected to remain in that job. He has been running the office since Hammerle left. P.J. Campo, vice president for racing for Stronach Group, has been assisting Eidson.

Steve and our entire team know that we have to embrace change and produce the best possible product for our customers to wager on, Ritvo said.

Click here (or type in this url: lat.ms/2wVt90g) to sign up for our free horse racing newsletter.

sports@latimes.com
I had gone out with several women I found via online dating, but no one was clicking. I was feeling rather hopeless. I was divorced after being married for 29 years, the last 10 of which I would describe as very lonely.

Id begun to wonder if love and sexual passion had passed me by.

Elaine had been single for about two decades while raising her daughter and focusing on her career.

She too wondered if shed ever find someone special.

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She made contact with me after spotting my profile on JDate. She later admitted why: I, being in Calabasas, seemed reasonably close to where she lived.

Our first meeting was lunch that August at the Twisted Oak Tavern in Agoura Hills. The conversation flowed and we seemed comfortable together. The next week we had dinner at the Old Place, also in Agoura Hills, and we spent an hour talking at the winery next door while waiting. I started to feel something unfamiliar toward Elaine, a stirring.

After dinner, I did not know how to end the evening as there was nothing really open near the Old Place, so we just parted ways.

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My time with her was wonderful, but I was uncertain about how to move forward. The next week we hiked one of my favorite places, Solstice Canyon. She told me she would pick the next hiking spot; she wanted to take me someplace that would be new for me. I was touched by the beauty of that gesture. Slowly, I began to realize I could be emotionally vulnerable and still feel safe with Elaine. I felt like I just glowed when with her.

For someone who denied even having feelings for much of his life, this was huge.

I knew by then this was someone special.

We hiked Point Dume in Malibu, which I had never done before. We began to share more and really open up about ourselves.

Saturday became our date night. November brought a Friday-night picnic in Agoura Hills. Looking back, I did a very poor job of it. I neglected to bring a tablecloth and candles  nothing to help set the mood. We ate in the dark. Then Elaine said sit on my side of the bench. We hugged. And then we kissed. It was our first physical contact.

For our next date, we made plans to spend an entire day (but not yet the night) from breakfast through dinner together. We went to the Los Angeles Flower Mart and then headed to Silver Lake. We learned that spending gobs of time together is marvelous.

I invited Elaine to dinner at my house. This was a big step forward in our relationship. Elaine sensed my nervousness and suggested a stroll around my neighborhood. We stopped at a dark spot to kiss passionately for the first time and then continued back at my house.

Wow, I thought. Am I really feeling this? Can this really be happening?

Sparks, emotional connection, physical longing.

We discussed being intimate. This required some planning, considering our two small houses and the three young adults living under our roofs. (Her daughter and two of my three sons.) We needed privacy to first share our 60-plus-year-old bodies and could not see doing that when our children were home. We began planning a weekend in Newport Beach. Then, opportunity! Elaines daughter was spending the night at a friends....

We pounced on the idea and on each other. We continued our passion the next weekend at our planned Orange County weekend getaway. We also experienced the beauty of the Back Bay, Corona del Mar beach at low tide and walking the peninsula at Newport Beach.

The sharing of our inner emotional lives deepened. There was nothing I couldnt tell Elaine. She was caring, supportive and not at all judgmental. She saw those same qualities in me.

Then, at dinner on Christmas Eve, I suddenly told Elaine I loved her. Did I move too fast? Did I just scare her?

I guess not. Elaine would later take her own risk, responding with a very intense email sharing her deepest feelings about love, intimacy and some of her insecurities. We were totally different in our careers, political views and religious background. Would those be stumbling blocks?

We decided to discuss and explore a topic in depth each time we were together, to learn more about each other and our compatibility. I created a list: money, sex drive, family, religion, politics, bucket list goals and parenting. We discussed it all, with respect toward each others viewpoint, not judging each other. Despite our political differences, our relationship survived that talk too.

By Valentines Day, we were committed, and Elaine finally said those three magical words to me: I love you.

We made weekend getaways part of our life, going to Julian, Santa Ynez, Pasadena, the Kern River for white-water river rafting, and Palm Springs. We played tourist in L.A., going to the Getty, the Norton Simon, the Peterson Auto Museum, the original Farmers Market, Stone Brewery in Escondido, hiking Eaton Canyon Falls in Pasadena...

To celebrate our first anniversary, Elaine chronicled our many weekend trips in a journal, with photos and passages from our shared emails. I was moved to tears by her gift to us. I could see the magic that we created for each other. All that time spent sharing our past, beliefs, values and families made for an incredibly strong relationship.

We developed our own traditions: coffee in bed, reading the newspaper aloud to each other, discovering microbrews, an occasional Scotch, sharing meals when we eat out and making the Six Chow House in Calabasas our place.

Is Elaine my soul mate? If I approach every day with gratitude that she is my partner and act in a loving way toward her, the answer will take care of itself.

We often marvel at the different ways we can connect. Its not just through serious discussions and being supportive in difficult times. We connect when we explore the natural beauty of Southern California, share music, joke or tease each other until we hurt from laughter, or share the mundane details of our lives.

The desire for physical intimacy and emotional connection are timeless, no matter how old our bodies are.

The author is a business executive living in Calabasas.

L.A. Affairs chronicles the search for love in and around Los Angeles. If you have comments or a true story to tell, email us at LAAffairs@latimes.com.

MORE L.A. LOVE STORIES 

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As parts of the government ground to a halt and operating funds dried up, some of the 418 units of the National Park Service have found a way to remain more fully open and provide services.

National parks may be open, but restrooms, trash pickup, snowplowing and staff may not be available.

But Grand Canyon National Park will be more fully open, thanks to provisions made in February, the Arizona Republic reported.

State revenue will be used to fund the park service, according to the Republic.

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The Grand Canyon will not close on our watch. Period, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey said in a statement on the office of the governors website. If Washington, D.C., wont function, Arizona will.

By working together with the National Park Service and with dollars from our Parks and Tourism departments, we have identified state resources and will make sure the Grand Canyon stays open.

About 6.3 million people visited the park in 2017, making it ninth in popularity among all units. Among beauty spots  that is, the traditional national parks, such as Yosemite  the Grand Canyon ranked second, after Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee and North Carolina, which had more than 11 million visitors last year.

Utah also has promised to provide fuller services during the holidays at Arches, Bryce Canyon and Zion national parks. Besides maintenance services, visitor centers will be staffed, thanks to help from Utah offices of Tourism and of Outdoor Recreation.

Many travelers have planned their visit for months in advance and have traveled from all over the world to be here, Utah Gov. Gary R. Herbert said in a statement. We want them to return home with memories of magnificent vistas and welcome people, not locked doors.

The state has donated $80,000 to the National Park Service, the Salt Lake Tribune reported.

Zion and Bryce Canyon set visitor records in 2017, the park service said, attracting 6.5 million and 2.5 million visitors, respectively. About 1.5 million visited Arches in 2017.

Vicksburg National Military Park in Mississippi also will stay open, WLBT-TV in Jackson reported. The nonprofit Friends of Vicksburg National Military Park and Campaign will provide funding. The group has committed to fund basic operations to keep the Vicksburg National Military Park open in the event of a government shutdown, through the help of generous donors and partners, a Dec. 20 statement on its website said.

The park received about 475,000 visitors in 2017.

Other parks will be open, but visitors in some cases wont find rangers or restrooms.

Winters cooler temperatures and the holiday break are attracting large numbers of visitors to Death Valley National Park. Trash has began to pile up, so visitors are being asked to practice the pack in, pack out motto and not leave any trash behind.

The company that provides boat trips to Channel Islands National Park said it will continue to operate regular service from Southern California. Island Packers said transportation will continue to Anacapa Island, Santa Cruz Island as well as three-hour Island wildlife cruises, winter whale watching trips, and day trips organized by The Nature Conservancy.

The National Park Service Contingency Plan this year explained what it can do this way: Parks must notify visitors that the NPS will cease providing visitor services, including restrooms, trash collection, facilities and roads maintenance (including plowing), campground reservation and check-in/check-out services, back-country and other permits and public information.

Visitors during the January shutdown were confused about what they could expect, and some incidents of inappropriate behavior were reported, the Hill said, including the illegal hunting of a pregnant elk in Utahs Zion National Park and a snowmobiler who got a little too close to Yellowstone National Parks iconic Old Faithful geyser.

There also may be confusion about the status of lodgings. The Oasis at Death Valley (formerly Furnace Creek Resort) will remain open to holiday visitors, spokesman Trey Matheu said in an email Friday. The resort is a privately held area within Death Valley National Park. Although the park and its employees may be affected by the partial shutdown, lodging, restaurants and other activities will be unaffected.

Parent company Xanterra Travel Collection said in a statement Friday that it had received word that entrances and roads into Death Valley would remain open, though services such as pubic restrooms and visitor centers would be shut.

Yosemite National Parks lodgings, restaurants, winter ski and snowboard activities, and the Yosemite Valley shuttle are operating as usual, spokesman David Freireich said in an email Saturday. The parks Bracebridge Dinner, a tradition since 1927, went forward Saturday too. Bracebridge Dinner

Meanwhile, those holding reservations for Haleakala National Parks sunrise viewings on Maui, which require a reservation, will find this note on the booking site: The lapse in funding for the federal government may impact your reservation and travel plans. Be aware that if you have an existing reservation during this lapse of funding period, and the location is not staffed, your reservation may not be honored.

We recommend that you do not make reservations for dates that fall within the lapse in funding time frame.

Jay Jones contributed to this report.

travel@latimes.com

Twitter: @latimestravel
Pope Francis vowed Friday that the Catholic Church will never again cover up clergy sex abuse and demanded that priests who have raped or molested children turn themselves in.

Francis dedicated his annual Christmas speech to the Vatican bureaucracy to abuse, evidence that a year of devastating revelations of sexual misconduct and cover-up has shaken his papacy and caused a crisis of confidence in the Roman Catholic hierarchy.

Francis acknowledged that the church in the past had failed to treat the problem seriously, blaming leaders who out of inexperience or shortsightedness acted irresponsibly by refusing to believe victims. But he vowed that going forward the church would never again cover up or dismiss cases.

Let it be clear that  the church will spare no effort to do all that is necessary to bring to justice whosoever has committed such crimes, he said.

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Francis urged victims to come forward, thanked the media for giving them a voice and issued a stark warning to abusers: Convert and hand yourself over to human justice, and prepare for divine justice.

The popes remarks capped a dreadful year for the Catholic Church, one that began with his botched handling of a sprawling sex-abuse scandal in Chile and ended with the U.S. hierarchy in a free-fall of credibility as state prosecutors have begun uncovering decades of cover-up.

Francis has summoned church leaders from around the globe for a February abuse prevention summit, an indication that he has come to realize that the problem is far greater and more global than he had understood at the start of his pontificate five years ago.

His demand that abusers turn themselves in to face human justice was significant, and echoed his previous demands for mafia bosses and corrupt politicians to convert.

Vatican guidelines currently call only for bishops to report priestly abusers to police in those countries where civil law requires it  a technicality that survivors and their advocates have long decried as a convenient dodge to the churchs moral obligation to protect children regardless of what the law requires.

Francis warned the Vatican bureaucrats who run the 1.2-billion-member church that the scandal now undermines the credibility of the entire Roman Catholic enterprise and that from now on the church and all its pastors must embark on a continuous path of purification.

He prayed for help so that the church can discern true cases from false accusations.

This is no easy task, since the guilty are capable of skillfully covering their tracks and choosing victims who will keep silent, the pope said.

It was perhaps a veiled reference to former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, the disgraced retired archbishop of Washington, D.C., who is now facing a canonical trial on allegations he groped a teenage altar boy in the 1970s.

The McCarrick revelations have fueled the crisis in confidence in the U.S. and Vatican hierarchy because it was apparently an open secret that he had sex with seminarians but nevertheless was allowed to rise to the heights of church power.

Francis reference to the difficulty in distinguishing true cases from false allegations was also perhaps a reference to his own failure to believe Chilean victims of a notorious predator priest.

During Francis disastrous trip to Chile in January, he dismissed survivors allegations of cover-up as slander, sparking outrage in Chile and beyond. Francis eventually did an about-face, apologized to the victims and acknowledged he had made grave errors in judgment about the case.

Going forward, he urged those who have been victims of sexual abuse, abuse of power and abuse of conscience to speak out.

The church asks that people not be silent, but bring it objectively to light, since the greater scandal in this matter is that of cloaking the truth, he said.

The cardinals and bishops of the Curia listened attentively, including the dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, who has long been blamed for the Vaticans refusal to acknowledge the depth of the problem during the quarter-century pontificate of John Paul II.

Sodano, who was John Pauls deputy, made no mention of the scandal that has convulsed the church this year. In his introductory remarks Friday to the pope, he instead thanked Francis for his pastoral visits in Rome, elsewhere in Italy and around the world, for having canonized Pope Paul VI and for having issued a new teaching document.

In previous years, Francis has used his Christmas greetings to issue blistering criticisms of the failings of the Curia, accusing them of suffering from spiritual Alzheimers and taking part in the terrorism of gossip.

His remarks this year had a more global outlook, noting that all around there are priests who without batting an eye are ready to betray all that the church stands for and enter into a web of corruption by abusing those in their care.

Often behind their boundless amiability, impeccable activity and angelic faces, they shamelessly conceal a vicious wolf ready to devour innocent souls, he said.
When citizens of the Democratic Republic of Congo go to the polls next Sunday, attention will be focused on the race to succeed Joseph Kabila, the president of nearly 18 years. But away from the spotlight, theres another battle going on: Women are fighting for a place in politics.

Africa has made huge strides in womens political representation in recent decades. Some nations now have higher percentages of women in parliament than many European countries. But Congo lags far behind. Women make up only 9% of the National Assembly, putting the country far below the 24% average for sub-Saharan Africa.

Some Congolese women are fighting to change that. But the fight is slow and they face significant barriers: a society that frowns on women in leadership positions, financial hurdles and the governments failure to enforce gender parity laws.

In a country with one of the highest rates of gender inequality in the world, these women say that getting a seat at the table is key to making Congo a better place.

We want women to bring another way of governing, not to make laws for individual benefit, but for the good of the community. Chantal Moboni Mpeme, a candidate for provincial Assembly

When there are problems in the DRC, its women who suffer the most, said Chantal Moboni Mpeme, a candidate to represent Kinshasas Limete municipality in the provincial Kinshasa Assembly. Only 7.8% of the assemblys current membership are women.

When theres a rebellion, its the women who are raped, she said. When theres no water, its the women who will struggle to be able to cook and wash. When there is no electricity, its women who are suffering, because theyll need an additional budget to buy charcoal.

Since long ago, weve been ruled by men, but today the country is suffering, she added. We want women to bring another way of governing, not to make laws for individual benefit, but for the good of the community.

Mpeme will compete in an election that is finally taking place after a two-year delay, as Kabila clung to power despite constitutional term limits dictating he step down in 2016. The election was originally scheduled for this Sunday, but at the last minute was postponed one more week to Dec. 30.

Voters will elect a new president as well as members of the National Assembly and provincial legislatures. Kabila chose a former interior minister, Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary, as his preferred successor, and two opposition candidates are facing off against him. But there is widespread concern that the vote will not be credible, and a win by Shadary, who is under European Union sanctions for human rights abuses, is likely to be contested. That could lead to violence in a country already dealing with armed insurgencies and humanitarian crisis.

Despite abundant natural resources, Congos 80 million people are some of the poorest in the world, and women lag behind men by almost every socioeconomic indicator. Mpeme, 46, has long worked to change that, but now she wants to do so from a more powerful position.

Shes a member of the Engagement for Citizenship and Development party, whose leader, Martin Fayulu, is one of the candidates for president. Mpeme is in charge of communication for the womens wing of the party, and she runs a civil society organization that promotes womens rights.

As a defender of women, I would prefer to be in a place where laws are made and written, so I can have more influence on womens situation, she said.

Kinshasa Assembly candidate Chantal Moboni Mpeme at the headquarters of her party, Engagement for Citizenship and in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo. Holly Pickett / For The Times

In 2008, Congos neighbor Rwanda became the first country in the world to have more women than men in its legislative body. Today, the country still leads the world in terms of female political empowerment, with women comprising 61% of its lower house of parliament. Rwanda adopted a gender quota in a new constitution in 2003, mandating that at least 30% of members of parliament be women. Beginning the 1990s, many countries in Africa adopted various kinds of gender quotas. Fifteen African countries now have legislatures in which women make up at least 30% of members.

Research suggests there are tangible advantages to securing more seats for women, even in autocratic countries with weak parliaments. Studies show that such legislative bodies are more likely to adopt laws that apply to women, such as statutes on gender-based violence, family law and land rights, said Gretchen Bauer, a University of Delaware professor who studies womens political leadership in Africa.

But research also indicates that leads to wider societal changes, including increased acceptance of women as leaders and increased voter participation by women. People change their ideas about what women can do if they see women in positions of power, Bauer said.

Congo mandates gender parity in national, provincial and local institutions and in national elections. But there are no penalties for breaking the law and it is widely ignored. In the last election, in 2011, just 12% of candidates were women. And despite womens efforts, there appears to be no improvement in this election  local media say the participation rate is about 12% again.

A woman in Africa is considered like a person who should just stay at home and take care of her children, said Charleine Tumba Muntu, a member of the African Democratic Union party from Kinshasa who is running for a seat in the National Assembly. When a woman wants to get involved in politics, she said people tell her: Youre a woman  what are you going to do in politics?

National Assembly candidate Charleine Tumba Muntu sits beneath photographs of people, including Nelson Mandela and Che Guevara, venerated by her party, the opposition African Democratic Union, at party headquarters in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo. Holly Pickett / For The Times

Muntu is fortunate that her family supports her political career. Her husband encourages her, as does her father, a former politician himself. But she faces one of the other significant barriers to women candidates: money. Candidates in Congo often have to finance their own campaigns, and women are far less likely than men to have the resources to do so.

To run for office, Muntu said, requires financial means. And women dont have a chance to work due to traditional marriage, so these women dont have financial means.

Congolese Member of Parliament and MLC party General Secretary Eve Bazaiba pumps her fist while fellow party members cheer, after she was the first to add her name to the official petition for the presidential candidacy of Jean-Pierre Bemba in Kinshasa, on Aug. 23, 2018. Holly Pickett / For The Times

One woman who has been able to beat the odds is Bazaiba. As secretary general of the Movement for the Liberation of Congo, she led the party while former rebel leader and Vice President Jean-Pierre Bemba faced war crimes charges in the Hague. (His 2016 conviction was overturned this year.) Bazaiba is also a deputy in the National Assembly, and in her sleek office in the partys headquarters, she spoke about the importance of getting more women in office.

Even if we just have one woman in politics, things change, she said. But many women in politics will transform politics in favor of the general interest, because one woman on her own can lose against the system, but when you have many women, theres strength in numbers.
A dissident rebel suspected of running drug trafficking operations in southern Colombia and ordering the killing of three Ecuadorean journalists in April has been tracked down and killed, Colombias defense ministry said.

Walter Patricio Arizala, 29, alias El Guacho, was killed Friday in an armed confrontation with army and police units in the crime-ridden Colombian border province of Narino, according to a ministry statement.

For the record: The headline on an earlier version of this article said Ecuador had killed the fugitive. It was Colombia.

Arizala was an 11-year veteran of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) who was among an estimated 2,000 fighters who refused to accept terms of the 2016 peace agreement with the government that ended a half century of conflict with the nations largest rebel group.

He formed an armed group called the Oliver Sinisterra Front, which controlled cocaine production and trafficking in Tumaco township, the busiest coca growing and transit zone of drugs in Colombia, officials said.

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Arizala is alleged to have forced farmers to grow coca plants, which are the source of cocaine, and arranged shipments of the drug to Mexican cartels. He also is thought to have headed extensive extortion and kidnapping rackets, making him one of the most wanted delinquents in the Ecuador-Colombia border area, the ministry said.

But he was most notorious for allegedly ordering the killing of three Ecuadorean journalists with the Quito-based newspaper El Comercio days after they were captured during a March reporting trip to the lawless border with Colombia.

The victims, who were identified as writer Javier Ortega, photographer Paul Rivas and driver Efrain Segarra, were investigating rising drug-fueled violence in the coastal state of Esmeraldas. Arizala, who was born in Ecuador, was believed to have used the Ecuadorean coastline as a transshipment zone for cocaine produced in Colombia.

The killings caused a rift between the neighboring countries and resulted in Ecuador backing out of a previous agreement to host peace talks in Quito, the capital, between Colombian government negotiators and another rebel group known by its Spanish initials ELN.

In a statement to reporters Friday night in Bogota, Colombian President Ivan Duque said that by killing Arizala his nation had kept a promise to Ecuadorean President Lenin Moreno to bring the former rebel to justice for the deaths of the three journalists.

I told the Ecuadorean people that the crime against the three journalists would not remain in impunity, Duque said. This is an accomplishment by the entire country.

In a statement issued Saturday, the Ecuadorean government said it recognizes and appreciates the action by Colombian armed forces in killing Arizala.

Yadira Aguagallo, the partner of Rivas, the slain photographer, said in an emailed comment that she and the families of the other two victims believe justice has yet to be served and that they are awaiting explanations of why the victims were not rescued or ransomed during 19 days in Guachos custody.

Its the position of the three families that no death is cause for celebration, that it is as painful to us that deaths are still happening to those who attacked us as much as to our loved ones, Aguagallo said. We continue to demand both countries to take action to assure that all those responsible for these crimes are punished to avoid that this crime remains in impunity.

Adam Isacson, a Colombia expert with the Washington Office on Latin America, a private research and advocacy organization, said Guachos death should improve Colombias relations with Ecuador, which after the killings accused its neighbor of being indifferent and unempathetic.

But Isacson warned that if Guachos killing creates a power vacuum it could soon be filled by two other hyperviolent dissident groups of former FARC rebels active in the Tumaco area, in addition to various Colombian and Mexican mafias thought to be in the zone.

Now that Colombia has demonstrably done something about it, perhaps relations may warm a bit, Isacson said. But the Colombia-Ecuador border, especially near the Pacific, remains a convulsed and violent place.

Kraul is a special correspondent. Special correspondent Pablo Jaramillo Viteri in Quito, Ecuador, contributed to this report.
File Photo: Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying

Beijing said on Friday that it firmly opposes Washington and its allies slandering China's cybersecurity, and urged the United States to withdraw cyber espionage charges against two Chinese nationals.

The US has made unwarranted accusations concerning internet security against China and indicted two Chinese citizens for alleged cybertheft, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said in an online statement.

This, she said, was "fabricating facts out of thin air", and China has lodged "stern representations" with the US.

China is a defender of cybersecurity and resolutely opposes, as well as cracks down on, any form of cyber-stealing activities, she said.

"The Chinese government had never participated in, or supported anyone, stealing commercial secrets", she added.

US prosecutors charged two Chinese nationals, Zhu Hua and Zhang Shilong, and alleged both were linked to China's Ministry of State Security intelligence agency. The charges allege stealing of confidential data from US government agencies and businesses around the world.

The hackers are accused of breaching the networks of Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co and IBM, and then using the access to hack into the computers of those companies' clients, but IBM said it had no evidence that sensitive data had been compromised, Reuters reported.

"We urge the US to immediately correct its erroneous actions, stop slandering and tarnishing China on cybersecurity issues, and cancel the so-called charges against the Chinese citizens to avoid impairing bilateral relations as well as cooperation in relevant areas", Hua said.

China will take necessary measures to safeguard its own cybersecurity and interests, she said.

It has been an "open secret" that relevant departments of the US have hacked and listened in to foreign governments, enterprises and individuals on a large scale, she said.

"The US making baseless criticisms of China in the name of so-called cybertheft is blaming others while itself should be blamed, and is self-deception, and China absolutely cannot accept this," she said.

This is not the first time that accusations from Washington were false, she said.

As the world's leading power, the US is arrogant and selfish, she said at a daily news briefing, adding that the country does its utmost to suppress other countries' development rights.

Other countries, such as the United Kingdom, also have smeared China on cybersecurity issues, Hua said, adding that China asks those countries to respect the facts to avoid damaging their relationship and cooperation in major areas with China.
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You Will Probably Live Longer Than You ThoughtBut Can You Afford To?

I have long warned that demographic changes have made Social Security unsustainable.



In 1940, the Social Security system had 159.4 workers per beneficiary. Then it went off the rails quickly. By 1945 the ratio was down to 41.9 and a decade later was in single digits.



We usually think this is a result of the Baby Boom generation turning 65, and thats a big part of it. But rising life expectancy is equally and maybe more important.

Save too much and possibly check out with a surplus, or

Outlive your savings, then fall back on Social Security and the kindness of family for your final years.

People now live longer, which lowers the ratio and means they collect more years of benefits than previous generations.Lets stop here and think about this retirement concept.Retirement is a relatively new thing. For millennia, the idea that a physically able person of non-royal blood would simply stop working and enter a life of leisure was unthinkable.You worked as long as you could, declined quickly, and then died. Very simple and financially sustainable most of the time.It was no coincidence that retirement developed along with the Industrial Revolution. Technology made food production far less labor-intensive. This reduced the need for less productive, older people to contribute.Societies around the world decided to let the oldest members take some final time off before their end. A good and humane practice, I think. However, it has limits. When the retirement systems were created, nobody thought that average people would spend the last 30% or 35% of their lives at the broader societys expense. They wouldve thought that was nuts!And yet we are trying to do it. No surprise, the seams of our retirement dream are beginning to unravel.The problem is not simply that there are so many Baby Boomers. It is that we have so many Baby Boomers and theyre living longer than previous generations did In 1950, 8.4% of the US population was over 65, and 1.2% was aged 80 or above. In 2000, the 65+ share of the population went from 8.4% in 1950 to 12.3% in 2000.But wait, thats not all.If the projections are right, then in 2050 some 22.3% of the US population will be over 65 and 8.3% will be over 80. Both would be huge increases since 2000But I think the estimate is probably wrong, and not in a helpful way. You see, these estimates dont include the age-extending technologies that I believe are coming in the next decade.That means by 2050 the working-age population will be less than half the total. And yet it has to support its children and elders? I dont think so. Something will break first.The most likely scenario is readjustment of working age at the upper end. The current retirement age is rooted in times when few people lived that long. And most of those who did were physically incapable of going much longer.That is rarely the case now. Im knocking on 70 and still work as full-time as I ever did. And Im surrounded by friends my age and older who are just as active or more active than I am.To reflect rising life expectancy and better health, the retirement age should have been raised beyond 70 years ago. People would have had time to to plan for it. That didnt happen, so now we have to scramble for solutions.Preparing for retirement would be far simpler if you knew in advance when you would get sick and die. That means you must either:

The first option is obviously better, but is it unfeasible for most people. A surprising number of people die in debt.



Longer lifespans make this harder. Say you finish your education and start making money at age 25. If you retire at 65, your career was 40 years.



During that time, you had to buy a house, help children with college, maybe repay your own student loans, and otherwise live a normal and hopefully comfortable life. You used whatever was left for retirement savings.



Now, is it mathematically possible to save enough in those 40 years to fund another 30 or 40 years of retirement? Probably not.



Sure, you might build a business or invent a new technology. But the average working person can only save so much of their income. And basic retirement living costs will consume most of it in less than 30 years.



This is what my British friends call a sticky wicket. The good news is we will soon be living longer. The bad news is we will soon be living longer.



Since the technology is coming regardless, we need ways to reconcile the costs and benefits. However, it is not at all clear how we will do so.



Join hundreds of thousands of other readers of Thoughts from the Frontline



Sharp macroeconomic analysis, big market calls, and shrewd predictions are all in a weeks work for visionary thinker and acclaimed financial expert John Mauldin. Since 2001, investors have turned to his Thoughts from the Frontline to be informed about whats really going on in the economy. Join hundreds of thousands of readers, and get it free in your inbox every week.

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 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication.




China's first private carrier rocket production base has started operation in Huzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, according to the Beijing-based rocket maker LandSpace.

The company told Xinhua on Friday that their production base, with research and development (R&D) functions, opened last Wednesday.

The company's TQ-12 rocket engine and the ZQ 2 liquid-propellant carrier rocket will start production at the base in 2019. The ZQ 2, to be powered by the TQ-12, is scheduled to be launched in 2020.

It will be able to produce about 15 ZQ 2 rockets and 200 TQ-2 engines starting from 2022, according to the company.

"Having a manufacturing base is the first step for large-scale commercial production of carrier rockets and engines, and is expected to greatly accelerate the R&D and testing of our products," said Zhang Changwu, CEO of the company.

"Our goal is to produce liquid-propellant carrier rockets that feature innovative technologies, competitive prices and performance that can match global counterparts," Zhang said.

The Chinese government encourages the participation of private enterprises in the space industry. The country now has more than 60 private companies in the commercial space industry.
The worlds first shipping container built using phase change material (PCM) - easier and more efficient to operate than conventional equipment. [Photo provided by University of Birmingham to China Plus]

University of Birmingham experts have worked with one of Chinas biggest railway rolling stock companies to develop the worlds first shipping container using materials that store and release cold energy.

Using phase change material (PCM), Birmingham scientists and their counterparts at CRRC Shijiazhuang have developed a refrigerated truck-to-train container that is easier and more efficient to operate than conventional equipment.

Once charged, PCM inside the container - which can be transferred from train to truck and vice versa - can keep the inside temperature between 5-12 C for up to 120 hours. The technology has recently completed commercial trials carrying real goods for 35,000 kilometers of road and 1000 kilometers of rail transport across different climate zones.

Professor Yulong Ding, Director of Birmingham Energy Storage Centre, who led the research at Birmingham, commented:Energy storage is an area of world-leading expertise at the University of Birmingham and cold chain technologies research is one of the most important topics at our Centre for Energy Storage.

We have developed a productive collaboration with CRRC Shijiazhuang and this innovative technology marks the beginning of developing an efficient and economic rail & road freight cold chain.

We are proud to contribute to the development of safe and clean low carbon energy technologies in China and beyond, which will ultimately help us to reduce the energy burden on our planet and tackle climate change.

Cooling is essential to modern society, which already causes twice the global greenhouse emissions of shipping and aviation combined with the cold chain being a significant cause of pollution. Increasing demand for cooling will result in spiraling energy usage with a potentially disastrous environmental impact, if left unchecked.

Without ambitious intervention, research shows that energy demand from cooling could increase five-fold by 2050, putting an increased pressure on global energy resources, said Professor Ding.How the world meets its demand for cooling could have a major impact on climate change and air pollution.

Several cold chain logistics companies in China have expressed strong interest in the container, which provides a more stable temperature, compared with the mechanical units, and hence a higher quality of goods at the destination. It does not need a power supply during its journey making transfer between road and rail easier. The containers location and temperature can also be monitored in real time using mobile communication technologies.

Founded in 1905, the CRRC Shijiazhuang Co. Ltd is Chinas largest railway truck maintenance company and rail vehicle air-conditioning equipment manufacturer. It is also striving to become a major manufacturer of new energy vehicles in China.
At least 5 killed in suicide attack near presidential palace in Somalia

At least 5 killed in suicide attack near presidential palace in Somalia

At least five people were killed and four injured as two blasts rocked the Somalian capital of Mogadishu on Saturday. The death toll may yet rise, police said. The first explosion came from a suicide car bomb, which went off at a checkpoint 400 meters away from the presidential palace. The cause of the second blast is unclear. The victims include security personnel and civilians. The Al-Qaeda linked Islamist insurgent group, Al-Shabaab, has claimed responsibility for the attack.Source : RT - Daily news
A New York law could potentially see MMA superstar Conor McGregor lose all of his profits from his UFC 229 fight with Khabib Nurmagomedov, and possibly the huge windfall from the launch of his whiskey company, Proper Twelve.

READ MORE: 'I still have lots of questions about UFC involvement in bus incident'  Khabib Nurmagomedov

According to a report from showbiz gossip outlet TMZ, Michael Chiesa believes he directly lost out on a UFC title fight as a result of McGregor's actions when the Irishman attacked a bus transporting fighters at a UFC 223 media day earlier this year, and the use of footage of the incident, amounted to a breach of a US law that prevents criminal activity being used to generate profit for the perpetrators.

McGregor was arrested and convicted of disorderly conduct as a result of the attack. Now Chiesa, who was on the bus attacked by McGregor in Brooklyn at UFC 223 and sustained cuts as a result, has filed a lawsuit.

The report also states that Chiesa believes the bus attack was "a pre-meditated publicity stunt" designed to generate additional buzz for McGregor's UFC 229 fight with Nurmagomedov, and Chiesa wants a judge to force McGregor to hand over the profits he made as a result of that fight to the victims of the attack.

The lawsuit is looking to invoke the 'Son of Sam' law that states that those convicted of a crime cannot profit through publicity of their criminal activity.

Chiesa was unable to face Nurmagomedov for the vacant UFC lightweight title at UFC 223 when Tony Ferguson was ruled out of the bout through injury and backup option Max Holloway was unable to step in due to weight-cutting issues.

Chiesa was originally scheduled to face former world champion Anthony Pettis at UFC 223, but TMZ say Chiesa explained that the UFC approached him to face Nurmagomedov for the title instead, only for the cuts sustained in the bus attack to effectively rule him out of both fights that weekend.

Al Iaquinta stood in instead, and lost via unanimous decision as Nurmagomedov captured the UFC lightweight title. McGregor went on to face Nurmagomedov for the title at UFC 229 but was well beaten by the Russian, who won by fourth-round submission in Las Vegas.
A large blaze has erupted at a mine near the city of Solikamsk in Russias Urals, with giant plumes of smoke filmed rising from the facility. At least nine people have been trapped underground as fire continues to rage.

Footage from the scene shows thick plumes of grey smoke erupting from the mine shaft. Eight out of seventeen workers present have been safely evacuated from underground, but there have been no signals coming from the others as chances for their rescue grow slimmer.

The incident occurred at 12pm local time, according to the mines owner, the Uralkali fertilizer producing company. While the company described the incident as an emergence of smoke, Russian emergency services stated that the mine caught fire.

READ MORE: Giant blaze rips through Googles office in Chinas Silicon Valley (VIDEO)

The blaze erupted during construction works at the mine when temporary flooring caught fire, the emergency services told TASS. The fire continues to rage underground and extremely high temperatures are preventing rescuers from going deeper.

While fire crews are battling the blaze, Russias Emergencies Ministry has deployed additional forces of specially trained mine rescuers from nearby regions.

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One wonders just how outrageous fake news must be in order to get busted, but Der Spiegel's ex-star reporter Claas Relotius got away with it all while writing for several outlets  maybe because it was about places like Ukraine.

Titled Bribing prohibited Relotius piece on the new Ukrainian police has all the elements of his trademark style: dramatic narrative, likeable heroes  and entirely made-up facts.

Read more

The report, published by the Swiss magazine Reportagen in June 2016, tells a tale of two young people  Dimitri and Valeria  who became members of the rebranded police force of post-Maidan Ukraine. Given the recent revelations over his fictional reporting, it's now unclear whether Relotius met the duo in reality, but the story makes for a very compelling read indeed.

It states that each day before going on patrol, Dimitri and Valeria have been coming to the center of Kiev to pray near the altar erected in memory of those who died during the 2014 Euromaidan unrest. The two were among the protesters back then, it reveals, describing how they recall burning buildings, the smell of corpses, a man with a child in his arms shot dead beside an old well  and a ruined wall, where dozens were slayed by snipers and rolled over by tanks.

Wait, what? Given that the majority of victims in Kiev  both protesters and law enforcement officers  were killed over two days of murky clashes in February 2014, the smell of dead bodies appears to be a little of an exaggeration. No old wells could immediately be found in central Kiev, and there's nothing to back up the story about a man with a child either.

Also on rt.com Game of deception: How a fraudster who faked his stories for years got to be Germanys top reporter

But most glaring of all, no tanks were ever deployed to curb the city unrest, so the ruined wall part was made up in its entirety. In reality, the police unsuccessfully tried to use light APCs to storm some barricades, but the vehicles were pelted with Molotovs and burnt down. At least the burning buildings part holds some water, as some central Kiev sites, including the Trade Unions Building, were indeed put to the torch.

It's not much of a surprise that the rest of the article is riddled with inconsistencies and false statements. Notably, it claims that the ousted President of Ukraine, Viktor Yanukovych, had a mansion where he lived like a pharaoh, with banisters and baths made of pure gold. The claim appears to be based on the long-debunked rumor that the protesters who stormed the president's lavish residence discovered a golden toilet.

Read more

Incumbent president of the country  Petro Poroshenko  is also described, for some reason, as a billionaire praline manufacturer from Odessa. Poroshenko has held several top government posts since the early 2000s, but this fact is not even mentioned in the article. He was indeed born in the Odessa region in the Soviet Union, yet the image of a successful businessman from Odessa seems to be quite a stretch.

Describing the old bribery mindset the new police officers have been supposedly battling, Relotius managed to make another, quite outlandish, mistake. The article says that the new police force was in use not only in the capital city of Kiev, but in other major cities, namely in Kharkiv and Donetsk, in Lviv and in Odessa.

The problem is, at the time of publication, the eastern city of Donetsk had for two years been under the control of anti-Kiev rebels, who rejected the Euromaidan coup, proclaimed their own republic, and had actual tanks and warplanes sent to crash them into submission  with only limited success.

It doesn't seem probable that the new Ukrainian police force would have been welcome there  a fact that may have eluded the disgraced Der Spiegel reporter. Just as it, sadly, would go over the head of many of his readers, submerged in the MSM reporting on Ukraine  a narrative often fed from the Kiev government's POV  and with little fact-checking.

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Ukraines Poroshenko signs law aimed at renaming canonical Orthodox Church

Ukraines Poroshenko signs law aimed at renaming canonical Orthodox Church

A law which effectively forces the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate to change its name signed on Saturday by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko. The legislation obliges religious organizations, which are said to be led from aggressor states, to explicitly show this link in their names within four months of the law coming into effect. The move follows the creation of the so-called Orthodox Church in Ukraine  an organization, formed predominantly by various schismatic hierarchs from now-defunct unrecognized Ukrainian churches. The canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church has already refused to change its name, accusing the authorities of tampering with religious affairs.Source : RT - Daily news
Throughout his career, Ferdinand Berthoud regularly submitted various memoirs and procedures to the Academie des Sciences. His assiduity testified to his talents and ensured the protection of influential members of this scholarly society. The latter guaranteed him supremacy in the realm of marine chronometry in the mid-1760s, thereby unlocking the gates to success.

In 18th-century Paris, no patent system protecting the intellectual property rights of artisans and inventors yet existed. The Academie des Sciences exercised a virtual monopoly over the field of technical and scientific invention. This meant that the only way of gaining formal recognition for the ingenuity and usefulness of a procedure was to submit it to scholars judgement. For each submission, a commission of experts generally composed of three members analysed and approved ideas and objects  in an occasionally arbitrary manner. As Ferdinand Berthoud admitted: les approbations de lAcademie ne doivent pas toujours servir de fondement pour fixer la bonte dune machine []. Ces Messieurs, pour favoriser les progres des Arts, sont obliges de louer les Artistes. [the Academys approvals must not systematically serve to confirm the fitness for purpose of a machine []. These gentlemen, in order to foster the progress of the Arts, are obliged to praise the Artists ].

Many procedures submitted to the Academy stem from the watch industry. The race for horological creativity and the development of new escapements became particularly dynamic in the 1750s. Ferdinand Berthoud was very much part of the action. In 1752, he sent a memoir on an equation clock, which probably earned him a request for his cooperation with Diderot and dAlemberts Encyclopaedia. The simplicity and ingenuity of the clock are mentioned in the Academys official publication, the 1752 volume of the Histoire de lAcademie royale des sciences.

In 1754, having officially become a master watchmaker, Berthoud had another of his equation clocks  as well as watch  approved by the Academy. Moreover, that same year, he submitted a first project for a machine pour mesurer le temps en mer [for measuring time at sea] under sealed cover, a procedure serving to protect the date of a discovery. The project testifies to the early involvement in the field of marine chronometry of the watchmaker hailing from the Swiss village of Plancemont near Couvet.

Six years later, he submitted a new description of principes de construction dune horloge marine [construction principles for a marine clock], again under sealed cover. It related to marine clock No 1. At Ferdinand Berthouds request, the document (of which a complement was submitted in February 1761) was unsealed upon his return from London in June 1763. The master watchmaker thereby confirmed that, despite the failure of his English mission, his project for a machine preceded John Harrisons marine watch.

The report by the Academys experts, which confirmed Berthouds status as a chronometer-maker, was nonetheless not written until one year later, in June 1764. Building on his growing success, Ferdinand Berthoud presented a memoir in August 1764 dealing with the manner of testing his marine clock at sea. In the same text, he announced the creation of three new models, of which he provided a description under sealed cover.

His stay in London indeed appears to have inspired him, since in September 1763 he also submitted the project for a clock equipped with a thermometer  based on the model made by Harrison  along with a memoir on English varnish in September 1764.

During the same period, Pierre Le Roy also submitted to the Academy a project for a marine clock, which did not however appear to elicit much enthusiasm among scholars. By then, it was Ferdinand Berthoud who was in favour among the illustrious gathering. Witness a speech delivered by mathematician Pierre Charles Le Monnier in February 1765 in front of his fellow members, in which he expressed his dream of a French-English maritime mission that would compare Berthoud and Harrisons marine clocks on the very same ship. As we know, it was not until two years later that the Academy launched its first marine chronometry competition.
President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi spoke with IMF head Christine Lagarde on Friday to discuss ways to boost cooperation between Egypt and the international body, his spokesman said.

El-Sisi received a telephone from the managing director of the International Monetary Fund where they discussed the developments of the countrys economic reform programme.

During the call, the president asserted that the Egyptian people had the main role in making the efforts of the state in implementing the economic reforms succeed, which was confirmed by the positive indicators in the Egyptian economy and how the countrys credit rating had improved.

For her part, Lagarde praised the progress of the economic reforms the Egyptian government is adopting, according to the presidency.

She also asserted her keenness to continue the cooperation with Egypt on the economic reform programme.

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International

Car bomb kills 16 in Somali capital

Soldiers stand on alert near an explosion near the presidential palace in Mogadishu. (AP)

MOGADISHU, Dec 22 (Agencies) | Publish Date: 12/22/2018 11:50:41 AM IST

At least 16 people were killed and 17 wounded in a car bomb attack claimed by al Qaeda-linked group al Shabaab close to the presidents residence in the Somali capital Mogadishu, police said on Saturday.

A second explosion followed nearby. Al Shabaab, in comments broadcast on its Radio Andalus, claimed responsibility for both blasts and said the second was also a car bomb.

The death toll has risen to 16 people including civilians and soldiers. Seventeen others were injured. The casualties are from the two blasts, Major Mohamed Hussein, a police officer, told Reuters.

Among those killed were a journalist, two security personnel and a driver working for local station Universal TV, whose car was passing the checkpoint at which the first blast went off, another reporter working for the station said.

My colleague Awil Dahir Salad died in the blast together with the driver and two security guards. They were killed by the first blast as they drove. May Allah rest their souls, journalist Abdiasis Ibrahim who works for Universal TV, told Reuters.

Police had earlier said the first car bomb at the checkpoint killed five, mostly soldiers.

A Reuters witness at the scene of the second blast said he saw at least two bodies.

Ahmed Abdi, another police officer, said the first car bomb exploded at a checkpoint some 400 metres from the presidents residence.

Al Shabaab carries out frequent attacks in Mogadishu. Its members want to dislodge the government and impose its rule based on its own strict interpretation of Islams sharia law.

The group was forced from Mogadishu in 2011 but maintains a foothold in some regions. It has killed thousands of Somalis and hundreds of civilians across East Africa in a decade-long insurgency.
By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Decks are cleared for the proposed merger of three public sector banks  of Dena Bank and Vijaya Bank with Bank of Baroda  with the Finance Ministry according in-principle approval for creation of the second largest PSB in the country with a combined business of Rs 14.82 lakh crore.

The merged bank, under the brand identity of Bank of Baroda (BoB), is likely to be operational from the beginning of the next financial year.

Ministry of Finance, Department of Financial Services on 20th December 2018 has advised that the Alternative Mechanism has accorded its in-principle approval to the proposed amalgamation of Bank of Baroda, Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank, BoB said in a regulatory filing.

While BoB is the transferee bank, Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank are the transferor banks in the amalgamation process.

According to government sources, the merged entity is likely to be led by P S Jayakumar, who is currently the MD & CEO of Bank of Baroda.

So far, the general consensus is that PS Jayakumar, currently MD and CEO, BoB, should lead the new entity while the chiefs of other two banks will be moved to head other PSBs. This will also help out the leadership issue in other PSBs, a senior Finance Ministry official told TNIE.

The Board of Directors of BoB had given in-principle approval for the proposed merger on September 29. The other two banks have also approved the merger proposal at their respective board levels.

Bank officers strike

A nationwide strike on Friday called by All India Bank Officers Confederation demanding immediate wage revision partially impacted banking operations across the country. Many PSB branches in different parts of the country wore a deserted look, while at many places, shutters were down, according to reports. Services like deposit and withdrawal, cheque clearances, issuance of drafts and other instruments were affected.

Private sector banks like ICICI and HDFC Bank, however, continued usual operations.

The United Forum of Bank Unions, an umbrella body of the nine bank unions, has also decided to observe strike on December 26. (With PTI inputs)

Its holiday season for banks

Taking into account the two days of strike called by the bank unions  All India Bank Officers Confederation and United Forum of Bank Unions  along with other holidays, the banks will be closed for most of the extended Christmas weekend. In effect, most 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.
By Bloomberg

Indians should own and control their own data, billionaire Mukesh Ambani has said, coming out in favor of recent efforts by the Asian nation to draft strict rules around how digital information is stored and shared.

Data colonization is as bad as the previous forms of colonization, Ambani, chairman of Reliance Industries Ltd. and Asias richest man, said at an event Wednesday in Mumbai. Indias data must be controlled and owned by Indian people -- and not by corporates, especially global corporations.

The comments feed into a debate on how India should balance user protections with support for its digital economy in the worlds fastest-growing major internet market. Foreign companies and hundreds of home-grown startups have flourished amid a dearth of regulation, with research firm eMarketer estimating e-commerce sales will more than double to USD 72 billion by 2022.

Ambani himself has supercharged internet adoption, helping crash data prices with the launch of his telecom venture in 2016. He also plans to create an online-to-offline platform that would take on the likes of Amazon.com Inc. and Walmart Inc, which are both betting big on Indias e-commerce market.

The growing competition has put a spotlight on the evolving privacy push. India is reworking a set of proposed e-commerce rules after a draft sparked criticism for its protectionist overtones. The government is also considering a draft of a data privacy bill, which recommended restrictions on the transfer and storage of information by global giants from Facebook Inc. to Google.

For India to succeed in this data-driven revolution, necessary steps will have to be taken to migrate the control and ownership of Indian data back to India, Ambani said.
By Express News Service

BENGALURU: Bangalore University has decided to get financial assistance from institutes which will henceforth be allotted land at Jnana Bharati campus, to improve infrastructure. This decision was taken following a recent communication from the Governor and Chancellor on behalf of National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), asking Bangalore University to provide an additional five acres of land to NAAC for the construction of an auditorium, cognitive centre, telecommunication and other ICT facilities, as well as a training centre for assessors, a VIP guesthouse, staff quarters and other infrastructure. Discussing this at the recent Syndicate meeting, the university decided to ask for financial assistance and also permission to utilise facilities created by that particular centre.

A copy of the proceedings available with The New Indian Express reads: NAAC has to provide financial assistance to improve infrastructure and laboratory facilities of Bangalore University, and the facilities created by NAAC should be jointly used by the university.

A senior official of BU said, This decision taken with regard to NAACs request will be applied to all other institutes which approach BU for additional land or for land at the campus.

When we are leasing land for long periods and charging a very nominal fee, we should get some assistance from them. As the university is trifurcated, we need financial assistance to maintain and improve infrastructure. Placing this as a condition while giving land will help the university, the official explained.

LIE OF THE LAND

1,200 acres Bangalore Universitys Jnana Bharati campus

236 acres under dispute

29 acres leased to institutions, including NLSIU, NAAC, Regional Institute of English South India, Ambedkar School of Economics, Institute of Plantation Management

A few more institutes coming up, including a multimedia research centre spread across 10 acres, Council of Architecture, Centre of Excellence for Central University of Karnataka, Aerospace Institute on 50 acres and others
Sahaya Novinston Lobo By

Express News Service

CHENNAI: A fake doctor had been practising in various hospitals in the City, including a prominent multi-specialty hospital at Mylapore, for several years.

The shocking revelation came to light after months of efforts by the family of a 48-year-old woman who died in May after being treated by the accused Ranjith, at the Laksha Multi Speciality Hospital, Mylapore.

The Mylapore police on Wednesday filed a cheating case against Ranjith and Dr Senthil Kumar, the managing director of the hospital.

The police acted only after the family, by its own efforts, verified with the State and the National medical councils and found that the registration number submitted by Ranjith, belongs to another retired doctor with a similar name from Adyar.

The police did not act on the case despite issuing a Community Service Register receipt on August 28, acknowledging the complaint.

The doubts about Ranjith, practising in the Mylapore hospital, arose in April when K Jothi, aged 48, and fighting cancer, suffered sudden death on May 18 in the hospital.

We had some suspicion about Ranjith from the beginning. But when he performed a surgery a week before her death, my mother suffered a seizure and was admitted in ICU, Bala Shankari, Jothis daughter, told Express from Puducherry.

She said they grew concerned over the deteriorating health of Jothi and were preparing to shift her to the Tamil Nadu Government Multi Super Speciality Hospital on May 18, when the staff told them Jothi had started bleeding and was critical. Ranjith had attended to her in the ICU and a few minutes later, she was declared dead.

While we were weeping over the demise of our mother, Ranjith started playing a sentimental song in his mobile phone inside the ICU ward,said Bala Shankari. The familys suspicion over Ranjith grew stronger when the hospital is said to have delayed issuing the medical reports and bills.

The family said they lodged a complaint with the Mylapore police over the issue, but no action was taken. When they raised the questions over Ranjith, the police officers had defended him and gave the family his medical council registration number. But when the family approached the State and national medical councils with the number and asked for the address of the doctor, they were given that of a doctor based in Adyar.

We gave this information to the police, but they simply brushed it aside saying that no one was present at the address. So we went to the given address and found there was another retired doctor, but with the name Ranjith Kumar. Only after we informed this to the police, they summoned Ranjith in August last week, said Bala Shankari.

Police said Ranjith was absconding after he appeared once at the police station in last week of August. But a police officer involved in the investigation said they still did not file an FIR since they expected him to appear again. The family in the meanwhile, filed petitions to various authorities, including CMs cell.

The Mylapore police finally on Wednesday night, filed an FIR on charges of cheating against Ranjith and the hospital managing director Senthil Kumar.

We found that Ranjith was not a qualified doctor and we are looking out for him, said the officer. However, he opined that the hospital management was also a victim since they too were cheated. He also acknowledged that the hospital did not do a proper background check on him.

When Express on Friday visited the hospital, the staff at the reception said Dr Senthil Kumar was not willing to talk to the press on the issue since the police investigations are on. However, later in the evening, an advocate representing the hospital, called Express and defended the hospital.

Senthil Kumar had met Ranjith in two other private hospitals where he had gone for consultations. During such a visit, Ranjith had volunteered to work in this hospital also and Senthil Kumar accepted it. He only asked for the registration number and when he checked, the name showed as Ranjith Kumar. He did not probe further and that has now landed the hospital in trouble, said the advocate who gave his name as Antony.

He said Ranjith had worked in the hospital for over two years. As per Ranjiths claims made to the Laksha Multi Speciality Hospital, he was working for nearly 8 years in various hospitals in Chennai before joining them.

The advocate claimed that they traced Ranjiths address and spoke to his mother.

She said he was once studying in a medical college in Bengaluru, but was not sure whether he completed the course. We are also helping the police in tracing him, said the advocate.

In her complaint, Bala Shankari has also named a senior doctor at the Tamil Nadu Government Multi Super Speciality Hospital, as having referred Jothi to Laksha Multi Speciality Hospital.

The police have filed a case under section 15 (3) of the Indian Medical Council Act and IPC sections 419 (personation) and 420 (cheating).
A statement by Egypts House of Representatives said the EU parliament should do more to contain anti-Islamic sentiments in Europe, instead of concerning itself with Egypt

A statement issued by Egypts parliament has strongly condemned a decision taken by the European Parliament on 13 December, accusing it of interfering in the internal affairs of Egypt.

The EU decision used unreliable reports and politicised and biased sources to deal with some aspects of the situation of human rights in Egypt, said the statement by Egypts House of Representatives.

Instead the European Parliament should do more to contain rampant violations of basic rights and freedoms in the European continent, stem the tide of racism, tackle hate speech and growing anti-Muslim sentiments in European communities, not to mention the slow procedures of justice and inhumane treatment of migrants and refugees which the UN sharply criticised and blamed the European governments for the proliferation of these practices.

The EU parliaments decision also raises questions about the integrity and objectivity of the European Parliament, and let us stress that Egypts parliament rejects any interference in the internal affairs of Egypt, particularly as the style of issuing decisions by the European Parliament was based on selected sources.

We reject that the European Parliament extends its purview to make itself a judge deciding on the fate of peoples, politicising the issue of human rights, and exploiting this to exert pressure as the double standard policies have become clear to all.

The statement, however, indicated that Egypt does not care so much about the European Parliaments decision, but it thinks that it might impact its possible partnership with the European Union, which aims to meet challenges facing the region.

On 14 December, the European Parliament issued a decision which criticised what it called the violations and discriminatory practices of the blockading countries against Qatari citizens, which also included calling on the Egyptian authorities to release Qatari citizens Ola El-Qaradawi and her husband, who were arrested without charge.

In a meeting held by the Egypt parliaments human rights committee on Saturday, chairman Alaa Abed said Ola El-Qaradawi and her husband were arrested in June 2017 under permission from the general prosecution.

Both El-Qaradawi and her husband face charges of funding terrorism, said Abed.

Wael Abu Eita, a representative of the Ministry of Justice, told the committee that Ola El-Qaradawi, the daughter of Islamist cleric Youssef El-Qaradawi, and her Egyptian husband were arrested upon the approval of the Supreme State Security Prosecution in case no.316/2017 and that both face charges of funding terrorism and cooperating with the terrorist group the Muslim Brotherhood.

The two are being accused of receiving the instructions of the leaders of the group abroad to send them to its terrorist operatives inside Egypt, said Abu Eita, adding that the daughter of El-Qaradawi underwent medical check-ups twice and they showed that she is in a stable healthy condition, and the same is true of her husband Hussam El-Din Ali Khalaf.

The registers of prisons also do not show that Ola El-Qaradawi was on strike, or that she claimed that she is a Qatari citizen.

Ambassador Wael Nasreddin, head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' department of human rights, also indicated that Egypts embassy in Brussels has received several European messages about Ola El-Qaradawi and her husband.

It is very strange that these messages consider them Qatari citizens, or that Ola El-Qaradawi has dual Egyptian-Qatari nationality, in order to show that Egypt is dealing with Qatari citizens in an arbitrary way, said Nasreddin, adding that we alerted the attention of the Europeans to the danger of interfering into the internal affairs of justice because this is a crime in line with the Egyptian constitution.

The Europeans should understand that the prosecution-general is an independent entity and not a part of the government, as they always like to show, said Nasreddin.

Nasreddin indicated that Egypts Ministry of Foreign Affairs is not obliged to send a written answer to the European Parliament or any other European institutions on the situation of human rights in Egypt.

We are just obliged to do this with the UN, said Nasreddin, adding that Egypts embassy in Brussels has received messages from deputy chairman of the European Parliament and head of this parliaments human rights committee, asking that Ola El-Qaradawi be either referred to trial or released at one.

This is a complete interference into the internal affairs of justice in Egypt, said Nasreddin, adding that Ola El-Qaradwi and her husband are Egyptians citizens and they are under legal arrest pending trial on terrorism charges.

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Madhumitha Viswanath By

Express News Service

CHENNAI: The owner of the legendary Open Book Shop -- popularly known as Alwar Kadai -- in Mylapore, R K Alwar, passed away on Friday due to age-related ailments. He was 95, said family members. The man who started the trend of selling old and rare books five decades ago on a small pavement on Luz Church Road will be sorely missed by locals.



As Alwar had been bed-ridden for the past five years, his wife Mary was tending to the book shop which always got a steady stream of visitors every day. After her death in January, the shop came under the care of their four daughters. The daughters will continue taking care of the shop. We have no plans to shut it down. He was very passionate about this shop and never saw it as a business. So the shop will be open for all as always in his memory, said a family member.

ALSO READ: The bookkeepers

Mylaporeans will miss the sight of the nonagenarian with a flowing white beard, sitting next to heaps and heaps of old and rare books. His makeshift book shop was a haven for bibliophiles and had become a landmark over the years. People who approached his shop for books of any genre never returned home empty-handed. The secret behind his wide variety of books was to collect them from houses in the neighbourhood.



Many Tamil poets and personalities from the film industry used to regularly visit his shop back in the 1980s. Bharathidasan, Jaishankar, Cho Ramaswamy, S Ve Sekar and many others were his faithful customers. People who could afford to buy books from Higginbothams and Landmark also used to come here as Alwar had books that had long gone out of print, said Baskar Seshadri, a resident who used to be Alwars customer.



Apart from customers who thronged the place from the city, students from Madurai, Trichy and Coimbatore used to travel from their hometowns to buy academic books at cheap rates.



Alwar, who was born and brought up in Vaniyampalayam in Villupuram, worked as a light boy at a film studio for a brief time, said his daughter Ammu. My father arrived in the city from Rameswaram when he was 15, worked in a hotel, and started collecting old school books to sell them as a hobby. He did many odd jobs before he started collecting second-hand college and school books. Though the corporation has attempted to chase us off from the pavements over the years, he refused to budge, she said.



His mortal remains will be kept at a relatives house at 41/48, Nachiappan Street, Mylapore till 3pm on Saturday.
By PTI

NEW DELHI: Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union president N Sai Balaji has accused the administration of "lying" about the agency which had been tasked to hold the varsity's online entrance examinations.

He said he had filed an RTI seeking details of the tender bids for holding the examination for academic year 2019-20.

He said he had filed the RTI in October and received a reply on December 10.

In the RTI, Balaji had sought to know the name of the agency which was selected for holding the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) online entrance examinations and also asked for the copy of all the bids for the tenders received.

The JNUSU president was told that the information was not available and could not be provided at this point of time as the bid evaluation was under process.

"After the academic council meeting on December 7, the varsity had said that the National Testing Agency had agreed to conduct the computer-based entrance examinations. Either they were lying then or the RTI reply is a lie," he said.

Balaji said he had also sought for a copy of advertisement for the tender bids for holding the online entrance examinations.

"The RTI reply said the tender documents were uploaded on the Central Public Procurement Portal which is in the public domain. But the details have not been uploaded on the website," he alleged.

The JNUSU chief also questioned the varsity over its claims of paucity of funds.

"If the varsity is facing paucity of funds, how is it conducting the online entrance examinations which require a huge amount of funds?" he said.

He claimed the cost of holding online entrance exams at more than 72 centres was anywhere between Rs 8 crore to Rs 11 crore, whereas the cost of holding the examinations using paper was around Rs 3 crore.
By Express News Service

HYDERABAD: How do we make India the safest place for a woman? Finding the answer to this query has led to numerous deliberations, laws being passed, and the efforts continue. One of the ways to answer this question has been apps which provide security features for women. The state governments Hawk Eye is one such app. Life of Girl (LOG) is another such app which is to protect women from harassment, with a range of refreshing options that might actually work.

The primary features of this app are Instant Security and Safe Havens. The app, which is still in beta and will be launched formally early next year, aims at providing real time help to women in danger by enrolling volunteers. Anyone who downloads this free app can volunteer in a particular area and help women in distress. If a woman in that area faces any kind of harassment anywhere, she can press a button in that app which will alert all the volunteers in that area. They can then reach that place to help that woman.

At a session held at University College for Women in Koti, Vignan Joseph K, the CEO of Life of Girl app, said: We can make India the safest place for women with everyones participation. Through LOG, we have created a family with the help of technology to empower girls. We have 7,000 volunteers till now. We are aiming at enrolling 3,000 more.

Explaining the concept of Safe Havens, he added, We are marking spaces in the city where a woman in trouble can run and seek refuge for sometime. The place might be an office, a college or some other place. That space must have three woman employees, have a functioning phone and must be near a police station. If a woman finds herself in danger, she can find the nearest Safe Haven through the app and reach that place.

The app was designed with the idea that a woman must find help when she needs it. Often in stories with happy endings, we see that somebody comes and rescues the woman, but that does not happen in real life always, Vignan added. In order to make the students aware of the dangers in the virtual world, Shashank Gangari, CEO of Fedo CyberSec, spoke about cyber crimes like phishing and DoS attack. He even demonstrated how Facebook and Instagram accounts can be easily hacked and private information must be shared carefully.
By Express News Service

MUMBAI: The death toll in the Andheri ESIC hospital fire case went up to 11 after a week-old girl succumbed to lung injuries from inhaling smoke on Friday.

Meanwhile, it was revealed that the MIDC fire brigade lacked the equipment to reach the fourth floor.

The girl, who was born with her twin brother on December 13, was being treated at the neonatal ICU for lung injuries sustained from inhaling smoke.

Meanwhile, it has came to fore that the MIDC fire brigade that first responded to the fire lacked the equipment needed to reach the fourth floor of the hospital building where the patients were trapped.

We didnt have hydraulic platforms to reach that height and had to wait till the Mumbai fire brigade team arrived, said a fire officer said.

The hospital staff had said that people trapped on top floor of the hospital panicked.
CE Features By

Express News Service

The Tamil Film Producers Council issue has taken a new turn, after the arrest and release of its president Vishal on Thursday, for attempting to break open the office, which was locked down by a group of producers opposing the current office bearers.

On Friday, the Madras High Court issued an order to unseal the council's office. The court also reprimanded the police department for arresting actor-producer Vishal without a proper reason, and questioned why an elected member of the council was prevented from entering his own office. The court, headed by Justice Anandha Venkatesan, has also ordered the council to submit all the account details to the Deputy Registrar.

Addressing the media in front of the council office in Mount Road, Vishal said, "Our office will start functioning normally from 9:30 am on Saturday. The concerned officials themselves will unseal the office and give it to us. As a council, we will fulfil all the promises we made soon and continue to give our best in all ways. We have all recorded all our expenses and have absolutely no hesitation to submit it to the court. We had not publicised the pensions we are providing produces in need, in order to protect their dignity. We didn't want to belittle the people who used to be the owners of big production houses by publicly announcing about our welfare schemes. But now we are pushed to a state where we have to announce it to everyone."

The next hearing for this case has been scheduled for four weeks from now by the Mardas High Court.
By PTI

MUMBAI: Following is the timeline in the alleged fake encounter case of gangster Sohrabuddin Sheikh, his wife Kausar Bi and associate Tulsi Prajapati, in which all the 22 accused, including 21 policemen, were acquitted by a special CBI court here Friday.

1. November 22, 2005 - Sohrabuddin, Kausar Bi and Prajapati are intercepted by a police team in a bus while returning to Sangli from Hyderabad and taken into custody.

Sheikh and his wife taken in one vehicle, Prajapati in another.

2. November 22 to 25, 2005 - Sheikh and Kausar Bi kept in a farm house near Ahmedabad.

Prajapati sent to Udaipur where he is lodged in the prison there to face trial in cases against him.

3. November 26, 2005 - Sheikh killed in an alleged fake encounter allegedly by a joint team comprising Gujarat and Rajasthan police.

4. November 29, 2005 - Kausar Bi also allegedly killed by the police, her body burnt and disposed of.

5. December 27, 2006 - Prajapati taken from the Udaipur central prison by a team comprising Rajasthan and Gujarat police and allegedly killed in an encounter near Sarhad Chapri on Gujarat-Rajasthan border.

6. 2205-2006 - Sheikh's family approaches Supreme Court for investigation into his encounter and also seeks to know the whereabouts of Kausar Bi.

SC directs Gujarat state CID to conduct a probe in the case.

7. April 30, 2007 - Gujarat government files a report before SC stating Kausar Bi is dead and her body burnt and disposed of.

8. January 2010 - SC hands over the probe in the case to CBI.

9. July 23, 2010 - CBI files chargesheet in the case against 38 persons including the then Gujarat Home Minister Amit Shah, the then Rajasthan Home Minister Gulabchand Kataria and senior IPS officials.

10. July 25, 2010 - CBI arrests Amit Shah in the case.

11. October 8, 2010 - A special CBI court in Gujarat rejects Amit Shah's bail plea.

12. October 29, 2010 - Gujarat High Court grants bail to Amit Shah on a bond of Rs one lakh.

13. September 27, 2012 - SC transfers trial in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh-Kausar Bi alleged fake encounter case from Gujarat to Mumbai as sought by the CBI to ensure a fair trial.

14. April 8, 2012 - SC clubs trial in Sheikh, Kausar Bi and Prajapati encounter cases.

15. December 30, 2014 - A special CBI court in Mumbai discharges Amit Shah from the case.

Fifteen other accused including Kataria and senior IPS officials also discharged subsequently.

16. November 2015 - Sheikh's brother Rubabuddin approaches the Bombay High Court to challenge Amit Shah's discharge in the case.

The same month, he tells the HC that he does not wish to pursue the case and withdraws his petition.

17. December 2015 - Social activist Harsh Mander moves HC against Amit Shah's discharge.

18. April 2016 - Bombay HC dismisses Mander's petition after observing that he has no 'locus standi' (not an aggrieved party) in the case.

Mander files appeal in Supreme Court.

19. August 2016 - SC rejects Mander's appeal.

20. October 2017 - Special CBI court in Mumbai frames charges against 22 accused.

21. November 2017 - Special CBI Judge S J Sharma commences trial in the case.

Prosecution examines 210 witnesses, of which 92 turned hostile.

22. September 2018 - Bombay HC upholds discharge granted to senior police officers D G Vanzara, Rajkumar Pandian, NK Amin, Vipul Aggarwal, Dinesh MN and Dalpat Singh Rathod.

23. November 23, 2018 - Court completes the examination of witnesses and recording of statements of the accused persons under section 313 of the Criminal Procedure Code.

24. December 5, 2018 - Court closes the case for judgment on December 21, 2018 after completion of final arguments by prosecution and defence lawyers.

25. December 21, 2018 - Court acquits all 22 accused in the case after observing that prosecution failed to establish charges against them.
By PTI

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has come to the rescue of an Army man, who was dismissed from service for the offence of misconduct, saying there was a clear violation of the principle of natural justice as "there was no reason to deny him the benefit of legal representation" during court-martial proceedings.

The top court said that prejudice caused to him was evident as the Army man, who had joined service on January 1, 2003 was dismissed from the service and sentenced to six months' imprisonment after Summary Court-Martial (SCM).

A bench of Justices D Y Chandrachud and M R Shah set aside the order of December 18, 2012 of Armed Force Tribunal (AFT), Lucknow bench, and the decision taken on the basis of the Summary Court Martial.

"In the face of Army Rule 129, there was no reason to deny him the benefit of legal representation which he desired at his own expense," the court said.

The court said that there was a clear violation of the principles of natural justice as the "prejudice too is evident".

"The appellant was dismissed from service and sentenced to six months' imprisonment. Both his livelihood and liberty were taken away," the bench said while setting aside the order of AFT and the decision taken on the basis of the SCM.

The court, however, clarified that it has interfered with the order only on the ground of a violation of the principles of natural justice.

"It would be open to the Respondents (Union of India) to take further steps as may be permissible in accordance with law," it said.

The top court was hearing a plea of a sepoy who has challenged the order of AFT by which his petition challenging the decision of dismissal from service and six months jail imposed by the Summary Court Martial (SCM) was rejected.

According to sepoy's plea, a Summary Court Martial was convened on two charges--the first being of an assault on a superior officer while the second was the use of abusive language against a Subedar who had found the sepoy to be not properly dressed for the parade.

The SCM acquitted the sepoy of the second charge, but he was found guilty of the first charge of misconduct.

He was awarded a punishment of dismissal from service and six months rigorous imprisonment in civil jail.

The sepoy challenged the decision before AFT, which was later rejected.

By his letter dated July 7, 2009, the sepoy requested the Commanding Officer to permit him to hire a civil advocate.

On July 8, 2009, the request of sepoy was turned down on the ground that under Regulation 479 of the Army Regulations, a civil advocate is permissible to only those persons who are subject to trial for an offence which entails death penalty.

The bench said that Regulation 479 deals with a situation where a person, who is subject to the Army Act is to be tried for a court-martial for an offence punishable with death while on the contrary, Rule 129 of the Army Rules which specifically deals with representation in a Summary Court Martial.

"The Rule clearly indicates that in a Summary Court Martial, the accused may have a person to assist him during the trial, whether a legal adviser or any other person.

The expression 'may' must be read to mean that the person who is proceeded against has the option on whether or not to engage a legal advisor or any other person.

It represents an entitlement to be represented," the bench said.

The petitioner sepoy contended that there was a violation of the principles of natural justice in conducting the SCM as he sought the assistance of a civil advocate under Rule 129 of the Army Rules, 1954 which was denied under Regulation 479 of the Army Regulations.

The counsel for the petitioner submitted that in a Summary Court Martial, the sepoy was pitted against the Commanding Officer and he should have been given the benefit of legal advise which was denied to him on the erroneous basis that it was only for an offence involving a possible sentence of death that such assistance could be allowed.

Additional Solicitor General Pinky Anand, appearing for Union of India said no prejudice was caused to the appellant and hence, the Court may not entertain the appeal.

The bench said, "In view of the specific provision of Rule 129, the Commanding Officer was evidently in error in declining the assistance of a lawyer on the ground that legal assistance could be admissible only where the offence was punishable with death".
By Online Desk

The BJP has decided to move the vacation bench of the Supreme Court challenging the Calcutta high court order that stayed permission for its 'Save Democracy' rath yatra in West Bengal, reports ANI.

The BJP plans to hold rallies from three different places in West Bengal, crisscrossing it before converging in Kolkata.

The Calcutta High Court on Friday halted the BJPs proposed rath yatra in West Bengal, a day after Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty greenlighted the partys Rath Yatras with certain conditions, a division bench red-flagged it and sent the case back to the single bench.

Hearing an appeal filed by the state government against Thursdays order, the bench of Chief Justice Debashish Kar Gupta and Justice Shampa Sarkar asked the single judge to hear the matter afresh after considering security and intelligence inputs.

The Mamata Banerjee government had sought an urgent hearing of the appeal. It contended that the single judge passed the order allowing the yatra without going through the security reports. State Advocate General Kishore Dutta argued that the sealed envelopes in which the reports of 31 police districts, five commissioners of police, chief secretary, home secretary and DGP were given, were not opened.

The state government had earlier denied permission for the yatra, saying they could trigger communal clashes. Appearing for the state police, Abhishek Manu Singhvi argued that the yatra had a communal agenda and submitted photographs of wall murals of the yatra.
By PTI

NEW DELHI: The CBI is yet to receive copy of the order in the Sohrabuddin Shaikh-Kausar Bi fake encounter case, an agency spokesperson said Friday in a cautious response to queries related to its future course of action.

All 22 accused in the alleged fake encounter killings of gangster Sohrabuddin Shaikh, his wife Kausar Bi and his aide Tulsi Prajapati were acquitted Friday by a special CBI court because of insufficient evidence, even as it expressed sorrow over the loss of "three lives."

The spokesperson also remained economical in using words and refused to commit to the usual response of the CBI that it would study the order before deciding on filing of appeal in the matter.

He said his statement is limited to the sentence,"the CBI is yet to receive the order."

The agency which had reacted within minutes of the 2G scam verdict stating that it would file an appeal against the order stopped short of making any commitment on filing an appeal against the Special CBI court verdict acquitting 22 accused in the 13-year old fake encounter case.

The accused, who were mostly police officials from Gujarat and Rajasthan, were out on bail during the year-long trial after 92 of the total 210 prosecution witnesses turned hostile.

The three victims who were returning to Sangli in Maharashtra from Hyderabad in a bus were taken into custody by a police team on the night of November 22-23, 2005.

The couple were taken in one vehicle and Prajapati in another.

CBI, the prosecuting agency, had alleged that Shaikh was killed on November 26, 2005, by a joint team comprising Gujarat and Rajasthan police, and Kausar Bi three days later.

Prajapati, who was lodged in an Udaipur central jail, was killed in an encounter on the Gujarat-Rajasthan border on December 27, 2006.

Despite sincere efforts made by the prosecution, a cogent case could not be established since the CBI lacked documentary evidence and reliable witnesses, the judge said.

"Two main prosecution witnesses turned hostile. What could the prosecution have done? It couldnt have forced them not to turn hostile," the judge said.

When the CBI took over the case, it had charged 38 persons, including Amit Shah, who was then Gujarat home minister, Gulabchand Kataria, the then Rajasthan home minister, and and senior IPS officers like D G Vanzara and P C Pande.

The prosecution had examined 210 witnesses, of which 92 turned hostile.

Sixteen people, including Shah, Kataria, Vanzara and Pande were earlier discharged by the CBI court due to lack of evidence against them.

The case also evoked controversy when judge B H Loya, who was presiding over the CBI court, died three years ago after a heart attack.

His family made unsubstantiated allegations that the judge was offered a huge bribe to rule in favour of the prime accused.
Fawaz Wani By

Express News Service

SRINAGAR: Al Qaedas Kashmir cell Ansar Ghazwatul Hind (AGH) was dealt a severe blow on Saturday, with security forces killing six militants of the Zakir Musa-led outfit, including its deputy chief, in Pulwama district of south Kashmir.

Based on intelligence inputs about the presence of militants in Awantipora area of the district, the police, CRPF and army launched a cordon and search operation early on Saturday, a police official said. During the operation, the personnel came under heavy firing from militants hiding in the region.

The troops returned the fire, and in the ensuing gunfight, which went on for nearly three hours, six militants of the AGH were killed, the official added. Arms and ammunition, including rifles, were recovered from the site of encounter.

The deceased were identified as Soliha Mohammad Akhoon, Faisal, Nadeem Ahmad Sofi, Rasiq Mir, Rouf, and Umar, all residents of Tral in Pulwama district.

Soliha was the deputy chief of the AGH and an active militant since 2015.

He was involved in many attacks on security forces, said a police official, adding that the other slain militants were also part of several incidents of violence in south Kashmir.

The bodies were handed over to their legal heirs after the completion of medico-legal formalities, and later in the day, thousands of people attended funeral prayers for the slain militants at their respective hometowns and chanted pro-freedom, pro-Zakir Musa and anti-India slogans.

Speaking about the encounter, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir S P Pani told this newspaper that the six militants killed were key operatives of the AGH.

It is a severe jolt to the Zakir Musa-led faction, he added, highlighting that no collateral damage was sustained in the encounter. Zakir Musa, a close aide of former Hizb commander Burhan Wani, had rebelled against the Hizbul Mujahideen, and now heads the AGH. His group comprises not more than two dozen militants, police officials said.

6 CRPF men injured in grenade attack

Militants threw a grenade at a CRPF patrol party at Arwani in Kashmirs Anantnag district on Saturday, injuring six personnel of the CRPF. The attack took place during an incident of stone-pelting in the area, a police official said.
More than 20 million Egyptians have been screened for hepatitis C and other non-communicable diseases as part of the states '100 Million Lives' campaign launched in October, the health minister has said.

In press statements, minister Hala Zayed said a total of 7,872, 224 citizens have been screened for the virus so far during the campaigns second phase, which was launched on 30 November and includes Cairo, Beni Suef, Sohag, Menoufiya and Kafr El-Sheikh governorates.

The numbers from the second phase bring the total of those screened in the nations biggest ever anti-hepatitis C campaign to 20,567,418 people.

Zayed said the state aims to screen citizens likely to have the virus, and provide treatment free of charge.

According to 2015 statistics, 22 percent of the Egyptian population had hepatitis C.

Over the past three years, Egypt has been using a variety of new medications to combat the virus.

The health ministry has vowed to completely eliminate the disease from Egypt by 2022.

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By PTI

MUMBAI: A Kuwait-city bound Kuwait Airways flight was diverted back to the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) due to cabin "pressurisation" issue, an airport official said Saturday.

The Airbus A320 aircraft made a "safe" landing under emergency conditions, the official added.

The number of passengers on board the flight could not be immediately known.

"The local standby was declared at for Kuwait Airways flight KU 304 after the pilots sought diversion from the Mumbai ATC due to (cabin) pressurisation problem," the official said.

The aircraft landed safely on Runway 09/27, the official said, adding that on landing, the captain informed that all operations were "normal" and no assistance was required.

Later, the local standby was withdrawn from runway 09/27, he added.
By PTI

HYDERABAD: BJP leader Subramanian Swamy on Saturday alleged that Reserve Bank of India Governor Shaktikanta Das was involved in corruption and termed his recent appointment to the top post a "surprise".

Swamy, however, did not give any specific details about the "corruption", an allegation he had made in the past as well.

"The new governor of (RBI) is highly corrupt. I got him removed from the (Finance Ministry). I am calling Shaktikanta Das as a corrupt person. I am surprised that the man I got removed from the Finance Ministry for corruption was brought in as governor," Swamy said at an interactive session at the Indian School of Business here.

Later, when reporters asked Swamy who he thinks should head the RBI, the Rajya Sabha member named Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore, professor R Vaidyanathan.

"Professor R Vaidyanathan, former professor of finance (IIM-B), would have been much better. He is also (an) old Sangh man. He is our man," he said, adding that bringing S Gurumurthy on the RBI board was a mistake.

"He (Das) was removed from the Finance Ministry because he tried to interfere in my corruption case against (senior Congress leader) Chidambaram. He is Chidambaram's 'chela' (disciple). When he was in Chennai, he was involved in a lot of corruption," Swamy said.

Das, who spearheaded the post-demonetisation normalisation of the economy, was named the new RBI governor on December 11, a day after incumbent Urjit Patel quit the post.

On being asked about the 2019 general elections, Swamy asserted that the saffron party would come back to power as "there is no anti-incumbency" against the Narendra Modi government.

To a question on Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Swamy alleged he held a British citizenship and cannot become a prime minister, a charge already rejected by the former.

"by the way Rahul Gandhi cannot be a prime minister because he is a citizen of Britain and his Indian citizenship will be cancelled, he won't even be an MP," he claimed.

Swamy had in 2016 made the allegation and, after it was raised in the Parliament Ethics Committee, Gandhi, in his response in March that year, had rejected the charge, saying it was a move to malign him.

The BJP leader had alleged that Gandhi declared himself a British citizen to occupy the post of the director of a company there.

On the Ram temple issue, Swamy said, "There is a widespread desire, even in Tamil Nadu, that a Ram temple must be built (in Ayodhya). And we will build it..."

Swamy said he had given a proposal to the Hindu Dharma Acharya Sabha on the Ram temple. He added that he would the fight Ayodhya issue "as he has fundamental right to pray there".
Namita Bajpai By

Express News Service

LUCKNOW: Spiritual guru Moraridas Prabhudas Hariyani, popularly known as Morari Bapu, kicked up a row when over 200 sex workers from Mumbais biggest brothel, Kamathipura, thronged the temple town of Ayodhya on Saturday to attend his discourse after getting a personal invite from him. Morari Bapu will narrate Ram Katha in temple town from Saturday to next Sunday.

In the wake of the presence of sex workers in huge numbers, hard-line religious leaders, seers and Mahants were up in arms in the temple town. However, Murari Bapu stood his ground by reasoning out that Tulsi Das too refers to ganikas (sex workers) in the epic Ramcharit Manas.

I am not doing anything new. Tulsidasji has himself mentioned about ganikas in Manas and has talked about their emancipation. Those who have read Ramcharit Manas must be aware of this fact, said Bapu. He added that he got the inspiration from Lord Hanuman to narrate the katha (story) of those who were

abandoned and neglected in the society.

Lord Rams entire life was a narration of liberation and acceptance. I am humbly trying to follow his footsteps, said the spiritual guru. As per the media reports, Morari Bapu had visited the streets of Kamathipura, red light area of Mumbai, to interact with sex workers last week and invited them for his Katha in Ayodhya from December 22-30.

Bapu had also instructed his aides to arrange lodging and boarding, free of cost, for the entire duration of Katha. It is noteworthy that Manas Ganika is based on the interaction of Tulsidas with a sex worker Vasanti who used to live on the outskirts of Ayodhya. He added that his event in Ayodhya has nothing to do with the ongoing debate on Ram Mandir issue and he is the strong advocate of peace.

However, saints and seers were agitated over the presence of sex workers in Ayodhya. Jyotishacharya of Jyotish Sansthan, Pravin Sharma, General Secretary of Ayodhya Sant Samiti, Pawan Shastri, former members of district panchayat, Santosh Dubey, Satish Vaidik and Acharya Ajit Das expressed their

displeasure over the development.

They claimed that it was a step taken for media attention and nothing else. We are not opposing his katha and discourse, but Morari Bapu has invited sex workers from Mumbai to hog the limelight, they said.

People are discussing the sex workers more than Bapus discourse in Ayodhya. It is maligning the image of the temple town, said the protestors. They even urged the district administration to ban the programme.
Shubhendu Deshmukh By

Online Desk

Sea levels along the Indian coast are projected to rise by up to 2.8 feet between 1990 and 2100, the government warned on Friday. In a written reply in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Environment Mahesh Sharma said the sea-level rise is likely to threaten deltas of the Ganga, Krishna, Godavari, Cauvery, and Mahanadi on the east coast.

Citing studies by the Hyderabad-based Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services, the minister said Mumbai and other stretches on the west coast such as parts of Khambat and Kutch in Gujarat, Konkan, and south Kerala were especially vulnerable to sea-level rise. India has submitted the findings to the UN climate body.

The catchment area of river Cauvery spreads across three states of south India. It covers 800 kilometres running through Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The 2.8 feet rise may seem to be small but when it comes to river Cauvery it will mean annihilation of a large chunk of land. The combine land loss along the sea coast and along the riverside will be huge. The beaches will get closer and the farm-lands on the sides of rivers such as Cauvery and Godavari will be completely submerged.

Activist and researcher Nityanand Jayaraman who has been vocal about environmental violations by corporate groups said the report was not surprising.

"What the Minister told MPs in the Lok Sabha has been reiterated by environmentalists and scientists for the last 30 years. What is more alarming is that with the melting of Antarctic ice, the methane gas trapped inside might be released into the atmosphere," he said.

On July 12, 2017, a giant iceberg was detached from the Larsen C ice shelf in Antarctica. The melting of Antarctic ice could worsen global warming as methane is a much more effective greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide since it can trap more heat.

Jayaraman said both the UPA and NDA governments had neglected the environment. Referring to the pollution of 351 rivers, he said sewage waste in cities should find a proper outlet instead of being let into rivers. "There are no rivers left in the cities. In the Namami Gange (National Mission for Clean Ganga) project, crores of rupees were sanctioned but haven't been utilised so far. The sewage still enters the Ganga," he added.
A passenger on board Vistara airlines Amritsar-Delhi-Kolkata flight was offloaded at Delhi airport on Friday due to unruly behaviour.

The passenger had insisted on smoking inside the flight and engaged in an argument with on-board crew. As a result, Vistara flight UK 707 flight was delayed by over three hours, according to ANI.

The aircraft, which earlier flied as UK946 from Delhi to Amritsar, had to return to the bay and undergo mandatory security screening, causing delay in departure.

"...He was issued a warning letter by the captain and later offloaded when he denied to comply with air safety rules," Vistara spokesperson said.

Smoking is not allowed inside the aircraft in domestic flights.

Earlier in April, a doctor was offloaded from an IndiGo flight at Lucknow airport after he complained of mosquitoes on-board even as the airline maintained there was no physical altercation.
Yogesh Pratap Singh By

The Supreme Court verdict dismissing all petitions seeking an independent court-monitored investigation into the Rafale deal has raised many questions than answers. Every stakeholder is citing different paragraphs of the verdict for their own arguments. The Bench led by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi observed that there is no evidence of wrongdoing in the governments decision-making process or in the choice of Reliance Defence Ltd as one of the Indian partners and refused to go into the pricing details.

The Bench did not find any substantive reason for a judicial intervention in the sensitive issue of purchase of 36 defence aircrafts. However, the observation in para 25 which stated that the government has already shared the pricing details with the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), that the report has been examined by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and only a redacted version of the report is placed before Parliament and is in public domain, created chaos in political circles.

The Centre instantly submitted an explanation in the Court that its submission to the effect that the report of the CAG is examined by the PAC, was a description of the procedure which is followed in the normal course, in regard to the reports of the CAG. The very fact that the present tense is is used would mean that the reference is to the procedure which will be followed as and when the CAG report is ready.

The reference to the word is has been replaced with the words has been, in the SC verdict resulting as the report of the CAG has been examined by the Public Accounts Committee. Similarly, the statement that only a redacted version of the report is placed before Parliament, is referred to in the judgment as only a redacted portion of the report was placed before the Parliament, and is in public domain.

In spite of this altered affidavit by the Centre, nothing substantial is going to happen as the ratio of the verdict seem to be clear. The Bench has made it clear that the scrutiny of the challenges will have to be made considering the precincts of national security, the subject matter being critical to the nations sovereignty. It is definitely not the courts job to compare the price details especially in sensitive matters like this. While on choosing the Indian Offset Partners (IOPs), the court did not find any substantial material exhibiting commercial favouritism to any party by the Indian government, because the selection of IOPs was not within the Centres domain.

The Bench also made it clear the court can neither question the wisdom of the government to purchase 36 aircrafts in place of 126, nor can it compel the government to go in for purchase of 126 aircrafts. The CJI rather reinforced the claim that the nation cannot afford to be underprepared, when our opponents have already acquired fifth generation fighter aircrafts. The suitability of the Rafale fighter jets and their utility to the Indian Air Force was not questioned even by the petitioners. What petitioners suspected is the decision-making process and the price at which the jets were proposed to be purchased.

The whole politico-legal discourse raises two important and disturbing questions concerning our institutions; first, the ever-diminishing role of the PAC in our Parliamentary system and second, dragging the SC into all such policy decisions of the government will politicise our highest appellate court.

The committee system was devised in a Parliamentary system as an effective inter-organ control device that keeps the Executive accountable to Parliament. History reveals that parliamentary committees have been vital institutions in democracies such as the US, UK, Canada, Australia, etc. However, the PAC has deliberately been transformed into a toothless tiger by all the governments in power.

The politicians in power along with compliant bureaucrats have not only advanced a vested interest for secrecy and evading accountability, but perfected the art of treating parliamentary committees as useless bodies. Unfortunately, parliamentary and pre-legislative exercises over several years hardly did anything radical to remove this vested interest. The non-functioning of this inter-organ control device increases the SCs workload.

Activist lawyers like Prashant Bhushan and others try to bring all political and policy-related matters before the SC. In the lack of a precise judicial policy on political questions, the different SC Benches in their selective and subjective wisdom choose whether or not to intervene in these matters. This extended horizon of judicial review was originally seen with reverence but excessive use of it now is triggering politicisation of the apex court.

Instead of dragging the SC into all such matters, we must try to revive and fortify our committee system, which is supposed to serve as the key element for ensuring executive accountability. The very fact that there is someone who will examine what has been done by the government is an effective check on the laxity of the Executive. A proper scrutiny will not only lead to general efficiency of the administration but would also serve as a guide for future approximations and policies.

We need to devise a strong legal mechanism whereby it is mandatory for all governments in power to send all foreign commercial deals to the PAC. It should not be left at the mercy of the Speaker who invariably functions on the instructions of the government. This would go a long way in ensuring the governments accountability and establish an unblemished and virtuous parliamentary democracy.


By Express News Service

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In an apparent effort to wriggle out of the embarrassment related to the funding of womens wall, the state government on Friday said it has not mentioned anywhere that Rs 50 crore would be spent for the event.

A press note issued by the Chief Minister said the state government would not spend a single paisa from the public exchequer for this purpose and the reports appearing in a section of media on those lines were false and misleading. In the affidavit filed in the High Court, which is a public document, the state government has not mentioned it would be spending public money for this.

ALSO READ | Kerala Government in a bind over funds for womens wall

In fact, it informed the court during the 2018-19 budget, the state has announced it would hold campaigns across the state for womens empowerment and welfare of women, said the note.

In the affidavit, the state government also mentioned a sum of Rs 50 crore has been earmarked to prevent atrocities against women, for which creating awareness is essential along with public campaigns. The campaign would be held under the aegis of the Women and Child Development Department. And the Womens Wall is one such public campaign.

But the campaigns that the state government was diverting flood relief fund for this purpose are totally misleading.

And the state government would not spend a single penny from the Rs 50 crore set aside for the womens empowerment campaigns, said the Chief Ministers press note. The expense for holding the Womens wall has to be borne by the organisations taking the lead to hold the event, he said.

The stance of the state government in this issue was also vindicated in the High Court, which is evident from the High Court order on Thursday. The court had made it clear it would not interfere in the policy-related affair of the government taking note of the explanation submitted by the state, he said.
By Express News Service

CHENNAI: Makkal Needhi Maiam founded by actor Kamal Hassan will face the ensuing Lok Sabha elections by forging an alliance with the like-minded parties; however, Hassan dropped enough hints that BJP is not in the list of like-minded parties while declining to pinpoint the other parties in his list.

The high-level meeting of the MNM which deliberated various issues today authorised Kamal Hassan to take a decision with regard to alliance. Hassan told reporters that the MNM was yet to take a decision on alliance. We cannot take a hasty decision on alliance issue, he added.

When asked to clarify whether the alliance would be either with Congress or BJP, Kamal Hassan was quickly said The MNM will not ally with any party which is desperate to change the DNA of Tamil Nadu.

Asked to pinpoint whether he would mean that MNM would not ally with BJP, Hassan said You are adept in making such inferences. It is up to you to decide.

On whether he would contest either in Lok Sabha or Assembly elections, Hassan replied in the positive. Dr Mahendran would be head the committee to select the MNM candidates for the 40 Parliamentary seats in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, he added. If by-elections are announced for the 20 Assembly constituencies which are vacant now, MNM will field its candidates, he said adding that the party was preparing itself to face the local body elections too.

To a question as to what would be the issues the MNM would project during the campaign for Lok Sabha elections, Hassan said Our campaign will be towards the progress of Tamil Nadu. It high time that the

injustices met out to Tamil Nadu be set right. All these issues will be key part of our campaign.

Responding to a question, Hassan said We will announce the total number of cadre joined our party and other details on January 31.
By Online Desk

Come January 1, 2019, Tamil Nadus dream of becoming plastic-free, at least partly, will be put to litmus test. Keeping this in view, the state government has released a list of items that have been banned.

On World Environment Day this year, the Tamil Nadu government had announced a ban of non-biodegradable and single-use plastic and had recommended the use of environmental-friendly products.

The State House Select Committee had also recommended the restricted use of plastic for daily-use products such as milk, curd, oil and medicines.

List of banned plastic items:

Plastic sheet / cling film used for food wrapping b. Plastic sheet used for spreading on dining table Plastic Thermocol plates b. Plastic coated paper plates Plastic coated paper cups b. Plastic tea cups c. Plastic tumbler d. Thermocol cups Plastic carry bag of all sizes & thickness b. Plastic coated carry bags c. Non woven Bags Water pouches / packets Plastic straw Plastic flags Plastic Coated Carry bags Non-Woven Bag

List of eco-friendly alternatives:
By Express News Service

Casting aspersions on the State police during the firing against anti-Sterlite protesters in Thoothukudi, autopsy reports of 12 out of 13 protesters killed, show they were hit by bullets in the head or chest, and half of them were shot from behind, according to a Reuters report.

A bullet entered the back of the youngest victim, 17-year-old J Snowlins head and exited through her mouth, the autopsy found.

Among the eight people killed from bullets entering their head or body from behind or the side, 40-year-old Jansi, who like many people in Tamil Nadu, goes by just one name, was shot a few hundred metres away from her house in a narrow street close to Thoothukudis seafront.

She was shot through the ear, the report into her death showed.

A bullet went through the forehead of 34-year-old Mani Rajan.

The deceased would appear to have died of penetrating injury to the brain due to the firearm bullet injury to the right side of forehead, Manis autopsy report said.

The dead also included a man in his 50s, six men in their 40s, and three men in their early 20s.

Police rules in India, allow the use of live ammunition to counter civil unrest, but say that the response should be proportionate and officers should not shoot to kill.

Police Standing Orders for Tamil Nadu say that, when using firearms, aim should be kept low, preferably well below the waist level, and directed against the most threatening part of the mob.

A working group of the United Nations human rights experts in May, condemned the apparent excessive and disproportionate use of lethal force by the police.
Turkey will take over the fight against Islamic State militants in Syria as the United States withdraws its troops, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday, in the latest upheaval wrought by Washingtons abrupt policy shift.

The surprise announcement by U.S. President Donald Trump this week that he would withdraw roughly 2,000 troops has felled a pillar of American policy in the Middle East. Critics say Trumps decision will make it harder to find a diplomatic solution to Syrias seven-year-old conflict.

For Turkey, the step removes a source of friction with the United States. Erdogan has long castigated his NATO ally over its support for Syrian Kurdish YPG fighters against Islamic State. Turkey considers the YPG a terrorist group and an offshoot of the armed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), fighting for Kurdish autonomy across the border on Turkish soil.

In a speech in Istanbul, Erdogan said Turkey would mobilize to fight remaining Islamic State forces in Syria and temporarily delay plans to attack Kurdish fighters in the northeast of the country - shifts both precipitated by the American decision to withdraw.

The news was less welcome for other U.S. allies. Both France and Germany warned that the U.S. change of course risked damaging the campaign against Islamic State, the jihadists who seized big swathes of Iraq and Syria in 2014-15 but have now been beaten back to a sliver of Syrian territory.

Likewise, the U.S.-backed militia spearheaded by the YPG said a Turkish attack would force it to divert fighters from the battle against Islamic State to protect its territory.

Islamic State launched an attack in Syrias southeast against the U.S.-backed SDF militia, employing car bombs and dozens of militants.

We will be working on our operational plans to eliminate ISIS elements, which are said to remain intact in Syria, in line with our conversation with President Trump, Erdogan said, referring to Islamic State.

The Turkish president had announced plans last week to start an operation east of the Euphrates River in northern Syria to oust the YPG from the area that it largely controls. This week, he said the campaign could come at any moment. But on Friday, he cited the talk with Trump as a reason to wait.

Our phone call with President Trump, along with contacts between our diplomats and security officials and statements by the United States, have led us to wait a little longer, he said.

We have postponed our military operation against the east of the Euphrates river until we see on the ground the result of Americas decision to withdraw from Syria.

The Turkish president said, however, that this was not an open-ended waiting period.

Turkey has repeatedly voiced frustration over what it says is the slow implementation of a deal with Washington to pull YPG fighters out of Manbij, a town in mainly Arab territory west of the Euphrates in northern Syria.

The United States will probably end its air campaign against IS in Syria when it pulls out troops, U.S. officials have said, as Trump has been forced to defend the planned withdrawal against criticism from allies abroad and at home.

TIME FOR OTHERS TO FIGHT

Trump maintained that IS had been wiped out, a view not shared by key allies, that Washington had been doing the work of other countries and it was time for others to finally fight.

His defense secretary, Jim Mattis, opposed the decision and abruptly announced on Thursday he was resigning after meeting with the president.

In a candid letter to Trump, the retired Marine general emphasized the importance of showing respect to allies that have voiced surprise and concern about the presidents decision.

Russia said on Friday it did not understand what the United States next steps in Syria would be, adding that chaotic and unpredictable decision-making in Washington was creating discomfort in international affairs.

Several of Trumps 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 has given no sign of changing his mind. He promised to remove forces from Syria during his 2016 election campaign.

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 multi-sided civil war, with military help from Iran and Russia.

IS declared a caliphate in 2014 after seizing parts of Syria and Iraq. The ultra-hardline Sunni militants established their de facto capital in the Syrian city of Raqqa, using it as a base to plot attacks in Europe.

A senior U.S. official last week said Islamic State was down to the last 1 percent of the territory it once held. The group has no remaining territory in Iraq, though militants have resumed attacks since their defeat there last year.

Islamic State launched an attack on Friday on positions held by the SDF in Syrias southeast and the U.S.-led coalition mounted air strikes in the area, an SDF official said.

Kurdish-led forces in northern Syria may not be able to continue to hold Islamic State prisoners if the situation in the region gets out of control after a U.S. pullout, top Syrian Kurdish official Ilham Ahmed said on Friday.

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SV Krishna Chaitanya By

Express News Service

CHENNAI: With a vibrant manufacturing culture and heavy engineering potential, Tamil Nadu is gearing up to build Indias first Defence Corridor (DC). Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman told Parliament on Wednesday that a consultant has been appointed for preparing a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the proposed corridor.

In a detailed reply, she said two DCs were announced in the union budget 2018-19.

Subsequent to the announcement of setting up of Defence Corridor in Tamil Nadu, five nodal points namely Hosur, Coimbatore, Salem, Chennai and Tiruchirappalli have been selected. Five industrial meets have also been organised at these places, she said.

Sources told Express that a private consultant Ernst and Young (EY) has been roped in to prepare the DPR. During the industrial meets, held especially in Coimbatore on March 5 and Tiruchy on March 16, attended by the defence minister herself, there was an unprecedented response from entrepreneurs to take part in defence projects.

P Sivakumar, a former director of Combat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment (CVRDE) and advisor for Aerospace Industry Development Association, told Express that Tamil Nadu is ideal for manufacturing of arms and ammunition due to its vibrant manufacturing sector. The proposed defence corridor will be a huge boon, but the pace in which it is progressing is little unsatisfactory. Its been almost one year since it was announced and there is little headway achieved, he said.

However, sources in Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Department said thousands of applications have been received from prospective industries showing intent to be part of defence projects.

Already several MSMEs and other industries in the State are contributing to the defence sector. For instance, Shanti Gears, which is part of Murugappa Group, in Coimbatore, makes gearboxes and superchargers for battle tanks that are produced at Heavy Vehicles Factory at Avadi here.

There are about 2,500 MSMEs in Tiruchy serving as ancillary units of Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL).

Meanwhile, the Defence Ministry has almost doubled the budgetary allotment for Defence Research and Development Organisation laboratory in Tamil Nadu. For instance, CVRDE was allotted Rs 267.76 crore in 2018-19 compared to previous years Rs 152.37 crore.
By Express News Service

HYDERABAD: Telangana is the only State that celebrates Christmas as a State-wide festival, claimed Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Friday. Participating in Christmas celebrations at LB Stadium in Hyderabad, Rao said that the State allocates Rs 2,000 crore for Minority welfare while the Centre spent only Rs 4,000 crore.

I am proud to say and share with you that Telangana is the only State in the country where Christmas is a State festival. Not just Christmas, but we respect Ramzan and Bathukamma as well. We give financial aid towards the celebration of all festivals. The country should learn from us, Rao said. Rao then spoke on issues faced by the Christian community in the State.

You have faced certain issues in the past. In 15 to 20 days, I will call elders of the community for a meeting so that we can sort pending issues, he said, adding that a grand Christian Bhavan, that exhibits the pride of Telangana, will be constructed soon. We are dedicated towards building a bangaru (golden) Telangana, said Rao.
By Express News Service

HYDERABAD: True to his word, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao will resume efforts to put together a non-Congress, non-BJP Federal Front from Sunday. Rao is scheduled to meet two chief ministers and two former chief ministers during his 7-day tour of AP, Odisha, West Bengal and Delhi. The pink party has engaged a special flight especially for Raos trip  the first of many to bring together a formidable alliance.

Rao, accompanied by his family, will leave for Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh from Begumpet Airport at 10 am on Sunday and begin the political mission by offering prayers at Rajasyamala Temple in Sarada Peetham of the port city. It may be recalled that just before the Assembly elections, Rao conducted rajasyamala yagam and chandi yagam under the guidance of Sarada Peetham priest Swarupanandendra Swami.

The TRS supremo will conclude his Vizag visit with lunch at the swamis ashramam and then leave for Bhubaneswar, where he will meet Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at his residence. Rao will on Monday visit the Konark and Jagannadha temples and return to Bhubaneshwar for lunch before flying to Kolkata to meet the Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday.

According to a release from the CMO, Rao will stay at the capital city for two to three days and meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi too. It is a courtesy call. Rao has been elected Chief Minister a second time, he has to meet Modi formally, a party leader said.

The TRS chief also plans on meeting the Chief Election Commissioner, BSP president and former Bihar Chief Minister Mayawati and former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Akhilesh Yadav.
By Associated Press

ISLAMABAD: The Taliban welcomed news of the US plan to withdraw half its troops in Afghanistan by the summer, as Afghan generals warned it would be a blow to the morale of the country's beleaguered security forces who come under daily attacks from the insurgent fighters.

The announcement seems certain to complicate efforts to reach a peace deal, mostly because it gives the Taliban leverage by allowing them to hold off until a total US withdrawal, or step up their demands over a weakened Afghan government.

"I believe the Taliban will see this as a reason to stall, and therefore it disincentivizes the Taliban to actually talk to the Afghan government, which it has refused to do," said Bill Roggio, an Afghanistan analyst with the Washington-based Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

READ | India unfazed by US pulling out half of its troops from Afghanistan

Afghanistan's security forces rely heavily on US airpower against both Taliban and an upstart Islamic State affiliate, and Afghan military officials note the announcement by the Trump administration comes as the country's security is at its worst since 2014, when more than 100,000 NATO troops pulled out of the country and handed off security to Afghans. The US and NATO retreated into a training and advising role.

"A complete withdrawal of US forces would very likely cause the Taliban to make gains in key areas throughout Afghanistan," Roggio said. "This likely would cause the general collapse of the (Afghan National Security and Defense Force) as a cohesive fighting force and lead to the return of the warlords."

President Donald Trump considers the war in Afghanistan a lost cause and has long pushed to pull the troops out. His decision was made public a mere few hours after he abruptly announced the US was withdrawing troops from Syria.

Trump's state of mind is sure to have given a sense of urgency to US peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad, who has been working to reach a negotiated end to America's longest war and has been pushing for a deal by April.

READ | NATO stresses Afghan commitment despite US withdrawal

In an interview with Afghanistan's TOLO TV on Thursday  hours before the withdrawal plans were announced  he noted Trump had campaigned for president on a promise to end the Afghan war, which has already cost Americans nearly $1 trillion. More than 2,400 American soldiers have also died in Afghanistan since the 2001 U.S.-led invasion.

"There was little doubt that Ambassador Khalilzad was always working with limited time and a zeal of desperation to achieve something before the president pulled the plug," said Daniel Markey, senior research professor at Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies.

A Taliban official told The Associated Press the announcement was a positive step. Speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the press, the official said Taliban officials think the promised departure could help the peace process because it could "lead to trust building that the US wants a political solution."

But there was no sign the Taliban were ready to move on the two major sticking points: Direct talks with the Afghan government and a cease fire while the two sides negotiate Khalilzad's so-called "roadmap for the future of Afghanistan."

READ | US plans withdrawal of 7000 troops from Afghanistan: Officials

Peace talks aside, the announced withdrawal has Afghan generals and analysts worried about the ability of the beleaguered Afghan National Afghan Security Force to stave off a Taliban insurgency unfettered by US troops and their pounding air power.

The Taliban are already stronger today than they have been since their ouster in 2001, controlling or holding sway over nearly half the country.

Several high ranking Afghan military officials, who spoke on condition they not be identified because they were not authorized to speak to the media, said the morale of Afghanistan's undertrained and poorly equipped security forces was already at a dangerously low ebb. The troops routinely complain about reinforcements that arrive too late, equipment that fails and even running out of food.

The officials called America's withdrawal a defeat, comparing it to the US evacuation from Vietnam and Russia's 1989 forced withdrawal from Afghanistan that capped a failed 10-year campaign.

US troops invaded Afghanistan in November 2001 in response to the Sept. 11 attacks. Their ouster of the Taliban returned to power former warlords, whose bitter infighting and runaway corruption had resulted in vast tracts of the capital Kabul being destroyed and given rise to the Taliban, who used a strict and harsh interpretation of Islam to restore calm to the country.

Ordinary Afghans have mixed feelings about the presence of US and NATO troops. Many fear their departure believing it will strengthen the Taliban, yet criticize their presence for doing little to improve security, which has deteriorated. Afghans complain bitterly about their deeply corrupt government and see the US  which largely bankrolls the government  as responsible.

Neighbor Pakistan, who has been harshly criticized by Trump for not doing enough to bring the Taliban to the table, had warned that a sudden departure of US troops would result in chaos in Afghanistan and destabilize the region.

"The last thing it (Pakistan) wants is a radical Islamist state on its Western border, even if that eliminates or reduces Indian influence in Afghanistan," said Shuja Nawaz, author and fellow at the Atlantic Council's South Asia Center.
By UNI

UNITED NATIONS: A group of migrant boats stranded at sea, was rescued off the Spanish coast, and at least 25 people are believed to be dead or missing, including a pregnant woman, the UN Refugee Agency, UNCHR, reported.

Briefing reporters in Geneva on Friday, UNHCR spokesperson, Elizabeth Throssell, said that colleagues in the field had reported that bodies had been found on two of the boats: "You can imagine how traumatising that was for the people, who were rescued," she said.

According to news reports, the migrants had sailed from North Africa.

On one of the six vessels found adrift in the Straits of Gibraltar, in the western Mediterranean Sea, 33 people had been rescued, but 12 had died and a further 12 were missing.

On another of the boats, 57 people had been on board, including one that had already died by the time of the rescue.

"There was a massive sea-swell that threw them into the water", added Ms Throssell, who said that among the survivors was a mother and her two-year-old child, who was evacuated by helicopter, after she was found to be suffering from hypothermia.

She added that many of the survivors were being held at detention centres at the Port of Almeria in Spain.

"Our implementing partner is there to provide the people with information and support and to help any potential protection and other needs and of course to promote access to the asylum process for those, who may need it".

Delivering the latest overall statistics on the deadly Mediterranean migration route, UN migration agency (IOM) spokesperson, Joel Millman, told journalists that as of 19 December, 113,000 migrants had entered Europe by sea so far this year; the lowest recorded in five years.

But recently, the death rate for migrants attempting to reach Spain, had tragically begun to tick upwards, with 769 fatalities registered on the western Mediterranean migration route.

"That's only slightly more than half of all on the Central Mediterranean route from North Africa to Italy, but what's remarkable is how rapidly that number has increased over the last three months."

He said it was likely that there will be ''more incidents like this'' in the next ten days.
By PTI

UNITED NATIONS: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan telephoned UN chief Antonio Guterres and raised the issue of Kashmir, a UN spokesman has said.

Stephane Dujarric, the spokesman for the UN Secretary General, did not give further details about the conversation between Khan and Guterres.

When asked by PTI to comment on India's strong retort to Khan that Pakistan should mind its own business and that Kashmir is an integral part of India, Dujarric said, "Our position on Kashmir has been reiterated.

ALSO READ | Imran Khan calls UN chief, raises Kashmir issue

There is an observer group as mandated by the Security Council," He was referring to the UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP).

Dujarric added that the Pakistani Prime Minister wanted to speak to the Secretary-General.

"It's only normal that the Secretary-General speak to Heads of Governments and Heads of State and, as I said, I can confirm that the call took place and that the Prime Minister raised the issue of Kashmir," Dujarric said.

In a set of recent tweets, Khan said that "Kashmiris must be allowed to decide their future".

He also tweeted that Pakistan would raise the issue of India's alleged human rights violations at the United Nations.

ALSO READ | 'Pakistan should mind its own business'

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar in response said that "the statements coming out from their side demonstrates the insincerity and duplicity".

The UNMOGIP was established in January 1949 and currently has a total of 118 UN and civilian staff.

Following the India-Pakistan war in 1971 and a subsequent ceasefire agreement of December 17 of that year, the tasks of UNMOGIP have been to observe, to the extent possible, developments pertaining to the strict observance of the ceasefire and to report there on to the Secretary-General.

India has maintained that UNMOGIP has outlived its utility and is irrelevant after the Simla Agreement and the consequent establishment of the Line of Control (LoC).
By UNI

WASHINGTON: The United States will provide additional funding to improve Ukraine's naval capabilities to counter Russia, the US State Department said on Friday.

An additional 10 million US dollars would be provided to Ukraine to improve its naval capabilities, according to a statement issued by the State Department.

The move was a response to Russia's seizure of three Ukrainian vessels near the Kerch Strait last month, the statement said.

This funding, under the category of foreign military financing, is subject to Congressional approval and for purchasing US defence articles and services.

US Special Representative for Ukraine Negotiations Kurt Volker said Wednesday in Kiev that the US plans to provide Ukraine with 250 million dollars of military aid next year.

Ukraine has reportedly received more than 1 billion dollars from the US since 2014.

Lithuania and the United Kingdom would also increase their security assistance to Ukraine, according to the statement.

Moscow has regularly accused the US of enhancing military cooperation with Eastern European countries by using Russian aggression as a pretext.

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, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in his annual press conference on Thursday.

Last month, Russian forces seized three Ukrainian naval ships and 24 sailors in the Kerch Strait that separates Crimea and Russia's mainland, 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.
A senior Kurdish official on Saturday urged the United States to stop Turkey launching an offensive against Kurdish areas in northern Syria, after Washington announced the withdrawal of American troops.

The US has for years supported the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the fight against the Islamic State group in Syria, as part of an international anti-jihadist coalition.

But in a shock announcement on Wednesday, US President Donald Trump ordered the withdrawal of around 2,000 soldiers from Syria.

Aldar Khalil, who played a key role in establishing Syria's semi-autonomous Kurdish region in 2013, said the US and its partners "must honour their commitments" while operating in the country.

"And even if they leave, they can at least work towards an international resolution," he told AFP.

"It's their duty to prevent any attack and to put an end to Turkish threats."

Turkey accuses the YPG of being an offshoot of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has waged a decades-long insurgency against Ankara.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has vowed to drive both the YPG and IS from Syria, but delayed a planned offensive following Trump's announcement.

The US decision to withdraw prompted top political leaders from the Syrian Kurdish forces to travel to Paris on Friday with the aim of drumming up support from the French government.

Endorsing the diplomatic push, Khalil called on France to "play a positive role at the United Nations and the Security Council, in order to (table) a resolution preventing a Turkish offensive."

But he admitted the diplomatic efforts have "still not borne fruit".

Khalil warned the US withdrawal would impact the battle against IS as Kurdish fighters are not be able to keep targeting the jihadists if their "families, villages and towns are under attack".

The Kurdish community accounts for 15 percent of Syria's population and controls around 30 percent of the country, as a federal region declared in 2016.

The same year Turkey conducted an operation against IS, which also aimed to block the YPG from joining up the territory it held in northern Syria, and staged an offensive against the militia in its northwestern enclave of Afrin in January this year.

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(Newser)  Those people who sneaked into a West Virginia mine earlier this month? A sheriff's office has a warrant for each of them, NBC News reports. Erica Treadway, Cody Beverly, and Kayla Williams are all being sought by the Raleigh County Sheriff's Office "for entering the idled mine near Clear Creek" and being rescued by mine safety personnel. Williams' cousin, Eddie Williams, is also sought on multiple charges including entering without breaking and felony conspiracy, per the AP.

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The three initially said they were exploring, but Treadway later told WVVA they wanted to steal copper. Eddie Williams had been indicted in May for a January break-in at another mine where 60 feet of copper wire worth $1,216 was taken. The Clear Creek incident "was extremely dangerous and it risked the lives of mine safety workers," says a sheriff's lieutenant. (One man allegedly entered a mine to steal and have sex.)
(Newser)  There was a bit of a hubbub Friday evening around the National Christmas Tree. The US Park Police says calls started coming in shortly before 6pm that a man was ascending the tree, and cops and negotiators were dispatched to the scene, CNN reports. Per WJLA, firefighters and EMS workers were also on hand to help. The unidentified man made it 15 feet or so up into the branches when he finally "self-extricated" and came back down to the ground. He wasn't hurt, but he was taken to a nearby hospital for a psychological checkup, a Park Police rep says. Per the Washington Post, a National Park Service spokeswoman says the tree's lights will be kept off until workers can check out what, if any, damage occurred, and that a holiday performance set for Saturday in front of the tree is now nixed. (Remember Rome's "traumatized" Christmas tree?)
(Newser)  His skull still open, a South African musician with a brain tumor played several notes on his guitar during an operation to remove most of the growth. Musa Manzini's guitar-playing helped guide the medical team in their delicate task while preserving neural pathways, says neurosurgeon Dr. Rohen Harrichandparsad. Manzini was given local anesthetic during what doctors call an "awake craniotomy" this month at Durban's Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital. "It increased the margin of safety for us, in that we could have real-time feedback on what we were doing intraoperatively," Harrichandparsad tells the AP. The procedure isn't uncommon, and there've been several cases in other countries of musicians singing or playing an instrument during similar operations. The intention: to test Manzini's "ability to produce music," requiring the complex interaction of pathways in the brain, the doctor says.

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In an "awake craniotomy," some doctors stimulate parts of the brain with a mild electrical current to test and map areas that control key functions, like movement and speech. If a patient struggles to speak when the current is applied to a particular area, for example, doctors know they must protect it during tumor removal. Despite the procedure's name, patients are given meds to make them sleepy during parts of the operation. Manzini was given his guitar toward the end of the procedure. A photo and video taken by the medical team show Manzini lying with his guitar in the operating room. "There you are, do your thing," a team member says as he begins playing. Starting slowly, Manzini picks out a series of notes and eases toward a tune, with the beeping of monitors as accompaniment. Dr. Basil Enicker, another neurosurgeon who operated on Manzini, said 90% of the tumor was removed and that Manzini was at his home near Durban and doing well. (Read more surgery stories.)
(Newser)  Even for Sacha Baron Cohen, this was "too dark and wrong." While shooting his series Who Is America?, the comic provocateur filmed an encounter with a Las Vegas concierge that never made it on air, Newsweek reports. In an interview with Deadline, Baron Cohen says he was playing Italian ladies' man Gio Monaldo when he persuaded the concierge to do something unthinkable. "We wanted to investigate how does someone like Harvey Weinstein gets [sic] away with doing what  get away with criminality, essentially," says the 47-year-old. "And the network that surrounds him. We decided that Gio would interview a concierge in Las Vegas."

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Baron Cohen first told the concierge he had molested an eight-year-old boy and wanted him murdered. This the concierge opposed, but when Baron Cohen wanted "a date" with a young boy, the concierge leaned in: "He says, 'Well, what kind of age?'" per Baron Cohen. "I say, lower than Bar Mitzvah but older than eight. And he says, 'Yeah, I can put you in touch with somebody who can get you some boys like that." Baron Cohen says his crew "immediately turned over the footage to the FBI" in case there was "a pedophile ring in Las Vegas that's operating for these very wealthy men. And this concierge had said that he'd worked for politicians and various billionaires. But in the end the FBI decided not to pursue it." (A SWAT team member apparently believes in a pedophile conspiracy.)
Related US defense chief Mattis quits after clashing with Trump on policies

U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis will quit in February after falling out with Donald Trump over the presidents foreign policies, including the surprise decision this week to pull troops out of Syria and plan a drawdown in Afghanistan.

Mattis, a retired Marine general who embraced NATO and Americas traditional alliances, laid bare his division with the president in a resignation letter that underscored what have been a litany of differences with Trump, albeit without public attacks.

The following is a list of those differences:

TORTURE

- In a Republican presidential debate in 2016, Trump indicated he might order the U.S. military to break the law on interrogation tactics, including using waterboarding.

- Mattis said he opposed the use of torture and was subsequently able to convince Trump that the United States should not employ those tactics.

- (Mattis) said: Ive always found, give me a pack of cigarettes and a couple of beers and I do better with that than I do with torture. And I was very impressed by that answer, Trump said in November of that year.

NATO

- Trump has been a frequent critic of NATO, which he has described as obsolete, as he pushed to get member countries to live up to an agreement to spend at least 2 percent of their gross domestic product on defense by 2024.

- In a May 2017 a visit to NATO headquarters in Brussels, Trump pointedly did not mention U.S. support for the critical portion of the NATO charter under which allies should come to each others assistance if attacked. He used his speech there to demand that members pay more for the alliances defense.

- Eventually Trump backed the NATO charters demand that all members be prepared to defend each other.

- Mattis has been a strong proponent of alliances, in particular NATO, and has talked about the importance of American global influence.

- In his resignation letter, he mentioned NATO as an alliance that is needed and said he would stay in his job until the end of February in part to be able to attend a NATO meeting.

IRAN

- Trump has long railed against a 2015 deal between world powers and Iran under which Tehran accepted curbs on its nuclear program in return for nations lifting economic sanctions.

- Trump upset European allies by withdrawing the United States from the deal in May 2018.

- In October 2017, Mattis had said the United States should consider staying in the Iran agreement unless it was proven that Tehran was not abiding by it or that it was not in the U.S. national interest to do so.

SYRIA/AFGHANISTAN

- Mattis abrupt announcement that he was quitting followed disagreement with Trump over his decision to withdraw all U.S. troops from Syria. The presidents move to start planning a drawdown in Afghanistan was also blow to Mattis, who advocated for a strong U.S. military presence to bolster diplomatic peace efforts.

- Mattis had advised against the Syria withdrawal. One official said it was a contributing factor to his resignation.

COMMENTS

- Mattis future became a particular focus of media speculation after the September 2018 release of a book by Watergate reporter Bob Woodward that portrayed Mattis privately disparaging Trump, comparing the president to a schoolchild. Mattis strongly denied making any such remarks.

- The next month, Trump said of Mattis, I think hes sort of a Democrat, if you want to know the truth.

SPACE FORCE

- In June 2018, Trump said he was ordering the creation of a sixth branch of the military to focus on space.

- While eventually saying a space force was necessary to protect American satellites, Mattis had written to lawmakers in 2017 saying that he opposed the idea because it added an additional organization and more bureaucracy.

NORTH KOREA

- The White House was reported in February 2018 to have become increasingly frustrated at the Pentagons reluctance to produce plans for a military strike against North Korea. Previously, Trump and some of his advisers had discussed delivering Pyongyang a bloody nose pre-emptive attack.

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(Newser)  The partial federal shutdown was expected to drag into Christmas as President Trump and congressional leaders remained stuck in a standoff over his border wall with Mexico with no breakthrough Saturday, the AP reports. Vice President Mike Pence arrived on Capitol Hill with a counter-offer to Democrats after the two sides traded offers in recent days. At the White House, Trump heard mixed messages during a lunch with conservative lawmakers; some wanted him to fight for the wall, others preferred to get the government re-opened. The Senate, which had gaveled in with the House for a rare weekend session, adjourned until Christmas Eve, but won't return for a full session until Dec. 27. Even a temporary measure to keep government running for a few days while negotiations continued seemed out of reach.

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Japanese prosecutors re-arrested Nissan Motor Co Ltd's ousted chairman Carlos Ghosn on Friday on fresh allegations of making Nissan shoulder 1.85 billion yen in personal investment losses, dashing chances he would be released on bail imminently.

Prosecutors also raided Ghosn's residence in Tokyo on Friday in search of evidence, broadcaster TV Asahi reported.

The latest twist in a saga that has jolted the global auto industry and Nissan's alliance with France's Renault SA came a day after a Tokyo court unexpectedly rejected prosecutors' request to extend Ghosn's detention.

That rejection had raised the possibility that the prominent businessman could go free on bail.

The re-arrest, however, means he could be detained for at least another 10 days in a Tokyo jail, where he has been confined since he was arrested last month on initial allegations of financial misconduct.

The Tokyo prosecutor said the fresh arrest was based on suspicions that around October 2008, Ghosn shifted personal trades to the automaker to make it responsible for 1.85 billion yen ($16.6 million) in appraisal losses, and inflicted damage on Nissan by having it deposit a total of $14.7 million on four occasions between June 2009 and March 2012 into a related bank account.

His lawyer, Motonari Otsuru, was not available for comment. Otsuru has previously declined to return calls about the Ghosn case.

Kyodo news agency said that when the allegation that Ghosn had shifted the paper losses first surfaced in media reports late last month, Otsuru said his client had denied the allegation. Ghosn had considered the move but did not do so after being told by financial authorities that it would be illegal, Kyodo quoted Otsuru as saying then.

The Tokyo court said in a statement on Friday that the lawyer for Ghosn's former deputy Greg Kelly, who was arrested along with Ghosn, has requested his client's release. Kelly's detention extension was rejected along with Ghosn's.
More than a dozen SU-27 and SU-30 fighter jets which Russia is deploying to boost its air force, amid heightened tensions with Ukraine, arrived in Crimea on Saturday.

A Reuters witness saw the jets land at Belbek air base in Crimea, which was annexed by Russia in 2014 after Moscow-leaning Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich fled Kiev following street clashes and violent protests.

Tensions between Moscow and Kiev have risen in the past weeks after Russia seized three Ukrainian navy ships and their crews on Nov. 25 in an incident which Moscow and Kiev have blamed on each other.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has alleged Ukraine was preparing a provocation near Crimea before the end of the year.

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Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Friday, said that the 2019 Appropriation Bill of N8.83 trillion presented to the joint session of the National Assembly on Wednesday was the best the government could present following the circumstances it found itself.The Minister also enthused that the President Buharis All Progressives Congress, APC, led administration has fulfilled all promises it made to Nigerians.Alhaji Mohammed who spoke with State House correspondents after the Friday jumaat at the State House Mosque, Abuja, wished Nigerians merry Christmas and prosperous new year.When asked to comment on the statement credited to the Senate President where he was quoted to have said that the 2019 budget document was unworkable, the minister said that the executive presented the best it could within the prevailing circumstances and that it was left to the National Assembly to do whatever it wants with the budget proposal.He said, It is not the practice of the executive to be exchanging words with the legislative arm of government, they are independent, we are independent but to the best of our knowledge, we presented a budget given the circumstances of our resources this year, we feel that is the best we can.It is left for the National Assembly to consider it.On the deadline by the organised labour to the federal government to forward the N30,000 new Minimum Wage to the National Assembly before Dec. 31 or workers would down tools, he appealed to the workers not to do anything that would embarrass the government.According to him, The Nigeria Labour Congress is a very patriotic union and I am very confident that they will not do anything that will embarrass the government or do anything that is going to worsen the situation.Continuous engagement I think is the key, we continue to engage them and I think they also understand what the challenges are. Both parties are determined to ensure that a common ground is arrived at which will be comfortable for all.The Information Minister said that the government has delivered all its obligations and promises to Nigerians, adding that it was determined to do more.He said, I wish everybody Merry Christmas and as a government, we are happy that we have been able to meet all our promises, all our obligations to Nigerians.
The Independent National Electoral Commission has turned down applications by some support groups of candidates contesting the 2019 general elections to monitor the elections, its chairman, Prof. Mahmo0d Yakubu, has said.According to him, only neutral observers would be accredited, adding that the guidelines for the accreditation of election observers had also been revised.The commission said that all officials of the commission must remain neutral in the discharge of their duties and committed to protecting the sanctity of the process.He said, As we approach the 2019 general elections, the commission will pay attention to the conduct of our own officials from the headquarters to the State and Local government areas, including ad-hoc staff engaged in or their agents to subvert the electoral process.We will not tolerate the complicity of staff with political actors or their agents to subvert the electoral process. All officials of the commission must remain neutral in the discharge of their duties and committed to protecting the sanctity of the process.Yakubu stated these in Abuja on Friday during the inauguration of the new Secretary of INEC, Mrs. Rose Oriaran-Anthony, where he vowed that the commission would not tolerate the complicity of it staff with political actors or their agents to subvert the electoral process in the forthcoming elections.Oriaran-Anthony is the third Secretary of INEC and the second woman to be so appointed since Nigerias return to democracy in 1999.She had served the commission for 28 years, rising to the position of a Director before her appointment.Yakubu described the application by support groups of candidates contesting the 2019 general elections as election observers as unacceptable.The INEC chairman stressed that election observers should be neutral groups who should only be interested in the process and not agents of political parties, candidates or campaign organisations.He explained that the purpose of accrediting observers for elections remained a noble exercise intended to increase the transparency of the process.Yakubu said that the reports of observers also serve as a useful feedback mechanism for strengthening the electoral process.Speaking further on the request of some support groups of candidates contesting elections to observe the elections, Yakubu said such requests had no basisHe said, Similarly, for the 2019 general elections, the commission has been inundated by applications from several groups within the country for accreditation to observe the elections, including support groups of candidates contesting in the elections.This is unacceptable to the commission. Observers are neutral groups interested only in the process and not agents of political parties, candidates or campaign. The purpose of accrediting observers for elections is a noble one intended to increase the transparency and openness of the process.It is therefore counter-productive for such an important process to become an all-comers business. Going forward, the commission has revised the guidelines for the accreditation of (election) observers. Interested organisations are required to apply to the commission.The details of the application process, he said, would be published this weekend and early next week in national newspapers and on the INEC website.
All Progressives Congress, APC, House of Representatives candidate for Sapele/Okpe/Uvwie federal constituency, Delta State, Chief Monday Igbuya has said, there is no doubt that APC will defeat the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the governorship and other elections in the state in 2019.Victory is sure, Delta APC is ready to win at all levels in the 2019 general election, particularly the governorship election in the state. Igbuya, a former Speaker of Delta House of Assembly assured party faithful at a meeting in Sapele, Sapele local government area of the state.He enjoined them to adopt proactive and strategic measures in handling party affairs with a view to coasting home in the general elections.The APC leader, who debunked recent media report quoting him as saying that victory was uncertain for his party, cautioned reporters to always cross check their information.We must, therefore, meet regularly as we are doing now to plan for our set objectives and build up ourselves for the victory ahead, which is sure. We must know how we shall go about the elections and how we can tolerate one another to achieve victory.Therefore, never should we be involved in crisis, so that we can face the task ahead. We must agree with one another and work together, as campaigns have started, he said.
Ahead of the 2019 election, one of the support groups working for the re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari has lamented that after all their support for the election of President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015, they were yet to be given recognition and accommodated by the government.Consequently, the group with the name Muhammadu Buhari/Osinbajo, MBO Dynamic Support Group, has begged the President to integrate them in the campaign structure for them to make more impact, claiming that they have about two million seven hundred votes for the President for next years election.Speaking during a courtesy visit on the President, at the Council Chamber, Presidential Villa, Abuja, the National Coordinator, of the group, Usman Ibrahim, promised that all the members across the country will work hard to ensure victory for the President.This is just as the President has reiterated that he will reward every loyal supporter on his return to power in 2019, if he is returned as President.Buhari while receiving the group, noted that many of the members had used their resources to campaign for him in 2014 but were not rewarded, adding that they will not be forgotten this time around.He said, l am very grateful for your support. In 2014, many of you worked for me without expecting anything, but this time around, l want to assure you that you will be rewarded when we return.Usman Ibrahim, who described the group as  an idealistic noted that it had developed a political strategy which was instrumental to the APC political strategy in 2015, known as  Operation win 40He revealed that the group has a total of 2, 725,359 foot soldiers across the country with a mandate to win 40 votes per polling unit, each.According to him,  These foot Soldiers have been mandated to win 40 votes per polling units in 2019The group had commended the Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing company for donating two operational vehicles to them with a promise to donate one vehicle per each state for their use during the 2019 campaigns.It is important to note that despite the sacrifice made by our members in 2015, and our efforts, MBO has not been given its due recognition by the government and party and we use this opportunity to ask that you integrate MBO into the campaign structure and the governance for us to make more positive impact.
The lawmaker representing Kogi West senatorial district in the upper legislative chamber of the National Assembly, Senator Dino Melaye...





The lawmaker representing Kogi West senatorial district in the upper legislative chamber of the National Assembly, Senator Dino Melaye, has reacted to report that over 3,252 members of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, have defected to the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the district.





Those who dumped the PDP in the district included a former Kogi Commissioner of Water Resources, Tunji Oshanusi, and that of Agriculture, Femi Abolarinwa.





The decampees were received by the APC Zonal Chairman, Ropo Asagun at the township stadium in Kabba during the official flag-off of APC Zonal Rally.





In his reaction, Melaye said the defection never happened, adding that no one would wish to buy hunger with their money.





He tweeted, The lies of 3000 imaginary people decamping from PDP in my constituency.





Another Tramadol induced lie. Who will wish to buy hunger with his/her money?








During a recent visit to Japan, I went up the famous "Sky Tree" tower, which is one of the capitals most well-known tourist attractions. From that staggering height, one can view this enchanting city which glistens across a vast area. You can see to the horizon, the geography of light extending infinitely. If you are bolder, you can stand on a glass floor to see down below  too distantly  houses and streets as if you are viewing them from an airplane. What an exciting and charming scene!

The city of Kyoto was Japan's capital for centuries, then the city of Edo, which was called Tokyo later, became the empire's metropolis.

Founded in 1602, Tokyo is the symbol of Japan's modernity. It is the symbol of moving from the "samurai" to the "state", from the middle ages to modern times. In the twentieth century, Tokyo was rebuilt twice, the first time in 1923 in the aftermath of a devastating earthquake that razed more than half of the city, and the second time following the destruction caused by the World War II air raids.

Tokyo rose above the earthquake and the ravages of war and flourished. It is the most secure city in the world, its stock exchange is the second most important after New Yorks and it has the top university in Asia.

Taking a more detailed look at Tokyo from above will make one see the incessant beehive in one of the most modernised cities in the world. Millions of people go to their businesses in an astonishing order governed by a universal creed: faith in work. It isnt the capitalist or the socialist ideology. It is the work ideology.

In a noteworthy report aired by the BBC, its Japan correspondent Yukari Mitsuhashi described the scene of man and his job in two terms: sushi-zume and ikigai.

The state of sushi-zume, a term which likens commuters squeezed into a crowded train car to tightly packed grains of rice in sushi. The term ikigai points out that work may have nothing to do with income. It is a value in itself, it is the source of happiness, happiness in having a value and the value of being a worker; to see those who were influenced by your work, to be positive. Instead of solving the problem of hunger in the world, try to solve the problem of a person you know. The culture of ikigai according to Mitsuhashi means to be useful and beneficial, to look forward to the future even if youre miserable right now.

The beautiful Tokyo doesnt conceal the concerned Tokyo and the strong Japan doesnt hide the Japan who is facing monumental geostrategic challenges.

The summary of what I heard in the Foreign Ministry and in the Japan Institute of International Affairs (JIIA) is that Japan is trying to renew its capability to move amid political storms in East Asia, without going beyond the dialogue and peace strategy.

Japan confronts challenges from a square that sometimes stretches to include a fifth dimension. First there is North Korea, which Japan accuses of kidnapping a number of its citizens without responding to the Japanese families and the Japanese governments pressures to return them home. This is occurring in spite of the late North Korean leaders acknowledgement and apology for those acts. There are also the nuclear missiles and the nuclear programme which pose a real threat to Japanese national security.

Second, there is South Korea, which usurped  according to Japan  Japanese islands and also doesnt abide by bilateral treaties between the two countries, and always returns to talking about issues which were dealt with such as comfort women and forced labour.

Third, there is China, which Japan feels very concerned regarding its economic and military expansion. There is also an islands dispute and the Chinese militarys existence in the South China Sea from which Japan gets all its energy imports.

Fourth, there is Russia, which hasnt signed a peace treaty with Japan since the end of World War II. Although Japan demands the return of four Japanese islands, Russia refuses under the pretext that they were annexed in the Soviet era according to international law.

Here is the square of the challenges to Japans national security: North Korea, South Korea, China and Russia. Japan sees that being in alliance with the USA and the rapprochement with India constitutes a balance that has no alternative for confronting these challenges.

However, since the beginning of President Donald Trumps term, he has opened a dialogue channel with North Korea which Japan doesnt necessarily know all the details of. In addition, the American president has kept demanding that Japan pay much more for its security. All this has driven Japan to stretch its geostrategic concern to a fifth dimension.

President Trumps departure two or six years from now might not mean that trust would be regained fully, because the USA has become more pragmatic now and cant be trusted to the same extent as in past decades.

Some disgruntled citizens in Japan whisper about the necessity of having a deterrent nuclear force, but the Japanese elite is still adamant that this is absolutely impossible, despite the capacity to do it. Tokyo is still betting on the USA, trying to come closer to India in Asia, Egypt in Africa and France in Europe for the sake of reintroducing the new Japan to the world.

Japanese values, the Japanese economy and the Japan International Cooperation Agency all represent very successful facets of Japans soft power. However, the question concerning soft powers inadequacy and the necessity of having hardcore power is rising day after day.

Cairo has a distinguished relationship with Tokyo. Japanese tourists dont visit Egypt just to have a good time in resorts and on beaches; they travel to see the ancient Egyptian civilisation, the most glorious in the world.

Relations between the two countries during El-Sisis presidency, given his strong friendship with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, have moved further in the fields of cooperation and joint action.

Japan needs Egypt for its situation in the Middle East and Africa and Egypt needs Japan in order to regain its soft power, specifically in education and economy.

Japan realises that it can overcome its geostrategic challenges and that the sun disc at lying in the centre of its flag is capable of renewing itself every morning incessantly.

Japan is distinguished in several industries but the greatest industry of them all: manufacturing hope.

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Sequel to the rowdy session of the joint session of the Nigerian Senate and the House of Representatives during the presentation of the 2019 budget by President Muhammadu Buhari, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has accused the lawmakers of political imbecility.MURICs view was contained in a statement sent to journalists Friday.According to Ishaq Akintola, a professor, the director and founder of the human rights organization who signed the press release, the attitude of the lawmakers was infantile, pedestrian and ludicrous.Our lawmakers manifested articulated immaturity and exhibited pronounced desertification of parliamentary decorum. They desecrated the hallowed chamber. It was such a shame of a National Assembly (NASS). They descended to the lowest abyss of disgraceful conduct. It is now very clear that the 8th NASS is suffering from acute poverty of patriotism, a yawning lacunae for dignity and an irredeemable deficiency in righteousness.To boo and jeer during the presentation of an annual budget shows that our legislators are not interested in how Nigeria makes progress. This was an occasion when lawmakers are expected to show seriousness as the fate of the nation and its people for the next year was being reeled out. In saner climes, the elected representatives of the people manifest concern as the budget of their country is read. They eschew politicking and listen with rapt attention. But not Nigerian lawmakers of the 8th NASS. These are the same lawmakers who delayed 2018 budget for seven months and refused to have anything to do with it until they had sliced off the juicest portions unto themselves.MURIC is not depriving the lawmakers of their right to disagree with the executive. But no lawmaker worth the salt anywhere in the world will carry political disagreement to issues pertaining to the welfare of the citizens. The budget of a country reflects the fate of the people and their welfare at least for that year and sometimes impacts on their future. For choosing to make caricatures of themselves on that august occasion, our lawmakers have proved that they are not worth the trust reposed in them.MURIC is not tongue-lashing the lawmakers for booing. We are chastising them for booing without knowing when to stop. Donald Trump was booed during the State of the Union address on 17th January, 2018 but it was done in a very civilized manner. Democrats who booed him kept quiet after a while and listened attentively because they knew it was about America, not about Trump. They booed Trump for being inhuman by trying to halt chain immigration of poor people from the Third World. That was issue-based.Our own lawmakers booed the president non-stop to the extent that Speaker Dogara who was expected to dive the closing remarks could not do so. They booed without borders. They threw caution to the winds.They booed President Buhari for identifying with the poor masses of Nigeria, for refusing to steal and for exposing their voracious gluttony. It is laughable, detestable, repulsive and condescending, It is, indeed, a tale of two cities.Lawmaking is a leadership position but our lawmakers failed to display the necessary qualities of leadership. They disappointed Nigerians. All those who partook in the booing and jeering need to be taken back to school where they will learn the art of discipline and the qualities of leadership. They are square pegs in a round hole. It is such a shame that our lawmakers decided to vent their spleen in such a disgraceful manner on their president simply because the man refused to join in the rapacious avarice to loot the nation dry. They failed to realize that the line of demarcation between lawmaking and law-breaking is very thin and fragile and they crossed that line in their exhibition of legislative rascality.Whereas Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, The leader of the people is their servant, our lawmakers see themselves differently. They are feudal lords. They belong to the capitalist and bourgeois political class to whom the peoples welfare means very little. They lack a civilized political culture and their political ideology springs from a bolekaja mentality where bitterness, acrimony, derision and violence take the driving seat. This much was displayed by them during the presentation of 2019 budget.MURIC salutes President Muhammadu Buhari for remaining calm and composed throughout the day. Mr. President stood ramrod as they booed and jeered. His comportment unsettled his adversaries. He made the nation proud by refusing to loose his temper. But the icing on the cake was his fatherly admonition to the rascally lawmakers as he scolded them, Let us conduct ourselves properly. The world is watching us. We are supposed to be above this. That was Mr. Integrity incarnate speaking, the pride of our great nation.Those golden words will remain on the marble as long as Nigeria continues to exist. They are monumental, philosophical and didactic. Generations to come will read them and they will ponder, What a great leader that was. But what will they think about the rowdy lawmakers? Verily, verily, we say unto the 8th NASS, you were a huge disappointment!The fault goes to the electorate anyway. Nigerians are adept at electing incompetent politicians. Our level of enlightenment is near zero. But the worst problem we have is our pathological docility. Venezuela parliamentarians learnt to comport themselves the hard way. They were proving too difficult for the president. The citizens invaded parliament and threw them out. Nigerians leave everything in the hands of God whereas the Quran says, God will not change the condition of a people until they decide to change it themselves (Glorious Quran 13:11).As a parting shot, we remind those hostile lawmakers that their disgraceful conduct on that day has added luster to Buharis glamour. He is already a hero of our nation but they made him a greater hero. Whether he clinches a second term or not, Nigerians, nay, the world at large, have written his name in letters of gold.
Nollywood actress and film maker, Funke Akindele and her husband JJC Skillz have reportedly welcomed a set of twins in the United State...





Nollywood actress and film maker, Funke Akindele and her husband JJC Skillz have reportedly welcomed a set of twins in the United States of America.





Popular blogger, Stella Dimoko also confirmed the news, stating that the actress gave birth to a set of twin boys.



On-air-personality, Toke Makinwa also took to her Instagram page to congratulate the couple. She wrote:



Funke also took to her insta-story to partially disclose and also thank God. She wrote: Thank you Lord. Oluwa e tobi (God is great), I am now being called a new name.

Funke also took to her insta-story to partially disclose and also thank God. She wrote: Thank you Lord. Oluwa e tobi (God is great), I am now being called a new name.

This is coming few years after Lagos-based pastor, Olagorioye Faleyimu, said that Funke Akindele, may not have children of her own, and might end up with another broken home.





However, in response to the prophecy, Funkes husband, JJC Skillz, reaffirmed his love and commitment to the Jenifas Diary fame.



The new babies are the couple's first children together since they tied the knot in 2016.



The new babies are the couple's first children together since they tied the knot in 2016.
Sultan Anifowoshe, son of veteran Fuji musician, Kwam 1, has been arrested in the United States along with 8 other Nigerians as the Ju...





Sultan Anifowoshe, son of veteran Fuji musician, Kwam 1, has been arrested in the United States along with 8 other Nigerians as the Justice Department conducts an international investigation into romance scams and mystery shopper schemes that made victims lose at least $2 million over the past two years.





Law enforcement identified internet-enabled fraud schemes carried out by alleged conspirators in the US and Nigeria through the Chicago-based investigation, Operation Gold Phish.





Nine defendants including KWAM 1s son, 26-year-old Sultan Omogbadebo Anifowoshe were arrested in Illinois. Others are Daniel Samuel Eta, 35, Babatunde Ladehinde Labiyi, 20, Barnabas Oghenerukevwe Edjieh, 29, Babatunde Ibraheem Akarigidi, 39, Miracle Ayokunle Okunola, 21, Olurotimi Akitunde Idowu, 55.





Adewale Anthony Adewumi, 27, was arrested in Texas, and Olaniyi Adeleye Ogungbaiye, 26, aka DonChiChi, was arrested in Lagos, Nigeria.





According to the affidavit, The group of alleged fraudsters are said to channel the funds into their personal bank accounts or overseas, often Nigeria.





At least three times, the money was used to pay for vehicles on behalf of a Nigerian car company owned by one of the defendants. The charge in the complaint carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.




The Federal Government on Friday, urged the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), to discard the December 31 ultimatum over lingering disagre...





The Federal Government on Friday, urged the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), to discard the December 31 ultimatum over lingering disagreement between organised labour and state governments on the proposed N30,000 national minimum wage.





Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, made the appeal while speaking with State House correspondents, after a closed door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.





The organised labour had on Thursday, given the ultimatum following Buharis statement that a high powered technical committee would be set up, to device ways to ensure that implementation of new minimum wage would not lead to an increase in the level of borrowing.





However, the NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, who addressed newsmen on Thursday, expressed organized labours reservation over President Buharis position, saying that setting up a technical committee could not be a condition for passing the minimum wage report to the National Assembly.





We reject in its entirety the plan to set up another `high powered technical committee on the minimum wage. It is diversionary and a delay tactics, he had stated





But Mohammed, who described the NLC as a very patriotic union, said he was confident the organized labour would not do anything that would embarrass the government or Nigerians.









He said: The Nigeria Labour Congress is a very patriotic union and I am very confident that they will not do anything that will embarrass the government or do anything that is going to worsen the situation.




The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) has declared January 8 as a day of national protest to drive home its demand for a new minimum wage...





The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) has declared January 8 as a day of national protest to drive home its demand for a new minimum wage.





The resolution was reached at the NLC national executive council meeting in Abuja, according to a statement issued Friday by Ayuba Wabba, the unions president.





The NLC is demanding that the minimum wage is increased from the current N18,000 to N30,000, 60 percent less than the South Africa national minimum wage which is at N91,225.





Both the federal and state government are yet to agree with the demand.





While presenting the 2019 budget, President Muhammadu Buhari said a committee will be set up to review the demand while state governors have proposed the sum of N22,500.





The NLC president said the union strongly condemned the continued delay by the federal government in transmitting a bill of the new national minimum wage to the national assembly for approval.





The protest is to express anger and total dissatisfaction over the delay by the federal government in transmitting, enacting and implementing the new national minimum wage of N30,000, the statement read.





The NEC-in-Session approved that the protests should hold in all state capitals and the Federal Capital Territory Abuja on January 8, 2019. The NEC mandates all industrial unions and state councils to fully mobilise workers and coordinate with other labour unions for this mother-of-all protest.





Some of the meetings between the federal government and NLC on the new minimum wage demand ended in deadlock.




President Muhammadu Buhari says it is a matter of concern that terrorism and violent extremism have continued to threaten the peace ...





President Muhammadu Buhari says it is a matter of concern that terrorism and violent extremism have continued to threaten the peace of West Africa.





He made the comment on Saturday during his speech at the 54th ordinary session of heads of state and government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in Abuja.





Buhari said in his speech: ECOWAS is still confronted by several challenges. The sub-region continues to face difficulties in the economic, governance, peace, security and humanitarian fields.





As we all know, the primary objective of ECOWAS as set out in its Treaty, is to promote cooperation and integration, leading to the establishment of an Economic and Monetary Union in West Africa, in order to raise the living standards of our people and contribute to the progress and development of the African continent.





Indeed as a Community, our aspiration is to create a borderless, peaceful, prosperous and cohesive region, based on good governance and where our people have the capacity to access and harness its resources through the creation of opportunities for sustainable development, job creation and environmental preservation.





These lofty ideals are however not attainable without peace and security. That is why I have decided to make the issue of peace and security the major focus of my Chairmanship. I am happy to inform this august assembly that our efforts have started yielding dividends as we have been able to douse tension and restore confidence in some potentially disruptive political situations, particularly in Guinea Bissau, Togo and Mali.





It is a matter of concern that terrorism and violent extremism have continued to threaten the peace and security in our sub-region. This threat calls for collective action on our part, if we are to effectively and definitively eliminate it. As we work on new strategies to combat and eradicate this menace, we require the support of our partners to ensure the achievement of our objectives.





Still on sub-regional peace, as you are all aware, Nigeria and Senegal will hold general elections in February 2019. On my part, I have already made a pledge to conduct free, fair and credible elections.




Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has taken a swipe at previous governments particularly the administration of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, with a charge on Nigerians to ask them what they did with monies earned?The Vice President also disclosed that in building infrastructures for the development of the country, the administration of President Muhammad Buhari has spent N2.7 trillion on building infrastructure since its assumption in office. Prof. Osinbajo made the disclosure at the palace of the Ovie of Ughelli, HRM Oharisi III during a courtesy visit on the monarch in company of other Urhobo monarchs after he launched the Trader Moni Scheme at the Ughelli Main Market.In his address to the monarchs, Osinbajo who was accompanied by Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachukwu, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan and others, said 30, 000 petty traders would benefit from the scheme with N10,000 each in January, 2019.Speaking further, he said: This is not a government that believe that the money of the people should be stolen because our determination is to build this country.We are earning today 60 percent less than what the country earned in the past 10years, yet we are spending more in building infrastructure than any government in the country today.The question we ought to ask previous government is, what did they do with the monies if today we are still building the Itakpe-Warri railway line which was established 35years ago as well as the Kaduna Hydro project which also was established 40years ago?
Parliament witnessed the busiest legislative season for more than a century

In a summary of the House of Representatives third legislative season  from October 2017 to July 2018  Parliament Speaker Ali Abdel-Aal said that MPs had passed 197 laws, containing a total of 2,757 articles, noting that it was the largest number of legislative articles Egypt has seen in a single session since parliamentary life began in 1866.

The majority of laws passed in the first and second legislative seasons focused on security and anti-terror issues. During the third session the legislative agenda concentrated on improving the countrys economic performance, said Abdel-Aal.

MPs debated and passed legislationon the building of nuclear power stations and consumer protection, including countering monopolies.

They discussed laws regulating the establishment of a sovereign fund, laws promoting the development of Upper Egypt and amended legislation governing bidding procedures, the capital market and the ways in which bankruptcy is dealt.

In an interview with Al-Ahram Weekly, Deputy Speaker Al-Sayed Al-Sherif underlined that the focus of the 2018 legislative season was economic.

After achieving success in its battle against terrorism and recovering stability in most governoratesit became imperative for all state institutions, parliament included, to focus on improving the economic climate, said Al-Sherif.

Priority was therefore given to overdue economic laws such as those targeting monopolistic practices, establishing a sovereign fund and streamlining bankruptcy procedures.

Al-Sherif also hailed new legislation on the press and media.

I am happy that laws passed in July 2018 regulatingthe media gained the approval of media professionals and, in particular, the Press Syndicate which issued a statement saying that parliamenthad implemented the majority of the syndicatesrecommendations.

Though its main focus was on economic issues, parliament continued to pay attention to security demands.

Laws establishing the Higher Council on Combating Terrorism and Extremism, sequestrating the assets of terrorist movements and fighting cybercrime were passed, enhancing Egypts ability to face down terrorist threats, said Abdel-Aal.

Amr Hashem Rabie, a political analyst with Al-Ahram, says it was to be expected that economic laws would dominate the 2018 parliamentary agenda given the reform programme being implemented with the agreement with the International Monetary Fund.

He worried, however, that there was little depth to the discussion of new economic legislationandmany MPs were likely to have found it difficult to some of themore technical articles concerning such thingsas bidding procedures and the performance of the stock market.

Under the Mubarak regime there was a lively discussion of economic issues in parliament because many MPs were businessmen and industrialists,which is no longer the case, said Rabie.

Al-Sherif insists the majority of new economic laws were discussed in depth by MPs during meetings of the Economic Affairs Committee and the Budget Committee.

MPs were keen to attend early debates on these economic laws and scrutinise them during committee meetings, making it possible for them to be passed in parliament without much discussion, said Al-Sherif.

Opposition and independent MPs have expressed concern at the way political reform took a back seat this parliamentary session.

It had been expected that new laws on the election and formation of the House of Representatives and the election of local councils would be issued, said independent MP Abdel-Hamid Kamal.

He noted the new government formed by Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouli delivered its policy statement before parliament in June 2018 without mentioning political reform.

Though the speaker regularly mentions corruption on municipal councils, he did not make any move towards discussing new laws regulating the councils, said Kamal.

Political laws were completely absent from the parliamentary agenda. Legislation regulating the performance and election of local councils was ignored for the third year, Ahmed Raslan, head of parliaments Arab Affairs Committee, told the Weekly.

Ahmed Al-Sigini, head of parliaments Local Administration Committee, reported in May that the committee had already held discussions of the draft local council law.

It is now up to the speaker to decide when the law is discussed in a plenary session,he said.

We need only to reach consensus on a few remaining articles, such as those addressing the electoral system, for the law to be ready for discussion, said Abdel-Aal while on a visit to Belarus two weeks ago.

Mahmoud Shaarawi, minister of local administration, announced on 19 November that the new law on local councils will be a major step towards decentralising power and making local councils more democratic.

Parliamentary committees are also in the process of discussing new laws on construction offences, the real estate tax and procedures governing defaults on loans.

Parliaments focus on economic issues will continue through 2019, said Rabie, with significant laws such as the amendment of the old landlord-tenant relationship law likely to be passed in its fourth legislative season.

Housing Committee head Alaa Wali has promised that long-awaited legislation on construction offences and the landlord-tenant relationship will be passed in the new season. These are significant laws for millions of citizens and the committee will pull out all the stops to finalise them, said Wali.

He revealed the committee has also drafted a new real estate tax law.

We received the governments own drafted amendments of the law and as a committee we have our own amendments. We will discuss both,he said.

Other new laws will seek to help citizens reconcile with the authorities over construction offences.

We are hoping to provide for a three-month reconciliation period during which government authorities will not be allowed to demolish buildings, said Wali.

Alaa Abed, head of parliaments Human Rights Committee, said his committee is in the process of drafting legislation that will end prison sentences for individuals who default on loan repayments.

We took this initiative on humanitarian grounds, to prevent individuals who take out small loans from going to prison, says Abed.

Our aim is to safeguard society from disruption and protect children whose mothers and fathers have been handed prison sentences for defaulting on loan payments

* A version of this article appears in print in the 20 December, 2018 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly under the headline: A tsunami of new laws

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Will negotiations in Stockholm produce for Yemen a resolution previous rounds failed to provide? Hopes are not high, but urgency is

Yemen is on the brink of famine. It is the facing the worst humanitarian crisis on the globe. The UN and major international humanitarian relief organisations have sounded these alarms on numerous occasions during the past year.

What brought Yemen, nicknamed The Blissful, to this point? Could the country where the Arabs originated, according to many historians, have averted such a grim fate? What became of the dreams of the republic declared in the 1960s and of the unity declared in 1990?

In addition to dire warnings, 2018 also brought the most violent fighting since the outbreak of the current conflict in March 2015. But the year also occasioned some serious attempts to make peace or, at least, to secure a truce.

Most recently, representatives of the Yemeni factions headed to Stockholm, in the first week of this month, to take part in UN-sponsored peace talks.

While informed observers do not foresee a solution emerging from the talks, UN Special Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths hopes to avert a full-scale battle in Hodeida that would cost thousands of lives and push the country over the precipice into full-scale famine.

Throughout most of the war, the front lines have barely budged between the forces of the Ansar Allah Movement, more commonly known as the Houthi movement, and the forces fighting on the side of the internationally recognised government headed by President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi.

The Houthis (who had allied with late former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who retained the loyalty of a large segment of the army and the government apparatus) continue to control the north while President Hadis forces control the south.

The latter are primarily made up of a loose alliance between the Muslim Brotherhoods political facade in Yemen, the Congregation for Reform Party, frequently called Al-Islah, and the Southern Transitional Council, a southern secessionist movement, as well as a number of small parties.

But neither have the warring parties managed to make a significant breakthrough in several rounds of negotiating processes held in Kuwait and in Geneva.

In fact, the last round in Geneva, in September, did not even get off the ground because the Houthi delegation was unable to make it to the Swiss city.

In order to help the Stockholm negotiations succeed, Kuwait offered to put one of its planes at the service of the Houthi delegation. That the UN special envoy and the Kuwaiti ambassador to Sanaa were travelling to the Swedish capital on the same flight gave the Houthis the reassurance they needed.

In addition, Oman agreed to receive dozens of wounded Houthi soldiers for medical treatment. They were evacuated to Muscat on an Omani plane ahead of the peace talks in Sweden.

On 6 December, indirect consultations between the two sides began with the stated purpose of building trust. But the negotiating delegations quickly began to escalate.

The Yemeni foreign minister, who heads the government delegation, demanded that the rebel militias (the Houthis) withdraw completely from the western coast and hand the area over to the legitimate government.

He was alluding, in particular, to the city and port of Hodeida which is a main artery for the survival of millions of Yemenis.

In response, Mohammed Ali Al-Houthi, head of the Houthis Supreme Revolutionary Committee, warned that if the Sanaa airport is not reopened to civilian traffic, his movement would close it on the ground to all traffic including UN flights.

Although the indirect consultations lasted a week, time is on no ones side in Yemen. This applies, above all, to Yemeni civilians. Following his visit to Yemen in late November, the UN Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator Mark Lowcock warned that the country was on the brink of a major catastrophe.

The UN wants to halt the fighting in and around Hodeida so as to be able to use the port, which is controlled by the Houthis, as a hub to convey humanitarian assistance to millions of Yemenis.

From Monarchy To Republic

The year 2018 marked the centennial of the establishment of the first Yemeni state in the modern era. The Mutawakkilite Kingdom was founded on 1 November 1918 by Imam Yehia bin Hamideddin Al-Mutawakkil, following the defeat of the Ottoman Empire in World War I.

However, the state never achieved stability, although it would manage to survive for 40 years until the revolution of September 1962 and the creation of the Yemeni Arab Republic.

The new kingdom inaugurated what, for Yemenis, proved to be a lost century. The kingdoms Zaidi imams (Yahya, his son Ahmed and his grandson Al-Badr) wasted the monarchical era in conflict with neighbouring tribes and then with neighbours in order to expand their control.

They then spent the rest of the time quashing revolts against their hereditary feudalist rule. According to Mohammed Al-Mikhlafi, professor of law, undersecretary-general of the Yemeni Socialist Party and minister of legal affairs from 2011 to 2015, the rule of Imam Yahya and his progeny was absolutist and coercive: It had no room for persuasion as a means to convince the people of its legitimacy.

Bin Hamideddin began with a small sheikhdom north of Aden in 1919. However, after his defeat at the hands of the British occupiers of that strategic southern port, he turned northwards toward Hodeida.

After a number of attempts, he managed to seize control of the strategic port and then moved on to add several nearby towns and cities to his possession.

In 1934, his expansionism was checked by King Abdel Aziz Al-Saud who compelled him to sign the Taif treaty in 1934.

From then on, the legitimacy of his monarchy began to erode. For the next three decades, Yahya and his descendants fought uprisings against them until the monarchy collapsed.

Yemenis rose up several times against the monarchy, Al-Mikhlafi said. Once was in 1948, following the assassination of Imam Yahya. The people then rebelled against his son, in 1955. The last uprising was against his grandson, Al-Badr, in 1962.

According Al-Mikhlafi, the fact that Yemenis, at the time, lived in self-sufficient villages was a factor that worked to the advantage of Bin Hamideddin and his insular policies.

Playing Zaidis against the Shafiis (affiliates of the Shafii school of Sunni Islam) also helped him consolidate his rule, while the lack of an effective media and modern education, combined with the prevailing tribal system, contributed to perpetuating the monarchy.

When Al-Badr succeeded his father, Imam Ahmed, in 1962, Colonel Abdullah Al-Sallal spearheaded the third revolt against the monarchy and declared the founding of the Yemeni Republic. Al-Sallal, an army officer who had trained in Egypt, appealed to Cairo for help and Cairo responded.

With South Yemens declaration of independence in 1967 followed by the victory of the republic in the north in 1970, Yemen was plunged into a period of civil warfare. Civil war broke out in the north in 1978, in the south in 1985, and between the north and south in 1972 and 1979.

In 1986, President Haidar Abu Bakr Al-Attas assumed power in Aden and initiated a drive to unify the country. Unity between the north and south was achieved in 1990.

Unity And Loss Of Hope

Democracy and the peaceful rotation of power was the key to unity. But in 1994, Ali Abdullah Saleh fabricated a reason to go to war so that he could monopolise power, said Al-Mikhlafi.

In the course of three months, in the summer of 1994, Saleh proved himself the unchallengeable Yemeni strongman. He would become even more powerful when, the following year, the International Court of Arbitration ruled in Sanaas favour in the dispute between Yemen and Eritrea over the Hanish Islands in the southern part of the Red Sea.

Saleh was able to build his popularity on the unity of the country and the restoration of sovereignty over the islands, as well as on the corruption that enabled him to win the support of many social classes and tribal forces, according to Al-Mikhlafi, who added: Throughout the remainder of his rule, Saleh promoted tribalism, ignorance and corruption. In the end, he tried to promote hereditary succession.

But a strongman at the helm did not mean that Yemen could become stable. With the turn of the millennium, the country descended once again into warfare, first with Al-Qaedas franchise in the Arabian Peninsula, which had taken a foothold in central Yemen, and then with the Houthis in the north.

Sanaa fought six rounds of battle against the Houthi stronghold between 2003 and 2009 while, simultaneously, there were recurrent secessionist stirrings in the south.

Eventually the pressures from the three conflicts, plus the inequities stemming from widespread corruption in the poorest Arab state, built up to bursting point. The eruption struck with Yemens Arab Spring uprising in 2011.

A Year Of Revolution Under The Strongman

It took several months to finally bring down the regime that had managed to perpetuate itself for 33 years.

However, Salehs network of allegiances and vested interests, combined with the actions of the Houthis in the north, the Sunni Islamists (the Muslim Brotherhood Islah Party and the Salafists), and the secessionists in the south, disrupted the dream of stability and democracy.

Now, says Al-Mikhlafi, were at the Stockholm stage. We need to benefit from the international desire to end the war in Yemen.

At the same time, we have to be prudent. Peace comes with conditions. This means ending what led to the war, namely the coup (the Houthi putsch in late 2014), and recognising the legitimate government (of Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi).

The former Yemeni minister stressed that the Houthis are mistaken if they believe that the problem can be solved militarily, which is the impression given by some of the messages Houthi leaders have conveyed.

Simultaneously he cautioned against the notion, voiced in particular by the Americans, that the Houthis are a minority who have the right to self-government in their homelands.

This is misguided, because even in Saada the Houthis are not the only ones living there. Also, as we know, the seat of the Zaidi sect is in Dhamar, but even there Sunnis who belong to Salafist movements live alongside them. Yemen is not just Zaidis and Shafiis. There are Ismailis and other religious sects. It is misleading to talk about a civil war between the two largest camps in the country.

The Western press frequently casts the conflict in Yemen as a proxy war between Sunni Saudi Arabia and Shia Iran. Yet the fact is that the two sides have both Sunnis and Shias in their ranks.

But to Al-Mikhlafi, perhaps a worse commonly disseminated misperception is created by the failure to take into account the political parties in the country.

In the eyes of the UN and Western powers, the war is between the Houthis and the government, even though there are many large and influential parties in the country, he said. While acknowledging the many difficulties political parties have to contend with, he maintains that politics is the arena for political parties whereas war only has room for weapons. Therefore, we need to restore peace and, in this, the political parties will have many important parts to play.

Al-Mikhlaf urges a return to the outcomes of the national dialogue, namely the need to establish decentralised government and the need to resume the democratisation process.

But how would Yemen be divided in a decentralised system?

The national dialogue conference did not stipulate a particular formula, he said. However, Yemen does not have to reinvent the wheel. There are international criteria for decentralised, federal systems of government. We can choose what is right for us.

The criteria for decentralised government might be political, geographic, economic or ethic/sectarian. It appears that Yemen still has to contend with the battle over which of these criteria to adopt and how.

Meanwhile, regardless of the results of the consultations in Sweden, the Stockholm stage will have an impact. The parties to the conflict in Yemen cannot return to where they were before.

The world can no longer tolerate more failure in the face of the spectre of an impending humanitarian catastrophe for which all will pay the price.

* A version of this article appears in print in the 20 December, 2018 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly under the headline: Yemen: Stability impossible?

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The surge in tourism to Egypt this year was propelled by improvements to the sector, but more still needs to be done

This years figures reveal improvements in the tourism sector, with an increase in holidaymakers to Egypt from both regular and new markets.

Russian flights are landing in Cairo once more, two years after the crash of a Russian plane over the Sinai Peninsula in October 2015 led to a temporary ban.

But better skills and more creative marketing are still needed to continue the revival of the tourism sector, said Elhamy Al-Zayat, former head of the Egyptian Federation of Tourism Chambers.

The numbers of tourists coming to Egypt from the Americas, Australia and Canada increased, as did holidaymakers targeting cultural tourism, Al-Zayat added, the result of improvements in Egypts image abroad.

Hotel prices improved over previous years, although they remain less than they were in 2010. Five-star hotel rooms in Cairo can be reserved for $160 to $170 per night, down from $200 eight years ago. Over the last few years they could be reserved for as little as $90, Al-Zayat explained.

Improving services for holidaymakers is the key to attracting more tourists, he said. We are at a crossroads. We have to find more skilled labour as soon as possible and fix hotels that may have deteriorated over recent years, Al-Zayat added.

Tourism revenues in 2017 were $7.6 billion, up from around $3.5 billion in 2016.

Revenues from the reviving sector during the first half of this year came in at $4.8 billion, Reuters has reported, adding that tourists have increased by 41 per cent to reach around five million, up from 3.6 million during the same period in 2017.

After a three-year contract between the Egyptian Tourist Authority and the advertising agency JWT expired, local advertising agency Synergy and international agency IPG/MCN teamed up to promote Egypt more efficiently in global tourism markets.

The new consortium includes Universal Media, which is promoting the ministry of tourisms strategy and books broadcasting and advertising spaces in the international media. It also includes Weber Shandwick, a global public-relations company, which manages PR services and crisis management.

Joining the consortium is FP7/MCcann/Craft, which specialises in managing social-media platforms and developing and marketing digital content to suit each market.

There is also Jack Morton, a branding agency with expertise in curating international events, and Initiative Media, in charge of digital content.

The present campaign has three phases: changing images not only about Egypt, but also Egyptians, the focus of a People to People campaign that will be launched soon; inaugurating the Grand Egyptian Museum in 2020; and promoting each citys trademark features.

According to Rania Al-Mashat, the minister of tourism, Egypt is working on creating its own trademark features at pavilions at international exhibitions.

She said that the image of Egypts pavilion at the World Travel Market in London will be maintained at ITB Berlin and the Arabian Travel Market.

Branding by destination is one of the methods Egypt is counting on to market tourist spots such as Siwa, Luxor, Aswan and Sharm El-Sheikh, all intended to display the countrys diversity, Al-Mashat added.

Ali Al-Manesterli, member of the board of the Chamber of Tourism Companies and head of the Tourism Chamber in Alexandria, said 2018 had seen noticeable improvements in the number of tourists coming to Egypt, notably from East Asian countries such as Indonesia and China.

He believes focusing on these markets that export large numbers of vacationers will increase Egypts revenues from the sector.

Nora Ali, a former chair of Egypts Federation of Tourism Chambers and president of the Master Travel Agency, said 2018 also saw a rise from regular markets, such as Germany.

Ukrainian tourists have increased dramatically in number over the past few years, filling the gap left after Russia banned flights to Egypt following the 2015 crash of a passenger plane in Sinai.

Ali said that 2019 will bring in more tourists to the country on condition that Egypt launches top-notch promotional campaigns in its regular tourism-exporting markets and embarks on extensive marketing in promising markets like China that exported large numbers of tourists to Egypt in 2018.

Regular markets such as Germany and the UK increased their tourist numbers to Hurghada and Marsa Alam, Ali said, adding that there had also been a noticeable increase in tourists from smaller markets such as Serbia thanks to efforts made by Red Sea Governor Ahmed Abdallah who worked on extending an air bridge between Serbia and Hurghada.

Moody Al-Shaer, a member of the general assembly of the Chamber of Tourism Companies, said that despite this years good figures, tourist numbers would not reach those of 2010, the year tourists and tourism revenues peaked in Egypt.

Some 14.7 million visitors came to Egypt in 2010, bringing in revenues of nearly $12.5 billion.

Al-Shaer believes Egypt should focus on promoting its tourist destinations in emerging markets such as Serbia, Kazakhstan, Romania, the Czech Republic and Poland. It also needs to re-embark on joint promotional campaigns between the Tourist Authority and tour agencies in various markets.

The halting of these campaigns had negatively affected Egypts revenues from tourism, he said.

The resumption of Russian air flights to Cairo after the two-year ban had not led to a large increase in the number of tourists coming from Russia, Al-Shaer said, since these flights are often used by businessmen.

This year Russia, still Egypts largest exporter of tourists, lifted a ban that has been in place since 2015 on flights to Cairo. The ban is still in force to resorts such as Sharm El-Sheikh and Hurghada, however.

The biggest challenge to the tourism sector in the coming year will be to launch creative promotional campaigns in tourism-exporting markets so that Egypt stands on an equal footing with its competitors, and to lower the airport fees that still form an obstacle to attracting airlines to tourist resorts.

* A version of this article appears in print in the 20 December, 2018 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly under the headline: Improvements in tourism

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Music got us through 2018, and 2019 is already looking like a slog! Luckily, the line-up of bops and bangers slated for the next year is shaping up to be just as exciting. Let's just gonna say it's gonna be a great year for pop, from Carly to Lana

The Beyonce fake-out nearly killed us, but these albums are actually supposed to come out in 2019. Just kidding, artists are fickle and release dates are more like suggested deadlines... But pretty please? Most likely, you can get hyped for these albums.

Solange, TBD See on Instagram Solange promised her A Seat At The Table follow-up would arrive at "mysterious and unexpected moment" in 2018, but at this point it looks likelier we'll see it in the new year. She told the New York Times in October: "There's a lot of jazz at the core But with electronic and hip-hop drum and bass because I want it to bang and make your trunk rattle."

Carly Rae Jepsen, TBD See on Instagram When Carly Rae dropped "Party For One" this fall, she also confirmed her EMOTION follow-up for 2019. EMOTION low-key jumpstarted the wave of poptimism we're riding high, so we have high hopes for her next creation.

Ariana Grande, 'thank u, next' See on Instagram With "Imagine" and "thank u, next" Ariana announced her hyper-speed Sweetener follow-up, and based on those two tracks we'll be talking about her just as much next year.

Lana Del Rey, 'Norman Fucking Rockwell' See on Instagram "Mariner's Apartment Complex" and "Venice Bitch" ruled 2018. Norman Fucking Rockwell promises myth and mystery, and it'll probably be the only thing we listen to next year (well, except for all these other albums).

Madonna, 'Magic' See on Instagram Madonna has promised she's in the final stages of mixing her new album, allegedly titled Magic, and we couldn't be more hyped for the Rebel Heart follow-up... It's about time the Queen of Pop was back in the news. We can also expect releases from her two favorite artists, see below.

Mykki Blanco, 'Stay Close To Music Stay Close To God' See on Instagram Our voguing fave and one of Madonna's favorite artists delivered no shortage of singles and features in 2019, but we'll hear his new album next year, featuring AHNONI, Kelsey Lu, MNEK, Saul Williams, Diana Gordon, Jamila Woods, Slug Christ, Devendra Banhart, Jonsi (Sigur Ros) and a whole lot more folks we can't wait to discover.

Nakhane, 'You Will Not Die' See on Instagram Madonna's OTHER favorite artist, queer South African art-pop upstart Nakhane will release his debut album, which grapples with his sexuality and Christian upbringing, on February 22.

Grimes, TBD See on Instagram No official date or announcement but after techno-dystopian bop, her first proper single in years, "We Appreciate Power" and some great photoshoots, we know we're hearing from Grimes next year. She's actually hinted we might be able to expect two albums in 2019, writing on Twitter, "The second one will be extreme darkness and chaos, the first will be highly collaborative and most glorious light." We capitulate, please just drop the albums!!!!

Vampire Weekend, TBD See on Instagram Rashida Jones' baby daddy aka Ezra Koenig has promised that Vampire Weekend's Modern Vampires Of The City follow-up is "99%" done, and we can't wait for more sweet, jangly, literary indie pop gems.

Tayla Parx, TBD See on Instagram "Love Lies" and "thank u, next" songwriter Tayla Parx will be making her solo debut in 2019, and based on her sultry mixtape Tayla Made, we have a lot to look forward to. She wrote "thank u, next." Let that soak in....

Janet Jackson, TBD See on Instagram Janet shared her collab with Daddy Yankee "Made For Now" in August, and she'll be dropping her first new album since 2015's Unbreakable, on her very own Rhythm Nation Records. More reggeaton?

Marina and The Diamonds, TBD Marina promised us a 2019 album and we can't wait! Froot came in 2015 and it's been a long, long three years without her.

Maggie Rogers, 'Heard It In A Past Life' See on Instagram Finally a date! Maggie offered "Lean On" with a heartfelt note a couple of months ago, so we know the our campfire-dancing, barefoot pop queen's debut will reflecting on her two-year skyrocket to celebrity. We'll hear it on January 18th.

Sky Ferreira, TBD See on Instagram Sky's long-awaited follow-up to 2013's Night Time, My Time, has *officially* been teased for the new year, bereft of all details.

Rihanna, TBD See on Instagram We know Rihanna is busy with Fenty Beauty, and starring in Childish Gambino's new movie Guava Island, but her long-time producer has promised that "R9 is great. R9 is amazing. It's incredible, And that's all I'm going to say."



Miley Cyrus, TBD See on Instagram Will Miley return to hygienic pop angel, or stay a bad girl on MC7? It's sort of... hard to tell from her latest Mark Ronson collab single "Nothing Breaks Like A Heart." Only 2019 will tell.

Hannah Diamond, 'Reflections' See on Instagram PC Music icon Hannah Diamond will return in 2019, following "Every Night," "Hi," and "Pink and Blue."

Kanye, 'Yahndi' Yeah, we'll listen to it.

Beyonce, TBD See on Instagram We promise to be good in 2019 if Beyonce drops an album. Even before the fake Spotify drop (please, we know Bey would never name an album Back Up, Rewind...) rumors have been swirling about B7, the Lemonade and Everything Is Love follow-up. Most recently because of this photoshoot featuring seven Beys. Please, let it be true.
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Troubled gold dealership firm, Menzgold Ghana Limited, has petitioned parliament to help the company to amicably resolve its regulatory issues with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) so it can pay all entitlements owed its clients.



In the petition to parliament's Finance Committee dated 3 December 2018 and signed by Corporate Manager Offie Nana Yaw on behalf of the CEO, Menzgold said it wants members of the committee to intervene in the standoff for the benefit of its customers.



We humbly write to your high office to intervene and help resolve this matter amicably, portions of the petition said.



Meanwhile, a circuit court in Kumasi, Ashanti Region, has ordered that some assets of Menzgold be auctioned following a writ of fi.fa filed by one Henry Darko.



The circuit court said: Notice is hereby given that in pursuance of a decree of the said court bearing the date 14th day of November 2018 in the above suit, the property of the said defendant [Menzgold] having been seized in execution under a writ of fi.fa dated the 3rd day of December 2018, will be sold by public auction on the 16th day of January 2019 at 10 a.m., unless the said decree shall be sooner satisfied, to wit: Properties at Amankom, Ashanti Region; all personal properties in the office of Menzgold Ghana Limited, Amakom, Kumasi; and all personal properties in the office of Menzgold Ghana Limited, Patase, Kumasi.



Also, a Ghanaian-Belgian, Roger Knauf, has, through his lawyers, Clinton, Amoo Lamptey, Barnsbury Chambers, petitioned the Attorney General of Ghana, Gloria Akuffo, and copied President Nana Akufo-Addo, as well as several security agencies, to have Interpol pursue the CEO of Menzgold Company Limited, Nana Appiah Mensah (NAM1), on his behalf as well as on the behalf of some collectivised customers of the gold-trading firm, whose investments have been locked-up at the troubled firm.



Apart from the office of the president, Mr Knauf also copied the Headquarters of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service, Interpol (Ghana), the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), the Financial Intelligence Centre, the Bank of Ghana (BoG), the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Registrar-Generals Department.



In the letter, Mr Knaufs lawyers said: We write to you as the legal solicitors for Mr Roger Knauf (a Belgium and Ghanaian citizen) and on behalf of other clients about to send us signed Power of Attorney documents to represent them. We also represent some members of a group known as the Aggrieved customers of Menzgold.



Our client Mr Knauf has been swindled out of GHS 1,437,400 from Menzgold Ghana Ltd/Brew Marketing Consult Ltd and we are in the process of formally applying to the courts for the full amount owed to him and other clients, should negotiations with Mr Mensahs lawyer, Lawyer Kwame Akuffo, be ineffective.



We are aware that CID has received numerous complaints about the operations of Menzgold Ghana Ltd included complaints from our office. We are also aware of the fact that CID has referred the matter to their Financial Forensic Unit to further investigate this matter. Even if a criminal case has not been formally presented to the court, when a company is accused by the government of irregular financial activities particularly activities that affect vast members of the general public, standard protocol is to immediately freeze as many company bank accounts associated with that company (Menzgold Ghana Ltd, Brew Marketing Consult Ltd etc.); prevent the disposing of assets; prevent travel of senior associates of the companies and prevent further depletion of funds invested by the public pending a full criminal investigation.



We are aware that no corporate bank accounts have been frozen of Menzgold/Brew Marketing Consult Ltd since September 2018, arrests have not been made despite the amount of monies involved and Interpol has not been given instruction by CID to notify Interpol globally since CID has to be given the instruction by the Attorney Generals department and the Attorney General in turn given the instruction by the Presidents office. All major corporate bank accounts have as such allegedly been depleted since accounts have not been frozen; senior officers of the company have not been prevented from travelling or told to return; assets have not been earmarked to prevent dissipation and an unprecedented level of protection appears to have been provided to Mr Nana Appiah Mensah.



Respectfully, the enormous personal wealth and influence of an individual is not a barrier to justice in Ghana.



We humbly request that the Attorney Generals department works with all government departments included The Presidents Office; CID Headquarters; Interpol (Ghana); EOCO; Financial Intelligence Centre; Bank of Ghana; Securities and Exchange Commission and the Registrar Generals Department as well as our office so a coordinated attempt can be made to preserve Menzgold Ghana Ltd/Brew Marketing Consult Ltds assets; claw back money taken from Ghana; trace monies removed from the accounts in cash and coordinate with Interpol globally to claw back any remaining investors monies even whilst the criminal investigation is being conducted since this is standard protocol globally and in high profile public interest cases in Ghana.



We also ask that your office determine whether Interpol (Ghana) should notify all Interpol offices throughout the world of the financial activities of Menzgold Ghana Ltd/ Brew Marketing Consult Ltd, and determine if Mr Nana Appiah Mensah has landed in their country (his private jets flight manifest will confirm this).



We ask that an extradition order is sought so that Mr Nana Appiah Mensah can be questioned as to his business activities in Ghana since his business operations took in a lot of money from the public.



Should Mr. Appiah be in any of these Interpol (branch) countries and/or own bank accounts/properties in other countries; we ask on behalf of our client (and other clients about to send us signed Power of Attorneys); that Interpol shares this information with your office so that the financial footprint of Mr Nana Appiah Mensah can be traced and his associated companies and close associates be investigated globally in order to further aid your criminal investigation. We have the resources in this country to ensure that investors monies are clawed back and directors of companies made accountable.



Ghana upholds the rule of law in all circumstances and I trust your office has already begun a coordinated effort to ensure investors are protected. We will also be liaising with numerous international bodies to ensure that this matter is resolved to our clients satisfaction, parts of the letter read.



Menzgold was ordered by SEC to stop its gold vault market operations in August 2018 over regulatory infractions. Since then, the company has been unable to pay its customers who are between seven thousand and one million clients, their monthly extra values (dividends) as well as their principal investments.



Just on Thursday, 20 December 2018, some aggrieved customers of the company stormed the Dzorwulu office to demand their investments just as they have been doing in previous weeks.















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.

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A fifty-four-year old woman, Theresa Nkrumah, has been remanded in prison custody for allegedly burning her husband and his girlfriend to death.

The accused, whose plea was not taken by Oda District Magistrate Count, will reappear before the court presided over by Mr. Kwesi Apiatse Abaidoo, on January, 8, 2019.

The incident happened at Akyem Gyadam near Oda in the Eastern Region.



Bodies deposited in morgue

The body of the deceased man, 55-year-old Emmanuel Kwame Osam has been deposited at the morgue of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital while the corpse of his deceased girlfriend, Akosua Tiwaa aged 34, has been deposited at the mortuary of the Oda Government Hospital awaiting autopsy.



The facts of the case as presented by the prosecutor, Inspector Rosemond Mensah Aryee were that, for some time now, Nkrumah realised that her husband with whom she had three children, was flirting with Tiwaa and quarreled with them on several occasions but their relationship persisted.



Around 12:05 a.m. on December 13, 2018, while Osam and Tiwaa were fast asleep in the formers family house, fire suddenly engulfed the bedroom through a window after an unidentified person had poured petrol into the room and lit a match to it.



Door locked with padlock



When they tried to escape, the deceased persons detected that the door to the hall had been locked with red padlock so they started screaming for help.



As their scream attracted people in the house and broke into the room, they realised that the two persons were badly burnt so they rushed them to the Oda Government Hospital.



Tiwaa died immediately she reached the hospital so Osam was treated and was referred to the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital for specialist attention the following day.



Osam dies at Korle Bu



Osam died around 11 p.m. on December 16, 2018 while on admission at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.



A report was made to the Oda Divisional Police Headquarters and Nkrumah was arrested at Gyadam while she was selling her kontonte and soup.



While Osam was being sent to the hospital, he repeated several times that it was his wife, Nkrumah who had burnt them.



Padlock gives out accused



Even through Nkrumah in his caution statement to the police had denied knowledge about the arson, but police investigations revealed that she had bought the red padlock from a shop at Gyadam in the afternoon before the incident occurred. Meanwhile, the police have intensified their investigations into the matter.

Source: graphic.com.gh









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The Minister of Education, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, has presented a Toyota double cabin pickup to the first Runner-Up of the 2018 Ghana Teacher Prize, Ms Augusta Lartey-Young.



Ms Lartey-Young was declared first Runner-Up at the 2018 Teacher Prize, held in Accra recently.



Dr Prempeh congratulated her and admonished her to lift high the flag of Ghana as she joined the winner to represent Ghana at the World Teacher Awards in Seychelles.



Ms Lartey-Young, who teaches English at the Presbyterian Boys Senior High School (PRESEC), Legon, expressed her gratitude to the government, the Minister of Education and the National Teaching Council for recognising her efforts.



She received a 44 pickup vehicle valued at GH130,000, a laptop, educational materials and an insurance cover worth GH300,000.



Word of advice



In an interview with the Daily Graphic at the ceremony, Ms Lartey-Young reminded her colleague teachers that the teaching profession was an honourable one and encouraged them to give their best for their students.



She encouraged children, particularly girls, to work hard, reminding them that they were achievers just like their male counterparts.



She attributed her achievements to hard work, consistency, commitment to work, dedication and the desire to see her students excel in every aspect of school.



She shares her award and joy with all the hardworking teachers of Ghana and all who contributed in diverse ways to her success.



Educational background



Ms Lartey-Young started her basic education from Base Ordinance Depot Primary School, Burma Camp, before going to Ghana Secondary School in Koforidua in the Eastern Region for the O and A Level education from 1989 to 1996. In 1998, Ms Lartey-Young was admitted to the University of Cape Coast and graduated in 2002 with a degree in English and French.



She later continued her education in the 2005/2006 academic year for a Postgraduate Diploma in Education, followed by a Masters Degree in Education in the 2011/2012 academic year, all from the same university.



In 2016, Ms Lartey got a scholarship with the Department of State to participate in the Teaching Excellency and Achievement Programme at the California State University, USA. That she said had impacted greatly on her teaching methodology and how to cooperate with students and management. In addition, she was made to understand that her work as a teacher did not end in the classroom; hence, she also facilitated a number of workshops for colleague teachers across the country.



She is the patron of the PRESEC Debators and Writers Club, patron of PRESEC Drama Club, patron of the students protocol team. She also serves on several other committees of the school, including the 80th anniversary Central Planning Committee, a former head of the Languages Department and current staff representative on the PRESEC School Board.



A mother of two children  Kwaku and Adwoa, Ms Lartey-Young started teaching at Jachie-Pramso Senior High School in 2003 at Jachie in the Ashanti Region. Two years after, she left to the Armed Forces Senior High School in Accra before joining the Presbyterian Boys Senior High School.

Source: Graphic.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
John Dumelo lures Vanessa Williams into marriage for US green card

Many relationships across the world have suffered deceit and trickery to the benefit of one party.



Some individuals have seen their partners lure them into marriages for personal interests and not on the bases of love that will inure into the general good and development of the couple. This has been the story of many lovers who live to curse the day they met their supposed other half.



Award winning filmmaker Leila Djansi gave us more insight into how lovers take advantage of their partners in the name of marriage.



Renowned Ghanaian actor John Dumelo was at the center of affairs in the newly released award winning TV series, 40 & SINGLE airing every Sunday at 8pm on StarTimes Adepa TV.



Dumelo, who played the character Charles as fiance to Hollywood star Vanessa Williams with character name; Bertha Brown, lured her into marriage despite being engaged to his pregnant girlfriend.



The much anticipated 40 & Single reveals Dumelos ambitious move of marrying Vanessa for personal gains while his undue love ends up with another woman.



40 & single also highlights thetumultuous life of Ebaner Templea bi-racial, bi-sexual, single, bridal fashion designer. We witness her maneuver life in the African city of Accra, Ghana, where race and colorism have significant colonial roots and neo-colonial implications.



John Dumelo had his major breakthrough at age seven in the movie Baby thief. He has since gone on to star in major Ghanaian, Nigerian and Hollywood movies.



40 & single won the audience award at the 2018 LA film festival and is exclusive to StarTimes Adepa TV during the festive season.



StarTimes will use the six episode TV series to entertain its cherished subscribers during the festive season. The presence of top Hollywood actors and actresses with Ghanas finest and veteran acts gives the movie a lot to desire.





Source: ameyawdebrah.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
Nollywood actress, Funke Akindele, and her husband, Abdul Rasheed Bello aka JJC Skillz, have just welcomed a set of twins



According to our inside source, the twins arrived yesterday, in L.A, USA.



They are the couples first children together since they tied the knot in 2016.



It may be recalled that few years ago, a Lagos-based pastor identified as Olagorioye Faleyimu, said that Nollywood actress, Funke Akindele, will never have children of her own, and might end up with another broken home. He even went ahead to declare that she can only have a child if she sleeps with her gate man.



Recall that I have once said that Funke Akindele will keep acquiring more wealth, this was even before she started getting endorsement deals. She chooses wealth and fame when she was coming to the planet earth. She is a promised child who has a limited time to live, and that is why I have been clamoring that she must have a special prayer so that she can genuinely conceive and have her own kids.



She needs to open her mouth to deliver herself. If she fails to do the prayer, another grace for her is to marry a poor and unpopular pastor, the person will get the solution and she will have her own child.



Another way she can break the covenant is to probably marry a gate-man. This is the promise she made with her members in the spiritual realm. It might be difficult for her to have a child if she fails to break the covenant. The solutions to her problem about conceiving are what I have stated above.



If she comes to me for prayers and I pray for her, she wont conceive. I can only give her some prayer points as guideline. Immediately she engages in the special prayers, one of the signs she should watch out for is that, her money and endorsements will be reducing and within 2 months, the pregnancy will come. he stated back then.



However in response to the prophecy, Funkes husband, JJC Skillz, reaffirmed his love and commitment to his sweetheart of the Jenifas Diary fame, saying she gave him a new life.



Trust Nigerians, they are now making jest of the Pastor on social media and appreciating God for the miracle, following the welcome of the set of twins.



Congratulations are in order!









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 Donald Trump, left, pauses while speaking as James Mattis, secretary of defense, listens during a Cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington on June 21, 2018. Read more

James Mattis resignation letter laid bare the frightening future of national security under President Trump.

The defense secretary made clear he could no longer serve a president who betrays our friends and bows to our adversaries. The last straw was Trumps green light to Turkey to massacre our Syrian Kurdish allies.

But what finally drove Mattis out was not just Trumps callous indifference toward Americas friends. It was also the way Trump has turned foreign policy-making into a one-man show based on personal whim  or self-aggrandizement.

The last significant foreign policy brake on the self-styled genius in the White House will now be gone. Americans better hunker down for 2019  because Trumps stunning decision on Syria highlights every dangerous component of his policy-making approach.

Consider them one by one:

Trumps foreign policy process has become so chaotic it is almost nonexistent. Trump suddenly tweeted the news that 2,000 U.S. forces would leave Syria within weeks without prior consultation with any of his team  not the Pentagon, not his secretary of state, not his national security adviser, not his commanders, not Congress, not NATO allies fighting alongside us in Syria, not the Kurds.

In the preceding weeks, almost every top Trump adviser on Syria  both military and civilian  had been stating publicly that those troops would be staying for some time to prevent an ISIS revival or further advances by Iran. Syrian Kurds had also been recently reassured.

Just last week, the U.S. special envoy to the anti-ISIS coalition, Brett McGurk, told reporters: Americans will remain on the ground after the physical defeat of the [ISIS] caliphate, until we have the pieces in place to ensure that that defeat is enduring. Nobody is declaring a mission accomplished.

From Mattis on down, all of these U.S. officials were blindsided by Trumps tweet. As were the Kurds.

Trumps foreign policy decisions appear driven more by personal issues than security concerns. In a video defending his Syria decision, Trump declared, We have won against ISIS. Not true.

There are an estimated 20,000 to 30,000 ISIS fighters believed to be laying low in Syria and Iraq, who could re-emerge if U.S. troops leave prematurely. U.S. special forces  while small in numbers  give Kurds and Sunni tribesmen the confidence to keep fighting, while training them to take over after a future U.S. exit. They also gather intelligence on the growing Iranian presence in Syria.

Those U.S. troops provide Washington with its main leverage in ongoing international negotiations over Syrias political future, preparing the ground for U.S. troops to ultimately leave. Trumps move has cut the legs out from U.S. negotiators.

So why did Trump tweet now? No sign security interests were considered.

Its possible that the unusual criticism he took last week from far-right Fox News commentators about the border wall convinced Trump he needed to fulfill a different campaign promise and bring the troops home. Or  since Trump shows little interest in long-term strategic thinking, and views every foreign policy issue in terms of making the best monetary deal  his phone conversation last week with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan may hold the key. The two leaders discussed new arms deals  a quid pro quo for letting Turkey crush the Kurds?

Which brings us to the third component: Trump emboldens autocrats while betraying allies. The president kowtowed to the despotic Erdogan, despite Turkeys pledge to bury the Kurds. The Turks have already bombed the Kurdish Afrin region of Syria.

Moreover, those who will gain most from the U.S. withdrawal, besides Erdogan, are Russias Vladimir Putin and Irans ayatollahs, whose hold on Syria will be solidified after a total U.S. exit. Putin swiftly praised Trumps decision to quit Syria. (Mattis has long been disturbed by Trumps attraction to the Russian leader).

Those who will lose most are Americas Sunni allies in the region and Israel, which will face an emboldened Iran across its border with Syria (the Israeli press has been scathing about Trumps decision). Americas NATO allies, some fighting with us in Syria, are also alarmed.

And, of course, the the Kurds, who face Turkish slaughter from the skies, are stunned. It was Trumps indifference to their fate that reportedly propelled Mattis to quit. He also knows Trumps betrayal will discourage any putative allies from working with the United States in the future.

And so, the retired Marine general reached his limit. (He also opposed another sudden Trump order this week for half of the 14,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan to return home, undercutting new U.S. efforts to negotiate a deal between Afghan leaders and the Taliban.)

But Mattis stand wont curb Trump unless the retired Marine general speaks out publicly. And unless, a critical mass of GOP senators finally recognizes the danger of an unrestrained Trump and confront him.

If Obama had done this, said Sen. Lindsay Graham (R., S.C.) about the GOP response to the Syria decision, wed be going nuts right now; how weak, how dangerous. Enough said.
Employees feel that giving notice is no longer needed in such a tight job market. Read more

The bartender arrived early, stayed late, and offered to help other kitchen staffers. Still, he said, his boss told him to show initiative  then slashed his hours.

So, 20 minutes before his shift started on a recent Friday, Lucas fired off a parting group text to management: I deserve better  so I went out and got better.

He had already accepted a better-paying offer from a restaurant in his home city of Tacoma, Wash. He landed the new opportunity in less than a month.

I showed initiative by finding a new job, said Lucas, 26, who spoke on a first-name-only basis to protect his reputation in the workplace. I knew I deserved to be treated better. He shared his farewell message with the Washington Post and redacted the clubs name.

Once taken for granted as a professional courtesy, the two weeks' notice standard is losing relevance in an economy where practically everyone is hiring, analysts say. More jobs are open in the United States right now than there are people looking for work.

The nation's unemployment rate has clung to a 49-year low since September, prompting many firms to raise wages and expand recruitment efforts.

Workers have less incentive to respect the old norm, said David Lewis, chief executive of OperationsInc, a national human-resources consulting firm. Over the last year, he has seen a 20 percent upswing in employees departing less than two weeks after they give notice.

Its absolutely being directly impacted by the unemployment level, the lack of available talent, and the number of positions companies are trying to fill, Lewis said.

Others are skipping even text resignations. The Chicago Federal Reserve noted in a December report more employees are "ghosting" their jobs, quitting without telling anyone and becoming "impossible to contact."

Sudden exits can burn some professional bridges, especially when they can hurt business. Managers who scramble to pick up the slack at peak hours are not likely to deliver glowing reviews down the road.

Only a tiny share of workers in the United States have signed contracts that compel them to extend an advanced warning  mostly teachers and other professionals who agree to special terms, said Austin Kaplan, an employment lawyer in Texas.

Contrary to popular belief, he said, workers do not carry a permanent record of their exits, friendly or otherwise.

Employers generally will not give bad references because they know people can sue them for defamation, Kaplan said. A neutral review  verification of employment dates, title, and pay  is the more common outcome.

Once youve left the company, there is no benefit to the employer for talking smack about your performance, Kaplan said. Its an urban myth that you have to give two weeks' notice and that if you dont, youll get in trouble.

Still, Lewis, the human-resources consultant, cautions that bad reputations can spread. Plus, people who pack up early could be leaving money on the table.

Companies are coming to the rapid conclusion that it will take them months to replace certain people, he said, so give them time to make a counteroffer.

Some workers, however, encounter hostility as they try to quit.

Jason, 33, a real estate accountant in Manhattan, said he was sweating and shaking this month when he gave his manager two weeks' notice.

He had been job hunting for a year and the right opportunity had finally opened. Unfortunately, it came amid his offices busy season. His boss wanted him to stay longer. (The Post agreed to use his first name only because he was still employed at the firm for another week.)

"She said, I hope you know payback is a b, " Jason said. " New York City real estate is a really small world. I took it as a direct threat to my livelihood."

After talking to a labor attorney, Jason learned threatening retaliation could be grounds for a lawsuit.

Christian Cabazos, 31, a social-media manager in Austin, Texas, said she learned the hard way that courtesy is optional.

She was laid off last year from an event-planning job in Austin, effective immediately, and contested the news: Wasnt she supposed to receive at least two more weeks on the payroll as she searched for another job?

Her parents had taught her to always give significant notice. She assumed it worked both ways.

My boss explained that he didnt have to, she said. "He said, We have the right to terminate whenever we want, and you have the right to leave whenever you want. "
I would be upset if I had a 12- or 13-year-old who came home saying a stranger had pricked his or her finger to screen for HIV.

I would be all over the child: Who tested you? Why were you tested? And what were the results?

So I can understand that some parents were upset this week after learning that their children at Austin Meehan Middle School in Mayfair had been tested, along with older students from nearby Lincoln High.

A spokesperson for the Philadelphia Department of Public Health said the screening was conducted by workers from the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, who conducted a Pop-Up Teen Wellness Station. I heard it was done from a van at Rowland and Ryan Avenues.

City Councilman Bobby Henon, who co-sponsored the event with the health department, said in a statement that the goal was to provide services to a segment of the population that is seeing an increase in HIV infection rates. Twenty-five percent of new HIV diagnoses in Philadelphia are among youth aged 13 to 24.

Yeah, but tell that to the parents of some of the middle schoolers whose fingers were pricked. The kids were lured by the offer of a free slice of pizza from Jeans Pizzeria & Grill.

As an African American, I am probably more leery about such outreaches. Call me paranoid, but I grew up hearing about the infamous Tuskegee Experiment, in which black sharecroppers infected with syphilis werent treated for the disease by the U.S. Public Health Service. Many of the participants had never seen a doctor and were enticed into the study by the promise of free health care.

I feel as though they bribed those children," said Jamar Atkins, 39, of Chestnut Hill, a parcel delivery driver whose 13-year-old was among those who got a blood test.

But what youngster wouldnt have been tempted? You get dismissed from school and find your friends munching on free pizza. Youd line up like they did.

Rachel Conrad, a homemaker, was livid when she learned that her 12-year-old daughter had followed along.

I was like, Why would you let someone prick your finger? she said. You dont know what theyre putting inside you.

Both she and Atkins rushed their children to be examined by doctors afterward, just to be safe.

They are right to be extra-cautious. I would have done the same thing. You send your children out into the world, and the last thing you expect is that someone will be getting involved with their blood.

Atkins pointed out that in the Tuskegee case, those people had syphilis into their 70s and didnt know it.

Health department spokesperson James Garrow says these kind of outreaches are common and no reason for alarm. HIV is still a health menace, and screenings help keep those infected from unknowingly spreading the virus. I understand that.

These events are a normal part of our work to fight the HIV epidemic, Garrow told me in an email. "One of our providers, sponsored by us, set up this event with the intention of encouraging students from the nearby Lincoln High School to get tested for HIV. Given that one-quarter of all new infections in Philadelphia are among youth between the ages of 13 and 24, this isnt an abnormal event.

A number of students at Austin Meehan Middle School came to the testing event and were tested for their HIV status. Under Pennsylvanias HIV testing law, commonly known as Act 148, there is no age limit for consenting to an HIV test, or duty to inform parents. Because our testing is anonymous, there is no way for us to have known that these students were from the middle school.

That doesnt fly with Atkins. How is it anonymous when the students wrote their names down? he asked.

Hes right to ask questions. Wouldnt you if your middle schooler came home saying an adult had pricked his or her finger?
Alice Foley, 71, of Germantown, is one of an increasing number of older Philadelphians living in poverty. Read more

At the end of the month, when her food has run out, Alice Foley, 71, will call a friend in her Germantown neighborhood and ask if she can drop by for a meal.

Foley has worked in public relations, community journalism, and public health, having spent eight years attending St. Josephs University at night to earn both an English degree and a masters in health education.

Never once as Foley spent a lifetime complying with the American compact  work hard, get rewarded  did she foresee a time when her refrigerator would be nearly empty whenever the calendar hit Day 30.

Youre just not prepared for poverty in old age, said Foley, who lives on a monthly income of a little more than $900 in Social Security disability payments and nearly $80 in food stamps, an amount about $400 below the $12,140 federal poverty level for a single person.

Foley never married and has no children. She said, With two degrees, I never expected to be living life like this.

Not many people do. Yet the poverty rate of older Philadelphians is the highest among the 10 most-populous cities in the United States.

Surprising poverty

About 23 percent of city residents aged 60 and above lived in poverty in 2017, three percentage points above 2013 numbers, according to new data from the Philadelphia Corp. for Aging, a nonprofit dedicated to improving the lives of older residents.

The figure is just below the citys overall poverty rate of 26 percent, the highest among the 10 most-populous U.S. cities.

Compounding that, the rate of older Philadelphians living in deep poverty  50 percent or less of the federal poverty level  rose from 6 percent to 10 percent during those same years, PCA reported. Philadelphias overall deep-poverty rate is 14 percent.

It was surprising even to me that poverty among older Philadelphians is getting worse, said Allen Glicksman, PCAs director of research and evaluation. Its very disheartening.

The citys increasing senior-poverty numbers echo national trends, which show poverty rates of people ages 65 and above rose from 16 percent in 2015 to more than 18 percent in 2016, according to U.S. census figures. There are 4.7 million people 65 and older living in poverty, federal figures show.

Glicksman chose age 60 as a baseline for measuring older Philadelphians' poverty levels because it coincides with the minimum age covered by the Older Americans Act, which provides funding for various aging-related programs.

Social Security not enough

In some ways, senior poverty is hidden, experts say.

A lot of people think older folks are fine because they get Social Security and senior discounts, said Mary Fallon, executive director of UUH Outreach Program, which assists older adults in Northwest Philadelphia. But Social Security was never designed to replace an entire income.

Ive been doing this job for 19 years. And I dont see the financial picture brightening. We see older people struggling every day.

One of the reasons numerous older Philadelphians live in poverty is that as many baby boomers have aged, they havent saved enough, and they havent anticipated the true financial costs of maintaining their health care, their homes, and their lifestyles without regular salaries, said Brian Gralnick, director of social responsibility at the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia.

For example, Fallon said, as things like your hearing begin wearing out on you, you realize that Medicare doesnt cover hearing aids. Other similar health surprises await seniors, experts say.

As for housing, 38 percent of all Philadelphia homeowners have annual household incomes below $35,000, according to the Pew Charitable Trusts. That means numerous older residents incur huge expenses simply maintaining their houses.

Those seniors who rent also are having a tough time, said Philip McCallion, director of Temple Universitys School of Social Work. Indirectly, younger Philadelphians are hurting older ones in the rental market. As more millennials choose to live in Philadelphia, they wind up raising all rents," he said. "That affects older residents on fixed incomes.

Beyond health care and housing, just basic items people need to live, from electricity to pot roast, can suddenly become out of reach for those living on Social Security payments alone, Gralnick said.

Many older Philadelphians are also caregivers for children with disabilities, or must raise their grandchildren because their children are drug-addicted, experts added.

Poverty rates also are so high for older residents simply because so many people in Philadelphia live in poverty, McCallion said.

If youve lived a life in poverty, by the time you reach old age, theres not much to fall back on, he added.

And these days, its much less common for people to have pensions that would augment Social Security, said Pam Walz, co-director of the Aging and Disabilities Unit at Community Legal Services in Philadelphia.

Alone and depressed

For Queen Esther Waites, 79, there were no pensions from her jobs as a security guard and day-care worker.

A widow with four grown children in the area, Waites lives in poverty in a one-bedroom apartment in Germantown, subsisting on a small Social Security payment and food stamps.

I dont have enough food," she said. Like, today. So I go around to different food pantries and stand in line to wait for what they give me.

Thats especially difficult for Waites, who has had two strokes and has a hard time pulling her food cart as she walks with her cane.

Im alone a lot, and it is very depressing, she said. And now its Christmas time, and I dont have much. My hope is that Ill see my kids for Christmas.

Along with lack of food, many seniors may also be suffering from malnutrition, sapping them of their energy and essence. Exact figures arent known.

Malnutrition, which occurs when a person doesnt eat a proper amount of calories, protein, or minerals, can happen when seniors eat too little food, or too much cheap food high in fat and salt.

Many low-income seniors lack money to buy enough healthy food, said Cassandra Fox, a coordinator at the Food Trust, a Philadelphia area nonprofit that works to increase access to nutritious food.

Theyre absolutely having trouble maintaining good nutrition, Fox added.

Often, seniors arent mobile and cant walk to grocery stores, Fox said. Others forget to eat, or experience diminished ability to taste, making eating less enjoyable. And many low-income people rely on food pantries, where, Fox added, staff are "well-intentioned, but often offer foods that lack fiber or are high in sodium.

Trying to help

Helping seniors deal with poverty isnt easy. Its not like there are lots of opportunities to get a better job for working people 60 and older, noted Cateria McCabe, an attorney at Philadelphias SeniorLAW Center.

Organizations trying to help seniors in poverty include the AARP Foundation in Washington, the charitable affiliate of the national senior organization.

Foundation president Lisa Marsh Ryerson said the foundation works to develop technology skills in older adults to re-attach them to the workforce.

The promise of longevity is terrific for all of us, Ryerson said. If one has work, income, and health, thats terrific. But, she added, a growing number of older adults without enough income could face negative outcomes.

She believes its important for the nation to discuss senior poverty, "an issue that has to be pulled out of the shadows.

Alice Foley agrees. She stays current, attends community meetings, communicates with legislators  all to learn about and lobby for senior issues.

But it can get discouraging, especially with a condition that causes dizziness that prevents her from working and doing more with her life.

And then there is the near-empty refrigerator. There are weeks on end without enough food to eat, she said. I learn to live on not a lot."

And when things get to be too much, Foley said, I sit quietly. And I pray.

Philadelphia Media Network is one of 21 news organizations producing Broke in Philly, a collaborative reporting project on solutions to poverty and the citys push toward economic justice. See all of our reporting at brokeinphilly.org.
Dr. Sharon Watkins, Director of the Bureau of Epidemiology at the Pennsylvania Department of Health (left) helps an unidentified man with his questions after a December public meeting at Upper Dublin High School about blood test results for residents exposed to chemicals that seeped from military bases into drinking water.. The Horsham, Warrington, and Warminster residents tested had blood levels of the chemicals that are higher than the national average. Read more

Contaminated groundwater and storm water are still seeping off two former military bases in Bucks and Montgomery Counties, and the toxic chemicals that leaked from the bases and contaminated drinking water in adjacent neighborhoods for some 50 years have since been detected in drinking wells farther from the bases.

At least 22 other towns have joined the list of places with some level of contaminated water since residents in Horsham, Warrington, and Warminster learned in 2014 that their water was tainted by chemicals used in firefighting foams at the bases, according to interviews and a review of information shared by area municipalities and water companies.

At meetings this month, residents learned new details about community health testing that revealed above-average levels of chemicals in their blood and were told that the Navy has not finalized its plan to treat the contaminated soil and water that could still threaten drinking water.

Meanwhile, the community of affected people has grown beyond the original 70,000 in towns bordering the Naval Air Station and Horsham Air Guard Station in Willow Grove and former Naval Air Warfare Center in Warminster.

Everybodys just thinking its our problem, but maybe its other peoples problem also, one unidentified Warminster resident told the crowd at Wednesdays state Health Department meeting in Fort Washington.

Her husbands blood showed significantly higher chemical contamination than hers, she said, even though they had lived together in their house for 35 years. They wondered if he might have also consumed tainted water growing up in nearby Churchville.

>> READ MORE: After water contamination, elevated chemical levels in Bucks, Montco residents blood

The chemicals, known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, were in firefighting foams used at bases and other airport sites nationwide but are also present in many modern-day products and have been linked to cancer, fertility problems, liver damage, high cholesterol, and other health problems.

As contamination has spread in communities across the country, so has fear about its effects  often with a lack of answers for the questions residents most want answered. At meeting after meeting, public officials have said they cant predict exactly how or whether the chemicals may impact individuals health.

Compounding the concern is that the military continues to formulate its treatment plan, even as the plume of tainted groundwater continues to move.

Once [the chemicals] are in the groundwater its really hard to stop the spread, and treating them is even more difficult, said Christopher Higgins, a leading researcher on PFAS and a professor at the Colorado School of Mines. He predicted that PFAS will keep showing up in water supplies over time as groundwater and surface water move.

Upper Dublin, Bensalem, Cheltenham, and Northampton are among the area towns with wells that at some point have been sampled with levels of PFAS at least 20 parts per trillion. In Vermont, which has the strictest water-safety regulation in the country, that level would be deemed unsafe.

But the 20 parts per trillion figure is slightly less than one-third the amount deemed potentially harmful by the Environmental Protection Agency, which set a health advisory level for the chemicals of 70 parts per trillion in drinking water.

Given the prevalence of the chemicals in everyday items, pinpointing the sources for all contamination is likely impossible. Other, nonmilitary sources of contamination have been detected across the country. One national study revealed that 28 percent of water systems surveyed had PFAS at 5 parts per trillion or higher.

The military has taken responsibility for contamination in Horsham, Warrington, and Warminster, where it has been working to address the problem. Those sites are among nearly 400 military bases being tested for contamination  an effort that will take years and will cost millions.

When the groundwater was sampled at the Air National Guard base in Willow Grove in March, PFAS was significant at 92 percent of the spots sampled. In a few places, the levels were astronomically high.

And for storm water, the military has installed a filter that has lowered the chemical level in Neshaminy Creek  but it only treats a portion of the water coming off the base, said Chris Crockett, chief environmental engineer for Aqua Pennsylvania. Aqua sampling has shown that some water pouring out is still high in PFAS, something military officials acknowledged this month.

Until we see those major sources cleaned up and remediated, Crockett said, and see that there is nothing  that the groundwater around the base is being pumped and treated and not being allowed to spread anywhere and that the water running off or coming out of the ground and leaving the base is contained  we will always have a high level of vigilance.

At the Willow Grove base, the Navy plans to start pumping and treating groundwater next year as part of a test program, said Willie Lin, base environmental coordinator with the militarys Base Restoration Advisory Council. The Navy is set to release a draft report this month detailing whats known about groundwater contamination, and is preparing to make recommendations to address storm water systems, he said.

The Navy remains focused on ensuring the drinking water supply in the communities impacted by our use of PFAS is below the EPAs health advisory and will comply with any future limits set by state or federal environmental regulators, Lin said.

The Pentagon has pledged to take care of contamination where it exceeds the EPA advisory level, but treatment of the chemicals isnt required by any federal regulations. Pennsylvania is catching up to other states that have taken independent steps, including sampling water systems and setting drinking water standards. It hopes to unveil a plan to sample water systems around the state early next year.

In New Jersey, which has more restrictive water-safety guidelines than the EPA, officials found 48 public water systems that tested above the states maximum contaminant levels for three types of PFAS compounds. This week, a state panel in New York recommended making its already-strict drinking water standards even stricter.

Until Pennsylvania acts, water utilities and municipal officials here are left with unexpected decisions about how to respond. In Horsham, Warrington, and Warminster, officials decided to make sure the two types of PFAS originally found there were undetectable in all water supplies. But that came at a cost to consumers  reflected in their water bills  and isnt something all towns can afford.

The highest level of contamination found in any of the Ambler Water Departments nine wells was 17 parts per trillion  still safe to drink, by both Vermont and EPA standards.

But if the borough wanted to get that number to zero, it would cost more than $5 million, Borough Manager Mary Aversa wrote in a letter this fall to Upper Dublin Township, which relies on Amblers water supply to serve some of its residents.

Upper Dublin, like other eastern Montgomery County towns, also gets water from Aqua Pennsylvania, which this summer shut down two wells with contamination below the EPA guideline that had been identified as early as 2016. Abington, Cheltenham, and Springfield Townships were also in the affected area.

The health of our people is at stake, state Sen. Art Haywood (D., Montgomery) wrote to federal regulators in an August letter. Now is the time for all those who are responsible to end the release of the PFAS contamination from the [Willow Grove base] to protect the health and safety of residents and our environment.

In other towns, the same issues have sprung from different sources. State officials have identified two nonmilitary sites in Bucks County  one affecting East Rockhill and West Rockhill Townships and another affecting Doylestown, Plumstead, and Buckingham  that caused water contamination. Wells have been shut off as officials investigate the causes of contamination.

Mark Cuker, an environmental lawyer, was already working on lawsuits against the federal government and firefighting foam manufacturers on behalf of Horsham, Warrington, and Warminster residents when he learned in 2016 that his own water in Upper Dublin was contaminated with PFAS.

Now its me, its not my clients. Its me, he said. He recalled the thought that went through his mind: Is this really happening?
The Delaware State Police said they were investigating reported gunfire but found no evidence of a shooting Friday night at the Christiana Mall in Delaware.

There have been no reports of any injuries at this time, the state police said on their website.

The mall is currently being evacuated and safety protocols are being followed to ensure the area is safe. All traffic is being diverted from the area. Motorists should expect delays and seek alternate routes of travel, the state police said.

A massive police presence was reported on social media by people at the mall.
During an especially violent spree in Philadelphia that included a triple fatality, police said four men and a woman were killed and five other people were injured, all from gunshots Friday night into Saturday, and three people were stabbed.

In the triple shooting, on the 2100 block of North 10th Street around 1:30 p.m. Saturday, police said a woman, whose age was not provided, was shot multiple times, and a male of unknown age and another male, 35, were each shot in the head. The woman was pronounced dead at Temple University Hospital at 1:51 p.m., while one of the men, found in a car, was pronounced dead by medics at 2:44 p.m.

Police said the 35-year-old was was taken to Temple Hospital, where he was in extremely critical condition through much of Saturday and was under arrest in connection with the shootings. He died at 4:20 p.m.

Earlier Saturday, a 27-year-old man was shot multiple times in the head on the 6100 block of Market Street in West Philadelphia at 2:13 a.m., police said. He was pronounced dead at 2:20 a.m. at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center. A second male, 36, was shot once in the stomach at the same location and was in critical condition at Penn Presbyterian Saturday, police said.

And at 11:38 p.m. Friday on the 1600 block of West Westmoreland Street in the citys Tioga section, police said they found a 35-year-old man shot once under his right arm. He was pronounced dead less than 10 minutes later at Temple University Hospital.

In the other shootings, a 29-year-old male was shot twice in the stomach around 10:07 p.m. Friday on the 2100 block of Middleton Street in West Oak Lane. He was in critical condition at Albert Einstein Medical Center.

Just after 11:15 p.m. Friday, police responded to a double shooting on the 3200 block of North Second Street in North Philadelphia. They found a 31-year-old male shot once in the head and a 33-year-old woman shot in the right shoulder, police said. Both were taken to Temple University Hospital, where the man was in critical condition and the woman in stable condition Saturday, police said.

In the stabbings, a 31-year-old male was wounded in the back and a 26-year-old male in the left side in the parking lot of the SugarHouse Casino on the 1000 block of North Delaware Avenue in Fishtown at 2:26 a.m. Saturday, police said. Both men were in stable condition at Hahnemann University Hospital Saturday, police said.

At about 4 a.m., a 43-year-old man was stabbed three times -- in the neck, back, and right leg -- on the 5300 block of Woodland Avenue in the citys Kingsessing section. He was in stable condition

No arrests were reported in any of the latter incidents.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) returns to the Capitol from the White House as work to avoid a partial government shutdown continues with President Trump demanding funds for a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, at the Capitol in Washington, Friday, Dec. 21, 2018. Read more

WASHINGTON (AP)  Racing toward a partial government shutdown, President Trumps top envoys were dispatched to Capitol Hill as he dug in Friday in a standoff over his demand for billions of dollars in U.S.-Mexico border wall money.

Vice President Pence, acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, and senior adviser Jared Kushner arrived in late afternoon for a round of office calls, but there was no clear movement toward a deal with Democrats or Republicans to end the crisis.

The shutdown, scheduled for midnight, would disrupt government operations and leave hundreds of thousands of federal workers furloughed or forced to work without pay just days before Christmas.

At a White House bill signing, Trump said the government is "totally prepared for a very long shutdown."

Trump tried to pin the blame on Democrats for the possible shutdown, even though just last week he said he would be "proud" to shut part of the government in a fight for the wall, which was a major promise of his presidential campaign.

"This is our only chance that we'll ever have, in our opinion, because of the world and the way it breaks out, to get great border security," Trump said Friday at the White House. Democrats will take control of the House in January, and they oppose major funding for wall construction.

Trump convened Republican senators for a lengthy meeting at the White House, but the lengthy back-and-forth with the president did not appear to set a strategy for moving forward. A person granted anonymity because they were unauthorized to discuss the private session said the president would not get behind lower levels of funding the senators discussed.

"I was in an hour meeting on that and there was no conclusion," said Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell returned to Capitol Hill saying lawmakers "had a good conversation about the way forward."

McConnell quickly set in motion a Senate procedural vote on a House Republican package that would give Trump $5.7 billion for the wall, but it was not expected to pass. At least one Republican, retiring Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona, was opposed, saying he would resist wall money without broader immigration reforms, leaving even the procedural vote in doubt.

To underscore the difficulty, the Senate vote was stuck in a long holding pattern waiting for the return of senators who had already left town.

Senators were being recalled to Washington after having already approved a bipartisan package earlier this week that would continue existing border security funding, at $1.3 billion, but without new money for Trump's wall.

Amid the impasse, Pence and the others were dispatched to the Capitol to meet with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who told them that Trump's demands for wall money would not pass the Senate, according to the senator's spokesman.

Schumer told Pence, Mulvaney, and Kushner other offers to keep the government running with existing levels of border security funds remain on the table.

Pence and the others later walked across the Capitol to meet with House Speaker Paul Ryan.

Friday's voting dragged on as senators rushed back to town. Texas Sen. John Cornyn, the Senate's No. 2 Republican, said he returned to the Lone Star state on Thursday only to get back on an early Friday morning flight to Washington.

Democratic Sen. Brian Schatz flew all the way home to Hawaii, tweeting that he spent 17 minutes with his family, before returning on the 11-hour flight.

"Wheels down IAD ready to vote no on this stupid wall," Schatz tweeted Friday, referring to Dulles International Airport outside Washington.

The Senate was expected to reject the House measure because Democratic votes are needed and McConnell showed little interest in changing the rules  as Trump proposed  to allow a simple majority for passage.

One possibility was that the Senate might strip the border wall funds out of the package, pass it and send it back to the House. House lawmakers said they were being told to stay in town for more possible votes.

"The biggest problem is, we just don't know what the president will sign," said Flake.

Only a week ago, Trump insisted during a televised meeting at the White House he would take ownership of a shutdown over his border wall. "I will take the mantle. I will be the one to shut it down," he asserted.

But with the hours dwindling before the midnight deadline, Trump sought to reframe the debate and blame Democrats for the impasse that threatens hundreds of thousands of federal workers on the eve of the end-of-the-year holidays.

"Senator Mitch McConnell should fight for the Wall and Border Security as hard as he fought for anything. Later in the morning, not even waiting for a Senate vote, Trump tweeted that "the Democrats now own the shutdown!"

The White House said Trump would not go to Florida on Friday as planned for the Christmas holiday if the government were shutting down.

At issue is funding 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 funded 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 because it's an independent agency.

Thursday night, the GOP-led House voted largely along party lines, 217-185, to attach the border wall money to the Senate's bill. House Republicans also tacked on nearly $8 billion in disaster aid for coastal hurricanes and California wildfires.

Both the House and Senate packages would extend government funding through Feb. 8, all but guaranteeing another standoff once Democrats take control of the House in the New Year.

"There are a lot of us who want to avoid a shutdown," said Kansas GOP Sen. Pat Roberts. "I've been through about five of them in my career. None of them have worked in terms of their intent."

Associated Press writers Alan Fram, Kevin Freking, Mary Clare Jalonick and Jill Colvin in Washington contributed to this article.
President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with newly elected governors in the Cabinet Room of the White House, Thursday, Dec. 13, 2018, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Read more

NEW YORK (AP)  President Donald Trump offered a simple defense Thursday to accusations he broke campaign finance law by directing attorney Michael Cohen to orchestrate hush-money payments to conceal Trump's alleged affairs: He was following terrible advice from a bad lawyer.

"I never directed Michael Cohen to break the law. He was a lawyer and he is supposed to know the law. It is called 'advice of counsel,'" Trump wrote on Twitter.

The advice-of-counsel defense is a real thing. But Trump's ability to use it, if he were ever formally accused of a crime, is far from certain. And it could be risky.

"People talk about advice-of-counsel as a defense more than it's actually asserted, and it's rarely successful," said Dane Ciolino, a constitutional law professor at Loyola University in New Orleans.

Courts have held that the defense applies when a person has gone to a lawyer to ask about whether something is legal, disclosed all material facts, and then relied in good faith on the professional's advice that no laws were being broken.

The illegal act in this case involves payments made to porn star Stormy Daniels and Playboy centerfold Karen McDougal to keep them from talking about sexual encounters they say they had with Trump while he was married.

Federal prosecutors in New York say the payments amounted to illegal campaign contributions because they were made at the height of the 2016 election season to keep voters from learning of Trump's alleged infidelities. Cohen was sentenced Wednesday to three years in prison for the violations and other crimes, including bank fraud and tax evasion.

Cohen has said that Trump was aware of the payments. In one instance, he recorded Trump giving him advice about how to buy McDougal's story from the parent company of the National Enquirer. It isn't clear from that recording, or other evidence made public, whether Trump and Cohen ever specifically discussed whether the payments were legal. Cohen and prosecutors say the Trump Organization reimbursed Cohen for a $130,000 payment to Daniels.

Trump has not specified what advice, if any, he received from Cohen. In an interview Thursday with Fox News, he said: "I never directed him to do anything wrong. Whatever he did he did on his own. A lawyer who represents a client is supposed to do the right thing."

An advice-of-counsel defense is "not easily invoked and has far-ranging consequences and risks," said Tony Alexis, a former federal prosecutor who worked in the Justice Department's fraud and public corruption section.

For one thing, a person who invokes the advice-of-counsel defense can no longer claim attorney-client privilege, meaning his or her conversations with the attorney are no longer private and can be freely explored by prosecutors.

"It's a very risky strategy," said Jennifer Rodgers, a former federal prosecutor in Manhattan.

In this case, it could give investigators access to records and communications between Trump and Cohen that were deemed confidential after the FBI raided Cohen's office earlier this year, Rodgers said.

"He'd be waiving privilege with respect to everything," she added.

While uncommon, the defense has had high-profile successes.

Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance said last year he would not pursue state election law charges against New York Mayor Bill de Blasio in part because the parties involved in making legally questionable transfers of campaign funds relied on the advice of their attorneys.

In the president's case, Rodgers said, Trump would have to establish that he was actually seeking Cohen's legal advice in connection with the hush-money payments and not relying on him to handle the matter as his long-time fixer.

The advice-of-counsel defense is "for a client who says, 'I want to make sure I'm in compliance with the law here,'" Rodgers said.

Trump has not been charged with a crime, and it remains unclear whether the U.S. Justice Department, under its own protocol, could even bring a case against a sitting president.
FILE--In this AprIl 1, 2015, file photo, retired Air Force Airman Brian Kolfage, right, gives a piece of cheese to his one-year-old daughter Paris Kolfage as his wife Ashley Kolfage looks on at their recently rented home in Sandestin, Fla. Kolfage, a triple-amputee who lost his limbs serving in Iraq in the U.S. Air Force, started a GoFundMe page to help fund construction of President Donald Trump's border wall has already raised millions of dollars.(Nick Tomecek/Northwest Florida Daily News via AP, file) Read more

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.

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.

Kolfage, who is listed on GoFundMe as being based in Miramar Beach, Florida, said in an email that he was not immediately available to comment.

The reception toward Kolfage's fundraising is far from the reaction when Arizona lawmakers similarly tried to raise money for border fencing several years ago.

Legislators approved a bill in 2011 to establish a website to raise $50 million for border fencing. The effort, however, flopped, bringing in around $265,000.

Kolfage's page inspired at least one opposing fundraising page. A GoFundMe fundraiser was created Wednesday to raise money for "ladders to get over Trump's wall." The site posted a goal of $100 million and garnered more than $20,000 in donations as of Thursday afternoon. All the money will go toward a nonprofit that provides education and legal services to refugees and immigrant families.

___

This story has been corrected to show that Kolfage said each Trump voter should pledge $80 and that Kolfage is listed as being in Miramar Beach, not Miramar.
In this June 7, 2017 file photo, Brett McGurk, the U.S. envoy for the global coalition against IS, speaks during a news conference at the U.S. Embassy Baghdad, Iraq. McGurk has resigned in protest to President Donald Trumps abrupt decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria, joining Defense Secretary Jim Mattis in an administration exodus of experienced national security officials. Read more

WASHINGTON (AP)  Brett McGurk, the U.S. envoy to the global coalition fighting the Islamic State group, has resigned in protest to President Trumps abrupt decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria, joining Defense Secretary Jim Mattis in an administration exodus of experienced national security officials.

Only 11 days ago, McGurk had said it would be "reckless" to consider IS defeated and therefore would be unwise to bring American forces home. He decided to speed up his plan to leave in mid-February.

McGurk, appointed to the post by President Barack Obama in 2015 and retained by Trump, said in his resignation letter that the militants were on the run, but not yet defeated, and that the premature pullout of American forces from Syria would create the conditions that gave rise to IS. McGurk also cited gains in accelerating the campaign against IS, but that the work was not yet done.

His letter, submitted Friday to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, was described to The Associated Press on Saturday by an official familiar with its contents. The official was not authorized to publicly discuss the matter before the letter was released and spoke on condition of anonymity.

McGurk, whose resignation is effective Dec. 31, was planning to leave the job in mid-February after a U.S.-hosted meeting of foreign ministers from the coalition countries, but he felt he could continue no longer after Trump's decision to withdraw from Syria and Mattis' resignation, according to the official.

Trump is acting to pull all 2,000 U.S. troops from Syria and has now declared victory over IS, contradicting his own experts' assessments. Many lawmakers have called his action rash and dangerous.

Mattis, perhaps the most respected foreign policy official in the administration, announced on Thursday that he will leave by the end of February. He told Trump in a letter that he was departing because "you have a right to have a Secretary of Defense whose views are better aligned with yours."

The U.S. began airstrikes in Syria in 2014, and ground troops moved in the following year to battle IS and train Syrian rebels in a country torn apart by civil war. Trump, in a tweet this past week, abruptly declared their mission accomplished.

The decision will fulfill Trump's 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.

McGurk said at a State Department briefing on Dec. 11 that "it would be reckless if we were just to say, 'Well, the physical caliphate is defeated, so we can just leave now.' I think anyone who's looked at a conflict like this would agree with that."

A week before that, Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the U.S. had a long way to go in training local Syrian forces to prevent a resurgence of IS and stabilize Syria. He said it would 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 had been trained.

McGurk, 45, previously served as a deputy assistant secretary of state for Iraq and Iran, and during the negotiations for the landmark Iran nuclear deal by the Obama administration, led secret side talks with Tehran on the release of Americans imprisoned there.

McGurk, was briefly considered for the post of ambassador to Iraq after having served as a senior official covering Iraq and Afghanistan during President George W. Bush's administration.

A former Supreme Court law clerk to the late Chief Justice William Rehnquist, McGurk worked as a lawyer for the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion and joined Bush's National Security Council staff, where in 2007 and 2008, he was the lead U.S. negotiator on security agreements with Iraq.

Taking over for now for McGurk will be his deputy, retired Lt. Gen. Terry Wolff, who served three tours of active duty in Iraq.

Jim Jeffrey, a veteran diplomat who was appointed special representative for Syria engagement in August, is expected to stay in his position, officials said.

IS 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.

But that figure could be as high as 8,000 militants, if fighters hiding out in the deserts south of the Euphrates River are also counted, according to according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the conflict through networks of local informants.

The SDF, a Kurdish-led force that is America's only military partner in Syria, said Thursday: "The war against Islamic State has not ended and the group has not been defeated." The group is at the front lines of the battle against IS along the Euphrates River.

It said a U.S. withdrawal would leave Syrians "between the claws of enemy forces."

At their height in 2014, Islamic State militants controlled approximately a third of territory in Syria and Iraq, including major cities in both countries. The group flourished in the political vacuum of Syrias civil war, in which President Bashar Assad has violently put down a 2011 uprising against his familys 40-year rule.
A Philadelphia real estate developer and a Jersey Shore-based general contractor have agreed to pay Philadelphia $160,000 in permit fees and fines after city agencies discovered that the companies had failed to obtain proper permits, or used fraudulently altered ones, for past construction projects.

V2 Properties LLC, a developer who builds single-family homes in Brewerytown and parts of South Philadelphia, and Rock Haven Builders LLC, a Woodbine, N.J-based general contractor that builds in South Jersey and Philadelphia, were cited by city agencies for failing to obtain the proper right-of-way permits from the Streets Department at 94 different construction sites, the city said this week. The Streets Departments right-of-way unit issues street-closure permits for various types of construction work that might block streets or sidewalks.

On four construction sites, the citys Department of Licenses and Inspections found that Rock Haven Builders had posted previously used permits, altered to appear as if they had been issued for the projects on those sites, the city said.

The properties that were missing the required permits were located throughout city, though most were located in Southwest Philadelphia and South Philadelphia, according to a spokesperson for the Office of the Inspector General, one of the city agencies that investigated the incident. L&I and the Streets Department also were involved in identifying the construction sites where permits were not obtained.

The properties were built between April 2014 and August 2017, the spokesperson said.

Reached by phone, David Henry, the owner of Rock Haven Builders, said that there was confusion about obtaining the actual permits themselves and that the companies put up the proper fencing surrounding all of their projects.

Its not like we were trying to cause any harm to the city or anything ... we were not attempting to do anything wrong, Henry said. We had actually applied for [the permits]  there was confusion in getting them. We filled out the application and sent it in, and after that it got discombobulated.

Vince Viney, president and founder of V2 Properties, said in a statement that V2 Properties has not and never will commit any fraud of any kind.

We are 100 percent devoted to educating ourselves and our business partners going forward so that we remain in full compliance with the rules and regulations of the City of Philadelphia, Viney said.

Both companies cooperated with the investigation, the city said. V2 Properties agreed in June to pay the city $100,000 for owed permit fees, and Rock Haven agreed in November to pay $60,000 in fines, according to the city.

V2 Properties also agreed to implement a permit-compliance program that includes periodic training for subcontractors and a designated permit-conformance manager for future projects, the city said.

Rock Havens Philadelphia contractors license also will be subject to a one-year probationary period, meaning that if the company commits any further violations, it may be subjected to revocation of its contractors license, a spokesperson for the Inspector Generals Office said. Henry said his company had no intention of letting the problem happen again.

L&I Commissioner David Perri said in a statement that skirting the citys permitting process and construction codes will not be tolerated.

L&I has strengthened its audit, investigation, and enforcement units and will continue to work closely with [the Office of the Inspector General] to protect the safety of our community, Perri said.
This video captures some of the highlights of Dawn's interplanetary adventure, as well as some personal reflections on it.

With a rare excursion into first person, I wrote in my Aug. 22 Dawn Journal about how I felt with the mission coming to an end (and offered a fanciful additional perspective at the end of my Sept. 27 Dawn Journal). My feelings were unchanged when the end came. Nevertheless, in the actual event, I wrote down some of my thoughts, because Dawn was such a significant part of my life, and I am well aware of the fallibility of human memory. Memories, however vivid, are often more of a reconstruction than people like to believe.

But I quickly realized that it didn't matter how I was feeling! Here is an unedited excerpt of what I wrote after declaring the mission to be over: "These feelings are transitory, and I don't need to remember them anyway. It would be a mistake to consider how I feel now as somehow representing my overall experience or feelings about the mission. Indeed, this is very much the wrong time to try to put it into perspective. It would make a good story if I had some revelation or profound description of my feelings at this point, but there's no reason I should. It takes time to gain a good perspective. People construct and then gradually change their memories, all without any awareness. And I should not think that somehow now I will be imbued with the wisdom, insight, or other capability to put this into perspective. If I feel sad, elated, disappointed, relieved, proud, empty, gratified or any of myriad other feelings -- and, more to the point, a combination of myriad feelings -- I won't feel that way again. The end of Dawn is not what's important. All that preceded it is. And I cannot so easily grasp it all right now, so my feelings now are not as special or as meaningful as one might be tempted to think."

Finally, you can't appreciate the end of the mission if you don't appreciate the rest of the mission. So, feel free to reread the previous 310,000 words in Dawn Journals to gain the full appreciation.

There will be future opportunities to address some of the overall accomplishments of the mission and discoveries about Ceres. For now, we will devote more attention to this final phase.

And there was no doubt about its finality. On Nov. 1-2, immediately after the official end of the mission, there was not enough time to reallocate previously scheduled DSN antenna time to other missions. So although confidence was high that Dawn would forever be silent, each of the three deep space communications complexes (Goldstone, then Canberra, and then Madrid) turned a sensitive ear to Ceres for one last time. No surprises occurred.
If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this





Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here
A partial shutdown of the U.S. government took effect at midnight on Friday after lawmakers failed to negotiate an agreement over funding for President Donald Trump's controversial border wall.

The government shutdown, the third of the year, comes as Trump has demanded $5 billion for construction of the wall on the border with Mexico.

Democrats have previously expressed willingness to provide some money for border security but are staunchly opposed to the wall.

Both the House and the Senate adjourned hours ahead of the deadline to provide funding for key government agencies such as the Department of Homeland Security, the State Department and the Interior Department.

In a sign negotiations will continue, the Senate narrowly voted to take up a continuing resolution passed by the House late Thursday.

The short-term spending bill approved by the House includes more than $5 billion for the construction of the wall, a figure that Democrats refuse to accept.

However, the vote to proceed to the legislation will allow the bill to be amended if lawmakers and the White House can reach an agreement.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ken., said voting to proceed to the legislation will "preserve maximum flexibility for productive conversations to continue between the White House and our Democratic colleagues."

"I hope Senate Democrats will work with the White House on an agreement that can pass both houses of Congress and receive the president's signature," McConnell said.

Trump acknowledged the looming shutdown in a video posted to Twitter, repeating his claim that a wall is necessary for border security.

"It's very dangerous out there. Drugs are pouring in. Human trafficking. So many different problems, including gangs like MS-13," Trump said. "We don't want them in the United States. We don't want them in our country."

"The only thing that's going to stop that is great border security. With a wall, or a slat fence, or whatever you want to call it," he added. "But we need a great barrier. And if we don't have it, it's never going to work."

Trump has sought to blame Democrats for the shutdown after previously saying he would be "proud to shut down the government for border security," an issue that helped propel him to the White House.

"The shutdown hopefully will not last long," Trump said, although lawmakers have reportedly been told they will be given 24-hour notice before a vote, indicating the government will remain shut down until at least Saturday night.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

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Livia Global, Inc., a health and wellness company, is recalling two lots of its Liviaone liquid probiotics citing the possibility of contamination by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a microorganism found in the environment that, if ingested, can cause life-threatening infection in immunocompromised individuals.

United Airlines operated Thursday the first ever passenger flight using 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel or SAF as part of its efforts to combat climate change. The airline flew the green flight from Chicago's O'Hare International Airport or ORD to Washington, D.C.'s Reagan National Airport or DCA with more than 100 passengers.

Rancho Cordova, California-based E-filliate Inc. is recalling about 301,800 units of DEWALT wireless earphones citing burn and fire risks, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said. The recall involves DEWALT Jobsite Pro Wireless Earphones, which have a black and yellow neckband with wired earbuds. According to the agency, the wireless earphones can overheat while charging or in use.
Public Health Ministry condemns Saudi-led raids targeting 2 ambulances in Jawf [22/December/2018] SANAA,Dec.22 (Saba)  Ministry of Public Health and Population on Friday condemns in a statement obtained by Saba the US-Saudi-led aggression' targeting medical personnel and ambulances in Jawf province.



The ministry condemned the coalition warplanes targeting for two ambulances in Khab Wa Shaaf and in Barat districts of Jawf province which led to kill two doctor, a patient and two drivers of the ambulance.



The statistics stated 306 employees in health sector were killed, injured and 92 ambulances were destroyed by the coalition, the statement read.



The ministry called on United Nations, UN envoy and international organizations to bring the perpetrators to the International Criminal Court.





Amal/AA

saba
LOS ANGELES (AP)  As Dr. Seuss neared the end of his life, the children's author told his wife that she would have to look after the Cat in the Hat, the Lorax, the Grinch and all the beloved characters he created.

It was a mission Audrey Geisel embraced for more than a quarter-century. As overseer of Dr. Seuss' prolific and lucrative literary estate, she carefully guarded the whimsical works of the writer and illustrator less known as Theodor Geisel and expanded the Seuss legacy. She promoted a highly profitable multimedia brand, from books and films to theme park rides and the Broadway show "Seussical."

Audrey Geisel, 97, died Wednesday at her home in the La Jolla section of San Diego, Random House Children's Books announced.

Geisel, who founded Dr. Seuss Enterprises, said she took to heart the responsibility her husband left her when he died in 1991.

"You keep a firm control as if they really were your children," Geisel told The Associated Press in 1998. "I don't want the Cat in a bad part of town, so to speak."

But she went far beyond keeping a tight grip on the empire. She broadly expanded it beyond what her husband cared to do while creating his 47 children's stories.

And, oh, the places she went with it.

More than 10 million Dr. Seuss books sell each year and new works are coming out, such as last spring's "Dr. Seuss's First 100 words," according to Random House.

The 2000 live-action film version of "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," starring Jim Carrey, was a box-office smash. But Audrey Geisel and critics despised the 2003 live-action adaptation of "The Cat in the Hat" that starred Mike Myers of "Austin Powers" fame.

"I never saw 'Austin Powers,' but I knew 'Yeah, baby!' and I didn't want 'Yeah, baby!' at all," she told the AP in 2004.

Geisel is credited as executive producer of the animated film "The Grinch," which was released last month and tapped Benedict Cumberbatch to voice the title character.

A poll of favorite holiday songs and films or television conducted by AP-NORC earlier this month put "The Grinch" just behind "It's a Wonderful Life." It didn't specify if it was the Carrey version or the animated 1966 classic produced by Chuck Jones and narrated by Boris Karloff.

Geisel was a Chicago native and former nursing student at Indiana University.

She and Theodor Geisel, who was 17 years older, were both married to other people when they began an affair in the 1960s. His first wife, Helen, killed herself.

Audrey Geisel sent the two daughters she had with her first husband to boarding school after the Geisels married in 1968. The couple had no children together  Seuss was not particularly fond of kids, she said.

"He was afraid of children to a degree," Audrey Geisel told AP in 2004.

In addition to promoting and protecting the Seuss brand, Geisel also influenced her husband's work, said Philip Nel, an English professor at Kansas State University, who wrote "Dr. Seuss: American Icon."

"When Seuss got stuck while writing 'The Lorax,' Audrey suggested they take a trip," Nel said. "She thought that might help get him unstuck. It did. While seeing workers cutting down acacia trees in Kenya, he thought, 'They can't cut down my Dr. Seuss trees  which he renamed truffula trees  and invented the Lorax to protect them."
Commissioner of Police, Fuiavailiili Egon Keil, has appealed to motorists to refrain from driving while under the influence of alcohol.

Speaking to the media yesterday, the Police Commissioner said the Police festive season operations officially started yesterday and will run through into the New Year.

The operation for keeping Samoa safe during these festive seasons has officially started today and it will end on the third of January.

We have everyone who is a sworn member to be on duty, no one is taking any leaves but all the leaves have been stopped and no vacations.

Everyone will remain here in serving their duties. This time of year, it brings about a lot of cheer, joy; its about friendship and families coming together, he said.

Fuiavailiili said there is always the risk of negativity during the festive period, so it was important for everyone to be responsible.

Please dont drink and drive because especially in these times of the year, we have so many incidents.

There was an incident that happened early morning which was quite unfortunate where it resulted with a life that was lost, and alcohol was involved.

A male from around the Puipaa area lost his life, a little speculation going on right now that the individual was a security guard and he was under the influence of alcohol, there was a brawl and this individual lost his life, he added.

Some people have been detained over the incident, adding Fuiavailiili, but an ongoing investigation will determine if there should be any arrests.

We will only conduct an arrest if we have probable cause and we intend on doing our jobs correctly, by covering every side that is required within the law.

We have not done any arrests because we have not gathered enough evidence yet to conduct an arrest.

Of course we work closely with Attorney Generals office in seeking legal advice in guiding us throughout our work, he added.
The Samoa Family Health Association (SFHA) will push on with its awareness on sexual reproductive and health rights, despite rejection strong opposition.

The organisations spokesperson, Leiloa Asaasa, said the number one challenge facing Samoa is the increasing number of sexually transmitted infections and unwanted pregnancies, despite the circulation of more safe sex knowledge, and increasing number of women having access to family planning.

What were looking into is that we wont be ending our work but will still be pushing for awareness.

Our plan for next year is to increase the number of community outreach program and work with government to include SRHR in their policy and guidelines because its a must to teach these things, she said in an interview with Samoa Observer.

The acceptance or rejection of the awareness programs can occur within the village communities, Leiloa added, but it will not stop them from going ahead with their awareness.

Although communities criticise our work most of the time, but we are here to work for them, to help them and thats our job, because weve now seen that some villages understand what we are trying to educate them on.

From there weve built and strengthened us not to stop  because if one village could understand the message  then hopefully by the next two years, the other villages will also understand its a process, she added.

Leiloa also made reference to their main project, which includes their partnership with Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) Bilateral Programme, in terms of expanding delivery point or clinics, awareness programs and volunteers.

From one clinic, we now have three with Savaii clinic launched in April and Motootua office launched in August this year and with this our awareness programs have expanded.

Together with our outreach programs, we also share with our clients that come into our office as well as our mobile clinic that goes into rural areas, she added.

The mobile clinic has increased the number of villages and people reached, she said. The main objective the mobile clinic program is to reach the families who are unable to access their facilities due to transportation difficulties and finances.

Sexual reproductive health rights awareness programs are not just about sex, Leiloa added, but is a broader subject matter that will be beneficial for both boys and girls  in terms of knowing their sexuality.
Samoa will take the position of Pacific Island Forum members and support constructive engagement with Indonesia on issues relating to West Papua.

Earlier this week, the Bishops of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia called for Samoa to increase vocalisations of concerns against the reported actions of Indonesian military against West Papuans.

In a public statement, they expressed 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 halt human rights abuses, and 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.

Despite the call, Prime Minister Tuilaepa Dr Sailele Malielegaoi said he agrees with the consensus of the Forum, which can press the Indonesian government on moral issues.

In September, the Forum supported constructive engagement over human rights, and members of the Forum were asked to support a resolution to go before the United Nations General Assembly.

On the moral issue, we hold the common stance of the Pacific Island countries.

The Indonesians should deal with the issue appropriately of human rights abuses, he said.

The Prime Minister continued that the government and the army of Indonesia may be acting independently of each other, and that should be taken into consideration.

The Anglican Bishops also called for governments to pay attention to the denial by the Indonesian government of the first peoples right of self-determination and the abuse of their natural resources by foreign corporations.

On the issue of West Papuan desire for self-determination, Prime Minister Tuilaepa said he does not feel he has the power to interfere.

The more important issue for the people of West Papua themselves, that they have been pressing, is the issue of self-determination and that is where we have no power, he said

This is part of Indonesia.

It is like telling New Zealand that the North Island should be given to another race of Maori, and thats interference.

However, he did say the United Nations are the only authority that can help West Papua gain independence, just as Samoa did in 1962.

That is the road we travelled in order to become independent, Tuilaepa said.

We sought the approval of the United Nations. There was no other way, it was the U.N that granted us our independence.
Defense cooperation between China and Pakistan is a normal and necessary practice which should not be linked to the Belt and Road initiative (BRI), experts said.

The remarks to the Global Times came two days after the announcement that the construction of the most advanced frigate for Pakistan Navy has kicked off in Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding Co., China, according to the official WeChat account of China State Shipbuilding Corporation.

The official Twitter account of Pakistan Navy revealed that the frigate under construction is Type 054A/P.

Zhang Junshe, a senior research fellow at the PLA Naval Military Studies Research Institute, told the Global Times that Type 054A is the third generation of China's frigates, which is the most advanced in the country.

He said that compared to the previous generations, the new type has better air defense capability as it is equipped with an improved radar and more missiles that have longer range. The Type 054A frigate also has world-class stealth capability.

Vice Admiral Kaleem Shaukat, Vice Chief of Pakistan Naval staff, addressed the steel-cutting ceremony of the frigate saying that the move ushers in a new chapter in Pakistan-China friendship that has matured through the test of time and remained steadfast in other domains.

"Once constructed, the warship will be one of the largest and technologically advanced platforms of Pakistan Navy which will strengthen Pakistan's capability to respond to future challenges, maintain peace and stability and balance of power in Indian Ocean Region. It will also support Pakistan Navy's initiative of securing seas for international shipping by patrolling distant waters through Regional Maritime Security Patrol," said the Pakistan Navy.

The building of the Type 054A is the latest example of strengthened China-Pakistan defense cooperation in recent years under an all-weather strategic cooperative partnership.

Ahmad Saffee, research fellow at Institute of Strategic Studies in Pakistan, told the Global Times that the replacement of British-made Type 21 frigates with Chinese made Type 054A frigate by Pakistan Navy shows Islamabad's commitment to modernization of its defense capabilities.

"Pakistan has also signed agreement with Turkey for the manufacture of corvettes and other defense equipment. This modernization drive can be contextualized in regional and global spheres, as Pakistan gears for a proactive role in both," he said.

According to Saffee, Pakistan's defense capabilities are to maintain strategic deterrence against its enemies, especially India, which poses a threat.

Saffee added the US used to provide Pakistan with sensitive military equipment. But now since it is blaming Pakistan for its failure in Afghanistan and Iraq, and has also chosen India as its blue-eyed boy in the South Asian region, Pakistan was left with no other option except to turn to Russia, China and Turkey for buying defense equipment in the wake of India building up its arsenal.

Responding to the recent New York Times article that claimed China is expanding military influence in Pakistan under the BRI, Saffee pointed out the depth of Pakistan-China relations goes beyond China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and BRI.

He stressed that Pakistan's military collaboration with China is part of a strategic partnership which shouldn't be simply limited to CPEC or BRI.

"With regards to defense cooperation and the military aspect there are no funds allocated or no designs expressed under CPEC long term plan. Whatever defense cooperation we witness today has a history and should be viewed separately," he stressed.

In Friday's routine press conference, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying also responded to the New York Times report, calling it untrue.

Saffee thinks the recent attention being paid to modernization of Pakistan's defense has to do more with anti-China propaganda.
Laeimau Oketevi Tanuvasa-Savea leaves behind a legacy that should not be in vain, says Prime Minister Tuilaepa Dr. Sailele Malielegaoi.

Expressing sympathy at the passing of the late Computer Services Limited Chief Executive Officer in a statement released by the Government Press Secretariat, the Prime Minister said the late top bureaucrat played a critical role in developing Samoas ICT sector.

She was a visionary who saw Information Technology as the gateway to Samoas prosperity. From the day that she was appointed as the first Samoan to head CSL, her mission was to transform our country into the Pacifics ITC literacy hub, from technical, personnel resources to cyber security, it was her bible, second to her Fatoia EFKS Congregation.

Even when she was critically ill after diagnosed with terminal cancer and was forced to resign from CLS, she continued to remind me of how important IT is to our countrys future and what it means to vital public services such as health, education, business investment, he said.

The Prime Minister said identifying young women to take up ICT as a career as a passion of the late CEO.

Most important to her was personnel, people with the expertise to facilitate government in delivering the ITC spin-offs. She along with many of her woman colleagues in the IT Sector initiated a drive to encourage IT as a career choice and profession especially for young women. Yes, that was Laeimau, always fierce with her approach and determined to achieve her goals.

She leaves behind a huge imprint and I would like to take this opportunity to urge our young women to take up the challenge laid down by Laeimau, he added.

Laeimau is a product of the Samoa public education system having completed her infant to college school years from Apia Infant to Samoa College.

After graduating in 1981, she continued her studies overseas and returned home with a Bachelor of Applied Science  Computing from the Monash University, Melbourne Australia.

She also completed a Certificate Leaders in Development & Managing Political & Economic Change from the Boston USA based Harvard Kennedy School of Executive and a USA a Certificate Advanced Seminars for Chief Executives, National University, Singapore.
Timothy Salale Moananu reached a milestone in his life recently when he attained his Bachelor of Engineering and graduated with honors in forestry from the University of Canterbury in New Zealand.

Timothy started school at Marist Brothers School Mulivai Year 1-6 and then moved to Vaitele Primary School YeaR 7-8. In 2008, he made it to Samoa College and upon completion of his studies he graduated from National University of Samoa and went to the University of Canterbury.

He is the son of Alaiasa Sepulona Moananu and Fogalelea Moananu from Falefa, Lufilufi, Falevao, Sagone and Luatuanuu and they currently reside in Vaiteleuta.

According to his father, Timothy is currently employed by Land Transport Authority since July this year, as a principal engineer and is also a member of Samoa Worship Centre Church youth leadership.

My children are mostly accountants and commerce students but he decided to take science and try in other field.

I challenged him and informed him that he will not have any help at home with his studies but we will wait no matter how long it takes for him to pursue Engineering.

Now he has a degree and am so thankful, and all glory to God for his achievement, he said.

Timothy is 24-years-old and is the fourth of seven children.
Australian couple Dane Chang and Caty Roqica and their children are happy to be in Samoa.

The family flew into the country, keen to explore the island and learn more about Samoa and its culture.

Dane has a personal connection with the country, he was born in Samoa so returning was a momentous occasion for him as he missed the island.

Caty told the Samoa Observer that she is happy to be visiting Samoa for the second time and sees herself returning back to the island.

Currently, the Taumeasina Island Resort is their home away from home, they have been impressed with the level of service since they checked in.

The people are really friendly, they make us feel like family, and we are happy to be here, they said.

They also loved the view form the resort, which they described as beautiful, on top of the top service that they are getting.

Their recent adventure was on the Big Island of Savaii, which they both described as beautiful.

When they were asked about the weather in Samoa and if they could compare it to countries they visited before, the couple said it was hard to make the comparison.

Though, having access to aircondition helps, according to Caty.

Its bearable, thats that you need a bit of aircon from time to time but thats fine, she said.
Poor Prime Minister Tuilaepa Dr. Sailele Malielegaoi. He cannot win this one.

As if being an easy target for criticisms for his administration is not enough, his Governments newest appointment, that of the Chief Executive Officer role of the Ministry of Finance, will only make things even more complicated.

We are referring to the appointment of Oscar Thomas Malielegaoi as the new Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry of Finance, replacing Tupaimatuna Iulai Lavea.

Having spent quite considerable amount of time in the role, Tupai is spending his last week in office before Mr. Malielegaoi takes over at the beginning of the new year.

Its an exciting time for a couple of reasons. It will be without a doubt an exciting time for Mr. Malielegaoi who brings youth and energy to the role. Its also a new challenge for the new C.E.O. who would no doubt be keen to prove he is worthy of the role.

He arrives highly credentialed with his most recent post being a Directors Advisor at the Asian Development Bank. Prior to that, he had served the Ministry of Finance for many years with his latest role being Deputy Director for the Ministry of Finance and Assistant Public Trustee. So there is no question that Mr. Malielegaoi is well qualified for the position  and if the Panels recommendation was followed  he is unquestionably the best man for the job.

But here is the issue, regardless of his credentials, the mere fact he is the son of the Prime Minister will always attract negative comments  especially on social media, where he would have witnessed a rise in vile and extremely unpleasant comments against Tuilaepas administration and his family.

In other words, Mr. Malielegaoi will always be victimised merely by blood and association to the Prime Minister.

Tuilaepa knows what this feels like already.

It started many years ago when his son in law, Fuimaono Camillo Afele, was appointed Controller and Auditor General. Most of us can recall what was said then and what is still being said today. Suffice to say, Fuimaono has arguably become one of the best public servants at his job. Over the years, a lot of his work and that of the Audit Office has uncovered corruption, collusion and the mismanagement that is ever so rampant within the Government.

Of course there will always be doubters, people who continue to question his eligibility, suitability and credentials for the role given his connections to the man who has been the Prime Minister of this nation for 20 years.

Mr. Malielegaoi will have to deal with the same issue. For him  and all of Tuilaepas children in that respect  its part of the package. They are guilty by association  or blood  so to speak.

Two days ago, Prime Minister Tuilaepa was confronted about the appointment and his response, we thought, was quite true. He said the burden of proof is for Mr. Malielegaoi to perform.

Should he fail to deliver or under any circumstance violate his contractual obligations to government, I will be the first to let him go, he said.

A statement issued by the Governments Press Secretariat also explained how the decision was made.

The truth of the matter is he was deemed qualified by the selection panel, after satisfying the two essential ingredients for C.E.O appointments which are your academic qualifications and experience.

There was no sinister plot surrounding the appointment as the position was publicly advertised for any person to apply.

Its unfortunate that he was the only applicant but the same can be said for other C.E.O. and senior government posts which only attracted one applicant.

Tuilaepa said insinuations that he allegedly intervened to influence the outcome of the selection process is an outrageous lie.

Even when it was tabled before Cabinet, I distant myself due to the glaring conflict of interest, he said.

The policy is to consider the merits and if he or she is qualifiedthen why should a son or daughter who has earned itbe penalise because his or her mother or father holds a high ranking post.

Responding to social media critics, Tuilaepa said: I know their target is my administration and my leadership in their ongoing campaign to woo the voters. If anything, (Oscar) is convicted for being a qualified profession because he is my son.

Well Prime Minister Tuilaepa has a point. But we repeat, this is an argument he cannot win. As long as he is the Prime Minister, regardless of how well qualified people close to him - let alone his children  they will always come under scrutiny from people who see an opportunity to fire another shot at at the Prime Minister.

Have a great Sunday Samoa, God bless!
Senior lawyer and leader of the Samoa First Political Party, Unasa Iuni Sapolu, has denied claims she has been disbarred from the New Zealand Law Society.

She has also accused Prime Minister Tuilaepa Dr. Sailele Malielegaoi of mollycoddling the masses against her with unfounded claims.

I have been a member of the New Zealand Law Society for more than 30 years and up to this day; I am still a member, Unasa told the Sunday Samoan.

Allegations and reports about my disbarment are lies.

Unasa, who also heads the Sapolu Law Firm, was responding to questions from the Samoa Observer in relation to claims from the Prime Minister that there are lawyers in Samoa who have been de-registered from overseas as a result of serious offenses and severe professional misconduct.

While Tuilaepa did not name any lawyer in particular, Unasa told the Samoa Observer she knows the allegation was directed at her.

He was stating the obvious, she said. (But) I have never been disbarred, I have never been investigated by the Police; I have never been charged by the Police in New Zealand.

Unasa added that Prime Minister Tuilaepa knows that if he named her, he would get into trouble with the law.

But he is using as a way of mollycoddling the mass against me; most especially now that I am leading a party and I happen to be a woman, she said.

I have never done anything wrong in New Zealand that warrants what hes trying to say, I was never disbarred and never suspended.

Asked why she moved back to Samoa, Unasa explained that her three children, Eliota, Josie and Salu met and decided to invest in Samoa.

They came together and bought the Apaula Heights for $700,000 and spend another $300,000 to upgrade the place to where it is now. Also I came back home to retire after 30 years of working as a lawyer.

According to Unasa, after having her eldest son, she took him to New Zealand for school and she also enrolled in school as well to be lawyer.

When my marriage did not work (in New Zealand), I divorced my husband and I moved back home to manage my childrens million tala investment in Samoa and also started my firm, she said.

Asked about the cancellation of her New Zealand firm from the listing of Legal Services Agency in 2010, Unasa said their firm was a victim of racism, by those sitting on the Council.

When the allegations surfaced, I acted to have the news outlet correct their lies; as I submitted the withdrawal of my firm to take on anymore legal aid cases, said Unasa.

Asked about the $2 million worth of taxpayer-funded legal aid, she said their bills is nothing compared to the bills of other firms to the Legal Services Agency.

Most of the work we were doing there was pro bono, and $2 million accumulated they claim was for several years; yet if you look at what the other lawyers are making from the legal aid was much more; hence why I never understood why they targeted our firm, other than the fact they were pushing out the Polynesians.

According to Unasa, in 2010 their firm represented numerous of Samoans taxi drivers who were facing sex charges and this accumulated to that $2 million tala.

Also keep in my mind, at my firm in New Zealand there were other young Samoan lawyers working under my firm and they also received legal aid client which added to that $2 million indicated by that article in 2010.

It was not possible to obtain a comment from Prime Minister Tuilaepa yesterday.
The Director of the Grey Investment Group, Lupesina Frederick Grey, has responded to set the record straight with regards to reports about a $50 million tala loan with the Development Bank of Samoa.

The loan, taken out to assist in the full refurbishment and extension of the Beach Road property, was the subject of a front-page story titled Govt. will act on $50m in two months, says Minister of Finance published by the Samoa Observer on 10 December 2018.

The story quoted the Minister of Finance, Sili Epa Tuioti, as saying that if repayments for the loan were not up to date by January 2019, the Government would begin to seize the assets used as collateral for the loan. These included the iconic hotel on Beach Road.

Responding to questions posed by the Samoa Observer to the Group, Lupesina said they have nothing to hide, disputing claims that the Group has made no repayments to the loan.

The statement that we have made no repayments is false and you have now seen proof of this for yourself. We have made substantial repayment having particular regard to the term of the loan, he said.

The Group provided an email from local accounting firm, Lesa ma Penn, to confirm the amount they have paid back to the Development Bank of Samoa.

They also provided copies of bank statements, bank swifts to confirm funds the Group has sent back to Samoa to invest in the refurbishment of the Sheraton Aggie Greys Hotel and Bungalows.

Lupesina explained that the Group took out the loan to assist in the full refurbishment and extension of the Beach Road property after Cyclone Evan demolished it.

The loan was a long term loan and was to run for many years, Lupesina said. The Grey family has made multiple re-payments towards the Development Bank loan totaling $3,650,000 million tala. We have made substantial repayment having particular regard to the term of the loan. (read full interview transcript below)

But the Group sold the hotel to Chinese investors which currently operate it.

Asked who is responsible for the balance of the debt, Lupesina said: I wish to respect each partys privacy and confidentiality as much as possible and so will talk to the extent that I can."

However when we sold the Hotel in late August 2017 the sale took place by way of transfer of shares. The mortgages of DBS are publicly searchable and you can see that they are registered against the Hotel itself."

Where you purchase shares in the company unless you agree otherwise you take the shares with all assets and liabilities (Debt) of the company. This is often reflected in the purchase price. In general terms if a purchaser of shares takes over the loan they might pay a lesser price having regard to the liability (Debt) they are inheriting.

The Director of the Group also pointed out that since the start of the refurbishment project, the Grey family and the Grey Group have invested more than $35,000,000 million of their own money into the project.

As a family and as an Investment Group we invested plus $35,000,000 million tala from our own cash resources to refurbish and expand the Hotel, Lupesina said.

We have provided your newspaper with banking information verifying this and our local auditors can verify this also as well as the local banks. So this notion that we didnt contribute any cash funds ourselves as a family and as a Group is totally wrong. Thats a lot of money to come back into Samoa and the Hotel but we felt it necessary and important to complete the Hotel and finish it.

The following is the Question and Answer in full:

1: A number of people have asked that the Hotel took out a $50,000,000 million Tala loan with the Development Bank of Samoa to rebuild the hotel, then the hotel was sold to a Chinese Investment Group from mainland China, and to date no loan repayments have been made to the Development Bank. What do you say about this?

Prior to the sale, the Hotel entity did take a loan with the Development Bank of Samoa to assist in the full refurbishment and extension of the existing hotel as it stands today. This was in the aftermath of cyclone Evans which devastated the Hotel. The loan was a long term loan and was to run for many years. The Grey family has made multiple re payments towards the Development Bank loan totaling 3,650,000 million Tala. We have provided you bank details to verify this and local auditors have verified this as shown to your newspaper. The statement that we have made no repayments is false and you have now seen proof of this for yourself. We have made substantial repayment having particular regard to the term of the loan.

2: Since the sale of the hotel to the Chinese Investment Group last year, who is now responsible for the loan?

I wish to respect each partys privacy and confidentiality as much as possible and so will talk to the extent that I can. However when we sold the Hotel in late August 2017 the sale took place by way of transfer of shares. The mortgages of DBS are publicly searchable and you can see that they are registered against the Hotel itself. Where you purchase shares in the company unless you agree otherwise you take the shares with all assets and liabilities (Debt) of the company. This is often reflected in the purchase price. In general terms if a purchaser of shares takes over the loan they might pay a lesser price having regard to the liability (Debt) they are inheriting.

3: How much have you paid back so far? And how much do the Chinese need to pay?

The Hotel has paid $3,650,000 million Tala back to the Development Bank of Samoa and the bulk of these payments have come from the Grey Family and the Grey Group. Since selling the Hotel to the new owners, I am not privy to what the new owners currently owe the Development Bank let alone what arrangements they have in place with the Development Bank. All I was made aware of was when the Hotel flooded twice this year, I know for a fact the new owners invested more than 10,000,000 tala of their own money to repair the Hotel from the two floods of February and April of this year. This was not another loan but was in fact cash from the new owners themselves.

4: If the Government, as the Minister of Finance has indicated, were to seize assets, whose assets will they be ceasing?

That is for the Government to establish and the new Chinese owners to consider but it is likely the Government will have a bundle of rights given their security in the Hotel. I think its also very important to make it clear that all the freehold land where the hotel is located, along with all the buildings and other assets are all mortgaged to the Development Bank as first mortgagee and there are no other Banks involved. Therefore if the government is dealing with any assets it will be the Hotel. The bank may well also have other forms of security. But there are other commercial considerations and lawful processes that have to be taken into account by the Government before they proceed and that is something I am sure they are carefully considering to maximize the benefit to the people of Samoa.

5: The Minister of Finance Sala Sili Epa recently made some public comments about the state of debt with the Development Bank of Samoa. What are your thoughts on what was said and can you comment?

 My belief is that the Hon Minister was quoted out of context on the whole matter. I am talking to you to set the record straight as some of the implications from his statement potentially being taken out of context, were not accurate.

6: In the rebuild of the Hotel. How much personal funds did the Grey Family and the Grey Group invest in Aggie Greys Hotel and where did the source of this funding come from?

As a family and as an Investment Group we invested plus $35,000,000 million tala from our own cash resources to refurbish and expand the Hotel. We have provided your newspaper with banking information verifying this and our local auditors can verify this also as well as the local banks. So this notion that we didnt contribute any cash funds ourselves as a family and as a Group is totally wrong. Thats allot of money to come back into Samoa and the Hotel but we felt it necessary and important to complete the Hotel and finish it. It was also tempting after Cyclone Evans to walk away but we felt a responsibility to rebuild it, as it is a Samoan institution, its importance to Samoan tourism and for the 350 plus employment opportunities it provides to the wider community. But as shown to your newspaper in terms of all bank Swifts and TT confirmations, we invested plus 35,000,000 million Tala of our own cash funds back into the refurbishment and extension of the Hotel.

7: Aggies is part of the fabric, history and legend in Samoa and always will be, to an extent the South Pacific, if the Development Bank were to foreclose on the Hotel and the Chinese Investors walked away would you be interested to take the Hotel back and own it again.

In the unlikely event and I stress in the unlikely event the current owners were to walk away and not resolve any issue with the Development Bank then we would seriously consider it. However we want to be respectful of any discussions that may be taking place between the new owners and DBS as we note they are still the current owners.

8: What needs to happen if Samoa is to stay competitive with other Pacific tourism giants like Tahiti, Fiji and the Cook Islands?

Honestly, I dont think Samoa is struggling. Our issue is we are too reliant on two main markets. New Zealand and Australia. They are seasonal markets and we need to find other Markets like North America, Asia, South America to fill the void left when the tourism season there enters the rainy season months. If they can do that things will boom in Samoa. We have great Resorts and Hotels so there is no reason why we cant do it now.

9: If you were running the Samoa Tourism Authority today, what would be your priorities?

I think Sonya Hunter is doing a great Job. And so is her Chairman Adele Kruse. We can criticise them all we want but you have to also look at the resources they are given to work with. Compare the STA budgets to those of Fiji, Cooks and Tahiti and then you compare apples for apples. These other destinations have much bigger marketing budgets then Samoa and thats the disappointing part. My hope is that the Government needs to spend more on Tourism awareness outside of Samoa and look for these new markets. We also need Airlinks which will make it easier for us to attract these new markets.

10: What is your vision for tourism in Tahiti and Samoa for the next five years? And do you plan to expand further than French Polynesia?

Like I said Samoa needs to look at new destinations. Like North America, Asia, South America and the emerging markets. And it also needs to target high end markets like the ones Ive mentioned and not concentrate solely on the Kiwi and Aussie Markets. We need to get away from these traditional Markets which in many cases are low yield markets.

12: Air Transportation is one of the biggest problems for Samoa, what do you think of the Governments decision to get rid of Virgin Australia to set up Samoa Airways? What can the Samoan government do to improve air services to Samoa?

The Government as a Government is entitled to do whatever it wants. If it sees the need for its own airline then good on them. And honestly I think its a good idea to have our own Carrier. My only suggestion is new markets. We have to go to North America as to me thats a Key growth market for Samoa. If a Resort in Bora Bora can charge USD$3000 a night without Breakfast and President Obama pays USD$15,000 a night at the Brando Resort on Marlon Brandos Island and stays for a month then so can some of our boutique Resorts. But it comes down to the Market that can afford to pay those prices. Thats why I keep saying if we need to grow as a destination then we need the USA, Europe and other emerging markets. Fiji has done it well and so has Tahiti. In fact Tahiti more so for the very high end luxury market it now caters for the super wealthy.

12: Coming back to the Aggies hotel in town, the place has been hit badly by flooding during the past few years, what do you see as the solution?

Yes its always been the issue with the Hotel and I hope the new wall that Ott Constructions has put up will eradicate any more future threats of flooding as it will only get worse with Global warming. Its always been gut wrenching seeing it flood time and time again and more so this year after all the monies spent to bring it up to a five star luxury Hotel. A real shame.

13: Lastly we have read in a French publication that the Group is carrying out a 80m USD project in refurbishing its Hotels in Bora Bora. Can you tell us a bit about this and how it is being funded?

Yes we have begun to refurbish the first of two Sofitel Hotels in Bora Bora. There are two, the Sofitel Marara Bora Bora which is on the Mainland of Bora Bora and the Second which is a Private Island in Bora Bora. Both Hotels are going through major refurbishments as well as expansions and they have begun. French Polynesia and France have great government and tax programs for capital investments and to assist developing tourism related projects such as luxury resorts, cruise ships and airlines. You will find these tax programs and capital investment initiatives in all French Territories and not just in French Polynesia.
Members of the Samoa Police Service took time off from their busy schedule last Friday to visit the paediatric ward at the Motootua Hospital.

Commissioner of Police, Fuiavailiili Egon Keil, said they raised $3000 from a choir performance and decided that they buy toys and distribute them to sick children.

We tried to figure out how we were going to use this amount, whether we were going to spend on food for everyone. But instead, we came to the conclusion that the best way to spend this money was to buy some toys for the kids at the hospital.

We believe that a cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a persons strength and that is the reason behind todays gift giving.

We bought toys and wrapped it up: after all, it is Christmas which is a time for giving and so we are presenting the children with toys, with the hope of seeing their happy smiles  which is the greatest gift of all, he said.

Spending Christmas away from their families is tough, added Fuiavailiili, and was a major reason behind the decision to buy and distribute the toys in the hospital.

Children are a gift from God, and hopefully we can turn their frowns into smiles of joy and happiness by raising up their spirits. It is also like a closing, to end with something positive, due to all the negativity throughout the year, he said.

Josephine Peti, 25, whose one-year-old baby Henrietta Peti has been diagnosed with malaria, thanked the Police for distributing the Christmas gifts.

As a mother, I truly appreciate the kind gesture by the police officers, we look up to them because they uphold the law and maintain peace within our country but to see them give out presents, it is something different.

They are very cheerful in trying to put smiles upon our kids faces here at the hospital, I commend their services to our country especially the sacrifices they go through.

May God bless them for their heart to give gifts to the children, she said.

Losa Ulugia, 71, was taking care of her grandson when the Police visited the ward to hand out the presents.

Everyone has work and I was the only one available to care for Ioane, hes only 11 but we have spent a week here at the hospital, due to his fever.

I thank the Ministry of Police for their generosity in taking time out of their busy schedules just so that they can give presents to sick kids.

In all honesty, this is not part of their responsibilities but they spared a thought for the kids. May God shower his blessings upon each one of them and protect them from any harm as they fulfill their duties.
WASHINGTON (AP)  Congress gaveled open for a rare Saturday session days before Christmas as America's elected leaders partially shut down the government, unable to find a compromise over money for President Donald Trump's promised wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Trump is demanding $5 billion, but congressional Democrats are refusing to accede in a stalemate that provides a chaotic coda for Republicans in the waning days of their two-year reign controlling government.

The president jettisoned his Florida holiday getaway to Mar-a-Lago, tweeting, "I am in the White House, working hard." Trump was hosting a lunch with conservative lawmakers, including House Freedom Caucus chiefs Mark Meadows of North Carolina and Jim Jordan of Ohio, and several senators, among them Lindsey Graham of South Carolina. Absent from the guest list were GOP leaders or any Democrats.

The president also acknowledged in a tweet it could be "a long stay."

Talks continued between Democrats and the White House. For the second day in a row, Vice President Mike Pence shuttled over to the Capitol to work on a deal. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York met with Pence at the request of the White House, according to Schumer's office.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said he hoped an agreement could be reached "sooner rather than later."

McConnell said any deal to reopen government would require Democratic support for passage and the president's signature. "That's what's needed."

Schumer said the shutdown could end immediately if Trump simply dropped his demand for money that was the centerpiece of his presidential campaign. Trump had pledged that Mexico would pay for the wall; Mexico has refused.

"If you want to open the government, you must abandon the wall," Schumer said.

But Trump, digging in, tweeted about "the crisis of illegal activity" at American's southern border is "real and will not stop until we build a great Steel Barrier or Wall."

Democrats said they are open to other proposals that don't include the wall, which Schumer said is too costly and unpopular. They have offered to keep spending at existing levels of $1.3 billion for border fencing and other security.

The impasse blocks money for nine of 15 Cabinet-level departments and dozens of agencies, including the departments of Homeland Security, Transportation, Interior, Agriculture, State and Justice.

The disruption affects many government operations and the routines of 800,000 federal employees. Roughly 420,000 workers were deemed essential and will work unpaid just days before Christmas. An additional 380,000 will be furloughed, meaning they will stay home without pay.

Federal employees already were granted an extra day of vacation on Monday, Christmas Eve, thanks to an executive order that Trump signed this past week. The Senate passed legislation ensuring that workers will receive back pay. The House seemed sure to follow suit.

Late Friday, Pence, Trump son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner and White House budget chief Mick Mulvaney left the Capitol late after hours of bargaining with congressional leaders produced no apparent compromise.

Mulvaney sent agency heads a memorandum telling them to "execute plans for an orderly shutdown." He wrote that administration officials were "hopeful that this lapse in appropriations will be of short duration."

Those being furloughed include nearly everyone at NASA and 52,000 workers at the Internal Revenue Service. About 8 in 10 employees of the National Park Service were to stay home; many parks were expected to close.

Some agencies, including the Pentagon and the departments of Veterans Affairs and Health and Human Services, were already funded and will operate as usual.

The U.S. Postal Service, busy delivering packages for the holiday season, will not be affected because it's an independent agency. Social Security checks will be mailed, troops will remain on duty and food inspections will continue.

Also still functioning will be the FBI, the Border Patrol and the Coast Guard. Transportation Security Administration officers will continue to staff airport checkpoints and air traffic controllers will be on the job.

Trump has savored the prospect of a shutdown over the wall for months. Last week he said he would be "proud" to close down the government, and on Friday said he was "totally prepared for a very long" closure. Many of Congress' most conservative Republicans welcomed such a confrontation, but most GOP lawmakers have wanted to avoid one because polling shows the public opposes the wall and a shutdown over it.

Initial Republican reaction to the shutdown was muted. Among the few GOP lawmakers who issued statements as it began were Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, who expressed disappointment at the lack of a deal, and Lamar Alexander of Tennessee. "This is a complete failure of negotiations and a success for no one," Alexander said.

Schumer and Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California, the Democratic leaders, said in a statement that Trump "threw a temper tantrum and convinced House Republicans to push our nation into a destructive Trump Shutdown in the middle of the holiday season."

Trump had made clear last week that he would not blame Democrats for any closure. Now, he and his GOP allies have spent the past few days saying Democrats, who take control of the House on Jan. 3, bear responsibility.

Senators had approved a bipartisan deal earlier in the week to keep the government open into February and provide $1.3 billion for border security projects, but not the wall. But the House rebelled and approved a package temporarily financing the government but also setting aside $5.7 billion for the border wall.

A test vote in the Senate on Friday showed that Republicans lacked the 60 votes needed to advance the House plan.

___

Associated Press writers Alan Fram, Mary Clare Jalonick and Jill Colvin in Washington contributed to this report.
TOKYO (AP)  Japan's Emperor Akihito, marking his 85th birthday  his last before his upcoming abdication  said he feels relieved that his reign is coming to an end without having seen his country at war and that it is important to keep telling younger people about his nation's wartime history.

"It gives my deep comfort that the Heisei era is coming to an end, free of war in Japan," Akihito said at a news conference at the palace that was recorded this past week and released Sunday. "It is important not to forget that countless lives were lost in World War II and that the peace and prosperity of postwar Japan was built upon the numerous sacrifices and tireless efforts made by the Japanese people, and to pass on this history accurately to those born after the war."

Akihito's 30-year reign of the Heisei is the only era without war in Japan's modern history. Praying for peace and making amends for a war fought in the name of his father, Hirohito, has become a career mission for Akihito, who succeeded the throne in 1989.

Akihito is set to abdicate on April 30, to be succeeded by his eldest son, Crown Prince Naruhito, on May 1. Sunday's birthday celebration is Akihito's last in his reign.

As emperor, Akihito has made unprecedented visits to the Philippines and other Pacific islands conquered by Japan early in World War II and devastated in fierce fighting as the U.S.-led allies took them back. Though Akihito has avoided a direct apology, he has subtly stepped up his expressions of regret in recent years in carefully scripted statements on the war.

Akihito said he won't forget those trips with his wife, Empress Michiko, and thanked those counties for welcoming them despite their bitter memories of the war. "I am grateful to each of those countries for welcoming us with warm hospitality," he said.

Akihito's pacifist image and his compassion for disaster victims, the handicapped and the minorities have gained public support for him and his family. Experts say Akihito's pacifist views may have come from his childhood wartime experiences.

Akihito was 11 years old when he heard his father's voice announcing Japan's World War II surrender on the radio on Aug. 15, 1945. During the subsequent U.S. occupation of Japan, he was tutored in English by Elizabeth Vining, a Quaker, an experience that experts say gave Akihito his pacifist and democratic outlook.

Akihito, in his birthday message, fondly recalled receiving many dignitaries visiting Japan after its return to international society with the signing of the 1952 San Francisco peace treaty.

Akihito is the first emperor enthroned under Japan's postwar pacifist constitution, as the "symbol" with no political power, unlike his father, who was revered as a god until the end of the war. Akihito reiterated his respect and adherence to the war-renouncing charter and his role as a symbol, saying, "I intend to carry out my duties in that capacity and shall continue to contemplate this question as I perform my day-to-day duties until the day of my abdication."
A rare, coastal development featuring high-end housing, upscale retail and premier office in Solana Beachs Cedros Avenue Design District is speeding toward completion in 2019.

The 26,200 square-foot project, known as 330 Cedros, is a type of micro city with a little bit of everything for North Countys most discerning denizens. The two-story building, when finished, will consist of eight luxury apartments, a restaurant and bar, four small shops, 8,000 square feet of office space and 78 parking spots.

Its such a special project, said Adam Robinson, founder and principal with RAF Pacifica Group, the real estate investment group that owns the property. You get a bit of a downtown, urban feel right by the beach.

The firm acquired the land from the previous owner, James Harker, for a little more than $5 million in April 2017. At the time, RAF Pacifica inherited the sites mixed-use project  already masterminded, approved by regional agencies and mostly entitled  from Solana Beach local and business owner Sean MacLeod, who had held an option to buy the land but decided someone else was better suited to build his vision. RAF Pacifica then had to install power lines and finish the land entitlement process, which delayed the ground breaking.

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Construction started in earnest in June. Now, things are moving along at a rapid pace with the buildings shell slated for completion, and spaces ready to turn over to tenants for custom build outs, by August. The goal is to have businesses open and residences occupied by the end of 2019, Robinson said.

Ultimately, RAF Pacifica anticipates spending around $20 million, not including the land cost, to complete the endeavor. Thats because Robinson believes 330 Cedros will appeal to elite tenants  especially on the residential front  who want to be a part of something new and in a walkable neighborhood by the coast.

There are only eight units in this project, so we decided to make them luxury units, he said. Theres nothing done in this area, along the coast, for people to rent.

The development will feature eight luxury rentals with high-end appliances and fixtures. (Courtesy/RAF Pacifica Group)

The residences, located on the second floor of the building, will feature large view decks, top-of-the-line fixtures and appliances, and even heated floors. Theyll range in size from 980 square-foot one bedrooms to 1,750 square-foot two bedrooms, with prices to be decided at a later date. Renters will be presumably be people who already own a home in town, but also want to rent something in close proximity to the beach, Robinson said.

Otherwise, tenants for the retail, restaurant and office components are still unknown, with the developer in no hurry to lease out space.

Im OK with waiting, Robinson said, adding that the uniqueness of the project can only be appreciated once construction is complete. We did the exact same thing for the Lift project in Carlsbad.  We waited to lease that because no one had ever seen anything like it.

That development, at 6021 Innovation Way in Bressi Ranch, is a two-building, 44,000 square-foot center featuring creative office space, eateries and outdoor amenities. Lift is nearly finished and now close to being fully leased, Robinson said.

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jennifer.vangrove@sduniontribune.com (619) 293-1840 Twitter: @jbruin
After previously saying he would "proudly" accept responsibility for a partial U.S. government shutdown if Congress did not pass legislation that included $5 billion for his proposed border wall, President Donald Trump declared Friday on Twitter, "The Democrats now own the shutdown!"

The Republican-led House of Representatives passed a temporary spending bill Thursday that included funding for his wall, and the Senate was expected to vote on the measure Friday in hopes of averting a shutdown at midnight.

"If the Dems vote no, there will be a shutdown that will last a very long time," Trump tweeted Friday.

Later Friday at the White House, Trump doubled down on his 11th-hour effort to blame the impending shutdown on Democratic lawmakers.

"We are going to be working very hard to get something passed in the Senate," he said. "There's a very good chance it won't get passed. It's up to the Democrats, so it's really the Democrats' shutdown."

In an attempt to bolster the slim chances of the measure's passage in the Senate, Trump summoned Senate Republicans to the White House Friday morning to discuss the bill and border security.

Trump repeatedly has demanded funds to build the wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, and he told House Republican leaders before Thursday's vote he would not sign a bill approved by the Senate, which did not include funding for the wall.
A lawsuit filed this month by a prominent San Diego hotel operator claims that escalating demands by organized labor to unionize the Bahia resort on Mission Bay played a key role in killing a deal it had with SeaWorld to build a hotel at the theme park.

The claim is offered up as evidence to bolster Evans Hotels legal argument that local labor unions used high-pressure tactics and extortion to block its plans to nearly double its 315-room Bahia hotel because it wouldnt acquiesce to demands that it allow its workers to unionize.

Evans Hotels had hoped to have its $150 million project before the City Council by now, but a city spokesperson said that no firm hearing date has been set and that San Diegos real estate assets department is still in lease negotiations with Evans Hotels. The Bahia sits on city-owned land.

The lawsuit not only targets Unite Here Local 30, which represents hospitality workers, but also the County Building and Construction Trades Council and their respective leaders, Brigette Browning and Tom Lemmon. It uses especially strong language in its verbal attacks on the unions, claiming that for years they have either delayed or blocked projects by way of unlawful secondary boycotts, sham environmental and zoning opposition, extortion, threats, and intimidation.

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The sole objective, asserts Evans Hotels, is to advance their own economic self-interest and to eliminate the development of any new or redeveloped non-union hotels in the prime tourism regions of San Diego.

Unite Here Local 30, in an emailed statement to the Union-Tribune, said it was within its rights to raise legitimate concerns about the Bahia redevelopment proposal, just as any citizen has the right to raise such concerns. Evans is using the heavy hand of a federal lawsuit to try to deter the Union from exercising this fundamental right in the future.

The union said that it expects the suit, which was filed in U.S. District Court in San Diego, to be dismissed.

While the lengthy complaint makes multiple claims of violations of federal statutes, including racketeering laws, the section devoted to the failed SeaWorld deal offers a rare window into the decision-making of a publicly held company that is not inclined to disclose internal communications.

As far back as three years ago, Evans Hotels and SeaWorld signed a preliminary agreement to develop an upscale, themed hotel adjacent to the San Diego marine park. By January of this year, the two parties formalized their joint venture to develop a hotel that would be leased by SeaWorld.

By early summer, when it became clear that Evans Hotels would not consent to union demands related to its Bahia redevelopment project, Unite Here began to turn up the pressure on SeaWorld, the lawsuit alleges. The position of union leadership at the time was that if the theme park company continued to work with Evans Hotels, it could face substantial opposition to future park attractions, the suit says.

In an August meeting of SeaWorld and Evans Hotels executives, Corrine Brindley, SeaWorlds vice president of state affairs, said that the theme park was concerned that without a union deal on the Bahia project, labor would come after SeaWorld and its proposed new attractions with pitchforks in air, according to the lawsuit.

SeaWorld Interim CEO John Reilly, the suit continues, acknowledged at the time that SeaWorlds inclination to back away from the theme park hotel project effectively threw Evans Hotels under the bus but said again that SeaWorld had no choice but to protect its bread and butter from union interference.

A month later, SeaWorlds general counsel notified Evans Hotels that the company was terminating the joint venture. While SeaWorld never offered a public explanation for its decision to back out the deal,Reilly has said more recently that attendance-driving attractions remain the companys highest priority.

In San Diego, for example, SeaWorld will be debuting yet another coaster  Tidal Twister  which will be the second year in a row that it will be introducing a new roller coaster.

Still, the Evans lawsuit insists that the blame for the fractured hotel deal lies with the unions. It notes that once it became public last month that SeaWorld and Evans Hotels had dissolved their joint venture, San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer asked Evans Hotels Executive Board Member Bill Evans why SeaWorld had abandoned the project.

According to the lawsuit, When Mr. Evans declined to respond, the Mayor leaned in and said, It was the Union, right?

Evans Hotels estimates lost profits of more than $100 million now that it will not be building a SeaWorld-themed hotel.

SeaWorld would not respond directly to the suits claims related to the planned theme park hotel. Instead, it offered a statement that referenced its financial contributions to the city and its animal rescues and ocean conservation work.

While we dont comment on pending litigation, we look forward to continuing these initiatives for the betterment of our community, SeaWorld said.

In making its case against the labor unions, Evans Hotels cites a number of examples in its lawsuit of other projects where developers bowed to labor pressure. Among those mentioned are Cisterras 7th & Market project, which calls for a Ritz Carlton hotel and upscale grocer downtown, the redevelopment of the Town and Country Resort in Mission Valley and Sunroad Hotels plans to build a hotel on Harbor Island. In each case, says the suit, the developers ultimately agreed to pro-labor initiatives.

In its suit, Evans Hotels is seeking monetary damages and a court order prohibiting the unions from from engaging in further extortion and bribery in an effort to oppose Evans Hotels and/or the Bahia project.

Business

lori.weisberg@sduniontribune.com

(619) 293-2251

Twitter: @loriweisberg
PHOTO: Girl Scout Troop 1225 from Carlsbad went caroling at local retirement communities. Pictured are carolers from the troop at Brookdale Carlsbad senior living community. Photo by Krista King.

Community events, news in North County

CARLSBAD

University on Wheels luncheon set for Jan. 7

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The Brandeis National Committee San Dieguito Chapter will present Brandeis University professor Raj Sampath at its annual University on Wheels luncheon at 11 a.m. Jan. 7 at The Crossings, 5800 The Crossings Drive. Sampath, whose field is social justice, will speak on overcoming anti-Semitism in 21st-century America. The event is open to the public. Reserve by Saturday at (858) 309-8348.

DEL MAR

Jazz musician to give free holiday concert

American jazz artist Peter Sprague will perform a free holiday concert from 1 to 4 p.m. Monday at the LAuberge Del Mar Amphitheater at 15th Street and Camino del Mar. Visit visitdelmarvillage.com.

ESCONDIDO

Winning photographs on display at center

The Olivenhain Municipal Water Districts Board of Directors honored seven local, amateur photographers for their winning images in the Elfin Forest Recreational Reserves 13th annual photo contest. This years winning photographs will be on display from Jan. 1 to April 30 at the staging area, 833 Harmony Grove Road. Hours are 8 a.m. to about 30 minutes before sunset daily. Admission and parking are free. The interpretive center is open daily from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., subject to docent availability. Visit olivenhain.com/efrr.

Museum program offers free admission

The California Center for the Arts, Escondido Museum offers free admission for low-income families receiving food stamps as part of the Museums for All program. The program of the Institute of Museum and Library Services, run by the Association of Childrens Museums, encourages people of all backgrounds to visit museums regularly. The program helps community members receiving food assistance (SNAP) benefits. The SNAP Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card must be shown and admits up to four people. The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday to Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday; closed Monday to Wednesday. Visit artcenter.org.

Pay off library fines with food donation

The Escondido Public Librarys annual Food for Fines program runs through Dec. 31. Food for Fines offers patrons the chance to clear up to $20 in fines from library accounts by donating nonperishable, packaged food. Each food item counts as $1 toward reducing fines. The food is donated to Escondidos Interfaith Community Services and distributed to needy families. The library is at 239 S. Kalmia St. Call (760) 839-4684.

FALLBROOK

Art of the Holiday show ends Monday

The Fallbrook Art Center holds an Art of the Holiday show through Monday at 103 S. Main St. The annual show features handcrafted artful gifts created by more than 40 area artists, ranging from jewelry, glassware and wearable art, to decorative wood, ceramics, greeting cards, glass and gourd, and mixed media ornaments. Hours are noon to 3 p.m. today and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday. Admission is free. Visit fallbrookartcenter.org.

OCEANSIDE

Library hosts

writers groups

The Oceanside Public Library hosts two Community Writers Groups led by a volunteer moderator from 2 to 5 p.m. the second Sunday of each month in the Community Room of the Mission Branch Library, 3861-B Mission Ave., and from 5 to 7 p.m. on the second and fourth Mondays of each month, (except holidays), in the Foundation Room of the Civic Center Library, 330 N. Coast Highway. The Mission Branch group accepts all genres and formats, including poetry, prose, fiction, nonfiction and personal essays. The Civic Center group focuses on fiction and nonfiction. Participants should bring five copies of six pages of their work to share with the group. The workshops include critique and discussion. Visit oceansidepubliclibrary.org or call (760) 435-5600.

Volunteers needed

at veterans center

Volunteers are needed at the Veterans Association of North County resource center in Oceanside. The nonprofit is looking for community members to volunteer in a variety of ways to help area active-duty military and veterans and their families find community resources they need. Jobs range from office duties to building maintenance. Volunteers work a few hours per week between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays. Shifts are typically 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. or 1 to 5 p.m. The center is at 1617 Mission Ave. Call (760) 722-1277 or email vanc.volunteercoordinator@gmail.com. Visit vancnorthcounty.org.

SOLANA BEACH

Free Zumba class Thursdays at library

A free adult Zumba classes is offered at 11 a.m. Thursdays at the Solana Beach Library, 157 Stevens Ave. The easy-to-follow dance fitness class meets each Thursday and provides a workout led by Marcella Alva, certified Zumba and Latin dance instructor. Call (858) 755-1404.

VISTA

Nominees sought

for annual award

The Boys & Girls Club of Vista is seeking nominations for its Have a Heart for Kids Award. The annual award recognizes a community member who exemplifies Outstanding Service to the Youth of Vista. Recent winners include Jason Omundson, Debbie Medrano and Sue McLeod. The winner will be honored at the clubs Youth of the Year event on Jan. 31. Submit nominations by Jan. 11 to Boys & Girls Club of Vista c/o Matt Koumaras, 410 W. California Ave., Vista, CA 92083 or email matt@bgcvista.com. To request a nomination form, email ellen@bgcvista.com.
PHOTO: The Village Church in Rancho Santa Fe held its annual Breakfast in Bethlehem, which drew more than 180 community members from throughout North County. The family-oriented event featured an interactive reading of the Christmas story by the Rev. Jack Baca, senior pastor at Village Church, along with a breakfast buffet and holiday activities. From left (sitting): Rosemary Hunten, Elizabeth Hunten, Ken Miller, Diane Hunten and Vivian Hunten. Standing in back is Baca. Visit villagechurch.org. Photo by Kailey Vigil

Community events, news

CARLSBAD

Orthopedic surgeon

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to answer questions

The Carlsbad Senior Center offers a free Ask the Orthopedic Surgeon session from 10 a.m. to noon Wednesday at the center, 799 Pine Ave. Dr. Joel Heiser will answer questions about ailments, including sore joints or muscles, arthritis, back pain or when to see a specialist. Call (760) 602-4650 in advance to reserve a 15-minute appointment.

Class on balance, mobility at center

The Carlsbad Senior Center offers two Better Balance and Mobility classes that each meet twice a week from 1 to 2 p.m. Mondays and 10:45 to 11:45 a.m. Wednesdays or 11 a.m. to noon Mondays and 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Wednesdays at 799 Pine Ave. The classes aim to improve balance, strength, posture, walking ability and safety awareness. Classes begin Jan. 2. Cost is $59.40 for residents and $66 for nonresidents. Participants should register before Friday. Call (760) 602-4650.

Newcomers to hear about safari trip

The Carlsbad Newcomers Club will hold a coffee meeting at 9:45 a.m. Jan. 2 followed by an Eco-Safari in Kenya presentation at 10:15 a.m. at 799 Pine Ave. Club President Patricia Mehan, her husband, Sherman DeForest, and friends Bea and Tony Moras will share photos and highlights of their two-week tour seeing wildlife and meeting native Maasai people. There will be a no-host luncheon after the meeting. Call (760) or visit carlsbadnewcomers.org.

Weight loss support group meets Mondays

The TOPS Club meets from 6 to 7 p.m. Mondays at the Calavera Hills Community Center, 2997 Glasgow Drive. TOPS, a nonprofit weight-loss support group, is seeking new members. Call (760) 729-1321.

ENCINITAS

New Years Eve Burning Bowl set

The Seaside Center for Spiritual Living hosts its 17th annual communitywide New Years Eve Burning Bowl Ceremony from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Dec. 31 at 1613 Lake Drive. The event is an opportunity to burn what you want to release for 2018 and set intentions for 2019 in a supportive community setting. No advance sign-ups are necessary. For information, email the Rev. Christina Tillotson at revdrchristina@gmail.com.

FALLBROOK

Democratic club to hold meeting Jan. 3

The Fallbrook Democratic Club will meet at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 3 at the Hilltop Center, 331 E. Elder St. Social time at 6:30 p.m. will be followed by the meeting at 7 p.m., which includes annual club elections. There will be a panel discussion on Trustee Area District Elections for 2020. The Fallbrook Elementary School District, the Fallbrook High School District and the Fallbrook Health District are all transitioning from at-large trustee elections to area district elections for 2020. Along with regular meetings on the first Thursday of each month, the club holds casual coffee meetings on the third Wednesday of each month at 8 a.m. at Fallbrook Coffee Co., 622 S. Mission Road. Dues for next year can be paid at the meeting or in advance at fallbrookdemocrats.org.

Last day of library bookstores holiday sale

The last day of the Fallbrook Librarys annual Bottom Shelf Holiday Boutique is today. Items include books, games, music, videos and childrens and adult gifts. Bottom Shelf gift certificates will be sold. The bookstore, 124 S. Mission Road, is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Call (760) 451-9606.

VISTA

Free crafting classes Mondays at center

The Gloria McClellan Center is offering free crafting classes from 10:30 a.m. to noon Mondays at 1400 Vale Terrace Drive. Learn paper sculpture, sand painting, collage, wind chimes and more. Confirm class time at (760) 643-5288.
Every year on Christmas Eve, Santa Claus sets out in his sleigh to make overnight toy deliveries with the promise hell be back again next Christmas day.

But at San Marcos Mobile Estates, a real-life Santa and Mrs. Claus arent making any such promises. For 16 years, Henry and Glenna Parker have been dressing up as the North Pole couple and making merry with thousands of visitors. But this Christmas Eve will be their last.

Because of Glennas health problems, the Parkers have decided to hang up their red velvet coats and say goodbye to their popular North County tradition. Monday night will be the last time theyll sit outside in side-by-side lawn chairs to greet the nightly crowds, which range in size from a few dozen on weeknights to more than 300 on weekends.

Henry and Glenna Parker pose with 8-year-old visitor Kaylee Elliott of San Marcos on Thursday in front of their San Marcos home. The Parkers have been dressing up as Santa and Mrs. Claus for 16 years but this is their last year because of Glennas growing health issues. (Pam Kragen/San Diego Union-Tribune)

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Families come by the carload each night to pose for photos in Henrys lap, sample candy canes, enjoy Henrys outdoor G scale train set and admire the couples light display, which can be seen by passing eastbound motorists on State Route 78.

Weve had so many wonderful memories over the years, said Henry, 62. My favorite part is the camaraderie I have with all the people. Every one is always so nice and they enjoy everything so much.

Glenna, 74, said shell miss catching up with children who come back every year and shell also miss the kindness of their parents who always take the time to stop, chat and occasionally bring the Parkers a cup of hot cocoa. But most of all shell miss watching her husbands interactions with the public.

I love watching him, she said. He had such a hard childhood and never had a Christmas when he was a boy, so its fun to watch how much joy he gets out of Christmas every year.

Dressed as Santa Claus, Henry Parker, 62, greets a carload of seniors who drove up to visit his San Marcos mobile home on Thursday night. Parker and his wife, Glenna, have been dressing up as Santa and Mrs. Claus for 16 years but this will be their last year. (Pam Kragen/San Diego Union-Tribune)

As a boy growing up in the Pacific Northwest, Henry never had a visit with Santa or Christmas presents. At the age of 2, he and his year-old brother, Johnny, were abandoned in an alley. A Washington police officer followed reports of crying to a Dumpster, where they found the crying Henry inside and Johnny nearby, wrapped in a heap of old clothes.

The mischievous boys bounced from one foster home to another until they were separated for good when Henry was 12. They never saw each other again. After leaving his 23rd foster home as a teen, Henry lived in poverty, struggled to find work and had scrapes with the law. In his mid-20s, he hitchhiked to Louisiana and after a rough patch living in his car, he eventually found work.

After an unsuccessful first marriage, he met Glenna at a Louisiana nightclub in 1987. Instantly smitten, he asked her to marry him that night. Six months later, they made it official. They left the South for Escondido in 1996 to move closer to Glennas daughter.

Glenna said that from the time she met Henry, she knew Christmas was very special to him. Every year, he would decorate not only their apartment for the holidays, but also the homes of every relative she had. When they moved from an Escondido apartment to their San Marcos mobile home 16 years ago, she said, he could finally fulfill his decorating dreams and let his imagination run wild.

Henry starts setting up his holiday decorations right after Halloween each year and they open their San Marcos Winter Wonderland on Thanksgiving night. He works full time as a facilities maintenance technician for Genentech Inc. in Oceanside. Every day after work, he rushes home for a quick dinner, then he and Glenna put on their costumes and head outside to await visitors from 6:15 p.m. sharp to around 9:30 p.m., weather permitting.

A spiral notebook logs nightly visitors to the mobile home of Henry and Glenna Parker of San Marcos on Thursday night. The Parkers have been dressing up as Santa and Mrs. Claus for visitors for 16 years but this is their last year because of Glennas growing health issues. (Pam Kragen/San Diego Union-Tribune)

As Santas chief elf, Henry takes childrens toy requests. Each year, he studies the advertising circulars for the years hottest toys so he knows exactly what children will be asking for. The Parkers keep track of nightly attendance with a spiral notebook that has recorded visitors from all over the county as well as vacationers from Israel, Japan, China and many other countries. Every visitor gets a candy cane, even seniors who roll up in cars to simply view the scene from their car windows.

On Thursday night, Keith and Melinda Elliott of San Marcos stopped by with their 8-year-old daughter, Kaylee. She posed on Santas lap and enjoyed watching the train circle its track in the Parkers front yard. Her favorite feature was a pair of illuminated reindeer sculptures whose heads turn and move up and down.

Escondido resident Jennifer Garcia has been coming to visit the Parkers with her now-12-year-old son, Trevor, for the past five years. She was heartbroken when she visited on Wednesday and saw a sign out front that told visitors the Parkers are retiring.

We look forward to visiting every year and my son loves to talk trains with Santa, Garcia said. The Parkers have touched our hearts.

The past two years have been difficult for the couple as Glenna has battled lymphedema, a painful and incurable condition that causes fluid to build up in the arms and legs. She spent much of last years holiday season in the hospital and now she can barely walk. Her doctor ordered her to give up the hobby after this season.

Because the Parkers are inseparable, Henry said it wouldnt be any fun playing Santa without his Mrs. Claus by his side so they agreed to call it quits together. He did say, however, that he will put up his lights and decor again next year.

Everyone has said such kind things when I tell them that this is our last year, he said. Its nice to know that weve helped make memories for people. Well miss it a lot.

San Marcos Winter Wonderland

Hours: 6:15 to 9:30 p.m. nightly through Monday (Dec. 24), weather permitting

Where: San Marcos Mobile Estates, 1145 Barham Drive, Space 20 (near the community entrance), San Marcos

Admission: Free (donations accepted to help pay the electricity bill)

The brightly decorated mobile home of San Marcos residents Henry and Glenna Parker can be seen from Highway 78. For 16 years the Parkers have been dressing up as Santa and Mrs. Claus for visitors but this is their last year because of Glennas growing health issues. (Pam Kragen/San Diego Union-Tribune)

pam.kragen@sduniontribune.com
If anyone ever asks Carlsbad retiree Judy Ludwig her husband Rons whereabouts, she could easily respond with the song lyric that hes been working on the railroad, all the live long day.

Around the La Costa Glen retirement community, 82-year-old Ron Ludwig is known as the train man. Most days, the retired Navy pilot can be found working for many hours on one of his finely handcrafted HO scale electric model train layouts.

He has filled three garages with an enormous train layout and workshop and this year he was commissioned by La Costa Glen to build an 8-by-3-foot, holiday-themed train system for the community clubhouse.

1 / 10 Ron Ludwig, a resident of the La Costa Glen retirement community in Carlsbad, watches as the HO scale electric model train, on display in the lobby of the Lakeside Clubhouse, goes around the track. He built the set over the past year. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 2 / 10 Ron Ludwig, a resident of the La Costa Glen retirement community, checks to make sure one of his HO scale electric model trains is on track before turning it on. Hes known as the Carlsbad communitys resident train man. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 3 / 10 An HO scale electric model train, built by resident Ron Ludwig for display in the lobby of the Lakeside Clubhouse at the La Costa Glen retirement community, powers its way around the track on Tuesday morning. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 4 / 10 An HO scale electric model train, built by resident Ron Ludwig for display in the lobby of the Lakeside Clubhouse at the La Costa Glen retirement community, makes a turn as it heads through a tunnel. Ludwig builds all of the landscape components of his train sets from scratch. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 5 / 10 La Costa Glen resident Ron Ludwig, 82, poses with the HO scale electric train set he built for the Carlsbad retirement communitys holiday display this past year. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 6 / 10 Close-up look at the electric model train display in the lobby of the Lakeside Clubhouse at the La Costa Glen retirement community in Carlsbad. Built by resident Ron Ludwig, the train is HO scale, meaning its 1/87th the size of a real train. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 7 / 10 Close-up look at the electric model train display in the lobby of the Lakeside Clubhouse at the La Costa Glen retirement community in Carlsbad. Built by resident Ron Ludwig, the train is HO scale, meaning its 1/87th the size of a real train. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 8 / 10 Ron Ludwig, a resident of the La Costa Glen retirement community in Carlsbad, watches as the HO scale electric model train, on display in the lobby of the Lakeside Clubhouse, goes around the track. He built the set over the past year. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 9 / 10 A section of the train yard in a large model train layout Ron Ludwig, 82, built inside a pair of garages at the La Costa Glen retirement community in Carlsbad. Hes know there as the train man. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 10 / 10 A clock featuring a train is above one of the HO scale electric model railroad train sets Ron Ludwig, a resident of the La Costa Glen retirement community built in one of his garages. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune)

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Ludwig said hes been fascinated with model trains ever since his father bought him his first Lionel set for his 10th birthday.

I just love watching them go around, he said. Im not the guy whos into the electronics of it. Im more the kind of guy who loves the painting and design part.

Michele Chaffee, activities director at La Costa Glen, said she asked Ludwig to build the set for the clubhouse this year because everyone in the community is so impressed with his talent and detail work.

Ron is a character and a wonderful person to work with, Chafee said. This is way more than a hobby for him. Its a lifestyle.

La Costa Glen resident Nancy Rommel said Ludwig has treated the responsibility of building the clubhouse train with such seriousness over the past year that he would head to his workshop every morning as if it were a full-time job.

This is absolutely fabulous, Rommel said, admiring the new holiday train. Im impressed with all the time it took to do it. Everyone is really enjoying it so much. Hes done a marvelous job.

Ludwig grew up in Long Island, N.Y., where he remembers his first train was an O scale table-top set. Over the years, that grew in size to fill a Ping-Pong table, then moved to a floor layout and finally to an elevated platform that measured 16 by 16 feet.

But for a big portion of his life, Ludwigs preferred mode of transportation had wings.

Ludwig spent 32 years in the Navy. During the Vietnam War, he was an aviator, flying Grumman S-2 Tracker anti-submarine warfare planes, which involved risky takeoffs and landings from the decks of aircraft carriers. Later in his career, he traveled between Navy bases inspecting ships. After he retired from the Navy as a captain, he spent eight years running a junior ROTC program in Santa Ana.

The Ludwigs, parents of four who have been married 59 years, moved to La Costa Glen in 2012. To house his train sets, he rented a trio of contiguous single-car garages. Two of the garages are connected via a tiny railway tunnel so the trains, which are 1/87th the size of an actual train, can chug from one end of the massive layout to another.

While Ludwig buys the track components, train cars and tiny home and store and vehicle models for his layouts, he prefers to build just about everything else from scratch. He hand-paints all of the scenery, hand-builds the landscapes, makes the mountains from papier-mache and paints weathering details on all of the structures.

He uses strips of bridal veil to create tiny chain-link fencing, created a tumbledown wood picket fence out of coffee stirrers, made a lake and waterfall with lacquers and paints, and used wood parts to build a covered bridge, boat dock and more.

Chafee said one of the best things about Ludwigs train sets is that hes not only expert at design, hes also skilled at building layouts where the electrical circuits work reliably and the trains dont derail by themselves.

Of course, there are other challenges faced by the new timer-operated holiday train, which debuted in the clubhouse on Thanksgiving weekend and will stay up through the holidays.

Although theres a protective glass barrier around the train, that hasnt stopped many curious residents from reaching into the display to lift out the cars or accidentally knock them off the tracks. Ludwig said his first duty every morning is to go to the clubhouse to babysit the train set by repairing any minor damage and make sure the system is running smoothly.

There are a lot of 85-year-old men here who like to touch the train because it reminds them of the trains they had when they were boys, he said. Little boys go from age 3 to 93.

pam.kragen@sduniontribune.com
The Coronado City Council has approved a set of raises for City Manager Blair King.

The first raise  retroactive to May 24  will increase Kings base salary by 8 percent to $239,000. His pay will rise again, to almost $250,000, under a 4.5 percent raise next July.

Next summers pay increase will be the fifth consecutive raise in as many years for King, who was hired in 2010. His benefits include an annual $6,300 car allowance.

Coronado City Manager Blair King (Coronado)

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The changes to Kings employment contract also include an annual $6,000 contribution to a deferred-compensation retirement plan, retroactive to May 24.

The City Council unanimously approved the changes on Tuesday.

The action came after a separate item that was a presentation by King to the City Council that laid out the citys accomplishments in 2018, including an increase in license plate readers, a new online citizens complaint system and a ban on so-called electronic cigarettes in public spaces.

If we needed a reason to thank our city manager for directing how we do things, the list around the room, I think, speaks for itself, Councilwoman Carrie Downey said, making reference to a copy of the list of accomplishments made available to the public.

Downey, who didnt seek re-election and served her last day on Tuesday, said the timing of the consideration of pay raises for King and the presentation was coincidental. She said the City Council reviews its accomplishments every year.

Under his employment contract, King is subject to an annual performance in May.

King arrived in Coronado after working as city manager for five years in the San Joaquin County city of Lodi. He has held the same position in Imperial Beach and the San Mateo County city of Half Moon Bay.

With about 24,000 residents, Coronado is among the smallest cities in San Diego County. City managers in San Diego County cities with similar population sizes earn much less, including $198,000 in Imperial Beach and $175,000 in Lemon Grove.

The median salary for a city manager in the San Diego area is $243,000.

Email: david.hernandez@sduniontribune.com

Phone: (619) 293-1876

Twitter: @D4VIDHernandez
Karim Bouris is the executive director of Business for Good San Diego, an organization with national roots that works to help small, local business inform local policies that benefit the businesses, their employees and the surrounding communities.

With an eye toward key areas that include recognizing the value that immigrants bring to local economies; encouraging local government policy and public investments that benefit residents; increasing access to financial investments for small businesses; finding solutions for homelessness and responding to it with compassion; and focusing on the health of the environment, the organization works with experts to develop informed ideas and solutions.

Bouris, 43, lives in Ocean Beach and has two children and a longtime partner. Bouris, whos spent 20 years in both international business and community organizations creating programs to address similar social issues, took some time to talk about his work with Business for Good San Diego.

Q: Tell us about Business for Good San Diego.

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A: Business for Good San Diego came out of a national initiative that was brought to San Diego to help incubate this new kind of business association. I brought together a board of advisers who, after a year, said, San Diego needs this kind of business organization to help small businesses build power.  We empower small businesses to drive policy that makes their communities thrive. This means that our members care about their employees, their bottom line, and their community.

Q: What are your responsibilities in your role as executive director?

A: As executive director, my job is to lead the policy for our four four key issue areas: homelessness, immigration, environmental health and prioritizing investments in small business resources. I ensure that our committees have access to experts in their respective issue areas so that we can learn and take action, and that were developing plans with goals that we can achieve. I am also the key recruiter for the organization, constantly trying to connect with the business owners that represent the true diversity of our small business economy in San Diego.

Q: Whats your goal/vision for the organization?

A: We see a future where Business for Good San Diego has changed the business narrative from one that shuns taxes and opposes regulations, to one that asks whats good for all members of our community, and one that sees the potential for economic livelihood for all people.

What I love about Ocean Beach ...

I love walking around Ocean Beach with our dog; shes everyones favorite, so thanks to her, I regularly bump into neighbors, strike up easy conversations, and get a great sense of community.

Q: Tell us about the toolkit your organization recently launched for helping small business owners address homelessness.

A: The toolkit is a how-to guide to help businesses address homelessness in their community. It includes tips for frontline staff to handle situations that may occur when they are at work, in an easy-to-reference sheet. Its also a guide for business owners to lead in solutions, whether they want to help with short-term solutions like connecting a homeless person to 211, or longer-term solutions like advocating for permanent affordable housing.

Q: What are the specific tools in the kit?

A: We felt it was important to provide steps to deal compassionately with the people experiencing homelessness. We also provide contact numbers and resources to call on when youre experiencing a situation with a homeless person. Finally, we make recommendations on how to engage in longer-term solutions like joining local planning boards or supporting our work to usher in funding for more affordable housing.

Q: What are the issues/scenarios that the toolkit was designed to address?

A: The biggest concern that prompted our toolkit was business owners worrying about their frontline staff who have to deal with uncomfortable interactions with people who are homeless. This looks like a homeless person sleeping on your business stoop when you come to work or, perhaps, walking into a place of business during working hours and asking for handouts or simply lingering. We wanted to create an easy reference guide to help these staff feel more in charge during these situations and to make it easy for them to make the right call, like knowing the right service provider to help based on the situation.

Q: What would it ideally look like for a business to address homelessness with compassion?

A: This is simple. It means not seeing a problem or a nuisance, rather seeing a person and fellow human being. Three-fourths of the homeless population in San Diego became homeless here, and the leading cause was economic. This means they are people we know, people who are one bill away from disaster.

Q: Whats been rewarding for you about this work?

A: My job is to open opportunities for small business owners to find their public policy voice, and its often their first time. The most rewarding part of this work is seeing entrepreneurs step into the spotlight to lead on community issues and to build relationships with their elected officials  they are so intuitive at cutting through the noise and knowing how to get things done.

Q: What has this work taught you about yourself?

A: Meeting these courageous and curious business owners has taught me that its OK to be yourself, and when you do, people will listen and follow.

Q: What is the best advice youve ever received?

A: The best advice that Ive ever received is to spend my time in the learning zone, the area wedged between your comfort and your panic zones. If you understand that and are open to it, then you can pretty much tackle everything with a more open and calm mind.

Q: What is one thing people would be surprised to find out about you?

A: That I have a twin sister who lives in Nigeria.

Q: Describe your ideal San Diego weekend.

A: In our camper van, tucked away in the wilderness. I love our mountains and deserts. The days would obviously start with coffee and a book, include a little guitar, and exploring the area by bike. And end with delicious food and drinks with friends.

Email: lisa.deaderick@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @lisadeaderick
USO San Diego put a bow on its annual Giving Tree event at its downtown offices Friday as local military members picked out some last minute gifts for their families.

The USO estimated as many as 400 local military families, nominated for the program by their individual commands, had participated in the event since it began Tuesday.

Families were paired with personal shoppers  volunteers  to help them select up to six toys for each child in their homes, including high-value items such as bicycles and scooters.

The toys were collected at donation stations around San Diego since Thanksgiving with help from Hilton Properties, Geppettos Toys and KFMB-TV.

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Ashley Camac, the director for operations and programs at the USO San Diego, said the organization tried to fill in the gaps between the Defense Department and other non-governmental organizations to help military families during the holidays.

Giving Tree is a nomination-based program, so its not first come-first served, she said. Its based on commands nominating an active duty family. So when they come through, its not one toy per family, its a whole package of things.

Carmac estimated about 50 local commands, across all branches of the military, nominated members to receive gifts this year.

Among the items the USO provided at-need service members, in addition to toys for kids, were gift cards to on-base commissaries as well as either a ham or turkey for Christmas dinners.

Carmac said that while the majority of service members coming through were enlisted members E-6 and below, that there were also many higher-ranking people were also referred.

We dont have a rank restriction at USO, she said. We will not turn anybody away based on rank. You never know what somebody is going through and what has created a hardship during the holiday season.

USO volunteers escorted service members through piles of donated toys, games and stuffed animals, organized by age group and gender, to help them choose the gifts.

Once the shopping was finished, volunteers also wrapped presents.

Maria Arguijo, a Navy aviation ordinanceman, joined in 2006. Shes currently stationed at a San Diego-based helicopter squadron and said she was appreciative of what the USO offered her family.

I actually like the way they did this, she said. I think its absolutely amazing how much they do.

Arguijo picked-out Little Mermaid and princess dresses for her two daughters, 6 and 4, as well as several smaller toys she said theyd enjoy.

Arguijo and her husband are both in the Navy. She said that the holidays could be a difficult time for a lot of military families.

Just cause were in the military a lot of people think that we make a lot of money, she said, but I can promise you we dont. So what I absolutely love about the military is theres always organizations  theres always people there that you can look for that help you.

Contact Andrew Dyer via email or Twitter.
December 22, 1969 Evening Tribune

The San Diego Union-Tribune will mark its 150th anniversary in 2018 by presenting a significant front page from the archives each day throughout the year.

Monday, December 22, 1969

In 1969 a jet fighter crashed into a hangar at Miramar Naval Air Station, killing fourteen people on the ground.

The F-8 Crusader, whose pilot ejected safely during an emergency landing approach, plowed through the hangars double doors at 250 miles an hour. The Vietnam-era tragedy  the worst at the air station since Camp Kearny became Miramar after World War II  caused an estimated $25 million damage to aircraft and the hangar.

Here are the first few paragraphs of the story:

Miramar Air Crash Disaster!

15 Killed, Many Injured on Base

Navy Jet Hits Hangar at Air Station

Helicopter Fleet Rushes Victims to Area Hospital

By Frank Saldana

An F8 Crusader jet crashed into a Miramar Naval Air Station hangar today killing or injuring scores of men working on aircraft.

A Navy spokesman who was on the scene said initial estimates were that 15 were killed in the crash and explosion.

"There are a lot of people dead," the spokesman said.

Witnesses said the plane slammed into the hangar's doors, and exploded inside at 10:35 a.m. Bodies were seen thrown into the air and men fleeing from the blazing inferno. About 50 or 60 Navy personnel were inside the hangar at the time.

Copters Aid Rescuers

An air station spokesman said all available ambulances were called to the scene. More than 10 helicopter loads of injured were flown to Naval Hospital.

James Foti, medical administrative officer at the Miramar dispensary said the injured were being given first aid here then immediately transferred to Naval Hospital by helicopter.

"It's pretty much of a mess out here, impossible to get a count yet," Foti said

Dove Straight

The pilot of the plane ejected safely, the spokesman said.

Officials said the plane was about 1,000 feet above the air station and approaching from east of U.S. 395. The jet dove straight into the hanger, he said, and exploded.

General quarters and disaster control measures were put into effect, he said. The fire that followed the blast was put out in 15 minutes, he said.

The official said that the several planes in the hangar being worked all appeared destroyed.

Huge Ball of Fire

"The hangar was gutted." he said. "There was this huge ball of fire. It was awful. People were thrown out, others ran."

All available Navy and Coast Guard helicopters were called to the scene to evacuate the wounded.

Firemen and disaster specialists began searching the area immediately for bodies and wounded.

The hangar is the headquarters for VF-121 squadron known as the Pacemakers.

View anniversary front pages online at sandiegouniontribune.com/150-years. For more from the Union-Tribune digital archives, go to newslibrary.com/sites/sdub. Searching is free, with registration. A fee is required to view full stories.
Victims of the wildfires that devastated parts of California last month will not have to add a government shutdown to their list of troubles, federal authorities said Friday.

Even though lawmakers failed Friday to find a way to avert a partial shutdown before a midnight deadline, the Federal Emergency Management Agency said its workers would stay on the job .

Since the Camp fire tore through the town of Paradise and other parts of Butte County and the Woosley fire burned through a large swath of Los Angeles and Ventura counties, hundreds of FEMA employees have been in the state to aid in the emergency response.

FEMA has partnered with state agencies to operate disaster relief centers, where victims can seek assistance navigating the difficult and often confusing process of rebuilding their homes and lives. Among other services, FEMA offers loans, assists people in finding shelter and getting their medical prescriptions filled.

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The looming shutdown had led to concerns the FEMA workers would be sent home.

In a statement Friday, FEMA officials made clear that would not happen, since workers in the wildfire zones are paid from a fund that would not be affected by a shutdown.

These disaster employees will be able to continue working their regular schedules, the statement read.

joel.rubin@latimes.com

For more news on federal courts in Southern California, follow me on Twitter: @joelrubin
California regulators said Friday they are considering splitting up Pacific Gas & Electric Co. or making other drastic changes amid concerns over the utilitys role in recent gas explosions and wildfires.

Among the options under consideration by the California Public Utilities Commission are breaking up the utilitys natural gas and electric distribution and transmission divisions; replacing part or all of the utilitys board of directors and its corporate management; conditioning its equity return on safety; reorganizing the company into regional subsidiaries; or making PG&E a public utility.

The commission hasnt made any final decisions and is taking comments on those and other proposals through Jan. 30.

A PG&E spokeswoman did not immediately comment.

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We must be careful and practical, Public Utilities Commission President Michael Picker said in a statement. This process will be like repairing a jetliner while its in flight. Crashing a plane to make it safer isnt good for the passengers.

Regulators have been examining the utilitys safety policies for years. A review was ordered after a 2010 gas pipeline explosion that killed eight people and destroyed 38 homes in the Bay Area suburb of San Bruno. The utility faced more than $1.6 billion in fines and penalties levied by the commission, and it was required to work with a federal monitor as part of a criminal proceeding.

Officials are currently investigating whether PG&Es equipment started the Camp fire six weeks ago in Northern California that leveled the town of Paradise, killed at least 86 people and destroyed close to 15,000 homes. Because the cause of that specific fire hasnt been determined, its not directly part of the commissions safety examination, although regulators are considering past fires and that the utilitys service is in fire-prone areas.

PG&E has had serious safety problems with both its gas and electric operations for many years, read a commission order issued Friday.
Behind the rustic facades of hotels, ski shops, gift stores and travel bureaus within Yosemite National Park and outside its gates, business owners and holiday travelers spent Friday anxiously wondering whether they would become victims of a federal government shutdown.

Their nerves frayed more when lawmakers failed to reach a deal by a midnight deadline and the partial shutdown began.

At stake was the lucrative Christmas and New Years business during one of the busiest weeks of winter at Yosemite, which draws more than 6 million visitors a year. The fate of Californias other national parks also remained uncertain.

But on Saturday, Yosemite officials said the park remained open and that concessions and the Yosemite Valley shuttle service are operating normally. Roads and hiking trails normally open during the winter also remain open.

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David Freireich, a spokesman for the parks major concessionaire, Yosemite Hospitality, said the parks annual Christmas celebration, the Bracebridge Dinner held at the Majestic Yosemite Hotel (formerly the Ahwahnee Hotel) since 1927, would go on as planned Saturday night.

We are currently operating business as usual, he said.

On its website, an alert about the government shutdown advised that emergency response time may increase and that entrance stations are unstaffed. Visitor centers and the Yosemite Museum are closed and National Park Service programs are cancelled. Restroom and trash removal services are limited.

Two days earlier, Jonathan Farrington, director of the Yosemite-Mariposa Tourism Bureau, responded to nervous inquiries from prospective visitors by saying that while the parks gates would be unmanned, there would be no fee for entering the park.

In an interview on Friday afternoon, he was not so sure.

A day ago, indications were that a shutdown would not actually happen, he said.Were just not hearing anything that is reassuring. In fact, were not hearing anything at all.

Besides Yosemite, other popular parks around the country, like Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon, also remained open. In California, the private resort Oasis at Death Valley National Park is also open, as are the parks trails and hiking areas.

There were some exceptions, however. San Diegans and holiday visitors trying to visit Cabrillo National Monument on Saturday were turned away. The park in Point Loma was closed for the safety of visitors and park resources due to a lapse of appropriations.

Still, most parks, like Joshua Tree National Park, remained open.

The visitors center was shuttered and organized ranger activities curtailed, but the gates were open Saturday morning allowing people to drive through the high desert wilderness and take unguided hikes, as usual.

Our employees who would usually take fees have been furloughed so we arent accepting fees, said ranger Dylan Moe. Theres a small staff or park employees here to respond to emergencies if they arise, but thats it.

The lack of staff did have a silver lining, of course.

One motorist who pulled up to the pay station at the entrance to Joshua Tree on Saturday was delighted to discover there was no attendant, while the park remained open.

Free! she said, with a big laugh. Trump is good for something.

carlos.lozano@latimes.com
Prosecutors have dismissed charges against a man suspected of threatening to kill people at a Chula Vista Catholic church.

Superior Court Judge Theodore Weathers issued a protective order against Thomas Escajeda, 61, on behalf of St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church.

Escajeda was arrested Oct. 31 after church officials reported that a man had called and threatened to hurt people who would be attending an All Saints Day Mass two days later, Chula Vista police said.

Officers identified Escajeda, a church member for more than a year, as the suspected caller and arrested him Nov. 1.

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A spokesman for the Diocese of San Diego said the church closed its St. Rose of Lima School and canceled a 10 a.m. childrens Mass as a precaution Nov. 2, celebrated as All Saints Day.

A 10News reporter interviewed Escajeda in jail Nov. 1 and reported he said it was all a misunderstanding. He was quoted as saying he called the church to ask if he could sell hot chocolate and coffee before the service and used the phrase, Id make a killing.

That phrase sent the person on the other end of the phone into a panic, he told the reporter.

Escajedas case was set for a preliminary hearing on Tuesday, but instead, the charges were dropped.

Deputy District Attorney Christopher Blaylock said in a statement the case was dismissed in the furtherance of justice after determining the charges could not be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

Blaylock said that before dismissing the case, the judge granted the church a civil protective order, keeping him away from the church, that has essentially the same effect as a criminal protective order that had been attached to the criminal charges.

pauline.repard@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @pdrepard
The founder of Los Angeles charter school network Celerity Educational Group has agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to misappropriate and embezzle public funds, federal prosecutors said Friday.

The felony charge stems from Vielka McFarlanes years-long habit of using her charter schools credit card to pay for expensive clothing, luxury hotel stays and first-class flights for her and her family.

According to the plea agreement made public Friday, she admitted to misspending about $2.5 million in public funds  all of which had been intended for her students.

This tally included taxpayer money meant for McFarlanes California charter schools that she used to buy and renovate an office building in Columbus, Ohio, where she opened another charter school. At about $2.3 million, the purchase represented the bulk of the misspent funds, prosecutors said.

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McFarlane, 56, who served as Celerity Educational Groups chief executive until 2015, faces a maximum possible sentence of five years in prison. She is scheduled to appear in court Jan. 7.

When anyone repurposes public school funds for self-serving reasons, students suffer, said First Assistant U.S. Atty. Tracy L. Wilkison. This case involving the former CEO of Celerity demonstrates our ongoing efforts to protect and safeguard public funds, and to hold accountable those who improperly use those funds for their own gain.

Prosecutors chose to take a softer approach to her network of charter schools.

According to a non-prosecution agreement reached in June 2017, the government will not file charges against Celerity Educational Group, which has renamed itself ISANA Academies. The nonprofit organization continues to operate six charter schools in L.A. and Compton and has agreed to cooperate with the federal investigation.

Attorneys representing McFarlane and Celerity Educational Group did not respond to requests for comment.

It was Los Angeles Unified School District employees who first stumbled across McFarlanes misuse of taxpayer dollars. In 2012, the districts charter division made a routine request for financial records from Celerity.

When the charter networks credit card statements arrived that fall, many of the transactions had been blacked out. Concerned district staff grew even more alarmed when they received the full records, which showed that McFarlane had paid for lavish meals and out-of-state travel with the nonprofits credit card.

The school districts inspector general opened an investigation and the federal government eventually stepped in. Nearly two years ago, federal agents raided Celeritys offices and McFarlanes home, confiscating computers and copying records.

In her plea agreement, McFarlane admitted that she used public funds meant for her L.A.-area charter schools to pay for personal expenses and to start the Ohio charter school. The document details how, beginning in 2009  five years after she founded the first Celerity charter  she began to treat her organizations credit card as if it was her own.

Among the items she paid for with public funds were $3,347 worth of goods from luxury brand Salvatore Ferragamo in Beverly Hills, $7,742 for plane tickets to Washington, D.C., for President Obamas second inauguration, and $9,299 for two customized recumbent bicycles for her and her spouse. There were flights to Miami and Panama and stays at high-end hotels.

McFarlane wasnt alone on these trips. Federal prosecutors wrote that at various points, she was joined by a Celerity board member  referred to in the plea agreement as Board Member 1  as well as several of her employees and their spouses.

Though her travel and clothing purchases got regulators attention, McFarlanes misuse of public funds went well beyond the credit card.

She created a web of for-profit companies that did business with her charter schools. She also founded another nonprofit group, Celerity Global Development, which was ostensibly providing office services. The charter schools gave Global between 10% and 12% of their revenue for bookkeeping, payroll and other tasks.

Shielded from prying district employees, Global became a vehicle for McFarlane to enrich herself.

Prosecutors wrote that in 2013, Global spent thousands of dollars to lease and renovate a recording studio in Canoga Park. The charter schools rarely used the studio but McFarlane had her own plans for it, which included using it to launch her for-profit media-production business, The Muse Collective.

It is unclear whether any other Celerity executives or board members will face criminal charges. Court documents filed in the case refer to unnamed co-conspirators. A spokesman for the U.S. attorneys office for the Central District of California said its investigation is ongoing.

anna.phillips@latimes.com

Twitter: @annamphillips
San Diego Countys plan that would allow developers to pay their way around restrictions on greenhouse gas emissions appears to be in legal peril. However, several projects already approved by the Board of Supervisors still could move forward.

The Sierra Club and the county went head to head on Friday in front of Superior Court Judge Timothy B. Taylor, who said he would issue a final ruling in the case before Christmas. The ruling, while potentially influential, is expected to be appealed.

The decision of this court will no doubt receive a great deal of attention, and local governments throughout the state and state agencies will look to see whether the courts will countenance using what essentially amounts to unenforceable carbon offsets to allow unrestricted development, Josh Chatten-Brown, a lawyer for the Sierra Club, said at the hearing.

Lawyers for the county have repeatedly argued that the use of offsets anywhere in the world should be allowed because greenhouse gases dont stay local.

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The issue of climate change is a global one  Thats simply acknowledging the science and California Supreme Court case law, said Joshua Heinlein, deputy county counsel arguing the case.

While Taylor seemed sympathetic to the environmental groups arguments, several question remained  including the fate of thousands of planned housing units that rely on carbon offsets to cancel out vehicle emissions.

Taylor reaffirmed at the hearing a previously issued tentative ruling that found the offset program lacked oversight and most significantly violated the countys 2011 general plan update, which called for drafting a Climate Action Plan to reduce climate pollution within the countys local jurisdiction.

Carbon offsets, bought through online storefronts known as registries, can fund everything from land conservation to sustainable agricultural and logging practices.

While California allows regulated industries to purchase carbon offsets to comply with the cap-and-trade program, those credits are not counted as part of the states overall efforts to reduce greenhouse gases 40 percent by 2030.

Lawyers for the county repeatedly argued on Friday that the program shouldnt be restricted by the general plan. They said the offset strategy was technically not part of the countys 2018 climate blueprint, but rather written into a supplemental environmental impact report.

Taylor didnt seem convinced by this argument.

This was the way it was written, the judge told county counsel. I know its uncomfortable for you now, but  how can you possibly parse this and come up with a conclusion other than the one that your adversaries have put forward. Its just a common-sense reading.

County attorneys then argued that if the offset program were invalidated, the 2018 Climate Action Plan could still be preserved at the judges discretion.

That can be severed from the rest of the cap, such that the rest of the CAP reduction measure can move forward, Heinlein said.

The judge said he would look into whether such a move would be allowed or advisable.

Roughly 10,000 new housing units in seven developments located throughout the county have been designed using carbon offsets. Those credits would account for nearly 80 percent of project emissions, almost exclusively from car and truck pollution.

The Board of Supervisors has already approved four of those projects despite the lawsuit, including Newland Sierra, Valiano, Harmony Grove Village South and Otay 250 Sunroad.

The Sierra Club has filed separate lawsuits challenging those projects, which the group hopes will be bolstered by Taylors final ruling.

Developers for the 2,135-home Newland Sierra have said the court case wouldnt impact the project because their plan to use carbon offsets was separate from the countys program.

Lawyers for the environmental group urged the judge on Friday to block the use of carbon offsets in the approved developments.

However, Taylor said that those projects should have their day in court.

In November, the board put the remaining projects on ice, which included Lilac Hills Ranch, Otay Ranch 14, Warner Ranch and dozens of smaller parcel changes.

The county has had two previous incarnations of its climate plan rejected by the courts in legal battles with the Sierra Club dating back to 2012. The county has been forced to pay roughly $1 million in legal fees so far.

Twitter: @jemersmith

Phone: (619) 293-2234

Email: joshua.smith@sduniontribune.com
A couple of hours after the Trump administration announced a new agreement with Mexico that will send asylum seekers back south after they ask the U.S. for protection, migrants and Mexican federal immigration officials in Tijuana were equally surprised by the news.

In El Chaparral plaza, David Enamorado, 32, stood with people signing up for a place in line among the backlog of asylum seekers that has ballooned under the Trump administrations policies. He read aloud articles explaining the change to those under the tent from his phone.

They cant do that, can they? a man seated under the tent asked.

Many in the group, which is in charge of a notebook that maintains the list of whose turn is next to begin asylum processing in the U.S., were anticipating getting the opportunity to enter sometime over the weekend.

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Tijuana has the largest group of waiting asylum seekers and the longest wait anywhere along the border. About 4,500 are currently in line.

San Diego immigration attorneys said the announcement left them with more questions than answers. They wondered if the responsibility would fall to border courts, and the attorneys working in them, to represent all asylum seekers who try to cross.

Attorney Ginger Jacobs also worried about the safety of those waiting in Tijuana, pointing to Honduran teens who were staying in a shelter for unaccompanied children and were killed over the weekend.

It feels like none of this was thought through at all, said attorney Tammy Lin.

She wondered how asylum seekers in Mexico would get to the courts for hearings that can drag on over the course of the year.

A Mexican immigration official responsible for communicating between the group responsible for the notebook and U.S. officials at the port of entry said even he hadnt heard about the change.

Enamorado, who fled his native Honduras with his wife and three young children well before the recent caravan, said it felt like Trump had gotten his wall.

Its not a physical wall, but its there, he said. Its a sad day for us.

He worried how Tijuana would handle that many people needing food, housing and work. The migrant shelters have been full already, he said.

Jose Maria Garcia Lara, director of Movimiento Juventud 2000, a shelter in Tijuanas Zona Norte, said he was already worried about funding under the new Mexican administration.

This is going to cause problems for all the shelters in Baja, California, Garcia Lara said. Were going to have more problems than we already have.

Eduardo Solorzano, 26, who came with the caravan, said the change would be good for someone like him. Hed heard that under the old process, he was likely to be locked up for months when he crossed into the U.S. to ask for asylum.

For me, its good to have the opportunity to work and to be free, Solorzano said.

He was waiting to receive his work permit and planned to stay in Mexico for some time to work before trying to cross into the U.S. He wanted things to calm down first.

Enamorado, on the other hand, worried about his familys safety in Tijuana. There was a shooting outside the shelter theyre staying in, he said.

He said the U.S. government should work quickly to identify those who are true asylum seekers and let them in. He keeps documents, proof of the violence he fled, in a plastic bag tucked in his tent at the shelter. Several of his family members have already been killed, and he was kidnapped.

Two couples from Nicaragua listened to him read the news, their faces crestfallen.

What are we going to do? one man from Nicaragua said. If they dont want us in Nicaragua and they dont want us in the United States, what do we do?

They would wait, the other man from Nicaragua said, for as long as they had to. They didnt have another option.

Immigration Videos On Now New developments in family separation case 9:53 On Now A San Diego woman volunteered as a medic in Texas helping migrant families 2:35 On Now Immigration policy protests in Carlsbad nearly cancelled after permit issue 1:38 On Now When children are separated from their parents at the border, here is where they go next On Now Prospects of a deal for 'Dreamers' may hinge on separating Trump from hard-liners on his staff On Now What is DACA? On Now Border wall prototype contractors selected On Now Video: Ukrainian boxer wins asylum in U.S. On Now 30 apprehended after Border Patrol agents discover tunnel On Now Video: Kurdish diaspora prepare to vote on independence

Follow me on Facebook for live updates about immigration news

kate.morrissey@sduniontribune.com, @bgirledukate on Twitter
San Diegans and holiday visitors trying to visit Cabrillo National Monument on Saturday were turned away as part of the partial government shutdown.

The park in Point Loma was closed for the safety of visitors and park resources due to a lapse of appropriations and the shutdown, which went into effect late Friday after Congress could not agree on the federal budget  including the funding of a border wall.

Some major national parks were expected to stay open, although campsites and visitor centers were to be closed and public restrooms wouldnt be maintained.

On the Cleveland National Forest website Saturday was this message: Due to a lapse in federal funding, this USDA website will not be actively updated. Once funding has been reestablished, online operations will continue.

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There was no further indication on the site of what was open or closed in the forest.

The effects of the shutdown likely wont be felt in earnest until after Christmas  if it lasts that long.

The U.S. Postal Service will continue to deliver mail, air travelers will continue to be inspected by Transportation Security Administration workers (although possibly without pay) and the federal court system has reserve funds to operate at normal capacity for at least three weeks.

Law enforcement such as Border Patrol and Customs and Border Protection will also remain on mission critical assignments, including processing travelers at the ports of entry and securing the border fence.

kristina.davis@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @kristinadavis
A woman crashed while riding a Bird scooter and suffered a life-threatening head injury Friday night in Hillcrest, police said.

The 42-year-old woman had been drinking alcohol and was not wearing a helmet when she crashed the dockless rental scooter about 8:55 p.m. in a bike lane on University Avenue near Vermont Street, San Diego police Officer Robert Heims said.

For an unknown reason, she overturned and hit her head, Heims said in a statement.

Paramedics took her to a hospital, where doctors determined she had bleeding in her brain, according to police radio traffic. The injury was considered life-threatening, Heims said.

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In September, public health officials at Scripps Mercy Hospital in San Diego called the electric scooter trend a public health disaster in the making, and announced it was spearheading an effort to track injuries related to the electric vehicles.

The next month, Mayor Kevin Faulconer announced a proposal to regulate dockless scooters throughout the city  including restricting speeds in select areas.

Hillcrest was not one of the areas where speeds would be restricted, under the proposal.

Scripps Mercy Hospital said that while exact numbers on injuries were not available, at least 30 scooter riders required hospitalization between June and mid-October, with scores more being treated in the emergency room.

Twitter: @Alex_Riggins

(619) 293-1710

alex.riggins@sduniontribune.com
Flames erupted Friday night at an auto body shop in Grantville, shutting down both directions of Mission Gorge Road near Interstate 8, fire officials said.

The blaze was reported a little after 8:15 p.m. at Mission Gorge Auto Body & Upholstery just north of where Mission Gorge Road turns into Fairmount Avenue and links to the freeway.

Happening now - auto shop fire at 5959 Mission Gorge Rd. SDFD crews have been on scene for about ten minutes. Please avoid the area if you can. #structurefire #firefighters pic.twitter.com/H39hlT6AeN  SDFD (@SDFD) December 22, 2018

About a half-dozen ladder trucks, engines and fire trucks responded to help fight the flames, according to a San Diego Fire-Rescue Department incident log.

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A traffic alert was issued for both northbound and southbound lanes of Mission Gorge Road, according to the California Highway Patrol. Motorists were asked to avoid the area for an unknown duration.

Twitter: @Alex_Riggins

(619) 293-1710

alex.riggins@sduniontribune.com
Flames erupted for unknown reasons and caused about $400,000 worth of damage Friday morning at a warehouse in Otay Mesa, fire officials said.

The blaze, reported about 7:30 a.m., apparently broke out on the top floor of the two-story warehouse on Via De La Amistad, according to San Diego Fire-Rescue Department spokeswoman Monica Munoz. The damaged building, which is used by a freight transfer business, is about 100 feet from the Mexican border.

Fire crews arrived a little after 7:35 a.m. and had the flames knocked down just after 8:05 a.m., Munoz said. The warehouse was locked and unoccupied when firefighters arrived, searched the building and battled the flames .

Investigators were unable to determine the cause of the blaze, Munoz said.

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Officials estimated the monetary losses at $300,000 to the structure and $100,000 to its contents.

After finishing their work, firefighters turned over the property to the business owners and property managers, and a City of San Diego building inspector was called out to determine whether the building could be occupied, Munoz said. The result of that determination was not immediately known.

Twitter: @Alex_Riggins

(619) 293-1710

alex.riggins@sduniontribune.com
A man riding an electronic Bird scooter was killed early Saturday morning when he was struck by a car on Third Avenue in Chula Vista.

Chula Vista police Lt. Rusty Rea said the accident happened about 4 a.m. between Orange Avenue and Quintard Street. The driver of the car struck the scooter from behind, police said.

The driver stayed at the scene, was visibly upset, and was cooperating, Rea said.

It was not clear if drugs or alcohol played a role, police said.

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Police officers were the first to arrive at the accident scene and rendered medical assistance, but the man died later at a hospital.

Third Avenue between Orange and Quintard remained closed to traffic hours later as an investigation was being conducted.

The victims identity has not been released.

jharry.jones@sduniontribune.com; 760/529-4931; Twitter: @jharryjones
Mac Taylor is retiring this month after serving 10 years as head of the nonpartisan and widely respected Legislative Analysts Office, which analyzes the state budget and other big issues. He deserves the kudos coming his way, having been a positive, thoughtful influence on many issues.

In 2010, less than 15 months after voters gave their blessing to $9.95 billion in bond seed money for the statewide bullet-train project, Taylors office identified a problem that state officials have never been able to solve: private investment in the project that is crucial for its completion was unlikely without promises of state subsidies if revenue didnt live up to forecasts  and such subsidies were illegal.

Last year, Taylor warned that despite bold plans to increase housing stock and ease the housing crisis, state leaders would never make much progress unless they cultivated public support to overcome the NIMBYs who dominate the local planning process. His view has been borne out again and again.

But on one key topic, Taylor wasnt nearly as forceful as he could have been: the pension tsunami that Gov. Jerry Brown predicted this week will doom many government agencies to fiscal oblivion unless they are given ways to contain ballooning costs.

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While Taylor and the LAO deserve credit for documenting the funding shortfalls with the California State Teachers Retirement System that led to passage of a bailout plan in 2014, he has not done nearly enough to challenge the spin from government unions that has long stymied smart pension reforms. Their campaigns always focus on the relatively small cost of pensions in the state budget  not the many cities and special districts that are on track to spend 20 percent or more of budgets on retirement benefits.

Taylors pension passivity was on full display last month when he issued a strikingly upbeat 25-page report on state finances that focused on the expected $14.8 billion surplus in the 2019-20 budget. It failed to mention hugely underfunded pension liabilities  the highest on a per-household basis of any large state. Thats like celebrating a familys income without noting its credit-card debts.

The next legislative analyst must not have a blind spot about such a grave problem. It wont fix itself.

Twitter: @sdutIdeas

Facebook: San Diego Union-Tribune Ideas & Opinion
Californians are in their second year of hearing the same tale of woe from Pacific Gas & Electric: that the giant investor-owned utility faces an existential threat if it doesnt get relief from the costs resulting from the giant wildfires that now occur with grim regularity. State lawmakers responded earlier this year by passing a measure that helped PG&E deal with the cost of 17 wildfires in 2017.

But a new California Public Utilities Commission investigation shows that the biggest existential threat to PG&E is PG&E itself. It found that from 2012 to 2017, the utility pressured its employees to falsify data related to the safety of natural gas pipelines. What makes this even more unacceptable is that PG&E was convicted of six federal felonies and fined $1.6 billion over its failure to properly inspect and maintain a gas transmission line that exploded in 2010 in San Bruno, killing eight people and destroying 38 homes. A CPUC statement expressed disbelief that PG&E could be so blithe about gas safety inspections after such a tragedy.

PG&E attempted to play damage control by vaguely announcing some leaders were no longer with the utility. Thats not nearly good enough. As state Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, told the San Francisco Chronicle, They gotta clean house.

Lawmakers should demand to know whos going, whats next and why PG&E should be trusted again.

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Twitter: @sdutIdeas

Facebook: San Diego Union-Tribune Ideas & Opinion
True leaders tear down walls, not build them

Re Mexico will pay for the wall in the long run (Dec. 20): The letter writer opined that we should Remember the monolith of Germany. I would remind him of the statement by the moderate-conservative President Ronald Reagan on June 12, 1987  Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!

Those comments are in stark contrast to the exhortations of President Trump regarding building a wall.

Steve Olsen

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San Diego

Trump just wants a wall to protect Americans

Why do liberals fight so vigorously to not protect the safety of Americans? President Trump wants to build a wall across our southern border to stop people from crossing illegally. All we sane people want is to be able to know who is allowed in.

Why would anyone object to that? Allowing MS-13 members, drug runners, murderers and other undesirables into our country unimpeded is absolute insanity.

Dan Albee

Escondido

Trump is just looking for a legacy project

Regarding Trumps wall. Could it be that Mr.Trump could care less about border security but wants the wall as a memorial to himself so that forever the Trump Wall will always be there to keep reminding us that he was once Americas president, sort of like the Statue of Liberty? Lets assume the southern border wall gets built. Will it go around the Texas peninsula then around the Florida peninsula? Where does it stop? How will ships load and unload? What about fishermen, recreational boats, cruise ships, etc.? If openings are included now weve breached the wall. Oops, here come the illegals. But lets assume this wall is unbreachable, and so successful that now we want to surround the entire U.S. with a wall. Great idea! Oops again. Where do we run to should an unfriendly nation blast us with a nuclear devise? Cornered, like a drowning rat!

Andy G. Pino

Escondido

It alarms me that so many people buy in to President Donald Trumps political narrative that an outrageously expensive border wall (that Mexico was supposed to pay for) is essential for border security. Experts counter that additional wall would be wasteful and not solve the immigration issue.

The U.S. is already spending record amounts on border security with the administration yet to spend more than a fraction of the latest funding. New tax dollars could be better spent supporting health care, education, transportation infrastructure or any number of other uses.

It is also a false narrative that we are under attack. Trumps invasion at the border is barely a blip in the historic picture, and is a humanitarian crisis worsened by this administrations deliberate restriction of legal immigration.

This is a country of immigrants. If your ancestors werent Native American or slaves, then you can trace your American heritage to immigration.

Wayne Gray

San Diego

Letters and commentary policy

The U-T welcomes and encourages community dialogue on important public matters. Please visit this page for more details on our letters and commentaries policy. You can email letters@sduniontribune.com or leave a comment below.

Follow @UTLetters on Twitter and UTOpinion on Facebook.
What is the difference between the words migrant and immigrant? A reader called last week to say the stories on the caravan in Tijuana should use the word immigrant.

The Union-Tribune has described those in the caravan as migrants.



For the record: This column originally had some garbled text at the bottom. It has since been removed.

Three years ago in this column I wrote about the words in reference to the migrant crisis occurring in Europe.

Generally, migrant describes a person on the move. Immigrant describes a person who has moved to a new country with the hopes of settling there.

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U-T immigration reporter Kate Morrissey has used migrant in her stories on the Central Americans who have come to Tijuana.

Not everyone in the caravan is an asylum seeker, so to use that word would be too specific, she said. Migrant is a more general word and can encompass the variety of situations of people traveling with the caravan.

Back in 2015 I asked San Diego State University professor Enrico Marcelli, a demographer who studies unauthorized immigration, to explain the differences between the two words. Here is what he said:

Migrant is the broadest term and is commonly used in Europe, he said. It simply means someone who is in the process of relocating to another country or place, or someone who has already moved.

Under the umbrella term migrant you have refugees and asylum seekers who are being forced to flee to save their lives.

Then theres immigrant. That means a migrant who has moved from one country to another, or is in the process of doing so, he said. This word also has a legal meaning in the United States, which is why immigration scholars often prefer the word migrant. Technically immigrants in the U.S. are legal permanent residents or those with a so-called green card. Then ... there are adjectives sometimes attached to either word, such as illegal, undocumented or unauthorized.

Another category of immigrants (or international migrants) is temporary visitor, those holding visas. Lastly, there are immigrants who have become U.S. citizens.

The storm lingers

Last week I asked readers what their thoughts were on the breaking weather story from earlier this month. You might remember that storm in which lightning and thunder rocked parts of the county.

The U-T ran into deadline issues with the storm coverage. The wild weather hit after the B-section deadline of 5:30 p.m. A story on the rain, up until the fireworks, was on B1. The early deadline prevented news of the thunder and lightning to appear in the B section.

In the future, readers said they would have liked to have seen the breaking weather news in the later-deadline A section, even if the news of the earlier rain was also in the B section.

The photo taken by Jim Grant as the storm moved closer. (Jim Grant)

Reader Jim Grant offered a photo he took of the explosive storm as it was moving toward San Diego in the late afternoon of Dec. 6.

I was sitting on Shelter Island after looking at my two radar images waiting for that squall line to come ashore, and I was not disappointed, he wrote.

adrian.vore@sduniontribune.com


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Denmark isn't giving up on its hopes of hosting an F1 race in the future despite the recent dilution of the company in charge of promoting the event in Copenhagen.

In 2017, the Danish capital had put in motion the idea of a race taking place on its streets, its plans gathering momentum earlier this year, with F1 CEO Chase Carey offering a positive view on the project.

Unfortunately, Copenhagen's local government dealt a blow to the event's prospects in September when city mayor Frank Jensen said the idea "carried too much risk" for the city and its residents.

The local authority's negative stance led to the dissolution in November of the company that had been founded to promote Formula 1 in Copenhagen.

However, former government minister Helge Sander, who led the Copenhagen GP undertaking, insists that other cities have expressed their interest in picking up the baton from Denmark's capital.

"The positive vibe around Formula 1 has naturally caused other municipalities to react," Sander told Ekstra Bladet.

"If a sufficiently interesting project emerges elsewhere in Denmark, it should naturally be tried, provided the relevant practical, sustainable and economic conditions are fulfilled.

"We had to take in the shock of that announcement [from the mayor], but we have to accept that right now it is not possible to arrange a Formula 1 race in Copenhagen, even though I have received positive messages almost daily since the mayor's announcement."

Gallery: The beautiful wives and girlfriends of F1 drivers
New York, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 12/21/2018 -- Qyresearchreports include new market research report General Merchandise to its huge collection of research reports.



The international market for General Merchandise has been researched with every detail in the publication with increased emphasis on various important factors such as opportunities, and restraints, growth drivers. Each of the factors that pertain to shaping of the market dynamics has been studied and analyzed in detail by the analysts, so as to offer the best and most evaluative and exhaustive study to the report buyers. The snapshot or the executive summary that has been provided in the market intelligence study has been designed in such a way so as to give a quick overview of the market for receiving information on the go. This could help readers with hands-on data needed to make quick decisions anytime during their growth journey in the market.



This report studies General Merchandise in Global market, especially in North America, China, Europe, Southeast Asia, Japan and India, with production, revenue, consumption, import and export in these regions, from 2013 to 2018, and forecast to 2025.



Year End Offer  Get 15% off on All Reports: https://www.qyresearchreports.com/year-end-offer



This report focuses on top manufacturers in global market, with production, price, revenue and market share for each manufacturer, covering

EurAsia Group

Bailian

Wuhan Department Store Group

Zhongxing Shenyang Commercial Building

...



By Regions, this report covers (we can add the regions/countries as you want)

North America

China

Europe

Southeast Asia

Japan

India



For more info, get sample report for FREE here: https://www.qyresearchreports.com/sample/sample.php?rep_id=1820110&type=S



Table of Contents



1 Industry Overview of General Merchandise

1.1 Definition and Specifications of General Merchandise

1.1.1 Definition of General Merchandise

1.1.2 Specifications of General Merchandise

1.2 Classification of General Merchandise

1.2.1 Articles for daily use

1.2.2 Daily necessities

1.2.3 Kitchen supplies

1.3 Applications of General Merchandise

1.3.1 30 Years Old

1.3.2 30 Years Old-60 Years Old

1.3.3 60 Years Old



2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of General Merchandise

2.1 Raw Material and Suppliers

2.2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of General Merchandise

2.3 Manufacturing Process Analysis of General Merchandise

2.4 Industry Chain Structure of General Merchandise



3 Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of General Merchandise

3.1 Capacity and Commercial Production Date of Global General Merchandise Major Manufacturers in 2017

3.2 Manufacturing Plants Distribution of Global General Merchandise Major Manufacturers in 2017

3.3 R&D Status and Technology Source of Global General Merchandise Major Manufacturers in 2017

3.4 Raw Materials Sources Analysis of Global General Merchandise Major Manufacturers in 2017



Browse Complete Research Report at: https://www.qyresearchreports.com/report/global-general-merchandise-market-professional-survey-report-2018.htm



4 Global General Merchandise Overall Market Overview

4.1 2013-2018E Overall Market Analysis

4.2 Capacity Analysis

4.2.1 2013-2018E Global General Merchandise Capacity and Growth Rate Analysis

4.2.2 2017 General Merchandise Capacity Analysis (Company Segment)

4.3 Sales Analysis

4.3.1 2013-2018E Global General Merchandise Sales and Growth Rate Analysis

4.3.2 2017 General Merchandise Sales Analysis (Company Segment)

4.4 Sales Price Analysis

4.4.1 2013-2018E Global General Merchandise Sales Price

4.4.2 2017 General Merchandise Sales Price Analysis (Company Segment)



5 General Merchandise Regional Market Analysis

5.1 North America General Merchandise Market Analysis

5.1.1 North America General Merchandise Market Overview

5.1.2 North America 2013-2018E General Merchandise Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis

5.1.3 North America 2013-2018E General Merchandise Sales Price Analysis

5.1.4 North America 2017 General Merchandise Market Share Analysis

5.2 China General Merchandise Market Analysis

...



List of Tables and Figures



Figure Picture of General Merchandise

Table Product Specifications of General Merchandise

Table Classification of General Merchandise

Figure Global Production Market Share of General Merchandise by Type in 2017

Figure Articles for daily use Picture

Table Major Manufacturers of Articles for daily use

Figure Daily necessities Picture

Table Major Manufacturers of Daily necessities

Figure Kitchen supplies Picture

Table Major Manufacturers of Kitchen supplies

Table Applications of General Merchandise

Figure Global Consumption Volume Market Share of General Merchandise by Application in 2017

Figure 30 Years Old Examples

Table Major Consumers in 30 Years Old

Figure 30 Years Old-60 Years Old Examples

Table Major Consumers in 30 Years Old-60 Years Old

Figure 60 Years Old Examples

Table Major Consumers in 60 Years Old

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ANGARA CALLS FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF IMPLEMENTING RULES ON VAT-FREE MEDICINES

Senator Sonny Angara has called on the government to fast-track the release of the implementing guidelines on the value-added tax (VAT) exemption of medicines under Republic Act 10963.

Under the law, "sale of drugs and medicines prescribed for diabetes, high cholesterol, and hypertension" shall be exempt from VAT beginning January 1, 2019. Such provision was introduced by Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto.

According to the Department of Finance, the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) is still currently drafting the implementing guidelines.

The Department of Health has conducted three consultations with stakeholders to ensure the ease of the pharmaceutical industry in implementing the exemption.

"Nananawagan po tayo sa BIR na madaliin na ang pag-release ng implementing guidelines para gawing VAT-free at mas mura ang mga gamot. Filipino families still face the problem of limited access to affordable, safe, and quality essential medicines.

"Dahil sa mahal ng gamot, kadalasang hindi nasusunod ang reseta ng doktor kaya naaantala ang paggaling. Dapat maipatupad na ito sa susunod na taon para mapakinabangan na ng bawat pamilyang Pilipino ang mas abot-kayang mga gamot," Angara said.

With the VAT exemption, type 2 diabetes patients who are taking Metformin, which costs P15 per tablet, twice a day, can save around P1,300 in a year.

Angara also authored laws granting senior citizens and persons with disability (PWDs) VAT exemption on the purchase of medicines, on top of their 20-percent discount.

"Sa ilalim ng batas, hindi lamang ang ating mga senior at PWD ang makatitipid sa gamot. This is a huge step in making essential medicines more accessible to all Filipinos," said Angara, one of the authors of the Universal Health Care bill, which mandates PhilHealth to provide free check-ups and laboratory tests.

Angara is also pushing for the passage of Senate Bill 972 that seeks to establish a "Libreng Gamot Program" mandating all government health facilities to give free medicines to the poor.
Press Release

December 22, 2018 De Lima thanks parliamentarians' group for support for her freedom Opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima today thanked the Parliamentarians for Global Action (PGA) for endorsing the findings and recommendations of the United Nations Human Rights Council--Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (UNHRC-WGAD) for denouncing her arbitrary detention and calling for her immediate release. De Lima, the most prominent political prisoner under the Duterte administration, said she is grateful for the continued support she is getting from the international community despite the unprecedented magnitude of harassment against her by the President and his henchmen. "I am grateful that Parliamentarians for Global Action saw through the lies of the Duterte administration and chose to support and fight for my right to fair treatment in spite of the government's effort to peddle fake news against me to taint my integrity," she said. "PGA's endorsement of the WGAD Opinion only further confirms my political persecution and unjust detention that are obviously connected to my staunch criticisms of the Duterte administration's bloody war on drugs and other anti-human rights policies," she added. In an official statement released last Dec. 17, the PGA said that it "fully endorses the findings contained in WGAD Opinion No. 61/2018 regarding the case of the Senator" (see here: https://www.pgaction.org/news/call-for-immediate-release-leila-m-de-lima.html) In a very comprehensive 13-page Opinion adopted last Aug. 24 during its 82nd session and published last Nov. 30, the UNHRC-WGAD held that De Lima's detention since Feb. 24, 2017 is arbitrary and in violation of various provisions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Noting that the deprivation of De Lima's liberty "resulted from her personal conviction and public statements regarding extrajudicial killings in the Philippines," the UN Panel said that the Philippine government should immediately free her and allow her to fulfill her duties as a Senator and as a human rights defender. In its decision, the Working Group maintained that "no trial of Ms. De Lima should have taken place." Noting the prejudgment made by the then Secretary of Justice of De Lima's guilt in a trial by publicity during the congressional hearings on the Bilibid drug trade, the Working Group concluded that "the violation of Ms. De Lima's rights to a fair trial are of such gravity as to render her deprivation of liberty arbitrary." The Working Group also expressed its "particular concern at the sexist statements and attacks on (De Lima's) personal life by President Duterte and his political allies," noting that she has "been targeted and the subject of attacks and discriminatory language due to her gender." The UN Working Group has urged the Duterte administration "to take the steps necessary to remedy the situation of Ms. De Lima without delay and bring it into conformity with the relevant international norms." With the unwavering support she is getting from groups and individuals who vouch for her integrity and recognize her political persecution, De Lima said she believes her vindication will come in time. "Truth and justice will always succeed no matter what, especially with concerted efforts from the public to demand for accountability from those who violate - not only mine - but of the public's dignity and human rights," she said. The PGA is among the growing number of groups and human rights advocates who have expressed serious concern over the illegal arrest and detention of De Lima over trumped-up drug charges.
Press Release

December 22, 2018 Sotto credits fellow senators for 'prolific' performance in 2018 Senate President Vicente Sotto III is crediting the experience, cooperation, and camaraderie of senators for the Senate's highly-efficient performance this year, which saw the institution successfully working on a record number of landmark and highly-sought bills. "2018 has been a very prolific year for the Senate, in terms of the number of bills that we had passed into law, along with those pending in the advanced stages of legislation, and the quality and importance of these laws. It is all to the credit of the entire Senate as an institution," Sotto said. Sotto noted that as of December 13, 2018, the Senate has approved 95 bills which were passed into law since the start of 2018, while 85 other enrolled bills are awaiting President Rodrigo Duterte's approval and signature. He said that 19 other bills are pending in the bicameral conference committee and 45 other bills were approved on third and final reading. "Swift action was taken by the Senate without sacrificing the keen and prolonged debates on most of these very important bills," Sotto added. Sotto said that the bounty of laws and bills passed is due to the "good cooperation" throughout the year among the members of the Senate, regardless of affiliation. "The senators, from both the Senate Majority and Minority blocs, have been very cooperative and very active in relation to our legislative work," he said. "The result is that if you check the data on the legislative performance of the Senate from 1987 up to now, I can say that our rate of passing bills this year is among, if not, the most prolific in the Senate's recent history," he added. Key achievements Leading the list of Senate bills that became law this year are the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL), the Philippine Identification System Act, the Filipino Sign Language Act, the National Payment Systems Act, the Personal Property Security Act, and the 'Kalusugan at Nutrisyon ng Mag-Nanay Act.' Major enrolled bills awaiting the President's signature into law include the proposed Revised Corporation Code of the Philippines, Universal Healthcare Program Act, the bill on Mandatory Philhealth Coverage for all Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), the Social Security Act of 2018, the HIV/AIDS Prevention Act, the amendments to the charter of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), the Mobile Number Portability Act, the Expanded Maternity Leave Act, and the bill creating the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development. Other important bills pending in the bicameral conference committee include the Energy Virtual One-Stop Shop Act, the National Integrated Cancer Control Program Act, and the bill expanding the supplemental appropriations for fiscal year for patients in relation to the Dengvaxia vaccine controversy. Experience is key According to Sotto, the Bangsamoro Organic Law, which prepares for the establishment of the new Bangsamoro Autonomous Region on Muslim Mindanao, was the most challenging measure the senators worked on this year, as he noted the long debates that transpired before the bill was signed into law. The same is true, he said, regarding the Philippine Identification System Act, given the many discussions senators had on the issue. Despite this, Sotto explained that the speedy passage of bills can be credited to the "wealth of experience" of the current Senate leaders, who are all veterans of legislative proceedings. Sotto has served as Senate Majority Leader (15th and 17th Congresses) twice before his election as Senate President. Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto too has served the position twice (16th and 17th Congresses), same with Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri, who has served the same post in two Congresses (14th and 17th Congresses). Likewise, Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon has served as Senate President in four previous Congresses (11th, 12th, 13th, 16th Congresses). "The people I work in tandem with have spent years in Congress so we really have a good rapport, including the Senate Minority Leader. Experience, cooperation, and camaraderie goes a long way," he said.
Taking to micro-blogging site Twitter, Chidambaram made a slew of tweets and wrote, "When the Congress President said -- as I have said -- GST should be a single rate, it means that the standard rate of GST should be a single rate. That's absolutely correct."

New Delhi: Former finance minister and Congress leader P Chidambaram on Friday joined Congress President Rahul Gandhi in endorsing the idea of having a single rate in the Goods and Services Tax (GST), while criticising the BJP's initial idea of having 8 rates as 'stupid'.

"As Dr Arvind Subramanian's RNR report pointed out, when there is a standard rate there will also be a standard-minus rate and a standard-plus rate. That's elementary, not stupid," he added.

A twitter war has started between Congress and BJP, since after Prime Minister Modi on Tuesday indicated that the 28 per cent slab of GST will soon only be restricted to a few select commodities, such as luxury items.

Following the remarks by Prime Minister, Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Thursday tweeted, "The Congress Party has finally jolted Narendra Ji 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 than never Narendra Ji!"

This was followed by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley taking a dig at UPA's 'legacy of higher indirect tax on most items', and terming Congress President's idea of the single slab as 'stupid'.

"A single slab GST argued by the Congress President is indeed a stupid Idea. Luxury and sin items can't be taxed at the same rate as the common man's item. The UPA had left behind a legacy of 31% indirect Tax on most items. The GST has already reduced 334 items to 12% and 18% slab. Wasn't the 31% Tax an oppressive idea- a stupid one at that," Jaitley tweeted.

However, Chidambaram on Friday also took a potshot at Jaitley's assertions, while outlining that filing GST returns has been a 'nightmare' in the last 18 months.

"The stupid idea was the BJP's idea of having 8 rates when GST was first implemented in July 2017! If the GST Council will discuss tomorrow 'Ease of filing returns', is that an admission that filing returns has not been easy in the last 18 months? The truth is filing GST returns has been a nightmare," he wrote.

The 31st Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council meeting will be held on December 22 in the national capital.

The agenda for the meeting has not been made official yet. However, topics such as simplified returns, completely online refunds process are likely to be discussed in the meeting.


On paper, Karan has the perfect life - a great job, a loving family and the means to lead a happy life. But in reality, the stress and burden to accomplish necessary tasks, is making him lose his connection with the present moment, and miss out on truly living his life.

Karan has long work hours and often travels out of town. Multitasking has become a way of life for him as he struggles to meet his professional and personal demands.

There are many of us out there, who, just like Karan, in the daily humdrum of life are always busy doing something and yet are unable to fully enjoy the task at hand. Our mind is overworked, because even while we're working, we're thinking of the next task or something unrelated to what we're doing.

As a result, we feel exhausted from the moment we wake up, because even though we're physically rested, mentally, we've been hyperactive. This is simply due to lack of mindfulness - the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we're doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what's going on around us.

Mindfulness is something inherent to all of us. However, because we haven't been practicing it regularly, our thoughts are scattered and we experience an always-active mind. It's time to tame our mind, to get the reigns back in our hands, and to train it to be aware of the present. Whenever we bring awareness to what we experience directly via our senses, or to our state of mind via our thoughts and emotions, we're being mindful. Research shows that training our brain to be mindful, actually helps to remodel its physical structure. Moreover, mindfulness is also being examined scientifically and has been found to be a key element in stress reduction and overall happiness.

Happy mind, happy life:

How do we train the mind? How do we improve our focus, our concentration? The answer lies in Meditation.

Through the simple act of paying attention to whatever you are experiencing, as you experience it, is known as mindfulness meditation. We need to turn our attention away from the everyday chatter of the mind and on to what our body is doing, to give the mind just enough to focus, so that it can quiet down. This can be done through various means including breathing practice, mental imagery, awareness of body and mind, and muscle and body relaxation.

Mindfulness meditation helps us attain contentment in 3 ways:

Improves mental well-being: Because meditation is the act of training our thoughts, psychotherapists have turned to mindfulness meditation as an important element in the treatment of a number of mental problems, such as depression, substance abuse, eating disorders, anxiety disorders, and even obsessive-compulsive disorders.

Because meditation is the act of training our thoughts, psychotherapists have turned to mindfulness meditation as an important element in the treatment of a number of mental problems, such as depression, substance abuse, eating disorders, anxiety disorders, and even obsessive-compulsive disorders. Helps us live in the now: By focusing on the here and now, many people who practice mindfulness find that they are less likely to get caught up in worries about the future or regrets over the past, are less preoccupied with concerns about success and self-esteem, and are better able to form deep connections with others.

By focusing on the here and now, many people who practice mindfulness find that they are less likely to get caught up in worries about the future or regrets over the past, are less preoccupied with concerns about success and self-esteem, and are better able to form deep connections with others. Makes us physically fit: Scientists have discovered that mindfulness techniques help improve physical health in a number of ways by protecting us from succumbing to lifestyle diseases. It helps to relieve stress, treat heart disease, lower blood pressure, reduce chronic pain, improve sleep, and in some cases, alleviate gastrointestinal difficulties as well.

Look around you. We're living in a connected world, jumping from one screen to the next, and in a perpetual state of instant gratification.

With all the mass over-stimulation and continuously heightened levels of stress, it's easy to see why we're all going crazy.

The modern world demands so much of our attention that we forget who we truly are in our deepest sense. No wonder there are elevated cases of depression and mental illness around us.

But even though it may seem like we're falling in a bottomless pit in our pursuit for happiness, we can live a joyful life with sanity and ease. Mindfulness meditation is the most invaluable gift we can give to ourselves, and the sooner we get started on this journey, the better it will be for us and our loved ones.

is the Founder and CEO of Aware, a meditation app.
Chennai: The year 2018 could be termed as one of several new beginnings for the Indian space agency: the political sanction for a manned Gaganyaan mission, operationlisation of the heaviest rocket, steps to licence out lithium ion battery technology, introduction of new technologies in rockets and satellites and the decision to go ahead with the Indian Data Relay Satellite System (IDRSS), among others.

As the year ended, the IAF got its own eye in the sky to exponentially enhance its capabilities.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) also carried out a sort of `Swachh Bharat' mission - clearing the backlog of satellite launches.

"The year involved hectic activities with several rocket and satellite launch missions. We completed the NAVIC satellite constellation (a regional satellite navigation system similar to GPS) and launched communication satellites like GSAT 29, GSAT 11, GSAT 6A and GSAT 7A. Further, our heaviest rocket, GSLV Mk III, became operational," ISRO Chairman K. Sivan told IANS.

Interestingly Sivan is one of the new beginnings for ISRO as he assumed office in 2018.

"The major boost was the Gaganyaan announcement by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It was a major target announcement. Necessary infrastructure is being augmented," Sivan said.

"During 2018, almost all the technological issues relating to Chandrayaan-2 were sorted out. All the scientific instruments are ready," S. Somanath, Director, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) told IANS.

"With the challenge of realising a human space mission in 2022 an energised ISRO is working hard towards various goals for realising the mission and others," Somanath added.

One of the critical projects was the IDRSS.

"There will be two IDRSS satellites of which one is targeted to be flown next year," Sivan said.

The IDRSS satellites will be placed in geostationary orbit, enabling satellite to satellite communication and reducing the dependence on the ground stations. This communication is crucial for a manned space mission as there cannot be a risk of being without a connection and data relay.

The year 2018 also saw sanctions for infrastructure augmentation -- connected and non-connected with the proposed manned mission.

"Approval for a fully electric-propelled satellite has been obtained. Similarly, sanction for additional satellites for the NAVIC system has been obtained. The next version of the reusable launch vehicle has also been sanctioned and augmentation of various infrastructural facilities are happening," Somanath said.

He said approvals for 30 more Polar Satellite Launch Vehicles (PSLVs) have also been obtained to be flown over the years.

Over 100 industries have shown interest in ISRO's lithium ion cell technology and 14 companies had been shortlisted. "ISRO has transferred the technology to BHEL for production of space-grade lithium ion batteries for its needs during the year," Somanath added.

The year also saw ISRO crossing the milestone of lifting and putting into orbit over 250 foreign satellites bringing the total to 269 foreign satellites.

"There is increased demand for satellites from strategic sectors. About six/seven satellites are planned to be built," a senior official told IANS, preferring anonymity.

The GSAT-7 and GSAT-7A are the two dedicated military communication satellites while all other earth observation and communication satellites launched earlier were of dual use -- civilian and defence.

Looking forward into 2019, ISRO will also be busy with the Rs 800 crore Chandrayaan-2, India's second moon mission slated in January; flying its new Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) rocket.

Somanath said ISRO's new rocket to launch small satellites is being built and will be flown next year. It will be 37-metres tall and weigh 120 tonne. The rocket will be able to to carry satellites weighing 500-700 kg.

Somanath said in 2019, about eight PSLV, two GSLV Mk II and two GSLV Mk III, two SSLV and one test GSLV Mk III for Gaganyaan project will be flown.

"A total of over 32 missions -- satellites and rockets -- have been planned for 2019," Sivan said.

The one jarring note in ISRO's success symphony in 2018 was the loss of the GSAT-6A satellite couple of days after it was launched in March. The satellite stopped communicating with the ground stations owing to the failure of its power systems.

The GSAT-6A was supposed to compliment GSAT-6 launched in 2015, to help provide technologies for point-to-point communication.

Highlights of 2018:

* Prime Minister Narendra Modi announces manned mission in 2022

* Space crew escape module tested as part of manned space mission

* Tested technologies for manned space mission

* India's heaviest communication satellite, GSAT-11, orbited after being recalled from Kourou spaceport for checks

* Increasing production of solid fuel boosters for rockets

* Operationalised of heaviest rocket, GSLV Mk III

* Decision to licence out lithium ion battery technology

* Launched 100th satellite

* Kerala sanctions Rs 50 lakh compensation to former ISRO scientist Nambi Narayanan for his sufferings and ignominy after his wrongful arrest in the ISRO spy case.

(Venkatachari Jagannathan can be contacted at v.jagannathan@ians.in)
Page Content

PHILIPSBURG  On Friday, December 21, Prime Minister Leona Romeo-Marlin signed the grant agreement with the World Bank for the Emergency Debris Management Project. This agreement provides US$ 25 million in funding to suppress the fires on the landfill, salvage damaged vessels in the Simpson Bay Lagoon and clear the island of any remaining hurricane debris. The project will also provide financing to improve the management of the landfill and decommission the Irma-dump.

Im very pleased to sign this important agreement for the people and visitors of Sint Maarten. The Interim Recovery Committee, the Ministry of VROMI, the Ministry of VSA and the World Bank have worked tirelessly to make the start of this crucial project possible. Now it is time for the next step  Prime Minister Romeo-Marlin stated.

The Prime Minister was joined for the signing of the grant agreement by the Representative of the Netherlands on Sint Maarten, Mr. Chris Johnson, as well as Minister Emil Lee of VSA and Minister Miklos Giterson of VROMI.

On behalf of the Government of the Netherlands, Chris Johnson applauded the signing of the grant agreement. Solving the problem of waste has been identified by the Netherlands as one of the priorities in establishing the Trust Fund. In recent months, the World Bank and Sint Maarten have been working diligently to prepare a plan to fight the fires and attain proper dumpsite management. This signing is an important milestone which addresses an issue that is of absolute importance to the people of Sint Maarten. The Netherlands is glad to financially support an initiative of this magnitude, Mr. Johnson stated.

With the signing of the grant agreement, funding becomes available for the different activities of the Emergency Debris Management Project. One of the most crucial activities under this project is the suppression of the smoldering fires in the landfill. These fires and related smoke are a major concern for the people living in the area and the wider community of Sint Maarten and need to be managed as soon as possible.

In preparation of the fire suppression activities, the Government and the World Bank have conducted several environmental studies and tests to determine the best approach to fight the fires on the landfill. Last week, a team of experts also visited the neighborhood next to the landfill to speak with residents about possible solutions for relocation. Due to the fires on the landfill, there are risks for persons living in the area right next to the landfill, specifically once the fire suppression activities start. The Government is therefore looking into options for closing off part of the neighborhood.

The Government is committed to finding a permanent solution for the landfill and on the longer term, Sint Maartens solid waste issues more broadly. Throughout the implementation of the Emergency Debris Management Project, the Government will work with the World Bank on the preparation of a second project for solid waste management and environmental improvement, with an estimated budget of 35 million US dollars. This project will aim to improve long-term waste management and will implement key elements of the Roadmap for Sustainable Waste Management on Sint Maarten.
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/var/cache/mason/obj/1784076917/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj:17

/usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html:149



Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. Trace begun at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Exceptions.pm line 129 HTML::Mason::Exceptions::rethrow_exception('Can\'t call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.^J') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 160 HTML::Mason::Component::run_dynamic_sub('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f3fe3ea8408)', 'main') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 951 HTML::Mason::Request::call_dynamic('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fe3fbd9d0)', 'main') called at /var/cache/mason/obj/1784076917/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj line 17 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 138 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f3fe3ea8408)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1305 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1295 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 958 HTML::Mason::Request::call_next('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fe3fbd9d0)') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html line 149 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 138 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f3fe3e42bc0)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1303 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1295 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 484 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 484 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 436 HTML::Mason::Request::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fe3fbd9d0)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 165 HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fe3fbd9d0)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 831 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handle_request('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fe36b0518)', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f3fe3fe99a8)') called at (eval 487) line 8 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handler('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f3fe3fe99a8)') called at -e line 0 eval {...} at -e line 0
System error

error: Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.

context: ... 21: </%method> 22: 23: % foreach my $c (@categories) { 24: <%perl> 25: my $category_id = $c->get_id(); 26: my @stories = Bric::Biz::Asset::Business::Story->list ( { element_type_id=>1148, category_id=>$category_id , Order=> 'cover_date', publish_status => 't' , OrderDirection=> 'DESC' , Limit=>10 } ); 27: </%perl> 28: <table width="90%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> 29: <tr> ... code stack: /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html:25

/usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm:951

/var/cache/mason/obj/1784076917/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj:17

/usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html:149



Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. Trace begun at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Exceptions.pm line 129 HTML::Mason::Exceptions::rethrow_exception('Can\'t call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.^J') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 160 HTML::Mason::Component::run_dynamic_sub('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f3fe3fd80e0)', 'main') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 951 HTML::Mason::Request::call_dynamic('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fe3eb0e68)', 'main') called at /var/cache/mason/obj/1784076917/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj line 17 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 138 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f3fe3fd80e0)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1305 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1295 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 958 HTML::Mason::Request::call_next('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fe3eb0e68)') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html line 149 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 138 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f3fe3fcd9c0)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1303 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1295 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 484 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 484 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 436 HTML::Mason::Request::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fe3eb0e68)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 165 HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fe3eb0e68)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 831 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handle_request('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fe36aff30)', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f3fe4073e88)') called at (eval 487) line 8 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handler('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f3fe4073e88)') called at -e line 0 eval {...} at -e line 0
System error

error: Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.

context: ... 21: </%method> 22: 23: % foreach my $c (@categories) { 24: <%perl> 25: my $category_id = $c->get_id(); 26: my @stories = Bric::Biz::Asset::Business::Story->list ( { element_type_id=>1148, category_id=>$category_id , Order=> 'cover_date', publish_status => 't' , OrderDirection=> 'DESC' , Limit=>10 } ); 27: </%perl> 28: <table width="90%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> 29: <tr> ... code stack: /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html:25

/usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm:951

/var/cache/mason/obj/1784076917/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj:17

/usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html:149



Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. Trace begun at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Exceptions.pm line 129 HTML::Mason::Exceptions::rethrow_exception('Can\'t call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.^J') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 160 HTML::Mason::Component::run_dynamic_sub('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f3fe3f75248)', 'main') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 951 HTML::Mason::Request::call_dynamic('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fe3f90fe8)', 'main') called at /var/cache/mason/obj/1784076917/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj line 17 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 138 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f3fe3f75248)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1305 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1295 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 958 HTML::Mason::Request::call_next('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fe3f90fe8)') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html line 149 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 138 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f3fe3fe27e8)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1303 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1295 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 484 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 484 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 436 HTML::Mason::Request::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fe3f90fe8)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 165 HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fe3f90fe8)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 831 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handle_request('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fe36adf90)', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f3fe3fbe6d0)') called at (eval 487) line 8 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handler('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f3fe3fbe6d0)') called at -e line 0 eval {...} at -e line 0
New Brazil environment minister downplays misconduct conviction



Brasilia, Dec 22 (AFP) Dec 22, 2018



Brazil's incoming environment minister, Ricardo Salles, has said he will take up his post on January 1 despite being found guilty of "improbity" while heading the environment portfolio in Sao Paulo's state government.

He told Brazilian radio station Jovem Pan late Friday that the next president, Jair Bolsonaro, will keep him on as part of his team.

Bolsonaro easily won October elections and enjoys a 75-percent approval rating in large part because of his pledge to stamp out political corruption and has said several times he will remove anyone against whom such charges were proven.

But Salles said that while the judge in his case on Thursday fined him and stripped him of political rights for altering plans for an environmentally protected area in Sao Paulo state to favor business interests, it was more politics than wrongdoing.

"The president (elect) understands that this trial and the verdict was much more a political-ideological fight against the posture I adopted in the Secretariat than any sort of formal illegality," he said.

"There was no crime. There was no personal advantage for me. There was no prejudice," he told the radio.

Salles had been secretary for the environment in Sao Paulo state between 2016 and 2017. He was the last name added to Bolsonaro's ministerial list.

Bolsonaro has been criticized by environmental protection groups after attacking conservation and indigenous protection agencies. He sees the bodies as being zealous in their missions at the expense of mining and agricultural business interests.

In late November the Brazilian government canceled plans to host next year's COP25 United Nations global climate conference, a follow-on to this year's UN conference in Poland that

underscored the severity of climate change.

Brazil's foreign ministry cited "financial and budgetary restrictions" and the government transition, but Bolsonaro has long questioned the value of the Paris climate agreement to cap global warming.
Paddy Ashdown: British marine who led Bosnia with an iron fist



London, Dec 22 (AFP) Dec 22, 2018



Paddy Ashdown, who died on Saturday aged 77, was a former marine and British opposition politician who served as the top international envoy in Bosnia following the Yugoslav Wars.

Ashdown stepped down from his post in Bosnia in 2006 after nearly four years in charge but had been at the forefront of peace efforts in the Balkans long before his stint.

Taking over the role after Sweden's Carl Bildt, Carlos Westendorp of Spain and Austria's Wolfgang Petritsch, Ashdown quickly built a reputation as a no-nonsense implementor of tough measures to help the country recover from its 1992-1995 war.

During his mandate, Ashdown sacked corrupt officials and Bosnia completed some painful reforms aimed at strengthening central institutions at the expense of the two post-war entities -- the Serbs' Republika Srpska and the Muslim-Croat Federation.

They notably included defence reforms aimed at merging two ethnically-divided armies into one, as well as police force and customs and tax reforms.

In 2008, he was on the brink of being appointed as the United Nations envoy to Afghanistan but withdrew from the role saying that he did not have the backing of the Afghan government.

Born in India in 1941, and known as "Paddy" after the accent he acquired from spending part of his childhood in Northern Ireland, John Jeremy Durham Ashdown left school at 18 and joined the marines.

He left the armed forces in 1971 after spending his early years in uniform in Northern Ireland, Borneo and Malaya. He joined the Foreign Office, which sent him as part of the British delegation in United Nations in Geneva.

Five years later he returned to Britain, where before entering politics he worked as a businessman and social worker.

Ashdown's gritty attitude and enormous energy levels were largely responsible for transforming the Liberal Democrats from political also-rans into a viable opposition party.

Shortly after he took the reins of the party in 1988, support had dwindled to three percent.

But Ashdown soon made some significant gains from the Conservative government and was polled in the early 1990s as the most-liked British party leader.

His profile soared again in 1992 when he disclosed that, five years earlier, he had had a five-month-long affair with his former secretary, earning him the nickname "Paddy Pantsdown" in The Sun tabloid.

At his final elections in 1997, the Liberal Democrats won 19 percent of the vote, securing the party 46 seats, then a record showing for a third party in Britain.

Ashdown was staunchly pro-federalist towards Europe and favoured a common European foreign and defence policy independent of the United States.

He campaigned for Britain to stay in the European Union in the 2016 referendum and, after losing, founded a cross-party centrist movement called "More United".

He was knighted under his real name of Jeremy in 2000 and was made a member of parliament's upper House of Lords.

Married, with two children, Ashdown lived in Yeovil, southwest England.
The Claas Relotius Affair DER SPIEGEL's Reaction to U.S. Ambassador's Criticism

In the affair surrounding Claas Relotius, U.S. Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell has accused DER SPIEGEL of anti-Americanism. Our response to the diplomat's letter to our future editor-in-chief.
Shaheed Alhafeed, December 21, 2018 (SPS) - The National Secretariat of the Polisario Front asserted that a just democratic solution to the Western Sahara conflict is the only guarantee of peace, security and stability in the Maghreb and Northwest Africa, in a statement following its 9th ordinary session chaired by President of the Republic, Secretary General of the Polisario Front, Brahim Ghali.



The National Secretariat noted the current developments in the region and the considerable efforts to achieve peace and stability in the Sahel region, confirming that the Sahrawi state complies with its international commitments within the framework of the African Union and neighboring countries to address all forms of organized crime, extremism and terrorism.



In this context, the National Secretariat commended the level of coordination, cooperation and consultation in particular between SADR and the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria and the Islamic Republic of Mauritania. (SPS)



062/SPS/TRA
Madrid, December 22, 2018 (SPS) - Spanish Euro-deputy Clara Aguilera, who led a delegation of European parliamentarians to the Province of Cadiz from 17 to 19 December, pointed out that it is not evident that the European Parliament will approve EU-Morocco Fisheries Agreement as several Euro-deputies consider that it is not in compliance with the two decisions of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU).



Several parliamentarians think that the text signed in July between the European Union and Morocco doesnt meet the criteria set by CJUE, said Aguilera in statements to the press reported by Spanish news agency EFE.



Aguilera, who chairs the parliamentary mission in Cadiz, said that several European parliamentarians have doubts about the conformity of this agreement with CJEUs two decisions which affirmed that Western Sahara is a separate territory from Morocco and that any extension of the agreement to include the occupied territory requires the consent of Western Saharas people.



She underlined that it is not evident that the European Parliament will approve this new agreement. (SPS)



062/SPS/APS
Bir-Lehlu, December 22, 2018 (SPS) - President of the Republic, Secretary General of the Polisario Front, Brahim Ghali, has sent a message of condolences to Prime Minister of the Federal Republic of Ethiopia, H.E. Dr Abi Ahmed, on the passing of former President of the Federal Republic of Ethiopia, H.E Mr Girman Wolde-Giorgis.



On behalf of the Saharawi people and on my own name, it is with a deep sense of grief and sorrow that I learned today of the demise of the Former President of the Federal Republic of Ethiopia, H.E Mr Girman Wolde-Giorgis, said the President of the Republic.



H.E Mr Girman Wolde-Giorgis left this world but his memory and legacy will always remain among us, especially during his mandate as President for his enormous efforts and commitments toward Peace, Security issues and the Unity of Ethiopia.



Please convey our heartfelt sympathy and my sincere condolences to his family and the people of the Federal Republic of Ethiopia. May God have him in his peace and give his family the strength to cope with his absence, he added.



062/SPS
English21/12/2018

HANDOVER-TAKEOVER BETWEEN TWO SRPSKA GOVERNMENTS COMPOSITIONS DONE

BANJALUKA, December 21 /SRNA/ - The handover-takeover of powers between the old and newly-elected compositions of the Republika Srpska Government has been done this morning in Banjaluka.



The handover-takeover ceremony took place at the Administrative Centre of the Republika Srpska Government and was attended by the prime ministers and ministers of the two compositions of the Republika Srpska Government.



The old composition of the Government was headed by Zeljka Cvijanovic whose successor is Radovan Viskovic. Seven ministers of the old government composition continue to be a part of the new government.



Cvijanovic has wished Viskovic and new ministers a success in work and stressed that she will support the Government's efforts to work on the development of Srpska and the welfare of its citizens.



She has stressed that the new government must work as a team together with Viskovic and that she is certain that it will be able to function and produce good results.



"My satisfaction lies in the fact that we have left a stable budget behind, that we have implemented a number of things, that we have managed to increase salaries, pensions and social benefits in the previous period, that we have succeeded in introducing new rights, and that despite difficult times we managed to implement important projects across Republika Srpska," Cvijanovic told reporters.



She has added that in the year of 2018 alone, the Government placed more than BAM 125 million to meet the needs of local communities, i.e. the citizens.



"Every period carries some challenges, but I am glad that I saw Viskovic, who wants to upgrade what we have done so far, to use it as a certain basis, and that the Government and Republika Srpska will be taking big steps forward in the next four years and will be backed up by me, as the Srpska president, therefore there is no dilemma that we will continue to be a team," Cvijanovic has added.



She has wished the ministers who are not the part of the new Government a lot of success and thanked them for carrying the burden of numerous political and financial challenges together with her.



"We really worked as a team not saving either time or energy," added Cvijanovic.



She has pointed out that she has great expectations from the new Government and Viskovic, because she knows that his approach to the job is rational and reasonable and that he is a person who loves the details, which is necessary for this job.



"I am sure that he will be working with the social partners and the National Assembly, to which the government is always responsible, in manner he presented in his expose, which shows the course Srpska needs to take," Cvijanovic, who is the president of Republika Srpska, has said.



She has emphasized that she would be pleased to work with Viskovic as they did in the previous period.



"I know that we will be fully supported by the Serb member of the BiH Presidency and all our people who will be holding positions at the BiH level after the state power is constituted. This will mean a completely new dimension, something that I did not have while I headed the government. I am certain that now, as even bigger and wider team, we will succeed together to go ahead," said Cvijanovic.



Viskovic thanked Cvijanovic for her support and said that, as the former head of the Caucus of the largest ruling party in the National Assembly of Republika Srpska, a part of the credit for everything that the Government headed by Cvijanovic did belong to him too, but that he is ready to accept responsibility for everything that has been criticized in the work of the Government.



"We have worked as a team, we will be working as a team in the following period and I have no problem. If I encounter any problems or dilemmas, I can pick up the phone or walk to the Palace and we can talk as the prime minister and the president but also as friends and will be able to seek advice from someone who was leading the government in the most difficult conditions in the past six years or more," Viskovic has said.



He has added that he expects more than a correct cooperation with the president of Republika Srpska.



Viskovic wished good health, family and every other happiness to the ministers who were ending their terms in the government.



"I will not have the problem to call any of these ministers tomorrow to ask for their opinion about the measures and ideas as they are the people who spent four or more years in a sector, before we make a decision. I want to have as broader consensus as possible and as more opinions and discussion as possible before any decisions are made," Viskovic has emphasized.



He has said that a challenging time is ahead of the Government and added that he is aware that there will be many obstacles to the implementation of the measures stipulated in the Economic Reforms Programme and in the expose he presented to the National Assembly.



"These measures are quite optimistic and of a high level because the question arises why doing a job without having the goal of pursuing something higher. If you set high goals and strive for them, even if you do 70 or 80 percent of those jobs, you have made a good result. If you set a low goal and once you achieve it, I'm not sure if this is a good result and whether it will be a benefit for all Srpska citizens," Viskovic has said.



He has added that the goal of the government in the four-year term is to raise the standard of Srpska citizens to a higher level and to create measures that will enable the increase of all social benefits provided by the previous Government. /end/vos
Bumper New Year for Sri Lanka tourism View(s):

Sri Lankas tourism industry is expecting a bumper New Year with the country promotions set to get underway and the ones that took off this year set to create a hype despite a dreary start to the winter season.

Sri Lanka Tourist Hotels Association of Sri Lanka (THASL) President Sanath Ukwatte said that 2019 is looking very optimistic with a bumper year expected.

They expect to close 2018 with US$3.5 billion in revenue and 2.2 million in arrivals.

Though the close of the year saw a few cancellations but it was essentially the tense situation in Kandy, earlier in the year, that caused concern among travellers especially from the West Asian market that were tipped to vacation in Sri Lanka.

However, the industry pulled through with the state authorities launching a CNN campaign in May for a three month period which also helped sustain the image of the tourism sector.

In addition another campaign launched together with a number of industry stakeholders titled Island Escapes was a sure win and that is also expected to provide better effect next year when the low season months roll in.

The digital campaign also kicked off, according to authorities in some of the key markets of UK, France, Germany, India and China and followed in November with the launch of the Sri Lanka branding So Sri Lanka at the World Travel Mart in London amid the political crisis in the country at the time.

However, the post events of the brand launch were unable to get underway and are likely to be carried out subsequently now that the situation has improved.

The industry is once again of the belief that the cancellations during the November and December months due to the adverse travel advisories are to take a better turn when these would soften after successful intervention by the authorities with the respective diplomatic missions.

The situation in the country is currently slightly better, Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators President Harith Perera said noting that the whole political turmoil did not escalate which proved well.

In fact, he noted that some hotels have said there has been a pick up from corporate houses with incentive travel on the surge.

Since last week there had been a change, he said noting that there is no news currently concerning the political turmoil as a result of which foreign tour operators and travel agents appear positive on the stability in the country.

(SD)
China after 40 years View(s):

On Tuesday, China celebrated its 40 years of what was called to be the reform and opening of the economy. At that time, it was a poverty-stricken economy isolated from the rest of the world  in fact, from the capitalist world.

After the demise of Chinas communist leader Mao Zedong in 1976, who had governed the country for more than a quarter century, Deng Xiaoping became the new leader. Deng Xiaoping visited Japan in October 1978 and, saw what a miraculous thriving economy it was! In fact, while China was maintaining its Communist status quo in isolation, Japan had thrived with an open economy by sustaining 10 per cent average annual rate of growth until 1973. What Deng Xiaoping witnessed was the outcome of this transformation  the economic prosperity.

Immediately after returning from Japan, he convinced the party leaders on the need for reform and opening of the Chinese economy. China laid the foundations for reforms and opening of the economy in December 1978 under the leadership of Deng Xiaoping. This was the beginning of the transformation of the Chinese economy into what it appears to be today  a global super power and, then it began to change the global economy as well.

I wonder how many would have a keen interest in learning from China. Many would be interested in sitting near a rich friend eyeing on his money; but very few among them would be interested in learning from him about how he became rich!

Sri Lanka in 1977

China began its reform programme, one year after Sri Lanka did it in November 1977. By that time, after 20 years of tightened regulated economic policies Sri Lanka was very poor, but China was poorer. GDP per capita of Sri Lanka was US$287 in 1977, compared to $185 in China.

Throughout the past 40 years, China has continued with its reform and opening up policy. It has never stopped the reform process. President Xi Jingping, addressing the nation on Tuesday to mark 40 years of policy reforms, assured the continuity in reforms in the years to come.

In contrast, Sri Lankas reform agenda appears to have come to a standstill after 1989, while its open economy seemed to have reversed over the years. People visit the US, Japan, Europe and even China; they appear to have come back thinking that cleaning up canals and repair of culverts together with import controls and subsidies will bring Sri Lanka also to those levels.

Bikes, replaced with motor cars

Out of little less than one billion people in China at that time, as high as 90 per cent were said to be poor. They were vulnerable to the harsh economic realities and misguided policies. In fact, millions of people starved and died in the early 1960s due to a famine.

Today, Chinas poverty ratio is less than 3.1 per cent; the reforms and opening policy has enabled China to lift 800 million people out of poverty.

At that time, many would know China for its amazing millions of bicycles filling the streets of urban areas. As BBC reported, there were 5.6 million bikes and 77,000 cars in Beijing; today there are 2 million bikes with 8.5 million cars.

Some analysts chose to look at the issue from a different angle; as income rises, they see the increase in riches rather than the reduction in poverty. For them, inequality is the bigger issue. In fact, today China has many of the world billionaires too.

Second largest economy

The Chinese economy has grown on average at about 10 per cent per annum throughout the past 40 years and, become the second largest economy in the world after the US. Its GDP was $150 billion in 1978, which has increased to over $12 trillion now. This is 15 per cent of the world GDP, whereas the US produces 24 per cent of world GDP.

However, the amazement of the difference between the Chinese and the US economies is that Chinas economic transformation has challenged the US economic supremacy. The US has a persistent trade deficit and, China is the biggest lender to the US to cover up that deficit. China is number one among foreign governments investing in US bonds. As of now, China owned over $1 trillion US bonds which make up over 20 per cent of foreign debt of the US.

Today, 12 per cent of the worlds exports originates from China, while at the time of opening the economy it was less than 1 per cent. The US cannot compete with Chinese exports, so US investment started shifting to China and the US workers experienced losing their jobs.

It is not surprising that economic supremacy has brought about greater bargaining power to China. It was clear from President Xi Jinpings speech that China has acquired its global supremacy through economic transformation to the extent that no one can dictate Chinas economic development path.

Top among the FDI recipients

Chinas economic transformation owed much to its foreign direct investment (FDI) flows. According to UNCTAD database, FDI flows to China began in 1980 with the first FDI amounting to $57 million. Then it exceeded $1 billion in 1984, $10 billion in 1992 and, $100 billion in 2010 and continued to remain well above that level over the past seven years.

Today, China is the first among developing countries to receive the largest FDI flows in the world and the second among all the countries in the world, after the US.

FDI flows do not look for the same thing everywhere, while they never bother about certain things that we see as problems. Some may seek advantages of local conditions such as cheap labour or natural resources. Some may look for the bigger markets and efficiency gains. They never look at if the country is democratic or authoritariannor if it is communist or capitalist. But they do consider political stability and safety of their investment. They worry little about special incentives and tax holidays as long as the normal regulatory mechanisms do not deter their investment.

State-owned enterprises

As a dominant feature of its Communist past, China has more than 150,000 state-owned enterprises (SOEs) which control a substantial part of enterprise assets in the country. There have also been significant discussions about the SOE reforms as well.

Unlike in the Western development model, SOEs began going global and becoming state-owned multinational corporations, while China has been leading this initiative.

In a study on SOEs, carried out by OECD in 2013, it was found that out of the worlds 2000 largest listed companies, 204 were SOEs originating from 37 countries: 70 from China, 30 from India, 9 from Russia, 9 from UAE, 8 from Malaysia, 7 from Brazil, 6 from Indonesia, 6 from Poland, 6 from Switzerland, and 5 from France.

When I spoke in favour of privatization of SOEs, some would question quoting countries like China where the government has developed its SOEs to become multinational corporations operating globally. I would say: Why not? We can also ask our government to do it and show the result.

Change in the world

China reforms and opening up programme did not change China alone; it also changed the world. Chinese economic transformation has contributed to the growth of Asia which has become the fastest growing region in the world. It has also challenged the economic supremacy of the developed world.

Chinese economic transformation continues to be instrumental in changing the world economy which is yet to be seen within next 40 years.

(The writer is a Professor of Economics at the University of Colombo. He can be reached at sirimal@econ.cmb.ac.lk)
Glyphosate back: Plantations would take 10 yrs to recover By Sunimalee Dias View(s): View(s):

One bad decision has impacted an entire tea industrys future that experts opine could take nearly a decade to overcome the over-growth of weeds on Sri Lankan plantations.

Weedicide, Glyphosate that was banned in the country for the past three years, has been brought back following the lifting of the ban in May this year but plantation companies believe it would take about 10 years to return the estates to normalcy.

Hayleys Plantations MD Roshan Rajadurai told the Business Times that the plantations would take about 10 years to return to its earlier state as the reduction in the weeds that are overgrown would take a gradual process to take effect.

Since the previous week Glyphosate has been imported and each Regional Plantation Company (RPC) provided with 2000 litres of the weedicide.

Mr. Rajadurai explained that about 1.5 litres of Glyphosate is required for each hectare of plantations land to wipe out the weeds.

His company alone manages 35,000 hectares of plantation land and they believe that returning the estates to normalcy would take them quite some time since weeds cannot be wiped out overnight.

Glyphosate today is imported by the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) which was previously carried out by a number of private companies and which was then freely available in the open market. However, today due to the ongoing ban on the use of the pesticide which would be permitted only for rubber and tea sectors, authorities believe that they need to regulate the import of the product.

In this respect, regulating its import could be convenient if delivered through the CPC and stocks would be issued only twice a year as per the requirements of the plantations.

One of the severe impacts of the ban on Glyphosate was the loss of the Japanese market which maintains strict conditions in the import of Ceylon Tea. Due to the use of the alternative pesticides by the industry in the absence of Glyphosate it caused high residue levels of these weedicides being found in Ceylon Tea exported to Japan. As a result Japan banned the product and its now exported after careful laboratory tests to ensure that they do not contain residue levels above the norm stated by the importing country.
Lankas tea industry reaches boiling point By Sunimalee Dias View(s): View(s):

Tea traders are up in arms against what they call a bad decision on the part of the President that has led to a drop in exports and a total ban on Ceylon Tea to Japan since last year.

Ceylon Tea Traders Association (CTTA) President Anslem Perera addressing the Ceylon Planters Society as Chief Guest at its 82nd AGM held on Wednesday at the Hotel Galadari said that the one bad decision of the President had caused huge costs to the industry and a drop in exports and yields this year.

Personally, as an exporter I have suffered as Japan is a big market, he said. He explained that since Ceylon Tea was banned from October 2017 to October 2018 there has been a serious issue since his company that sells Mlesna Tea has had to spend nearly Rs.2 million monthly on laboratory tests to ensure the tea is safe for consumption in Japan prior to entry there.

Mr. Perera noted that though glyphosate had just arrived in the country it was yet to reach the estates and pointed out that the absence of its use on the plantations would mean that it would take up to six months to return to normalcy after its application.

In fact he asserted that once trust in trade is broken it is hard for anyone to understand how difficult it would be to regain it.

Addressing the planters, he said that though the industry had matured the planters were not getting what they need.

Mr. Perera pointed out that the plucking of two leaves and bud has been replaced by a whole branch and a bud and recalled how tea factories in their heyday would give out the aroma of tea that is hardly existent today.

After nationalization we have ruined the industry, Mr. Perera asserted and insisted that planters of today should attempt to turn the industry to what it was some time ago.

Commenting on the state of the labour on the estates, he pointed out that the government continues to interfere and that, we should not let the unions run this place adding that there were no unions operating on estates in Sabaragamuwa and Ruhuna.

On the other hand, he called on the employers to look after their workers stating that they should not just be blinded by the profits. You dont need unions if you look after workers, he said adding that discipline was an essential aspect of running the plantations as well.

CPS Chairman Rushantha Perera addressing the planters said they would fully support them in their resistance against unruly trade unions.

The erratic weather conditions due to global warming had aggravated the crisis on the plantations, he noted adding that low labour turnout was another issue.

Mr. Perera observed that the use of technology on the plantations was essential with drones and other equipment for which subsidies should be provided.

Moreover, he cautioned that there should not be a repeat of the glyphosate episode that caused about a 30 per cent drop in yields on the plantations in addition to losing some key markets.

He commended Plantation Minister Navin Dissanayake for the re-introduction of glyphosate on the plantations and insisted that hereafter there should be scientific evidence provided prior to the banning of such weedicides.

In addition, Mr. Perera said that the government is currently on a drive to close down nearly 38 estates with about 30,000 hectares allocated for the tourism industry.

Further fragmentation of the estates would mean that workers living on the plantations would lose their livelihoods but save their homes.

The Chairman also noted that they need to ensure that government instability should end and harassment of public officials should not go on stating that the mad hatters party must end.

Plantation Human Development Trust Director General Lal Perera, Guest of Honour at the AGM also made the fervent appeal to the planters to rebuild the industry and pointed out that through the outgrower system they should produce more leaders to take over the plantations.

He called on the planters to regain the trust of the workers in order to ensure that they would not be moved by trade unions.

Hayleys Plantations MD and the AGM Chairman Protem Roshan Rajadurai related the arrival of the Indian labour force on the Sri Lankan estates and explained the importance of the planters on the estates and their role in providing the necessary leadership at all times.

He called for a change in the wage system insisting that the 150 year-old model needs to convert to a motivational system to ensure workers were able to earn based on the productivity levels.

Through this revenue-sharing structure workers would be encouraged to work hard and be motivated to earn more, he said.

Time has come particularly for planters to take charge against intrusive politics, he said adding that they were not willing to engage with trade unions that use their political muscle nor would they bow down to such pressure. He explained that this was the reason they had called on the Employers Federation of Ceylon (EFC) to carry out wage negotiations on behalf of the RPCs.
Migration trail View(s):

One of the first web comments from a migrant worker after Sri Lankas new Cabinet was sworn in on Thursday was: The Sri Lanka Government that has been appointed has to do more to protect and uphold holiday and vacation rights of its migrant workers toiling in West Asia.

This comment was further endorsed on Thursday by Kussi Amma Sera, telling her friends  Serapina and Mabel Rasthiyadu during their Margosa tree conversation  that ape meda peradiga inna lamai-te kisi udaw-wak nehe, aanduwen (there is no state support for our workers in West Asia).

Ehemai  ehemai (yes, yes), nodded Serapina in response. While Kussi Amma Seras view might not be all that accurate given that the Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau is tasked with looking after the welfare of migrant workers, her perception of the state not doing enough is shared by many including migrant worker sector activists.

Many Sri Lankan migrant workers come from the home towns of Kussi Amma Sera, Serapina and Mabel Rasthiyadu and thus they are aware of the difficulties some women face in their workplace and/or the country of employment.

These comments came as Harin Fernando was appointed the Minister-in-charge of foreign employment, returning to a position he held prior to the October 26 sacking of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and the Cabinet, in an unprecedented move by President Maithripala Sirisena.

Even as Arthika, my nonsensical economist friend, and I exchanged some thoughts on the phone on the migration trail, with December 18 marking International Migrant Workers Day, this sector still has a long way to go before government agencies get their act together in fully ensuring the protection and rights of Sri Lankans working overseas.

Among the steps that the government can take are the creation of better awareness and promotion of safe migration and abolition of discriminatory policies. While several organisations separately issued a symbolic December 18 call for the government to be more responsible towards the rights and protection of migrant workers, one organisation  Community Development Services (CDS)  urged the government to implement the proposed pension scheme; re-introduce the tri-partite contract signing and continue to be a signatory to the contract of employment; establish a standard contract of employment for domestic workers; recognise and assist undocumented and irregular migrants; and provide better health rights for migrant workers.

These are all issues that have confronted migrant workers for decades and not seen much progress in a positive sense.

A new challenge to local authorities is the proliferation of foreign workers, particularly Chinese, making Sri Lanka also a labour-receiving country, in addition to outbound migration. In this context, the governments policy on inbound migration is still unclear, an issue that needs to be addressed before foreign workers  particularly on construction sites  start complaining of irregular contracts, non-payment of due wages and decent work issues. Due to a shortage of workers locally, the construction industry in Sri Lanka has been knocking on the doors for permission to recruit foreign workers during the current construction boom. As of now, such a process is governed under Board of Investment (BOI) guidelines but a labour policy pertaining to foreign workers needs to be developed.

Insofar as Sri Lankan migrant workers are concerned, the biggest challenge today is the restrictive Family Background Report (FBR) which has seen many female workers circumvent the process by going abroad on visit visas and then finding employment with the connivance of job agents. Often these women fall prey to dubious job contracts and other problems.

At a December 18 International Migrant Workers Day discussion on the migration trail organised by the UNDP-ILO in Colombo to mark the occasion, it was revealed that the FBR has caused more harm than good.

Women circumvent this process due to value judgement by local level officers and a tedious process to get the FBR, it was stated, raising fears of trafficking and unsafe working and living conditions abroad.

Such workers are not registered (by Sri Lankan authorities), dont undergo pre-departure training and have no proper contracts. Some are told they are, for example, going to Qatar but end up in Kuwait and are often pushed into forced labour without a proper contract.

In recent times, there has been an explosion of interest among various actors in the migration trail  including not-for-profit organisations including a Migrants Interest Group (MIG)  to assess the situation pertaining to migrant workers and guide policy and safe migration issues with state agencies.

One of the areas of interest is the UNs Global Compact on safe, orderly and regular migration (GCM) which earlier this month was endorsed by 164 countries in the United Nations. The GCM, however, is a non-binding agreement, purely voluntary and thus doesnt put pressure on countries like Sri Lanka to follow these guidelines.

The GCM comprises 23 objectives for better managing migration at local, national, regional and global levels which among others include reducing the risks and vulnerabilities migrants face; addressing legitimate concerns of states and communities; and striving to create conducive conditions that enable all migrants to enrich societies through their human, economic and social capacities and contributions.

In Sri Lanka, over the years the number of women seeking employment overseas has dropped from over 50 per cent, at one point, to 34 per cent today for various reasons including cumbersome processes and workplace issues. According to official data, of this, 77 per cent women go abroad on domestic work.

The December 18 discussion was also told that womens migration is driven by gender-based violence; confidence and independence: renegotiation of gender roles; increased income and quality of life; and increased role in decision-making. The right to decent work and a decent wage was also emphasised.

Next year, it was revealed, a UN project will get underway to provide guidance on employment contracts with improper contracts being one of the biggest issues for migrant workers.

Another challenge to the foreign labour market is the rapid progress of the Emiratisation policy in the UAE which provides for the inclusion of UAE nationals or Emiratis in the job sector, particularly in the private sector. Emiratisation, it is stated, aims to increase the number of Emiratis in the job market and their contribution to the economy, thereby reducing the number of jobs available to foreigners including Sri Lanka. When this takes root, the annual flow of over 200,000 Sri Lankans to West Asia will reduce, thereby putting pressure on the authorities to find jobs for them at home or in new markets overseas.

Apart from devising proper safeguards for Sri Lankan workers, particularly women, through negotiations and bilateral agreements with labour-receiving countries, the authorities also need to create jobs locally for would-be migrants when the job migration trail in West Asia dries up.

Finally, a labour policy (as suggested earlier) governing the rights of foreign workers in Sri Lanka, is a priority. For, it would be inappropriate for a country to demand better protection for its workers overseas if it chooses to ignore the rights of foreign workers at home (Sri Lanka).
US, fast growing tea consumption market-Forbes report View(s):

Sri Lankan tea production in 2019, consequent to the Governments decision to lift the ban on the use of glyphosate (weedicide) would provide much relief to producers and in particular large-scale plantations which would be able to carryout the required agricultural practices to achieve the full potential of the plantations, says broker Forbes and Walker Ltd.

Further the Governments decision last month  to allow a more liberal policy on fertilizer  should contribute favourably. Needless to say, subject to extreme weather conditions not being a reality, it said in its annual review of tea for 2018 and the outlook for 2019.

Forbes said however, ageing tea bushes and low productivity levels would be a downside. Similarly, India with its aged plantations is unlikely to show any significant improvement in its output. On the other hand, Kenya with its steady growth in production in the past several years is poised to achieve a 500 million (M)/kgs in 2018 and is likely to play a significant role when assessing the total global supply situation.

Demand growth in China and India, considering the magnitude of these two markets, is likely to influence prices and consumption is expected to outstrip production. The US too could be singled out as a fast-growing market, particularly for instant tea and iced tea segments, whilst imports from Sri Lanka to the US have shown quite a significant growth in 2018, the report said.

Other factors that are likely to impact Sri Lankan tea prices:

Colombo Auction prices have shown a significant appreciation in the 4th quarter and the 3rd quarter, particularly in respect of leafy orthodox teas.

Further, the 1st quarter traditionally is a low cropping period with enhanced product quality from most producer countries. This scenario will augur well for small leaf liquoring varieties that would be on offer.

Another important factor that might influence tea prices is the variation in exchange rates. The Sri Lankan Rupee, which was under severe pressure at the commencement of the 4th quarter 2018, stabilized somewhat towards mid-December. If this trend is reversed and the previous depreciation pattern that was seen a couple of months ago is a reality, this too would help Colombo Auction prices in rupee terms.

Improved demand from Iran following the recent indications that tea would not be featured on the list of items attracting US import sanctions.

Importers of orthodox teas are likely to have lower inventory levels in the backdrop of deficits accumulated since 2015.

These factors would enable Sri Lanka to predict an upward movement in prices, particularly in the 1st half for most varieties of orthodox teas. The market demand for teas thereafter, would greatly depend on how the global tea industry would progress during the 1st half. As we have periodically highlighted, market demand for good quality teas would command a premium consistently throughout the year, Forbes said.

The report said 2018 began with a lot of optimism in the backdrop of an excellent year (2017) that was witnessed in terms of tea prices. The 1st quarter commenced on a high, with the quarterly Auction average being recorded as the highest ever. However, as the year progressed, the Sri Lankan tea industry faced numerous obstacles.

Here are extracts of the report:

Consequent to banning of glyphosate by the Government of Sri Lanka, tea growers and large plantations, in particular, were forced to use alternative products for the control of weed growth, resulting in MCPA levels higher than permitted for exports to Japan.

As the year unfolded, purchases from Japan declined due to purchases/shipments being made only following prior testing for chemical residue levels. This brought about a market  unrelated to quality  with greater emphasis on the MCPA levels and its suitability for the Japanese market.

In and around May, US sanctions on Iran were imposed which had a cascading impact on Auction prices in Colombo, particularly for the Low Grown (Tippy) teas. There was some optimism for tea prices to turn around towards June/July following the strengthening of oil prices and the weakening of the Sri Lankan Rupee. However, this too did not work out to be a reality following the weak economies in most West Asian countries and Russia, resulting in currencies in the importer countries also depreciating against the US Dollar.

During the 2nd half of 2018, there was ample evidence of global production increasing significantly, primarily due to increased production in the African region. These increases did not reflect too adversely on Colombo Auction prices, as most of the increase comprised of CTC teas.

After much deliberation, stakeholders were successful in negotiating with the Government of Sri Lanka to remove the glyphosate ban through a Special Gazette dated 11 July 2018, a welcome relief to the industry. However, the modalities have taken a considerable period of time for these shipments to be available for the plantations on a regulated basis.

Commencing around September 2018, the Sri Lankan Rupee began to show a significant devaluation against the US Dollar, which possibly to some extent made Sri Lankan tea prices attractive to importers. Since then, we have seen reasonable momentum although the current Auction price levels are below the corresponding sales of last year by approximately Rs. 50 or $0.27 per kg. Cumulative Colombo Auction average up to the penultimate sale stood at Rs. 619.11 compared to Rs. 582.17 in 2017, a variance of Rs. 37 per kg.

Overall annual growth is still around the same levels as were seen in the past couple of years. It is indeed promising to note that the agriculture sector has performed extremely well during the year, after two disastrous years. However, unfortunately, the Industrial Sector growth rates have declined significantly compared to 2017 and 2016, and the overall growth could not be accelerated beyond the present level.

Agriculture sector growth rates in the first two quarters of 2018 have seen a remarkable increase when compared against the previous two years. Paddy production can be identified as the major contributor for overall growth in this sector.
Sajith Premadasa and Ravi Karunanayake threatened to boycott swearing-in ceremony

Ranil to campaign to abolish Executive Presidency thought National Democratic Front (NDF) President Maithripala Sirisena has rejected a request by the United National Party (UNP) to re-activate the onetime National Government with the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and thus enlarge the Cabinet of Ministers.

It was made on Saturday night by a four-member UNP delegation led by the then Prime Minister designate Ranil Wickremesinghe. He was sworn in the next day (Sunday). They met Sirisena at his Mahagamsekera Mawatha residence. Early this week, Wickremesinghe rejected a move by his party seniors to forge a rather unusual alliance with the only Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) parliamentarian, Ali Zahir Mowlana, as exclusively revealed in these columns last week. That was also to enhance the number of ministers.

Mowlana was a close ally of the then Tiger guerrilla eastern commander Karuna alias Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharn and helped him flee to Colombo from the battlefields in the east after he broke ranks with his leader Velupillai Prabhakaran. Mowlana served in the Sri Lanka Embassy in Washington DC during the Mahinda Rajapaksa administration and had a request for asylum rejected by US authorities. This was on the grounds that he was on the diplomatic staff and was thus not qualified. He represents the SLMC from the Batticaloa District, though his party leader Rauff Hakeem and others were elected at the August 2015 parliamentary elections on the UNP ticket.

This move was strongly criticised by those within the UNP and even their passive ally the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP). Aandu krama viyasthaavey hil hoyanna epa or dont look for loopholes in the Constitution, JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake told Wickremesinghe. Some civil society groups backing the new government were also not in favour. They said it went against the spirit of the Constitution.

Other UNP delegation members who met President Sirisena were Malik Samarawickrema, re-appointed Minister of Development Strategies, International Trade in addition to Science Technology and Research on Thursday, Rajitha Senaratne, re-appointed Minister of Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine, and Ranjit Madduma Bandara, the former Minister of Law and Order, now appointed as Public Administration and Disaster Management Minister. The names of not-cabinet ministers, non-cabinet ministers, ministers of state and deputy minister appear elsewhere in this newspaper.

It was Samarawickrema who proposed to President Sirisena to sign an agreement for a National Government. When Sirisena queried what agreement, he replied a UNP-SLFP agreement. Eka deng epaa. Eka dang amathaka karanna or that is not needed now. Forget it, said Sirisena, according to a source close to the Presidency.

President Sirisena, the source said, then asked whether the delegation had brought along with them the proposed list containing the names for the Cabinet of Ministers. Wickremesinghe replied yes and handed over a list containing 36 names. President Sirisena looked at it and declared that it should be pruned down to exactly 28. He was holding the Law and Order Ministry which has now been placed under the Ministry of Defence.

Samarawickrema, in a bid to convince President Sirisena, pointed out that Parliament had in fact given approval for a National Government. He said, We could then appoint 45 ministers and let such a Cabinet function. The President dismissed the suggestion saying eka deng vedak nehe or that is now useless. Senaratne took over the effort. He asked President Sirisena that since the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) was a partner in the United National Front (UNF), whether it was possible for them to form a National Government of their own. He replied that they could not do so under the UPFAUNP Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) reached after the August 2015 parliamentary elections and thereafter.

President Sirisena, who had by then been perusing the list of would-be cabinet ministers asked why Arjuna Ranatunga has been named the Minister of Petroleum Resources. He used some strong language to ask whether it was wise to do so. Sir, is there a problem, queried Senaratne. He replied that two persons had died at his ministry in an incident after Ranatunga had gone there to retrieve some documents whilst not functioning as a Minister. How can he go and serve there, he asked.

The subject then turned to law and order. President Sirisena declared that investigations into the alleged attempt to assassinate him were progressing well now. I have always held that such investigations should be carried out correctly and in accordance with the law, he said. Ranjit Madduma Bandara intervened to say Sir baya wenda epaa. Mama hariyata veday karranam or Sir dont be frightened. I will do the job correctly. Snapped back Sirisena, Even earlier, you ran the Law and Order Ministry. Did you do your job or was it done for you by the Chief of Staff (CoS) of the Prime Ministers Office. He was referring to a onetime Law and Order Minister who serves as CoS, Sagala Ratnayake. Sirisena then turned angry and remarked You didnt have anything to do. Isnt it? He said that he would appoint a suitable person as Law and Order Minister when it was necessary and it would remain with the Defence Ministry until then.

There was a divergence of views on the composition of the Cabinet. It was President Sirisenas view that it should be made of 28 plus 2 making it 30. That was taking into consideration the President and the Prime Minister. However, the UNF differed from that view pointing out that it should be 30 plus 2 making a total of 32 ministers.

This was how the UNF ended up sending 36 names, they explained. They included four UNFers  Palitha Range Bandara, Ravi Samaraweera, D.M. Swaminathan and Sarath Fonseka  and SLFPs Piyasena Gamage and A.H.M. Fowzie.

President Sirisena strongly objected to and refused to consider Fonseka and was critical of but did not object to Bandara, according to the UNF. Of course he also said no to Gamage and Fowzie on the basis of them being SLFPers. The UNF fell in line and dropped Samaraweera, Bandara, Swaminathan and Fowzie in the light of the interpretation of 28 ministers. We were more focused on getting the Vote on Account in Parliament passed without delay, a senior UNP source said. However, the source said they would raise issue over the matter again.

Samarawickrema, the source revealed, pointed out that the names of some SLFP would-be ministers were also in the list to be sworn in as ministers. President Sirisena declared that some of them were those in my National List who have entered Parliament. It was the same with others who were elected. Let it be anyone. Those going to the other side, dont bring them here. Take them to whatever place and have them sworn-in if there is any lawful ministry, he retorted.

That Sirisenas relations remained bitter with the UNP was reflected in his remarks in the past weeks. A group of SLFP parliamentarians have been trying during different meetings with Sirisena to persuade him to allow them to tie-up with the UNP. The answer has been a firm No. In what seemed a pincer movement came the initiative that the UNP delegation made. They too called for a National Government during Saturday nights meeting. There was a fine thread that seemed to run through some in the SLFP group and UNP leaders.

Just a day after he met the UNP delegation, President Sirisena had a meeting (on Sunday) with Mahinda Rajapaksa, recognised by Speaker Karu Jayasuriya this week as the new Leader of the Opposition. Sirisena is learnt to have briefed him on his talks with the UNP delegation and matters relating to the current political situation. Thereafter, the same night he met a group of SLFP parliamentarians. Other than the three who crossed over  Lakshman Seneviratne, Vijith Vijithamuni de Soysa and Indika Bandaranayake a notable absentee was Duminda Dissanayake, onetime General Secretary of the SLFP.

SLFPers Piyasena Gamage and A.H.M. Fowzie had crossed over earlier.

Sirisena delivered a strong message saying, everyone here please listen.

Dont speak. Hear what I have to say. He said, There will be no national unity government with Ranil Wickremesinghe. You will not be given portfolios. Former Minister, Faiszer Musthapha, strongly billed to cross over to the UNP, was to remark that the refusal would prompt those involved to go to Courts. Sirisena replied Ayvaa mang balaa gannang or I will take care of that. He told the MPs how he had received 36 names and how he wanted the names of A.H.M. Fowzie, Sarath Fonseka, Piyasena Gamage and Arjuna Ranatunga removed, the latter from being given the petroleum portfolio.

There was more drama when the SLFP Central Committee met on Tuesday evening. Dayasiri Jayasekera, a one-time UNP MP and Rajapaksa backer, now a staunch Sirisena loyalist was locked in a war of words, after he called for disciplinary action against MPs who had crossed over. The move infuriated Mahinda Amaraweera, a key promoter for a tie-up with the UNP. He had in fact had meetings in his official residence with like-minded colleagues to oust Mahinda Rajapaksa when he was named Prime Minister. He said he would give up politics and leave if such action was contemplated. Why do you have to talk about it then, retorted Jayasekera. Endorsing Jayasekeras remarks was Chamara Sampath, Chief Minister of the Uva Province.

As for Fonseka, Sirisena explained, that the onetime military strongmans name had figured in the ongoing investigations to assassinate him. It was Sirisena who promoted him to the rank of Sri Lankas first Field Marshal after the man had led troops to victory in the military defeat of Tiger guerrillas in May 2009. He supported Sirisena at the presidential election of January 2015. The Presidents stated dislike for Fonseka and the refusal to swear him in prompted Wickremesinghe to leave his name out of the Cabinet of Ministers.

Since being sworn in on Sunday as Prime Minister, an expanded Cabinet of Ministers became inevitable for Wickremesinghe. Firstly, he had to reward his party loyalists who backed him since being ousted on October 26. Secondly, he also had to accommodate those who were joining him from the SLFP, thus endorsing the UNP policies in return for portfolios. That thrust both by the SLFPers and the UNPers has been put paid and those who crossed over are now stranded. Thus, it may well be a UNP government with less than 113 MPs in Parliament. Their 106 strength is, however, bolstered by the support of 14 MPs of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) whenever it becomes necessary to maintain the parliamentary majority.

Dispute over cultural affairs portfolio

There were many issues for Wickremesinge to tackle ahead of the Cabinet of Ministers being sworn in. Just the night before (Wednesday), the Sunday Times is able to reveal how two prominent UNPers, both now Ministers, telephoned President Sirisena. One was Sajith Premadasa, who is now re-appointed Minister of Housing, Construction and Cultural Affairs. Premadasa told Sirisena that he would not be coming for the swearing-in ceremony the next morning and his act was by no means an affront to the President. He complained that he had asked for the subject of Cultural Affairs and that had been given to Akila Viraj Kariyawasam (Minister of Education). Sirisena had replied that he was not angry with Premadasa over the issue. However, just hours before the swearing-in on Thursday morning, Premier Wickremesinghe had telephoned Udaya R. Seneviratne, Secretary to the President and sought a change. He wanted the cultural affairs subject listed under Premadasa.

The other caller was Ravi Karunanayake. He also told Sirisena that he would not be turning up for the swearing-in ceremony. Asked why, he replied it was because the Finance portfolio was promised to him and it had not been given. He wanted Sirisena not to take it amiss. Sir Ekata amanaapa wenna epa or Sir, dont be disappointed over this, said Karunanayake. Wickremesinghe had already come under heavy pressure from senior UNP rankers not to assign the finance portfolio to Karunanayake on the grounds that it would be bad for the party and the new government. When offered the Ministry of Power and Energy, a UNP source said, Karunanayake had also sought to annexe the subject of petroleum resources but Wickremesinghe had turned it down.

Dispute over media heads

Another matter that played out was a tele drama of sorts which would never appear on screens. The state run Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation (SLRC) Chairman, Sarath Kongahage, had left his office at Torrington Square and was driven in his official vehicle on Thursday night to the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute (SLFI), of which he is also Chairman. Within hours of being sworn-in as Finance and Media Minister, Mangala Samaraweera, had re-appointed the previous incumbent Inoka Sathyangani to head the SLRC. She had gone to the premises, asked the staff to arrange a meeting the next day. She had directed that Kongahage return his official vehicle immediately. The lawyer, one time Presidential candidate, and former diplomat promptly returned his official car. Moments later, it was President Sirisena who telephoned him. He was livid. Who asked you to give up your appointment? I never told you. Go back immediately and ensure you continue, he thundered. Samaraweera had also re-appointed Thilaka Jayasundera as the Chairman of Independent Television Network (ITN) but Somaratne Dissanayake, who had replaced her, was directed to continue as Chairman. Samaraweera later told his two nominees to wait till his subjects are gazetted.

Just hours before the swearing-in of ministers, Sirisena telephoned Lake House Chairman Wasantha Ramanayake. He directed that he hand over all his functions and duties to Krishantha Cooray immediately. A member of the UNP Working Committee, Cooray is widely regarded as a close confidant of Sirisena. Until the ouster of Wickremesinghe as Prime Minister, he served as Chairman of Lake House. He is also Chairman of Hotel Developers, the owning company of Colombo Hilton. On Friday, President Sirisena telephoned Samaraweera and asked him not to make appointments to any positions in the Media Ministry until the gazette notification listing the subjects allocated to ministers was published. He is learnt to have pointed out that Cooray had already taken over at Lake House only to be told by the President that it was he who had made that appointment. Whether the gazette notification in question will be issued before or after he returns from a four-day private visit, overseas is not immediately clear. It is, however, clear that President Sirisena wants to retain under his purview some of the state run media institutions.

If the Supreme Court ruling that the dissolution of Parliament was unconstitutional prompted politically battle scarred Mahinda Rajapaksa to cede the premiership to Ranil Wickremesinghe, he has still found an assertive position. That is the post of Leader of the Opposition. Speaker Karu Jayasuriya announced in Parliament that he would recognise Rajapaksa, prompting TNA leader Rajavarothayam Sampanthan to claim he, too, held that position. Earlier, if the argument was that there were two Prime Ministers in Sri Lanka, it was a case of claims now that there were two Leaders of Opposition. A parliamentary source said that whilst the Speaker would study demands for the appointment of a Select Committee, legal and constitutional aspects were a matter for courts. At a recent meeting, Jayasuriya praised Sampanthan for his contribution as Leader of the Opposition and for defending Sri Lanka at international fora.

Thus the 52-day long chapter in Sri Lankas political history, one of the darkest since independence 70 years ago, came to a close at the Presidential Secretariat at the auspicious hour of 11.16 a.m. last Sunday. This was with Ranil Wickremesinghe being sworn in as Prime Minister. It was for a second time since being elected to Parliament at the August 2015 parliamentary elections. He is now holding the office of Prime Minister for the fifth time.

It is now known that Speaker Jayasuriya played a key role for this sweet and sour occasion. Acting as intermediary, mostly over the telephone between President Sirisena and now Premier Wickremesinghe, he amicably resolved some contentious issues of concern. That was how the earliest available date and time was fixed for the swearing-in.

Just after President Sirisena swore-in Prime Minister Wickremesinghe, the two fed each other pieces of kiribath or milk rice. The ritual is traditional and underscored a good future. Yet, contrary to the wide belief that the political crisis has ended altogether, another new chapter has in fact begun. How volatile that would be remains to be seen in the coming weeks and months. Perhaps, the only consolation is the fact that there is now a functioning government, a seeming stability and normalcy.

Presidents pep talk

However, a pointer that the road ahead is rough was clearly highlighted by President Sirisena. In an unusual step, he gave a pep talk to Wickremesinghe and his close aides, who turned up for the swearing-in. Sitting at the head of his conference table, surrounded by the UNPers, the 45-minute speech was far from complimentary and much less polite. Soothing defrayed nerves was UNP deputy leader Sajith Premadasa. He wrote out a note and gently pushed it across the table. That was advice to his leader Wickremesinghe to stay calm and an assurance he would handle the situation. He also made eye movements to convey the same message to others as Wickremesinghes facial expressions showed he was not amused at the presidential ranting.

Noting that we have made several achievements as a government Sirisena began by saying there were many disastrous acts, corruption and disturbing incidents. Here are some edited highlights of President Sirisenas admonishing speech:

 the previous governments serious misdeeds. President Mahinda Rajapaksa was defeated. I was elected President by 6,250,000 people voting for me. What was opposed then was corruption and fraud. But the new peoples government, plundered the Central Bank within three months. In the two cases reported in 2015, our fight against corruption was destroyed. So, yahapalanaya (good governance) political concept has been destroyed. The citizens yahapalana (good governance) expectation has been destroyed.

Prime Minister Hon. Ranil Wickremesinghe clearly knows that I was opposed to the appointment of Mr Arjuna Mahendren (as Governor of the Central Bank). But, I did not want any conflict with him. I appointed him because of his strong request. Therefore, I too came under the allegations. Mr Mahendran is missing today. The plan for his arrest was not implemented properly. The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) and other officials who assisted the Commission on the Central Bank bond scam were threatened. There were pressures and some of the officials came under various investigations.

.The CCEM (Cabinet Committee on Economic Management) that was established with a decision of the Cabinet. However, the CCEM has led to the rise of many issues. In reality, I have been too grateful and ignored that he actually enjoyed the powers of the President. I did not ask about his conduct. He acted in this same manner in dealings with international leaders and trade agreements. Mr Wickremasinghe used powers that he had not been vested with by the 19th Amendment. But I waited patiently as a man with gratitude. I am happy that political parties and leaders contributed to resolve this crisis. I thank Hon. Speaker, for discussing to resolve this issue.

I must also clearly mention about imprisoning the members of the Tri forces. I asked not to imprison our soldiers who have fought in battles and defeated terrorism; but nobody listened to me.

I issued some gazette notifications recently. I did so with the advice of expert lawyers and constitutional experts. All what I did was done with utmost good faith. I didnt do any of those acts with any malice or with an intention of violating the constitution. The country was in a huge political turmoil. The best solution to solve the problem was to have an election. It was only 122 members of Parliament who signed this letter. But there are 155 lakhs of voters in this country. I know the power of all these 15.5 million voters is much stronger than 122 members of Parliament. That is why I reached that decision. If I am to be punished for such pure intentions or if an impeachment motion is brought against me, then it is a different issue. Thus, persons who wish to assassinate me like Gaddafi was can fulfill their wish.

I will not take action to shoot them by deploying the Army and STF (Police commandos). I will remain silent at any time if such an incident occurred. I will open the gate when I get to know that they are coming for me. I will order the Army and STF to leave the place. I will clearly state all, including the NGO persons and all your MPs who threatened to kill me to come and kill me and set fire to me and my house. Taking into consideration all of these incidents, we must seriously think how things will unfold in the future, and how this government will move forward.

Some of your MPs over the phone or when they meet me, say that we must move forward together, but I cant see what the guarantee for such a collective journey is. I dont want to create conflicts. At every turn of this conflict, it is the country that will fall back. The prevailing corrupt situation is very strong. There are some extremely corrupt politicians in Parliament. When we consider our Cabinet there are some corrupt individuals. The promise of good governance, which we gave to our people, has been completely violated. I clearly state that I am not the person who is responsible for this calamity. I made all the sacrifices.

Just as President Sirisena ended his speech, Wickremesinghes deputy Sajith Premadasa rose to his feet. Instead of delivering a speech, he began reciting Gathas from the Buddhist scripture. The theme of those words to convey the Buddhist edict that hatred does not conquer hatred. Later, that night Premadasa who visited a close businessman friend in Borella told him Janadipathi thumaa apita bada pirenna dunna or the President gave us a bellyful.

Bond scam probe

President Sirisenas speech at Wickremesinghes swearing-in and remarks to his own party men make abundantly clear his acrimony towards the new UNP government. There are strong signs it would exacerbate when fresh investigations now ordered by Sirisena into the conduct of some former cabinet ministers over alleged bribery and corruption is concluded in the coming weeks and months. This is besides plans to make further revelations, as previously announced, over the Central Bank bond scam. The delay, highly placed sources said, was after some documents had gone missing. However, fresh efforts have led to the recovery of most from another quarter.

Prime Minister Wickremesinghe has been taking a studied approach towards these new developments lest he finds himself on another confrontation course with Sirisena. However, in a statement last Sunday, ahead of these new developments, he did deliver a strong message. Highlights:

I said the same thing on October 26th at Temple Trees. I said that our fight was for the sake of democracy, justice, protection of the Constitution, adherence of the rule of the law and civilized and moral conduct of society. I also said that we would win this fight.

Even today I am telling the same thing. I will tell the same tomorrow too. I will abide my word. I will do what I say. I say only what I can do. Most of the people of this country joined together to protect the constitution, democracy, and the rights of the people. Hundred thousand of people who adhere to their conscience came to the forefront of this fight as Sri Lankans, disregarding race, religion and party politics. Sri Lankans living abroad too supported this move to the best of their ability. They joined this fight on behalf of their country and democracy without any personal gain.

I take this opportunity to salute them all. Similarly, I would like to pay my homage to the Maha Sanga and the clergy of other religions, who guided us in this endeavor.

The Hon. Speaker, Ministers and members of the Parliament fully dedicated to uphold the supremacy of Parliament and democracy. I offer my sincere gratitude to all of them. Our judicial institutions, including the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal, exhibited their independence and the identity to the whole world. I would like to extend my gratitude to the Judiciary and the lawyers who made their legal submissions. And also, I offer my gratitude to the members of the public service, armed services and the Police who upheld the rule of law and justice.

My gratitude should go to the journalists who fought for the impartiality of media in the midst of the pressures of errant journalists and to all who toil day and night voluntary to tell the truth to the world through the Social Media.

In January 2015 and August 2015, we gained the mandate of the people to bring about good governance, to preserve democracy and the Rule of the Law to eliminate frauds and corruptions, to empower Parliament after abolishing the executive presidency and to uphold the sovereignty of the people.

During the past three and half years we have done a lot to the country. It is due to progressive steps including the establishment of the independent commissions that many institutions including the Judiciary could act independently.

The whole country is enjoying the harvest of the seeds we sowed during the past three and half years. We are happy about that. However, there are things we could not implement in this period. Some work got delayed. We could not finalise some work. But we havent lost our dedication and determination. We are determined to rectify our shortcomings. We will take the steps to expedite the litigation regarding frauds and corruption. We have created an environment in which different ethnic groups can live together in harmony and co-existence. We will dedicate ourselves to maintain harmony among different ethnic groups.

Wickremesinghe took it a step further last Monday. He told a crowded public rally at Galle Face Green that he would soon form a National Democratic Front (NDF) to campaign for the abolishing the Executive Presidency. There were no takers from parties represented in Parliament. M.A. Sumanthiran of the TNA said, We have no plans to join the proposed National Democratic Front. We will maintain our identity as the TNA. As far as the current Parliament is concerned we will extend support to the government based on each issue. Added the JVPs Vijitha Herath: the JVP will not be involved in the National Democratic Front (NDF), even though it is said that Prime Minister Wickremesinghe is creating the front with a goal of abolishing the executive Presidency. We will not be joining National Democratic Front.

Other than the TNA and the JVP, all other parties backing the UNP form the United National Front (UNF). A UNP leader who did not wish to be identified said, We will seek the support of civil society and other organisations in our efforts.

Being the leader of a proposed NDF, no doubt, will help Wickremesinghe who wants to be the Presidential candidate at the next election. However, the billion dollar question is the fate of President Sirisena. The SLFP is virtually in limbo and most of those representing it in Parliament want to move out to the UNF. That is the death knell for the party as the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) emerges to obscure the SLFP. Challenges for both Sirisena and Wickremesinghe are many in the New Year.

Clarification

Dr S.M. Mohamed Ismail, MP for SLMC has written to the Sunday Times over references to him in these columns in the issue of November 11 over allegations of sexual misconduct. Such allegations had surfaced when he was Vice Chancellor of the Eastern University.Dr Ismail, in a lengthy letter, complains that 33,000 electors of the Digamadulla District who hold high esteem of my character says that contrary to our report, he has not been charge sheeted for sexual misconduct. We deeply regret the error and apologise to Dr Ismail about being charge sheeted but reports soon after his appointment indeed spoke of allegations of sexual misconduct.That is not all. The then Higher Education and Cultural Affairs Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, speaking in Parliament on matters relating to Dr Ismail had this to say, There were wide-ranging allegations against the (Eastern) Universitys Vice Chancellor. If MPs who are members of the COPE (Committee on Public Enterprises) are here today, the Hansard (official record of Parliament) of June 8 quotes him as saying they will know about this. They have sent reports telling us to take action. Many offences have been committed, including using university funds to maintain his house, pay electricity and water bills. When I came here today, someone told me that the person who has all these charges levelled against him took his oaths as an MP. The charge sheet against this person is extremely lengthy.  I am not speaking about a political party. But, isnt this the reality we are facing in the country today.
Three seniors did not want portfolios, but eventually got them View(s):

For most Sinhala cinemagoers, the attraction remains a formula film  with scenes of fighting, comedy, songs and a happy ending.

One is not sure whether the same phenomenon has entered the political spectrum. It was the United National Front (UNF) parliamentary group meeting this week chaired by Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe. In the absence of a national government, he was explaining the difficulties of having an expanded cabinet.

The 19th Amendment to the Constitution forbade it, unless there was a national government. On such occasions, through a motion in Parliament, the numbers could have been expanded. Hence, Wickremesinghe declared that former Ministers who wished not to have portfolios should volunteer and make public their views.

Rishad Bathiuddin, leader of the All Ceylon Makkal Congress (ACMC), was quick to respond. Mr. Bathiuddin, who is vying with his rival Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) leader Rauff Hakeem to become the sole political leader of the Muslim community, rose to say he did not want a ministry. There were two others too, Malik Samarawickrema and Mano Ganesan.Eran Wickremeratne, a former State Minister for Finance rose immediately to say leaders of minority parties should not be ignored because of the contribution they had made to the UNF.

But all three persons, who did not wish to be ministers, were sworn in on Thursday morning. Naturally, there were those who wished for portfolios, particularly those who crossed over from the SLFP. But they were disappointed.

The swearing in ceremony itself had some interesting moments. Some ministers did not know where to sign the letter of acceptance. One of them handed back to President Sirisena not only the signed letter but also the table pad which he used to sign the letter. Another opened his pen, put it in his pocket and fumbled with only the cap in hand.

Lankas Rohini chief of staff to prospective US presidential candidate

Senator Kamala Harris (Democrat  California) has named a new Chief of Staff as she prepares to make a decision on a presidential run over the holidays. Rohini Kosoglu has assumed the helm in Senator Harris Washington DC office, where she has served as the Senators Deputy Chief of Staff since 2017. The promotion makes Ms. Kosoglu the only Asian American woman currently serving as a Chief of Staff to a Senator.

Ms. Kosoglu, daughter of Sri Lankan immigrants, is a legislative and policy expert with more than a decade of Senate experience. She began her political career as a mailroom manager for Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI). After working her way up to Senior Policy Advisor, she then moved on to Senator Michael Bennetts (Democrat -Colorado) office as his Senior Health Care Advisor. During her time in the Senate administration, she has managed legislative activity involving landmark laws, including the Affordable Care Act.

The University of Michigan graduate, who earned her Masters from George Washington University, said part of her job as Chief of Staff would be to keep the Senators door open to young people and show that this is the job that they can have. This is the job that they can see themselves in. In an interview with Roll Call, earlier this year, she said, I definitely try to prioritise if any women, particularly women of colour  just want to meet to talk about how to move up on the Hill or whether theyre interested in working on the Hill.

Meanwhile, Senator Harris has two books coming out next year and is expected to kick off her highly anticipated presidential campaign next month.

Top cop blackguards wrong premier

The episode was not only humorous but also most embarrassing to a top cop.

He asked an aide to get the Prime Minister on the telephone. The aide did. The top cop let loose a verbal uncomplimentary barrage about Ranil Wickremesinghe.

At one point, the person who answered the phone exclaimed, Thamuseta moley honda nedda or is something wrong with your brain?

The top cop had been speaking to Premier Wickremesinghe. He had meant to ask his aide to get former Premier Mahinda Rajapaksa. The aide was given a strong dressing down.

Theologians tell Mujib to be cautious

Some Muslim theologians invited UNPs Colombo Central parliamentarian Mujibur Rahman for a meeting this week.

They advised him to be cautious not to hurt the sentiments of those of other religions when he addresses news conferences.

It seems the theologians are keeping a close track of political developments.

Ranils pan remark takes the cake

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe once again drew parallels between himself and a pan (Thaachchiya) at this weeks Yukthiye Satana (Fight for Justice) rally at the Galle Face Green.Addressing the rally, the Prime Minister said most people assumed that the UNP would not be able to continue its political activities for at least a week after October 26.

However, they forgot that it is the thaachchiya (pan) which is placed on the fire and not the hopper. It is the pan which faces the fire, Premier Wickremesinghe said much to the amusement of his supporters.

He added that it was the peoples sovereignty that doused the fire against democracy.

Port City Christmas party hit by so-called wave of terror

The Chinese builder of the Colombo Port City, China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC), cancelled its annual Christmas party this week for a peculiar reason: Fear of a terrorist attack.The event was scheduled to be held at a hotel in Mt Lavinia on Friday night for the Sri Lankan and Chinese employees of the project. A separate party was taking place at the Jaic Hilton in Colombo.

While the second celebration did take place as planned, an email hurriedly circulated by a CHEC employee on Friday morning saying it was from the head office announced in bright orange that The Christmas party tonight is off. The reason: Information from the head office, targeting the Sri Lankan port city project department, is concerned about a terrorist attack.

It is not clear what terrorist attack has been anticipated and why it targeted that department. There were, however, reports of a clash between Chinese and Sri Lankan workers at a separate construction site in Colombo Fort.

Rajapaksa, Samaraweera in banter on alleged coup

In marked contrast to the fisticuffs and property destroying mayhem seen in Parliament only a few weeks ago, dignity and decorum returned to the House on Friday when all parties attended sessions for the presentation of the new Governments Vote on Account (VoA).

There was plenty of good-natured banter between those on the Government and Opposition sides. For the most part, they did not let their tempers get the better of them. Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera initially landed some jabs at the expense of Opposition Leader, former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who was also Finance Minister in the short-lived Government he took over on October 26.Speaking while presenting the VoA, Mr Samaraweera revealed that the former President had spoken to him in the MPs Canteen in Parliament on the afternoon of October 26, asking him to join the new Government.

At the time, I thought he was daydreaming as usual. It was only late that same night that I understood that it was not so, he remarked.

Mr Samaraweera, though, noted that the request the former President made meant that, contrary to his subsequent claims that he had been caught unawares by President Maithripala Sirisenas invitation to be PM, Mr Rajapaksa knew of the conspiracy to topple the Government in advance. This makes you an accessory to the coup. Mr Samaraweera told the former President.

In reply, Mr Rajapaksa denied claims that what happened on October 26 was a coup. He also warned the Government MPs to not be too comfortable in their seats. When it happens the next time, I will also make sure to let you know in advance, he told Mr. Samaraweera.

Travellers stranded in Wilpattu rescued through joint effort

A group of travellers stranded in the Wilpattu National Park was rescued through the combined efforts of the Puttalam Disaster Management Centre (DMC), army and navy yesterday. The incident occurred around 4 p.m. on Friday when a bus with 89 passengers en route to Jaffna got stuck in heavy mud as a result of heavy rains.

The passengers were forced to spend the night on the bus. They were able to contact the Mullikullam Naval Base and the Puttalam Disaster Management Centre via the Puttalam Divisional Secretariat. Puttalams DMC director had alerted the 143 Brigade Commander, Brigadier Dammika Dissanayake and the navy for support.

The navy deployed their tractors and pulled the bus out of the mud and towed it onto the Elluwankullam bridge. However, since the water level under the bridge had increased and travelling by bus was deemed dangerous, naval special forces stepped in to help the stranded 89 passengers get across.

Brigadier Dammika Dissanayake then invited the passengers to the army camp where they were provided lunch, and temporary lodging.
Co-habit or Co-perish View(s):

Like any employee who has been sacked from employment and reinstated by a labour tribunal, the Ministers of the Cabinet  and the State and Deputy Ministers  have got their jobs back following the October 26 misadventure of President Maithripala Sirisena.

On Thursday, thanks to the 19th Amendment, the Cabinet was mercifully limited to a stipulated maximum. Sri Lanka with a population of just over 20 million and a fourth the size of the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, had a Cabinet that put bigger democracies to shame. But in fact it was a shame for this country to have what has been commonly referred to as a jumbo Cabinet milking the taxpayers purse in the process.

It is the apex of political power that set the standard for an over-sized public sector as well; something that has for long become a jobs for the boys and girls; an open house for those related to, or supporting, the ruling party members, to find employment. This overgrown public sector badly needed a haircut  to use the new parlance for trimming excess weight and correcting an unhealthy trend.

By and large, the portfolios have been allotted to the same Parliamentarians who headed those ministries prior to October 26. It has also given the Prime Minister an opportunity to fine-tune the appointments. Still, it has not been without the pressures he has been subjected to and the IOUs he would have had to encash from those he had to rely on for his Parliamentary majority. That is a political reality and he must surely be thanking his lucky stars that at least he did not have to find portfolios for the TNA and JVP MPs who also supported him. On the other hand, if they had formally joined the UNF in a national government, there could have been that jumbo Cabinet.

It was wise for the reinstated Government to ditch the suggestion made by some to go for a national government with the solitary SLMC MP (though other SLMC MPs contested from the UNF ticket) for the sole purpose of going above the limit of 30 in the Cabinet. That would have been a total farce and would have glaringly exposed the UNF Governments pro-Democracy cry of recent weeks during the Constitutional crisis.

The near-two months between October 26 and December 20 should have given the Cabinet of Ministers time to reflect. They would have also got a taste of being jobless, with cars, security and other perks withdrawn, and no work to do, other than mass mobilisation. It ought to, therefore, reinvigorate them to serve the nation for the balance period of their term, which goes on till August 2020 unless otherwise Constitutionally brought forward; mindful too, that in all likelihood a Presidential election could precede Parliamentary elections.

That is ample time therefore, for the Government to re-calibrate its policies and map out its strategies. While democracy faced the red line because of the Presidents adventurism, and the two pillars of Government, viz., the Legislature and the Judiciary, stood firm, Government members will only be pulling wool over their eyes if they were to believe that throughout the country, the people are now with them, fully. Rural Sri Lanka realised the President had done something wrong. That does not translate to endorsing the wrongs of this Government since 2015.

The Prime Minister, a keen observer of Indian politics, would have studied the recent mid-term elections in five states and the setback faced by the hitherto high-riding BJP Government at the Centre. Anti-incumbency has been put down as one of the root causes for the Governments defeat. The invincibility of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been severely tested as the electorate resented being taken for granted. It was a good lesson for us and time to reflect and do some course correction, a BJP leader said.

Such a lesson is appropriate for the Government in Sri Lanka too as it faces the anti-incumbency dilemma. While the Government will justifiably enjoy the fruits of victory from challenging the Presidents anti-Constitutional expedition, that victory will be Pyrrhic unless tempered with the sobering reality of comprehending the volatility of the electorate which the government politicians will at some time or other, have to go before.

The Opposition Rajapaksa brigade, having made a major political blunder in partnering the Presidents October 26 faux pas, will clearly lick their wounds, wipe the egg off their face, bide their time, though not for very long, and bounce back with a vengeance into where they believe, and rightly so, their strength is  the southern electorate.

The challenge for the Government is, however, not merely to think of how to win the next set of elections, but more, how to put the country on the right track. The one and a half month Rajapaksa Government once in power and place, immediately took populist measures. Reducing the price of fuel seems to be the all-time favourite of new Governments. While it does give temporary relief to the people, it only makes life difficult for Governments in the long run and is no guarantee for electoral success unless other factors fall into place.

The public will stomach tough measures and tightening of belts only if the political leadership shows they are one with the people rather than serving themselves first before serving the nation and the people. That is when discontent rises and the anti-incumbency factor kicks in.

The new cohabitation Government got off to the worst possible new beginning when President Sirisena gave a schoolmaster-like lecture to the Prime Minister and UNF leaders as he was left with no option but to work with them.

But he could not remain sulking that he couldnt get his way. He came into a cohabitation Government with his eyes wide open in 2015 and there is a great responsibility on his part to head such a Government till the end of its term. Clearly, the rapport between him and his Prime Minister and Ministers is crucial, especially now when none of his own party men is in the Cabinet. He might not want to remain passive as President D.B. Wijetunga was from 1993-94, but equally, he cannot play an obstructionist role disposing what is proposed.

It is said that the President comes from Mars and the Prime Minister from Venus insofar as their political philosophies and perspectives are concerned. We have said before that the President lives in the 1970s and the Prime Minister in 2050. Broadly put, one is a socialist at heart, and the other a capitalist.

Many advanced democracies are moving towards social democracy where the public is taxed, but the tax is used to provide services to the public equitably with a safety net for the vulnerable. If the President and the Prime Minister can make that combination work, they will make a winning team. Otherwise, the country can continue further down the slippery road to disaster.
CTU appeals to HRCSL against changes in Grade One admission list View(s):

A government move to interfere with the Grade One admission list for 2019 in popular schools in the Western Province was referred to the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) on Wednesday (19). The Ceylon Teachers Union (CTU) said that the Western Provincial Education Minister and some provincial members had last week summoned principals of 24 popular schools and ordered them to refrain from following the priority list prepared by the schools when granting admission to Grade One. Instead, they have been asked to admit children from a list given by the WP Education Ministry. They have also been asked to ignore the security personnel quota system.

CTU General Secretary, Joseph Stalin said that Circular 24/2018 specifically states that any admission to Grade One has to be in accordance with the circular, which details the steps to be taken in admitting children. This is a violation of the Circular which has already been prepared by schools, Mr Stalin said.

-CC
O/Level exam centres to be offered for students abroad View(s):

Sri Lankan students living overseas will be able to sit for the GCE (Ordinary Level) Examination at examination centres to be set up in selected countries from next year, a senior official said. Commissioner General of Examinations Sanath Pujitha said six countries had been selected, but this number could be higher after plans are finalised. Countries selected so far are Doha-Qatar, Oman, India, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Iran, while the United Kingdom and Canada are other countries that are being considered. Initially, the programme will be launched in one or two countries.

The proposal was approved by then Education Minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam and is now likely to be implemented with the former government being restored. Mr Pujitha said that the Examinations Department was working with the Foreign Ministry and Education Ministry to implement the proposal. He said in Doha-Qatar there were 1,750 students in a school, of which the majority were Sri Lankans who had shown an interest in sitting for the O/L Examination.

He said the Department had previously conducted exams at a refugee camp in Chennai for three years. The Examinations Department will send teams from Sri Lanka to conduct the examination in the selected centres, while the respective missions will be involved in co-ordinating the arrangements. The students will have to apply as private candidates.

-Damith Wickremasekara
Heres good news for all you young star gazers By Nimashi Fernando The recently opened Institute of Astronomy of Sri Lanka (IOAS), fills a long felt void in the field of teaching astronomy View(s): View(s):

Twinkle twinkle little star

how I wonder what you are.

I was perhaps a very tiny tot when I first sang this song. It meant nothing to me, but I enjoyed its rhythm. During my late teens though, I used to lean on the windowsill and watch the dark starry skies in awe. The stars still twinkled, and then, I actually wondered what they are. Yet, no matter how deep my passion for astronomy was, I had no opportunity to pursue this fascinating science.

Now however, the situation is quite different, says Thathsarani Bulathsinghala, co-founder of the first school dedicated to teaching astronomy in Sri Lanka. Although we had little or no opportunity to pursue astronomy when we were kids, today the opportunities are aplenty. There are books and information on the internet on astronomy and the monthly magazine Tharulowa, which disseminates much knowledge.

Space visionary Arthur C. Clarkes science fiction played a significant role in inculcating a passion for outer space among many, she believes. Many schools now have astronomical societies, which is a clear indication of the keenness in pursuing this science. The Astronomy Olympiad, a national competition organised by the University of Colombo was introduced about a decade ago.

Co-founder and Chairman of the school Sameera Ratnayake spoke of the gap between the demand for knowledge on astronomy and the means to provide such knowledge. Astronomy is included in the school curriculum from grades 6  9, in a limited capacity. The lack of dedicated astronomy teachers, along with the renewed interest in kids to learn the subject and the ever increasing competitiveness in the Astronomical Olympiad, culminated in establishing a school dedicated to teaching astronomy. The Institute of Astronomy of Sri Lanka (IOAS) was born on December 8, 2018, filling a long felt void in the sector.

We have already developed course content, even for kids from ages 6 to 11, where we have designed a practical course for them, with exciting events such as simulation of moon walking, nebula in a bottle, water rocket construction and launch etc, he elaborated. Courses on theoretical and observational astronomy have been designed for students and adults, starting with the fundamentals and progressing to the advanced curriculum. Two more courses have been designed to groom those interested for the Astronomical Olympiad in the junior and senior categories. Night camps free of charge for schools are also available.

The Institute is run by the Science and Technology (S & T) Group, and we are equipped with a qualified panel of lecturers, Sameera said adding that they conduct courses approved by the Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC). The SGAC, in support of the United Nations Programme on Space Applications, is a global non-governmental, non-profit organization. It aims to represent university students and young space professionals in the United Nations, space agencies, industry and academia.

The school is based in Colombo, but students from various districts were present to follow the first course, which commenced with the opening.

Gender balance is important, even in astronomy, says Ashen Chaturanga, a young astronomer groomed by the S & T Group adding that the participation of women in astronomy is less than 10% across the world. He represented the Institute of Astronomy Sri Lanka in the Asia Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum in November 2018.

Flanked by a team of young astronomers, Sameera and Thathsarani who hail from different universities in the country, are keen to impart their passion for astronomy to others.

They can be contacted on 0112074762 and 0778696620.
CIABOC launches probes on crossover bribes View(s):

The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) has begun investigations into two complaints lodged by the Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL) concerning crossover bribes. CIABOC Secretary Shanthi Jayasekara said the commission was probing the two complaints.

Commissioner Neville Guruge said an investigation was on with regard to the complaint lodged on November 11, but he had no knowledge regarding the second complaint. The TISL filed its first complaint at the CIABOC after United National Party Parliamentarian Palitha Range-Bandara played audio clips at a news conference to support his allegation that bribes were being offered to MPs to cross over.

The TISL filed a second complaint, calling for an inquiry into the statement made by President Maithripala Sirisena acknowledging that financial inducements were offered to parliamentarians to cross over. TISL Director Asoka Obeysekera said the CIABOC had begun investigations after the TISL submitted a detailed report to the commission.

Deputy Minister Ranjan Ramanayake also confirmed that the CIABOC had launched a probe on his complaint. Following Mr. Range-Bandaras audio clip revelations, he lodged his complaint, first over the phone and then in writing, urging the commission to investigate whether bribes were paid to MPs to cross over He said Mr. Range Bandara had been notified to appear before the commission.
Heavy rains slash the North; more than 10,000 affected by floods By Chris Kamalendran View(s): View(s):

More than ten thousand people in various parts of the North have been hit by floods due to heavy monsoon rains since Friday.

The army and navy, officials of Disaster Management Centre (DMC) were deployed in coastal and inland areas for rescue operations.

In Mullaitivu, the worst flood-hit district, 4443 persons from 1414 families were affected and are being sheltered in 20 temporary camps. In Kilinochchi, 4633 persons from 1347 families were affected, according to the situation report issued by DMC yesterday noon.

According to an advisory issued by the Department of Meteorology, many parts of the northern region received more than 300 mm of rainfall by yesterday morning. Mankulam and Oddusuddan areas recorded rainfall of 365.1mm and 302.1 mm within 24 hours on Friday.

As active clouds are developing over the North, East, Puttalam and North-Western parts of the island, showers or thundershowers will occur at times due to low level atmospheric disturbance, the department said yesterday, while forecasting heavy rain fall acceding 100 mm in some places.

The Army and the Navy are assisting us in civilian rescue operations. Some 1305 affected families are currently sheltered at 22 temporary shelter camps, Mullaitivu District Secretary R. Ketheeswaran told the Sunday Times.

All seven sluice gates of the recently renovated Iranaimadhu reservoir were opened in the early hours of yesterday as the water level increased up to 36 feet, the maximum capacity of the reservoir.

Soon after the sluice gates were opened, residential areas in the lowland of Karachchi and Kandawalai started flooded forcing locals to evacuate immediately.

Civilian transport facilities were also limited as the A9- Mankulam road was inundated. Boat services for northern islands were also stopped since Friday.
While people were preparing to celebrate Christmas on Tuesday, it was a floody hell in some areas of the war-affected Mullaitivu district. Fridays floods caused heavy damage and our picture shows soldiers joining civilians in rescue and relief operations. Pic by Loha Thayalan
PC elections: Polls chief to make final appeal to resolve deadlock View(s):

The Election Commission will make a final appeal to all political parties represented in Parliament to resolve the deadlock in holding Provincial Council elections, Commission Chairman Mahinda Deshapriya told the Sunday Times. This is the final letter that we will be sending to all recognised political parties in this regard, he said.

Mr. Deshapriya said the political parties could pass an amendment to the Provincial Council Elections Act to conduct the elections under the Proportional Representation system. The amendment needs a two thirds majority in Parliament. We have been writing to the parties since April this year, but have failed to receive a positive response, the Election Commission Chairman said.

Explaining the reason for the delay, he said the Review Committee which was appointed by Speaker Karu Jaysuriya during the latter part of August to provide recommendations on the defeated Delimitation report, had met only twice until October 26. He pointed out that the committee had not yet submitted a review report.

Mr. Deshapriya explained that Review Committee was appointed since the Delimitation Report was defeated in Parliament when it was put forward by the then Provincial Councils Minister Faizer Mustapha. The committee comprised Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, R.M.A.L Ratnayake, Periyasamy Muthulingam, Balasundaram Pillai and Dr. A.S.M. Nawfal.

In addition, Mr. Deshapriya emphasised that the Parliament should prioritise this matter only next to the vote on the budget. However, Rohana Hettiarachchi, Executive Director of the Peoples Action for Free and Fair Election (PAFFREL), said the delimitation review report did not necessarily have to be passed in Parliament.

The report can be submitted directly to the President following which the President can take measures to gazette it, Mr. Hettiarachchi told the Sunday Times. He also said that the provincial elections should be held within the first three months of next year. Commenting on the role played by the commission in urging for periodical elections, Mr. Deshapriya said the EC had done everything possible to conduct the polls as early as possible although certain entities continued to blame the commission and its chairman.

He said six provincial councils had already completed their terms, while another PCs term would end by March next year.
School uniform vouchers to be given from January 2 View(s):

The new government has decided to distribute long-delayed uniform vouchers to the 4.3 million schoolchildren in the country.

The newly reappointed Education Minister, Akila Viraj Kariyawasam, said arrangements were being made to distribute the vouchers when school reopen on January 2. We have sent all vouchers to the education zones and they will be distributed to schools as soon as schools reopen, he said.

The vouchers validity has been extended until end of February.

He said the 50-day impasse in politics had delayed the distribution of the vouchers. The former government had planned to distribute the vouchers when schools closed for the 2018 academic year, but the sudden change in administration that followed the appointment of a new prime minister by President Maithripala Sirisena on October 26 caused chaos.

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksas new government was in a quandary over the uniforms arrangements as the vouchers had images of ousted UNP minister Kariyawasam. By the time the government decided to distribute the vouchers, schools had closed for the year. The Education Ministry has made a special allocation of Rs. 2.45 billion for school uniform materials.

The Ceylon Teachers Union (CTU) says giving vouchers instead of uniform material was a nuisance for parents who have to go to schools to collect the vouchers and then shop around for the materials. CTU General Secretary Joseph Stalin said the programme was a failure as often several parents failed to cash the vouchers given to students. He said that last year vouchers worth Rs. 400 million had not been cashed.

The CTU insists that the government should change the voucher system and go back to handing out uniform material to schoolchildren.
Sri Lankan staffer accuses senior UN official of sexual harassment View(s):

UNITED NATIONS  A Sri Lankan staffer has accused one of the highest ranking UN officials of sexual harassment in a case currently playing out at the United Nations. Shihana Mohamed, a Human Resources Policies Officer with the International Civil Service Commission (ICSC), has charged the New York-based Commissions chairman of retaliating against her by denying promotions and excluding her from duty-travel overseas because she refused to accede to his demands.

After a long drawn-out investigation, the Office of Internal Oversight Service (OIOS), the UNs investigative arm, produced a report last week.

But the contents of the report are under wraps since neither the OIOS nor ICSC has announced plans to go public with the results of the investigation in an institution which has long preached transparency and accountability to the outside world.

The official against whom the charges were made, UN Under-Secretary-General Kingston Rhodes of Sierra Leone, abruptly announced his resignation last Friday, two weeks before his retirement  circumventing the sexual harassment charges. The ICSC is described as an independent expert body established by the 193-member UN General Assembly, and its mandate is to regulate and coordinate the conditions of service of staff in the United Nations common system, while promoting and maintaining high standards in the international civil service.

As a result, the office of Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says he has no jurisdiction over a UN body created by the General Assembly and answerable only to member stateseven though, ironically, Mr. Guterres has been vociferously advocating a zero tolerance policy on sexual abuse and harassment at the UN.

The New York-based Equality Now, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) which promotes womens rights, is advocating Ms. Mohameds cause.

Antonia Kirkland, Legal Equality Global Lead at Equality Now, said Secretary-General Guterres acknowledged months ago that the allegations against the ICSC chairman were credible.

So he should have done everything to protect his own staff from sexual harassment regardless of the Chair of the ICSC, or anyone elses, technical employment status vis-a-vis the UN. She said the UNs zero tolerance policy on sexual harassment should apply to all, without exception, with survivors and their interests at the centre.

All those who have been found to perpetrate sexual harassment should be held accountable. The UN is the premier international defender of human rights and should start by defending its own employees from sexual harassment in the workplace, said Ms. Kirkland. In an interview with the Sunday Times, Ms. Mohamed said I was sexually harassed by the Chairman of the ICSC for more than 10 years  and I was not the only one. Because I said NO to his repeated sexual advances, he denied me promotions, and excluded me from duty travels, training, assignments, projects, Commission sessions and working groups.

In 2016, I was on sick leave for three-months due to the stress caused by the hostile office environment and retaliation by the ICSC management.

His quiet resignation just two weeks before the end of his term is a slap in my face and barely a slap on his wrist. It is very sad that the ICSC, a jointly-funded body with a mandate to cover all facets of UN staff employment conditions, failed to make Mr. Rhodes accountable for his misconduct.

Also, the Secretary-General and the General Assembly President have said that they do not have any jurisdiction over the ICSC Chairman who is a UN official elected by the General Assembly.

Then, my question is, who has the jurisdiction over him? Can this one person stand above all the rules, regulation and UN values as well as with no checks and balances while dealing with public funds and trust?, she asked.

The issue is expected to go before the UN Dispute Tribunal.
Tensions rise in Kotagala as estate workers block main road View(s):

Tensions rose in Kotagala as police attempted to clear a group of estate workers who staged a protest opposite the Kotagala Pradeshiya Sabha yesterday.

Carrying black flags and banners, around 200 workers from the Drayton and Yuthernside estates in Kotagala staged a protest urging the return of their children who were staging a hunger strike in Colombo in support of the estate workers demand for a Rs. 1,000 daily wage.

The situation became tense when police attempted to disperse the protesters who were blocking the road. The protestors told reporters that they would not give up their struggle until they achieved their wage demand. They charged that politicians and the trade unionists, who had urged them to carry out the protest, were now silent after they received ministerial portfolios and other government perks.

The protestors added that their children were continuing a hunger strike over the past 10 days but to no avail. We do not want a pay hike while holding the lives of our children to ransom, the protestors said. They said they would resort to a fast-unto-death campaign if measures were not initiated to save their children. They explained that their children had staged a hunger strike as they could not bear the hardships faced by their families.

Politicians have shown little concern to the plight of the estate community thereby forcing us to take to the streets. We cannot tolerate this any further, a protester said. As a result of the demonstration, transport along the Hatton-Nuwara Eliya main road was brought to a standstill for about an hour.

Subsequently, negotiations with the police led to protesters clearing a path for vehicles to pass.
UNF negotiates for 32-member Cabinet By Our Political Editor Ranil's Govt. to go it alone, TNA assures issue-based support View(s): View(s):

The United National Front (UNF) will negotiate to increase the number of ministers to 32, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, said yesterday.

This is on the basis of our interpretation that there would be thirty ministers beside the President and Prime Minister holding portfolios, he told the Sunday Times. Since the President had contended that the Cabinet should be 30 including the two leaders, talks were under way, he said.

The development came after President Sirisena rejected a UNF request to revive the National Unity Government with the UPFA . The United National Front led by the UNP has to go it alone in Parliament with only 106 MPs supporting them. However, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) has offered support to the government with its 14 MPs.

The UNF request was conveyed to President Sirisena, who is also the leader of the UPFA and the SLFP by a four-member delegation led by Prime Minister Ranil Wickrmesinghe during a recent meeting. Others were Malik Samarawickrema, Rajitha Senaratne and Palitha Range Bandara.

Abraham Sumanthiran, the TNAs architect for extending support for Ranil Wickremesinghe to become Prime Minister, said we will support the government based on each issue.

During a meeting with President Sirisena, the UNF delegation called upon the President to revive the earlier National Government. The delegates pointed out that Parliamentary approval for such an alliance and thus an enlarged Cabinet of Ministers still remained. However, President Sirisena turned down the request.

Earlier, the UNF leadership had considered an alliance with Ali Zahir Mowlana, the only Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) representative from the Batticaloa district. He is the only MP who won the August 2015 parliamentary elections on the SLMC ticket whilst all other SLMC MPs, including leader Rauff Hakeem, were elected on the UNP ticket. Premier Wickremesinghe turned down the proposal, which was exclusively revealed in the Sunday Times (Political Commentary) last week.
Another Christmas comes along, and the memories return By Dr.V.J.M. de Silva View(s): View(s):

As one who is celebrating his 89th Christmas, it is with a profound sense of nostalgia that I pen these thoughts. Memories of days gone by, those near and dear, and friends long gone, come crowding in. One feels like a straggler in a strange world! So, to start with, what exactly is Christmas? The real meaning of the word Christmas is Feast Day of Christ. Today, in this modern era, beneath all the glitz, there is no doubt that Christmas has lost its real meaning  ironically, this is something that every generation keeps on saying!

In most Western countries, Christmas is a holiday, a time of escape from a stressful, overworked career or dreary, mindless work. For some others, and most Christians in this country, Asia, Africa and S. America, Christmas is still a religious event, a sacred occasion to celebrate the birth of Christ, through singing of Christmas Carols at a church service, attending church service or midnight mass, listening to the message, engaging in prayer and other religious rituals.

My earliest recollections of Christmas is of the early 1930s, a few years before World War 2. Living, born and bred in Moratuwa, which still has a higher percentage of Christians than the national average, Christmas was celebrated on a big scale. Most Christian homes had bucket lantern decorations; Christmas trees, cribs which children themselves made. Santa Claus of course had kept a present at the foot of ones bed on waking up on Christmas morning! Unlike today, the age of disillusionment with Santa came much later for us children!

The public holiday period extended for several days (up to the New Year, if I remember right), and most of the post-Christmas days were spent visiting relatives. There were hardly any cars in that era. A common mode of transport then was the buggy-cart. Our family of five (my siblings were two younger sisters), would leave home in the morning, and after five or six visits, we came back late in the evening. By then we had a few dolls, crackers (Chinese), bon-bons, and sparklers  all, presents given to us, which we lit at night. There was plenty of Christmas-cake, cheese (Swiss & Cheddar), biscuits (Huntley and Palmers, Peak Freans cream crackers)  all imported, (no local Maliban then!), home-made Puhuldosi, marshmallows.

Moratuwa, (apart from carpentry, is a city of musicians), was famous for its Carol parties. There were carol carts, converted and decorated bullock carts, complete with angel, shepherds, and wise men. The carols, sung by the actors (all in Singhalese), composed by local dramatists, were haunting melodies. They were associated with different churches and hamlets in the town. In addition, there were several youngsters with musical instruments, who visited Christian homes, entertaining the people. These have all died down with the passing years and the coming of the IT era.

Christmastime also means contemplating another passing year, bringing in the New Year, expressing hope for the future. We can count our blessings and hope for another year of relative happiness and good physical and mental health. At my age, I cant wish for more. There are not many left anyway! Whatever one may wish, one has to remember that everything that one hopes for, is of course, Deo volente (God willing)!
In these troubled times, let us present ourselves before the Child By Camillus Fernando View(s): View(s):

You know the players. A Child born in Bethlehem in a cold, uncomfortable manger. A mother smitten. A foster father whose eyes and allegiances are firmly fixed. Angels of Heaven with a proclivity to startle. Three magi at the point of no return. A worldly king enraged.

In the chill of a high desert evening, the world comes to a standstill, but not for long. You know the story. The Child is the Son of God, our Saviour, born of the Virgin Mary. Joseph, the humble carpenter, has been chosen by God to be the protector of the Holy Family. The magi are sent by King Herod on a not-so-benevolent reconnaissance mission to size up the situation.

When they arrive at the manger, its clear this newborn King will baffle the world. They themselves are stirred to bow before the Infant Jesus. Then, obeying the injunction of an angel, they make haste for their homelands, refusing to aid and abet Herod and his ill intent.

Joseph himself is then summoned by an angel of the Lord to gather his young family and flee to Egypt because Herod, realizing that the magi had deceived him and fearing the Child may jeopardize his reign, orders the massacre of every boy in Bethlehem under the age of two. He figures one of them has to be the Christ Child.

From the darkened world of 2018, lets be reminded that the drama of the ages begins in Bethlehem. To this very day, all manner of disorder, pain, or peril can best be understood by stepping towards the manger, whose humble inhabitants kindly bid us forward  we who are encumbered with bad tidings, our news disheartening, appalling, and unparalleled.

Indeed, more than 2,000 years after the birth of Christ, the Herods of the world are still having their way.

Persecution of Christians, for instance, is stronger than in the first centuries of the Church, says Pope Francis. From North Korea and Indonesia, through the Middle East, Africa, and all the way to the Americas, there are mobs, militias, assassins, and entire regimes intent on wiping Christianity off the map. Each month, more than 300 Christians are killed for their faith; more than 200 Christians properties are destroyed; and more than 700 forms of violence are committed against Christians, such as beatings, abductions, rapes, arrests, and forced marriages  this according to Open Doors USA, a watchdog group that advocates for Christians around the world.

More than 2,000 years after the birth of Christ, the weak are still forced to flee their homelands. More than 60 million people are now displaced, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Thats four times more than merely a decade ago, a result of land grabs, progroms, and civil wars, most especially affecting our non-Christian brothers and sisters in the Middle East and Africa.

More than 2,000 years after the birth of Christ, the innocents are still being slaughtered  but at a pace Herod himself could never have imagined. Each day, approximately 125,000 babies are aborted, according to the World Health Organization. Moreover, according to UNICEF, 22,000 children die each day due to poverty.

More than 2,000 years after the birth of Christ, two armies continue to square off, each with its own factions and followers. We are obligated to choose a side.

The Herods of the world still seek to slay the essence of love. The magi still summon the courage to thwart them. The Herods anchor themselves to the possessions and obsessions of the material world. The magi open their treasures for the weak and the meek.

The Herods take the torch of their ancestor to scorch the earth. The magi understand the Herods may know not what they do. The Herods are found in high places and low, everywhere that hatred is given a dwelling place. The magi are found in all who listen to the voice of Heaven spoken through Scripture and the witnesses of the saints and martyrs.

The magi of the world know they, too, can be led astray. They recognize the Herods of their own hearts. They know they are susceptible to the temptations to double back toward the monarchs earthly palace. But they prayerfully recall the radiant face of Mary who stands beside the Christ Child. They know that at Fatima and elsewhere, she attempts to checkmate the Herods of the world through her instructions to love through prayer and penance.

The magi of the world have felt the bitter blows. Theyve experienced the loneliness of the outnumbered. They know faith is not for the faint of heart; that we may be asked to pay in blood; that the earth is not our final resting place; that by joining the army of angels, we arm ourselves only with love, forgiveness, and compassion  weaponry that leaves us vulnerable.

This Christmas, lets step from the shadows and present ourselves before the Child who summons all. As St. Faustina writes in Diary, Jesus wants aching mankind to snuggle close to (His) merciful Heart so that He may fill it with peace (1074).

Lets place before Him all our fears, sorrows, frustrations, weaknesses, and humiliations. Lets sit by His fire and listen to the choir of angels sing of He who brings peace to earth to men of goodwill.

For the Child who awaits us, the finest gift we bring is ourselves.
Look whos back in their numbers View(s):

With the start of the migratory season, thousands of birds make their way to the regions bordering the equator to flee the winter, and Mannar transforms into an avian paradise.

Although the previous year saw a drastic dip in the number of Flamingos in the region, currently there are approximately 800-1000 Flamingos seen in Mannar, with numbers expected to rise in the coming weeks. They are regularly seen in the salt pans and the causeway. Hundreds of mixed species of ducks, Black tailed godwits, Glossy ibis, Great black-headed gulls and other assorted waders and water birds blanket the Korakulam reservoir. The Vankalai bird sanctuary is also filled with ducks, small mixed species of waders, Ruff and Temminks Stint.

Palmyrah House in Mannar has one of Sri Lankas leading bird guides Upali Ekanayake on site to assist guests in their bird watching activities.
Lottie Moore and the ruby ring By Somasiri Devendra View(s): View(s):

Sailors then were sailors and ships, ay, they were ships,

When the ports were filled with loveliness and sails were on the sea.

Hi, Somasiri,

Now that you have finished with the young Aussie..

It was a mail from a fellow member of our maritime heritage chat room. I had just completed a most rewarding search for a young Australian boy whose ship had called at Colombo while he was going to fight in the First World War.

.can you help me with a query about my grandfather who had also touched at Colombo in the days of sail?

Just up my street. My grandfather too had run away to sea as a schoolboy and sailed the seven seas before coming home to get married.

Details! Details! I want details! I replied.

Well, he was a sailor, and master of his ship, the Lottie Moore. He used to sail between the US and Australia/New Zealand in the late nineteenth century..

I needed to check out this ship. She was, I gathered a type of ship called a Barque: a sailing ship, typically with three masts, in which the foremast and mainmast are square-rigged and the mizzenmast is rigged fore-and-aft.

It was a common type of cargo ship in the days of sail, of respectable size: 880 tons.

Lottie Moore was an American vessel. What was she doing in Colombo? I searched for her on the internet and gathered various references to her: very brief and lacking in detail. They were from shipping notices in such journals as The New Zealand Herald, Sydney Morning Herald and the Aukland Star from the late 1870s to the 1890s. From these scant references she seems to have been sailing south from New York, down the Atlantic coast, through the Straits of Magellan at the southern end of South America. From there she may have used the prevailing winds to sail across the Pacific Ocean to Wellington and Aukland. On her return voyage she is reported to have called at Newcastle (Australia), Pedang (Sumatra), Hong Kong and thence across the Pacific to Valparaiso (Chile) before rounding Cape Horn for home. She must have carried cargo to and from every port at which she called: there is one reference to her loading 2,680 (c)ases 534 bags of gum, 166 bales flax on her return journey.

Colombo had overtaken Galle as Ceylons major port and business was brisk. But Capt. Watts was not interested in all that: his mind went back to the Ceylon of legend and to Sindbad the Sailor and his tales of the Valley of Gems, the Great Ruby of Cosmos Indicopleustes, of Marco Polo and Sir John Mandeville. Capt. Watts was not in search of the Great Ruby buthe wanted a RUBY.

He had a good reason for wanting one: after the voyage was over he was going to plight his troth to his sweetheart who was waiting for him. Sailors are sentimental people, and they need these emotional bonds on their long months away from home. In fact, his very ship had been named after a woman: I stumbled upon a reference in a genealogy website to a Miss Charlotte (Lottie) Moore who married a Capt. Claydon who, I presumed, named the ship after her. So Capt. Watts was in good company.

So he wanted a ruby ring. Like many another sailor he went shopping. Not far from his anchorage was Chatham Street with its many, many shops that could give every sailor what he wanted.

Chatham Street, then, was an unpaved, cabook street shaded by katu imbul trees and flanked by shops. It may have been the first shop he visited, or maybe it was the last. But it was at No.40, Chatham Street that he found the ring he wanted. It was an impressive faceted ruby solitaire ringed with diamonds of brilliant cut (this is how I remember the picture which, alas! I have misplaced). The cost was a princely Rs.50/-.

Somasiri, the ring is still in our family  and also the sales invoice! I can send you pictures  can you tell me who the jeweller was ?

When the images reached me, my wife was more excited than I. It was not the beauty of the ring that excited her, but the picture of the faded receipt of sale. On 12th October, 1897, the ring had been sold to C.S.Watts Esqr of the American Barque Lottie Moore. The jeweller was Don Theodoris & Co. of 40, Chatham Street, Fort. The city is not shown: which is why my friend had asked me to help.

Don Theodoris Weerasiri was none other than my wifes own great-grandfather, who had founded the business in Galle  then the major port  and later branched out to Colombo when that port reached pre-eminence, until at this day Messrs. Don Theodoris & Co. rank among the very first of local jewellers as is recorded in Twentieth Century Impressions of Ceylon.

Don Theodoris name was known beyond Ceylons shore. He had exhibited at a Fair in Milan, Italy, and been so impressed with the city that he named his infant daughter (my wifes grandmother) Turin. He had exhibited more successfully in later international fairs, as he proudly claimed in notices such as the one where he refers to his royal patrons. Twentieth Century Impressions describes this claim: In 1901 the Prince of Wales and Prince Waldemar of Denmark, when visiting Ceylon, made large purchases of the firm, who received signed photographs from the royal visitors.

The Royal Patrons would have made large purchases but, alas! we know not what happened to them. But we do know that one ruby ring, bought with love for a beloved, is still preserved in America, treated with love and a family heirloom. What more can one ask for?

The firm fell on bad days a decade or so later and went into liquidation. The stock-in-trade was divided among the partners. The premises cannot even be identified now. The goodwill, though, was passed down to a nephew and, in Queens Hotel, Kandy, you will yet see the name of Don Theodoris & Co. beckoning to the discerning buyer.
Mohammed Hanifs Red Birds set to steal the limelight at FGLF View(s):

Though Mohammed Hanif was born in rural Pakistan to middle class parents who were highly respected- regarded as pillars of wisdom in the community- neither of them could read or write. Mohammed himself, though a high achiever, would leave home at 15 for Karachi. There, fate would send him to the Pakistan Air Force who put him through an avionics degree which introduced him to a cross section of Pakistani society  urban and rural, posh and poor, a wide range of ethnicities- as he was to later tell the Guardian newspaper. He would not however stay a pilot officer for long, because while takeoffs were fine, landing jets demanded doing things fast- and I like to think.

He began writing first for the local political magazine Newsline where he was fearless about castigating politicians. Mid 1990s-Karachi, however, was a highly dangerous place- People being kidnapped for a few thousand rupees- and he was forced to move to London with his wife, and worked in the Urdu-language service of the BBC.

In London he would moonlight on his first novel and complete an MA at the University of East Anglia.

Pakistani publishers were reluctant to take on his debut, A Case of Exploding Mangoes because of the deep political satire. The book was a send-up of an obsessively superstitious military dictator infected with anal worms. But after it was sold to Random House, India, the book would get long listed for the 2008 Booker Prize, shortlisted for the Guardian first book award, and then win the Commonwealth first novel prize in 2009.

His second novel Our Lady of Alice Bhatti contains the love story of the spirited convent nurse Alice and Teddy Butt, a thigh-waxing, body-building, Mauser-packing lowlife. They get married- in the style of best postcolonial satire- in a nuclear submarine.

In 2013, he collected testimony about enforced disappearances in the province of Balochistan in a short book, The Baloch Who Is Not Missing Anymore and Others Who Are. That was two years before his friend Sabeen Mahmud was shot dead for daring to host an event celebrating the disappeared.

Hanifs latest book, published late this year, is Red Birds. It is the story of an American pilot, Major Ellie, who crashlands in the desert and takes refuge in the very camp he was supposed to bomb. He is found in the desert and taken to the camp by Momo, a teenager who has plenty on his plate: his brother left for his first day at work and never returned and his parents at each others throats, while his dog is having a very bad day and an aid worker has shown up wanting to research him- for her book on the Teenage Muslim Mind.

The satirist with a delicious bite never gave up on his journalism, being published by The New York Times, The Daily Telegraph, The New Yorker and The Washington Post. His play The Dictators Wife was staged at the Hampstead Theatre while he also wrote the BBC feature film, The Long Night.

Mohammed looks forward to the Urdu translation of A Case of Exploding Mangoes next year while the Pittsburgh Opera will premiere the opera he wrote with composer Mohammed Fairouz- featuring the dramatic saga of the Pakistani dynasty, the Bhuttos.

At Galle, the limelight will, no doubt, fall on Red Birds, acclaimed as a highly charged political chamber opera and a savagely surreal satire of US foreign policy.
With a hymn in their hearts Jude Gomis talks to Kumudini Hettiarachchi of his musical journey with the church, as he and his family practise for midnight mass tomorrow, at St. Josephs Church, Kuliyapitiya View(s): View(s):

Voices raised in praise, worship and thanksgivingnot for a day, a week, a year, but for a lifetime.

Music and song, transcending all barriers, have been the offering of love of Jude Gomis, 55, and as Christmas draws nigh, his single-minded purpose is to give of his best along with his family to Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus whose birth is celebrated at midnight tomorrow.

Born in a bare, cold cave, wrapped in swaddling clothes, the Baby was placed in a manger by his mother with only cattle and sheep around him.

Far away from Bethlehem, at St. Josephs Church, Kuliyapitiya that we sit on a pew and first hear the Gomis family practising for midnight mass, on a balcony overlooking the congregation and in straight view of the altar, having braved an unusually winding spiral staircase.

From multi-talented Jude flows a haunting violin melody, while wife Shermila and younger daughter Nipuni Beulah give voice to the lyrics and elder son Thilina accompanies them on the organ.

Later the practice continues closer to the altar and it is only thereafter that we sit beside the Singing Family, with echoes reminiscent of the Von Trapps of Sound of Music fame, chatting about their lives.

Not only does Jude play and sing for the midnight mass here but travels across the Kurunegala diocese as well as others to sing at church feasts and special occasions, says Kuliyapitiya Parish Priest, Fr. Prasantha Amerasekera.

The main church of six dotting the Kuliyapitiya Parish, Fr. Amerasekera says that as he stands in the sanctuary (altar) to hold the midnight mass, he sees his flock tightly-packing St. Josephs, which is more than 100 years old, and spilling out to the gate. And it is to them and with them that Jude will sing tomorrow night.

Originally from Kurana but now living in Kuliyapitiya, Judes musical journey began as a shorts-clad boy of 14, schooling at Christ King College, Tudella.

Regarding his patan gemma (beginnings), he says that thaththata sihinayak thibba mama palliwala geethika kiyanna one kiyala, Jude recalls, explaining that his father had a dream that he (Jude) should dedicate his life to singing hymns in church.

So his father took him to a master living at Moderas Dockland Handiya (junction) to learn the violin, but not before placing his hand on Judes head and dedicating him to the Holy Spirit. Five months into his training, he began accompanying his master to play and sing at churches.

There had been no doubt in Judes mind as to what his vocation would be after he left school. Singing throughout while working at Giriulla Mills and then later in Oman he had given up his job to devote his whole life to fulfilling his fathers dream. Everything had fallen into place, for when he married cousin Shermila not only was she well aware of his singing inclinations but joined him as well with their children taking to this path at a very young age, as music and song filled their home.

Shermila reminisces how when their children were very small, the four of them would get on their motorcycle and ride off to churches far away to sing and play  they have offered their music at feasts at 25 churches in the Kurunegala diocese and outside, travelling distances to Madhu, Madampe, Talawila, Chilaw and even the jungle shrine of Pallekandal within the Wilpattu National Park. Jude is also a member of the National Choir of Kithu Dana Pubuduwa.

But it is not just Christian devotional songs that they sing and for Jude, there is joy when he speaks of a visit to the Dambadeniya Hospital to sing Bhakthi Gee on Esala poya last July. We were supposed to sing in only two wards, but the requests came and ultimately we sang in all the wards and also the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), he says with humility, happy that they were able to bring solace through music to the patients.

It is during the few hours that they are not participating in a church celebration that they hold music classes at home to keep the family budget on even keel. We lead a very simple life. Even though we havent much economically, God looks after us, says Shermila.

Jude and Shermila have been married for 28 years and say in one voice that aduvak ne (there is no lack) in their lives.

They talk of divine protection and refer to several journeys they have made recently to train a choir for a little church in Talgahapitiya and three more in a remote corner of the diocese. The church did not have a choir for 50-60 years and Jude and family had undertaken the task of establishing one there which sang lustily at the church feast on December 9.

So the family went 38 km back and forth to help a group cobbled together as a choir, returning home only around 1.30 the next morning daily.

Paalu peththaka, palliya thiyenne kerolema, smiles Shermila, as Jude says that they have gone across vel-yaya (paddy fields) and passed mini pittani (cemeteries) without being stranded (athara mang venne nethuwa). The latest was when they were returning at the crack of dawn, from Talgahapitiya. No soul was stirring nor was there any vehicle in sight.

Thata, thata gala, their small van ground to a halt, in the pitch dark. This was not a place to have a vehicle breakdown. But when they looked around it was very close to Sahana Nivasa in Udubeddawa, a home being run by a priest and they were able to get help there.

Of course, says Jude, before they venture on their musical journeys, they always recite the rosary and throughout they sing hymns until they reach their destination.

As they face the New Year having sung and played at Christmas and also the Watch Night Service, hope uplifts their lives. With Gods grace, they are planning to open the Beulah Music Academy, the name significant not just because it is their daughters but also because it is from the Bible.

We leave them to their practice and as the notes of: As I kneel before you, As I bow my head in prayer, Take this day, make it yours and fill me with your loveAve Maria., waft across the church, it seems that the life this singing family has undertaken is truly the divine plan for them.
Stories from the waves before 2004 tsunami By Priyasath Dep, former Chief Justice View(s): View(s):

When the tsunami hit Sri Lanka on December 26, 2004, it was not only one of the worst catastrophes but in terms of terminology, it was the first time, most

Sri Lankans heard the word tsunami. Yet there is a background to it in the ancient chronicles, the Krakatoa volcanic eruptions and the tidal waves which hit Sri Lanka in 1881 and 1883. The writer, a retired Chief Justice, outlines the background

Fourteen years ago on December 26, 2004, a deadly tsunami devastated the coastal areas of the Southern and Eastern provinces of Sri Lanka. It took away the lives of about 40,000 people while destroying houses and properties. This tsunami was a result of a massive earthquake of 8.5 magnitude in the Richter scale. It occurred in the Indian Ocean, north of Aceh in Sumatra, Indonesia. The tsunami affected mostly the Aceh province in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand and India. More than 200,000 people lost their lives. The damage it caused was so extensive that it cannot be properly estimated. Those who survived had the horrible experience in seeing their houses being destroyed and dear ones swept away by the waves. A large number of people became homeless within minutes.

When the 2004 tsunami struck, Sri Lankans were wondering whether there was a tsunami in the living memory. There was none. We had heard of the Vihara Maha Devi episode recorded in ancient chronicles like Mahawansa and Rajavaliya. According to the chronicles, during the reign of Kelanitissa, a huge tidal wave swept the Kelaniya area and swallowed a large extent of land.

In the nineteenth century, Sri Lanka experienced two tidal waves in 1881 and 1883. The word tsunami came to be used only in the twentieth century). The tidal waves were accurately recorded in tidal gauge stations in India.

The Vihara Maha Devi episode

Between the 2nd and 1st Century B.C, a sub king by the name of Tissa, a descendent of Devanampiyatissas brother, was the ruler of Kelaniya. He was known as Kelanitissa. Known to be a hot-tempered king, it is said, he killed the chief priest and his queen, suspecting that they had an illicit affair and threw their bodies to the sea. According to Rajavaliya, as the body of the Arahat touched the waves, a storm lashed his kingdom and this was followed by huge waves that swept across the land and destroyed villages. The waves reached 15 miles inwards. The people thought that the Devas curse had fallen on the people due to the outrageous act of the king. When they complained to the king, he decided to sacrifice his only child Devi to appease the Devas and save the country. Devi was placed on a boat which was allowed to drift away in the sea. The boat landed in Magama in the South. Devi was found near a viharaya by King Kavantissa. Hence she came to be known as Vihara Devi. She married Kavantissa and became the mother of two princes  Dutu Gemunu and Saddatissa.

According to Rajavaliya, the city of Kelaniya was located 15 miles away from the sea. The floods reached the gates of the city and swallowed a large extent of land. According to historical records, this was the first tidal wave that occurred in the country. However, there is no archaeological or geological evidence to support this story.

The Krakatoa volcanic eruptions

A volcanic explosion occurred in the island of Krakotoa, also known as Krakatau, in August 1883. This island is situated in the Sunder Straits between the islands of Java and Sumatra in Indonesia.

The name Krakotoa is referred to a group of islands and the main island is called Rakata. Western travellers in the 17th century, especially, the Portuguese and the Dutch had given descriptions of the islands lying in the Sunder Straits. The island is referred to by various names such as Crackatou, Cracatowa and Krakotowa.

Dutchman Woulter Schouten, who passed through the Sunder Straits in 1658, referred to the island as high tree covered Island of Krakatau. There are several versions as to how the island came to be known as Krakatoa. The most probable theory is that it is derived from the Sanskrit word Karka or kataka meaning lobster or crab. The Main Island Rakata means Crab in the older Javan language.

In 1883, the volcano reached the height of about 2,500 feet above the sea level. The slopes of the volcanic mountain were covered with green vegetation. This was observed by the seamen passing through the Sunder Straits and it was a significant landmark. Volcanic activity was observed in 1883 and there were minor explosions before the major eruptions in August.

The series of explosions which culminated with four massive explosions on August 26 and 27, 1883 is regarded as the most violent and the loudest explosion recorded in modern history. The sounds of the explosions were heard in faraway places such as Perth in Western Australia, the island of Rodrigues near Mauritius, Port Elizabeth South Africa, Ceylon and other faraway countries.

According to the official records, 165 villages were destroyed and 132 seriously damaged near Krakotoa. It destroyed nearly two third of the island. The official death toll was 21,007 and several thousands seriously injured. However, it is stated that about 45,000 people were killed. According to some sources, the death toll was much higher. Many people died or received injuries as a result of tsunamis that followed. This volcanic activity shattered not only the Krakotova island, but also the neighbouring islands and it created small new islands.

The eruptions triggered several tsunamis with waves reaching about 100 feet in height. They wiped out the entire settlements in the neighbouring islands and reached far as the Indian sub-continent. The sound of the explosion was so loud that it is stated that it damaged the ear drums of the crewmen of the ships sailing miles away. Dust and particles entered the atmosphere and with the winds blown miles and miles away reaching distant countries. Pieces of pumice were seen floating in the coasts of Madagascar and islands in the east coast of Africa. The dust and particles blown into the high atmosphere blocked the sunlight, resulting in darkness. It spread to far away countries.

The Atlantic Monthly Magazine published in 1884 reported that some sea captains had reported seeing sun rises that were green, with the sun remaining green throughout the day. The sunsets around the world turned a vivid red in the months following the Krakatoa eruption. The vividness of the sunset continued for nearly three years.

Tidal waves in Ceylon in August 1883

In 1883, there were volcanic activities in Krakotoa. In August there were minor explosions followed by massive explosions on August 27 around 10 a.m. This was the loudest explosion ever recorded. The sounds of the minor and massive explosions were heard in Sri Lanka. It was first thought that it was due to the sounds of discharge or firing of cannons. The volcanic eruption triggered an earthquake followed by tidal waves which reached Ceylon in the afternoon. The tidal waves mostly affected the southern and eastern provinces. In the 1880s, the population of the country was low and the coastal areas were not densely populated. There was only one death reported and damage to property was minimal. However, a few vessels were damaged.

In March 1984, the Colonial Secretary requested Acting Surveyor General J. Stoddart to inquire into the extraordinary rise and fall of the tide in August 1883. He was required to report on four matters:

The extreme rise and fall of tide, and the number of times the waves appeared to come and go.

If noises were heard, or any motion of the earth felt.

The exact time, as near as obtainable.

If any crack or fissure had been observed inland or along the coast.

Stoddart called for and received reports from master-attendants from various harbours, ports, assistant government agents, village headmen and others. District Judges, police magistrates and public officials in coastal areas supplied valuable information. He submitted a report dated March 31, 1884, in condensed form, to the Colonial Secretary. Selected extracts of the report are reproduced below:

The Master-Attendant Colombo reported that he had observed four rises of the sea on the 27th August, the rise of the sea to be about 15 inches above the highest spring tide and that shortly afterwards within 15 minutes the sea fell to about three feet below the lowest spring tide.

According to the report, there was a strong current in the harbour which carried away the stern moorings of some of the steamers in port and swung them round against the wind.

Stoddart stated that the information he received from the Negombo station was meagre and he had no reports from Chilaw or Puttalam.

The Dutch Bay Preventive Officer forwarded his report through the Police Magistrate in Kalpitiya, stating that about two or three chains in extent, including the burial ground had been washed away. The tide had come in and out three or four times in a space of one hour on the 27th around 3 pm and the sounds were heard that day resembling the rumblings of distant thunder, or rather that of a booming of canons which lasted from 7 to 10 a.m.

In Mannar, there was no reliable information to show that anyone had observed the sudden rise and fall of the sea although loud sounds resembling report of cannons were heard from a distance. Mr. Fowler, Assistant Government Agent, reported ,I may mention that there has been a curious change in the colour of the suns disc noticed in the early morning and in the evening since the 19th instant (September 1883). It has appeared to be of a bluish-green colour.

It appears that the tidal wave became week or exhausted when it reached the Gulf of Mannar.

Mr Twynam, Assistant Government Agent, reported that nothing unusual was noticed in Jaffna and Kayts in regard to the tide.

However in Kankasanthurai, Velvetithurai and Point Pedro, a sudden rise and fall of tide of 2-3 feet above the normal level in quick succession was observed.

A report was submitted by the Chief Clerk of Royal Engineers Department, Trincomalee based on reliable information furnished by the head mason who was building a sea wall at Fort Fredrick. It was stated that the extreme rise of the tide four feet at an average: the extreme fall of tide 4 feet at an average. The number of times waves appeared to come and go was about 13 times of which the 6th, 7th and 8th were those that caused more or less the extreme rise and fall above stated, and the rest were of course of a kind not to attract much notice of the working men, bearing simply the appearance of a little extraordinary ebb and flow of the sea water.. The sea receded three times and return with a force in a manner that would attract any ones notice on the spot. And no sooner the ground from the shore to a distance of about 30 feet appeared bare and displaced its sediments with fishes struggling about, and few men (fishers) could have attempted to try their luck, than the sea returned. In about five minutes the sea on that day would have receded and returned twice. A similar change , I remember took place at Gun Wharf Pier when work was going on there with as light shock of an earthquake on 31st December,1881, at 8 oclock a.m.

Similar observations were furnished in the reports submitted by the Acting Government Agent Elliot of Batticaloa.

Arugam Bay which is situated in the eastern coast between Batticaloa and Hambantota was also affected by the tidal waves. Ships used to anchor in this port. Village Headman of Panama reported that when three Moor women, three children and a man crossing the bar a strong wave came from the sea and washed them inwards. After the wave receded fishermen fishing in the estuary rescued them. One woman died two days later due to injuries sustained by her. She was the solitary victim of the tidal wave. The headman was informed by the tindals (masters) of the ships anchored in the Bay that their ships suddenly went downwards and saw the ground and the vessels were moved seawards. Anchors were exposed to the sight. After sometime waves came in and raised the vessels and overflowed the Bar.

Byrde, Acting Assistant Agent Hambantota, reported that Between the hours of 12 and 2 oclock sea kept on rising several feet above its ordinary level, and receding to a great distance, leaving the jetty almost dry, the water at the extreme end of it not being more than knee deep. About every 20 minutes the sea completely covered the jetty and rose so high that it washed away one of the old surf-boats that was high and dry near the main road. I sent a canoe to bring back the boat, but the current was so strong that it was impossible to save it, as it was carried with great rapidity across the bay and then dashed to pieces on the opposite shore.

Henry Parker, officer in charge of irrigation works at Tissamaharama in his letter to Ceylon Observer stated, You will be interested to learn that the explosion which occurred at the recent volcanic eruption in the Straits of Sunder were very distinctively heard by many persons at Tissamaharama near Hambantota and at some places along the southern coast. The sounds which closely resembled distant and occasionally rapid cannonading, lasted throughout the greater part of two days.

He stated that they first thought that the sound was due to rock blasting in connection with irrigation works, but when it continued in the afternoon they assumed that vessels on the Indian fleet engaged in large gun exercises while sailing along the coast.

The Master-Attendant, Galle reported that four unusual waves were noticed in the port at the hours of one, two, three and half past four in the afternoon of 27th August. He has described the last waive as follows:-

The most unusual receding of the sea; the small boats at their usual anchorage being left by it,- a thing I have never seen before during my tenure of office since 1860. He had observed a rise of the sea followed shortly by a recession.

Tidal Wave of December 31, 1881

When tidal waves occurred in 1883, it reminded the government officials of the tidal waves in 1881. This wave was recorded in the Indian Tidal stations but did not receive much attention outside India. The earthquake occurred in the west of the Bay of Bengal under the ocean bed and it was strong and violent in Nicobar and Andaman Islands. It was felt in Ceylon and east coast from Madras to Calcutta. This was followed by sea waves which were recorded in tidal stations in India. When the waves reached the shores of India and Ceylon, they had exhausted theiri strength. They were mild and the effect negligible. That is why it did not receive muc attention outside India. When the tidal waves came in 1883, it reminded the people of the 1881 tidal wave.

Chief Clerk of Royal Engineers Departments, Trincomalee in his report submitted to Acting Surveyor General J. Stoddart in connection with the 1883 tidal wave made a reference to 1881 tidal wave thus: In about five minutes the sea on that day would have receded and returned twice. A similar change , I remember took place at Gun Wharf Pier when work was going on there with as light shock of an earthquake on 31st December, 1881, at 8 oclock a.m.

Mr. Elliot, Government Agent Batticaloa, in his report, submitted to Acting Surveyor General J. Stoddart made a similar reference to 1881 tidal wave. He reported thus:  What was going on was an effect of an earthquake somewhere, as a similar phenomenon occurred here on the 31st December 1881, immediately after the shock of an earthquake felt.

It came to light after the tidal wave of 1883 that Ceylon did not have a proper observatory and an observer with a self-registering tidal gauges of its own. Lieutenant-General Walker, Surveyor General of India, in his paper titled Earthquake Disturbances of the Tides on the Coast of India which appeared in Nature of February 14, 1884 lamented, the absence of tidal stations in Ceylon, such as have been established for years at 17 different places round the coast of India, also at Aden in the west and as far east as Port Blair in the Andaman Islands. After the tidal wave the Indian Government gave assistance to establish two tidal gauge stations one in Colombo and the other in Galle. Major Baird visited Ceylon and selected the sites which commenced operation on February 2, 1884.

Rising of sea level and the sea waves of 1881 and 1883 were referred to as tidal waves. This may be due to the fact that the word tsunami was not used in the nineteenth century. All tidal waves are not tsunamis. Tidal waves could also be generated by gravitational pull of the moon and the sea.

The word tsunami is a Japanese word which is also now used in the English language. According to Wikipedia, tsunami sometimes incorrectly referred to as a tidal wave, also known as a seismic sea wave, is a series of waves in a water body caused by the displacement of a large volume of water, generally in an ocean or a large lake. It is different from a normal tidal wave but a series of sea waves originated from an earthquake, volcanic eruption, under water explosion or landslide.

The 1881 tidal wave was due to an earthquake in the Bay of Bengal and the 1883 tidal wave was a result of an earthquake triggered by the volcanic eruptions in Krakatoa. Therefore both tidal waves are tsunamis.

Aceh in Sumatra was the most affected area due to the 2004 tsunami and is now preparing for the 14th commemoration event in the Grand Mosque of the Aceh Bazar regency which is one of the worst affected areas. This is to reflect on the tragedy and also to appreciate people and organisations who contributed to the recovery of the region. Get together and be alert is the theme for the event. Similarly in December, Sri Lankans, too, should remember the victims of 2004 tsunami and appreciate those who assisted in the recovery.